OverDrive - Strudwick on the Oilers' comeback win, Draisaitl's prominent run and Pickard excelling in the crease

Episode Date: June 13, 2025

Got Yer Back Podcast Host Jason Strudwick joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the Oilers' comeback win against the Panthers, Leon Draisaitl's incredible performance and the game winner, the depth performance against the Panthers, Calvin Pickard stepping up in the game, the Oilers' lineup construction and more.

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eligible trade-in. Switch to Canada's fastest 5G plus network today. Visit a Bell store or Bell.ca slash Blue Dot Days for details. Bell, getting a new phone just got better. Here's Jason Strudwick. Struddy, what were you saying to yourself after twenty minutes last night why it was insane i mean if you think that i had a worst part you know case that apparently box get your feet moving they'd be did the opposite of that and so i was actually at the watch party downtown with my kids and it was packed to the place of jam sold out

and energy there star was great and then within 10 minutes it was gone. It was like not good at all. Kind of like noodles on a spin class, right? It goes in hot and it dies off. It was amazing. Then they started scoring again. They're like, what is going on? Why do they do everything so hard? The energy is crazy. It's such a fun series, such a great series. Well, Stradi, this is the one thing, and you and I were texting a little bit, like, have you ever seen the swings here? And not even just the swings as a team, but swings individually. Like, Darnell Nurse should have taken his gear off after the first period, and then all of a sudden he's a world beater in the

second period. Have you ever seen this with individual players where it's like that guy was ridiculously bad and then all of a sudden he's unbelievable the rest of the game? I haven't seen it to that degree with players. Vander Kane the same thing. Although I didn't think Kane had a great game, but I thought Nurse really responded. Yeah, so you look at Darnold Nurse, you take that penalty, you're down five on four, and I understand what he's trying to do.

I think if I was that, I'd probably gone straight at him and not had my right leg on his left leg to clip him. You just kind of take him and kind of push him into the wall, get your stick around, hoping not to puck around. Well, steady, clutch the the leg and down he goes. And I get it, like he's trying to not look frustrated, but in that moment, I mean, that's a really tough penalty to take considering that if Andrew Kane just high-suck a guy for no reason, then a few short minutes later, Ekholm takes another one.

So you go into that dressing room and probably thinking, man, I've got to get something going here. So you're looking for something good to happen. And what's crazy is it probably comes off the guy who hasn't played, you know, Jeff Skinner. He finds, he goes and finds that puck, not a known grinder, but he grinds it out, is able to find the puck and it ends up getting to nurse after, you know, pretty quick order. And nurse also unlocks his game and scoring does help you, does get confidence.

So everyone is different, you know, for some guys it's being physical, others winning draws, whatever, but it gets your game going. And I thought Darnell really got his game going. And what's, if you're an Older's fan, can he now carry that through for another 180 minutes plus? Can that confidence carry through his game? And you know, Vander Kane's not there. His game has dipped off since, let's say, the last little while here.

And he's got to find another gear because he can have an impact on the series you know you look at that you know last night the stars of florida really i thought i had a good game but it's been gave to me habit and then same kill conor mcdavid last night i thought was muted and that's not like on a mcdavid word leon was good so it's so interesting look game by game within a series how you have different players rising and falling in what they're bringing. Well you're right about McDavid. I mean he had some moments but I was waiting for him

to really get going and it just didn't seem to happen yet. Dry Settle walks out of there with three points. You know a primary assist on the first one where he set up Nugent Hopkins and then of course he gets the OT winner and You know the Gretzky Messier years it was Gretzky's the man but Messier is this leader that's so clutch And like is that what we're seeing here again study that you know dry-cidal I guess what I'm asking is like what is he building here legacy wise because we keep focusing on McDavid Because he's got a chance at passing cross be your let me or maybe catching gretzky and that's not the category dry settles in

but could you have a could it be considered a better play the mark messier in ten years is that possible when his career is done well i mean i'd be a pain if i if that's what happens but you know that this is kind of when you're on a team with a generational player, you kind of are a little bit under the gun or a little bit kind of hidden. I'm looking at a guy like Melkin in Pittsburgh and he was an amazing player. And every other team in the league, he's the number one center except that one because you have Sidney Crosby. So I think that's similar here with Conor McDavid. But I don't think Leon, I don't think that really bothers him. He just wants to win. He enjoys playing

with his buddy when they're doing well. But the way he's playing right now is he's really doing a lot of good things out there. He's scoring goals. He's getting things done five on five. He's playing with, it feels like a new linemate or two every time. Like whoever wins the lottery that week and gets to play a Fleeon Drysidle it feels like. And I don't think he really cares. He just wants to win. That's all he's driven by, is winning. His play has been elite, truly elite. And I know he didn't win the Hard Trophy. I think I would, I don't have a vote obviously, obviously but he was close I thought he could have got if you maybe played those 10 extra games maybe he gets it but he has been the best player in the league this year and that counts

97 who sits beside him in the room. Well Hayes I think what you're getting at and maybe I'll ask Struddy before I make you mad is he the greatest sidekick in NHL history? That's the question, man. Because I wrote down some other ones. I had Jagger, Messier, Forsberg, Malkin were the ones that just popped into my head. He can make a case. He's right there. I mean, if he continues on.

Those other guys have had the personal success with cups and all of that. Like the hardware, like, you know, Dry Cytl's, what is he at? He has two rockets now is that two yeah yeah a couple of ones one heart yeah he's been in the heart chase a couple of times Art Ross absolutely I mean did he do basically another question I think within the realm of this cup final is is he neck-and-neck with McDavid now for the cons white if the Oilers win how do you see that plan out strut? Well one other one other do would be Jamie McClendon to Roman Turek.

It is an all-time great. We want the Jennings. But Turek was the back up. He was the number two guy. You know it only took four minutes to bring up his Jennings trophy. I see it all the time. We know you won the Jennings. I technically didn't win.

I didn't play enough games. They didn't give me a trophy. I asked for a trophy, they're like, no, you didn't play enough games. Sorry, buddy. Denied. Denied the Jennings. It's because you still owed money. You still owe the league money for that dirty slash in the

playoffs right there on the way to pay that fine it's like the library can't get any more books out exactly uh... exactly off you know what guys i i i think we are on a clean on the thing so good for this group and i and i can only think so in different ways but i would throw a dark horse that you missus in saying that we were to say this but you know can cal pickard could he even get some votes the way he's played because

without him he they're not here without his play they're not where they're at right now he never loses although someone made a great point last night technically Skinner still has never lost a game four because they didn't lose last night that's true that is true he's great in game fours. Um, but yeah, I, I think Pickard, you know, if you're doing a pecking order, it feels like McDavid dry subtle probably Bouchard would have to be in that. And then, and then it probably is Pickard like if the, you know, the MVPs of the run, so to speak. And, um, yeah, last night, you know, I thought what was necessary and important to match what Florida seemingly

does every night is you need depth. It's Pod Kolzin scoring, it's Wallman scoring a big goal, Darnall Nurse with a beauty. You get two goals from the point and then a goal from Pod Kolzin. That's going to put you in a really good spot, Strud, and that's what happened last night. Well, you know, they talked about maybe the depth scoring for the orders have gone away and listen, Florida is a good team. Maybe we all, me included, I thought the order was in five. That looks unlikely at this point but when you look at the whole situation and the way that Florida, they're a really deep and good team and the the impact of Marchand, it just cannot be overlooked.

He's been so important to stabilize that middle six, or I guess the bottom six. But the owners are finding a way to get it done. It's not always pretty. And that's the challenge, I think, for this group. Get out of your own way. Get out of your own way. You know that the penalties,

trying to be a little bit too fancy on the breakouts, get that puck and get it up the ice as quick as you can. Maybe you have to use a glass. Just wait for Florida to make a mistake because that's what they're doing to you. So how do they get out of their own way and can they do that right away tomorrow night in Edmonton? So, Strahd, you know, Chris Knoblock had some some adjustments. You know, the goalie pole, I thought, you know, it ended up working out, obviously,

because Pickard comes in and slams the door, does a good enough job, makes some big saves at the right time. You know, the Stetcher, it didn't work out. I mean, Stetcher had a tough shift, and I think he had like two shifts after that the rest of the game. Do you think there'll be adjustments for tomorrow's game?

Obviously on home ice would would Stetcher come out for Klingberg where you could protect them on home ice with the The last change type of thing or you just roll the same lineup Well, we'll start up front and I think that Jeff Skinner stays in and I truly feel guys that this this player Is gonna have a moment in this and now he's got you know, he didn't get an assist last night, I don't think, but he was, you know, the reason that they scored that goal, a nurse's goal, but he's going to have a moment. So I leave him in there for Arberson. On the back end, Stetcher comes out, I put Klingberg in.

The others can play with 5D. All those five guys can play north of 20 minutes. So that's not the issue, but I want to have that extra layer of guys that if I need to I can use them. So I think Clinkford can come in and he's played good minutes for this team but you're right, I think he sheltered him a little bit more when he goes through. You know on the back end I think it's clear it's Pickard, goes in the net but they really miss Hyman which is a fairly obvious statement because they're looking for someone to play beside Connor and Nuge.

And Connor Brown last night was there, and his game, I think he's fighting an injury, there's a nagging injury there, but they don't really have anybody there that fits. So that is the spot I'm looking for. Who'd he put there, and then what about Evander Kane? Kane's game dipped off. Does he play beside Leon? They put Paul Coleston up there a bit uh... but you want came to break up the line of the line i thought was great

was frederick uh... henry canton skater and i was a really good line if you want to break that line up so you know that i think this is where they're really missing hyman and and and not think they had to be a slam dunk but the line is just set up easier when he was there unfortunately don't they got to figure out maybe brown stays up there think David strutty was Taylor Swift at the Spangler Cup gold medal game or or what I think she was too I don't think she was she was old enough but she's heard the legend she's heard the whispers around you know Switzerland

when she rolled through Switzerland they were still talking about that silver medal you picked up. Silver medals hanging in the rafters with a Strudwick jersey. Well, let's hope she's in Edmonton. If she is, who's the bigger deal out there, you think? Taylor Swift or Noodles being back home? Noodles, I love how Noodles finds a way to come home for a work trip. That's amazing. How does that even work? How does that even work?

You're talking about? Like Wednesday? Have you been at the... Well, here's the other thing, Stretty. There's another guy who's supposed to be on the panel, but he's not available. He's not even on this show, but he's in Toronto. He's not even on this one. Forget the Edmonton panel. Yeah, that we could get him out of bed this

afternoon so yeah i don't know if you're not going to be a spy while i was on it he was tired of the big tweet about ten people send me a tweet where you wrote that's it you know and i i i i i was like that and he might be right and then it came back to i don't want to respond i don't respond to the order jane fit so that was a great one that's it yet but minimum it's over but then it but then he had to follow up ricos i was hacked i'd love that

uh... not only that he goes sorry sorry account was hacked that that that that's all area back on the other side account was hacked. Back on the believe trade. Enjoy it tomorrow night. Thanks for doing this.

Noodles don't work too hard tomorrow. I know what you got about a four minute panel for a five day trip? Listen, I'm waiting for you to buy me lunch though. We've talked about this before. You invented copper wire by stretching a penny so i'm gonna have to buy you lunch uh... you can make them like football tournament the military at the bottom of

the card but i think you're going to take a little bit uh... i'd start up on with that this is my happy father's day likewise the avoid rather is this is a struggle fun with that. Thanks buddy. Happy Father's Day. Likewise. See you boys. All right. There he is. Jason Strudwick. Hey, this is Ruby Carr, the host of the podcast, Encore. Choosing the perfect song to release as the first single for an album is a crucial step for an artist. So how did the band Nirvana

decide to release Smells Like Teen Spirit, a song that would become one of the biggest in history as the first single from Nevermind? We were asked what songs you guys want to put out first as a single and we just thought about it. We thumb wrestle with Two Teens Spirit as our first single. Listen to Encore on the iHeart app or wherever you get your podcasts for stories behind all the songs you love. Don't make me thumb wrestle you.