Real Kyper & Bourne - Hartman vs. Winnipeg II

Episode Date: February 20, 2024

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee start the second hour by revisiting Hartman vs. Perfetti as the Wild and Jets matchup tonight, Perfetti's comments post-game and the trend of players airing on-ice business to the media. Joining the conversation, Jets analyst Sean Reynolds (6:34) sets the stage for the game and discusses the Jets' early returns on Monahan, how active they will be at the deadline and Rick Bowness' Jack Adams case. They regroup with Sam for news and notes - a review of Jagr night in Pittsburgh, the Penguins' options at the deadline and Tampa at risk of missing the playoffs.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

welcome back to the real kipper and born show we got it nationally we are live on sportsnet sportsnet 650 in vancouver we are giving calgary the day off aren't we sammy yeah they've got a some sort of event going on out there charity Charity event, and they're doing some radio stuff. Don't tell them. I never like them anyway. They can't hear us. I'm kidding. I love them.

We love everybody. Of course we do. All right. This hour of real Kipper and Bourne brought to you by Bet365. We got Sean Reynolds in a few minutes here. We're going to revisit that whole Winnipeg, Minnesota thing because it's my understanding that the league has made it very clear to both teams that we'll be watching. No funny business?

Is Bettman in the house? No funny. I don't know if he's going to go. He likes to do that. He likes like a parent helicopter. There'll be some reps there for sure. You guys remember that Ryan Hartman told Perfetti he was going to stick him, then he stuck him.

We have the clip. Oh, we have the clip? Do we have it available to us? Yeah, let's hear it again just so we can remind everybody. We do have the clip. Let's do that. He made it pretty obvious. He said it in kind of a respectful way.

I mean, he said no disrespect, nothing against you, just had to happen. Something had to happen against, you know, what happened to Kaprizov there. I mean, he's obviously going to be out for a little bit and, you know, I don't think Dilley was trying to hurt him. I think he was just playing heavy and that's just, you know, that play happens. Like, you know, he wasn't, I don't think, trying to be a bad guy. I think he was just, that's what he thought he needed to do to get back at us and that's what he chose to do. Saying to a couple of guys, like, lucky it wasn't like a cheap shot hit or, you know, from behind or to the head or something that could have been serious.

Luckily it was just a couple stitches and kind of a weird thing to come out and admit it. Blatantly said that, you know, it was for what happened. Well, I didn't even do anything. It had nothing to do with it. I mean, hey, whatever. It's all good. I was mic'd up, so I don't know if he realized that or not. I mean, they're supposed to get notified, but to come out and blatantly say it to the mic, it worked out in our favor.

How long ago was that? Because I don't remember that kid talking so much. I don't know, a month ago, two months ago. Is there anything more insane, though, than how cool he is with it? He's just like, yeah. So he said he's going to take my lunch money. He said he was going to buy greens and a healthy meal. So he just, you know, he's just like totally fine.

Way too much talking. Really? Yeah. Well, I know that was Hartman's beef later that he, you know, just going to mom and dad and saying he said he's going to do it and they did it. He meant to. Is that the new era where you just spill your beans like that

and just, I don't know. It was a month ago, by the way. I don't know. A month ago, yeah. We have a clip later in the show where Matt Martin and, is it Rempe, got in a fight in the outdoor game or whatever and talking about the respectful way that their fight went down. I think there's still guys who, you know,

old guard way of thinking a little bit but this is funny that he was like do we have that clip well yeah play it oh you want to play it right away yeah so let's just play it because seven kid first game of the nhl matt martin grants him a fight you know against anyway and so yeah let's listen to what rempe had to say about their fight had a hell of a career the tough guy and great player and i don't know we've been saying the one most made icons a couple times but that first shift's a tough guy and a great player. I don't know, we didn't say anything at one of our great icons a couple times, but that first shift we lined up there and he told me congrats and he was asking if I wanted it.

I was like, hell yeah, I wanted it. And then I went and that was awesome. It was a lot of fun and a good fight. Got a fire pick out after. It was an unreal atmosphere, yeah. It looks like he said something to you on the penalty box. Yeah. What was he?

He was just telling me congrats and congrats on the first game type of thing and just told me to enjoy it and stuff. Told me how to fight. So it was good. And I gave him his respect as well. He's a hell of a tough customer. He also told me that he fought Chara. And he's like, I think you're longer than...

He's telling me that he thinks I was longer than him. I arm myself. I was like, oh, yeah. Pretty cool. Longer than Chara. Okay. That's still too much talking for you, isn't it? Oh, my God. I i'm just it bothers me

really can you just pretend you hate each other for us please congratulations storytelling in the penalty box i love scram beat it. Love him. Okay. But that's the story I want to hear when you're old and fat like me and you're around a bar or you're on a podcast and you're my – not now. Not now. I don't want to hear – I hate when this happens, but you're right. It's –

Hey, you can't make us – you can't make us like you. We don't want to like you. We want to, we want to hate you. I despise that. You've been on this course with me too. Like you have said that where's the hate? You want the hate.

The hate's good for the fans. It is. What are you guys going fishing later on this summer? That's the thing. If you immediately void the relevance of the fight, not like a Ranger Islander rivalry, whatever, if you make the fight to be a sideshow and you tell people it's a sideshow,

it kind of takes away from the point of what's happening out there. It's not a staged fight. I wanted this clip because I love Matt Martin and I think it's really a noble thing to give a kid a shot. Matt Martin's not telling the story of what was said in the penalty box. This kid just needs to shut up.

Like Matt Martin might fight him next time for telling the story. Exactly. Yeah. Exactly. Don't tell everybody how nice I am. Yeah. Wow, that's a good turn I didn't expect. That is not what I thought we were going for.

Why can't you just pretend like you guys. people talk for our show why can't you just pretend you hate matt martin he's old your day is over i'm the new guy i'm the new sheriff in town that's what we want to hear to be honest i didn't appreciate a guy, you know, trying to fire up the crowd after you've been gifted the fight, as you put it. I think if they had have lost that game, as opposed to having like an epic comeback outdoors against their bitter rival. He's pretty fired up after the game. He's fired up.

He got in his first NHL fight. Was it like his first game? It's just, he's just a little horned up. And he told him stories at a school. And I think Kipper's, unfortunately, probably right. We need these people, right? We need them to do words. Okay, we got Sean Reynolds coming up here.

And he's going to tell us that it's going to get ugly tonight between Minnesota and Winnipeg, or else I'm leaving. I'm done for the day. If they start congratulating each other, then, Sean done I'm done pal how are you I'm doing great how are you doing okay in saying that what do we expect I do know I do know that the league had talked to both teams and there's a sense that uh we want you on best behavior, but what do you expect tonight between Minnesota and Winnipeg based on their last game? Well, you know what I find so fascinating about it

is the way the Jets handled this rivalry the first time. Like the first game, they handled their business. They get Capri, so they knock them out of the game. Minnesota comes looking for retribution. They don't get it. They try and get it at the beginning of the next game. They don't get it. And I can tell you this.

From talking to guys in the dressing room, there was a real feeling in the Jets dressing room that they walked away from that series being like, hey, tell us how you want to play it, and we'll beat you in that manner, right? And I kind of love that. You know, I love that attitude. I'm sure you saw a lot of that in your day playing,

that what are you going to do about it kind of mindset. We're going to do this. What are you going to do about it? I feel like the Jets had a little bit of that going on. So because of that, you'd think that maybe Minnesota's coming in here and they feel like they need to have an answer because it's two games in a row. They tried to answer and really didn't answer in an

you know an effective manner but here's the problem the last time Minnesota came rolling through Winnipeg they were the hottest team in the league since they'd had their new head coach they looked like they were overcoming their early season issues and on their way to getting into a playoff spot and then the Winnipeg J jets broke them they broke their spines over their knee like it was some kind of batman super villain or something like that and then they've been lost in the woods for a while now they're starting to come back they can't afford that to happen again so never mind that the league is probably trying to pour water on this i don't think the minnesota wild are in a place where they can get so involved with the Winnipeg Jets that they're losing players,

that they're getting heated, that they're getting away from the focus of what they need to be doing because they're on a heater again. They're looking like that team that is hard to play against, going to make the playoffs, going to make someone's life miserable in at least that first round. That's what they're trending towards. They were knocked off that course by the Winnipeg Jets last time because they got so focused in on revenge and retribution. So for their sake, I don't know that they can really dive into that idea and indulge in that. I think they need to be very focused on trying to beat the Jets here

and earn those points. They're close, guys. They're trying to get above that playoff line. They haven't been able to get there all year. That eighth place is up for grabs, and they need to grab for it. Yeah, St. Louis stinks. We watched them yesterday. So there is going to be a, you know,

a big two points on the table for both teams. The Jets dropped one to the flames after putting three wins together. Just give us a state of the Jets, where they're at. They're still only behind about five teams in the NHL in points and points percentage. Where are things at with the Jets these days? Well, the last time I talked with y'all, they were like playing the best possible version of hockey

they could be playing. And they were on a heater, and they were so hard to score against. They still remain a team that's hard to score against. I see the Jets in a spot where you see a lot of teams right now. I could think of a team like, you know, the Rangers have kind of been in there. The Vegas Golden Knights have kind of been in there. I think those teams understand.

Vegas, I think, is really knowledgeable of this. Like, you know what, you're not winning the Stanley Cup in early February, mid-February. So I think there's a little bit of, you know, taking the foot off the gas pedal thing and then finding it at the right time and stepping on it and heading into the playoffs hot. The concern if you're a Winnipeg Jets fan is the Jets traditionally have been like this years past, but they never find the gas pedal again. Once they take a step back and take a breather and say, okay, we don't need to be this good for 82 games a year,

they've had a hard time finding it again. I think we're right now in there, you know, it's hard. It's that winter grind that they're in the middle of now, so they're having a hard time getting motivated. The games that we've seen them lose, I think, are more not structural issues, not playing the game the right way, just not playing the game hard enough

to get past some teams. The Vancouver game tells me, if I'm a Jets fan, I'll be okay with it. Just like, guys, if you remember when the Oilers were about to set the record for the most straight wins, then they went in and they played the Vegas Golden Knights. And if you watch that game,

what you saw was the Vegas Golden Knights looking exactly like they did last season in the playoffs. So they know what their identity is supposed to be. They wanted to find it that game. They went out and they found it. And to me, I looked at that and I thought,

okay, anyone who's discounting the Vegas Golden Knights going into the playoffs this year, you do so at your own peril. I think the Winnipeg Jets, that game against Vancouver was their version of that. They know what makes them best, and whoever watched that game, I know a lot of people across Canada did,

that was the Jets saying, okay, we need these guys to score, we need Connor Hellebuck to play like this, we need to defend like this. So they know what makes them successful. They went out and they found it. Now, are they finding it consistently? Clearly, they show up the next game and don't bring it there but i think the jets are that team who are comfortably in a playoff spot they're going to do what they need to do to get to the playoffs

and try and ramp it up towards the end i think that's a good sign how they played against vancouver we're talking to sean reynolds sports that's eyes in winnipeg and co-host of the Kenny and Rennie postgame show. So, Sean, we know Sean Monaghan is actually putting the puck in the net at a much greater rate than I think we all expected, besides the three goals against Calgary. What have you seen? Well, the first four games he wasn't scoring at all. He didn't get any points. And one of the issues there is, if you know this team,

the Jets need to get their second-line scoring going. They haven't had it all year. Their depth scoring has come from their third and fourth line, which I don't think you can expect to continue the pace they had hit at the beginning of the year towards the end of the season, definitely not in the playoffs. So they need to get their second-line scoring going, and Monaghan is a big part of that. They hadn't really done it in the playoffs. So they need to get their second line scoring going and Monaghan is a big

part of that. They hadn't really done it in the first four games. Now, all of a sudden, he's got four goals in his last four periods of hockey, but a couple of them came on the power play, which has also been a problem for the Jets. He got put into that bumper spot to try and solve a problem. Looks like he's figuring something out

and they're doing that, but the one thing that you will see is when he's not scoring points, he still helps you. He's really good on draws. He's really good defensively. So the Jets went out and they got a player who, no matter if he shows up on the score sheet, is going to do very good things for this team.

And I don't know if it's going to take going out and getting another player to kind of alter the chemistry of that second line. It still hasn't got going. And I don't think he's going to be the silver bullet solution for that. But he came in, he put two hands on the rope, and he started pulling. He's that kind of player. Whether they're going to get scoring the way they need to on that second line, that's the question.

Give them a little bit more time to see where they're at. And they've got a little bit of time to decide if they need to address it by adding another piece there before the trade deadline arrives the the jets are the best team by goals against per game in the nhl um you know connor hellebuck hadn't given up four goals since november 2nd um an unbelievable run of defensive play on the offensive side of the puck a couple of guys maybe a little bit lagging behind their usual pace right now slumping a little bit who are the players who uh who are kind of struggling a little bit and have room to pick it up well Cole Perfetti has gone dead quiet uh and hasn't produced points in quite some time now uh Vladislav Nemeskov got moved from the

second line we talked about him last time I was on the show, down to the fourth line. So it's going to be harder for him to produce in that role there. Nick Ehlers, when he's on a line with Mark Shifley and Gabe Velarde, is a god, right? Like they were, I think, you know, by a lot of metrics were basically like the fifth best line in hockey when they were put together. It's clearly not a place for whatever reason. He was asked about it today and was a little bit vague about it. It's clearly a place that Rick Bonas doesn't want to go back to. He wants to have Kyle Connor with Mark Scheifele. Again, maybe that's just common sense, right?

If you take a step back, one person on this team is better at scoring goals than everybody else that's kyle connor he you know based on the question you asked is another guy they could sure get going a little bit more and maybe that's the case there that that they need to get him scoring again at the pace hey before he went out with his injury he was challenging austin matthews for for the number one goal scorer in the league that's clearly not case anymore. So there's a lot of room for guys to pick things up here. Last couple games, they finally kind of broke through and scored a little bit. Before that, this team was absolutely atrocious when it came to scoring.

That's going to be the concern with this team for the most part, other than that last game. That last game was probably the first time in half a season, guys, a half of a full season, that the Jets fell out of their defensive structure that makes them so strong. But the failure of this team, if you had to put money on it, is likely going to be if they go to the playoffs, find themselves in a situation where they find another team that can grind like they can, but they can just put the puck in the net more often. Far too much pressure on Mark Scheifele to drive this team offensively right now. They need more. There's a sense I'm getting that there might be one or two teams ready to pull the trigger on Chris Tanov. Would Winnipeg be in the mix here? Are they rather comfortable with their blue line right now?

I mean, I think that they'll tell you. I think the message you would get from Kevin Shevelday off if you put a microphone in his face and a TV camera and had him force them to make a statement. Yeah, we know the tagline. Anything to make our team better. Yeah, yeah. But even with him, he'll tell you that he's comfortable

in that situation and that he's not looking for it. You'll never hear Kevin Shevelday say, you know, we'd like to go try and get this and try and get that. And I think he doesn't like the idea of putting that out there because then if he doesn't get it, he's basically... What do you think? What I think is, yeah, they need to. And to be honest with you, I think they think the same thing.

The answer to your question is yes. They'd love to get a guy like Chris T is yes. They'd love to get a guy like Chris Tanev. They'd love to have a little bit more size on their blue line. They defend extremely well as a team, but they're not the biggest defense. And you know what? We know that the playoffs are another level

of grit and determination that when you're 20 pounds heavier and two inches taller, you can stand up to that. We would look exactly at what we saw from the defense of the Vegas Golden Knights last year. When you get beasts like that, it's hard to get past those guys.

We saw it from Montreal when they went to the cup final in the COVID year. They had trees on defense, and you could not get through that forest to the front of the net. The Winnipeg Jets play really, really good structured hockey, but they don't have the kind of defense that you just can't muscle past. Really big, strong guys will be able

to push Dylan DeMello, Neil Pionk, players like that to the net. So yes, they could use more size, no doubt. So the Jets are going to finish in the top three in their division. At this point, St. Louis is the team behind them, and they're 11 points back and have two extra games played. They're going to be in the top three.

How do you handicap the Jets against Colorado and Dallas? And just how important is it for them to finish on top of that division and maybe draw someone like the Blues that they should be able to eat up? So they would, I think, easily eat up the Blues, especially compared to the way these teams stack up. The Blues don't like to grind at all, and the Winnipeg Jets can grind. So that would be a good finish,

but you'd probably need to finish first place in the entire conference to pull that off. I don't see them getting ahead of LA, so you'd have to finish first. I don't like the Jets' chances of that. I actually think, based on what I've seen from Colorado, like Colorado is really being driven by their star defenders and Nathan McKinnon and Rantanen right now, but the rest of their lineup, when I see them play the Jets,

if those guys aren't winning it for them, the rest of that Colorado depth forward group is not winning it for them. I think that Colorado is a significant second line center away from being a team that can make any kind of noise in the playoffs. And I don't know that the market bears that out. The Jets have beat them twice so far this year. And not only have they beat them twice, but when they play, they play Winnipeg Jets brand of hockey.

And hey this is when Nathan McKinnon. Was in that streak of scoring points. He still scored points in those games. So the best part of the Colorado Avalanche. Showed up. And the Jets still handled them. Because the depth really can't do anything. Against the Winnipeg Jets.

So I mean. I think if the Jets ended up jumping up. And finishing second in the conference and they ran into the LA Kings, I think that's a harder matchup in the playoffs than the Colorado Avalanches. So I think the Jets, whether they finish first, second,

or third, it doesn't make that big of a difference. There may even be more of a punishment if they finish first. I'll throw this out to both of you, and Sean, you go first, but what did you make out of the Vancouver Canucks giving up 14 goals over Family Day weekend? So Murph had me come in, and I covered and hosted a couple games for them.

They went on that seven-game road trip where they won the five in the middle. I bookended and covered the first game against the St. Louis Blues. Hey, this team sucks. And the Columbus Blue Jackets. And they lost both those games against the middle. I bookended and covered the first game against the St. Louis Blues and the Columbus Blue Jackets. They lost both those games against the Blues and Blue Jackets. And what I saw different between the Winnipeg Jets team that I cover and the Canucks game that I cover, the Winnipeg Jets, if you beat them,

you're going to have to beat them at their own game. They're going to force you to play a grinding style of hockey. Now, some teams, like I said, are going to be able to grind and maybe have more scoring than the Jets and may beat them that way, but you're going to have to play it on the Jets' terms. What I see from the Canucks is a team that goes out and plays on their terms for parts of the game, but then turns around and lets the other team dictate the way a game goes for far too large of swaths of the game. So they did it against St. Louis, and St. Louis likes to, you know, they're not the grind team we saw in 2019.

They like to dipsy-doodle. They like to be wide open. They like to score. And the Canucks let them do that, and they lost that game and then went in against the Columbus Blue Jackets. And, yes, it was the end of a road trip. They'd had that, you know, the crazy snowstorm in Buffalo. So maybe they were just tired.

But what I saw was them hand over to the Columbus Blue Jackets to their style of play the third period in which they came back, tied it up, and then won it in a shootout. I saw the same thing against the Jets, where they were kind of giving it to the Jets, and then all of a sudden they said, okay, now you play it your way for a while, and that led to them losing to the Jets.

And it's the same thing against the Minnesota Wild. What I see in the Canucks is a team that shoots and, you know, like shoots out in parts of the game and is very, very good at those points of the game, but then they take the foot off the gas pedal and they let the other team do what they want to do. I just

think that's not a recipe that gets you by really good teams. A team like Vegas I think is going to destroy you in the playoffs if you play like that against them and i've seen vancouver do it too many times this year for me not to think that it's really kind of part of their identity and who they are yeah that's a big challenge for rick talkett like i really like the canucks and i think teams have games you know there's blips here we're like that's a good team that just had a bad night like that does happen but you're right once you stack it up a few in a row that's a challenge for talk it is say you know how do you

how do you get rid of the dips and kind of keep it consistent uh which brings me to the question about the coaching there in winnipeg and the candidacy for jack adams for rick bonus do you think he's got a reasonable case to make if this team is able to continue their winning percentage uh all the way through Game 82. He's got a reasonable case, and here I am saying what I'm saying about the Canucks, but if you take a look at where the Canucks were last year to where they are now, I think it's pretty hard to head ahead of Rick talking. But I also think, guys, when you see how things ended

for the Jets last year and how Rick Bonas called his team out and the kind of animosity that seemed to exist. For him to kind of smooth that over over the offseason and get the buyback that he got from his team, not just like this season, but instantly out of the gates, this team was playing his brand of hockey. They came back stronger and more committed to Rick Bonas, and they did it right out of the gate.

So to me, I had a big question about the Jets coming into the season because I didn't know whether or not they would respond and get back in line with him. He's got them to that. What he's done as a coach this year, getting that team back and winning them back over is an absolutely massive play that for sure he should be in the final running for that trophy. But boy, oh boy, the swing of points.

And let's be honest, Vancouver was a team that couldn't figure it out for years. When you are that guy who finally helps figure it out and most of your stars stay the same, there wasn't massive changeover. Even though there was some changeover on defense, it's hard to get a hit of Rick Tockett. Sean, great stuff, man. Enjoy the game tonight uh we'll be watching and looking forward to those first couple of shifts minnesota

and winnipeg get reacquainted tonight hartman hartman versus cole profetti is that what we're calling it no they're not gonna fight help me build something up here sean yeah yeah yeah you're trying it's it's trying and anyway hey i hope my uh t-shirt passed your test you ripped me on it Thanks, Sean. Help me build something up here, Sean. Yeah. Yeah. You're trying. It's trying. Anyway, hey, I hope my T-shirt passed your test. You ripped me on it after I got off last time. I'll be listening to see what you got to say this time, Kipper. Yes, I love it. No, not me.

I think it was the other two clowns here. Yeah. Great stuff, Sean. Thanks, Sean. Appreciate it, guys. Sean Reynolds does a great job for us in Winnipeg covering the Jets. Kenny and Renny postgame show. With Ken Wiebe, who we have on too, from Winnipeg as well.

So there you go. Good stuff. What do you expect tonight? Do you think there are fireworks? Yeah, there'll be a fight for sure. It can't go completely unnoticed or, know there has to be a little bit i think one fight just kind of cleans everything up captain lowry versus yeah there's a very good chance it'll be lowry probably i i love that lowry i was watching the saturday night the

saturday night game against um the canucks just a horse i don't know who he he hammered somebody clean hit great play and that poor d josepe came in to be like i'm getting in for my teammate the Canucks. Just a horse. I don't know who he, he hammered somebody. Clean hit, great play. And that poor D Giuseppe came in to be like, I'm getting in for my teammate. Yeah. And he just pounded him, poked him down.

And D Giuseppe gets the extra two. They score on the power play. It's like, oh, that did not work out well for you guys. That's captain material. No, he's a,

he's a really good player, but I miss this stuff. When I was like a kid and into my teenage years, it's like, this was a thing. There was like blood robberies where it was like, Oh, this is what happened in the last game.

There's going to be a scrap in this. These guys are going to have to answer. Like, what was it between Probert and Domi that they were going to get suspended? If they fought again, remember that it was like, if they, if like you consider it,

you both are gone for how long? And they, of course they fought. Like it just, I i remember this there's documentaries that just like tell you about the hype over that thing it was off the charts insane you know leading in talking sports shows yeah in talking to my father-in-law clark gillies you know one of the things he didn't love fighting necessarily but the thing because the thing he hated was the build-up when you went into a game and it was like i gotta fight ben wilson tonight you're like he got me last time my teammates saw it i can't not fight him now i gotta get that title back you know and it's like you know eating dinner the

meal the night before going to bed and being like sick to your stomach being like it's a big tough guy i gotta fight tomorrow you know even for tough guys not fun and i'm sure you're just going to bed and being like sick to your stomach being like it's a big tough guy i gotta fight tomorrow you know even for tough guys not fun and i'm sure you're just going to sleep thinking about tony twist yeah chasing me not a great feeling yeah but our game has to hit an emotional element to it or else it loses a lot and i'm not to take away the skill of it, but skill alone can still make a game feel not as eventful. Oh, I mean, watch the NBA All-Star game. You can't just have people be good at the sport without there being some physical investment.

How about the articles right now over, like, what do we do with this? It's nice that it's not us. Oh, yeah. They are just screaming, end it. It's great that we got through the week. They won the 211 points. It's way more painful than anything in hockey, including the Superman and the rubber nose.

Well, maybe a tie. Well, we got through the All-Star game that was here, and everyone loved it. It was awesome. And there isn't another one until 2026. It's like, we got through the All-Star game that was here, and everyone loved it. It was awesome. And there isn't another one until 2026. It's like we're on the easy street with the All-Star game here, but I don't know. I just, I've said it a million times on the show,

but the great thing about hockey is the skill with the constant threat of complete chaos. That's what makes hockey great. And so that's why it needs to maintain, you need to keep that in the game. And I think the league struggles to walk the line of being like, we want this, but we can't openly encourage it. Yes.

You know, like, we can't be on the hook for the damage that comes with this, but we are selling it to some extent. Yeah. It's that skill level you want to see along with players looking uncomfortable. Well, you have to win the puck in physical confrontations. along with players looking uncomfortable. Well, you have to win the puck in physical confrontations. The intimidation is real because you go man-to-man into these battles, and that's always going to be an element of it.

We need to preserve that for sure because it is part of what makes it great. Winnipeg and Minnesota are listening to us right now. Just a complete no-hitter tonight? Promise. Something. It's game time no-hitter tonight. Promise. Something. It's game time? I believe it is. Okay.

It's game time. Presented by Bet365. Visit the app for the latest odds and find out why it's never ordinary. Bet365 must be 19+. Ontario only. Please play responsibly. Now, there's some good games tonight, and I have a few for you. First one I have is Vancouvercouver in colorado tonight plus 125 i have a feeling that they're getting their starting goalie back in net rick talkett is their coach i can only imagine

some of the things that mr talkett said to said to the canucks after they allowed 10 goals into their net two empties though i know but you know eight before that's not great seven in the third period uh i had to like shut my phone on and off because i thought 10-7 was wrong you know getting the nba all-star game score how about this stat uh wild beat the canucks 10 to 7 it's the first nhl game where both teams scored seven plus goals on fewer than 30 shots since March 30th, 1988. King scored nine on 28. Flame scored seven on 28. Three hat tricks in the game.

Your boy wasn't even born at that point yet. So in 1908. No, March 9th, 1988. Anyways, I do like the Canucks tonight in Colorado. I think it's a bounce back spot for a team that's good. They get their starting goalie in there. Talk it would have torn a strip off the wall. So give me them tonight. The other one I'm looking at that I'm interested in is Vegas.

They have Nashville coming to town after the, the sphere gate. Oh, so I bet on Vegas already. If the Nashville is ever going to go into Las Vegas and give them a hell of an effort and maybe win, tonight would be a night for them to do that. I don't highly recommend it because Vegas is way better.

But if tonight was ever going to be the night, they're plus 120 in Vegas. So you revisit basically the storyline here about a team that had their cake taken away from them. Oh, they couldn't go to see crappy U2. Nashville had tickets booked for the team to go see U2 at the Sphere. You know, everyone was kind of looking forward to that. They played a couple of games where they, you know, got stuffed in a locker. They got embarrassed a couple of games.

And Trotz and their staff said, we're not rewarding this team. We're, you know, we're focusing on winning. And so they took away this trip god i love that and you know our panel talk god i love it listen i had it happen to me not you two in the sphere but had stuff taken away over my career where we had days off or trips or whatever because we sucked but it was the ech i wasn't you two at the sphere no no it was definitely not but you know like I get it your professional hockey players paid to win hockey games this isn't a

class field trip that you're owed yeah perform and some are complaining that like the staff it like it rips off the staff yeah and I get that sentiment that they deserve that I don't get that

listen I love Yeah, and I get that sentiment that they deserve that. I don't get that. Why is that? Listen, I love the staff. I tip my trainers. You do all of that. You love these guys. You know, they look after you. But they're only an extension of the on-ice product at the end of the day.

So they need to suffer with the players. You're all in it together. There's no separation here. You're pulling on one rope. You want to get a Stanley Cup when we win. When we lose, you don't get the rewards either. Not playing well, sharpen my skates better. Not playing well, I need better therapy. We either suck together or we are great together.

But none of this, oh, you know what, the staff deserve better even though we suck. No, no. So having said all that, I like Nashville tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights. I just think there's a chance

that they respond. And if they don't, it's a bigger conversation, but I think you'll be in that game. I always hated, and I know you're trying to wrap this up with the radio show, so I'm going to keep doing words. I always hated, and I know you're trying to wrap this up. I got two more picks. Keep doing words.

I always hated when a coach would make a statement to me or the team, like we need to be better so I'd get healthy, he'd say. Say I got to sit out a game, and then you come back. You have to play well and want to play well to maintain your spot,

but you don't want to reward your coach for punishing you. You know, like they took away you two at the Sphere, and you're going to go give him the best effort you got? Like you were a pro, so you have to. You have to go do it it's you are gonna give it because if it doesn't get better that's just an example of how i'm gonna make your life miserable here this is you have a country club okay it's not you're here to get the job done and win and if it's not it's not a very pleasant place to be around.

I'm okay with that message. That's why losing sucks. You go to the rink every day and it's like, what now? What is the damage? So Andrew Burnett's going to come into that locker room and be like, we're going to win with or without you. With or without you. Anyways, my next pick is the.

Keep your day job, buddy. I'm sitting here. You're sitting here. You're looking at it. job, buddy. I'm sitting here. You're sitting here. You're looking at it. Bad news. Or I'm firing you. Because you don't have a day job anymore. Give me the Kachuk parlay tonight.

Both of them to score a goal with the over. Pays plus 700. I feel like the total is six and a half. I feel like the Cats could get that on their own. And my last one one just a shot sydney crosby to score a goal in the first period tonight pays plus 600 and that was game time presented by bet 365 visit the app for latest odds and find out why it's never ordinary at bet 365 must be 19 plus ontario only please play responsibly okay we're gonna take a quick break

yep yes please sammy i got your permission to do that? Yeah. All right, when we come back, we'll discuss a little above a Yager's great weekend. Yager. And what are the Penguins going to do next? That and more when Real Kipper and Bourne comes back. diving deep into leaps rafters jays and nfl the jd bunk is podcast subscribe and download the show on apple spotify or wherever you get your podcasts so We are back.

Nick Kiprios, Justin Bourne, Sammy McKee. Pittsburgh Penguins raised number 68 to the Rafters, reuniting Yager Lemieux as franchise icons. And, you know, it's kind of crazy that Yager didn't want this because his last memories were being booed by Penguin fans because he ended up in a Washington Capital jersey. Oh, their biggest rivals, the Flyers, the Rangers. The Flyers, the Rangers, and it's like I know that guys very seldom end their careers with the same club that they start,

but is that a thing really that someone, I don't know, I guess I'm talking to you. You're from Long Island where they boo Tavares now after 10 years of, I guess, I kind of like our fans now because it speaks to the loyalty, right? A little bit. I don't know, but isn't that kind of pushing it a little bit? Well, it is where you don't maybe appreciate all the greatness and time and effort that people gave to you while they were there.

Stanley Cups. Yeah. Some of the greatest moments. What's he an all-time point? Is he second? I don't know what he is. Maybe the reason they hate him, they booed him, was because of this trade from Washington.

Oh, my God. What was it? Adam Oates? No. Traded from the Pittsburgh Penguins with Frantisek Kucera for Chris Beach, Ross, Ljupicek, and Michael Civic. That didn't work out. That was a bit of a miss.

Bit of a miss. You know, at the time, though, of that trade, so how many years would he have been in his career? The boon is because he asked for that trade, right? So this is the contention that he tried to kind of retcon this past week where he said i never really got to tell my side of the story i wanted to trade for the good of the franchise which i didn't really appreciate or buy but you know whatever he's a huge part of their history he's up in the rafters 11 years in pittsburgh he was 11 years in p in Pittsburgh, and correct me if I'm wrong,

but when he went to Washington and had nowhere near the success, people were starting to doubt that this guy's on the tail end. Yeah. And then all he did was, I think, end up with the Rangers and became one of the highest scoring Rangers in history up there with adam graves over 50 goals he's in here yeah so after he got treated to the caps he went 79 points 77 points 45 points and none of those were in full seasons then he went to the rangers and let it up again

he was 29 points 31 games the first year he was there and then in the first year he was there. And then in the second year he was there in 05-06, he had 54 goals and 69 assists for 123 points. And then the next year he had 96 points. That's off the charts. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, the guy's awesome. He's a unique guy. He's obviously deserving of his place in the rafters in Pittsburgh.

It was nice of him acknowledging his niece at the game. Yeah, it was nice that she brought her along. Oh, no girlfriend is that sorry she was he actually made a really funny joke about how she wouldn't have remembered any of uh you know his performance in pittsburgh he's like don't worry guys i told her all about it she's young no comment no questions or comments at this time yeah but i it's funny because you know a lot of leaf fans would join me and there's a lot of leaf fans listen to the show join me in this opinion that he really grew into this sort of beloved character around the league but i will tell you right now there was no one amongst me and my young buddies that people hated more than Jaromir Jagr. Really? Because he was that good.

Oh, he was so good, and he played for the Czech team that beat Canada. And like, he was always, and like, one of the best moments of my entire hockey-watching life was Danny Markov. Well, bam. After Gary Volk scored in overtime

to put out the Penguins, and it was at 99-2000, and he gave them the how-you-do salute after after they put them out and Yager skating off the ice. Sounds a lot like really Greg slapping a puck into the empty net. Like a salute. I, the fact that you just put those two in the same sentence, I I'm done for today.

You guys can figure out the rest. He was a big time hated character. And he, he developed into more of a beloved guy, but I couldn't stand him my entire youth. Couldn't stand him. Brian Leach, who's still regarded as one of the best defensemen in our history, says only one guy truly gave him fits, and that was Yager.

It was, he was, you could not touch the puck and smart great hand him in the corner with a with a long stick and the ass out yeah you know it's oh he was he was nasty i think he is he's a like in a he's a strange guy you know like the fitness stuff in the later years and the you know moving around team to team he chose philly over the penguins when the later years and the, you know, moving around team to team. He chose Philly over the Penguins when he came back and, you know, playing at 51 and Cladno and still plays. Yeah. Yeah. Four helpers so far this year for Cladno.

You'd think. How many games? A few. Yeah. You'd think on a on a Yager night like that with Mario there and you'd find a way to get a win. No, Pittsburgh. Penguins are 3-6-1 in their last 10.

They've lost 4-5, all in regulation. You can't even find a point in any of those losses. You know, they have some games in hand, but they're 9 points out of a playoff spot now, and there's only 30 games left for them. And they have to go over many teams. I thought for sure this would not happen. They should sell, Kip.

They should sell. They are nine points out, and they got the Caps ahead of them, the Islanders ahead of them, the Devils ahead of them, and that's before you even get to the wildcard spot. I think Kyle duvis is scared poopoo to sell to sell to say to sid we're just not going to try yeah yeah i want to see that you know that on pay-per-view kyle duvis and sid having a conversation going you guys and you're not going to a YouTube concert either if you planned one. Go get him, Kyle.

Yeah, he's got to keep that relationship strong, doesn't he? Oh, he's in a tough spot, isn't he? Oh, he's in a tough spot. And go tell Gino. Go tell Gino we need you to move your last year of your deal. No, you need to put Gino on the second power play unit after you do this. I got to say, you know,

congratulations on your generational wealth, Kyle. Clearly. Yes. But it's a way worse situation there than here. But I think he likes that. He has a seven-year contract. Yeah, so he wants to rebuild the team, the most beloved team in franchise history.

He wants to nuke it and then try to build it again. By the time his team is coming back, you know, I don't think I don't, I don't buy that theory. Like you're, you're, you're a wealthy man and it's guaranteed. I'm sure you and your lawyers guaranteed it. But listen, if there's no signs of life in two or three years, they will two or three, seven year. I don't care. He could be life in two or three years, they will punt him. Two or three? He's got a seven-year contract. I don't care.

He could be gone in less than three years. He could be gone in less than three years. So his decisions here are important. And if he decides in three years, if he can say, I turned Gensel into a first and a prospect, if he can sell and show them what he's done. If he can sell to Sid, I turned this into a first. So what do you got for games ahead for them? You know, if he can sell and show them what he's done. If he can sell to Sid.

I turned this into a first. So what do you got for games ahead for them? You know, they're done. Let's look at their schedule up to the. I will say, you know, Ben and Shanahan, if you're listening, which I know you listen every day, or whoever told him he couldn't do Carlson. Thank you. Oh, thank God.

Thank you. Yeah, that was not. Whoever said that was not happening, I appreciate you personally. I don't even think that Pittsburgh Penguin fans realize what that pickup of Carlson at $10 million

for the next four years or three years? No, I think it's three years after this one. Three years after this one, the effect that that will have. And they got the full vote. No, they think it's three years after this one. Three years after this one, the effect that that will have. And they got the full boat. No, they're a little bit light on it, right? Did San Jose retain it all? Yeah, they did.

So they brought it down to $10 million a year, I think. That's nice. How nice of them. What's their schedule? On the way into the trade deadline, they have teams that are immediately ahead of them. Islanders, Canadians, Flyers. There's Canucks, Kraken, Flay.

That's a lot of West teams. Blue Jackets, Capitals. So, yeah, they don't have a ton. Speaking of teams that are surprising me right now, I think there's a legit shot here that Tampa Bay could miss the playoffs. Oh, what? Yeah.

Kip, they're well ahead in that wild card race. Are they not? No, they're not. No. They're not. They're actually, because they've got the most games played. They're not. I think the Devils are still going to get in,

and it kind of comes down to what the Islanders do. I don't know what is going on with Tampa Bay, but I can't. And we heard Gord Stelic earlier on our show, we had a discussion on the goaltending and how many teams trust their goaltending. And Vasilevsky still has that aura around him that he is the best. And we know when he's hitting it on all cylinders, he is the best. But is there enough of a feeling that since his back surgery

that he's clearly the same goalie he was prior? Dr. Sid, I need a back of the enemy. He's played 32 games. He's won 19 of them. He has a 2-9-4 goals against and an 8-9-8 save. They're just the bottom end. They've tried so hard to keep their talent in the lineup and make no mistake, their top end talent's as good as any team in the NHL.

Absolutely. But their bottom six and their D, you know, it's... Is Zagreb done? Can they go get Hannafin? But, like, they don't have... I don't think they have... I think we had the conversation. They don't have the assets.

And is this the year you want to do that with them? You know, I think they're one of the more analytically inclined clubs, too. I don't think they will. I don't think they'll go in in a year they can't win. The Atlantic is actually fascinating. You know, the Panthers have caught Boston. You know, the Leafs' most likely playoff opponent is probably the Bruins in round one, which used to scare you, but does it now if you're the Leafs?

Or is that... The jersey's in the building. Yeah, the jersey's... We'll always send shivers down any leaf fan or any leaf players mind. I think I wonder if it's though, like the caps had to get by the penguins to, you know, slay their dragon on the way. Do you have to slay the Leafs have multiple dragons now? They have game of thrones.

They do panther. So they get past the first round. Let's say they play Boston. And I mean, Florida is going to wax whoever they play in the first round. You're going to have to beat them again. The East is going through Florida. Absolutely. Every team right now should be thinking about acquiring players in the East

that will help beat Florida Panthers. Don't you think there's a danger when you tailor your lineup to play one team and all of a sudden you draw the rangers and you got to skate instead of depends if you're satisfied with winning a round or not and there's no guarantee like florida can get knocked out i get what you're saying yeah draw someone else yeah i just think it's you're hoping that florida has a couple of bad injuries or or bobrowski gets cold but that's what it just seems it's gonna take to slow florida down yeah they're not they're not in one of the last eight. Just a Borowski going back to the old Borowski. Yeah.

Is that where you hope for? Yeah, if not, I mean, how do you not feel like if you're the Leafs and you're finishing a wild card spot and draw the Rangers, you know, you feel pretty good about that playing through the Metro or, you know, it's a different sort of the Rangers that have won seven in a row. But ultimately, if you have a team that could match a little bit better

against Florida, it's going to only help you destroy any other team as well. That's the way you got to think. What did you guys make of the outdoor game? MetLife Stadium, aisles get up. Best case scenario for the league. I think maybe it was the best outdoor game I've ever watched. Like bigger club, come from behind. Everybody wants to talk about this thing jumping the shark a long time ago but you're you're really at the at

the end of the day i'm not really an end of the day type of guy but i'll give you one they they pack in 80 70 000 people. You pack in five gates. Yeah. Right? And it's fun. It's a spectacle. The players enjoy it.

And I got to tell you, people are giving Lou Lamorello a hard time because the Islanders didn't walk in doing any sort of silly Oh, the professional guys had to wear suits?

What a disaster. I loved it. I loved it. This is the National Hockey League. We're playing a game for two points. It's great locally. I guess it doesn't get it. This is the National Hockey League. We're playing a game for two points. It's great locally. I guess it doesn't get the sizzle across

the country anymore, but it still sells. A fisherman garb or something. And fans love it. End of story. And it's a moneymaker. Last year they put the squids in it this last game. They're like, got the worst ratings. They're like, Blackhawks time, baby. Blackhawks time. Alright, our thanks to Sean Reynolds.

Does a great job covering the Winnipeg Jets. Gord Stelik in our first hour. Eight games on tap. We'll keep an eye on the Minnesota-Winnipeg one, and we hope we've got some excitement in that one. Yeah, shout out to R. Steve Baines making his debut for the Canucks. Surrey guy, pretty awesome.

Love it. Enjoy the games tonight, and we're right back here tomorrow on the Real Kipper and Bourne Show to do it all over again.