Real Kyper & Bourne - Vally's View: Oilers' Coin-Flip in the Crease

Episode Date: May 27, 2025

Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne and Sam McKee kick off with a look ahead to Thursday where Leafs GM Brad Treliving will finally face the media. Then, Steve Valiquette (10:18), MSG analyst & CEO of Clear Sight Analytics, joins the show to discuss Stuart Skinner's inconsistency, what's behind Dallas' dried-up scoring, the Hurricanes' flawed shooting philosophy, and why he's still counting out Carolina after their 3-0 win over the Panthers in Game 4. Later, Nick & Justin regroup with Sam to break down Darnell Nurse's slash on Roope Hintz.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 into the real Kipper and born show at our new time slot. We are live on sportsnet sports at five 90, the fans sports that nine 60 in Calgary sports net 650 in Vancouver and sports net plus this hour of real kipper and born brought to you by bet three, six, five, Nick Kiprio is Justin born Sammy McKee, Jake the snake Schultz and Derek Brandale on tech. You got Jake before Derek Brandale on the lineup. You never do that. It's always Derek Brandale and Jake the Snake Schultz. Okay. I got to tell you, like three days off, I forgot how to turn the mic on. You have to remind me about our sponsorship here. Oh my god

Okay, I'm surprised you didn't go the the born and real kipper show Why don't you just switch those over to are you good though? I I'm good. I'm good It was a long weekend for us the Jays played yesterday and they just had a dominating 2-1 victory over the Texas Rangers I'll take a victory sounds like you didn't go great the week or days before that. Yeah, I mean, listen, they're playing in a they're basically playing Christy Pitts against the Tampa Bay Rays. That's an eyesore, isn't it? I mean, not to do baseball takes, but you know, every I had to hear about it all through COVID being like, how can the league allow the Jays to play in these places, blah, blah, blah. And it's like, they're the league allow the Jays to play in these places? Blah, blah, blah. And it's like, they're gonna just let the Rays play in that

puny little park all year? Move them. I think the coyotes- They're in the arena. I think the coyotes inspired them last season. Yeah, that's what they got their inspiration from. They're like, I guess who can say we can't do it? Just do it.

Another reminder that from here on end it's 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern we will take you right through to free agent week July 1st to the following Friday so if you thought you could get rid of us you were wrong. Over a month left right I think we're on July 4th is the final day so pretty good run ahead in the three to four. How does the three to four time slot affect your life? You know what? I would have preferred Somewhere where I could have got 18 holes in

27 would have been nice both had to play nine today. You guys don't he offer a lot of place I would have preferred a dinner after the 18 holes So if they could have moved us to seven to eight Yeah, just eight to nine you would just be preferred to move off the air they moved into the summer We were off yesterday As your golf game. I you know what Kip I didn't play yesterday. You didn't know today I did you play with Kevin B XA cuz he's mooching off everybody for golf these days. No, no He's in Anaheim

I think for a couple days. We'll get him out again Also, you're talking about the time slots there as much as we love their one hour time slot We're going to two hours again once this week. I'm just maybe just breaking this news to you guys But two to four on Thursday this week for will be because we will be doing a Leafs Hour because the general manager of the Toronto May Police returning home from Calgary will be addressing the media on Thursday morning.

No rush. All right. Thursday, no rush. Why not today? We will have over the course of the next little while, while we're still on air, we're gonna have a lot of our guests, regular guests, including today Steve Alliquette in a few minutes

will join us for his regularly scheduled Tuesday. So that won't change, but in terms of probably the general feel of our show, yeah, we'll throw in some leafs and I'm sure you got your fill to get in terms of probably the general feel of our show. Yeah, we'll throw in some Leafs and I'm sure you got your feel to get in in the next few minutes before we got Valley on the show, but it'll be predominantly a little bit of everything, right, in our hour. Let me ask you guys, I'm not sure I have ever,

you know, the Leafs have gone out early in multiple years that we've been doing this show I don't think I've ever gotten the hypothetical cup talk like I've gotten it this year especially with the Florida Panthers like you know I'm out you know I go to golf course I play softball like everybody has to leave Florida one more time I can't tell you the dreaming that's going on in this city if they hadn't lost six to one Any other season? Like I'm getting it. I am getting so much hypothetical cup talk right now. Well if it's real or not

What do you mean if it's real? I mean like is it accurate to say if it's accurate to say if it's accurate to say so let's just say The Panthers didn't lie down like dogs in the last 15 games of the season and they pushed hard To win the Atlantic and they faced the Leafs in the first round and the Leafs went down this way Would people still be coming up to you and saying oh man if we just beat them I think it's more about how Carolina looked through the first three games of that series than it is about how the close elites were actually to beating Florida. Do you think you'd still get it? No, no, but that's not reality, right? They did win the Atlantic, they did beat Ottawa, they did push

Florida to seven, and people are looking at Carolina now and the thought process is, boy, you know, they don't run right through Carolina, but couldn't you see us doing the shows like, well, Jordan stalls, one of the best defensive games in the NHL. How are you expected to produce with that guy on the ice? I mean, that Frederick Anderson just been sparkling in playoffs in years, slave and no wonder they can't create anything. Oh, I can see it. So what are you expecting from Tree on Thursday? I think it'll be really consistent with Keith Pelli's message last Friday

that we're moving forward, we got a lot of good pieces, there's things that we need to address, we will in the off season. Bob's your uncle. Have a great summer, everybody. Let me ask it to you this way. If you guys could give him the truth serum on one thing that he's going to address, what would it be?

I think it's the Marner situation. Like how it's all played out. Yeah. How do you feel about how it's all played out? I don't think that would get addressed. You know, if I may, what's the point really? Like just for inquiring minds want to know what? It's it's not moving forward and it's it's it's reactive not proactive. So

Who cares if he's out the door? He's out the door. I don't care what his proactive plan is You know like I don't His plan is to get good players and we'll see if we what Elers wants and we'll see if Bennett's available and we'll see If you know they their plan is to try to get good players and we'll see if we what EELers wants and we'll see if Bennett's available And we'll see if you know, they their plan is to try to get good players get better. I know but what will Coming clean on the Marner Saga do for you or the Leaf fans moving forward. I think a lot of people watch sports is entertainment, you know This is not the war. This is a reality tv show. Tell us behind the scenes What really happened between you and mitch mariner? I mean there's a reason that you know

32 pot 32 thoughts and all these are massively listened to because people Love information and elliot freeman for example like insiders. They give great information. What what would it out? What top secret did elliot give away? great information. What top secret did Elliot give away lately that's- I'm just saying that the reason people would be interested in what happened with Marner would be because people love behind the scenes information when it comes to sports.

What do you think is out there that could possibly be that we haven't even discussed on this show? I don't know, but I'd love to know. I'll tell you what, feathers, nothing. I don't know. Nothing I'd love to know. I'll tell you what, feathers. Nothing. I don't know. Nothing. I bet the most common question you get. There's nothing behind the scenes that will be a aha moment for you all. It's not there. There's nothing you encounter more when you talk to people than them going, okay, what's really going on with their, you know, look both ways. what's really up there?

You can tell me. Yeah. You can tell me. I don't know. You can tell me. There's nothing. You guys hear us work through the thought process live on the show, we don't have any.

I, you know, people say he's gone for sure, that's what I get, he's gone for sure. Yeah. And I'm like, if, you know when he's gone for sure, when he strokes his signature on a contract with another team. I'll tell you, that's the first time you've ever said anything like that on our show. That's when he's gone for sure when he strokes his signature on a contract with another team? You've ever said anything like that on our show. That's when it's done. 99.9% gone with that comment by Kipp it went to 96. I will say this that if you're if you're

Keith Peli and Ride Tree Living and you don't see a scenario where you could potentially And you don't see a scenario where you could potentially fill in, and I'll lump in John Tavares and all of this, 175 points if you don't. 91%. Then he's not gone until he's gone. 88%. Are we trending down? My Mitch is gone for Centimeter. I'd be trying everything in my power to get him to reconsider if I could.

Here's what I would say. I'm not saying it's impossible. It's impossible. It's probably not. Can I get 75%? I'll give you that it's not probable. But I think it's impossible. I don't like the word impossible.

Quickly, values on the line. But the thing that really does scare me is the list of free agents this offseason. Being bad. And the amount of money the Toronto Maple Leafs have to spend and seeming holes to fill. And Sam Bennett's the exact guy everyone would be like, that's what we need, a playoff guy. And all of a sudden his ankles are going to fall off. There's a horrifying mix of calf space and not great players here that really is giving me up a night.

This is uncomfortable. Anyways, look, Malley go ahead. But we have great players on this show. One of them comes every Tuesday. The finest. In Steven Valacat does anybody approach you as Steven at all my mother my mother when she's mad at me you know I was gonna do how many hats you have Valley how many hats do you have born I was gonna wear my Yankee hat and I'm glad I didn't cuz Sammy

yelled at me the last time I all he was wearing a blue jays All right Steve Alikett analysts with the New York Rangers on MSG, of course CEO clear sight analytics Thanks for joining us pal Happy to be here boys been very exciting been very surrounded by hockey Surprisingly, even though it was Memorial weekend, we had all kinds of people on the beach playing sauce hockey. A lot of kids had the sauce hockey kids out there. It was pretty interesting.

Nice. Yeah, I know. It's catching on. What is sauce hockey? Sam, Sam wants an explanation. I said this isn't the time, but- Yeah, it is. Oh, I'm sorry.

You guys don't know what this is? No. What is that? It's the little mini hockey nets with a plastic front that you can make a saucer pass goal to the other guys You play back and forth. It's like can jam for hockey. Yeah and Funnier than that five doors down is the assistant captain from the movie Slapshot the character. Come on the actor Oh, yeah, and then the guy I was playing with was poodles son It was the living in northern Quebec in slap shot Who's this?

Slap shot Ned Braden. It's so Steve Mandela is his name. It's my wife's uncle. So quick story This is not Johnny not my Johnny. What's his name in the movie? Not you know what? I don't even know okay homework assignment What's the actor's name? So the Steve Mandela. Oh, so the one assistant captain has the handlebar mustache. Yeah, that's Johnny Is it Johnny? I don't remember his name. Okay, Sammy's working on it. Okay, you know what? Hey funny enough last thing on that. This is signed by the entire cast and crew from Slapshot. He gave it to me That's awesome. Look at that. All right, stick around end of the show everybody will raffle that off Jim a hern a hern Jim her jam number six. Yes stand up defenseman

Really good All right Valley, let's get right into the the conference final in terms of both both hockey clubs, but we got to start with the Edmonton Oilers and this This Stuart Skinner, which is like go big or go home either He's given up like a hundred goals or he's shutting the door completely it's it's I Don't know. Is it baffling? Is it not that's just the way it is

Yeah, you know what? It's what you said. You remember a few shows ago Kepper You said we'd get in the back of the bus after a game and you know, sometimes we bury our goalie. Yes, we did. We, you know how it is. It's small groups though. Very small groups. Small groups, small groups.

Three or four beers in a small group. Yes, in a small group. And it's, you know, he played like garbage or we just need a save. There had to be a way when I started this company to evaluate a goalie's performance. We narrowed it down to five different things you could say about your goalie after a game. He either played a great game, he had a quality game, he was really good, he was good. He had an average game, or he had a bad game, or he blew it. He had a blown game, he just blew it for us.

We should have won, you know, I'm one of those. And after the eight games played that Skinners has had now, he is exactly a 50% chance of playing well. You know, like, his quality starts his 50%. But it's kind of around where he was in the regular season too, you know? And I'm looking at Ottinger comparatively, right, in the same series, 68.8% chance he's gonna

have a good game. A much better chance he's gonna play well. He has a 906 safe percentage. Skinner's actually brought his safe percentage. I don't know if you guys noticed this, but it's 902. He's no longer an 888, which, you know, last week we were saying there's no way you can win a Stanley Cup with an 888. So I think that there's a good chance that if you'll flip a

coin, you have a better chance to call if he's going to have a good game or a bad game. That's just what it's going to be. And the good news for him, and this is what saved him, especially in a few of these shutouts where he hasn't been overly challenged, Edmonton's D-zone has been remarkable. You guys won't believe this. OK, so in the series against Dallas, he's only faced two east to west chances in the series, and they were both the higher, higher ice ones. Those are easier than the low east to west.

So he's only faced two of those, hasn't been scored on. The east to west D-zone defending for Edmonton has been the best in the postseason of all teams. They have the best rating and they are fourth best at protecting Skinner against the odd man rush. So can you win with 902456 save percentage? You might see what we saw with Colorado when they won with Kemper and that I can see it. I think you can win with him. He looks steady enough to me. The only time he gets himself into trouble is when the puck is at the point and net front gets there He's too high for his quickness when it hits the end boards You guys have seen those ones where it gets sloppy ends up on his side He can't over challenge the top of the paint when the puck is at the blue line He does back up in zone and he plays pretty deep off the rush

But he's got to protect himself off of the point shots. Those are going to kill him. But I brought this up before the series began because this was the one that was going to really make or break it for me because coming into this series, Dallas had 36 east to west chances in their first two rounds. They led the NHL in the postseason before Edmonton.

So for Edmonton to shut them down the way they have, and we talk about this a lot guys, and I buy into this and I subscribe big time to this. The hardest thing in the NHL is to get your star players to back check and everybody's back checking for Edmonton. And I think that's why they're neutralizing a lot of those odd mans. Valley, there are players in the NHL who you don't know,

you know, maybe it's coin toss if their best is gonna show up or not, but their best is better than almost anyone else. Evgeny Malkin in his prime, I think, was better than Crosby's best, like his absolute best day. And I think Willie Nylander's best is as good as Matthews and Marner like his though There he has a high ceiling. You just don't get it as much as you want Does that exist with goalies? Because to me that's Stu Skinner when he's good. It's like, okay

This is I get why people like him why they think he can be great Maybe I'm inaccurate saying Skinner is one of those guys, but it certainly exists in players Maybe I'm inaccurate saying Skinner's one of those guys, but it certainly exists in players. Okay, I just think it's the environment for Skinner, Borny, because when he plays deep, he's big. The way that Hellebuck can appear to be big when he's at his best. Stolarz can look really big in the net.

I feel the same way when I watch Skinner. I think he looks big. He plays big, but to me, he's big deeper. When he gets out of deeper. When he gets out of his net, he gets himself smaller. It's counterintuitive to see it that way. But it's it's the way it is because he can't move out of saves or out of first pass. He's one of the weakest movement goalies in the league doesn't mean he can't

play in the NHL because he does other things really well. But he must play deep and I'm talking about even off that net front stuff because it gets scary and it gets and that's where actually Ottinger has had his biggest issues guys. It's it's been net front. It's broken plays. Ottinger has given up 15 goals so far this postseason just off of net front. So is that is that predictive? You know, I think it is because Ottinger I was texting you the other night it was during game number two Borny about pucks going under

his hands from the faceoff dots, you know, and I think that's what hurts him on the point shots because he's getting so low and he's actually quite good finding it through the screen, but he can't move again you get to wide fellas and you know I don't want to find myself rooting against this guy because I believe that keeping your feet under you matters that much and sometimes that happens and that's that's what happens when you make our picks before the postseason or you want to

see a team win because you believe in what style they play and then that's the one problem I'm having with Andre. I love a lot that he does. I use them as an example, oftentimes, but but getting wide, it's just a killer for me. So again, he's given up 15 goals on these broken plays. And a broken play from a point shot oftentimes is one that's going off the end wall, it goes to neck front and you can't move out of it because you're already so wide and spread out. I just don't see anything that's showing me

that he's trying to bring his feet under him. And that's why the goal off the dot, when I was texting you, Borny, game two, that bothers me guys because look, I was on the ice for a couple hours this morning with college level and USHL kids. My first group was USHL, my second group was college kids. And at the beginning of the summer, I really like to

establish with these goalies that they stop all of the shots off the faceoff dot. First you start doing it stationary. And you wouldn't believe it guys, 10 shots off the dot stationary, no goals, both goal goalies both levels of play It reminds me of when I started doing this hockey is hockey in one year. We did the NHL We did the Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL. We did Quinnipiac. We did Chicago Steel, USHL Every breakaway in every league was being scored one every three times every breakaway in every league was being scored one every three times. Every screen deflection in every league was going in one every three times. It dawned on me pretty quickly, guys, just looking at the information we were pulling in.

Hockey's hockey, you know, and it doesn't change level to level. The only way it would change is if I put Henrik Lundqvist in Quinnipiac's net. That would change. You wouldn't score one every three breakaways. But when it's level of play against level of play It doesn't matter to me So if I see an NHL goalie getting beat off the faceoff dot to me Especially at this level in the postseason when the margins are so thin I need to save there Yeah, you're watching and listening to Steve Valakett analyst with the Rangers on MSG and CEO clear site analytics, so just one more thing on on Ottinger and Skinner is, like pitching and baseball, man, you get run support.

It has to change the way you think or feel or the ability to relax a little bit more. I think last time I checked, there was 17 different players on the Oilers lineup that has scored an even strength goal. And on Dallas, I think Peter DeBoer said it best, if if if Ranton is not doing it, then who's going to do it? Wyatt Johnson.

I know Robertson scored a goal last game, but it's got to put a tremendous pressure on Autinger here, not almost trying to be perfect. You know, so it's maybe not what you think, Kipper. It's easier to play in games for any goalie when it's tight. You'd rather be in a 1-0 game, a 2-1 game, a 1-1 game than it being a 5-1 lead because guys get looser then you know you guys run the bench you know how it goes you start staying above the puck a little bit you're cheating in certain areas you wouldn't mind getting

a cookie to you know, and I feel like it's always the games that are one one tie score late. You're going to get your best version of Skinner there and you know, again, I think the way that I think the way that Edmonton is defending right now, I see it as a rematch. I see Florida playing Edmonton in the final, you know, and that's just that's just the way it is because I think of the commitment to Connor and Leon and Hyman like those guys, they're star players right now, but they check and everybody back checks. And again, that to me is the biggest differentiator

because there's still the most goals being scored during this postseason off the rush. That's where we're still seeing most of the goals. You know Florida, I was looking at this earlier, Florida's got the most goals off the four check. We know how they're playing and they're dominating off the four check. They've had 33 scoring chances come directly off the four check. We know how they're playing, and they're dominating off the four check. They've had 33 scoring chances come directly off the four check. You know, odd man rushes. Edmonton's got 10 goals off the rush. Florida's got 10 goals off the rush.

If you look at time and space, which I think matters a lot, time and space goals at five on five, geez, it was Florida. Florida's got 12 goals on high danger chances with time and space. Edmonton's got eight. Carolina's only got four in the playoffs. Dallas has only got four in the playoffs. So if you're hearing DeBoer say certain things about not being able to score at five on five, they're not getting their good chances.

They're not getting their chances with space. They're not getting that separation. And a lot of that comes off of unsettled offense It's not just coming off a cycle and making a play from low to the slot. It's it's chaos It's giveaways takeaways goals scored at five on five kipper for Florida 49 Edmonton 38 Dallas 23 Carolina 21 Wow, you know and and by the way guys like this is worth getting to I know we're not going to go along today because you guys have a short show but like Carolina right you've got to study this team because they are unreal during the regular season we've set it for years right but I've covered them very closely twice with the Rangers over the last four years where the Rangers won those playoffs series against them So their last four conference finals, they've scored 29 fewer goals than they should have you know it so is it is that on the players because they're just getting tight or is it because They warm up their opponents goalie too much too many long shot. I believe in it guys. It's big time to me. Like, you're looking at this series right now

that's now three games to one. They've taken 61 low danger chances, and Florida's had 42. They've done better than what they've done in the past. Like, take a look at this one. This is against the Rangers four years ago. They had 137 low danger chances during the playoff series that went seven games. The Rangers had 97, so you're giving Shusterkin 20 more warm-up shots per game. Can't give the top guys 20 warm-up shots more per game.

The next year when Florida swept them, they gave 22 more warm-up shots per game to Bobrovsky than their goalie faced. And plus, they like to dump it a lot from the neutral zone, so you get those touches from there. 16 dumps from the neutral zone, which, if you're already peppering the guy, don't give them the feelers from the neutral zone also. But they score 10 fewer goals in that sweep.

And the series last year against the Rangers, it was the same thing. 109 low danger chances. Rangers had 80. You know? And like all you're doing is really making it easier when you're getting to the conference final. Their biggest issue is that they're playing a top goalie and you can't feed a top goalie low calorie shots.

Their save percentage will go through the roof on breakaways, two on ones, high danger chances and that's what the differentiator is for me with these guys Do you believe like for your value if you were a coach? Do you think you would tell your team like the first it's almost like the first penalty in a game for an official You don't want to call a tiki-tack once like you don't want your players to take a tiki-tack shot You're like the first one. We're not shooting it till we get a good look for the first shot Yes, I think the biggest sin you could commit right now when you're at the final four best goalies, let's just call it, you don't want to have the other guy have five easy ones before you

get a legitimate scoring chance. I'd be on the bench covering my eyes like, no, there's got to be restrictions too, right? Because that's one thing you can give players is structure. You can say to your players, hey guys, when we're on the power play and we get an entry we're not just shooting a wrist shot from the top of the circles here. All right, like let's get set up because that can happen and Adam Oates told me that he had that conversation with OV years ago and that's something that you can do. You know, you

can put certain restrictions on guys to not shoot unless there's traffic like Autinger right now is having a hard time because teams are aiming for the piles that are to the right or left of him and then they're getting Plinko and he's so wide that he can't move out of it he ends up on his side or his back so you know yeah you can preschool at this kind of stuff I think that right now in the NHL there's no such thing as a goalie that should have an opportunity to steal a series. And right now, in a way, Bob's having a big influence on this series. He's playing.

He is having so much fun out there. He is, he was incredible last night. You know, he got beat on the one Stankhoven shot and he made a mistake there. He actually got wide and went down early so he couldn't keep angle. It was a nice shot, but from far, like it was his one probably moment where he was light But I'm telling you when I'm watching Anderson at the other end and he looks scared to me He looks nervous and by no means does do I think that? Nothing there at all coming off that. Nothing there. Really? Oh, that's great. No. There is nothing there at all coming off

that they can hang their hat on to make people believe that they can stretch this thing out on a longer series? No. I have a two-on-one Verhaggie shot that was kind of weak on the glove side in the first few minutes of the first. He had a three-on-two that he faced where it didn't come off clean on the pot, like the shot was weaker. Rodriguez had one from the first. He had a three on two that he faced where it didn't come off clean on the

pot like the shot was weaker. Rodriguez had one from the slot like it was a five high danger night that really felt more like a two and you watch the way that he's moving out there it's not inspiring anybody they're dead. I mean I think he just wants it to be over, Almark style. Wow. over, Almark style. Wow. That's good stuff, Ali. Love it. Just is there nothing on that blue line that can insulate that because we we we often speak of at times that this Carolina blue line led by by Slaven is amongst the best in the league. Yeah, I saw it too. Slaman was awesome. Had a bunch of block shots. He has a good stick. Look, all my notes, I take notes. I'm sure you guys do the same thing during games. You have to, right? Because then you have to look stuff up the next day. All I have is slow movement out of rebound, lack of life, not inspired. Those are my notes right here.

I don't see anything there that I like. Sorry, that's a little too locker room for everybody, but that's not what I talk when I'm on TV. We want this to be the locker room of exactly. Yeah. No, I mean, I like, I like Florida right now. They have 25% of their goals are a net front. They have great net front. They've had 14 so far. 57 goal, like everything that Florida is doing to me, I'm so I'm actually proud because what I'm watching this hockey Mike all right hockey still hockey, you know like I still need I still need to believe the game I love it still looks a certain way the postseason and Florida accomplishes that for me and on a more skilled version Edmonton

does because their stars are checking. It's the biggest issue I have with the Rangers guys like I went back on some of my notes from, you know, these years covering the Rangers, and I'm looking at Eastern Conference Final today. These are notes from like four years ago. Yeah. All right. This is what I wrote at the time.

The Rangers were leading the series two to nothing. This is against Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference Final. They're leading two-one going into the third period of game three, and they blow it, right? They lose games four, five, six. But when they lose, they lose with four high danger chances in game four. In game five, they have three.

And in game two, they have two. And guys, if you don't get the good chances against the good goalies who are playing against Vasilevsky, they're not going to score clear sight from 65 feet. And then I was looking at the players, of course. The same exercise you guys do with Marner and Matthews and who did what Panarin was only able to get inside as a shooter twice in games four five and six scored once but that was late in the series and as a passer he

was only able to get in once one of his teammates into the middle of the ice you know like so if your star guys aren't contributing offensively when it gets tight in Eastern Conference Finals, Stanley Cup Final, Games 4, 5, 6, when it matters, and they don't check, what do you think's gonna happen? Yeah. Right? So, you know, that's, it's hockey's hockey still, and I would love to see an Edmonton, Florida final,

because to me, that would be the best viewership for the game. Yeah and that is such a fascinating concept because it is, you know, at the heart of being a hockey player not just someone who is, you know, I think a skill guy or someone that people enjoy watching. So as the as the Oilers get back, Matthias Eckholm, at some point here along the way, how much do the defensemen in front of these goalies make a difference? Like how much can a guy like that change, Stuart, you talked about the environment in front of him. Can one guy make a big difference for him? Well, it can when you're, again, I'm looking at high danger chances,

but I also look at low danger chances because sometimes if you have D that are smart, like an Ekholm, he'll give a lane and allow you to take a shot where he's not late checking and puts a stick on it and then you know creates a broken play. You don't want your defenseman to take a low danger chance coming down the ice or in zone and flip it into a high danger one and I find the weaker guys that are usually a step behind a play or a step behind the play of reading it,

they tend to screen you more often. They tend to get, you know, body parts on pucks. They tend to end up in your blue paint too much. And then now they're getting in the way of your own movement. At the end of the day, when you look at scoring chances, which again, I think matter most for predictive and, you know, outcomes. I'm always going to look at individual players and again when you have a neck home on the ice for me there's a good chance he might give up one high danger in the game, but he's going to be on the ice for 4, you know and those always way out I sent Sammy a

list at the end of the season showing him like the reason why I started doing this to guys was because course he was really popular in 2014. But I didn't like the fact as a goalie that we weren't measuring the quality of these and I was again working with the Sound Tigers and guys are just shooting from everywhere just to get their coursey numbers high. I'm like this is ridiculous. Like I've got to start this company like we don't even know we don't

even know how these goals are being scored. Yeah. And you know, I don't I don't want to look at a ledger at the end of the game and say, oh, a guy had six when, you know, he was on for three breakaways against that he was up ice on. So at the end of it, I just want to, I want context. And I know it's important to what we're doing here to try and figure hockey out a little better. Yes, and we solve nothing by the way.

I know, I know. But we're getting closer, Kipper. We are, we are. Listen, there's a there's a chance this time next week, the Stanley Cup final could be set. Okay, so I just want to go back to talk about you a little bit with with the potential of a Florida Edmonton final, which I've told people that I think potentially a rematch with where both these teams are today could maybe be the best or as good of any Stanley Cup final we've maybe seen in 40 or 50 years. Like the knock, the knock constantly is we see the best in the early rounds and it kind of just slowly, you know goes the wrong way

Yeah, I think right now The two best teams that have performed at the highest level with the most intensity has been Florida and Edmonton so just in terms of Potentially looking at this matchup. I mean, it would literally for me, not literally, but it would be fire versus fire in terms of the guys that can get down and dirty, the guys that can beat you on skill. And at times the guys that can completely shut you down. But I don't want to get too far ahead of myself. I don't disagree with that. I'm only asking you this because we may not talk to you for another week. Well I can tell you that I feel the same way.

Everything that I believe in the game I think would happen in the final if those two teams met. You're going to see the highest level of skill that checks against the nastiest group of hockey players in the NHL that will try and hurt you. And if they happen to injure you, they'll be okay with that too. Because they may have to go that route against this Edmonton team. I think Skinner's game is solid enough from him out, especially with Ekholm coming back. I love the way Kane's playing and Perry and they've got enough grit to to

to oh Kane versus Bennett but he beat Oscar. This is gonna be not that Dallas would be bad either but I mean it's gonna be a good final. But Dallas to me is not as nasty. Yeah we gotta go. We don't have the contrast but last thing I can tell you that I'm all in on that series because I put a new TV at the outdoor bar Because the neighborhood is on hockey right now. Yeah Set away Salad This is a this one hour things new to me and Sam. He's looking at me like I got three heads cuz we've taken you way too long

Alright, thanks for doing this Valley. Thanks Valley. Appreciate it pal. See you next week next Tuesday What I don't know what I'm doing. It's a one-hour show. I don't know when to start or when to finish. Do you have a clock in front of you? Do you know? Buddy, just do this with your hands. That's all.

Be my clock, Sam. What was the children's show with the woman that, like, big comfy couch, and she'd like lie on the ground like do like the clock thing that's what I gotta do I'm wearing shorts so that might be programming you know you're a big comfy couch now you know what that is Ontario thing maybe really I mean I was in Long Island in LA till I was like seven there's a big comfy coach is it big comfy catcher now you got me though anyways it's it's game time is it about bet 365 visit the app for this odds and find out why it's ever ordinary at bet

365 must be 19 plus Ontario only please play responsibly I was just looking through about 365 you guys are talking and this one jumped out to me as I quickly pull it up here the Stanley Cup handoff the Stanley Cup Stanley Cup handoff is officially allowed to be to Tavares. Oh, no, that's not the conversation. That's not the right that's on that's not listed for some weird. Who do you think is the favorite for the Stanley on the cup and to touch the head the cup second? So like for for bar off to no Connor has it first because he's the captain who's gonna touch the he hands it off

Okay on all four teams. Well, you have you have to guess the team and then guess second. I got my answer right away Who's the favorite? It would go Connor and Leon. Leon is not the favorite. He's the second favorite. Can I call him ahead of him? No. The old vet? Leon Drysettle is plus 450 to have the cup second.

Hold on. Perry's won it. Skinner is not. In a million years, you'd never get the favorite. Connor Brown. The favorite is Nate Schmidt at plus 400. What? Who's doing this?

Nate's family Florida's favor doing the car do he's the longest-serving veteran on that team in the NHL No, it doesn't always work out doesn't always bet what your bets are betting on Can I tell you that the number I absolutely love and may actually wager on? Alright what do you got Mars Marshand at 10 to one. No, too new, too new. Too new? Too new, and he's won the cup before.

So the other ones, the next favorite is Nugent Hopkins at plus 450. Yeah, I can see that. Seth Jones plus 700. Ekblad 10 to one. He'll be able to lift it really well. He'll be Cory Perry 12 to 1 Matthew Shane 14 to 1 so then we start to get into different the other teams

But I find it very interesting that Nate Schmidt is the favorite at 4 to 1. I Have thoughtful Come on I mean it's almost like it's almost like business is fine put some thought into this but come on We like we like Nate come on what no way Looking at looking at on a gadget On sounds finest in favor the attack for years the game tonight the Edmonton Oilers are big faves as you would imagine minus 155 on the money line Dallas stars plus 130. I'm red hot right now on the the the playoff bets here.

Yeah. I feel like Dallas gets one back. Really? I was going to say the exact opposite. I was going to go with you could you could convince me on the Oilers minus a goal and a half at plus 155. Oh wow you like him that much? I do, listen, I mean we can talk about it more after the break, but they just had, Stu

Skinner had a game they played their best possible, they were on fire. Feels probably a little demoralizing, I don't know, I can see it going both ways. Anyways, that was Game Time presented by Bet365, visit the app for latest odds, find out why it's never ordinary at Bet365, must be 19+, Ontario only, please play responsibly, and as a reminder, this hour's of Real Kipper and Born is brought to you by Bat365. So there you go. All right.

Okay, we'll take a quick break and when we return, we'll dive in a little deeper, Oilers and Dallas tonight. And I'll tell you one thing that's going against the Oilers tonight, to not win. That and more when we return to Real Kipper and Born show as a reminder this hour of Real Kipper and Born brought to you by bet 365 Nick Kiprios, Justin Born and our very own Sammy McKee. Another reminder for you golf fans out there Sportsnet and Muskoka Bay Resort have come

together with an amazing contest. Text the word Muskoka the 59590 for your chance to golf at Canada's one of Canada's top ten ranked courses with a night and incredible three-bedroom villa for you and three friends. Just text the word Muskoka to 59590 for your chance to win. Visit sportsnet.ca slash 590 contest for more details, standard message and data rates may apply. So yeah we, we're still doing that contest. And I also wanted to say a lot of housekeeping, but because we don't have an hour show, so just feel like I have to say all these things.

But your mic's off. Hi, I'm back. What was I going to say? Oh, yeah, on Friday, we usually do the Leafs line. But that is done. Done. We don't. The Leafs are no longer with us. They're gone. And they would have actually,

they're actually on their way to their fifth straight. They pass away. They're on their way to their fifth in a row hypothetical cup. So it's great. But on Friday now, since we're national, I'm going to do more of a Canada line, I guess. Like so. Canada line.

So Oilers fans, Canucks fans, Flames fans flames fans, whatever fans no Ottawa fans don't have here We have no expand paying attention. We love you, but we have fans in the US We want them to whatever you are. Whatever you are calling about Canada So the number remind just a reminder anything you want don't listen to Justin four one six four one three four one four one Four one six four one three four one1. And we'll play them on Friday, see what we get, see if we get some more national feel. And away we go. So, there you go.

Okay. Housekeeping's done. All right, just before the break, I mentioned to you that if the Oilers are gonna go up 3-1, something has to happen that hasn't happened this post-season yet, and that's Skinner wins three games in a row. Oh, okay.

You think he's capable tonight. So I said when he was doing the bets that I feel like Dallas is, you know, has a chance to get tonight's game. Part of it for me is like I've had a lot of questions as the one thing with the Soilers team is like, are we sure the D is enough? Are we sure the goal tending is enough? And they have as a team been fantastic. They've answered those questions. Yes, they have enough. They are able to win the Stanley Cup,

but I don't think you're just going to steam steam roll over one of the best teams in the NHL. That's been one of the best teams with a ton of veteran guys and good goaltending Dallas is a tough team to put away. I think you're going to get a good push from the stars tonight. Rupert hints is a game time. Ruperpee. Rupert Murdoch. That's actually his brother from Mimical. Rupert. Game time decision. Yeah. I don't think we've had a discussion on the slash and what you thought of it. It was Friday night that happened. Yeah, so we have not touched on this

Big deal it was a big deal right wasn't so he flies up for Sunday's game three Everybody expected him to play did you not expect him to play sure I did took warm-up didn't look warm-up Yeah, everybody expected him to play so the you not expect him to play? Sure I did. He took warm-up didn't he? Took warm-up. Yeah. Everybody expected him to play. So the thought process was they were Dallas was trying to milk something out of this right? Possible suspension, possible like you always won, whatever the case is, he doesn't play. And just your overall thoughts of the slash that you saw. I'll just say for foot injuries like that, I think there's very few things in hockey you can't and just your overall thoughts of the slash that you saw. I'll just say for foot injuries like that, I think there's very few things in hockey

you can't play through. If you're a foot, like if you have a broken bone or even a bone bruise and you can't use your feet, it's brutal. I've tried to play through that and it's tough. I don't think that slash is that egregious. Like it gets them in a bad spot. It's a no, you're right You're right. Oh, I listen guys. It's not violent shop, but there are violent shops thing. The thing is is when people

When people don't have never necessarily been in that position or ever taken a slash I Get it if it doesn't look the part, but it has really nothing to do with how it looks, but more about sometimes where the spot gets you. I can assure you with that little back, it's not a full chop, it's not like it's coming from downtown, but I only need a small area space to slash you where I could break a bone. Yeah, and he hit the sweet spot. I could bruise a bone, I could do nerve damage.

I can do a lot of damage in a very short space. And I think that's ultimately what happened here. But to sit there and judge it based on what it optically looked like is something that the league couldn't do, right? So now we're into that. Did you hurt somebody? Did you not hurt somebody?

It's like, if he broke a bone with that slash, would it have made you feel different whether or not he should be suspended or not? Well, I typically like to see the action suspended or not suspended, not the outcome. You know, I think if you take a violent action and someone doesn't get hurt, you still were reckless and dangerous. And you can watch that video and see that like it's indirect reply to a hard cross check in the lower back. It's a front.

Actually, if you watch it, there's a slash directly in front of them that happens. You know, there's wax that happens in the post. It's in front of the net in a Stanley Cup playoff game. Like it's like he gets him pretty good there. He turns around, he's pissed off, the cross checked him and he clearly got him. Do you think he was trying to hit him in that spot? Yeah, off of the skates, one of the few spots you can get someone with no bad. I don't think.

I don't think he could guarantee where you want to hit somebody in a spot. You know, where some guys, the bull eye, you hit the bulls eye. You do know that there are some vulnerable spots right around the ankle, the shin pad. I hope Hinn's plays tonight. You want everyone at their best. You want Echol and Bach. You want Hinn's in. You want everyone in.

How good can he be if he couldn't play and warm up on Sunday? I mean, could be okay. I don't know. I don't think he's going to be pushing a stretcher. I mean, could be okay. I don't know. Like I don't think he's gonna be pushing a stretcher around out there. A stroller. Yeah. Walker's 60, 65% which is you're in that is that better than whatever else we have? Yeah.

And that may be what the decision ended up being last game for them. Just we're not sure he's going to be able to give us enough to justify it. It is between that and bumping a goalie, man. It's just strong. I survive. End of story. Nurse just standing there, like just like just looking at him being like, oh, and the thing is with nurse kind of a step over a little bit, he's very tough, too.

So it's not like he's a phony, like he'll fight anybody. So just having him stand there, be like, yeah, I did it. Somebody come talk to me about it Yeah, and they just kind of just escort him off the ice. I don't know if you did a list of players who? You were sure what you were gonna get out of them But they like when they play well it makes such a difference nurse is one of those guys the Oilers but Seth Jones for Florida has been so good for me and He was a liability at times.

And nurse was as well. And nurse was as well. And so when those guys play well, it's like found Norris defenseman. You're seeing, like I mean, remember the conversation. It's not found money. No, it's not found money. They both paid well.

Very well, but over nine million. You remember the conversation that we had about Seth Jones early in his career though? Like he was top, top, top dog dog one of the best young defense in the league Rangy offensive just like everything about him. They went to play for a Horrendous team with no future and no idea what they're doing. He goes and plays on a good team. It was what a surprise It was Seth Jones was supposed to sign long-term in Columbus Yeah, and they were supposed to get rid of Warren

ski. Right. This is though a lesson though, when you judge good players on bad teams, like if you're surrounded by trash and no structure, it's not to look good. You can rescue some of those guys out of there and come out ahead. Florida weird. It's a winner. Shocker.

Wow. Oh my God. It's over. It's over fastest hour in hockey. Next hour will be back. Real Kipper and Boren show. Our thanks to Steve Aliquette, who joined us earlier in the program. 8 p.m. tonight, Sportsnet, CBC,

Oilers versus Dallas. Big game tonight. Enjoy the game, and we're back tomorrow on the Real Kipper and Boren show. Have a great night everybody.