Shaun Newman Podcast - #416 - Brothers Roundtable

Episode Date: April 20, 2023

Over the course of the NHL playoffs the brothers will be meeting to discuss the week's games and Oilers Oilers Oilers. Here is instalment 1 recorded on April 20th, 2023. Let me know what you think Text me 587-217-8500

This is Tamara Leach. This is Tom Korski. This is Dr. Robert Malone. This is Wayne Peters. This is Kaler Betts. What's up, guys? It's Kid Carson. And you're listening to the Sean Newman podcast.

Well, welcome to the Sean Newman podcast, a brother's roundtable. It has been a full year. And of course, we're missing Jay today. But he will be back to- No, that's right. I'm going to be in action. I'm joined by Harley and Dustin. So it's been a full year.

I was just, you know, we were asking, when it was the last time we did this? It was last April. So it's been a little stretch. But one of the things I may have, me and Harley may have talked about this last year, one of the things I was like, as the Oilers were making their playoff run, I'm like, why am I not talking about this? Like obviously everyone knows I diehard hockey fan,

love playing and love watching the Oilers when they're in the playoffs and everything else. So one of the things we're going to try and do here for the 2023 playoffs is have a Brothers Roundtable either Wednesday or Thursday. You know, as long as the Oilers are in the playoffs, We'll schedule it around their games. And if they do lose out, I assume we'll try and wrap it up. We'll schedule it for Thursdays. That way we can just talk about the games and whatever else.

So speaking of last year's Brothers Roundtable, if I remember correctly, which I believe I can, all my predictions were right, as I recall. Well, we'll get to the predictions at the end. But who did you predict in the, in the, what? I have no idea. I feel like you predicted Carolina, and Carolina did end up making the Eastern Conference files.

That's right. Yeah. It's my old go-to. I can't remember what I did last week, never mind a year ago. Well, I know mine didn't. I had Damantinoilers. So I had Damantinoers there,

but I also had them playing Toronto and I chuckle about my picks this year. You didn't pick Toronto last year, did you? Yeah, I'm pretty sure I had Emmington, Toronto in the fun. Oh, wow. I think. Well, there you go. Sean's just been praying for this matchup for the last.

Well, everybody last made, Jay, every time I come in here, Jay's like, oh, Homer this, Homer, that. I'm sticking with the oil. Oilers until, you know, they either win or I don't know what happens, right? Like, they're a good, they're a good team this year, fellas. They're a very good team. Very good team. I think the brothers harp on me because I've been so down on the Oilers for so many years and all the dumb moves they've made and they're like, oh, you don't think anything's good. This year, I actually think they're a really good team. You know, when you look back on the round tables,

I think when we first started, Taylor Hall was the joke. We used to get dust fired up about the Taylor Hall trade, the Taylor Hall of this, the Taylor. all that. Still a terrible trade. Yeah, he's back. I mean, what a journey that guy's had. I mean, suiting up for the Boston Bruins now, right? And what a season they had. 135 points, record. You know, it's been an interesting year in the NHL. Playing third line as a former goal leader in the entire NHL, right? Hard trophy. Our trophy winner. Yeah. Not with the Imichita when he won that. Yeah, but he was hurt too and everything else, right? So on a little bit

the next year something to prove against the oilers rate and that was the year that he ended up doing it but well here here we sit uh you know it's this is going to be released as soon as we're done recording but it's a it's a Thursday um the oilers you know they they lose uh game one in kind of heartbreaking fashion man i was yelling at the tv i was a little upset with their uh last i thought the last period myself but uh others will say different um and then of course last night they they tied it back up 1-1 and then we've got to see you know all the other series play one or two games

and different things there you know as we you know as we've seen through we won't you know by the time this is released and a lot of people listen to it probably tonight have been played but what sticks out from you you know from the first you know

series of games I'm assuming we're going to stick to a lot of oilers but I've watched a bunch of the other games because I think this is the best time of year. I don't think any sport rivals the first round of the NHL playoffs. But what sticks out to you so far, whether it's Oilers or different around the horn kind of thing? When it comes to the Oilers, I think when they skate and pressure L.A. L.A. can't keep up to them. They're bigger, they're faster. And when they push the play, L.A. can't keep up. And that's what happens in the

first period of every game is Eminton comes out flying and L.A. just hangs on for dear life, essentially. If they skate like that, Ellie just cannot. And even in the overtime, they took a tomb for how long in that first game, and Ellie could not keep up to them. It's only when Emmington loses, you know, a little bit of jam or slows down just a little bit of penalty trouble. Which is another thing, right? I mean, they're 10 against 4-4 and penalties, right? So I think over the course of the series, that should even out a little bit more, right? I mean, I think they've been the aggressor throughout the entire thing. So that might be part of the reason why they're taking more penalties.

But to be at 10 penalties against them and only four power plays, like that's quite the spread there, right? But when it comes to penalties, there's like two different types of penalties they're taking. One is a bunch of the young guys, and I'm putting Bouchard and Desirene in there. They're just like so wound up that they do little stupid things. And that's where they're getting some of their penalties.

And then you got Evander King. who is a Vanderkane and just takes penalties because he's a Vanderkane. Yeah, and then Dry Settle last game took the one right off the face off on what was a campaign. He was wound up. Yeah, he was. Yeah, he was a man on a mission last night. But, you know, the thing I didn't realize, I don't know, probably a lot of people realized this, and I just, I had no clue.

But the first game, when L.A. got on the Powerfly, I'm like, what is going on? Like, what's happening with the other Pelican? I did not realize L.A. had the number five. in the league and number two since January power play in the league right and you're like oh maybe we should stop putting that team on the power play because they look dangerous on the power play in the last two games now j and i were at game one and i know everybody was talking about the refs and the poor calls and whatever rate but that goal that they scored if you go back and look at it that three three goal that l.a scored was 16 seconds left that was an unreal pass there was

made three feet up in the air perfect sauce lands right before the guy he won times it squeaks through Skinner right but I mean nobody was talking about that right it was an unreal pass and the only guy that I've seen make passes like that has been dry settle and I understand now after coming out of that game why they've got such a good power play when you can pass like that like that was right over top of one of the oilers three feet in the air perfect sauce like and that was that was impressive it was was impressive. Well, Dess, what do you think the last couple minutes of the game was?

Well, I've said this before, and I'll say it again, when you're penalty killing in the last two minutes, you don't want McDavid on the ice. And it's not that McDavid isn't the greatest player in the world. He is, and he can skate like the win and all the rest of it. What you need is guys who are willing to sacrifice themselves. I remember back in the Oilers playoff run back in 2005, Sean Horkoff put his face in front of a slap shot in the last minute of play to block the shot. Now, didn't hit him in the face, but it could have.

but he was willing to sacrifice anything to stop that shot from going through. And I don't want McDavid in that position. What you want, who's the Duke's done? You want Yamark on there who's willing to sacrifice anything and got hurt for doing so. Those are the role players you have in those positions to play those roles late in the game. That's why you have them on the penalty kill. And I get McDavid and Drysidal playing on the penalty kill not in the last two minutes because you force the... Do you think it's...

Do you think it's specific, though, because game... game two they put out cane uh dry-sidalt macdavid for the six on five and do you think is a different the six on five versus the six on four because the six on four is a true penalty kill where the six on five is a lot of bodies and uh as soon as they had an opportunity up down they went and they scored right and there's just so much skill to me to me to me i would have had bukstad on there instead of mcdavid when yanmark got hurt buchstadt is a big big body lots of reach lots of he has a already is used to playing penalty kill anyways, right? So for him to be out there in a situation like that, he's one of your number one penalty killers. So you're already down to guys.

That is where he should be shining, right? So you want your muckers and grinders. And another guy you should have on there is McLeod because he skates like the wind. He mucks and grinds. He's not afraid to take a shot, you know, stop a shot, block a shot. Those are the kind of unique guys with speed to get to those loose pucks to get them out. Those are the type of guys you want there. Six and five is a little bit different because you don't have as much free ice. It's not a power play. When you've got 11 bodies on the ice, it's a little bit different.

But on that six on four, they should have had guys that would block shots. I can't remember who they had as a D pair for the six on four. But I noticed last night they paired up nurse with at home. And I was like, oh, that's good. Right? Like you have two big, mean, physical, heavy bodies. that move extremely well. Yeah, and are very smart.

Yeah, who, well, actually, I want to ask about Skinner. So I'm listening to, they lose game one. I didn't think Skinner, like, I thought he, I thought he played a solid game. Like, I thought that's exactly what we needed. Just a nice calm presence. You know, could he have kicked out one more? Yeah, sure, okay. Could he have got the tying goal?

I don't know. It's kind of a bang, bang, play, squeaks from everything else. Go on NHL Network the next day, and they're talking about, I was a young guy. and this and that, and I was like, you're not putting Camel and what a stupid talking point. Then he had his game last night. What did you think?

I thought he was just solid. I think that's all Skinner has to be. Now, obviously he's a rookie, so he's getting a little bit adjusted because there's way more pressure and a lot more excitement for him, playing at home when there's a lot more excitement in the building as well.

He just has to play solid, and I thought he did that last night. Now, can you criticize both goals? Sure, if you really want to, they had 20-some shots he let in two. On the whole, he played solid, and that's all he needs to do. He doesn't need to steal games for the Oilers to win.

He just has to play solid, and he did that. The other thing, too, is, yeah, he doesn't have any experience in the playoffs in the NHL, but he's also won a WHL title, who he was the main goaltender. He's also taking the Bakersfield Condors in the HL all the way to the finals. So it's not like he hasn't been in these types of situations before. he's still managed to get them two of his teams right to the dance in the league that he was playing in. So to me, I'm not worried about him, honestly. Yeah, he's a rookie, but it's not like he's an 18-year-old rookie.

He's 24 years old, right? Like, we're not talking about some kid. I will agree with that. At the same time when you're 10 years old playing in the backyard, you're not dreaming of playing a WHL championship. This is the Stanley Cup playoffs. No, but it's a progression. No, no. I get that.

I realize that. All I'm saying is, The pressure's different. The pressure's difference, and he's probably a lot more nervous than he normally would, just because he's dreaming of this. Yeah, but he's going to be, he's going to be feeling the pressure in the W.HL.

It's, at the time, that is the biggest championship that he's played for. So there's definitely pressure there. I've liked Skinner the entire way until last night, and I don't know what it was. He just frustrated me last night. The first goal was weak.

It did find a hole, like, yay big, but he reminded me of Koskenin last night. where he would just stretch out on the bottom, and all he had to do is just move a leg over, and there's nowhere to shoot. Instead, he figured he had it, and then what's his, Dino or whatever, picks a hole that's, you know,

I mean, don't get me wrong. It's the size of a puck, and it squeaks through, but I'm like, why is that going in? And then the tying goal, I'm like, just hug the post, man. Like, he's got nowhere to go. And he just seemed, but maybe that's just me. I can be very hard on the Oilers in the playoff time, because the emotions are worried.

ride and I and Sean sitting there going what is he doing? There's been a few times when I've been a little slight criticism on sliding across on a one-time puck

there's definitely openings there that I can see but you know if you look at the Oilers he's giving him a chance right now if you look at the young Oilers players they're all playing really well but they've also all made a few

mistakes and I think it's a lot of it has to do with just adrenaline and nerves. Because you look at Bouchard, he's made some amazing plays. He's made a couple of dumb plays too. And that's a young defenseman that's really in a prime role in the playoffs for the first time. Desjarnay's had a couple of plays where you're like, you know. And I look at Skinner and kind of the same way. Would I pull him not a chance?

He's played solid. Now you can criticize a little bit on some of the, you know, one or two goals here or there. At the same time, he's not giving up six or seven. He led in two last night. And they won the game. And the game before that he led in three. But it wasn't like they were terrible goals. like he's fine he just has to play solid and he's doing that more to what dustin was talking about

earlier is like to me the longer that this series goes i think only the better the oilers are going to continue to get and i'm not worried about it at all at this point they've been the drivers of both games for you know 50 minutes pretty much in both games right and so you know over time that's just gonna at some point here they're gonna break through and i could see it easily like a six one game come out of this well that's exactly Exactly right. LA's got a little bit lucky and oilers have got a little bit unlucky to date in this series because the Oilers have carried the play so well.

Now, Corpusolo has a lot to do with that because he's played extremely well. But at some point, I do expect Oilers to break through. They got too many offensive weapons. Like last night, there was a couple shots that, you know, hit Corpusallo that could have easily gone in. And all of a sudden now it's a, you know, a 4-2 game with five minutes left, a 5-2 game. And it's not even close. McDavid, with one point, like, I mean, that's not going to happen throughout the rest of the

series right at some point here somebody's going to break through and you got to you got to appreciate LA the way they play is like they have done their homework on how to the only way they can win is what they're doing yeah they're trapping they're sitting back and they're playing very hard defensively ice the puck um just a crazy amount of times and they're and they're blocking you know everyone comes through neutral zone they're slowing them down they're just that's the only way they can win because head to head they cannot well in the first first period yesterday it's what 11 to nothing in shots or Was it 10?

18 minute mark is when they got their first shot. And it wasn't a great shot. No. And you're just like, oh man, they're holding on for dear life. And it's 2-0. You know, and it could have been three or four? Certainly. Who's been the biggest surprise for the first two games for you?

Out of the, off the oilers. I'm sticking for the oilers for one more. Oh, for the oilers? For the oilers. Probably for me, I think it would probably be Bouchard. Not that I was, didn't think he wasn't a good player or anything like that. But now you're in the playoffs and a little bit of poise

and all of a sudden holding on to the puck and scored a couple timely goals, right? And yeah, I know they didn't win that first game, but, you know, he stepped up to the playture. And to me, like, I guess I pay a little more attention to the defense being a defenseman as well, though. Well, I mean. And for Bouchard, it's this,

is that he's not afraid to hang on to the puck and make plays with the puck. and make good plays with the puck offensively. And players used to have to be comfortable and not nervous to do that because their first instinct, especially in a high pressure situation, is to chip it off the boards. If you watch Deshaunet,

that's what he does. That's the kind of player he is too, which is fine. He's played well. But if you look at Bouchard, I kind of agree with Harley on this one, is that he's actually making plays with the puck that are, that you're like,

wow. Like, you know, as, he's acting like a veteran right now. You should be just giving the puck to, McDavid every time. So you're taking Bush as well. I'll agree with Hartley. Well, I'm going to throw Kostin. I know we got the game winner yesterday, but like that guy played like six minutes. Every time he's on the ice, he's a big body running people over, scores a beautiful goal. And I love

the playoffs to me is a coming out party for the bottom lines, right? Because that's how you're going to win is your depth. Because I mean, they're basically hog-tying McDavid. Drysettle has been on a completely different level. But like the coming out party for some of the young guys, Even, oh, rattle off the oil or D for me for a second. No, third pair. Brobeck or Kulak? Kulak's played a little bit. Kulak is played.

I'm like, who the heck is this guy? Yeah, you know, like, you know, you said, did Broberg even play last night? Yeah, he's skating. They played him out a little bit. I don't think he played much, but they played him a little bit. Yeah, his first shift, he, you know, the buck taken from him right in front of the net by like dry saddle or something. And it looked like an uncomfortable exchange.

probably because his first shift in an NHL playoff game. He comes around the net. Should the others be going 11 and 6? You might as well have one extra guy there. No, no, no. I realize that. I realize you're going to dress the right amount of guys.

What I'm saying is they can almost play 11 and 6. And the reason why they're probably even better that way is because now Dry Saddle and McDavid are double shifting from time to time on the fourth line. Absolutely. And you get them out there against players. They shouldn't be out there against. And that's where they scored one of their goals last night. The Derek Ryan goal.

Eric Ryan. And then your defense, you probably have those six, you know, Broberg, you know, you fit them in once in a while. But really, the other six are playing so well. So last year, LA's missing, um, Doughty in the playoffs. Dersie got moved up to that first line on defense. Dersy is now on the third line. Last night, Dersie got scored on three times. So by having that third line where, or that fourth line where you're mixing.

mixing in a dry saddle or McDavid to go against that third line D pair is only going to help you, right? Especially when all of a sudden now you're scoring three goals against their third line defense. Like how do you how do you defend that, right? And I say that because I love Yanmark. And I wish he was in the lineup because he adds a lot to that team. He's a great role player. But as a team, them having 11 forwards just lets you play McDavid and dryside that little bit more.

Yeah, 100%. Okay. Let's just take a step away from the Oilers Kings, obviously game three tomorrow night and excited for that on the road in L.A. What series have you been paying attention to other than the Oilers Kings? What sticks out to you? You got Vegas, Winnipeg, obviously Winnipeg one game one, five one, convincingly. You got Colorado, Seattle, Seattle, Steels game one. You got Dallas and Minnesota.

Dallas comes back. Minnesota, why would they start Flurry in game two? Anyways, we can get to that. Dallas, Minnesota, tied at one apiece. Obviously, Minnesota wins game one in Watt. You got Boston, Florida, tied at one. I heard a crazy stat. I think it was, they gave up 51 goals in, I think it was 45, what is it, 42 home games?

41 home games. No, they gave up 45 even strength goals in 41 home games. And against Florida last night, they gave up five even strength goals. That's pretty crazy for the Boston Bruins who set an all-time record for a season. Toronto gets thumped in game one from Tampa. You got Carolina up on two on New York Islanders, and then you got Jersey down 1-0 to the Rangers.

I will start with my biggest surprise. Okay. And that is Seattle beating Colorado in the first game. I have no faith in Seattle whatsoever, right? Even though they were 100-point team. I can't figure out if twos is a brilliant man or was trolling me. I know, he's trolling. I figured so.

And then they go win game one. and I'm like, oh, God, that's the last thing I need. I look at the rest of the series and I go, yeah, how it's playing out, kind of makes sense to me. You know, Carolina being up 2-0-0 on Islanders, that does not surprise me at all. Out of all the teams in the playoffs, the Islanders I thought were probably the weakest. Probably the weakest. And I know.

They deserved a better fate last night. They watched a game. They deserved a better fate. And the guy gets high-sticked right in front of the ref, and they walk in and bury it in overtime. And you're like, well, maybe that's the way it's going to go for the aisle. The rest of the series, though, like, did I think Florida could give Boston run? Sure, I absolutely did. Florida won the president's trophy last year, and they're a good team who had a bad

regular season, but they got some players on that team, on defense, on forward. Like, they're a solid team, so it doesn't surprise me at all that they're making a series of Boston. I forget, maybe as Elliot Freeman was talking about how you take the worst place team out of the playoffs, which is the Winnipeg Jets, and middle of the year, they were top. in the west. Yeah. So, I mean, you're talking about a team that was one of the best teams in the

NHL halfway through the year, and now they're the lowest place. Like, at any, none of these teams, any one of these teams could easily beat anyone on a single night, right? And, I mean, for the crack and for me, I go, it's pretty easy to play the victim card where all of a sudden now, you, you know, like, they've always, everybody's counting them out. or the underdog, whatever, right? So for them to get up for game one, doesn't surprise me. Same with Winnipeg.

I don't think many people had Winnipeg. Well, I don't want you to walk through every series. I want you to tell me which. I'm just saying that those two teams in specifics, right? I mean, to win that first game, it's easy for them to win that first game. It'll be more interesting to see how this- How Colorado bounce back.

Yeah, that's right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was watching some of that Dallas-Minnesota game last night, and it was a wild game. an absolutely crazy game to watch. It was a lot of fun. I didn't watch the whole thing because I was watching the Oilers,

but every time I clicked over there, I'm like, what happened now? It was just back and forth. It was back and forth. And when you watch the Oilers Kings, it's so controlled at all times. It's so tight checked. Yeah, Minnesota Dallas was wide open.

It was probably the funnest game last night. Yes. Absolutely. That's how wide open it was. It's surprising how much Minnesota is leaning on Dallas. Dallas is a big team and Minnesota laying the body and like I that's that surprised me so why did they roll out flurry last night well it's the guy's talking about it today said that like all season long and for I forget what it is the last

17 games of the season they just went back and forth back and forth back and forth but it's the playoffs well and I just think of when I played as as a playoffs as a defenseman like you want to get if you have a goalie you trust it doesn't mean your backup can't be great goalie Mark Andre Fleury is a great goaltender. But you win game one in double O.T. Don't you just have some confidence? I think you do. And then we're going to change it out.

It's like, well, why? So I feel like if you're the, if you're leader, you're trying to win, you have no room for error. Right. You have to put the best team on the ice to win the game. And I feel like if you're the leadership of the Minnesota Wild, you've walked in and told the coach, listen, no more. Like if it's going to be flurry, it's going to be flurry.

And if it's not, give us a role with your guy. Yeah, just like, it's the playoffs. Just put them in the net. I don't care who's been better all year. You take the goalie who's playing the best right now, and it's probably the one who's played better all year. Don't get me wrong. But you play them until you can't.

Well, so Boston loses game two. And the first thing they're talking about this morning is do you take out Omer? Not a chance. Not a chance. What is up with everybody tried? Do they understand the goaltender is like the, and I hate Dan Max, you're going to be like, Oh, yeah, that's right.

But it's like the cornerstone of a team, you get comfortable with somebody in the net, you leave it alone unless they are atrocious or they get hurt. Those are the only two ways. Other than that, just leave it alone. Well, and I was impressed with the Panthers. They came back with Leon in the second game. And did you see him play?

Yeah. Oh, baby. He's a fun goal later. I mean, even if you're Boston, and even if you go down three rip, and the coach is talking about, like, that's got to be a bigger, discussion with your whole group because like do you you bring in the captains and you go listen

guys this is what's going on i'm should we be doing this or not because the group is going to have a feel for it anyways right and they're going to tell you one way or another no he's our ride or die and we lose or we win with that guy right speaking with uh florida boss for saying did you see uh radcoe uh gutus just absolutely bullying marchand i didn't see that oh my god God. He had one shift where I'm like, that's a penalty. That's a penalty. And give Marshaan credit. He didn't retaliate or anything. But like, Goudis' entire idea is I'm going to shut you down. I'm going to hurt you. I'm going to make you pain in front of the net. So I've changed over the years on this because I was always of the mindset when I was younger that when it comes to the playoffs, a penalty is still a penalty. But part of me's kind of changed over the years where it's like, no, you're going to earn it. And you're going to have to fight through some stuff. Now, there's still penalties out there. Don't get me wrong. And if you high stick a guy in the face, Bouchard, you're going to get a penalty. Having said that,

should there be a little bit more physical contact battling? Absolutely. And you need to be able to fight through that to win hockey games because that's how you get the best team, the best players in the end in my mind. Speaking of Boston, I've heard a rumor that Bergeron will not be playing

in the rest of the series. Really? He is skating. Did he play last night? No, he didn't. He hasn't played the first two. No, from illness. but the rumor I heard was it's not just the illness that's keeping them out. Oh. Yeah.

So they wouldn't disclose. Who's given the rumor? The Newman Brothers breaking down some inside information. Jason Greger. Jason Greger was talking with one of the Boston guys. And they said that there's a big loss. That's a huge loss. He's probably the best two-way player of this generation.

Really? Yeah. Like, is there anyone better in the last 20 years than Patrice Bergeron two-way player in the game? No. No. Sean? Sidney Crosby. No.

Well, offensively, of course Sydney Crosby is better. Is there a better, is he better two-way than I don't think that there's anybody better. Okay, but we're talking about Yeah, I know, we're splitting hairs.

At this point, okay. Before we go into predictions, I don't want to, you know. Can I bring up one more? Sure. Toronto.

Well, that's where I was going. For all the Canadian Leafs fans here, the Toronto Maple Leafs, can they get by? This reminds, like I have, predicted, well, we'll wait for my predictions,

but I have the Leafs going deep. And my idea is, all they have to do is exactly what a vetchkin had to do. They just got to get this off the hump. It's going to take... Off the Schneide. They got to find a way around Tampa. And then we go, well, they're getting Boston.

It's like, who gives you shit about Boston? They've got out of the first round in forever. And they have faced Tampa now, how many years in a row, and they just keep running into it. Do you know what the best thing that happened to was? Getting blown out in game one. 100% because if it's a close loss like that was embarrassing for them game one was an absolute

embarrassment for them and that has to wake them up they're too good of a team having said that my biggest problem with the leifs i thought at the trade deadline is they made too many moves they were the second best team in the league at the time and they made so many moves and they should have just tinkered with the lineup instead of like making big changes and i wonder if that's going to affect I don't know. They didn't look like a team that really wanted to be in playoffs in that first game. Like they, I didn't notice any of them, right? Matthews, Marner, Tiberas, Nielander.

Like, none of them looked like they were really in a playoff game. Didn't Tampa look like the battle tested one, two cups, do it you got to do. 100%. You know. Cory Perry getting under your skin. But Tampa understand, Tampa has probably been sitting there in the dressing room for the last two months. Go boys, we're going to play Toronto. everybody get healed up, you know, let's score a couple goals.

Let's make sure we win a couple games. We're playing Toronto. And let's eat through lunch first round. And they came in game one going, you know, this is a very good team, and we're going to come in and we're going to go hard and we're going to win game one. And that's exactly what happened to him last year, too. But Tampa is like, they are the epitome of what, honestly, the L.A. King's kind of used to be, the team that had gone deep or the Chicago Blackhawks, right?

you had to get over the hump of those two teams in the West. Now those teams, well, obviously Chicago was not in there. I remember LeBron James. LA's a little different. LeBron James, the first time he won a championship in the NBA, he played the Boston Celtics in, I think it was the second round. And all the big Boston Celtics were just like, just mentally abusing him, just yipping at them and, you know,

placing doubt in his mind. And I almost, you know, I don't know what's going on the ice between Tampa and Toronto, but I can see the Tampa Bay guys. they know what it takes and Toronto doesn't yet and is Toronto going to rise up because Toronto's probably got the better players at this point more skilled younger but Tampa Bay's been there and done that and knows what it takes and knows what it takes and the only way you beat them is you if you actually go into the trenches and out will and the only way talking about the oilers back in the day beating the

islanders and then walking playing the islanders and walking past the dressing room and everybody's got ice bags all over their knees and legs and guys are bleeding and thing and one of the guys was thinking oh yeah that they'll be celebrating and champagne and there wasn't one beer to be had and they realized that that's what it took in order for wasn't that boys on the bus yeah that's boys on the bus that's right yeah and that's what reminds me at tampon Toronto like our Toronto are you really going to sacrifice to get there or you just happy to kind of you know like be a hundred point team in the NFL regular season have to want it, which means sacrificing to get there.

And this is going to be the year for Toronto where, you know, they come up against the wall. Are you going to start climbing or are you going to stop? Well, and the thing for Maple Leafs fans, it's just not only they've gotten beat 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, they've been up three games to whatever, one and lose it in seven and then be up and lose it again. And they just have this, you know, it's no different than Oilers fans after game one. We're up 3-1. We got 10 minutes left.

Lock it down. Instead, we lose an overtime 4-3, except they've had that on steroids with some of the losses they've had and ways they've lost it. This is one of the reasons why I like the oiler so much, because last year they came up against that wall, down three games to do the Kings.

And found a way back through. And their best players went out of this world to do it. But they're going to face, assuming they get through first round, they're going to face, not the old guard, but they're going to face some demons in either Colorado, Vegas could be a team.

Winnipeg could be. No, no, no. What I mean is they, like, Dallas Star. They hit that adversity, and they had to play out of their minds to get there. And Toronto hasn't done that in the last 15 hours. I just look at the Toronto Maple Leafs,

and all I see is the San Jose Sharts from, like, the year they made the run. Obviously, they didn't win the Stanley Cup that year. At what point? At what point do you get over the hump? And as soon as you do, it's just like, oh, boy, watch out if you're playing them next. because like everybody's worried about, you know, already thinking round two.

They get past Tampa Bay. I don't think it matters who comes in their way the next round. I tell you what. They're going to be. If I'm the Toronto players, you've got to be a little bit worried because Duvus is done after this year if they don't make it. Like he's on the final year of his contract right now. So now you're talking about bringing in a brand new GM after this playoffs. So there's probably a real good chance.

And they've got to know this. If they don't do something this year, that team is probably going to be dismantled somewhat just from the new GM coming in. Okay. So if you look at the teams that always win Stanley Cups, you always look at the captain or the leaders on the team and you always go, Jonathan Taves, go through a wall, Sidney Krosby. Like you go through the teams and you're like, there's always Ryan O'Reilly.

Like there's always a guy there where you're like, okay, this guy is going through. Stephen Stamco's. Like they're going to go until they're dead, essentially. They're not stopping. They're not slowing down. They're going at it. And at this point, there's been no one on Toronto. Now they got Ryan O'Reilly, so maybe that'll help.

But there's no, like Matthews has not said, fuck this, boys. Get on my back or go on. He hasn't done the dry saddle thing in game two where you're like, who is this possessed, man? And you look at dry saddle. I mean, dry saddle has not won and Jack Squat yet. But I mean, you're waiting for Toronto Maple Leaf. They haven't made it past the first round. And the only way they're going to do that is if some of their players just go,

you know what, we're doing this. Get on board, let's do this. Well, I hope for, honestly, I know a lot of Canadian hockey fans are like, I hope Toronto loses. I really hope they win. I think it's better for the game. Like I look at it and I go, I hope Winnipeg beats Vegas. I would love nothing more.

Can you imagine Eminton, Winnipeg second round? Evanston's got a win. They got to win. They got a win. And on the flip side, can you imagine a Toronto Boston or even Toronto, Florida, whatever, on the other side. That would be a lot of fun. Either way, let's, let's,

Let's end on your predictions. We want the two from the West you think are meeting up and the two from the East that are meeting up. And since we're going to be doing these once a week, I'm not so worried about a Stanley Cup final prediction, anything like that. So just moving on to the next round or semis? Oh, I didn't text.

I suppose that's what we should do. Now I feel bad. Is moving on to the next round? Moving on to the next round. I'll go first. I got... Wait, wait, wait, wait. Okay, wait.

I'm going to... All right, let's go round by round, and we're going to start with Jay. Jay calling in on the phone to at least get his predictions in. Couldn't be here in live, but hey, thanks for calling in, Jay. That's because of a store getting a few necessities here the day before. Perfect. Well, let's hear then wherever you want to start,

and if you miss one, I'll make sure that you get it in. Okay. So I'll just start with the, I think the other is going to beat the Kings. Keep going. Just keep going, Jay. Keep going. Okay. And then I thank the...

Okay. Well, that's all we needed from you. Thanks for calling in Jay for the first roundtable of the playoff set here. Man? And best elect to you in the tournament. For people wondering, we did a draft, and we did an auction draft, and Dust spent 80... I'm really worried about... McDavid not getting a ton of points.

$86. $86. $86 out of a $200 cap. I'm not worried about the best player in the NHL, getting some points in the playoffs. Fair enough. Fair enough. Okay.

All right. Harles. Who do you got? Start with Vegas Winnipeg. Are we going to do this where the person who guesses the least amount right has to, you know, maybe buy a bottle? Sure.

For the next one. Yeah, yeah. I like that. I like that. Okay. Okay. Harles. I got Vegas over Winnipeg.

Colorado over Seattle, Eminton over L.A., and Dallas over Minnesota. I understand that I'm being real out of the box there. On the east, I've got Boston over Florida, Carolina over the islanders, and New Jersey over the Rangers, and I am picking Toronto over Tampa. Dust. It really sucks that I'm picking mostly what Harley just said, but I'll go Vegas. Oilers, Colorado, Dallas, Boston, Toronto, Carolina, New York Rangers. Carolina.

And I think my son, Owen, might have picked almost identical to me. Okay. So then- No prompting on me either. Sean's going to go Winnipeg, Oilers, Colorado, I agree with Dallas. I'm going to pick the Florida Panthers. Why not? Really?

Why not? Sure. Let's have a little bit of fun. here. I'm going to pick the Toronto Maple Leafs. Don't let me down. I'm picking the New York Islanders because I know they're down 2-0, but I pick them

to go deep this year. And I've watched them play last game. I thought they should want. So I'm expecting the island to be buzzing. Just so we're clear on this, this is Colby rules here right now. There are no odds. I am not giving you odds just because they're down to rip.

And I'm going to pick the New York Rangers. So I got the Rangers facing the I got an all-New York second round. I got Toronto, Florida, Winnipeg, Emmington, and the avalanche playing Dallas. Wouldn't that be a fun second round? Either way, we're going to be back next week. Like I say, folks, we're going to be trying to do this every Wednesday, Thursday, depending on when the Oilers play.

Obviously, we'll be shooting for Thursdays, but if the Oilers play, I'll have two episodes coming out on Wednesdays and usually in the afternoon type of thing, so it'll be a later episode. But we're going to be doing this for the playoff run. Um, uh, hopefully all the way to the end, uh, and, uh, have a little fun with it. Cause, uh, I'm, you know, I, I, I never talk hockey anymore. And, uh, when it comes to the playoffs, especially the first time. I don't know of a happier time of my life where I can just flick on the TV and watch the Oilers play and then all these other great series that are going on. I mean,

um, tonight, um, tonight, who is Sean? I'm going to be watching the Leafs. I got to, I got to see if they're going to show up, you know, like I just, for Leafs fans, I feel for you. Cause how many years of the, the darkness that the Oilers have. Even when we were making the playoffs, like we'd show, I mean, like, what is Mike Smith doing?

Like, what do you know, remember the bubble? Like, we lost to the Chicago Blackhogs. Like, oh boy. Between that and the Rangers,

Jersey, I think that'll be another good game. Yeah. They're all going to be a good game. So we can. Well, until then, fellas,

thanks for hopping on. Thanks. Thanks.