Shaun Newman Podcast - #650 - Brother's Roundtable

Episode Date: May 31, 2024

Brothers are back and we talk all things NHL playoffs: Bieksa calling Edmonton media MEAT, Florida mentally ready to win the cup, Robertson's creativity in practice and of course Oilers talk. Let me know what you think. Text me 587-217-8500 Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.substack.com/pub/shaunnewmanpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ E-transfer here: [e-mail] Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://silvergoldbull.ca/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: [e-mail] Text: [phone] – and be sure to let them know you’re an SNP listener.

Welcome with Sean Newman podcast, another brother's roundtable. The boys are in studio. All of us, Jay decided to actually make it. I know a second pink cup for a second weekend, a week in a row. That's the Clonnie Pink Cup going to the guy who gets bottom in the... That would be his third, though, I believe. Overall. Overall third.

The real question is, is whether Dustin's going to have more silver coins or Jason's going to have more pink cups by the end of this whole thing. Maybe that's what the bet should be, eh? I got three coins in front of me here. Yeah, but sometimes what they... say is, you know, the guy, like, I'm not that middle guy. So right now the Calgary Flames, are they going to be that middling team, right? They'll never get first overall pick. They'll never win the cup, right? And I'm, I'm throwing out bets that I'm either winning the silver coin or I'm not winning. I'm not running this middle down the road, kind of like Sean's

been doing. I'm just winning silver coins, Jared. You know, it's funny. Dust brings his coins. Sean's got his coin. Does Jay bring his coin? Oh, he did. He did. He did. Oh, my goodness. It's easy to carry that one coin on you. It's a little tougher to Kerry's story. I tell you what, he gets to join the club finally. We're teasing on Harle's, there you go. Same for the record. Harley won this week because the Rangers scored on themselves.

It doesn't matter how you win. At the end of the day, do I get a silver coin or do I not? Dust, do I get a silver coin or do I not? Does not win one because of an overtime versus a regular time? No, no. But let me get my point out here first. Dust always tries changing the rules. It's true.

The Rangers are losing 1-0 late in the game, score on themselves, and then give up. and empty net so Harley wins his silver coin. That's all I'm saying. Doesn't matter how you win the silver coin. Congratulations. Yeah, thank you. Join the club.

And Jason, well, what? You know, I also did buy the coffee this morning, so you're welcome there to dust. Thank you. It felt bad for you. Now, Jay did pick first this last week and also won the pink cup again, which is quite the feat. He actually picked the Rangers, which is the last team I would have picked, but I'm glad Jay picked them. And they did score on themselves that game, which was quite funny. Late in the game.

Late in the game. Anyways, Silver Gold Bowl, the silver coin this week going to Harley. So he's on the board. Dust leading the way with three. The rest of us have one. And then Kalani Pink Cup going to Jay as we're...

You know what Dustin reminds me of going to? Have you ever watched, you know, the TSN or the Sports Center? And, you know, every game, there's so many different opinions. And then you watch the game. and then it's totally different than what the opinions were and all of a sudden, like, Dustin will spout off here and then one of us will win a second coin,

and like his opinion really doesn't matter that much. He said that Florida was going to dominate the Rangers and win in five. So the thing about the Rangers... Now it's going to game six. But that was in the past, right? Let's see what he has to say to me. I'm on Pins and needles waiting. Florida could win in six and then I'd be off by one game.

For the record, I was starting to get worried. If they win in seven, you'll be off by two games. Yeah. You'll probably tell us that too. I mean, if they would have won in four, you still would have been off by one game, Dustin. What are you trying to prove here? I was starting to wonder after the Rangers won two games a row in overtime

and how many in a row in overtime overall. I was starting to wonder whether the Rangers weren't that team who just, who was the team that back in the day won like. Montreal? Montreal one row in overtime or something like that. Does you remember the Rockham? It was COVID, wasn't it? No, no, no, no, no.

I'm talking back in like that. He's talking way back. Like the time they won the Cup. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They won how many games in overtime? I started to wonder with the Rangers whether they weren't that team. Wasn't it 12? It was something like that.

It was high. I thought during COVID when they made the finals with Kerry Price in that. I was starting to wonder if the Rangers weren't that team because Florida had that two games. But we've been saying this all along, right? You get a hot goaltender and it don't matter. Buffalo Sabres relied on Hasick.

There is no way that team should have ever made the finals without Hasick, right? Right now Shisterkin is playing that good. No, no, no. But Brovsky's playing that good too. No, no, but here's the thing. The one game was 5'4. Schisturkin didn't play that.

that great. It was one of those games and the last goal went in on Florida and you're like, he was a, like, Scherkin didn't play out of his mind. He let him four goals in that game. So it wasn't like he was playing unbelievable. At the same time too, though, like Florida had double the amount of shots. Yes. Rangers did.

And games three and four. In game five, Florida has outshot him, out hit him, outplayed them. They've been dominant. They're three two. Yes. And meanwhile, we're sitting here as Euler fans talking about Florida Rangers. Right. It's a, it was a game last night. I've noticed. It was a A lot of the four teams is Florida hits more than the other three teams.

Florida is a terrible team to play against them. There you are. They're a little bit nasty. They finish their checks. They're good. They win puck battles, good of puck possession. Like, they're a good team. They've ran over Shasturkin numerous times.

Did you guys see it? Accidentally. Yeah, oops, I didn't see them there. That's what I was talking about the other time we were on, right? Is somebody's got to do something here to stir the pot? Did you guys see late in the game last night, Bennett was battling with a puck with who's the long-haired guy off? Zabinajad.

Zabinajad. Gave him a little bit of an elbow. And Zabitajad went like this and flailed and they went down and scored the empty net. And you're like, Zimbabit Zabinajad. Like you can't, like toughen up. You can't lose that puck battle and they score an empty net goal. Wasn't that the same thing with Brad Marshana and Sadee in the finals, Boston, Vancouver? Remember back that?

Gave him all that face washing and Steve went fight back and Boston went in the cup. Yeah, but this is different because they gave up the empty net goal. No, no, but Jay's making it. overall comment on like, you know. Are you trying to win the cup? Are you trying to battle through it all? The NHL has... You're trying to draw a penalty or trying to...

The NHL has this problem. We're in the regular season that's a penalty. And then the Rangers go on a six on four instead of it going down and score. And now in the playoffs, you know, there was probably a few different penalties that should have been called on Florida at the end of last game. Especially after the one power play they got where the...

Yeah, I don't know. The reffing in the playoffs is funny because I want it to be tough and raw, but the way they drop the game for 82 games of the regular season, and then they change. So Zabinajad flails thinking he's going to get the call. In the regular season, he gets the call, and the playoffs. He doesn't get the call. They go down and score, and you go toughen up.

It's like, we got a problem. Isn't this what's great about the NHL playoffs, though? Is that that play, they don't call the penalty there? It's like, no, you're going to battle for that puck and quit trying to draw the penalty. You've got to win that battle. And they're going to do everything. And Bennett did everything in his power. to win the battle, got the puck, scored the empty net goal, and killed the Rangers.

Even at the end of that game, the buzzer was going off and Bennett turns around and like suckers, Truba right in the face, no call, right? And I'm like, that's the edge that a person needs to play with. And that's what I'm actually still waiting for from Kane and Perry is to play with that edge where you're drawing players in. And I thought we would have seen it by now with the Oilers, drawing them the Oilers more into being engaged in games, which I I still haven't seen. I'm still waiting for it. And I hope it comes because that's fun when those two players get involved like that

and they're playing with the edge. And that's why I actually love watching Florida right now is because you've got to Chuck and Bennett that both play like that right on the edge. And sometimes, yeah, maybe they're crossing the line a little bit too much. But it's exciting to watch. Is it not, then does not the old argument come back about the fighting? So the argument is when you pull fighting out of the game, it allows players like Bennett and Kichuk to play like that. you don't have an answer. There's no recourse. Right.

Yep. Are the Rangers not like Vance Crow and just a little bit soft? I noticed he hasn't been chirping as much on Twitter, right? They're down three, two now. So in fairness to Vance Crowe, he knows nothing about hockey and doesn't realize that the flashy, you know, good-looking team, you need to be able to toughen out. I am starting to worry about that Florida went to the finals last year and they look like a team that knows how to win.

Yes. Like it feels like would it be a stretch to think, Florida may just win the cup this year, unless something weird happens. You know, Bobroski gets hurt, Kachuk gets, like something major happens.

It feels like that these guys may just win the cup. Like they're mentally there. Well, yeah, they just, they know what they're, they come with a game plan every game. They're not coming and hitting for a period in and not.

Like, you look at how the Oilers are playing. And there's periods, they look absolutely. world beaters and there's periods they don't. And that's a goal tending. It's the finishing checks. It's the locking down games.

They're just inconsistent. That's what I like about Dallas a little more is they're not flashy and you're waiting. It doesn't seem like they're winning and then they beat Vegas and then they beat Colorado. And we're sitting here and everybody loves the, I mean, the Oilers, man, when they're going, they're exciting. When the Oilers are going, they're the better team. And if they were playing 60 minutes a game like Florida is right now,

you go, hmm, but they don't. The thing they got back, like, Bobrovsky looks like the best goalie in the playoffs right now. Like some of the saves he's made just the way he is in that. I mean, we talk about Schisturk and heck, we talk about Ottinger, but Bobrovsky looks sharp. Like, every game he looks sharp. Like, the Rangers really got to do some wonderful things he did across.

And I mean, Skinner, on the flip side of that, it just, you know, you know. Well, we know that Skinner is a fourth goalie out of the four. Out of the four. So in fairness to the oilers You're pushing a rope up hill right now. So in fairness to the Oilers here is that the Oilers are playing a very good team in Dallas and you're not going to control Dallas for 60 minutes.

There's no way to do it because they're too good of a team where you're not going to just control the play. Now you go, well, he should be better at times. Yeah, they probably should be, but like Dallas is a very good hockey team. And like I was at game four and the first five minutes obviously was a train wreck. But after that, the Oilers actually played really solid

the rest of the way and controlled everything. And the thing about the Oilers, like, if you're Dallas fan right now, you're sitting there going like, Emington's penalty kill has been so good. It's outscoring us 1-0 on our power plays, which is crazy to think about. Which is awesome. Which is awesome. And their penalty kill is unbelievable. But the whole game, the Oilers controlled after that last five minutes.

Out of special teams, the penalty kill has been the only special teams to actually score, right? Eminton doesn't have a power play goal. In fairness to that, Oilers power play in that. that game, they were unbelievable in that power play and somehow that puck stayed out because there was so many scrambles and so many shots. They started shooting the puck. But they started shooting the puck. You know, when things aren't working on the power play, you got the greatest power play in the world, actually just in the game, they started shooting the puck. They started scoring rebound goals on

Ottinger. It's like, geez, that isn't that such a, that isn't rocket science. Stop looking for this beautiful play and start letting the puck rip. Get all these great shooters. Shoot for the rebounds, shoot for, just shoot. You'll get the Dallas scrambling, and all of a sudden they started banging some in. Because, I mean, up until what, dry sidles goal? I mean, the shorthanded goal is a nice two-on-one. But, like, you know, the first two weren't pretty goals. They were shooting the puck and picking up the rebounds, the dirt around the net, and putting it in.

How many? How many? Dallas has done a very good deal. What did they say, though, Dallas is the least penalized team in the NHL? And it's showing. Yeah, they're very disciplined. And that's really, that's really, like if Dallas wasn't as disciplined, then you really think Emmington has a series.

Yes. Because the power play would just get clicking. But with Dallas being so disciplined, that's interesting. Yeah. Really negates that. And if you can get to the finals and you play Florida, I think you're on the power play a lot more. And I just no scrums after like.

No, Dallas has been fantastic. It's been actually one of the least almost exciting series because of that, right? Like there's like absolutely no animosity, it seems like, between the two teams, right? There's, they go out and they play, not a huge bunch of open ice hits, nothing like that, nothing after the whistle. So it's just literally two teams playing, right? And it's a very funny series to watch. Is that a strategy by Dallas to not. To not have the number one power play ever on the ice?

Yeah. Yeah. Right? That should be everybody's strategy playing. But to have that strategy means you can't go and start doing all the things that Florida doing because then you are in the box one. They just naturally are. Is Tanna vote tonight or is he playing?

Well, he was walking through the Edmonton airport with a walking cast on. They lose him. That's a big loss because all of a sudden now you're bumping up probably what, Suter to your second pair. Yeah. And Suter was a great player for a long time, but he's just a little bit slower now, right? And you've got to bump up another, your seventh D man back into your lineup and. You're talking about depth.

All of a sudden now it looks like almost a little bit of Dallas's depth as being exposed, right, like on their back end, which surprised me, I guess, right? But, well, you lose a top four defenseman. That's a big loss, especially when you're going against the most offensive players in the world. So what should take on Brobert? Broberg was all right. I keep going back to, I know no one wants to change the lineup after a win, but I go, would I take Broberg out and put? Dejernand? Dejernand?

Yeah, I probably would. And I don't have a problem putting Broberg back in at some point. But, like, I'm not the guy, so TANF is out. Well, sorry, for the folks, you can go back to your Brobag. This is the picture of him walking through the airport and a walking boot. They're going to try and get him back in. But I think he's got broken bonus, but some sort of broken bonus,

but it's whether or not he can put weight on it. Can they do enough in order to relieve enough the pain? Even if he does play? You remember two years ago when he played for Calgary and he was hurt? And Tannam is a great defenseman, but two years ago when he was playing the Oilers, he couldn't put all his, I can't remember, was his wrist, his arm, his shoulder, it doesn't matter. He didn't look as strong. Tannum's a great defenseman, strong defenseman, but when you can't play with everything.

Can he out muscle, dry sidel? Or cane, or really, if Dustin gets a bad leg, he's useless on the ice. Right, right? So you look at it and you go, even if he's in the, the, fact he's got a walking boot on suggests that, you know, is... Can he escape fast enough to keep up with McDavid? At 80% is he better than your seventh defenseman? That's what you're asking.

All I'm saying is that Dallas has a huge problem now because you're trying to keep up with the best players in the world offensively. Sorry, go back to Broberg. I just wanted to show the picture. I agree with... I understand what Dust says. I think you could make that change. It all depends how they said the dresser.

They might have said right at the very start of the playoffs. If you win, you're in without injuries, right? And it gives everybody that push. I don't mind the changes if you're losing and you don't change. Think about if we're sitting here and they lose and they don't change. So the question, because sometimes it just switches things up. The other thing it does is by putting Desirene and everybody thinks he's been doing really well and penalty killing everything, but putting him up in the box, he comes down more focused, more focused.

Look at every guy that's left the lineup and came back in. Ryan McLeod comes in, scores. Scores. And Perry looked decent. The thing I keep thinking about, though, is so if I look back at that game, I didn't notice Broberg out there, but that's almost a blessing.

Right? Yeah, you don't notice him out there. So he did nothing wrong as far as when he was out there. So am I going to take him out and punish him because he did nothing wrong? And now you're bringing day or anything. To me, I think I leave Broberg in just for that reason alone. And you have, you do have that one more loss, which you don't want, but you can run game five if you lose. You can switch your lineup for game six.

It's like a Picard, right? Or Pickard, right? Throw them in there for one more game. What's it going to cost you? Worst case scenario, you bench them a little bit towards the halfway through the game. If you have to and you go down to five defensemen. We're not talking about much here. So the thing I look up moving guys in and out of the lineup,

I know some coaches like, no, you don't change it if you win. And I go, yeah, I don't know about that. because if you look at the, like the young forwards or the young players on the team, sometimes need pulled out for a game just to reset or recalibrate. It's a lot coming out. Or sometimes the old guys do just to get retired. And the other side of it is, and you know this,

like if you've ever played a lot of hockey in a row, if you take three or four days off, you come back that first game and you just got extra jump because you've had that little break. And the old guys sometimes need, like Perry, did I think he was better that game than the last time he played? Absolutely. So does he need that from time to time?

Yeah, now can he play next game? Yeah, probably. But actually, I looked at someone, the one guy I noticed that I thought was just a little bit, didn't have his energy like normal was Derek Ryan. He's played a lot of games in a row. He's a little bit, you know, he's in his 30s. Yeah, he's mid-30s, I think. And I love Derek Ryan.

But do I think he could get pulled out out for a game and be better for it? And the old guys you can do too because they don't hurt your feelings. Like there's the old guys you can do it too because you don't hurt their feelings. The real young guys you can do it too because they're still young enough. That's right. And so do I think you could rotate a little bit and do I think the team would be better for it? Yes. We keep getting fresh energy in there.

So you put out for a couple of games. What do guys talk about to win the playoff or to win the Stanley Cup? Like it's a grind. You're playing every second day for like 45 days in a row, right? Against the best teams. In the playoffs, right? This isn't even talking about regular season, right? So you're going to get to a point where you were just spent, right?

If anyone was wondering, time on ice. So in the loss, five, three, in game four, Dernay played 1521, and in the win, Broberg played 1421. So that's one shift difference, roughly, right? So the fact he didn't notice him, good, right? Like, I mean, you think about what he's asked to do. Well, it's part of it, too, what we just talked about here before

was Dallas isn't playing very physical because they're not wanting to take penalties. Broberg is a better skater than does your name. Well, the thing you've known. noticed about Dallas. Am I wrong? They just looked slower. Like, Vancouver was like really pushed. They, they played the trap on us. Like, they really slowed things up. But they were a fast team. They were quick. I find Dallas is that methodical team, right? When Oilers play that little chip out and give it back to their D-Men over and over and over again, that's the worst thing you can

do because their defense are so good. They go D-D-D-D, and then they come back in. And they come back in. The only way Dallas is quicker is their experience. And so they move. the puck, I would say, a little bit better. They're a little bit more skilled that way. So they can still act, they can still act quick. Their top and talent is, like, their depth of talent is unrivaled in the West. You know what I love about maybe Vegas. You know what I love about Dallas Somostal is they play that high winger, you know?

Yeah, they almost caught the older. It kind of, Jason likes that because that's what he does. It justifies my whole existence as the quick transition. guy. I was going to say that that line with Wyatt Johnson and Jason Robertson, they're fast, that line. But when you're talking about Sagan and Ben, they're a little bit slower and more methodical.

And the reason why they look a little bit quick at times is because Jay's right. Sometimes they have that really high winner. And every time, Daddnaw's really smart at. You watch how he plays. If he's, if there's a breakdown, oilers are coming down, oh, something breaks down, Daddanov's not flying back. And he'll just cut at the red line watch where the puck's gone. And if you've got

people that can move the puck. Now all of a sudden it looks like you're a lot quicker than what you are because Well, and they caught the oilers a couple times last game on that for sure. One of them led to a goal. And then the second one almost led to another goal. I would argue that's why they lost their last game against them, right? Is because of exactly that, right? Ackholm tried to cut in.

They played the body a little bit, allowed the puck to get past them. All of a sudden, say again, gets by Echolm, goes in, scores. There's one of the two goals that they scored that way, where they're just quick transition, and they get by, do well on their chance and score rate. How much do you guys as a defenseman love when you have a guy sitting behind you? I understand if you've got total control of the puck running around like a power play in the offensive zone, it doesn't matter.

But how much do you love having a guy behind you? As a defenseman? I don't like it. Yeah. All it takes is one skip of the puck and they're gone. All it takes is you to lose track of them just for a half a second, where you thought he was against the boards and he's already skating towards the middle of the ice

and it's that one pass and if the guy on defense or whoever on the other side can make that pass, like it's hard to... It backs up the D I always think. It takes away the pressure of the defenseman because you're just one step farther back. Right.

Because of that guy. In fairness, if it's Sammy... You're playing more on the blue line instead of on the red line. If it's Sammy, you're not worried about it. If it's Sammy, you're not worried about it. No. Well, it all depends who's back.

there, but I'm guessing with the Dallas stars, they have talented enough guys that you're worried about. Well, you're worried about it. This is why I like playing wing, not center, because I don't want to be responsible defensively. What I want is that quick break. Thank you for admitting that out loud. And what happens is, just so for the listeners, what happens is, is Dustin comes back good because he's a really good skater. And so for that first initial 10 seconds, he's in there helping.

But soon as there's a chance, there's a breakout, he's flying. And if there's no breakout, now you have no centerman down deep in your zone. That's why I'm not a good sentiment. This is part of the reason why both of them guys like playing with Egg Roll. That's what I'm hearing. Yes. No, totally. You're a pretty solid line.

Yeah. Actually, that's why I like play with Cory Dell too, because the same kind of reason. Jay makes fun of me, but Jade just doesn't come back. No, but I've perfected it. You're still trying to be everything. And I realize I'm not that. And so I'm just being dadden off and staying high. I'm trying to act like I'm defensively responsible by coming back, but then I fly as soon as I can.

Acting like it. Yes. Wiser words have not been. spoken on this thing. What did you think that, you know, Harley talking about there's no after, the whistle scrums and, you know, there's no, but I tell you, the media has been sure interesting. Do you see

Bax's comment on Eminton Media? Yeah, the meat? The meat? Meat. I miss that. You didn't see that? He called the Eminton Media meat, raw, dead and dumb for their comments on Darnel Nurse, right? And he was, what was their comments on Darnel Nurse? Just being

minus, minus 12 throughout the playoffs. He is one of the lowest, or he is the lowest plus minus out of anybody in the playoffs currently at this moment. Here. To think about his day, his morning. He gets to the rank and he has to meet with the Emmington meet. That's what I call the media. There's a raw, dead and dumb.

There you go. And he has to ask questions on, on, do you think BX is calling the Amiton media meet? Or do you think that's what he calls media in general? Meet? Well, he probably. but he's specifically pointing out Emmett. I think he's got two points throughout the entire playoffs, right? So this is all the questioning that was going on.

And partly is that Eminton, sure, probably a little bit their media, but also you've got Dallas's media coming in going, you guys are paying this guy, you know. Nine and a half. It's not the Dallas media. It's Mark Spector and that group. And the thing, Mark Spector was earlier on him talking about Kane and the drama. That's right.

Right. And then... Kane just likes the drama. And the next time he tried to interview Kane, Kane just threw him back in his face. So it's Mark Specter. He likes to get rises out of people. I make the argument with Nurse.

I mean, we all hear it, and there's times where you... But Echholm and Bouchard, they're playing it a little bit like what they talk about what the Russians used to do, which is they put their top pair of defensemen with their top line.

Yes. And they've been running like that, and it works really well. Well, how nice for Bouchard and Ackholm that you get to go out there with McDavid every shift? Bushard's like plus 12. So what does Darnelson

Well, Darnal Nurse now is playing with the second or third line against the other team's top line every shift. And then when he's not doing that, he's horking down the middle and the penalty kill. Yes. And so he's playing the toughest minutes out of the whole group with... And in fairness to all of that are all of those goals that are going to... Game five. Or game fours. Game five.

No, no, no, no. Tonight's game five. Game four. I screwed it up earlier. Game four. even like his first shift, guy walks in, buries a top shelf.

Just like, and the second one goes off his butt. You're just like, you can't make up that type of bad luck. It's like when things are going bad, I agree with the Bax. When things are going bad, it just piles on bad.

Yeah. Well, I just, I go back. If we, if the Oilers win the Stanley Cup, cut throat.

If the orders win the Stanley Cup, nurse will be, you know, whatever. But think about it like this. If they win the Stanley Cup, nurse played against the other teams,

top line and penalty killed the most probably minutes for them to win the stand-the-cough. If you switch that around, if you put Darnal Nurse on your third pair, and let's say you had C-C and Kulak out there against the other team's top line, not getting to play with McDavid, where are they at plus minus? Well, and if you look at all the Oilers' defensemen, who's the most physical? He hasn't been up until this point. No, no, no, no. He absolutely has.

If you watch Darnow Nurse, he throws more hits out of anyone. If you look at nursing up until game four, up until game four. No, he hits more than Acombe for sure. Up until game four, he had 11 hits in the playoffs. He had 12 hits in game four alone. Sure. So he had, he had, they credit them with 11 hit. Here's the hits in game four.

He had 11. Echholm, who Jay was saying was more physical one. And the only other, they didn't credit Kulak with any, Berger with any, Boeh-Burge with any, the only other guy was CC with two. But I find most defensemen with apologies to Racco Gudis, they don't go out there where... Well, the game is... It's just not the game anymore.

The game is... The game is in. Right. And so when I mean physical, they may not be necessarily getting attributed for the hits, but there's times where darn... He has to work hard. And there's times where he's putting the extra forearm in as he grinds on the boards. He's got a battle for... That's why I say ECHOM.

Game three where they lost, he had four Echolm and Dernay each three. Right. And like, how often do you see Kulak put in the extra forearm or the extra forearm? Or the extra... or C C Cic in front of that. When you're battling against the team, other teams top line, you've got to battle for the puck and you've got to skate hard. And you got it like, you feel for Darnold Nurse, right?

He's getting paid a ton of money. I think that's probably the hardest part about any of it. If he was making, you know, six, you know, was not even a conversation. I think it's just the fact that he's making nine and a half when he should be. And in the last two games, he stops a shot with his butt, right? Well, he had one go off the skate there.

Yeah, right. Yeah, the one go off to skate. Two, game three, somewhere like that. Yeah, and then this last game, he has one go off the butt again and in the net, right? You just, you know. Going back to Dustin's point. There's always going to be a whipping boy.

When Horikoff was on a terrible, them terrible, terrible, terrible teams, a reason, so A, he was one of the highest paid guys. He was their first line center, and Horikov had no business being a first line center. But the Oilers couldn't afford back then before the cap area. I bet they lost Doug Wade, who was the first line center. So he was just naturally put in that position. Sean Horcalf was a great middle six for it.

Oh, he played two. And then he was great in the dress room, and then it kind of became a funny thing that, oh, yeah, he's a, you know, that's why they keep him around because he's great in the dress room. It just he was in a tough spot. It'd be, you know, there's certain guys that fit into spots. And the reason why they couldn't keep Taylor Hall, right? He's not a Sean Horcoff.

He's got a goal, right? Hey, Dust. He wasn't great in the dress room. Yeah, that's what I mean. Yeah, they got to get rid of Taylor Hall just for that reason alone. So no matter what hockey team you're on, there's always going to be a whipping boy. and darnel nurses essentially. Well, and in the NHL, in the NHL, it always ties to money.

Because if he was getting paid $1 million, people would be like, well, four million? Oh, so where's the number, right? The reason the number set at six is because you got Nuge and you go, wow, what a great deal for Nuge. And Hyman. And Hymond. And Atcombe.

Drysidal. And on and on and on. The thing is, is in four years, nine and a half might be a great contract. Might not be. It may never amount to what, what, You want it to be. So the one thing I was impressed with being in that building was Nuge. Nuge is one of the smallest guys on their team,

but the way he uses his body to pinch off guys from the puck to protect the puck. Like he's a small guy, but he was one of the more physical guys. And I don't mean like, are we going to see a new dusting on the ice today? Yeah, I'll use my body shirt. But the way he used his body to pinch guys off when he's smaller than everybody else out there was

impressive, without a doubt. And I thought he was one of the best Oilers players. in game four. Do you want to see, like, you know, when you talk about money, right? 13.5 million from McDavid, you could pay him 20 and people

would be happy with it, I mean, if it wasn't a cap era, because he's putting up 100 plus points and on and on and on. Once you start paying a guy a lot for not these big numbers and people are going to stare at, you know, like the oops as he does

on the back end and everything else, is that where people get frustrated? Because you're like, if it was $3 million. But it doesn't have to be a defense. because thinking of the whole frustrated with Luchich was at six. At six. I would say that, you know, as a defenseman, you're either putting up the points like Bouchard is,

or you have to be, your plus minus can't be, like, you have to be that good defensively that you just, guys can justify. But it's a hard time. I do find people have a hard time. They look at that nine and a half, ten, as you are a number one D. And a number one D is off, like, you know, Hedman was 70 points. points, 60, 70 points, shut down their top, top line. Eat 30 minutes.

And so nurse isn't that, and that's, I think, the struggle with it, because you're paying him like a number one. At the time, no. At the time, to be fair guy. At the time, to be fair, right, I think that they were hoping nurse would slot in to where Bouchard is right now. He wasn't that guy. And so if he's not on your top power play unit, at the time, they didn't know.

Do you think they really believe, though, that he was a true number one power play guy? Nurse? But they didn't really have, they were hoping. No, he was put, it happened. In my career playing in junior, I was once slotted in as the number one power play guy until a guy named Dale Logel came in who had won a Royal Bank Cup deal. How was power play under your guns?

When I was doing it, I'd been a PK specialist up until that point. So not very good. No. Because I just didn't have the acumen. I wasn't, I'd never played it. What an honest guy, because if I was Sean, none of us really know he could have said, no. Dale Logel came in, slotted above me.

Yeah. And he was a 20-year-old. I was 19. and all of a sudden the powerplay started going, and I got to go back to focusing on what I wanted to focus on. That's pretty character being a 19-year-old kid and recognizing that. I don't know. It's pretty mature.

The thing about what I love about seeing the Oilers Power Play at 100% is I bet you that's, they just love getting on the ice. Because somebody said it on the panel two nights ago. They no longer have, or maybe it was Bob Stauffer, actually, talking about how they no longer have their star players playing the penalty kill. They have their role players. And I would assume the coaching staff has said, this is your guys's. Now we're going to have fun with it.

You're going to try and shut down the greatest power play in practice. You know how much fun that would be trying to shut down McDavid and Drysidal and trying different things? I apologize. I'm a different type of player, so I don't think that would be a lot of fun. I'd rather be on the second P.P.U. I guess I've been on the other side of it. The year we almost made the Royal Bank Cup. We got to do things.

I've never seen a PK. I was telling Harley this the other day. When we were playing Thunder Bay, we were, so like the Oilers were saying that they were doing things in practice that they weren't showing the league during the regular season. We did that in Dryden on the PK. So we had this system built for specifically the best team in the league that went on to the Royal Bank Cup was the Thunder Bay North Stars. And it was a pressure in their zone while they were breaking out.

I've never seen a team do it the same way. I always, and what it did was it gave the guy bringing the puck up, this idea that he could throw the puck all the way across, and the back D-Men actually pinched. So if you missed it, it was a breakaway. But out of that, we created two-on-ones, we created, and nobody, I've never seen anyone do it. And that's the creativity that went into the P-K.

So I've never seen, I've been a part of P-Ks that were as important, if not more important than your power play. Somebody was talking. Because you're shutting down the best players on the other team. It just became a pride thing. I think it might have been Jackie Redmond was talking to Pete DeBore about Justin Robertson. And Jason? Or Jason.

And you just bought, like you were name and names there too. You were wrong. But anyways, she was just saying, you know, talking about him and all this stuff and whatever and what can you say about him. And Pete DeBore goes, I hate that guy. And she was kind of taken back. And he's like, we try to do drills all the time, two on ones, whatever. We're trying to work on our defense. and somehow he always figures out a way to dismantle what we're trying to teach other players on the ice.

And he's like, I give him a lot of credit, but he is so frustrating to coach because he is always looking for how to, how to beat what you're trying to. Yeah, the cheat code. That's right. And so he said that goal, that goal that he scored against Skinner off his butt, he said, we worked on that play so often as a the defense core, that that is one of the reasons why he was able to score that was because he recognized that in our own practice, and that's how he scored that goal. It's funny. I was watching, you know, this is the dad of me. We're watching Bluey last night and Bluey, you know, kids cartoon with dogs. Sorry, I'm not a familiar one.

It's fantastic. So the episode is it's cricket. They're playing cricket, Australian show. And this kid gets up and they're saying, oh, it's lunchtime. and then the kids go, well, if you can get rusty out, then we'll play. And so the dads are like, we'll get rusty out, right? And then they can't get him out because he's this exceptional little cricket player. And every time a new dad steps up to throw because they got their own spin on, like, he can throw really hard or he can hit this spot so the ball bounces a weird way.

It goes through the story of rusty and playing with his older brothers and then different people and how he dealt with how they first, he couldn't hit the ball at the start. So then he started, you know, gets reps in. And then they went and played at a friend. house and had weird gravel so the ball bounce weird so we got to that then it was a kid could throw really hard anyways what it what i'm tying in here with robinson is that's what that kid was doing in blue it was it wasn't just the standard all they're going to throw it down the pipe and that's how hockey is because hockey at all times is constantly changing it's dynamic it's very dynamic and if you constantly work on different situations then you can score off a goalie's but because isn't that

why grexky is the greatest of all time yes because he was what he could adapt it's the best that. That's why the oil is power play is so good, is it so dynamic. Because McDavid is up there in the top five players of all time, and he just adapts all that. And give Vancouver credit and Dallas credit that they've been able to shut them down. Because you think about the... To a point, but there's still the two leading scores. No, no, no, no, just I mean the power play. The power play has been dry.

I would say that Vancouver did shut down their power play, but Dallas, I think watching that power play against Dallas, it wasn't that Dallas shut them down? They're just not taking penalties. Well, they're not taking penalties for one. And sometimes your power play doesn't score, even though you're getting amazing opportunities, and that's just the way it goes. At some point, their power play is going to break loose.

You have a pucko off a stick in the crease and keeps it other than that. And so I go back to Robertson, and I go, that's the funnest, as much as that probably ticks them off, that's the coolest mind to see playing hockey, because they never turn their brain off. And so much of coaching is to design a drill that's static, so you can work on one little skill, and the rest of the players take the forwards or on the flip side my career,

it was always trying to be creative for the forward. So they learned, D never got any of the creativity. And for a forward or a player to never lose that ability to stop thinking and being like, screw it. I don't care. You're going to try and do that. And to think about that, that's a cool player. That's a cool story because I think that's rare.

So most coaches, what they want is control. And because they think, oh, I'm, you know, I'm going to devise this system. am I going to do this and that. But the problem coaches have is when they try to control too much. And you have to design stuff at the same time, give your players some leeway to make decisions on the ice because game is dynamic. And if you should say, oh, we're going to do this every time.

It may look great on paper, but when you get punched in the mouth on the ice, it doesn't make any sense. And so you have to kind of guide things without controlling them. Because as soon as you control, it becomes static and you lose. You need to push in a general direction and show the play. player stuff, but at the same time, allow them to make up on the fly. Has that been part of the change then with Eminton and bringing Paul Coffey in?

Is it's given the Emmington defense a little bit of flexibility to... Well, it's changed the whole viewpoint because what Paul Coffey said, the defenseman is, I want you to make plays. And if you can't make plays, we'll find guys that do. Right. And that's what I'm getting. Whereas if the old guy said, I don't want, I want the puck in our zone the least amount of time, then that's their focus.

I remember reading something about when Grexke was on the Oilers and they were trying to, you know, you know, devise a power play. It's the same thing with McDavid. Oh, the coaching staff is going to devise his power plant. It's like, so you think you're smarter than the best player in the world? Like, you need to maybe try and develop some stuff, but at the same time, you've got the best player in the world. So let him do what he does. You know what I agree does.

What I found interesting at the minor hockey level and even into the elite level is how many coaches are so consumed by systems. The problem is when you're young learning the systems that can, really slow a player down because they are so focused and not getting into trouble that okay they're afraid to make a mistake well they're out there and they're afraid to make a mistake and they're also trying to so when you're constantly thinking and it's not natural then you're more thinking about where you should be rather than play yes well we saw it with the oilers what was that five years ago eight years ago where they were like so worried about where they were standing they were no longer playing defense right and then they were getting scored on and in fairness and in fairness

in my ball career, I remember the worst is when you're at the plate and you're thinking too much, right? I don't, I assume. I find that in my golf career right now. As soon as I start, if you ever start having some bad shots and now you're starting to think about where your feet placement is, how your hands are coming down, then I just get worse and worse. And then what actually happens is I get so mad and my give a crap is gone. Then I just start swinging for the hoop and then the next thing the swing starts to come back. We need to do, to let everybody out of here. We need to do the next silver coin challenge.

So we are picking what game and the final score. Who's going to win the series. Or there's Dells. In which game? And by what score? And then by what score? And J. In that order.

You get to decide who gets first pick, and then if you want it, you can have first pick. You can do it forwards or backwards if you want. But really someone could take the same. game and same team. Yes. That's right. That's right.

Correct. Okay, so I'll go last. Oh, you're going last. Yeah. So I'm going first. Harley goes first. I'm going to pick Eminton winning in game six by a score of five two. Then dust.

I'll go oilers in seven, four, three. Yeah, Sean was stuck on that four three in game seven. I just really put a wrench in the whole thing. But you've got either they're going to win in game six. and it's going to be fairly evident. Or it's not. It's going to game seven and it's going to be very close

and down to the wire. I can understand. Curious to see what Sean's going to do. I can understand both points of view. You know, I ate my, my, I picked Dallas in, in game one. That was really hard to say on air. I listened to it this morning.

I'm like, I hated doing that because then I was, part of me was like cheering for Dallas to win game one, and then they won game one. Conflicted, right? I'm going with Oilers in game six. I think,

I think with Tanna out, I think the Oilers have shown as long as they can get, Skinner can just, please Skinner, listen to me and just stop the puck. That's my big, that's my, just 900 save percentage.

We win the next two, and we move on to the Stanley Cup finals. I'm going to say they win in six, and I think they score a couple power play goals, so I'm going to say game six is a 4-1 win, and we're off to the finals. I think game, game,

game five is where, you know, she going to be tight. But game six, I say the Oilers. Jay? Well, I struggle as well because I'm cheering for the Oilers, and you're always scared of McDavid and Drysidal because they can change games at any time. At the same time, I look at Dallas, and, you know, they kind of just somehow get through Vegas,

and then they kind of somehow get through Colorado. Who are the last two defending champs? And I know Tanaf, that's a concern. I so I can just see where we're sitting here going how did this happen again but I'm picking Dallas in 7 and because

the only way that Dallas wins is the two out of the last three games is Audinger has to be the best player so I'm going to say the score is going to be like we're going to go 3-1 Dallas with an empty nutter so just so I'm clear here if Dallas wins in six

Jay still wins because he picked Dallas. Yes. So if Oilers lose next game but win the series, no, if Oilers lose next game, it's down between Jay and I. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oilers got to win next game for me and Harley even be in the conversation. Well, they've got to win in six. They've got to win the next two games.

Yeah, yeah. Well, I knew that. And for me, it's a real win-win here. Because if Dallas wins. No, it isn't. If Dallas wins, I get a silver coin. And if the owners win, the owners go to the funds. To me, Tanaev is the linchpin there.

If TANF wasn't in or wasn't hurt for the next game and probably out for the series, it's probably going to seven. I just, TANF to me, like once you pull out one of their top defensemen like that, mine is goaltending. It gives the edge. Can Skinner be just average and stop the puck?

What's the over under on Hyskin and ice time tonight? 30. 30? Yeah, you're going to go against Hyskin and all game long. Every game that goes closer to game. seven is higher. With Tannava out, especially.

And so can Heiskenen handle? I think he can. You think he can. Yeah. He's a true number one in my mind. And it's not going to be just for one game. It's probably going to be for at least two, possibly three. Has to be for two.

It has to be for two, possibly three. Like that's a pile of minutes playing in a week span. They better be banging him. Yeah. Absolutely. And chasing him. Yeah. Not letting him off easy.

No. You know? Either way, boys. We'll find out next week. Thanks for hopping in another brother's roundtable. And we'll see who the silver coin's going to. Either way, we'll catch up to you next week, folks.