Spittin Chiclets - Spittin' Chiclets Episode 24: Featuring 610 Barstool

Episode Date: March 31, 2017

With the playoffs not far away, there was plenty to talk about on this week's episode. The boys kicked things off talking about the NHL's newest supervillain, Calgary Flames rookie Matthew Tkachuk, and Wednesday's eventful tilt between him and his new enemies, the L.A. Kings. They also discuss future HOFer Jarome Iginla still chuckin' knucks in the twilight of his career and why Micheal Haley's one-game suspension for punching Calle Jankrok was so worth it. Barstool's New York Rangers writer 610 ( @610Barstool ) makes his Chiclets debut to get us up to speed on all things Rags before the fellas tackle #AllRightHamilton questions. They also get into the Bruins signing Charlie McAvoy, teams adding college players this time of year, and several other league notes. Tune in, give it a whirl.You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/schiclets

Hey, Spittin' Chicklets listeners, you can find every episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. This episode of Spittin' Chicklets has been brought to you by DollarShaveClub.com. There's no reason to use a cheap disposable razor or pay a ridiculously high price for some gimmicky thing that's got laser pointers, 17 blades, all these bells and whistles. Make the smarter choice and join the Dollar Shave Club like I did. Before the Dollar Shave Club, it was either save money and get a painful shave from a disposable one like they give away at the gym, which felt like shaving with a piece of glass, or you can pay a fortune for the latest gimmicky shave breakthrough that I really don't need.

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This episode is also brought to you by Spittin' Chicklets from bastosports.com. Let people know that you're out there gassing beers and chucking knocks and support our show, our podcast, by rocking our official gear. Grinnelli, you've got some gear. Summer's right around the corner. Sun's out, guns out, baby. Get one of those gas and beers and Chuck and Nucks sleeveless tees, baby. Let's go.

Oh, yeah. Because nobody wants to see my guns more than anybody else, bro. But seriously, BostonSports.com slash chicklets to find our latest gear. We have Rangers colors. Well, Rangers and or Canadians, depending on your flavor, which actually will come in handy for the playoffs. We got Flyers colors, which have been selling great. Flyers fans always giving us support.

And, of course, our original black and gold, which ruins colors. And penguins colors, almost. Yeah, I know. It's a little sensitive. Yeah, exactly. But anyways, we got a whole store page on the barstoolsports.com. Slash chicklets is our page. Tank tops, T-shirts, support the podcast.

Show your love out there. I tell you, when you wear the barstool gear, it's great. You meet other fans out there, fans of the podcast. It's a great conversation starter. So again, barstoolsports.com forward slash chiclets and buy some t-shirts. Hello everybody and welcome to episode 24 of Spittin' Chicklets, brought to you by Barstool Sports. Say hello, Grinnelli. How are ya?

Say hello, Whitney. Yo, yo, yo, what up? Not a big deal. Sidney Crosby rules. Sorry, that's not the real Ryan Whitney. Whitney is on his annual golf vacation with the fellas, the thing he does every year. So he was unavailable this week. So Mikey Grinelli is going to step in and fill that role.

Quick interview with 6'10 on tap, too. Yeah, big. Yep, we've got 6'10 Barstool, who's our esteemed Rangers writer, joins us a little later in the show to give us his take on the Rangers and what their situation is going forward, what he thinks they're going to do in the playoffs. Always insightful. 6'10", Rangers guy again in Boston, New York.

Should be checking him out if you're not already. So Wednesday night, I know you caught it, Grinelli. I think the NHL is a new villain, and I think he wears number 19 up in Calgary. I like this kid. I like this kid a lot. We're talking, of course, about Matthew Kachuk. Name will probably sound familiar to New Englanders, Bostonians. His dad, Keith, played for the Winnipeg Jets for many years in addition to St. Louis.

Do you like the kid? Do you like him? I mean, I'm biased because, you know, like I've mentioned before. That's what I was going to ask. Are we biased because we like him because Massachusetts? I'm definitely biased because I know his whole family. Oh, you do? Yeah, you do.

Yeah, I mean, his grandfather my father of uh you know buddies for 60 years I'm you know I mean I've oh it's like that yeah yeah oh yeah yeah my parents and and you know well Matthew's grandparents Keith's parents used to vacation together years ago and shit you know back when my parents were still married I thought I had a connection to him because I just play in the Medford hockey rink and walk by the Keith Kachuk picture all the time so that was my connection to him. Yeah, no, no. I'm definitely biased.

I know all his cousins, the whole clan. So, you know, he's a kid. I kind of was, you know, I don't know him, but I kind of always root for him just because of those kind of familial connections. So, yeah, I'm definitely biased. Having said that, I love what the kid does out there, man. I mean, he's a rookie, you know.

And like any other year, he's probably called a candidate, but he's getting overshadowed, rightfully so, by Patrick Lani and Austin Matthews and Knee Lander and Miner up in Toronto. But 13 goals, 33 assists, 46 points in 71 games, almost averaging two-thirds a point per game. But here's the stat, the number that really jumps out at you, Grinelli. 105 penalty minutes, which is 33 more than the next rookie. And it's not like he's fighting, as we saw.

He definitely could use a couple tips from the old man when it comes to Chuck and Knux, as we probably saw last night. But this kid, he already kind of has that agitation level perfect right now. And, I mean, last night was the first game since, just to get people up to speed He already kind of has that agitation level perfect right now. And, I mean, last night was the first game since, just to get people up to speed in case you're not familiar, a couple weeks ago, Matthew Kachuk elbowed Drew Doughty in the head. Pretty blatant, pretty nasty elbow.

Got a two-game suspension out of the deal. So last night was the first game that Calgary had met the Kings since then. So there was already that anticipation in the year of what was going to happen. Yeah, Wednesday night, L.A. went to Calgary. And, you know, did you happen to see before the pregame skate? You don't see it all the time. You don't see it all the time. They started chirping during the pregame skate. That was awesome.

You know, Matt Kachuk was down on one knee doing a stretch. What's his name? Clifford on L.A. came over and just started chatting him up. So you're right away before the game starts, you know. Well, then you see the two veterans, you know, going back and forth, and you know what they're saying is he's got to pay his dues, and I'm sure it was even on both sides, and he did pay his dues. He was ready to go with Muzzin. But I was going to say he had a little premature. Oh, yeah. englobalation

there. Right off the face off, he dropped the gloves and went right over to Jake Muzzin. Muzzin was kind of like, what the fuck are you doing here? If you're dropping off the draw, you've got to get consent. Like, hey, we're dropping here. You don't just drop. Yeah, exactly. It was definitely

still a cliche. It was a rookie mistake, to put it mildly. So Muzzin was kind of just skated away. It was definitely, to steal a cliche, it was a rookie mistake, to put it mildly. So, you know, Muzzin was like kind of just skated away. It was actually kind of funny. But then he ended up getting, you know, Braden McNabb dance. And, you know, he accorded himself well. I mean, the kid, I wouldn't say he's a fighter. I mean, he's definitely, he plays on the edge.

He will fight, as we saw last night. You know, he answered the bell. But he's a pest extraordinaire, but he's talented. I mean, the kid went sixth overall. And again, we're talking about him already. He's a rookie. He's, I mean, Claude Lemieux mold, right? Yeah, I just like that this style of play is sticking around.

You see the young guys like him, like Max Domi, that aren't afraid to go out there and chuck knocks, throw hits, the biggest defenseman in the league. I just love it. You don't see it anymore. And the other thing, too, is he's got to have, how much real estate does he have in Drew Dowdy's head?

Now, he gave him the elbow, which, you know, obviously it was blatant. I don't know if he intended to get him square as he did back when he got the suspension. But did you notice he skated up to Dowdy? He gave him one of those little calf taps, like, you know, just like, hey, I'm here type thing. And, you know, Doughty actually looked for a call,

which was kind of a joke. And then he buried him in the corner. And then in the same play, five minutes, five seconds later, when Doughty was coming up ice, he come rampaging over, tried to bury him. Doughty actually ducked out of the way. And then, you know, someone went after Kachuk after that. But it's like he's doubling down on it.

And it's like, man, if you're a Calgary fan, you've got to fucking love this kid. I mean, how can you not? This kid's amazing. Yeah, he's definitely added a lot of pizzazz. I mean, Calgary going to the playoffs this year. Brian Elliott's been outstanding lately. The goalie struggled earlier.

Yeah, and they started off slow. I mean, they were struggling at the beginning. I mean, Dougie Hamilton, what a year he's ended up having. Yeah, he really, I mean, no surprise that he has, I wouldn't say panned out. I mean, he was good when they got him. But yeah, he's been a monster. There were some thoughts that, you know, maybe this kid's not as good as we thought. I mean, he's...

I think those thoughts only came after the bruins trade yeah that was more yeah because everybody was high i mean hey i'm you know i was as high on him as anyone when we got you know we got rid of i didn't want to see them get rid of him but it was obvious the kid didn't want to be here blah blah blah that's another fucking story for another day in the same game uh wednesday night la calgary fucking jer fucking Jerome McGinley he's what what 40 close to 40 he's probably his last couple games in the year team's not even going to playoffs and he's fucking still out there throwing them it's Chuck and Knox Chuck's the old and I mean the young and he's the old it's it's it's crazy it's he's just a brand of hockey like we Like I just said with Max Domi,

I mean, it's a dying breed of hockey where these guys can go out and like he used to score 50 goals in a season and also drop the mitts every night. Yeah, well, like, yeah, that's what Kachuk's old man did. He was actually the first American to lead the NHL in goal scoring.

But back to Aguila. Now, I don't know if you saw the play. Marion Gabrick had hit behind the net by Derek Engel and it was you know veteran scrapper himself it wasn't a dirty hit it was a you know it was a hit there was no call on it and again looked like didn't like it I mean you know Gabrick's an established veteran or an old guy and he just went over and called out let's go and it's like you know I wonder if like five percent of his head was like hey this is gonna be my last game in Calgary let Let me give him, you know, one more fight. I mean, I wonder if that actually went into his mindset.

It had to have. But fucking, like, I'm just thinking like, dude, your team's not going to the playoffs. And I really wish he got to another team. I really would have loved to have seen Jerome, you know, at least one more legit shot of the cup. Can the Blackhawks just sign him next year? Just and win a cup with him. No, come on. Don't be getting Chief all fired up when he listens to this.

But, you know, and not going back to Gimli. He fought, like, another two weeks ago. Another game, he fucking, like, he's out there throwing them. And it's not that we're not used to seeing fights anymore, but it's the fact that this guy doesn't have to fight. He scored on Wednesday night, too, didn't he? Yeah, he had a goody-how-hat trick. I mean, it's great to see.

It's, like, inspiring in a way. And it's, trick. Yeah, I mean, it's great to see. It's like inspiring in a way. And like I said, you just wish that this guy could get in the playoffs because he's been unbelievable, has an unbelievable career. He hasn't called a quit, so we're not going to do any requiems right now for him. He would have been a nice mentor for Kachuk in Calgary. Sorry. If at the deadline, Calgary acquired him instead of L.A. He would have been a great addition.

That's a great call, Grinnelly, because that would have been – I mean, imagine if he did go back to – I mean, of course, hindsight 2020, but it would have been dynamite if he did go back for a cup run to Calgary. Exactly, and he could teach Kachuk a few things about the right and wrongs of how to play the game, and he could end his career on a playoff team in Calgary. Exactly, yeah. The symmetry of that would have been something else. But speaking of Chuck and Knucks, Michael Haley of the San Jose Sharks,

he got a game last week. I don't know if, again, if people saw this play. We'll shoot these clips out off the Chicklets account. He took, I thought, a pretty nasty hit from Callie Jancroft of Nashville. Now, he buried his fucking face into the glass. A hit you've seen give a guy a concussion a million times. And Michael Haley took exception to that fucking hit. And he went over and he skated and he grabbed Callie Jancroft by the fucking jersey and blasted him in the face. I hesitate

to call it a sucker shot because a sucker shot you don't see coming. I mean, this guy, he didn't have a lot of time to prepare. But fucking, Haley buried him and it's like, good. You know what? Good for you because you took a dirty hit and usually it's a guy who's another skater on the team that goes after

him. Like, you know, when Bergeron got hit the other, last week, he took exception, got up. I mean, he didn't throw the punch like that. I mean, it was nice to see the fire. But Michael Haley just fucking jacked him right in the face. He didn't KO him, but he put him down. And I was like, you know what? Good.

And he ended up getting a one game suspension of it. But it was fucking worth it. Right. I guarantee he thought it was worth it. Oh, absolutely. worth it right I guarantee he thought it was worth it oh absolutely and and the the irony is though that that the predator doesn't he he didn't hear from the department of player safety which I I don't know if it was a clean a clear headshot but it was one of those follow-throughs where his fucking head smacked off the glass man I don't know if it would warrant a suspension that hit

but I I mean I definitely think he deserved to get his face rocked for it exactly he deserved to get his face punched right and I'm like. He deserved to get his face punched. Right. And I shouldn't say he should have heard from player safety, but, you know. It wouldn't be surprising if he did, though. Right. In this day and age. Right. And he's not, I don't think the guy, I'm not really familiar with his game too much, but

he's not a guy known for that type of shit. I don't know if he would deliberately give him, you know, wanted to hit the guy dirty, but he did. And Haley reacted the way, you know, used to be pretty commonplace in the league. The unfortunate thing is he gets a match penalty for it, intent to injure, which you get a couple of those, then you start getting into suspension territory, which sucks. It kind of goes into the instigator shit that a lot of us old school guys hate

because this should be from self-policing in the game. The bottom line is I don't think fucking Jan Kroc will hit a guy like that again, right? Oh, never. Never. So, you know, it's been some good scraps this year. It's always, you know, like we always say in the show, fighting's not going anywhere. It's obviously gone down.

Thank God. Have you seen the, I think we mentioned it before, the documentary, The Last Gladiators. Have you had a chance to watch that yet? I have not. You know, Kelly Chase, former St. Louis Blue Enforcer. He was one of the producers. Great flick. I know there was a documentary a couple years ago.

What was it called? There have been two of them. The one with Chris Nyland. The name escapes me off the top. But there was The Last Gladiators. And then whatever. Ice Guardians. Ice Guardians.

That's what I thought. The Last Gladiators. Those are the two of them. The one with Nyland. That was kind of. It showed you the dark side of what can happen to these enforcers. This one, the newer version, well, not version, the newer one, I thought it kind of showed the effect the enforcers have and the positivity and how most concussions actually don't come from fighting and how they actually come from hits. Biz touched on it the first time he came on the show about, you know, what fighting's done to him and how it's really affected his life. You know, I think he said he suffered a little bit of depression,

I think he said. And so I think it affects everyone differently. But, I mean, these guys, I mean, these guys used to get punched in the face on a nightly basis. Yeah, there's never going to be that level again where guys are going to have like hundreds of fights under the belt before they get to the NHL. And just to clarify, Ice Guardians is the documentary we're talking about right now because there were two of them that have come out.

Ice Guardians is the one we were talking about. The last Gladiators was the one that was Chris Nyland. And they're actually good to watch together, not putting one above the other. But the one with Chris Nyland was almost like the Chris Nyland. And they're actually good to watch together, not putting one above the other. But, you know, the one with Chris Nyland was almost like the Chris Nyland life story. It was, you know, it delved into his addiction issues and his, you know, all kinds of other stuff. But again, last glass, Ice Guardians.

I keep confusing them. Ice Guardians, it's great. It really shows you, like, the honor that goes into being an enforcer and how much they're respected by their teammates. And even, you know, Gretzky on there saying, there saying basically like you know without without this i i wouldn't have been able to do it you know do what i can do um all right yep and uh time for everybody's favorite segment uh we're not going to be asking too many nhl related ones because i only had a cup of

coffee in the show in case you forgot um franelli all right Hamilton, let's hit it. We got some good ones this week. So Denny asked, who is your favorite former and or current Russian-born hockey player? All right, Hamilton. Favorite current and former. For current, I would probably go, I like Ovechkin, man. I've always been an Ovechkin guy. I know it's probably an easy answer to pick, but I think he's a great personality for the game I mean for my money the the best goal scorer of his generation I think I have no problem there's no question I mean he you know the subject's been brought up I mean he he might sniff Gretzky's record I'm not saying he's gonna break it but

the way he's producing I mean if he stays healthy and keeps banging him out, it's not inconceivable that he gets close to it. So current guys, I would say Ovechkin for a lifetime. Wow, man, there were so many fucking good Russians. I got a good one. You know, do you want to go like a talented guy, you know, like a Kovalev or Fedorov, or, you know, like an old school guy like Igor Larionov? Let's go to you, and then I'll mull mine out. Let's go to you.

Well, I thought you were going to say Sergei Samsonov. Oh, there you go. There's a name you could have easily pulled. 1997. Current, obviously, Ovi as well, but my former is Pavel Bure. I was always a big Pavel Bure guy. My dad got me a Pavel Bure jersey when I was real little, so Pavel Bure is alwaysry guy. I have a – my dad got me a Pavel Burry jersey when I was real little. So Pavel Burry is always a guy I just – he's banging a supermodel.

And I don't know. He's always like Pavel Burry. Yeah, one of those dynamic superstars of the 90s. You know what? Maybe I'll go with Vladislav Tretiak. Because I'm a big goalie guy, right? Yeah. I'm a goalie guy here at Chick-fil-A.

Tretiak, he probably got fucking job more than anybody because let's face it if um tikhanov doesn't pull him in the miracle game russians might go on to win that game and you know history plays out a little different uh karen russell doesn't get screwed out of an oscar nomination for miracle and what have you so yeah i'll go with vladislav trediak. I think his contributions to the game are pretty significant. All right, what do we got next, buddy? Wits, how we doing over there, buddy? Good?

Not a big deal. All right, cool. Chill out over there. All right, so Riley Egan asks, Stool Chicklets, biggest bag of milk in the league? All right, how old are you? Am I in the league? Because I'm a... Lena Dunham.

Shout out to my boy KFC. Biggest bag of milk in the league. Jeez I'm a... Lena Dunham. Shout out to my boy KFC. Biggest bag of milk in the league. Jeez. I don't know, man. You know, these guys are so fucking in shape now. Like, I mean, I think if a guy's not in shape, it really stands out. I mean, if Jeff O'Neill played, I would probably pick him. I know you're a little before your time.

He played for the Hurricanes, the Whalers. Oh, yeah, I remember Jeff O'Neill. He's a big toronto media guy but he you know he he was always having issues with paul maurice i think with his conditioning and shit so he's a guy that you know not to pick on him i think he's a hilarious guy on twitter and whatnot but yeah man i don't know good luck finding a guy who's not in shape in the nhl yeah i mean dustin bufflin but he's definitely in shape yeah he's just a fucking he's just a house he's just a fucking... He's just a house. He's just a big fella.

That's all. He's a brick house. Yeah, he's a big dude. Yeah, man, I don't think there's too many guys. I think that's when you have to be in the locker room and see a dude off...

Kessel, maybe? Kessel's kind of milky. Yeah, but dude, who was on saying he's one of the strongest guys in the league? Was it Biz? No, Taylor Hall.

Taylor, that's right. We said, who surprises you the most in the NHL when you play them and you're like wow that guy's good and he said phil kessel because of how strong he is yeah yeah and i think he gets those that fucking stupid most likely made up story about the hot dogs i mean every you know it made for a funny meme and a joke but but you know if you if you read up on it that dude steve what's his name steve simons that bozo up in toronto there you know it almost sounds like he made it up i mean if you're no one could find this If you read up on it, that dude, Steve, what's his name? Steve Simons, that bozo up in Toronto there.

You know, it almost sounds like he made it up. I mean, no one could find this mysterious hot dog vendor that one of the most popular goal scorers in town went to all the time, but yet no one saw it. I mean, you know, it definitely reeked of yellow journalism. So, bag of milk, Lena Dunham, MVP. All right, what's up? Next up, Grinnells. All right, so Tom Foolery asks, what city without an NHL team deserves one? City without an NHL team that deserves one? Well, I'm not...

Deserve ain't got nothing to do with it. You don't know what movie that is. You know what movie that is? No idea. Deserves got nothing to do with it. Of course you don't. I just watched it the other night. Unforgiven, Clint Eastwood.

Get on it. It's probably on Captain Conn's list. Best pitcher winner. If you like Clint Eastwood, Weston's fucking fantastic. And he directed it, too. It's a great movie. But I digress. Question again?

Because I fucking got on my movie spiel. Tom Foolery asks, what city without an NHL team deserves one? All right, that's right. Deserve got nothing to do with it, but Quebec. I mean, if Deserve does have something to do with it in this case, it's Quebec, man. They really should have never lost the fucking Nordiques back in the day. You know, typical ownership bullshit.

Need a new arena. If not, I'm going to hijack the local fucking municipality. If not, I'm going to move my team. Spoiled-ass billionaires. They suck. But, yeah, Quebec really should have a team. I keep thinking that when Carolina, who was owned by Peter Carmanos, who moved the Whalers to Carolina, he's got a lot of family disputes.

Like his sons, I don't think they want to own the team, but he's still alive. I think when he moves on to the next phase of the afterlife or into his afterlife, I think his kids are going to sell the team, and the buyer is going to move it move it to quebec and you know it also what complicates the matter too is if if a team moves the other owners don't get an expansion fee and those greedy motherfuckers can never get enough money so as opposed to like granting an expansion team to say seattle and now you're going to get all that money and the another thing too is they want balance in the in the conferences too you want I mean ultimately it's obvious the NHL wants 16 on each side uh so that kind of further complicates it so yeah Quebec deserves um other cities that

may Seattle is a team that always gets mentioned uh I think they could support an NHL team absolutely you know they actually have some lengthy hockey history not necessarily NHL team. Absolutely. They actually have some lengthy hockey history, not necessarily NHL, but hockey history in that area, obviously very close to Canada. Kansas City is another city you hear about. Yeah. They had the Kansas City Scouts way back in the day who went to Colorado, became the Rockies, who then ended up becoming the New Jersey Devils.

They have an arena that doesn't have a full-time tenant. But, yeah, I would prefer to see a team in Quebec. ended up becoming the New Jersey Devils. They have an arena that doesn't have a full-time tenant. But yeah, I would prefer to see a team in Quebec. I think Seattle and Kansas City are other cities to keep an eye on. Yeah, no, I'd have to agree with you there. Quebec City, definitely. Especially, you know, I have some friends from Quebec City that they want a team so bad. Did I meet some of your friends from Quebec City?

You did. Yes, very lovely friends of yours from Quebec City. They are. They're good people. Pretend they're dancing. All right, so next question. Brendan Green says, Stool Chicklets,

how many years before Eichel and the Sabres make the playoffs, what pieces are they missing? Great question. I'm a huge Eichel guy, R.A. Yeah, I'm always a fan of the American guys, especially when they're local. Jack Eichel, I think he's a dynamic player. He's got that it factor, too, though.

I mean, he's had an amazing year this year that's been overshadowed by some of these other guys, and he's got that factor that he's a psycho. All he wants to do is win. He definitely does. I think he's getting overshadowed, too, because Buffalo's just not good. I mean, they're not really even sniffing the playoffs.

I would say it's, oh, man, probably maybe two, three. I mean, I hate to say two, three years from a playoff spot, but the competition in the East is so fucking tough. How is the market up in Buffalo? Because I once tweeted something. Oh, I tweeted, you know, I wish Jack Eichel got to play in a big market. I wish he could play in a big market team so more people could see him and, you know, he'd have a chance to win the cup.

And I got jumped on by a million people that were saying Buffalo is a big market. Buffalo is a good hockey market. And I kind of just, they said it's a hockey town. Huge. It's a football town. It's Bill's Mafia. Buffalo is a fucking huge hockey town. Huge. It's a football town. It's Bill's Mafia. Buffalo is a fucking huge hockey town. Really?

Huge. Well, first off, you're across the lake from Canada. I mean, I was in Toronto, and I got all Buffalo stations. So not only the proximity to Canada, but it's one of the biggest, I mean, low-key, one of the biggest American hockey cities. And here's how you know. Anytime they release the ratings for like a winter classic or any big games, even if the Sabres aren't playing, Buffalo is almost always in the top ten ratings.

So they watch hockey no matter who the fuck is playing. Yeah, definitely a good fan base. So, yeah, no, I know they're obviously a football town. Bill's Mafia is one of the greatest running internet memes going. You know, the people who tailgated fucking Bill's games. They're absolute savages, hilarious content. the greatest running internet memes going, you know, the people who tailgated fucking Bill's games, the absolute savages, hilarious content. But no, I could see why they probably took a personal and bristled a bit when you say that,

because their team has sucked. The Sabres, you know, have been bad for a while, so you do kind of forget that they have a very rabid and passionate fan base there. We fuck with Buffalo a lot here in Boston. I got love for the people there. I think they're solid people. It's kind of one of those blue-collar towns that has

very good people. I know they're an easy town to make fun of, but very solid citizens. And that's it for our Hamilton questions. What do you say we move on to 610? And now we welcome to the podcast for the very first time our good friend and our guy who covers the Rangers for Barstool New York, 6'10". He's at 6'10", Barstool is his Twitter handle. Welcome to the show, brother. How we doing?

Good, man. Awesome to be here and congrats on the success, man. Spitting chiclets is on fire. Thanks, pal. Thank you, pal. Is this the year 6'10"? Do the Rangers finally do it this year? Because every year I feel like I go into the season thinking, you know what, this is the Rangers' year. They're going to do it this year, and they fail me every year. I mean, for a good portion of the season, that may have been the case, but I think the biggest issue with the Rangers is constantly,

it's not a question of talent or anything else, even though they have some pretty big deficiencies on defense but they just don't seem to have whatever it is that that pushes the team across the threshold and part of the reason for their recent downward spiral this season I think is because you know for about half the season they haven't really had to play anything meaningful. They've pretty much been shoehorned into that wildcard one spot, you know, with there might have been a couple of chances that they can move up into the 2-3 Metro matchup. But, I mean, they've just kind of been sitting pretty. They're, to me, they seem like one of the most punchless teams that are going to rack up 100 points on the season right now.

They've developed bad habits that make them look exactly like the team that went out with a whimper last season. So yeah, I mean, for a bit, kids like JT Miller, Kevin Hayes, and a bunch of other guys, you know, Grabner was on fire. There were a lot of guys playing maybe a little above their heads that made this team look like a real contender. But I mean, these last six weeks have been real tough. So it's really hard to be positive, especially in a tough East with the jackets, pens, and caps all playing real well.

And like you said, 6-10, you guys, I mean, it feels like a fait accompli, or accompli, or whatever, however you say it, that you're playing. And the Canadians, I mean, it'd be a real shock if you guys don't end up playing them. And like you just said, if you're not feeling too good already going into the Canadians, I mean, it'd be a real shock if you guys don't end up playing them. And like you just said, if you're not feeling too good already going into the playoffs, you really can't be feeling too good going against Carey Price. I mean, he's a guy who's outstanding in the regular season. He's tremendous in the playoffs. It looks like we're going to have a lot of low scoring series.

But, I mean, how bad, I mean, do you think they got a good shot versus Montreal? I mean, going against Price, having some scoring problems like they have been? I don't think the Habs are that good. I don't. Yeah, I mean, comparatively speaking, I mean, the options were Pittsburgh or Columbus. So, yeah, I'll take this series with the Habs any day. But they have the juices flowing a little bit. You know, they have the problem with the Habs versus the Rangers

well it's it's twofold number one um you know the Habs they have guys like Shaw and now they have Ott and they're just built to be playoff bullies and the Rangers regardless of you know the the part of the fan base that says they need to play Tanner Glass so he can give them some grit you need you know skilled guys that can play a little tough as well that are going to respond to these and and the rangers seem to get you know they can get pushed around a little bit but as far as the uh carrie price concern is usually coming into this series i'd be like you have carrie price we have henrik lundqvist we're not scared but i mean i've been writing about it for a while and i i don't want to admit it but it just seems like father time is creeping up on on my man Hank.

And maybe he can, you know, throw it back in the time machine a little bit and stand on his head for the playoffs like we're used to seeing him do. But I mean, since he turned 34, I looked at the numbers. There's there's 25 goalies with 50 or more starts since he turned 34 last year. And he is he has the second worst goals against average and the third worst save percentage so this is this is this is not this season is not a new struggle he struggled toward the tail end of last season pittsburgh waxed the entire rangers team and just when he found his groove this season he went down with an injury for a couple of weeks and so far his first two games uh back haven't really inspired much confidence,

and the team in front of him isn't doing him any favors. I was going to say, you know, in addition to that, too, Hank hasn't been the Hank of old. You know, he's played so much hockey in the last few years. And to stay at that level, I mean, it's not only physically tough, but it's so mentally tough because goaltending is such a mental position. I mean, do you think there's a good chance we see anti-Ronta at all during the playoffs?

I mean, obviously, I'm going to say yes because I just think that there's going to be a game or two where the Rangers get run through early and A.V.'s going to have no choice. And I'm obviously not in the camp of, you know, Ronta needs to be the guy and they need he's going to have no choice and i'm obviously not in the camp of you know ronta needs to be the guy and they need to put tank to pasture but um the days of lundquist being able to stand on his head and just will this team to countless 2-1 victories to to hang on in in a playoff series i i just honestly think those days are gone and it's really unfair to him for all that he's done for this franchise um to now have a team um at least forward wise that that

might be more capable um but he just you know he he doesn't have that a plus game anymore and it's it's it's like you said it's very hard to hold a guy up to those standards when he's been doing it for a decade the window's gonna close eventually and you know it's it's hard to hold a guy up to those standards when he's been doing it for a decade. The window's going to close eventually, and it's hard to admit because I don't think there's many other NHLers more deserving of a cup than Lundqvist. But it's seemingly fleeting at this point. You just cross your fingers and hope, again, like I said, he can step into that time machine and get hot for 20-something games. 6'10". I'm going gonna call you six for short um why is new york and in the rangers such a attractive spot for undrafted free agents because you know i'm starting to hear some rumors you know they're being linked to mike vecchione you guys the rangers just signed

a defenseman i believe out of yale right right and i mean mean, it's New York City, first of all. I mean, that's the key. And they also obviously have a history of guys. I mean, Kevin Hayes kind of blossomed into a bit of a star. The VZ sweepstakes were a big deal across the board. So again, obviously, it's the big city for starters. And then when you see a couple of guys that it works out well for, it's a pretty hard spot to pass up.

Vesey had a pretty good start to the year. I haven't seen a shitload of the Rangers the last few weeks, I'm not going to lie. Has his game tailed off a bit? Has he hit a little bit of a rookie wall? Seems like he kind of tailed off a bit numbers-wise. How has his play been otherwise? He's hit a lot of a rookie wall, to be honest, and it shouldn't come as that much of a shock.

He's skating his ass off. He's doing all the right things, but it's simply just not translating. And now at this point, he gets an occasional spot up in the top six, but he's been playing a lot of lower-level minutes, and I just don't think a kid that young with this little NHL experience is the type of player that's going to generate offense on his own like, say, a guy like Pavel Buchnevich. So, all right, let's just show them for a minute

that the Rangers and Canadians are going to play in this series. I mean, do you want to offer a prediction? I know it's a little early for those, but it looks like they're probably one of the few series that is basically already set. What are you thinking? Right. I mean, it's honestly tough because you focus so much on your own team, and I just think when your own team isn't um firing on all cylinders you kind of harp on their deficiencies perhaps more than you should um they're obviously still a very

very good team and i just think outside of the top three teams in the metro all there's the there's no real reason how you can say a team like Montreal, Ottawa, or anybody else is significantly better than the Rangers. It's simply a matter of which team shows up. I mean, they were a high-flying scoring team for a while. Kids like JT Miller and Kevin Hayes, they've fallen off a cliff. The magic stick from Michael Grabner is gone. But they need their superstars to step up. Obviously, Lundqvist, he can't play like he has been.

He doesn't have to be a hero to beat a team like the Habs, but he needs to be solid. McDonough needs to lead the way on the back end. And somebody up front has got to show the will to want to score a big goal and steal this series. When you're going to have guys like Andrew Shaw and Steve Ott right up your ass, cross-checking you in the back, slashing you in the leg, running their mouths, doing whatever to get you off your game. I think it'll be a good series. I think it'll be a close series. But I have to go with my Rangers in six simply because they're a phenomenal, phenomenal road team. Despite all their struggles, they're clearly the best road team in the league.

I just think they'll be able to get that series done before they probably get waxed by a Metro opponent in the next round. No, I definitely agree with you. I think, I think the Habs, I mean, I don't want to say the Habs are overrated, but they live and die by Carey Price. So, I mean, if, if you can find a way to beat Carey Price, which I think the Rangers can, I mean, I got the Rangers, I don't want to say 10 out of 10 times, but eight out of 10 times, at least, I mean, I think the Rangers are a much better team. And they should be. But again, as somebody who watches them so much, I just see the defensive breakdowns.

Their penalty kill has been awful for a stretch. They over-pursue in the defensive zone. They can't clear their blue line. They just give teams so many opportunities. And when the puck is staying in the zone so long, whether it be against a struggling Lundqvist or slow-footed guys like Girardi or Mark Stahl, it's just a matter of time before the opposition gets a good bounce or gets a good rebound or something like that.

All of a sudden, the puck is in the net, and it's an uphill battle. It seems like defense may also be a question, Mark, for the Rangers. I mean, they've got some quality guys, but like you just mentioned, guys on the aging side, guys who have tons of miles on them. You said Girardi. He's got a million miles on him. Stahls, he's been around for a while. I mean, how much of a concern is the defense as far as –

I know we're picking on the deficiencies here, but are they a major concern as well or just kind of a, you know, whatever concern? Yeah, I mean, they're probably the biggest concern because obviously if you have a good defense in front of a goalie that may not be on his A-plus game, you can still get away with it. But you combine the two and it spells disaster. And like I said, some of these, you know, Girardi, Stahlardi stall and even nick holen who was a first half superstar offensively and defensively he's he's he's a mess newcomer brendan smith has been

pretty solid and obviously they have the kid uh brady shea who's having a lights out season offensively he's still got a little work to do defensively but my my feeling is i would just love uh vignola coach this team. Instead of trying to find defensive balance among your three pairs, go a little top heavy. You've got to ride your best guys, pair Shea and McDonough together, which he hasn't done, and just ride those guys for 25 minutes a game and keep some of the slower, less puck-responsible guys on that third pair. puck responsible guys on that third pair you know protect employment certain matchups and you know just just avoid the gaffes that have just absolutely killed this team for a majority of the year defensively are you a big uh elaine vigno guy their coach it was it's funny because when i i've never been a guy to give too much credit to the coach, good or bad. I don't blame a coach too much.

You know, I was actually a fan of Tortorella. I always thought, you know, okay, so he's mean. He runs his mouth. Stop crying. You're getting paid millions to play your favorite sport. Figure it out. But, I mean, it's – Vigneault has turned this into a Vigneault team, and you just hope that it that that it doesn't end

up that way that's not a good thing with that high flying yeah high flying you know teams in vancouver that couldn't get anything done and were basically pushovers when it mattered um and i you know i i hate to say it but that's kind of what this team is and whether that's strictly personnel whether it's it's it's vignole system or you know just the the guys in general i don't know so i mean yeah they've been in positions to win obviously he took them to a cup final um and and again i don't really like to give coaches full credit but he was there for that and you know some kids have blossomed under him this year um i just don't think like i said the rangers biggest problem to me is that fire

that it factor and i'm just not sure that um you can that that's a coach's responsibility in the end to make the guys figure out a way to you know just refuse to lose and a lot of times i just don't see the rangers playing like that um they're gonna have to turn it on if they want to make any noise in the playoffs six you mentioned that um you know the you think the rangers they're going to have to turn it on if they want to make any noise in the playoffs. Six, you mentioned that you think the Rangers, they're going to get past the Canadians, but they'll probably get waxed in the next round by a Metropolitan team. Who worries you most? Is it Washington? Is it Columbus? Is it Pittsburgh? I mean, if the Rangers do advance, which team scares you the most?

I mean, it's tough because a lot of Ranger fans, and I'm not a big fan of this either, a lot of Ranger fans will look back and say, well, before the Penguins beat us, we came back against them 3-1, we came back against the Caps 3-1. But those are teams from a couple of years ago. So recent history sometimes matters, but right now the fact of the matter is, clearly all three of those teams, quite frankly, are better than the Rangers any way you want to slice it. So I don't think any matchup is a good matchup. Obviously, I think Washington, it done then that's to me that's a major upset especially considering

how beat up the penguins are um the jackets they they're great and you know they're they're a tough team they're a gritty team they're a young team um i think their lack of experience will will get them in the end but as far as the series against the Rangers, I'm not sure I could pick the Rangers to beat any of those teams. Yeah, I mean, it's a wide open field. I think people are kind of already giving Washington too much already. Like, you know, for a team that is basically known for not coming up big, I mean, like I believe one Stanley Cup final in their history, lots of playoff failures.

But, you know, they do look stacked this year. Maybe this is the Bruins fan who's looking at a number eight seed right now trying to find some positivity. But I just hesitate, and I do this every year in hockey, just to hand over series wins. But as you should, though. As you should. What has Washington done in the playoffs in recent history

that's going to make you say otherwise? And, you know, as good of an acquisition as Shattenkirk was, I mean, I don't think he's that much of a difference maker. He's like, oh, my God. Caberle. Yeah, exactly. I don't think he really puts them over the top so much. But I'll tell you, man, Braden Holpe, I mean, he got his third straight year with 40 wins. I don't think this guy gets anywhere near the due he warrants

because he plays in D.C. That's, you know, any team who's facing D.C. in the playoffs, that's going to be your major concern. And just circling back to Vigneault, actually, if it does, in fact, end up Rangers-Canadians, this will be the first time that Vigneault and Claude coached head-to-head since the Stanley Cup. And they're actually pretty like, I don't know if they were great

friends, but before that Cup final, they were pretty chummy. French guys, they go way, way back together. Do you think they speak in French or English when they hang out? Probably French. French is their native tongue. But interesting dynamic. Like I said, I know they were, I don't know if tight's the word,

but definitely chummy prior to the 11 Cup. So I don't know how much of a frost that put on their relationship. But anyway, so 6-10. Listen, pal, thanks again for joining us. I know it was kind of short notice. We've had a wild week here putting this week's episode together. So any other NHL thoughts, promotions that are Shernan or non-Shernan related that you want to get out there?

I got to really watch my tongue when I'm dissing people online nowadays. Yeah, I hear you. Stupid corporate overlords. I'm just a regular 9-to-5-er, man. Nothing to promote. Again, like I said, the biggest thing with the Rangers is for them to flip a switch, and it's been a switch they haven't really flipped too often in past playoff experiences. But I'm crossing my fingers hoping for the best.

I think anything after an opening series win would be icing on the cake as far as their playoff forecast. Check out his stuff, barstoolsports.com. Got to read it. If you haven't been reading them, then I don't know what you're waiting for. Like I say, I love our stable of hockey guys at Barstool. I think we don't have one for every team but per capita, I put us against

any site on the internet when it comes to covering hockey and yourself included. Keep grinding away at that, brother. Keep doing what you're doing and we'll see you on the internet, buddy. And that interview was brought to you by Drizzly.com. What's the worst part about drinking? Having to go out and get the booze.

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Use the code CHICKLETS to save $5 on your order. That's the code CHICKLETS to save $5 on your order. But I just want to kind of ask you, R.A., and speaking of people jumping down each other's throats, Edmonton fans are psychos. Oh. Edmonton fans. Oh. Good call. throats. Edmonton fans are psychos. Edmonton fans... I saw what you tagged me in

on Wednesday night about someone jumping down Wyszynski's throat. Before you do that, let me just tell a story. When the Bruins played the Oilers last week, I tweeted out a gif of Chara when he fought. I forget who he fought.

And I made the caption, Zidane O'Chara is someone you'd never want to fight. The mentions I got from Edmonton Oiler fans were horrible. Jump ripping me apart, just absolutely destroying me. Just because I cut the gif at the end where Chara's ragged on the guy. They're jumping. You didn't put it at the beginning when Chara cheap shot him. They're crazy.

Dude, the tweet I actually said this thread is great. I actually fucked up. I meant to do another one because Wyshynski, a.k.a. Puck Daddy, runs the Yahoo Sports thing. He has a couple of other podcasts. FOA, Friend of the Admiral. Yeah, Wyshynski, there's no rivalry that I know people like because he has a couple other podcasts. FOA, Friend of the Admiral? Yeah, Wyshynski. There's no rivalry there.

I know people like him. He has a couple podcasts. Actually, he does one with our friend Jeff Marrick, and he does the other one with Nerdist. Greg's a great guy, Wyshynski. Good dude. We're not enemies at all. Quite the contrary. He's a good guy to hang out with and have a couple drinks with.

He tweeted jokingly, and he's a snarky motherfucker too, which is why I like him. He likes to troll in a fun way. And he said, oh, congrats, Edmonton, on your first playoffs in like, however, what, 10 years or whatever after 19 years of lottery. Just poking fun at the fact. What it was was a dig at the organization prior to the current forefront office.

I mean, it was a real subtle, not subtle. I mean, it was a beat you over the prior to the current forefront office. It was a real subtle, not subtle, I mean it was a beat you over the head in one way or another. But the subtlety of it was that he was joking at the fucking franchise fucked up running the team because they should have already been in the playoffs. That was the point of the joke. But the replies to it, oh my God, sensitive city. Like they were so fucking mad. He made a joke. And there was's one guy like i actually him apart there's one guy who they went back and forth and this guy

like the guy's like it's a joke and i actually wish i screenshot i'm gonna find it because it was incredible like not only that they couldn't take a joke but how this guy had to like fight over and over but i mean again again, this is our other buddy would have a lot to have, but yeah, man, Edmonton, great passionate fans, but man, yeah, you got some sensitive-ass people there. Again, I know hockey's the lifeblood, and it's been a long time

since they had playoffs, and they're feeling good about it, but you gotta get a little fucking thicker skin up there, boy, some years. I mean, they're tagging Yahoo Sports, saying saying do you know your your yes your hockey writer is trashing the city it's like come on yes that's the guy i'm talking yeah he's he's like that's the worst fucking thing on twitter when you rat on someone to their boss and the funny part is the boss like doesn't give a fuck like like telling oh you know

you're employing a guy who what who makes jokes that you get your team's front office suck for a fucking decade and a half because they won't fall on players do you know you're employing a guy who what who makes jokes that your team's front office sucked for a fucking decade and a half because they were former players do you know you're employing one of the best hockey writers in all of hockey yeah hilarious dude fucking hilarious stuff so um speaking of fucking news Bruins had a uh well Charlie McAvoy Bruins drafted him uh last year to be a defenseman everybody thought he was just going to join the club. That was kind of the, well, a lot of thinking from a lot of people here that he was just going to sign and join the club like we do see with college guys. But the Bruins had to balance him burning a year of his contract, adding a guy who's not an accomplished NHL to a team that's fighting like hell

to get in the playoffs, doing what's best for him, doing what's best for the team. They juggle it all together. Basically, they sign him with what's called an ATO, an amateur tryout. It's kind of a misleading name. A lot of people don't understand the difference between that and the entry-level contract. Honestly, I don't want to bore our fucking listeners with getting into details about it right now.

Bottom line is he's signed. He's in Providence. I think if he blows the socks off the front office of the Bruins, then they may bring him up. We may well see him this year, possibly for the playoffs. Right now, the best course of action for the Bruins is to start him off in Providence, see what he's got, and concentrate on getting the big team in the playoffs. It's tough for Bruins fans, I think, because what you're seeing around the league

is all these college guys jumping right in and contributing right away. Like, you know, you have Clayton Keller out in Arizona who's jumping in the lineup and playing right away. You have Hayden in the Blackhawks who's jumping in and playing right away with Taze and Kane. And the Bruins, you know, Charlie McAvoy is a big name. He did all that stuff at the World Juniors. And, you know, Charlie McAvoy is a big name. He did all that stuff at the World Juniors, and he really made a name for himself, and he's just what the team needs is defense help. But the smart move right now is to start him off down in the minors.

Yeah, I mean, you don't want to sign a kid, let him burn a year up, throw him out there. You haven't seen the fucking kid playing in an NHL sheet yet. So in two years, if they do burn the year of the entry-level contract, in two years when he's up for a big contract, everyone's going to be saying, why did the Bruins play Charlie McAvoy for two games

against the Washington Capitals when they just got swept anyways? What was the point of that? Because now we have to pay him now when we just paid David Pashnak last year. Now, Bruins fans are going to bitch no matter what, man. True. We've gone along enough without bringing a certain goalie's name up,

but they really showed true idiocy colors the last few weeks with the Tuca stuff. Again, I don't even want to fucking bring that up. Back to McAvoy, right. Spitting chiclets is Team Tuca. Let's just say that. Yeah, exactly. I mean, we're Team fucking sane, reasonable thinking as well. But, yeah, McAvoy, again, he's a kid who he might go down to Providence,

light it up, and the Bruins will say, fuck, man, we got to see. And they may end up burning that first year. That's the least of my concern right now. You know, I don't care about his entry-level deal, whatever. If the kid's going to help the team in the playoffs, if they think they'll bring him up. Well, I think who the Bruins fans should be more you know on the prowl for right now is anders bjork out of notre dame right now the their fifth round draft pick from 2014 this kid is absolutely lighting it up in the frozen four

he's he's on the notre dame team right now that's playing in the frozen four um in the upcoming week and man he is he's special he could slot right in on that second line. He really could. And I know, again, the Frozen Four, and to the guys who are, or I should say listeners, guys and gals who are asking about the Frozen Four, we're going to do more of a preview next week. I know I said we're going to talk about it,

but I think it would be kind of foolish to do a preview this week when it's the NCAA basketball weekend. So, yeah, we're going'll get a lot more into it. Obviously, Harvard playing Minnesota Duluth, Denver versus Notre Dame. One team from the Northeast there. Shout out to our boy Riggs, who writes for Barstool Boston, does a lot of the political shit. In case you haven't heard, he played a few games at Harvard.

He did a great video. He went to the game in Providence last week, dressed up in his Harvard gear. So funny. Check that out on BarstoolSports.com with Riggs. He went out partying after, too. Yeah, he did. He was out at frat parties and shit. What's funny is one of my little brother's buddies texted me.

He goes to Providence, and he was like, I'm at a party with Riggs right now. He's like the biggest celebrity in the world. It's fucking hilarious. Good for him. Yeah, good for him. So, yeah, we'll get into the Frozen for a little bit more next week when it is on tap. So, yeah, McAvoy, we may or may not see him.

JFK, what's his name, Jacob Forsbacher, Carlson there, whatever. He's a guy still talking to the Bruins as far as contract. He may go back to school for the next year. And Anders Bjork, obviously, well, next week, the thing's going to be over next week either way. Same situation as McAvoy. The Bruins may deem him better in Providence. You know what's crazy about all this is we talk a lot about, oh, he's 19 years old, he's 20 years old, he's not ready.

Austin Matthews is that age. And he's just breaking Leafs records left and right this season. What does he got, 35 goals there? Yeah, I think he just set the Leafs rookie record, which is fucking, you know, doesn't sound like a big deal here, but I was going to say, I mean, you're talking about a team

that's been around for almost 100 years, if not more, and he just broke a record there. I mean, that kid, he's just special, man. He's just a special talent where he's that young and doing that stuff. Do you think you'll see more kids do what Austin Matthews did in the sense of go play in Switzerland and opt to not play college hockey

and to not play juniors and get paid in Switzerland? I think, you know what, I think you may see some families or agents or players, young players, look and realize, yeah, there is a different route to do this. Now, obviously, you know, we got to make the caveat, Austin Matthews is an exceptional talent. He's an unbelievable player. So, you know, he's kind of, you know, not your standard player.

But, yeah, I think people may realize that, you know, we don't have to necessarily go the college junior route. If teams in Europe are interested, you can go get the professional experience. You should also get paid. Yeah, I think he definitely opened a new door, a new way of thinking, because nobody's really done it that way before. A couple other notes, too, just we're going to get ready to wrap up here. Stephen Stamkos, day-to-day, Tampa Bay right now, three points out of the eighth seed.

I don't personally want to see Tampa get in unless they somehow squeeze Toronto out of there, but that could be a huge addition for Tampa. Yeah, if Tampa gets in, you're probably going to mean Boston's not getting in, or Toronto doesn't get in, but I think Toronto's getting in. Yeah, I mean, I've long maintained Toronto's going to get in. Obviously, don't want to

see the Bees lose at the expense of Tampa. I'd say they're the scariest team in the Atlantic Division, at least. Hey, I heard a rumor of a local gambler who put a few bucks on him at 60-1 to win the Stanley Cup last week, just in case they get in. I mean, those are pretty nice odds. I don't know the guy's name. Can you tell that local gambler he's a pretty smart guy?

Yeah, yeah. No, he'll look like an asshole when he's paying and fucking his booking in two weeks. How about Kucharov this season? 35 goals. He's been unbelievable. Tampa Bay, man. Like, you know, obviously if they had Stamkos. They sold this season? 35 goals. He's been unbelievable. Tampa Bay, man.

Obviously, if they had Stamkos... They sold at the deadline, too. Yeah, they did. They sold their number one goalie. Well, co-goalie. Boyle. And what's his face? Filippola. One other note, too, for folks who do follow the NHL. They're going to make expansion lists

ready to the public, which I believe they did back in the Ottawa-San Jose expansion, back when you weren't even fucking sperm yet, Grinelli, way back in the day. What they're going to do is let the public know which players' teams are going to protect them and who they're not going to, which I think it's good for two reasons.

It allows fans and media to play GM. I mean, this is the age of fantasy. Everyone has a fucking fantasy team or has played it at one point. So it allows you to kind of say, oh, what would I do? So you can kind of play along at home. And also, yeah, I mean, who cares about keeping it secret, man? It's going to get leaked anyways. When it comes out, me, you, and Witt, or however it's said,

me, you, and Witt should all pick a team off of it. Absolutely. No, that's what I mean. You know, it's a fun thing here. Draft your own team. How would you draft your expansion team based off this? It's something, you know, I mean, people did it 25 years ago, but now everybody thinks they're a GM.

It should be even more fun. Like I said, shit's going to get leaked out anyways, in which case you're just going to embarrass guys. Now just put it out there. shit's going to get leaked out anyways, in which case you're just going to embarrass guys. Now just put it out there. Everyone's going to know anyway. So I think it was a smart move to get out and acknowledge that. So I think that about wraps it up for this week's episode. Any notes, anything, nothing to add?

All right, Grinnells, Witt, you good? Yes, I'm good. Oh, Sidney Crosby. All right, Witt, thanks for joining us this week. No, just having a little fun with our boy. Thanks for joining us this week just having a little fun with our boy thanks for tuning in this week

a little different episode for you special thanks to 610 for joining us absolutely 610 check them out at 610 Boston on the Twitter machine

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