The Athletic Hockey Show - Boston Bruins set single-season wins record, Toronto Maple Leafs EBUG Jett Alexander mops up 7-1 win, revamping the NHL Draft lottery system, and more

Episode Date: April 10, 2023

Ian and Julian kick off the final week of the NHL regular season on today’s Monday episode of The Athletic Hockey Show and discuss Toronto Maple Leafs EBUG Jett Alexander playing the final 1:10 of a 7-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens over the weekend, the Boston Bruins setting the NHL’s single-season wins record of 63 against the Philadelphia Flyers yesterday, Mark Lazerus’ piece about disincentivizing tanking to win the NHL Draft lottery, the upcoming week as one of the most exciting final stretches in recent years with a number of playoff spots still on the line, and the guys close things out with a little Multiple Choice Madness and handing out this week’s Jack Adams Winner of the Week award. Subscribe to The Athletic Hockey Show on YouTube: http://youtube.com/@theathletichockeyshowGet a 1-year subscription to The Athletic for just $1 a month when you visit http://theathletic.com/hockeyshowThis episode is brought to you by Better Help, visit http://betterhelp.com/nhlshow today to get 10% off your first month Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the athletic hockey show. We're back for the final, our regular season Monday edition of the Apple Hockey Show. It's Mendez and McKenzie. Julian and Ian with you for an hour. We're excited because we've got some great races going on, including the team you cover Julian, Calgary Flames. They're in the heat of a race. We got the Bruins on the verge doing something historic.

We're going to talk the other side of the equation, too, with tanking. But you know where I want to start this week's pod with, though, Julian? Because you and I have had this debate before. And it happened again this weekend. And that's the e-bug. The emergency backup goalie gets put into a game that he doesn't have to get into. This time it's Toronto with Jet Alexander.

Plays the final 70 seconds of their lopsided win over the habs. And I told you a couple weeks ago, whatever this happened with Edmonton, right? Edmonton did it to Chicago. And my concern is, man, like the emergency backup goalie is there only break in case, you know, break the glass if you need it. Otherwise, I don't want to be putting people into games when they don't have to be. It happened again. And I don't want to be that guy. I want to enjoy it.

Should I just, do I need to just loosen up here and enjoy the fact that we're letting these ebugs play games? Because I'm willing to be talked into it. Okay. Here's the thing. Talk me into it. Jack Alexander played an insignificant amount of time in that game, which was very much already, like, in the books, you know? So there was no harm for him to be in the game.

There was no harm if he had taken a shot. It's my understanding he didn't take a shot. Like, he was just there. He got to step onto the ice. He got to live his moment. He got to take part in a rivalry featuring two original six teams. his dad is a Habs fan. So that's something that will stay with that young man forever.

The one thing I don't like about that, the one thing I don't like about that, is Sheldon Keith afterwards, like, kind of making it seem with his comments that it wasn't his decision. So, like, you know, if you're wondering, is it Kyle Dubas, did Brendan Shanahan step in? I don't like the idea of us wondering, like,

oh, is someone going over top the head coach and saying, okay, is this happening? I don't like that, but maybe that's a separate thing. But other than that, I think the idea of playing an emergency backup goaltender, putting him in a game, especially at a point where, you know, it's not going to affect the outcome. It's just a cool moment where the player gets to, you know, live like an NHL for a couple of seconds at a game.

Even if he allows a goal, like, I, whatever, you're still going to win the game. Like, I don't know. I think the people who are up in arms about that, it's a bit weird to see. I saw the Chris Wyman quote saying like, hey, the Leafs are going to get what's coming to them. So of course, Toronto fans are up in arms about that. But like, I think it was cool to see Jed Alexander get his moment.

You know, it's cool. I think it's a fun thing to see. And I wish people weren't so stuck up about it thinking, oh, well, he shouldn't be plagued. It's just a break glass in emergency. Like, fine, that does exist. But like, is that my voice now? That's, that's, that's your impression.

No, your voice is not that deep. But, okay, so let's go back to the Chris Widman comments. Montreal defenseman, Chris Wydenman was asked about the Leafs putting their e-bug into the game, Jedd Alexander, and the quote from Chris Wideman is, quote, they'll get what they deserve in a few weeks, end quote. So clearly, as much as, you know, there's one side of the equation that loves the idea, it's a storybook type of narrative and, hey, look, we feel good. The other side of the coin is there's another team out there that feels like,

okay, now you're mocking us. And now you're kind of, you know, you're disrespecting your opponent when you put it and basically somebody off the streets. Now, the counter argument to that is you don't want that to happen. Don't get down by five goals. Like, so look, I get that. Yeah, don't disrespect your fans by playing the way you play to get yourself in that point. Okay, here's my concern.

Okay. And I don't want it. I don't want it to come across as I'm up in arms in this, okay? Because I'm not. Look, there's more things to be up in arms about in sports than the usage of emergency backup goalies in hockey. Okay? So I want this to come across as this is just my concern. I'm not like up in arms super mad.

What happens if this continues and all it's going to take is one unfortunate play where a goaltender who's not used to the pace or the speed of a shot takes one in a spot where it's not comfortable and there's an injury or a concussion. And my concern is now we're having a different conversation. That's all. These are professional athletes at the highest level. It's not a, it's not a dream camp where you get to spend, you know, hang out with the pros.

Like this actual game. That's my concern. That's all. I don't get it. They're in the game. They play hockey at some level. They naturally understand. there's some kind of risk that they could incur regardless of whatever level they play in.

I mean, the only thing I'm worried, the one thing I would wonder about is if the eBug gets injured in that circumstance, and this is generally asking the question, do they become that team's responsibility? Does that team have to put them on injured reserve? Do they have to sign anything extra? I guess to that effect, I could understand that concern, and I'm not that educated enough to know, like, okay, are they, I have to put them on injured reserve? Or is that, like, like, what if, not to go even more extreme,

what if a goalie, like, really, like, goes through something bad, like really bad, like, long-term injured reserve, bad? Like, does the team have to put them on LTIR to, like, accommodate for that? Or probably not? I don't think so. Or injured reserve? Couldn't they, if they're on an ATL as it is, Couldn't they just release them from the ATO?

Well, no, I don't think you could release somebody who's been injured while you were paying them. You have to take care of their medical costs, right? And you'd have to take care of, I don't think you have to pay them. I think there would probably be, when you sign a one-day contract, there's probably an explicit understanding. It's a one-day contract. This isn't a in perpetuity. Like that part, I understand.

But you would, I would think you'd be on the hook, wouldn't you, for medical bills, I think? I mean, that would make sense to me, I guess, if you're under the team. my guess, but I'm willing to admit that I've got, okay, I'm willing to admit, I need to embrace it. I just need some time. Let me come around on this one. I just, you know, I feel like I'm more, I'm more Chris Wydenman than anything. I will meet you in the middle and say that the possibility of an eBug getting injured, I can understand the concerns that could come with that if it means the team has to put them on injured reserve and, I mean, if they don't have to pay them or if they You don't have to count on their cap.

Like, if it's coming out of their costs, I mean, maybe it shouldn't be a bigger deal. But, like, I will admit I have questions about that scenario. But other than that, I don't really see what the big deal is. I wonder, like, people who listen to this podcast, you're also fans of other sports, too. Like, I've always thought, like, you've watched baseball games and you've seen games where a team is just getting obliterated and they either run out of pitchers, they don't have pictures available. Like, it's, is it kind of weird that hockey's, the only sport that has this mechanism in place. Like in baseball, for example, on some level, I could understand if there was like a

college pitcher or like a semi-pro pitcher in the area that, hey, listen, you need somebody to eat one inning. You know what I mean? We need somebody to come in. We're down 19 to 2. We've blown through the bullpen on the weekend. Like, we don't want to put a position in player in because we don't want them getting hurt. Like, is there a way we just get a guy come in?

We just need to throw 85 miles an hour. Just we'll get three outs, we'll get out of it. Like, it's, it is kind of interesting that hockey is the only sport that seemingly has this, right? I guess. I mean, free agents exist for every one of those sports you're probably thinking of where they could in-gary sign a guy off the street. But not in-game. No, not in-game. Yeah, that's what hockey has, though.

Like, in-game, basically, we've got a guy sitting there waiting to go. It's really, it's just such an interesting thing. And I know, I know the way to solve this is every team carries three goalies. but as we've talked about before, and I know you've talked to goalies or goalie coaches, teams hate carrying three goalies, right? Like, they just, they hate it because there's only two nets at practice.

So one guy isn't getting reps. One guy isn't ready. And, you know, so it's, anyway, it's a weird one. I'm willing to come around on it. Okay? I'm willing to come around on it. Yeah, I just, I just, the one thing I just want to say is that I really didn't like how,

at least just, I tried to keep an eye on it on Twitter. I didn't like how the discourse around that was just, getting so hyped up on this guy playing and people going back and forth and maybe because it's Montreal Toronto it's supposed to do it's supposed to be that way I think that's it too because you know just it seems like whenever those two fan bases collide there's a lot of nasty stuff that gets said it's just like it's just an e bug it's just a guy who played it's an insignificant part of that game the canadian should have done a lot better in that game I get that they're they've they've been injured to hell and back in certain respects but like seven one against the Leafs and

in any circumstance is unacceptable. I could imagine for them. So the fact that they were in a position where the Leafs could do that. Like, sorry, I don't feel bad for Chris Wyman the Canadians. Like, when he says they get what's coming to them, like, I'm like, all right.

Like, that's, that's a bit extreme. I think Mike Matheson had a better quote about that. I think. I don't have it off the top of my head, but he seemed to be a little bit more reasonable with his take. I just think that, you know, it's just a guy.

He did his thing. He played for a couple seconds. And it didn't. Nobody died. No one broke anything. It's okay. And I don't, and I think in moments like this where you get to see something cool like that, fans enjoy it, players enjoy it.

It's a cool story for everybody. Like, why are we taking away? People like to say, oh, you know, you journalists like to not focus on good story. Why are we taken away from a potential good story? I think that's a cool thing to have happened. I get it's happened for other teams too. But like, what's wrong with that? A cool thing that did happen on the weekend.

We got to tip our cap to Boston Bruins. Julian, you and I've talked about this all year. This is a ridiculous run they've been on. They set the NHL record for most wins in a single season. They beat the Flyers. They can actually eclipse the points record. They're at 131. The record is 132 by the haves in the 70s there.

They can eclipse it by collecting two more points in their final two games. They have a game against Washington Tuesday. And then how about this? They get Montreal, right? on Thursday night at the bell center of all places. Like there's part of me that thinks that'd be pretty cool if the Bruins have to beat the Habs to break the all-time points record

and this collection of kind of rag-tag, you know, Habs players have to try and defend the honor of it. But look, the Bruins have set a record with 63 wins. They're certainly going to end up with, you know, north of 130 points. If we ask the question to the listener, do the Boston Bruins deserve the mantle of the most dominant regular season team in history?

What's our answer here? What's your answer on this one? If they're able to get that points record too, because they already have the record for most wins, yes, I think it's more than fair to call them the most dominant team in NHL history just off the fact that they've been able to get the wins they've been able to get,

Linus Lomark and Jerry Swamon have been really good in net and their numbers reflect that as well. David Posternak is a 60 goal score, but it's still kind of wild that like the rest of his teammates when you look at how their points are staggered up, I just trying to remember off top of my head,

but like, you know, it's basically David Pasternak at the top and then like Brad Marshall's a little bit further down essentially. Like it's not as if like you have like the oilers where you have two players actually, is it three players in the 100 points. Right. Or Colorado, where for the first time since 95, 96,

they have teammates who are also at the 100 point plateau. Like, it's cool to, it's wild to see, like, David Posternak scored 60 goals in the season, and he's like their high point guy, and then you kind of have to go further down the list to see another Boston Bruin. Like, I don't know how far down, maybe, what, 40? and the 50s.

I think at one point, Marchand was second in team scoring, but was like 55th in the overall race. I don't know where he is as we're having this conversation today, but he's probably between 50 and 60, if I had to guess. 81?

81? Okay, there you go. There you go. No way. I'm going off of points. There's, like, you mean to tell me between where David Posternock is,

and producer Chris can help us out with this too. David Posternock, as we record this is fourth in points. Yeah, at 109. And you mean to tell me that I have to go all the way down to 81 before I find another Boston Bruin, like among the bleeding scores. Like that's really interesting to me.

The fact that they've been able to have such a dominant team, but it's not because three or four guys are driving the bus at the front. one guy is having a spectacular season. In fact, four goals off of Connor McDavid, you know, there's still a stone's throw chance that the Rockerichard Trophy could not go to Conna McDavid. But that's if David Basternak has an incredible end to the year. But all that to say, like, that has to speak to the team playing as a unit

and just kind of playing collectively, right? And not just two or three individuals carrying everyone, right? Well, listen, our producer, Chris, has just says Marchand right now, technically is 77th in league's growing. Okay, so the tied. But even then, like, that's still insane. Point remains the same. Yeah, that's a significant gap.

And look, if Connor McDavid didn't exist, David Posternak would have a pretty darn good case to be league MVP this season, right? Like, I agree. Look, there's a few other guy. I think Robertson's been wonderful in Dallas. You know, look, there's a few other guys. I think Matt Kachuk,

if the Panthers get in. There's lots of candidates. Don't get me wrong. If I don't mention your team's favorite guy, it's not because I'm sliding them. I think the gap between McDavid and everybody. Hades hits your player. That's right.

The gap between McDavid and everybody else is huge. But what Julian and I are saying, don't sleep on the gap between Pasernak and the rest of his teammates. Because it's awfully similar. Like, it's pretty crazy. But to me, like the Bruins are going to end up with, you know, single season wins record.

I always think of that Habs team that has the record. They only lost eight games in regulation time that year. They went 60 wins, eight losses, 12 ties. Now there's obviously no tie. So it's a bit harder to do the apples to apples comparison, right? Like, because of the way the points are doled out and their shootouts and that type of thing. But man, like they've put themselves in the conversation. But let me ask you this, though.

Okay, because the NBA and the NHL have similar schedules in terms of, you know, you can, you play 82 games. And in the NBA, we've seen multiple teams win 70 games in the season, right? The Bulls 172, Golden State, 173. I think I've come down on the fact we'll never, even with the shootout, we'll never see an NHL team win 70 games, right? Like, if Boston got to 63 this year, and that's the record. And we live in this era of parody and the cap.

I feel like that we'll never see 70 wins, right? Like, I don't even know if Boston could get to 65, that would be remarkable to me. 70 wins? I don't think we'll ever see 70 wins in the NHL. Like 70 wins. So that means there are 12 games that you don't win. That team would not win. And their record would be, could easily be like 75 and 7.

Yeah, that's insane to me. That would be like the most dominant, like, if they love. Imagine that team loses in the first round or something. Because they'd just, they'd run into the hottest goalie, and they would lose in six games. And three of the games would go to overdone. You know it. It'd be the dumbest thing. Yeah, it would be one of the greatest upsets in NHL history at that point.

Like it, like that would, if I was on that team, that pissed me off. It's like, you go through all that regular season winning. And then all of a sudden, like, you go to the playoffs. I mean, that's what you got to play through the playoffs, I guess. But like, you got to take care of yourself there. but like, I wonder, I don't know. I don't think so. I don't think we'll ever cease.

I don't think whatever. Like, if the Bruins even get to 65, like, imagine an NHL team has won 65 out of 82 games. Like, stop and appreciate that for a second, right? That they would have only lost 17 times this season. It's crazy. It is remarkable what they've done. And gold differential, all of it. With the way that we're talking about the Boston.

Boston Bruins, you'd think we both have them pegged as a Stanley Cup finalist. I know, and yet we don't. And yet there's a... We don't. You know what? And it's nothing against the Bruins. It's just, I feel like I've seen this movie before. And it's not just Tampa in 2019.

It's, it's the Red Wings in the mid-90s. It's some great teams in other, in other seasons that were historically good that just, you know, went. In fact, you know, Boston arguably the Bruins best regular. season before this was back in the 70s and they had Bobby Orr and Esposito and like I think it's the 1971 season. There were, it was arguably the best season they ever had. They'd won the Stanley Cup the year before. They're the best team in the on the planet and it's not even close.

The playoffs were just supposed to be a coronation ceremony and they get taken out by Ken Dryden who I think at that point had like six games under his belt. And that's what hockey does. It just has these weird things where goalies come out and steal. It's just too random for my liking. That's all. Like, I love the Bruins what they've done this year. Don't get me wrong.

This is not meant to be. It's more of a statement on how difficult it is in a field of 16 when it feels like a hot goalie can steal a series that I feel like it's going to be impossible for them to replicate this into the postseason. And if they find a way, so we should say this first before I say what I also want to say too. If they find a way to make it to the Stanley Cup final, that's going to be so impressive. And if they find a way to win it, like being a team that wire to wire, like how many times does that happen in HL history

where a team was wire to wire, like the best team from the beginning of the year, essentially to the end, the very end. How many times has that happened in HL history? Like the very best. Like, because you can be a present, because I mean,

I guess you'd have to go back and figure out like when exactly the Bruins became, like first took hold of first place, like proper. But like it doesn't feel as if like Halloween. Yeah, essentially. Pretty much. Like maybe the first couple weeks of the season when everybody was playing equal games, they were, you know, but really since Halloween,

they've been the best team. And it hasn't even even been particularly close. And how many times is that happened in NHL history where team essentially goes wire to wire? They were the best team from the near beginning of the regular season. they never let up throughout the year. They make the playoffs. They go to the Stanley Cup Final and then they win. Like, I'm sure you could go back.

You can figure that out. But like that's, that I think would make it super impressive for this team to do. And I know people might be like, oh, well, they're the best team all year. It goes to the best team. But like, I think in this case it would be super impressive. The one thing I wonder, though, let's say the Boston Bruins suffer a fate where they get bounced in the first round. maybe even round two. And maybe I'm just projecting here.

Is if the Bruins fail to reach round three, they fail to reach the conference final, is that when we start talking about making the president's trophy more meaningful than it is? Because at that point, if you have the most dominant, regular season possible, and you get nothing to show for it,

like, I don't know how you, like, I wonder how people would react to that. Well, let me put this way. I'm going to ask you a quick question here. I'm going to put you on the spot. Sure. Who's the last president's trophy winning team to reach the Stanley Cup final? To reach the Stanley Cup final.

Last time a president's trophy winning team reached the Stanley Cup final. What would your answer be? I was just looking at this. Wasn't it? It's either Chicago or Boston. Yeah. Yeah. It's Chicago.

in the lockout shortened 2013 season. The last time a team, a president's trophy winning team got to the final in a full 82 game season, it's Vancouver in 2011. And see, now Boston fans would appreciate that. And the only team in the salary cap era to play an entire full 82 game schedule

win the president's trophy in the regular season and then win the Stanley Cup, 2008, Detroit Red Wings. That's it. That's the list. In a full 82 game season. In a full 82 game season in the salary cap era, it would be the Detroit Red Wings of 0708. That's it.

President's trophy and then Stanley Cup. It's wild to me. That's why, like I always think about, like with the Bruins, Like I said, it's the Tampa team that gives me flashbacks. It's Detroit from the mid-90s. I even think about, you know, the best team that the Pittsburgh Penguins ever put together, Julian, in the early 90s, was the team that actually got bounced in round two in 1993.

Like, they got, Mario was humming that year. He came back from cancer, had his statistically, that was Lemieux's best season. Penguins had their best regular season out in round two. I even think about the Oilers. The Oilers best season in the Gretzky era, if I'm, not mistaken, was 1986. And I think that was the first year they ever handed out the president's trophy. You know how bad season ended?

With Steve Smith accidentally scoring on himself in a seventh game. Like, it is so weird to me how, like, the better you are as a regular season team and win the president's trophy, it just, okay. I got one other thing to throw at you from this. Okay. Sure. Tell me. So I could be, yeah, okay. No team has ever finished a regular season,

a president's trophy, like a president's trophy winning season where they had 119 points or more and then won the Stanley Cup. Like wrap your head around that for a second. So the following teams won the president's trophy, finished with at least 119 points. There's only a handful of them. Here's what happened to them.

The Oilers in 1986, they got Steve Smith. Steve Smith, yes. The Penguins in 1993, I guess we could say they got David Volick. Is that a word? Is that a verb? It is. David Volick took them up. Yeah, that was a very happy day for Mark Lazarus that day.

That's right. Young Mark Lazarus. 1996, Detroit has 131 points. They get taken out in round two. That's that spicy series with the Avalanche. and Lemieux and Draper and all that stuff, okay? The Detroit Red Wings in 2006 had 124 points. They got taken out by an upstart, Chris Pronger,

and Duane Rollison and the Oilers. Oh, yeah, that year. Okay. The Washington Capitals in 2010 won the president's trophy with 121 points. And what do we say, what happened to them, Julian? they got halaked. There you go. See, it is a verb.

You got halak. If you walk around certain parts of Montreal, you will still find someone on a shirt somewhere, some sign that says a stop sign that says halak. That's how big of a deal that was. Alan Walsh is still printing those out. Then the capitals. Shout out, Alan.

The capitals in 2016, they do it. They get to 120 points. They get taken out by their names. Nemesis the penguins in round two. Penguins will go on to win the cup that year. They beat San Jose. Tampa Bay gets 128 points in 2019. They get bounced in round one by Columbus. We all remember that was one of the most shocking sweeps in the history of the NHL.

And then last year. Hold on a second. Hold on a second. And you know what's wild too? Like you could point to some of those other teams. Like, I mean, Montreal, they, you know, there are some of those franchises that get upsets over those president-winning teams. but a Trenton trophy winning team. So they have history of them doing it.

Columbus, when they did that over Tampa, do you know how many times they had won a series before then? Do you remember that? That was their first ever win, right? That was their first ever series win. So it's not even like, okay, like these teams just run into other buss sauce to get right at the hot time and they just, they know what to do in the playoffs.

Columbus was just coached by John Tororella, who knows a thing or two about Tampa. And like, one, like, it's such a weird, freaky thing. Anyway. Right? It is. So, and then the last instance of this, the Florida Panthers last year, 122 points, President's trophy, bounced in round two by the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion and their state rival, the Tampa Bay lining. So Julian, by my count, the Boston Bruins are the ninth team to be awarded the President's trophy, finish the season with more than 119 points. The previous eight, none of them won the Stanley Cup

Wait I have a question When I just ran that through None of them even got to the cup Right When I just ran through that Yeah None of them got to the cup

I'm actually The follow-up question I wanted to ask How many of those teams Made it to the conference final? Detroit did for sure in 96 That went with Lemieux and Draper and all that That was in the conference final for sure

The rest I don't think so That's it I think that's it You mean That's it I just double check. That's it. So to all the people who are listening who are Boston Bruins fans who are thinking, okay, well, you guys are trying to put this bad juju on this team and trying to just speak to negative,

I will reiterate again, if the Boston Bruins make it to the Stanley Cup final, like that has to be recognized as an impressive thing to do, considering how teams who have won the president's trophy as dominant as they have, or almost as dominant as they have, have, have, failed, not even at the final hurdle, have just, like, failed right at the starting gun, essentially for the Stanley Cup playoffs. Like, if the Bruins do this and they make us look foolish, like, they should be celebrated. I mean, they need to win the cup, ultimately to get the full praise, but that would still be a remarkable achievement. And again, like, if they don't make it, like, I think we need to have a conversation about the president's trophy and how,

like it has, it already has little or no meaning. But I really think, like, if you go through all that trouble and, like, you win all those games, you put yourself in the best possible position to, you know, be a top seed and blow through and give yourself all these advantages. And I get some people who are going to listen to this and be like, oh, well, they did all they could do. You shouldn't feel bad. But, like, playing through an 82 game season is hard. And you ain't going to get nothing for it?

Like, I get it. The Stanley Cup is the ultimate prize to get. But like, I, like, if you do a president. I look at it this way. And you can tell me if I'm wild. And look, we're going to get to the draft lottery portion of this, and I have more weird ideas. Why don't we have for the president's trophy,

just to avoid all this, you know, uselessness for this trophy? Why don't we have the trophy as the prize you get for an in-season tournament? And if you win that, you clinch a playoff spot. If you're a team like the Boston Bruins that's having a dominant year as it is, like at least it's something.

I mean, maybe it's nothing, but like, saying like something happens and you have all these interests and you fall off, you're guaranteed that playoff spot. Like, I don't know. Like, I feel like if you're a president's trophy winning team,

maybe it's because I'm a soccer fan and I'm used to seeing Premier League and like you go through a 38 game season and if it's as dominant as it is, whether you've had like an invincibles type of year, what Arsenal has had or whatever city has had or United has had in the year. Like they get rewarded at the end of the year with some kind of trophy that matters because winning all those regular season games, you know, all those games we sit through and,

and, and, you know, kind of parsed through and be like, oh, is this team going to be good? This team's going to be good, whatever in the playoffs. Like, that has to matter. Like, if it's only that the Stanley Cup matters and only the playoffs matter, then maybe we shouldn't have a regular season in the first place, you know, aside from revenues and all that. Maybe we're going a little off script, but like, come on. It's abolished the regular season. If you're Boston, if you're all those teams and you've had a dominant season as well as you've had,

and it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, I get it to your problem, but also I think there should be something there, some kind of incentive to do well in the regular season. Because now you're listing off all those teams who were as good as they were, like, why should I put my team in a position where they should be the absolute best team beyond home ice advantage, which I could still get. if I'm second, third, or fourth-seated. The takeaway for coaches is if you're in first place and on track for a President's Trophy, you've got to stop at 118 points.

That seems to be the magic cut up. Anything more than 118 points at a President's trophy is like the kiss of death. It's crazy. We're talking about finishing first overall. What about 32nd overall? And that has come to the forefront over the last few days, both Sean McIndoo, Down Goes Brown, and Mark Lazarus wrote columns in the last few days about tanking.

Down Goes Brown's idea was hilarious, which is basically the 16 non-playoff teams. It's like the buddy system. And the 16 non-playoff teams get to draft a team that they want to attach themselves to, and if that team wins the Stanley Cup, they get the first pick overall. It's weird, it's fun, it's so stupid. it just might work, but we know it'll never happen. But I don't mind that.

Lazarus writes about, look, Chicago should feel awful about this season and the fans are feeling conflicted and yet, you know, they beat Calgary and they're like, oh, no, we shouldn't have done that. And, you know, it's a, there's a whole, look, I've been there. Where Laz is writing from, I've been there covering the senators. It's an awful feeling. You don't want to be cheering for the team that you watch or cover or you don't want them to lose all the time. It's just terrible for everyone's atmosphere and morale. But, like, I need you to

hit me up with some solutions because I think everybody points in tanking and says, this is, we got to fix the problem. I don't know that I've heard one solution that I love, but I feel like you're an ideas guy, Julian. Okay. I mean, I have two. I have two that I workshoped with producer Chris before we started. And I am open to these ideas being altered as we go. I don't necessarily necessarily hate the buddy system. I think it's hilarious. I don't know if that would work in real reality. And Lazarus's idea is cool,

but I think even if you even the odds for everybody, there's still some sort of element of tanking. I'm going to bring back the tournament idea, but you have like maybe the bottom four teams in each conference play in a in season tournament. Basically from the trade deadline on, you just put all of those teams in some kind of tournament. Maybe you put them through round robin, play, or whatever,

and then they play out their season. And the winner of that tournament gets the number one overall pick. However, what you could do is take the records and, yeah, take the records and win percentages of all the other teams who don't win. And, you know, say like Columbus is like the worst team in the NHL, and they get put into this tournament and they lose in the first round. They still have the worst, like, records,

so they should still get the best odds to get the second overall pick if you do the draft lottery. So all those teams play through a tournament where they get the first overall pick, and then after all that, the worst team in the league gets the best odds and you still have them go through a draft lottery system.

You know what? Okay, so here's the counter argument to that sort of playoff, play-in style, whatever tournament is the feeling is always that the players don't want to sacrifice their their body. Like they're not trying to get the first over. They look at that for the most part. Most guys look at the young guys coming in.

It's like they're here to take my job. Like a lot of guys are like, wow, my job. Why would I block a shot? Like there's that argument to it, right? I don't mind your idea though. Like I like the idea of playing for something rather than, you know, being rewarded for losing. But that's, like, I've always thought that the plan that's always been Florida, the gold plan, is the best one, which is, hey, the minute you are eliminated from

playoff competition, now you start accumulating points and the team with the most points after being eliminated from the playoffs, you get the first overall pick. Now, the issue with that theory is, okay, let's say this year, Columbus, Chicago, Anaheim, they're all like, okay, well, as soon as we get eliminated from the playoffs, then we need to collect points. Now does it incentivize you to tank even earlier? Because you're like, wow, let's just be terrible until February. And then if we have more runway to get points, we'll get the first overall.

There's no perfect system, but it does feel like, like I like your idea. I just, you know, I'm thinking every idea, the problem is every idea has drawbacks and flaws to it, right? Okay, I have another idea. But yeah, let's go with the idea number two. I think this is even more radical. I'd love to know your thoughts on this. Abolish the draft entirely. Like, get rid of it.

And you have players from the upcoming draft class, let them pick, essentially treat them as free agents. You just give them like a period of time where they're able to negotiate deals with teams. And obviously people are going to hear this and be like, oh, well, you know, the players are obviously going to want to go to the best teams.

That might not necessarily be true. A team like Colorado might not have space for a particular type of player who could be available at number one overall. They might not get that same playing time. They might also want to play for a team that might give them that chance. And even then, some people were like, oh, well, you know, what about some of the worst teams that, you know, some undesirable places that might not be able to do it. I think if you allow the bottom five teams in each, maybe not, no, not each conference, the bottom five teams in terms of standings,

you grant them a contract exception. Are you familiar with the designated player rule in Major League Soccer? No. So essentially, like, there's a salary cap in MLS, but each team is allowed like three D.P spots or designated player spots. You're able to negotiate with a player and sign them to a deal that doesn't apply to your salary cap. You could just give them

whatever they want and you just use a DP slot. Essentially, you give the bottom five teams essentially a designated player spot where they could go to that player and be like, okay, well, you could sign in

Tampa for whatever reason and they only have so much cap space and they could give you like maybe two mill a year on a three year deal. I guess you could take that. Or we already think that you're a pretty talented player.

and we're going to give you a $10 million deal for the next like five, six, seven seasons because we think you're that good and just to use Columbus again, not trying to pick on Columbus, but we're able to give you that because we're among the five first teams in the league at that time and we're able to accommodate you.

Like that's a way to even the playing field. Okay, I don't hate it. I don't outwardly hate the idea. Yeah, listen, I think something like that could be, palatable. The only problem is, yeah, like, I mean, are you going to get those certainty, like, like you said,

like this year, if it's Anaheim, Columbus, Chicago, they're like, look, Adam Fantilli, Connor Badar, we can give you a ton of money and whatever. Like, okay, or what about this? You know, kind of leapfrogging off your idea, which I think has some, you know,

worthy points to it. What if every year, the bottom five teams okay, the bottom five teams of the standings, they were allowed to basically court the top five prospects. Give us your pitch. Tell us why we should. And then those top five prospects that are, like rank by Central Scouting, and they can agree upon these are the five guys,

then those five teams, they get to aggressively pursue those five players. And then on draft day, it's the player going up and announcing where he's going. That's sick. And that's, and I like that ending part especially because I'm always trying to think, okay, like, you know, it's one thing for us to talk about it and people tweet about it. What am I do? On, on May 9th or May 8th, those five players, they're all going to decide where they want to go.

Where are you going to find, where are you going to find me in my living room watching that unfold? Signing Day. Signing Day. NHHL signing day. Where will Connor Bardard pick? Like, is he going to Anaheim? Is he going to Chicago? is he going to Columbus? Is he going to San Jose?

Is he going to Montreal? Like, come on. Like, that is a good idea. In fact, actually, you could combine my second idea and that idea together. Maybe you don't have to make it like all of the potential first round picks or whatever. You can just limit it to those top five players and let those bottom five teams just duke it out for those guys. And then I guess for everyone else, you play out some kind of draft. So play this out for a second.

Now you're Connor Bedard. And you have to go and you visit. with Anaheim and they're trying to woo you and the jackets they're trying to woo you in Chicago right and and all of a sudden you're like man I got a decision to make here and it's I don't know like and now to me it would also

incentivize you to not strip down your roster too much because now if you're trying to woo Connor Baudard and be like hey man come play for us he might look at your roster and say well I don't want to join you you got a bare bones operation here that's the same but it's kind of weird because there is that fact, but isn't there, wouldn't there still

have to be some kind of stripping down in order to be in that position in the first place? I guess so. Yeah, yeah. I think you would. Ultimately, I think, like, even with all the ideas that we're providing, like, unless you put yourself in a situation where

you just say, okay, every single team has a legitimate shot, the number one overall pick, there will always be some kind of option for teams to meddle around and put themselves in a position to get a generational player if they're available. Like, it's just, like, a player like Connor Breddardt doing what he's doing, like, there are teams you could look at in the standings right now and be mad at and be like, why didn't you do everything

you needed to do to be in the spot to draft this player or at least come close to that? But, like, I don't know, like, every other, it can't happen every other year, but especially this year for a player of his caliber. Like, I sort of get it. I want to ask you about the team you cover the Calgary Flames because this is a really interesting week for Calgary. Obviously a tough blow. Leaving that point on the table,

the Vancouver was tough. Losing to Chicago was tough. It's still plausible. They're very much to one point out of the playoffs. Winnipeg, though, can go a long way with a win here on Monday against San Jose. But I break this down for me. I mean, I want you to tell me going into this. this week, if I asked you realistically, what's your gut say on the chances of Calgary qualifying

for the playoffs? Man, I feel as if it all comes down to today for me, just from the Flames vantage point. They need, they need Winnipeg to lose. And even if they win, like, they need to win the game regardless. But like, I think if you're the Flames and you see that Winnipeg loses their game against San Jose today and then you have a chance to win and then you jump over them even though you'll have a game in hand on them. I think that means everything, everything to the Calgary Flames, who at that point will only have the San Jose Sharks to play, a team that they've already beaten twice. If you're the

Winnipeg Jets, you're ending your season against Minnesota and Colorado. And if you're in a position where you lose what should be a gimmy against the San Jose Sharks and you put yourself a position where you have to go up against the wild, a team that I don't know if they've beaten them at all this year. And Colorado being Colorado, you make it very hard on yourself. And I'll even mention the natural predators too who are playing the Calgary Flames.

Let's say they beat the Calgary Flames and they find themselves in that position where they're trying to compete for a playoff spot too. Still, they also have the Wild and the Afflech to finish their season two. If you're the Flames, you have to take care of business tonight, but you kind of have to hope

Winnipeg drops the ball. They need three points in their final three games. And if they drop the ball against San Jose tonight, them getting three points in any fashion against Colorado or Minnesota, that is going to be very, very tough. Yeah. It's, it's, you know, what's great to me is that I love that we have. Look, we talk about the Bruins.

There's no race there. We have really interesting races in the, in the Atlantic where, or sorry, the Atlantic, the metro where the hurricanes are only one up on the devils, in the central where it's a three-team race, in the Pacific where the Oilers are still only two points out, both wild card races. Like, you know what? I will say that this feels like the most fun final week of the regular season I can remember in a while

in terms of a lot of things being up in the air. Like, when we're doing this next week, we're going to know the playoff seedings, who's playing who, day one of the playoffs. Like, I get that. But it's kind of interesting that we're having this conversation now. And if I'm not mistaken, the only locked in playoff matchup we have is Toronto and Tampa. That's it. We do not know any other matchup.

And I can't even sit here and tell you, I think we know the Rangers are going to finish third in their division, right? That feels like that it's locked in. But beyond that, and it feels like L.A. is going to finish third in their division. but beyond that, I guess Seattle's got the first wild card spot kind of locked up. Yeah, I mean, I guess.

Or who they're playing, I don't know. And if you look at the standings here, Seattle has 98 points, Los Angeles has 100. There's still an outside chance that Seattle climbs back into the Pacific top three and then like Los Angeles falls into that wild card spot. Like that's still very much in play. Good point.

And I apologize. I thought the Rangers were four back. Rangers are two back of the devils. I thought there were four back. So Rangers absolutely have home ice to play for. Absolutely. They're only three back of Carolina. For all the times that we, and I say we, I mean me in particular,

kind of slag on the NHL and talk about we need to improve the playoff format and play and whatever. I don't know that I could ask for more as a hockey fan than what we have on the table this week. And even the one division that's wrapped up, the Bruins are the verge of maybe setting some history. So there's something to watch in every division and in every race. And I don't know that we can ask for much more as hockey fans, right? Can you live with the fact that off of what you just said in a world where maybe Gary Bettman listens to the athletic hockey show?

He hears everything you just said. He sits back in his chair in his office and he just does a little, hmm, I told you. you know, does a little I told you so. I know. Can you handle that? I thought it was going to be like an evil cackle with his. Excellent. Go full Mr. Burns on us.

If Gary Betman sounded like Mr. Burns, like that would be, I mean, the memes would be out of control. Oh, that would be good. Speaking of Toronto, Tampa being the only playoff series locked in,

those two teams play each other on Tuesday night. what if you had to guess and predict the type of game there's two ways this could go we either get two teams that are like hey it's message sending time let's let's send the message let's show them what we're bringing six days from now or it's a whoa whoa whoa hey everyone stay cool everyone and stay cool. Nobody get hurt. We'll see you next week. And is there anything Toronto can do in this game

that leads you to believe or have any more faith in them or this just, it doesn't. Toronto could win this game 5-0 and we'd be like, yeah, whatever, man, just do it next week. Is that how you feel? Yeah. That's kind of how I feel.

I don't know if I'm tripping or not, but didn't the Leafs have a game against the lightning last year near the end of the year where like they I think they beat them. It was like a pretty resounding win and like it ultimately meant like nothing. Yeah. Well actually no.

Well I mean sort of. Okay. So there was a game at the end of last year where the lightning beat the brakes off of the Leafs like eight to one. And I don't know how people remember that going but like it was late in the year. and it ended up being a seven game series that was very close. So, yeah, I have a hard time thinking that anything that really comes from that game

could carry over into that beyond like actual injuries. I have a hard time thinking that a game like that at this juncture in the season will have all that type of meaning in an actual playoff series. I also wonder if it's just going to be calm just because if you're looking at some of the different injuries that have been stacking up for the Tampa Bay Lightning. They can't really afford to put themselves in a position where they get themselves more and more injured. I think it's just going to be a calm, calm type of day, calm type of night. And hey, maybe the Leafs look at that situation and say, well, you know what?

We're just going to use that as an opportunity to rest Mitch Marner again or Marchiadano, for example. Like it's, I, like I, I think if you're, if you want to use the term load management, that looks like a load management game to me. would you have a problem if the Maple Leafs announced that Jet Alexander was starting the game? That'd be a bit weird. Bring this full circle. Jet Alexander is going to play. See, you would have a problem with it. I would have a problem with it.

I didn't say that. I said it was very weird. I know, but that would be pretty weird. It would be weird. But anyway, listen, there's some fun games this week. And to me, that one's interesting because I wonder what the temperature. is going to be. The other thing I want to ask you before we wrap up the pod,

how do you think hockey fans feel about the Pittsburgh Penguins right now? Like the pet, look, and I'm going to give a ton of credit to the Islanders, the Panthers, and the Penguins. In the last few days, they've all been winning. It's not like they're all losing like they were a couple of weeks ago. They've all suddenly hit full throttle. Like, I wonder, our hockey fans, like the Penguins have this unbelievable streak, right? What is it?

16 years in a row of making the playoffs. Is the average hockey fan who has no rooting interest in the penguins, are you sick of the penguins? Or do you want to see Crosby in the playoffs? Possibly against the Bruins. Like, I'm not sick of the penguins. I'm sick of the penguins falling short in the first round because goaltending has let them down.

That I think is a little bit more specific. I feel like that's where the head of this year. Yeah, I think. so. Like, kind of. If that means I'm sick of the penguins, maybe that's what that means. But it would be a damn shame if they make the playoffs and they meet their end again in the first round, especially when you're seeing a guy like Sidney Crosby playing through the

twilight of his career as a 35-year-old and still, still providing amazing number. He has 91 points in 80 games this year. Like the last two seasons, 62 points in 55. games in the shortened year. 84 points in 69 games last year. And then 91. He's at 1,500 proper for his career.

Actually, here's a weird one. 550 goals, 950 assists, 1,500 points. Yeah. So, that's actually really satisfying. Clean, right? Yeah. There's something very satisfying about that. Absolutely. But like, when you see a player like him, play at the level

that he's playing, yeah, you can even go further back and look at, like, 2019, 2020, only played four playoff games after that, 47 and 41. You got a hundred point season in 2019, only played four games. Like, I'm trying to remember the last time the Penguins got out of the first round. Like, it's just, it's a bit of a shame. They haven't. Have they, have they been out of the first round since they won the cup in 17?

Like, it's a shame that this team has essentially just, okay, they have their run-hick in the playoffs, but it's not a team that has been continuing to make runs and taking, advantage of their best players still playing at a high level. Like it's a, it's a bit of a disappointment. Yeah. I hate to say it, but if they make the playoffs, it feels like that the pattern is going to simply repeat, right? Like that they'll get in into the first round and be,

and be out. They did get out of the first round in 2018, the year after they won the cup. But since then, they have not been out of the first round since 2018. So four straight ears of one and done. Like that's just so frustrating, especially for a team that doubled down and said, hey, you know, we're going to keep, we're going to keep Malkin and Latang and all those guys all together because we believe in the score. And I get it. You need all those, like, they're penguins for life. But if the farthest you're going to go is the first round, like you got to rethink that strategy. Let me jump right into multiple choice madness here to wrap up the pod on this Monday

because the penguins are part of this. I'm going to give you a list, and we're going to have to listeners you join in here too. You hit us up on Twitter, on email, the athletic hockey show at gmail.com, or leave a comment in the comment section. Answer this question for us. Riddle us this. Which potential wild card team actually has a legit chance of pulling off a first round upset in the playoffs this year?

Okay. So I'm going to list a bunch of teams that I think, or either they're going to, obviously they're going to make the playoffs or they end up in a wild card spot. So who has the best chance of pulling off a first round upset in the playoffs? New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Seattle Cracken, Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, or let's throw them in because they've still got a little bit of a pulse here,

the Nashville Predators. Julian, which team? Islanders, Panthers, Penguins, Cracken, Jets, Flames, Predators, best chance to pull off a first round stunner this year. Man, this is where the, this is where the lack of set matchups for the playoffs comes into play. Because like, if the Islanders are that, I mean, we know in the East, Boston is going to play a Wild Guard team. So if it ends up being the Islanders, I still think they have the best chance at an upset. Does that mean they're going to win?

maybe not, but I think just off the fact they could play a defensive style and suffocate and they have good goaltending, that's going to help them. I think they have a better chance compared to Florida compared to Pittsburgh. In the West, that's where it gets so much more tricky. Like, look at who's the best team in the Western Conference right now.

The Vegas Golden Knights. If we're getting a Vegas-Calgary series, I'm picking Calgary. I think Calgary has a way of, has a style that could play up to Vegas. Vegas is a tough team. But remember, they don't have guys like Bartstone, too. I mean, they're going to have to, they might still see them in the playoffs if they,

if they heal up right. But like, yeah, like, I don't know. Like I, there's something about that Vegas team, even though they do play hard and they play well. There's just something about them I don't trust. Just they haven't been as dominant as as much as I would think. So I could see a scenario where like Calgary and the style that they play, if they catch fire at the right time, they could give Vegas a run for their. money. If it's Edmonton, it might be Edmonton and six. Like, they're, they're dominant.

They could score goals. And they've shown that they could do that in the playoffs. And the only reason why they lost last year was because they ran up against a team that could score goals, defend, and do everything right in Colorado. But like, Vegas, Calgary. Maybe this is a take, but like, I would take Calgary in seven. But my official answer is the Islanders. Yeah, you know what? And it's hard to disagree with you because I think usually, and we talked about this earlier in the podcast, when there's an upset in the playoffs, what's usually the deciding factor? Goaltending, right?

Goaltending. And I think you can say this with some degree of certainty that there are goaltending question marks with the penguins. There's gold toning question marks with the Panthers. There's question marks in the crease with the Cracken. So I would almost remove those three teams saying, look, I like their star power on some of it. Like, I like the depth in Seattle, but I don't know that the goalie can steal the series. When you talk about goalies who could steal series,

now you're talking Sorokan. Now you're talking Hellebuck. I mean, if Nashville somehow sneaks in, I wouldn't want to face U.C. Saros. I'll say that much. UC Soros is turning himself into a Vesna candidate. Boy, oh boy. That's insane.

Yeah. And he's one of those goalies where you could just, there's not very many goalies that you would say this about, but like you could picture, if you close your eyes, you could see the headline now. Saros makes 63 saves in Predators over time, win, right? Like, you can see it. It's because it can just totally happen, right? But I'm with you. I think the islanders in Sorokin. I don't want to face the islanders if Ilya Sorokin is going,

because you're going to talk about Vesna Trophy candidates. I'd have them on my list, or at least in the conversation. Absolutely. So, you know what? I'm with you. It's the islanders for me. Yeah. Also, too, with Calgary, I also understand that there are questions to be asked about Jacob Markstrom as well. Not just to say that just as the sake of saying it, but for continuity's sake, since we're talking about questions for goaltending. But I mean, he's not the same that he was, you know, a couple of years ago when he was just so

dominant, he's not there, but again, he's got it in his tool bag, he's got it. It's just whatever reason it hasn't worked out for him this year. But I would rather face the Panthers, penguins, and Cracken than Jacob Markstrom. Like, I have more questions

about those other teams than Markstrom. Yeah, that's fair. That's fair. That's more of an indictment on those teams than it is an endorsement of Parkstrom. It's just there's some teams with questionable, questionable goal tank. Okay, Jack Adams, hey, this is the last time we're doing this, I guess, right? I guess no, I guess we'll have one more, well, one more next week, I guess. Because the regular season, I'll wrap up, but wrapping it up with the coach who did the best job.

And you know what was weird? I looked back. There were six teams, Julian, that had a perfect week in the end. NHL that played three games or more and were perfect with the record, okay? So you got Seattle and Colorado, they were four and all. Florida, Edmonton, Dallas, and Surprise, Surprise, Boston all went three and O. So we got Haxdale and Bednar, we got Paul Maurice Jay Woodcroft, we got Pete DeBore, we got Jim Montgomery, as always.

Who did the best job coaching last week? I'm going to give it to Dave Haxstall because essentially in that streak, the Cracken were able to clinch a playoff spot for the very first time in their very brief franchise history. And I think the fact that they were able to accomplish such a feat so early in their tenure, playing above what they expected to be. I don't think that should go unnoticed. And I wonder where will Dave Haxthal's name be when we consider coaches of the year? I mean, Jim Montgomery, you can make a very, I think you can make a very great case. He should win it off the fact that it's his first year.

And he turns that team into arguably, not arguably, but like the greatest regular season team we've ever seen in the NHL. So he'll probably lead. Actually, there's a really funny, really cool tweet from Chris Peters, who works for Flow hockey now. He was tweeting about Jim Montgomery the other day. Coached the Bruins to the most wins in an NHL season, 63. Coach the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL to the most points by a team in the USHL season. And he captained Maine.

I don't know if you remember back in the days when he was playing alongside Paul Korea at the University of Maine. So the most wins by a team in a single season in the NCAA at 42. Jim Montgomery knows a thing or two about wins. winning. So it wouldn't surprise me. Yeah, like, that's a pretty wild story. That is crazy. That's insane. But I think just for this week, I'm willing to give it to Dave Haxdahl. But I imagine at the end of the year, I mean, when it's all said and done, I don't know who actually gets the vote on the Jack Adams, but Jim Montgomery, I think is a frontrunner for the actual

award. Yeah, I think it's the broadcasters, like play-by-play analysts. I think they vote on Jack Adams. I'm going to give my... vote though Paul Maurice. The Panthers had to win these three games. And look, Seattle was probably going to make the playoffs. Everyone else on this list was likely going to make the playoffs punch their ticket, except for one team, Florida Panthers. And Paul Maurice lit up the Panthers in the middle of that Leafs game last week.

And it seemed to work. And they won all three games. That would be my guy for this week. I'm with you. Montgomery for the season, Maurice for the week. So for me, now that we, if this is the last one of the year, like how does it work for us now? recounting up. Well, no, we'll have one next week to look back to this week, I guess, right? And then producer Chris, maybe he's been tabulating all of these.

And then he'll tell us at the end of the year. Because, like, there were some guys who, like, it should be obvious, but there are other guys that there's just like, you know, like, we should acknowledge them because they wouldn't normally get it sometimes. Because, or the degree of difficulty, I guess. Yeah. But, uh, I don't know. I feel like if you're thinking of like your finalist for, for coach of the year,

like Jim Montgomery has to be there. Dave Haxstall, I think, has to be considered. Yeah, I think Haxstall does. I think on some, to some extent. Lindy rough to, has to be considered. Because of the 50 point in 48, whatever point improvement, the devils are going to end up making, whatever it is, almost 50 points.

That's a remarkable turnaround that the coaching staff deserves some credit for sure. Yeah. You know, but there's a few. candidates in there that certainly deserve, you know, I think a lot of people sleep on Rod Brindamore, too. And I think he's done a wonderful job. Remember, they were the team that didn't go out and make the splashy trade at the deadline, like everybody else. And, you know, I think Rod has them playing a good brand of hockey. I think Dean Evanston, I think a lot of us weren't sure what the heck of the Minnesota wild. They're maybe punching above weight for some people. Look, there's a lot of

candidates that are certainly in the running. But yeah, producer Chris has been tabulating them all year. So we can, we can wrap it up next week and we'll give, give the listeners the final tally. Perfect. I'm looking forward to that. There we go. Special edition of the athletic hockey show.

Yeah. Yeah. Playoff preview edition. That too. Yeah. Playoff preview. We got to remember that. Hey, that's pretty much all the time we have for the Monday.

So look, next week when we get back, we tee up the playoff matchups. It's going to be a lot of fun. We'll find out on the flames in or are they out. It's going to be an interesting way. It's going to be a really fun week. And I'm looking forward to reconnecting next week. We set up the playoff previews, all that fun stuff. And I've got to find out if I owe you a tin of those cookies.

Oh, that's true. We made a cookie bet, which I said basically the playoff teams were going to be, the wildcard teams would be the Jets and the Cracket in the West, and the penguins and the islanders in the east. If there's any change to those four, I owe you a tin of Danish cookies. And then I think I have to send you if that's how it works, yeah? Yeah. Yeah.

So we'll see. All right down to it. Let's see how that goes. But I'll say this. I just hope I know what's going to happen fairly soon because when we do this episode next week, who knows what city I'm going to be in if the flames make it. Because that's still very much up in the year. That's why you're pulling for Vegas.

That's why you're pulling for the Vegas fight. You just want a week in Vegas. That's what you want. I just want to know where I'm going. I'd like to see your credit card statements and see if you've already purchased Blue Man Group tickets. No. In advance.

Locked it down. I would never tell you if I did that. Oh, man, I love it. All right, we're going to leave it there. I want to thank everybody for listening to the Athletic Hockey Show. Follow us to your favorite podcast platform. leave us a rating and review. We'd appreciate that.

Now, Julian, I'm going to read the text here from the script as is, okay? This is what was put in to the script for me to read as the host. I just want to say, and this is totally off the cuff right now, we truly have a great producer, a great guy, a good-looking guy working with us. That would be Chris Flannery. If you're listening right now, maybe just give a little round of applause wherever you are. Chris deserves it. He's the best.

Chris, did you write that? Yeah, he sure did. I don't know how that got there. It's weird. So strange, he bolded and underlined good-looking guy. He said, make sure you really hit the tone on good-looking guy.

So hopefully I... He's good-looking. There we go. All right, and right now we're going to be a one-year subscription to the Athletic for a dollar a month. Visit theathletic.com. Of course you.