The Athletic Hockey Show - Tampa Bay Lightning even up series with New York Rangers, Boston Bruins might be unrecognizable next year and who's better, Makar or MacKinnon?

Episode Date: June 8, 2022

Rob Pizzo from CBC Sports and Sara Civian and Jesse Granger from the Athletic discuss the Colorado Avalanche long layoff after sweeping the Edmonton Oilers. We debate who is better, Cale Makar or Nathan MacKinnon and can the Oilers improve on the surprise final four finish from this season with 40 year old Mike Smith in net?The roundtable welcomes Mike Russo from the Athletic who is covering the Eastern final between Tampa Bay and New York which saw the Bolts even up their series with the blue shirts at two games a piece.Plus we discuss what the Bruins may look like next season after the team relieved Bruce Cassidy of his coaching duties, Marie-Philip Poulin's new job with the Montreal Canadiens and Chris Driedger's injury at the World Hockey Championships which will see him miss the majority of next season for the Seattle Kraken. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's going on, guys? Welcome to the Athletic Hockey Show, the Wednesday Roundtable Edition. I am Rob Piesel from CBC Sports, joined, as always, by Jesse Granger from The Athletic. How are you, Jesse? I'm doing well. How are you, Rob? Doing good. And the return of Sarah Sivian, I feel like we haven't seen you since the beginning of the playoffs.

I know. I'm back in the atmosphere with drops of Jupiter in my hair. What's up, guys? How are we? How have we been? I've been following you in your Instagram. It looks like you're having a good time in the off season. You're like, you're like.

I'm trying to enjoy myself. You're like, Ovechkin after winning the Stanley Cup. Just be like, no hockey to do or play or cover. I'm going to have a blast. Immediately went to the beach, but I'm back. Well, there are three of us today and three hockey teams left in the Stanley Cup playoffs. And we're going to break down a little bit of everything.

And Michael Russo is going to be joining us in the second half of the show. I don't know if you guys saw his Twitter account. But what an experience he had watching game four between the lightning and the Rangers. We'll get to all of that in a bit. But let's talk about the lightning and the Rangers. Tampa Bay with a 4-1 win last night. Series now tied to two. Home team is perfect.

4-0. So yeah, breaking news. Vasilefski really, really good. Kutrov and Stamcoast really good. But this looked like a tale of two teams. The first two games in this series, guys, it was the first time I saw. started really kind of thinking, oh, this Tampa team, they look sluggish, they look tired, they look confused, this could be trouble. And every time we doubt this team, every single time,

we look stupid doing so. The last two games have looked like the two-time defending champion, Tampa Bay Lightning we've seen over the last couple of years. What's going on with this team? Have they just figured out what gears they need to change at different times in the playoffs? Sarah, we'll start with you. Yeah, exactly. This is the point. It's so cliche we talk about how important playoff experiences, but everything they've been through,

including that sweep in the first round a few years back. It just shows now they know exactly when they can kind of take their feet off the gas and put it on, especially when you got kind of a rangers, young rangers team. That's kind of the opposite situation, Jesse. Right. I agree that the rangers being so inexperienced and young definitely magnifies that,

that effect. I think that to me, the first two games, I'll be honest, gave me flashbacks to year one of the Golden Knights that was also coached by Gerard Gallant because it was an under talented team that was just beating a team with better players with pressure. And Rob, you mentioned Tampa looked slow. If you don't move your feet against Gerard Galant's forecheck, you will be eaten alive. And that's what happened in those first two games. I thought New York feasted on turnovers. They took advantage of Tampa not looking so fast. I don't know if it was because of their layoff. Obviously, they had a long time between series after that sweep over Florida. Maybe that was a factor. But I thought that the Rangers took full advantage with a ton of pressure and then turning

those turnovers into immediate two-on-ones, immediate odd man rushes the other way. And I think Tampa just like, I think there's two ways to look at this. And I think that if you're the Rangers fan, you're hoping we're going back to New York. It's going to return to how it was in those two games. This is a home team series, but that's not, to me, that's not how I feel. I feel like Tampa figured this out. I feel like they figured out that if they can just relieve that pressure, just don't turn the puck over on that initial forecheck. We pretty much own this team. And they have it five on five these last two games. It hasn't been close. It's interesting. You mentioned about going home and away. Jesse, you and I talked about this. I think a couple shows ago. And now,

excuse me, we look stupid. I think we both said, you know, home ice advantage is still. important, but it's not crucial in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Last night was the 50th win in these playoffs out of 81 tries by the home team. That's the most since 2015. The record is 59. So clearly, like, they're close to a record. Home ice seems to be a lot more important than we had initially thought going into these playoffs, hasn't been?

I covered the team that literally did not win a game on the road. And it was a franchise record. The more I think about it, I'm like racking my brain and asking every single person what they think it is. And they're like, I don't know, our fans are the best. But I don't buy that. I think it's because maybe this year it's every other day there's a game. So the travel really does take a toll on you. I think it's something to be said about that and maybe just kind of the go, go, go nature of things.

But I also think there's a little bit of chance factored into it. I don't know, Jesse, do we have theories on this? Yeah, my theories, it's total coincidence. I think that there are years when the home teams lose more than they win. There have been plenty because I actually wrote about it last playoffs. And I went back and looked at the last five or six post seasons. And there have been post seasons where the road team had a winning record. And I think that's, I don't think the home ice is hurting those teams that year.

Those years, I'm not like, man, these fans are really screwing their teams up. I think it's just luck. I think in hockey, it's, I think hockey more than any sport, there's so much. much variable. There's bounces, determined game more than in any other sport. And I think this year we're just, it's just happens to be the home teams are winning. Now, the hurricanes, that is like freaky. Like, I don't think that that is a chance. I think there's something to that. The fact that they're unbeatable at home and not just the wins and losses, but the goal differentials and the stat differentials, like everything points to them being so good at home. I think there is something

to that. But I think overall in the playoffs, this is just a coincidence. Okay, but before we move on from that, the numbers are with this Ranger team specifically comparable. They're 8-1 at home, 4.22 goals per game at home. They're 2 and 7 on the road, 2.44 goals per game. I mean, it isn't what we saw with the hurricanes, but it's damn near close. And when it's one specific team, I agree with you, much like Carolina, you start to wonder, what are you doing wrong on the road? And I know last change is so, so huge.

Right. But that's what I was going to say. Yeah. But coaches are finding a way around it, guys. And, and, you know, there are certain things have been pointed out in the broadcast that once, you know when somebody points something out on the broadcast and then you kind of go, oh, and you watch for it the rest of the game. I love that coaches on the road are putting out one third of a line or two thirds of a line.

And whether or not they win that draw, then they know exactly what line matchup they want to get as opposed to trying to keep everybody together. they're doing 33% of a line. Hey, the puck's this way. Let's get the remainder and vice versa. So coaches are so damn smart with line matchups that I think that's been neutralized a little bit. I just, I mean, what's the element here? And I know there's an element of sleeping in your own bed.

There's an element of traveling on the road. There's an element like Sarah said of you're on a play and a heck of a lot more. But let's face it, these athletes are not traveling the way you or I travel. It's kind of going back and forth. Maybe Jesse's right. Maybe it's just a coincidence. Yeah, I do think the last change and the thing that you brought up about the strategy is so interesting. And I wonder if that would have helped Brindamore kind of back in the second round.

I think when you, especially you look at your personnel and when you have somebody like Jordan Stahl, either being the first, the last change or not, it kind of makes a huge impact, like a defensive player like that. I think that happened with Bergeron and the Bruins too. And it's such a huge impact. Yeah, I think to me, last change is what comes to mind because I think, I just, I don't know. I think a sport like football, crowd noise absolutely impacts because there's the snap count.

There's calling plays. Like to me, hockey, it doesn't really matter how loud this place gets. We're still going to play hockey. Like, to me, the crowd makes no difference. And guys will say, they'll have a three goal comeback in the third period and they'll say,

we were inspired by the crowd. But then when they don't, when they don't have a third period comeback, are they blaming? Like, the crowd wasn't loud enough. We didn't like, like, to me, that's just a, hey, these people pay our paychecks.

So like when we have a comeback win at home, we're going to give them some credit because why the hell not? So to me, it's got to be last change. It's got to be, or coincidence. I just, I count me skeptical that crowd noise and home environment is leading to wins, especially when prior to this season, the last five years, the postseason where the home teams had the highest win percentage was in the bubble when they weren't at home and didn't have a crowd.

So the fans suck. Yeah. Could you imagine a player? in their post-game interview. You know, why did that come back fall short? Well, the fans just weren't that into it, guys. We needed more from them. We needed more.

The thing is, though, and like, and I don't want this to come across as like fans aren't important because when the pandemic happened, we learned how important fans are to sports. Incredibly important. Sports are not the same without the fans in the building and the atmosphere. I just don't think it helps one team more than the other. I think when you're on the road and it's a crazy invite, you go into Carolina.

I see it on TV. It's freaking insane. But I think that the road team is like pumped to go into an environment like that and play. I think it absolutely adds to the game. I just don't think it helps the home team as much as sometimes we people think. And some people will argue that being on the road has its advantages as well. I mean, there's fewer distractions. You're not going home.

And if you've got like three kids jumping all over it, it's none of that, you know. And you're with your team. You've got the team element, the camaraderie. So much so. we've heard of teams staying in hotels when they're at home if they have a lot of success on the road. Ront actually said he prefers the road because they have a bus and he doesn't have to have traffic. So I thought that was funny.

It always cracks me up. Whenever a team has lost like three in a row at home, they always say like, yeah, we just, we really need to get on the road. We need to get together. We need to have some team bonding. We got to get away from distractions. And it's like, oh, that's the problem. And then you lose three in a row on the road.

And they're like, yeah, we just can't wait to get home. And this travel's been killing us. It's like, whatever fits the narrative. Yeah, exactly. So fans are to blame and, you know, being around family to blame and being in your own bed to blame. I mean, exactly. Whatever fits the narrative is what they like to blame. So it's now a best of three.

We'll see what happens with the, I mean, if it continues to go like this, obviously, advantage home team there. The other series, all done. Oilers, done. Avs definitely have some time to kill. Could be 12 days, guys. 12 days between eliminating the Edmonton Oilers and the beginning of the Stanley Cup final. Are you a rest or rust type person? I mean, do you think 12 days is an advantage? You can heal up,

you can prepare, you can make sure you're ready for the Stanley Cup final, or are you a rust type person thinking this is far too long between games? Jesse, we'll start with you. Well, I think in terms of having maybe the chance to get Nazim Cadbury back, 12 days is huge for that. I don't know. I think it depends on the situation. I think it can be, it can depends on the team. I covered the Golden Knights in a very similar situation where they beat the Jets 4 to 1 in their series, and then Tampa Bay and Washington in the East went seven games. And because it's the Cup final, you have that media day. So there's like an extra couple days in between. And the Golden Knights won that game one. against the Capitals. And that was the only game they won in the whole series. They got smoked the

rest of that series. So clearly the Rust did not bother that team. And then it didn't matter after that. So, like, honestly, I don't know about Restor Russ. I would say if I was Colorado, I'd rather have the time than not just because of the injuries. And, like, if they can get Cadry back, I think it makes a massive difference. Yeah, this might be one of my least favorite narratives. I think anytime you can get a key player back and get a breather. And you know half the team at least is banged up. So everybody's resting. I think that's, and then you have like half a period where you need to get your legs under you. Like that's the worst I've ever seen of a team not being able to come back from too much rust. And I think that's why you want to get these series over with as

soon as possible. So I think rest and team rest. Also, if there's a team that can overcome rust, like you mentioned Sarah, maybe it takes them half a period. If the avalanche are down three nothing early, not a big deal at all. They'll score that in four minutes. I've always been team rest. The Stanley Cup players are such a grind. Like it's such an insane grind. And you're saying here, take 12 days.

Even if you're not technically injured like cadre, everybody's banged up. Everybody's got things that they'd love to give a few days to heal up. And the whole element of, and I guess we talked about this with the home versus away. The fact that we have to motivate players in the Stanley Cup final doesn't make any sense to me. I think they're jack to go and maybe just impatience, but I don't know about that. But anytime a team punches a stick it to the Stanley Cup final, we can start talking about

cons my trophy. Right now, if you had to pick the best player for the Colorado Avalanche, who's tops on your list, wants to go first. Oh, Sarah, Sarah's got that face like she wants to get in. I guess Nathan McKinnon just overall, to me, like thinking about the way he takes over a game in his impact in general, but I don't know. I love Kail McCar too. It's a tough call, Jesse. For me, it's McCar. And I think those two are clearly the obvious. Like, I don't think there's anyone else in the conversation. But for me, McCar, he just, like, McKinnon will,

turn it on. And to me, McKinnon will make the, like, he, when he, he has another gear that, like, I don't even know if McDavid has that gear. Like, when he turns, it on, it's like unbelievable, that speed and acceleration. And he just goes around a guy and scores. And McCar, to me, maybe doesn't make that one special play the way McKinnon does. But he, when I'm watching the game overall, I feel like McCar is controlling possession. He's, he's kind of controlling the game and maybe has a bigger impact. Maybe that's just because he's a defenseman and he plays a little more. But I, to me, when I watch Colorado Avalanche games, they're defined by Kail McCarr. I don't know how to, I don't know if that makes any sense, but he is what I think of when I

think of the Collard Avalanche now, which is insane. If you would have said that three years ago, Nathan McKin, this team's going to be in the cup final and Nathan McKinnon isn't the best player on the team. Like, holy crap, either Nathan McKinnon fell off or somebody came out of nowhere. And it's, it's unbelievable how good Kail McCarr has got this quick. I think you see that on the power play too. Right. You need a power play ace and it's him. There is an element of being an exciting player and an element, and you said that. the word, the control. It's been a long time since I've seen a defenseman control everything in a hockey game.

Every time he's on the ice, Kail Makar says, this is what I want to do with the game. I want to slow it down. I want to speed it up. I want to get this person involved. I want to get that. I feel like whatever he wants to do, he can do. And we've seen him completely take over games. And we've seen him be a dynamic player too.

I mean, he's got the ability to go end-to-end, like no defenseman in my recent past that I can think of. But he controls everything. And if they take, I'd rather, okay, let me ask you this. If the avalanche had to lose one player, do you think they pick McKinnon or do you think they pick McCar? I would rather, as great as McKinnon is, I'd rather healthy scratch McKinnon than McCar. And I know they're both not getting healthy scratch. I'm doing this for the sake of argument. That's impossible.

That is literally impossible. No, it's not. It's tough. Healthy scratch one of them. I think they have forwards that can, I think they have depth that forward that they could still survive. I think McCar is a bigger hit. We talk a lot about his offense and how he controls the pace of play. He defended McDavid about as well as a human being can defend McDavid.

And obviously it's the skating, right? Like he's got the skating. If there's a guy on this planet that can move backwards and stay with McKinnon and keep that gap control and then poke his stick in there at the right time, I mean, we saw him do it over and over and over in those four games. It's impossible to completely shut McDavid down, but I thought, I don't think you can do a better job than McCar did in that series. Yeah, you get the depth, too, with the forwards there,

so I guess we can do it without McKinnon. But I just love what, like, he's so big and powerful, but he's so fat. Like, I love when his edges get going. Yeah. Watching him skate. And then it's like Mario Kart, where you have that one thing,

the lightning vault and everybody else gets smaller. It's literally him. That's what I was saying. I said he had another gear. You just said it a million times better. He is 100% the, because not only is he faster, but like you said, he's more powerful. He just bulldozes through people. He has the flashy thing on Mario.

That's absolutely it. I love how Jesse was at a loss for words for Kyle McCar, and Sarah fixes that by bringing up Mario Kart. Like, that's just, yeah, that's, it's just like a Mario Kart. And I know it's a podcast so people can't actually hear us, but Arceas, Jesse's eyes lit up when you made that. It's like the lightning. That's exactly what it is. That's why they pay me the big book. Oilers got swept, but this is far from just a one-sided series.

And you look at the Oilers playoff run to the conference final. Certainly there was some good. Certainly there was some bad. When you look back at what we saw from the 2021-22 Edminton Oilers and specifically the playoff run, if you're a fan, are you happy with what? saw, are you disappointed with the way it ended? I'm always going to go disappointed just because you only get so many cracks at this, and it's felt really hard for the Oilers to get cracks at this in the past few seasons.

But maybe, listen, I don't want to crap on Mike Smith too much. He's a 40-year-old man who's doing his best. I do want to say that's Ken Holland's fault. Yes. I think maybe this motivates Ken Holland to go for a new goalie because they're this close and they're right there. So maybe it's something you can turn disappointment into. motivation for the front office because apparently we need to motivate them to get a new

goalie. Yeah, I think it's a step in the right direction. I think prior to this season and prior to these playoffs, I think we've all said there's two major, major issues in Edmonton. They clearly have the star power and they clearly have the high end scoring, but they need more depth and they need better goaltending. And I think you saw a step in the right direction from this team. I thought the depth scoring was so much better. Obviously, Van der Kaine, just. getting fed goals by McDavid, but also Nugent Hopkins. They got big goals from a lot of guys on this team. Hyman. Zach Hyman. Right. Yep. I think, so I think, I think this Edmonton Oilers team, you suddenly say, you know what? They're closer than, than we initially thought prior to this postseason. I think going into this postseason, I picked the Kings to beat them.

And now, after watching them through two rounds, three rounds, if you count this half series against the avalanche where they got slaughtered, I think I, to me, to me, me, they feel closer. But as Sarah said, it's goaltending. And it's Mike Smith, he's, he's a man, he's 40, he's not very good. It's not his fault. He actually outplayed to me. I thought Mike Smith overperformed in these playoffs. And that's just what you get when you have a 40-year-old goalie who's not very good. And you have a team with Leon Drysoddle and McDavid and you're just, you know what, we're going to beat everyone six to five. And then you have McDavid in post-game press conferences saying that many goals should be enough to win a playoff game. We've got a old man in goal who sits on his heels on the goal line and just get sniped. It's not Mike Smith's fault. That's how he's been his whole career. Like I said,

I actually thought he may have overperformed in these playoffs, but if you're the Oilers, you have to get a goalie. I don't know which one they're going to get. I mean, Flurry is a free agent. I highly doubt he's going there. Maybe there's someone on the trade market. It's this Jack Campbell is a free agent. I doubt he's leaving Toronto. But like to me, and Campbell are the only free agent options. I don't know what they're going to do other than trade for one, but you cannot waste Connor McDavid's career without having a goalie in Edmonton. You have to wonder if they had picked up a goaltender at the deadline.

Because I think, unlike Sarah, I will shit on Mike Smith. His mistakes were so glaring. And you and I talked about this, Jesse. I know he's great with the puck. But so many times when he leaves that crease, I hold my breath. And I think, what's going to happen here? We're also talking about a guy, albeit in a win that allowed a goal from 130 feet. We're talking about a guy who did not steal one game.

And we're talking about a guy who got yanked twice in the playoffs. That's not going to win you a Stanley Cup. He's not very good. No, he's just not very good. Yeah, yeah, he's just not. And you mentioned the playing the park. It's like you don't trust your goalie. And I think he's made some really good saves, but it's like very high event when you want your goalie to be more chill.

Right. The play in the puck thing, it's a curse that he's, so good at it because he's so aggressive. He goes over there and like some goalies who aren't good at playing the puck, never make mistakes because they just make the simple play. Oh, there's nothing there. I'm throwing it a lot. I'm rimming it up the boards every time. That's Robin Leonard. When you're good at it, you think, okay, I can make, like, I'm going to make my impact on this game playing this puck. And when you do that and you're aggressive, you're going to make mistakes. And then it ends up in the back of your net a lot. It's, it was like like every other player in

the NHL, and I know this as someone who's over 40, things start going the wrong way when you turn 40, okay? He's having trouble stopping the puck on rimarounds. Like he's, a puck's dumped in, he goes behind the net just to stop it for his defenseman and he's missing the puck. He's just, as Jesse, he's just not very good. And you need, I don't care what you, what you look back. Any Stanley Cup winner has had their goalie steal one to two games at some point. Mike's Smith does not have the ability to steal a game. Even when he did pick up a shutout, he didn't steal that game. He didn't do anything that necessarily would think, wow, the Oilers got thoroughly outplayed,

but thank God they had Mike Smith. It just didn't happen. That's the glaring hole. Everything else that they've been bitching about all these years, they got. They got secondary scoring. Their two best players were having quite literally an historic playoff run. On one toe. Exactly.

Wayne Gratsky's points record was actually in jeopardy, if they'd, make the Stanley Cup final and they just got bad goals. And that's it. That's, that's, I think we're all in agreement there. Now, I'm really curious to see if Evander Kane is going to be an Edmonton Oiler next year. Maybe we'll ask Michael Russo who's joining us after the break. So don't go anywhere. This is the Wednesday roundtable edition of the athletic hockey show. You know, guys, so many times throughout this season on this podcast, I've introduced somebody by saying, oh, so-and-so covered the game last night or was at the game. But, hands down. In fact, in my whole career, and I've been doing this a long time, this is the first

time I get to say that this person was at the game with a bourbon and a stogie in his mouth in the lightning cigar lounge. But it's fun to be able to say that. Michael Russo from the athletic joining us on the Wednesday round table. That, that if, and if you weren't following him or reading the piece on the athletic guys, what a lounge to be able to watch the hockey game. I've watched a lot of hockey games, Michael, but never like that. Yeah, it was a tough assignment, but somebody had to do it. It's funny, I was sitting next to Greg Wischinsky from ESPN and game one of the series, and he comes up and he goes, you know about the cigar lounge here.

I'm like, I've heard of it, but I didn't, I didn't, you know, I've never been in there. And he shows me the pictures that he took. I'm like, wait a minute, like you could actually see the ice from the cigar lounge. He goes, yeah, that's the big thing. that you can go down there. So I asked their PR guy, Brian, I'm like, I'm like, has anybody ever sat in there and done a piece on that? He's like, no, not that I'm aware of and I Google it.

And the only thing I ever saw was like years ago with cigar aficionado did a story on it. So I'm like, well, this is right up my alley. And, you know, especially for an 8 p.m. game. And in hindsight, really, yes, it was kind of a blog game. So there wasn't a lot to write about off the game. And we obviously had Joe Smith and Arthur Staples here. It turned out to be good timing. But it was just a really fun time.

unique atmosphere, you know, there's no, there's no arena in the league that you could obviously do this in. And it's just a bunch of lightning and ranger fans just having a jolly old time in there watching hockey from a cigar lounge. Did you feel the atmosphere from in there? That was the one thing I've always wondered. You know, a lot of times I've sat in those private boxes. You don't really get the crowd, you know, energy from in those boxes. Did you feel it in there? Yeah, that's probably the best point, um, is that, you know, they obviously have to, to have the glass surrounding it or you'd have smoke filtering into the lower bowls. So that would not be good.

So you really don't feel that. But inside, when a goal happens, I mean, people are just going nuts. And then you just quickly open the door and you are out into the arena. They have a two-story chase club there that is just magnificent. It's just gigantic. 1,300 people sold out. It overlooks the water on one end and the ice on the other end. And, you know, Seth, and you open your job.

door, you are in the open arena. And it is just, and so you can quickly feel it that way. But, you know, it was just a unique atmosphere. I think a lot of people that watch hockey at home, they, you know, especially in the summertime during the playoffs, they'll actually sit back on their patio and smoke a cigar or drink a glass of wine or, you know, have a beer or whatever. And, and this was a chance to actually do it from essentially a man cave in the arena. And it was, it was just really, really neat. And, you know, something I'd, I joked with Brian, they were a fire guy afterwards. I'm like, I think I'm going to have to cover the stand-a-com final end here, too, is the lightning is, Mike, you mentioned Rangers and Lightning fans.

Is there a little more, I guess, are they a little more cordial in there? The cigars kind of bring everybody together? Yeah. Yeah, it's funny. I talked to a couple of Ranger fans that came down there. A guy that was wearing a Bukaboon jersey and a guy that was wearing a Panarin jersey, and that's what they were saying. Is that how welcoming everybody is?

I talked to somebody that was from New Canaan, Connecticut, you know, big CEO of a company, and he said this is something that could never happen in New York, that everybody was so inviting. And so, you know, and that I will say is one little change that the lightning have made. I don't know if you remember sort of the controversy in the last couple of years that in a lot of the clubs that the lightning have here, that you can't wear opposing jerseys. And there was some big, big, bad publicity that they got where basically ushers or lightning personnel tried to get a kid to essentially take off. his or her jersey from the other team and it sort of went viral and all that stuff. That is the one thing that apparently this year has changed that people can wear opposing jerseys in that arena,

especially in this club and feel comfortable. I will say those same two guys, not to throw them onto the bus, but during the anthem, as that incredible woman is singing the anthem, the former sergeant from the army is singing the anthem, they scream out during the anthem, Let's Go Rangers, like Rangers fans are known to do. and immediately the ushers towns on those guys. Same guys I interviewed the story and they said, cut it off.

But it was, it was a cordial thing. And I think, yeah, anytime you bring a cigar and a bunch of booze together, it usually brings anybody together. So in between puffs of your Stogeys, I'm sure you did catch a little bit of the hockey game.

It's been home ice advantage in this one. Yeah. These last two games have looked like a completely different Tampa Bay Lightning team that we've seen in the first two games. and Jesse and I talked about this last week. We should have to stop ever counting this team out because they've kind of figured the playoffs out, haven't they? Yeah, they never panic.

They have so much championship pedigree in there. And it's funny because this team has played more hockey than anybody else the last couple years. And every time you think they're like spent and they just want to get into their early off season, then they do something like this and show that, you know what, it's like they've never won a cup before and they want to do it again.

And I'm overlooking the river that they always have their parade on right now. I'm sitting on my patio in Tampa before my flight. And you can see why this group of guys, in fact, I'm looking over the island. That's all their gigantic homes are on. I'm basically staring at Ryan McDone's house right now. And you know, you can see why these guys want to stay down here as long as they absolutely can. And so they go out last night and they just put on a defensive clinic. Vasilevsky, I think is the most important thing. He looks like he's found himself. He looked extremely rusty in game one. And even game two, where he's, he really kind of saved them at times in that game.

You know, he just looked unclean to me. And now he is starting to look like the Vasilisci that we've seen before. And so, you know, they, I think the Rangers are in deep right now. You know, if anybody can win two of the last three games to Lightning and having to win one game up there, they could absolutely do it. So, you know, I got to think there's a little bit of tightness going on right now with the Rangers. And, you know, you can tell in the first period guys outside, like I'm telling you, like, they just couldn't get anything going to the Rangers.

it just, it was, it was something to be seeing, the lightning just sort of turning it on to their defensive ways. They're the one team right now that's still in this league that just seems to want to always play defense. You know, maybe I'm watching too much Western Conference hockey, but they still sort of play like the league the old days. And, you know, not a team that just lights you up offensively. And if they want to win a game, 2-1, 3-1, they absolutely can. You kind of went into this. but I'm curious, like, from the Rangers perspective, I guess there are two ways to look at this.

It's, well, the home team still hasn't lost a game. And if you're the Rangers, it's like, we still have home ice. We're going back to New York for two, the next three. But you kind of mentioned it. It doesn't feel, at least for me, it doesn't feel like the home team is won every game. It feels like the lightning weren't themselves and now they are. And that spells trouble for New York. No doubt.

And the one thing that the lightning has to do is, I think five on five, they're the better team is they've got to stay out of the box and just not give that an incredible power play that has so many options with with Hibinajad in the left circle and Adam Fox playing you know basically quarterbacking everything around us up top and then Panarin sort of the straw that just gets the he knows where everybody is on that that power play they got to stay out of the box when they go to the garden because that power play is just electric but you but you're right I mean this this ranger team now has to have doubt in its mind and you can see it there was frustration after the game. I stepped into the Galant

presser and he was agitated. Very different Gerard Galant that we saw in the morning where he came up to Arthur Staples and me and just shot the breeze with us for like 10 minutes. And after the game, he was in no mood. So they know that right now they've got to get themselves to, you know, the one thing

about Gerard Glant too, he's not a big ex-in-o-os guys. But him, it's all about commitment and work ethic. And I wrote that massive Gerard Glant's story a couple days ago, which I had a blast doing. and he even joked that he goes everybody sent them the story I'm telling you like he is all about work at them and that is the one thing they kept on harping on after the game

is that if they don't work harder they're not going to win the series and I think that's the one thing that he's going to do to try to get these guys prepared for tomorrow night both teams having you know injury issues we still haven't seen brain point but for me you look at like ryanstrom didn't play last night uh heedle leaves the game does not return there's two of your top three centers And we saw, I think this morning I read 10 different combinations as far as line movement goes from Gallant.

But how big of a loss is that for those, you know, those two centers for the New York Rangers? Because we're hearing point could be back soon. But if those two are gone for a long period of time, that just hurts. Yeah, I mean, it's really interesting the way they're playing this point thing because he is skating every single day and just looks like he's ready to play. And so, you know, do you sort of give him another game off and sort of maybe wait to play him at home? or wait until you need them if you're down three two or just wait for the finals. I don't know. It's interesting because you skate in 50 minutes a day now.

But in terms of the Rangers, it's a huge problem. These injuries are definitely starting to mount up. And I'm telling you, there's other guys that clearly are hurt. I'm doing just a really, really cool Ryan Lindgren piece for Friday. And, you know, I've talked to his entire family. And I know he's playing with a very significant injury right now. Barkley Googergerow could barely walk out of the area. arena yesterday morning.

So like there's there's a lot of guys heard on that team right now. And you see it. I mean, it's not just them too. You know, Pat Maroon can barely walk right now. It's pretty, that's the one thing when you back down around these guys and not doing everything on Zoom, you get to see stuff that you didn't get to see the last couple of years. And you've seen the commitment that all these players have right now. So I do think these are significant injuries for the Rangers.

And if they all of a sudden or without, you know, really one of their big, big players on that kid line. and obviously Strom, it's a huge huge issue here to try to win two, the last three games against the lightning. You mentioned Gerard DeLant, but I think Cooper, I think we almost forget how, like, we just don't mention it because we're so used to him being so good. I've been super impressed with, like we mentioned Tampa Bay found themselves, but I think Cooper made some great adjustments. In those first two games, it felt like they were kind of playing the Rangers style, letting the Rangers get going with speed. And these last two games, I can count on one hand the amount of times the Rangers have had a pass through the slot. What have you seen from Cooper?

And is he just putting on another master class? Yeah, I mean, you know, it's fun covering different coaches. You know, I'm sure Sarah Fivian sees it all the time with Rod Rindamore, too. It's like sometimes I listen to Rod Rindamore speak. And it's sort of, you know, when you cover different coaches in that conference and you hear these guys speak, you just sort of like get inspired that you're starting to learn something about hockey and things like that. That's the way every time you go sitting in a John Cooper press conference, you leave there more and more impressed because he's so willing to talk to you

and explain things and even talk strategy. And he's so sort of folksy and nice and all that. And, you know, the one thing that I noticed in games one and two where I think a lot of coaches would have gotten tight is he didn't panic. There was no, like, stress in his voice. Now, I'm sure deep down there was a little worry. But I think he has such trust in his players that they're going to be able to buy in to what he's selling that he, um, that he,

just feels confident in sort of conveying that into getting into the locker room and getting them and trusting that they're going to execute it. And the one thing that he really harped on after games one and two is not just all these cross-team classes and the odd man rushes they were giving up, but it was the turnover. They were managing the puck so poorly. And it needed to stop or this series was going to end quickly because the Rangers could be so good on transition. You know, you get these one-time options from everybody on that team, you know, especially excuse me Benajad. It just was becoming, you know,

basically a joke those first two games. And they had to be harder on the puck. Hucharop had made some very uncharacteristic, and characteristics and mistakes. Hedman wasn't on top of the game. As good as Stampos was, he was making some mistakes. And now they've come home the last two games, and they just looked so much more like themselves.

You could see Hootrop was probably early in game three, pressing a little too much, made some mistakes from the power play. But he just elevated his game for such a degree of that game that he showed you, even with some of the, you know, funky penalties that he took, why he could be the best player on the planet at times when he wants to be, especially in a plus situation. They have guys like Andre Palat and everybody, look, you know,

if you're going to name a Tampa Bay Lightning player, he's going to probably be fifth or sixth on your list as of most important because there's so many more, you know, star power options on that team, but then you look at it. I mean, he's got the second most points in Lightning history in the playoffs, the second most goals in Lightning history in the playoffs, most game winning goals in the playoffs. This is a team that is, you know,

clearly, clearly, you know, just made for this time of year. And I think Cooper knew that. I'd be remiss if we didn't ask you about the Western Conference. I've been reading a lot of different angles in regard to the Edmonton Oilers, Michael. And just looking back on this run, some people have a lot of positive things about it. Some people say a lot of negative things about it. What side of the fence are you on with this Edmonton Oilers? If you're a fan of the Edmonton Oilers, was this a good run?

was this a disappointing ending to a run? No, I think it was a good run. I mean, you know, look, they played a team that looks right now like they are ready to win a cup. I mean, it's played 14 games in the playoffs. It's crazy. You know, they're just having two losses. That team just seems ready.

They're deep. Obviously, Cadreys injury is huge. But, you know, the one area where they've really improved that team is the second, third, and fourth lines. But their blue line is as good as it gets right now. and that's the one area that we're Joe Sackick has just done a lot. So I don't, I'm blaming. The one thing Ken Holland's got to do is you've got to get a goalie.

You just can't win with goalstanding that the way that Edmondson-Wilers were getting. Mike Smith, you know, cratered. You could see it in that game. You could see it all series. You know, I know that his numbers were probably better going into that game and, you know, he looked, but, you know, when they needed a most there, it seemed like he absolutely melted down, and you just knew what was going to happen there earlier in overtime.

So I do feel bad for McDavid and Dryshead. but I think what it shows is that they've taken another step. And as long as they get a goaltender, they can rely upon. I think they're going to be much, much better. And, you know, I'm covering the Stanley Cup final for the athletic to be one of, but four or five of us, I think. And I'm looking forward to seeing Colorado playing any of these teams in the East. Either of them, I think, to give Colorado a show.

The Colorado, I mean, they just look like a machine right now. Is he Vandercane and Emminton Oiler next year? Probably. I really do. He was just, like, I know that he made that he obviously has the suspension there at the worst time, but they were down to Rio anyway, but they were in a war back in the series, right? But he, you look at his numbers in Edmonton. I mean, the guy was like on a 45, 50-bolt pace if he played all year, I think. You know, he, you know, I just, my gut says that, uh, that Kenny brings him back in some capacity, but they don't have a ton of cap base, too.

So, you know, if it's true what I saw on Twitter at least yesterday, I didn't see the press conference that a van der, Kane was saying this is the best team that he's played on. Well, you know, he might need to compromise and figure out a way to make it work to come back there. Michael, I know it's a travel day. We really appreciate you doing this in between puffs of the Stogies and the bourbon from last night. Thanks so much. Enjoy the rest of the series and enjoy the finals. Thanks.

And if you saw my view right now from this patio that I'm on, you'd be even more pissed off with the assignment that I got yesterday. So this has not been a tough, tough flooding here the last couple days for me. You know what? Bragg when you can about our job. That's what I always say. Thanks so much, Michael. Enjoy the rest of the ride.

Yep. See it. Take care. Bye. Michael Russo from the athletic after the break. Rapid fire time. So don't go anywhere.

Okay, guys, rapid fire time. Got to ask you about the Bruins coaching change, which usually doesn't happen after a 51 win season. But yes, this Bruins team is littered with injuries,

littered with aging players, littered with possible retirements. Is this? the end of an era when it comes to this Boston Bruins team, and are we going to see one that doesn't make the playoffs next year? Sarah? Well, it looks like it's management saving their own asses to me. I don't think Cassidy really did anything to negatively impact this team to the extent of getting fired. I do think there were so many injuries and so many missed opportunities at the draft. And whatever the reason, yeah, they're going to need more draft picks. They're going to need

it does kind of feel like the end of an error, especially when you pull the trigger on something like this. Yeah, I agree. I think Cassidy is a phenomenal coach. It kind of reminds me of Pete DeVore getting fired here in Vegas. It was like management blamed it on injuries in Boston. They basically came out and said like, yeah, we had injuries at the wrong time. Oh, this guy who had nothing to do with that and actually is the one who had to deal with all those injuries and manage the team through it, fired, gone. It makes no sense. But as Sarah said, sometimes management. has to fire the coach to buy themselves another few years. That seems like what it's like. End of an era, it's tough to say.

It depends on the decisions we see. It depends on whether Patrice Bergeron comes back or retires. It depends on whether Pasturnaq is re-signed or leaves. If those two are gone and Cassidy's gone, it's the end of an era. I mean, even if the team does, like, play well, it won't be the same Boston Bruins team that we've seen for the last however many years. It will for sure be the end of an era. two arm back.

And Marciaan's going to miss a lot of time with that hip surgery as well. Right. I think this is the indicator, personally. I don't necessarily think this is the Bruins saying Bruce Cassidy is to blame for what happened in the playoffs. And I know they kind of mentioned that his message was taking its toll, I think was the exact quote. I think this is the Boston Bruins saying, this is it, guys, as far as this era goes,

we're turning the page. All of what Jesse just said is probably going to happen. So we might as well start for sure. Time will tell if I'm right or wrong on that one. News from the haves, Marie-Philippe Hulen, hired as a player development consultant, while still holding her title as the best female player on planet Earth, probably will retire as the greatest female player ever. Huge news in Montreal.

Your thoughts on this one, Jesse. Yeah, I think we talk a lot about, like, especially now I'm covering a coaching search, there's a lot of talk of like, we need female coaches in the NHL. And I totally agree. But I think we need a bunch of women to be hired in these types of positions now so that they can build resumes. Like I don't know if hiring a woman who's never coached in the NHL is the right move to make. But I think to get there, we've, like, women need to have these opportunities. And I think obviously she deserves it more than anyone. I think the more women we can get in getting in staffs, get them on NHL teams, get them in the room. And then in a couple years, after they have the experience and they've been around the NHL teams, I think there's going to be legitimate resumes. Like right now I'm covering a coaching search. It's hard to find a woman who can put up a resume when you're comparing it to Barry Trots or whatever. But I think if you get women in these positions now, soon you will have it.

And I think it's going to be a lot more realistic of an option to hire a woman as a head coach. So it's really cool to see this. Sarah? Yeah, absolutely. You've got to get your feet in the door. And you've got to kind of, it's just the way that it has worked out with the coaching carousels are so. homogeneous and it's like one group of people. So you've got to start somewhere and you got to kind of do it from the ground up even if it shouldn't have been that way. It's the way it is. So got to build these

resumes. I am disappointed that she's still playing hockey because that means bad news. This says the American, yes. Yeah. I mean, it's great for the sport. Don't get me wrong, but I have to be terrorized by her for another four years. Real quick, I got to deal with her a lot in young Chang and in my career, I've never dealt with a more humble athlete, almost annoyingly so. We would have little games where we would just try to get Marie-Philippe Poulin to say something complimentary about herself. You know, just to say, I had a great game today. She would not do it. Gold medal overtime game-winning goals, she still brings up how good the team is and specific specific players who had great games.

And sometimes, like I said, it could be annoying to say, come on. Come on. You're Maria Faluke-Bal. Say something good about yourself. She just didn't. But she did. I watch that press conference. And she seemed excited about this opportunity.

The balancing act is going to be interesting because she, like she mentioned, she does want to play in one more Olympic games. But when she's done, that's going to be fun to watch. And speaking of international hockey, Seattle's Chris Treeger, out seven to nine months with a torn ACL, suffered at the world championships. This is why some teams just don't like seeing players go and play elsewhere, literally anywhere. But that's a painful.

Absolutely brutal. That's all you can say about that. God. Like, I think if I was a player, I know this, Matt, I'm not a player for multiple reasons. I don't think I'd want to chance it with these type of tournaments. I know some guys love it, but I just, you see that. up. It's just, the thing with this is, like, this tournament gives people who normally wouldn't have a chance to represent Team Canada to put that jersey on. So, like, I, like, the Olympics, when it's best on best, the one we thought we were going to get, I can see guys saying, like, a guy who's an absolute superstar, like, hey, I've worn Team Canada's jersey. I did it at World Juniors. I did it. To me, World Championships, because it's not the best of the best, it's kind of the B squad, it's kind of the younger players getting a chance, guys who would not. never get a sniff on Team Canada, get to play.

And I think there's so much prestige in putting that Team Canada or Team USA or whatever it is. I'm using Canada because they have the deepest pool and they have the guys that you have legit NHL players that have no chance of making it on their team. But to me, that's like this tournament's different because this is like probably Chris Dreger's only chance to represent his country in a tournament. It's tough to turn down. But at the same time, it's like, man, that tournament meant nothing.

Like, who cares who won that tournament? and now he's out for a long time. It's absolutely brutal. That tournament is so interesting because you just wish it was a couple of months later. Now, I don't know if players after a long playoff run, like I don't know if a Connor McDavid would say after this long playoff run, hey, you know, I'd love to join team Canada. But it's unfortunate because it is the world championships.

And Europeans, that's what they want. You know, this is everything to them. But Canadians and Americans, they just look at it as, hey, Stanley Cup finals are going on. I'm not worrying about the world championship. Raps up another show, guys. You know, this is the time of the show. I want to hear what you're working on this week and what we can look forward to on the athletic.

Sarah, we'll start with you. The style rankings are making a comeback now that the canes are out and I've had a few days. So that'll be very exciting. Might have a special guest who is known for his style. So look out for that. Yeah, and I'm working on some draft stuff. The Golden Knights do not have draft picks because they trade them all away.

So I'm kind of getting to do some cool stuff where I'm writing some profiles on some draft prospects heading into Montreal, which I am so pumped for the draft this year. So lots of profiles on draft prospects coming from me. Looking forward to reading those guys. So thanks so much. I want to let you know something else we got coming up on the athletic new Sabres writer Matt Fairbairn, joining Custinson Gentilly on the Tuesday edition of the Athletic Hockey Show. Be sure to tune in to that. And also be sure to follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Don't forget, leave a rating, leave a review.

And you can subscribe to the Athletic Audio Plus on Apple Podcast to get all your bonus content from our entire network. You start with a 30-day free trial. Then it's just 99 cents a month after that. Right now, you get an annual subscription to the Athletic for just a dollar a month for six months when you visit theathletic.com slash hockey show. The Athletic Hockey Show returns Thursday with Ian Mendez

and down goes round. For Jesse, for Sarah, I'm Rob. Big thanks to Michael Russo for coming on the show, especially on a travel day. And we will see you next week.