The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Postgame Show: The Hockey Show From The Stanley Cup Final

Episode Date: June 7, 2024

The Florida Panthers are in their second straight Stanley Cup Final! Roy and David Dwok of The Hockey News are here to recap the Panthers' series-clinching win over the New York Rangers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, preview the upcoming Stanley Cup Final with the Oilers and discuss the best playoff beards on the Cats. Then, the boys are joined by legendary Panthers writer, George Richards, from Amerant Bank Arena on Stanley Cup Final Media Day. The crew gets us ready for Saturday night's Game 1 of the Cup Final and George gives us his opinion on Greg Cote setting Canada ablaze with his opinion that Connor McDavid is McOverrated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Hello, welcome to The Hockey Show. My name is Roy Bellamy. That's David Dwork of the Hockey News. The Florida Panthers are in the Stanley Cup Final. They are playing the Edmonton Oilers. We are going to talk about that matchup in a second. Stanley Cup. Stanley Cup.

Stanley Cup. All right, but first we're going to recap game six. I mean, what is there to say? I mean, they practically dominated the entire game. Yeah, you know what really impressed me about that was their third period though. And we're gonna go through the game. The shut down city.

We're gonna get there, but this is where the Panthers flex their muscles for what they've been doing all season, playing that tight gap defensive style that we've really grown to love. It was nice to see them do it against the team as good as the Rangers. And Stanley Cup. Stanley Cup. I

Absolutely loved seeing Sam Bennett's Healing process now for him to take a slap show one-timer like that perfect shot after having a broken hand basically Perfect one-timer and a play that was barely onside That was your boy. Your boy at the blue line. I mean that was a bit aggressive by Jacob Trubber trying to sweep that puck away. Oh trying to check actually. Trying to get a check off. But that was pretty aggressive and he got caught.

Especially knowing what we know now. That he had like half his ankle got chunked off during the season or whatever. That's... Absolutely no way he was going to catch up to either e2 or Yeah, yeah, so I'm sorry was everyone Rodriguez for the assistant You know I mean there was no way he's gonna catch up with either one of them Well, he was a step behind much of the series really I mean the physical play was all he could really lean on the speed Wasn't there I mean he's a big guy very talented, but you could see he was struggling now. We know why It just made as soon as I heard that,

honestly the first thing I thought of was, back to the Panthers, they were so hurt last year, we found out after the playoffs were over what Bennett was going through, Ekblad, Montor, now it's a different story, it's such a different feel Roy, and you and I were there after game four against Carolina last year.

We were walking around in the locker room outside, it was jubilation, you would have thought they'd just won the Stanley Cup. It was awesome. Yeah. And we were there after they beat the Rangers last week. Same situation, going to the Stanley Cup. It's all business.

Totally different, night and day. Well, the job's not done according to them. They got four wins left, at most seven games to go. And it's gonna be a good match, a very, very close matchup, but I want to go over the numbers here. Yes. We got to recognize at least one thing from that series, and that's Igor Shosturkin. It's the only reason why it wasn't a sweep.

Right? I mean, I don't want to say that it wasn't a sweep, because the Rangers are a damn good team, but holy cow, did he keep them in a series. He was unbelievable. because the Rangers are a damn good team, but holy cow did he keep them in a series. Like he was unbelievable. Yeah, he had a 930 save percentage, a 225 goes against average on 5 on 5, a 945 save percentage and a 173 goes against average. Now despite how well, and I mean they did do well on 5 on 5, the Panthers did.

Igor Svetaergen Well, and I mean they did do well on five on five the Panthers did Eglert Sturgeon Stole two wins for the New York Rangers in that series. Yeah, he's he's the playoff Vezina winner He might win the cons might even though they don't even make the final. I tell you I mean, it's not gonna happen He was so good. You know for me it was great to watch because a I got to watch this amazing Playoff hockey goaltending and B, the Panthers still won. So it was just you know win-win for me. In comparison Sergey Bobrowski a 938 save percentage and a 135 goes against average five on five and a 921 save percentage and 189 goes against average.

Lights out. Yeah he played I mean it was a goaltending battle the entire series. But the fact that this went six, all on the shoulders of Igor Shosturkin. Yeah I think that the big difference when you look at the statistics are very similar between the two but we're talking about Shosturkin well before we're talking about Sergei Barbarofsky and I think that's a testament to how well the Panthers played in front of Barbarofsky to limit a lot of the hard shots. Because while Bob's statistics were very similar to Shosturkin's, when you look at the high danger chances and what Shosturkin had to do from shots coming from the house, oh man,

he was unbelievable. High danger chances by the way for the entire series, 94-58 in favor of the Panthers. No, 5 on 5, 77 to 40. It was a lot of traffic, a lot of chaos in front of the Rangers' crease. Yep. I can tell you that. Buckle up, Stewart's dinner.

Yeah. As far as shots total are concerned, five on five, the Panthers outshot with attempts by about 100. 100 shot attempts. It was 392 to 294. I mean, that's just what they do. They take the puck from you. That's 505 by the way.

Yeah. It's crazy, dude. Like what they're doing, a year and a half now into this. Oh man. That's just scary playoff hockey and nobody can match up with it. The real difference between the Rangers and the Oilers, I mean, the styles are pretty similar,

transition, power play. The Oilers are much better at that, but they also have Conor McDavid, Leon Dreisaitl, Zach Hyman. Yep, Oilers may be a little bit more top heavy than the Rangers just because, I mean, they both have very good stars, but when you're talking about McDavid, Dreisaitl and the kind of goal story that Hyman has been doing I mean they're you know kind of in that upper

upper upper echelon right now and I'm excited for the final because basically we're seeing best on best like Florida nobody's defended the way Florida's defended nobody's been suffocating with the forechecking in the tight gaps like Florida and then you've got Edmonton with maybe the most explosive offense, by far the best special teams in the playoffs. It's best on best, and that's all you can ask for when it comes to the hockey.

Lineup changes from the Eastern Conference final, or from what I counted. Florida had 10 lineup changes. That's pregame and endgame. The Rangers had 26. 26 lineup changes. That's a lot. That's what you do when you're trying to come from behind.

Yeah. And it was pretty dire for them. It pretty much looked like, I mean, they were trying every line combination there was. And they couldn't get it done. Sam Bennett, 47 shot attempts, 18 hit the net, nine high danger chances, he went 10 for 19 in the face-off circle.

So yeah, I think he's not fully healthy, obviously. What percentage would you give him? Like 65, 70? No, I would say the way that he's winning face-offs now and getting into those danger areas, I'd say 75, 80. He looks like he's really comfortable, which I think is the key, because that's what he said at first,

like it takes a little while to get your comfort level back, you don't know exactly what you're gonna do with this injury. We will talk about the injury once the playoffs are over. I do have an idea of what happened. Not gonna talk about it until we're done. That's how it works in the playoffs. But the fact that he's healed to the way he has now, where he's taking face-offs,

is you talked about that one-time shot that he had against Shusterkin in game six. That was a perfectly placed shot in the top corner. He looks like he's himself. And I mean, if anybody personifies the style of hockey that Florida has asked to play in their forwards, it's Bennett and it's Kitchuck. Balls to the walls, 100 miles per hour into the boards,

no restrain, no holds barred. Let's go cut final match Let's talk about the special teams the oralist power plays. I don't I'm scared. I don't want to talk about their special teams Okay, how about the pants is penalty killing them? Yeah, well, that's the thing like Florida's PK Where the second in playoffs? Got right here eighty eight point two percent. Yeah, so that sounds really good, and then you got the Oilers PK that's operating at like 93% I think it is, 93.9% which is like, what? Yeah, that's historically good. They went two rounds of the three that they played to get here. Two of those rounds they

didn't give up a power play goal. The Kings didn't get one and the Canucks didn't get one. That's a little nuts. The Panthers power play is also very good, not to the level of the Yorillers, but they've gotten a lot of goals so far in the postseason. Yeah, well the Panthers power play, it hasn't, what's the word, it hasn't gotten the goals, it hasn't performed on. It hasn't gotten the regular season goals that they've gotten.

Yeah, well, they haven't gotten the results, that's what I'm looking for. The results that they had in the regular season. But they're getting the chances. And they're starting to do a few different things. We're seeing them move Sam Reinhardt around to a few different places now, trying to maybe open up those passing lanes

and free him up for that shot that he got when it was a game four against the Rangers overtime that turned that series back around for the Panthers. So special teams obviously going to play a huge part. And we've said that going into the last three series now. We said it going into the Tampa series because of Tampa's power play. We said it going into the Boston series because they were good both ways. And then the Rangers as well. And Florida has come out on top each time and done well against all those units. And

finally let's talk about limiting the all the shots. That's gonna be interesting. A lot of carrying into the a lot of entries that the all is have Carries. Yes. Well, that's where the Panthers defense is going to be key Right because we're for Florida where it starts with the forecheck and then they carry it into the neutral zone That's where Edmonton gets their speed heading into the offensive zone is with their zone exits So it's going to be that combination of his Ford is for check and neutral zone trapping ability going to limit Edmonton's ability to get into the zone or is for his over aggression going to cost them in the end in his admins and going

to turn out to odd man rushes as we've seen with the rush game it's really good let's talk about playoff years now i'm trying to i've been trying to grow a playoff beard for money since the playoffs started we said to mix game, what was it, before game one, we had this discussion. I said, are we doing this, where are we starting from? And he said, whatever we got right now, let's go.

Yeah, mine's just under the chin area here. You've got some good areas, and then you've got areas that haven't paid their rent in a while. No, I think they're getting evicted. And of course, yours is growing up well. Mine is aging on me though. I feel like I've got like a 60 year old beard coming in there's a lot of gray hairs and I don't know.

I'm having a hard time controlling this part, the chin part, because like food and drinks get in there and you don't feel it. So you can like walk around with like your toothpaste or whatever there all day. Slaver saver. Yeah, I guess. But you I'm married, so I don't know what that means. Yeah, okay Well the the Panthers have playoff beards, and we're gonna go through some of them. Let's go to this That's a great playoff beard Aaron Ech plaid. That's I mean that looks like he's been growing it since January. Yeah Yeah, he's been waiting for this moment all his life apparently yeah That's that's a good one, and here's a Roy playoff beard

Oh, yeah, that that's that's definitely that's definitely yeah I think Carter actually said it on your show yesterday on the lebatard show that the Finnish guys have a hard time Maybe you're part Finnish. Maybe that's what it is. It's on the deals Yeah, I mean Doesn't even look like there's an effort there. I mean it's like the the chin line, the jaw line, there's some hair there, but the cheeks, nothing. Oh boy. It's a desert wasteland. Okay, there we go, Brandon Montour.

Brandon Montour. Good jaw line, good mustache, the cheeks are a little... It looks like a fade. Yeah, okay. It looks like a fade beard, but it's a good one. Yeah. Oh, here we go. You see, that's what I'm working with.

That's just like, I'm just gonna let it grow and whatever happens happens So Carter Brachy was on yesterday's show as David said he's definitely got his growing in and it looks a good stuffy That's a good one. Yeah, okay. So here's like a good finished beard. It's a it's a loose Rana. Yes is Looking the other way on his profile. Yeah, strong chin beard. Yeah, got a little bit of a shadow there. Matthew Kachuck, he's been growing his since like three years ago. It's a little, it's very biker-ish right? Or is it more biker or more pirate? Yeah, this is Sons of Anarchy situation. It's not bad. Yeah. And Sam Reinhardt. That's definitely Sons of Anarchy. Yeah, he's definitely...

We're in the home of Nazareth. We feel about half past ten. We are going to Media Day. We are going to interview George Richards of Florida Hockey Now. And we're going to do some stuff out there. It should be fun. We'll be right back. Alright, we are here at Media Day.

Joining David and I is George Richards of Florida Hockey Now. As we said, the Florida Panthers are in the Stanley Cup final. They are playing the Edmonton Olders. Now, George, you are the longest serving media member here. I mean, because you're old. What you're saying, I'm old. I'm old. I just said that two seconds ago.

So- I wanted to beat you to the punch. Yeah. Because you're used to rag it on Greg Cody. I figured I'd get one in. Yeah. Well, you know. Yeah, that's a good point because I was going to do that.

Now I don't have to anymore. So in 30 years, you've seen this franchise grow and grow. 30 years. So the number on the ice down there. Yeah. That's the anniversary. You can't see it because the camera can't. So about 30 years.

About 30 years. You've seen this franchise grow and pretty much regress. And I mean, regress. How do you see this season in comparison to the previous 29? Well, I mean, you know, it's like- Way to set him up for a tough one, right?

I'm taking it to Macy's or, you know, the Morgan lot. Yeah, I mean, I'd love to go to Zairs again. I like Zairs. Ah, Zairs, yes. Zairs was good. I went to the one on 7th Avenue, it was good. The one in Hollywood. I mean, come on, you can't compare this season to really any other.

Maybe 22 when the Panthers won the President's Trophy. You know, last year it was an up and down regular season and then they end up, you know, giving us a ride that really nobody expected. I mean, they were one goal away from being out, being beaten by Boston in five games. So we didn't expect last year. This year they were strong pretty much throughout the season. There were times where you're like, okay, Boston's going to win the Atlantic. But Florida was always pretty much going to be the number two seed out of the Atlantic.

That's a great regular season. There haven't been too many of those. What is this, the fourth division championship for the Panthers? So yeah, I mean, this has been a great season already. And even I think even if they lost to the New York Rangers, I think you have to say that's a pretty good you went deep into the playoffs you lost in the Eastern Conference finals that's still a successful season now the New York Rangers right now are feeling the pain of not of not advancing and not being

here but they still had a great year that was a great year for the New York Rangers but somebody had to lose and you know, here the Panthers are, great season. It would have been a great season last week. Now let me stop you from your ESPN audition there for a second and I do want to ask you, there's a lot of Rangers love, Georgie. Oh, I got you. I thought you were saying that's quality entertainment.

Steve Levy? Always. Love the Rangers, by the way. Love them. But, speaking of the Rangers, we were here, we were all here last year when Florida beat Carolina in game four and what that was like, it was insane. It kind of felt like they had just won the Stanley Cup, the way that everybody was celebrating. It was.

Fast forward a year, we beat the Rangers, completely different feel when we got downstairs. It felt maybe like any other game, I don't know, but it certainly did not feel like they had just won an Eastern Conference Championship. So just from your perspective, George, can you speak to the difference year over year from last year's team and what they accomplished to what this team has done and what they're trying to accomplish? Listen, there was nothing wrong with the way the Florida Panthers celebrated last year, right? Oh, no, no, no, definitely not. Matthew Kachuk grabbing the Prince of Wales trophy, good on him. But, you know, the old

saying is act like you've been there before, Florida Panthers have been there before and they acted like it when they beat the New York Rangers. The Panthers are all business like, they're all business right now. That's a cliche, but it's true. That's most, well, cliches are true. And this one is, the Panthers are focused.

I mean, I did a story, plug here, at floridahockeynow.com on the pain. I did that already. I know, but I a story, plug here, at FloridaHockeyNow.com on the pain. I did that already. I know, but I'm doing it now. FloridaHockeyNow.com did a great story that I wrote on the Panthers, the pain of it, right? That picture from AP of all of them watching 50 feet away, whatever it was, the Vegas Golden Knights celebrating with that cup, it seared into their memory. It's been, they've been bothered by it all year long. They're still talking about it. Um, yeah, I mean, you, you, you got the

Edmonton Oilers coach saying, ask the Buffalo Bills about experience. Experience counts and the Florida Panthers got it. The Edmonton Oilers don't know the pain of what is coming Florida Panthers do yeah The New York Rangers had a similar style to the Edmonton Oilers The Oilers just happen to have two of the best players in the world and Zach Hyman. Yeah, Evan Bouchard What would you say that the Panthers learned from the Eastern Conference? Final that they can bring with them to the Stanley Cup final? I don't know.

I think it is a different opponent. It's different talent. The top six of the Edmonton Oilers, we can all agree, is the best in hockey. This is going to be a brand new challenge for the Panthers. The Edmonton Oilers really haven't seen a team play the way the Panthers have, and the Panthers really haven't seen a team like Edmonton so this is just a great great series it's gonna be interesting to see how Florida stops those guys I mean that top six for Edmonton is unbelievable but as we've talked about not on this show

what shows this the hockey show what channel this is all the Dan Liz, the Levitonite Friends Network. Oh, Dan Levitonite. YouTube, you know, different places. I think you're also on YouTube. I think I am on YouTube. Anyway, the Florida Panthers, you looked at when coming into the playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Well, you've got to watch this Florida shut them all down. All the big guys, except for Steven Stamkos on the power play, Florida shut down the Tampa Bay Lightning. And their big guns, Kucherov, nothing. Round two, Boston, shut them all down.

Nothing by their big guys. New York Rangers, nothing by their big guys. Panarin got one goal and it was in game what, game six? The last one, a six on four or whatever, six on five? Florida's done a great job of shutting down the best players and you know this is a different animal the Edmonton Oilers are a different animal than what the New York Rangers were throwing out there with Zabana Jad and whatever different animal with the

Jesus and all that oh yeah but hey Florida defensively with that top law all their forward lines play strong defense they've got terrific six terrific terrific defensemen you know they've been through this. They'll try and limit them and do what they can. So kind of on that note, George, we've talked, I feel like going into every series, we've talked about special teams and how Florida's gonna have to shut down

a great power play, whether it was Tampa and Stamco, Boston with Marshand, or what we saw with the Rangers and those guys, and Florida has met the challenge every time. Now it's going to be a bit different against the Oilers, but is there any reason to think that this team that's met every challenge that they've been presented and that's focused so much on the PK since the offseason when they brought in Kevin Stenland and Nico Micaela and all these guys that have helped out.

Are they going to have the same kind of success against Edmonton, do you think? Hard to say, I mean, but yeah, you've got to figure that Edmonton's success rate is not gonna is not gonna continue they're at 35% you know that's gonna eventually start coming down that'd be good for the Panthers if it does because if Florida gives up you know what they did against the Rangers statistics tells that's five six goals for Edmonton it's not just their power play. It's their penalty kill as well I think they've stopped 28 straight power plays Edmonton has so this is a great special teams Battle both teams Florida's penalty kill is great

Edmontons might be better Florida's power plays been okay We know what Edmonton's got so yeah listen Florida's had a whole week to figure this thing out You know, they'll be prepared that it's now Yeah, it's not a shock to them that Edmonton's got a Pretty potent power play potent potable Great Cody of the Miami Herald said that I'm sure you've seen this now. You're now. He's great Cody of the Miami Herald George's lock. He's like leans in he's ready to go. He's ready to go so I gotta explain this Your son did did you see what your son and now it's your son yeah yeah

exactly he's your son he's my Greg Cody he's your Greg Cody yeah my Harold I gotta explain this to everybody again he said in his article that despite the three times the three times he's won the heart trophy despite all the Art Ross trophies which despite last year leading the league in goals, that Connor McDavid is overrated. In fact, he called him Mick overrated. And just a couple of days ago, he said that he was an underachiever, all because he hasn't won a Stanley Cup in the nine years so far. No, Greg Cody wrote that because he knew that he'd get three million hits from Canada when he wrote it.

Greg Cody has, Greg Cody, seriously, Greg, wrote that because he knew that he'd get three million hits from Canada when he wrote it. Greg Cody has... Greg Cody, seriously, Greg, have you ever seen Connor McDavid play a hockey game? Greg, have you? Ever? No, the answer is no. Greg has never seen Connor McDavid ever play a game. He hasn't. Maybe he tuned in for one second to watch the end of the Western Conference Final to see who the Panthers would play. That might be it. I mean, seriously.

Even on hockey, we all love Greg. But we know why he wrote that. He seems to be enjoying how it's played out. I mean, did exactly what he wanted. How many millions of hits did he get just from angry Canadians? He knew what he was doing. He might as well have written Tim Hortons. It's terrible.

Yeah. He wouldn't. Yeah. All that went on. That's next. Yeah, all that went on TSN. And that's next. Greg, you're welcome. Tim Bits, he's gonna argue about Tim Bits being horrible. I'll push back more on Tim Hortons than I will on McDavid. You do not disparage Tim Hortons. He was on TSN.

Sorry, why, why, why, let's just, come on. Connor McDavid is not overrated, and Greg Cody knows that. And it was, yeah, I, I, Yeah, but. We kid because we love. He said yesterday that he was Eight eight to nine minutes per game they had he played eight to nine minutes per game You say you're surprised great. Cody's keeping the bit going. He's flexing

God seriously, I mean nobody else's tape I mean it there are a bunch of people in Canada that don't know who Greg Cody is and are like, this guy, what's going on? We all love Greg, but he's never seen Connor McDavid play. Not a shift. I would bet a shift. Not a shift. So, George, before we wrap this up here, we get down to media day that's going to take

place right behind us in a second. Other than Connor McDavid, what are you most excited about for the Standwich Hill final? The medium meal has usually been pretty good. It's nice. Pretty good. No, I mean, excuse me. It's exciting. This is an exciting time. We've talked about it, Dan's buddy, I was talking to Edwin Pope, and I always recall this about 15 years ago, doing something on the 71 Dolphins and talking to Edwin, I'm like, did you realize at the time, you know, you were covering him, and Edwin's like, of course not. You don't realize the good times

when you're in the middle of them, you know? Those were the greatest times in dolphin history and Edwin Pope treated it like it was a Thursday, because it was. You know what I mean? It was just another Sunday and they were playing Baltimore and whatever. And it was, that's what we've got here with the Florida Panthers. It's not going to get better than this and if it does, good for everybody.

But this is, the good times are here folks. This is what your grandkids are going to remember back in 224 when the Panther yeah yeah I remember yeah I remember so yeah so remember when hockey was a thing in South Florida so enjoy this this is great it's the Stanley Cup final we've got Canadian media all over this place it's going to be, it's gonna be a little, it's gonna be a little bit much. But it's still neat. It's the final.

Yeah, and it's the final and it's here and it's here for the second straight year. And after all the bad hockey that we've seen over the years. The Mike Keenan years. And that's building from right here. I mean, my goodness, this is the fun stuff. Yeah.

Oh, wow. Oh wow alright Stanley Cup final starts tomorrow. Florida Panthers in Edmonton all this that's George Richards of Florida Hockey now thank you for joining us George. Well Roy thank you for having me and David.