The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Postgame Show: The (Nearly Postseason) Hockey Show

Episode Date: April 12, 2024

The Playoffs are almost here in the NHL and Roy and David are here to take you through the last week of the season. Who will find their way in? How will the epic Wild Card race in the East shake out? How do they feel about the Panthers heading into the last few games of the season? Plus, the guys have a special interview with current Blue Jackets and original Panthers announcer, Jeff Rimer, as his career wraps up at the end of this season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You're listening to Giraffe King's Network. Hello, welcome to the hockey show. My name is Roy Bellamy. David Dwork is to my left over there. He works for the Hockey News. And now I will face this camera right here because this is my solo shot. The Florida Panthers have two games left, two games left, and then we hit the playoffs. It's about damn time. We've almost gotten there. We almost got there. Right now we are looking at them with a one point deficit on the Boston Bruins. I mean they still have an outside chance of winning the division.

But do you want them to win the division? Because that means they're going to probably most definitely play Tampa in the first round. And? And? Vasilevski. Oh. Okay, well, what are you gonna do? That's where it starts and stops for me because that's the guy who, you know, of any goalie in the league that you're gonna be scared of in the playoffs, he's the guy who he can take over a series, he can take over, you know, an entire playoff. We've seen him do it.

That would be the only reason why the Tampa Bay Lightning would beat the Florida Panthers in the first round, would be because of Azalesco. Yeah, that's basically the reason that they'd beat anybody at this point. Like they've got a decent team, but when their goaltender is playing, when he's Vezina Vasi, as I like to call him, like they're damn near unbeatable.

All right, well, as I always say, I want that smoke. Bring on that smoke. The Panthers have won three out of the last four, and those three haven't shut out. It's been a combination between Bob and Stowe Laws. It's been excellent goal-attending for those three. Even the Boston loss, I mean, mistakes plagued them in that one, but it was a very good four-game stretch for the Panthers.

Yeah, you have to be happy, especially when you think about how the previous couple of weeks had gone where they couldn't put together a full 60-minute game. They'd come out to a lead and then they would blow it. They'd fall behind early and then they would try to come back, but they couldn't seem to get a full 60 minutes together. So it's nice to see them kind of getting back into form, getting back with it. The way they defend is what's really impressed me, Roy, because you mentioned the shutouts. The way that this team defends, it's not a defenseman thing.

They're a five-man unit. And the way that they've been doing it again over the last few weeks, as they got away from it a little bit, but they're really seem to be back on the same page. And I guess you just have to breathe a sigh of relief because the playoffs are, what, nine days away, eight days away? It's the 12th right now. So yeah, man, let's go. The situation with the Boston Lawson overtime, it happened on a Oliver Ekman Lawson turnover, Boston lost in overtime it happened on a Oliver Echman Lawson turnover and he ended up with the day off against Ottawa where the Panthers went to nothing but he came back in the 4-0 win against Columbus and got two assists it was

pretty good game by Oliver. Yeah he's been so solid all throughout the year I mean we talked about him on the last show when he was the Masterson nominee but Oliver Echman Lawson like that that was a little surprising I'll be honest with you when I saw him out for overtime in the Boston game because it was him, it was Lundell, and it was someone else for a defensive zone start, and that's kind of how the whole shift began. They went to the offensive zone, a little flubber at the blue line. But overall, you've got to be happy with OEL because that's a guy who lately with their neckblad been out, he's taken over that top pairing with Gus Forsling and done just fine.

The defensive numbers are there, and the offensive numbers, he said he had two assists last night. I think he's had three or four games this season where he's had two assists. So, and again, for what they signed him for, like 2.5 million for the year? You've gotta be happy with OEL. I'm just curious to see what happens with him this summer because I think he's earned himself

a pretty decent pay J somewhere. Sam Reinhardt, 54th goal last night. We can move on past that. That man's been excellent all season. But I want to point out a highlight now. I know you enjoyed this one in the Ottawa game. Anthony Stolarz's pass to Anton Lundell. From basically the bottom of the face-off circle to the other blue line, it hit tape to tape on Lundell's stick and he hit it up with a partial breakaway and scored on that one. That was an

excellent pass and excellent goal. It's not just the goalie assist. It's a goalie primary assist. Those are rare. This is something I've talked to Stolar about a couple of times throughout the year, just the stick handling, because he's so good at it. It helps that he's like six foot a million, and he's got these arms that are as long as our bodies. Obviously, that helps. He's put in a lot of work with his puck handling.

We talked about the difference between being palm down over palm up Getting that strength getting that torque on the stick and he takes a lot of pride in what he does and that was just Perfect timing perfect passes had taped to tape and Lundell did not make a mistake and the Panthers have a magic number of one points they play Buffalo on Saturday and They play the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. That one point guarantees them second place in the Atlantic Division and possibly a matchup with Toronto. But I mean they win the next two and maybe Boston Falters

they could possibly win the division and as you said would lead to a matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Whether you want that or not it would definitely be a good matchup either one of these opponents it will be a lot of fun to watch. Yeah, I think with this Panthers team, like the way that they've built themselves up this year is they're not going to be a matchup type team. Teams are going to have to match up to them in the way they play. It's what we've seen all season. And I think Paul Maurice said it best, I think it was last week he said it, where if you

start trying to put yourself in a situation where you want to play a certain team, you try to finagle your playoff positioning to go a certain way, it very rarely ends well for you. They should just play it out, play their best hockey, let the chips fall where they may. They're confident in their abilities, and I think that's what we're gonna see happen. You have a major gripe with how the playoff system works

in the National Hockey League. What's going on? I'm not the only one. I mean, it's ridiculous, and it's really pissing me off this year more than the past year. We used to have the one to eight. Yeah. You get the one seed versus the eight seed, the two seed versus the seven seed. It was very simple and it made sense because if you play well enough to be a one seed or a two

seed, you should be rewarded with playing the lower seeds. That's how sports playoffs work. I mean, they used to have a divisional playoff just like they have now, prior to the one through eight. Yes. You know, but. When they had the old Adams division, the Smite division and all those.

Yeah. That's the thing. They already fixed it once and it was great and it was awesome. And it was like last year, the Panthers were the eighth seed and they played the one seed. And that's how it should have happened. Well, last year was a bit of an anomaly in this new system.

Like this year, you've got, just looking at the standing, the three worst team playoff teams, the Islanders, the Lightning, and the Penguins. The Penguins are probably, as it stands right now, you have the Capitals and the Red Wings and the Flyers and all that, but whatever. Those are the worst three playoff teams. They should be playing the three best playoff teams,

but instead, you're gonna have Florida play either, Florida's gonna play Toronto like unless Florida overcomes Boston, Florida's gonna play Toronto. Right. That's fine. Roy... You are pissed off about this David. I mean good lord. I just don't I feel like they tried to fix something that didn't need to be fixed and every year that passes by it's upsetting me more and more. It's almost like the continuity elements in the Mighty Ducks trilogy that we're talking about out there that we can get into another time but it's upsetting me more and more. It's almost like the continuity elements in the Mighty Ducks trilogy that we're talking about out there that we can get into another time. But it's just something that picks in my brain and it just more and more and more and more.

And I'm just, I'm over it. I feel like it's getting a lot of attention in the media right now as it should. And hopefully the league, I don't know if they can, will. I honestly just, I'm just tired of this. Like, and I don't think the players like it either. I don't think, I don't know why they changed it to. I get why they changed the divisions around.

I don't get why they had to change the playoffs around. It was fine how it was. So if it's not broken, don't break it. Yeah. Well, apparently it's broken a corner into Dave. So let's go over the standings right now. As we mentioned, the Atlanta division that we. Let's go over the broken standings. Yeah, let's go over the broken standards. now. As we mentioned, the Atlanta division that we mentioned. Let's go over the broken standings.

Yeah, let's go over the broken standings. We mentioned the Atlanta division already. The Metropolitan division, there is a outside chance that the Hurricanes could cast the New York Rangers for the top of the Metro division. The Hurricanes have a game at hand on the Rangers. The Rangers have 110 points, while the Hurricanes have 107. So that spot

Is pretty much up for grabs. They are tied right now in regulation wins. So we got We're looking at games played and after that we're going to end up looking at regulation. It's a very top heavy division though, huh? Yeah. Yeah It's like a 20. It's also bottom heavy as well Yeah, that bottom heavy is the the correct term But yeah, there's the two point there Carolina and the Rangers at the top and then there's like a 20-point drop-off Yeah between Carolina and the Islanders like what's going and that just kind of goes back to my point and the playoff seedings like Get it right and the Islanders right now at 89 points. I think that's pretty much done. They're placing the Metro. But that wild card situation at 2.

The Pingles have 86 points, the Capitals, Red Rings, and Flyers have 85 points. I think the Flyers is too little too late for them. They have played 80 games so far and they have 29 regulation wins. The Flyers had a win out basically. Yeah, they got a win out. But it's the fires that'll win out basically Yeah, they got one out But it's gonna be fun because all these teams are playing each other like all the other teams like the top 10 teams top 11 teams And these for comments are all playing each other over the next couple of days So we've got a lot of fun hockey coming up. Yeah, and the the Capitals with a bad loss against Buffalo and the Penguins Slipping by the Red Wings who did not deserve that point in overtime.

The Red Wings did not deserve that point. They should have lost in regulation, but that's nearly here or there. But right now the Penguins own the second spot in the East Wild Card. Over in the Western Conference, if you look at the Central Division right now, the Jets and Avalanche are tied at 104 points. Both of them have 79 games played. The Jets have more regulation wins right now. That's an interesting matchup right now. They can flip. And right now, just based on regulation wins, the Jets, they have home ice right now.

Yeah, and they're playing better right now. I think they've won five in a row right now. The Jets are starting to get back to the defensive roots of their season that had them such a good team for the first half of the year. They were such a good defensive team. I think they're starting to get back to that, working with Connor Hellebuck a little bit more. Just Colorado is a scary team.

And then when you see what Nathan McKinnon did with the hat trick he had the other night, he is so explosive. I'm excited. I'm just looking at the standings. I'm just so pumped to see the playoffs come out. Dallas, are they the juggernaut that we thought they might be? Explosive I'm excited. I'm just looking at the standings like I'm just so pumped to see the playoffs come out like Dallas Are they the judge or not that we kind of thought they might be Jake Otter is a beast

one of the few goaltenders that to really carry you through a playoff series and Yeah, I don't know that Pacific Division. I think is they're just gonna be the crap out of each other Yeah, the Pacific Division right now the third place spot belongs to the Los Angeles Kings with their back five points. They are back They're back chasing them is Kings with 95 points. They are back. They're back. Chasing them is Vegas with 92 points. But right now, Vegas has a whole different thing that you gotta worry about because the second wild card spot is on the line as well and the Blues are catching up to them. The Blues have won two straight and Vegas has lost three straight. Now they're separated by, what is it, three points, Roy? Yeah. And they both have three, no, I think

the Blues have three left and I think Vegas is four left yeah the Blues have played 79 games and Vegas has played 78 yes the game in hand is it crazy that Vegas we do we were on the ice with them with the Stanley Cup you know less than a year ago now they might not even make the playoffs if they keep sliding the way they have and then the way they started the season yeah like all those wins at the beginning the season may have saved their playoff hopes. If not for that crazy start, they'd be out of it by now. Yeah. So yeah, it's right now it's exciting right now. This is going to come down to the last day of the season. Yeah, as it should. Yeah. So exciting times right now. So coming up next,

we have Jeff Remmer who is going to retire. So excited to talk to Jeff Remmer. Yeah we grew up watching this man do play-by-play. Sparkling save by Van Beesbroek. Spectacular individual effort. Yeah he was doing games with Denny Poppin for what nine years? Yeah from 93 to oh oh 304. Yeah so we grew up with this guy I mean, we're both 40 year olds and the Panthers came into the league in 1993 So that would have made me nine years old and you're a little older than I am So yeah, so having this guy being able to talk to him like It it was it was pretty special and we talked to him earlier and we're gonna play this interview and that's coming up next For the past 30 years this man has brought TV play-by-play

into the homes of Capitals fans, Panthers fans and Blue Jackets fans. For the past 20 years, it's been the Blue Jackets. It's Jeff Rimmer, who's running off into the sunset now. He is retiring after this season. And before we get to how we feel about him as Panthers fans and get into his career, I just want to know Jeff, what exactly happened in the altercation that you had with Pete Rose?

The altercation I had with who? Pete Rose, the baseball player. Long story, long story, but I'll cut it down as quick as I can here. I'll cut it down as quick as I can here. And we go back to 1984 and the conclusion of the 1983 season, coincidentally a spot that I would go to in 1984 of course was Baltimore, but preceding my move there, the Montreal Expos in the early 80s had outstanding teams. They had Carter, they had Dawson, they had Tim Rains, they had Tim Wallach. Just go right down the list. Pitching wise, Jeff Reardon in relief, Steve Rogers the starter. So it was a young team, it was a good team, but they could never get to that next level.

What they needed was some leadership, a veteran, a guy that's been there. So Pete Rose was released by the Phillies after Baltimore won the World Series in 83. And I called Pete and I said, Pete, I think you're the guy. You are the guy that can get the Expos over the top. And he said, great, what do I have to do? I said, well, I do the Hot Stove Show every week. I want you to be a guest. Absolutely, he said. So Pete would come on Wednesday nights and say,

hey, don't judge me by my birth certificate. I can get it done. This Expos team is a team that's on the threshold of winning. I'd love to be part of it. Well, the owner, Charles Brafman, who coincidentally also owned the radio TV station, said that despite what Rimmer says, we are not signing Pete Rose.

Well, I could tell you the exact time. It was January the 19th, 2000, or excuse me, 1984, and Pete Rose was signed by the Montreal Expos. We became instant buddies. Things were great in spring training. We get to the early part of the regular season, and his former teammate in Cincinnati, the Big Red Machine, Doug Flynn, things were great in spring training. We get to the early part of the regular season and his former teammate in Cincinnati,

the big red machine, Doug Flynn, wasn't a big fan of mine because I would say all the time that Rodney Scott should play second base ahead of him. Rodney, a great leadoff hitter, he could steal bases, and it was strictly a situation where Rodney Scott was a better second baseman.

Well, Pete, of course course took Doug Flynn's side and it was a particular game on a Thursday night against the Pirates. Flynn goes in as a defensive replacement after demanding to be played or traded. After the game, he makes two errors and Pete Rose starts ripping me. Saying I'm the most negative guy that he'd ever talked to.

Well, fast forward, Rose denied really saying the things that he said about me, saying things were kind of taken out of context. So I said, Pete, I'm going to do a commentary tonight. I won't be taken out of context. Well, he had the players in the clubhouse at six o'clock with a game time of 7.05 listening to me. And I did my commentary. Of course, I didn't rip rows.

It was more talking about Doug Flynn. After the game, I do my show from the restaurant on a Friday night in Salon 76 at Olympic Stadium and Pete tells all the players he's calling me live on the radio. Sure enough he calls through and demanded I apologize. I said apologize for what? He said, well you're trying to ruin my reputation with the players and with the fans. I said no, no, no, no, no.

Come to Saturday where the NBC game of the week Again continuing a series against the Pirates after the game. I go in to do my postgame Commentary and and questions for the players. I walk up to Pete's locker and I had him a cassette and I said Pete You listen to this you tell me where I'm ripping you. Well, he stood up grabbed me I wasn't gonna let him hit me because I'd have been put into the next stratosphere. And he rips my shirt. All of a sudden, it's Bedlam in the clubhouse. It walks John McHale, the president, and he starts yelling at Bill Verden,

how can this happen in the clubhouse? Jeff Rimmer is one of our biggest ambassadors, yada, yada, yada. Our ownership then decides to have a meeting on Sunday at Olympic Stadium and the owner's suite, Pete apologizes and said he only did it to kind of rally the team. He knew how many of the guys that I was very close with and actually friends with and he determined

that that was the way to rally the team, which was kind of strange. Couple of years later, well, several years later, actually, we're in Vegas to play the Golden Knights. I take my broadcast partner, Jody Shelley, and we find Pete who's signing autographs somewhere in Vegas at a casino. And we walk in and Jody says, yeah, Jeff tells me all the stories. Pete says, without batting an eyelash, he says, whatever Rimmer told you is 100% true. Yeah.

Or yeah. That's amazing. That's a hell of a story. As short form as I can tell it. Oh my God. I have so many follow-up questions but we don't have a lot of time so I want to get into the hockey stuff here. Jeff obviously fans down here in South Florida are very familiar with you. The original Panthers broadcaster Roy as Roy mentioned we're both grew up listening to you big fans. I just want to ask you when you think of the Miami arena, an amazing building down here

for hockey fans. Well, but some great memories. So when you think of the old Miami arena, what are some of the your fondest memories that come to mind from those early Panthers years? Well, one of my fondest memories, period. Anytime in my career, looking back was that Stanley Cup final with Colorado and just the amazing play of John van Beesbroek. Of course, it all got set up by Bill Lindsay's big goal

to get by Boston. And I still can see vividly Lindsay coming down the wing, getting by and just blowing by Ray Bork and scoring what proved to be the clinching goal in the series. Loved going to the Miami arena. It was a very compact arena as you well know

and seeing a complete sellout each and every game that the Panthers played in that building. Of course, a lot of memories about Scott Melonby and Brian Scroogeland and John Van Beesbrook and Dave Lowery go right through the team. And of course, the celebrated Rattrick by Scott Melonby, who by the way, has called me. He had intended to come to Columbus for the celebration here a couple of weeks ago, but did tell me he couldn't make it because his daughter had their first grandchild In Philadelphia young Courtney who I've known since birth But he doesn't tend to come to my final game, which of course next Tuesday against Carolina. That's awesome

I want a more amazing feats in this Officially makes this to me you being the hardest-working man in hockey you were able to split time to call Capitals games and Panthers games in the Panthers inaugural season. How are you able to pull that off? Well, I had conflicts when when the Panthers approached me about doing their games and working with Dennis Potts van They asked me to send my schedule That particular year. I was just doing the road games on DC 20. So it was 20 games on 20 plus playoffs.

When I sent my schedule to Dean Jordan, who headed it up the broadcasting side, and of course the business side of the Panthers at the time, said, wow, that's great, we only have three conflicts. So I missed the three games. I did 30 of the 33 games for the Panthers because they did a limited schedule then, but I was able to do each and every game.

It was terrific for me because I would literally go from St. Louis and one snowstorm one time to Pittsburgh to catch a plane with the New York Islanders because it was going to be a Panthers-Islander game. They couldn't play until the Islanders made their way back from Pittsburgh. And that was one night Al Arbor offered me a flight and actually got me a hotel room

to stay with the team in Pittsburgh and make that game. That probably was the closest call, but it was just a great a great season, the inaugural year of the Panthers and doing the Capitals game. I did almost run into a problem late in the season because David Poyle, then the general manager of the Capitals, called me into his office and he said, okay, Jeff, what are you going to do? Because if you remember, in that inaugural season, the Panthers almost made it to the

postseason. And David Poyle wanted to know if both teams played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which teams, games, would I do? And I was kind of reluctant to give him an answer, but the Panthers kind of fell off towards the end. Capitals were the only team of the two to make the playoffs, so it was a simple solution, and I was able to do the Capitals games in that postseason year. So Jeff, I read that you are pretty good friends with Michael Buble. And then I read that you've

actually got quite a few famous friends that you've made over the years, including you have a Miami Dolphins connection because you're friends also with Larry King. So very cool. But how did you manage to have such a, I know, I guess just outreach be that. Like a vast network. Yeah, that went so far beyond just hockey guys. And granted, there's so many awesome people in hockey, but the fact that I've, you know, you've got so many friends outside of the game as well, I mean, that's a testament, I guess, to what a friendly person that you are. Well, let me put it this way.

Hockey is such a great game and I've done all the major sports as you know, but there's a special for me and for hockey fans who are so loyal and they are different than for me any other group. And just meeting people that loved hockey. You mentioned Michael Buble. He is a huge Vancouver Canucks and hockey fan. And of course he has a number of different hockey pools that he's in. So he likes to pick my brain on certain players

before he makes some of his draft picks. And actually it was my son, Josh, who first, I I guess was involved with Boublai and he said let's get your brother let's get your dad involved and so Boublai and I kind of hit it off and we would talk from time to time he had his own opinions about the Blue Jackets and what was wrong we talked about the Florida Panthers obviously and their terrific play here in recent seasons. So it's just something that I kind of developed in baseball.

I'm very, very close with Cal Ripken. He was a huge hockey fan, grew up obviously. He and Billy in Maryland, they lived and grew up in Aberdeen, Maryland, which was actually a part of the Philadelphia Flyers television market. And they were big Flyer fans. Also, they loved to play hockey because what would happen in the old Memorial Stadium before Camden Yards, they used to call me after the morning sports report, and they'd say, Hey, Jeff, get over here. We're playing hockey in the visiting clubhouse. So, yeah, that's true. And Cal had just a great congratulatory message for me.

And I can tell you very quickly a story there. Cal was not, and this was before the streak, was not really hitting very well, but he was playing every inning of every game. I got a phone call on the post game show one night about, oh, I'd say 10 to midnight. I'm gonna wrap up at midnight. This guy started ripping me up one side and down the other said you're just a

how did he how to refer to me he said you're just an apologist for the Ripken family why don't you just change your name from Jeff Rimmer to Jeff Ripken well wouldn't you know the next day I go to the clubhouse Cal calls me over and he hands me a bat it says the Jeff Jeff Ripken-Ribber, my long lost brother. Wow. That's awesome. Finally, um. You know, hockey transcends, for me, uh, just the hockey fans of hockey and, uh, for me,

it's, it's just been a great ride and I love every minute of it. Uh, finally, now that you're calling a career, I just want to know what you're going to, what are you going to do? Are you going to hang out with the grandchildren? Are you going to play more golf? Are you going to go fishing? Are you going to stay in Columbus in the summer and come down here in Florida during the winter?

What are you going to do? I'm going to live in Florida permanently. That's number one. That's it. Smart man. Yeah, I'll be here in Florida. And I look forward to spending time at games, obviously. I'll be seeing you guys at the arena.

I'll be cheering on the Panthers and I'll be playing some golf. And I'm also been approached by an agent to perhaps get involved in doing some consulting because I'd love to help young broadcasters along the way. I've had the great fortune of being in a terrific business. I've never worked a day in my life as far as I'm concerned and I want to help some other people along the way. That's excellent, Jeff. It's been a fantastic career and we're just so happy that we were

able to get a little bit of peace of that career down here in Florida. Jeff, remember joining us today. Thank you for joining us. Anytime, guys.