The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Postgame Show: Total Eclipse of Cleveland + The Hockey Show

Episode Date: April 5, 2024

Dan pays tribute to Ron Brewer a.k.a Young Ron of the legendary Miami radio show, Paul and Young Ron. Then, Jessica is very interested in the upcoming eclipse and Dan does not understand why. DO NOT LOOK AT THE ECLIPSE! Roy and David Dwork are here for another edition of The Hockey Show. Chris wants to know why he wasn't invited to Disney on Ice with them. The pair recaps the Panther's recent poor stretch of play. Finally, ESPN's senior NHL writer, Greg Wyshynski, joins Roy and David to calm fans about the Panthers and discuss the season's final weeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Jersey City, New Jersey, please drink responsibly. Introducing Tim's new savory pinwheels, the perfect flaky and flavorful snack for those on the go, like me, who's recording this while snacking. Delicious. Try the roasted red pepper and Swiss or caramelized onion and Parmesan pinwheels only at Tim's at participating restaurants in Canada for a limited time. I'm sorry to continue to do this, but I'm also sorry that we keep having people around here who have either influenced our show or been on our show die.

And Ron Brewer, yesterday, a name that will mean not very much to many of you outside of South Florida, but to a certain number of you in South Florida you remember that Paul and Ron were pioneers in the local South Florida market and he was basically Stu gots before Stu gots in how it is that we were absorbing local entertainment at a different time I told you earlier in today's show that I did something super rare for me, and I noticed it yesterday, in the changing of my listening habits,

where I was trying to listen to a heat game on AM radio late at night, and there was a lot of static in what it is I was consuming. The radio signal was not very strong trying to listen to a basketball game on AM radio, but if you are of a time in South Florida, you remember when Ron Brewer and Paul Castronovo were changing the way that radio was done in South Florida and just

wanted, before I left here today for the weekend, to offer my condolences to Paul and all of the people in South Florida who cared a great deal about Ron Brewer because he very much was a Stu Gotz-like character on that show in supporting everything they were doing in high jinx morning radio to change how some things were done in South Florida and how people listened and consumed things. It was the first radio show I ever knew. My parents like there weren't really any sports shows my parents were really into

when I was growing up. It was my mom always listening to Paul and Young Ron and it was just always having fun wacky stuff. They weren't sports though they were a morning. They would have sports guys on but yeah it was just a variety show and they were really funny one of the biggest shows in the history of South Florida I just didn't want to leave today without remembering his impact and their impact on the market Jessica has been eclipse obsessed for reasons I'm not particularly understanding I did not know that you were an eclipse-obsessed person until this week. Oh my God, the eclipse is on Monday.

It's going over the part of the United States that's nowhere near Miami, and I am devastated. Honestly, Lucy might be able to see total eclipse from Cleveland, because it's going very close to Cleveland. She's going to be there for the Final Four in the National Championship game, I'm assuming. And we're getting no eclipse down here. It's bullshit.

I Googled it and it says that the optimal viewing time in Miami on Monday is 3.01 PM and obscuration would be at 46%. That sounds like nothing to me. That sounds like, what's the point? So the sun is passing right by Cleveland. I don't get how that works. So the moon and the sun are passing by Cleveland,

but not here, even though they're much bigger. Yes, that's correct. I see it every day, comes and goes. I don't think that that's how it's working. I don't think the sun is visiting Cleveland. Do you guys remember the eclipse in 2017 or 2018? I do, I stared right into it. Me too, I don't like this.

I think they're overrated, these things. Cause it just makes me want to go outside and do something that's harmful to my eyes it. Me too, I don't like this. I think they're overrated these things because it just makes me wanna go outside and do something that's harmful to my eyes. It's like, I don't want this. Well don't look at it. It's so hard to be like, hey, there's something out there, don't stare at it. You realize I wanna, like when you say don't stare,

like just don't talk about the eclipse, okay? I never go outside, I never go outside and go, all right, let me look right at the sun today. But if you say, yo, there's some crazy shit going on outside with the sun, but don't look at it. The Trump thing is how I looked during the eclipse because I was just looking at it like normal. Did it come over Miami that time?

Because I feel like it was- I was in Connecticut. That was me, by the way. Okay, yeah, I was in New York. In 2017, I was Trump. That was me. It was, well, in Cleveland is where it was. Put it on the poll at Lebatard Show.

Do you think the sun ever visits Cleveland? Because I feel like Cleveland is always in a state of eclipse. Well, there might be a lot of cloud cover on Monday because of the weather patterns being crappy and people are starting all these conspiracy theories. It's very silly, but yes, this is the path, Tony. So this is where it's going to be like

the path of totality, it's called. So these people are gonna get the full eclipse and it's going right over Cleveland, pretty close to Pittsburgh, and then it's going all the way down through Texas, nowhere near Miami. It's on the screen right now. Nowhere near Miami.

I know people that are going out of town to see it. They're going to New Hampshire or Texas or Southern Illinois for a few hours on Monday just so they can see the total eclipse. So the sun's making a left? Or a right? They're showing a screen right here. Hanging a Louis.

Yep. This is weird, I'm with Tony. So the sun is traveling on that axis around the world, but like are other places gonna see it too? The Path of Totality sounds like a Jason Statham movie. Oh, really good. Path of totality. That would be tremendous.

Oh, hold on a second. They just zoomed out. So the other part of the world isn't gonna see it? Are we sure this isn't a hurricane? This looks like hurricanes. Okay, we've got some real expertise in the room. It stops in the middle of the ocean, Dan. Do you know what an eclipse is?

Miami is being affected by it and that the Marlins game in New York has been moved from 2 p.m. To 6 p.m. On that day so that they can avoid playing in the middle of an eclipse I mean they're gonna imagine how many spectators are just gonna look straight up if they're outside at a Yankees game and it gets dark out Might help the Marlins you do have an eclipse problem though with the sunlight and your eyes on fly balls like you don't with the sunlight and your eyes on fly balls. Like you don't. You don't.

I just use my glove. You gotta wear the sunglasses. I give them an advantage. You guys should seriously order, you can make it like out of a box. That's what we did in 2018, I think it was. What am I, five years old making stuff out of boxes? It's gonna be great.

I'll look at it just right in the sky. Okay, well you're literally going to blind yourself. Put some sunglasses on, you'll be fine. This is not like a negotiable. I got news for you. I looked in 2017, my eyes are fine. Yeah. You guys mentioned. I do not, don't look though, by the way. I looked in 2017. My eyes are fine

You guys mentioned I do not don't look though, by the way I don't want anyone to go blind and then like you sue us, but I did it Little warning you giving the people that was such a bad warning You think you're a big influencer there that you're going to you need to I did it I was fun I went for the joke and then I was worried about the company and I was like, I don't want someone suing us. I was like, that's a good executive producer. I mean, I'm just like, just in case anyone is out there, like you know what?

Or never just say it. Or never say the thing. It was funny though. It was. I did it, my eyes are fine. Okay, great. You did it again. Now do you wanna apologize again?

Do you wanna tell the listeners you shouldn't do that? The apology covers both of those I can't wait for Monday. I'm so excited. It's gonna be so cool Lucy is going to return one would assume this time with Something from where it is that she travels to but she didn't sound great the last time we played the sound of her I don't recommend Kovac. It's still got hands in 2024 That doesn't look like Lucy, never mind sound. When I conjure the image of who that person is, it's not a sick woman,

it's a very old woman. I don't recommend COVID, it's still got hands in 2024. We should have made her say, holy crap, Jessica. That woman is 65 and has been to every Bama football game for the last 42 years. I don't recommend COVID, it's still got hands in 2024. To appeal. You had her as pal. That's exactly it. You got it.

That's exactly who I'm picturing. RIP to Phyllis, I believe. You guys mentioned the New York Post earlier and- Sombra segment today. Sunglasses. I'm gonna try and lighten it up but I can't do that if you have sunglasses I will tell you that one of my favorite New York Post sports things ever was the Mets were in last place they had a very expensive team Vince Coleman was their left fielder. He was very unpopular. He was very stylish.

He lost a fly ball in the sun during a game to end a game that they lost. It was the costly error and he lost it in the sun because the sunglasses that he should have had on his eyes were instead on his hat because he was looking cool and you say to yourself That's funny enough as it is But what could be funnier than that? The photograph the New York Post got to put next to it from that night of Vince Coleman in the nightclub with his sunglasses on Welcome to the hockey show that's David Dworka the hockey news My name is Roy Bellamy and we're gonna talk about Florida Panthers hockey in a second

except Chris Cody apparently has something to say so he joins us here on the hockey show what's going on Chris? I feel like a caller like I feel like I'm a guest calling in no no I just first time long time big fan of the hockey show I've been on it with you guys before we had we had a great time last year right we went to Toronto for the the Luongo getting inducted. Yep, Stanley Cup final. And I just. All star. Yeah, all star, I mean, that's the three of us.

I feel like we had a little bond going, and I just wanna know, did I do anything to you guys? Why is that? I'm just, the answer? I'll get to what I'm getting at, but did I do anything to you guys? Why, because you haven't been on the show lately? No, it has nothing to do with this show, actually.

This is the ice hockey show, right? Yeah. So like I can talk about anything hockey related or ice related? Sure. Because I saw that you two recently went to Disney on Ice with your kids. Yeah, that was last night actually.

Yeah, oh last night, oh I imagine that. And I live right near that arena. And I just wondering if I did anything to you guys. I mean I just saw just the lovely, your kids, nice photos and I just I just I just wonder you know if I did anything to you guys I mean, it's just I saw just the lovely your kids nice photos, and I was just like man Grayson would have fit Perfectly in that photo, and I know and I know you two have a close friendship And I don't want to like be a third wheel here. I know that we had Here's the the the X Factor is the wives have to be friends So we need to get your significant other out with Jamie and aed and and that's kind of the glue that holds it all together

I mean I thought Aneed and Christie I mean they get along well I mean if I'm not gonna lie Christie's told me before So like sounds like the foundation has been we have a foundation That's a that I'm honestly a little jealous of you Dwork Because I feel like they're a couple years ago a couple years ago I might have been I might have gotten that invite But now this hockey show and you two are just Dwork and Bellamy is like Abbott and Costello at this point.

Well here's the situation, I got the invite. So it's not me inviting you. There you go. And I can't even assume your schedule. I can't assume what your schedule is. You could have been bowling. This is honestly, it's a little awkward now because I remember last time I ran into you guys

at some fair, you two were there together and I was just there with other people. We gotta get more connected, the three of us. I wanna let you guys at some fair you two were there together And I was just there with other people like we got to get more connected the three of us I want to let you guys get to hockey and I love you I just were you there at the Davie the rodeo thing yeah Roy was there too Yeah, okay, but you guys were meeting each other there, and I have invited you to poker before you are on the poker list, okay? Okay, I feel better already. I don't want to waste your guys time No, no a lot of hockey to get to I got something for you here

tonight oh Jeremy just said he's been to Dwork's poker night I don't want to waste your guys time. I know a lot of hockey to get to. I got something for you here. Tonight. Oh, Jeremy just said he's been to Dwork's Poker Night. Oh yeah, that's right. Yeah, we gotta go. You guys don't want me at your poker night. I'm a shark. Oh yeah? I'm a shark.

After a few drinks, we'll see how sharky you are. Bring it. But I love you guys. Wait, wait, wait. Love the hockey show. Tonight, me and the family are going to the Miami-Dade County Youth Fair. You are welcome to join.

Honestly, I have the kids solo tonight, so I will be texting you later. I'll see you. Me and the family are going to the Miami-Dade County youth fair. You're welcome to join honestly I have the kids solo tonight, so I will be texting you later I'll see that sounds like oh sounds a little south for me from being that stuff for us We're gonna say that where is that that's a FIU? Tammy okay, is it still there? Yeah, so there I love how I just shamed it move the fair No, no, where is it the fair and they moved it it for COVID, I think, right? I love how- You might wanna double check. I love how I just shamed Roy for not inviting me

and then he instantly invited me somewhere and I'm like, ugh, trying to back out. I'm like, it's a little far. Yeah, yeah, I knew. That's why I brought it up, mother- I just like the invite. Just like the invite. And I'm going to a Disney concert thing on Sunday,

so I probably wouldn't even have gone with you guys yesterday. Plus, I've seen that show five times. They gotta change up that show a little bit. It was a good show. No, I loved it every time. Yeah gotta change up that show a little bit. It was a good show. No, I loved it every time. Yeah, we've seen it a few times. It's in Kanto and Frozen, right?

Yeah, exactly, yeah. It's great, but I've seen it three times. So I probably wouldn't even have gone, but I would love the invite. Love you both, go Panthers. It's exactly what they needed to lose, like eight out of 11, because they were the hottest team in the league,

peaked too early, I said it a few weeks ago, we need a dip, and then we can get going right for the end of the season. We're gonna end now with a little winning streak, peaked too early, I said it a few weeks ago, we need a dip and then we can get going right for the end of the season. We're gonna end now with a little winning streak, right what I said, right on cue, we're gonna make the final again at the very least. The expert analysis of Chris Cody, we appreciate you joining us.

Good night everyone. See you later. All right, Water Panthers hockey. That kind of thing. All right, so let's cover the four games that they've played since we had the episode last week. I just want to talk about one of them really. Just one of them? Alright, we'll just go over some of them and then talk about what you want to talk about.

They went 2-2-0 during those four games. It was one home game, that was the Detroit game, they won in the shootout. And Alexander Barkov, two goals in that one. And Sam Reinhardt had the only goal in the shootout. And Alexander Barkov, two goals in that one and Sam Reinhardt had the only goal in the shootout. Bob was very good in that shootout. He got it done. So that was the win. And then they lost back-to-back games in Toronto and Montreal on Monday and Tuesday. Boy, especially that Montreal game. It was really bad. Austin Matthews got his 61st and 62nd goals in the Toronto game on Monday.

He now has 63 goals. And that's when we started to see injuries. Well, first it was Verhegy in the Toronto game, and then it was Aaron Echblad the following night in Montreal. And fortunately, from what Paul Moore used to say, both of these these guys are gonna be back in time for game one of the playoffs Which is like, okay, you know, that's the priority But at this point of the season when they're already struggling and you start to lose some of your best players injury It's not a good recipe Fortunately, they've got about two weeks before the playoffs. But man is it if anything else, it's a wake-up call. Yeah

Yeah, definitely Sam Reinhardt got his 52nd goal of the year in Toronto yeah so there's a good chance he might there's a good chance he might get 60 a good chance it's getting slimmer and slimmer but you could very well get it well the thing about Sam Reinhardt is he does store a lot of goals in bunches as we've seen during his tenure in South Florida so what do you he say? Is it 53? Yeah, he has 53 now after last night's game in Ottawa. So he has six games to score seven goals. I'd give him plus 250 odds. Yeah. That's not crazy. That's very reasonable.

Yeah. So last night it was a complete beat down of the Ottawa Senators, six nothing. We were, as Chris Cody said, at Disney on Ice at Amerenbank Arena, so we did not get to get a full viewing of that game. Well, you didn't watch it last night at 1 a.m. like I did? I saw highlights. Oh, okay. Yeah, I saw highlights on NHL Network, yeah. And yeah, it was a complete beat down,

and of course, Sergey Bobronsky shut out in 30 saves. That's great for Bob. I mean, it was kind of shut down. And of course, Soggy Bobronski, shut out in 30 saves. That's great for Bob. I mean, it was kind of shut out was an issue for him, getting shut out the first few years in South Florida. He only had like two or three in his first two or three years. But now I think that's five for him this year. The two of them are against Ottawa. I just felt like last night, as I watched the game,

it was like an exercising of demons kind of night where they just continued to pound and pound and come in waves and play their style. And I think they'd wanted to kind of put that together for a while. So it was really good to see. Especially on a penalty kill in special teams, they went six for six on the penalty kill.

Yeah, staying out of the box is an issue that they need to fix up before the playoffs start because they've been taking a ton of penalties lately. But yeah, it was great to see the PK step up. Paul Maurice said after the game that he liked that they got more aggressive. It's kind of was their bread and butter on the PK, was getting up on the balls of their feet and really pressuring and so it was good to see

them get back to that last night in Ottawa. So the Bill Mastiton trophy is for perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey and the members of the Professional Hockey Riders Association, each team has a chapter. Yes. Alright, so the chapter that you're in, the Panthers chapter, has nominated Oliver Ekman Lawson for the Massachusetts Trophy. Now, just to go over his last few years, he had knee surgery in 2019. He broke his foot in 2020. He sprained his ankle last season to end his Canucks tenure. This year he's played all 77 games, 9 goals, 21 assists for 30 points. He's a plus plus 8 so why don't you go over why you and the rest of chapter nominated Oliver Eichmann-Ausen Well, you're talking about a guy who like when he started in Arizona

He was like an elite elite defenseman high scoring like one of the best in the league big trade to Vancouver It was like highly publicized at the time And then he had the foot he had two different foot injuries that really hampered his time when he was at Vancouver. He just looked like a shell of himself. He got shit on in the media. It was not very good. The fans weren't happy, so fresh start. He gets bought out in Vancouver,

comes to Florida, clean slate, and what does he do? First he steps in, top pairing guy, filling in for when Ekblad and Montor were out. He's continued to play, whether it was top power play, he's played penalty kill, he's played whatever pairing, wherever they've asked him, he's had this great smile on his face, great attitude, he's working with the younger kids, he's been everything

that you could have asked of him and more, and he's done it all with this wonderful attitude, and really just exemplifying and showing what hockey is and what a great teammate, what a great person he is, and we just thought, you know, for the options we had with the Panthers, he was by far and away our best option to nominate. We don't know who the rest of the nominees are,

the other 31 nominees are, but I think this is a good choice from us down here in the, us as if I'm a, as in my, I am not in the PHWA, but that was a good choice by you guys to get OEL in there. Tomorrow is the big one.

This is, again, the big one. This is pretty much a playoff game for the florida panthers to plan the boston brooms s three thirty uh... with this five games left now and and the brooms are coming off of beating carolina last night uh... yeah five years as well as i can select include this one uh... of course uh... the brooms are leading the division right now the panthers four points behind they both have

77 games played so there are no games at hand. No and as far as the overall picture the Bruins are tied with the stars For second in the league behind the New York Rangers. So what do you think about this one? I think if Florida wants any chance of winning the division that this is a must-win I just thinking back to our Reinhardt comments I'm changing my odds to 350 if he's only got five games this for seven goals. Oh wow, but um, but no I mean, this is a big way I don't know how important it is to the Panthers to win the division I they've said they want to finish top then they want to have home ice

But I mean as they proved to the world last year, it doesn't really make a huge difference They started every series on the road, you know in Eastern Conference, they went five and one They only got to game seven once and they won that on the road in Boston So, you know, I think that right now for the Panthers The big priority is just getting to where they're comfortable with how they're playing I think Ottawa was a big step in the right direction, but going from the Senators to the Bruins I mean, you're just looking at the standings. You're talking about a 35 point jump which again Florida and Boston last year in the playoffs that kind of worked out okay for Florida

Yeah, but right now this is gonna be a big test or the Panthers really rounding the corner We're going to find out Saturday afternoon is a good point about home ice because he really only won one series on home ice and that Was completing the sweep to Carolina. Yeah, they won the two series prior on the road So yeah, that is a that's an excellent point there All right before we get to our guest with a Greg Brzezinski Dave you said that you had something for me yeah well just one other thing the interesting thing that happened this week one of your favorite players Sydney Crosby why do you do this to me he got clenched for 19 straight years in the lead he's clenched to being

a point-per-game player and as as that sounds, it kind of made me think because we, Crosby in the last few years, he's kind of fallen under, you know, we talked about Connor McDavid, Nathan McKinnon, Austin Matthews, like those are the superstars. We don't really talk about Crosby that much in that regard anymore. But I mean, that's pretty good. But where does he line up in terms of the hockey lore, in terms of the Dretzky's and the Messier's and where these guys are going to be? Is he still among those guys, even with all of your hatred and piss and vinegar towards him?

I mean, of course he is. I mean, he's a generational player. Unfortunately, I do have to say that because it's the truth. And I would be a hypocrite for me, for me not to, for me not to give him those kudos would make me a hypocrite. so yes, he's a generational player. Unfortunately, I don't like that generation That's the unfortunate thing. So yes, he's a Hall of Famer Yes, he's one of the best penguins to ever play. I would say he's probably Maybe the third. Yeah, best I wouldn't put him ahead of Mario or Yarir. Yeah, exactly. Maybe even the fourth who knows But yeah, yeah. Yes. Yes good for him. Okay. All right I was really hoping that he won't make the playoffs but for a second year in a row

But it's looking like they might catch the Capitals He's Crosby's been tearing it up lately. So he's kind of carrying that team Greg Brzezinski's next All right, join us now from ESPN and the Drop Podcast, which is the ESPN vehicle, is Greg Brzezinski. And we are getting closer and closer to playoff time right now. And it seems like the Panthers fans are panicking. They've lost eight out of 11.

And they've shut down Aaron Echblad and Carter Verhage. They recently won in Ottawa, but they've dealt with injury and illness. Can you quell Florida Panthers fans' fears right now, Greg? It's all part of the plan. Quell. I mean, look, you're getting Echblad some rest, you're getting Verhage some rest,

you're avoiding potentially a first round series against the Lightning and a revitalized Andre Vasileski, who's been playing really well lately, and you earn yourself a potential first round matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs, who you know you can beat, and who, you know, listen, you know, them getting out of the first round last year is as rare as the solar eclipse. So it's all part of the plan. And then, you know, on top of that, let's face it, this is something I was saying to somebody the other day

when they asked me about the Panthers. You don't want the Panthers to win the division, and you don't want the Panthers to finish overall in the conference. This team, I think, works best when it's punching from underneath. And the idea that they can go into the playoffs and be like, oh God, we're so hurt.

Now we didn't finish first and no one believes in us. Like, it's just like, you know, we all psych ourselves up in different ways, right? And I feel like the best mode of psych up for the Florida Panthers is to not be the team that they've been for the last several months and to be the team that has some doubts and some critics and some people picking the Leafs in the first round and stuff like

that. Greg I did want to talk to you about something that we saw the other day in your neck of the woods at Madison Square Garden and it was a was it just a line brawl really. Yeah it was a line brawl. I thought it was awesome I genuinely feel like that kind of stuff doesn't happen that often anymore and granted it shouldn't happen all the time but I thought it was really. I genuinely feel like that kind of stuff doesn't happen that often anymore. And granted, it shouldn't happen all the time, but I thought it was really fun to see. I think what Matt Rempey has kind of brought to the Rangers and really to the league has been really fun.

But I did want to get your take on it as a devil's connoisseur and as somebody who is right there in the backyard of where all this went down. I got my devil's puck back here, right over here, in this area here. So let me give you the two different takes. I'll give you the hockey journalist take and then the devil's fan take. The hockey journalist take is that it was tons of fun

and I'm always so fascinated to see when something like this happens. And you're right, it doesn't happen as frequently as it used to, which is why I think it's more palatable, because this kind of thing used to happen every two weeks in the league, and it was kind of like, ugh, enough already. But for all the talk about getting fighting out of the game,

expands the league's footprint, widens the tent, brings more fans in who don't wanna see fighting, every time we get one of these things, whether it's Renpei beating up people, or taking punches to the face, or the-brawl the other night, everybody talks about it. It becomes a conversation on lots of national radio shows. It becomes, I had a guy text me, he's like, I was at the gym and some guy who never talks about hockey came up to me

and he was like, you see that line-brawl last night. It's just something that resonates and brings a curiosity to the NHL that isn't normally there just by somebody scoring a pretty goal. So again, like I don't think it'll ever leave but this is why it shouldn't leave. This, the brutality and the violence in this sport because there is a barbaric animalistic reaction people have to hockey.

And as long as you're giving it to them in small doses versus a weekly basis, I think it's okay. As a Devils fan, I hated it. Let's say why I hated it because less than 24 hours after this team basically blew its season, blowing a third period lead to the Pittsburgh Penguins, they go, you know, I have no problem with them getting revenge on Rempe because they should, it should have happened in the previous game After he injured a couple devils and he didn't fight so I have no problem getting some comeuppance against him But this line brawl was just like full diaper pettiness

It was like you've you've you pissed your seas in a way and now you're just trying to like, you know Show some some vim and vigor and and and emotion against your arch rival to feel better about yourselves and then they go in again they blow another third period lead and lose the game so my take out on as a Devils fan was channel that energy into not losing to the Ottawa Senators Buffalo Sabres and Arizona Coyotes and Pittsburgh Penguins down the stretch because the Devils did have a lane they make the playoffs and they blew it. And also the best revenge you probably could have taken against the New York Rangers would be to qualify for the playoffs and eliminate them again,

which is another thing that they clearly could have done if they had played better in the last couple of weeks. And instead, not only did they not do that, they got their asses swept by the Rangers this season in the season series. So not for me, good for the league, fun for hockey, good for me as a fighting so not not for me good for the league fun for hockey good for me as A fighting fan not for me as a Devils fan all right two questions from me here as a rookie Matt Rempey doing this I mean, he's not exactly a deer like making himself. You know really friendly to

Exactly how you feel about that plus what pissed you off, was it the elbow or the wave bye-bye? Oh, the wave bye-bye is whatever. I have no problem with taunting. And at the time, I don't think he knew that he was getting kicked out for that. I think it was the sequence of events. So it's interesting. The people in the league, especially the guys and the devils that I've talked to about Renpei, they all say the same thing, which is that I've talked to about Rempe,

they all say the same thing, which is that this guy needs to learn how to hit. Like he is obviously- He's too tall. Yeah, he's seven feet tall. And I actually did a feature story on him for espn.com. You can find it there. I think it ran maybe like last month,

or maybe like a couple of weeks after he came into the league. And he had that same problem in junior hockey, which is that he's so tall that he had to learn how to hit. And his coach in junior hockey told me that like, Remp, I mean, I'm gonna choose to believe this is true, but he said that Rempi would be in tears after games, after hitting guys, because he didn't intend to hurt them.

But because of the height differential, it ended up happening. So the guys in the league clearly are like, you are a good physical player, just learn how to hit. The guys outside the league are the ones that I found really interesting, because when Renpei came up and started fighting everybody and having those wild sort of like,

fists to fly and no defense kind of bouts, the old school enforcers, guys like John Scott, for example, the guy that I helped get into the All-Star game. Yeah. Said, it's great to see, but he actually reached out to Renpei through Instagram DM and said, hey man, let's talk. You need to learn how to defend yourself better.

You need to use your reach better. You need to figure out to not take so much damage because you bring a lot to this game. You bring a lot of excitement to your team. Just don't get CTE in your first two weeks of your career. And so it's been interesting to see. He clearly has caught the attention of people in the league that are hit better, but there's also this notion of,

we've been waiting for this guy to come around for a while, the guy who reignites the passion of fighting in this league and and we just wanted to stick around and not take incredible battle damage in doing so. So I want to ask you real quick about do a little trophy talk I know that's something that you take seriously and it's something that you know we both vote for but there's a couple that we don't get to vote for that I wanted to ask you about actually and that that's the Jack Adams and the Vezina Trophy. I think both of those races have been pretty fun this year, especially the way the second

half of the season is lining up. So I wanted to get your take on that. Well, you're right. I'm like the gold derby blog for the Oscars. I'm just like, I take it way too seriously. And you can read the latest NHL awards, watch nespn.com. I actually get the actual voters to give me their ballots and see what the votes actually look like

as we head into the actual balloting. Like you said, the GM's vote for the Vesna, I hope that they have a little bit more variety than the writers do, because I asked the writers who they thought should win, and all of them said, Connor Hellebuyck. Like to a person, they all said Connor Hellebuck. Thatcher Dempko got mentioned, Sergei Bobrovsky earned some love in sort of the honorable mentions too,

but nobody got a first place vote outside of Connor Hellebuck. And I think his candidacy was really cemented when the Jets sort of like petered out in the last month. For a while, they were the best defensive team in hockey and he was sort of like helping that cause and then they lost the thread defensively and he was still kind of carrying them in the last month so he's only gotten better. The Jack Adams is fascinating, really fascinating because there hasn't been a month in which Rick Tocket didn't top our rankings. The Vancouver Canucks coach who you know obviously has turned them into a division leader. Obviously you can point to the things

that they have done defensively and say that is talk it system doing that. And when there's demonstrable results and success on the ice, that's a recipe for a guy winning the Jack Adams. But I think that John Tortorella, if the Flyers do make the playoffs, is gonna have a really strong case.

He is obviously pulling every trick in his bag out right now to try to get that team into the playoffs, benching captains, calling out players, getting all Mopi himself on the mic to be like, I don't know why people think I'm so mean. And then you got him. And then you got Andrew Burnett from the National Predators who has also been really great.

They had that incredible winning streak. Obviously, if you're a voter and the broadcasters vote on this award, you say to to yourself what has a coach done to invigorate his team well no one canceled tickets to go see you to at the sphere that was only andrew brunette who did that and then after that they won like sixteen in a row so those three guys right now i think your leaders but don't count out jim montgomery in boston i think he's got a strong case and a few other guys that could probably make a strong case too. Let's go over the playoff races real quick in the East the second wild card

and the third spot in the Metro is up for grabs right now and the only way the Red Rings are gonna make the playoffs because the Atlantic is pretty much sewed up is if they get the wild card spot. The Flyers, the Islanders, the Capitals and the Penguins are playing for their lives right now. Fun! And the Flyers and Capitals are playing themselves out. And in the West right now, both of our card spots, the Alpha Grabs, the Kings can catch the Goat and Knights for third in the Pacific, the Blues and the Wild

are playing for their lives. I mean, what do you think here? East, West, what do you got? I think if you're the Kings, you wanna stay where you are, to be honest with you. Like, you know, seeing Edmonton in the first round, again, is not really on my menu if I'm the Kings right now.

I'd much rather be in a series against, you know, Dallas or Vancouver, just because it seems like Edmonton's got it. Edmonton, you want Edmonton to have a little bit of fear right now, and I don't think they have any fear of the Kings. In the East, I still think the Flyers are gonna get over the finish line.

The numbers don't really add up for them all that well and obviously it's gonna take them finding another gear and Tortorello is doing everything he can to help them find it. But they do have a pretty favorable schedule the rest of the way. The team I'm worried about is the Capitals. Like I watched that game against the Penguins last night

and that looks like a team that has hit the wall. It looks like a team that the needle is on E right now, the Capitals. I've counted them out before and they've surprised me, but that was an effort last night against the Penguins. I mean, it should have been a playoff atmosphere, right? With a team trying to hold onto its spot and a team coming up from behind,

but the only team that was playing playoff hockey was the Penguins. And so it wouldn't shock me if it's like Flyers Penguins. I just can't trust the Red Wings enough, man. Like every time I think they're turning the corner, they just stumble. And I think the Penguins right now, you know, they've found a little momentum.

Crosby's playing out of his mind. And I think they might slip in, which would potentially lead to a Rangers Penguins first round series, which would be pretty epic. Because if you remember the whole Jacob Truba, Crosby thing, like which would be pretty epic because if you remember the whole Jacob Truba Crosby thing, like it could be pretty interesting. Crosby and Schusterken just have a little thing

the other day. Yeah. So that could be fun. Oh no, those two teams kind of hate each other. And it'd be so intriguing if the Penguins do make it. Cause I mean, like after they traded Jake Gensel, I think the notion was that they were like done. They were cooked and they played pretty poorly after that they were like done. They were cooked.

And they played pretty poorly after that, too. But they've really rallied. I mean, I think it just is a testament to Sid. We were talking about awards before. One of the things we talked about at the drop this week is like if they sneak in and Sid's got like something crazy, like 20 points in his last eight games, like does he get into the MVP conversation? It's possible. Great.

But since you're BSPN, you can find him on the Drop Podcast and you can find him on the Puck Soup Patreon. Thank you for joining us, Greg. Anytime.