The Hockey PDOcast - Updated watch-ability rankings

Episode Date: December 9, 2022

Dimitri is joined by Pete Blackburn of Bally Sports as the pair run through their updated watch-ability rankings for the 22-23 NHL season. This podcast is produced by Dominic Sramaty. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. If you'd like to gain access to the two extra shows we're doing each week this season, you can subscribe to our Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/thehockeypdocast/membership If you'd like to participate in the conversation and join the community we're building over on Discord, you can do so by signing up for the Hockey PDOcast's server here: https://discord.gg/a2QGRpJc84 The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

dressing to the mean since 2015. It's the Hockey Pideotcast with your host, Dmitri Filipovich. Welcome to the Hockey Pee-Ocast. My name is Dimitri Philpovich. And joining me on today's show, it's my good buddy Pete Blackburn. Pete, what's going on, man? How are you? Long time.

Indeed. Last time we chatted, at least on the show, was when we did our watchability rankings for the 2021-2020 season. A lot has happened since then. Things have changed. Teams have moved up and down. I thought it would be fun for us to get together and do a bit of an update for this season. We've seen everyone play about 25-ish games or so now.

We've got a good sample to judge. We're not going to do a full one because that would just require too much time and homework. But I figured we could use these 50 minutes today to close out the week and have some fun by kind of working through our top tens and discussing some notable risers and fallers. What do you think about that? Yeah, it works for me. Absolutely. All right.

And just as a reminder, this is a list purely. based on personal preference, entertainment value, vibes, who we're making a point of trying to watch. So sometimes it's actually universally correlated with being good at hockey. So if your team is doing really well in the standings and they're not as high on our lists, it's not because we think they suck. It's just that we find other teams more entertaining to watch. And sometimes for bad reasons for that team's purposes, sometimes it's because the team is

so chaotic and painful that it can be morbidly entertaining. So let's start with this. Who are your biggest disappointments? Like who did you entering the season? Were you high on? You thought, man, if I'm doing a, if I'm doing an update halfway through the year, this team's going to be in my top 10. And they've fallen so much that you're like, I hate watching this team right now.

In terms of watchability, I guess. Yeah. I mean, near the top of the list for me would be the Ottawa Senators, just because thought they were going to be a lot better than they were, a lot more entertaining than they are. and, you know, it's just been kind of a mess in Ottawa, and that's been disappointing. Also on the list for me, and maybe this is like a little unfair, considering the injuries and things like that, but like the Colorado Avalanche with the year that they had last year was

looking forward to seeing them following up the Stanley Cup run. And obviously they've been depleted and sort of to an extent not their own fault, why they haven't been as entertaining and as much of a draw. And then the Calgary Flames too, in some ways, you know, they're not a bad team to watch and they're not a bad team, period. But last year, the Calgary Flames were just a whole lot of fun. And I think they've fallen off in terms of, in terms of that watchability for me.

Yeah. I want to key on the avalanche there because I really, when I was putting together my list, I didn't know what to do with them because I feel like I'm programmed to still, if I see them on the schedule, I turn them on. I'm like, oh, they're playing the Bruins tonight. This is exciting the other night. I put it on.

And then you watch who they're actually dressing because of all the injuries. I mean, it's comical at this point. And so I think we need to fundamentally readjust our expectations, at least for the time being. It seems like they're getting healthy, right? Like Evan Rodriguez is coming back, Arturic and it's coming back. But, I mean, I generally have them as like a top two fixture,

either first or second on my list, pretty much every time I do this. And I just didn't include in my top 10 because mentioning that Bruins game the other night, These are some of the players they used. Ben Myers, Charles Sudan, Andreas England, John Luke Foodie, Dryden Hunt, and Callahan, Burke. That's a natural staturecasm list as Callahan. I think they were just calling them Cal.

But it's quite a group of names. And so, I don't know. Maybe in a month if we did this again. Even as a Bruins fan, I only watched two periods of that game. I was like, okay, this is enough for me. I'm through with this game. Well, and here's the thing, for the season, not just recently, like for the full year now, the only team scoring less frequently a 5-on-5 than the avalanche are the coyotes and black hawks.

That's bananas. And they also give up the seventh fewest goals as well, right? So it's like, they're good. They're still winning more than they're losing, but they have kale McCar still. They have Necouranton in the lineup. Like, those guys can give you moments of brilliance. But for the most part, yeah, it's bizarre. I had the ducks as my biggest disappointment, not that I thought.

thought they were going to be good, but I was really high on them from a watchability perspective. Last time we did this, it was when they were actually winning a lot of games at the time still before they made all the trades at the deadline last season. And they're just awful, man. Like they are not a professional hockey team right now. And that pains me because I like some of the individual pieces. Troy Terry is one of my favorite players in the league. Trevor Zegris is still a brilliant young player.

They have the pieces there. I still am high on them moving forward in terms of like their organizational outlook. But I mean, the product right now is just, it's embarrassing. how bad they are. Yeah. And it's, it's disheartening too because last year it did seem like they had those moments where like, okay, this team is ready to kind of take a step forward. They're not a good team yet, but they're a fun team at points. And, you know, it kind of reminds me of the Vancouver Canucks from, you know, four or five years ago when they had that young course starting to come into place. And you're like, okay, this is a very imperfect team, but it's fun to watch.

And like they're, they're probably not ready, but they're making their way. And the dust. And the Ducks didn't think that they were ready, obviously, especially in that division, but I thought that they would be a little bit more respectable than they've been so far. There's, they have one regulation win so far in 27 games. They've been outscored 112 to 67.

I mean, it's weird because it's so bad, man. And the thing is, is, you know, we're saying at the start how, like, you don't have to be good to be entertaining to watch. I think, like, a team like the Montreal Canadiens has found has straddled that perfectly.

where they're going to get a high draft pick and they're not going to win a lot of games. I think they're going to, you know, they started off pretty well in terms of win losses. Like they're going to lose a lot moving forward. But they're like losing like seven to six games at overtime and stuff where they're blowing what like big leads, like which is what young imperfect teams do.

But it keeps you tuning in and watching and there's reasons to care and be excited. And then like you can go too far the other way and kind of lose the plot. And that's what it feels like the ducks and the blue jackets I would lump in there as well where I thought they wouldn't be as good. people thought after they added Johnny Goodro this off season. But I was like, oh, man, they have young players. They're adding Johnny. This team's going to score a lot at least.

And they're just not, they're the 26th and goals. Like they're just, they're not meeting even those expectations. And that's what's disappointing. And maybe I'm biased as well because I went in with high hopes from a watchability perspective. And so when they fail to meet even that, I feel like I'm like punishing them on this list even more just because I'm like, oh, man, you guys have let me down so much this season.

Right. Yeah, it's, it's hard to escape that. It's sort of like a resentment. when a team doesn't meet your own expectations. So true. All right. Let's get into our top tens then. Who do you let's, we'll go like, well, we'll go back and forth.

I'll let you go first. Who do you have at a 10? Can I throw an honorable mention in there first? Absolutely. Because I had a really hard time. Okay. Like not, not doing just 10. My honorable mention is just the St. Louis Blues because of how far they've kind of

fallen and the chaos factor, um, especially when it comes to Jordan Bittington knowing that like once every three games, he's going to throw a temper tantrum and have a full diaper. And, and so like that as, especially as a Bruins fan, like I love the chaos that comes with Jordan Binnington meltdowns. Um, just that that seems, it's interesting because I thought that that like the demise of the blues was kind of over exaggerated before the season because Vegas projected them to have like a 14 point drop off, I want to say, they're 109 points last year. And I think that they're like over under was like 94.5 or something like that. And I was like, that's, that's too, too steep, I think.

And boy, was wrong. And like their problems are, are predictable, I think. You know, they don't have the depth that they had last year. I think losing David Perron really hurt. And the defense was a problem for the entirety of last year. And no surprise that Nick Letty didn't fix that. And, you know, I think the defense is really soft and it's kind of a mess. And so I'm just kind of tuning in from a sort of like morbid curiosity to see if the team is as bad as it has looked for stretches for stretches this year.

And I think the answer is yes. Like I think this is a bad team that has played well in spurts and not the other way around. And then the chaos factory has made another element of watchability. But number 10, I have the end of toilet. Let's just stick with the blues for a second here because I had them on my list of biggest disappointments along with the ducks, the avalanche, and the blue jackets. And the point I just made about like feeling let down, I had them inside like my top seven or something all of last year to start this season in my preseason preview. And I was talking up their offense in particular. Like the defensive issues and the goal ending, none of that is surprising to me at all.

But last year they were fifth and five on five scoring and third and overall in goals. and a lot of it was an inflated shooting percentage. And I was like, you know what? They might be an aberration here. This might continue year over year because when you watch them play, you watch Robert Thomas and Jordan Kairu moving the puck and Bichnevich finishing and the chemistry they had with the forwards. And I was like,

this forward group moves the puck so beautiful in the offensive zone. I believe it. Like they don't shoot that often because they're looking for the best like possible chance and you watch all the goals they scored last year. And it's these ridiculous like give and go tap ins where the goalies completely out of position. And so I was like, you know what? This just might be who they are.

And then you look now, the shooting percentage regress back to normal. They're 20 second in scoring, and they've let me down. I'm a fool for thinking that anyone was going to outlive a high shooting percentage. It always regresses. And that's a note to remember moving forward. They're for sure disappointing. And they're not super fun to watch, which seems like kind of stupid to list them on the watchability rankings. But it's for me personally, I like watching and finding out like just how bad this.

I have a morbid curiosity to find out how bad this team is and just trying to figure that out. So like they're pretty like when they are on a night's late, they are going to have some preferential treatment for me just to kind of explore what they are. Okay. So oilers a 10. Oilers at 10 just because I can't, I can't have a team with Connor McDavid and Leon Dryside. I'll not be in the top 10 watchability rankings. Obviously, Oilers have had their struggles and very predictable struggles and very familiar struggles for. years past. So, you know, not, not as exciting as, as I'd hope. And so like, possibly they could

fall on my list of disappointments, but they're also still on my list of top 10 watchable teams just because you, you cannot have Connor McDavid and Leon Drysidal on the list of, you know, a night slate and then not be interested. Because any given moment, they can put together something that's incredible to watch. So have to have them in my top 10, which is kind of why I I bumped the blues out of there. Yeah, I had them, I had them on third on my list. I'm a sucker man. I can't, I can't, I can't quit them for all the flaws with the team.

Even the other night, they're playing the coyotes. They win 8-1 or whatever it was, 8-2. I don't know what the final score was. There's no reason to be tuning in. And like I want some point, they're up 6-1, and then Leandro Seidel circles back in the offensive zone, does a no look backhand pass, sauces it over a couple sticks, right to McDavid,

who does a wrap around and scores. and just embarrassing the coyotes. Not that that's something to necessarily be proud of or it means anything moving forward. But it was another example of like, there's no reason that this sequence should have been as entertaining as it was. And I just can't quit them.

I mean, they're fifth and goals for, ninth and goals against in terms of giving up the most nine goals against. They've reached a point for me where every outcome is believable. Like if they go up, five nothing, I could see them losing. If they go down five nothing, I could see them winning. anything, any opponent, any range of outcomes is in play for me. And so from a watchability perspective, like I mentioned to you last time, I had McDavid FOMO where I feel like if I'm out while the lawyers are playing, I'm going to

miss the best goal that's ever been scored on an HL. Yeah. I surface. And I still feel that way. So I couldn't possibly move them down. Like bumping them out of the top two was a sign of how disappointed I am, but I couldn't go past that. That's fair.

I mean, I think that you also, I don't know if this is wrong, but like you have more of a West Coast bias than I do too. And like a lot of, you'll probably see like a lot of my teams are East Coast as we get higher on the list. And it's just, I think that's just kind of the way that it naturally works. But I mean, Edmonton for me is for all the reasons that you said, like they have to be in the top 10. And like things can go very wrong, but also go very right for them. And I also dislike the fact that like a lot of people like you said with the like the coyotes like it's you can't celebrate an incredible highlight against guys. I never buy into that. It's still the NHL.

Like I hate when when that's sort of like the pushback on Twitter sometimes is like yeah, they did it again like sick defense or like they do it against coyotes. It doesn't count. It's like at some point you have to just allow yourself to enjoy things. And it's still impressive when you see an incredible highlight from some of the best players on earth, especially when it's McDavid, especially. when it's dry-sidal. They can do that against any opponent. So don't cheapen it by saying like it's the coyotes or whatever. So yeah, I'm always down to watch them, you know, and so they have to be in my top ten.

I mean, yeah, it's a cool physical accomplishment. Also, they're going up against other pro athletes who are trying really hard and trying to carve out NHL careers for themselves. So we shouldn't cheapen it. We should embrace it. At number 10, on my list, speaking of West Coast Bias, I've got the Seattle Cracking. Here's the thing. The combination of broadcast, which is right up there best in the league, in my opinion,

the jerseys, which are beautiful still to me, the home crowd, especially this. I mean, even last year when they were losing a lot, I felt like that home crowd and expansion season was really like embracing the team and it was very lively. This year they're playing exciting games and giving them something to cheer for, and they've backed that up. And then the late night chaos potential where you have that game recently against the Kings where it finishes 9-8 or whatever.

I love that. It's the only game left on that on NHL schedule that night. I'm tuning in. Something crazy is about to happen. I love it. So maybe it is the West Coast bias for me, but I have them at number 10 and I really think everything we hoped for

from them last year and never really got we're getting and then some this season. And so I've really enjoyed this ride so far from them. Yeah, I'll tell you, that's not West Coast bias because they're on my list too, and it'll be a while to we get to them. Nine for me is the Pittsburgh Penguins, just because there's a fascination for me with the penguins

and just like the sustainability of that team and like we've kind of been waiting for them to fall off for a little bit. And for some reason, it seems impossible for that team to fall off. Like even with all the injuries in years past, they refuse to fall off. And, you know, somebody said it on Twitter yesterday. Like, they believe that at this point, somehow Sidney Crosby is underrated.

And I completely agree with that. Like, I don't know if it's fatigue because Crosby's just been around for so long. And everybody, you know, you kind of run out of things to say about him. And so he kind of falls down. And, you know, he may not be as like electrifying as he once was or like as much of a highlight machine as he once was. But like watching Sidney Crosby on a. nightly basis is still like a joy and it's still something that I'm trying to soak up as much as I can. So like the penguins are still on my list both for team reasons and for individual

reasons. And so, um, you know, it surprises me that they do crack my top 10 still, but here they are. I haven't made eight on my list. So I'm right there with you watching Crosby just pick opponents part methodically with this like old man pick up game where he's just like backing them down in a low post and just like exerting his will. on them even though he's the greatest grinder of all time he really is though like just every single little detail to his game not to like you know sound like a like a hockey nerd like oh you really have to appreciate the details of but it's true with him like every little thing he does is by design almost and he's he's even setting you up like he does one little thing you're like oh i wonder

why he did that and it's because he wanted to set you up for like two plays later where him and gensel are going to work this magic together malkin's still slicing and dyson and has look rejuinated to my eye this season. I'll give you another fun little fact about them. They're averaging 33 shots per game. They're giving up 33 shots per game. They're the second highest-paced team in that regard. So there's a lot happening in their games.

They play really up-tempo. And another thing for me, the reverse retro. Yeah, I can't believe I didn't mention that. They rock this season with that Lemieux-Yagra-era penguin up front is so clean. I love it. I have no notes, really. Like, I guess my only note is I wish I could see it more often. Especially when you compare it to that first version of the reverse retro they tried to do that just said Pittsburgh diagonally in block letters across the front.

I was like, what is what is going on with this? And then they bring this one and I'm like, oh, they did it. They actually made a perfect adjustment and I love it. Yeah, it's weird because like I really like the penguins new, not new, I guess like modern logo with the actual penguin. But I honestly think that I do like the robot. penguin just as much. And so I want them to keep both in the mix permanently. The robo penguin is just very different.

And I don't know if it has like a nostalgia kick for me because like that was what I grew up with the penguins wearing. But man, the robo penguin just still holds up so well. And I love the like the, they have more gold accents on the on the reverse retro. And I just, it works so well. Yeah. I completely agree. Okay.

So I had them eight on my list. Number nine on my list before we miss it is the Los Angeles Kings. And I really don't have the best explanation for this one. I just enjoy watching their games. Like they play a very, your friendly style in terms of just like constantly moving north-south. Their offense has improved a bit this year adding Kevin Fiala having some of their young players develop.

But they're also, their defense kind of regressed or at least their goaltending did. So they're getting in these higher scoring game environments as well. It feels like the 9-8 one or whatever was a bit of an exception. but it feels like they're due for some of these more chaotic environments where all of a sudden goals are coming in bunches as opposed to last year where there was a lot happening but the puck wasn't going in as much. So I really enjoy them. That broadcast as well is fantastic. I could watch.

I can listen to Alex Faust just like narrate the most generic basic things all day and I'd find it captivating. I love him as a play-by-play guy. And so I really just find myself similar what I said about the crack and like last game on the night schedule. I'm just tuning in no matter what and watching it and find myself enjoying it more often than not. Yeah, I mean, I agree. Eight for me is the Dallas stars. And there's a lot of reasons.

A lot of them are individual-based. But I mean, just from a team perspective, they seemed like a really middling team and a team that was like ready to be dead in the water. But, you know, they found second life here. And it's really interesting and kind of captivating to watch. Um, you know, I sort of expected them to be like a last year's national predators where it's like this team that it probably isn't very great, but like has great goaltending and can be saved and be carried into a playoff spot. But clearly like they're finding more more team success than that.

And, you know, they're scoring a ton like Jason Robertson is electric, uh, basically scoring every single night. Um, Jake Ottinger, I think is emerging as like one of the best goaltenders in the entire NHG. and he's he's great and uh as like a as a boston guy like seeing his success and um yeah i just you know the comeback story of like the dallas stars finding a second wind is is very very cool to me yeah it feels like um the stars and rick bonus were in a very toxic relationship where they just need it to separate so that both could both could be elevated right like bonus himself is having success now with the jets at the way they've started this season and the stars team under pita bar is just playing such a more viewer friendly style in terms of aggressiveness and offense embracing that

and really turning the team over to that top line. And man, yeah, the way Robertson, Hanson Pavelsky play off of each other is magic. Like, they have so much chemistry. You know, I'll throw Wyatt Johnson in there as well, who's not going to get a lot of love in the calder race just because he doesn't play as much as some of these other rookies. And it's so loaded at the top of the class. But he's working his way up there and he's got so much skill in his hands as well. And then I've been talking a lot about the broadcast for this because that's something

thing. It really improves the viewer experience for me. And the combination of Josh Bogorad and Razoray is, is the best local broadcast in the game, in my opinion. And here's what I appreciate about them, Pete. They obviously, like, they're homers in the sense that they're, they cover the stars, right? Every local broadcast has homer. When the other team does something cool, they appreciate it. And you can tell, like, they're like, they're talking the sport up, right?

Like they're trying to relay that to home that, oh my God, something cool just happened here. This player is awesome. Even though they don't play for the Dallas Stars, you can still enjoy it. You don't have to talk poorly about them to make yourself feel better about your own team. So even if they're losing or whatever, like they're still having fun with it. And some broadcasts I feel like could improve with that, right? Where they feel like the need to talk down the other team because it makes their own team feel better. And with the stars, you never get that.

Like that broadcast always is appreciating. If something awesome happens, they're all over. Yeah, I agree. And like I'm glad you brought up brick bonus because like I think a big reason why I have them where I do on my list is just the the massive jump that they've made in terms of watchability because under bonus like you could not pay me to watch the stars. I'm sorry. Like I get enough of I had enough of that like as a Bruins fan just like watching a defensive

slog and I know that it's successful and like I'm not going to, you know, not going to demolish that sort of strategy if it works for. you as a team, but like it doesn't really translate to watchability. And so I'm, I'm excited about liking watching the Dallas stars now. I love it. All right. So do you have them at eight on your list? Yeah, you did. You had the penguins, penguins, nine, them eight. We're through my eight as well. So let's give me here on a number seven. My number seven is the Vancouver Canucks. Oh, wow. Yeah. And it's, I've always had like this like fascination with the Canucks Corb just because of like the direction of that team never makes sense to me.

Just in terms of like roster construction and it's just a general fascination with like how much they've butchered that situation and like a really promising future and a promising core. So like I have to see what they're what they have every year. And I mean this year there's a fascination that just links to. what can happen on any given night to that team. Like they can blow a five-coal lead at any point. It's sort of like what you said with the, you know,

with the oilers. It's, there's nothing that's sort of out of the realm of possibility with watching the Canucks. So, you know, it's, they,

they've got good players. They, you know, they can look good, but things can also fall apart so, so quickly with that team. And there's like a fragility to, to them that,

is really intriguing. And being a West Coast team, like there are, you know, if they have a late spot, they can seize my attention if they've got like a good matchup. Yeah,

I did not have in my top 10. I really do, one of my working theories, like hearing the way of people outside of this market talk about the Canucks is so different than like the way I feel like locally

seeing it up close feels like because even for years now, others been like, oh, like, this team is young, exciting. They've got so much going on. And like, I just see such a good dysfunctional, disorganized group that is run so poorly. And even the other, like, I just think the hockey itself is not, not up to par for me from a watchability perspective.

Like the other night, they play a game against the sharks, right? And they win six five and overtime. There's a lot of goals. You see that score line. You're like, oh, this is, this must have been really good. And I watched that game. And part of it was their dance partner, like the sharks themselves are not a good team. but it was just like it was so sloppy.

Yeah, it's not pretty. It's definitely not pretty. A lot of goals, but I'm like, oh man, you watch some of these sequences when the Pugs I'll go again, and it's like,

this is not very good. And so I don't know. I think I knocked them down on my list just purely because of that. Yeah, and I mean, like three years ago, they probably would have been in my top like four.

Yeah, you were really high on them. I was super high on them being a very fun, watchable team. And like for better and for worse, because like three or four years ago, they were still kind of a mess. And like it was,

you know, both ways. Like, you know, they could give up a ton too. They've definitely taken a dip in terms of like how exciting they are themselves. But, you know, it's the poll of like what the hell is going on with this team and like where, where are they going and what's next for them is what draws me to them. Yeah. Yeah.

I mean, I just said a lot of negative things about them. I'll say one positive thing. I think Alias Patterson is just having such a monster, not bounce back season because like his second half of last year was really good, but like he's really like become everything for this team and what we hoped he'd be after his first couple years in the league. And then he had a bit of a dip with the wrist injury. But like every single night, yeah, he's he's worth like the price of admission or tuning in just purely based on what he does individually. So I'll give him that. All right, Pete, let's take a quick break here. And then when we come back, we're, we're going

to get into our top half of the list and have some fun with that. We are doing our top tens, a revised watchability rankings through the first 25 games of the season. Pete, let's update it. So I had Cracken 10 on my list, Kings 9, Penguins 8. I'm at 7 on mine. I had the stars at 6. I am at 7 on mine. I have the Vegas Golden Knights.

That's your 7? That's my 7. Yeah. I just think the entire spectacle of it, it scratches. for me. And I think watching them play this season in terms of the team speed they play with and how good that top line is with Ikel back in full form and watching Chandler-Stevenson fly down the wing and Shay Theodore is one of my favorite players in league to watch. I just, I find myself gravitating towards Golden Knights game and Golden Knights games. I know they've struggled

a bit here recently and falling off in terms of the hot start they were off too. But yeah, I feel pretty good about this one. I feel like they're one of my late night teams. Yeah, I mean, that that leads perfectly in because they're my number six. And yeah. And so, you know, there's a Bruce Cassidy element for me as a Bruins guy. And I mean, the Jack Eichael dynamic and finding out what he's going to be capable of is, has drawn me in as well. And then, you know, Logan Thompson. I mean, we didn't know what the hell to expect with this team in net this season. And I think Logan Thompson has been just everything they could have wanted him to be. And maybe the best,

maybe the best value player in the NHL at this point. Um, and. And so I think the broadcast also is really, really strong, the atmosphere, the game presentation, like all of it kind of works for me. And yeah, there is, they have, I'm interested to see how I feel about this team at this, at season's end, because they have taken a step backwards. But overall, this is a team that, that is absolutely, I would consider a bounce back candidate, obviously. last year was tough for them and they're back to being what we thought that they they should be and are and so Vegas has been very interesting and very intriguing for me. Have you speaking of that kind of in in game presentation atmosphere, have you been to a to a game?

I have not been to a game. I haven't either. Oh, you've been to the All-Star. You're All-Star there, right? No. I missed All-Star last year, but I did go to the expansion draft. So I was there that night for like the NHL awards. So it's a great arena.

And it looks awesome in terms of game atmosphere and presentation. So I'm very interested in checking out a game there for sure. Yeah. I lament back that I haven't yet. It's definitely on my to do list. All right. We're inside my top five here because I had the stars at six and we've already talked about them. Have we done?

You said you had the goal of the nights at six on your list? Yeah, they were my six. So I'm also in my top five now. Okay. Who do you have at five? I have five, I have the Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs are always going to be like in the top five for me just from an interest in kind of keeping tabs on them. And, you know, there's always something going on.

Like there's always a storyline. And I don't know if it's half the time manufactured, but like there's always something going on with that team. That's worth tuning into. Obviously, to this point, the Marner point streak has been worth checking in on the, the, the defensive, like how depleted they are defensively is seeing like, you know, how are they going to hold that together? Their goaltending situation is always intriguing and, you know, to, you know, Matt Murray, what's going on with Matt Murray? Like, who is that guy? And, you know, so I'm always interested to see what is going on in Toronto and, and they've obviously got the star power

in like the intrigue about that core and whether or not they can actually put it together for not only an 82 game season, but beyond. And so as long as they keep that group together, they're always going to be like a team that draws my attention and makes me want to find out what's going on. Yeah, I did not. I had them as kind of like an honorable mention. On my list, I did not have them in my top 10.

And it is purely because I kind of feel like I have a better grasp on what they are right now. And they are really good. Like, if you look at their defensive metrics, all the injuries aside, they've already used 12 different defensemen this season. T.J. Brody did just come back for them. But their system and the way they play and, like, how fast they play, even off the puck. Like, they're really good. They're suppressing everything, making life easier for their goalies. They're getting great goaltending from Amelia Simpson and Matt Murray so far. But I think they're really good. They've kind of changed the way they play. Like, they've slowed down offensively. They don't necessarily play off the rush as much anymore. they kind of try to grind it out a bit more and inflex on you in the offensive zone.

And so for me, I bump them down from a watchability perspective while also simultaneously raising them in my like how good I think they actually are. Right. So in that sense, it's kind of universally correlated for me. But yeah, I mean, whenever you have Austin Matthews and Mitch Marta and Willie Nealander and a rejuvenate John Tavares, like the individual star power there is certainly there. I have the Panthers at five on my list and I wanted to have them higher. I just, I, I, I've enjoyed the other teams to the point where I couldn't sneak them up there.

And maybe a bit of it is like after last year where they were my number one team, they haven't necessarily matched that. But I think the way they play in terms of like how quickly they move up the ice as a five-man unit, even though they're not attacking as much off the rush anymore. They're so, such a high octane offense. They average like 39 shots a game so far this season. And seeing Matt, you could check it integrated in there. It's changed their look.

but I think it's actually made them even more intriguing from a watchability perspective this year. And so, like, I love watching this Panthers team. I think they're not as explosive as they were last year, but they're still so, so good. Yeah, I have the Panthers not on my top 10. Oh, my God. Pete, what are you doing?

So I'm going to explain it. I think it's a little unfair. I will acknowledge that. But the two reasons I don't have them on there is, number one, I think they've fallen victim to expectations. And maybe the expectations were a little unfair based off of last year. don't necessarily know if I believe that they were going to replicate that, but it has, it has kind of regress from a watchability point more than I thought it would.

And number two, their camera angle stinks. Their home camera angle is the worst. It is like watching a high school team. And every time they are at home and I, and I click the stream to watch them play and I'm reminded about the camera angle, it makes me throw up on my mouth a little bit. Like that that absolutely needs to be fixed. I think it's like the number one, like broadcast flaw in the entire NHL. Yeah.

I think the sharks have fixed theirs, but for a while there, you tune into a Panthers game. And it would be so close. Like you feel like it's like an ISO cam on whoever has the puck. And then you put out a sharks game and you feel like you're like staying in the rafters waiting to like come down. And it's just like what, how is this the same like NHL product? Like it makes no sense. So I would absolutely rather take the sharks. Yeah, at least you can see everything.

Right. Exactly. Like you have a, it's a bird's eye cam. And it's almost like the all 22. I don't know if you ever seen like the all 22 for for the NFL. Like it's almost like one of those where it's like somebody filming from up in the like the press level for like the sake of game tape. I would much rather watch that than watch like somebody filming from the lower bowl and you can't even see the puck in the corners. Like that drives me insane.

So probably unfair to the Panthers, but they're not on my top 10. Number four for me, I have the Seattle Cracken. Cracken have been so much fun and just like such a pleasant surprise to see the vision of that management group and like the front office come into play and basically be like a 180 from last year. and you know it makes me feel like I owe a lot of apologies and probably a lot of other people owe a lot of apologies because like the division did not come into come in come to fruition last year obviously it's a disaster of a year but like you start to see now what they were hoping for when they put this team together like they play an awesome 200 foot game it does maybe maybe it's like an expansion connection but like they do remind me a little bit of the Vegas golden nights

in their early days where like they're so strong in the puck that you're so strong in the puck They skate so well. They're extremely mobile. And they've just emerged as a team worth caring about. And not only a team worth caring about, but a team worth fearing. Like this is a good team and not only an entertaining team. So the Cracken have been an incredible surprise to me. And I do believe that they have the best broadcast in the game.

They have the best broadcast, the NHL from a like John Foresland is, I think, the best play-by-play guy in the entire sport. Um, you know, they, their, their analytical team is yeah, crazy good. Alison Lucan is awesome. Uh, J. T. Brown like they've got to, they basically, they put together an all star team in terms of the broadcast. And it's a pleasure.

I mean, also the only English, uh, in studio host in the NHL, I believe, which is a treat. Listening to somebody with an English accent, uh, talk about what just happened in that period is a very, very. very unique experience and what a delight. So like their top 10 in everything except goaltending, which honestly kind of helps the, it helps the watchability where it's like bad goaltending can be the most intriguing and entertaining thing in all of hockey. Just asks me and my love for Mike Smith.

So like this team has just completely turned it around in terms of what is worth watching. The broadcast is such an embarrassment of riches to have John Foresland, Eddie Olick. Chuck J.T. Brown and Allison Lucan on the same. Same set up. Yeah. I didn't even mention it. Eddie. Eddie.

Yes. Oh. Yes. So good. With like his chemistry with John Foreson and then like how he like ribs him and then John Foresland just like just keeps going is is. It seems like it seems like one of those things that shouldn't work where it's like if you put together like a like what do they call it like a super group.

Like you take the best musicians. Too many cooks in the kitchen. It shouldn't work. But it absolutely does. and that should be like the A team of a national broadcast and they have it as a local broadcast. That's really well said. I think they all have like very complimentary skill sets. So it's all come together nicely.

But you're right. You'd think it'd be like too much firepower. I had them tell on my list. Like I love them already talked about why. I also think you don't have to apologize. I think we can rightfully have critiqued how they handled last year and what they wound up doing and some of the choices they they passed up on. and also compliment what they did this past off season, which is identifying Audrey Berkovsky

is a perfect fit as a finisher for them, stealing Oliver Bergstrand from the Blue Jackets after they inexplicably couldn't afford them anymore. Like, yeah, they both are true at the same time for me. So I don't think we need to apologize. I think we can just, we can compliment them now. Oh, he's so good. He's one of the most fun players to watch.

Like, you said that 200 foot game. Yes. No, that's usually like a cliche, but for him it really does apply. Like he can do something exciting behind his own net and behind the other team's net, off and on the puck regardless, he's always doing something. And to see that so early in his career is like incredibly impressive because a lot of the

times you see like these these electrifying players up front and it takes them a while to get to really like to subscribe to the 200 foot game and have it working both ways that young is really, really impressive. Maddie Benares is awesome. Yeah. Okay. Number four on my list. It pains me to do this with you in attendance that the Boston Bruins.

you know it. Do you have them at number one on your list? I do, yeah. Oh, God. You're such a homer. I mean, come on. This is the most fun I've ever had watching this team in my entire life. I am absolutely a homer.

You can say whatever you want about Jack Edwards and the broadcast team taking away from the watchability. But for me, like, this team is just so fun and just not only so successful, but fun. Like, in years past, they've had very. very good teams, but they haven't been the most fun to watch. Like I said, it's been like a lot of the times it's a defensive slog. They really, really prioritize being safe in their own end. But Jim Montgomery has really unlocked the, the excitement of this team. Like he's turned Hampus Linholm into Bobby Orr.

Like this is such a good team. They've got an incredibly strong top nine that, you know, in years past, they had one line. And that's basically where they got 90% of their production. This team does not take its foot off the gas. And I know that it's, I'm really kind of getting ahead of myself and going into my number one here. But you brought it up. So go ahead, talk about your number four. Okay.

Here's what I, what I like about them. There's a lot to choose from. But my favorite things. One, I love how well-oiled of a machine it is at all phases of the game, right? Like they're a top five, five-on-five team, both offensively and defensively. They're top three on the power play. they're the best penalty killing team in the league. And even when they're down a man,

if you have Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marshawn out there, I feel like they have a chance to score. And so no matter what the game state is, you can't really look away or tune out because they might do something special. They play with such like the precision with which they pick you apart as a team now is so cool, especially that top line in particular,

but it's kind of like trickle down into everyone else somehow. I don't know how they're doing it, what type of magic they're working. But the set plays, they run in the offensive zone, the way they move the puck, how they move off of each other. Like, it really is a genuinely, like, aesthetically pleasing product to watch. And so probably could have had them even higher my list. I just, I mentioned, like, I couldn't bump the Oilers down beyond three from the chaos perspective.

And then when I get into my top two and you hear how glowingly I speak about them, you're going to understand why I was forced to put the Bruins at four. But, yeah, they probably do deserve to be higher based on how good they've been so far. And there's an element, too, and I'm not sure, like, how many other people will see this. because, like, you know, I'm closer to the product than everybody else. But, like, their team is, like, so likable. Like, the, this group is clearly, clearly buying in and they, they really like each other. And for me, that's, that's something, too, that goes a long way is when the guys in the room clearly like each other, they clearly have fun, not only on the ice, but off the ice as well. and I see that with this group.

And like that was like preseason my expectations were tempered because, you know, I think a lot of people expect this team to take a step backwards and and not a gigantic step forwards. And I was sort of leaning that way. But the closer I got to the team and seeing them interact with each other and seeing just like how well it all kind of jelled. And the last dance vibe that they kind of have to it, it made me change my tone and change my outlook where I was like this team could accomplish more than we expect based off of just

how good the chemistry is. All right. That's enough. I've heard enough. That's fair. So we add the oilers a three. So I'm into my top two. How far are you?

We've got your one and I think you had the crack in a four, right? So I think you have the third and second. Okay. Give me your number three. My number three is the devils. Just, you know, the devils are extremely fun, extremely, you know, they're so high for me because like it's I need to find out what I've been missing from the devils for the past couple years because they were very low on my watchability rank because I rarely tuned in or like prioritize them over other teams. So like now that it's like fully clicking, I need to see like what they've got and and how it's working so well.

So like seeing that vision come together is very fun and like very rewarding. just knowing that their core hasn't really played together for like a really extended period of time with with, you know, Jack, Nico and Jesper. Like I think the most they'd ever played together was like a 12 or 11 game stretch prior to this year. So like seeing those guys gel together and kind of seeing what this team can do with its core healthy has been absolutely fascinating. and then what they have on the back end is just like incredible. And I know that a lot of people sometimes say like whatever defensive play is not exciting. This devil's team is the proof that like a very good defensive team and a team that prioritizes a defensive mindset is extremely exciting and extremely entertaining. And the way that that defense plays is incredible.

and the speed with which they get the puck out of their own end is unbelievable. So Jack Hughes, the devil's just general intrigue, and then their back end is must watch TV for me. Yeah, the way they defend is very exciting. I mean, just relentless speed. I have them number one on my list. I only team in the league that's in the top five at generating shots, high danger chances, expected goals, and actual goals.

scored. There's no drop-off. I mentioned with the Bruins in terms of like game state for them. Their fourth line could be out there. The third pair could be out there. And they're going to play the same way as their top line and top pair will play. They don't have as much skill. But in terms of that mentality with attacking and just playing with speed, they can just roll truly every player on their team and keep playing the same way without any drop-off. And Jack Hughes, I mean, he's on pace for 40 goals and 100 points. And it feels like he's really scratching the surface. Like, like, you know, he's so young that it's obviously not controversial to say that like he's just finally like coming into his own and entering his prime and starting that like he's going to go up from here. But even like this season, like he started a bit slow in terms of the puck not necessarily going in for him.

He was still creating a ton. But now like it's all coming together and he just creates so much watching the way him and Jasper Brad in particular just toy with opponents is mesmerizing to me. Like, oh God, the passing level has has elevated. quite a bit. And that's not to say that I didn't think that like Jack Hughes wasn't a confident player before because he obviously was. But like you can you can tell that there is an element of certainty that like he has he's going to be a star in the NHL. Yeah. Yeah, they'll try anything. And I love that mentality. And you know what else I love? The fact that I think by the process of elimination, we both have the number, same number two team. Got to be right. I'd be shocked.

The Buffalo Sabers are my number two. Oh my God. Perfect storm, right? They lead the league in goals. They also give up the fifth most goals. They're averaging, their games are averaging 7.7 combined goals for and against. Tage Thompson, I'm the number one member of the fan club. You're number two. I would say 1A1B. 1A1B.

Okay, that's fair. That's fair. The most fun and unique player to watch right now, just here's this 82 game pace. 66 goals, 60 assists, 650 shot attempts. Just, oh my God. And countless more highlights and reasons for us to just message each other being like. Yeah. But it's so fun.

He's gone to the point where you have to alert your friends. Yes. That he just did something again. It's like, did you miss that? Because he just did it. He did it again. It's been a while since a player has gotten me this obnoxious. Where like, you know, like, Connor McDavid can do anything on any given night.

And like there's a general consensus that he's the best player in the world. So like you you, you, you don't feel like you're on to anything with the Connor McDavid because everybody has like the same mindset. But the Tage Thompson emergence has been like, you have to tell everybody that you know that Tage Thompson is just like the most electrifying player in hockey right now. Because otherwise you would like if you're a peripheral fan, you're missing out. Like you don't know about Tage Thompson. You probably do at this point.

But like a couple months ago. go you're missing out on tage thompson being an electric force every night and the the buffalo sabers top line i would say is probably the most electric line in hockey right now and uh just finding uh like the way that they've been unlocked by granado has been really really fun and like now even the kid line has been has been finding it and been a lot of fun like i really like j j j per turka and so like him jackquin dylan dylan cullen like they're finding it and it makes you really excited about where this team is headed if they can put it together and you know round out the roster find some goal tending and like rasmus dalin is

hitting his really hitting his potential and elevating into an elite defenseman so this team has a lot to look to look for and to be interested in like you mentioned both positively and negatively and the negatively, the negative stuff is still entertaining. And so this is one of the most entertaining teams in hockey, whether they're running you over or getting run over. I want to get like either a t-shirt or a hat or maybe like some sort of patch that I can sew on my jacket that like lets people know that like I'm part of the Tage Thompson Club. Like I want I want people to like know that I'm with it.

That is hilarious because I almost message you during the, during the five goal game being like, We have to like start in an official fan club or something, right? Like we have to get a Discord going or something. Yeah. Just post clips in there and just let's just, you know, just chat with fellow like minded individuals. So let's do like Tage Thompson jean jackets like a biker game,

but with Tage Thompson fan club. That is so good. All right, man. Pete, this was a blast quickly before we sign out here. Let people know where they can check out your work. All my NHL stuff is with balli sports.com. So you can find all that.

I do weekly videos with Frank Ceravale and some of my writing and columns are there. And then, you know, just on Twitter, P. Blackburn. And, you know, that's about it. Beautiful. All right, man. Well, this is a blast. I'm glad we got to catch up. And we'll work on the Tage Thompson ideas and we'll let the listeners know what comes of it.

Thanks for coming on. And we'll chat soon. Absolutely. I'm very glad that we got to finish with that with Tage. And quickly thank you to listeners for listening to the Hockeypedio guest on the Sportsnet Radio Network.