The Sheet with Jeff Marek - NHL Vibe Check ft. Shayna Goldman

Episode Date: April 2, 2026

On today’s episode of The Sheet, Jeff Marek is joined by Shayna Goldman for a full NHL vibe check as the regular season chaos continues to unfold across the league.The conversation begins in Toronto following the Maple Leafs’ decision to fire general manager Brad Treliving. Jeff and Shayna break down the fallout from the move, what Keith Pelley’s comments mean for the franchise moving forward, and what the next front office structure in Toronto could look like.From there, the focus shifts west where the San Jose Sharks are still hanging around the playoff picture in the Western Conference, sparking a bigger discussion about the overall strength — or lack thereof — across the conference this season.The guys also dive into the stunning coaching change in Vegas, where the Golden Knights moved on from Bruce Cassidy and brought in John Tortorella behind the bench. What does Tortorella bring to the defending Stanley Cup champions, and how might it reshape the identity of the team?Later in the show, Jeff and Shayna examine the situation in Ottawa surrounding Linus Ullmark after the Senators’ latest controversy, while also discussing where things stand between the organization, the fan base, and captain Brady Tkachuk.From front office shakeups to playoff races and coaching drama, it’s a full league-wide temperature check on everything happening around the NHL.For daily hockey conversations covering everything from the front office to the locker room, make sure to subscribe to the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel and join us live every weekday.#NHL #TheSheet #JeffMarek #ShaynaGoldman #TorontoMapleLeafs #VegasGoldenKnights #SanJoseSharks #OttawaSenators #BradTreliving #JohnTortorella #BradyTkachuk #LinusUllmarkLeave a voicemail: https://www.speakpipe.com/TheSheetEmail us: [e-mail] TO OUR SPONSORS!!👍🏼 Fan Duel: https://www.fanduel.com/👍🏼 Ninja: https://www.sharkninja.ca/ninja-crispi-pro-6-in-1-countertop-glass-air-fryer-rose-quartz/AS101CRS.html?utm_source=Meta&utm_medium=Paid+Social&utm_campaign=H1NinjaCrispi&utm_content=NinjaEN&dwvar_AS101CRS_color=cdb9b8Reach out to [e-mail] to connect with our Sales Team and discuss opportunities to partner with us!If you liked this, check out:🚨 OTT - Coming in Hot Sens | https://www.youtube.com/c/thewallyandmethotshow🚨 TOR - LeafsNation | https://www.youtube.com/@theleafsnation401🚨 EDM - OilersNation | https://www.youtube.com/@Oilersnationdotcom🚨 VAN - CanucksArmy | https://www.youtube.com/@Canucks_Army🚨 CGY - FlamesNation | https://www.youtube.com/@FNBarnBurner🚨 Daily Faceoff Fantasy & Betting | www.youtube.com/@DFOFantasyandBetting____________________________________________________________________________________________Connect with us on ⬇️Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/daily_faceoff💻 Website: https://www.dailyfaceoff.com🐦 Follow on twitter: https://x.com/DailyFaceoff💻 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailyfaceoffDaily Faceoff Merch:https://nationgear.ca/collections/daily-faceoffReach out to [e-mail] to connect with our Sales Team and discuss opportunities to partner with us! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oh, hello there once again. Welcome to the program. This is The Sheet for this Thursday, April the 2nd. Glad to have you aboard today. Whether you're watching, whether you're listening, we thank you for your attention, as always, from Maya Top, the broadcast empire of the Jeff Merrick Studios. No, it's my basement. Welcome to the program. Glad to have you here today. She will be with us in a couple of moments. I learned something this morning talking to Shane and while I was walking my dog that I didn't know before. We'll share that exciting news.

We'll be coming up here in a couple of seconds. In the meantime, before we get into the blueprint here and let you know what's going on on the program today, Zach. First of all, is there a fire alarm at your condo yet because they sort of teased one a second ago as we were getting all warmed up here. Nothing's happened yet. I'll keep you up to it if anything goes on. but the notification came on about 90 seconds before Jeff and I went to air. They came through the broadcast in the building and said, don't be alarmed by the,

they didn't even say the fire alarm. They said like the loud noises and strobe lights. I'm like, well, thank God I had a warning on that because otherwise I would be alarmed. So that could happen at any moment. So would you have to like vacate? Do you have to like leave the building?

Is it going to be one of those like we went through when we were in Ottawa? A couple of years ago, you and me? standing out there in our pajamas or freezing? No, I forgot that that happened. But no, that is not, yes, just waiting outside. That will not be necessary. I think I can stay in the building.

You knew the Wingman podcast eventually would lead to some interesting and maybe challenging moments for one or maybe both of the brothers or maybe the entire family. And I want to lead off the conversation with Shana coming up in a couple of with American players on Canadian teams. You want to play the clip of Big Walt on with his sons, which has raised some eyebrows and made things. By the way, Brady Kachuk, not available for media today.

Neither was Linus Lomark who gets to start as the Sands face off against Buffalo Stapers. Let's play this, shall we? This is fun. This is fun. And I had a big cast on because I broke my wrist or something in the Olympics. so I guess that's what happens you play through injuries guys

holy Christ this whole team my pinky hurts I'm out for six days I knew that was coming at I knew Raywood he said that I'm like don't say it I'm like don't you say it I just had a bad sleep so I can't play today

oh my god disgusting all right we move on here I can't play back to back so that is crazy I mean back to back

that used to not be whatever but uh Grant Fierer played 70 games in one year. I think 76, 76. Awkward. Awkward. Saturday against Tampa, the goalie, I'm tired. The best is the camera cut to Brady almost chokes on his coffee.

Oh, dad, stop, dad. Please, dad. I'm the captain of this team, dad. This is our goal tender dad. He's a Vesna winner, dad. He just bailed on us on one of the most important games of the year and Kuturoff wasn't in the lineup. Dad, we could have used those two points, Dad.

That's hard to do. Okay, let's move on here. On to the next. Holy smokes. Sips coffee. That was something. Yeah. We're going to talk to Shana about this, right?

When news breaks, Shana fixes it. How about that? That's how we should. that's how we should position Shana here on the program. The blueprint is powered by Fandual. Download the app today and play your game. When news breaks,

Shana fixes it. I like that. Coming up on the program, she is the great Shana Goldman. She joins us here in a couple of moments. You can listen to her on the Too Many Men podcast, read her in The Athletic. I suggest you do both.

We will talk a little bit more about what's going on in Toronto. We'll talk a little bit about John Tortorella, settling in in Vegas. A banger of a bit of a bit of a bit of, of a game, but well, at least a banger of a finish between the sharks and the Anaheim ducks yesterday. I want to park some time talking about Colorado and Vancouver as well. Oh, did we mention there's some interesting things going on with the Ottawa Senators? comma again.

And Nathan McKinnon scores 50 goals. This is a recording. Let's get right to Shana. Shana, who I learned something about today in our conversation with our dogs. The great Shannon Goldman joins me here on the program. First of all, I learned something about you today. Oh, no. Which are we going on with?

You went with a couple of things. We had a really, Shade and I had a really nice conversation this morning. And I learned a few things about you, some of which I will not share. But one thing I will. You used to work in a Chinese restaurant. Yes, I did. What was that? Before we get into hockey, boring hockey, more hockey talk.

What was the, we'll do NHL vibe check. But give me the working in a Chinese restaurant vibe check. Yeah, because you make fun of how I answered the phone. I said, should I get more professional channel my old days of answering phones at a Chinese takeout place? Hold on a second. Hang on. Hang on. Tell people how you answer the phone. I said, hey. Hey. Hey. Hey, not hello. Nothing. Hey. But it's like, I've interrupted you and you're like, and you're like, look, I should be doing something else, but instead I'm doing. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey, hey is right. Hello is formal. Hi. Sometimes I feel like you follow with the question mark. Hey is just, hey, it's an icebreaker. It's conversation. I'm going to answer the phone and say, what the fuck do you want?

And then you're going to be like, oh, see, that's not friendly. I said that, no, but you know what? Like, that would tickle my chin because that's the shana that I know. I like that one. Let's go with that door prize. What is a common one for me? I'm big on a what or yes? Like, what do you want?

I go, yeah, like a quick, like sisters calling me or something. I'm like, yeah. I make this quick, I'm done. Just pick up the phone and don't say anything. That's always my favorite. It's always my go-to. Or don't answer the phone. Yeah, that's a good one too.

You know that's a good one for me. I'll answer a text and not a call because I use my laptop more than my phone. No, I do know that. The best way to get you is text, always phone. Eh, hit or miss. But you picked up the phone today, and we got to a conversation as I was with my pooch. And you started talking about working at a Chinese restaurant because of the way you answered the phone. So what was that like?

Give us the Shana working Chinese restaurant. Let's go. 15-year-old Shana working out a Chinese restaurant, pocketing the cash, having the time of your life, working Friday, Saturday. Sunday nights answering Oh, it's kicking orders. Yep. And, you know, dealing with the cash register and things like that when people came in,

I could tell you every single price on the menu. I knew every everything. And I got to take home free food all the time. Like, people forgot their orders or it was the wrong thing. And I'm just being handed off food, which is great. People would order and then not pick it up? It did happen here or there. Yeah, or like it would be something wrong with the delivery

or something like that. But yeah, you definitely had it a lot where, people forgot their orders, like, or something would be made extra, and it would be like, okay, here you go. Hot and sour soup is always my favorite still is to this day. What's your favorite? Hmm. Good question.

I'm a sucker for like a cold sesame noodle. I think that might be the number one right now in my power rankings. And your Chinese food power rankings? Hot and sour has been number one. Hot and sour is a dynasty for me. That thing's been winning the Stanley Cup of Chinese food, like every year. See, I go classic. I go wanton soup with that.

Really? I love it. Can't get enough. Yeah. I've tried almost everything. You know, I'm very big on that. Got to try a little bit of it all. But like, I go wanton soup over hot and sour.

What was the most popular thing on the menu? We'll triple pivot off that. Sparibs. Every time, hey? Sparbs. All the time, spare ribs. It was boneless or regular. I feel like almost every single order had spare ribs.

And a lot of chicken and broccoli. The basics. Those are the classics. Those are the classics. All right. I don't know if you were on for the little preamble. We played part of the Chuck Brothers podcast about Daddy complaining about the kids today being too soft. I'm sure that, listen, the generation before Walt thought they were soft too.

I got news for you. It's the old, you know, society grows stronger when you walk upstairs in wooden slippers and get softer as you walk down the stairs in silk slippers. Every generation thinks that the generation that follows is soft, and we saw it there. But making this one awkward is just what we saw with Linus Almark and taking the pass on Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. As Brady Kachuk had to sit there, as much as I'm sure he wanted to agree with his dad, sitting there in the Florida Panthers practice facility, roasting players, taking time off for being tired, not playing back-to-backs.

there was only so far Brady Kachuk could go with the guffaws. How did you see that one, Shane? As we started a vibe check in the Canadian nation's capital. I mean, that was an awkward one. It's a tough situation because obviously if you're the Ottawa senators, you want to have your number one goaltender prepared, ready to go. When you have this big of a game, you're right in the playoff race, you haven't had the best luck of all.

And they're doing a great job in front of the blue paint for a lot of, you know, this last stretch since the Olympic break. They're one of the better five on five teams in the leagues. You don't need your goaltender to be perfect, but you need someone that can be relied on. So obviously it hurts the senators from that perspective. But the other part of it, too, is that this is your captain not sticking up for you. Like the vibes could not be worse than because you want it that this isn't a conversation in the first place. And you don't need it that, you know, the captain's father is taking digs out a goaltender who they obviously need to be as good as he can be moving forward.

It makes me think a lot, though, of whether, you know, what the best role for O'Mark is. Because I think we saw last year he could be that number one guy and he proved it. There were some injuries. There were some ups and downs. But I think down the stretch, he was what the senators needed and he really hit his stride. But maybe he is someone that's meant to be a tandem goalie. And that's okay in today's game, right? But if that's what it's going to be, then, you know, management needs to understand that

and properly prepare the crease to handle that, that they have a very good one be ready to step in. that's when he was at his best in Boston. Maybe that's the answer here, and that's where some of the problems lie. It is, you know, one of the things that we've heard going back to Saturday, and again, like we all know about the mental health issues that Linus Almark has endured for a number of seasons. The interesting thing about this one is that was not brought up.

This is just a fatigue issue, according to Travis Green. And then he was in the net for the Florida, for the Ottawa senators, as they faced off against the Florida Panthers, and they pump five past them real quick. Like just the optics of, you know, taking the day off because you're tired coming back and then just getting torched. I'll tell you, I'm sure you had the same conversations with people around the NHL, both from Boston and from Buffalo, doing the same. I told you so. Which is really shitty because I look back at the game last week against it, I tried Red Wings.

And I say to myself, like, that's the all mark that everybody wants, that we all hope is in there. the way that our phrase it, Shane, is like the bite down on the mouth guard moment. Like, we haven't seen that from Lena Sama. Like, bite down. Like, we're winning this thing, guys. Like, no way. I'm not, I know Detroit came back in the third,

but like, there was no way that time goal was going in on all of my. I was like, yeah, that's like, that's the guy. And then the story turns to he's too tired to play against Tampa without Kuturoff. You're just like, ugh. And the one thing, like the one word, Shana, that I kept hearing from people time and time again, is trust. How do you trust to know that this guy's going to be there for the big one?

His reputation has always been he's not the big game guy. As much as he has, like, I can't tell you how many goaltenders I've talked to him. So like, I wish I had skill like Lena Solmark. Like top, as far as like goaltending skill, he's top 10, maybe top five. Like that's how good this guy is. Like goalie's like drool and go like, I wish I could play like that. but being skilled is only part of it. So, like, it's complicated.

I get it because everything that Omerk has gone through and the season that he's had on and off the ice and all the drama that's followed him around and the Claire Hannah interview and everything. I'm at a place right now where I kind of throw my hands up and say, like, I just don't know what to say. And I don't know what to feel about this entire situation. He's getting another kick at it tonight,

but we're coming off a game where he just got the barn doors blown open. Yeah, I think what you said there, you don't know what to say is so valuable here. We were talking about this a lot on too many men yesterday and Allison brought it up that sometimes it's okay to say you don't know. Because in this situation, I don't think any of us know, right? Because the optics are obviously bad. And that reliability factor, now you have to put into question because he wasn't ready for a big game. And then he comes into the next game. And I would say the first goal he looked completely unprepared on.

I don't think the entire first period was on him. sometimes things spiral when you allow early goals against. Like, we weren't born yesterday. We know this is how it works in this sport, right? And with all the noise around it, I'm sure you're fighting, you know, uphill even more. And it kind of erases some of the goodwill of those strong outings. Like you said, against Detroit, I thought he was pretty good against Pittsburgh, too. You know, obviously they lose in overtime and only get a point out of that game or you go

back to the game against the ducks and he had a strong night. But in this situation, you either need him to be the guy or you need to know that you have another guy ready to step in. So it just complicates things even more. And then you head into the offseason and you wonder, so what's next then? Like, goaltending as is one of the hardest positions to predict. There's so much volatility in it. We're seeing it right here. There's so many other factors. And like you said, having this skill is one part of the puzzle. We talk about it with skaters all the time, right? This guy has all the tools, all the untapped potentially, just has to put it together. Same goes for goalies. You need to be clutch. You need to be reliable. You need to be trustworthy. You need to be able to play

a heavy workload. And if not, the team has to be prepared to deal with that too. There's so many factors that go into that becoming a good goalie versus a great goalie. And obviously, his reputation is going to take a hit because right now it feels like, okay, the greatness of that Boston era has not transferred over here. So I don't know how you navigate this if you're Ottawa in all honesty because that trust isn't there and it feels like there might just be too much noise that a clean break might be the best situation for both.

But if not, maybe the answer could be finding that perfect goalie partner to kind of take the net and share the crease because it's going to be tough to get out of that contract as well. So you're looking at $15 million worth of goaltenders and if you're going to bring in another number one. Unless you get really crafty with like, you know, how the penguins bring in shield offs or how they have Stewart Skinner on a budget, right? Like you can make it work and find that cheaper option. But obviously the optics then you're going back to of, well, this is. you're you know eight million dollar guy and while a player shouldn't be held to their cap hit a player's an idiot if a team offers them eight million you're an idiot to say no okay like right like i i have an issue blaming a player for their salary yes there's the pressure to live up to that but the team's the

one that gave them that deal that's the one that takes the blame here so the optics are never going to be good but at a certain point you you can't give a shit about that and you just have to figure out a better solution. Okay, the Brady Kachuk of it all. So I remember how upset, like how mad. We can still remember the dressing room interview. Brady Kachuk was about all the rumors and the press release around Lena Sallmark. Like there was real outrage. Like he took Target at people for spreading rumors and everything. Cool. Got it. Then how do you deal with this from the podcast? Then how do you deal with? And I know it's complicated because it's family and its dad without ever saying

Lena Allmark's name complaining about players. Can I ask a question? Yeah. Was this a live podcast? That's the other thing I was going to get to. You could have edited this out. Mm-hmm. If you wanted to, if you didn't want it out there.

And I think that, again, the optics are so much worse that you chose not to. There's I feel like being a captain in this league sometimes gets so overhyped and sometimes it feels like teams have to go with the guy that's brash and has that the big American energy right like we all know it and that's what we saw so much of team USA. Yeah. But you know, I think it shows the tiers of captains here around this league because I don't think that would have gotten gotten said in the first place or gone through the editor for some other captains there. again, really, really, just piss poor optics. So what do you do then? Like I don't want to, I kind of couch this like, you know, how many Canadian, how many U.S. players are going to leave Canada?

Quinn Hughes is gone. He's gone to Minnesota. There's the Austin Matthews question that people continue to ask in Toronto. I think some wonder about Connor Hallibuck in Winnipeg. And now there's this with Brady Kachuk in all. Like I'm not saying that it's one very specific person and one very specific market. But let's face it, like,

that was a very emotional Olympic gold medal game and everything that happened afterwards with the rake stepping and everything. Like, it was, it was not smooth. It was about as smooth

as roller skating down a gravel road. That's about how smooth it was afterwards. Like, do you think that we're, I don't know, are we at a time here? And I don't know. I think it's all personal.

And every situation is, unique. And maybe I shouldn't even be glossing it this way. But are we at a place where Americans now really just don't want to play in Canada? It's tough to say because it definitely does come down to every player, every situation. There's so much context of it. If someone like Connor Hallibuck wants to leave Winnipeg tomorrow, you could say, well, what is that team done in front of them? Right? Like, what have they done to build a contender in front of him? They've been so passive for so many off-season and deadlines and had so many opportunities to maximize, you know, his regular season greatness and they haven't done it.

So the context of situation is completely different. For someone like Matthews, right, like it's been a circus in Toronto, plain and simple. And you're going to learn a lot about what the team views is their direction with who they hire and how much Matthews is or isn't involved in the decision here and what the direction might be. So I think it's tough to say like a blanket statement of like, are we going to see some mass exodus from Canada?

I don't think we're there right now. But it's going to be fascinating because in fear. Hang on. Hang on. There's Canadians that don't want to play here. Like I'm not saying like, oh, can a Canadian, like the Canadian teams are a magnitude. Okay. So we're just moving. We're moving all the Canadian teams.

Brian Burke always tell me you'd be, when he managed, he would always be like, you would be shocked at how many Canadian players have all the Canadian teams on the do not trade. And you would be stunned. Anyhow. I just wanted to make sure that I'm not positioning this. I was like all these noble Canadians are. So much anti-American bias on this podcast. My goodness.

I know. Putting the American America. Come on. Let's go. No, I mean, I think it's tough because you see some of it. It's like it's a pressure pit in so many Canadian markets too. And that's complicated too. You can't live your life.

You play hockey. But then again, it's a privilege to play hockey and play this sport. And if that's what you have to deal with, so be it. So it's all a slippery slope here. But in theory, because there's no free agents available, right? Free agency is kind of dead unless something changes with the cap. going up, and maybe it will. But as of right now, all the trends point otherwise,

we could see more hockey trades this summer that would be really fascinating. So if we're going to see player movement, it feels like it has to be a trade. So we'll see how many players are involved in that and how many leave Canada and how many Canadian teams are stuck trying to retool and rebuild. But I'm not jumping to that yet just because it feels like every year we hype it up, like, oh, my God, we're going to see all this shit happen in the off season. And literally nothing happens. That was last summer.

And then we expected it this summer. and guess what's going to happen this summer. Two-thirds of the square root of Sweet F.A. That's what's going to happen. All the Free Asians are signed. Eventually, Brady Kachuk is going to address this. Now, Claire Hanna put the tweet out that neither Brady Kachuk nor Al-Mark were made available

before the game tonight for the Buffalo Sabres. But at some point, someone there will ask, what's the deal with that? And it kind of, there's a tweet from Claire. there's at some point it's going to be asked and it's going to be a tough thing for Brady because it's either going to be and maybe I'm looking at,

I'm looking at this and not seeing the obvious solution. But to me it's a choice of like, you're going to roast your dad or you're going to roast your goalie? What's it going to be? Good luck, PR staff. Get training. But listen, they got a great one in Ian Mendez. Like if anyone can stick candle and toe drag their way through this one,

you got a great one in Ian Mendez. But do you see a way out of it? out of this? Like, this is like, talk about like threading a needle here. Good luck. I mean, you would hope there's an apology behind the scenes to settle things down internally. And there's a way to just shut this shit down and just be like, listen, it was something said, let's move on.

We have games to focus on. We're in a playoff race and just shift the attention away from this might be the best case scenario here for Ottawa and be like, we are X number of points out. These are our opponents moving ahead. And we believe in Olmark to be the guy that's going to help us win these games to get. back into the playoff picture and you could you could just shut it down right like just it's it's avoidance basically but you know whatever you got to do that that would be probably my move of like this is not happening um because i think what happens internally and behind the scenes is probably more important than what happens publicly right because if you can quiet the noise you can say well the media is spinning

this one out of control it's what happens all the time but um yeah not what you want to be talking about when there's so much more to talk about in this eastern conference right there's so much more in this playoff race. It feels like all of a sudden these teams don't want that last playoff spot. That should be the conversation. That should be the focus. So if anything's detracting from that, like, I would be wanting to just start winning games and to quiet it down with the results of like, hey, we're actually right here in the playoff race despite not having our guys. And oh, look, Jake Sanderson's coming back soon, right? So we're going to have our number one defenseman. Watch us cook with him in the lineup. Do you think there's anything, though? Just one more thing, like J.T. Miller knocks Thomas

Shabbato with the crossjack, nothing. Like, there's. There's been a lot of talk about, you know, a tough guy talk, like, that won't happen to our team. And then it happens to your team. Do you think that's legitimate? You know what? I think the Maple Leafs are the new model, right? Just have an absolute circus two weeks later. Let Max Domey kick the crap out of Dragger's Gutus while he doesn't even return a punch.

And then no one will go after your star player again. How did you? How did you? How did you? Because you're right. Like, Goudis was there to be a punching bag. I think that Goudis was there to be a punching bag. to calm things down.

We have a guest, I understand, in the program here today. We have a visitor. We have a guest. Oh, hockey dog. Oh, man. This is Storm. Storm, buddy.

Oh, look at that collar too. Oh, I'm a sucker for it. What was I saying? Who cares? Who cares? Radco Gudus. Like, hot button name this week, hop a name for a couple of weeks.

I think that he took that beating just to calm everybody down. Yeah. Like the thing that I was saying the other day on the program, If he like KOs Max Domi, because you got to punch his chance if you're punching. Could happen. Catch one on the button and Domi's counting the lights.

If that happens, then that game is going on for two more days. But he just went in there and calmed everybody down by taking a couple of shots. Did the banana peel routine, went down and it's all. Yeah. He had to. One of the more noble things that we've seen in a while. Like to the point where, okay, this is going to get me roasted on Twitter. I don't care.

When you... I'm going to roast you, whatever it is. I know you are. Don't worry. When you vote for the Lady Bing trophy, was that not one of the most gentlemanly things that you've seen all year? He put himself. No.

Because why is he in this situation? Because he knocked out Austin Matthews. Whatever. But then he did a gentlemanly thing and said, look, I need to take my medicine. And he even said, like, look, I made a mistake. And I'm making myself accountable. Didn't you give me shit on the Lady Bing before?

You have given me shit on the Lady Bing. I remember I put no accused in there. And you were like, to score more than X number of points. And I'm like, he goes up against tough competition and plays so well and plays discipline. So you want to put Radco Gudis in there with that is a way worse take. Correct. That's crap.

But then again, but dude, I'm the guy that we would always vote for Zadano Chara because of what he didn't do. He wanted, if you wanted to, he could destroy the entire league and just have like guys on crutches after every single game and he didn't. To me, well, good is actually does do that. Oh, okay. So in the one instance, it's like here. Yeah, like here's the.

consequences of my actions. And the whole thing is ridiculous. Can I just this entire thing of shouldn't there be retribution? Yeah, in the moment. If you want to say, if you want to say it, it should be in the moment. Okay, should the Ottawa senators have reacted to J.T. Miller on the spot? Yeah, absolutely. We see it all the time when players throw a hit. It's not even that dirty, but you see a player hurt on the ground because that's sometimes just a consequence of the contact. And there's fights breaking out over that. So now here it is, things that are actually dirty and wrong and they don't get handled in the moment. I don't think this is a, well, We'll kick your ass three weeks later.

Shut up. Handle it in the moment and move on. It's like dragging out these overdramatic storylines, and it's ridiculous. That's why I respect, you know, a team like the Buffalo Sabres, who they're not taking shit from anyone. You look at them wrong.

They're going after it. At least that's more interesting of a storyline than whatever the hell we just dealt with with this Dux Leaves thing. Okay, so Buffalo Sabers. No Sam Carrick, by the way, but they're not ruling out playoffs. It has an arm injury, I believe.

So no Sam Carrick, but nonetheless, we will see the Buffalo Sabers facing off against the Ottawa Senators. Ottawa Senators tied with the Philadelphia Flyers. Wow. And the Detroit Red Wings with 86 points here as a chase down wildcard spots in the playoffs. Just a quick thought on the swords here now. I mean, I think that every single win that the Buffalo Sabres have and whatever they do in the playoffs works only too well for Kevin Adams as he applies for job after job after job.

I think Yarmu was there to take the bows, but most of us look at this and say, this is Kevin Adams. see how do you see the sabres this year? And do you find it interesting that there's been no discussion about Lindy Ruff coming back next year? I mean, that's his call to make, I think, at this point in his career, because I think he's earned that, right? You could go either way here. And it would be interesting to see if he like, you know, almost like train the coaching staff to like take the reins from him. Like here he imparted his experience and then let them cook. or if he wants to do it again.

I think it depends what happens from here in the playoffs too because I think that's something that has burnt him in the past. We saw it with New Jersey too. A lack of adaptability in the postseason has hurt him. So let's see how much he's grown in that regard because we don't know. But the Sabres as a whole, I think the same character injury, to put it as plainly as possible, sucks. Because he has been a fantastic addition for that fourth line. He is exactly what they needed.

He four checks. He's good with depth scoring. He's solid defensively. He brings the energy. So if they can get them back, that's huge. But I think the big thing here with the Sabres is just the overall team progress, right? And we're seeing it with some players. They're coming into their primes at the right time.

We're seeing players take necessary steps, guys like Josh Stone taking a huge leap, right? Because he could be a Brandon Hagel light because he has the high end scoring, the five-on-five impact, but he's also a dog out there. And I think the key thing is that they have more versatility and more ways to win games. During that streak when it started, the big thing was that they were scoring first. And they were doing a better job of shutting things down and playing well defensively. and their goaltenders, most importantly, were shutting the door that they could hold these leads. And I think now as the season's gone on,

obviously they've scored a lot that's still been a part of it, but they're also able to win games where they don't score the first goal. Or say the rush game that they play so well gets slowed down. Well, they have guys who can extend those initial rushes into sustained offensive pressure and who can forecheck and create more chances off the cycle. And guys like Benson and Carrick and Don are pivotal in that. You're seeing the defense get a lot more involved.

And then lately even they've shifted some of the workload off of Rasmus Dahline's plate in terms of quality of competition to free him up more offensively and give a little bit more to Owen power and it'll be interesting to see how he handles that one moving forward. I really like how much this team has grown. I think that there are some areas of concern. They have to clean up their defense a little bit more. And I think that has been improving. But I just think as a whole, you're seeing so much growth throughout this season.

So the tweaks here and there, right, figuring out the third pair, cleaning up defense and maybe making the power play less predictable are probably like the keys to success in the playoffs. But the fact that they're here and I've finally turned that corner is fantastic for them. And it's something they really can build on moving forward. Let me swing back to something you said about Josh Don't essentially Timu Brandon Hagel. I look at, and again, that's a Kevin. Well, he kind of is, right. But he's got the potential to be Brandon Hagel here.

But I look at, I remember when that trade was made, I think we all looked at it and said, Kevin Adams is making the best of a bad situation. Peturco wanted out. That was really obvious because he wasn't going to pay him the money that he wanted and he made the best of a bad situation for the Buffalo Sabres. Sabres won that deal. Oh, yeah. It's a win-win.

It is a win-win. It is. But that gave the Sabres something they desperately needed. Right? No, I'm not going to disqualify all the goals that J.G. Paturca has scored. Utah. But man, when you talk about giving your team a shot in the arm, this one, to me, advantage Sabers. And good on Kevin Adams, because at the time we looked at it and said, eh, clunker of a deal, but he's in a bad spot. No way, man. Swords won the deal. Great timing on this,

because I have a story coming out about Josh Stone tomorrow and how it's been and how, yep, like the best and worst case scenario for him based on how much he's grown this year. Because, you know, when the trade was made, he wasn't the centerpiece of the deal. A lot more was made in Michael Kessler. And because it's like, here's a lot of. a right-handed defenseman, that's such a weakness for this team, especially below Dahlene, who's left-handed and plays on the right but thrives there. So it felt like they checked off two important boxes, but don't at the time, only projected to be like a good third-line player, right? Because he possesses all the skills of a really good third-line player. He's great

along the boards. He's great on the forecheck. He is amazing at finding ways to get possession back. But now he's turning that into more sustained offensive pressure, right? It's not just that he's gaining possession in the neutral zone and back-checking. It's that, now those possession plays are turning into zone entries. And maybe the biggest difference year to year is that those zone entries are leading to scoring chances at a much higher clip. So he has now that top six ability paired with the third line skill. And it makes for such an interesting player, it makes for such a perfect fit for the sabres because that's exactly what they need. They had the flesh and the skill and the rush-based talent. But they needed players, they needed dogs. They needed guys

who could take this to the next level and go, here's how we're going to be more well-rounded. Here's how we're going to be an absolute nightmare to play against. And Josh Stone has been exactly that. He has been a absolute dream fit for Buffalo. And that's why his comps are much stronger and have players like Hegel high on the list versus just third line guys. I think the high end after last season was like an Oliver Bjork Strand. That's a huge leap from Bjork Strand to Hegel. So that is a path I could totally see him following.

$7 million. Well, just shy of it. It's 6.95 is the AAV as he starts his new contract next. year and already value. Already value for the Buffalo Savers. Yeah, but to go at the time of the signing better now. Absolutely.

Can the Philadelphia Flyers do this? Can the Philadelphia Flyers? Like, you know, Dan Floddard has been the story all season long, keeping him in games. Now all of a sudden Sam Herson's won games and you're saying to yourself, could the Flyers actually do this? Again, like they're in that cluster with the Red Wings and the Ottawa senators chasing down a wild card spot, eyes on the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Can they do this, Shana, the Philadelphia Flyers? What say you? I'm in on the Blue Jackets. If I have to look at the playoff picture and go, this is a team I would bet on. It's still Columbus. I know they've stumbled a bit as of late, but I like their chances better. But it's fascinating that there's so many teams in the mix, right? And, you know, you see a bunch of teams jumping into it for a few reasons.

One, you have expected contenders out of the picture completely, the Panthers, the Leafs, It opens up the Eastern Conference a bit more. But the other part, too, is that teams like the Red Wings are just completely floundering in the month of March. And I think that's opened the door to teams like Philly who come away with that win Saturday night against the Red Wings. That's a big two points. You know, yeah, it's huge for them. So they're making it interesting and they're running with it. And that would be such a surprise.

The fact that the capitals are still in it feels like a big surprise, too, because the capsule season of by the numbers looked great. And it just hasn't come together well enough. So I would be fascinated to see the flyers jump into it. I have my doubts. And if I remember correctly, they do have a pretty tough schedule ahead. So that's going to hurt them. But it does feel like that those teams, those metro teams are so close. So let me go through the Philly schedule.

So Detroit, oh, Detroit tonight. It's a massive game. Islanders, Bruins, Devils, wings again. Jets hurricanes and finish up with the Montreal Canadians. Yeah, I think, so looking at Dom tweeted out earlier, Columbus technically has, okay, go east, let's go wider.

Trojans have the tough schedule, then the Blue Jackets, then the Islanders, then the Flyers. Ottawa's is easier and Detroit's is easier. Same with Washington. So they're all kind of in it, but it's not like the West where you're going to say, Washington has one less game, though.

Washington and Columbus have one less game, though. There's other teams. Yeah. I don't want to trade Philadelphia. I'll have eight. Boston at seven, Columbus has seven, Washington's got seven. When you go by like the quality of competition ahead,

it feels like the West there's a lot more separation of like the sharks and the Kings have a cakewalk compared to the blues. It feels like the East is a lot more clustered together. So I don't know how much that's going to be a factor like it might be in the West, right? Because like the Kings should be able to do it when you look at their schedule ahead. The Flyers, you're like, okay, it's going to be tougher. And, you know, you're going up.

against opponents, you're battling for points. So if they can come out with another win against the Red Wings, that creates even more separation in the standings, which makes it so much more fascinating. It would be really nice if we could watch all these games that matter at the same time, though. Wouldn't it? I can't. Okay, so 37 minutes it took you.

First of all, I'm disappointed in you. It's one of my favorite things is hearing you bitch about, you bitch about start times. Okay. Let me, I am not suggesting that, on a Tuesday night in the middle of fucking March that we see random teams play at 7.30 or 8 o'clock local times, right? I would like to see more games on the half hour mixed in on Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays. There's no reason for it. That it isn't, you know, that a Saturday night,

it'll be 8, 7 p.ms. But when the schedule is so tilted that there's going to be, I don't know, 12 games on a Thursday and 3 on a Wednesday, 0, starting in the 730 hour, come on. Because this is still a butts in the seat league. That's why. Instead of having a Thursday game, have a Monday, have a Wednesday, have a Friday. Nobody wants Monday. Monday is a dead zone. Maybe this would perk up a Monday.

No, people are throwing nickels around like manhole covers on a Monday. No one's spending anything for sports on a, it is the day you run away from. Go to the big markets, though. Listen, Buffalo, you have a game. Minnesota, you have a game. There's going to be asses in the seats in those markets. I'm not saying in markets where the attendance is a little bit more dicey. You're projected contenders.

Colorado Avalanche April 1st, people are going to see them. Monday night, Friday night, Saturday night, no one gives a shit. They're going to go to see their team. But even if you say Monday's your dead zone, you can load up Fridays. You could load up Wednesdays. You could do it a lot better without needing 12, 14, 15 games on a night where everything, even if you didn't know this is what the playoff standings were going to look like. And who the hell was to say everything would be this close, you could.

you could have still, like, spaced it out going, well, there probably will be playoff races down the stretch. This is an important time to build momentum heading into the playoffs. It's just so awful. The other night, it's like I had, like, do you want, do you want, like, here's the inside of Yes, I do. I want full of Shane. I want full of Shane.

Okay. Full on Shana. Okay. So some nights I know what I want to watch. I know what I'm writing. I know what I'm doing. But there was just too much going on that I wasn't sure. So one TV, I did a four-way split.

And that was Boston Dallas, Islander Sabres, Lightning, Canadians, and then Ottawa, Florida. And I had sound on the Sabres Islanders because that's the game I was the most interested on. I kept Pittsburgh, Detroit, on the small screen on the bottom. And the right side TV, I lost entirely because Rich wanted to watch Rangers Devils when I was going to put it lower. I gave them a goal fight. You got a goalie fight. You got a goalie fight. Gave him a crumb on it.

And after the first period, I was able to be like, I don't care about the. this, I don't care about that and flip around a little bit more. Like intermissions, I was going to the Canes Blue Jackets. But it's hard because you can keep your gist of what's going on. But I know waking up the next morning, it's like, okay, now I'm going to watch a full replay of, say, Tampa, Montreal because I didn't get enough of that. So by the third period, I had Sabres Islanders full screen. And by the third period, I knocked Detroit, Pittsburgh out of the way.

I think they were off by the second period. So you're constantly checking the scores to see if this gets any closer, I'll flip back to it. But that's how you have to do it to, like, cycle through. but it just requires so many rewatches the next day. And who the hell has the time? You're the best. You know, I like how you say,

I gave Richard Crum. I let him watch the Rangers and the Devils. And the, poor Devils, like, finding new way, even the goalies losing fights. Like, the Devils are losing everything. Skates all the way down and loses a fight. It skates all the way down and loses a fight. Do you have a theory on why we're seeing goalie fights now?

And by the way, somewhere Jordan Bennington's like, this is supposed to be me. Like, we have three goalie fights. this year and still for Dr. Maybe if he was playing more, maybe if he wasn't the worst goalie in the first half of the season,

he'd be playing more, but instead it's Joel Hofer, rightfully so, has been outstanding since the Olympic break. I know he had a bad game against San Jose, but before that, I think he was running like nine straight quality starts.

Okay, why are we getting more goalie starts? Golly fights. The drama. Oh, sorry. The drama, the vibes of it. And here's the thing. I love a good goalie fight. I think that might have been the best

pure fight of the three right there was Markstrom-Shestarkin. But I wonder. Nadelcovich was, no, Nadelcovich Bob was special. That was special. That was a good one. I'm going to put that as number two.

And then I'll go Vasi-Sweyman as my third. Like just in fight quality. Not the whole drama vibe situation, right? Because then I would swap my first two. I wonder if they're going to get oversaturated if we see too many of them. Like we need it that this is like this random flesh in the pan. Like we need one to two goalie fights a year. We need one to two goalie goals a year.

That's it. We get them too often. We're not going to care anymore. more and then it should be something fun that's such a surprise. The tease of a goalie fight, we all love them. We're going, let them go, let them go. Maybe don't let them go. Like Fleury Binnington.

So then what happens. Like Fleury Binnington was out. Let him go. Let them go. Let them go. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Certain situations, it's like, okay, let them go.

Like the outdoor game. I understand. Let them go. Of course. Go after it. But I don't know. Maybe we don't need, maybe too much of a good thing's a bad thing. I'm a galaxy braining this?

I don't know. No, I don't think you are. One thing that we should point out to, I know a lot of people think, how come they're not, you know, ejected from the game? For example, Goli goes over center. The way that it works is they're not ejected. They will be ejected if they're the second fight. If they're the second fight, they'll be ejected.

Otherwise, because I've had this question a few times. Why are the goalies kicked out for fighting? It's because it's not the second fight. If it's the first fight, you want them, do you want your goalie sitting in the box for five minutes? You will get zero goalie fights ever. I do want the goalie sitting in the box. You know what? All right.

The good movie, but I get the e-bug in there. Let's go. The visual of a goalie sitting in the penalty box is pretty juicy, though. Yeah. Swap hangs with a defenseman. We're not going to get it. Don't even allow a backup thing. Be like, all right.

Shester can fought and it's like, all right, Gavikov, here. You're in net. You're in net now? No. Not going to happen. All right. Last night, which was a bigger banger for you? Ducks, sharks, or that wild Vancouver, Colorado game, 8-6.

And like, Colorado's, where in the Quebec Nordiques and I'm waiting like, what would have been even better for that game just visually as if the Vancouver Canucks were the yellow flying skate Jersey from the 80s just like,

because it's like an 80s game. It's 86. Like it's an 80s score. Come on Vancouver. Like changing the intermission. You know, bring on the yellows on the road trip just in case because you really could have used it that game.

That would have been awesome. That really would have been because I get really frustrated too and this is me being nitpicky. Sometimes you'll see the Canucks be like they're going to wear it against the penguin. And I'm like, why are you choosing one of the only teams that wears black and yellow to wear your skate jersey against them? It makes no sense.

So, yeah, this would have been a perfect opportunity. I would say, like the drama and the vibes of abs canucks was unhinged, especially because the abs do come back. And it's still not enough. But for me, I couldn't take my eyes off of shark stocks. Another elite jersey matchup, by the way. Yes. I loved it. Blue orange.

Let's go. That teal. It's just perfect. top to bottom. I love the full commitment to the orange for the ducks. But I think that one was fun because we're seeing these two up and coming teams that are exciting to watch in their own right come together, right? And I think their games this year have been entertaining so far. You know you're going to get a lot of high offense, a lot of scoring, you're not going to get perfect defense.

And then the goal tending on one side is obviously a little stronger than the other. But I have been loving watching the ducks with John Carlson. So I was, you know, dialed in for that reason alone. And then Macklin Celebrini is a must watch every single solitary minute he is on the ice. That is MVP caliber shit right there. Another fantastic game for primary points. So that one had the edge for me because the other game doesn't matter. It's fun.

It's exciting, but it doesn't matter versus Shark Stucks, which has implications on both sides of it. So there was a time where the best games in the NHL were Anaheim, L.A. We're going to go through 10 years now where you can make the argument, the best games we're going to see are also going to be Anaheim, but it's going to be Anaheim, San Jose. because who knows where the hell the kings are headed at this point.

Like Anaheim San Jose, like those are the future bangers that everybody in the East has got to stay up for. Even those 10-3s and San Jose as well. I'm going to say Oilers San Jose and Anaheim. Oilers are going to be up there too just because of like, here's more teams with some iffy defense

but exciting offense. Like I feel like those games. I'm like, because you think of the Oilers and you go, I want to see them play the stars in the apps. And absolutely, right? Because those games usually are incredible. But I also love the idea of like, it's Connor McDavid

versus Maclin Celebranian. It's Leo Carlson against Leon Drysidal. And I think too, like those, you know, from the comp factor alone of what the two superstars can be. And I think Leo Carlson could be the next Leon Drysadol if he, you know, develops the right way. And that's like such high praise for someone because Drysaddle is so incredible. But I just think the ducks and sharks are making things a lot more interesting in the West.

And they're entertaining because like love a good defensive battle. But just offense, no, and all vibes. Yeah. I mean, come on. Not wrong. Tonight, I'm sorry about the non-staggered games. I don't know what to tell you at this point. Three, six, yes, six, seven o'clock starts driving Shana Gracie.

But what are the eight o'clock Eastern starts? Come on. Listen. Come on. They want to burn me out for the playoffs start. That's going to happen. Vancouver and Minnesota. So the first game since the trade.

Quinn Hughes against the Vancouver Canucks. Who does this mean more for? Like Vancouver just had this banger of a game last night against a Colorado Avalanche. Liam Ogren. Like Liam Ogren was awesome last night for Vancouver. Like I know Bessor with the hat trick and that was great.

Teddy Blugher with a bag. That was all of it was awesome. But consistently shift in, shift out. Liam Ogren I thought was amazing. last night and there's eve bollum as well like who does this one mean more for in your estimation marco rossi lea mogrin like where do you go on this one um i think that's fair to say it means more for the canucks because like you have nothing to prove but like state base and like be like hey look we're better without you even though everyone knows that you're not but i do think

It's important for the wild because, you know, you look at their game over this last stretch, and I think that they have another gear they need to get back up to. And I think some of it's just they're not converting on their chances enough. And the defense hasn't been perfect and neither has the goal-tending. So I think they have a little bit more to prove to get back on track. Like this has, this should be an easy win for them. It's the worst team in the league on the second night of a back-to-back. And I think that there's like a complacency factor sometimes we see with the contenders

versus the bottom feeders of like you need to be ready for a 60-minute game and you wanted to be a 60-minute game if you're playing the Canucks, even against the worst opponent. So I think that's good prep work, too, to be on your A game, no matter who you're playing. Like, yes, if you're a contender, you have to be able to win in different ways, right? You have to be able to win with your C game. But I think we need to see the wild find that A game again and harness down the stretch. Okay, let me finish up with this for you. I saved this for last because I know you're going to have...

Are we going to Vegas? No, do you want to do Vegas, too? I was going to finish up with the term data-centric. Do you want to do Vegas quick? Okay. Give me your, give me like a hot, hot 45 seconds on your thoughts on what we saw with Vegas going back to Sunday. Fascinating timing. I wonder if he's the kind of coach that can at least buy Vegas time to adjust on the fly.

They don't need an overhaul. They just need tweaks. So could he buy them time in the playoffs with a little bit, you know, a little more runway? I don't see why not, especially because this team looked destined to fail in round one. Allison made a great point yesterday that she wonders if Tortorella can kind of be this short-term fixer and maybe we should see these specialists come in, kind of get a team

to play like a team and figure it out and then move on to the next one. And that would be easy. He's like Harvey Kytel and Pulp Fiction. He's the wolf. He just come in to fix everything and then move on. Just go bouncing. Yeah.

How fascinating would that be? Kind of like how Yager looked like he was just going to go from like team to team to team and help like all the young players like, and I'm in Philadelphia. I'm going to help establish Clodrew and I'm in Dallas. So I'm going to help. Is that how you see John Totorella now in the in the Carlsberg years? I'm curious because listen, I think of Barry Trots when he was a coach as like that fixture that came in like you need defensive stability, bring him in for three

years, let him cook and then get someone to balance out the offense that gets so overly suppressed from him. So I wonder if Torella could do it. Like could he do it in a year? Could he do it in less? Could he just help this team figure out what they need to do this summer, right? And you come in almost like as a coaching consultant. It obviously has more weight to it because you're doing it ahead of the playoffs versus down the stretch of 10 games that don't matter. But I think it's fascinating. He's the wolf. He's the wolf.

He's calling John Totorella the wolf. I love it. She's so smart. I know. She's smarter than everybody. I know. If she wanted to, she would take all of her jobs. It's embarrassing.

Oh, yeah. Okay. When you heard Keith Pelly say data-centric. Now, there is a theory out there. I was talking to Matt Sakeros from the Sykeros from Price. show today. And Maddie brought up a good point. He said there is a theory out there. And I kind of subscribe to it because I, full disclosure, Keith Pelley was one of the people that hired me, him and Scott more. And I know Keith, I know Keith going back to his TSN days as well. And I don't think that

Keith does anything frivolously. I think everything he does has a purpose and he's very deliberate. You can quibble about whether you agree with it or not, but Keith Pelley is not a frivolous person. Now, the theory is the term data-centric was used as a balloon to, I don't know, soften the marketplace, test the marketplace for Mike Gillis. Now, when you heard Keith Pelley say data-centric, what went through your mind? That name did come to mind as well. You know what? You look at, I post that list of analytical hires around the NHL, and I think a lot of people like Flock to it and will focus. focus in on the teams that have a lot of people there and be like, well, what good does that do?

Well, it depends, right? Because if you have this robust analytics department, that's step one. It doesn't mean you're using them. It doesn't mean you're listening to them. It just means that they're there and they exist and they're doing their work. You have to blend it. And that's why sometimes it's so important to have someone at the GM level or the assistant general manager level that embraces it, even if they're not a nerd themselves, right?

Because you can go that route, right? You can go with a toll ski and have success. You can go with a dubus. But even if you go a little bit lower and you have that it to embrace that approach, it has a trickle-down effect and it allows you to have this across your front office and not just have this research department off to the side that you pick and choose when to give a shit about, right? So I think it is important to have someone willing to use the data that's there and the research. And I think sometimes analytics got a bad name when I would say go listen to Jared Bednar on the PEDA as to how the abs use this. because it's not just data points, it's things that you're, it's quantifying what you see on the ice at times. And, you know, then it helps to have that predictive value. I think you need

a predictive model if you're a team that doesn't anticipate the Sabres and the Canadians coming up the ranks. But the big takeaway here is just a different approach because Bradtree Living did seem a little bit more old school based on his moves. And it obviously set the Maple Leafs back in so many ways by looking to be this harder defensive team instead of a team that pushed the pace when I think they had the making of that, you know, beforehand, before he took over. But it's not bad to have. It's the year 2026. Use the information. Let me give you an example of that. This is the one that I've been pointing to. And this is like the big up to like someone like Sunny Mehta, for example, with the Florida Panthers, where they wanted to get tougher,

right? It's never lost on people, nor should it be that the first move that Bill Zito, hello, The first move that Bill Zito made when he took over from Dale Tallon was they brought it in Patrick Hornquist. And that was the indication that, and I cannot compete with that pooch. That was the indication that we're going to be miserable to play. She slept for 45 minutes. And now she's got things to say on a hockey podcast. Let's go. You know, we need to get tougher.

But just getting tougher for toughness sake is not going to help that team. Instead, it's over to the analytics department. find me someone that can play and boom, Jonah Gajevich. And how much did he mean flat Florida Panthers team down the stretch in the playoffs,

all of it? And that's where your analytics department helps you as opposed to just we need someone that's going to be tough that's going to stand up to the Radco Gudis is when they do something stupid against our franchise guy. It's got to be yes,

but to be able to play. You need someone there to say, yes, but also this. And that becomes the challenge. Find that player. It takes out the bias in a lot of it because you're going to see a guy hitting and a guy fighting

and you're going to assume that he's good at his job, right? Because he's physical. He's out there. He's stirring things up. And that's what you're looking for in that player. But sometimes it's like, okay, but how many times did he hit and come away with the puck? How many times did he make a play and used his body to actually facilitate what's going on instead of just being physical for the sake of being physical?

and having those numbers helps limit some of the bias that we all inherently have because we're going to be drawn to the big plays and the big moments and find someone who actually can help below the surface who can actually, if you're looking for that physical player, sometimes it's someone who's good defensively. Are they proactive, are they reactive?

Are they diving in front of shots? And that adds to that grit that they bring to the lineup. Or are they stopping plays from happening in the first place? And I think we're seeing it around the league. Like, we talk about Josh Stone, right? He adds a bit of sandpaper the way he plays, but he, you know, because he's so good with the takeaways and, you know, battling along the boards, but there were signs that he was a good player when you look below the surface.

He had great underlying numbers in Utah. He was driving play. He was suppressing scoring chances against that one of the better rates in the league at the time. So, you know, they have people like San Ventura up in their front office to help provide more insight and a deeper dive to add another opinion to the mix. where did 60 minutes go it's it's vanished and I think there's someone at your feet right now that wants your attention a little bit sleeping as you mentioned for a while so should probably pay more attention to a dog than me and I would not blame me for doing that for one second you my friend come on d'allan frosielat

you're the first star as always shanda thank you thank you this is fun that was fun we'll do it again very soon she's the great shana Goldman um from the too many men podcast and you can read her at the athletic now Zach there's a whole lot of a whole lot in there with Shane a whole lot anything you want to drag out of there yeah um first of all let's just do this one quickly absurd take on Radco Gudis being the lady bank the lady bank come lady bank I'm just looking for another thing to get roasted on Twitter about that's going to be my new campaign as it's like am i going to put this out there my I'm going to bring Jeff under some hot water under this.

Maybe, maybe. Depends on how the rest of the show. No, you got to, you got, no, you got a user clip on data centric for the promo. Yes, obviously. That's so smart.

Um, the idea that the Ottawa senators would have to bring in another starting goaltender to add to Lina Solmark. They might have to get out of this. They might have to. Oh, I completely get it. They might have to.

But thinking of the salary in the, the combined salary that the two goaltenders would have to combine what the two goaltenders would have to combine to on the salary to bring in somebody of equivalence to Lina's Merck or at least to be able to match that because you're looking at a guy who just more or less chooses when he does and doesn't want to play. I mean, I found it insane that he didn't play in that game against Tampa and he backed up. I just can't imagine that that's. is going to fly very well in the Sends dressing room.

I can't imagine it's flying very well right now in the Sends dressing room. Clearly it doesn't seem to be going over very well with the captain or his dad. But, I mean, even throughout the rest of the guys and then going through the summer into next year. I don't know what Brady says. I don't know what Brady says about this one. I don't know what Brady says about this one. He's going to be out there. Obviously, he wasn't made available today.

But eventually, like, what's the deal? I know you're going to have a dad, but like. Whatever Ian men, this is. being paid, it's not enough. No, it's not enough. It's not enough. He's got the toughest job. Stick handle out of this one here.

Jeez. Yeah. Yeah. Ottawa, tonight. Like, here's the thing about the Buffalo Sabres. They can score a lot really fast. And let's not forget, too, this is one of Lina's Allmark's former teams. And this is a team that can score in bunches.

a team that can score quickly and really punish a team. That's been one of the calling cards of the Buffalo Sabres in this resurgence. This has disaster written all over it. Yeah, and let's say he gives up one or two within the first couple of minutes. Let's even give him a little bit more leash. Let's say it's one or two in the first ten minutes. He screams white flag to me. Get me out of here.

Yep. Doesn't come out for the second. Look, man, it happened in Toronto. And that was a game of much lesser importance. That was in January. You and I were trying to go to, you and I were still trying to go to Minnesota. I don't even know which attempt it was,

but we were trying to go to Minnesota. And the Leafs put up like a five or six spot on them. I can't remember exactly what it was. And pretty early in that game, he just said, okay, check please, this one's not for me. This game matters. The guys look at it. him and feel like he kind of owes them probably here a little bit more.

After Tampa and after Florida, absolutely. Like that's all I got. What's the line? This is what the money's for. Yeah. I'm not trying to make light of mental health or anything. No, but this mental, I want to be clear.

I know you're not, but like, mental health was not sighted in this one. To the side. This was, I'm tired. I'm tired. I know. Oh, Linus. I just, he's not a dog.

Let's call what it is. He's not a dog and he doesn't have it in him. And those guys know it. It's a sticky situation because, as you said, Hang on. He's got all the talent in the world. He does. He's so talented.

And we just had that Detroit game. Like the Detroit game was like, there you go, Merrick, shut up. You got your Allmark bite down on the mouth guard game. Yeah, we did. But it's the same shit as what happens in Toronto. know with a certain instances, not to just bring it back here, but I see it all the time. Like, something just flew off of my neighbor's balcony onto mine.

What happened? This is a massive sheet of something came flying at the window. Sorry. I had a heart attack. Is your camera locked up? I won't be able to. It's locked up here. I'm so sorry.

I had like a mini heart attack because it was flying out of the corner of my eye. I was like, oh my God. Like you. Sorry. You're okay? You need, yeah, yeah. Do you need

the rest of the week off and maybe next week as well? I think I need, yeah, I think I might need tomorrow off. I don't know if I can sit here and talk about hockey tomorrow. At a time like this.

At a time like this. That was crazy. I can't. As you're just roasting all mark for being soft. Back to close out the point on it. But Yeah, you're bringing up, okay, Kenny bite down on the mouth guard.

We see it here where, oh, once in a while they do it. And, you know, sometimes I get fooled by it where it's like, well, they've got it in them. Well, biting down on the mouth guard and being that guy, being the dog, is only relevant if you do it for a sustained period of time. I know. At some point here, I don't give a shit if you do it once in a blue moon. You're not that guy if you just show it once in a while to say, hey, I got it in me. No, do you have it in you or is that who you are? There's a difference and he doesn't, he has it in him.

It's not who he is. Same with what we see out of Toronto and the guys here. They have it in them. They can do it. It's not who they are. I wonder how the crowd reacts if he gets pumped tonight. Like if you let's sound like three on the first shot, first five shots. What does that crowd in Ottawa do tonight?

Oof. Um, I can, I can imagine it gets, gets hostile quick. in there. Like I could see that going sideways fast. Those people know they're walking a tightrope here on the edge of the playoffs. They've got people around.

They know the importance of this thing. And the thing. And the animosity's turned up to a million right now, the intensity level. The thing that kills you is Ottawa's good. This is a good team. And Steve Steyos, like full marks. He's done a great job with this team. This is a really good team.

and then? Well, the people of Ottawa are probably banging their heads against the wall. What's the saying you have? Why do you keep banging your head against the wall? Feels good when I stop. Yeah. That's what they're doing in Ottawa right now every time they hear like Steve Valacette come out and talk because they lay out,

here's how good they are defensively. Here's how good they are on the rush and in transition. Here's their metrics in the offensive zone. Here's how little time they spend in the defensive zone. And here is what the goaltending does. And it's like, they're one of like the top five to ten teams in basically every category in the NHL and the underlying numbers. And then goaltending is just pukworthy. It's disgusting what happens in between the pipes there in Ottawa right now.

And if it's not for that, they're probably not even just sitting in a playoff spot. They're comfortably sitting in a playoff spot right now. They're right. They're a buffalo. Like they're right just below those two teams. Yeah. It's a very fair spot to put them. Yeah.

Agree. What's the Harry Sinden line about goaltending? Spot quiz. Gold tending is like oxygen. No. I only think about it when I don't have it. I was going to say it's, I thought that was going to be the line.

I think the stat is like, I don't remember what the number you put on it is, but it's like, oh, the goaltending is only part of your team. If you have it, but if you don't have it, it's 100% of your team. 70%, 100%. That's the old standby. Yeah, okay, 70%.

We won't go through all the goaltending cliches on the show. Yeah, I was going to see. Which one is it? Pick that another show. All right, so we'll shine you up here, and we'll see if you have any Ottawa Senators, players involved here. We shall see. The sheet is powered by Fanduel.

Play your game with Fanduel. It's the NHL season. Fan Duel, your home for all the action on the ice. From Blue Line to Betslip, we've got you covered all season, with unique promos, live offerings, and more features to let you play your game. Miss Puck drop, no sweat. With a live same game parlay,

your bets up until the final buzzer. Zach with his parlay coming up. Download fan dual sports book today and play your game. Please play responsibly 19 plus and physically located in Ontario. If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or the gambling of someone close to you, please contact Connecto-Theria. 1-866-531-2,600 to speak to an advisor, free of charge. How'd your game go last night, by the way?

We had the duct to halfway through the Hill Academy Y-S-E game. But how'd yours go? Not good, man. We could not score. That was the problem. We lost one game in the regular season all year long, and scoring was not our issue. You know what? We were actually just like the Maple Leafs.

We could score all season long. We were one of the best teams in the regular, not this year, obviously, but we were one of the best teams in the regular season. We got to the playoffs, and then as soon as the game got tight, we couldn't find a way to Barry and we lost two to one. So that stuck. Also, the other piece of the puzzle here, that's extra shitty. Helmet doesn't fit.

I bought it off. I told you yesterday I bought off one of those pros stuff things. You were so happy about it. Yeah. And I chewed you out for not having a cage. Like, dude, you're on camera. Like put a cage. I hate it too.

Put a cage on. Get back in the bird cage. So back to the drawing board. Yeah, you're playing U-13 all over again. Put the cage on. So you got to go find another bucket. Now you're just going to write it off and say it's part of your set in the background. Yeah, exactly.

Now I've got to sell this one. So if anybody's looking for one, hit me up at the DMs. Slightly used. This helmet has one loss in it already. I didn't even take it out to the ice. I put it on. Well, I put it on here. And then I was like, oh, this is not going to work because it had just come in.

So I took it out of the box, put it on the set behind me, took it to put it in my bag, put it on. And I was like, this doesn't fit. and then left it. And so now I've got to get a new one. Back to the drawing board. Back to the drawing board it is. Fanduel.

Parley. Fanduel. Well, as I just nearly got attacked in this building that I'm living in, where I thought something was coming through the window. Again, that was scary a moment. Where is his fainting couch? Oh, no, Zach. He got spooked.

Boom! Yeah, exactly. New experiences here in this building. I've just moved in. One of the things that we're dealing with is I live in one of those power-saving buildings that makes a point about doing things for the Greenway. Now I've been forced to buy new showerheads, Jeff, because the water pressure here just isn't that great.

Owen Power, Braden Point, Jordan Greenway. Oh, that's a nice one. And Tyson Forrester. $5,000, $225. And $12. If this one that hits, I actually might not be here tomorrow. And I'll be buying like matte black helmets and gold helmets and chrome helmets. It won't be stress leave.

It'll be drunk leave if you hit on this one. What's going on with that guy? You got to get him out of his new condo with a soup ladle. He's been a bucket. He's been a puddle ever since he won that big parlay with. Owen Power, Braden Point, Jordan Greenway, and Tyson, Forrester. Five again wins you $5,225 and $12. That's good.

All right, we're wrapping things up here on the program. We are, by the way. I think some shows are taken tomorrow off, half-mileers. Not us. And it's Chris Pronger on the show tomorrow. So Pronger, whose name has been attached to a lot of these jobs most recently. And we'll talk to him about that. We'll also talk to him about his new book.

And we'll talk to him about the Maple Leafs. Talk to him about the Vegas Golden Knights. We should probably talk to him about the Ottawa Senators and we'll see what happens tonight and the Kachuk brothers and Americans playing in Canada, et cetera, et cetera. Some of the hot buttons that went over with Shana. We'll get to with Chris Prong. Anything else before we punt here, Zach?

Anything from your corner? Nope. That's all for me. We touched on a lot of stuff today. So great job to you for her. Stay safe. Keeping everything dialed in. Stay safe in this troubled neighborhood you've moved into.

Oh, also I did tweet out a video and I tagged the sheet and I retweeted it there. What is it? Basically 30 seconds after you and I opened and Shana came on, fire alarm. So we did deal with that. And I tweeted a video of how loud it was. But we was like right after. So we just missed it. So there is a chance.

I mean, we have fire alarms here and smoke alarms, essentially here too. So I guess there's always a chance. But like there's a chance that I don't know if this would be a call. common occurrence, but that we may get random fire alarms during the program. Because they'll do that in the afternoon, right? Yeah, I guess. I mean, I'm going to have to check and see if I missed a notification or something

from the building saying they were doing them. And I'm just going to ask them if they're doing this at a time. And then if that's the case, I'm going to get out of here for the next time that happens and I'll go to our studio or something like that where we did. Oh, you're around the corner from that. To a deadline show. Yeah, you're right on the corner. Oh, the joys are being young and living downtown on the scene.

Look at you. Every Friday, have two Saturdays. Look at me. No responsibilities. No kids. I'm maturing. I'm maturing. I'm maturing.

I'm going to go play beer league on a Wednesday. Peace out, honey. I'll see around midnight, maybe. Early game last night, though. 815. That wasn't a new one for you. What time did you get back? bed by reasonable time.

Did you get back to watching that San Jose Anaheim game? Yes, I did. I was back here by like 10.30-ish. So got back here and got to watch that. Okay. So did you see much of the Vancouver game? Vancouver, Colorado, throwback to like 1987? I was checking in on that.

One of the things I had to sacrifice here in this place with having a girlfriend is I'm not allowed to have three TVs on the wall anymore. So we're down to one. So it's a little bit more hopping around the TV. Be more selective. Yeah, it had to change of it. That was a non-negotiable. I said, can we put three?

And she said, no. And I said her two, she said, no. I said, okay, one. She said, yes. Okay. And that was that. Our second child, Brody. So two of my favorite characters in Jaws, Chief Brody and Quint.

And we were going through names when he was born, I tried to sneak in Brody Quint. And my wife was like, you're not getting two. You're not naming a kid off. You know one. You'll compromise with Quinn. So Brody Quint turned into Brody Quinn, which is still okay.

Yeah, you got close enough. I really wanted Brody Quint. She's like, you're not naming him after your two favorite characters from Jaws, you donkey. I got Brody. You got close enough. Yeah, close enough. I got close enough.

close enough. Thanks to the great Shannon Goldman for stopping by the program. She writes at The Athletic. You can hear on the Too Many Men podcast and former cashier

and employee at Chinese restaurant in Long Island as we found out. Thanks to you for watching. Thanks to you for listening. If you already subscribe to the channel, thank you if you haven't, please consider doing so.

We'll talk to you tomorrow. Chris Pronger stops by the program right here. One o'clock Eastern on the sheet. Enjoy the games tonight. A lot of them.