The Sheet with Jeff Marek - On the Sheet: Jonny Lazarus on What Happened in Game 1, Game 2 of the SCF, the Conn Smythe, and more

Episode Date: June 4, 2026

Jonny Lazarus joins the show to preview Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, examine how Vegas grabbed control of the series in Game 1, and discuss what Rod Brind'Amour's Hurricanes need to change before heading to Las Vegas. Can Carolina find a way to split the first two games at home, or are the Golden Knights already taking control of the Stanley Cup Final?Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for daily NHL coverage, breaking news, playoff analysis, trade rumors, draft coverage, and more from The Sheet with Jeff Marek.#TheSheet #JeffMarek #NHL #StanleyCupFinal #VegasGoldenKnights #CarolinaHurricanes #JonnyLazarus #GregWyshynski #NHLDraft #NHLDraftCombine #HockeySHOUTOUT TO OUR SPONSORS!!👍🏼 Fan Duel: https://www.fanduel.com/👍🏼 Canadian Blood Services: https://www.blood.ca/👍🏼 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.

Okay, let's get back to Carolina in Vegas here. Johnny Lazarus from Morning Cup of Hockey is a board to talk to us about, let me just grab this. To talk to you're talking about the series. First of all, you're looking very tanned. I know. It's like lighting in my room. It's the lighting in my room. I'm trying to figure that out, actually.

There you go. Is that better? Hang on. That's a little better. Your audio feels like. I'm like Adam Sandler and click. I can do that. How's it going, buddy?

How's life? there. You hear me okay? I'm happy that we're going back to Keynes and Vegas. I'm not really wanting to speak on Russia and Ukraine and all that stuff. I was praying that you weren't going to bring me in for that conversation.

Well, you know, we brought in Johnny Lazarus to talk about let's, so here to talk about the Strait of Hormuz is Johnny Lazarus and U.S. foreign policy, actually. We all know that you've been angling to get Putin on morning a cup, morning cup of hockey. Tell me

about those shirtless horse pictures. We all know that that's the end game here. So I'm not going to you in that kind of spot. Well, Greg, as you know, my cousin Jason is a huge fan of the two of you, and he'd be the perfect person to talk about this, actually. So he's probably listening to this later on today, and he's going to be thinking before we're talking right now, oh my God, is Johnny about to talk about Russia?

So Jason, you can calm down. This is not going to happen. Okay, let's talk about Seth Jarvis and that top line with the Carolina Hurricanes. You know, Greg and I kind of talked ourselves into our corner here, whereby, yeah, you know what, it's probably time to do something with that line. but how do you do something with that line when all the other lines really should not be touched whatsoever? Are you just kind of stuck with this line right now

and you hope that they figure it out? Yeah, I think after this game, you're going to have to do something, right? If it doesn't work in game two, your backs against the wall, going back down to nothing. Like, you don't really have a choice. Oh, no, Zach is showing that and I make my bed.

But the three shots better, Zach. Go back to the three shots. But I do think if you're going to make one switch, If you're going to make one switch, you know, I know Greg said, who just, you wanted to swap Jarvis with Blake. Is that what you said, Greg? With Jackson Blake, yeah. Yeah.

It's the only move you could probably make. I think Eler's for Svetnikov actually makes sense too. Like, Nikolai Eilers, you know, obviously he's done well on that line so far, and he's shown he can score in a death position. But Svetichikov right now hasn't really done much. Like, he hasn't had the puck at all. I would argue that he's been a little bit more invisible than Jarvis. Jarvis. Jarvis has at least had chances and has had the puck.

Svetnikov, I didn't notice really at all in game one. Jarvis at least, you know, he had one shot that was stopped in the glove of heart. I think he had a couple opportunities where he passed up some shots on the slot and looked to make the extra pass. But Svetnikov, he can actually, Svecchchnikov can play a third-line role effectively. So I don't mind. Yeah, he can. He can. He can. He can.

He can. He's physical. He can't go and bounce bodies. Svichov can do that. I agree with Johnny on that one. So I think, like, you can make. that swap and it's not that big of a difference. I just think that to Merrick's point, like if you tinker with either your second or your third

line, like those are the two things that are going well for you right now. And there's a chance that you could pull apart one of those lines and all of a sudden you've completely screwed up your team. It's like when you're trying to solve a Rubik's Cube and you manage to turn it the wrong way once and then everything else is screwed up. It's like that kind of deal with these line combinations. So we were talking about before how like, all the Vegas writers believe this is going to be a sweep,

and all the other writers are kind of like, well, let's see how tonight goes. Where are you right now on Carolina, Vegas? Was game one proof of concept enough that Vegas is going to just roll over them in the series? No, I actually think it's beyond unpredictable. So I think tonight, I actually, my gut told me Vegas wins tonight, and it's going to be too nothing. But I don't see this as Vegas wins series over.

I think Carolina can easily go into Vegas and win both games. This could be one of those series where the road team wins every game up to game five. and then we see that pivotal game five, who knows what happens there. You know, those things do happen. You got to remember both teams have been so good on the road as well. Vegas is 702 on the road in the playoffs. Carolina is 6-0. They haven't lost the game on the road in the playoffs.

So I don't think Carolina went into Vegas is like this whole, they can't win there. You know, and John Tortorella said it the other day, like, whole ice doesn't matter in the playoffs. It's not what it used to be. Yeah. You know, it's, um, historically there's been only one. Greg, you may know of another one here. It was Adirondack and St. John's, the American Hockey League,

Calder Cup final where every road team won, every single game. I don't think that's ever happened before, at least not the NHL level, but at the American Hockey League, but that's like the only freak that I could see. But to Johnny's point, it makes sense that that could happen here between Carolina and Vegas. This could be Adirondack, St. John's, all over again. Well, so I have to go back.

The Dallas Vegas series in 2020. I believe Dallas dropped both games at home, and then they won both games on the road. Wyatt Johnson, I think, had an O.T. winner. And I believe Dallas ended up winning that series in seven on home ice, but the road team won every game up until game seven. If my memory serves correct, I believe that's how that series went down. So I need someone to fact check me on that, maybe in the chat,

but I do think 2024 Dallas and Vegas, the road team won every game between one and six. and then Dallas took it in seven on home ice, I think. Almost positive. Do we think that Mitch Martyr intended to block that shot at the end of the game or he was leaping out of the world? 1,000 percent. No, 1,000 percent. He was tied up.

It was a good pick by Carolina. He actually fought through the pick. John Tororello was pissed that the faceoff went that way because he felt the forwards were holding up Marner. So the fact that Marner was able to dive through and get it, I mean, I don't know why the jump necessarily. But when you see it from that, when you see it from that first angle,

he saves a goal. That looks like it's going in. Yeah. Well, the jump is obvious. He's trying to, he's trying to create a template for someone to build the statue of him outside of the Vegas arena.

I know, hang on. Charlie, let me, when I, put it this way, if he didn't jump, I would have said, yes, deliberate, but does it not look like

that's a screen move? The jump looks. Like you're trying to get out of the way. Get out of the way or like instinctively. It's like, again, like it's on his own goal tenor. So it's a mistake. But like it looks like a screen move to me, doesn't it? Well, it also is in slow-mo.

Like, you do got to go back and look at like how the play developed because he was tied up. And I'm forgetting who the forward was for Carolina. So maybe he's just trying to like maneuver outside of that pick. And slow-mo definitely looks like he's jumping to avoid it. But I don't see it that way. Mitch Martin, he's done this before, right? He had a massive block a couple of years. go against Boston for the Leafs, right,

where he saved a game, you know, on the dying seconds, like this is something he does. It's a part of his game. Yeah, exactly. Assist, huge block. Conn Smyth. Let's go. Honestly. Who's your Kansmite guy right now? We're going to do this every single game, by the way. Who's your Konsmaid two days? Right now, today.

It's got to be Mitch. I mean, going in, it was Taylor Hall. But obviously, you know, Mitch having a pretty big assist to give Vegas the lead. That block, you know, he's leading the playoffs and points. and consistently throughout all three rounds. Like, how could you not go with him? What do you think, like?

You're a constant by the trophy guy. Your trophy watch guy. I have a vote. I have a vote. Mitch for the Golden Knights and Taylor for the Hurricanes. I think that's probably where I am on it right now. Although, again, as I was saying to somebody this morning, for all of the toxic assets that the Vegas Golden Knights have on their roster,

give me three more games of Thomas Hurtle game-winning, goals and I'll happily crowned that delightful bundle of joy with a Kahn-Smith trophy. How funny was that post game the other night? Also, I do want to just say, I stand corrected, Zach informed me. It was road teams won all four games,

then home, home, home. In that Vegas, I was wrong. But the first four games, that could happen here. But it was a good story, and you told it with gusto. Speaking of press conferences, my favorite my favorite moment of today, by the way, was there was a Carolina

a reporter who noticed that Rod Brindamore was wearing a wolf pack hat from NC State. And he's like, just wanted to ask you, you know, like, what was the meaning behind wearing that hat today? Yeah. And Brindamore takes off the hat and he looks at it. And he puts it back on. He says he goes, I don't know, it was in my car. So good. So good.

He said, I like, he said I like the colors. He's not quite the superstitious guy, I think. No, he's, you know, the one story I haven't been able to crack here, Johnny. He apparently is a real big post game, I'm sorry, pregame speech guy. And it's, and I talked to some of the players, and they've indicated that his pregame speeches are like really well thought out. He makes movie references. He makes references to like history. And I asked him about it one day.

and Rod kind of talked about how he prepares for these speeches. Like, he's got notes. Like, he's not just going in blind. But I've yet to get from one of the guys, like give me an example of your favorite Robbrennimore speech. No one's been able to give me one yet. So I do, that's my white well right now for the series. It's like, tell me about the time he gave you the entire Bill Pullman's speech

from Independence Day before playing Montreal in the conference final. You might have to go to a former player. I feel like a former guy would be able to give you that. I don't know if the current guys are going to go. Yeah, they probably don't want to rat out their guy, you know, and current guys. Does that really, because I kind of look at, like by the time you get to the NHL,

you don't need a big speech before a game. Just like the coach that comes in and kicks the garbage can after a bad loss, there's more snickers than frowns. Or like, oh, geez, the coach is really mad. Guys kind of laugh at stuff like that. When you get to the NHL, do you need a big pregame? speech. Like you're in the Stanley Cup final.

Like, do you need a win one for the Gipper? I mean, I never played in the NHL, but I was always one to, I loved a good pregame pump up speech. Like, it always got me going. You know, I've had coaches that didn't really say a word, and I've had coaches that really kind of came in and fired it up, and then I had coaches that were just strictly X's nose before the game. The one who fired you up, like when you can tell it's genuine, you know, like I played, and I kind of think back to when I was in 11th grade, actually, playing junior B.

You know, I played for this team called Metro Moose. We were based out of Brooklyn. And it was like heavy heavy Brooklyn accents. Like, you know, it was like real New Yorkers and their pregame speeches were unreal. And there was a lot of times like, you know, back then that was the introduction to Twitter.

And the teams in our league, like a lot of guys would like kind of tweet about each other and like you tweet about the team you're playing that night. And our coach actually like, like I remember the Long Island Royals like their captain tweeted like we're going moose hunting tonight or something and our coach Craig DeRamus printed out the tweets and put in all of our stalls for the game

and it was awesome like it got us going so that stuff was great so maybe there's a Greg Wischinski tweet saying if Vegas wins tonight the series is over and Carolyn's all up on their I think gets a Basta Rajo going most of the times I've heard from like the players it's not the coach

that gives a memorable pregame speech that gets them going it's usually like some old last guy on the roster who, you know, has been playing for 13 years and never had his shot at the cup and he gives some heartfelt, this is your moment, don't let it pass you by kind of speech, you know, that's the kind of shit that really gets them going, I think, more than anything the coach says, at least in my experiences. By the way, to your point, Merrick, like, whenever you talk about, like, pregame speeches and fired up coaches and all that stuff, like, I go back to our mutual friend Bruce Brudeau

screaming, get your asses out of your heads to his players. And I'm just thinking of myself, like, would you hear that? How do you not stifle a laugh? That's a best one. That's the best one. I've never heard that. Oh, get your asses out of your heads?

Yeah. Oh, it's so good. Yeah, from the HBO 24-7 series Road to the Winter Classic, still the best, are the best things the NHL's ever been told. Get your asses out of your heads. I don't find that. Maybe I have heard it. Yeah.

So good. From the Vegas point of view here, emerging stars, players who have, like, look, the last game we saw, like, Braden McNabb, three assists, bam. Yeah. We used to have Braden McNabb, like, postering guys on the boards. I know it's just that one game, but we've seen a lot of the Vegas Golden Knights. Is there a player on that team that you think has, quote, unquote, raised the level of his game to playoff status? the likes of which you haven't seen in the regular season. Because these things do happen regularly.

I guess the guy I go with, I thought hurdle was the best player on the ice, not to say that because he had the game winning goal. But he's a guy we've seen do it. The guy who I probably underestimated the most is Nick Dowd. And speaking with Jesse Granger today, like Nick Dowd coming in, like really rounded out that fourth line. The fourth line was super effective in game one.

You know, he's a guy that you haven't seen play a whole. lot of playoff hockey in Washington in the recent years. I know they played the Rangers around one a few years ago, but they got swept and you couldn't really get much out of them. But again, like when you see a guy, and we were talking about it a little bit this morning, come from one organization that he's been with for so long and then be an instant fit with a new team.

That's rare. So Nick Dowd being the guy on the fourth line, I think, is the one I would say is a big surprise for me. Or more appreciated. You could tell Torrella loves him. Like through this play. Like there are been games where it's like, how much is Dowd going to play?

Like, holy smoke. like your plan on like he's a second line center like there have been a few times you're like man torts has found his guy towards his found his guy and it's and it's nicked out johnny and it's nicked out that's a great yeah again like i i think seeing brandon saw and riley smith like walking in the press box as healthy scratches like that was something that i just like i was like oh my god i frail like these guys are on this team like they can't get in the lineup these guys both won cups like you know have been really good really good third line players in the nchel in the playoffs and yeah this team like you know they're they're they're the ones and they're the ones

one's getting healthy. Las, switching it up a little bit. What did you make of in the Betman press conference, them having the Golden Knights back on the Bruce Cassidy situation? I thought it was explained perfectly, like the way Bill said some contracts have that written in them and others don't. So the Vegas Golden Knights,

the fact that they had this little, I guess, caveat in Bruce Cassidy's contract that if he is let go, he'd have to fit or the contract would have to conclude before, finding a new job. I think that just goes to show how much faith they had that it would have worked out with Bruce Cassidy and how much he probably wanted it to work out in Vegas and how much they value him that they wouldn't want him to get

another job. So while it does technically suck optically, I think the league, it does. Like, you know, nobody wants to see a coach not be able to get a job, right? Like, especially when it's a coach that certainly can help a team win a Stanley Cup right now. But, uh,

listen, Vegas finds a way to live by the rule. but go about it in a way that just rubs people the wrong way. I don't know. I don't think they're doing anything technically wrong, I guess. How could you argue against it? You know what? They are not.

They're like technically everything the Bill Daly talks about here, 100% correct. The Vegas Golden Knights are under no obligation whatsoever to release him from this contract to talk to other teams, specifically rivals. Having said that, this is something Greg and I were talking about the other day, and that is, well, first of all,

the guy won you a Stanley Cup. Like, let's not lose sight of this. However you feel about Bruce Cassidy, right, he won you a Stanley Cup. And second of all, I've always believed you don't judge a company by how they bring you in. You judge a company by how they let you go. And Greg brought up a great point the other day. And that is,

what are the Vegas Golden Knights alumni events going to be like, one day. Who's going to come back? I'll tell you what. The Stanley Cup winning coach ain't coming back. The star goaltender from the expansion draft ain't cut. Like, who's coming back? Or the goalie that won them the cup might not come back based on what's going to happen in the summer to him.

Goalie that won the cup, he may be the next one to get his strings cut here. Like at the end of it, too, like not that, you know, your alumni dinners 10 years from now should, you know, should be front and center when you're making your hockey decisions. But the thing I keep coming back to with Cassidy is he won them the cup. Like is there not something, like, does that not buy some type of understanding here? Well, I think there should be a way, there should be a way, like if Edmonton wanted to get Bruce Cassidy, like, they should be able to like offer some sort of trade, right? Like a pick. Yes, three, three, you know what?

Three way deal. Cassidy gets, Cassidy gets signed somewhere else. Edmonton sends a draft pick to that team. They fire Bruce Cassidy and allow him to talk to the Edmonton Oilers. A three-way trade involving a coach. That's what we need right now. There should be something like that way from Vegas. If you give something up to Vegas that they can talk to them, I don't know.

Well, I mean, they used to do that. And I think the change was, and you can correct me from wrong, Merrick, but because of the salary cap, the fact that you could trade cap-related assets, for somebody who doesn't count against the cap was sort of the issue. Correct. So from that technical perspective, I get it. I don't know. I'm kind of in the middle of both you guys.

Like, I understand the idea that it's worked a certain way for forever. You should have some deference to the guy that did win you a cup. And on the other hand, it's like, why on earth would you possibly give the Edmondton Oil or somebody who could fix 60% of their problems? In the last two years, you're going to have to worry about McDavid in the Western Conference. So it's like, I get it. I get both sides of this. Plus, it is one year. If it was like two or three years, different story, but like they're going to pay him for one more year and then he's free to do everyone.

You know what I mean? It's just one year. It's a bird. But, yeah, tough situation. Maybe it's just, no, you know, we spend so much time with this Cassidy thing. I know that it's a topic that it's one of those rare ones where you can see, like, to Greg's point, like you can see both sides. Right. Yeah, I do.

And both sides. Like, there's enough on either. side that both make sense all at the same time. And it's kind of cast this weird shadow over the Stanley Cup final here. And did like, look, Chris McFarling makes the jump from Colorado to Nashville. And what's the first comment? No issues. Oh, you're allowed to, you can grant permission.

You're allowed to talk to other teams. And again, I'll remind everybody, he brought them a Stanley Cup as well. Chris McFarland did. And he also has one year left on his contract. Nashville is in their division. They are a rival team. Yes, correct. Well, look, Vegas does whatever it takes to win.

Vegas does whatever taste to win. We've seen it. We know it. You got to respect it. I'll say this one last thing because I remember listening to Kelly McCormon on overdrive when they were asking about about Cassidy. And he did say at one point, I found kind of curious, the idea that he is like paid to do what's right for the golden nights

or something along those lines. And it was almost like, I serve at the pleasure of the president kind of phrasing. It made me think about we never hear from Bill Foley. Like we never hear from Bill Foley. And you wonder how much of this is coming down from the tippy top when it comes to Bruce Cassidy. First of all, first of all, I think all of it rested his feet. Because even if it wasn't his idea, this is his team and this is a reflection of his team. And I don't think for one second that Kelly,

McCriman goes out there and freestyles this move. I think this is done because this is like a brand perception issue for the Vegas Golden Knights. I don't think any of this is done without Bill Foley's blessing. And I don't think Kelly McCriman will ever say that publicly. And I don't think George McPhee will either. But this one has owner written all over it. Plus to your point, like if Kelly was in this situation, if he builds a Stanley Cup champion and then they fire him because of some in effectiveness to the

roster, like he'd be apoplectic if they were like, you can't go work for another team until we tell you it's okay. Like, I mean, he's, it wouldn't have worked the same way

if it was the GM, but I don't know. It's an interesting time. I find it to be a fascinating topic only because it's the Golden Knights doing their bucking the system thing, but doing so in a way that now impacts a direct rival, which is something we don't often see.

100%. Any final thoughts, Johnny, before we let you get back to your tastefully decorated and unkempt hotel room. Did you have a car for the horse, buddy? No, I actually had Warrensky. You have Werensky? I had Wrenski. Yeah, not that I have a vote, but I would have gone with Werenstki if I did have a vote.

I just think Columbus this year had a lot of struggles. And when Zach Wrenski was not on the ice, they were a completely different team. When he was on the ice, they were unbelievable. And I saw it first hand at MSG, Werencki didn't play. Columbus blew a 4-0 lead in the third period and they ended up winning in overtime but if Orensky's in that game, different game. I just think he's that impactful

and I know I'm usually one of the guys who says like you should make a playoff or your team should make the playoffs if you're going to win an award but I will I'll let this one be an exception just because how good Wrenski was all year. Can we talk about how the NHL should probably not try to build viral video moments around public events in which the

beat writers that cover the team are like there with cameras and phones because the whole point of the John Cooper thing is to get the video of him being surprised by the Jack Adams and yet it's spoiled by literally everyone covering it including the Lightning who publish a story

about it when you know it took them so long yesterday to actually send out the release of the results the whole thing was like two hours yeah it was like two hours after it was debacle yeah not a fan I was happy that John Cooper finally won it

for whatever that means. It didn't feel like the year, though. I don't know. No, you know what? Hang on. Let me push back on that because any of those years could have been the year. Because the way that the award is generally voted on is whoever makes the most sort of dynamic change with their team. And I think one of the hardest things to do is keep a superstar team at a superstar level. Because superstar teams have superstars.

And stars are not easy to manage. And stars, you know, ultimately, you know, call a lot of shots. And to be able to keep these guys all in line and all motivated to continue to be a star team and not a peep about guys wanting to escape. I think that's a testament to John Cooper. So I don't necessarily just, I have no problem if it's just like, we got to catch up and this is getting embarrassing and Cooper's got to have one. I think any of these years, you could have made a case for John Cooper.

But we always like to do the, oh, the team was out of the playoffs last year and now they just won the conference. so he gets a coach of the year. Yeah. My question about Lindy Ruff. Like, Lindy Ruff obviously had a historic year and had the most compelling narrative for winning the Jack Adams. But can you give the Jack Adams to a coach

who gets his team to coalesce and make the playoffs because they hate him? Like, is that part of being coach of the year? Is if you're such a guy that they hate that they win despite you? I mean, if so, he should have won the Jack Adams. But otherwise, I don't know. I mean, I know a lot of guys who say bad things about Bruce Cassidy. As long as you win games, no matter how you do it.

Scottie Bowman. Scottie Bowman. I think Steve Schutt was the first one to say this. 364 days of the year. We all hated Scotty Bowman. On day 365, we got our rings. There we go. And nothing more to say.

Okay, Johnny, you go, enjoy the rest of your day. Enjoy game two, and we'll circle back. Thanks, pal. See you later, Greg. Say how to wish audition guys for me, Jeff. Kissing Cow.