Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00And yet, Dreisaitl now with his team tied at two games all in the Stanley Cup Final
00:05is still behind his teammate, Conor McDavid, to win the Conn Smythe Award.
00:11Now, this is an MVP hardware for the entirety of the postseason.
00:16McDavid has been great filling up the point sheet.
00:19He has been facilitating on the ice beautifully so.
00:22But Dreisaitl now has four OT winners in this postseason.
00:26That's an NHL playoff record, and he's got both of the OT game winners for Edmonton here in the Cup Final.
00:33In what world is Leon Dreisaitl behind Conor McDavid, even by a couple of dimes, in the Conn Smythe Trophy odds?
00:42Yeah, 1993 was the last time that an NHL team in Canada won the Stanley Cup.
00:47Now, if you're saying to yourself, well, who was that, you know, the catalyst there?
00:50I don't know who was the Conn Smythe, but probably was Patrick Waugh.
00:52He was absolutely sensational that season for the Canadians.
00:55And again, Patrick Waugh, a Canadian.
00:57So if we're saying after all these years, Canada's going to finally win a Stanley Cup,
01:01and it's going to be the German that leads them, they're saying, no, no, no, no, no, no.
01:04It just goes to Conor McDavid because why even win the Stanley Cup if a young Canadian kid
01:08isn't able to bring the Stanley Cup back and be the best player on the team?
01:11Now, he is the best player over on the team.
01:13He's not the best player in the series by a wide margin.
01:15Like, what would the statistics be right now?
01:17Let's just say it's still 2-2.
01:19McDavid had both overtime winners.
01:21Would he be minus 7?
01:22Like, it wouldn't matter who won the Cup.
01:23It's just McDavid.
01:24He wins it no matter what.
01:26That's the crazy part about it.
01:27And yes, we understand assists are important.
01:29But you have two overtime winners in the Stanley Cup, and you're playing great hockey.
01:34It's like, I don't know, man.
01:35She had McDavid assist the other night.
01:37That was fantastic.
01:37Forget about those two goals.
01:38Kevin and I used to joke about it, you know, a couple years ago when it was, you know,
01:41Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was having a great season for Toronto.
01:44But Choi Ohtani would strike out three times in one night, Guerrero would hit two home runs,
01:48and Ohtani would get the better pricing there on the MVP award.
01:51Nothing makes sense sometimes.
01:52It should be Dreisaitl.
01:53He's playing the best in the clutch moments for Edmonton, and he's still behind.
01:57Like, even if it was, like, Dreisaitl plus 200 and McDavid plus 240, all right, a little
02:02bit of respect there.
02:03But he's still behind him?
02:05That can't be right now.
02:06What, we're waiting on McDavid to score a hat trick next game?
02:08Like, ah, we told you he was going to be the best player.
02:10If Dreisaitl was not from Frankfurt, but maybe Nova Scotia, would the odds be the same?
02:18Yeah, for sure.
02:20I think we investigate DRS later on in hour number two when the NHL's Chris Beeney will
02:26join us for his reactions to a historic night in Sunrise.
02:30Again, the Oilers, the first team in 106 years, more than a century since 1919, to trail
02:38by three goals on the road in a cup final game and come all the way back to win outright.
02:45Live right here on this Friday on the Early Line on Sports Grid after a historic game number
02:51four of the 2025 Stanley Cup final last night in Sunrise.
02:55We are very pleased to welcome on the NHL's Chris Beeney to break it all down and talk about
03:01the remainder, Chris, of what many are calling perhaps the best cup final through four games
03:06we have seen in recent time?
03:09Yeah, it's hard to argue.
03:10Happy Friday, guys.
03:12Thanks for having me.
03:12I mean, we've seen goals in all four games.
03:15The over has hit in all four.
03:16We've had three overtime games and Calvin Pickard coming in last night to become the first goalie
03:21to win a Stanley Cup final game in relief since Andre Veseleski in 2015 and just the third
03:26goalie to do so since 1991.
03:28Really saved the Oilers season.
03:30Everybody talking about the Panthers and the dynasty up 3-0 after the first period, but
03:36Edmonton really turning the tables and playing a much better sound game defensively, which
03:44is tough to do when you're down 3-0.
03:46For example, Stuart Skinner, who got pulled in the second consecutive game, he faced eight
03:52high-danger shots in the first period.
03:53He made some remarkable saves as well.
03:55It wasn't his fault that the Oilers were down 3-0.
03:57Played 20 minutes, eight high-danger shots against Pickard the rest of the way, just
04:02over 50 minutes, face six.
04:04And it's not like they weren't great saves.
04:07Like, he made some spectacular saves.
04:09One comes to mind, Anton Liddell, when the Panthers were up 3-1.
04:13Eight minutes left, a partial breakaway.
04:15Then he has the save on Bennett in overtime where he makes the save with the glove and
04:18it goes off the bar.
04:19So, yeah, remarkable hockey, guys.
04:21And I think we're in for a couple more beauties.
04:23Chris, how did they do it?
04:25Coming off of game number three, you got whitewashed 6-1 in that game.
04:29In game number four, you're down 3-0 right off the bat.
04:32Your goalie is sent to the showers.
04:34I'm thinking they're rebuilding.
04:36Okay, well, best effort in game number five to try to force a game six and get to a game
04:40number seven.
04:40How could the Oilers come back and do this and win 5-4 in extras even after they gave
04:46up the late lead?
04:47It was such a crazy game.
04:48But, man, the fortitude for those Oilers, Chris.
04:52Yeah, and you know what it is?
04:53Their eighth comeback win.
04:54The NHL record is 10 through a playoff win.
04:57So, they're right there.
04:58You could see it in the first round against the Kings.
05:00A lot of their victories were from behind.
05:03Now they have two here in the Stanley Cup Final from behind.
05:06And, you know, you guys are talking about history.
05:08First team in Stanley Cup Final history to win a game while trailing 3-0 after the first
05:12period.
05:12Teams were 37-0 before last night.
05:16So, remarkable, there's no quit in this squad.
05:19And, really, you know, a kind of quiet game from Connor McDavid, right?
05:23Not up to his standards.
05:24So, other guys chipped in.
05:26We had the goal from Ryan Nugent Hopkins that we saw.
05:29Leon Dreisaitl again.
05:31Another guy checking a box in terms of history.
05:34Four overtime goals in the postseason.
05:36That's an NHL record.
05:37He has two in the Stanley Cup Final.
05:38Now he leads all players here in the Finals with seven points.
05:42So, yeah, there really just isn't any quit.
05:44You know, there was some power plays for the Florida Panthers, which they capitalized in
05:48the first period.
05:49And then Edmonton scored on their first opportunity in the second on the man advantage.
05:53And really just want to give more love to Calvin Pickard.
05:56Like, this is a journeyman.
05:58A backup goalie.
06:00And now he's the first Oilers goalie to be 7-0 in the playoffs since Grant Fuhrer.
06:05So, it's remarkable what he's doing.
06:07And this is his series now.
06:09Calvin Pickard gave Leon Dreisaitl in the Edmonton rush.
06:13An opportunity getting just enough, Chris, of that Sam Bennett shot who was trying to
06:19score for his fourth consecutive game in the Cup Final to deflect it off the bar and, of
06:24course, keep it out of the back of the net.
06:26You mentioned Leon Dreisaitl in the individual history that he made last night.
06:31Six overtime goals in the regular season.
06:33That the most in a regular season in National Hockey League history.
06:37And now his fourth overtime goal in this Stanley Cup postseason, including the game winner in
06:43each of the two wins for Edmonton here in the Cup Final.
06:47That the most in a single Stanley Cup postseason in NHL history as well.
06:52So, Chris, if I direct your attention in a series tied at two games all to the Conn Smythe
06:58odds, I must ask you, my friend, how in the world is Leon Dreisaitl?
07:03So, look behind Connor McDavid to win the playoff MVP award.
07:08Yeah, you know what?
07:09I agree with your take.
07:11Like, it does seem a little, you scratch your head a touch.
07:15I think when we talked before the Stanley Cup Final, we said, listen, like, Leon Dreisaitl,
07:20I think at the time was plus 850 and McDavid was the favorite and they were pretty close
07:24in terms of points.
07:25And now all of a sudden they have 32 each and Leon has the 11 goals and you rattled off
07:30all the statistics there and the fifth player with multiple overtime goals in the Stanley
07:34Cup Finals.
07:35You know, you got to go back to 93.
07:37John LeClaire, for all the Habs fans out there, had two against the Kings on the road
07:42en route to a Stanley Cup win for the Montreal Canadiens.
07:45But as I mentioned, he leads the series in points at seven.
07:47I think he's a good bet.
07:48I mean, at any moment, McDavid, game five could have a five-point game.
07:53And, you know, I look a little silly here, but if you're looking to get involved now in
07:57this market, I mean, why not for Leon Dreisaitl, given what he's done and he can continue to
08:03do as the series shifts to Edmonton now.
08:05And the momentum is with the Oilers, right?
08:08Two to three, go back home in front of that building.
08:12They're seven and two at home.
08:14They've scored 4.56 goals per game at home, which is second in the NHL.
08:17They have a power play operating at 42%.
08:20With all of that said, it's not going to be easy for them because the Panthers are nine
08:23and three on the road, 4.67 goals per game, which is the most, and a 41% power play, which
08:28is the best mark.
08:29So one team is amazing on the road in the Panthers, amazing after a loss at five and
08:33one.
08:34Another team is great at home.
08:35So guys, I just think we're going to get another couple more great games.
08:38And I really do feel like this is going to go seven.
08:41And I've always felt that way.
08:43Absolutely.
08:43Now we're sitting in the Stanley Cup finals.
08:45I loved how you worked in a little Flyers angle there.
08:47Mark Recki trade for John LeClaire and Eric Desjardins back to Philadelphia, form the
08:51Legion of Doom line, LeClaire, Lindros, and certainly Michael Renberg there.
08:55So I had to fit that one in.
08:56But if we're all looking at today's day and age in hockey, yeah, exactly.
08:59The Edmonton Oilers, now the favorites to win this series here at a minus 118 price,
09:04which is up from minus 110 earlier today.
09:06So looking forward, we'll get to the game this weekend.
09:08But now the Oilers, home ice advantage back in their favorite best of three.
09:13How are we feeling about that?
09:14Yeah, Donnie, you had to sprinkle in the Flyers there.
09:17It was actually a little halves tidbit there for you, but I do love that.
09:21Yeah.
09:22Listen, I think it is a must-win game for the Oilers.
09:25You know, with their comeback wins and them having McDavid and Drysdale, I do believe they
09:30need to take care of business at home game five.
09:32You know, if Florida goes into Edmonton and wins that game, I'll feel a little uneasy about
09:37this series going seven and the Oilers winning.
09:39But I do think if Edmonton can win game five, Florida take care of business at home in their
09:45burn.
09:46And then all of a sudden, it's just game seven, which we all live for, a rematch of last year
09:51as well.
09:51So I do like the Oilers.
09:52That was my pick in seven.
09:54I like the fact that Pickard is in there.
09:56They feel a little bit more comfortable, I think, with Pickard between the pipes.
09:59He's looked solid, so I like where Edmonton's at.
10:01It's a big W.
10:03More with Chris up next.
10:05So let's get ready for game number five in a best of three now in the Stanley Cup final
10:11with a series tied at two games apiece.
10:14It is tomorrow night, a change of venue once again, now north of the border, back in Edmonton
10:19as Chris Meaney is here with us for a second consecutive segment.
10:23Chris, I thought you said it very well right before we hit the break on the importance, of
10:27course, of this critical game five for a team to take a series lead and be just one single
10:33victory away from hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup.
10:37Can Edmonton continue the momentum back at home after a dramatic and historic comeback
10:42in game four?
10:44Or will this Panthers team, our reigning Stanley Cup champs, show that pedigree and be resilient
10:50once again?
10:52Chris, what will be the number one thing that you look for bright and early to start off game
10:57number five with the Oilers and ever so slight home ice favorite?
11:01The number one thing for me is to stay out of the box for the Edmonton Oilers.
11:05Like they essentially have been perfect when they have fewer than 10 penalty minutes and
11:08it's easier said than done.
11:10But again, the same thing in game four that happened to them in game three, just careless
11:15plays.
11:16I know people want to talk about the officiating, but those are penalties.
11:18You know, if you, if you're Matias Ekholm and you get your stick up Brad Marchand's face,
11:22you have to call that.
11:24There was a couple, you know, non calls in the first period that didn't go Edmonton's
11:28way.
11:28Certainly on the Lindell goal, you could make the case for Carter Burhagi getting a penalty
11:33there, but stay out of the box, play a clean game at five and five because they have played
11:37with the Panthers at five and five.
11:39And again, as I alluded to earlier in the previous block, when Pickard came in, they
11:45were sound defensively.
11:46Like this is a Florida team that generates a ton of high danger chances.
11:50They've been among the league's best in that category for the last three seasons here.
11:53This is their third straight Stanley cup final for a reason.
11:57But after the first period to only give up six high danger chances in just over 50 minutes
12:01after giving up eight in the first 20 minutes of that game with the crowd bumping, getting
12:06those power plays and this thought that Edmonton really, maybe it's just going to the backup
12:11goalie and Calvin Pickard for whatever reason, some teams change their style a little bit
12:15when there's a, another goalie that comes in.
12:18Of course they were down three, nothing, but I thought that their game was really strong
12:22in the final 40 minutes of regulation and they've been a good team on home ice.
12:26The power play has been good.
12:28The crowd is going to be rocking Pickard now, you know, feeling confident.
12:31So as I mentioned, I think the Oilers in a really good spot.
12:34If they can stay out of the penalty box and make this a five on five game, I like their
12:38chances to get a serious lead.
12:41Chris, are we going to see this series slow down?
12:43And I hope it doesn't like, I hope it goes to seven and we get, you know, six, seven,
12:46eight goals every single game.
12:47But sooner than later, usually we talk about in the NBA, like when every possession matters,
12:51same thing in hockey where, you know, you can't take those penalties and also understanding
12:55what the referees believe.
12:57Hey, you know what?
12:57We're getting later in the series.
12:59We want to let the players decide this.
13:00So unless you're going to get blood out there, we're not calling a penalty.
13:04How do you see these next game shaping up?
13:05Because it's the best of three to win a Stanley Cup.
13:08And who might have that advantage based on the style of play that we might be anticipating?
13:13Yeah, it's a fantastic question because you're right.
13:15I mean, even last year when there was a lot of goals towards the end of the series and
13:19the Stanley Cup final, what did we see in game seven?
13:21A tight checking to want to fare.
13:23And if it does get to seven, that's what I would expect, right?
13:27Teams, you know, for a win to win the Stanley Cup, right?
13:30Teams are not going to want to make any mistakes.
13:31There won't be any pitching, you know, the style will be a little bit different.
13:36But as for, you know, tomorrow night, game five, and should, you know, we're going to
13:40get game six in Florida.
13:42I can't see these teams playing any different, right?
13:45Even with Pickard playing great, Brobroski making good saves.
13:48Both of these teams just have so much firepower offensively.
13:51We've seen the overhead in the first four games pretty comfortably.
13:54And both power plays are electric, right?
13:57So thinking about game five in Edmonton, power play for the Oilers over 40%.
14:01The Panthers on the road, power play over 40%.
14:03So should the whistles not go away and both teams get a couple power plays, I think we'll
14:09continue to see some goals.
14:10But once we get to game seven, I would change my tune.
14:13I'd see it all the time, not even just in the Stanley Cup final game seven through
14:17round one, two, three.
14:18Historically, those games are a little tighter.
14:22I saw a great stat earlier today from Evan Abrams of Action Network saying that all four
14:27of the games so far in the Cup final have skied to the over.
14:30It's the first time a Stanley Cup final has started with four consecutive overs since 1991.
14:37High scoring affairs in each and every one in OT games in three of the four.
14:43I believe it was the North Stars, if I'm not mistaken, if I saw that correctly.
14:48And the Islanders, 1991, Chris would know better than both.
14:54I don't know, man.
14:56Maybe I got the years wrong, but it's been a very long time.
14:58That is for sure.
15:00And the total remains at six and a half.
15:03Penguins in the North Stars.
15:05Petrangelo and Golden?
15:06Who was it?
15:07Is that total?
15:08The under, by the way, has had the juice the entire time.
15:11So plus money on the over has always been the case.
15:14Hopefully you have won some good money throughout the Cup final.
15:17Chris Meaney, we wish you the best, man.
15:19Have a great weekend.
15:20Thanks for being here as always.
15:22Hour number three, up next.