00:00Let's talk some hockey with Dennis Bernstein, NHL senior writer for the fourth period joins us now.
00:05Weigh in on some of the latest stories in the National Hockey League before he heads out to Tampa.
00:10Watch a game this weekend.
00:11Dennis, thanks for coming here on Newswire.
00:12Great to catch up with you.
00:13And certainly I am familiar with.
00:15With the team more Southern here in South Florida and Sunrise, the Florida Panthers, Dennis, who.
00:20Seem to be going through somewhat of a sleepwalking season, which shouldn't be surprising.
00:24I mean, Dennis, when you.
00:25When you win championships, it's hard to regather and regroup for those regular.
00:30But I guess I would ask you, is that what is going on, you think, with the Panthers this season?
00:35Will they be able to just hit that switch like they did last year?
00:38I think it'll be tough this year.
00:40Craig, because, look, you're talking about a three-peat, which it's hard enough to win back-to-back stand.
00:45This year, they're missing their best player, Alexander Balkoff.
00:49Torp is.
00:50He's knee in practice early in the season.
00:52Probably doesn't return for the playoffs.
00:55The best player right now is the goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky.
00:58He's had a subpar season.
01:00I mean, they've dropped defensively.
01:01They were a really good team.
01:02Not the greatest, but they were seventh overall in goals against.
01:05Last year, this year, the 23rd.
01:07That's why they're out of the playoffs looking in right now.
01:10And it's an older team, Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart.
01:13They're having good seasons.
01:14But I...
01:15I just look at their back end, Craig, and I think that's the issue.
01:17That's the key.
01:18We could have a situation where the Stanley Cup...
01:20Champions are not in the playoffs when we get to April.
01:23Yeah.
01:23As of right now, minus two...
01:25Two-ten on FanDuel to make it.
01:26So the assumption is that at some point, they will turn it up.
01:30But as you can see, this is the longest odds they've had to win the Cup in three years
01:33at 11...
01:35One, they've fallen that far back.
01:36Meanwhile, as we dive into sort of the landscape of the National...
01:40Hockey League, Dennis, eight teams out of the 16 last season who made the playoffs are out
01:44of a playoff spot.
01:45With 30 games to go, and actually we have the Olympics coming up as well.
01:49What do you make of...
01:50How the season looks?
01:51And do you think that not only will we get a new...
01:53Potentially a new champion...
01:55But maybe some teams in the playoffs we haven't seen before.
01:58Yeah.
01:58Well, 10 games...
02:00I would tell you that it was one team in 31 teams.
02:03The one team being the Colorado Avalanche.
02:05But Craig, I'll be honest with you, they look bored.
02:07They were so good in the beginning of the year.
02:09They had...
02:10They had run off these incredible streaks.
02:11They had played 40 games and lost four in regulation, which is unheard of.
02:15In the NHL, they look bored.
02:16So maybe they need a little bit of a break at the Olympics.
02:18Maybe make a trade to...
02:20But it's not the teams that are getting in or getting out.
02:25It's who's getting in.
02:26Those long-suffering fans in Buffalo, 15 years without a play...
02:30They're going to be in the playoffs, Craig.
02:31They are.
02:32It's been a decade for the Detroit Red Wings.
02:35They're second in the division right now in the Atlantic Division.
02:37So it's teams like that.
02:38It's teams like...
02:40The San Jose Sharks, who has this young kid I'm sure will talk about, Macklin Celebrini.
02:43They haven't made the playoffs since...
02:45Seventh season.
02:46They're in the spot right now.
02:47The Anaheim Ducks, sixth season.
02:48So there's not only a change in...
02:50There's teams that have not been there for a very long time that have been...
02:54Their fans have been...
02:55They're getting back into the playoffs right now.
02:57I think it's exciting for the league because...
03:00Like other sports, this is a situation where you don't often have repeat champions and you
03:04have new teams...
03:05And that's why in this league, because it's so contentious to make the playoffs, we don't need an...
03:10NBA Cup.
03:10We don't need a playing tournament.
03:12The regular season is basically the playing tournament.
03:14So it's...
03:15It's been great to see these teams that have not been a player for a very long time exciting
03:18their fan base as we get down.
03:20On the stretch.
03:21Dennis, let's hit on the Sharks a little bit more here.
03:24The Sharks...
03:25The Sharks franchise last 20, 30 years notorious for two things.
03:28Either losing...
03:30Or being a low seed in the playoffs and beating a top seed.
03:33I mean, those are the things that they have been known.
03:35They've had some massive upsets in the history of the National Hockey League.
03:39So Macklin...
03:40He's 19 years old.
03:42This team has won 13 more games.
03:45Already than they won all of last year.
03:47So there's something in the water in San Jose that has them win.
03:50Yeah, it's called talent, Craig.
03:52This kid is talented.
03:54If you're...
03:55If you're on the East Coast and you don't want to stay until 10.30 at night to watch one
03:57of their games from home, stay up one night.
03:59Watch...
04:00He's this kid.
04:00He's galvanized the franchise.
04:02He's refilled the building.
04:03And there's other players on the team.
04:05He has a running mate in Will Smith who's really good at another young pick.
04:08Macklin is...
04:10He's not Conor McDavid and he's not, you know, he's not Leon Dreissel.
04:15Because physically he's about 5'11", 175.
04:17I would equate him to the next Sidney Crosby.
04:20He grows into his body, becomes more muscular, hits the weight room.
04:22That's the type of player he is right now.
04:25He's a complete player.
04:26He's savvy.
04:26I saw here a couple of weeks ago in Los Angeles, they were down...
04:30by one goal with a minute left, scored the winning goal, set up the winning overtime.
04:34He is worth the price.
04:35Even for a guy like me that doesn't pay to get in, I might pay to get in to see Macklin
04:39Seller.
04:40He's been that good for, you mentioned a franchise that, you know, the last couple
04:44of years the building was empty.
04:45Be in San Jose, it's not empty anymore, and it's great to see a young kid being trusted
04:49by this franchise.
04:5019, leading the charge for the Sharks back to the playoffs.
04:53Dennis, the Winter Olympics...
04:55...opens up here in just a few weeks here, and hockey begins on February...
05:00...the 11th, and even if you're not a fan of the Winter Olympics, this is generally...
05:05the one sport that does get the most attention, I don't think it's a big surprise that Canada...
05:10...is a pretty significant favorite to win, but Team USA is plus 210, and, you know...
05:15...naturally at the Olympics every year, things happen to us that we cannot predict, there's
05:19always some ups...
05:20...that's at this, how do you view the upcoming Olympic Games?
05:23Okay, two outside teams...
05:25...we'll talk about US and Canada.
05:26Look out for Finland, because the one adjective I use for that team is...
05:30...pesky.
05:31They're always pesky.
05:32They got a really good shot at winning a bronze medal.
05:33I don't think they can win gold or silver.
05:35I don't think they'll be in a championship game, but so...
05:37...and Chechia, with the Ducks goaltender, Lucas Dostal...
05:40...they're going to be trouble as well in the medal round.
05:43So look out for those teams for a possible upset.
05:45...it's going to be US and Canada.
05:47And I think the biggest takeaway for me is Bill Guerin, who's the GM...
05:50...of the US team, has taken a lot of criticism for the omissions he's had on this team.
05:55Cole Caulfield and Lane Hudson from Montreal.
05:57Jason Roberts had a youth season for Dallas.
06:00He's preferred to have the same type of team that went to the Four Nations final.
06:03A big physical team.
06:05As opposed to smaller players with skill.
06:08We'll see if it works.
06:09It didn't work in the four...
06:10...so they came very close.
06:11If it wasn't for Jordan Bennington, they probably would have won that tournament.
06:14But I think that's...
06:15...what the biggest criticism is.
06:16Well, that big physical team that really doesn't have the most skilled players on the team.
06:20Can that win goal for the US?
06:21Because they always seem...
06:22...when we get to the Olympics, Craig, the US comes out second best.
06:25Definitely so.
06:26All right, Dennis.
06:27Enjoy your trip to South Florida or West...
06:30...you're going to the Raymond James Stadium this week.
06:32I didn't even...
06:33Are there two Winter Classic games?
06:34I must have missed it.
06:35I know there was one in...
06:36There's a Winter...
06:37Yeah.
06:38Yeah, go ahead.
06:39There's a Winter Classic.
06:40We did it at...
06:40...Veport Park in Miami.
06:41Of course.
06:42Yeah.
06:43This is the Stadium Series.
06:44They did one last year.
06:45In Columbus, they drew 79,000.
06:46I believe Raymond James is close to a salad as well.
06:48So it's going to be a lot of fun.
06:50But I'm bringing my winter coat, Craig, because...
06:52...I can't believe the weather in Tampa right now.
06:54Yeah.
06:55In the 30s in Tampa and the 20s this weekend in...
07:00...parts of Florida and not the north parts like Pensacola and Jacksonville...
07:03...even down by me.
07:04All right.
07:05Appreciate it, Dennis.
07:06Stay warm.
07:07We'll talk again soon.
07:08Thank you so much for the time.
07:09Appreciate it.
07:10Always great being on Sports Grid.
07:11Craig, thanks for the time.
07:12I appreciate it.
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