00:00Right now, we're going to talk a little NHL with our friend Cam Stewart here.
00:03And first and foremost, before we start talking a little NHL playoffs here,
00:07I can't believe what I saw in red yesterday.
00:09Cam, is this right?
00:10We're going on a decade now of the Red Wings not in the playoffs.
00:15I mean, Stevie Wise got to be in trouble right now.
00:19No, the GM there?
00:21I think Stevie Wise actually, he's done okay.
00:23But the thing is, how did this team not make the playoffs?
00:26Like, they were right there the whole time.
00:28And it's just really weird down the stretch.
00:30I'm like, why can't Detroit get there?
00:32And I know it's really hard in the National Hockey League to jump teams because of the point system.
00:37But, Dan, it'll never change because this is what Gary wants.
00:40You can't, like, you know what I mean?
00:41You have to win in regulation.
00:43You can't lose.
00:43You can't win in overtime or a shootout and let your opponent who you're trying to chase get a point
00:48on you.
00:48If they went to the three-point system, it would be awesome.
00:51Like, you know what I mean?
00:52But the problem is half of the teams would be done and the playoffs would be set like a month
00:55and a half earlier.
00:56And that would really piss off the league.
00:58But I'm with you.
00:59Like, Detroit, Patrick Kane, older guys.
01:01Like, they've got some good young players on the team.
01:03But I'm going to tell you, Dan, their goaltending is subpar.
01:05They can't be rolling out the guys that they have.
01:08It's just not happening.
01:10They don't get key saves when they need to.
01:12They've tried everything.
01:13The defense is a little bit small as well.
01:15That's when I look at the Buffalo Sabres.
01:17I go, they got Rasmus Dahlin.
01:18They pick up all these guys.
01:20Their defense are killers.
01:21So, when you have two goaltenders like Alex Lyon, who's a career backup, and Lucanen, who's never done anything in
01:27this league, they can be okay because the Buffalo Sabres playing that team defense and guys with long reach and
01:33blocking ability, that's the thing.
01:35They can beat you with speed and defense.
01:36That's Detroit's problem.
01:37I think they have a couple guys on the offensive side that are good enough.
01:41Like, Larkin, they have really good players on their team.
01:43The problem is, their back end, not physical enough.
01:47Their goaltending, they don't get big saves.
01:49But, Dan, heading into the playoffs, we still have so many teams alive.
01:52That's the beautiful thing, right?
01:54Utah clinched a playoff spot.
01:55Kings are right there right now in the West.
01:57In the East, what's going to happen?
01:59We could see it like Columbus is hanging on by a thread.
02:02The New York Islanders still mathematically in, but they've got to run the table.
02:06So, this is very, very interesting, and we have two big games today.
02:09We have this Columbus-Bruins game, man, and that's a huge, huge game for both of these teams right now,
02:15right?
02:15So, if Columbus finds a way to win, then the Bruins got to worry a little bit, too.
02:19That's how tight these races are, literally like four or five teams within a couple points.
02:23So, let me throw this at you here.
02:25Keith Jones comes out of the broadcast booth, and he goes into the front office there with the Philadelphia Flyers,
02:32and Daniel Breyer's in there with him, too.
02:34Have you been surprised with the turnaround with the Flyers?
02:38Absolutely.
02:39Absolutely.
02:39Because at the start of the year, I'm looking at the Flyers going, just another year with the Flyers.
02:44But a lot of their young guys, no one it was, too, Dan, every team needs a star.
02:49And I watch Zegras play now, and he has changed totally.
02:52When he was in Anaheim, he was a good offensive player, but very sloppy with the puck.
02:57Stupid penalties, not a two-way player.
02:59He looks magnifying.
03:00The veterans on that team, really, really solid, right?
03:04And they're getting goaltending.
03:05That's the whole thing about the Philadelphia Flyers.
03:07And they've always had one thing, physicality.
03:10They're kind of an interesting team.
03:11And you brought up the best point, Dan.
03:13You're like, I don't care if you're a wild card team, you get in an eight.
03:16You live in Florida.
03:18Remember when the Columbus Blue Jackets beat Tampa Bay?
03:20That's serious.
03:21And that's the thing.
03:22It's just like hockey's different.
03:24It's over.
03:25There's too many games.
03:25It's not like usually, a lot of the time, football, whatever.
03:29You can have a one-off.
03:30In college basketball, a team can go 60% from three-point land.
03:34That's what the crazy thing was.
03:35Columbus beat these guys in a series.
03:37And once you get that win and get confidence, you get goaltending, your stars play, and you
03:43find a way to play defense, Dan.
03:45Anything can happen.
03:46And it's so hard to pick a Stanley Cup winner.
03:49Because literally, you and I could come up with, what do you think, Dan?
03:51Six to eight teams that have a chance, maybe?
03:53Yeah, absolutely here.
03:55You know, I always keep an eye on the Carolina Hurricanes because the former Hartford Whalers,
04:00those kind of near and dear to me because I'm from Connecticut.
04:03I love that team.
04:04Pretty good team this year, huh?
04:05They look like they could go and do something in the playoffs.
04:08Here's the thing, Dan.
04:09It's now or never.
04:11The Carolina Hurricanes have been one of the most talented teams in the year all the time.
04:15They lose to Florida.
04:16They lose to Tampa Bay.
04:18When are they going to get over the hump?
04:20Now you don't have to deal with the Florida Panthers.
04:22You got the Tampa Bay Lightning who are dangerous.
04:24But I'm looking at the East going, Carolina, if you can't get it done now, if you can't
04:30get by a team like Boston or anybody else here, you're right, Dan.
04:33But I'm telling you, Rod Brindamore, great coach, great player.
04:36One of my favorites, actually.
04:38Like when I watched hockey when I was younger, Rod Brindamore is the perfect type of player.
04:42But enough is enough.
04:43If the Carolina Panthers don't go to the Stanley Cup final, sorry, if the Carolina Hurricanes
04:48don't go to the Stanley Cup final, I think it's a lost season.
04:51And I think they have to do a lot of soul searching.
04:53And they're going to have to blow it up soon because I don't care what you do in the regular
04:57season.
04:58Presidents, trophies, high finishes, whatever.
05:00What do you do in the playoffs?
05:01That's where the men come out to play.
05:02And that team always found ways to lose close games in the playoffs.
05:06They got to get over the hump this year.
05:07See you tomorrow.
05:08See you tomorrow.
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