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The Sports Junkies break down Washington’s win over Columbus last night.
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00:00I wasn't here yesterday, and obviously the Flyers win in a shootout on Monday was a killer.
00:05It was a killer.
00:06So that eliminated the Caps and the Blue Jackets.
00:09But they played last night in the final regular season game.
00:12The Caps season is over.
00:13Let me have a clap to Caps Nation for traveling to Columbus.
00:17Really good turnout in the stands.
00:19Was it?
00:19Caps-wise, a lot of Caps fans in that building for what could potentially be Ovi's final game as a
00:26Washington Capital.
00:27We don't know what he's going to do.
00:28Well, the thing that struck me about the end of that game, well, the locker room scene, was just his
00:33face.
00:34Just seeing his reaction.
00:35He also threw in a Zen, right?
00:37Did you guys see that?
00:38Like they showed him, the first thing he did, he had the tin in his hand, throws one in.
00:43Did he?
00:44Somebody called it a lip pillow.
00:46That made me laugh on Twitter.
00:48But yeah, he just looked exhausted.
00:51He looked exhausted.
00:52He looked exhausted at the end.
00:53I couldn't tell if he looked unhappy or sad or just pondering life.
01:00I couldn't tell.
01:00I think it was a big combo of all those things.
01:02His eyes.
01:02It was just his eyes.
01:03Yeah.
01:04Well, they did a bunch of features.
01:05There was a bunch of stuff going through his head.
01:07Right.
01:07You saw where they brought the sick kids or sick kids or whatever.
01:10Did you see some of that stuff?
01:11Yeah, that feature that they did on ESPN, it's definitely a tearjerker.
01:15About lives that Ovi has impacted while he's been playing here.
01:19Yeah.
01:20And they bring out the mom of a kid who passed away from cancer.
01:24Yeah.
01:24And somebody who he granted somebody else's make-a-wish.
01:27Yeah, yeah.
01:28On the ice.
01:28They had a bunch of them out there.
01:29Just like a boo-hoo fest.
01:31And even Ovi was like, wow, that was tough.
01:33How many lives he touched and impacted.
01:35Yeah.
01:36And that was just a small little fraction of it.
01:38And I guess I didn't see it.
01:39I saw clips of it, but I saw some live of just Ovi.
01:44I told Cakes, Ovi's a TV star.
01:47Yeah.
01:47He's an absolute TV star.
01:49I knew that when I watched the Olympics.
01:52Yeah.
01:52He was so good during the Olympics.
01:53He is spectacular.
01:54He really is.
01:55He did, I guess, a sit-down with Ovi.
01:57Yeah.
01:58Plus, he can give you behind-the-scenes.
02:01For sure.
02:01He can play with them for 10 years.
02:02Yeah, great anecdotes of being with the big guy and the Subway sandwich that he likes
02:06to get, I guess, the gas station before.
02:08What health is going to be a factor in your decision of whether you come back next year
02:12at the game 82?
02:14How's the body feeling right now?
02:16Feels good.
02:17Pretty good, obviously.
02:18But, yeah.
02:19How was we and you talking about it yesterday?
02:23And, you know, it's going to be not an easy decision.
02:27Sometimes you're one and sometimes you're not.
02:29So, we'll think.
02:31And, whenever you do step away, what do you think you're going to miss most?
02:36I didn't step away yet, so we'll figure it out.
02:39You tell me.
02:40You're going to miss it all.
02:41You're going to miss it all.
02:42All right.
02:42All right.
02:43All right.
02:45So, the vibes were good.
02:47I thought they were good vibes.
02:48They tried to get Ovi like an empty netter at the end of the game.
02:50And, he had a shot on goal, but the puck didn't quite settle on his stick.
02:54So, he just missed with about 20, 25 seconds left in the game.
03:00But, hopefully people watched.
03:02I know a lot of people went to the game to maybe see his last game in person.
03:06So, there was definitely Caps' representation there.
03:09Now, on the other side, we have audio of the Columbus Blue Jackets head coach, Rick Bonas.
03:15Yeah, I'm just learning about this.
03:17Who was super Rick by his team's effort.
03:18And, I don't think it was just from last night.
03:20I'm guessing the frustration had melted.
03:23Oh, for sure.
03:24Up until the point where they were eliminated from the playoffs.
03:26But, the Jackets' performance against the Caps last night.
03:29Hold on.
03:30Unacceptable to him.
03:30Before you play it, I have a question.
03:32I believe the Blue Jackets lost.
03:34Didn't they lose like nine of the last 11?
03:36That, I don't know.
03:37Alright, so they must have been swooning.
03:39They obviously were.
03:40They obviously missed the playoffs.
03:41Yeah.
03:41How long?
03:43Hockey coaches, they churned those out pretty quickly.
03:46I don't know how long Bonas has been there.
03:48Are you familiar with them?
03:49I've heard his name.
03:50He's been in hockey forever.
03:51He's a long-time hockey guy.
03:52Yeah.
03:53Alright, because these comments, the way you're describing them, they're almost irrecoverable.
03:57Just listen to the emotion in this dude's voice.
04:00He almost starts crying.
04:01We have the audio right here.
04:03Rick, you've been a part of a lot of games.
04:06It happens in a lot of seasons.
04:07Have you ever been a part of something that's as frustrating as this has been down the stretch?
04:12No.
04:18I've got to just look at the stat sheet.
04:22Three hits.
04:2423 giveaways.
04:25Like, I don't know if I'm back, but if I'm back, I'm changing this culture.
04:30These guys, they don't care.
04:33Losing is not important enough to them.
04:35It doesn't bother them.
04:37Like, how can you go out and play like that?
04:39Should have done this about a month ago.
04:41But this is why we are where we are.
04:42This is why we're in the playoffs.
04:44That kind of effort.
04:47Losing, you have to hate losing.
04:48I don't care if it's a meaningless game.
04:51I don't care.
04:53Show up and compete.
04:54Three hits.
04:5623 giveaways.
04:59What else do you want to know?
05:01Oh, man.
05:02The Caps broke that dude's spirit.
05:04Or his team's lack of effort.
05:06No, I think his team did.
05:06Yeah, I think it was a combination of the two.
05:08But, wow.
05:09You rarely hear that sort of emotion in a presser.
05:13It's usually very buttoned up.
05:14No, he did sound like he was going to cry.
05:15He sounded like he was about to break down at the beginning of that.
05:18So, apparently, Bonus was retired.
05:20He was the coach of the Winnipeg Jets.
05:23He was retired, and then he came out of retirement to replace Dean Evason in January of this year.
05:31So, he's only been there a few months.
05:33So, he's probably like, you know what?
05:34I can't believe I came out of retirement just doing whatever I want to coach these losers who aren't giving
05:40any effort.
05:41Now, like you said, it was a meaningless game, but what he saw on the ice clearly upset him.
05:47Yeah.
05:49He won't be back.
05:50Probably not, but it sounds like he's lost under us.
05:52He's kind of reacting to the way they played since March 22nd.
05:55Right, yeah.
05:56Where they won three games since March 22nd.
05:58Yeah.
05:59They're like three and ten.
06:01I mean, those are personal shots.
06:04They don't care.
06:05You don't care.
06:06Losing doesn't affect you.
06:07Wow.
06:08Well, those numbers are pretty amazing with the hits and the takeaways.
06:12Yeah.
06:12I don't know what a normal number is, but three sounds very low.
06:15Three hits.
06:15Three hits.
06:16Not a lot.
06:16I mean, Ovi sometimes has five in a game himself.
06:19Yeah.
06:20I mean, that sounds ridiculous.
06:21That's called laying down and checking out and getting ready for your trip.
06:26So you're literally skating around for 60 minutes.
06:28Yeah.
06:28You get three hits?
06:30Three hits.
06:31That is a paltry amount.
06:32Wow.
06:32I mean, I would love to know what's the average number of hits in an NHL game.
06:36I would guess it's probably 15 to 20 per team.
06:39Yeah.
06:39Somewhere in that neighborhood.
06:41I mean, I don't know that, but it has to be double digits.
06:44How much of the game did you watch?
06:45I was playing poker, so I was distracted for the first two periods, but I had a short
06:50run, so then I watched the third period up in my hotel room.
06:54Could you tell that Columbus didn't really care?
06:56It just looked like the caps were more into the game than Columbus was.
07:02I didn't realize the hit disparity until I heard the guys going off.
07:07I mean, you never hear coaches just cry like that about how bad a team is.
07:11The average is around 22.
07:13Oh, so over 20.
07:14Okay.
07:14They were just 19 hits short.
07:16That's unbelievable.
07:17Here's John Walton on the final call with Ovi, who had a chance for an empty netter at
07:22the end.
07:22And it's forced back in by Columbus with five seconds left, and a puck cleared away back
07:28to center, and that's going to do it.
07:30Good morning.
07:31Good afternoon and good night, Columbus.
07:33The Capitals head to the offseason on a winning note.
07:38The game-winning goal from Jacob Chikrin.
07:41Final score, Washington two, and Columbus one.
07:45And is this the last?
07:47Then we will see Alex Ovechkin in a Washington uniform.
07:52He high-fives with his teammates after he would do it at any other game.
07:58He waves.
07:59He claps to the fans, and he heads down the tunnel, perhaps for the final time.
08:05And I know it's a very small side note, especially with all the Ovi news, but the addition of
08:09Jacob Chikrin via trade, this is that year and a half, two years ago, what an ad.
08:15He had 26 goals this year.
08:17I think it led all NHL defensemen.
08:19I mean, that guy's a stud.
08:20Good player, yeah.
08:21Stud.
08:22I think I've kind of flipped, and I've got nothing to base this on, but it was just watching
08:27his reaction in the locker room.
08:28Yeah.
08:29Something told me he's done.
08:30Oh, you think he's done now?
08:31Something just looked like he was checked out.
08:35No, I don't think he's done.
08:37Yeah.
08:37I think he had treated it that way.
08:39I didn't think so until I saw his face.
08:42Yeah.
08:43I just think he needs a little bit of time away from the game to gather himself.
08:47Like I said, I've got nothing to base it on besides just watching him in the locker room.
08:50My vibe is he's coming back.
08:51Maybe that's just me being over an Ovi stand, and I want him to come back so badly.
08:56My vibe is he feels good.
08:58He loves hockey.
09:00Why not run it back?
09:00He loves the youngins they brought in.
09:02Yeah.
09:03You have to be optimistic about this team's future.
09:05Hey, look, I hope I'm wrong.
09:06My vibe has flipped 180.
09:08I hope you're wrong, too.
09:08I flipped, too.
09:09I went from he's retired to he's coming back.
09:12Yeah.
09:12Yeah.
09:13He should get a Zen endorsement that Ovi.
09:15So, Ricky Bonus was not happy.
09:18If I were him, I'd go back to the retired life.
09:20Eight milligrams for eight.
09:22Yeah.
09:23He should have his own certain blend.
09:25I like that, Valdez.
09:27I like the way you're thinking.
09:28Let's huddle after the show.
09:29Let's have a meeting.
09:31Man.
09:33It's just a bummer that they're not going to the playoffs.
09:36It's pretty depressing.
09:36We don't usually see this.
09:39I know.
09:40They're usually either at the top.
09:42You know, top two or three seeds.
09:43Yeah.
09:44Or they squeak in.
09:45But it's rare that they just don't make the playoffs.
09:48It seems so trivial.
09:49The whole way.
09:49You weren't here, but GP kind of outlined in others that, you know, they were like, what,
09:55two and ten or whatever in shootouts or whatever.
09:57Yeah.
09:57They were better in shootouts or in the playoffs.
09:58Yeah, because they get an extra point or two, they're in.
10:00I mean, them being just like almost historically awful in shootouts is the reason why.
10:06Right.
10:06They had more or they were right up there with regular season wins.
10:10Yeah.
10:10Regular whatever.
10:12Regulation.
10:12Regulation wins.
10:14It's not like they were terrible.
10:15No.
10:16They just, what they were actually terrible at was a trivial little detail.
10:21Yeah.
10:21But it came back to Honda.
10:22And by the way, they've been terrible at it for a few years.
10:24And that's how the Flyers got into the playoffs in the shootout.
10:26And by the way, here's a quote from Ovi, which leads you to believe that he's at least
10:30considering coming back.
10:31Quote, we try to win.
10:32We try to finish the season on a good note.
10:34And I hope it's not my last game.
10:36I don't know what's going to happen.
10:37We'll see.
10:38Yeah.
10:39I hope it's not my last game.
10:40That's a big one.
10:41That's a big clue.
10:42And that's a pretty important quote.
10:42That's a big clue.
10:44So we'll see.
10:45Hopefully, keep your fingers crossed if you want another season of the grade eight.
10:49Sounds like to me, he's got to convince the old lady.
10:53He's got to convince the old lady.
10:54I mean, I'm guessing he can probably make that happen.
10:58I'm sure he can.
10:59Yeah.
11:00Well, we'll find out.
11:00I think he's coming back, Cakes.
11:01That's a great quote.
11:03That's the money quote right there.
11:05Yeah.
11:05That's your money shot.
11:06I hope it's not my last game.
11:09Yeah.
11:10It's hard to come away from that one.
11:11I mean, if you hope it's not your last game, you can make it not your last game.
11:16You're totally in charge.
11:16You know what I'm saying?
11:17Right.
11:18Let us know.
11:18Maybe he doesn't feel.
11:20It's not your last game.
11:20Maybe he doesn't feel like the Caps have been so, like, just let him be.
11:25Maybe he's not convinced they want him back yet.
11:28Maybe he has to sit down with the organization and have that conversation.
11:31Yeah.
11:31Because they've been so, like, hey, you just do you.
11:33Yeah.
11:33We're not going to pressure you one way or the other.
11:35Maybe he wants to just hear from them.
11:37Yeah, we really do want you back.
11:39Which I'm sure they would say.
11:40I would assume that Ted and, you know, the front office are going to say, if you want
11:44to come back, you're welcomed with open arms.
11:47Yeah.
11:47Please come back for another year.
11:49They've got to define the roles and everything.
11:50I could see there being a lot of little things.
11:51That's fine.
11:52They can work on that.
11:52A lot of little things.
11:53Yep.
11:53All right.
11:54So, the Nats are now 8-9.
11:57They've played 11 road games.
11:59They're 7-4 away from Nats Park.
12:01I was watching.
12:01Your boy, Nicholas, he did okay.
12:03Nicholas, yeah.
12:04He was, I mean, he was okay.
12:06I mean, he didn't start.
12:07He didn't blow it.
12:08CJ Abrams is the story.
12:10He's hit another home run.
12:10He's got six.
12:11Yeah, I saw that.
12:12He's got six.
12:13Most home runs by shortstop right now in Major League Baseball.
12:16Yeah, he's having a really good start.
12:17But they win 5-4.
12:20And they're 8-9, 7-4 on the road.
12:25I mean, near 500.
12:27I mean, I think it's incredible.
12:28A tough start with the schedule.
12:30I mean, some really tough teams are playing on the road.
12:32Have you read the stuff about, and we can talk to Paul Timoni about this at 9 o'clock,
12:37about the hitters being more prepared now?
12:42They're basically getting homework done for them to prep them for games,
12:47which apparently they weren't getting at least to this level of analytics
12:52and what to expect.
12:53I mean, I don't know the exact details,
12:55but they're just all saying they're way more prepared.
12:58I think the communication, for some reason,
13:01is just better this year with these younger guys than it has been over the past few.
13:05Maybe the old school guys.
13:06Yeah, just a different way.
13:07I think also just that whole technology that they brought in.
13:10How could that not make you more prepared?
13:12Where you get to see the hand coming out of the pitcher,
13:17basically like a video game.
13:19The traject, I think it is.
13:21The traject machine.
13:22Yeah, I mean, that's a huge benefit.
13:24If it's technology that's on the cutting edge they didn't have before,
13:26of course they're going to be more prepared for what they're facing on a daily basis.
13:31Crazy they didn't have that.
13:32They did the opener bid again, too.
13:34Yeah.
13:34Yeah, PJ Pullen, and then they brought Michaelis in.
13:37So today, so this is the third game of the series, or tonight, sorry.
13:42It'll be Jake Irvin against Mason Montgomery.
13:45Montgomery used to pitch for the Devil Rays,
13:49and now he pitches for the Pirates.
13:51So that game's at 640.
13:52So Nats trying to get to 500 tonight against the Pirates,
13:56and then they have the fourth game of the series tomorrow.
14:00So I don't know.
14:01I'm just a little bit pumped that they're winning some of these games,
14:05especially close games.
14:05I know the bullpen has been an issue,
14:07but the schedule's been really, really difficult.
14:10So I'm impressed with 8-9.
14:11Here's the article from the Washington Post.
14:14I guess it was four days ago.
14:15One afternoon this week, four hours before first pitch,
14:18Nationals catcher K. Bear Ruiz sat at his locker in solitude.
14:21His players around him rushed in and out,
14:23or chatted amongst each other, pencil and paper in hand,
14:26and an iPad open in front of him.
14:28He had homework to do, and he had to get it done before class,
14:31which in his case is a daily pregame hitters meeting.
14:34He might get called on after all,
14:36and he had to be prepared to give a thorough answer to the room.
14:39Writing it down, he said, not only forces him to slow down
14:41as he studies, but helps him process the information too.
14:44The Nationals' new coaching staff, led by hitting coach Matt Borg-Schult,
14:50has made preparation a key word this season.
14:52While this is typical for a lot of teams across the league,
14:55the Nationals didn't have the same focus on pregame work
14:58under their previous staff.
15:00Now staffers want players to arrive at the ballpark
15:02already familiar with that day's starting pitcher
15:05and ready to explain to the group how they plan to approach him.
15:10So they're just preparing more.
15:12Yeah.
15:13And I think a lot of it has to do with just the communication
15:16between the manager and the coaching staff with the players,
15:19with these younger guys.
15:21It's kind of a pain in the ass.
15:22The guys have got to go home and do homework.
15:24They've got to come to the park.
15:26Homework sucks.
15:26They've got to think about...
15:27Even if somebody's kind of doing it for you, it still sucks.
15:30Nobody wants homework.
15:31Right, but it sounds like, yeah,
15:32they've got to come in kind of and be ready to explain
15:35what their approach is going to be that day.
15:37Yeah.
15:38Last but not least,
15:39former Michigan football coach Sharon Moore
15:41has been sentenced to 18 months probation,
15:43so he avoids jail time
15:47when he confronted the former staffer
15:50that he had that relationship with last year,
15:53and he was arrested in December.
15:54I still am not clear on what happened with all that.
15:57I thought for sure he was the villain,
15:59and obviously he is if he attacks a woman,
16:02or whatever,
16:03but also later you're hearing
16:06that she was like blackmailing him
16:08and trying to just get him in trouble too.
16:10She was really bitter.
16:12It goes both ways, I think.
16:14Well, I'm sure it was a very contentious relationship,
16:16but he went into her house
16:18and threatened her with a knife.
16:20That, of course.
16:22But I think she kind of went out of her way
16:26to expose everything
16:28and kind of blow up his spot.
16:31I'm sure.
16:31I'm sure it went both ways.
16:33Yeah.
16:33But he avoids jail time.
16:34He gets 18 months probation.
16:371-800-636-1067 is the number.
16:40You want to get in touch with the junkies.
16:42Be right back.
16:43You want to get in touch with the junkies.
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