00:00What do you like to potentially win the Stanley Cup this year?
00:03Well, everybody and their mother really is predicting the Lightning to come out of the East, right?
00:07And listen, it makes perfect sense.
00:09They're probably one, if not the most well-rounded team in the NHL, the most well-rounded in the Eastern
00:15Conference.
00:15Now, Dan, I'm on the Lightning as well, all right?
00:18So I don't see how they don't.
00:19But we don't know what's happening with Victor Hedman, all right?
00:23I mean, I think they could survive a round, maybe even two.
00:26But as we get a little further into this, if Victor Hedman is not going to return, he's out with
00:30a personal injury.
00:32I shouldn't say injury, personal reasons.
00:34So we don't know when he's returning.
00:36The interviewer called Coop the overnight, John Coop, the head coach.
00:39Now, he wouldn't tell us anyway.
00:40All right, that's what they do.
00:41You know, state secrets they're telling us.
00:42But he didn't sound like he's coming back from round one.
00:45Once again, maybe he's going to play tomorrow.
00:47You know, it could very well be.
00:48But that's a huge loss.
00:49And I don't think they can win it without him.
00:51So I think they do need him to show up here.
00:53But I do expect them to win round one.
00:55What about Vasilevsky?
00:56How great do you think he is?
00:58I mean, is he in that conversation with the Dominik Kosciks and the Brodeurs and the Waz?
01:04Or does he have to win another cup?
01:05He's got two already with the potential to go out and potentially win a third cup.
01:10That would put him in the Brodeur room.
01:11How good do you think he is?
01:14I think he's pretty close to the Mount Rushmore of NHL goaltenders all time.
01:19I don't think I'm going to put anybody above Brodeur Roy.
01:22And Brodeur is probably number one for me because he was so good handling the puck.
01:26He was, once again, a third defenseman back there.
01:28Sixth player on the ice.
01:29So he can handle the puck so well.
01:30He's one of the reasons they made that rule in the trapezoid was to stop him from doing it.
01:35So I'll put him at number one.
01:36Brodeur is probably number two.
01:37And after that, we can have the top of Vasilevsky being number three.
01:40I'm talking all the time.
01:41Not in today's game.
01:42All the time.
01:42So, yeah.
01:42I don't think he needs to win another cup.
01:44I always think that's kind of crazy, by the way, that you have to win.
01:46Because Dan Marino is not a great all-time quarterback because he never won a Super Bowl.
01:49I think it's kind of idiotic.
01:50But that being said, he's the best goalie in today's NHL.
01:53Not as good as he used to be, Dan.
01:55He's gotten older.
01:56He's not the goaltender he used to be, but still the best in today's NHL.
01:59Another reason.
02:00Because, Dan, you and I have been around forever.
02:02All right?
02:03There are a lot of teams in this NHL playoffs that they have a 1A and a 1B.
02:07We don't see that.
02:08But about half the teams in this tournament here have two goaltenders.
02:12We're going to go, who's starting today?
02:13Which one here?
02:14You know, that sort of game here.
02:15Now with Tampa Bay, we know it's Vasilevsky.
02:18Absolutely.
02:19So, how good are the Avalanche, you think?
02:21I mean, from start to finish this year, they have just been great in the West.
02:25Tell me how far you think that team has an opportunity of going.
02:30Well, listen, they're going to win round one.
02:31They're playing the Kings.
02:32If there's one series that could be a sweep, it's that one, right?
02:35So, they get the passies in round one.
02:37They'll have no problem.
02:38They're going to go right up against, because the NHL's insane playoff system.
02:42All right?
02:42They're going to go right up against Dallas or Minnesota.
02:44Do I think they win either series?
02:46Sure.
02:47Do I think it's going to be easy?
02:49No.
02:49Would it shock me it comes down to a game seven?
02:51No.
02:52So, I think it's going to be tough.
02:54You know, and then let's face it, the third round, they're probably playing Edmonton or Vegas.
02:57Easier series, but once again, not easy as far as getting to the cup there.
03:01I think they are the favorite.
03:03But once again, what did I say about earlier, about the goaltenders?
03:06Do we trust Wedgwood and Blackwood?
03:09I don't know.
03:10I mean, it's a McKinnon, great.
03:12McCart, great.
03:13Hall of Fame is fine.
03:14But, you know, goaltending.
03:15You know, in baseball, it's starting pitching.
03:17Football is the quarterback.
03:18In hockey, it's the goaltending.
03:19And I don't know if I trust Wedgwood and or Blackwood.
03:22So, we'll see here.
03:23But, yeah, I'm going to go with the chalk here.
03:25I do think it's going to be Colorado versus Tampa.
03:27But I feel better about Tampa getting there than I do Colorado.
03:31How about this with Vegas?
03:33The impact of Tortorella, obviously a Stanley Cup winning head coach.
03:37Guy's been around a bit.
03:38What do you think the impact that he has on Vegas during the playoffs?
03:43Well, it's hard to argue the numbers here.
03:45Remember, Vegas was, they were going to make the playoffs.
03:47They were falling apart when he was hired there, right?
03:50They were having issues.
03:51They weren't winning games here.
03:52And they certainly did look like they were going to win the division.
03:54Tortorella comes on board, 7-0-1.
03:57Now, listen, Dan, I'm the first person to tell you.
04:00The schedule said, yeah, they were going to win the games.
04:02All right?
04:02It was an easy schedule.
04:03Maybe the GM looked at that and go, oh, now's the good time to fire the coach
04:07and get a new guy in there.
04:09And it worked out here.
04:10But they look like a different team all of a sudden.
04:12Vegas is a heavy team, right?
04:14They're not going to dazzle you like the Avalanche will and have a little superstars.
04:17But they're a heavy team.
04:18In a seven-game series, they're generally no fun to play
04:21because they want to wear you down.
04:23All right, I do expect Vegas and Edmonton to end up meeting each other
04:26there in the playoffs.
04:27That would be an interesting matchup there.
04:28We know Edmonton is the high-flying team.
04:30Vegas more, like I said, the heavy team.
04:32We'll see how that works out.
04:33But the same thing with Vegas.
04:35Dan, do you trust Hart?
04:36Hill?
04:37Throw a net there?
04:38Schmid?
04:39I don't.
04:40And I think that's going to be their undoing there
04:41as far as getting to where they want to go.
04:43All right.
