Episode 765 "FEELING THE EXCITEMENT" with JR

0:00episode 765 my my boys what's up man how you doing guys it's been a while how you know I'm sorry I've trapped in travel like a crazy person I've actually let going on I leave again tomorrow so I'm glad we get to to at least get here and you know I was on my one of my travels and I was in I was in Chicago believe it or not and I was at an arena and a guy came up to me and goes hey I'm from Buffalo we love we we love you with after the whistle you know where are you hug me I've been back it was crazy come on really yeah swear to God oh yeah absolutely it happens more than you guys probably would think but I just had to tell you that so anyway well appreciate that are we excited what a different feeling sitting here today then we have for the last 14 years it's one of the best stories and sports in a lot of different senses right because a you have probably one of the best hockey markets that is that is alive again right and you guys you guys

1:01lived and died this right so for me I feel so hasn't been easy JR trust me I know I've been on this everywhere almost every Wednesday listening to you and watching and listening and feeling the pain and yeah and and just the and I've thought about you guys actually a lot over the last three months because it's it's amazing to me this goes to why people listen to us okay why people listen to the guys that were in the locker rooms that understand why teams win and why teams don't win right because we've talked about this team for years now and and this team last year which was just very similarly the same team with the same top leadership okay you look at the team and be like how did they start to season at three and 14 and we're going after them again in the beginning of this year going after them well PD PD did

2:06well lost a shit after game three you know listen when you go stop with your living in the past crack yeah when you go three when you go three and 14 to start to season you think here we go again right but we talk about and we have talked about so many times how teams win how teams that aren't as talented sometimes win more than teams that are talented and it's not just because of the personnel obviously personnel has a lot to do with it yes but it's how you decide you want to play as a team and individually how hard you want to be and to play a system to play how hard it is to play against and then when you put it all together and for us I think there's a lot of people that are like scratching their head and saying why did it take firing a GM to get this team now I don't know if there's other things that came into play but it just happened to be when they got rid of Kevin this team totally changed and and totally

3:10became a different team and rattles off 29 of 32 games that's unheard of in sports yeah and there's no sign of there's no sign of going back and they did and they didn't stop either like you know they went on and said there's no sign of them going back right they went on this magical run after Kevin Adams got got relieved of his duties um was the hottest team in the league and then they lost that like I think it was the 10th game or or the 11th game and then you're thinking yourself everybody was thinking ah are they gonna fall back into their old ways we said it we we questioned it yeah why how could you not how could you not question it and then all of a sudden they just took off again and it just we just sat back as fans here JR and watched the team that played nothing like what we have seen for the

4:11past four years nothing complete different game with guess what the same players the same players the same players and this is why my frustration with players and with the game and and and and I hate saying this generation because it's every generation it's it's the decider that you and it by the way it's a great it typifies life when you decide that you want to make a difference when you decide you want to play when you decide you're gonna do something and you put your mind to it instead of making excuses or or or or denying the fact that you can do it or questioning the fact that you can do it look what can happen and another part like you said the 10th game what was gonna come back in the 11th game for me it was how's this team gonna come back after the Olympic break yeah yeah wow like you know I'll add one thing about the Olympic break the team

5:14looked like the least 10 team in the league so you know I I'm dead I'm dead serious it's something I noticed like John taveris look like sat on a beach for a month and some other players around this one guess what he'll be there again next weekend but I mean I wonder if this team just took it really seriously after the Olympic or during the Olympic break and let me go message you know what they did they got a taste of what it's like to be a good team and they loved it and I think they took they took pride in it and I'm sure they were enjoying some positive comments league wide I mean it wasn't just locally and local media that were singing their praises as players and the team you know like a national media was picking it up and talking about how great they are and I mean that that's got to change the the mindset a ton you talked about it over and over and over again and guess what the three of us were right again

6:17after the break they played 14 games to a certain point and they were 12 wins one loss and one loss and over time so the one loss that they had was against Washington capitals and they did not deserve to lose that game they were by far by far the better team and it was just one of those games where you just have to like not even talk about it you don't even have to talk about it they played great they were buzzing they were they had shot scoring chances they did everything and they just couldn't score that night then on a on a four-game road trip they played Anaheim San Jose L.A. which they won all three games and then they went on a back-to-back night. That's insane by the way that's insane trip through the California. Yes and they play Anaheim which is a pretty good hockey team after being after playing basically six games and in

7:17or four games and six nights they have a back-to-back at the end and they lose in overtime then they co-home and they lose three games in a row and that's the point where I was like oh man now they're in trouble now they're gonna now they have the taste of losing they're gonna start to fall off and you know what they haven't they they've had they've had a few correction I would call them correction times but the team just seems to be super super confident and they're and they're not they're not driven by one player like it's not like you're driven by Tage Thompson and he is like put the team on his back it's not Rasmus D'Auline because Rasmus D'Auline is one of the six defensemen that is playing very well like you have Owen Power, Byram, Matthias Danielson's my MVP on the team I think he's played incredible I mean Logan Stanley who's come in they've had other players that have

8:20played exceptionally well it's like it's through the whole lineup that is yeah it's funny but what you just said is they came home off of that road trip and they lost three in a row by the way that's expected it's it's it's you would you I'm not going to give shit to a team that comes back off a long road trip and loses maybe their first game at home or their second home how many times did that happen to us it is I'm in nature to get off the road get back at home feel a little comfortable take a breath and still be exhausted still be exhausted right because you listen I bet a lot of hockey games over the last 10 years I don't bet anymore but I for sure would bet a team coming off the road playing their first game at home I would bet the other team 99% of the time and but it's just you see how many teams lose on their first game back

9:22it's it's just one of those things that happened so we can give them a pass on that which we wouldn't give them a pass on anything before but it's nice to see it really I am so excited that playoffs are back in Buffalo and I'm sure the fan base is too because they they deserve it they've been waiting a long time man well let me ask you this then so they're facing off against Boston in the first round how far can this team go in your opinion this and we saw the LA Kings back in 11 they they made the playoffs in the last last game this season right they and they rattled off they went right to the Stanley Cup in one um Phillip Elfian 0 9 10 limped in on a shootout against the Rangers and they went to the shootout in Lost Chicago that's right and they came back out from three down to Boston that same year and and beat Boston so again this team has shown that they can be anybody at any specific time and they can do it consistently um I would give them for sure the uh the upper the you know the

10:25favorite the heavy favorite against Boston even though Boston's very very good don't get me wrong very good they're actually a scary team to play first but um you know it's a scary team to play first they play very such good defensive game they have good goal tending but I think that's the yeah I think Buffalo will I think Buffalo will be able to handle Boston in the first round but um could could you see a world where the sabers advanced to the conference finals or even the finals I'm sent why not they they found they they they have found the ingredient of how to win okay they found it now playoffs is a different animal so that's going to be the question is now are they going to be able to do what everybody else has to do and raise that that bar two or three notches because that's what the playoffs is that's why hockey playoffs is the best playoff sport to watch is because that level play

11:26jumps so how are these guys going to be able to and by the way none of these guys really having any playoff experience is knowing what it takes to win into playoffs because it's a different level and they're going to learn quick yeah it's a vast majority of the team we were going over it yesterday how many players have some good amount of playoff experience and there are some but but there are a lot of players that have none and uh so that's that's obviously what you're going to be looking for I'm with you I'm I'm looking to see I'm looking forward to seeing I should say they've elevated their game from December to March from March through April and I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of level and gear this team has and not just the whole team but their star players well I'll tell you I think the there's going to be two teams there's going to be two teams that are going to come into these playoffs with them with uh just a shit ton of excited energy right Buffalo and Philly

12:31both teams are going to come in with just a lot of gusto a lot of a lot of excitement and you know I don't know does Buffalo put a lot of pressure on them that that there's pressure on them to win now into playoffs is did they feel that I just think that I don't want them to just be satisfied just because they made playoffs yeah because they just make the playoffs like they won the vision second in the Eastern conference but what about points in the league they sit fourth how did the sabers in that dressing room even remotely say hey this is a great season we ended the drought um we're we're complacent and happy I'm I'm complacent and happy but I'm a fan as a as a as a player on the Buffalo Sabers right now I'm going to tell you right now they should be taking a good hard look at the hockey team that's inside that dressing room PD and I were talking about the defense core like they have nine defense right now

13:34that could easily play in in the Stanley Cup finals or the Stanley Cup playoffs they have nine guys is it unfair my expectations for this team to go to the conference finals I think that's kind of my question for you like I I thought when they would end the drought whether it was this year next year the year after that it would be like a limp in the wild card two or maybe get lucky in wild card one yeah maybe you know it's close enough where you finished third in your division but to win the division after 14 years and with like you said minimal playoff experience for a lot of these players I don't know what to expect it's a very very hard mental game right it's a hard mental challenge to to when you haven't made the playoffs in 14 years and then do what Buffalo has done this year and just rattle off such an amazing you know three quarters of a season to get them into the playoffs okay so that in itself is it is a great accomplishment that your brain thinks about but in that locker room are they happy that they just

14:39made the playoffs or are they talking to themselves like hey we we actually have a team that can win the Stanley Cup right and it's that mentality are they talking about that or are they talking about oh oh geez we made the playoffs to take breath do you think they actually believe it though JR well that's right now they ended fourth in the league second in the eastern conference they have 51 wins this year or 50 wins this year their entire defense core is outstanding I would put them up against any defense core in the national hockey league right now name me a team that has a better defense core than the Buffalo savers with three goal tenders not two three goal tenders that have played exceptionally well all year I'll tell you this I'll tell you this riff I think there's no team entering the playoffs right now that should have more confidence than the Buffalo savers not one yeah not one I didn't say that over Colorado even with having their you know the you know the

15:41seasons they've had the team that they have or Carolina that what that what Buffalo has been able to do this year and look look look what St. Louis did 19 when they won they're the last place team to league in January yeah last place yeah last place team to league and they went to they got to the playoffs but they they went to the playoffs in such a run that they're they they believe that they could win and I think Buffalo they should be in that locker room being very happy with what they did but not satisfied because they proven that they can be anybody on any specific night anywhere in the league yeah it's very easy to get satisfied because I'm satisfied I'm not gonna I'm not gonna lie I don't care what anyone said I'm super satisfied satisfied in this season because this team played magically and we ended the drought which is I can't I can't even explain

16:46how big it is for the entire NHL yes I'm talking I'm not just talking here in our little bubble in Buffalo and oh shit we have a black cloud we have me I mean everybody in the league has been talking about Buffalo for years because they've been in that that dark cloud they haven't made the playoffs they're they've had multiple coaches multiple GM's turning over players there's a problem and now all of a sudden every single spit and chicklets talking about it every episode they're talking about how amazing Buffalo is doing and I was wrong and you were wrong and I'm so happy for them and everybody around the league is actually the players are watching Buffalo and and watching and reading and now there's a different look to this city this organization I'm satisfied right now JR so so what you're saying is so what you're saying is that they lost in the first round you you wouldn't be disappointed I would I would listen I would I might even be a guy if they lost

17:53in game number six and they came off the plane I might go there at 12 30 at night that's awesome in the morning to meet him I'm not even joking I'm gonna be sitting there going boys that's awesome I'd be disappointed but I don't think I'd be disappointed in them because I think it's awesome I think it's like any team and I here's a cliche again but any team in this league right now especially these trunk conference can beat anybody in a seven game series anybody yeah and by the way guys I love that you guys said that and I hope that most Buffalo Sabers fans feel the same way because I think if the players understood that that mentality is out there they could play pretty much stress free and just go play well you have to walk before you run and I looked I just just looking back to when you made the finals JR like the Hawks made the playoffs a bunch of years before and then you you came in your rookie year you guys made the playoffs and then the next year you guys went to the finals am I correct yeah the Chicago Black Hawks with Kane and Taves and Keith

18:55and Seabrook and Hosen all those other guys they missed the playoffs for a bunch of years yeah played 17 playoff games which I think equates to the conference finals and then the next year they won the cup so I mean you know it's the old saying you have to walk before you run crawl before you walk and you know to expect this team to go 14 years no playoffs and all of a sudden make a magical run to the finals but I definitely would would feel disappointment this you know it's it's great that you said yeah you don't expect it but you know there's a possibility it can happen yeah right right right that I think that's it I think I think it just really comes down to you know you need the stars to align you know I mean you just I think it's cool too I think it's cool too we have what you said you you said a lot of things that were really important but you missed one that I think is very important for the league you said this is important for the league it's important for the league because now you have the biggest hockey market that watches the most television of any

19:56any market in in the National Hockey League in Buffalo and guess what those ratings are gonna go up because you know what Buffalo fans are going to be engaged more they are going to be watching not only Buffalo games but they can be watching other games in their in their conference to see what's happening it's it's it's it's going to help you so you saw the ratings on TV when you were doing the National broadcast Buffalo was the year watched game on network yeah at the top four minimum right no it was the number one they were number one in ratings when it came to our games on on our network it's crazy yeah yeah I'll say can I say one thing though like that was my that was a fanboy Craig I watch I watch this I watched the Sabers and in a different lens than what I used to even even maybe two three four years removed from the game I still watch this as a player now I watch it as a fan I love watching these players I love the game I'm happy as a fan

21:00I'm gonna tell you this the hockey player side to me I would be sitting in that room going boys I'm gonna tell you right now these opportunities do not come very often we legitimately have a chance to win the Stanley Cup we can beat any team in the league we need to put it together there's four different very difficult difficult series that are going to wear on you mentally physically and emotionally but we have the depth forwards defense and goal tending and we have the Jack Adams award winner because he better god damn win it in Lindy rough it's a no-brainer we have everything to win a championship this year and that's what the way I'd be looking at it as a hockey player man this is this is a great opportunity for this group they don't even understand how how great an opportunity it is and they might not ever they might not have the same opportunity

22:04moving forward so take advantage of it right expanding on that expanding on that that message has to be listen boys like we did what we did in the regular season but that effort is not going to be good enough to get it done to play us as hard as it was we have to do it we have to be even better that's going to be the message right so everybody's got to be prepared for that they can't God I'm going to tell you this J.R. I just literally just got friggin goose pumps okay because I'm sitting there thinking to myself in my mind when you're saying that to me I'm like man do we have those guys do we have the junkyard dogs and I'm like Peyton Krebs is a freaking animal I don't care it PD I know he's 180 pounds 180 five pounds the guys a freaking animal is that Benson's an animal we have Beck Malinstein who literally I would give him 10 million dollars right now with the way that he played this year he's an absolute unit getting back Jordan Greenway and his size and the way that he plays and I mean there we have so many guys now that play the right way play with jam

23:06and throughout the entire team like you they showed the entire NHL they showed they showed the entire hockey world when Tampa Bay came into Buffalo and thought that they were just going to bully us around and knock the shit out of Taj Thompson and Rasmus Dahlene guess what happened baby a friggin full team came out and had fight not only did we fight there's five fights there's six scrums there's a hundred thousand penalty minutes the buildings buzzing guess what they come back and beat the shit and beat him eight to seven suck on that Tampa three nothing four one four four I mean it was the game was it was a wild game six four for Tampa and then it was like bam you know the sabers the sabers were fifthing goals this year they were fifthing goals what a what a what a defining moment in the season right that was everybody's talking

24:07about it because it was by far the game of the year if you've never watched the hockey game in your life and you put that on for that person just to sit there and watch that person is a hockey hockey lover for life now that's an ESPN classic right there boys absolutely I love it that's what I think above I'm excited I'm excited I'm excited for the I'm excited to watch you know I'm excited I mean I listen I was in Philly the other day and I saw Philly you know get into the playoffs with an amazing game the other day against Carolina but it was just the passion in that I mean six years for the flyers right and so you know to see that emotion and that energy you know for teams back into playoffs it's I'm so happy for Danny Breyer man I am so happy for him I wish Mike Greer got into I jumped into locker room after the game and but in Philly I ran into the coaches room after you know and so you know because I was all excited so I ran into the coaches room and

25:11there's talk there's Breyer there's Jonesy there's I mean the whole coaching staff everybody's sitting there by the way they're they are know what they're doing they're on the they're on on the blackboard and talk is is doing is going through stuff on the blackboard right after the game they just clenched and everybody's celebrating and everybody's excited and they're in there going going at going at it that's because I think they believe they can get past the first round I mean they're playing Pittsburgh yeah they're playing Pittsburgh and I I mean a team that I think surprised a lot of people was were the Pittsburgh penguins and I think Philadelphia probably feels like they can beat them and now they have that young border Marton too you get some fresh legs throw them in there oh my god how good is he been I wrote a kid holy jumping man so I wrote that I was so this is I'm gonna tell you what I did and this is I mean it probably this is so I'm so impressed too and it was the first time I've watched him in person Marton was on Monday night

26:18after the game John the Claren I played in a in a celebrity shini game at the arena right so we watched the game everybody cleared out and then we had a celebrity shini game where we played with a bunch of bunch of men's league guys on this state on the arena right they are for like a couple hours so I literally played from 10 30 at night until 130 at the infinity center there or X-finty I don't know what the name of the building is now but you know I go into the locker room in between our games and you know the field of your locker room is empty right but obviously I couldn't walk in and just kind of get away from the hoopla rest up for the next game and I wrote a note to Marton and put it in his glove and you know what'd you say I said congratulations on making it to the show I said not only have you made it but you put you made an immediate impact

27:18I said you are you play like a true flyer I said shoot the puck more you got an amazing you got amazing shot keep the energy up and keep getting in people's faces I loved it when you when you cross check that kid you to game a shot that's flyer hockey kid I said good luck I said yeah did you hear back from them at all the my one of my trainer friends who's there reached back out to me that's cool that must have been cool for him again 3214 pounds at age 19 years old and it gets the four goals 10 points plus four in nine games that he played at the end of the season like this kids this kid's going to be 230 in a blink of an eye and he's got so much confidence to man he's got so much he's got so much he looks like he looks like he's played there for two years already like he's got so much confidence and he just plays nothing bothers again man I saw

28:21an interview with him he's so mature in the way that he speaks is ridiculous he's 19 years old and he was he just it's the way that he communicates at a young age in 19 in that position it's just wow did they have a special one in him yeah yeah you know that they do in Chicago too so hopefully you know with Anton frontell coming in and playing as well as he did I mean he played unbelievable for Chicago yeah yeah and you know Chicago is now going to be in one of those situations next year in the year before to do exactly what Philly did do exactly what Buffalo did so that's exciting things for me you know exciting you think Chicago has enough yet JR I just don't think that they're nope not yet but I do know that they still a couple years away right well when they sign Alex talk they'll be adding a nice veteran two-way player to the team there I would watch very closely they want to sign a top-end defenseman okay okay and I don't think they're gonna I don't

29:22think they're gonna spare um they're gonna they're gonna be looking at dollar signs to carefully I think they they know what they need so let me ask you this JR because that you're just opening a little bit uh can of worms here I know we want to talk playoffs but when you're talking Chicago talking you know obviously they have to sign Connor Bedard this summer it's gonna cost them an arm and a leg um they want uh they want an elite where do you get where do you get that player as an unrestricted free agent you're saying yeah or what what what players are are available um what I isn't there isn't there can I just throw someone out can I throw someone out so for me isn't there a player just north of them that that could be available in a year from now like one full calendar year next year are you thinking uh Quinn Hughes possible

30:25Quinn you still has a year left on his deal so he's finishing out this year he's got 7.8 5 uh next year um and then he's gonna be uh available wow yeah so that I think that is something with with the draft picked that they're gonna have this year possibly getting a good draft uh signing this year uh on top of getting Connor Bedard signed taken with another suite uh possibly maybe um you know it don't don't count them out man I know they're eager I know they're eager they got some really young kids coming up in the system they need they need to fix their defensive core a little bit um that's huge for them they have the goalie uh they got some they need a little size up front uh front L's been awesome since he came over from Sweden I mean awesome

31:29so good things happening so again I'm excited I'm excited to watch when I'm excited to watch playoffs I'm excited to see what happens over the summer and I remember being as excited to watch hockey as much as I am though well I think the parody in the league is probably made at the most interesting year in the standings maybe ever let's take a look at the injuries for both teams and our injury update presented by Selenolah if you've been hurt in a car crash or need a personal injury attorney you know who to call call the eights eight eight eight eight eight eight eight eight eight I don't know how accurate these are I'm getting these from CBS sports but it says Alex Lyon out for the season I don't know if that means regular season or just out indefinitely that's upsetting I know we have the UPL and that's probably going to be the guy that you ride but you know a lot of times teams will go to a backup goalie if need be if you're if your goalie has a rough night or it needs a break or gets hurt um says Noah Osland out for the season again don't take this at my

32:33word uh this is CBS sports yeah I think that kind of means that they're out for the season meaning the regular season right well Sam Kerrick out for the season so I don't know if any of those players will be back and healthy for um for the playoffs I think Noah Osland was the one that was closest because he was back skating yeah and for the Boston Bruins it looks like they are completely healthy going into playoffs so he's a mental stat did not play last game Henry Oki Haru did not play last game um those are those are two staples that are that have been in their line up all year and uh maybe a little bit banged up here in there and wanted to make sure that they're they're ready to rock and roll so I would imagine uh from what what we're looking at that it seems like the Boston Bruins are are a pretty healthy group it seems like the Buffalo Sabers are a pretty healthy group and uh you know what I mean it's gonna be it's gonna be a it's gonna be a great battle well healthy or not I think you know that if you're able to walk or skate you're gonna try to play

33:36right isn't that kind of the mindset when it gets to this type of year well I you know listen I mean uh I've been retired for 15 years uh I don't know the mindset of this generation and group all I know is uh Patrice Bergeron back in the day had what what the hell was it it was like separated shoulders claps claps claps claps long like it was like what in God's name are you doing playing with all of that but that's just kind of uh the mindset of uh what happened back in those times not saying it was right but I'm not I don't know this uh I don't know this generation I don't know how they deal with that type of stuff but uh you know listen I uh both teams are healthy it's gonna be it's gonna be one hell of a series well here here's to hoping that uh the Sabers win and they stay healthy rolling into the second round with that that will do it for our first round playoff injury report presented by Seleno Locke if you've been hurting a car crash or need a personal injury

34:37attorney you'll see the billboards driving two and from games call the eights you call eight eight eight eight eight eight eight eight eight eight car crash call Seleno I do want to talk some playoffs with you Jeremy I know uh right now as we record this the western conference isn't necessarily set I know LA and Anaheim could still kind of move and I think Vegas says Vegas clinched their division yet is that yeah they clinched their division um but I want to talk about the east for sure in the matchups because that's set you know as far as Vegas you know as far as the Vegas I had uh I won't tell you who sent sent me the text but um a text was sent to me last night out of the blue towards saved our season pretty cool how's an interesting move I want a bold move to make pretty cool I think that's it made me feel so like awesome I love that I love the text I love how you know did it come from a player or come from management player wow that made me feel so good um

35:45that that would happen that a player would think like that and the confidence they have going in because Vegas is it to me they're one of my favorite teams in the league they have been since they came in um so I just uh selfishly I love watching Jack Eichel I love watch what he's turned into man he's awesome unicorn yep yeah I agree 100% can they go to the finals like what let me like like the the the west isn't set so without going like round by round who do you have in the west conference well I've had I've had I've had I mean listen I'm a frontrunner I'm not in the line of you that Colorado is always the team that I think is is going to be the favorite um you know what Minnesota has been able to put put together uh what Anaheim has been able to put together this year Anaheim is a big strong fast team and I have an experienced coach gochee those hurt um you know he's got he got his 40 goals this year what do you mean what do you mean he's heard

36:45he's hurting he got hurt at the end of the season he has some he's he's got some medical issues that are going to better keep him from being 100% in the playoffs open up the vault for those young guys Leo Carlson cutter gochee you're going to have to have a bag for Bennick uh Seneca oh my god yeah by when they all deserve it man yes they do yes they do bomb team and they are big they are fast they are strong they are mean they're a perfect playoff type mentality team and they got a coach that knows how to get it done yeah so but you're picking Colorado to go from the west I picked Colorado from the west and I think I'm you know I'm gonna I like to tamper the whole way around but I think Carolina is going to find a way to get to the final this year well let's let's go to the east here so you have Buffalo Boston you think Buffalo can get that done yeah I think Buffalo takes that yeah Carolina Ottawa you're obviously you're taking Carolina Carolina and it's good to see Ottawa in the playoffs again so yeah again I'm happy for Brady

37:50I'm happy for for that that city awesome they're a dangerous team though yes they are um Pittsburgh Philly um I'm gonna go I'm gonna go I'm gonna go I watch Philly play if I think Philly is gonna upset Pittsburgh yeah I want Philly to win too I want I want some success for our my buddy Danny Breyer came on our show this year camp a Montreal there's an interesting series right there really interesting that Montreal scares me a little bit man they got they got some punch in some youth and obviously what what you know it's Hudson on the back how good a season he's had how good coffee old has been 50 goals I mean who would have stopped coffee on score 50 goals in the national league a small guy like that look what he did I mean Zuki the team is mean the team is a Zuki hundred points first player and there's only five players in in Habs history five players in Habs history that have scored over a hundred points do you want a unreal what a stat that is yeah

38:52what I would never guess that never guess that yeah I would have guessed Montreal canadians all their history and all their super and say it's just like it's just like our stat in Chicago how many guys have scored 50 it's like it's a crazy number in a hundred years it's a crazy number right yeah yeah good for them though at least I still think Tampa's Tampa's so strong yeah I'm going with Montreal on that right I I've been watching Montreal for for quite some time now obviously because my my oldest son that's his team but watching Nick Zazuki 101 points watching a cold coffee old 51 goals Slough Koski has had a great season 30 goals 73 points you have Lane Hudson who's got 78 points as a as a young defenseman and then you just keep going through the dobsin the demon off all over cabinet these we we talk about these players and you don't even know who they are all over cabinet he scored 22 goals this year and and you just go through the lineup

39:56they are built yeah really really well their defense core is very strong they they're getting great goal-tending from their from their guys and take this take this into consideration too they're they're how how hard are they going to play for their coach playing against is is is old team right in Tampa right yes yeah absolutely it's again it's one of those things it's one of those markups those playoff markups that you see all the little intangibles that happen in playoffs you that's uh that's another more listen i i i i wouldn't i wouldn't scoff at the at the at what you said Riv it's Montreal's but i think i do think Tampa is going to get it done but it's not going to be easy no way okay let's uh i want to i want to get your award picks like there's really only four or five awards that we need to talk about um you know you have the hard trophy you have the Norris trophy the Vesna trophy the Jack Adams and the Calder um two of them we found

40:59to be pretty easy tap-ins but the other ones might be a little more which one so which one which one which one's what happens well we'll tell you they won't we get there but who do you have for the heart i actually have McKinnon for the heart okay McKinnon McKinnon's my heart i mean that's not again you know 50 goals you know playing as well i mean it was nepix season for him so i would i would give McKinnon i think he wins but uh Craig and i have a bit of a different take on it they didn't make the playoffs but where would sandals a b without max celebrating for sure and and you this is the heart if you like we said we've done this before we were said you define what the heart with what the definition of the heart is is the most valuable to your team yeah there's nobody more valuable to their team than celebrating and that that even means counter david no but there's no look at the point difference that max celebrity had on sandals a in relation to

41:59will Smith yeah it's on it's ungodly will say 60 points is that 21 year old kid too right i mean you're a 20 21 year old kid like we're talking when we talked about mcdavid kutra from McKinnon who are the three leading scores they're all surrounded by elite superstars i think maclin celebrate me for what he did is just completely magical i would love i would love for once the league to get out of this mentality of you have to make the playoffs in order to be up for an award like that yeah i agree with that unfortunately that's where the way my mindset works with it because that's just kind of what they've demonstrated over the years by the revolving you know is that you have to make the playoffs which right which i mean sandals a is irrelevant if maclin celebrate he's not on the team so by the way it goes it goes again to the noris right because to me i think Zach Morensky was for me the best defenseman and along with Quinn Hughes those two

43:07for me were the best i mean obviously you can say macart macart macart macart is an easy layup for every year that he's going to play he's that good just like you say mcdavid's going to be an easy layup for the hard dog leans got to be in the mix with the personal stuff that he was dealing with all year with his wife's hard condition the you know the loss of the child like he might even have a better a better shot because of what buffalo did period yeah that's not just how he played but how buffalo played so he deserves to be on the ballot that's for sure but i mean again it's it's hard i agree with you with Morensky i mean Chris cello's last night on tnt said charlie mackavoie and i agree with charlie mackavoie you know he missed a bunch of games but 61 points and 65 games you know the way he plays he is like the true definition i would say charlie mackavoie every single year i don't care what kind of season he has because i he's one of my favorite hovers athletes of all time period and i love charlie mackavoie yep i love him as a player too so okay so you have mccannon for the hard i agree with that i think that's where it's

44:11gonna end up um you have who do you have for the Norris you're taking Quinn Hughes yeah i'll take Quinn yes okay called her trophy rookie of the year so Matthew Schaefer has to be no no brainer again i i don't look at the tide brine leech for the most goals as a rookie uh yeah i think that's in history it's a no brainer that's absolute no brainer vasna trophy this one i think might be one of the harder ones that is one of the harder ones that is one of the harder ones um is there is there one goal tender that is dominated to get to get their team to the playoffs okay i know islanders didn't make the playoffs but there is a there is a case to be made for elia sireken definitely yeah um what about what about dan vader or whatever in philadelphia guy is he's third in uh save percent or third in goals against he's a top save percentage like he's dude he was unreal he wanted he was unreal on monday like what i'm telling you unreal yeah his

45:17he was he was something else man i'm telling you um probably a little too early but you're right i mean that kid was sick i don't think he's too unknown to i think get to that that i only said vasolevsky because he won 39 of the team's 50 wins i mean i think that's and i think if you take him off of that team and and i mean you could say that for almost every goalie but you take him off Tampa Bay i don't think Tampa Bay is in the playoffs at all yeah um i i kind of i kind of agree oh what what what about philadelphia flyers i mean this kid was absolutely insane i don't know and philadelphia wouldn't be in the playoffs it went for the this kid he's their MVP there's a case for that i guess you know i mean again i i don't know how the voters look at the the vesonatrophy goals against if it's both if it's both it's going to be scott wedgewood even though he's on colorado i mean it's

46:19that's that would be the easiest choice um last but not least uh i have to ask you about the jack atoms award coach of the year well i think you're you're i think you're bang on right i don't it's got to be lindy lindy lindy i just hit i said lindy lindy lindy lindy rough i love correcting uh people when they say uh named wrong lindy yeah i know right because you're the king of it yeah you're the king of it yeah i think i think he that's i think him i think uh muse and pittsburg not a bad pick you know i think talks gonna be they're gonna talk about talk again um having uh yeah having it having our boy back in the league back in anhyme awesome how do you not pick lindy rough with like if they limped into the playoffs i could see you people me and like you know maybe maybe it was luck but

47:20i mean they won 50 games and won the division i mean it's yeah no i i think i think that's that has to be a layup has to be a layup like yeah bednar obviously had a magical season in Colorado no way yeah but i would say listen one of the funniest stories that i ever heard was Jeff Norton who used to play for the islanders right and Jeff Norton and Al Arbor did not like each other they hated each other and one time in the locker room um Al Arbor is yelling at Jeff Norton screaming at him and Jeff Norton says something of you know you know those screw yourself you you know you're a terrible coach he goes i want four Stanley cups and Jeff Norton yells back Mickey Mouse could have won a Stanley Cup with those teams right i mean listen bednar is a great coach great coach but look i mean he's got a bomb squad i mean you can you can walk into the rank you know every single day in that same you know you're always you're always looking for you

48:25know a coach to turn shit into gold right and a guy like Travis green and uh yeah in Ottawa has done a nice job the Dan Muse has done a nice job the change over I love that greener i love this greener yeah i mean there's so much credit you have to go you have to go to teams that have been very poor quenville quenville is going to be on the ballot quenville might be there like listen i mean if quenville's on the ballot jr then Lindy ruff is literally the biggest shoe in for an award i've ever seen in my entire life yeah and i think you're right does i think you're 100% right so yeah anyway awesome jr did you ever have any blowups for the coach last question before we let you go me that's funny every team or just certain teams i'll tell you i'll tell you one one story i'll try to keep it quick uh we're in phoenix and shownfeld is our coach and um we we played a terrible

49:30game uh this night before and we were having um so we were having obviously watching video and everybody is in the train in the in the um it's not the video room at the time it was our changing room right it's our lounge so we're all sitting there and guys are sitting on tables and guys are just sitting on their couches and chairs and all this stuff and we're watching the video and and there was a time in the game where i completely blew a defensive play and i mean when i tell you i totally blew in the guy scored and it was awful and just a precursor three weeks before quit uh shownfeld asked me to play a defensive role to play against Lindros in Philly against the in the Legion of Doom line so i went against head to head against Lindros and shut him down and we won the hockey game so he did this periodically he put me against the teams other teams best player and want to be to shut them down not just go score

50:32go shut them down and we were winning and shownfeld said in the in the media at one point that i should be considered at some point for the selky and i didn't like that i'm like i don't want to be known as a selky guy but and i would never say that right but they've started writing it in the paper well now two months later i totally screw up this defensive and they score a goal so in the locker room and we've lost like five games or at this point so he stops the tape rewinds it replays it tops it stops the tape rewinds it plays it stops it rewinds it plays it three times doesn't say anything and i'm sitting there going yeah yeah this is a message yeah i know this is you give me shit whatever and then he stops it for the third fourth time and goes and jr if i hear anymore this selky talk bullshit i'm gonna lose my mind and i went excuse me

51:36i never talked about the selky trophy do you think i want i go i said i said go shove a fist in your ass shoney you're the one to talk about the selky trophy not me and i said go and he goes he everybody out of the room right kicks everybody out of the room and as he's doing it he's taking his jacket off and i'm like and he's a baysie unit egg well that was my next quote is this guy's gonna kill me he's strong is shit he's strong he's like what's he the guy that went after the rat been told me eat a box of donuts something yeah yeah exactly so but shoney works out just as hard as the players and he's ripped and he's big and i'm sitting there as everybody's leaving the room and i'm trying to stay totally quiet i'm just trying to say poise like and he's ripping and everybody's leaving the room like oh my god jare's gonna get beat up right so everybody leaves the room right and shoney gets off the gets off his office jacket and he's like you know we have a problem i said yeah we do have a problem shoney we do have a problem in my brain i'm thinking holy shit this guy's

52:42gonna kill me what am i gonna do to get out of this beating and the only thing that came to my mind and i swear to you a swear to you on the bible the only thing that came to my mind was i'm gonna get in there and i'm gonna bite his nuts i'm gonna get my i'm gonna bite him into nuts and i'm gonna hold on until the team comes in to save me that's the only thing that i can think of where i can literally paralyze this guy to where i'm not gonna get beat up right and he didn't attack me or anything so i didn't have the bite his nuts but i i definitely made a statement that listen you're not gonna treat me like that in front of the players you're not gonna embarrass me like that in front of my teammates and you know it would have been it would have been a story for the ages if i if i was clean to his nuts by my mouth and all the boys came in to try to save me oh my god jayr that's that's true story that's like here's the thing the last thing i

53:52thought you were gonna say that was gonna pop in your mind as like an emergency moment was bite his nuts like so i'm gonna say that that pops in your head is the only thing that at the spur the moment that's the only way that i would ever get away from getting beat up by showing except for running out of the room is he is he the strongest uh head coach you've ever had oh yeah for sure by far he was a beast he is beheading he was a strong it was a strong person like his personality was strong he was a great coach but his stature was strong you don't mess with him you remember alain vignol alain vignol in junior he was my coach he was my coach in hall what did he did he work out um you know what i don't didn't i don't really remember it i'm sure he did he isn't such good shake um but he was he was tough man he was scary scary strong man yeah like he used to work out with us um in the gym and it was so degrading like it was brutal

54:58because you'd be in there and you're ripping a couple bench presses and you're like you know think and the holy shit i just got my max and then all of a sudden he like we literally just goes on there and i i still remember him he takes the one plate and he does it like 15 times like then he takes another plate now he's got 225 on there and he just goes then three plates go on nothing no fun you know it's funny i i was in philly i told you guys the other day Sunday night i'm out to dinner and at the restaurant there is that um there were five five Carolina players having dinner right so i went over say hi um stall was there what a great guy stall is an amazing one of the classiest guys in the world my buddy Freddie Anderson was there um uh Taylor Hall was there you know so it was really good to to see those guys and i said hi and congrats on the season and good luck but um i said to them i said make sure you say hi to Rod

56:01for me Rod the bod and i told him a story about when i was when i was getting drafted he was my roommate in the pre camp uh evaluation camp and he was my roommate i was 150 pounds i was so scrawny and he came in and he took his clothes off in the lock and in in the room in our room and he was chiseled and i was like holy cow i'm not gonna get drafted at it this guy and he was chiseled then and they looked at me and goes jr he's still chiseled unlike i bet he said you know they had been in the weight room so rod rod rod rod the bod again another another big one but um this is so funny but i'm glad the reason why i brought up asking if you snapped on it the reason why i brought up asking if you snapped on a coach was because you know that was one of the moments and i'll just what this the last thing i'll say to you before we get out of here you'll love this i guess lindy this year from what we understand was being really overbearing with some of the young players and i guess finally things came to a head in the locker room and taged Thompson stood up and said something

57:03and uh lost his shit and and then ever since then lindy's you know admitted you know i had to back off i've been a little overbearing then there was like a meeting in the blind i think coaches want to see that my keen who was like that my keen and was my keen and didn't like you until you tell him to fuck off yeah it was a galvanizing moment for the team yeah for sure definitely that's what you call building a culture well way to go taged well you know tages is one of my favorite people favorites on the on the planet so yeah he's he's become definitely one of ours too he's been a different player since he's come back from the Olympics finishing all his body he's just been a monster he's been a monster yeah enjoy enjoy boys enjoy yeah man you're the best thanks great to see you and enjoy tomorrow i don't want to say where you're going but uh it's pretty awesome yeah yeah pretty cool okay we'll talk to you next week after the playoffs start okay sounds good guys i love you buddy