Greg Wyshynski (03-26-26)

our number three chasing big Joe one or two five the game live on this Thursday at

circus sports in Franklin Kentucky at the Mint at Kentucky Downs just over the

border. You can come up watch baseball. I got that going on right now. And also the

sweet 16 coming up tonight. And you can even watch the predators tonight if you want

to. We say hello now to Greg was shenski from ESPN dot com presented by old national

bank get old Greg. What's up? How you doing? Well, what's up is that, you know, as a

Metz. I am agreeing to think opening day is only a Metz fan can where they're they

knock skeens up the first inning and they'll probably end up losing the game. This is just

like what a Metz fan has to go through every single year with this nonsense. I feel

you. I haven't decided how I'm feeling as a brave fan yet. I know pitching is not

great with the injuries. So who knows season can be over by August. The Metz sees

usually not over until until mid august. That's when they go on an epic losing streak and

lower playoff chances. But we'll see how it goes. I mean, my problem right now is vibes.

Like they feel very yanky-esque in the sense that they they look like a collection of hired

guns. You know, so I got to I got to find out if we're going to have some Metz magic

or not with this group. The predators though have the largest win streak in the national

Hockey League right now having one five in a row and they're seven two and one in their

last ten. They sit in a wild card spot, three points out of the first wild card spot and

three points to the good and my co-host has suggested that General Manager Barry trots

walk around Bridgestone Arena shirtless, just proving that he knew more than everybody

else. Thank you. He has said nobody wants to see that, but we'll see, but I mean, look,

man, this pred steam, they don't know any better and they're playing great right now.

When did we get the Barry trots just kidding, press conference and he's the GM next year.

Yeah, all right. Barry, what's the look? I was looking into the numbers. First of all,

their power play has been six since the Olympic break and Stan Coast and Foresburg have

been big reasons for that. Their goal tending has been awesome too. Both of them have been playing

really well and defensively, I think the preds are top eight maybe in the league since the

Olympic break. So you can kind of see the underlying reasons for why they've been stabilized their

season and have been moving up the standings. Of course, everybody around them in the Western

Conference wild card racially has helped. I think they've won as many games in a row as the

sharks have lost in the last last year. So we'll see where it all goes. I mean, right now,

I mean, you have to say that they are the odds on favor to finishing that second wild card spot

based on everything that's happening around them, but they still have to take care of business.

Have you learned the name Matthew would yet because this kid's been incredible?

I was aware of him before the incredible stuff just because of his

his end to the lay background. And so it's been awesome to see. I know that they were very high

in them. I know there's a lot of people around the league that are high on them, but it certainly

has been interesting to see his sort of maturation this year. He's got some good people to learn from

like Foresburg and Marshes So and I think that's certainly benefited. But when you talk about

like good young players that can certainly use the experience of a playoff push and hopefully

some playoff action, I think I think wood's top of the list.

You know, Greg, I think it's a universal question. When you ask, if you ask Barry Trots or Andrew

Brunette, why now? You know, why are you playing good now? Where was this in October, November?

And nobody's really got an answer. And it drives you crazy. So I ask you, Greg, why are they doing

this? Why are they playing so well now? I mean, you know, let's let's start with one thing,

which is that any time a team starts rolling like the predators are, it always begins in the crease.

So the fact that they're getting consistent goal tending from from from both guys, I think,

has certainly been one of the big reasons why things have sort of, you know, come together now.

But other than that, I mean, who knows? I mean, maybe they just needed a bit of a reset that the

Olympic break afforded them. You know, I think also not having the team broken up at the trade

deadline, probably factored into the thinking too of, okay, we're all, we're all in this other,

we might as well just keep pushing forward. And, you know, I think that is also a veteran pride.

I mean, there's a lot of guys in this roster that would like to be in the playoffs.

You know, we're used to being in the playoffs. And although, you know, from the outside looking

in, you might think it's a lost season. Well, I think a lot of these guys just want to keep pushing

in and see if they can salvage it. Well, not only that, but I mean, you got a team that's got two

guys with goals in their 30s. They got round around. He's got 24. There's 11 games left to play.

I mean, you're seeing this and what a lot of those preds fans thought Greg like, all right,

we should have saw this last year. We're seeing it now. And Chase, I talk about that. He said at

the open, I think these young guys don't know when we had Roman Yoseon. He said the same thing like

the young guys just know to come in here and play their butts off. And I just think right now,

it's all working. And let's keep this going. And then who knows? I mean, they're winning games left

and right. Saras is playing great. Just keep this going. You've talked about Greg. I thought this

road trip they got going on next week. Get these wins at home and hit the road and you know,

hang on from that moment on. But your point is like, like, where was that? You know, and maybe

the young guys needed some time to kind of like find their groove or whatever. But you know, in theory,

this is the kind of mix that you love in the NHL. You love the, you love looking at a guy like

Stamcoast who's still performing at a high level. You love seeing a guy like O'Reilly who's

having a resurgent offense this season. And then you bolster those types of players with the

next wave, the youth movement. And you know, maybe it just took a little bit of time for it to

all come together, but it's come together now. And again, what's ultimately your reward? It's

probably to get spanked by the avalanche. And you know, that's never a fun time. But who knows?

I mean, if the, if the goal-tending can take a game or two in a series against Colorado as much

as the ads have been the class of the league this year, I don't think that they are necessarily

unbeatable in the playoffs. And you got to be in it to win it. So, you know, even if you're

fated to be one and done in the playoffs, you might as well just see what you can do again.

Guys in the round. Yeah, I mean, give me two home games of the playoffs as opposed to zero. Hey,

listen, Greg, here's the best thing about this run. The whole, we got a fire, Andrew Burnett.

That talk has been done since like mid-December. Thank God.

You know, that's, but that's the tricky part. It's like when your team does have a strong second half

and flows as well, it's sometimes hard to read into it. And it's overreacting to it.

I think the team they're playing tonight, it's a great example. Like the Devils

have been really good since the Olympic break. And Jack Hughes has continued to play out of his

mind. Now that he's healthy and they're winning games or getting some goals. They look like the team,

we all thought they'd be this year. And then, you know, what happens in the off season? Well,

two months ago, everybody wanted the GM and the coach fired. Well, if the team, you know,

plays all right down the stretch, do they buy themselves some extra time? So, you know, I'm a

Burnett fan, you're a Burnett fan. I think, you know, he would have paid for sins that are out of

his control if he had been fired this year. But, you know, there's other aspects of this

team that probably needs some tweaking and does making the wildcard, I don't know, make the organization,

make some decisions they shouldn't make otherwise. If they were, you know, 10 points out, I don't

know. But again, as of right now, that's going to be somebody else's problem and not Barry Trosses.

Greg Waschinski is with us from ESPN. What is the rule on a guy like Brady Martin who played

three games to start the year? He goes back to juniors. I know he has to finish the junior season.

Could he rejoin the Preds when their season is done? I believe he can. And then it's just a matter of

like, you know, the total games and Burnett and the, you know, the entry level contract,

no, that stuff. But I think that's, I think that's okay. Although, you know, there is the wrinkle

of playing earlier season. That's a good question. I actually, I'm just lancing right now, like,

freefelling. I couldn't tell you for sure because it is an interesting question. I know I'd like

to see him. You know, I think his game certainly would make things a heck of a lot more interesting

in a series, let's say, against Colorado. So, you know, hopefully he can.

Well, and also he just turned 19, which in there, that rule that goes to a fact next year,

where you can designate one player to go to the AHL and not to juniors if they're under.

Yeah, and they're still negotiating that too. Like, you know, the idea of maybe trying to

even expand that beyond that too. So, good question. I wish I had a better answer for you,

but honestly, that is not one of the 50 things I've been working on this week.

Look, here's 51 for it. Listen, if they make the playoffs, I'm serious about this, and Chase

brought up at the beginning, Greg, if they get in and have a home game, you need to come down here

because we're going to get trot shirtless around the concourse. Hey, it's for the entire game,

not just one period. I don't think he's going to walk the entire concourse shirtless and beat his

chest. How this team got into playoff when we're all like, what the hell did he do in trade deadline?

So you come on down, Greg. I would love that. You know, usually they keep me local for the first round.

Because the calendars or the devils or the rangers are playing. As of right now, there's a very good

chance that nobody in the New York metropolitan area will be in the playoffs. Yeah, the calendars

are on the outside looking in right now at Ottawa, and obviously the devils and ranger seasons have

been done for a while. So I might be traveling and twist my arm, go down to national and my

company's dime. We'll get you room at the Omni National Hotel. You get to hang out with us,

which is the bad thing. But could you imagine front page of ESPN dot com predators, GM buried trot

shirtless to all his haters? I'm telling you, man, we're going to do this. I think I think you

then run some some some problems with people's not safe for work filters. Allowing them to access

the SDN dot com. Hey, when you're when your bosses start making the assignment, just just say,

would you rather go to Buffalo or would you rather go to Nash?

That's the thing. I mean, like, you know, they're I mean, in all honesty, there's some really fun

and interesting teams in the playoffs and some great stories. But, you know, not having fought

Fort Lauderdale involved this year is kind of a jar thing for your boy having spent a copious

amount of time around the elbow room for the contract hangout. You know, so it's a I got to find

it. I got to find another party spot in the playoffs. Well, we can help you if you come here.

Greg, appreciate the time as always. We'll talk to you next week. Anytime. That is Greg

Wachinsky. And he is presented by Old National Bank. Get old joins us every Thursday at two. We'll

react to some of that preds back in action tonight against the New Jersey Devils. We'll talk about

that next life from circus sports in Kentucky one, two, five of the game.