The Kevin Karius Show - Mar. 20th, 2026 - Dave Mishkin

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2:01break on a 19-1-1 stretch, as hot as any team in the league. They won their first game out of the break, played okay against Toronto, and then hit the skits and lost seven of nine. The gap between them and some teams below them narrowed, and they headed out to this West Coast trip, starting in Seattle and the three Western Canadian teams, understanding I think they just needed to play better. They've strung together two very good games to start the road trip, identical, six to wins, Tuesday and Seattle, last night in Vancouver. Seattle is much higher in the standing. Seattle has a lot to play for. The lightning really dominated that game. Last night, I mean, I don't know if you can call it a trap game when you're dealing with a playoff push, but let's be honest, Vancouver is the last place team in the NHL, and they've had a very tough season. That was more of a taking care of business sort of game. The lightning did what they needed to

3:03do to kind of grab the lead and manage the rest of the game well. It gets harder from here though, seeing the Oilers on Saturday very much, you know, in a dog fight for making the playoffs and holding onto their position. And then back to back, they got to go to Calgary and play 22 hours later, because of the later start in the Saturday game, and the flames play tonight, but they will be rested on Saturday. So from the lightning's perspective, I think it was important on a tough four game trip, based on the distance, the compressed schedule to pick up the first two wins and set themselves up for success heading into these final two games. What's this Atlantic division been like for you to watch this year, Dave, because for whatever the last decade, if you want to call it that, and even go further than it's, you know, it's the lightning battling Toronto or Florida or Boston, you know, now it's the Buffalo Sabers. And we haven't seen Buffalo in this position for 15 years. So what's this toe to toe going? What's it been like for you to watch this with the

4:07lightning and the Sabers here in the last little bit? Well, it was interesting. The teams, they play four times, and they didn't play their first game until right before the Olympic break, just the way the schedule played out. Since then, they've played three times. So they have one game left in the season series, the lightning and a rally for an overtime win in the first meeting that was, like I said, during that 19 one and one stretch. But the Sabers handed them a whooping in Tampa shortly after the Olympic break ended, and then there was a wild eight seven game in Buffalo, where both teams scored a lot, but also gave up a lot. So look, you probably have to talk to somebody affiliated with the Sabers to give you a better answer than what I'm going to give you. But what's interesting about Buffalo is it's not like they made a bunch of changes during the off season. This is basically, basically the same team that they have had certainly going back to last year. And for some of these players several years, Lindy Ruff was there last year. So it's

5:08not like they made a coaching change. I actually have always liked their team. I like the makeup of their team. I like their young draft picks that have evolved into NHLers and they've tended to play the lightning well. They just haven't put it together, whether it was gold tending or just being out of sync or hitting a rut and they couldn't get out of it. But it certainly come together for them this year. They have a great defense score. I mean, you've got Daliine, who's one of the top defensemen in the NHL. But, you know, Owen Power is also a number one overall pick. They acquired Bow Byram from the avalanche. He's a terrific player. And I tell you what, maybe the sleeper of the top four is Matthias Amielsen, who's evolved into just a terrific two-way defenseman. So you throw out that top four. I think you're already ahead of the game. Like the talent is there. You know, Tach Thompson and Tuck and, you know, Peyton Krebs has turned into a very effective player. Norris, when he's healthy, you know, is a point producer. So they have a good

6:10team. I mean, that's the bottom line. I'm not sure that, you know, people expect him to go whatever it is, 36, 37 games, losing five or six. But that's what they've done. And, you know, they've earned what they have gotten to this point this year. As far as the other teams in the Atlantic, you know, Montreal took a step last year. They made the playoffs. Ottawa took a step last year. They made the playoffs. I think people have been waiting for Detroit to kind of take that next step. They've taken a step forward this year. To me, the surprise team is maybe the Bruins because a lot of people were thinking, well, where are they going to go from here? They missed the playoffs last year. They've been a surprise team and credit to them for how well they play. They've been terrific at home. And, you know, I think Storm deserves a lot of credit as the guy behind the bench because that is a new coach coming in to get them to play as well as they have played as a team. Because it's not just Posternock and McAvoy, right? Like, they play well as, as, you know,

7:11an 18-man unit of skaters plus the two goalies. Dave Michigan, Tampa Bay Lightning, play by play man, our guest on the Kevin Carichel on sports 1440. Well, tomorrow's tilt here in Edmonton should be a dandy because you got Conor McDavid and you got Nikita Kutrov. For me, Dave, I mean, Kutrov is the heart trophy winner. We've been talking about celebrating out here a lot. And the reason that we talk about him out here, Dave, is that, well, they say, well, celebrities got X amount of points and he's about 50 ahead of his next teammate. Hey, as you know, I don't have to tell you this. Kutrov's in the same position, same boat, the lightning are in the same point. It's like 44 point difference or 43, I think, now after last night. So to me, Kutrov is the hands down heart trophy winner. What's it been like to see him play some of the his very best hockey maybe right now in the last couple of weeks? Well, unless you're a member of the the writers association, you're going to get a vote on it. And I don't get a vote. The broadcasters vote on the Jack Adams, the coach of the year,

8:15but we don't know vote for the heart trophy. So that is the decision that, you know, the writers have to make. And there are always a lot of really good candidates for this award. Kutrov is usually one of those candidates. So is McDavid. So is McKinnon. Celebrini is a new name this year. And there is no question that as good as he was last year, he's even better this year. And I guess I'm going to make the pro celebrity argument briefly, which is to say that as opposed to these other players, the supporting cast around Celebrini, may get to the point where they are difference makers in the NHL. But I think that Celebrini is doing a lot of heavy lifting for that team, not just the point gap, but he drives so much of their offense based on the supporting cast. And some of that is just youth, right? Like he doesn't have a Braden point or a Jake Gensel or a Brandon Hagle around him. So I think that's why he's getting a lot of attention. But you are right. Kutrov is far ahead of the next lightning

9:20player on the list. And the way he is galloped into the scoring race is very noteworthy. I think I saw a staff in the league that there have only been three players to win the R. Ross Trophy, who at one point trail the leader by 22 or more points. And Kutrov in late December, trail. And I don't know if it was McKinnon or McDavid. They were close at that point. Whoever was the leader in late December, Kutrov was 22 points behind. Going into tomorrow's game, there'll be one point behind McDavid. He actually had Kutrov had a slow start, even by his standards. And it was probably in mid-Dovember that he heated up. And then he just went on this crazy tarot. It was like three to four points every night. That's how you make up a gap because it's not like McDavid and McKinnon went into some kind of a slump. They were still getting points, right? It just Kutrov was consistently three points a game, five points a game, four points a game, two points a game. And so he's gone a crazy tear. And it's really helped the lighting,

10:24because they like a lot of teams have had a ton of injuries this year, significant injuries on defense, but also some key injuries that forward. And so Kutrov has been able to be in the middle of a lot of what they've been able to do offensively this year. The hustle doesn't have to hurt. If performance pressure is making it hard to breathe, growth therapy helps you navigate stress, set boundaries, and actually feel like yourself again. Whether it's your first time in therapy or your 50th, grow makes it easier to find a therapist who fits you, not the other way around. You can search by what matters, like insurance, specialty, identity, or availability, and get started in as little as two days. There are no subscriptions, no long-term commitments. You just pay per session. Grow helps you find therapy on your time. Whatever challenges you're facing, growth therapy is here to help. Grow accepts over 100 insurance plans, including Medicaid in some states. Sessions average about $21 with insurance and some pay

11:25as little as $0 depending on their plan. Visit growththerapy.com slash start now to get started. That's growtherapy.com slash start now. Growtherapy.com slash start now. Availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan. Mom, dad, I just have to say, it breaks my heart watching you stress over dinner every night. This year, I don't want you doing a fridge stare down. Hot take with the new blue apron, eating healthy is easy. They've got pre-made and one-pan meals, plenty of balanced nutrition. No subscription needed. You could be plating like a chef instead of negotiating with leftovers. Make it your healthy, tasty, and easy 2026 dinner resolution. Just saying give $50 off your first two orders plus free shipping with code stir 50. Terms in condition supply. Visit blue apron.com slash terms for more. Dave Michigan with us on sports 1440. On the back end, Darren Radish, unbelievable season. Perfect year to have this type of season that he's having being a UFA.

12:26Next year, can they keep this guy in the fold with a contract moving forward, Dave? Well, I think that they could. I mean, if the team and the player agree on the terms, and that's usually when it comes down to, I think a lightning would like to keep Darren Radish. Well, lightning general manager Julian Breezewell explained at the halfway point of the season, because he was asked this question. He said, I would like to see a larger sample size. And it wasn't like, I don't think he was taking a hard line. I think he was being actually honest about I have to understand kind of what my offer needs to be, right? Like, is this a short term kind of burst? Or is this a longer trajectory would inform what he is going to be willing to offer and be interested in offering? But ultimately, Radish at 30 years old now, you know, he's earned the right to go to free agency. If he chooses, we'll see if he chooses to do that. I think the lightning would like to resign him. What has gone right for him this year?

13:30Some of it is opportunity. I mean, he's playing on the top power play, you know, which wasn't really the case in past years. Victor had been in that position. Headman's had an injury plague season. And also he struggled at the start of the year. So they made the switch on that first power play unit between headman and radish, even before headman left due to injury. Radish has one of the hardest shots in the league. I mean, the guy in Edmonton can bomb a two booshard, but your radish can get up to like high 90s in terms of his his shot velocity. And he is bombing away and getting the puck on net. So if it doesn't go in, it might get tipped, right? But a shot that hard, a goalie unless the goalie catches it with his glove or it hits him like in the middle of the jersey and can swallow it up. A shot that hard is very difficult to stop and not give up a rebound. And so that has been part of what we've seen. The radish is shooting at hard. He's also getting

14:31it on net. And I think it's confidence. You know, he's he's got swagger to his game that comes from opportunity in doing well. The other part of it is that, you know, the lighting have had significant injuries on defense. Like I mentioned, some of them are healed up now. But in the absence of Ryan McDonough and Victor headman, you know, the top defense and defenseman and offensive defenseman, radish has kind of filled the headman role. And JG Moser slotted in where McDonough had been. Moser is among, I think he's the top defenseman in plus minus. He might be third overall. And they formed a pair and they have been a pair for much of the year. And they've been a terrific five on five pairs. So it's not just that radish is scoring goals and getting these points. That's part of it. He's also playing a very well-rounded two-way game and has meshed with his partner. They have kind of become where they were when the other guys were out. Not just a great pair, but they were the shutdown pair also. So radish has checked a lot of boxes this year. And, you know, good for him. I

15:37mean, if it happens in a contract year, that's great. But he needed the opportunity. And then he needed to take advantage of the opportunity. And the other thing I'll just mention, because I think it bears mentioning, he is having this season, understanding that his father, who just passed away, just recently was given basically a terminal cancer diagnosis over the summer, like late spring. So he knew this. And he is still, you know, with the weight of this pending news, which it's now passed. And his dad has passed away. You know, he is performing at this elite level, which is, you know, quite a statement about how he's been able to take care of his own business on the ice and deal with what is, you know, a very difficult time for his family. Playing for pops, I guess you could say, right? Yeah. So, I mean, this is a guy that's been basically the last two contracts he signed and have been under a million dollars, both two years with Tampa. Like are we looking as a 30-year-old

16:40defenseman? He's never been in this territory before. But are we looking at a six-year deal? And are we looking at, like, would he seven million, six million? What would he want to, what would I mean, everyone wants to stay in Florida? I don't have to tell you that either, Dave. Oh, I mean, like they talk about comprables, and this is out of my sphere of knowledge. But I've seen enough, at least as it relates to the lightning, I've seen enough in terms of what players are signing, who are members of the lightning who want to stay in Tampa. And many of these players could get more if they went on the open market and they choose to stay. And some of it is the tax part. I know that's gotten a lot of buzz. The people who take a contrary point of view to that is when the lightning were losing 50 games a year back in the late 90s and early 2000s, there was still no state income tax. And it's not like free agents were flocking to Tampa or to sunrise or to the state of Texas, which also doesn't have

17:45a state income tax. So it's not only that. That is part of it. But I think that when you've had success with an organization, and you enjoy playing for that organization, and you know that the organization is going to build a team that you were going to be surrounded by really, really good players, there is incentive to stay. So we talked about Kutrov. Kutrov is feeding radish for a lot of these one-timers. Maybe that's important for radish to say like I want to be on a team with the Kutrov and play on the power play and have Kutrov, who is a magician with the puck, get me the puck. So I can continue to have success. Maybe that enters his thought process. I have no idea. That's really up to the player, the agent, and how they negotiate this next contract. But there's no question that he's going to get a significant raise. And he's earned that significant raise. One last one for you Dave. What type of style of game? What are we looking at? What are

18:48your expectations for tomorrow's Euler's lightning game here in Edmonton? So what's interesting is when the Euler's in the lightning have played, I would say recently, there is always this expectation that it's going to be like six five, right? Of all these great offensive players. But I think if you look back, they have been recently low scoring games. The game that was played in Tampa was a one nothing Edmonton lead until fairly late in the third. The lightning tied it at one and then and then won it over time. I remember the game in Edmonton last year was a two one game. The Euler's won that game. So, you know, it's like Forest Gump says about the boxer chocolate. I mean, we never know what we're going to get. I think that this side storyline, which is probably going to be a prime storyline for the outlets previewing the game, the scoring race. I mean, it's not like Kutraff and McDavid are going mono-amato. And when one is on the power play, the other is not

19:53going to be on the penalty kill. So, I mean, they aren't always going to be on the ice at the same time. Look, they are two of the best players in the world. They are aware of what is going on with the scoring race. And I think there will be extra incentive, extra juice for both of them. I do believe that. I also believe the Euler's coming off a bad home loss. Let's be honest to Florida where, you know, your position in the standings is precarious. I would expect the lightning are going to see a very motivated team playing with high urgency. And the lightning better be ready to match that. Or else, we may see a high scoring game and high scoring for one team and not the other. So, that's why they play the games. You never know what you're going to get. I think maybe one of the reasons we've had low scoring games in some of these last games is that both teams are so aware of the dangerous capabilities on the other side that there is a great attention to detailed defensively.

20:55We'll see if we have that tomorrow night. Dave, as always, thanks for coming on. I really appreciate it. Enjoy the game tomorrow night. I hope to see you down at the rink. And if not, we'll see you soon. Take care, man. Thanks, Kevin. Hey, it's Howie Mandel and I'm inviting you to witness history as me. And my how we do it gaming team take on Gilly DeKing and wallow 267's million dollars gaming in an epic global gaming league video game showdown. Four rounds, multiple games, one winner plus a halftime performance by multi platinum artist, Travis McCoy. Watch all the action and see who wins and advances to the championship match against Neo right now at globalgaming league dot com. That's globalgaming league dot com. Everybody games. Hey, this is Byard Winthrop, founder of American Giant. I started this company because I was fed up with cheap clothes that didn't last and a system that ship manufacturing overseas. We believed we could still make incredible hoodies t-shirts and pants right here in the US with American cotton, American factories and people earning real wages. That's what American

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