All right, it is coming. Oh, we got to get. Back to where we started from, love is good enough to be strong. We got to get right back to where we started. Hello, everybody. Two hundred and eighty four of spitting chickens presented by Pink Whitney from our friends at New Amsterdam back here on the barstool sports podcast, Family. Well, Saturday and Sunday afternoon, we got to come up for a little bit of air, just a little refractory Round-Robin session.

The real games pick up again tonight, Sunday. We're going to recap everything a minute, have some predictions. But let's say hi to the boys right now. Sure. Everyone's a little tired after that first week, but we got a lot more to go. Producer Mike Ianelli, what is up?

What's going on, guys? As you know, eight seven August 7th was the one year anniversary as to when we dropped Pink Whitney or made the announcement for Pink to Whitney. So I had a couple of Pink Whitney's the other night and I was begging Kevin Hayes for forgiveness and ended up texting him that if the Philadelphia Flyers win the Stanley Cup, I will get a picture of Kevin Hayes tattooed somewhere on my body. Oh, Jesus Christ. All right.

Your other cheek, baby.

OK, be on my other ashik. I'll let him decide or I'll decide where, but I'll let him decide what actually goes on. But, yeah, that's that's how I'm doing. Boys looking good flyers do that.

The dude won't clap with his lacrosse teammates, but I'll get a tattoo of Kevin Hayes on his forehead. Wow. Crazy, crazy character.

And it's all about the clout. Guys, come on. Two thousand twenty eight beers.

So I haven't even brought this up. You're back on the sauce.

I just have a couple of beers here and they're just couple here and there for you. Too crazy. Yeah.

I thought you needed that. Maybe just have like two or three well records. Just a nice feeling. I just noticed that. So I thought to bring it up.

How is that she actually I've been on a 14 day heater. I worked out a US six minutes in the past week. So yeah, things aren't going great. Thanks for bringing it up.

Not going too well over here. No, I know things have been good man. Little little lubrication.

Hockey playoffs are back. I'm excited. It's nice to have hockey to talk about in these fucking games have been awesome. We're going to get into it but couldn't be happier. The boats are moving on. Have we talked about that since that last podcast?

No, we only one series had concluded since our last show. But obviously there's and with the other fellows on the show. Yeah.

You want to get it to the dogs for a three hour podcast and our dedicated to Darcy Kemper, our dedicated security special teams. And then what? Maybe we'll finish off with talk it for the hell of it. No, you know, let's not start out with the OK, let's let's maybe talk about a few other teams first and then we'll get some you know, just full disclosure here.

We're going to be doing most of the recaps in previews, but we are taping Sunday afternoon. Some of us had familial obligation. So we're going to be taping the rest of the show later. We're going to add it on later instead of making be a crazy editing genius. Just to give you a heads up, a couple of predictions and results are going to be in a little later in the show.

Full disclosure, that's all we got, mainly because. All right, full disclosure, but mainly because the Leafs have forced the game.

Five minutes tonight and we have to give our thoughts on on what unravels as this is by far and about the craziest series so far.

I mean, the two swings like that from game three to game four, you had Milbury basically writing the obituary for Tampa during the game. I'm sure old takes exposed, probably got a million dollars in prize money.

You said for Tampa. I think the Leafs I'm looking at Toronto and I say Tampa. I don't know what season teams in hockey.

It's OK. Minus one. That's third turnover for the first. There's a lot of hockey left. All right. There's a lot of hockey left in the biz. The dinosaur bones shift. Hey, what are you. Sorry, buddy. A lot of minutes left to get that back. All right. You're you're now feeling the pressure a little bit early.

They had a ninety nine point three percent chance of winning game for evolving hockey. Obviously didn't pan out. You've got to give credit to the Leafs coach Shelvin Keefe. He rode the hot hand. He had the same lineup on the ice for all three goals. Sometimes, you know, some coaches draw different lines out. He rode the hot hand that worked out the best for him. This was an interesting stat to be the last time the Leafs came back from down three goals to win a playoff game and all the time was nineteen ninety three.

The winner was good by Mike Folino. Yeah, the other night it happened with his kid in the penalty box. I thought the call it wasn't what you expect to see. And what did you think of that call?

Well, first of all, you hop back over the boards. Your next shift made a nice play, Apple.

Now you're back to even when he threw a check, dude, he didn't get an apple yet. I mean, he threw stats, stuff and cleanly. All right. All right, fine. He threw a nice hit. Got the boys going. We're going to get the gold back now. I thought it was cheeky and I thought that you said it best when he came out of the penalty box. I thought won one of the four, maybe even a linesman was going down because he was fucking fuming.

And as far as the call concerned, I'll toss that over to you.

If he had killed the ref, which which it really I said a ref dead thought right away. Let's tweak this. There's going to be a dead ref.

Let's put it this way. He wouldn't even get murder one or whatever the worst murder is. He'd get manslaughter. That call, if that call happened to the Toronto Maple Leaf fan base, there would have been a never ending shitstorm of postbag whining and flipping out and it and it went against Columbus.

And all of a sudden the tail of the leaves fed the oil. That was a penalty. And even if it wasn't blah, blah, blah, horrendous.

Oh, come on.

The refereeing overall has been pretty shitty also, right.

That these guys are coming back to. It's not easy for them either. Not looking to just shoulder blame on all refs. But that call and Folino to be that upset, I totally understand what's going through his mind. We had this series locked up. We were moving into the playoffs. We are moving out a fake world playoffs into the real deal starting next week. And it was taken away from them. Now, granted, the Leafs, what a comeback.

I couldn't believe it. I actually will admit when it was three, nothing, when they made it through nothing, I think there was six minutes left whenever there were six or seven minutes in the third, I just shut it off time for golf, primetime golf all weekend. And I saw on Twitter three, two.

I just didn't even see the first one. I checked three to support back to this game and to see the tie.

How about Bieber celebration? I saw that he really was pumped. He's a die hard.

So I'm I love to see Toronto do that because with with what they've been through and I haven't seen I'm rooting for them.

But just for that to happen to them and then like the entire world shit on them. That's the Toronto Maple Leafs. This is the Toronto Maple Leafs.

We know Grenelle. He had a great, great little little post that things feel normal again, the Leafs rolling through enough and leads.

I guess they are that that's them now. And it was they were listening to it. They got these young guns and they're listening to maybe they're not, but there are people out there questioning some of these guys and then they do it to Columbus the next night to stay alive.

So if they go on to lose.

Oh, shit. I can't mention that, can I? Like if they go on to lose because. Or should I.

Because they they know. They know right now we're recording without knowing the result of game five.

They're going to get to hear the end. Yes. OK, OK.

So I'm going to be able to say you're listening to myself right now and we're going to be able to hear, like, my own reaction to myself, which could be really fucked up, because sometimes in my brain, I think of some whacked out thing. So I'm hoping it's not too bad. But if the Leafs lose this game, what a waste of a legendary night, because if they win, it's like, holy shit, maybe that's what they needed to do.

And we'll be talking in a little bit about that.

I shouldn't get ahead the way I was describing the Leafs before we started recording, when I was on with just Grinnell's, I was watching their elimination game. And at the point that they've gone down three nothing. I'm like I tweeted out, I said, what are you guys seeing? I don't watch much of the Leafs during the regular season in an elimination game.

It was it was uncomfortable. It's like, where do you call those bowl restrictor? That's what the Columbus Blue Jackets were. They were strangling their death before they swallowed it.

And it was just like I was like, oh, my God, they can't even muster up a like a good sustained pressure and the offensive zone for Fox six. And then all of a sudden something clicks and it's the most beautiful thing you've ever watched on ice.

Just every single pass is connecting their fucking spinner ramas. Everything's hitting each other stick. They're recovering every puck. Nothing could go wrong in those like that for a minute span. And it happened at the blink of an eye. But in the same breath, you go back to to game three. And the reason they found themselves in this situation to begin with, when they were up three, nothing. And they they scored they allowed two goals. And it's three, two.

And I'm thinking, OK, now you've got to at least tighten things up and and don't make a mistake in order to give them an opportunity, make them just go through you to earn it. And if and if they do end up tying it tip of the cap.

So they got the puck in the offensive zone. And I think what Dermot makes is a great play because you're trying to keep him in the offensive line. Wait, time out. Let me finish what I'm saying. He had his check. That was the forward. He stayed in front of him in order to keep the puck in knowing looking over captains, the F three.

He's the high guy. He sees him.

He's like, perfect. He's above his guy. They got nobody coming with speed at this particular time, seeing the play develop. And then even when the puck squirts back towards the defensive zone captain and still an unbelievable position, it would have been a two on two, ideally. Do you want to forward in that position? No big deal.

You played it was like never trust a forward. And ironically, I was a defense.

You know, the forward said never trust him. But you know what I'm saying? It's like not even worth it at that time. It's it's why even. There it doesn't even make sense, just just let him get it in and not even when it was three, nothing. They still kept, like, trying to create offense. It's like, can you guys just shut it down? Sure. Can they actually do that or is it not possible?

And much like being in the elimination game, they should have even been in that position to begin with either. But that place specifically. And OK, I can agree with you on the fact that, hey, just let the D play D there. But Dermot made the I mean it's so fucked up it can happen and basically stop skating and took a whack at the puck and the minute he missed it then the guy was beat. All he had to do was take two strides and open up and take a whack at it.

And worst case scenario he would, it would have been a two on two and he would have been skating backwards. And don't tell me that a kid of that skill level can't skate backwards and take somewhat of a two on two down the ice. You're telling me you're not working on that at least a little bit in practice?

No, I do not think I. I agree with you. It's just like, well, then you're not a well coached team when you want to go out, when you have a one goal lead in in the playoffs, it's like maybe that's not the time, though, to, like, give it a shot. But I'll tell you this.

You can't win any type of hardware if you're if you can't rely on your F three forward and and you play on a championship team caliber team. Excuse me, you're telling me that Patrice Bergeron went to open that up and been the right kind of left?

Oh, no chance, captain and captain and made that don't have him on the item and lazy decision. He he completely, completely fucked that play up.

But Vince. Oh, quickly, I want to I want to remember to ask you before before I ask you the question about beliefs, I got to just this look to BWA people.

People scoffed when they took them that high in the draft apologist.

I remember thinking, like, you're leading up to the draft. You're hearing the top 10 guys, you know, but I'm not that in tune with the prospect system and who's coming up. But I also know the names and nobody knew his name and they scoffed.

This guy is an absolute weapon. Yeah. Out there. First of all, he'll fight. He he plays hard. He's in your face and his skill is just getting better and better. So that game, that goal the winner just to get it on your back and not even have to go to your forehand, just keep it in your back and shelf that it was sick.

But but the Leafs. You're all in, huh? This is like I'm seeing on Twitter, Paul Bassinette, like, let's go Leafs leaves forever.

Let's go to that right now. Some people are like, hey, you work for the coyotes, sign your checks. That's a little weird. I don't know. It's just kind of happened organically. Like, I feel bad for these guys getting living their lives where they can't go outside with all the fucking leaves are ruining my life.

You make all this money. Look, I don't know.

I feel like they've suffered long enough. When the Boston Red Sox won the world championship, I was emotional for the Sox. It was fun beating up on them for a while and laughing about it. Oh, my God. And then you see the guy, let the ball go between his legs and he can't even go to Boston anymore.

So certain Bill Tucker passed away. So right after that happened.

Yeah, he relied on him for a while. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Right. So at a certain point you're like, oh my God, I think these guys have been through enough. I kind of want to see him at least make a little bit of a run. So it's nothing against Columbus because I love their organization. I think they do things the right way. They got a great team with Penske's a stud. They got they got a good backhand and a good foundation.

What I think at this point, in order to be good in a couple of years, adding a few more pieces, but I don't know, I just kind of all of a sudden root for the least. But let's go back to Dubai. He's he's an absolute stud. He's getting the recognition he deserves. And it goes back to, I believe it was game to where he had a little bit of a people back on the bench, but nothing like an old fuck you match to get the boys going right here.

Contorts We're going at it pretty good there, boys. Yep, that was good stuff.

And but I, I think towards knows exactly what type of guy and player he is and he's getting in his face I think. And maybe this is a guy who needs this and I hate saying that because people always said, you know, some guys need to be screamed at, like maybe that's the case. I'm sure they don't like it though.

But he just bounced back after that game and the disagreement and the little drama to do what he did, it was sick. So, I mean, I don't want to keep talking about this because we addressed game five later. So let's move on.

One other note, though, we do want to mention, Jake Muhsen is skating again, which is good news to hear after he was taken off the ice on the stretch of a day. So nice to see he's back in the ice. He won't be back on to qualify as a game five tonight. But it's possible if Toronto moves on, we will see him again. So nice to see him doing well.

And one last note was the Jason Spezza scrap seemed to spark the Leafs. A lot of people are talking about it. Talk about doing anything you can in order to stand out. And I know that he's getting limited minutes. He did so in a different way, absolutely different ways to lead.

And he showed that definitely didn't expect to see it, but it worked. I move it along to another series, the biggest dogs of the qualifying round. The Habs beat the pens. What was it? Four games? Holy shit. The pens looked rough out there, especially the defense, the speculation, Crosby's heart, because he did get hurt in the small training camp. People didn't think he was 100 percent parity prices carry price. Exactly. The people what kind of expect him for the playoffs, nine four seven eight percentage, one six seven goals against and a shutout.

And of course, Shea Weber, he's I mean, we kind of forgot about how much of a force he is because we haven't seen him on this platform for a while. But he was incredible, too. Let's go to you first on this one. I was dead on and say in Montreal, had a chance to win this series if Carrie Pryce played great. Do you guys remember? What are you laughing at as.

You're a piece of shit, did I not say before the series that if Carey Price played unbelievable, they could beat the penguins?

You're you're you're a piece of shit. Yes, you did say that. Thank you. OK, so that's exactly what happened.

No, the penguins, just so many different issues you can talk about. And congrats to Montreal. Enjoy the not getting the first overall pick and losing next round, but congrats. The Penguins, first off, the series started. I don't know why Trista Jarry isn't starting that series. I mean, he was better than Murray this year, it was kind of confusing to me. Murray wasn't great in the Games. So you wonder about that? Crosby didn't look like himself.

So I think it makes sense. And he you know, he battled that injury. He lit up the beginning of the season. And then I think he went out November.

Pretty sure that's what happened. And and, you know, like Malkin had times this year when he dominated in both those guys. I mean, you didn't really see much in terms of like the usual dominance that they usually take over and win games with, but.

Some weird decisions, I mean, it was it was Jack Johnson and and and shots were playing together.

And you you read penguins writers or you hear about their team and it was like Jack Johnson was way better with Marino and Peterson or Patterson.

Sorry, guys. Never get that other one works. He put he he would play with shots, but they kept Johnson and shots together and they just had a tough series.

Man, it's like you hate doggin guys. But, you know, you look at you look at the games, you look how they played out.

And there was just not not their best hockey by two really skilled guys.

You've had sick career. So the penguins, you're wondering where they're at because the at some point, you know, the run kind of ends. I mean, this year they put together a nice team. And I don't I don't think like you're like all the penguins couldn't win another Stanley Cup because especially with how this year went. And I mean, it's August. You're playing playoff games, you're playing the play in games.

It's very hard to judge teams losing in this style in this new playoff scenario.

So I don't know how Rutherford approaches this offseason, but I do know that it was surprising to see the penguins just have nothing going, especially in that last game. Ten have had a tough turnover that led to the game winner, and it was kind of all she wrote. Would you feel bad for that guy? That Tanya was a great signing. They got him for six years, too. So he he is not an issue in Pittsburgh, but they have plenty of things to question in Montreal.

Petrie, Weber Price just. They were dogs, they were tough to play against, they they did exactly what they had do I think already you'd agree called Julien is he's a good coach. I mean, he can get a team like he can get a team with not that much talent to really compete and play. Well, yeah, pretty sure I said that.

My prediction for the series, that's almost all. Yeah. So we're all I remember it's more as if though maybe players who are OK sacrificing their numbers because they're not, you know, they're not point of game guys where they'll sacrifice in battle defensively in order to get the job done as a team. Yes, he's done an exceptional job with that lineup. Going back to your goaltender comment, I think you're out of your goddamn mind, given the fact that there was the four month layover.

He's been better than Murray Marimo. Can I can I talk. Yeah, you can. I love to talk. Yeah. And I think coming off of that long period of time, you're going in a situation where it's a different beast in it being playoffs. You've got a guy where if you look at your cabinet, he's helped you win two rings and you say, you know what, let's see what he's got because they got to make a decision on him.

So you might as well throw him in the fire and say, all right, here's the rains. We don't even think maybe you've necessarily earned it, given the regular season numbers.

But now it's yours for at the cost of of what we're going to do in playoffs here.

And I don't I don't think he was terrible. I think the goal off Petrie is going to be the defining moment is. The goal by Patry, everyone, what a sniper, what a sniper, that's not a sniper, a snipers. If the goal is down there and you pick that corner above his shoulder, beneath the crossbar, he buried it off his shoulder and then it went upstairs. That's not a sniper. Sorry. Sorry, guys. Learn what a snipers check out Ryan when he was in the army.

Yes, that is so.

I think that that was kind of the defining moment. Like maybe they should have gave Jarry the that off the top, but you can't do it going into the series. I think it played out exactly how it should have. And they ended up on the wrong side of the win column. I think that they I don't think Montreal necessarily deserved to win that series. I think there was a few things that happened in their favor in order to allow them to do so.

I mean, they didn't score power play goal. They went over 12. They got out shot. No chance. And I think every single game, what they did do a good job of it is they played to their strengths. They try to suffocate Pittsburgh's offense in which they've somehow managed to do, given up more shots and charges, carry price. The guy who paid 10 million bucks plays to what he's being paid. Webber was an absolute beast pitcher.

You mentioned it. He was a beast. And they beat the shit out of the penguins while doing it. They hit on one hundred and seventy one to one zero eight. They had over 50 hits in one game. They were just slugging away. They weren't they weren't carrying the puck to every chance they got. They wore him down. And and by the fourth game, man, I think it wore down the penguins. They had twenty two shots in an elimination game over two on the peeps.

That's not the penguins we know. I think they just were so discouraged and so banged up. And we're like the fourth game. They just they've been worn down and they did so in a very greasy fashion. I think that you were right in saying that the Montreal Canadiens should not win the series because it'd be better off getting a shot at first overall pick, because based on what I saw, there's not a chicken dicks chance that they go on to win the cup.

And I'm in agreement with you. And even if does if Carey Price does keep up those numbers. You're looking a little weird there, what I'm just thinking that you're kind of making me sound like a genius and you're telling me where I agree with everything you're saying.

Great job. I appreciate that. From a co-host.

Yeah. And I don't want I don't want what I'm saying to take away from Montreal's accomplishment. It just like it was like you didn't you didn't necessarily play them. You go them and you were very opportunistic. And you found yourself in a situation where I think, who are they playing next round? All right.

Montreal's playing Philadelphia Flyers. Oh, yeah.

Yeah, that that could be a shit. And kicking that could be a shitkickers to steal a line from Montreal could win. If price play is good, they could win that series if race plays unreal.

You guys, like Clint Eastwood said in Unforgiven, deserves get nothing to do with it.

Yeah, exactly. Hey, listen, we know everybody's been out there glued to the TV all week.

What happens? You're going to get hungry sitting in. You're going to need to eat. And this week you can get twenty percent off any Jimmy Johns order of ten dollars or more with twenty percent off in order a ten dollars or more, you can get a couple sandwiches, chips, drinks and twenty mustard packets or four sandwiches and four drinks or a giant gargantuan or a dozen cookies. Basically you get combos for days. Of course, Jimmy John's sandwiches are freaky fast in fresh, fresh, fresh cut veggies, meats that a hand sliced deli, fresh baked bread all day you get DeJohn or Jimmy Mustard put on your sandwich, all Bui's yellow mustard available in packets if you prefer that.

Just got to use the promo code Bui's 20 at Jimmy Johns Dotcom or with the Jimmy Johns app through September 6th of twenty twenty see restrictions at Jimmy Johns dot com. You must order online or with the Jimmy Johns app and you can order for contact contactless delivery or pick up G.

Got a little something soon with the boys. Too. Right. Yeah. Jimmy Johns has officially come on to sponsor the salt daddies and the Fanelli versus the people stream. So we we got we're getting some new streaming equipment. So this week, the streams are going to look a lot better. First, I'll be in barstool HQ streaming, but Tuesdays and Fridays and they're going to be feed me Italian subs while I do it. So tune in and check with Twitch.

Will they be putting the mustard, the yellow mustard on for you, though? Who do you have to say at Jimmy Johns? Because that's the one the only thing about Jimmy Johns where I'm just like just put it on the sub for me, please.

I think I think I do have that kind of pull, so I'll make sure it happens. Shit. I'm going back to Pittsburgh, too. I don't know if you mentioned already they've won one out of their last ten playoff games. And given the fact they're not going to the round of 16, this is technically the first time they haven't made playoffs since twenty six. Wow.

Interesting note. Yeah. It's kind of weird that whole people play offs, they're not playoffs but they keep in the playoffs. That's it does get kind of confused. I was trying to explain to my mother all week of Vermont like she's like is this a playoff game? Like no, it's not like trying to tell it like the Bruins can get knocked out. That was fucking give me another cocktail and another drink. I swinging back to the qualify as the I'll handle the Panthers in four games, but broski probably not.

You want a ten million dollar goalie Ninel Wannsee percentage three oh seven. He would give up an early bad goal. He'd be lights out for the rest, but he always have that one or two bad goals. I mean when a series this tight, that's a huge difference. Semyon Varlamov, no surprise. They have put up some outstanding numbers. The Isles played Trotzky grinded out goals. They just kind of what, the Panthers down business. Yeah, just just another team that just kind of suffocates you playing very tight in the middle of the ice, you know, you know, none of their threes are getting beat and taking risks offensively when they're the high guy.

But they are they did a great job. They were very professional about how they handled their business, this popular kid. So how you say is lost them. Holy shit. He just keeps getting better and better and better. And it's like it's like they're back and there's not any household names him.

And that tapes kid. I think they each had four points in that series.

They're back in control. I can fly.

And they did a tremendous job of helping check in with that secondary scoring. And that's what you need in these types of situations. And to me, the secondary scoring was really everywhere from the islanders.

They had everybody involved in the offense, I think like eight or nine guys with like three points or more. We mentioned Jordan Maberly off to the hot start. He's had as well. Basel came to life in that last game, this pavilion. I know the first one. And that kind of summed up the series, as you mentioned, R.A. for Borowski. Elimination game, Avila throws a bit of a weak one on that, and it goes in the Utah drove a Mack truck through the five hole Roski with nothing on the net, and he ended up scoring another one.

In that first period, Basel made some beautiful plays. And they were they were late in the lap, just you mentioned when he came over, although when he came over, he struggled a bit and then the shutdown happened.

Pageau He's been lights out that round, too. So right now, man, it's going to be tough to pick against the islanders. They stay so disciplined. They're fairly good on special teams, especially on the pick. Their goaltending is playing well now. They're limiting high quality scoring chances and everybody's chipping in. I and I just read that boy checks coming back now, too. So that's another boost to the lineup. And he's adds that championship experience along with Leidy.

They each got their cup. So I don't know, man. I keep betting against these guys and I don't even know how I found myself in this hatred with Islanders fans.

I think you dragged me into it with no win. It was Tavarez. It was how they treated Tavarez on the way out. And you started despising them when you realized how stupid most of them are.

Islanders credit to them. They know how to win.

They play a certain style. It's boring as shit, but they know how to win. And I don't think I'm going to be picking them against the Capitals because I never picked the islanders.

But it'll be competitive series capitals aren't going to walk through them, right? I don't I think that they'll get it done. I mean, they haven't even looked that good either in these round the round robin games, though, man. Talk about really just not mattering. I don't know. Maybe I'm on the maybe I'm on them in the minority in that. But watching them and seems like guys playing them, it's like, holy shit. Philly, Philly being the exception.

They have looked so good like fire on all cylinders.

But I don't know, it's really hard to get down on some of these teams who haven't even played a game that truly mattered yet.

Also, one other note, our friend Andy Strickland out in St. Louis. He tweeted out that Dale Town is going to be on his way out in Florida. There's been no official word yet, but that's when he was.

All right. Florida needs to blow it up because it brought the Borowski contracts horrible, horrible. And he's given out some bad ones.

And I think that this one is that it's kind of like the goal I mentioned on Unmarry. I think this is that's the nail in the coffin right there.

And and so tomorrow's you know, you're listening Monday. Tonight's the draft lottery. People know it's not even like it's Dale, the GM or not.

You don't even know what's going on down there. So they got they got some tough contracts there that they might need to address and try to figure out what to do.

So you're saying that could be a potential rumor part?

What, like? Oh, it just hasn't been made official, but a lot of people are saying it's gone. He's done OK. So it's not official, but OK. Yeah, yeah.

It hasn't been made official from the team. But Andy Strickland, I don't I don't think he's making it up. He's he's he's the one who seems to have gotten the scoop on it. It just hasn't been released as official news yet.

Also, you know, we're not sure how the trade is going to play out either. Like I'm not saying that's a major contributor to that.

But like overall, outside of Hubertus Hoffman and Barkov, I mean, Yance did have three assists. But other than that, they had a nobody chipping in offensively, like no one had more than a point other than that. And that's just not going to get done this time of year, especially when you're not getting timely saves. Yeah.

Again, there's no need to go spend ten dollars. I mean, that's been a ten million dollars for the goalie position. You should probably have to go. He's not just one, but we'll keep our eyes.

As I mentioned, a few more stats here because I know that I had the chance because they're going to get swept in the next round. Are they limited to Florida? Twenty five shots on goal in game four. They put thirty eight up of their own, and that's in an elimination game they came to play. I mentioned that offense from Porlock and tapes. Porlock had six blocks and Tate had tapes, had five in that last game. So like that's not only getting it done offensively for the squad on the back end, that's also manning up and eaten some fuck some pucks along the way.

In that game they had thirty one shot blocks as a team. That's, that's a lot of Robert boys. And then I mentioned the two D with four points and six forwards. It was actually with three points or more. So just overall, great team right now.

Islander's absolutely. Next up, the dogs beat the cats as the coyotes took care of the present for your boy Dossey Kempo. Great work in the crease biz. I thought as a team effort offensively for the oats, they got 11 different goal scores. You see, suros, that was the big story in Nashville. He came in for Renee.

Didn't fare much better than Renee the last couple of years outside of Pittsburgh. And Arvidson the prejudice got five goals and the rest of the lineup, Bezalel, the other the other cats I'm sorry, the dog expert. Let's go to you on this one.

OK, let's start with Nashville. Yo, she looked awesome. Alice Zigmas.

You're buzzing, buddy.

Yo, she just looked like yo. See, he has his ability to control the play when he's on the ice is crazy. He'll just skate up the whole ice with the park and and then sometimes you're like, ladder, play it. But he ain't. Stop it and hold it up. He'll keep going on on offense. He'll get a chip, he'll be below the goal line. You're like, holy fuck, this guy is absolutely everywhere. But in the same time, does every other little thing you need to do in order to be a tremendous player.

And he was very fun to watch for four games. As I mentioned, Ellis made a huge play in Game four to put that over time. I don't know if you saw that play at the blue line up front. You mentioned Forsberg. That guy is a fucking mutant. Unbelievable player. One on one wins his battles along the wall. He's just a mutant. ARVIDSON After having a tough regular season with I think he battled some injuries. I think he only had fifteen goals this year after I think having forty one the year before he or maybe was thirty one.

But he, he looked good, he looked like his old self. But to me that defining moment was when they were supposed to go up to one and. The goal ended up getting called back and then they score and then all of a sudden fucking you know, they got they got the series I had to want when when, you know, the coyotes aren't necessarily playing a good one coming from behind. So goaltending from Darcy Kemper. I told you guys come in in the playoffs.

This guy's in the real deal.

He's the real deal.

Holyfield he other than Carey Price, you might be the best Canadian goalie in the world. I don't know. I don't know who else you would pick at this point in time. I mean, Binnington, of course, because he's proven and he's got the championship under.

So he's on Canada's business. Two thousand twenty two Canada Olympic team.

I think that if things stay the same and he plays the way he's been playing. Yes. I think Kim Binnington in price and there might be one other name I'm forgetting.

Let's record this. Mickey is hoping it's Hopea Canadian. Hope is OK. Well, maybe not. Maybe people are going after hope, people are going to have to hope now saying he's no good. He wants leaders everywhere, everywhere I hate.

And they're proven.

So what are you Muppet fans, you stupid fans hate and some of your best players, you dummies, you know nothing about hockey.

Half the people that are watching hockey drives me insane.

But overall, I thought the team played well. They were very opportunistic. The stars came to play. Hall was big. Castle was big. And and the coyotes are going on to play the apps. So I'm excited. Anything you want to add weight on the threads? Well, and just mastered that series, he's watching it from the arena, doing his gig with his suit and tie on. He looks phenomenal, but I just watch it and I just, like, wonder Nashville's I feel like they should be better than they are.

I know you're mentioning some of these guys.

They have, but I don't know. It's like going into the year. You look at the roster and what Nashville has, and it's it seems like it's a severe disappointment.

I mean, you don't we're not talking about them as legit cup contenders, and then they couldn't get by, you know, business yachts, no offense. Right.

Guys are playing a, you know, dog, dog style dog eat dog style. No pun intended, I guess.

But I just Nashville's disappointing man. It's just it's what's going on there. And they got the new coach and maybe a full season in a training camp next year with Hines and maybe making a couple of changes. They really can give it a shot. But is it is it fair to say that Nashville is kind of window is closing? I mean, Rene's getting older and he hasn't been good in the playoffs to begin with. So Sorrow's is nice. What's his contract?

You know, I believe I believe they both have one year left. Next combine to be an interesting six and a half million. Yeah, but congrats.

But I but I couldn't agree more. A very disappointing team in Nashville as far as like the I think what is it, three or four years ago when Stanley Cup finals to loss in the second round, to loss to the first round. And now they couldn't even get into the round of sixteen, twenty, twenty, seventeen with me.

And Grinnell took our self financed trip down to Nashville to promote spit and chocolates on our own dime. Remember that? That was some fucking wild times.

And what's what's crazy about it, too, is like he has made some significant good moves, like he's kept the team relevant and and, you know, kind of gotten younger players with with fair deals. And I don't know, it's just they just can't find to me they're maybe like the St. Louis before they were able to find their, you know, the right set of players before they made an actual run. But their window is not getting any bigger, that's for sure.

They've got to get it done soon.

Speaking of the coyote's want to let everybody know we've got a couple of Coyotes T-shirts for sale. We also have a Vancouver one for the bottom line.

Fans drop. So we've got a nice bubble hockey shirt with looks like chitlins means in bubble hockey form. So check out check out our Twitter feed, check out Barstow's store. We got some nice new duds to check out. Right.

Granola bar stools, sports dot com slash check. Let's we're releasing new shirts like every day. Check them out. All right.

Yeah, I was halfway through my Elvis one during game four of Columbus, Toronto, but I got to send that back to the rework around depending on game five tonight, although Elvis is a state I think has every possible like Elvis thing with the copyright on it.

Have we mentioned that our guest. No, I had him tease, but let's do it right now.

He brought it all my R.A.. How did you set this up? I talked to his son a couple of different times. We kind of mobile phone tag, basically video about getting them on and then it kind of fell by the wayside. And his son rekindled that recently.

And now we're very, very happy to announce. The guest is Dave Hansen, a.k.a. Jack Hansen from Slapshot, the greatest sports movie of all time. Definitely the best hockey movie of all time. Like I said when we talked, it was like interviewing Han Solo or Luke Skywalker to me because I watched so much growing up. So this was just an outstanding interview. We're going to bring bringing in a little bit, but very exciting one to Dubois'.

Awesome. So much insight into how the movie was made. And he was so good at collaborating. I felt like I was there. Yeah.

Yeah. We got into the process somewhat, a little bit because we got a lot the industry that. Yes. That the term in the industry. Yeah.

I just made it up. All right. What else. We've got a couple more series to recap here. The flames knocked off the Jets and four, as we suspected, that first game when they lost Jaslene, Lanny was just too much to handle for the old Jets. Also, Cam Tell was excellent for Calgary nine four or five CP one five one goals against kind of hollerbach. I thought he struggled a little bit, but I don't know how much of that was him and how much was out of a condition of not having the same defense he had last year.

Either way, let's watch your take on this one with dog.

It just one game one went the way it did. It was a foregone conclusion. I don't think there was anyone out there who thought the Jets could get that done. Great effort and just a shitty first game coming back from what everyone dealt with in that. Break it to see if they get injured in line. He's not playing. And then it was just an awful scenario for the Jets and all their fans. So I think that Calgary deserved to move on.

But I mean, you match them. I mean, Kyle Carr can only do so much. And that team is they're nice. They're a nice little run there this year for a while, especially the goaltender they have who's young. So I don't think that they're in any sort of panic in terms of like we have to win now because there's a lot there to. Roland really become a better team, but they were just outmatched in Calgary when Calgary is all going in and GOODROW is playing the way he has in his entire career up until parts of this season.

And I think Kucuk, their most valuable player. I think everyone hates him. He also produces I think he's so important. Some of their deals are awesome. I loved your as a leader, as a guy who's been around for so long that I, I would not be surprised at all to see Calgary going a little bit of a run here. It's all about the goaltending. But Talbot, how good did he look? He was his numbers.

What were his numbers are and I'm sorry if you just read them. I was reading.

That's right. A nine four or five save percentage one five one goal is against a one shutout.

That's funny because I know you're pumping your own tires at the start of the episode, I believe you said will carry price. But it was me who said I think Calgary is going to win the series and I think the difference is going to be a net. Ken Talbot match the Bucks effort. And he did. And I was right. And it feels unbelievable.

Great job that and I'll tell my tires by you. Blind squirrel finds and not know, but the clock always is.

What's that saying? All right, the clock clock is always right.

Twice a day I was way off on the flames are playing like a team who really wants to win. It's time there prove what they can do. The stars were playing like stars.

The Grinder's Looch look good fought, fought off the top of the game in game four. Credit to that bullier kid.

As I say, his last name. Oh yeah.

That was not an easy one to hop on. That kid's tough. Yeah. And I think that he felt that his team was maybe being bullied a little bit too much and he's like, you don't fuck this, you know, we got to stand up for ourselves here. And it was just a team that was going to beat down the Jets. And unfortunately for Winnipeg, they lost two of their big boys off the hop. They just didn't have the back end to match.

And that top nine all of a sudden didn't look so good for the Jets once they lost two of the big pieces and, you know, credit, credit, some of the top boys for the jets. So they swung in there. But overall, they were just outmatched as far as overall team mentality and physical play by the flames. And I like the flames moving forward. Man, it's a good team, good, solid team right now.

Yeah. Best galleries move on. They're going to be playing the Dallas stars who knocked off St. Louis on the final round robin game on Sunday. So we'll be getting to our previews in a little bit. But Calgary will be moving on to face Dallas a couple on the series you want to mention as well. The Hawks beat the Oilers in four games. Like I said, Edmondson's Dede. I thought they were an issue for the squad. They just didn't have that one guy who can kind of get the puck and move it out of the zone.

Corey Crawford. If you look at his numbers, they weren't anything spectacular. But this is very much a nineteen eighties style series. And he made some huge stops when they really needed them. As a fan. It sucks that kind of McDavid is out already for games. He had nine points. He's just a specimen every time he comes on the ice. It's great to see. Also I've been to might want to work on those. I've taken the goalie off for an extra attack drills next time so they don't end their season in such ugly fashion.

But let's run it over you.

What you got on this one just got to find a way to not get scored on when Connor McDavid is not on the ice. That's literally all they have to do if the numbers speak for themselves.

He was on the ice for eleven of Edmonton's fifteen goals that were scored. And when he wasn't on the ice for this series, they were outscored eleven to four. Like it want to go deeper and these stats are courtesy of Ryan Lambert on Twitter, I found these ones.

That guy is a regular season guy, regular season.

McDavid was on the ice for one hundred and twenty three of their two hundred and twenty three goals scored when he wasn't on the ice. They were outscored one hundred and thirty eight to one hundred. So then this Ryan Lambert goes deeper because people are like sample size.

He goes OK.

Since the twenty, seventeen, eighteen season McDavid is a plus one thirteen and goal differential and the team is a minus one hundred and eighty when he's off the ice.

Find a way to not get scored on the ice when he's not. When he's not. And you have fucking four more Stanley Cups in a row like you did in the 80s.

It ain't that hard, get good, get solid goaltending, it's not going to be easy to find that defenseman and they've been looking for him forever and they thought they had it. Adam Larsen, Taylor Hall heads up. But one for one. One for one. Find it, find a D, although that Ethan Bear has has has been a nice surprise for them, Yamamoto's been a great surprise. Nugent Hopkins continues to deliver. Mind you, they wanted the fan base, at least wanted to trade him for a period of time, way back when they got him, TriZetto and McDavid, to build around.

Add a few more pieces, just figure it out. I don't give a shit how you do it, don't get scored on the ice cream. Mick Davis on the ice. Do you want to stay on the. Yeah, khilafah wasn't good, but you have to actually give Chicago credit here and caves, Keith, these vets that they really and you wondered how the layoffs would affect older versus younger teams, but it seems like the vets in Chicago, I don't know if they needed that or just really caught fire because like, that was some of the best hockey that that these guys have played in a long time.

I mean, I think that the the clinching game, Duncan Keith played close to 30 minutes, saves four and three in the series, just just taking it to the other, you know, the other team's best players. And now McDavid, obviously, you can't stop him. There's like no matchup that you're going to win on that side.

But if you can shut down the rest of the team and force the rest of the team to try to at least play better defensively and have it in their zone, which Edmonton struggles into Chicago, they less listen.

One, McDavid is on the ice, so just get it in their zone. And it worked because they don't they don't have a team that's that's nearly deep enough to win a Stanley Cup. Even with the two guys you mentioned up top and Koskinen and Smith, I think Smith UFA. So he's probably gone, but they've got to figure out goaltending. I don't know. Can you win a Stanley Cup with with with Koskinen? It's it's just there's a bunch of questions and I don't think Edmonton is in a horrible spot like they were and have been in the last ten years.

But there's still a ways to go here before their Stanley Cup contending team. Yeah, agreed on that, I mean, you look, they have so much talent up front and then the rest of the talent isn't just on that roster where you need it to be. So we'll keep an eye on that going forward.

Well, the good news is, is they might get the first overall pick again. That's true. And we're going to find out tonight. Like the watchdog said, let's see, the Canucks beat the wild and four looked like we were going to have another five game series there. But the wild blue lately, Cannex tied up late and tandems restored in 11 seconds left. That was when you go for a beer. You missed the friggin result. This series out of I guess it played out kind of how people expect that it wasn't the most thrilling at times.

Minnesota doesn't play the most exciting Brandell hockey, but I don't know, they had a chance to bring it to five. They couldn't get it done. What what would you do on this one?

Game four was one of the best games of the playoffs so far. And and you said 11 seconds left. It was actually 11 seconds in. And so I know I'm fucked. And yeah. So back to my other one.

Another turn. It's your third period. You're sitting on the bench, you grocery sickness.

But what a celebration for the Canucks in that room after 2010 that came in a great shutdown. Defended not many people talk about guys love him, long respected leader.

Everyone really, really loves playing with that guy. And so for him to get that winner to come in and see that celebration for a team who I mean, they're all trying to grow together, they're young, they're thinking their Stanley Cups and their future.

They got these guys I mean, Horvat, Horvat tied it. And you just saw the look back to I forget who just to park, but all game, they're down. I mean, they're down three to one. Quinn Hughes scores and ties it up. So it was just no quick from a young team that you've seen him play like that all year. They surprise teams. They have nights where they show how young they are and maybe how not lacking in depth.

They deal with a little as well. But they're four or five plays hard against people like Biegel. What an addition that guy is. And it's a it's I'm glad Vancouver is moving on in terms of excitement. Minnesota can, Borio. But game four was anything but that. So congrats to the Canucks.

It was Pearson who passed in that park and he's been another great addition. And he's had a hot start to these playoffs. But let's talk about the young buck on the back end. Quim Hughes averaged twenty two, Alex as a rookie defenseman coming into the playoffs for the regular season. He was the NHL leading scorer on the back end. After the All-Star break, he had nineteen points to the shutdown and this guy's now got six in playoffs and he has not skipped a beat.

And he's continuing on this trajectory. I hope I said that correctly, to to be a multiple N winner.

And it's what a showing.

And I said I said last episode it's going to be hard for the Canucks because the wilds of big, heavy, experienced team. And I feel that they're going to try to beat them down and demoralize them into maybe giving up as opposed to going and winning the series. And they overcame that. And I couldn't be happier for this young group of guys led by Bo Horvath, who was tremendous in that game for that you mentioned. And and I don't know how I don't know how well they're going to do in playoffs, but it was good to see them at least get over this little hump.

Did you guys see the video of JT Miller that went viral of reading off the names before the game, getting the boys all pumped up yet?

So I just wrote to have him read the lineup every game and they'll fucking run through a brick wall. That was some good shit. I wish I seen the edited version, though. You need Swigs from the locker room.

I was very critical of them early on and the move to bring him in for the first rounder. Now I'm going to stick to my guns and still say I wasn't crazy about giving up that first rounder, but if they could pull off the next series, I'll I'll concede they have.

Who do they have after Vancouver is going to be playing in St. Louis. Oh thanks. The result of good luck. But they've played meaningful games.

They've been playing meaningful games. So it's always all different this year. It's just way it's no one knows how to expect how this first real round.

But the good news this is they're going to experience what it's like to play in another series with even a better team who's playing that rough and stuff, rough and tough style. And if they're going to be able to get over that hump, then, you know, you got a real deal on your hands.

And of course, the eighth series we talked about last episode, the Kane swept the Rangers three not.

And so we already analyzed that one. But I do got a note here.

Spit Checketts listeners know that one of the great long running subjects on the show has been playing hockey in Russia. Well, there's a new documentary out called Red Penguins, and it's a crazy story. I watched it over the weekend. Definitely want to recommend that I managed to squeeze in, if you want, between all the games this weekend. It's written, produced and directed by Gabe Polsky, who also directed the excellent Red Army documentary about the history of hockey in Russia.

Red Penguins tells the story about what happens when capitalism meets post communist Russia. It's pretty wild. Back in the early 90s, the owner of the penguins invested in the Russian national team that was on the verge of bankruptcy. He was hoping to build a pipeline of Russian players to Pittsburgh. He brought on this. Wacky marketing guru to help help out Nalanda, a basically gangsters were becoming the guys with serious power and like I said, things get wacky, crazy, ridiculous.

I think what we also see where there's a precursor to all the cage stories we hear, like why are they so crazy? Well, this kind of set in place everything that was crazy in hockey for in Russia for the next 20 years. And what's interesting to is also hearing the different versions of the story from the Russian side, from the American side. It's kind of like, where's the truth in the middle? It's kind of a real funny quality to it.

But the continents it seems to be that's Russia. So watch red penguins at home now on iTunes. Download Red Penguins now on iTunes. See the full documentary Red Penguins now on iTunes. It's good stuff. I watch them myself. Me. I don't recommend it unless I really like it. It's a wild, wild story, though.

OK, well, one of the things I saw on the trailer was a bear chugging a beer. Was that correct?

That was very accurate.

They would bring in a beer, would come in and serve a beer to another beer, and then the beer would jug the beer with beer.

Servatius serving beer, spears, beers, gas and beers.

I can't do us.

But then I got. But then I got to wonder now it's getting so silly. With all this footage you see that Russia is just just us seeing their version of like Tiger King.

They're probably watching Tiger King over there with subtitles, be like, look at these idiots. Like this is what's going on in the States.

Like, is that their version of it? I mean, it's weird that it's happening at their top professional leagues. Yeah, yeah. It is a bit you know, it looks like a scene at a semi pro when when he rests on the bench.

Oh, that probably carries on rocket when you when you get well basically their version of ice girls doing a striptease between periods and after the game, that was like a real eye opener. There's some it's crazy because Russia on board for that.

I'm looking forward to catchiness. Yeah, communism just fell. So like they didn't know what freedom of capitalism was. And then you had this bunch of people trying to invest to make money. But meanwhile, Russia was just getting taken over by gangsters. So there's all these different elements going on. It's definitely interested in it. Certainly if you weren't around back then, like many of our audience wasn't. So definitely. Check it out. Red penguins, good stuff.

All right. Like we mentioned a little while ago, Philadelphia won the round robin in the east. Vegas won the round robin in the west. Both of them are the number one seeds. So we're going to get some predictions from the fellows right now. First round Cambell conference, the Western Conference, let's see, Vegas, the number one seed going against the Chicago Blackhawks after the upset of Edmonton. What we're going to go to you first, like on this one.

I don't know. I would have felt very I I would have felt way more confident if Edmonton had moved on. Do you know what I'm saying? I didn't picture Chicago doing this. So I'm going to stick with the Hawks, because I'm not I'm not betting against a group of guys who've won three Stanley Cups together that looked the way they did the last time. They want a Stanley Cup in that first round. So I'm on the Hawks and they take care of us.

We got a great relationship with the Hawks family, SOCOs, Chicago, a now.

Yeah, exactly. We've been interviewing so many of them. How long how many games this. Go ahead.

I'm going to go seven, OK. I got hawks in seven, too, and the reason I say that is really the reason I say that I think Pat's right is coming back and sometimes I can like, you know, get the guy back and kind of the function shoes off. Oh, no, you know, it's not clicking like it was before.

And yeah, I just like you said, it's very hard to bet against a group of guys like that who have been rejuvenated and have some of those young bucks going back. Kirby Dork looks unbelievable. Sometimes it's nice to be forced to pick third. Like that landed in their lap, I think that guy is going to be a stud. So anyway, I got Hawks, Hawks and seven against Revo and the boys got we might look like fools here, not me.

Maybe you, too, because I'm going to Vegas and I go to Vegas in six.

I think they're a little bit deeper. Also, we have the added fact that they picked up Robin Lehner at the trade deadline and that gives him a two headed monster between him and Marc-Andre Fleury. That's I think they could throw the guy out.

There might not be too much of a difference so easily win this series best. Vegas could really it could be like a five. It could be it could be like a four to one type series over and five.

But I want to show Hawks, Crawford's been playing pretty good, too. And now a one other thing we didn't discuss is Vegas has to go these. Right. So it's a bit of a mindfuck for the coach. Like what happened. Fleury doesn't play well in game one.

If he gets the nod, then you go back to letter or you stick with Fleury, like, how is it, you know, you know, and then if he doesn't have a great start. What the fuck are we doing?

I find a letter and letter explaining it to his old club. You know, I know some of these guys, coach put me in. I want to play over deflower will see I next up, creating internal drama.

Yeah, Colorado Avalanche, the second seed they'll be taken on Biz's coyotes.

Arizona support one zero one one versus jokes are going to have their hands full. Let's go to you first, because I know what you're going to say. Just the number of games they already did Yeltsin for.

OK, I'm going to go Colorado and six with Colorado and six and yeah, I'm actually going to go to Colorado and five. I think the stacked I think they got that is pretty much all over the ice. All going to go.

Colorado five an advantage. All right.

Next up, I would have taken the oath last year, but I didn't want to agree with bears. So that should count as a win for me, I swear to God.

All right. Next stop, Dallas Stars versus Calgary Flames. This is an intriguing matchup, no doubt about that. What do you got one on this?

I think this could be a barnburner of a series, I think you could see some exciting physical just overall great hockey and having a tough time picking against the Dallas stars. But I'm going to do it. I think Calgary stays hot. I think they just got some mojo going right now.

And I don't know if this is that this is one of the tougher ones, but I'm on the flame. So Flame fans. Sorry, guys. Just still please welcome me with open arms someday when we can go to the stampede. I'd love to check that scene out.

I got flames in seven. I think it's going to be a great series.

Talbert's playing well. Scott Bishop at the other end. Dallas has a solid back and young couple of young studs.

It's good to be a good series. Really looking forward to it.

I got flames in seven. Excuse me.

What, you had Calgary. How many wet go? Six. Just because I don't want to be the same as best, but it'll probably take seven and a half games for them to.

Yeah, I'm not putting a ton of stock in the round robin. Like I said in the get go. I don't know. Dallas wasn't I don't think Dallas was saying that was a particularly great.

But I'm going to go Calgary in seven as well.

Next stop, St. Louis versus Vancouver. This is another intriguing matchup. Let's go to you first, because when you got for prediction on this one, which one did you say? St. Louis? Vancouver.

Yeah, I can't bet against St. Louis. I think I think it's going to go six games there to turn it on for four playoffs, I don't even think they played Binnington in the last round robin game. So let's go to St. Louis and six. I think the Vancouver Canucks are going to get some valuable experience here and it might be valuable experience and shoving it up my hoop once they upset the St. Louis Blues.

The the blues, I think, get it done handily, maybe five or six games it was it's almost like your first experience in the playoffs. I was on the Penguins. You got work by Ottawa. St. Louis, I think gets it done, but. That that first round of play in series win against Minnesota, that will really serve those guys well, but I do not think Vancouver wins against the blues song called Blues. What I say five or six pick, pick your poison.

Not saying an exact number.

OK, all right. See, that's a tough one. This asshole. You're an asshole. What an asshole. I don't know.

It's tough to pick against the defending champs. Like I said, I think they're kind of a snooze mode right now waiting for the real games to matter. But I'm going to go St. Louis and six as well with that one.

And now we're going to flip it over to the Wales conference over in the East, first game of our series, Philadelphia versus Montreal. This is gonna I don't know, man. This is going to be interesting.

I know Philly wanted that home home ice. They played their balls off it.

But what you got on this one, wet Philly and five, I was going to say it is a wagon, that goal that Kataria, when he chipped it up the wall on purpose, like he like shuffleboard, did it up the wall. I forget who it went to. And then he snapped a one time pass over to Ferebee and just shelved one on like, all right, this team, they are just feeling it right now.

They look like a dream team right now. The Harlem Globetrotters on ice. I got I got a million five to. All right.

What? Because you both like Philly. I'm going to stick with the Habitant Albert Einstein. Another upset. I know it's unlikely Phillies look unreal, but it's a whole new season. These are the final 16. I've seen Montreal. I've seen what they can do in the past, even with maybe an inferior squad. They just play better in the playoffs price. If he continues to do what he does, I don't know. I'm going to go Montreal in seven.

I know it's unlikely and I haven't pissed off the Philly fans for a while. That's usually what's territory.

But I got Montreal on seven. I got a good reason who. OK, next up, let's see. We got the Washington Capitals versus the New York Islanders and old Patrick Division rivalry. Little E the reunion from back I think. Eighty seven. Barry Trotz versus the old team as well with Dog.

What do we got on this one if I'm not not incorrect. Isn't this the the Dale Hunter Pierre Turgeon series Washington Islanders that two. Yep.

When he didn't know he scored fourteen thousand islanders, scumbag fans jumping up and down. But I think like I said at the beginning when we were talking about the islanders, that they are going to play so hard and they're not going to make it easy. But I think Washington gets it done in seven games. Islanders and six oh, really, I feel like I think I feel like they're buying in I feel like this is a very tight group. I feel like all of them want it.

And I mentioned the depth scoring between the top three lines. They have one of the most reliable fourth lines in hockey and they got some guys on the back end who are contributing. And now they got Boychuk coming back and Varlamov is playing out of his mind. Yeah, I think I think they're going to shock the Washington Capitals and they're going to beat him in six games. Trott's knows the Washington Capitals well.

He managed the first words out of my mouth, man, if anyone knows their weaknesses besides Barry Trotz and that's a key reason I like the sound, is he knows how to beat him probably better than anyone. You mentioned Varlamov. He was outstanding in the qualifiers. I'm going the island islanders in seven and it's going to be you guys are both going the Isles, for instance.

I heard the trots put in in order. And this was done by Lou Lamoriello, of course, only one source at pre game mills in the bubble. Well, how the fuck are we going to be cross and sources in the pregame wet? How's he going to be tickling the twine with no cross to the sources?

You don't know that Bachchan has a hook up to be able to cross his sources. Alexander Ovechkin has a hook up for anything and everything you could imagine.

If he needs it, he's getting it. I don't care if he's in a bubble or in a spaceship. It's Ovie.

He's fucking getting whatever he needs and whether it's marinara sauce and a bunch of disgusting. What's the word? I'm not an Alfredo guy. I think you're gross.

If you just if you eat just Alfredo sauce, maybe the second sauce is mustard packets from Jimmy Johnson.

Shit.

Well, we got mail really discussed with our mail. That's just going to make me puke when I want to talk. Boston and Carolina, an old Adams division raillery.

The old whaler's and Bruins match up the Bruins awful. And the Round-Robin, they they beat Carolina once in one game the season. Same teams as the Eastern Conference finals last year. The Boston swept as a brand they can't say inspired a lot of confidence in people. But like I said, I think this team is just waiting for the real games to start. There's a lot of veterans on that team. We'll see what happens. I'm going to go beas Carolina is going to get a better series the last year, but I'm going to go B's in six because what do you have?

What I'm going to throw it over to you first, defer so my my my brain is saying this, the president's trophies winners, who are the fourth seed that they work Carolina over last year, this year, they look just as good, if not better at times.

Yes, Carolina's improved, but this is the Boston Bruins and they get it done in five or six. But my heart, after watching Carolina and that first line and just the whole buying into Rod Brinda more and playing like their head coach played and everything I've said before about them, that makes you think Carolina is going to beat them, coupled with the fact the Bruins were pathetic and every game they played. So, yeah, can can can you just turn it on?

I don't think that's going to be that easy. I'm still going the Bruins, but it's going to bring me up to seven games for them to get it done.

I just nailed that because you might not be able to go. I'm still very torn on who I'm picking here, and it's such a 50/50 coin toss because the cans of baby look so stupid. I got Joel Edmondson and Trochaic and a couple other guys on their team trolling me. The bird man, yeah, they're like in all the old posts about me saying there's no way they're going to even win on the plane series.

I'm going to pick Caroline and Kevin. They're just such a hard team to root against, especially going against a team who doesn't really have their shit figured out. You want to blame it. All the games weren't really worth anything. Blah, blah, blah. I just feel like they really have their shit together and they're getting goaltending right now all of a sudden and they know how to manage games and they all play for one another. So I got I got a goal with Caroline on this one, guys.

And seven. All right, that's a nice little roundup. And again, we'll we bring the well, the winner, Columbus, Toronto versus Tampa Bay will be having that as an addendum to the show. But first off, I want to let you know it's summer, the weather's warming up and sports are back in full swing with the NHL playoffs now underway. That means you need to stay hydrated with our favorite sports drink body armor. I'm a big fan of the fruit punch and watermelon strawberry myself.

I love the taste and to keep you hydrated when you need it most during these sweaty August season, body armor has no artificial sweeteners, flavors or dyes. There's potassium packed and full of electrolytes with all the things you need to keep you hydrated during the summer months and tastes great. Drink with the greats like Mike Trout and James Harden.

Drink, learn more at drink, body armor, dotcom or any of their flavors at Amazon right now. And they got tons of great flavors to check out. Like I said, fruit, fruit, punch, watermelon, strawberry. Can't go wrong there, but you'll definitely find something to like once again, drink body armor, dot com or go to Amazon and check it out there. Boys, I think it's about time we send it over to Dave Hansen of Slapshot fame.

No more predictions to make. No, no.

I predict you'll enjoy this friggin interview, though. Well, it's a huge thrill for me to welcome our next guest. He played professionally for a decade with stints in the NHL and the late. But you know him from the big screen in his iconic role as Jack Jansen in the best hockey movie ever made, as well as one of the funniest movies ever made, Slapshot. It's a great pleasure to welcome to Spit and Checketts Dave Hansen.

Thanks for joining us, Dave RTM. It's great to be with you. I've been a fan from the first time you and I met back in the back at the Goon premiere. Oh, it's good to hook up with you again.

I'm surprised they brought you guys in for that premiere. What a shocker. Yeah, exactly.

I mean I mean, I usually don't fanboy as much, but this is like interviewing like Luke Skywalker hands of me because I watch Slapshot. So many people love it. It's such a big presence in my house.

So this is a true honor for me. So how are you doing? Are you still in the Pittsburgh area these days?

Yeah, still out here trying to navigate, you know, this covid stuff that's flying around. I mean, I'm actually in a sports facility business. I got a complex here that's got a big indoor golf driving range and outdoor track and field complex. And I got four ranks and a bunch of other stuff and just trying to figure out how to keep these kids in on the ice and on the ranks. And I'll plant and without getting shut down and staying healthy.

So it's it's certainly a long cry from just punching somebody in the nose before something, you know, a little bit about nine bucks for five minutes or getting punched in the nose.

Yeah, I took more than I gave them. If I got used to get this, especially in the American Hockey League, those guys fucked me up. But thanks for coming on. What's the name of the complex? A little quick plug for you.

It's the Robert Morris University. Allen Sports Center. So where are you? All right. You guys probably familiar with the Sewickley area. I'm sure that's where you lived when you were here, right? This.

Oh, is that where the rich guys live? Like that's where you live. So they didn't allow business in the town?

Yeah. Yeah. So we're right. We're literally across the river on an island in the Ohio River. And that's a pretty good place for 32 acre complex here and got a lot going on it. So it's a lot of fun. It used to be.

So if you're born born in Wisconsin but raised and grew up playing hockey in Minnesota, is that correct?

Yeah, I grew up in St. Paul. And you know, which, you know, everybody knows Minnesota's is state of hockey and grew up in St. Paul, came up to the you know, back then in those days, it was pretty much high school hockey for for us kids. And so I grew up playing my high school hockey team, my sports there. And, oh, Herb Brooks saw something in me and recruited me to come to the University of Minnesota, his first year there.

And I lasted about a year and a half there. Arnulfo is either, you know, too dumb to to hang in there or just kind of got frustrated with college hockey because it wasn't my kind of game. And and I playing a little bit of junior hockey and insane s.r.o. a couple of years later, you know, so that's crazy.

You get the chance to play for the legendary Herb Brooks rest in peace and. Well well, I mean, granted, it was just a year and a half. What was he like then? Because you watch the movie Miracle and you hear all the stories about demanding he was I couldn't even imagine college guys. It must have been, you know, even worse. I mean, at least those guys were maybe a little bit older in the movie Miracle and that year.

But he must have been a really tough guy to play for and really kind of always in your face, right?

Yeah, well, it's pretty unique. You know, again, you coming out back then, you know, nobody really went off and played just for a couple of years. It was pretty much right out of high school. A true freshman at eighteen years old going off to the you and and so certainly you weren't you're not used to the kind of regiment that that he instituted. You know, he was he was quite the guy to demand it quite a bit, but really was doing some unique things that was kind of foreign to, you know, the world of here in the States.

So we were out there with, you know, the way vest running up and down the football stadium steps and then getting right going right from hitting the ice and just getting your, again, the leg to be that idea. Because, you know, he was a big proponent of conditioning. You know, if he felt he felt that if you weren't going to be the most skilled team on the ice, you're going to be the best. Well, conditioned t money isn't just true.

You know, when it came right down to the to the line of, you know, who was going to act out on two evenly matched teams or even a little less matched team that you were going to wear them down. And so he just constantly busted our chops and busted our butts on and be in and condition and then having unique practice sessions with, you know, a lot of stuff that that nobody really knew about. And it was kind of really far to us.

But, you know. Really made a difference, and, you know, like I said, I made reference earlier, you know, I wasn't necessarily the skilled guy. I was, you know, the football player on skates. And but he took, you know, a lot of the Minnesota kids. And back then, everybody that played on for a golfer had to come from Minnesota. He didn't have any outside players coming in. So, you know, you had he took a bunch of kids and eventually won a couple of championships while he was there with that group.

Dave, I mean, these young kids, they'll never know what a true bag skate is.

And even I've been through some, but I like how many with with our Brocks, like how many just where you were, like, looking at each other after like it's the sky and saying, well, and I don't know, Paul, if, you know, if you were at a point in your career at any time where the banks gates were called HERBES because he coined it. And just as in the movie, it was red line. Blue line.

Red line. Red line, red line five. Blue line, red line five. Red line. Red line, blue line. I just kept going and you get to the end and you think you're done and then you say, what are you stopping for, to blow the whistle. And you go right at it again. And it was, it was incredible. And to your point, yeah. I don't kids nowadays don't know what a big skate is.

And going back to the Minnesota hockey, was it as big as it was back then as it is now? Like now they rent out the the Minnesota Wild's arena. They got all these kids skiing up to the blue eye with their funky haircuts. I don't know if you've been paying attention.

Yeah, it's well, of course, back then they didn't have all the divisions they have now. You know, now they got a class for almost every level and, you know, and they got which is a great thing. They got the girls playing hockey out there, too. And but back then, everybody was pretty much lumped into one. So you had a small schools like Up and more road with Minnesota where, you know, someone like Henry Bouchet came out, but Henry Bouchet was the only one to come out of Warroad.

And, you know, it was very small northern Minnesota backwoods type school district and school would come down and play someone like Diana, which is a huge metropolitan area, you know, outside of Minneapolis. And yet most of the time, these little schools have come down and beat the big schools. And it was back then it was the med center or at the north. Stars used to play and it was televised and it was it was the ticket.

It was the place to be. The place to go. And if you went to Minnesota high school championships, you were king.

And to get the varsity jacket on.

Oh, you were on the walk of poll, taken care, taken kids pizza slices off their plates like there are enough parents dilly dally.

They all kingpin. Thanks. Yeah. But rather the office.

They're like, do you give me my pizza back? Sorry.

All right. What do you do for them? I know you're drooling over these these slapshot questions here.

Absolutely. But first, we want to start off with your career. You were at the Johnstown Jets. Now they were the old North American Hockey League. Would they be equivalent to today, Dave, like the East Coast League, maybe. Yeah, but the East Coast League is even now the way that got Ned Dolan must be like the NHL for us back in the North American League. But if you ever read any of the old books, you know, like the John Brophy played that Don Hall's, you know, even back at Eddie Johnstone and Giacaman or not Giacaman, but I'm blanking out the goalie from the boss in the old boss and Cheevers.

Yeah. You know, they played in that league, which was called the East Eastern Hockey League. And the next year I got there, they actually just changed the name and maybe got rid of a couple of different cities. But it was still that brand of hockey that you see in Slapshot. And that's what Slapshot was written about. The movie Slapshot could almost be considered a documentary if it wasn't, you know, some of it didn't get, you know, stripping at the end of the game and some of those, you know, weird things.

But that's the way it was. You know, there was everything that pretty much happened and Slapshot happened. And those two years that I played for Johnstown, I was going to say you weren't pro all that long before your life would change forever.

And it was it was obviously from the movie that I want to get into how that all started, how the producers first got in touch you and how you know, you became one of the triplets. Well, you know, the short version of the story is we had a player on a team that Dowd who just to put a face to a name, he was Ogie Oglethorpe in the film he played for us. He was a he was a Boston boy.

Here you go, Ryan. He went to Bowden. He's a Massachusetts boy, was actually held the record for years of scoring record for Bowden University there, signed with St. Louis and was was sent to Johnstown, as you know, in the farm team there. And but his sister was a screenplay writer out in L.A. And the story goes on one night, one late night, when he had a few few of the adult libations and think witness, I think he had a couple of years ago and was talking to his sister, who was out in L.A. and just started saying, you can't believe where I'm at.

You know, I'm in a steel mill town. The mills are closed. And you have to see this. You know, I'm in this league with the all they do is fight. And you have to see these three brothers that are playing already, you know, just went on and on about everything. And he says, you know, the mills are closing. They're talking about selling the team. And and she says, well, who owns the team?

Like, there's the line in the movie, who owns the team? And he says, I don't know on this team. She says, well, I'm coming up. I don't believe it. So she actually came into Johnstown and spent a few weeks riding the buses with us, sitting in the bars with this, coming to the games, hanging out at the guy's apartment. She went back and wrote the screenplay by Universal Studios, bought it. Ned Dowd, who is the sister of Nancy Dowd, the guy that was on the team that was telling her about it.

He gets hired in the summer to come down and try to start helping them find actors that could skate well enough to play these roles in the movie. So they had Nick Nolte, Donny most John Travolta on and on and on, you know, these A-list actors coming out and he's trying to teach them how to skate because they were all people that they wanted to have play these major roles and none of them could skate. One of them broke her ankles.

One guy broke his nose falling into the boards. I mean, he said it was it was it was a mess. And so finally, they got so frustrated. Ned suggested to Nancy and to the to the director, George Roy Hill, why don't you go back to John's town? Why don't you let these guys, most particularly the Hanson brothers, are the Carlson brothers, Jeff Jack and Steve Carlson, who was playing with us.

And then, of course, myself, why don't you let them see if they could be the guys to play their own characters? And that's kind of what they did. They came back. We're in the playoffs and they took us in a hotel room one night, said, read a few lines here, guys. Let's read this. You know, surprise me. I think they were surprised. We actually could read and we read them. And in spite of that, they still said, OK, let's give it a shot.

So the plan was then that Jeff, Jack and Steve Carlson were going to be the Hanson brothers and Dave Hansen was going to play Killer Carlson, which was kind of the roles that were written after ourselves. But Jack was up in Edmonton and you got called to the playoffs. They wanted to start filming, so they just threw me in as a third brother. And ironically, Hansen became a handsome brother and they brought in Jerry, also an actor, to play the killer Carlson role.

So that was kind of that's kind of how that kind of developed.

Dave, was that hotel seeing the cars, the toys. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The hotel. Well, and again, you know, just talking about the real thing. So we used to I don't know if if you have never made a trip to Johnstown when you were here and wailing. Oh yeah, I made a few. All right. So you know you know what it's like there's not a hell of a lot to do Johnstown. So we did have a day off, which is typically on Sunday and the bars are shut down.

The Carlson brothers and myself and a guy that played pretty boy, Billy Carlisle, we all lived in the same apartment, same house. It was a three story house with the landlord's on the main floor. And then the second floor of the Carlson's third floor was Guido Tennesee myself. So we went and bought a race car track set and we would push all the furniture aside, set up the race cars, and we would have race car races and start out with just a couple of us.

And then eventually, you know, the whole team started coming over and that's what we did. All we used to play with our cars was a race car. So she just took that a step further, you know, and we took it on the road with us where you guys gamble brought our frigging toy.

You bring your fucking toys. You guys gambling on the races. Oh, yeah, oh, absolutely, yeah, that's why I got so pissed off when Steve broke my car, you broke my car, wouldn't let me play anymore, so I threw it at him.

Oh, you know what?

What was the reason that the third calcium's not Karlson. What was the name of that. Yeah. Yeah.

What happened to him. He he ended up in Edmontonians with the Oilers and they're in the playoffs and you know, they wouldn't release him and Universo didn't want to hang on. Yeah. For however long they were going to have to hang on to start filming. So that's why they threw him in as a third brother.

Hey, no residuals for you, buddy. Those checks are probably still rolling in. That's.

Yeah, yeah. I get fifty dollars every year. That's before tonight. Yeah. I don't get you. I guess it's a case of equity.

Yeah, it's pretty expensive.

We'll hook you up if you connect it. Oh hey.

I'll get I'll give you a free bottle if you tell me about the story when you first met Paul Newman.

OK, you're up for that. So actually Universal Studios, the whole production company, they actually came into town while we were still in the playoffs, were playing, I think it was the Philadelphia Flyers in the playoffs. And and, you know, we didn't really know that they were a town or not. We just kind of heard whispers because they, you know, there's no reason for them to come out up to us for anything. So anyhow, I got its pregame nap game day and I'm sleeping and there's a knock on the door and I wake up and, you know, what the hell's going on now.

You know, someone's at my door. And of course, my roommate is is not getting up. And which happened to be Bruce Boudreau of all people. You know, he goes to sleep and nothing can wake him up.

You've got a barbecue sauce on his chin, too.

I bet he fell off three steaks that he ate before pre game. So I'm up and I swung open a door and I'm standing on my north, my dirty socks on. And and I'm looking at this guy and he's I'm looking down at him because he's a shorter guy and he's also on a step ball because he had to walk up into my apartment. And I'm just looking at him and he's looking at me and he says, You, Dave? And I said, Yeah.

And he puts his hand. He says, I'm Paul Newman. I just yeah, I guess you are. He says, Well, jeez, I'm sorry. You know, again, I'm standing in my underwear. No, my underwear, my socks. He said, Jesus, did we wake? I said, yeah, I got a game and I got decent. And he said, OK, jeez, I'm really sorry. OK, so what's up?

He said, Well, I got a couple of guys here from from the art department. They like to know what a what a hockey players apartment looks like. You mind if we come in? I said, nah, you know, I don't mind at all, but I'm going back to bed. Just, you know, make sure you close the door when you leave. And he says, OK, no problem. He says, by the way, do you get any beer in the fridge?

Yeah. He says, You mind if I crack a beer and sit down and watch the race on TV? Well, these guys are looking around. I said, no, go ahead, drink as much as you want. You know, catch up with you later. And that was kind of it. That was my first meeting to Paul Newman. Just nonchalant.

Is that just a real like a guy's guy? Ha. Seems, you know, I was cocky at all or anything. No, not at all.

In fact, the first day we were on set together, you know, walking in with his ice coffee and blue jeans and sneakers and a t shirt and and right off the bat, we just hit it because he was a real prankster to begin with, you know, and we're in a hockey environment. Keep in mind, everybody, everybody pretty much we're all professional, you know, movie people, the actors trying to act as hockey players and, you know, Nouman Annison this and that.

So this is a job to them. For us, it's a it's a summer vacation. It's something to do instead of going back to Minnesota and playing softball and drinking beer all summer and and wait for training camp to open up.

So so right off the bat, he's popping beers with us. He's farting around, he's pulling jokes. And we're thinking, wow, this is right on our land. And it just gave us a forum to pretty much do whatever we want, intimidate everybody as much as we wanted to. So so he was right in there like a dirty shirt with us. Yeah, no, no one was already a huge star, too.

I mean, cool hand, Luke to staying Butch Cassidy. He was always before that. All right.

This is after all those.

Oh, so that was a big this had to get to get him was huge right at that point. Oh, yeah, well, they initially had I think Fazzino earmarked to play that role to play Reggie Dunlop, Keana, who's the other guy, the other Enero obstetric dinero? No, I was Fazzino. Yeah. So Joe Perniciously. John.

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, no. Come on.

Well, they're just both he's they're nasty.

I did Newbon Bertino is a guy that initially was they had Cassard to play Reggie Dunlap and when they hired George Roy Hill, who ironically is also another Minnesota guy, and George Roy Hill started talking about, you know, do you not escape genius's? Well, no, not really. You know, we'll figure it out. We'll try to work this out and George Roy Hill and go for it. He pretty much can Fazzino and write to Nomen who he had done, you know, I think Butch Cassidy, Sundance Kid with and New Newman Cascadian and pitched the idea right to Newman right away.

And Bengoa, you know, Newman Newman didn't blink.

He says, I'll take it, is that the two twin sisters that were falling around, the one guy, the playboy on the team, is that based off a true story or was that just written in there for for the smoking? Oh, yeah. That's never happened in hockey.

This why did they have to smoke? So blondes as booster's ready to fall. You're out all season. I don't know. That seems like a pretty good set up to me.

And the last time I saw the sparkle, you know, afterwards, the Sparkle twins, that's what they were called the Sparkle Twins.

Yeah. Then they they were sparkly. Yeah. They they were sparkly. Not even as much with themselves as they were with other guys. Quite the act they had going there. Not that I would know anything about it because I was engaged at the time to my wife who was from Johnstown. And so but yeah, I don't know if I got to tell you, I don't know if that was the writer's imagination or or another story that was told in the back room at some point in time around on the iron lung.

Did Norman hang out with any of the plays, like extensively to kind of get get into the role more? You always hear about cops jump. I mean, just jump in with a cop or do a ride along. Did he do anything similar to that to prepare for the role?

Well, I don't think he did it to prepare. You know, he he would sneak out when he was up and at back in Connecticut at his home and would sneak out down to the local ice rink and skate in a snap. But but the thing was, you know, when he came on set and he was with us, you know, you could see that he could skate. I mean, it wasn't a great skater, but it was you know, he was a fair skater.

But where he really struggled with it was having a hockey stick in his hand. He never played hockey, you know, didn't didn't even do any shinny hockey like that. And so he was struggling. And then so he would spend some time with us, he'd come out and say, hey, guys, you know, what do I do with this thing? And we would pass the puck around with them, sticking with them. And and so, you know, those are things that work on this.

And then you go off, you know, in the corner and work on it. And it was a pretty good athlete. You know, he he learned quick. He was, you know, really focused on that role and doing it right. And I think I think the thing that really helped him get into character, though, is that he did, you know, when when we were shooting, you know, he would hang with us. And then, of course, when we had a wrap, we would hit the bars right away and he'd come right along with us as well.

Dave, I mean, you go from, you know, being, I'd say, a regular player at that time to now where you're you're essentially a hockey icon. After that was you know, was it hard to adjust to all that fame as you kept your career going and then even afterwards? Or was it was it pretty seamless?

Well, it's funny. You know, I think think back the difference between back then to how it is now. Back then, you didn't have cable TV back then. You didn't have VCRs, you know, so when a movie came out, it just went through to the theaters for, you know, a couple of weeks or so and then it was gone. So I'm trying to think I was I signed with and went back to and I was playing for Brophy down at Hampton, Virginia.

Oh, Jesus. Yeah.

And the premier came out February. That's February and seventy seven. And so it hit the theaters. So, you know, right during the latter part of the hockey season, you know, the movie was in the theaters so you know, I'd be gone getting up in a face off down in Dallas and you know, and I have a guy come up player come up next to me and he said, hey, I thought after the game, OK, what I thought after the game.

And then I realized it's a line from the movie. So the guys, you know, from the other team obviously were busting my balls constantly. And even the fans, you know, I remember specifically and it was in Dallas Skane arama warm ups. And of course, I didn't have a very good reputation in opposing ranks to begin with. So I got a whole section of fans just yelling at me, screaming at me, and I'm paying attention to them and finally come around and look up the whole sections, got the glasses with the nose on and they're just laughing their balls off and cheering at me.

So during that hockey season, it was it was kind of like status quo other than guys just having a lot of fun with the line. So and then after that, you know, the movie went away. So there really wasn't anything more about the movie much other than every town I went into. You know, the local newspaper went to an article about it and they would interview me about it. And that was kind of it. But I got to tell you that the one thing it did help me with is my next year I signed with the Detroit Red Wings because Ted Lindsay was a GM, saw the movie and said, hey, we got to get this guy on our hockey team.

And he changed the whole slogan of the season for the Detroit Red Wings to aggressive hockey is back in town, which is a phrase right out of slapshot. So I think it did help me do is get a good, solid three year NHL contract out of the deal. Awesome.

There you go. So I'm not I'm not done with with Slapshot by any means. But but but you mentioned quickly you play for Brophy. And we actually had a guy friend in Warsaw who had some classic bro stories. Anything come to mind in terms of how nuts that guy was when you were playing for him?

Well, bro was one of my two most enjoyable coaches I played for. The other one was Glenn Sophomore, which were both cut out of the same cloth and that actually was a coach together. But but everything you hear about John is is not only true, but probably 10 times that. And one of the great stories that that I always remember was I'm on the ice, we're done in Hampton, and we got a young player on a team. And John and I are talking on the ice after practice.

And this young player comes up and he says, Hey, bro, I need to ask you some suggestions. Will you teach me, you know, what do I do if if I want to fight a guy and and he doesn't drop a stick? Because what he mean he says, well, you know what? If the guy, you know, doesn't drop a stick and John says, what should I do? He says, OK, here's what you do.

He says, drop your gloves. I drop some stuff off wax and right over the head with a frickin stick. The guy goes down and he is cut in his head. He comes up, he's kind of all wobbly and he says, don't ever drop your gloves and your stick until the other guy drops is. Oh, great. Thanks, bro. Funny Skatoff. That was typical, bro. I want to go back.

We just talk about the classic lines of so many of them in the movie where all the lines in the script, a George Roy Hill I used to adlib.

Did you make up any of them on the spot? How did that play out?

Yeah, we actually, you know, especially with us. I mean, the script was outstanding. You know, most of the lines, you know, in the script are a result of Nancy Dowd and creativity and writing it and, you know, understanding the lingo and the jargon of the game and of the players. But one of the first scenes that we were shooting when Ansara, the first guy in front of camera and we actually had to do some talk.

And, you know, and George Roy Hill kind of says, OK, quiet on the set action. And we go to set our lines. We set our lines and he says, cut me. So let's give that another try. So we went through that cut. Let's give it another try, probably about four or five times. And you could see you get frustrated as we are. And we really aren't really understanding why we're thinking we're doing a pretty good job.

And he finances. So let's take a five minute break gang and he sits down next week. Look at boys. He says, I got to ask you this. You know, the set up here, you know, we're in the locker room and you understand what's going on. He says, so what would you do other than these lines? Would you say something different? What would you do and what kind of going? Well, I don't know.

Whatever we felt like at the time says, OK, so let's keep that in mind. He says we're going to shoot this scene again. He says, say whatever you think comes to mind. So says action. Here we go. And we rattle off the sciences. That's what I want to do from now on. He says, you know the lines. If you don't think that's it, just say whatever you want, do whatever you want.

And in all likelihood, that'll be the the best thing going. And that's kind of how we approached it. And because he finally, finally realized that you guys shouldn't be acting, your hockey players do what hockey players do, do what hockey players say. So that's kind of how we approach it. We knew the set up. We knew the lines and you know, the thing like crossing ourselves when we did that. And our first right before our first shift that was ad libbed was like, OK, it seems the thing to do, let's do it.

And we did it and he loved it.

So that's how that went by.

The pizza man going back to Broadford is his advice. Did you drop your sticks and gloves before you fought Bobby Hall?

Bobby Hull started that one. He hit me with an elbow.

It was that pretty standard and how the fight goes and that was that pretty much it.

Well, I guess I had a little bit to do with it. We were playing I was I was with the Birmingham Bulls and we were playing Winnipeg the first round of the playoffs, and they just had an incredible hockey team. Yet Hollander's had Berghoff, Nielsen Schulberg, you know, the flying Swede's. I mean, they just could go. And, you know, we had guys like myself and Jules Bilodeau and Steve W.A. and, you know, a couple of lugs as well as some pretty darn good hockey players.

But I figured, well, you know what? I'm going to set the tone. We're in Winnipeg. You know, we're not expected to win anything. But, you know, we're going to battle and and I'm going to really set the tone. So I'm going after the big guy right away. I'm going to step in to him, knock him on his ass and and get our guys fired up and let let everybody know we're in this game.

So the opportunity came up. I stepped in to Bobby and, you know, Bobby was a shit brick house to begin with and just called me over, went in and scored a goal. And I put the stick between my legs and scooted over to the bench and sat down and felt shame.

But I was determined for the next opportunity, came up to hit my head and he took exception. And I don't know who dropped the gloves first, but we both started going at it, which was surprising because I think at that time, Bobby was kind of like a. fighting because I think he took a pretty good shot from gas off on one game and said, that's enough. I'm not doing this anymore. But we started going at it, you know, typical fight frenzy, crowds going out of this and that.

And then all of a sudden we stop. And I'm looking at him and I'm thinking. Bobby doesn't look the same, and I look down on my hand and I realized that I pulled the rug off. I have his friggin wig in my hands.

Oh, my.

Well, I threw it through the toupee out into the ice bill. Friday was he was the referee. Legendary Bill Friday. He gives me two minutes for roughing it. Five minutes for fighting. Bobby doesn't get a penalty. Bobby goes in, grabs a Jaffa helmet, comes back out, continues to play the game. And of course, you know, I just get it from the fans. And so later on the latter part of the game, I made a face off next to Bobby and I see.

She's Bobbie, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that, and he looks at me, kid, I had to get a new one anyhow, so so it doesn't end there.

So the game's over with. I'm skating off the ice and I come up next to Bill Friday, the referee. And I said I said, Bill. I said, why don't you throw me out of the game for what? This is for hair pulling. And he says, What are you talking? This is a gross misconduct pull in here. You should have thrown me a game. He says this is. Yeah, if it would have been real here, I probably would have thrown up or it was all fake.

There is nothing do.

All of that is gold. I mean, you like this and this. But but.

But it doesn't end there, guys. I mean, there's still more to go. So so here we are. You know, I pulled Bobby Holloway off. Everybody hates hates us because we're trying to physically, you know, intimidate and run the Jets out of their own rink. Of course we lose, but we're in the locker rooms or a bunch of us. Sachar now, earlier in the game to ban Steve Debono got thrown out of the game.

He was another whack job that, you know, glad you had him on the team. But, boy, be careful if you're playing against him, you never know what's going to happen. So all of a sudden, a bunch of us are in the shower. And Glenn Summer was our coach. He comes on and he says, dribbles in trouble. They're attacking durable. Well, if you've been in the old Winnipeg Arena, the bus used to drive down underneath by the locker room.

But also that was an extra we're all the fans go out that way as well. So a bunch of the fans came down and started jumping DiBona. So here Glenn Summer comes rushing in. The US yells at us. We're all in the shower. So we all go running our naked flipping and flopping around and we're fighting fans their ass naked in the bottom of in the balls of the Winnipeg Arena.

And the next day headlines in the paper shows a picture with Bobby showing is his bald head and all Neilson pointing at the wig and the saying is nothing sacred. It's like painting the mustache on the Mona Lisa. And then it goes on about the goon Dave Hansen ripping off Bobby Hall.

Oh, yeah, yeah. Oh, those are the good old days because of the fights and like the on ice assaults in the movie.

How were they choreographed? Like, did did you have like a specialist to come on or did the director, George Tenet say is to wing it? And did it take a lot of takes? How how how are those scenes done?

Well, some of it was, you know, someone with choreographed, choreographed and did anything about it. Is that other than the major speaking roles, a lot of guys we played against were real hockey players. And so, you know, everybody kind of knew, you know, how to how to punch, you know, and throw fire to make it look real. But I got to tell you, you know, another good story of the antics that went on.

So so here I am. So the answer, brothers doing a montage. We're hitting the ice. And if you recall in the movie right at the end where we start the big brawl, there's a player that skates down the ice. I grabbed from behind. I spin around. I had them. He falls down, I jump on top of them and start punching him, and then they cut to other scenes of the fight. So. So George, Roy Hill is telling me, OK, Dave, this is your part of this scene here.

This is what we're going to do. We're going to put the camera over here. The guy is going to skate down into the frame of the camera. You come skating in with him, Graham, from behind. And the camera angle is going to be at such that you when you make the swing at I'm going to tell him the fake, like he's hitting you, like you hit him and he'll fall down. But, you know, you can miss them.

And, you know, just because of the camera angle, it'll look like you hit them and then just jump on them and continue to pound them. I says, OK, I think I got that. So we're getting ready. I look over and the guy that is the guy I'm going to hit is somebody that I played against in the regular season. And I hated him. I just hate him. He was one of those guys, you know, we all hate, right?

This the yapper that you can ever catch. He's always yapping this stick and. Yeah, and he was never willing to drop the gloves and go. So I'm thinking myself, action. He can skate and then I can grab my spin around and turn them and I clock them and nail them right in the jaw, knock them out. Called you guy goes on like a pile, a sack of potatoes that jump on them and everybody's going to cut, cut, cut.

Medicare next rushes over to George Bush is over me. The director says, what the hell did you do what you do when you hit them? I said, George, I've never done this before. This is the movies. I don't know how to act. I just. It's calculated and unfortunately, you know, they the guy was OK eventually, but at least I got a little bit of a payback.

One of my favorite scenes is when Paul Newman and Reg Dunlop is is just all over Hanrahan, the goalie, and finally just reminds him that he knows his ex-wife or wife loves, loves pussy and and he skates out at him and goes bananas. Had that had that happen, was that a real life, you know, event that had happened or what gave that whole story a go in the movie?

Yeah, I don't know. I'll be honest with you. I don't know if I can tie that into a real life event, but there is a funny little funny part about that. Chris Murphy played the goalie, Tommy Hanrahan for the what were the called the Ducks, the Ducks or Long Island Duck Lanahan. But yeah. Hey, and your wife sucks. So anyhow, the funny thing is, you know, if you think about it, those two fight and then Paul goes off, Reggie Dunlop goes off into the penalty box, and then Hanrahan escapes from the from the linesman and spins around and skates and jumps in the penalty box.

Well, Chris, Marnie was so short and what the goalie pads on, he couldn't jump up over the boards. So the first time he did and he tried to jump, it just slammed into the boards. He couldn't, you know, come skiing the full blast and bam couldn't do it. So they actually had to build a ramp for him to be able to skate and kind of skate up the ramp and then jump over the board to get into the penalty box.

So it was it was pretty funny for us all ice hockey players to to watch all of that.

Yeah, he had some good velocity because it's funny when every time I watch that scene, the ref seems to get really close to escape plays there. It's almost like, Jesus, I'm lucky this one didn't get caught.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Did you ever play in men's league after your career? Well, I kind of did when I retired, and while the funny, funny story I've got is when I when I actually moved to Pittsburgh, I knew one of the reasons I came here is the Penguins asked me to come out and manage their practice facility that they built over in South Point. So you probably skate over their base and even you ride. I would suspect that's when they had this where they might have still had their practice facility.

So so I came out there on it. I was a general manager, so we had to start up men's league games, our men's league. And one of the things I had to do is I had to put to get help, put together a team and get a bunch of other guys to join in. So I had to play, I think, and I had to play to start and get it going so far and so on. So so, of course, when the first games I'm planning at some other teams, some guy, you know, wants to be a bit of an ass and is chopping me here and there, and I said, come on, just settle down.

It's just, you know, we're all going to go to work tomorrow and all of us have some fun. And I'm trying to be the conciliatory, nice guy. And and you go, yeah, tough guy, handsome brother, tough guy. You know, I said, OK, I get it. You know, let's just keep playing. So he does it tomorrow. And I said, you know, if you keep doing that, I said, you're going to regret it.

Oh, yeah. Tough guy. What are you going to put on the foil? Come after me. I said, yeah, you know, I just might if you don't knock it off or. Yeah, a third time he did it, I dropped my gloves. I hit him three times, knocked him out cold, broke his nose. And I'm thinking to myself, oh, my God, I'm fired, I'm done. I'm sued. They're going to get you know, there goes my life savings.

The house, everything is going this and that. From that time on, I have never played another mentally game. You know, you don't need that. Oh, no, don't.

That's a hard all right there. I'm glad you gave the business, though. So he never came after you financially. He took his looking like a challenge.

Oh, surprised. Oh, in fact, his teammates later on, you know, because of course, he kept the league on. I just was a part of it. And his teammates later, you know, I asked the guy guys later, you know, next time I saw him kind of, you know, hey, is the guys on your team? And he says, well, he hasn't played for a couple of games. This is all, you know, is he OK?

And I said it's the greatest day of his life. Oh, my God. Be up handsome, bro.

That's like the out of semipro where the guy wants you to, you know, come come home with the old lady style. He's just like, good way to get beat up by Dave Hansen. That's a little creepy.

And a well worked for this guy. Fortunately, he didn't. He didn't sue me.

A lot of our listeners aren't very familiar with the way the World Hockey Association, just because it's so old. You know, we've had Derek Sanderson on his when one of our guests. I wanted to ask you, how good was the year compared to the NHL back in the 70s?

Well, you know, you like to say it was on par because you think about, you know, I mean, you had some great, great players come on over. You know, Bobby Hall. I mean, he was still in his prime and and Frank Mihalic. And, you know, the list goes on. Paul Henderson, Napier, you know, it goes on and on, especially, you know, when I first started, we had the Minnesota fighting season.

We had, you know, Mike Shaki Walt and John Garrett was in goal. You know, it was great. But I think, you know, and looking back, you probably had where maybe the first two lines were could compete with any line in National Hockey League, you know, and like, you know, and it's kind of like even back in the old NHL days when you had just six teams and then you had the American Hockey League, you know, a lot of those players and all those teams could probably play the National Hockey League.

But once you get into the third and fourth lines, that's kind of where the drop off is. But it was just it was just a fun, colorful, real rebel type of league that, you know, Gado gave a lot of guys opportunities because they couldn't get in the National Hockey League, mostly just because the numbers, you know, limit a number of teams. And they had the opportunity to, you know, play at that high level and make good money as well as develop.

And then, you know, when the leagues came together, you know, has an opportunity to continue in the National Hockey League.

I mean, we know now that hockey in the South works and it works quite well. But what was it like playing for the Birmingham Bulls in Alabama in the late 70s? What was that atmosphere like?

Well, you know, if if you know anything about Alabama, especially back in those days, you had Bear Bryant was a legendary coach of the Alabama Tide football team. So, you know, Alabama was smashmouth football. And so, you know, John Bassett, who was a legendary Tronto, owner of the Toronto Turrell's, he started up and. And then when they moved to Birmingham, he got told by, you know, pretty much all of the sports enthusiasts that, you know, you you want hockey to make happen down there.

You want people to come here. It's got to be just like football, smash mouth football. So he literally told you it was our GM. He says, listen, that's the kind of hockey team. He says, I don't care how many games you win, you got to put this kind of brand on the ice. So he went out and got guys again. Steve Bannon and I were on a contract with Detroit Red Wings. We were the first players to ever be traded from the National Hockey League to the WHCA for two players, which was Tim Sheehy and Cognata Matzke, who, you know, became all stars in the National Hockey League.

And what the purpose was. You know, you get the who was big, tough, wild, crazy guy. You get Hansen in there who kind of fit the mold. And you had guys like Jills bad news. Bilodeau Frank, who started out as never beat and went to Frank, seldom beaten to Frank off and beaten, Frank beaten.

And Serge Baudoin and, you know, Kenny Lensman came in and created a hornet's nest whenever he stepped on the ice and so forth and so on. So that was the Brannock. It was it was the Broad Street bullies, times three on the ice in Birmingham everywhere we went and they filled the arena. You know, it was it was great. It was a great atmosphere to play instead of the national anthem they used to play. I'm trying to think the old Leonard Skinner, Alabama song, Sweet Home, Alabama, Sweet Home Alabama for the national anthem.

It was it was unbelievable.

Yeah. The big of Vaclav adamanCy big net. He just got in the Hall of Fame. Not this past glass, but I think a year or two ago, did you actually play the same team with him? I couldn't tell if you would trade it for me.

Well, no, I didn't. Again, he got we basically got traded for each other. But when I went back to Detroit, when I signed the contract with Detroit, I actually went back after the WSJ folded or merged and Birmingham folded and went to the Central Hockey League. I went back and training. I went back to Detroit. They brought my contract back. I was nothing more than an end training camp with them. And I think the year that I played there, which would have been my first year signing with them, he was still in a wheelchair.

So, no, I didn't play. I never really played with them. Dave, we haven't talked about Christian at all.

Your son Yallop, having a pretty good career for himself, played some NHL games. What's he up to now and how was it being a hockey dad?

Well, he is working for a firm out of Toronto's Sutin Insurance, which pretty much handles much of the specialty insurance for NHL players. So he he heads up their smart, their sports insurance department, able to work out of the Pittsburgh area and be, you know, be mobile from here. So he's been doing that for quite a few years, enjoys it a lot, still has his fingers in the game that way and is doing pretty well. And then, you know, you talk about playing men's league.

I mean, he's he's doing the men's league. And then I know he used to shoot down when you guys used to go to Las Vegas all the time and play and kind of it all, man. Yeah. So we'll keep we'll keep those stories off the podcast, though.

Yeah, that's what he said. He says don't bring those up. So I won't.

One other act I actually wanted to bring up. I don't know if you hung out with him at all. He's still working these days. He's close to 90 years old as Emmitt Walsh, who, of course, played Dickie Dunn in the movie. Did you have any experiences with him on set?

Yeah. Other than, you know, he was pretty quiet. I mean, you see how old he is now. You probably wasn't. Well, 40 years younger, but he was he was still pretty old. But, yeah, I didn't really didn't interact with him, didn't have much sense. I think we might have had one drugstore scene with him when he was, you know, said he captured the spirit of the thing. But other than that, yeah, it wasn't like Paul.

I mean, you know, with Paul, you know, we hung out quite a bit with Paul and and even, you know, like Ned Braden, Michael, I kind of played Ned Braden. You know, he was he was a really good hockey player, but he was also a little different. He didn't he actually kind of was like the Ned Braden in real life, kind of kept to himself, but pretty much everybody else on set.

We had good relationship, had a lot of fun with and but Emmitt wasn't one of them where we really spent much time with them. Now, would you aren't set?

I know sometimes movies are a lot of sitting around in, you know, scenes don't take all that long to fill. But was there any sense during or after filming that you guys are really on to something special there that this was going to be, you know, lasting 45 years later?

Well, not certainly not when we start out with because, you know, you guys know the routine of players. You have a real rough seas and especially in the minors where you're riding the bus, you don't get to, you know, have much of a social life because you're either on the bus or you're playing hockey games or you're sleeping when you do get home, you know, so when when the off season comes, it's time to to really unwind and have a lot of fun and get ready for camp.

And, you know, here we are. You know, it's kind of it was certainly a unique and and kind of a fun idea that, hey, we're going to be in the movies, you know, so, you know, let's plan on, you know, we'll do this for, you know, a couple of weeks and then we'll be able to go back home and get back to softball and beer and onion rings.

But it got to where, you know, we would have to be there at 6:00 in the morning, get in the make up, you know, get into uniform. If we had the uniform that day and sit and wait until they call us to shoot our scene. And then oftentimes, you know, very often we'd be sitting there all day long and all of a sudden at eight o'clock at night after sitting there all day long. And, you know, certainly you can go to the Kraft Food Court, you know, as much as you want.

But you weren't allowed to go outside for fear of getting a suntan because then you in one scene, you look like you're at the beach all day long and the scene before that, you have your winter skin, you know, so they didn't want to have that contrast. So you literally got stuck sitting around wait and wait and wait. And then Camarda clock did say, OK, that's a wrap. We'll get you guys tomorrow. Well, that went on and on for quite a while.

So we got to the point where we'd be sitting there and we'd be waiting and we'd say, OK, hey, what time is it's twelve o'clock, let's crack a beer. So we crack a beer and sit back there. And the next day was like, oh, what time is it? I have twelve o'clock. Well let's crack a couple beers. So I went from a beer to a couple of beers to suddenly a big washtub of ice.

The beer we would sneak into the locker room and so there'd be a couple of scenes where we'd start that day off at six in the morning and then they'd get around to us about four o'clock, say, OK, let's bring the brothers on. And we'd go, we go on, we get ready. And we were so shitfaced that hard to say. All right, that's a wrap. We'll kick this thing off tomorrow. But it got to that point where we had an instance where we are finally fed up.

We said, you know, after a month and a half of doing this routine, Jeff, Steve. And I said, we're just leaving. We're taking off. We go. To get away, and we did, we just left, so I went down to the D.C. area. Jeff went out to some other part of Pennsylvania. And the next thing I know, we're we're being tracked down by Steve's calling us at our place is, you know, a landline phone to have cell phones.

Then he says, you guys got to get your butts back here, say, why? What's up? Because they're threatening to send the state police after you and bring you back here and then sue you if you don't show up in two days because of what you're doing to the movie, to the to the production line of this, you guys got to get back. So we got back and, you know, we continued on. But to you directly to your question is no, we had no idea that it was going to be what it was.

You know, we were just hockey players making I think we're getting 700 hundred dollars a week, which was way more than what we make and two hundred dollars a week plan. And and, you know, when shooting was all done and we were ready to go back to our hockey careers, that's what we did. In fact, we were so smart when the filming got done in July, when August rolled around, all three of us got approached by Universal Studios saying, we want to sign you guys to a seven year, seven movie deal because we really like what we see here.

We think there's something special. We pretty much said what were hockey players? We don't want to be movie stars. We're hockey players.

Well, that was a brilliant idea in hindsight of it's not a movie star, but could have been a rich movie star.

Oh, boy, Dave, this was this was a blast.

I mean, so many good stories. And and I was really pumped to get to know your son throughout the, you know, the run of pro hockey and great career he had. You raised a great kid. So we thank you so much for coming on. All right. Don't you have a little. Yep. I did talk to Christian. He did want to make a note that to let people know that you are not on social media. So anyone purporting to be you out there, it's not really you and you are on Cambio, however.

And if anybody wants to hit you up for a cameo or reach out for any public public appearances or whatever, cameo as Dave Hansen, 16 in the email, if you want to get Dave Freni, like I said, appearance's, it's Dave Hansen that's an and Dave Hansen, 16 at Gmail dot com. So you want to ha want to hire a hired gun. Have you stopped for a one.

I'm sure right now that cameo saying that, that just just quickly that Chris was bugging the heck out of me to do that. And I figure, you know, come on, I looked at it and I says, nobody's going to want me. You know, what do I want to do? This next thing I know, I'm getting bombarded with, you know, happy birthday. Happy Father's Day. You know, tell this guy to put on a foil to beat him up, you know, and it's actually turned in to be a lot of fun.

I mean, it's it's the response of guys that have made somebody's day by just doing a little cameo. So that's been pretty cool.

That's that's fun. I'll I'll take a cameo of you playing with with the race cars at some point. How about that.

Look good to me. I Dave, thank you so much. We appreciate you coming on. That was a blast. We'll talk to you soon.

All right, guys, it's a pleasure. Always.

Thanks so much. Next time, we'll get the story about when you came down from the press box, your suit on and fight a guy in the game. Fucking good when I was throwing javelins.

Yeah, I look forward to it. See about. All right, guys, take care. Take care. Huge thanks to Dave, handsome man. That was definitely one for the highlight book for me, a definite thrill to interview a guy at a movie, one of my favorite movies of all time. I know you guys had fun doing it because what?

It was unreal. It's the best sports movie of all time for me. So that was cool to hear all those side stories. And what a what a great time.

Absolutely. And these days, everybody can use their quarterback. There's no doubt about that. Is your student loan payment too high? Is what or what will refinance with earnings could help you lower your monthly payment, making the same monthly payment on your student loan for the last couple of years.

Odds are you could reduce your payment and save by refinancing with Ernest, even if you've read the finance before. With today's low rate environment, most people could save by refinancing again. Checking your new rate is fast and easy to start. Complete a few questions online. It only takes two minutes. Then you'll get a personalized rate estimate without affecting your credit score. Want to change your monthly payment? Combined many loans into one easy payment or get a better rate.

Ernest makes it easy.

There's no origination fee or any other fees. Plus, the Internet loves your customer service. They're rated nine point four out of 10 on trust pilot and now you can get one hundred dollar cash bonus when you refinance a student loan with earnest dot com gillett's. That's SRN e dot com check. Let's see. I see. Let's once again you get 100 dollar cash bonus when you refer to your student loan at Ernest dot com slash. It's not available in all states is it.

Earnest dotcom chick lit. For more details, terms and conditions apply. Earn a student loan. Refinance loans are made by Earnest Operations LLC and MLS number one two zero four nine one seven California Finance and Law License Number six zero five four seven eight eight three three second street sweep for one North San Francisco, California nine four one zero seven. Visit Ernest Dotcom licenses for a full list of licensed states. That is a mouthful and we also got a mouthful from.

That's why I was laughing. That was like insane how you write that off.

I had double checked with Steve and because it said read the bolded parts, the highlighted yellow parts, I'd like to do I get to read all this like life novel. I think it's legalists.

You can double take us a year to finish. Yeah. Oh God. If I can you one one take total. Don't mind me there. Put me through.

I'd rather do, I'd rather do an Ironman than have to read that really fucking really Ironman.

Would you rather do Ari's laundry for three weeks or do that.

Adoree do my laundry for three weeks is one loads lately. Oh that's what I'm worried about. So that's, I think that's what he's thinking.

A bunch of crusty old disgusting air space strips makes you want to see you having white gods with the bacon strips of it straight up tidy whities with a slight little skid mark.

No fucking Tidiane.

I was a lazy wiper when I was young. I don't. Wait, wait, wait. That's the model. Yeah, I wasn't. Yeah. White dude like dude wipes. I forgot to talk about my other haircut that I had. I got braids one time and they were down to like my shoulder.

I've seen a picture you easy I sarich off. I don't even know if I could post that because people might get upset about it. I had although I still got the picture. I'll send it out.

I'll give it to get it. Give it to me. Give it to me.

So I let boys. This is the addendum. We return to finish the show because we the Columbus Toronto and what a game. I mean fucking hats off to corpuscle incredible game free nothing. Shuto made that huge save on Johnson late in the third. Still fucking anyone's game. But I was saying a best five on five Toronto the last almost eight periods. No goals, five on five. That's pitiful. He's been in that kind of money. Thirty three dollars million for a line and Columbus eleven forwards.

A thirty four point three million of course. Dimitri Filipovic with those numbers, as always, there's a shocked, heartbroken. You just jumped on the Toronto bandwagon. Yeah. You're off at.

No, I mean, that was a quick ride. Someone threw up on the ride. They no. What are they calling the boys in blue? Because I got fucking blue balls. All that excitement. Nothing to the nothing, you know.

So I get the H.J. in the basement where your high school and then your mom comes down and starts doing work and you're a you haven't busted yet. You all.

And then you're just reading Playboy then.

Exactly. Doing it myself. But oh God. It wasn't even. Yeah. It was an OK performance. I thought JT, I mean he got a bunch of chances, couldn't execute it. You know what, I don't want to put salt in the wound here, but it's the type of type of series I would have liked to see. See the setlist with Mausam Kadry in the lineup. And I think I think that that was a. And, you know, I guess you'll have your arguments about the past and how it went and maybe how he wasn't able to control his emotions, but I feel like you at least had some sort of impact on that series.

You know, when it mattered, they just didn't have it. I mean, just it came down to that they've given themselves a second chance at life and they just couldn't figure out a way to do it and get it done. And yeah, I still think it's a young group and they're still a very decent window here for them. It's just, you know, I think they are what they what they showed us, they were wet and they just couldn't couldn't get it done.

Yeah.

I want to show Colombus my my my guaranteed coach of the year when just they do the voting before the playoffs.

But this is just another example of if you waited, you might even have a better winner and he would have stayed the same.

I mean, Tortorella was awesome when it goes from what we said earlier, when he's giving it to Du Bois and then he comes back the next night, has the hatcheck and then his game plan in game five, which is basically just unreal goaltending and just packing in the house.

And every time, every single time the live shot it, it was if it was even getting through, there wasn't much traffic in front and then so many shots were being blocked.

Every bluejacket just goes to the front of that. Yeah. You know, they shut people down once he comes back and gets that goal. I don't know. Did that hit something that's still a goal?

It was still his when I checked before the show, but I thought I wouldn't be surprised if he changed. I think that Tyson Tisbury shoulder on the way. We had something on the way in.

But yeah, I mean, then the Leafs have tons of chances that post by Tavarez, there's a wide open that hits the post. It's just it's the same old shit.

I can't believe that picture I just saw on Twitter, on TV, the Leafs last fifteen seasons. Is it eleven missed playoffs for losers, lost in the first round and then a play in round. So you're now looking at a tortured fan base.

I mean you can, you can say that, that like people, people can't stand how much discussion goes on about the playoffs, but they move the needle. It's it's so crazy to see them spend money and have this talent and just not win. And then sixty seven was their last cup.

That's why it is a team every year that's kind of supposed to compete and be involved and they can't get out of the first round, maybe if they get the first round, all of a sudden they go on a run. And these guys are really young.

But like you talk about the cap and how much they make and then what it creates around you in terms of players that you're playing with and players that are trying to fill out a lineup that can win a Stanley Cup, not necessarily just light up, you know, offensive battles throughout the year. So I don't think they played bad at all. I thought they had a good effort. Man in game five, Columbus was right there. Shut them down.

And the Leafs. Barry goes out, right, and people all over Barry, so people are just going to pick and choose, which leaves they want to go after.

But I was really, really surprised that Johnson went back in and, you know, he was fine. I didn't see anything bad. But it was it was he hadn't played a game in six months and that saved that corpuscle made on him. That was that was it. Was it to those right after they made it to nothing. Right? Yeah. Yeah.

And the talk about the Toronto mental error on the second goal, lymphoedema. I mean, three guys peel off the change. He walks in the zone. They forget about them. I mean, that's a tough call by Anderson, too. But he also gave himself a good angle because nobody was on him. He had so much goddamn room down there.

I mean, he actually didn't have a good angle. That was a horrific goal. It was an awful line change that was just like you look at what was going on. One guy always has to stay. You can't all go on the change. It's got to be one dude. It was like, all right, I'll just chose those two to go for a Gatorade. But there's that goal.

You got to stop that. Yes, yeah, that's a tough one. And going back to the first one, like I'm not here to pick on anyone, I was talking about Capitán and the fact that he was the F three. And, you know, if he would have just stayed above his man, it would have been on to on to. You tend to believe that Dermot's independent to whatever regardless is it.

They always seem to not get those plays made. And then the first goal tonight, I'm not saying it's Delinda's fault, but. You know, I think like Matthew Kucuk, I think he gets in front of that puck. I don't think it gets through.

I think he finds the lane and those are the little details that end up adding up their matter over the course of like getting up to the getting to the Stanley Cup. And that's not even guaranteed that you're going to win it. So like they're there right now, they're unable to even figure out how to get in, solve the first problem. And there's going to be more hardships and more bumps and bruises along the way where like those little things, you're going to need more of them and your special teams is going to have to be executing at the perfect time.

And you're going to have to be having guys committed to blocking shots and staying on the right side of the puck. And I just think overall, they're just like not very close right now. So there's still like a lot of work to do. I would I would compare it to early on Washington Capitol days, but at least they were getting they were getting against the penguins and putting up a fight in the second round. Like these guys, they haven't been out of the organization, hasn't been out of the first round since 2004.

And now you've got a team that's loaded with weapons and you still haven't been able to figure out a way to get I mean, in this case scenario and look at it from the perspective, both years now, the islanders have gone on to have more success.

And that's like the you know, the extra little story that that's the whole then it's just you are better off with guys, with a bunch of good players making six million.

It's I mean, look look at look at Edmonton, look at Toronto and look at the Bruins.

Now, granted, they're lucky that they got those guys the deals they did. But the islanders. Yeah, I mean, there are better there are better hockey team than Toronto. They're not nearly as fun to watch. They're not nearly as exciting. But when it comes down to actually winning games, they're the islanders are better. And it's probably because they spent the money they would have had to give him on three or four different guys. And it's it gives you players in depth that that nowadays in this league, like you talk about you goaltending system and you've got to have four good lines.

Yeah.

You can't be top heavy with nothing going on at the bottom and you need D so the offensive stars are great. And I actually you know, you call, you call them not shown up in an elimination game. I thought Matthews was dominant all series. I think Marter Pride in plays best hockey but he still had moments not Nylander. I didn't see much at all there. I don't know.

The Stig's on his Instagram. Christopher Steeg. He's great on Instagram. He'll just talk about games going on. He says he's bring up to Spezza like they can't get anything going. I don't know from what another line you guys get skill. He just sits on the fourth line all day.

It was a good point by him. So, yeah, it's weird, but but the Blue Jackets do deserve a lot of credit because that team, they just go out and make it difficult on you. So you want to talk about another No.

One, I say affect another team that another team that's affected by all this.

The friggin Tampa Bay lightning, these guys, another season where they did start off slow, but they really picked it up and everyone loved them going into this different type playoff we have.

And they get the worst news possible that their star defenseman Victor had. Menora trophy winner legend.

This guy's injured. And I guess you saw Cooper's press conference. I mean, that body language is I think that this guy's out for a little while.

It looked harmless and all but the worst one some.

So I saw the clip and I'm like, oh, maybe he looks like he might miss a game, might even come back to, you know, to start the next game. And then I, I look at Cooper's press conference and I'm like, I know body language. And this guy seems like deflated like this might like I would say there's no way he's back in less than a week unless Cooper was just being very dramatic about the situation.

Now, the way he acted on there, it might be something that might last a month. So not the ideal time to lose your Noris type defenseman going against a team who embarrassed you last year. There's already that added pressure. Right. And we just saw it, you know, Toronto succumb to it now. Are we done with Toronto? Because I guess the point you're kind of getting out there was the paying the high end players. A lot of money has not been a proven formula yet.

And I don't think it's possible to win at this league if you're if you're paying certain, like a certain number of guys, too much money. And we're seeing it more and more. And I think there's a fine line and fine balance. But there's and with the cap not going up, you know, things don't necessarily look like they're going to be that much brighter. Yet Columbus there, I mean, there are Rosta, full grinder's, good grinder's, they don't make a ridiculous amount of money, but they got some skill.

And when everybody buys in for Taurel, man, we see the results. And like we said, moving on to Tampa Bay, that's a rematch from the first round last year, of course, Tampa Bay game lead in the lead in game one, ended up blowing at Columbus. Come back, swept them and he got Wesolowski. He's obviously Vessna candidate. He was 014 last year in that series eight five six five percentage three two goals against you wonder, is he going to be able to get past that?

Is Columbus even and has had to start with. I mean, they're not going to quit coming now. You mentioned no Hedeman. We don't know if Stamkos is going to be back at either. Tampa Bay Times looks vulnerable here once again, which they do.

And it just it just proves the the fact that if you look at all success in sports, individual team wise, they're actually like success in life for the most part.

There always is luck involved, you need you need to get lucky to win championships, you need to get lucky to win fucking Wimbledon.

If you're a tennis player, like there's always something that comes along, whether it's big or small, that we're luks involved. And that's why I like you.

Look at Tampa and you look at what happened last year and then this year, this is it.

Well, I don't know if he is out long term. I don't think they can win the cup like he's one of the most dominating presences in the entire league.

His presence is a word or is it presents good enough for me or as part of judging me. But whatever people you know what I'm saying? Judge me.

So, so, so.

So how do you do it without that guy? I mean, I think saying that he could be up to the entire playoffs is a little bit of a rush.

But you say it looks innocent. Those are always the worst injuries. It's the it's the noncontact when you're alone in the middle of the field of the rink, when you just go down and you buckle and that's when you're like, oh, boy, that isn't good.

Let's hope that's not the case. Yeah, and I think it happened last year, did you get injured in game game three of the playoffs? Yeah, he did.

He was hurt the whole time. I think he was hurt like the hole he was playing injured the hole.

And I think the point we made last year was like, you know, when a guy's playing that many minutes for you, kind of throws off the whole mechanics of how you're playing. That guy is usually the one making the plays to the sentiment up the middle or the guy on the wall. And as time goes on, because he's been doing it there all season long and that's why the the machine is running as well as it is. And now you take that out.

Now it's a different guy making the play. Maybe he's on his off side because that's the guy you had to put with that demon. It's just they're irreplaceable, irreplaceable. And now you're getting a team like Columbus. And the reason why I wasn't pumping their tires too much is I. I agree with you, IRA. I think Tampa's is very vulnerable. And the way Columbus is playing right now, it just just seems like they have this energy about them and they're going to be tough to tough to beat against.

I'm going to pick Columbus and Stamkos Isatou, right? Yeah, right.

Now, there's no mystery there. I don't know if it's.

Yeah, I mean, I'm turning a lot, but this year I'm saying how much luck goes into all this.

I agree with you. It's like so many things have to happen for you, for people to like win titles. It's just insane.

Here's another question for you. How many how many of the players in the locker room do you think buy into the noise? And like the fact that, like, Tappan's like you think there's certain guys that are affected in that locker room being like, Jesus Christ, we lost these guys last year, now we're playing them again.

I actually don't know you. Don't you think they buy into it? None at all.

I think that that whole team's, like, fucking give us them again. We'll we'll dummy them like that or not. That was a that was a one what is called a one. Once off. A one off.

Yeah.

OK, someone got tired of watching movies that the once ler in The Lorax. Anyone with kids knows what I'm saying.

OK, so who do you got. You got obviously got Tapan. What. I got tenpin six games. I I think that even without Stamkos and headmen, I don't I don't think they could win the cup, but I think they could be columbus' and in a lot of it's going to come down to Wesolowski and how good he is. And other than that, I mean, if Khutor and point in these guys, then Tyler Johnson, all these guys are going, they can still score, man, you know, had been man, that's huge, like you said, because he's an absolute horse.

He does everything out there. He's on every aspect of the game. So without him, that's huge. And if there's no Stamkos, man, those are two huge hole you can't replace. You taken another two horses and ponies, I guess, to keep a business analogy. Also worth keeping an eye on Wesolowski, if he looks anything like he did last year, Kurtas McIlhaney is the first backup. And Elvis Mitchell Leganes. I don't know how hurt he was, but he didn't back up.

Corpuscle Sunday night this mateys Kiv Lennix and an undrafted Latvian who has spent this time of Columbus. A little bit earlier this year, he was actually in the backup role. So I don't know. We'll keep an eye on our pal Elvis as well. But I'm going to go Columbus in seven as well. I think they're just grinding. They're just playing that keep rolling for line type of hockey and Tampa's vulnerable and those two guys. So that's that.

I think that it's such a weird year and that teams who have been playing mean, meaningful games up to this point have an advantage going into this round. Like Dallas is look terrible. I know, I think that I think it would be BOCES looked awful. It would be it would be crazy to think that the teams who have played these legit playoff games are not a little bit they don't have a leg up.

But I think that it maybe it's one game, maybe it's one period. I think that these better teams will be able to be like, all right. Holy shit, this is different, right? Like, the pace is going to be a little different and then all of a sudden they'll be able to get into it because the Bruins players, man, you if you really actually know it's an exhibition game.

That's how these blues guys, I mean, I it's just very I know that other teams are into it and there's times that your team you're disappointed at what's going on if you're a Bruins fan or a Blues fan. But until until we see them play a true playoff game, you just got to relax a little bit.

I would say other than the Canadians, though, that's probably who they would have wanted to play. I don't think I don't think you want to do you want to play the islanders over those guys? Well, the the are playing of the hurricanes, right? That's what we don't want to play the canes. I mean I mean, I'd rather play Columbus than the canes.

I mean, I would welcome Montreal just for the whole Boston Montreal thing, but like five percent of me would be shitting my pants just because of the history there. Like, you know, the biggest rivals in sports, they have most playoff teams ever played against each other, but haven't haven't seen Philly draw.

Now it's like, oh, careful what you wish for. I know Philly was rolling in the round robin, but it's just that whole like Montreal mystique. Carey Price on a roll right now. I mean, you know, they got the number one seed. But like I said before, it doesn't really matter. I don't care if the Bruins go all three and on three and because you see could benefit going to benefit you early on.

And that's the only series that I bet my house on going in to to the next round, which was, in fact, that Philly is going to smoke them.

Yeah, no, there's no lines out yet. So I just checked. So no Gambaccini yet. I'll just block the series. Is it going to start Tuesday? Tomorrow night. So I'll have a blog. I will be sure to tweet from the account so there's no line. So I can't make any picks yet. Folks, this is getting interesting. This is a fun episode because I know, I know we got bent over in a few pics, but I'm in the I'm on the what do you call it, the islanders wagon.

I'm on the hurricanes wagon and of course, the OT's wagon.

So, I dunno, I have seven. I still have seven to go one ticket on Columbus. So I'm still alive there too. OK. That's not too bad.

Before we go, who's who's going to be catching the most heat in Toronto.

Oh goodness. I'm on it, so I don't know, I don't know. I think I'm saying maybe I don't know if it's going to be the Dubus. Or the young guys like like Nylander Matthews murder, I don't think anyone will say shit about Matthews.

No, I think he was good. No, he's not. He shouldn't get any other heat. And I don't think anyone should say anything about Riley. Not Riley's good. Whatever it should be, so it's going to be the same old shit they're going to snap at around, everyone is going to take their lickings and then and then you move on to next year and then see what you can do. All right. All right, everybody, have a great weekend.

We'll catch you up on Thursday.

See you guys Page.

As always, we'd like to thank our awesome sponsors here on Spuyten Checketts big thanks to our friends over at New Amsterdam. Vodka. Keep enjoying that pink Whitney. Big thanks to our friends at Jimmy Johns for coming aboard. Also, make sure to check out Red Penguin Red Penguins. I'm sorry. Unreal. Unreal movie. Fantastic documentary. Thanks for joining us. Big banks, the body armor loving that stuff in the summertime in a big thanks to everyone at first.

Have a good weekend, buddy. Well, we can't just this guy. Back to. The made about.