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Ice is ready. We're back with another episode of the Empty Notice Podcast, brought to you by BetMGM Live Edition, memorial Day Edition. We got a dog in the office, and CP is
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not hungover, but watch how quickly that can change.
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Oh, my God. You're out of your mind, Zach.
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We are drinking. We are drinking. It is a beautiful day for a little Friday beer action, and we are going well.
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Okay, here's the thing.
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The people know it's 9am right?
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Dano's off the sauce. But I am at 9am drinking a Mountain Dew. I feel like that's as hardcore as
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it gets for sobriety.
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That's.
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That's very sober.
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I would say so.
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Yep. Happy Memorial Day.
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Protect Randy. Get Randy off screen. Hey. No one look at Randy.
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Wow.
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I will protect. I will protect this dog. Folks, we're here on Memorial Day. I want to do a quick pledge allegiance to the flag.
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Whoa. Do you remember it?
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I think I do, Zach. Do you?
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The Pledge of Allegiance.
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All right, here we go. I pledge allegiance to the flag of
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the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
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For all.
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America, baby.
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Every day.
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And I want. We.
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Hey, we'll get. Dude, we were pledging allegiance to the flag every day.
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Yeah, dude, we fucking should.
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Yep.
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That's gas.
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Yeah.
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We were insane. We should have been doing the anthem.
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You know what I want to do? I want to. If we'll get into it. If Montreal makes it to the cup, every time our plane lands in Canada, I'm gonna start singing the Canadian national anthem.
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Oh, whoa.
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I think it's respect.
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Is there a pledge allegiance?
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I want to pledge allegiance to the flag of every nation I visit. The second I get there, I want to pledge allegiance to it.
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Does every flag have a pledge that you allegiance to it?
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I don't know, but I do think it's like, what's there?
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A pledge.
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A pledge of allegiance every day in school. We did that every day.
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Yeah, we did.
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Oh, okay. There is not a pledge of allegiance in Canada, but there is an oath of citizenship.
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That sounds sick.
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They must recite. And inside the oath of citizenship. See if I can find this.
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Oh, here we go. Ready?
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I swear.
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Okay. I swear.
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I swear.
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Why are we doing this?
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Because you are now as Canadian citizens. No, no, no, no.
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It is Memorial Day. We are not doing that. Right.
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Yeah, exactly.
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Okay, so do you want to hear it? And we won't. We won't swear. Sure.
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Yeah. Let me hear it. How about this?
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I refuse to swear today of all days, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles iii, King of Canada, his heirs and successors. And that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada, including the Constitution which recognizes and affirms the aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Matisse peoples and fulfill my duties as a Canadian citizen.
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Fucking rights. No king though.
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No, no. Yeah, there's a king. Well, you're not listening. There's a fucking. You swear to the king.
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Yeah, but there's no king anymore. Is there a king of Canada? I feel like an idiot.
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I don't know.
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I mean, I'm sorry. I know that there's not a.
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He's technically king.
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Yeah, but is there still a king? Like living?
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I don't know. Good question, I guess. Because why would they have to swear that though, if it's fucking not real?
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Canada is a constitutional monarchy. Meaning it has a king. King Charles III is the official head of state and personal embodiment of Canadian crown. While he holds title of King of Canada, he serves strictly symbolic and non political role.
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Exactly.
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He's not really Charles Third. I mean, he.
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Yeah.
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Oh, dude. He's a fucking monarch.
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Still gets oath, dude.
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But he doesn't do anything politically. That is what the Prime Minister is for.
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Would you like to hear the nations that have pledges of allegiance?
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Yeah, sure.
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America.
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Come on.
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Mexico.
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Sick.
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The Philippines.
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Sick.
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India.
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Sick.
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Singapore. Sick. South Korea.
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I bet the South Korea one slaps.
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It is a national oath of allegiance to the flag.
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I feel like we gotta. I mean, what's funny is a pledge of allegiance sounds so hardcore.
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I know.
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When you think about it like a pledge.
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It does.
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Of allegiance.
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It does.
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And the fact that we were sitting there doing it as like 10 year olds daily.
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Yeah.
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They're indoctrinating us.
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They gotta know.
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This is pretty quick. It is. I'm not gonna be able to pronounce this, but it says I pledge in front of proud Taeg Taeguk flag. Allegiance to the Republic of Korea for the eternal glory of the country. Liberty and freedom to the Republic of Korea.
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I told you it'd be fucking nails. Eternal glory.
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Eternal glory is just fucking awesome. Holy. Dude.
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Mountain Dew is God damn.
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God damn.
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That'll kick you in the fucking nuts. That's Great.
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Are we 12?
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What do you mean?
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Mountain Dew will kick you in the nuts.
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Yeah.
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Those are some of my best days, Zach. Some diet dues. Actually, it wasn't diet back then.
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Exactly. Sugar dudes. I told a story on this show once when I was in college, I smoked a little reefer, drank a little ripple, challenged the mayor's son to a gentleman's duel, and was with some friends.
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Anybody gets that? I. I'm betting if anyone in the chat just got that reference, type it into the chat.
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Check that. Make sure you're monitoring. The chat was with some buddies. We went back to my house and we were just, like, sitting there watching always. It's always sunny in Philadelphia Baked.
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Yeah.
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And this is one of the first times I'd ever smoked weed. And I was so high and so thirsty. And the only thing that we had got at the convenience store was a 12 pack of full Sugar Mountain Dew. And I drank literally 10 of them.
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We had 10 dews.
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And, like, my buddies are like. One of my buddies got thirsty and looked down and was like, is there only two of these left? What happened to these? And I was like, I drank all of them. I just couldn't stop drinking.
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That is like five. That is like 800 grams of sugar, dude.
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And it's so many grams of sugar. And I mean, Christ almighty, what is that?
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Like, the best advertisement for weed ever?
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Yeah, truly. It's like 2000 calories of mountain Dew in a sitting.
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So bad.
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What's not bad is the hockey action that we've had over the weekend.
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Wait, would we say it's certified great action or no?
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Oh, buddy. Yesterday was certified great action.
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Boom.
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Great action. We. You know what? We also got the. Look at that.
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Boom.
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Great action.
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That is.
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We had great action last night. We're going to start with Colorado Vegas, because we had game two on Friday.
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Wow. Dan. Dan. In a hole in a wall town called Utah. Dude from black coffee. Black coffee beats black coffee. Someone else uncouth against God.
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Was uncouth against God. We had to go.
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Incredible work, boys. Incredible work. Or girls, I don't know who you guys are.
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Yeah, well done, Chat.
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Well, hit us up. That might be worth something. That might be worth a little. A little something. Let me. Let me take a screenshot of this.
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That might actually. That might get you a netter.
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That's what I was thinking. I don't know how to translate this into your IG handles, because it never is your same thing.
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I know, I know.
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So the two people that just said that black coffee deets and VAR 21. Send us a DM. Will you find that DM? Or is it too impossible to find DMS these days?
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I could probably find it.
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Send us a DM and say you did the out Cold thing. We'll.
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We'll get the Netter's admin on it, and he'll find it.
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That was incredible.
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Ah, that was incredible. What a pull. We're starting with Colorado.
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What? Fourth line, Pigeon two. Said it. Said it first. Now that I'm seeing this.
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Oh, wow.
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So you send something to.
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So you send something to. All right, folks, we're getting into these games. It's Memorial Day. We're giving you some content, hopefully, while you guys are ripping it up, having unbelievable barbecues, hanging with friends and family. And tweet at it.
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Tweet at it.
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Tweet at us. Send your unbelievable photos. We're going to talk about these games. We're starting with Colorado. Vegas Friday.
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Yeah. Start game one.
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We had game two. You mean or.
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Sorry, yeah, Game two. Game two.
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Friday we had game two, and Vegas does the impossible.
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Well, it was crazy because game one, it was like, whoa, this is wild that this is happening. Game two felt like, put the house on the AVs.
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I there. There was nothing more certain to me in my mind.
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Put the house on the ass.
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Yeah.
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And then Ross the boss. Ross the Boss. Colton gets us going. Love Ross so much. One of the most underrated guys in the league. Great little. Great little goal scorers. Goal there. Bang. Deflection. Snipe job gives it to the crowd. Little fist pump. Get into the glass. How you doing? How's your father? How's your mother? How's your uncle? How's your aunt? And then it was like, we're good. Even though they weren't scoring, I was like, they're still good. They're controlling the play. They're going to get one. Did you think we say all the time, you can't let teams hang around, right? Like, you can't let this team hang around. Can't let the team hang around. And somebody said that in the hanging around. Maybe it was the Duck series where they were like, vegas is scary. I think it might as biz. He was like, vegas is scary because they have a good power play, and if you just leave them down one, anything could happen. And I hear that, and clearly they've proven that. But still, somehow in this game, I was like, the AVs are fine. Like, I'm surprised they didn't blow them out more, which is a testament to Vegas. But still, going into the third period of that game up one nothing. I was like, the AVs are completely fine.
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That game started. We're talking Friday. Talking Friday, Game two, that game started, and it was just a great back and forth. Swashbuckling battle.
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Yeah, correct.
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And Roscoe gets a goal. And I kind of felt like, definitely huge to get the first goal. Getting one in the first period against Hart is great. Then the second period happened, and Vegas had four shots on net. Yeah. And I was like, oh, Colorado, they're doing what they did against the kids.
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Exactly. This game's over.
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They're being like, dude, we don't need to run up the score here. We're figuring you guys out. We're testing the waters. We're getting a feel for you. Then the third period started. And for me, a minute or so into the third period, I was like, oh, I think you're fucked. Because Vegas was playing well. You saw the ice opening up for Eichel and Marner, and I was just like, oh, I don't think you can prevent this team from scoring. And when it just looked like in that third period that Colorado wasn't testing it, it almost felt like they were being like, just hold. Hold.
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Yeah, hold.
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I was like, you can't hold. And then Jack Eichel decided to shoot the puck. What if I shoot? What happens if I shoot the puck? What do you think that would do, team? And what do you know? Tie game. And then two minutes later, the human cigarette machine, Barbie, also fucking barred out. Like, Jack went bar in, Barbie goes bar down. And I was like, and you are dead.
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I take issue with people being mad at Wedgwood about those goals.
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Oh, it's like.
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And even on the broadcast, they were like. Cause, you know, Jack's on the right wing and his sticks out here. Sometimes you see, like, the Bedard style, where it's like, you literally get your stick in front of you and your top hand is, like, at your eye level.
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Yeah.
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Like, that's the Bedard shot.
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Yeah.
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Sometimes you change the angle like that. Jack's definitely out here and beats Wedgwood all the way across. So I. Even on the broadcast, they were like, oh, Wedgwood maybe wants that one. But I'm still like, dude, that's a snipe off the post.
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Anyone who said Wedgwood maybe wants that it goes. And it's that. We. We've talked about it. We keep calling it a seven hole over the pad. Under the blocker is the new sexiest shot in hockey. And that's exactly where that was. Yeah, it was just that perfect, you know, about a foot. Foot and a half elevation off the ice, and it goes bar and in flat as Chris's ass.
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Cost me the league. Cost me the League and
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anyone getting mad at Wedgwood, that's crazy to me. Crazy.
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So here's. I have an. I have a piece of information that I'm going to give to you at the end of this segment, end of this series, that when we talk about it, that is the most important stat that's ever been given in any hockey show. But on the way there, I'm going to give you a lot of stats. Okay. The Colorado Avalanche this season, counting playoffs, were 45, 0 and, oh, literally 45, 0 and oh, if they held a two. If they held the lead after two periods. 4100 in the regular season, 40 in the playoffs.
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Yep.
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Not even an overtime loss stand. Not even a man. They tied it. And then we got clipped in OT45 and. Fucking goose eggs. And they. And then now that's broken. They take a lead going into the second period in this game in a. In a very important. I won't say must win, but a very important game, too. And they lose to Vegas because they get pipe dreamed twice. Ping, ping, You're. You're down. And then empty netter that night. Right? Am I high? Yep. Barbie again. That's. Oh, yeah. Barbie again. It's things like that where we go, okay. It's things like that where I'm like, dude, this is not like. All the things you've done so well in regular season are now crumbling in these moments because they go, we have won. We have protected a lead. Here's the other stat. This is the craziest. Well, no, I'm saving the craziest thing ever. The Vegas Golden Knights this NHL season were. Remember in the Tampa Montreal series, I pointed out that Tampa was losing the entire series.
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Yes.
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Like, you're just chasing it. You're chasing it.
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Chasing the whole time.
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Even the games you win, you win in overtime after losing the entire game. Right. Which is stressful, dude. It weighs on you. We're just like, God damn it.
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Yeah.
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Never protecting a lead. The Vegas Golden Knights. I'm just going to give you a number. You won't even know what it means yet in context, but I'm just going to give you a number. Okay. The Vegas Golden Knights were trailing this year for 1965-10-19. Okay? That's how many minutes they were behind in an NHL game this season. Now, here's another number for you. The team closest to them on the power ranking trailed for 2,200 minutes and 10 seconds. So 2,200.
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Little over 300.
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More. Vegas, 1965. And so whatever the 2,200 is the Vancouver Canucks, who finished dead last and won 10 games and should have been fucking relevant. They are a fucking midget B team basically. And the Vegas Golden Knights trailed the second most amount of time in the entire season. Dude, they, they didn't even. They. I mean, the Pacific was a joke, but they won their division. They won their division by losing every second of every game all year.
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It's unbelievable.
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Which, which just shows you how dangerous they are when they're behind. Like they don't give a fuck.
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Yeah, they don't. They don't give a rats. And also, I want to save some of it because we haven't even gotten to game three. So we should just get to game three here.
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I'll tell you this one more stat after this game. Teams with a 20 lead in a best of seven playoff rounds hold an all time series record of 3. 365 and 58. When the lower seed starts with two wins on the road, they're 91 and 22. It's an.805 winning percentage. So already you're feeling like, holy shit.
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Statistically and historically, you're dead.
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But we said, all right, maybe we hadn't recorded yet, but I said to you, this AVS team felt good enough to be like, we can just win two in Vegas. This will be a non issue. Whatever, Whatever. All right, so fine. Take me to game three.
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Dan. Game three begins. It's a nice Sunday afternoon and we find out Kale McCarr is back in the lineup. Unbelievable. We find out Mark Stone is back
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in the lineup, which is exciting.
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The game begins and actually before we even get to it, let's talk about Bednar's comments about Kale.
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What do you say before game three,
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he was like, if, if like Kale wants to play, it's up to him.
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Like he pretty.
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He basically threw him under the bus. He was. He was like, dude, Kale can play. It's him. He is the reason he's not playing. That's what he said. How do you feel about that? If you were. If you are Kale or if you are a member of that team in the locker room and you hear that, what do you have to say?
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I cannot believe someone would say that because to me. So I said to. I ran into a buddy before game three and we were just talking about the series and we were talking about Kale and I said, I bet the Aves got a little greedy. A little greedy because of the. I bet they Went like this. We lost game one.
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What do you need? Where's that dog?
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She gone.
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Randy.
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She. She long gone. I bet they went like this. Or here was my. Take. The ABs went. We lost game one in Colorado. We cuz. Cuz they were a little. They surprised us a little bit. We are going to win game two. We can win game two at home without Kale. We can definitely win if we play him, but we can win without him anyway.
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Yeah.
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So we're just going to roll the dice, but we'll win and then give him a little extra rest time. So he's definitely back for game three. And then they lost game two. And they were like, oh, shit. That was my thoughts on the. On the gamble.
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Yeah.
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Because it certainly feels like. And I think we can confirm that after watching him play here. It certainly felt like he can skate completely fine. It's just a contact issue.
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He can't raise his arm over his waist.
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Yeah. They can't let him get hit. And he's obviously, if he goes in lineup, Vegas is going to drill every chance they get and they can't protect him. So we're. And the. So it just. It seemed like such a clear team decision that they went like this. I'm sure Kale wants to play. We are saying Kale is too fragile right now. And. And then if he goes in and gets reheart, then it's even worse than he's done for the sun, for the season.
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Yeah.
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So frankly, dude, watching him play with my two eyes that I was given at birth, I don't understand that comment because that implies that Kael has been like, I'm completely fine and can help the team. I'm just. I don't want to play yet because I'm. I like, I'm. This is not. I'm not in a good place.
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Yeah. I don't think it implies he's completely fine. I think it's Bednar implying that he's going. I believe Cale can play. He is keeping himself out. I think that's what the implication is.
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Yeah. Yeah. Sorry. That's what I meant. But I'm like, what do you mean? You can clearly see him.
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Agree. He was labored out there.
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Yeah.
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The guy could barely move. He's like the knight in Monty Python.
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I wonder.
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His arm's gone.
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Yeah. Oh, dude. That was. Bro. The first shift of the game. The literal first shift of the game. Cale whiffs a puck like he has it right on his stick. He whiffs. He looks back down, clears it. And Barbashev runs into it and he goes like. You see him just his face wince a little bit. And I'm like, okay.
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It's fucking horrible.
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I also don't believe any player has ever done that for the most part,
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like, has ever been like, I'm sitting out, I'm not playing. Yeah.
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Like someone. Someone is asking a question about Nate and who is it? Blake? And I'm like, I want to get to this. That one too, in a second. But I. These guys want to get out there. Even Mark Stone. Mark Stone has a funny. This is hilarious coming from him. But. But Mark Stone in an interview was like, I hate watching. I never want to be watching ever. And I'm like, well, you're watching all the time. But he was like, no, It's a massive stain on my career. Massive part of my career for sure. Like, I am out a lot. But these guys in this moment, you are one round away from the cup. I know they want to play. They are desperate and dying to get out there.
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Yeah.
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I think it's a two way street for fans. I would tell you this. It is a two way street in that normally the player's going, let me play, let me play, let me play, let me play. Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please. I want to play. And the coach. It's up to the coach and the staff to go, dude, you can't. Okay. And I would love you out there too, but you can't. Usually that's the direction, but sometimes I genuinely think it's the other way where you have to go, Listen to me. I know my body and I will hurt the team. I physically can't do a thing. And if you put me out there in the situations I know you're going to put me out there in, I am going to hurt the team. That can happen. So maybe that's what's going on. Where Bednar's going. Cale can play. I see him skate in the mornings. He could go out there and Cale's going, dude, I will literally cost this team the game. And if that's the case, I think that's fair. That doesn't make Kale a coward to me or like, oh, my God, Kale's a no. I think he's going, dude, I know. Oh, I know my body. I know I will hurt the team. And I think I can respect that. Now. There should be a way to go, okay, fine, Just play power play, which is what happened with Nate, which we'll get to in a second. But but that's my point. If it's going that way, it's coming from a good place. From Cale. Yeah, it's fucked up of Bednar to go. The reason Kahl's not playing is because Kael doesn't want to go.
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It takes so much from, from a, from an award winning hockey player in his prime. It takes such a significant injury for. To be in the conference final and to go, dude, I should not be in the game. So if that's what's happening, it's pretty remarkable for Kale to be like, dude, I'm so hurt that I'm hurting this group. Do not, do not play me. We don't know if that's what's being said, but what we do know is that from shift one he looked so banged up and it's insane. And he was definitely not his best. And I, I'm not saying that hurt or, or whatever to the team, but it's just crazy. And at the, at the beginning of that game, Colorado comes out, Landy gets the first goal.
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Yep.
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You're fucking captain. Your emotional leader. Kale's back. It just felt like, here we go, dude.
B
Especially because that was Devontase.
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Yeah.
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With respect, who is incredible player but beats Hannifin in a foot race like Hannifin. That was one of the craziest places I've ever seen. Hannifan's standing there in the blue line. The puck squirts loose and he's the last man. He's looking at it and Devontae starts gating and he's like, oh, I should get that. And he kind of like gives it a little bid and then Devontae's blows by him. Hannifin takes a penalty and the rebound gets put in the net. And I was like, dude, yeah. And. But that was the jump. I was like, oh, shit, the abs are here. The abs are here to fuck around.
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Abs are not here to fuck around. And I want to say really quick, just a quick aside, the score app gets their assists backwards every game.
B
Well, do you think they just post them backwards if it's truly every time?
A
Well, it's just like when you go into the score app, I'm looking at it right now and it goes like goal number two. It goes Nazem Kadri assisted by Manson. And Naches. Yeah. Giving Naches the secondary assist. And he had the primary. Yeah, they do this every game.
B
Can I hear and I don't know
A
whatever your processing is or how their algo works, but I'm telling the Score app. You're a great app. You gotta fix it.
B
What does it say on the first goal?
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It says, assisted by Nathan McKinnon and Devontaves.
B
Yeah, see, I think they just post like they have every.
A
Yeah, but it's. That's stupid.
B
Agree and you fix it. Making you make an adjustment.
A
Yeah. Me?
B
Yeah, you got to read it.
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I know how to read it. I'm saying. But they need to fix it because it's wrong.
B
It's. That's dumb. That's very fucking stupid. That's very dumb.
A
But anyway, then immediately sick play by nature. And Cod. Like, really sick play by natures. And Kadri. And great finish by Kadri. And then we get the power play. Score stick.
B
Oh, God, I forgot about this.
A
I don't want.
B
Great. I can't wait to talk about this. Holy shit. This is going to be awesome.
A
I don't want to spend a lot of time on this, but I can't believe there are human beings on this planet who thought that that didn't hit stick. I can't believe it.
B
I think this. Dude. There was a goal earlier, Dan, in this playoff where we were like, oh, maybe it was one of those do bash ones where it was like people were saying, oh, they. They blew it dead because the Sabres touched. I don't think it was this one, but it was like that play where it was like, we blew it dead because the Sabers touched it after the whistle, not because we thought it was covered. But then the refs were like, no, we blew it. We said, no go because it was covered. And I'm like, you had it out. So in this one, I legitimately, even
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though I just sat up because I'm about to go on the fucking. I know.
B
That's why I'm excited. That's why I'm excited. I want to talk about the. The Dorothy Ev goal.
A
Me too. Zach, what are you doing? Zach's jumping up around. He's futzing all over the place. He's making me nervous. Okay, well, the good news is we got a bunch of photos from your Memorial Day barbecue and hangs.
B
Oh, yeah, those are.
A
We're gonna get some of those up. We're gonna keep talking about hockey, but we're also just gonna be new boot goofing now, because this is a joke.
B
So here's. And there. Somebody had said on the last chat that the Dantrum was incoming. You are correct. Dantrum is incoming. About this goal. Here's my thoughts on it. Dan, before you have the floor, I think that that play was about at crossbar level. They could have called it a goal. But I'm honestly not that mad if somebody was like this because there's that one back view where it does look this much over.
A
Okay.
B
And I. I would not be that mad if they were like, you know what, dude? We call the no goal on the ice. I think it looks like a high stick. It's arguably a high stick. We're waving it. But they, the refs went to the bench at the next whistle and said to torts, hey, we are ruling it. And this, this came from Toronto, by the way. This wasn't a coach's challenge. This was. This one went right to Toronto. They said that the glove hits the puck. Now, I. This is my take. I know it's partially your take, but this is what I want from the chat. I think that the puck clean hit his stick. That's my opinion. But what I can't fathom is even if it hit his glove first, even if his glove knocked it towards his stick, which seems to be what they're saying, who fucking cares if it hit their glove? He could have. He could have punched it. Clearly, with one his hand off his stick, he could have just punched.
A
You're stealing my rant.
B
The puck then stick.
A
You're stealing my rant.
B
Okay, you can do
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is. What do we find? It was like rule 76.6 or like 67.6 or something.
B
Yeah.
A
It is the. The greatest example of over complication in a rule book I've ever seen in my life. That. That is a rule.
B
Yeah. What did it say?
A
It was like in an event where there's, you know, like a punching towards the blah, blah, blah. If it hits glove then stick, it's no goal.
B
That's what it says.
A
That's at least what someone told said to us online last night. And that is the stupidest thing I have ever seen in my entire life, frankly. Frankly, dude, I almost think. And I don't even want to add this in there because I don't want to really overcomplicate it, but in baseball, if you check swing and it hits your hands, that is a foul ball because it's like your hands are on the bat, dude.
B
Like, it's.
A
That's part of it. There's a part of me that wants to do that. Like if you. If I swing for a one timer and when the pass on the way gets there, gets tipped up and it hits my bottom hand glove and goes in, I'm like, that's a Goal.
B
I actually don't hate that.
A
There's a part of me that feels. I don't hate that because I'm like, it's. My hand isn't off the stick flailing around. It's a part of the stick when it's on there. I actually, I'm saying this for the first time.
B
Yeah.
A
I honestly feel that way. Yeah. If your stick is. Your hand is wrapped around your stick
B
that is now wrapped around the shaft.
A
Stick.
B
If your fingers are wrapped around the
A
shaft, if your hands are fucking squeezing that shaft, even if you're sliding up and down, that is part of the stick as far as I'm concerned. But let's remove that. If there's anyone on this planet who agrees that the rule it should be if it hits your glove and even then hits the second goes in, it's no goal. You're a idiot.
B
Yep.
A
Because that is no different. That is no different. Sorry, Randy. That is no different than a puck being up in the air. It's okay, Randy. It's okay. It is no different than a puck being up in the air. A player gloving it down and then shooting it.
B
Yeah.
C
Playing it.
A
No different. It is no different than a puck coming to you. You kicking it with your skate and then hitting it with your stick. Yeah. It can fucking touch anything. If it then touches your stick under a high stick, it is a goal. So, like that. I found that to be possibly the dumbest fucking rule I've ever seen in my life.
B
Yeah, it. And again, dude, if they had gone, hey, we believe it's a high stick, I would have gone. I slightly disagree, but I'm so fine with this call. So end of the day, and first of all, someone said, I'm glad Vegas won, so it doesn't matter. So this call doesn't matter. Fair. And I also think if they had just gone, it was a high stick, I would go all good. Moving on. Tough call. But moving on. The fact that they have ruled this no golf because of the glove has just opened such a can of worms to me that I'm like.
A
And again, friend of the podcast program, Dave Jackson. I always like to preface it with, like, love, Dave Jackson. But just another spectacular example of. Let's go to Dave Jackson for the dumbest explanation I've ever heard. It's just like, I, I.
B
But actually, in this case, he went, when they first got to him, he went like this. That's off the stick. This will be a goal.
A
Yes.
B
Which everyone on earth.
A
This is what I'm Saying they're put. They put Dave in such a bad spot. This is not a criticism of Dave. It's like, we need to let Dave cook. That's why it's crazy. Because I'm like, Dave is like, that's a goal. And then when it happens, they're like, okay, let's give Dave this arbitrary thing to say. And it's like, no, dude, let Dave just talk. We care about Dave's like, point of view. Yeah, I don't care what you fed him to say. But that, that was just so nuts because, yeah, if they called it a high stick, fine. I still think that would have been lame. But that was so clearly off the shaft. It was a great hockey.
B
It was awesome.
A
And that's the other thing that pisses me off about some Colorado fans who are so adamant to be online and be like this. That's clearly his glove. I'm like, are you this delusional of a fan? Is your fandom so toxic and crazy that you're actually seeing something different? You're looking at this game cross eyed. What?
B
Turn this pig on.
A
And it's that. That just blows my mind in general. But the other thing is
B
kicking a
A
puck in is one thing. Take having the hand eye coordination to take your stick and cross check it in and it absolutely hit stick. Like, that's just a great hockey play. You should be like, this tat tip. Like, come on, dude.
B
It was sickle, sickle, sick goal.
A
And then, yeah, man, it is so great for Vegas that they won this game with that because all the shit talking online, like, it bothers me when people are like, that's so clearly a goal. Yeah. And then it gets called a no goal. And ABS fans come in and go, oh, so clearly. Suck on these nuts. And I'm like, this. You lost still.
B
And, you know, it's.
A
You were up three nothing. And this all. Don't forget, folks, this was two nothing. And that made the game two one. They go, no goal. And then bang. Drew scores a shorty. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Drury scores a shorty, and it's now three nothing. You lost. You still lost that game. So it's like I demand all of those people who are online being like this. Well, it was a high stick, too. It was the. It was clearly off the glove. You Vegas fans, you stink. And I'm like, well, you've lost, dude.
B
Okay, So I want to say, and for any ABS fan in here who is. Who is upset, I desperately wanted the apps to win that game. I'm not even Making commentary on who I wanted to win this series. I just think these are two great hockey teams. I hate that people have been hurt. I am not. I. I am very sad that Vegas won this game. Now I have. Hold on. As in here. Yeah. Someone saying, Zach saying, I thought it
A
was over the bar.
B
And I agree. The I need to do. Somebody was on me. Someone agreed with me. I think it was either the chat or in the comments of one of these last ones. There is a legitimate thing about three go, three nothing. First period leads. I am actually so passionate about this now. I was texting Mikey yesterday. This is my. This is my one mission on earth. Three goal, first period leads is actually detrimental to your team.
A
It's the. It's the new two goal lead.
B
It's insane. Dan. Specifically first period. Correct. If you do it later, it doesn't matter.
A
If you go up three nothing in the first period, you will lose or at the very least you will give up that lead.
B
Well, dude, it. Because this is what feels like always happens. You go to the room and you go, holy boys. Right? We did it. And no, no universe did. Teams come out just as hard. It just doesn't happen. You sit in there in the locker room and you go, hey, boys, stay on the gas. Let's run them up. Fuck it. Incorrect. Dude. Everybody backs off a little bit. You play a little bit different for check. You just don't want to give odd man rushes. You think you'll be fine. It changes. The other team goes into full desperation mode. And hear that word when I say it, because I don't mean down. Down one, down two even. You're kind of going, play your game, boys. Play your game. It's fine. Down three, you go into full. Fuck it. Yeah, absolutely. Send everybody. Who cares if we lose seven nothing. It's the same as three nothing. So you create a change in the paradigm of like, I am now in desperation mode. So there is a shift. And dude, I fucking swear to God, the losing team always gets that first one. It goes 3:1. This is where the hockey game starts. Because I've seen the teams that survive. Dude, Vegas went up three. It wasn't the first period. But Vegas goes up three nothing. You have a goal. It does. I guess that one's relevant because it wasn't the first period. My point is, if once it goes 3:1, you just. If you're the abs, you just have to get 4. If you get 4:1 now everything is settled and you go, we're fine. We can hang out. It's when it's like three one, and then you go, we're good. Three two. You are fucking dead. I swear to God, if I was up 2 nothing in the first period, I would stop fucking shooting dead ass, dude. I would be like, just roll this, get to the room. Start playing the game this way. And then we. Then it'll motivate us more to push hard. I know that sounds batshit insane, but I swear to God, if my team went up to nothing in the first, I would be like, yo, just get pucks in deep. Stop trying to score. It's a fucking real thing.
A
I agree. This game goes on. And Zach, get ready. Second period starts. 19 seconds in. Mark Stone power play. Goal. Mark Stone back in the lineup, giving them the energy, that captain energy. And I was like, holy moly, here we go. I then tweeted, this is the second time in, like, three games that I've done this. I tweeted and I go, holy shit night. Like, you know, goal. 19 seconds in. If we get another Vegas goal in the next five minutes, we might have great action here.
B
Yes, dude. Some. Some fucking great action.
A
And then what happens? Three minutes. Something. Seconds later. About 40 seconds later, Wild Bill.
B
Oh, yeah. I was like, who did that? Yep. Four.
A
Four minutes into the period. Goal. Three, two. And I was like, we got great action. Like, this game, we are. This game is fully out of control. And the fact that Kolasar ties the game in that second period didn't even need to get to the third. Yep, it's now 3, 3. Sick play by Kolasar, by the way.
B
Yes, it was like.
A
It was a great tip. And then what did the tip. The tip went like, post something.
B
Are just sitting there. And then he.
A
And like, he finishes the play, but it's now tied. And I don't know about you, obviously, it's easy to say this with momentum. You could have said it was three nothing Colorado. But coming back and tying it three, three. In that very next period, I was like, game over. Like, you. You are fucking done.
B
Certainly in the driver's seat. Like, don't come into the third. And you go, boys, what a fucking joke this is.
A
And.
B
And they go, we should be winning. We should be win. Because the shorty wouldn't have happened. So they're like, we should be winning already. They've already robbed us. This is insane, dude. Yes. Th percent it was. It was all Vegas. And dude, one thing I can't fathom is even some of the games the AVs have lost, I feel like they're playing great still. They've just been thwarted. Right. And, and we said, dude, I, I, we probably haven't said this on air yet. Somebody was bitching about Kale being out and all the injuries and blah, blah, blah. No, there hasn't been a defenseman on the aves that has come in and I've gone. They're losing the series because this guy's been exposed. I don't think the ABs Team D has played that bad.
A
Yeah. Gone. The hurdle goal got turned inside out a little bit, but.
B
And Kale's back to that game. Wedgwood. A lot of people are bitching about Wedgwood online. I don't think Wedgwood has been particularly bad and losing this game. This was his worst game so far of the series, but he hasn't put you in this hole himself. The literal difference has been the avs can't score on Carter Hart. They have been unable to score consistently on Carter Hart. That is what's happening in this series. So look, look there first, right. If that's going to be the problem. But yes, dude, the avs have been playing well, just not scoring until the third period of this game. They had, they went, they went like 12 minutes without a shot with five minutes left in your season on the line, essentially. They had two shots in the third period, and I'm like, what are you doing, dude?
A
Yeah, I think I want to, I want to talk about, I mean, this, this game. Hurdle scores, then we get an empty net goal. This game ends up 5, 3. Let's talk about the teams now and what's going on here. I want to talk about Vegas first.
B
Yep.
A
The, the hatred by certain people for Vegas is going to define this Stanley Cup Final. It.
B
What do you mean? Like, by fans.
A
Yeah. Okay. And by, by just like, several people.
B
Yep.
A
It is, it is crazy to me how it's, it's re. To me, it really started last night, or at least where I could see it.
B
Okay, go on.
A
They go up to nothing, but now they go up. Everyone was like, okay, well, maybe Colorado can come in and just steal two in Vegas. And now it's two, two and no blood. We're fine. It's now three. The, the hate for Vegas for various reasons that started flooding the Internet last night, flooding our dms. Like, we weren't even talking about Vegas.
B
We just talked.
A
We're just. Yeah, like, 100%. I wanted the apps to win.
C
We're.
A
We're just talking about it online. And, oh, my God, the messages we were getting last Night. It was just like anger. People were angry and they, they just wanted somewhere to vent. So they came to our DMs and they were like this team, blah, blah,
B
blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
A
If this team wins, if this team, when this team goes to the Cup. Yeah. And then if this team wins the Cup, I think we are going to see some of the most petulant behavior we've ever seen in our lives.
B
Yeah.
A
And I think Vegas loves it. Oh, dude.
B
They feed off this shit.
A
I think this team loves it. I think their management loves it. I know their fan base loves it. But it, it is crazy. And what we're seeing, man, is like, you know, I saw EJ Eric Johnson coming on the show soon. Get excited for that. It's going to be awesome. But he just said he thinks Torts is like the perfect fit for this Vegas team. Now I'm excited to talk to him about that because I don't know if I agree with that.
B
Long term, I doubt he does too. And he means right now.
A
Yeah. And it's so interesting to me that Cassidy, as he has done with many teams before, he did it with the Bruins, he's now done it with Vegas, runs into a wall where people go, we're done with this. Like your, your vibe, where it's great, it works. You're an amazing hockey mind, you're an amazing hockey coach. But we're done. Yep. Gotta move on. I am still impressed that Torts, his voice was able to come in and be so refreshing.
B
Yeah.
A
Cause Torch is also a no nonsense motherfucker who will motherfuck you.
B
It worked perfectly.
A
I mean, they came in, they won 90 fucking percent of their regular season games to end that season. And now they come in and they beat the fucking wheels off multiple teams. And now they're up 30 on Colorado, the President's trophy winner. The team everyone said President's trophy curse won't mean shit to this group. They're too good. And they are. They, they are so unfazed by this Colorado team. So unfazed. And we just saw it perfectly with a three nothing. First period lead in Vegas is like whatever, boom. Second period tie game. Now you've lost Colorado. I, I think it is so unbelievably impressive. You brought up the. They trailed more than any other team in the league other than Vancouver all season long. They win the Pacific. Now they're up 3 nothing in the Western Conference final. They are unfazed by everything. And I said last night we posted something, I was like, this Team played possum all year and they tricked everybody. And so many people were like, they didn't play possum. Like they. They didn't have Wild Bill and, you know, they made a trade for Anderson and they get torts and I'm like, all good points. But like, they definitely played possum in the sense that with those injuries and with the shit, they were just like, this will still be fine. We're going to turn it on in playoffs. And absolutely, torts has helped them turn it on in playoffs. But, like, this is what they do. There's a next gear. We talked about it when Jack Eichel, when they won the cup, Jack had 67 points.
B
Yeah, yeah.
A
And then finishes the playoffs with like 26 leading the team. They all know how to fucking turn it on. And this group is just like, they're. They're playing at a level, in my opinion, whether it be torts, whether it be the players turning it on to that next level, or a combination of both. I think it's a combination of both. They are better right now than they have been all year. And it's not close. And also, Mark Stone is so fucking valuable, bro. And it's so great, Marty being on the show all the time, being able to talk about, for being a teammate, winning a Stanley cup with him. He's like, he is the best guy. The best guy. And he is such a leader. This is the shit you talk about that's like. You will hear stories about players like Mark Stone for years and years to come. All of these guys who want to Stanley cup with him and now might win a second Stanley cup with him, they will be like, oh, dude, Stoney is like the biggest leader of all time. Like, he just gets us there.
B
And.
A
And this guy comes back in the lineup immediately, scores a goal. They come back after being done. You know, it's like, that is the Difference maker type shit.
B
Oh, couldn't agree more.
A
Fucking A, man. This. This Vegas team is just. They tricked us. They tricked the whole league. And here we go. We.
B
We said about Darlene when he tied that game.
A
Yep.
B
I was like, that's your guy. That's your fucking guy right there. Mark Stone coming back when it was like, Cale's probably going to play. Cale's probably going to play, but he's out. He's out. And then he's in. Mark Stone, we were going, mark Stone might never walk again. He's done. And then him just stepping out in game three, the same game. Cale comes back, by the way. And Kale looks more hobbled than him. I'm not trying to say it's a one to one, but Mark Stone coming back in the same game, Kale comes back and having a goal and an assist in that comeback is just. That's your fucking guy. That is fucking heavy, heavy dick. Shit. That was so awesome. On Torts or you go ahead about.
A
I. Yeah, I just wanted to add the thing to Stone. It's like we. There's so much hate that goes on for this Vegas team. I don't know how the fans do it. I know, I know they've only been around for eight or so years, but like, it's the, the Mark Stone hate. I don't get if you, if you hate Vegas. Okay. But this is one of those things. Like, I, I understand people hate certain players. Like people hate LeBron. I used to hate LeBron. There comes a time where you just have to tip your cap. Yep. And go, he's one of the greatest players of all time.
B
Yep.
A
I don't really get what Mark Stone ever did that made people hate him. Unless it's the injury stuff. It's like, you know, rival teams. He was always like, on ltio.
B
Yeah.
A
But my, my point of view on that has always been he's actually hurt. Well, a, it's a rule. Like, it was, it was a rule in the, like, stop getting mad about it. And then B. Yeah. If you think Mark Stone was faking a ruptured spleen. Come on. So if that was your only reason to hate Mark Stone, drop it. Like, this guy's just like an awesome. Like, enjoy it. Enjoy gamers. Watching gamers is fun. Yeah.
B
And he is one of those.
A
He is what? He is a gamer.
B
Quick shout out to Torts for this. And I. Who did this? St. Louis. Maybe you'll. You'll remember. Yeah. St. Louis. Heroic, heroic, heroic. No poll of Carter hart in the first. Like, you are up 20 against the Aves. You won two in Colorado. All you have to do is win one in Vegas and you feel fine. The A.V. score three straight goals. And again, not really his fault. Drury's a breakaway cadre. Pretty good snipe, landy, like half tase, breakaway, rebound, you know, not really his fault. But Carter Hart has played every minute, right?
A
Yeah, I think so.
B
This would have been such. If I'm torts, I am immediately going, hart, take a seat. Not your fault at all. You're tired. This is a well earned break. Maybe Hill goes in and shuts the door because it's a New goalie. Give him a touch. Might be beneficial for later anyway. And we will happily lose this game if we do. Or he'll pitches a shout out and we come back and win. Either way, house money. Carter Hart, you're starting game for no matter what. Heroic. No poll of him. All the data says pull him there. Heroic. No pull of. So true into Carter Hart. Shut out the rest of the way. You beat the ABs and now you have a 3.0fucking stranglehold.
A
Yeah.
B
That was awesome.
A
Are you ready to move on to Colorado?
B
Yes.
A
Actually. The last thing I'm going to say about Vegas is. Good God, Dorothea is going to make so much money.
B
Oh, he's just. He's a fucking. He's the man.
A
That's unbelievable.
B
The last thing I'll say about Vegas is this. And we've said enough about him. But I just wanted to point this out. Mitch Marner, you looked at me and you were like, unbelievable. Two more. And the first assist was gross. But like two more assists, right? Like he. He does not cool down. He does everything. But here's what I genuinely loved so much. He takes the abs. Go or. Sorry. The Knights go up four, three. And with five minutes or so left, Mitch Marner takes a tripping penalty on
A
nature, which was dog.
B
I think it was a. I think it was a very tough call. His stick 100% hits nature in the foot. I think nature probably felt the contact and went down. But 100. Marner is stick checking, misses stick and puck and hits nature's in the leg. So I'm not gonna go that hard. And you of all people don't. We're not going to complain about the refs, so. I'm not complaining about the refs.
A
There.
B
His stick hit his leg. But dude, the fire that Mitch Marner had after that when he literally slammed his stick and was screaming at the
A
ref, instantly, dude, this. And maybe just goes down and Mitch's arms immediately go up being like, get the fuck up, you pussy.
B
Yep. And.
A
And then the ref's arm goes up and.
B
Yeah, dude. And she cuts him in the box. He's still shaking his head like a psychopath for. For a full two minutes later. Dude, I'm telling you and m. I highly doubt there are any Leafs leaves fans in this chat, but the leaves. I just don't believe that we have seen that fire and emotion from this kid. Like, dude, all the complaints was like, he doesn't care. He's a ghost. In the playoffs. Mitch Marner is ripping a ref's head off One game away from the Western, from the Cup. You know, like, look how much he cares. Look how much he is doing for this team. That really fired me up where I was like, dude, this is. This is what we all wanted as a hockey fan. This is the Mitch Marner in the playoffs that we all wanted in your game.
A
I agree, man. It's.
B
We.
A
We've. We've made the joke about like the Buffalo Curse for the last several years where it's like a former player of the Buffalo Sabres has won the Stanley cup the last like four years in a row. Yeah, that's tough to see. Yeah, you are, you are seeing it right now if you're a Toronto fan. I, I think there's plenty of Toronto fans who are happy for Mitch. Even the ones that are happy. This must make you frustrated. Not from a. A Mitch standpoint of like you, Mitch. It must make you frustrated of like, God damn it, our team. Like, why did we let this guy go to waste? This guy looks like a world beater, like a generational hockey player. I think he is leading the playoffs right now in points and he's playing remarkably well. I mean, he's playing visionary hockey.
B
Yeah.
A
Visionary hockey.
B
Antoine goes. Mark's going. Mark Stone skates like everything hurts in his body.
A
Oh, that's true. Mark Stone. I'm going to start saying when I wake up during in the week or like after a night out drinking or something, and I get up and you have that creaky body feeling, you just. Man, I feel like Mark Stone today.
B
Yeah, that's funny.
A
Yeah, it's like. That is absolutely true. But he gets out there and he battles, dude.
B
Yeah.
A
It's unbelievable.
B
Okay, give me some abs. Give me some abs.
A
Okay, I want to talk about the abs now. I believe passionately that they are a team that could come back from this.
B
However, if any team could.
A
If any team could, I do think it is them. However, this Vegas team is too good to let that happen.
B
Especially I would say, with how K looks and people are saying Nate's.
A
And now Nate.
B
Nate's like, questionable for game four.
A
I think this series is over. What a shocker. What Going out on a limb. But I do believe in Colorado and I'm. I'm going to tune in tomorrow night. Tomorrow night?
B
Yeah, every night.
A
I'm going to tune in tomorrow night and watch passionately and hope that this series gets stretched out because I want to watch more hockey.
B
I. Okay, go on.
A
I do believe it is over, though.
B
In how many, like, are they getting broomed Is the dock. They might get swapped to dial, dude.
A
Oh, they might get swept. Yeah. I mean the fact that this game is in Vegas is like part of me if Kale and Nate are hurt. Yeah, this game is in Vegas. Vegas is playing this way. They absolutely could get swept. I mean, dude, we talk about Montreal aura. Like Vegas has aura now too.
B
Yes. Yeah.
A
No question about it. So much, so much. Like there's no doubt they, they could absolutely get.
B
Part of me thinks the as can gut out a game four win and then we'll win game five at home and then Vegas wins in six.
A
I think it is, I think it is very bright eyed and bushy tailed. It is to think that they can do that. But they could.
B
I think they could though.
A
I just, I don't think I truly. Man, I, I look at, oh yes.
B
It was this guy Night Rome had said this earlier. I forgot who said it. And I totally agree with him. He was like, I don't want this to go forward. But he's a Vegas fan. He's like, I don't want Vegas to get rusty before the finals.
A
And I completely, I agree with that too.
B
I legitimately think you want, if you are Vegas, you desperately want this to go six games.
A
Yeah.
B
Just keep playing, have two tight ones get, get reps, beat the AVs in six and then, and then go, go in. Unless, unless Montreal or Carolina also rips off a gentleman sweep. Then you can do the same. Same. But I'm so with you. I think it hurts you if you're Vegas.
A
If Montreal wins tonight, Vegas is like, maybe we should sweep. Yeah.
B
Yeah.
A
Win five. Yep. I, I, I do think that they can fight. I'm, I'm, I'm, the abs will fight. I'm excited about them fighting, exciting about them possibly getting a win tomorrow. But let's, let's live in a world where they lose. I want to start with Bednar. We got so many. Even before the game, it was only 2. 0. So many DMS and hockey talk saying, do you fire Bednar? Personally, I have the rod, the bod Carolina take on this good coach. He is a great coach. He's up for Jack Adams this year. You are a perennial Stanley cup contender. You do not fire that coach. You do not.
B
I agree.
A
And I also give Colorado an out where Carolina does not get one. Over the last several years, you've been without Landy, you've been without Nishushkin. And now here you are, Nate and Gale, Nate and Kale.
B
Dead zombies.
A
You do it. You, you absolutely do not fire Bednar. Unless. Which I do not believe is the case. There is reason to believe that there's issues in the locker room. Players are like, we're done with this guy, then maybe have the conversation. But if everyone's like, we love Bednar, we're just.
C
We're.
A
We're running into buzz saws, blah, blah, blah. You do not fire him now. I hate that Kayla Nader hurt.
B
Me too. It sucks.
A
I hate that Kayla Nader hurt. And I'll tell you why. Not because of what you think. Yeah, I.
B
Well, it's also because of what I think, but I know what you're.
A
Yeah. The. The constant take we have is we want to see the best players on the ice. I want to see the best versions of every team playing.
B
I hate somebody. Just. Zach just says injuries have robbed the ABs of so many cup chances. And that's the take. And it's a fair take.
A
It is a very fair take. It's what I say all the time. Like, we've gone on all season. We posted a clip last week where I was like, is their window. Are they in the back nine? Like, is their window closing in a couple of years? And they look at this last five years and they're like, how the fuck do we not have more cups? And it's because Landy was hurt and it's because Val has been out.
B
Yeah.
A
And that does suck.
B
Yep.
A
And injuries do rob teams. But I hate the excuse. Because you don't want to have to have the excuse. It sucks. I also hate the reality. It's like, like I just said, we want to see the best players playing. I do not like that Kale and Nate are hurt right now because we did the one. For one thing, Kale's out. Yes.
B
That's brutal.
A
Mark Stone was out, though. So in two games, you had a very significant injury on both teams, respectively. Was the third highest point scorer on each team was out. Vegas won two games. Now Mark Stone comes back. Now Kale comes back. Both banged up. Looks like Kale's more banged up, but either way, both not playing 100%. Vegas wins. Nate gets hurt in the game. But Nate finished the game. But Vegas wins. I do not want there to be an excuse here.
B
Yep.
A
Where people Colorado fans go. We only lost that series because Kale
B
and Nate were hurt.
A
I do not like you should.
B
And dude, weren't you. Weren't you as fans, all the people saying that you can beat Vegas without Kale.
A
Anyway, dude, when I tweeted Kale Makara being Out for this game. If I was like, if Kale's out for more than one game, things are going to get very interesting. I got so much hate from people being like, stop making a story out of nothing. Kale being out doesn't mean anything. We can still beat this Vegas team. Blah, blah, blah, blah. It's 30 now. Yep. So interesting.
B
Somebody said, dude, somebody goes, DG, DG 69, 6, 91 goes. I've never heard this before, but the people are talking about this ass thing. And he goes, injuries are part of the game. If you piss like a puppy, stay on the porch. I think. Okay, I like that. Stay on the porch.
C
What do we think Randy feels about that, dude?
B
Hey, Randy, thoughts?
A
What about. Hey. Pissing like puppies, Randy, what do you think?
B
Randy pisses outside?
A
Yeah. Only she's a great dog.
B
The go on.
A
So I, I, I, I, I, I finished my point. I, I don't think it's an excuse. I, Obviously, that fucking sucks. And if we come in game four here and Nate. What if Nate's out?
B
Dude, if Nate is out, I could just do. What happened? Like, is his leg broken?
A
I maybe, but, like, maybe, dude, that was a brutal shot.
B
He could not move. And people. I saw someone mad being like, he shouldn't have been out there. I'm like, dude, Bednar says to him, can you play in the power play? You can see him right on the bench. Nate goes, I have to go to the locker room. And he goes, can you play in the power play?
A
And he goes, yeah, yeah. This is what kind of frustrates me. If I were an AVS fan. Well, I talk.
B
I'll, I'll.
A
I talked to you a lot yesterday about in game Adjustments, and I think that there are some coaches who are phenomenal with in game adjustments. I actually want to give Knoblok a little stroke off.
B
Okay.
A
Knoblok, two years ago, when the Edmonton Oilers were down 3 0, made remarkable in game adjustments in that series, which then got it back to a game seven.
B
Yep.
A
There are a lot of coaches who I think really struggle with in game adjustments. And I know that an 80% Cale Makar and 80% Nate McKinnon are better than most players in the league still. But I look at that situation against this good Vegas team, and you have that power play with the goalie pole, or you have the goalie pole situation. You have a power play situation where you have a hobbled Nate and a hobbled Kale on the ice. And there's part of me that's like, we've spent so much time talking about how deep this Colorado team is. Put fucking Brock Nelson on the ice.
B
Yep.
A
Put Nazem Kadri on the ice. Like, what are we, what are we talking about, dude? Like, you have too many good players that I'm like, do not fucking spend this two minutes with two injured players on the ice who literally can't move.
B
Yep.
A
Put other guys out there.
B
Great call, dude. Some people are with you on the chat there. And also this person, I guess I won't say who you are, but if you are listening because I think you are due to this text, you will know I'm shouting you out here. Great comment, Great point. And almost happened by accident to Vegas.
A
Yeah.
B
But Vegas knows how to play and win without Mark Stone in the lineup because they have to do it so much. The Aves don't know how to play without Makar, so he goes out and they go, oh, fuck, dude.
A
And that, that is what I was talking ranting to you about yesterday of the in game adjustments. When you have world beater players like that, that's huge. But you can't get to reliant on them. You can't depend on them or else you fall apart to the point where I am borderline. Like, if I were a coach and I had a Kale Makar, I would spend half of practice working on the pp, working on the breakout, working on a neutral zone trap without Kale. Yeah. Because I'd be like, what if he goes down? Yep.
B
Justin, it's a great call, dude.
A
It's. It's interesting.
B
That's it for this game. I have. I have one closing thought. So.
A
No, I have a very big topic here.
B
Okay. Mine's a nothing burger. So nothing. But no, no, it has to be the last thing.
A
Okay. The last thing I want to say. And we are a players podcast. We don't ever talk shit about anybody as often as we possibly can. I think Nate needs to be less emotive with his body language. I don't think it's great.
B
Dude. Dude, I am. I am with you.
A
They're just. Dude, you are. You are a perfect hockey player. I'm obsessed with you as far as a hockey player. He is. He is my. Every year. Nate is a like 40 to 50 goals. 60. Like, he's unbelievable. I have nothing bad to say about Nate.
B
Yeah.
A
But when your team's losing in the Western Conference final and you're not getting passes in the slot, you're not getting passes on a three, on two, and you're Throwing your hands up. You're throwing your head back. It can't be doing that.
B
Don't see Sid doing that.
A
You don't see Sid doing that. And you're Nate McKinnon, man. Like, I need. We need you. Everyone is relying on you.
B
Yep.
A
I need to look at Nate. You are a general, dude. You are Maximus Decimus Meridius. You are riding through the woods in Germania with your sword raised, screaming, roma victa. And I need to know that you're dialed. And if you're throwing bad body language that is so contagious, and it's contagious in multiple ways, it can make guys see it and go, like, Nate's not. Nate's not feeling it. Like, he. Look at that body language. He doesn't think we can win it. It can also piss you off if. If you're. If you're a player and I choose to pass it back to Marty Natures instead of Nate, and the play breaks up, but I see out of the corner of my eye Nate throwing his head back, there's a chance that those players are going, fuck you, dude. Yep. Like, fucking Marty's a hundred point guy.
B
Yep.
A
Blow me. I'm going to throw him the fucking puck.
B
He looked open.
A
He was open. Yep. That shit is. It's. It's dangerous. It's dangerous stuff, man.
B
Dude.
A
And it's like, I need more. What's happening, Zach? Okay. I need more. So I'm. I have trauma, dude.
B
Yeah, I'm sorry.
A
Ptsd. I need more. Nate in the pool with goggles on.
B
Yeah, that's my guy.
A
Like, I. Dude, it's like, I think that there. There is such a market for Nate just being happy. Like, I don't know what the this leads me to. We got to get some vibes going for Nate. What? Guys need to figure out what makes Nate happy, and you need to just throw him headfirst into that. Because I need happy Nate on this,
B
but unfortunately, I don't know what that is. I don't know what makes him happy other than winning hockey games. I think that might be the only thing. And, dude, this is a announcement. This is completely made up. I know nothing about this. But I'm just telling you, and I wonder if you agree this is what it feels like. The situation is there with Nate. It feels like if the Penguins went up three nothing in the first period and then blew that lead in the second period and then came to the locker room, Sid would be in the locker room going like this. Tie game, boys. Fucking 20 minutes. Just beat him for 20 minutes. Like, that would be the speech. And Nate gets in the locker room in between the second and goes like this. What the fuck are we doing? Like, he's motivating, but it's in that way. He's like, jesus Christ, we got to get our heads out of our asses. We fucking. Three goals. And the second be like, what the fuck was that? Come on. And again, he's trying to be positive, but it just comes from such a fucking I'm furious place instead of a. Like, again, I'm making this up. But that's what it feels like the situation is with his style of leadership.
A
100%, man. And I. I am just here to
B
say Jess has put an inflatable pool in the locker room. There we go, Jess. That's what I'm talking.
A
Let's get an inflatable pool in the locker room. Let's get some splish splash and going on before game four. And the thing is, dude, this is the Michael Jordan comparison, right?
B
Yep.
A
When he does that. What was that thing called? Last Dance Doc? And he's sitting there, and he's like, listen, you wanted to say I was an asshole. I was tough to play with. I was a jerk. That's fine. But I never asked my teammates to do something that I wasn't always also doing. Yep. That mentality works when you go 6 for 6 in the final. Yeah. When you are the greatest player of all time. Now, Nate's damn near close to the greatest player of all time, but unfortunately, they don't win every year. And unfortunately, they're down.03 in the Western Conference final to a team that everyone thought was worse than them. You cannot be this guy. You can't. And Nate is what? Oh, how old is Nate now, Chris? 29?
B
30.
A
Look that up for me, because we are at 30. 30 years old, dude. You're 30. We're at the point with Nate where I'm like, dude, we gotta find your happy place. This is a Happy Gilmore moment for Nathan McKinnon. We have got to find your happy place. Because I've seen it. I've seen him do some interviews where he cracks a joke and smiles and the way it lights up the entire room because people are like, whoa, dude. Gotta laugh at a Nate at media day when he's done some shit. And every now and then, he cracks a joke with Sid.
B
I was gonna say.
A
And he shows some levity. Everyone loves it. It is so, so contagious when Nate's happy.
B
Yep.
A
I love that. He's dialed in. He's not boozing. He's given guys on the team shit for drinking sugared sodas and drinking on, you know, two nights before a game and stuff like that. Man, if that's you, that's you. Let the boys live and just bring some happiness to the locker room. You need to understand how much of a leader you are, how much people look to you. And when your leader is fucking yucking it up, the vibes are through the roof in a locker room. Yeah. And I think it's been too long with Landy out for several years, working on his knee and all the rehab. It's been too long in that room with angry. Too serious Nate. And it's not working. That's the thing. It's not working. You gotta lighten up, pal. Let's find your happy place. Let's figure out who your Virginia Vennet is. Let's figure out who your grandma is, and let's figure out what fucking makes you tick. If it's putting on fucking goggles and jumping in the pool and swimming around playing mermaids. I want you to be Ariel, pal. I want you to have fun. Because fun is the key for this
B
guy and for that locker, dude, 100%. I was just going to say he's happy. Places, like, it's a resort pool. And. And Sid's there, sits there playing piano, you know, and he's like, hey, buddy. And then Landy's hopping on a pogo stick, and he goes, my knee feels. My knee feels incredible. Never. Never been. Ever injured. And then there's. There's the cups there, but they're pouring electrolyte water into it. And they go. I think it's vitamins. Oh, here we go. He sip. He sips electrolyte water out of the cup while Landy. While Landy pogo sticks and Sid plays piano. And then tosses him some goggles. And then Nate jumps in the pool. That. That's where he needs to go. And then go there in your mind, dude. Go there in your mind and it will all be fine. That's incredible, Dan.
A
Absolutely correct.
B
Okay.
A
What is your nothing burger to end this with?
B
This is the most important stat I've ever. Or the most important thing I've ever heard. Do you remember when Kurt Warner was on the Arizona Cardinals.
A
Yeah.
B
And they went on an improbable run to the Super Bowl?
A
Yeah.
B
Do you know. Do you remember why that happened? Why he went there, why they made it to the Super Bowl? Because Larry Fitz is a no that's the real reason. But do you. Do you recall the supernatural reason?
A
I don't.
B
He had told his children before the playoffs started that if they made the super bowl, they could get a puppy.
A
Oh, my God.
B
And then they had puppy magic the whole playoffs.
A
Yeah. So obviously I lost that bowl to the Steelers.
B
They did.
C
Yeah.
B
After life for children. One of the most insane games.
A
And Jerome Bettis fumbled, like, when they were trying to, like, wind the clock down. But then Pittsburgh jumped on it. That was crazy.
B
Oh, wow. I forgot about that. I did not. I have become aware that puppies make everything work. Well, that is true, but Vegas is working with their own magic. And I was not told this.
A
You're telling me Vegas has puppy magic?
B
Nope. They have undifferent magic. 5. Five of the golden Knights wives are expecting in June. There are five, five players on the Knights who are all about to have a baby during the Stanley cup finals. 5.
A
There. That is so many babies that will be placed inside of Stanley Cup.
B
Dude, if they. I had. If someone had told me that before the playoffs start because they've been pregnant for eight months. If someone had told me what was
A
going on in Vegas eight months ago.
B
Dude, if someone had told me before the playoffs started that five Golden Knights wives were. Were due in June. Yeah, I would have bet my house on Vegas winning the Stanley Cup. And unfortunately, I'm just finding this out now, so I'm only able to act now, but Vegas is already up3.0 in the West Conference finals, so it's fucking irrelevant. And I've lost all my money. I'm essentially poor. And if. If I had known this. This is the most baby magic shit I have ever heard in my life. How were we not told? How were we not aware?
A
We.
B
I feel like a fool of the highest order that I had. Didn't have Vegas from the start. Five wives are expecting babies in June. This is the most automatic Stanley cup win in the history of fucking Earth. And I. No one told me. And shame on someone. I don't know who I'm pissed at, but I am pissed. And there you go. That's the most important piece of data in the history of hockey.
C
The chat is going fucking bananas about Prego magic. They are 100.
A
Oh, dude, this is pregnant.
B
This is pregnant magic, dude.
A
Like, this is preggoing talking about. I also. I need someone to find out what was going on eight and a half months ago.
B
Like this.
A
And like, chat. Tell me what was happening.
B
Like, this is literally what month is that?
A
Someone just said Nick Nightroom said Vegas had baby power up in 23 as well.
B
What the fuck? Like, literally. So, so, so explain this to me then. Explain that how I'm just finding this out.
A
Dude, who told you this?
B
It was actually. Oh, I can't. I can't tell you. I'll tell you.
A
Okay, fine.
B
It's like a secret, but, like, no,
A
no, I get it. I. I now think I know who told you. I just, like, what the. What was going on?
B
The. I. I. I will never understand. Someone says, oh, it's Halloween. Oh, oh, oh, this is pretty good. Beginning of the season.
A
I know what it was. We just got a text that makes a ton of sense. Well, dude, listen, man.
B
And you know what? And he's one of them. I'm serious. He's one of them.
C
True, dude. That's true.
B
Oh, he's one of the expecting.
A
Well, hey, here's the thing, folks. Baby magic is real, and I don't know that you can beat that.
B
Dude, if someone had let me know, I'll be rich. Montreal Montreal players, enjoy your season.
A
Well, any of you with kids, you better start making puppy promises right now to try to combat this, because right now there's nothing that you can do.
B
Like, Correct. This is. This is over because we have five. Five children being placed in the Stanley Cup. Five.
A
Randy heard puppy magic.
B
The most important thing I've ever heard. Yeah.
A
Correct. Holy shit. All right, let's talk some Memorial Day stuff before we get into Montreal Carolina.
B
Okay? We're going to put some picks up.
A
Yeah, Zach, why don't we start rotating some picks in this one?
C
One thing.
A
Oh, did Zach.
C
I'm gonna get. I want to get my bet on babies. Lower third in.
A
Wow.
C
T shirts coming out soon.
A
Bet on babies. We are a pro baby podcast, which is very cool.
C
All right, and then first. First things first.
A
This was our first.
C
Let's talk about this first. Yeah.
B
Can you believe that? You think they're diet?
A
No. Yeah, you know, it's a bummer. I bet these aren't bad.
B
Oh, I bet they're incredible. What are you talking.
A
Actually, Zach, what do you think about this?
B
Positive.
A
So I'm. I'm in. In lieu of drinking, I am sipping on a Mountain Dew. 0sug right now. It tastes like rock and roll. And someone sent me these, and they were like, you got to get dogs to go with your Mountain Dew today. And I'll tell you what, I'll venture over to the. To the shops, and if I find them, I will buy them. Zach, what do you Think about this. I saw this the other day, okay? This guy posted a video and he was like, apparently if you take vanilla cake mix.
B
Oh, this is crazy, dude.
A
You can mix it with any soda because the carbonation in the soda is enough leavening to make the cake rise. And then you have the soda flavored cake. So this guy took vanilla cake mix, mixed it with 6 ounces of orange fanta, baked it, and then it was just like this orange cake. And then he put. Made, like, an orange creamsicle icing that he put on top, and it was like an orange creamsicle cake. And he was like, this is the most delicious thing I've ever seen. And then I looked in the comments, and people were like, oh, my God, dude, this is like the biggest game changer ever. I've been making a lemon cake with Sprite for years. Some. Someone was like, I've been making root beer, chocolate, or Dr. Pepper chocolate cake for years.
B
Someone. Someone says, can confirm it works with any soda.
A
Yeah.
B
Mix combo.
A
There you go.
C
That seems a lot. Like, a lot for me.
A
Vanilla cake mix. Then you mix it with the soda of your choice, combine it with an icing, and then you've got an extra flavored cake.
B
Dude. Somebody goes, where is this? Somebody goes, look at dogs.
A
That is crazy stuff.
B
Where is this comment? It's not even far. Look at the bottom.
A
Like, uncured beef franks blasted with original flavored Mountain Dew. Blasted. Dude. That's why I'm telling you, this shit tastes like rock and roll. Like, dude doesn't fuck around.
B
So funny. Dude blasted the original. There. Someone goes. RJT goes pulling out my cross to combat that photo.
A
Yeah. I mean, they look horrifying.
B
Oh, horrifying. That is so awesome. I do need one, to be honest with you. I do.
A
Yeah. I mean, I want to try it. I mean, like, let's be honest.
B
I do need one.
A
It is. You know, whenever we see these weird soda flavors, we see them with chips a lot, popcorn and stuff like that. Putting it into a hot dog is a choice, like, why? And it's a choice that I don't know, that we needed to make.
B
Why. Okay. Do we have. Do we have any other.
A
Yeah, let's. Let's pop a couple of these photos up. So all of you are. Are doing your. And I want. We want to talk more about some Memorial Day parties. Hell, yeah. If you can see that. Wow. On the hat, too.
B
Oh, sick.
A
Quinn Hughes, USA hockey shirt rocking on Memorial Day. Fucking right.
B
Extremely sick.
A
Rights. That is awesome. Let's get Another one. Okay. God, the transition is so fun.
B
So good.
A
All right. This one fired me up.
B
Oh, yeah, yeah. What was this?
A
That. That the. Before we got a nice. Looks like a Golden Blonde Ale.
B
Yep. Little sexy ale.
A
Yeah. Looks like. Remember that soccer company Kappa? Yeah, looks like that. Yep. And that can went right up the ass of that chicken that's in the grill. Beer can chicken.
B
That is awesome.
A
That is great branding. Dallas Blonde. That's a great brand.
B
Incredible. I want that beer immediately.
A
That can't believe it's in that chicken. If that beer will get you horned up like you would not believe.
B
That's amazing.
A
And that beer went right up the ass. What do you think is above the chicken?
B
A.
A
It looks very interesting and delicious, but is that a brisket, too?
B
Well, yeah.
A
This person's having the best Memorial Day I've ever seen.
B
Incredible spread. This is an incredible.
A
That's an unreal grill. They've got a dish that looks like something like a Mac and cheese going on the top right there. They've got a brisket.
B
Another one of the things.
A
They've got a beer can chicken.
B
Like whatever's above the chicken might also be.
A
I know it looks like grilled halloumi, but there's no way people in Texas making beer can chicken, brisket, and Mac and cheese are having grilled halloumi.
B
Correct. Phenomenal.
A
All right, Zach, next one.
C
Yep.
B
Oh, yes. Hell, yeah. Little Blade session. Blade Nation. A Memorial Day.
A
This one fired me up, too. They sent the picture in and they go, little. Little roller action on Memorial Day. Yeah, that'll get you.
B
That is a great day. That is a perfect.
A
Get you going. So what are you guys going to do today? And this is what I always get curious about with Memorial Day. Are you supposed to do your barbecue yesterday so you can get tuned up and have the day off, or are you supposed to do it.
B
You're supposed to do it today.
A
Yeah. Or are you supposed to not be a coward? You're supposed to take a feather out of the vets who served and do both days.
B
Oh, well, yeah, you do the whole weekend. Yeah, you do the whole weekend. Someone sent us a gif of Denzel. I think that's in flight, where he buys a thing of Smirnoff and just starts chugging it.
A
And it was like, it said Americans on.
B
Well, it said a three day weekend exists Americans. And it just was Denzel absolutely chugging spirit off. And I was like, correct. And I. I see no problem with that. I see absolutely no problem with that. And that's all, dude. So, yes, you. You supposed to have been ripping all weekend, and you certainly ripped today. And if you were starting to complain about Tuesday, then you. And also, I'm working. I'm out here working. I'm gonna be back in here working, and I'm still gonna go after it in between working. Yeah.
A
I mean, there's just no way that we don't do something today and celebrate this amazing day and honor our troops. We have to.
B
Yes, that is exactly correct.
A
Yeah. No. No doubt about it.
C
I do think getting outside, too, is huge. Like, I went on a hike yesterday and Big Bear, it was amazing.
A
And I was like, this is so sick, dude. I walked. I walked around everywhere yesterday, and I hung by the pool, which is special.
B
Yeah. Very special.
A
And if you don't think Randy and I walked here today, too, you're out of your mind.
C
Yeah, I know you did.
A
We sure did. It was incredible. We've got game three.
B
Yep. And, Zach, can you put the camera on yourself?
C
Yes.
B
And then continue to talk?
C
Yes, I can put the camera on myself and continue to talk.
A
Oh, wow.
C
We're gonna filibuster because we have some things going on in the studio right now. Dan. Dan's going to use the little boys room. Randy is going absolutely crazy right now. I think he's following Dan in the bathroom as well, guys. So, yeah.
B
Oh, you can.
C
You can hear it in the background. I'm going to go ahead and fade on the next. The next game. While we're getting ready to talk about this, y', all, Zach, how you feeling
B
about the habs aura?
C
I'm feeling wonderful about the habs aura. I'm feeling. As I told you guys, I saw the Ghostbusters ecto on the way to the office on Friday, and I knew the Canes were going to win game two. I feel solid about the halves aura. Oh, this is getting. There's a lot going on in the background. I wish Chad says, what is Memorial Day? Jude03XX It's a day where we remember the fallen soldiers and celebrate our country. Wish I had an Olympic jersey, too. I agree 100% with Y'. All. Let's see what else we've got in the chat going on right now. I saw fanatics is doing a pre order of the team USA jerseys. I know the team USA jerseys should have been available everywhere, constantly after the Olympics happened. Like, I was like, I need my Jack Hughes after that goal. I was like, I want my toothless shirt. I want my Jack Hughes jersey. I want to wear them all the time and celebrate our country. I was 100 on that. Dude. I thought. Yep. I. The jersey pre order. That's smart. But yeah. These jerseys should have been out and available for all of us when we wanted it.
A
Dude.
C
I wish you guys could see. I'm just gonna cut a little bit to what I'm not showing. Revealing fully what's going on right now. But I'm just cutting to Randy jumping all over. Andy is. Randy's trying to pull Dano's clothes off right now. Guys. I know. It's getting a little wild. Canes are still crossing the streams to bust the halves. They are. Dude. Like straight up. The Ghostbusters are busting and they like to bust. As the song says. Yeah. It's unbelievable. That's.
A
I mean.
C
That's a true lyric. They like the. But busing didn't have that connotation at the time. Yeah. Habs got this. Absolutely. At solar power Corpse. They do. Nice. Versus Habs in 93. 1993. I think we bring it back. We're gonna be there. It's gonna be a lot of fun. I think we get after it. Yeah.
A
Candy is fired up about this suit.
C
Am I allowed to reveal it? Or do we want a little. Do we want a little Ghostbusters?
B
Yeah.
C
Okay. Hold on. Let me get a little. Who you're gonna call.
B
Yeah. Okay. Don't demonetize us. Don't. Don't demonetize.
C
We already. We already showed highlights.
A
We're demonetized.
B
So it's fine.
C
Hold up. I gotta. I got. Damn. I got YouTube Premium. Guys. And I still gotta add. You do.
B
You got premium? That's awesome.
C
All right. Gonna let it build.
A
This is a great theme. And so.
C
Something strange. All right.
B
God. Yes. Let's go. Listen.
A
Randy.
B
Randy. Settle down. Fired up. Don't get too fired up. Don't get too.
A
So I said this on the story yesterday. I don't think the ghosts have been busted.
B
Are you?
A
Sir. I do believe the ghosts have been acknowledged.
B
Okay. Here's the thing. Dan. They have been acknowledged. They were nearly not. They were nearly not busted in a bad way. They were nearly slimed to death. Because I'll tell you what. If The Habs got 10 shots and won that game in overtime. The Canes I would have legitimately recommended. The Canes didn't travel to Montreal.
A
Yeah.
B
And just got an extra rest for summer.
A
Yeah.
B
I would have recommended they just stay home and say this series is over in two. Let Vegas sweep. And we'll just move on to the finals. That's how close they were to not busting the ghosts. Correct.
A
The fact that they were acknowledged. You saw it from the admin. Yep. They talked about it. They've got an Etsy Witch situation going on. They knew that they had to exercise demons.
B
Correct.
A
They had to cross streams. And you know what I think was a big factor of this being for sure? The fact that signing of the summer new team edition friend of the program, Nikolai Ehlers is the reason they won.
B
I had said a few eps ago, I'm not saying.
A
I can't begin to say how creepy those white gloves are on you. White gloves in general, I think are the creepiest fucking shit in the world, dude.
B
And just to be clear for everyone back home, everyone listening at home, I tried to get a fully inflatable stay puff, man. That I was going to sit in it.
A
Was it too expensive?
B
It wouldn't. No. Wouldn't deliver in time. And so I was. I could get this.
A
And I'll tell you this. This is a promise right now to the listeners. If the Carolina Hurricanes win this series, we will get that.
B
Yep.
A
And I will bust you.
B
Yeah.
A
I will bust you somehow.
B
Yep.
A
We'll figure out what that looks like.
B
Yep.
A
But that will. And it will be an ordeal.
B
I. I wanted to be sitting here in a fully inflatable stay puft suit that you could have. You know how people. Have you ever seen people like fart? They fart in the.
A
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
B
And then I suffocate.
A
Yeah.
B
That could have happened.
A
Yeah.
B
Also. Well, actually, it doesn't matter. Well, I'll deal with that later. This.
A
Keep talking.
B
This. This is an important thing. The. Unluckily, Dan, the ghosts certainly were acknowledged. But I'm telling you, they were busted. They were busted. I'm not saying that means they win the series, but I am saying that now it is a series. I don't believe at all that this is going to be now a 5 1habs win. It could be, but I just don't believe that because I do believe that it was. It was busted. The Habs don't shoot, Dan. They don't shoot the puck. It's one of the craziest things I've ever seen. I've never seen a playoffs team get so few shots in playoff games that they are in that they are competitive in that they either win or lose in overtime. It's mind blowing. But. But the Ghosts have been busted. And I also want to say this because you said this earlier a few episodes ago. I Said that Nick ers is not a mega. Megastar. I'm not arguing that, but I am arguing he is enough of a difference maker to. To change with the fabric of this Canes team. And that has ever been on more display than it was in game two. Especially on his first goal of the night, which was putrid.
A
His first goal made me leap out of my seat.
B
It did.
A
It was unbelievable. Listen, man, ghosts have been acknowledged that I look at it one of two ways. One, we had another fucking insane Montreal Canadiens performance where they only had 12 shots on net.
B
I've never seen anything like in a
A
game that went into ot.
B
Yep.
A
Ridiculous. And I just said it went into ot. If you're. If you're Montreal, you feel pretty great that you only had 12 shots and that game had to go to OT in Carolina, too.
B
Yes.
A
So, like, you're feeling. You're kind of laughing.
B
Yeah. Weirdly, both teams feel good, right?
A
Yes. The flip side of that, the Carolina spin zone is you have all the demons, you have all the ghosts. You lost game one in epic fashion. This was always going to be a battle because even if you guys get the rust off, even if you get in the right mentality, all the momo that Montreal has is going to be hard to get past this game. You kind of went into being like, this one's going to be a grind. We just have to get a win. And you did get a win. So the spin zone for Carolina is. Is you go, we got the wind, dude. Like, we got a win.
B
We played great.
A
We got over at home in the fucking Eastern Conference final. That's all the fucking matters now. We're back on track. That is the spin zone. Yep. Whose spin zone is going to come out here on top in game three? Is the question.
B
Yep.
A
The. Yeah, right.
B
Whose spins are going to come on top? Bell Center. Different animal. Montreal, though. Sneaky, hasn't been that good at home. Lost a pivotal Game 6 to Tampa with chance to close that out. Lost at home, lost a bunch of them to Buffalo. I think a game six to Buffalo. Is that right? Yeah. They did, didn't they? Didn't they lose game six with a chance to close out both those series?
A
Yes, I think.
B
Yes. So they haven't been that good. We keep being like, the Bell center is the best barn in the league and the fans are amazing. All true things, but the Habs themselves have not played that well at home. So this isn't like, oh, now Montreal goes home and it's easy money. They're going to Win two. And now it's three one. Incorrect. You have to take care of your shit. Carolina knows this fact. They're going, we're fine. We just smothered this team for five straight periods. I would say not smothered in game one, but periods two and three were completely fine. And then game two, you smothered them the whole day. So you go, we are completely fine. Our game travels. Our game translates to the road. It's all good. No worries. I go back to the big concern for the Canes. In the same way the Aves are battling is the do Bash thing. You just go, we haven't really gotten to do Bash at all. It does feel like we need to win these games. Two one, three two at most. You know, where I'm like, holy shit.
C
And.
B
And that's a lot of pressure. Freddy's been amazing and played. You know, we had talked about this during the game. This was one where I go, freddy save percentage is horrible, but it's not really his fault. Or I don't want to say that because I just made fun of that last game, but you know what I'm saying? I don't think Freddy played a bad game in game two. I did think he made no big saves in game one. In game two, I don't think he played a bad game even though his save percentage was bad.
A
Yeah, I agree. Someone, someone in the hockey talk was like, freddy sucks. And I was like kind of a wild take to say that after game two. Yeah. Because one goal was an insane tip in that no one could save and the second was a garbage goal that was sitting in. In between the feet of a thousand players. No, the goalie couldn't see it and it was just a bang bang. So I'm like, that wasn't on him at all.
B
Yep.
A
It does suck when they have 12 shots and you give up two of them. Yeah.
B
God damn.
A
I've been talking about Doves a lot these playoffs and I've made a couple of comparisons. I've got the new comparison.
B
Okay, good.
A
And this is, this is the one. Are you ready?
B
Uh huh.
A
Doves gives off Bennington vibes.
B
Ooh, interesting.
A
Big time Bennington vibes.
B
Yeah, he kind of does the.
A
I could play 40 more.
B
Yep. And I don't know, do I look fucking nervous?
A
I don't know if you saw his quote after this one, but he was like, I got to be better for my guys. That is such a fucking dog quote, dude.
B
Yeah, it is.
A
Like you give up two goals in regulation and then An OT winner. That's a sick fucking shot. And if like all of Carolina's goals were like really. I mean, I don't put any of those on do Bash either.
B
He's mad about the Eelers one because it just slides five hole on the ice. But it was just such a sick.
A
It was just a sick play.
B
Yeah.
A
You know, so he is giving off big time aura on the. On the Aura team. And he's. He kind of has that.
B
Yep.
A
Dog mentality.
B
Big game, big game vibe. Big game vibe. I like that a lot. Okay. Yeah, it's interesting. So for me, dude, the Canes actually, I mean Montreal just has or. Or a swag pumping through their veins, you know, so they don't give a Zach. Like basically what I'm trying to say is I'm going. The Canes are going. We feel good because of blank, blank and blank. I don't think the Habs are thinking or feeling anything. They just show up to the rink and go, what?
C
Yeah. Yep. I don't think anything's on their mind.
B
Yeah. Like they don't even know what day it is, what year it is, what month it is, what round it is. They're just like this, what, dude, do we have a game today? And they go, yes.
A
Yeah, I think that that's true. And I think because of that, you need to take advantage of this opportunity if you're Carolina.
B
That's what I'm saying, dude.
A
This is crazy for Randy. If you. If you can take advantage of this as Carolina. That's huge.
B
Yeah.
A
Because you need to look at. We're in the Bell Center. They have not lost two games in a row all playoffs. Oh, yeah, everyone's talking shit about that. Such a good call being Eastern Conference final chokers. We played two terrible teams. We're not even that good of a team. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I believe with the aura, if Carolina can win tonight, if they can figure out a way to win tonight, they will for the first time, all playoffs. So a little bit of doubt.
B
Yep.
A
A little bit of fear into Montreal because they'll go. Now everyone starts talking and they go, whoa. Montreal loses two in a row for the first time.
B
Yep.
A
Everyone was like, carolina, they suck. They're going to get swept. They're going to get gentlemen swept. Now that's off the table.
B
Yep.
A
And now you are back in the driver's seat having just won a game in Montreal. You not completely. You flip the script a little bit. You change the narrative, a lot of it. And you get people talking about different stuff.
B
Yep. I think that's such a good call this game. I was going to say Carolina just really needs a split because I think if they get a split, they come back and they go, clearly this is a long series now. Clearly we feel like we're the better team and we have two games at home. All good. Like, get the split and your job is completely done. And I mean, I still mean that. I get the split and your job is completely done. However, if you can get this one. I just think it's such a narrative poll because you go, we have a series lead in the Eastern Conference finals and Montreal lost back to back games for the first time. You know, now. Now you're like, we're going to win.
A
Yeah. For the first time in years, dude.
B
Yep.
A
For the first time in years, Carolina could lose a Eastern Conference final game and not be stressed. If they win tonight.
B
Yes.
A
If they win tonight and then they lose game four, they're kind of like, okay, you got the split. Like we're. We're in the driver's seat.
B
Because if you lose tonight, winning tonight
A
is monumentally important for Carolina.
B
Game four, then. Because then game four becomes. Oh, my God, if we lose this game, we get gentlemen swept again. Because don't forget, they got gentlemen last year.
A
You will. If you lose this game and then game four, you will get gentlemen swept because it'll just be too much.
B
Damn.
A
Going back to the Bell Center. Too much.
B
So this game is actually gargantuan for Carolina, I think.
A
I think game four is gargantuan if
B
they lose this one. But that's why I'm saying this one's so big. Like you just kind of.
A
This one's big.
B
Yeah.
A
I don't think it's gargantuan. Because think about all the pressure that there was in game two. And they went to OT and they managed to win. So they. They can respond.
B
But I think if the. If the Habs win this game, it confirms they will not lose back to back all playoffs.
A
I know.
B
So then. And that means mathematically you've lost the cup or you've lost this series. So if the Canes lose tonight, the Habs confirmed, will not lose back to back all playoffs. And the Canes are out.
A
Yeah.
B
So if they lose tonight, they are out. If they win tonight, they could still be out, but they could win.
A
Yeah.
B
They have to win tonight, though.
A
They have to win tonight. They just need to just. Is that like that goal? God, that fucking second goal was so bad.
B
Oh, interesting. That's Kind of cool.
A
What's that?
B
Well, someone says Carolina has not lost back to back since January.
A
Yeah.
B
Which might be true. I just hadn't even thought about that. It's all the Habs. They don't lose back to back. Neither of the Canes. So somebody's. Somebody has to break that streak. Yeah, I guess they don't have to. But if you want. If we need some. If we want some good action, it's going to be somebody losing back to back. Yeah, that would be good.
A
And listen, the ghosts have been acknowledged. Let's see if the ghosts can be bust. Can you bust the ghost? Can you bust these ghosts?
B
And what would. What does busting mean to you winning this series?
A
Yes.
B
Okay, so we were gonna have to wait a while for them to bust.
A
Yeah, yeah, yeah. But you can. You can bust a few ghosts.
B
Yeah.
A
Like if you win this game. I think that's some ghost busted.
B
But you haven't busted. You haven't busted me yet.
A
Yes, you are you. I am white.
B
I am the. I am the final.
A
Like, if we. If we get. Why am I saying we? I. It's because I'm wearing a Ghostbusters.
C
By the way, can we shout out an amazing comment?
A
Yeah. Yeah.
B
Okay.
C
At Thomas Singleton, 5724, said Dr. Stay puff ready to hand out free exams?
A
Yes.
B
Yes. Correct. Dude.
C
Amazing.
A
So I. I want to say. Yikes. I do want to say again that I love both of these teams. I'm not rooting for anyone. We're just trying to entertain you guys. And I'm entertaining you by sitting on Memorial Day in a fucking Ghostbusters costume.
B
Okay.
A
That doesn't mean I'm a Kanes fan. It just means I'm trying to make you laugh.
C
Can we also. Another shout out. Okay.
B
Yep.
C
We've had, you know, we had the. I'm not going to speak about. But we had the crashes. We had the four crashes.
A
Yeah.
B
Yeah.
C
We have 344 people in here.
B
Yeah.
A
Sticking with us on a holiday. Fucking legends. So, yeah. Don't know. Montreal fans take me sitting in this costume as me being a Canes fan. I just want good hockey and I want seven games. But for. For the Canes and for the Canes fans, if you can get a win tonight. That is some ghost Busted. Like the librarians in there. The. I think Slimers in there.
B
Yeah.
A
His name Grimer or Slimer. I don't think it's Slimer. He's in there. You still need Stay Puff. You need four wins to get Stay Puft. But do keep acknowledging the ghosts. Just because you acknowledge them and you got to win does not mean they're gone.
B
Yeah, I'm right here.
A
Stay sharp. Proton packs on streams ready to be crossed. And. And keep fight.
B
You want to see me in a fucking inflatable suit? You got to keep winning.
C
Yeah, yeah.
A
Correct.
B
You've got to keep winning.
A
So I think Dobet getting to do bash is a big thing here. Uh, Freddie needs to. I would love to see a. A confident game from Freddie. Yeah. And it sucks because you got to win, but, like, 12 shots, two goals went to OTU. That's not a confident game.
B
I know, but I just think he played pretty well.
A
He did like those goals.
B
I'm like, what?
A
But again, there's. There's stuff to say. You need to. You need to have Montreal fans have to be like this. No, we don't get to him that game.
B
What do you think happens tonight?
A
I think the Bell center is going to be out of control. I think they're gonna go take your American holiday and get me, too.
B
I think the Canadiens look incredible tonight.
A
I think they're gonna come out like bats out of hell. Ghosts out of hell. Not all ghosts are in hell.
B
No, they're not in hell. I think they're here.
A
Purgatory.
B
Yeah. Yeah. They come out like ghosts out of purgatory.
A
They're gonna look. They're gonna come out like ghosts out of the. The opened proton pack. It's not the proton pack, but it's the thingy they're put in when that. The fucking dipshit mayor who's also the principal, and. Ferris Bueller.
B
Right. Yeah.
A
It's a different guy.
B
Yeah. I don't know.
A
I think it's a different guy. He's in Die Hard. That's what he said.
C
Yeah.
A
He's in Die Hard. He's the shitty newscaster.
B
Oh, that guy. Yeah. Yeah.
A
And they make them open up the thingy and all the ghosts come porn out. That's how the Habs are going to come out tonight. So you better be ready with it.
B
So it's first period, right? And Buffalo Sabres, even though they never capitalize on this, they did a really good job of scoring early Bell center goals.
A
Yeah.
B
To do everything they could. Take the crowd out of it. Carolina looking to go early.
A
I also think it's. It's a. It's high time for Sebastian Aho to do something. Yep. Sorry.
B
I agree.
A
You just. We. We can't. We can't be talking about Sebastian Aho. The Way we talk about him. If you can't step the fuck up here, dude, you got to score a gritty goal.
B
Boys need you.
A
Boys need you. I'd love to see. I'd love to see a slave in masterclass. I'd love to see Cole Caufield. People were talking shit. They were like, Mr. Saturday Night Nothing. I'd love to see him shove it up people's hood.
B
Yeah.
A
I'd love to see Cole get.
B
He's an American. He knows it's a day off.
A
Yeah, yeah. Oh, dude, Cole look. Look for Lane and Cole goals tonight. Yeah. No Lane point.
B
He's Lane hurt.
A
Cole Caulfield goal. Well, he got fucking absolutely bundled last game.
B
Yeah.
A
Oh, you know what else I did want to talk about really quick? I just want to address. There was that play. I don't know if you saw this, people. Some haves fans were bitching about a Taylor hall sticking his knee out, knee on knee, head against Lane. Absolutely not. Okay, we're just putting that one to bed.
B
It's over.
A
Lane turned at the last second. It was a bang bang play. No one did anything wrong. Lane was not wrong for being like, what the fuck? Like, he got his knee caught in a weird situation. But that was not dirty from Taylor Hall. We're moving on. Howden scored. Therefore, new hook goal tonight. New hook anytime. Goal.
B
Dial it in, everybody. New hook goal.
A
Yeah, that's my sign off for you. Dial in a new hook anytime. Goal. Let's have a great Memorial Day.
B
Hey, we have. We have to be right back in here in about five hours to start recording again, so. You got five hours to fucking get nuts, everybody.
A
What time is the game? On five. Oh, I'm not watching the game here.
B
We said we were eating dogs and watching the game here.
A
No, no chance, dude. Okay, maybe I'll do it.
C
Did you wear the Ghostbusters costume all day?
B
Yeah. You can't take that off.
A
Unfortunately, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I'll be watching the game in this.
C
Yeah, we busted the Internet ghost for sure.
B
Let's get. Let's get weird, dude. I'm about to go potty.
A
Yeah, let's go enjoy. I'm gonna go to the gym and salute our trips. Yeah, but then I'll party.
B
No, he won't. 100. He will not.
A
I can. I don't have to drink to party.
B
Yes, you do. That's what partying is.
A
No, I can do other things. No, I'll hammer Deuce.
B
It's ridiculous.
A
Great. Everyone in the chat. Thank you for bearing with us today. All those crashes, that was what? That was insane. But that's what makes it worth it. Great stuff. Let's enjoy Memorial Day on a serious note. Shout out. And so much love to all the troops who let us have this amazing country and have this day to honor you. It's amazing. We love all of you. Let's celebrate this day. Let's have a great time and let's watch some hockey later and have some fun.
B
See you later tonight.
Episode: Are The Avalanche About To Get Swept?!
Hosts: Almost Friday Media
In this Memorial Day special, the Empty Netters crew (former high-level players turned beer leaguers and podcast hosts) break down the wild state of the NHL Conference Finals:
Timestamps: 00:03–07:00
Timestamps: 07:01–09:00
Timestamps: 09:01–13:41
Timestamps: 13:42–16:47
Timestamps: 16:48–23:33
Timestamps: 23:34–39:58
Timestamps: 25:18–33:24
Timestamps: 39:59–47:18
Timestamps: 47:19–56:34
Timestamps: 60:57–67:43
Timestamps: 68:29–73:01
Timestamps: 73:02–79:49
Timestamps: 83:20–103:05
On the Vegas comeback, stat vs. gut feel:
On emotional leadership:
On playoff magic:
On NHL officiating absurdity:
Major Segments
Vegas Golden Knights:
Colorado Avalanche:
Eastern Conference:
Overall:
A jam-packed episode full of spicy takes, data-driven analysis, passionate rants on officiating and team-building, and the kind of camaraderie and irreverence that can only come from hockey-obsessed brothers. Essential listening for any fan trying to keep up with the emotional and tactical saga of the 2026 NHL playoffs.
For first-time listeners:
Skip the intros, grab a Mountain Dew, and dive into some of the best real-talk hockey analysis, rants, and comedic riffs in the game—you’ll leave knowing what’s at stake in the West, why leadership style and vibes matter, and why sometimes, baby magic is the most important X-factor of all.