Is Matthews Done In Toronto And It’s Go Time In Detroit w/ Dylan Larkin

Summary

Empty Netters Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode: Is Matthews Done In Toronto And It’s Go Time In Detroit w/ Dylan Larkin
Date: March 17, 2026
Hosts: Dan Powers, Evan, Chris (Almost Friday Media)
Special Guest: Dylan Larkin

---

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into several major topics in the hockey world: the sudden end of Auston Matthews’ season with a devastating knee injury and its ripple effects on the Toronto Maple Leafs, the shifting playoff races (especially in Detroit and LA), and a celebratory, detailed interview with Olympic gold medalist and Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin. Blending the classic camaraderie and banter of the Empty Netters trio, the episode features sharp analysis, plenty of memorable moments, and exclusive behind-the-scenes Olympic stories.

---

Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. Auston Matthews' Season-Ending Injury & Toronto’s Crisis

• Matthews’ MCL Injury: The episode opens with the breaking news that Auston Matthews has suffered a grade-3 MCL tear and is done for the season.
  • “Auston Matthews shut down for the season with an MCL injury.” (04:18)
• Impact and Suspension Fallout: Discussion on Radko Gudas’ 5-game suspension for the knee-on-knee that caused the injury.
  • Consensus is Gudas is an “edge” player, not a dirty one, but “the bloodlust is real” (07:14)
• Leafs’ Response & Mentality:
  • The hosts lament the Maple Leafs’ lack of response after Matthews’ injury, comparing their demoralization to a “whipped dog.”
  • “I think they see their captain get leg-checked and looks hurt and they’re like, Jesus, Austin’s hurt.” (10:04)
  • Reference to Ted Lasso: “We’re broken. We need to fix ourselves.” (08:53)
• Franchise at a Crossroads:
  • Losing Mitch Marner in free agency/trade and Matthews’ injury puts the team in full organizational crisis.
  • Speculation on Matthews’ future: “If Auston Matthews was a free agent at the end of this summer, I would bet he’d be gone.” (13:55)
  • Debate the timing/feasibility of trading Matthews and the market dynamics if he wants out.
• Notable Quote:
  • “...they’re just beaten down... they’re a whipped dog and they’re just tired.” (10:28)

2. NHL World Cup of Hockey Returns

• Announcement Details: The World Cup of Hockey will return in February 2028 in Calgary, Edmonton, and Prague.
  • “2028, February 2028… this will be the fourth World Cup of Hockey.” (16:38)
• Speculation on Teams: No confirmed list yet; hosts hope for Russia’s return, joke about a “Soviets” retro look.
• All-Star Format Frustration: Discussion about dead periods in non-Olympic years and possible replacements for the All-Star game.

3. LA Kings, Anze Kopitar, and the Wild Pacific Playoff Race

• Kopitar’s Man-of-the-Franchise Moment: Kopitar becomes LA’s all-time leading scorer, passing Marcel Dionne.
  • “...the number one points leader for the Los Angeles Kings…we already knew it. He’s the greatest king of all time…” (20:40)
• Pacific Playoff Picture:
  • Pacific teams’ low point totals compared to East; even division leaders wouldn’t make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.
  • Kings’ slim playoff hopes and futility of the division (“The Ducks are in first with a –10 goal differential!”).
• Do-or-Die for LA: Emphasis on a must-win stretch for the Kings to push Kopitar into the playoffs one more time.
  • “That has to be the spark. That has to be the springboard. Fucking win at a 70% clip for the rest of the season and make playoffs.” (22:20)
• Notable Quote:
  • “What I find absolutely hysterical is not a single team in the Pacific cares… not a single team would be in the playoffs if they were in the East.” (23:00)

4. College Hockey Transitions & NHL Entry

• Cole Hutson to the Capitals: Praise for the incoming rookie defenseman and his offensive upside.
• Cole Eiserman to Islanders?: Heated debate—hosts want him called up now to ride the positive vibes and depth of the Islanders.

5. Detroit Red Wings: March Collapse Watch

• Recurring March Struggles:
  • “The Wings have a March problem…so far they’re 2 and 5 in March.” (33:11)
• Impact of Larkin’s Absence: Captain missing games hurts, but the hosts challenge the team’s mentality: “This cannot happen. It has to be mental.” (34:01)
• Playoff Race Context: The standings remain packed; Detroit could still climb, but Ottawa and Columbus are pushing from below.
• ‘Fraud Watch’ Callout: Hosts (half-jokingly) put the Red Wings “on Fraud Watch” as a motivational tactic—past calls have sparked win streaks.
• Outstanding Quote:
  • “Putting the Wings on Fraud Watch just means watch.” (37:13)

---

FEATURE INTERVIEW: Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings Captain, Team USA Olympic Gold Medalist)

[39:48–77:07]

Highlights & Memorable Moments

• Olympic Gold High Still Riding:
  • “Normal things that would bother me… I’ll go watch Jack’s goal and see the celebration on the ice and I’m just like right back to Cloud 10.” (40:35, Larkin)
• Four Nations & Team USA Brotherhood:
  • Intensity and togetherness set the tone months before Milan; Larkin, Chucks, Hughes boys, and others built instant chemistry—credit to Billy G’s leadership in keeping the group intact.
  • “I give the Tkachuks so much credit… they set everything up… they make everyone feel so important.” (46:35, Larkin)
• Olympic Village Stories:
  • Open-door card games, cafeteria hangouts (lava cakes, “Spumoni,” and legend-level inside jokes).
  • “We had prison deals going on for lava cakes at the Olympic Village…” (51:09)
• Pressure Games:
  • Most Nervous for Sweden Game: “This is the most nervous I've been for a game in a long time…” (52:26, Larkin)
  • Gold Medal Final vs. Canada: Near sleeplessness, “it was almost too much… Thank god it was a two o’ clock game.” (58:55, Larkin)
• On Jack Hughes’ Criticism and Redemption:
  • “He wanted the puck on his stick from the first minute of the first game and to make a statement...” (53:45)
• Describing Overtime Winner Sequence:
  • “I had the perfect view of it go right through his legs and in the net. And oh my God, it was… the quietness… it was shock…” (68:23, Larkin)
  • On the locker room celebration: “I probably yelled for 10 minutes straight after that with all the guys hugging…” (68:24)
• Jonathan Goudreau’s Family Moment:
  • “To bring his kids out there was really special and something… that’s bigger than a gold medal… they’ll have that memory… for the rest of their life.” (71:45–72:58)
• Takeaway on Team Bonding:
  • “The most special experience I’ve had… just being in the village, being with the guys—and then our group.” (74:43)
• Card Game Banter:
  • “I had a good day the last time we played [poker], so I was up on Helly…but I’m gonna let that one slide…” (76:16)
• Sign-off:
  • “You’re the best. Thanks for popping on… nice playoff game at LCA here, so let’s get going.” (76:59)

---

NCAA & Playoff Bubble Watch

• College to NHL Pipeline: Encouragement for teams to call up high-flying rookies; praise for the Islanders’ locker room as a nurturing environment.
• Playoff Standings Recap:
  • Tampa Bay’s rollercoaster form; possibility for Detroit to leapfrog teams but must hold off fast-charging Ottawa and Columbus.

---

Bachelor Party & Off-Ice Banter

[99:10+]

• Recap of “Glue Guy”’s Palm Springs bachelor party, poolside living, and the joy of communal sports betting (“Fight Cal!”).
• Affirmation: Best bachelor/ette parties are just a big house with friends, not clubbing, “He didn’t shower once—me and lox, never seen a shower.” (103:03)

---

Beer League Hotline: Playoff Forfeit Fiasco

[103:15–106:59]

• Call-in story: Both semifinalists get DQ’d for fielding ineligible players, finals becomes a rematch of the other semi.
• Host’s verdicts:
  • “If you pay, you play…minimum games played rule is the dumbest rule.” (104:06–104:53)
  • Consensus: Don’t snitch—“snitches get stitches… you reap what you sow.” (103:47)

---

Blind Rankings: Most Shocking Playoff Misses

[108:08+]

1. New Jersey Devils
2. Toronto Maple Leafs
3. Los Angeles Kings
4. New York Rangers
5. Washington Capitals

“Jets missing playoffs would be wild… President's Trophy, what are you doing?” (111:09)

---

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “Auston Matthews shut down for the season with an MCL injury.”

  • Dan Powers, 04:18

• “We’re broken. We need to fix ourselves.”

  • Dan Powers, channeling Ted Lasso, 08:53

• “…they’re just beaten down... they’re a whipped dog and they’re just tired.”

  • Dan Powers, 10:28

• “That has to be the spark. That has to be the springboard. Fucking win at a 70% clip for the rest of the season and make playoffs.”

  • Evan, 22:20

• “Putting the Wings on Fraud Watch just means watch.”

  • Dan Powers, 37:15

• “If you pay, you play. If you are on the roster from day one, you can play zero games and still play in the playoff. It doesn’t fucking matter. Done. We’re done here.”

  • Dan Powers, 106:48

• Olympic Gold, Team USA: “Normal things that would bother me… I’ll go watch Jack’s goal and see the celebration on the ice and I’m just like right back to Cloud 10.”

  • Dylan Larkin, 40:35

• “I give the Tkachuks so much credit… they set everything up… they make everyone feel so important.”

  • Dylan Larkin, 46:35

• “To bring his kids out there was really special and something… that’s bigger than a gold medal…”

  • Dylan Larkin, 72:58

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Auston Matthews Injury / Leafs Crisis: 04:18–16:28
• World Cup of Hockey News: 16:38–20:33
• Kopitar & LA Kings / Pacific Division: 20:38–29:05
• College to NHL Transitions: 29:05–33:11
• Detroit Red Wings March Watch: 33:11–39:48
• Dylan Larkin Interview: 39:48–77:07
• Beer League Hotline: 103:15–106:59
• Playoff Miss Blind Rankings: 108:08–111:14

---

Podcast Tone & Vibe

True to Empty Netters energy: irreverent, brotherly banter, sharp hockey analysis with a side of pop culture (Oscars talk), and plenty of behind-the-scenes insight. Speakers are blunt, humorous, and passionate about their hockey takes, balanced by genuine admiration for players like Dylan Larkin and their own brand of “tough love.”

---

Conclusion

This episode offers a packed, high-energy ride through the most pressing stories of the NHL playoff race, deeply analyzes the Toronto and Detroit crises, celebrates Kopitar and Larkin’s legacy moments, and delivers a heartwarming, hilarious Olympic gold chat with Larkin—all threaded together by the unique Empty Netters chemistry. Perfect for listeners seeking insight, authenticity, and a lot of laughter.

Transcript

[Dan Powers]

Welcome to the Empty Netters podcast.

[Evan]

Can you believe what this has become?

[Chris]

There's a full 48 hours where I

[Dylan Larkin]

felt like I was, like, literally Superman.

[Dan Powers]

Jumbo loves playing Fortnite. So does he.

[Dylan Larkin]

He gets on the sticks.

[Dan Powers]

Did TR show you the saunacycle or was that already. No, I invented that.

[Evan]

Almost a year now that I haven't

[Dylan Larkin]

taken a body check. That's kind of nice.

[Dan Powers]

So we are back. We are horned up and we are going deep.

[Dylan Larkin]

Finished tonight with some chicken fingers and a few Guinnesses. Ran into you guys.

[Dan Powers]

And that's where this pod came to life. Ice is ready. And we are with another episode of the Empty Netters podcast, brought to you by BetMGM. I'm your host, Dan Powers. He may not be able to sleep, but he looks like a million bucks. And then Dr. Watkins on the sticks.

[Chris]

Hi.

[Dan Powers]

Why aren't you sleeping?

[Chris]

Yesterday was Oscars. Had an Oscar party. Ate a bunch of trash food. Oh, great food.

[Dan Powers]

Ooh.

[Chris]

But, yeah, it keeps me up. I got bad guts.

[Dan Powers]

Was. I hate that. I hate that for you.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

Is your Oscar party food spread, like, similar to a Super bowl food spread I did?

[Chris]

Well, I theme it based on the movies, so I had mini bergonias, so we had burger sliders. I had. If I had wings, I'd eat you. For if I had legs, I'd kick you. Nepo. Baby carrots and their giant celeries. That was the only healthy item with the dips.

[Dan Powers]

This is unbelievable.

[Chris]

One pretzel after another. Just a big bag of pretzels.

[Evan]

Yep.

[Dan Powers]

You know that this is incredible.

[Evan]

So good.

[Dan Powers]

I mean, we're gonna talk more about that later.

[Evan]

Yep.

[Dan Powers]

I'm very impressed.

[Chris]

We'll get on it.

[Dan Powers]

And then the big question is, is jumping in the pool just like a shower? The man to answer it, Chris Powers,

[Evan]

as always, I was really glad to add a disciple.

[Dan Powers]

I'm so mad about that.

[Evan]

That was awesome.

[Dan Powers]

And I'm mad that it wasn't like that. The weirdest connection that you two have, it just happened naturally. It wasn't like you guys.

[Evan]

I didn't make him do that.

[Dan Powers]

No, no, he just did it.

[Chris]

Pool jump.

[Evan]

Yeah, dude. Like when I go to Coachella or something like that. If a ton of the activity of a weekend is swimming, then I never shower because I'm like. I'm just in the pool, and then I get out and dry off and put on deodorant and whatever. And then we just go out in the desert and then hang out, and then later, I just jump in the Pool again. And I'm. I'm fine. I was wet. And now I have put on deodorant. And then I did that this weekend. And then somebody was like. To Gavin, they were like, locks, have you showered? And he was like, no, I have not seen the inside of a shower all weekend, and I will not. I'm jumping in the pool. And I was like, wow.

[Dan Powers]

To be fair, we were on a bachelor party with 22 dudes. Oh, that's staying at one property. There was no need to shower.

[Chris]

No, you're fine.

[Dan Powers]

There was absolutely no need.

[Chris]

If you didn't go, you didn't, like, go anywhere.

[Evan]

No.

[Chris]

Oh, yeah, you're fine. That's gotta be a. That's a. That's a bad cleanup for the person.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Afterwards.

[Dan Powers]

But to be honest, like, when we were in college, working in the summer, he would do this in the ocean, and then he would go to his job after not showering.

[Chris]

That's all right.

[Evan]

Ocean, I really think, is a little bit better. But this was a saltwater pool, so maybe it was the same thing.

[Dan Powers]

You just feel that way because of the salt. Yeah. I don't know if that's right.

[Chris]

Yeah, I don't know either. It leaves a little residue, doesn't it?

[Evan]

Yeah. But I kind of like that. I always liked the salt.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah, we know you like it.

[Evan]

I was like, oh, I was just in.

[Dan Powers]

The question is, do others like it?

[Chris]

Anyone who's at armpit height to you might not enjoy.

[Evan]

Yeah. Hey, Mr. Old Spice. Mr. Spice does his job.

[Dan Powers]

As long as you don't smell bad, you're probably fine.

[Evan]

I think so, too.

[Dan Powers]

We got a great episode today. We're getting into a lot of hockey stuff. The Toronto Maple Leafs are potentially dead. The World cup of Hockey is coming back with some big fun news. Big stuff. Dylan Larkin. Boom. Joins the podcast. The absolute best guy in the world. Captain of the Detroit Red Wings, gold medalist on the pod. Can't wait for you to listen to that. We're going to get things wrapped up with a beer league hotline, all of the good stuff, and we got some bachelor party talk. It's going to be great. Let's start with some hot ice and get into the Leafs. Auston Matthews shut down for the season with an MCL injury.

[Evan]

Grade 3 MCL tear.

[Dan Powers]

Hate to see it.

[Evan]

Hate to see it.

[Dan Powers]

Hate to see.

[Evan]

Now, first of all, this is. You made a good point that I think even if he had sprained his knee, they might have just shut him down for the season.

[Dan Powers]

Shut him down.

[Evan]

Yep.

[Dan Powers]

So.

[Evan]

So essentially once he took some contact, it was like you were going to be done anyway. Yeah, but this is a grade 3 MCL tear. This isn't like, oh, I. I banged my knee up and we're just gonna stop. Like, he has torn his mcl and that is not. Not ideal.

[Dan Powers]

It's definitely not ideal.

[Evan]

Uh, okay, so let's go here. Let's go. Goudis first Gudis five game sussy.

[Dan Powers]

Correct.

[Evan]

You agree?

[Dan Powers]

Yes.

[Evan]

The.

[Dan Powers]

The a leg check, knee on knee, as you well know, is probably my least favorite thing in the world.

[Evan]

And it's just. I actually don't think Gudis. I think Goudis gets a little bit of a bad rap a little bit in normal play in terms of his. His dirtiness, cheapness, physicality. Oh, yeah.

[Dan Powers]

I don't think he's a dirty player.

[Evan]

Me neither. Really?

[Dan Powers]

I think he's an edge player.

[Evan]

Yes. Plays on the edge, plays right on the fucking line. And that's okay in this one, though. And obviously, I'm not trying to say he was attempting to hurt Auston Matthews. I am trying to say you actively put your leg out and you think

[Chris]

it's just carelessness, maybe.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

Complete carelessness, guys. It's the edge.

[Chris]

That's the edge.

[Dan Powers]

It's the edge. You're always just. He. I think he's the type of player that can't not hit someone and that. Listen, when you live on the edge like that, you're going to make some bad plays. That was a bad play.

[Evan]

Yeah. Especially you're about to miss someone.

[Dan Powers]

He's like a bull. And I think when Auston Matthews is skating by him, he sees him and he's like, I gotta hit. And his. His thirst for blood takes over so much that he puts out any part of his body that he possibly can to hit him.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

And unfortunately it was his leg. And I think the second it happens, I think Radko Gudis goes, fuck, yeah.

[Evan]

Like that was.

[Dan Powers]

I don't think he's like, yeah, you like that?

[Evan]

Yep.

[Dan Powers]

You like that knee contact. How's your mcl, bitch? I don't think he's doing that. I. I think he's like. Immediately he goes, fuck. That was a leg check.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

It seems like the Crosby injury was the warmup to the complete mcl.

[Dan Powers]

It is tough that you took out the Team Canada captain and Team USA captain in. In one month.

[Chris]

In a month.

[Dan Powers]

Not great. But, yeah, I think that there are some players throughout the history of the game who would throw a hit like that. And be like you. Yes.

[Evan]

You like that? Yeah. I don't think I'm very with you on that. Yeah. So that was. It was not great. And I totally get when you're trying, you're about to hit somebody, you're gonna miss them, and you go, I have to slow them down somehow. And, you know, sometimes it's this, sometimes it's the knee. Every time it's a penalty, every time it sucks.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah. Five games bloodlust is real. Yeah, sure. Ask Army Hammer. Yes.

[Chris]

Have you seen a picture of him lately?

[Dan Powers]

Army?

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

No.

[Chris]

He ate too many people. Just not to body shame.

[Evan]

But.

[Dan Powers]

Oh, he's big.

[Chris]

He's gotten big.

[Dan Powers]

Maybe he's preparing for a role, a big comeback.

[Chris]

I hope so.

[Dan Powers]

Works for Brendan Frazier.

[Chris]

God.

[Evan]

Used to be in great shape. Find me a good pick of him, Evan.

[Dan Powers]

A good pick of him ever, Evan. Oh, wait, wait. But I feel like that's not hard. Most good picks of Armie Hammer are good.

[Evan]

Well, I mean, a good pick of how fat he is. Oh, I looked it up. There are no fat picks. And I was like, find me a good pick.

[Chris]

Maybe. This was AI. My wife showed it to me the other day.

[Dan Powers]

Did you just. Evan might have gotten AI.

[Chris]

Well, he was jumping on a trampoline at night. Is that. Is that maybe a no? You remember the bunnies and all?

[Dan Powers]

Yeah, yeah.

[Chris]

You guys remember six months ago? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I can't find it right now, but

[Dan Powers]

I'll keep looking it up.

[Chris]

Don't worry about it. We love.

[Dan Powers]

All right. I. I think the Gouda suspension is correct. That's got to be fivers.

[Evan]

Okay.

[Dan Powers]

I don't. I think that's bad for the Duckies, of course. Valuable member of that group, and we need the Duckies to stay hot. But let's focus on Toronto for right now. Yep, Absolutely. Shut Austin down no matter what, regardless of the severity of this injury. What. What do we do now to the Toronto Maple Leafs? What goes on here?

[Evan]

Well, the first question is, what do you say to the team after literally everyone went like this, oh, Matthew, sore as mcl. And just stood there on the ice.

[Dan Powers]

I think this. You know that scene in Ted Lasso where season one where Ted's in the locker room and he goes, we're broken. He's very calm, and he's just like, we're broken and we need. We need to fix ourselves. I think that's where this team is.

[Evan]

Okay.

[Dan Powers]

I don't think any yelling, I don't think any berating is going to work with this group. I don't think tough love is going to work with this group. I think we. That was kind of Berube's thing. I know, right? Chief tough guy.

[Evan]

That's going to change everything. That's going to make the Leafs tough enough to win a Cup.

[Dan Powers]

They're in seventh place in the wild

[Evan]

card and are standing with their thumbs up their bums when Auston Matthews gets his ACL torn by.

[Dan Powers]

I don't think that that was a lack of. We want to defend Austin. I think they love Austin and they do want to defend him. I think the lack of action there comes from being beaten down. I think that they. I think that that hit happens and they're like, this too.

[Chris]

Yeah. That final nail in the coffin, truly.

[Dan Powers]

I think they see their captain get leg checked and looks hurt and they're like, jesus, Austin's hurt. I don't think they're like, oh, God, whatever. I think they're like. They were so overcome with the fact that Austin was hurt that they didn't act.

[Evan]

I will give you that. I will give them that benefit of the doubt. I definitely don't think they were like, we don't like Austin, so we're not going to defend him. That's obviously not the case.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah, I think they're just beaten down by the.

[Evan]

I just think it is.

[Dan Powers]

They're a whipped dog and they're just, they're. They're tired.

[Evan]

It is just stunning to me because to your point, in the league today, league standard today is if your captain gets cleanly hit, three guys go to kill that person. Even though you hate that and so do I. Cause that was a clean hit. We shouldn't be having to fight if I lay a clean hit on a good player. Yeah, certainly if someone leg checks and tears the MCL of my captain. Everyone on the ice needs to fucking murder.

[Dan Powers]

I will tell you, it was a bad look. Two teams that are very close to each other in Toronto and Buffalo. And I feel as though Toronto fans are quick to dog on Buffalo. You guys are terrible. You're a joke. You're this, you're that. We are the Mecca of hockey and now look where we are. Buffalo is first in the Atlantic and Toronto is missing playoffs. And in a matter of one week we saw that Buffalo Tampa game and Rasmus Dahleen is getting jerked around by Hagel and the entire Buffalo team tried to commit murder.

[Evan]

Yes.

[Dan Powers]

That's how flip flop things have become. It's.

[Evan]

It's a tragedy.

[Dan Powers]

So they needed to react better. But I'm giving Them the benefit of the doubt that they're just beaten down. Sad. They're sad boys.

[Evan]

So if you are Austin Matthews and you go, I've torn my mcl. We traded Mitch. Or we lost Mitch Marner in free agency. Kind of traded him.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah.

[Evan]

But we lost him in free agency and it went horribly because he is good. Vegas is good. We are terrible. And my team is so broken that when I tear my mcl, everyone doesn't care.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah.

[Evan]

Do you go try? I'm not playing here anymore.

[Dan Powers]

No, I don't. I mean, I'm not saying that he's completely against that, but I don't think that that's the immediate reaction. I. We love Toronto, love city, and the Leafs should be good. The Leafs missing playoffs is not fun.

[Evan]

Yeah. Hockey's great when Toronto's in it.

[Dan Powers]

I have said many times that I think this is good for Toronto.

[Evan]

Shutting him down, getting missing plays. Missing. Missing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yep.

[Dan Powers]

And we listen, you and I flirted with this possibility.

[Evan]

I know. And I've always been Mitch.

[Dan Powers]

Mitch left. And in our season previews, we were like, they could miss playoffs. They absolutely could. And here we are. I think this is going to be good for them. I think it's going to instigate real positive change. But I do. I think that they need a Ted Lasso speech of we're broken. Because I didn't like that Willie interview

[Evan]

where you brought it up.

[Dan Powers]

They were like.

[Evan]

They're like, potter. Did I just say that?

[Dan Powers]

I don't remember. But, like, you. You showed me this interview. I don't know if you saw this.

[Chris]

I did not.

[Dan Powers]

Willie was getting interviewed and they were like, this was the last week. So they weren't really even. I mean, they're still not technically eliminated for sure, but they're like, do you think that this is going to become a recurring thing or do you think this is just like a one off of missing playoffs? And he goes, I mean, I hope just like a one off. But it's like.

[Evan]

But I was like, have you missed playoffs yet?

[Dan Powers]

Like, why didn't you?

[Evan]

Why was it the answer? We're going to make playoffs this year.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah. Like, they're above.500. Like, it's so. I don't like that response. I just think that there's a level of apathy.

[Evan]

And if Auston Matthews was. And they would never have let it get this far in the season. So just roll with me, though. If Auston Matthews was a free agent at the end of this summer,

[Dan Powers]

oh,

[Evan]

I would be that he'd be, I'm gone.

[Dan Powers]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Evan]

Right. So he's obviously not.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah.

[Evan]

So he's under contract. But I do think he is the type of guy that would do them the service of. If he wants to leave, he would go, hey, dude, let's try to get something. Let's try to get you guys something great back. Because I'm gonna go.

[Dan Powers]

Do you think that that is a market, though, where your, your captain and highest paid player can walk up to someone and go, I would like to leave. I think that would be crazy.

[Evan]

Well, I think he. If he walks for free in two years, it's even worse.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah.

[Evan]

Like, the fans go, you're a scumbag.

[Chris]

Also, maybe the fact that it was just Olympics and he was the captain of America and like that. Toronto's probably like a little butthurt about that.

[Dan Powers]

There's also. There is the. There's the argument that his value has never been higher.

[Evan]

Yep, he's a winner.

[Dan Powers]

He's a winner. He is. We just had that slew of ridiculous nonsense coming out of various articles being like, he hates Toronto and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And you would probably assume that many US Teams would be like, we'll kill for this guy right now. So there. I mean, if you're going to get the most from him, it might be this summer.

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah.

[Evan]

Because that's a little term too.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah.

[Evan]

Like, you trade him and you go,

[Dan Powers]

hey, not, not to mention you, you just. You're going to. You're about to miss playoffs. God knows how much further down they're going to follow without him in the line fall without him in the lineup. Although we do see that they play better without.

[Chris]

They got to blow it up over there. Just.

[Dan Powers]

So the question is, their first round pick is going to Boston and you wonder if they go, are we about to be this bad and have no draft pick, like, no high draft pick? So maybe that's another reason why they would be like, let's make a trade, get a draft pick, get prospects. You get multiple drafts. I mean, you're gonna get a lot.

[Chris]

I wait to say. I thought you guys hated draft pick.

[Evan]

Oh, yeah, you're right.

[Dan Powers]

I do.

[Chris]

But they are valuable.

[Dan Powers]

I do, but they are valuable. And it's like you get those draft picks so you can then trade them because they're worth.

[Chris]

Yes,

[Dan Powers]

but I, Yeah, I. Listen, I. We're not going to turn this into a trade Austin Matthews discussion, but I think that. I think that butt traded. The Leafs need. I think the Leafs need a mentality Change. And I think it's going to take a loving talking to. Okay. Yeah, it needs to happen.

[Evan]

It was crazy, dude. That's one of the craziest things I've ever seen.

[Dan Powers]

That was not good. It was truly not good. Talk to me about the World cup of Hockey. We got some news, some Good news.

[Evan]

Today. 2028, February 2028. So during the break, just like this year with the Olympics, we are doing the World cup of Hockey. It is back for the first time since 2016. This will be the fourth World cup of Hockey. The tournaments were in 96, 04, 16 and now 2028. It is in Calgary, Edmonton and Prague, which is sick. Now here's a question. I don't know because I don't think it says in this article on NHL.com who the eight teams are. Surely it's the four from four nations.

[Dan Powers]

Yep. Adding Czechia.

[Evan]

Adding Czechia.

[Dan Powers]

Adding Slovakia.

[Evan]

Okay.

[Dan Powers]

Adding Germany.

[Evan]

Okay.

[Dan Powers]

And adding Denmark. Maybe.

[Evan]

Maybe Russia.

[Dan Powers]

Maybe Russia. Are we being idiots? Why don't we do ev. Just do a quick Google who is playing in the World cup of Hockey?

[Chris]

You got it.

[Dan Powers]

Let's use the Google. Let's use the Internet machine.

[Evan]

Maybe they haven't announced yet though, because the.

[Dan Powers]

It's possible.

[Evan]

NHL.com not mentioning it would be great.

[Dan Powers]

So World cup of Hockey as per posted by the NHL is going to be in Prague, Calgary and Edmonton. And that's very exciting.

[Evan]

The dates, the eight competing nations and a full schedule will be announced at a later date.

[Dan Powers]

Oh, okay. So we don't have the. Can we please get Russia in there?

[Evan]

That's what I'm saying.

[Chris]

It says here on, according to Wikipedia, Canada, United States, Sweden, Finland, Czechia, Germany, Switzerland, pending final spot likely. Russia pending eligibility. If we can end the war.

[Evan]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

[Chris]

We'll get Russia.

[Evan]

This is the motivation we got. You got finally till 2028.

[Dan Powers]

Do another like fucking call them something else. Yeah, call them the Soviets.

[Evan]

Yeah, bring it back, dude. What a USSR retrosis that.

[Dan Powers]

I. I know that some.

[Chris]

Let's get nostalgic for Soviet Russia.

[Dan Powers]

I understand that that would be insensitive, but if they wore those jerseys, that'd

[Evan]

be kind of cool retro jersey.

[Dan Powers]

I'm just saying the jersey would look cool. Everyone calm down. God, it's great. I'm excited. That's going to be a blast. Now the big question remains, what happens next year?

[Evan]

Right? 2027, February. Is it All Star Game?

[Dan Powers]

We don't know.

[Evan]

We don't know.

[Dan Powers]

Is it five nations?

[Evan]

Five nations?

[Dan Powers]

But if we should do.

[Evan]

When it's not Olympic year, we should do some number of nations that was never the same.

[Dan Powers]

It is quite funny that we went four nations. Olympics blank.

[Evan]

Eight nations.

[Dan Powers]

World cup of Hockey. Eight nations. And we now have this massive gap next season where it's going to be tough if the league has to go like this. The All Star Game's back.

[Evan]

This skills comp.

[Dan Powers]

We're going. We're.

[Chris]

What if. Just do it. Two nations usa. Canada. Haven't play a seven game series.

[Evan]

Dude, that'd be sick. What was that? Remember there was like that epic. Canada, Russia. One of those where it was, you know.

[Dan Powers]

Oh yeah.

[Evan]

Like Gretzky era, where they always talk about that.

[Dan Powers]

What was that called?

[Evan]

They should do that.

[Dylan Larkin]

There you go.

[Evan]

They should do one of those Canada US best.

[Dan Powers]

We could bring back the we do like North America versus Europe game. That'd be kind of fun. But then it would just be another All Star game and that.

[Evan]

Yeah, right.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

We can't do that.

[Evan]

But this will be sick.

[Dan Powers]

I'm very fired up to see it back.

[Evan]

And this is. This was cool. Hold on, let me find this. This place. Scotia Place. The Flames new arena that will open in the 2728 season. And at 02 arena in Prague will each host six round robin games in one elimination game. So it's going to be international. Very cool. And I'm fired up because now that we've got a taste of this life. I can't go back.

[Dan Powers]

No, can't go back. Good news is we're not going back.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

Fantastic. We've got a new king of la.

[Evan]

Who arguably already was, but pun intended. Nice to make it official.

[Dan Powers]

He already was, but it's official now on the point sheet against the New Jersey Devils on Jakopitar. Tucked in a goal, became. Yeah, well, he tucked in a goal to get the record. Came the number one points leader for the Los Angeles Kings reaching 1,308 points in 1505 games passing Marcel Dionne. We already knew it. He's the greatest king of all time. But it's good to see it on the statue.

[Evan]

Yes.

[Dan Powers]

And I think seeing the celebration was very awesome.

[Evan]

Yes.

[Dan Powers]

The boys were firing.

[Evan]

How many points does he have on the season? Because I remember thinking, yeah, 30 points. I remember thinking coming into the season he will definitely pass that because he was only 30 points away.

[Dan Powers]

Yep.

[Evan]

But then some. Some knocks.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah.

[Evan]

Got a little knock and you know it's tough getting points in the National Hockey league as a 38 year old man. It Got deeper into the season than I thought. And now I started to think, like, God, he's retiring. He's one more injury away from being like, oh, I just missed it. Which would have been a fucking tragedy. So super thrilled that this finally happened. Yeah, well deserved. Now, please. I had. I had a. I had a. When this happened and I saw the celebration, I had a come to Jesus moment with the Kings. We've been talking about them for a long time.

[Dan Powers]

Like, oh, they got to get in.

[Evan]

They got to get in, but, man, maybe they won't. And, like, would Kopi unretire and blah, blah, blah. They have to get in. I realized when this happened, I was like, you are fucking up so badly that you have to fix this.

[Dan Powers]

I know.

[Evan]

And it has to happen right now. Like, you even said last week that it was Seattle, San Jose, all these teams above them were 4 and 6 in their last 10, and so were the Kings. And that was just the moment to be like, hey, dude, just go on a run here and you jump all them. The same thing is still happening. And seeing that moment for Kopi can't be the moment from this season. It has to be playoffs. So this has to be the go time right now. That has to be the spark. That has to be the springboard. Fucking win at a 70% clip for the rest of the season and make playoffs correct. Full stop.

[Dan Powers]

What is what I find absolutely hysterical is not a single team in the Pacific cares.

[Evan]

No one cares.

[Dan Powers]

Would be in the playoffs if they were in the Eastern Conference. Not a single team.

[Evan]

Let me see if that's. Let me see if that's accurate.

[Dan Powers]

It's. Not only is it accurate, Chris, it's accurate by three points.

[Evan]

You could give.

[Dan Powers]

You could give the top team in the Pacific an extra win. You give the Ducks an extra win, and they would still not be in the playoffs. No one in the Pacific is in the playoffs in the Eastern.

[Evan]

That's crazy.

[Dan Powers]

It is insane, man.

[Evan]

And it's. It's crazy, too, because I'm like, the Ducks are so fun.

[Dan Powers]

They are so fun.

[Evan]

They are. But I'm like, you are.

[Dan Powers]

But the Ducks also have a minus 10 gold if. And they're in first place.

[Evan]

I know, dude.

[Dan Powers]

And like you said earlier, you're like, mariners on Vegas, they're great. And I'm like, are they great? They have 76 points. They're not like, they are. It's. It is the strangest division I have ever seen.

[Evan]

And the Kings are in sixth. Dude, it's not even like, I know But.

[Dan Powers]

But again, they're only two points out.

[Evan]

I know, but it's just. That is crazy.

[Dan Powers]

It is. They do have to get in. And the thing that blows about the Pacific is no we. No one's. You'll find no one happier than us that the fact that the Ducks are in first place.

[Evan]

Correct.

[Dan Powers]

But like we just said, they have a minus 10 gold. If they're not running. They're. Again, they are. Every team as far as points. Every single team in the Pacific is worse than every single team in the east that is in the playoffs. Yeah. I mean it is crazy. What we're looking at and what really blows is for the stories. For a number of reasons. We desperately want the Kings and the Sharks to get into play.

[Evan]

I know.

[Dan Powers]

But that means an awesome team is getting bumped from.

[Evan]

Dude. Yes.

[Dan Powers]

Like I do. I don't want Seattle or Utah to miss playoffs.

[Evan]

I know.

[Dan Powers]

And I don't see any one of Anaheim, Vegas and Edmonton moving out of those top three spots in the Pacific. I know. So I have two teams that I need in the playoffs for the story.

[Evan]

Yeah. So we're now we've just kicked the spunk.

[Dan Powers]

And that means that I am. I'm given an ending to another story. To two other stories that no one wants.

[Evan]

And unfortunately, Dan. Not Unfortunately. Utah at 74 points with an extra game. But at 74 points plus 20 gold. If feels like they have. They are in the driver's seat for one of the wild card spots. So that means. Oh, there's only one spot left for the Spunk. The Sharks and the Kings and do. And the Preds. I'll give the Preds some love.

[Dan Powers]

Preds are playing fun hockey.

[Evan]

I want it to be the Kings for coping. And I apologize. I apologize to the Spunk and I apologize to the Sharks and I apologize to the Preds.

[Dan Powers]

It absolutely stinks. I want it. I need it. Actually, I need it for Kobe. But I also need my son to win mvp.

[Evan]

Yes. Here's a question though. And I'm being deadass. You're at Anjakopitar. You've had a 20 year career.

[Dan Powers]

Yes.

[Evan]

And you're a legend. You're the highest scoring king of all time. It's amazing you're retiring. Do you want to. These are the two options I present to you. You miss playoffs in your last year by like a point or whatever and you just go. You go. Go home to your native land. Good day. Or you make it by a point and you play the Avalanche in the first round and are promptly swept out of the playoffs, you don't even win a game.

[Dan Powers]

Wouldn't care.

[Evan]

You would prefer that?

[Dan Powers]

Yeah, just get in. Get. Yeah, just get. You got to play playoffs one more time.

[Evan]

Okay.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah, for sure.

[Evan]

I think if you. There's. If there's. You don't know what's going to happen in playoffs, then 100% you choose that. But if I'm telling you for sure, you get swept. I didn't know if that changed the equation.

[Dan Powers]

No, it's. Yeah, you go.

[Evan]

It was still fun.

[Chris]

He wouldn't believe you. Yeah, there's always a chance.

[Dan Powers]

You know what would be nuts is if they manage to get the first wild card. Something like maybe mammoth struggle or something and the Ducks win and we have an Anaheim LA first round.

[Evan]

Well, dude, I was actually thinking that Dance of the Kings.

[Chris]

That'd be awesome.

[Evan]

With their first, they're five points back from the top wild card spot, but they're a game behind. So for argument's sake, call it three points back. Right. So that's very attainable if they do that. The Oilers are so close to winning the Pacific and it could be. If they get the second wild card spot and the Oilers are in the Pacific, they will get the Oilers in the first round. Don't even also be promptly swept.

[Dan Powers]

Do not bring something like that up. Here's the. Here's. Okay, here's an actual answer for you.

[Evan]

If that happens.

[Dan Powers]

You miss if that happens. I would rather than this.

[Evan]

Me too.

[Dan Powers]

I would rather them misply than have them get in and just get beaten by the Oilers yet again. I don't need that.

[Evan]

Yeah. And it's close. We're flirting with it. We're flirting with it. Wait. Okay, Dan, here you go. We're going to find out right now if the Kings make it. Ready?

[Dan Powers]

Oh, God. Okay, what's happening?

[Evan]

Kings at Rangers win.

[Dan Powers]

Because they're on the road.

[Evan]

Home vs Flyers

[Dan Powers]

has to be a win.

[Evan]

Home vs Sabres loss 2 and 1 at Mammoth, loss 2 and 2. At Flames, win 3 and 2 at Canucks, win 4 and 2. Home vs Mammoth loss 4 and 3. Home vs Palouse win. Has to be 5 and 3. Home verse Preds.

[Chris]

They could win.

[Evan]

It has to be a win 6 and 3. Home vs Leafs has to be a win 7 and 3. Home verse preds. Has to be a win 8 and 3. Home vs Canucks has to be a win 9 and 3. Home verse Oilers loss 9 and 4. At spunk.

[Dan Powers]

At spunk. Has to be. I mean especially. Yep. I mean. Yeah, you're on the road.

[Evan]

Win 10 and 4 at Canucks win. 11 and 4 at Flames

[Dan Powers]

win.

[Evan]

12 and 4. Kings are in.

[Dan Powers]

Kings are in.

[Evan]

Kings made playoffs.

[Dan Powers]

12 and 4. Run that. That was not totally realistic. It wasn't wishful thinking whatsoever. All of that is definitely going to happen.

[Evan]

12 and 4. Kings are in.

[Dan Powers]

I I We're going to have really good vibes this week.

[Evan]

Yes, dude. For Kopi. All time leading scorer. We have to get in, dude. We have to get in. I don't know what to say.

[Dan Powers]

Hell yes. Let's get in. Let's kick it to college for a quick second and talk about the BU boys because we've got some NHL entries going on here. Cole Hudson. We got another Hudson.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

In the league. Signed his entry level contract with the Caps. Love to see that.

[Evan]

Could play Wednesday.

[Dan Powers]

He could play Wednesday. I'm thrilled to see that young man in the NHL.

[Evan]

I am genuinely excited because I think he's a player for the people that aren't watching college. Cole is very good, is just as exciting, is doing insane shit on the blue line with the puck in college. And I had my doubts 100%. I had my doubts if Lane's game would translate as easily to the Pros, and it 1000% did. So I'm really excited to see Cole get there and potentially do the same thing. And how many times have we seen a college kid come in with just the confidence because you're like, whatever. I just was ripping it up in college and I don't. It's just too fast for me to even be nervous. Yeah, that could happen here. And this could be a massive boost for the Capitals. It's almost amazing that BU had such a disappointing season that they're just free to go now. They're like, sweet. Let's go pro.

[Dan Powers]

Johnny Carlson goes over to the Ducks and they go, boom, here's an opportunity. Get your kid in here. It's going to be fantastic. Super excited for him. Excited to see if the Cappies can do something here. Maybe make a little push going over to the Islanders. Cole Eiserman, friend of the program, stud. Is he going back for a third year, last year of college eligibility or last year as well as property of the Islanders. Property of him and the Islanders or the aisle's going to snag him. I think it would be looney tunes to not bring him up. I think that. Look at what this team is, this Islanders team, the vibes that they have. I can't think of a better group of human beings to be nurturing a player. Get him on this team.

[Evan]

I couldn't agree more, Dan. When they said Cole Hudson was going up, I was looking for the Iserman announcement. And it was like, Yzerman unsure and maybe it's his camp, right? Like, I don't say whatever, but I'm like, dude, this Islanders team is so fun. You've got Shaef daddy being the young guy taking all the pressure off you. The young guy. There's no, oh, here's our 11th overall pick or whatever. He was 14th overall, and he better be the savior. I'm like, no, no, you have the savior who's younger than you. It doesn't matter. You just come up and rip pucks, which is what you were put on God's earth to do. And they go, I was banging the drum for Kyru and even like a Debrusk to just get some power play goals. Holy fuck, dude. If you brought up Cole Izamon and you were like, you don't even play unless we're on the power play. And he would go, okay.

[Dan Powers]

And you know what my big thing for him is? Braden Chen.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

Like, that's. I love that. That. That's. That's a father figure. Yes. The guy who's going to show you the.

[Evan]

He should live. He should live with Marty, too.

[Chris]

Marty should go cheaper by the dozen style.

[Evan]

Get in here, Eiserman. Get in here.

[Dan Powers]

And what's so funny about Shanner is like, Shen just showed up there. He didn't even have a house. Yeah, yeah, but they're like this. Live with him. Yeah.

[Evan]

Everybody living with Marty, dude.

[Dan Powers]

I. I think that putting Iserman on a wing with Shen getting coached up by that guy, a nice veteran playing with him. All the vibes are as good as can be with the Islanders. You bring this kid in. Oh, I love it.

[Evan]

I want him up.

[Dan Powers]

I want him. I think it's a. And I believe in the third year. I think a lot of players do the third year and it works out great. I understand the pull or the appeal for him.

[Evan]

He's obviously pissed about the season too, right?

[Dan Powers]

Definitely.

[Evan]

I get the pull to go back to be like, I need to do

[Dan Powers]

better at bu, Definitely. But I think that this is a. I think it's a perfect situation and a great opportunity for him to just jump onto that island. And it's going to be great. I would bring him up first.

[Evan]

Get him up, get him up.

[Dan Powers]

Get him up. For sure. Isles, this is a no brainer. Bring the kid in. Let him start fucking lighting it up on the peeper. It'll be great.

[Evan]

I would be fired up. Dude.

[Dan Powers]

It will be great. Okay, last bit of news and hot ice. We gotta go to the Atlantic. We gotta talk about two teams. The Wings and the Sense.

[Evan]

Yep, The Wings. We said we weren't going to talk about this, and I tried not to. We actually. In fact, we didn't. So we didn't talk about it. So this isn't our fault. But the Wings have a March problem. They've had a March problem for a while here and. And so far they're 2 and 5 in March. They lost to the Panthers and the Bolts and the Stars on a road trip, which. Those are tough games. That's not the easiest run of a road trip to.

[Dan Powers]

No.

[Evan]

But they had a very important home stand about to start with the Flames, the Halves, the Bruins and the Sense. You got to win. You got to go three and one on that trip, like minimum. And I'm wondering if it's mental, if it's becoming mental in Detroit. Like they get to March and they're like, don't do that again. And then you're doing it, obviously, Larkin missing time is not.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah. Lark's being out is not great. But we are in the ides of March and it is not going well so far. And I think you're right. This is year three and it's. This cannot happen. It has to be mental.

[Evan]

I think so, too, because it's so fucking crazy that it's right when the deadline is right. The deadline is the start of the month. And then every year we go. The rings didn't do anything again. I know they did something this year, but it's like the Wings didn't do anything. And then they go, we lose every game in March and now we're missing playoffs. And I'm like, yo, stop. Do it.

[Dan Powers]

Stop.

[Evan]

Stop. Stop that.

[Dan Powers]

And I will. I will say this, though. The good news is. And Tampa has two games in hand. Montreal and Boston have one game in hand. But regardless of that, the good news is if Detroit gets a win in their next game and the Habs and the Bruins get. Have a loss, Detroit will be above Boston and they will be tied with Montreal.

[Evan]

Yep.

[Dan Powers]

So it's not like they are clinging to this wild card spot and everything else is out of reach.

[Evan]

Oh, yeah, it's still jam packed.

[Dan Powers]

That is something I think is good news. So they can't. The positive angle of this is it's not like you have one last hope and if you lose, you're dead. It's like, no, no. You could Go. You could get up to second. They're only four points behind Tampa. How insane is that?

[Evan]

Yeah, right.

[Dan Powers]

They're only four points behind Tampa. So there is so much hope available. Don't lose that hope. It's not the hope that kills you. A lot of Ted Lasso references today, I think that they need to go, we are not this scrappy team this year that's just trying to fight for a spot. No, you are in the standard of good teams in the Atlantic. Remember that. Put that in your mind and go win games.

[Evan]

And I would say the scary part of it, that's looking up like this, right?

[Dan Powers]

Yeah, yeah.

[Evan]

And they go, oh, I thought I needed my binoculars. But actually, all the teams are right here.

[Dan Powers]

It's right there.

[Evan]

But the scary part is looking down, they go, I hope I need my binoculars looking down. And I go, well, actually, if Columbus wins their game in hand, they're ahead of you and you're out.

[Dan Powers]

Yes.

[Evan]

So. And Ottawa, who is fucking 712 in their last 10 with a plus 20 goal diff compared to Detroit's minus 6 goal diff is up your ass.

[Dan Powers]

And Ottawa's got two wins in a row and they're 71 and 2 in their last 10. Like, Ottawa's playing well.

[Evan]

Yeah. And you're.

[Dan Powers]

You've got to be spooked by that a little bit.

[Evan]

You go, oh, fuck.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah.

[Evan]

Oh, fuck.

[Dan Powers]

This is dig deep time. This is dig deep time. And I. You know what? I'm going to say it because we've got Larks on today. That's going to be a nice bump for the team. That's going to be nice vibes for the team.

[Evan]

Yep.

[Dan Powers]

Detroit fans are going to listen to this episode and get fired up hearing about Larks and how fucking awesome he is. And every time we've done it this year, it has gone well and we haven't done it in a while. I'm putting the wings on Fraud Watch.

[Evan]

Yes. Yes. They need it. They fucking need it, dude.

[Dan Powers]

Putting the wings on Fraud watch just means watch.

[Evan]

It just means watch.

[Dan Powers]

It just means watch. Real fans know.

[Evan]

Just means pick it up.

[Dan Powers]

We've done this twice this year and it rattled off win streaks after. It's not calling them frauds, we're putting them on Fraud Watch. This is the third time we've done it this year. Let's see how it goes. Worked twice, but you were on Fraud Watch. Detroit Red Wings, let's see how you

[Evan]

respond before we get off this topic. It is. I was just looking at Tampa. It is so funny to me that Tampa is 3 and 7 in their last 10. Where every time Tampa surges to the top and I'm like, God, they are so fucking good.

[Dan Powers]

They play like they are truly Colorado level. Yeah, they're the best. They win eight straight games and they're the best team I've ever seen. And everyone goes, tampa, best team in the East. And then we, we all stop paying attention collectively. And they lose eight straight.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

And we're like, everyone's like, wait, what are you doing? What happened?

[Evan]

And now they're going on. And these aren't. It's spunk. Canucks, Oilers, Flames. Four game road trip. But when you're fucking Tampa and you gotta fly across the fucking planet to play these four teams, that's a shit road trip, you know?

[Dan Powers]

Brutal.

[Evan]

And I'm like, on paper you win a bunch of those. But if you go one in three on these, I'm like, what are you doing, dude? Correct. It's so crazy to me.

[Dan Powers]

Absolutely correct.

[Evan]

They'll be fine. But I'm just curious to see their seating.

[Dan Powers]

Agree. Okay, let's take a quick ad break and then jump back in with an amazing interview with gold medalist Dylan Larkin.

[Evan]

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it is March and you know what that means. I know this is a hockey pod, but you can't not think hoops when you hear March and the Kavinder twins are facing off in the Court of Legends game. And you can enter a pick a twin to win free to play game for a chance to win your share of 2 million in bonus bets. How to get this offer? Three easy steps. Number one, opt in to the pick a twin to win free to play game. Step number two, select which Kvinder twin, Haley or Hannah you think will win the Court of Legends one on one basketball game hosted at the bank at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Which is so sick. Three, if the twin you select wins the game, you get your share of $2 million in bonus bets. If you haven't signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code NETTERS, I.e. n E to receive your welcome offer. BetMGM. Make it legendary. All right. Thanks to our friends at Bauer, you are getting this incredible sit down with Dylan Larkin post gold medal. He's still buzzing. How could you not be? We're still buzzing from that. We didn't even play. So thanks to Larks. Thanks to Bauer and enjoy this awesome interview.

[Dan Powers]

Big day for empty netters. Big day for me personally. And I just told him he's going to get the full, real treatment intro, all the fun questions on another time when we get him back on. But for now, this is just an Olympic session with our good friend, absolute legend and gold medal winner Dylan Larkin. Welcome to the Empty Nutters podcast.

[Dylan Larkin]

Thanks, boys. It's. You guys are legends. You guys are legends and it's good to be with you guys.

[Dan Powers]

Oh, dude, it is, it's. It's. Truly, this is a pleasure. It's been a long time coming. I'm very excited about it. But dude, you've had like what, a couple of weeks now between now and Italy. So much has happened and you're wearing the tarp, which is just fantastic. Are you just still buzzing from the high of the victory?

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. It's like, honestly, like normal things that would bother me. I just like day to day stuff or whatever it might be. I just like something happens. I'll. I'll go watch Jack's goal and see the celebration on the ice and I'm just like right back to Cloud 10. It's, it's, it's unbelievable. So we've been enjoying it and, and to share, you know, with, with some of my teammates and, and training staff and, and everyone back home has, has been pretty special. We really haven't been home, so I haven't seen extended family, but they kind of know and, and, and we'll probably do something this summer. I'm sure it'll be a. We'll be celebrating this one for a long time.

[Dan Powers]

Oh yeah, dude. Dude, you like, Truly, when was the first time you got more than three hours of sleep in a night after that game? And I, I say that not because of the celebration, but because of the, like, you were just on plane after plane after plane. And then like right back in the season and on a roadie. It's just been a session for you.

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah, I would, yeah. The, the night of the State of the Union, I was supposed to go and we're, you know, and I, I just was like after the White House, I was so tired. I'm like, I'm gonna, I don't want to fall asleep at the stadium. I didn't really know what, what, what we were supposed to be doing, but I was like, I gotta get home and, and get to my family. We were leaving the next day for like a week and, and I was like, I gotta pack and, and do all this stuff and, and most importantly sleep. So that night I got a lot of, A lot of sleep and then really still just, still sleeping a ton.

[Evan]

As you should yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dan Powers]

As you should.

[Evan]

Yeah, dude, I want to go back larks all the way to Four nations because that was such a table set for this experience. Right. And I think the players knew, but as fans, people were kind of going, how intense will this exhibition tournament be? And then right away it was insane. And I know you won't gas yourself up, so we will do it. You were one of the massive stars of that tournament. Everybody was saying, like, Jesus Christ, get this guy on the ice. More.

[Dan Powers]

More.

[Evan]

So when you were doing that, when you were at that tournament with Team usa, were you guys thinking already, like, man, Olympics is going to be nuts? Because it kind of was the precursor to what was coming in Milan.

[Dylan Larkin]

I mean, yes and no. Obviously, we. We all understood that making that team the Four nations, like, we hadn't. I think that was a stressful start to that season, even.

[Dan Powers]

Just.

[Dylan Larkin]

Just taking you guys back farther. Like, everyone wanted to make that team because. Yeah, you felt like you wanted the opportunity to play best on best had been so long.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dylan Larkin]

And then. And the teams were announced really early, I believe, and. And it was. I think it was like 25 games into the season. So it was. That was. That was a stressful start to the year. And I didn't think I had the best start and was able to make that team and got my opportunity, really, and. And just meshed so well with the guys. And. And that tournament was so intense in such a short period of time. It was. It was like a total whirlwind, you know? Yeah, we had two. Two or three practices. Then it was like a three and four playing Finland, Canada and Sweden. Like, it was. It was. That was pretty cool. And, you know, we. We. That looking back, how much media attention that that gained, it was kind of like ESPN was all over it. They did such a good job. And, you know, national media, like the locker room before the. The day before the finals against Canada, I'd never seen that many media, you know, people around, and. And then losing the. The final was. God, was a heartbreaker like that. And you. You know, the tournament was so much fun. And then that happened, and it was like, all right, we. We played two days later in. In Detroit, and it was like just. I was like, how the hell do I just forget about this? You know, like, you know, when. When McDavid scored, that was a dagger. And. And then from there, that feeling of. Of like, man, there's. The job's not finished. You know, and then we kind of set her and obviously, like, I was still like gotta have a good, good year finish and good year to. To try and make the Olympic team, you know, and, and, and continue. So yeah, it, my, my mentality switched like right away. I was like, man, it'd just be unbelievable. We get those guys back in Milan and, and, and sure enough that that's the way it went and, and just incredible, dude.

[Dan Powers]

Okay, so I'm glad you just said that because we were just talking to Chucky the other day and something I think that nations and about this group, your group in particular, you obviously have that tournament. You have that crazy game at the Bell Center. You have a great goal in that game. You beat Canada and then over time, loss four nations obviously a dagger, but there was certainly the, the feeling of let's, let's call it what it is. Canada was top of the mountain and they in many ways still are. But that tournament was so awesome to see this group be like, oh, we're right there. Like, this is a, you know, this is going to be a tilt. This is fantastic. And talking to Chucky about the all the different connections on this team with this group, the Michigan connections, the dev program connections, the Boston connections, and just seeing how immediately you clowns were just like the best of friends in the world and the chemistry that was going on with all these guys who every other night in the NHL are just battling, trying to rip each other's heads off. It must have been the second you made this team, it must have been out of this world fun to be like, this group is special. We got a chance. Let's tag them back. Let's go. Like, how awesome was that?

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah. Yeah. And I give, you know, Billy G. A lot of credit for, you know, sticking with it. And one of the first things you said when we got to the Olympics, we had met with the whole team and you know, he's like, you guys are close and that's the reason why you're all here, you know. Yeah, we wanted to keep you guys together and you know that that's a ballsy call. And, and, and it ended up paying off. But the, I give the Brady and Matthew so much credit. All the guys, you know, the Hughes, Fabs, Bolds Tom are coming in like the Brock Nelson. Like, there's just every guy is such a good guy and you know, but Matthew and Brady, like, they, they, they set everything up. They, they make, you know, dinners, whatever it may be our team services guy bridge. I got to give him a shout out. Like he, he works in Boston and he was the MVP for The four nations and, and the Olympics and anything we needed. Team dinners. He set it all up. But, but the tachuks, they, they just make everyone feel so important, you know, and, and like whether I was doing whatever, you know, Kel's coming in, like, everyone just was, was a huge part of the team and, and those guys just brought everyone together and, and you know, like, I, I still think about the locker room, like practice days and like there wasn't a quiet moment the entire two and a half weeks. Like, and it, it wasn't just two. You know, it wasn't just Brad the time. It was, it was Milsy and TRO and, and just different guys. Like, it was, it was always just so much fun to, to be around them.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah. Was it truly? Like, we heard all the stories about the, the boys just like Brady especially just being in the calf all the time. And other than that, was it. Was it actually truly just a gaff session all the time in their room? Like, their door was always open and you guys were just kicking it. Like college days.

[Dylan Larkin]

Their door was always open. Like they never, they didn't shut it more like we would leave to go to games and they're like, oh, yeah, it's just leave it. Yeah, like, like unbelievable. And, and yeah, we were. There was always a card game going on. There was always, you know, like a beer or two, like, you know, somewhere where guys were hanging and, and you know, that, that just, that's just special. And, and, and the cafeteria, we, I kind of explained like the, it was the first week of college, you know.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dylan Larkin]

As a freshman, you're, you're in the dorms, you're, you're so excited. You get all this new gear, you unpack everything and then it's like, all right, let's. Let's go explore campus, you know, and, and you're in the cafeteria and meeting people and you know, the. I'm sure you guys heard about the lava cakes and it's just. Yeah. Like, it was non stop for, for, for the two and a half, three weeks we were there.

[Dan Powers]

Larks.

[Evan]

Actually, we, we heard or. One of the first stories I heard about the lava kicks was actually from Taylor Heisey on the women's team because she said she came out and Helly was in the calf with like 30 of them in front of him. He was like, yeah, I'm saving these for the boys. She was like, how did you get 30 lava kicks?

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah, there's a good story too. I think we were playing. It was before the Slovakia Game. I think it was Slovakia or maybe. Yeah, I think it was. And one of the games, and, and the guy, the guy's name was. God, it's so good. It was, it was like Simone. Okay, Simone. Almost like in his Italian accent. And Brady started calling him spumoni, Like, and, and he was the guy that, like, ran the cafeteria. I think Matthew gave him a pin early. And then we just, it was lava cakes galore. So before the game, he brought him like 10 lava cakes. And Brady's like, man, what a great guy. But, like, we gotta play. We gotta play. Like, I can't do it. I'm not that, you know, that was his first time he turned on a lava cake.

[Dan Powers]

But, dude, I, we're, you know, just,

[Dylan Larkin]

even funny stuff like that. It just took on a life of its own and we were just, just laughing.

[Dan Powers]

I, I, we've said to a bunch of the boys now, it's like, the fact that you guys had, like, prison deals going on for lava cakes at the Olympic Village is so funny. It's unbelievable.

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

Oh, God, dude.

[Evan]

Okay, so one thing we asked Chuck to. And I want your take on. You know, you go through the group stage, you have a great, a great run. You know, you're watching the tournament shakeout, and then it's like Sweden in the quarterfinals.

[Dylan Larkin]

Oh, my God.

[Evan]

So, so what, what was just the attitude? What was the reaction? What was the attitude? And were you guys clocking? Because it was hard to follow the Goldiff. Were you clocking, like, what was going on? And we're probably going to get Sweden. Was all that going down?

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah, yeah. In the German, like, the Germans are so dangerous with the, the guys they have. And, and knowing Mo, like, I was like, this is not an easy game by any means. So we were like, what it is. And, and you know, we, we, I think we were one of the, the last games. So we were like, yeah, we gotta, we have to beat Germany by crazy. And it's like, all right, yeah, let's, let's take care of business tonight. And, and then as soon as that game ended, I was like, oh, man, we gotta play Sweden. Like, yeah, you know, I don't even know who they played in the, the playoff,

[Dan Powers]

but, dude, such a deal to play as well as you did in prelims and then draw Sweden.

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah, I was so nervous for that game. Oh, God, like, just, God, you know, you, it's such a special group, and you don't, you don't want it to end. And, and I'm like, man, I Was like talking to my wife night before. I'm. This is the most nervous I've been for a game and.

[Evan]

Wow.

[Dylan Larkin]

In a long time. And. And, you know, actually Todd McClellen called me because we had a couple days, and I was expressing to him. I was like, you know, I'm. I'm nervous for this game. And he's like, well, sometimes nerves bring the best out of. Out of guys. And. And, you know, I really felt like it that those nerves just brought. Brought us to life. And you could feel it in the room, and you could see the pop. The morning skate. Like, guys, it was one of the best practices we had, and guys were ready to go.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah, well, dude, I mean, you kind of just said it. You did this in four nations. I feel like you do it every season, too. You're definitely the type of player that just gets better and better and better as you play and as you go through a tournament or go through the season. And that was happening here, and then you get things started in that Sweden game with those nerves. You were just talking about how good did it feel for you, but also just the boys to, like, get that sick tip, massive goal, get things going. Did that settle you a little bit?

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah. Yeah, I think so. And I think, like, Jack got bumped up to. To our line or. Or bumped down, you know, to my line because Nelly was. Was playing so well. But it's just the way that the tournament went and, And. And when. Once we started playing together, it was. And he was so good from. From the first game. Yeah, just. Just like, I think he heard the noise about four nations and. And. And he wanted to prove a point and he wanted the puck on his stick. I. I just. He wanted on his stick from the first. First minute of the first game and. And to make a statement and. And playing with him was. Was so much fun because I know I'm from skating. Skating with him in the summer, but, you know, I just. As the games got tighter, it. You know, it's. It's just so much. It's so much fun, you know, I just. Was having a blast with it.

[Evan]

Yeah, no doubt. Dude, they tie it with a fucking minute left, and I want to throw up. Dude, we were. Dan. We were in Canada House for that. Yeah, it was like everyone's cheering, and I'm just like, oh, my God. So they tie it with a minute left. How. What's. What's said in the locker room, because you're going into three on three where it's kind of like, Christ, anything can Happen, you know, who's, who's stepping up, who's saying stuff. How is the vibe going into that overtime?

[Dylan Larkin]

Well, that one was, it was just like a regular.

[Evan]

Oh, yeah, right.

[Dylan Larkin]

There's just a quick stop and, and, and then we were going. So we had talked about three on three before, before the game, actually. And so he was like this, this could, you know, it gets down to it. Like, these games are tight. It could get to three on three. So we talked about it and man, when they scored, I was like, oh, Jesus. Now it's like a toss up. 3 on 3 can go either way. You know, like, it's a bounce. It's a you1, one team's getting their chance, and if it's not going in, it's going, it goes down the other way, like, and then they get. The other team gets a chance. So I remember looking around and, and, and trying to, like, talk myself out of being nervous, and I saw Quinny Hughes and I'm like, God, we got that guy. What I'm doing? Yeah, just come on, Quinny. And, and he's so, he's so, like, dialed and focused. It's, it's like, you know, there's not a moment that's too big for him. So, yeah, I remember seeing him, I'm like, all right, here we go.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

Dude, the way that, like, we were watching the game and it just felt like he was feeling it. He was in flow state, and it's just like everyone was just giving Huggy the puck and I was like, he is going to score right now. This is, this is feels like it's written in the stars. It's fantastic. Oh, dude, I'm glad you said what you said about Jack, by the way, because I was going to war for him online with people, like, after that first game. He made a bunch of great plays in that Latvia game, including one that led to one of the goals that got taken back. And I was like, jack Hughes has been phenomenal tonight. And there were still some of those dumb, dumb haters from four nations who were like, no, he hasn't been. And then every game he got better. And I was just like, it was a great moment for me. It was a great victory for. I'm sure Jack felt good.

[Evan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dan Powers]

But I felt great. But when, when Quinn tucked that goal, did you go nuts or was it kind of like, yeah, breath of relief or. Because, you know, you got two more games. Yeah. Hopefully after that, so that must be great.

[Dylan Larkin]

I actually went nuts. I, I, I was miked up for it. So there's actually.

[Dan Powers]

Oh, sick.

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah, there's. I've watched that a bunch, but, like, that was such an intense game and you know, the sweets, they're so dangerous. Like.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dylan Larkin]

So when, when, when he scored it, it was, it was like a. Yeah, it was probably like a 6 out of 10 if. If the 10 is. Is what was to come, you know.

[Evan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dan Powers]

So fair.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Evan]

That's incredible, dude. Well, speaking Dan was saying the two games, were you guys. Because Canada was already waiting for you in the final when you went to play Slovakia. Was it hard at all to not look past that game? Right. Because everybody on earth is talking about this U. S. Canada final. Was it hard to not just dial in in that semi final game, or was it a big enough moment that you guys were like, let's take care of our.

[Dylan Larkin]

No, honestly, because of what the. How tight the Canada Finland game was.

[Dan Powers]

Right.

[Dylan Larkin]

You know, and we got to the rink, I think around 6 o', clock, and that game was just wrapping up and we're all like, huddled around a laptop watching it.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dylan Larkin]

And. And I don't know, it was. It's like a. A feeling of like, God, they could, you know, like, I think it kind of woke us up a little bit and, and we were ready to go for that one for sure too. Slovakia.

[Evan]

Yeah. Good. And then what was the. What was the pre. You said you were nervous going into the Sweden game. What were the pre Game nerves going into the gold medal game?

[Dan Powers]

Yeah, like, if you were nervous for Sweden, like, what, what was. What was happening to your insides? Go. Heading into the Canada game.

[Dylan Larkin]

Oh, like. Yeah. That. It was almost too much, you know, it was like. Yeah. I thanked God it was a two o' clock game because there's no way if, if we were playing at 9 o' clock normally, like, oh, my God, that, that day would have been like so long. I, I couldn't sleep the night before. You're just going through in your head about the what ifs and, and, and how the game's gonna go and, and you're thinking about it and everything, you know, So I think probably like 2 o' clock in the morning, I was like, all right, let's just, just, let's just do this, you know, let's just play the game and, and see. And. And I ended up being able to fall asleep, but thankfully it was get up, eat, go to the rink and, and let's, let's get this going, you know? But I was, I was very nervous,

[Dan Powers]

very nervous of course, dude. I mean, but I like what, what Todd said. Like, nerves. Nerves can be good. And I feel like in that type of a game too, it's like, it's actually funny. You hear the heli story where he was like, I actually slept better than I ever have before that game. Which blows.

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

But it' feel like you want the nerves because it's like it, it makes you feel alive still, dude. Like, this is the game that you've been, you know, dreaming about your entire life. So to be in there, that's incredible. Especially against Canada.

[Chris]

Were.

[Dan Powers]

How long did I. I actually haven't asked anyone this yet. How long did that game feel like it took for you? Because I feel like in those moments you almost black out at parts during the period, you're just getting through shift by shift. Obviously it goes to ot, but like did that game, especially when you were protecting the lead and then when you're, you know, trying to hold on to the tie, did it feel like the game took forever or was it kind of just like flash shots for you?

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah, not. That was a stressful one. Oh my gosh. Because it's actually the first, first couple shifts we were like dominating.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dylan Larkin]

Oh, yeah, yeah, here we go. And. And it didn't. Didn't last long. Bold scored and. And then we were so fired up.

[Evan]

Yeah. How did you feel right then? Because that was sick.

[Dan Powers]

It's also. It was unbelievable that it was such a swaggy goal. Like, that was the sexiest goal I could have ever imagined in a gold medal game.

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah. Yeah, we were, we were fired up. And then it's like, oh, here we go. You know, Come on. And yeah, and, and then from really like then on Canada, they, they played so well and, and you know, you got to give them. They, they battled and, and threw the kitchen sink at us and. And Helly was. Was just unbelievable. Like, Jesus, that even Bennington played out of his mind. He made a big save on Troch in the third.

[Dan Powers]

Oh, huge.

[Dylan Larkin]

You know, he made some big saves and, and but yeah, it was, it was crazy stressful back and forth like, like going out there, we're getting pinned in and then you're chipping it out, you're racing to the bench and they're just coming in waves and, and you know, we had some big chances in the second, but until really from, from Bold's goal until that when Jack got high sticked and we got a four minute power play, I was like, oh my God, here we go.

[Evan]

Like, that's, that's so long, too.

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah, we got. Yeah, four minutes. I'm like, we got our power plays nasty like Ikes, Quinny, and Amats. They did. They snap it around so well, and. And, like, gosh. Come on, boys. Let's get this one. Let's get this one. And. And Brady was before the game. He's like, three one. We're gonna win three one.

[Dan Powers]

Wow.

[Dylan Larkin]

And they took the format. He goes, here we go, boys. We're gonna get power, then we're gonna get the empty nutter. 3 1. Like I said, dude, Come on.

[Evan]

That is awesome.

[Dan Powers]

You know? Yeah. And then immediate jack penalty.

[Dylan Larkin]

I know. And then jack penalty. And then it's like, we got to go on the kill again. And the five on three kill, too. There's just so many things.

[Dan Powers]

The five on three. I, like, I can't imagine what you guys are feeling. I was in my pants because I was just like, there's no. How in the world. How in the world do you possibly survive this? But it goes to something you said. At what point in the game did it. Was it clear to you that Heli was seeing God? Because, like, we've all seen him play out of his mind. But there was something happening in that game. Like, could you tell in the second period, or did it take, like, the third period heroics and. And, you know, the. The penalty kills before you were like, this is unbelievable.

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah, I mean, gee, I was. That's so funny. Pretty. Like, again, you know, like the. The time that he talked about on his podcast. That pizza up the middle.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dylan Larkin]

You know, like. Like, Heli's right there. Makes a huge save, and. And he just bailed us out, like, all tournament rd and. And Heli and just took care of everything. Like, yeah, Incredible, our decor. CMAC pulling that one off the goal line, but the one like, the. The one with. With taves and. And Helly's paddle. Like, I was on the ice for that one, and. And I'm, like, kind of behind him, and I turned because I thought it went in, you know?

[Evan]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dylan Larkin]

And then I look. Look again, and. And, like, people are chasing in the corner. I'm like, how. What is going on? You know? Like, what is.

[Dan Powers]

It's like, guys, larks is like, guys, that went in. Why is it still playing?

[Evan]

And, hey, did you know? Because I asked Chuck this, too, because he was right there. Did you know it hit the paddle, or did you think he just missed? Because I was like,

[Dan Powers]

yeah, so did we.

[Evan]

It's like watching that replay, I was like, holy he got his paddle on that. That was insane. Dude, what a moment.

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah, dude.

[Dan Powers]

There was truly like this. The spirit of Johnny was. Was strapped in front of that net with like the. The Nate miss and then.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

Save. Like, holy.

[Evan]

Were you.

[Dan Powers]

Who was.

[Evan]

Were you on for the Nate miss Larks or.

[Dylan Larkin]

No, I think I. I think I was. I was on for every big chance against.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dylan Larkin]

Dude, I had the craziest night of all time.

[Evan]

Like that. In that moment, you know, like when you see that puck because it kind of like ricocheted to him. You know, like when you see that puck go to him open net, are you like, oh, my God.

[Dylan Larkin]

It's one of those, like, slow motion. Like, he's there, he's there, he's there. Oh, he's.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dylan Larkin]

And then he misses, you know, like, what is going on? Yeah, but like, again, like, he doesn't miss those and.

[Evan]

Right.

[Dylan Larkin]

And you know, they have so many great players and. And what a hockey game. And I. I haven't been able to watch it. Kind of maybe waiting for a special time when I can really just.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah, that's cool.

[Dylan Larkin]

Watch the whole thing and. And watch it back. But yeah, seeing the highlights and everything and just a unbelievable hockey game. And it was as fast as. That was probably part of the whirl and too. It's like there's no time with the puck. You get the puck, it's. It's moving it right away and someone's on top of you. Someone's skating to. To get you. Like, it was similar to the Four nations where when we played them twice, it was like that. But this was. Was even a higher level than that for sure.

[Dan Powers]

I mean, you talked about all the chances for them that you were on. Obviously you're on for the OT winner.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

Did you. Because, like, I've. I've been loving.

[Chris]

We.

[Dan Powers]

We actually. We had a clip from like right after the game that went viral because of everyone's reaction to it. This. The. The stands, man. Like, no one knew it was. Yeah, yeah, I told the story that there was this. There was this millisecond breath where Jack shoots it. And there was silence in the arena because everyone was like, what the just happened? And I think a couple of the boys said on the bench, like, they. They kind of threw their head back. Like he. Like he whiffed it it and then it just went in. Did you see it go in? Or you also. Okay, you did. Okay, tell me everything.

[Evan]

Like, what.

[Dan Powers]

What did you feel when you saw it? And like, when he got the Puck. Were you like, he's scoring?

[Dylan Larkin]

Well, yeah, I, I was skating up the ice and, and he poked it. And then I'm like, oh, here we go. Like, yeah, big Z is flying.

[Evan]

He's a big boy.

[Dylan Larkin]

He's flying here. And, and McKinnon was back. And, and then it was like slow motion from there. It kind of got stuck on McKinnon's foot. It was, it was a weird, like they almost collided and, and, and z bounced off McKinnon. I came over because I was, you know, like, sometimes when they, the puck could pop. Anyway, yeah, yeah. I'm just looking for possession to keep it in overtime. And, and, and I turned. I'm like, I gotta get back. They got some pretty good players out here. Like, I don't want, I don't want to be, be the guy that goes for a skate. And in the gold medal, three on three, overtime. So I'm getting back. And then I saw, I just left it. He's got momentums going to the net. And then when I turned, I saw him snap it over to Jack and, and then I had the perfect view of it, go right through his legs and in the net. And oh, my God, it was, I, I, I can relive the, the quietness. I think it was shock because I, it was. And then, and then from there, it was like full helicopter my stick down the ice.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dylan Larkin]

Skated as fast as I could, like, towards our bench, and then realized everyone's going this way. So I, I turned and threw my. And then I, I do remember, like, thinking before overtime, like, I, I want to throw my gloves in the air so bad. It's been so long since I said, you know, like, since I've done that. And it was one of the best feelings I'll ever have in hockey, like, in that fashion to do it, that, that game, that environment. Canada, usa is it just. It was, you know, storybook and just unbelievable yell. I probably yelled for 10 minutes straight after that with all the guys hugging and, you know, just special man hugging those guys and, and yeah, dude, it

[Dan Powers]

was, it was truly like, you know, people always say the dream, but that was truly the dream. It was unbelievable. And it's like we, we keep saying, everybody seeing you guys after was like, it was impossible not to just have the biggest smile on your face because, yeah, everyone was so happy and like, all the family, like, seeing your brother, seeing your dad, like, everyone was so happy. And I was like, this is maybe the most special and happy environment I've ever been in. In My life. Yeah, it was incredible.

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah, I know. That's a good. Yeah, you're right.

[Evan]

It was, it was completely. You know, they always say like, yo, my cheeks hurt, I'm smiling. So it was a hundred percent. Like I actually felt like I was smiling slash laughing from 4pm to 4am like it was just a 12 hour run. I was like, oh man, this is insane, dude. Hey, on the ice Larks. Because that was so sick watching, you know, everybody, you gu. Hug each other with the flags and all that stuff and then with the goudre kids, that was just so special. Tell us just about how that came about and how you guys went to get them and all that stuff.

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah, I was looking because the family seats were, were kind of from like where the penalty box was to the, to the, the corner where, where Hilly was in, in overtime and, and I was looking for my parents and my wife and, and they weren't in that, that area. But, but as I was kind of scanning, it's just like the one person is Mr. Goodreau.

[Chris]

I see.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah.

[Dylan Larkin]

And any, you know, standing there and, and I'm waving to him and pointing and, and then I saw. I, I told Z. I'm like, hey, Mr. Goodreau. And Meredith and the whole crew was right there. So from then I think we both knew, like, let's, let's get them down for, for a picture. And and we, we started to tell the guys like, hey, when, when we take the team picture, just stay and, and let's go get them. Get. Yeah, get them and bring them down and, and you know, it was funny too. Like even we're celebrating on the ice and, and the, whoever, the organizing people for the ceremony are like, you guys get in numerical order. And we're like, yeah, like give us

[Dan Powers]

get out of here.

[Dylan Larkin]

Like, we're fine. We don't. But we, we ended up doing it. We got in that order. And then when, when Zach and I got up, the guy's like, no, no, stay. Get down. And, and we just skated right by him and.

[Evan]

Yep.

[Dylan Larkin]

And we did that. And you know, like Johnny is just, I, I know him because we played three world championships together.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah, exactly.

[Dylan Larkin]

And we always had just so much fun together. And you know, he's, he's, he's someone that, that, that, that just truly has the biggest heart and loves his family. So bringing his kids, his kids out there was, was really special and something that I, I know I, I read the, the comments that they made and, and how much it meant to them and that to me, is bigger than a gold medal. Just, just what the, what we've all, you know, it's a, it's a, one of the biggest losses of my life. And in the hockey world, it was hit hard by that, by that. And, and you know, to bring his kids out there, just, just they'll have that memory and, and the photo for, for the rest of their life. And, and, and I, I hope one day Johnny, Johnny Jr. Is, is on that ice, you know, and wearing a USA jersey.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dylan Larkin]

And, and, and you know, I miss watching his dad play, but I hope that, you know, he, he can, you know, be like his dad and, and, and be one of the best water bugs out there. And, and yes. And, you know, so they'll have that picture forever. And, and I love, I love Meredith and, and, and she's, she's the strongest person I know. And, and I'm glad it meant something to them.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah, man. It's perfectly said. And it, it speaks so much to the people that they are and the family that they are, but also that you've all created together how perfect and special that moment was to be. To feel bigger than a gold, than an Olympic gold medal, and to fill your hearts more than that moment just says everything about how wonderful they are and how wonderful the bond is that, that you've all created together. So to, to be able to add that moment on top of everything, it's, we, we said earlier, the dream, it's, it's, it's even bigger than that. So I'm just so, you know, proud of you guys and just blown away with how incredible that was. Yeah.

[Evan]

Meant something to all of us.

[Dan Powers]

It was so special. I, I, I, like we said, we're gonna, we're gonna grab you another time here soon and get into all of it. But before we, you know, let it go, obviously the celebrations were amazing. Everything was so fun. But outside of all that, did you, did you have any moments just like in Milan, whether it be with the family or with the boys, that was just like an awesome moment or a funny moment that just sticks out in your memory when you try to look back on the whole experience.

[Dylan Larkin]

I mean, geez, like, everything was so special, you know, like, it really was.

[Dan Powers]

And

[Dylan Larkin]

I'm not like a big picture guy or like, but I, I went in and I'm like, I'm gonna take as many pictures as I can and to be at the Olympics and, and, and wear all the gear and be around other athletes, it was, I was expecting it to be great. It was even better than that. You know, it was. It was probably the most special experience I've had. Just being in the village, being with. With the guys and then our group, you know?

[Evan]

Yeah, just.

[Dylan Larkin]

Just the stories and the conversations and, you know, it. Every moment, every bus ride, every, you know, locker room, like, it just. It was. It was cool. It was. It was. It was the best. And I. I. You know, like, dude, no, it's a special group, right?

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah, I get it. We always talk about expectations and, like, hopes and. And I. I just get so happy. And I laugh thinking about, like, you guys went in there and, like, when you left, you, like, you. For the rest of your life, man, you will be able to be, like, holy. That went better than any of us could have ever imagined. Like, that is phenomenal. So, so awesome.

[Evan]

Hey, Larks. Larks. Who was. Who was cleaning up at the card table?

[Dylan Larkin]

It went back and forth. Yeah, Helly, we played poker one day, and I. I had a good day the last time we played, so I was up on heli, and I think I'm gonna. I. Normally I would be like, hey, Helly, you owe me. Yeah, but I'm gonna. I'm gonna let that one slide. Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah.

[Evan]

You know what? Yeah, we're even.

[Dan Powers]

I think he paid his debt.

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah, that is funny. My books for. For a while.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah, I think Helly's paid debt. Yeah, for sure.

[Evan]

That is so funny, man.

[Dan Powers]

Oh, my God. That's incredible. All right, well, dude, I know you're getting kicked out of that hotel room, so we gotta let you go. But, dude, you're. You're the best. Thanks for popping on. Like I said, we'll do it again, and hopefully we'll see you even sooner.

[Evan]

Yes.

[Dan Powers]

Nice playoff game at LCA here, so let's get going.

[Dylan Larkin]

Thanks, boys.

[Dan Powers]

Rights, dude.

[Dylan Larkin]

Thanks, you legends.

[Evan]

Love you, Larks. Thanks.

[Dylan Larkin]

Good to see you guys.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah, absolutely huge shout out to Dylan, Larkin, and Bauer for that amazing chat. I can't. I do it every day on the show. I just can't express how much I love being.

[Evan]

I love him. I love him, and I don't care who knows.

[Dan Powers]

He's just the best human being on earth. Bowers, the greatest company on earth. It's a perfect match. You absolutely love it. We're gonna take another ad break, then jump back into some fun. This episode of the Empty Nerds podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp, your mental health matters. So we're gonna have BetterHelp help you out with that. And also, it's March and You know what's also in March? International Women's Day. So we're taking some time to celebrate all of the amazing women in our lives and acknowledge the massive weight that they carry. Think about all of the amazing women that you have in your life and all that they do for you. Your mom, your sister, your partner, your friends, whoever it may be. There's so much going on in these amazing women's lives that they have to deal with. Caring for others, grinding out at work, whatever it may be. Women are lifting loads like you wouldn't believe. They're the strongest people in the world. So we want to take some time to celebrate them, acknowledge them, and make sure that they know that their mental health is incredibly important. And better help can be an amazing aid for them in that area. BetterHelp's fantastic, folks. I'm on BetterHelp. I am an amazing therapist. I talk to people all the time. Therapy is incredible. It makes you feel great. So make sure that the women in your life know that this is a fantastic option for you. BetterHelp is giving you the world's largest online therapy platform. So many amazing therapists on here. Over 30,000 therapists are on BetterHelp. They do the initial matching process for you. You fill out amazing questions that really get to know you, what you're dealing with, what you want to work on, and they find the best therapist for you. They have helped over 6 million people globally. This is fantastic. They have an average of 4.9 out of 5 star rating. It's such a good system. 1.7 plus million client reviews. So you know, this is the real deal again, I'm on there. I think it's fantastic. So make sure the people in your lives, specifically these amazing strong women that you know, know that this is an option that will help them out, make them become the best version of themselves by just chatting things out, working on your mental health and taking care of yourself, your emotional well being matters. And find the support and feel lighter in therapy. Sign up and get 10% [e-mail] netters that's betterhelp.com netters. You're going to use that promo code, you're going to get 10% off and you're going to feel amazing. Get signed up today.

[Evan]

Ever feel like when you're going car shopping, it's a game of 21 questions. Every time I'm on a walk with my girlfriend, she wants to play 21 questions and I'm horrible at it, so I can't imagine trying to play 21 questions. When I'm trying to make a big decision like buying a car, is it the right price? Is this the right choice? Is this the right model? What am I doing wrong? Is my number one question. With CarGurus, you don't have to question yourself anymore. It's that awesome. Cargurus has the most inventory, transparent deal ratings and real time price drop alerts, which is incredible because that stuff always freaks me out. With Cargurus app, you can access dealership mode, which gives you everything you need to navigate the dealership with confidence. And with Cargurus Discovery, you can skip the filters and describe what you're looking for in your own words, which is amazing. You don't have to try to click all these buttons. You want to just say, this is the car I want? You can do that. With Discover, you simply type what you want. And Cargurus Discover instantly services real listings that match your exact needs. Incredible. And the dealership mode, like I said, it's right on the app. It puts you in control. You compare cars side by side. You can check pricing and estimate your final cost with all in everything. That way you can navigate it and know what you're getting into. There's more than 4 million listings. CarGurus has the biggest selection of cars, so it's easier than ever to find the right car and the right deal. It is no wonder that Cargurus is numero uno, the most visited car shopping site according to SimilarWeb's estimated traffic data. So buy or sell your next car today with [e-mail] Go to CarGurus.com to make sure your big deal is the best deal. That's C-A-R-G-U-R U S.com cargurus.com welcome back, everybody. What an episode this has been. It's about to get even better because we had. Everyone had a great weekend.

[Dan Powers]

We did.

[Evan]

Everyone had a great weekend.

[Dan Powers]

We sure did.

[Evan]

We're in la. We're Hollywood boys, the three of us. So we were watching the Oscars last night.

[Dan Powers]

Evan just perked up.

[Evan]

Ev gave us his spread. His spread for the Oscars.

[Dan Powers]

What was the best of the snacks?

[Chris]

Probably the sliders. The burger sliders, nice. I cooked them on the grill. They each came with like, like a pickle, a bit of raw onion, mustard and ketchup. Perfect, perfect bite. Didn't. Didn't overcook them.

[Dan Powers]

That's a run. The football burger, right?

[Evan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dan Powers]

Were there. Was there cheese?

[Chris]

Yeah, a variety. It's like, kind of a mystery. Yeah, sometimes it was Pepper Jack, sometimes it was American, sometimes it was cheddar.

[Evan]

Was that your favorite movie? Pun?

[Dan Powers]

Food.

[Chris]

Begonia, Mini Bergonia burger, onions. Yeah, I.

[Dan Powers]

We did

[Chris]

Martini Supreme. That's an obvious one.

[Evan]

Oh, that is.

[Chris]

That.

[Dan Powers]

I don't think that's obvious at all. You were drinking martinis too.

[Evan]

That's why he slept too.

[Dan Powers]

That's why you slept poorly.

[Chris]

No, I actually had no martinis.

[Dan Powers]

Fuck yeah.

[Chris]

I had a few small beers though.

[Evan]

Okay.

[Chris]

Modelos.

[Dan Powers]

That's awesome.

[Chris]

And I got.

[Dan Powers]

Hold on, what's the line from Benito? And he goes, a few small beers.

[Chris]

How much have you had a drink, sir? And he goes, few small beers. They played it at the drink little.

[Dan Powers]

Like them in little.

[Chris]

I wish they were tiny. No, I just got Model's. But I did get, you know, the Ethan Hogg movie Blue Moon that got nominated. So I just had a pack of Blue Moon and I. I printed out stickers where I replaced the label with a picture of him from the post.

[Evan]

Also three people. Like, we should have brought back you some mini Coronas from Italy.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah, a lot of them there. We had a lot of. Few small beers.

[Evan]

Okay, Martini supreme is good. What else? Or was that your favorite? Sinners? Anything There was.

[Chris]

Well, we just had a sign above all the food that just said dinners in the. In the food poster font upstairs.

[Dan Powers]

I feel like you could have done something with drinking blood there.

[Chris]

I could have.

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah.

[Chris]

But that's more of like a Halloween vibe, you know?

[Dan Powers]

Yeah, true.

[Evan]

Jesus Christ.

[Dan Powers]

We don't want to get too dark.

[Chris]

It was fun. I gotta give credit to my wife too. She came up with a lot of those names.

[Evan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dan Powers]

Hell yeah. Okay, what did you do? Do you say? I did a bit of work. And then. Honestly, I went up, was hanging by the pool with Alice and we kind of like lost track of time and the Oscars started.

[Evan]

So did I. I thought it was

[Dan Powers]

five and I was like, oh, shit. And then I couldn't figure out what the fuck to do with YouTube. I was on YouTube TV trying to rewind and I couldn't do it.

[Chris]

I missed the beginning too.

[Dan Powers]

So I. I somehow managed to avoid all spoilers. And then I just watched it later. And then I just.

[Evan]

We.

[Dan Powers]

We made Swedish tacos.

[Evan]

Nice.

[Dan Powers]

And we watched the Oscars. So obviously the Oscars were this weekend.

[Chris]

Wait, what is a Swedish taco?

[Dan Powers]

I. We made tacos, okay? And Alice was like, they're Swedish tacos. And I think the number one thing that made them Swedish was it was like the fact that we. You make all of the ingredients, then put them out on the table, you get your tortilla, and then you go and you. You assemble it.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

And Alice was like, it's just great because, like, when you get a burrito or a taco from a place and they're delivered or even at the restaurant, everything's like, really, you know, hot and melted together, and it's tightly wrapped. And I was like, yep, for sure. She's like, this is kind of like, you make whatever you want. You can put whatever you want on there. So it's a variety. And also, everything's kind of fresh. And some of the vegetables and things like that are cold, so there's, like, a nice fresh snap to them, which is definitely true. But I just don't think Alice knows how every single person in the US had taco night with their families, because that's exactly what it is. Yeah.

[Evan]

I was like, what the fuck are you talking about?

[Dan Powers]

Okay.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

And let me tell you, it was delicious. But the. The. The big differences, I suppose, were we had chopped cucumbers, which I've actually never done on, like, a taco night, as a topping. We did some sweet corn, which is not weird. I know a lot of people put. But that was nice, too. And we did fresh shredded Gouda cheese.

[Evan]

Oh, did you. Did you have it from the weekend?

[Dan Powers]

No.

[Evan]

I thought you took that home, maybe pizza.

[Dan Powers]

Oh, I did not take that one. No.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

But I was like, I don't think I've ever done Gouda on a taco. And it was nice. Okay, listen, it was delicious.

[Evan]

You had tacos. You had Mexican tacos.

[Dan Powers]

No, no, we had Swedish tacos. Palm. They were Swedish. Okay.

[Evan]

I wonder.

[Dan Powers]

Let's get into the Oscars. Yeah.

[Chris]

This is not a Swedish. Sorry about that.

[Dan Powers]

This is not a Swedish taco conversation. Okay.

[Chris]

Totally derailed the convo.

[Dan Powers]

Alice is a fucking saint, and those tacos were amazing. So I will thank you to not disparage Swedish tacos.

[Chris]

Swedish tacos.

[Evan]

I'm sad I didn't have any. I'm sad I didn't get some. Maybe you got some leftovers. Okay.

[Dan Powers]

Did anything thrill you or upset you with these Oscars?

[Chris]

I was not surprised by much. I think, like, down the.

[Dan Powers]

I mean, it was pretty chalky, like. Yeah. I feel like.

[Chris]

Yeah. Everybody kind of, like, knew what was going to. We were talking a little earlier. It felt very, like. Yeah. This was. Other than the fact that, like, maybe a month or two ago, you would have thought that more love would have Gone to Marty supreme or Chalamet. But I think people just got sick of that movie and his marketing stuff.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah, it was, I mean, as a sinner's guy.

[Dylan Larkin]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

It felt in early awards season, Sinners was the, like, this was kind of the fun. Yeah. I don't want to call it popcorn y, but like, that was like a blockbuster Y type movie.

[Chris]

It's a genre movie.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

That got some nominations and it was like, isn't it fun that they got nominations? They're not going to win anything. And then that started shifting. So I was like, nice, Here we go. So that was great. I can't fucking believe how good Leo looked.

[Evan]

Oh, my God.

[Chris]

The mustache looks great on him.

[Evan]

Yep.

[Dan Powers]

His hair looked amazing. He looked kind of snatched. He was looking tighter than he has in a little bit. The mustache was perfect.

[Chris]

It was great mustache.

[Dan Powers]

It was a great mustache. Speaking of people who look great, Conan looks phenomenal.

[Evan]

Yes.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

Yep. I thought he was wonderful. I thought the bridesmaids bit was fantastic. Yeah. Yeah. It was great to see all them together.

[Evan]

That was cool.

[Dan Powers]

And Kristen wig is just the, Is she doing. God, she's amazing. I also thought the, the Anne Hathway, Anna Wintour Devil Wears Prada bits were just so special.

[Evan]

She's, she is special. I do not understand the an Hathway hate.

[Dan Powers]

Who in the world hates an Hathway?

[Evan]

So many people.

[Dan Powers]

It's crazy. I'm saying, like, what is wrong with you?

[Chris]

Yeah. I never came from Lovely Mansion.

[Evan]

She's a fucking alien. She looks exactly the same.

[Dan Powers]

Oh, she's incredible. Here is, I suppose, my surprise. We had that cool new casting award.

[Evan]

Oh, yeah.

[Dan Powers]

Love that they're doing that. I, you know, when you know things but they don't exist in your brain. It's not something that's said often, so you don't think about it. And then when it's said, you're like, oh, my God. That's right. Like, I, I, I didn't think about that. This woman, Cassandra Kulakundis, wins best casting for one battle after the other. She then in her speech is talking about how she's worked with Paul Thomas Anderson for a long time. They're like best friends now. She loves him. He's amazing. And in her speech, she was like, and now I've got one of these before you. Which is insane.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

I again knew this, but I always forget that Paul Thomas Anderson did not have an Oscar. And I was like, what the.

[Chris]

Yeah, I assumed he won for There Will Be Blood or something.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah. And, but it's like, that was the year of no country for Old Men. So, like, he lost everything.

[Chris]

Oh, yeah. That was that year.

[Dan Powers]

And, like, I think he had. Had. He. I think he had, like, 14 or 15 nominations and no wins. And I was like. It was funny how everyone was talking about, like, is this year that good? And, like, One Battle's just going to win a bunch of stuff. And now, like, thank God, One Battle and stuff, because now finally, Paul Thomas Anderson has three Oscars. And Jesus Christ, how has he not won one yet? That was nuts.

[Evan]

I'm with you on that because I really liked One Battle, but I didn't think it was that good when people. That movie came out, I hadn't seen it yet, and there were several blogs written that was like, this is the best movie in 30 years. And I was like, okay, it's pretty good. So I didn't even like it that much, but I'm thrilled that he won. And it was probably my pick, you know, Like, I was talking to you before where I'm like, give it to Maverick. I was kind of like, give it to Sinners. That was fun as fuck. But in the big scheme of things, I'm like, no, I'm glad Paul Thomas Anderson won. That was very cool. He even said, like, make you guys work for these, eh? Yeah.

[Chris]

You know what surprised me, actually, was I didn't expect Barbra Streisand to sing. When she started singing, I was like, oh, wow, we're doing that.

[Evan]

Okay. I have a couple things here.

[Dan Powers]

One that I loved that moment so much.

[Chris]

It was great.

[Dan Powers]

But it was also surprising. But I love Robert Redford so much.

[Chris]

Me too.

[Dan Powers]

And the stories. That was very long.

[Evan]

The In Memoriam was quite long.

[Chris]

It was a crazy year. And they still missed people.

[Evan]

I know.

[Chris]

No, James Van Der Beek. They, like, they.

[Evan]

Oh, my.

[Chris]

So easy to just type in a computer.

[Dan Powers]

Who.

[Chris]

What celebrities died in 2025 and put them on the list. Why do they fuck it up every.

[Dan Powers]

No, Missing Vanderbeek is fucking crazy.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

And especially I felt like because it was so long, they were doing some, like, agents and, like, lawyers. And I was like, hell, yeah. Like, we're. We're getting everyone in here. And then they leave out the beak.

[Evan]

The beak, dude, that's crazy. I didn't even think about that. But, yeah, when we hit, we did the rob thing to start, and I was like, whoa, this is. This is. Which was lovely. But I was like, holy shit, this is a lot.

[Dan Powers]

He. By the way, I don't think he Gets brought up enough in goat conversations.

[Evan]

His resume is fucking insane.

[Dan Powers]

It's insane.

[Chris]

Varied, too.

[Evan]

Yes. Yes, dude. Like the stuff, the range. I'm like, oh, my God. Incredible.

[Dan Powers]

Incredible.

[Evan]

But then there was the Diane Keaton, which was from Rachel, which was also lovely. But then the Redford, and I was like, holy shit, dude. Like, this show. We're. We're. Okay, well, this will transition perfectly into my. I had three things that I could not believe. One, how long the In Memoriam was. Two, the preposterous playing off the stage of the K Pop Demon Hunter. Oh, yeah, that was nuts.

[Dan Powers]

Dude, lowering the microphone. Was that him?

[Evan]

No, that was a different one, which I think was.

[Dan Powers]

I think. I think that was like a documentary guy or. Or some. But the lowering of the microphone, I was like, stop it, stop it. Like, that was the most disrespectful thing I've ever seen.

[Chris]

Very passive aggressive.

[Evan]

The K Pop girl says her thing and then she gives it to the guy, and then they start playing the music so loud, and then she's going like this, please, please, just let him say one thing. And then the funny dude from the vampire show doing the announcing, just. He's like. And then we'll be back with Matt Baron, Matt Barry. And I'm like, bro, this is. They're still talking. I can see the camera. They're just still talking.

[Chris]

I would just love for them as the mic goes down, but by the way,

[Evan]

it goes down, so I'm like, oh, you're worried about 30 seconds of

[Dan Powers]

run time, Chris, I can't believe it.

[Evan]

When the In Memoriam was three hours long, dude. Like, holy.

[Dan Powers]

And you forgot the beak.

[Evan]

Yes. So that was insane. And then, even though it's probably kind of a lovely moment for the two parties involved, a tie is ridiculous.

[Chris]

That. Okay, that was. I've never. I didn't even know that was possible.

[Dan Powers]

Three times in Oscar history that has happened. It's crazy. Yeah, crazy. Kumail handled that brilliantly.

[Evan]

He did.

[Chris]

I thought he was joking for sure.

[Dan Powers]

His fucking bit was hilarious. I know.

[Evan]

I couldn't tell if he was, like, annoyed.

[Dan Powers]

The titles of the movies. Like, oh, that he was. That was so funny.

[Evan]

Which was your favorite?

[Dan Powers]

One battle, okay? He was like, you get one.

[Chris]

You get one.

[Evan]

My favorite was some of that jazz.

[Dan Powers]

Some of that jazz was great.

[Chris]

I thought this was offensive, but I thought it was really funny. Was Schindler's Post.

[Dan Powers]

It was very Schindler's Post. It was so good.

[Dylan Larkin]

So great.

[Dan Powers]

I mean, he was just fucking hilarious. And then also the Conan's joke.

[Evan]

And then when he came out and

[Dan Powers]

he's like, it's funny because it's true.

[Evan]

Yeah. I was not warned about that.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah.

[Evan]

I was like, dude. I could tell if he was like, chill.

[Dan Powers]

I think he's so funny. But, yeah, he handled that fucking.

[Chris]

I was. I was stoked for the singers, though. That's a movie that I saw at a film festival.

[Dan Powers]

Oh, hell yeah.

[Chris]

Way before. And that's the one that. That tied with the shore. And I met that director. Nice guy. All those actors in that film were like, non actors.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah. Every.

[Chris]

Every line was improvised. So if you get a chance, check it out.

[Dan Powers]

I had a couple of things. One, I had been hard on Frankenstein.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

I didn't have the best time with Frankenstein, but I always am blown away with Guillermo's worlds. They're incredible. And I love it when a movie like Frankenstein that I'm like, I didn't love this movie and it gets a ton of nominations, but then it wins the makeup, the costume design, production design. I'm like, as it should. Yeah.

[Chris]

Because he really did it. Like, there was. It's all handmade.

[Dan Powers]

I don't know if anyone noticed, but Jacob Elordi was sitting front row. And every fucking time. The people who work with Guillermo have a similar vibe to the people who work with Chris Nolan.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

When they win, they're like, yo, you. We. We. We share this with you because you make this shit happen.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

Love that. Every fucking one of those people who won, they got up, went across the front row to the stairs to get up the stage and got the biggest hug, kisses on the cheek. And just, like, hootin and hollerin from Elordi.

[Evan]

Sick.

[Dan Powers]

And I. Two things. One, I think that's such a good sign of the person he is, and that fires me up. Two, I think he's a fucking proper bogan Aussie, like, boy. I think he's just that boy now. I now know that because the way they were like, I fucking love this guy. I thought that was really cool. That was like. I was like, hell, yeah.

[Evan]

That's great.

[Dan Powers]

Awesome.

[Evan]

He's the fucking man.

[Dan Powers]

And then I, I, we're forgetting stuff. But I. I had. It was long, but I had a great time, actually. Oh, one more thing. Did you get the vibe that there were. The commercials playing during the Oscars were like super bowl commercials. They were so long. Did you see there was a Super bowl commercial? Did you see that Disney Cruise Line commercial?

[Evan]

No, seriously.

[Dan Powers]

I think that was the most inappropriate commercial I've Ever seen in my life. This, this. And I say this from in a funny way. It wasn't actually inappropriate. You'll get what I'm saying. First of all, could you imagine going on a Disney cruise line?

[Evan]

What happens? You're just.

[Dan Powers]

I'm pretty sure it's like you go on a cruise, but it's like, Disney theme.

[Evan]

The princesses are there.

[Dan Powers]

It's like you're. Yeah. Like you're basically. You're basically at Disneyland or World, but on a cruise. Was this the. Yes.

[Evan]

This is it. This is it. Can we play it?

[Dan Powers]

This commercial? No. Because it's three minutes long.

[Evan]

No, no, no. How long?

[Dan Powers]

It's a minute and a half. We are not sitting here for a minute and a half watching this commercial. Well, but you can play it while I'm ranting about this.

[Chris]

Go ahead.

[Dan Powers]

On this fucking commercial, we see a guy who is walking around this cruise with a baby in his hands because, like, the baby can't sleep. And then it cuts to, like, a couple years later, his kid wakes him up and is like, hey, dad, you ready for a nighttime walk? And he's like, yeah, let's do it. So the implication is, this family goes on a Disney cruise line every year. And this has become a tradition with this father and his son. And, like, then it cuts to. His kid's like a teenager, and he's like, hey, bud, you want to do the morning walk? And he's like, I think I'm just gonna hang in here. And he, like, closes a curtain, and his dad's all sad, and then he's, like, standing out at night by himself. And then his son walks up to him and he's like, hey, like, let's go for the walk. And then it cuts to. The dad's super old now, and he's, like, asleep in his bed. And his wife's like, you ready for bed? Or he's, like, sitting in his room. So I was like, you ready for bed? And he's like, yeah. And then there's a knock on the door. And his son, now with a child of his own, is like, hey, dad,

[Evan]

his baby can't sleep.

[Dan Powers]

We couldn't sleep. You want to go for a walk? And the little girl's like, grandpa. And they go for a walk together. And I'm like, this fucking family has three generations of people going on Disney cruises every year.

[Evan]

I think, Mum, families are like that.

[Dylan Larkin]

They might be.

[Evan]

They might be.

[Dan Powers]

But I was like, this is insane. Like, the emotional heartstrings they were trying to tug on While being like this. Go on a Disney cruise line every year.

[Chris]

Every year.

[Dan Powers]

Blew my mind.

[Chris]

I just love the idea of, like, they go to the dad. You want to go on that?

[Dan Powers]

Whoa.

[Chris]

Oh, sorry. We all got sick.

[Dan Powers]

Evan. I was like, this is crazy. It was like that Google commercial where it's like the search search, like you search on, like, how to build a crib. Like, they were really going for the family. And listen, I'm talking about it. So good job. Crazy tangent. Crazy, crazy tangent. My last thing as, as we. We all know, I'm. I'm a massive Michael B. Guy. So happy he won. I'm so glad Coogler won same.

[Evan]

His speech was awesome.

[Dan Powers]

It was so awesome. And I liked how he was nervous.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

I was like, dude, you're the man. Coog. Coogler. But Michael B. Jordan, I think, is maybe the coolest dude alive. All that to say. I did feel bad for Timmy. I felt bad for him because I think he wanted to win so bad. And the last, like, three weeks, things just started going so poorly after the Globes.

[Evan]

He's sure he is winning. Yeah. Nice. I won my Oscar this year. And then I'm like this. Psych. You will never.

[Chris]

Young. He's got plenty of time.

[Evan]

He's so young.

[Dan Powers]

He's also, like, the biggest movie star. He's one of the biggest movie stars on the planet. It's all good to be fine.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah. So I, I.

[Evan]

He'll be all right.

[Dan Powers]

Oh, he's gonna be great, Tim. You're gonna be fine. You're fine. All right. Should we do some bachelor party talk or just get into beer league hotline?

[Evan]

Well, I'll just say this. We had the Glue Guy loop Glue Guy's bachelor party this weekend in Palm Springs.

[Chris]

Oh, was it hot? Was it?

[Evan]

It was super hot.

[Chris]

Pool's great.

[Evan]

Exactly. We were just at the pool. So it was. It was perfect. You know, a million stories, 99%. I can't tell. But there was. I just thought it was. The house was insane. And there was this one barn on the property that in the barn just had, like, a pool table and a ping pong table and a shuffleboard table and then a massive projector tv.

[Chris]

Nice.

[Evan]

And the basketball conference championships were on. The conference tournaments. And frankly, I'll watch March Madness, but I'm not really watching the conference tournaments that often. And I certainly wouldn't have watched any of these if I hadn't been with locks and a bunch of guys that wanted to watch them. Yeah. Especially on a 98 degree day when the pool's outside. Yeah, but we were watching a lot of them.

[Dylan Larkin]

And

[Evan]

there are few things more electric than when an entire group of dudes is all on the same bet and a team comes back and wins.

[Dan Powers]

Like, I just love sports gambling so much.

[Evan]

Responsibly.

[Dan Powers]

Responsibly. Sports gambling.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

With BetMGM, it's we. There is a moment. You go. You can go to Gavin's page. Go to Dr. Locks, go to. Go to Gavin McHugh's page. It is fucking like, 11:30pm West coast time. And we are watching a Cal Baptist basketball game.

[Evan]

I didn't even know that was a school. No, I've never even heard of that school.

[Dan Powers]

And you've got. We're watching this game on TV. There's 50 people in the stands, maybe, total.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

And you're now somewhere in Palm Springs, California, there is a barn filled with 22 dudes all cheering so passionately for Cal Baptist. And that is what makes March great. Yeah, it's what makes sports gambling great. And it was just. It was insane, dude.

[Evan]

They were down probably, like, seven. Very late. And, you know, Luke and Gavin just kept being like, we have to fight. We have to fight. So, like, all weekend, but especially in this game, we're just yelling fight as loud as we can.

[Dan Powers]

You're like, fight.

[Evan]

Fight, Cal. And, dude, they start coming back and hitting threes, and you're like, oh, my God. Oh, my God.

[Chris]

It's happening, dude.

[Evan]

And then with, you know, 30, 10 seconds left, they hit a three. They're down one. They hit a three. I thought the barn was going to burn to the grass.

[Dan Powers]

It was unbelievable.

[Evan]

The place was shaking. It was shaking. And that winning a bet is really fun when it's a great game and you're on it yourself, but it just continues to parabolically ramp up. The more people are on, it's like, why craps is fun. Cause you're all winning together for the most part, you know, versus, like, blackjack. Blackjack. Table's fun, but, like, you won that hand and I lost.

[Chris]

So everybody was in on this.

[Evan]

Everyone's on count. Like, all 22 guys are on count. Cal Baptist. Yeah. And. And, like, heavily. So it's like, oh. So, yeah, the emotions are low, dude, when we're like, wow, we've lost. We've all lost.

[Dan Powers]

It was dark. Yeah, it was dark in that room.

[Evan]

And to just swing it back, dude. When you're all fighting together, like my kids.

[Chris]

College.

[Dan Powers]

Yes, dude. He kept going.

[Evan]

We paid for the house.

[Dan Powers]

It was great. But it was just great. I mean, listen, I'm, I'm not. I was gonna say I'm not gonna gatekeep, but I am gonna gatekeep because I can't. Yeah. Can't lose the availability. I'm gonna do my bachelor party at that house. I demand that KRI bachelor party at that house. I I Palm Springs is so fun.

[Evan]

It's so fun.

[Dan Powers]

And I, I am here to say that the best bachelor parties, best bachelorette parties, just get a big house and hang with your friends. Don't go to the bars, don't go to casinos. Don't go to clubs. No. Just chill together. It was phenomenal. He didn't shower once.

[Evan]

Me and lox.

[Dan Powers]

Wow.

[Evan]

Never seen a shower.

[Dan Powers]

Special. Special stuff. Great stuff.

[Evan]

Loop. Yeah. Congrats.

[Dan Powers]

Okay, Ev, take us into this beer league hotline. Let's see what we got today.

[Chris]

We just had our semifinal game. The team we played brought out a few guys who didn't dress a single game all year. They end up winning 6 to 3. After the game, we protested it and the league determined it was a forfeit win for us. When the league notified the other team, they protested against us as we had a guy who had only played four games. Five is the minimum. The league came back and DQ'd both of us from the playoffs. And the finals will be a rematch of the other semifinal game. Were we in the wrong for protesting in the first place?

[Dan Powers]

100%. Snitches get stitches. You reap what you sow. This is what you deserve. Oh, I. And this is a, this is a message to all beer leagues across the globe.

[Evan]

Okay?

[Dan Powers]

The whole minimum games played thing is fucking so dumb. It's a tragedy. If you pay, you play, you play. I don't care if you play zero games. I don't care if you play 20 games. But if you pay for the full season, you are on the roster. And this, it is the dumbest rule in the world. Completely agree. That if this team showed up and all of a sudden they had seven guys who have not paid, who have never been on the roster all season, that's a ringer. That is not cool. But if these guys are paying and they got life, they've got work, they've got relationships, they've got travel getting in the way and they're missing games. But then they show up, it doesn't fucking matter.

[Evan]

Minimum game is so stupid.

[Dan Powers]

It's the dumbest rule in beer league.

[Evan]

I hear their concerned because when you go four games, I go get fucked. Dude, if you made up five. I played four. Like I'm allowed to play. So dumb. I will argue that if you are rostered, every league has a different. What they call the levels. Gold, A, whatever. If you are rostered and pay in A, I think you should be allowed to play in B, but not C.

[Dan Powers]

Like, even if you play completely with that.

[Evan]

So it's. It's a two level jump is not allowed. Yeah, but if you are an A player and you have played zero games on your B team, but you've paid, you are allowed to play. Yeah, because who gives a flying fuck now? The only tricky one is if you're in the A team already and someone enters who's like, in the NHL and you're like, there's no. It's hard to judge that. I don't know. I don't think this is happening on this one where like these ringer. I don't know what level this guy's in or what. What the ringers were.

[Dan Powers]

Sure.

[Evan]

You know, I'm like, okay, maybe if they literally brought down like three AHL guys.

[Dan Powers]

But again, if they were rostered from the jump, doesn't matter. That's someone else's fault for rostering. You let them be on the roster.

[Evan]

And I'm kind of like, the A league is the A league, dude. Any fucking Wayne Gretzky can come play 100%.

[Dan Powers]

There's only beer league goes. Only go so high. We can't eliminate great players. If someone retires from the NHL and they go, I want to still play some games and they join a beer league and they join the highest level beer league. That is their right.

[Evan]

What do you want them to do?

[Dan Powers]

Quit bitching.

[Evan]

I will also add, and this doesn't help your loss here, but I'll also add if you. If it brings a team or certain people joy to like bring four ringers to a beer league C level game and win, I'm like, congratulations, you win and I hope you have a good life. I don't give a fuck. So shame on them if that's what happened here. So, yes, we are eliminating, protesting for any quote unquote ringers. Because ringers aren't a thing unless you are jumping multiple levels. If you are on the fucking team, come play and everybody shut up. But largely, let's eliminate minimum games.

[Dan Powers]

No question about. Listen, if you pay, you play. If you are on the roster from day one, you can play zero games and still play in the playoff. It doesn't fucking matter. Done. We're done here.

[Evan]

We're done Here. Do you like that the semifinal is the other team?

[Dan Powers]

Yes, absolutely.

[Evan]

What if the team that lost the semis wins the next game? They just win the ship. Even though it's 1 1. I almost think you got to go two more. Well, no, it's like one team won that semifinal game. And when we're going to the final and the other team went, we're out. And then the league commish went. They've actually both been eliminated. You're back in and playing each other.

[Dan Powers]

No, final game is the final game.

[Dylan Larkin]

Fuck.

[Dan Powers]

Final game is the final game. It is what it is.

[Evan]

Yeah. Fair enough.

[Chris]

That sucks. Now they got to play again.

[Evan]

Yeah, I just beat them.

[Dan Powers]

It's hard to beat a team twice.

[Evan]

Yeah, I know. That's why it's a tough bid.

[Dan Powers]

I mean, listen, you had to play another game anyway, so it doesn't matter who it is.

[Evan]

Get it done.

[Dan Powers]

You're in. You're in. All right, let's wrap things up ev, with a nice Bauer blind ranking. Bauer's the greatest company in the entire world. Get your Bauer gear. Get your pulse. Get it all. It's the best. Today we're doing the biggest shock playoff misses. If they miss. So blind ranking teams coming into this season, how shocking it would be based on the start of the season, if they miss.

[Evan]

And one will be the. I'm the most shocked. Correct.

[Dan Powers]

One is the most shocked. Yep.

[Chris]

Okay. New Jersey Devils.

[Dan Powers]

God.

[Evan]

This one. This one's high for me. I know. I'm a Dick Rider of the Devils, though.

[Dan Powers]

Me, too. Too, too. Yeah.

[Chris]

That was easy. You wanna. You want to elaborate?

[Evan]

I think.

[Dan Powers]

I think if the devil.

[Evan]

Think who you have is one. I think. I know, though.

[Dan Powers]

If the Devils miss playoffs. Insane.

[Evan]

Insane, dude.

[Dan Powers]

Especially going in like, they should have been a top team in the Met. Literally.

[Evan]

I thought they were gonna be the 12 seed. Okay, let's go two.

[Chris]

Let's go to Toronto Maple Leafs.

[Evan]

This is still high. Even though we entertained the possibility. This is still.

[Dan Powers]

It is high. But again, we entertained it. So I think it's a three, right? Yeah.

[Evan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dan Powers]

You lose, Marner. We said. We said at the beginning, I was like, they got worse. Regardless of how high they were in the seating last year, I was always heavy on. I was like, this seems not that good.

[Evan]

Okay. Yeah, I'm fine with three. I thought you were gonna go lower. I'm fine with.

[Dan Powers]

I'm okay with.

[Evan]

This is a surprise.

[Dan Powers]

Yeah, three.

[Chris]

Your Los Angeles Kings.

[Evan]

Because I don't think I can go one.

[Dan Powers]

No, no. It's a four.

[Evan]

Which means it has to be four.

[Dan Powers]

It's a four.

[Evan]

But this is also so bad. Bad.

[Dan Powers]

Oh, Everyone that has been named is shocked.

[Evan]

So bad.

[Dan Powers]

It is so bad. But I also think Edmonton and Vegas being above them makes sense to me. So that already puts them at third in the Pacific. But then it's like, do you have any injuries? You know, which they do. So I'm happy with four here. Again. All of these are shocking.

[Evan]

Shocking.

[Dan Powers]

Yep. And the bigger thing is the beginning of the year. Did I think New Jersey and Toronto would be better than this team? Yes. Probably.

[Evan]

Definitely Jersey.

[Dan Powers]

Okay.

[Evan]

Yeah. Four. Four.

[Chris]

New York Rangers.

[Dan Powers]

Five. Five.

[Evan]

Because there's. There's. I need to save room. And they. I can't remember where we had them, but we had them. Very French.

[Dan Powers]

Very French.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

I don't think this is.

[Evan]

I didn't think they were going to be.

[Dan Powers]

I don't think this is last. Hold on. Look at me. I don't think this is.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

Shocking. I think it's more. I'm like, ooh, damn.

[Evan]

I'm more shocked how bad they are than them missing. I kind of thought they might miss, but I'm like, oh, wow, you're awful.

[Dan Powers]

Agree.

[Evan]

Okay. 5. So this is the most. This team is the most shocked that we are. We are the most shocked that they miss playoffs.

[Dan Powers]

Do it to me.

[Chris]

Your Washington Capitals.

[Evan]

Not the right answer, but not horrible because that is surprising, too.

[Dan Powers]

Listen, they were the.

[Evan]

They were the fucking president or the second. Yeah.

[Dan Powers]

Second top team in the league. League. And they got better.

[Evan]

Yep. Yeah.

[Dylan Larkin]

Dude.

[Evan]

Like, what?

[Dan Powers]

So this is maybe isn't that bad.

[Evan]

This actually is a pretty good.

[Dan Powers]

I don't think it's bad at all. I think it's a pretty good answer. Kind of a great list. Pretty good answer. Yeah.

[Evan]

I bet. I bet I had them behind the Devils, but they. They were definitely in the mix. I bet I had Kane's Devil's caps.

[Dan Powers]

I think that that's a very good list.

[Evan]

I think I had Kane's Devil's caps. This is actually a tremendous list. What a turnaround.

[Dan Powers]

Good shit. All right. Who was.

[Evan]

Who was your one? Panthers.

[Dan Powers]

No, because of Barkov and Tkachuk, I think it's got to be the Jets.

[Evan]

The jets is a crazy.

[Dan Powers]

The Winnipeg Jets. Missing playoffs is President's trophy. What?

[Evan]

What are you doing?

[Dan Powers]

Crazy, crazy stuff. All right. Fantastic stuff. Fantastic episode. Hope you enjoyed that interview with Dylan Larkin. All the fun stuff. We've got more coming for you this week. We've got some new series coming this week. And also don't forget next week at the top of the week, we're starting to review the Bachelorette. So get dialed in on that. Go leave us five stars on Spotify, Apple if you can please. We love you so much. Subscribe to the YouTube, send it to your friends. Follow us on all the socials. We love you all. Let's have an amazing week and as we do it, make sure to do the most important thing.

[Evan]

Skate hard.

[Dan Powers]

Monster Energy Everybody knows White Monster Zero Ultra.

[Dylan Larkin]

That's the og. It kicked off this whole zero sugar

[Dan Powers]

energy drink thing, but Ultra is a whole lineup now. You've got Strawberry Dreams, Blue Hawaiian Sunrise and Vice Guava. And they all bring the Monster Energy punch. So if you've been living in the White can branch out.

[Dylan Larkin]

Ultra's got a flavor for every vibe and every single one is Zero Sugar.

[Dan Powers]

Tap the banner to learn more.

[Evan]

New Year, New Me. Cute, but how about New Year, New Money? With Experian, you can actually take control of your finances. Check your FICO score, find ways to save and get matched with credit card offers, giving you time to power through those New Year's goals. You know you're going to crush Start the year off right. Download the Experian App based on FICO Score 8 model offers an approval not guaranteed. Eligibility requirements and terms apply subject to credit check, which may impact your credit scores. Offers not available in all states. See experian.com for details.

[Chris]

Experian.