NHL Fans In Shambles As Vegas Goes Back To The Cup

Summary

Empty Netters Podcast – "NHL Fans In Shambles As Vegas Goes Back To The Cup"

Date: May 27, 2026
Hosts: Dan and Chris (Almost Friday Media)

Overview

This episode of Empty Netters delivers a high-energy analysis of the Vegas Golden Knights' return to the Stanley Cup Final, a stunning Colorado Avalanche collapse, and the cultural ripple effects of Vegas' success. Brothers Dan and Chris bring their trademark blend of hockey insight and locker-room banter to the chaos of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, dissecting the fan reactions, organizational philosophies, and next steps for some of the NHL's elite. The second half explores playoff mentalities, star performances, and cross-sport parallels—culminating in predictions for the ongoing Carolina–Montreal series and some tongue-in-cheek cultural critiques.

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Main Themes

• Vegas Golden Knights’ Model of Success: Aggressiveness, talent acquisition, and league-wide implications.
• Colorado Avalanche’s Devastating Exit: Goaltending decisions, playoff expectations, culture questions, and leadership.
• Playoff Culture & Player Mentality: Necessity for adaptability, fun, and embracing pressure.
• Comparisons Across Sports: Teams like the Knicks and cultural approaches from other leagues.
• Upcoming Series: What to expect in the Canes–Habs matchup and the wider playoff picture.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Quick Shout: Emmy Win for Crew Member

[00:34]

• Zach (behind the camera/production) and his documentary crew were congratulated for a Sports Emmy win.
• "We got an Emmy winner. … That is special stuff. The other special thing is that Vegas is going back to the Cup." (Dan, [02:00])

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2. Vegas Golden Knights Return to Cup Final

[02:14] – [05:37]

• The hosts marvel at Vegas’ persistent playoff dominance, calling out accusations of “making a deal with the devil.”
• Vegas' success attributed to bold moves, elite acquisitions (e.g., Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Mark Stone), and a win-now mentality.
• Quote: "They are a stacked wagon of a fucking team that has been well constructed and well crafted. … If you want to compete, you gotta be a fucking animal." (Dan, [03:26])
• Hosts note: Vegas sets an example for other teams—being cutthroat and holding themselves to a higher standard is ultimately good for the league.

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3. The Vegas Model: Is It Good for the NHL?

[05:37] – [07:10]

• Vegas forces teams to abandon traditional loyalty in favor of “savage moves.”
• Chris admits his shift from valuing lifelong team loyalty to appreciating aggressive team-building: "I want teams to be cutthroat." (Chris, [05:37])

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4. Fan Allegiance Tangled Webs

[07:37] – [09:36]

• Live chat features fans with complicated loyalties, illustrating the modern NHL fan's identity splits.
• Notably, one fan (Jameson7299) explains being a Vegas-born, longtime Leafs fan and current Utah Mammoth supporter who roots against Vegas.

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5. Avalanche Collapse: Goalie Decisions and Deeper Issues

[10:27] – [17:56]

• Hosts dissect Colorado’s controversial decision to start Blackwood in an elimination game, seeing it as emblematic of broader organizational uncertainty.
• Quote: "I thought it was disrespectful to Wedgie. … not any disrespect to Blackwood because Blackwood's an amazing goaltender as well." (Dan, [11:56])
• "This year they are the best team. And I'm like, oh man, this one sucks." (Chris, [17:56])
• Goalie carousel seen as the core reason for the Avalanche’s downfall.

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6. Tier System, Expectations, and Playoff Reality

[17:56] – [20:33]

• Reflections on how difficult it is to win a Cup, even for stacked teams.
• Discussion on preseason predictions, "B-tier" debates, and Colorado’s repeated underachievement despite regular-season dominance.

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7. Culture and Mentality in Colorado

[20:33] – [43:54]

• Ongoing discussion about whether the Avalanche’s “Cup or Bust” mentality became a burden.
• Comparison to the NFL’s Buffalo Bills—perpetually on the cusp but unable to finish.
• Debate about whether Avalanche coach Jared Bednar should be replaced; consensus is that he should not unless he’s lost the room:
  "He's a good coach. Unless you have your exit interviews ... But I do not suspect that has happened." (Dan, [26:29])
• Discussion of player mentality: Nate MacKinnon’s visible frustration, team chemistry, and the need for a culture shift focusing on having more fun and creating a looser atmosphere.

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8. Jack Eichel’s Ascension & 2015 Draft Discourse

[44:07] – [47:25]

• The hockey world is catching up to what Empty Netters have touted: Eichel as arguably the best 200-foot player in the league.
• Eichel’s defensive play against MacKinnon in crunch time highlighted as a playoff-defining moment:
  "You could see a smile on his face … you think you're gonna spin cycle me? Yeah, I spin cycle you." (Dan, [47:16])
• The Eichel v. MacDavid "would you redraft?" debate, partly tongue-in-cheek, is reignited.

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9. Locker Room & Playoff X-Factors

[49:14] – [50:42]

• Hosts suggest the Avs need to play more games, have more fun, and shift from a hyper-serious culture to loosen up in order to regain their edge:
  "You got to get on the piss. … You got to start drinking more. You've got to start having fun." (Dan, [50:10])

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10. Vegas’s Suppressive Style: Not an Opponent’s Fault

[41:05] – [42:21]

• The Knights are credited with breaking their opponents mentally—the lack of shots from the Avs is chalked up to Vegas' ability to grind teams down.

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11. Player Narratives & Conference Final “Ghosts”

[32:36], [34:40]

• Playoff underachievers like Marty Necas and Brock Nelson are highlighted; the “Caniac Ghost” theory emerges, blaming imported players’ playoff luck.
• "We brought all the ghosts into Colorado ... the hex." (Chris, [33:11])

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12. Cross-Sport Parallels and Cultural Takes

[54:42] – [57:18]

• Drawing comparisons between the Vegas Golden Knights and the New York Knicks in terms of unexpected playoff dominance and vibes.
• Extended riff about the Knicks’ club celebration despite a loss and the psychological importance of manifestation and positive thinking for players.

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13. Prediction & Breakdown: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Montreal Canadiens

[72:19] – [89:33]

• The upcoming game is positioned as a pressure moment for both Montreal (finally facing adversity) and Carolina (opportunity to impose dominance).
• Discussion centers on mental toughness, the need for Montreal to capitalize at home, and Carolina’s grinding, unflappable style.
• Marty St. Louis’ quote: “We’re trailing but we’re not dead. We will continue.” (Chris, [72:45])
• The hosts and chat lean toward a Montreal win to even the series.

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14. Audience/Chat Engagement: Notable Moments

• Stream Comments: Fans debate goalie decisions, playoff curses, bid farewells to Blackwood, and jump in with stats (e.g., Vegas’ streak over Colorado, historic dominance stats for playoff teams).
• Memorable Chat Writing:
  • "It's not an Avs bug; it's a Vegas feature." (Dan, [40:46])
  • Cross-sport analogies: “Too Australian for American football analogies.”
  • The “curse transfer” of playoff misfortune via trade.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Vegas’ Aggression as Blueprint:
  "If you want to compete, you gotta be a fucking animal. … I think it's cool that they are relentless in their pursuit for the Stanley Cup." (Dan, [03:26])
• On Fanbase Frustration:
  "If I were a die hard AVS fan, I would be just flabbergast. … My gas would be flabber." (Dan, [22:05])
• On Blackwood’s Comment:
  “‘Losing fucking sucks no matter how you do it. But losing like that, it stings a little bit more.’ I don’t think that’s yikes.” (Chris, [22:56])
• Necas/Drury’s Playoff “Ghost”:
  "They just brought the cane's ghost with him and now they're—We didn't even know. We were busting the wrong place, Dan." (CC Ant Andy via chat, [33:11])
• On Culture Shift Needed in Colorado:
  "I think the abs need a little bit of a mentality and a fun culture shift, otherwise, they're cooked." (Dan, [50:34])
• Jack Eichel on MacKinnon:
  "You think you’re gonna spin cycle me? Yeah, I spin cycle you. … Now you’re on fucking tumble dry, dude." (Dan, [47:16])
• Marty St. Louis’s Philosophy:
  “We’re trailing but we’re not dead. We will continue.” (Chris quoting, [72:45])
• On Canes’ Style:
  “The Canes are just going like this: dude, you can’t beat us.” (Chris, [77:20])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:14] – Vegas back to the Cup, “deal with the devil” narratives
• [03:26] – Roster breakdown and why Vegas is good for the league
• [10:27] – Colorado goalie carousel and series failure
• [20:33] – Avalanche: From regular season kings to playoff heartbreak
• [26:29] – Bednar’s job safety and coaching market context
• [34:40] – “Canes ghost” theory and playoff curses
• [43:54] – Nate MacKinnon’s mental state and Avs’ need for a culture reset
• [44:07] – Jack Eichel’s late-game defensive clinic on MacKinnon
• [50:10] – Plea for more fun culture in the Avs’ locker room
• [72:45] – Marty St. Louis’ “We will continue” quote; previewing Habs-Canes Game 4
• [80:13] – Canes’ opportunity to seize narrative, become ‘dogs’ versus Vegas
• [89:33] – Final breakdown and predictions for the night’s games

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Additional Notes

• Podcast’s Tone: Loose, irreverent, full of live chat responses and inside jokes, yet packed with technical insight and astute big-picture analysis.
• Skipping the Ads/Intros: All summary and notable moments are taken from content, not sponsor reads or sign-off.

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Recommended If You Missed It

• If you want to understand how Vegas built a perennial contender and why it’s changing the NHL's competitive philosophy.
• For insight into why Colorado keeps falling short, both on the ice and in the dressing room.
• As a cultural snapshot of how modern hockey fans interact, gripe, and meme their teams’ fortunes.
• For hilarious analogies, playful banter, and an engaging preview of what's next in the NHL playoffs.

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Conclusion

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the modern evolution of NHL team-building, high-stakes playoff psychology, and the fan experience around epic heartbreaks and triumphs. The brothers offer a compelling blend of expertise, comic relief, and critical thinking, painting a vivid picture of hockey’s shifting landscape—a league where boldness, opportunity, and a touch of mayhem reign supreme.

Transcript

[Dan]

Ice is ready. And we're back with another episode of the Empty Netters podcast live edition, brought to you by BetMGM. Everybody, real quick. Zach, Chris. No crashes. No crashes. No crashes.

[Chris]

No crashes.

[Dan]

This is an. A fantastic and an exciting episode we got here today, folks. We're getting into the craziness that is the end of the Colorado Avalanche season. But before we get into anything,

[Chris]

dude,

[Dan]

Zach, flip that camera. We got an Emmy winner. Yes. Boom.

[Chris]

Here's the thing. Zach's team. And what are their names? Dude, who am I shouting out? Chris, Duan, Max, Brooke, Rich Brooke, and two ways Media and Zach, they did a Lee Corso documentary called not so Fast, My Friend.

[Dan]

And.

[Chris]

And they won a sports Emmy last night. And Zach gets a trophy. And he. Because he was a part of an incredible crew and an incredible doc. So sick. Loop. Glue Guy at the office has two Emmys Loop. But Zach is coming for his ass, and he has one now. And Zach, I. This. I was going to say, I think you know this, but we were supposed to be the red carpet correspondence at the sports Emmys this year, and we were going to fly to New York on. On Memorial Day. Get.

[Dan]

And then we went like, this day. You can't afford us.

[Chris]

Well, honestly, we were just. We were crazy busy with playoffs, all this stuff. But, dude, I am now furious because I didn't even know you were nominated. And if that had been the case, I would have insisted we go because then it would have been gas.

[Dan]

It would have been so funny if we were there. And then I look at it and I just. I see Zach Grant and I go, what?

[Chris]

And then he turns the corner. Yeah, he turns the corner. He's like, yo.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

I'm like, dude, what are you doing here?

[Dan]

That would have been insane. Well, dude, congratulations. That's special stuff. That's. That is stuff. The other special thing is that Vegas is going back to the Cup.

[Chris]

Wow. What a comment here. Yes, Dan, it's absolutely incredible. Keep talking. Somebody said earlier, if I can find it, that they were like, that Vegas has made a deal with the devil or something. Yeah. Here you go, Jaden. Vegas has made a deal with the devil. There's no. There's no other way this is possible.

[Dan]

And keep talking because I have so much to say about that.

[Chris]

And it does feel. I mean, you. You're the one who said they were tricking everybody. This is incredible, which I partially agree with, which would imply they didn't make a deal with the devil. They were just good. But it is crazy that this felt A little. I'm trying to think of another good sports comp, but this felt a little. Sometimes teams like the Golden State warriors or the Chiefs of the last couple years feel like they're so. If they just get in, they're so dangerous, you know, you're like, oh, my God. Like, I don't give a shit what happens in the regular season. Neither do they. They just need to be. Get in the playoffs and they'll kill you. That's what it looked like Vegas just did. Even though I don't think they're on that level. But it appeared they just went like this, oh, we don't care about the regular season now. We're coming for you.

[Dan]

Okay? I am so sick and tired, so sick and tired of the anti Vegas narrative and the Deal with the Devil narrative. I'm not talking about that comment like it's a funny comment, but what Vegas. First of all, you know why Vegas is in the Stanley Cup Final? Because of Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner and Mark Stone and Shea Theodore and Noah Hannifan and Rasmus Sanderson. Superstars and Pavel Skorofiev and Ivan Barbashev and Wild Bill Carlson. Like, need I go on? They are a stacked wagon of a fucking team that has been well constructed and well crafted and like you say all the time, CP When Mitch Marner became available, they went out and got him. Everyone was talking about, where's Marner going to go? And then at the 11th hour, everyone was like, vegas, it's going to be Vegas. And people were like, no, it can't happen. And then it sure did happen. Vegas signed him. They made it work. This team is so fucking good for the NHL because as I keep saying, they're going to force other teams to go take off your fucking little good boy hat and start being a dog and make savage moves and trades and get so good that you go to the cup every year. I mean, this is like, this is. We. We've done this now. This is their eighth year, ninth year. What is it? And it's like, this is their third Stanley cup final. They go to the cup final every three. One, One out of three times. Dude, that is fucking awesome. That is good for the league because I genuinely. If you want to compete, you got to be a fucking animal. And I think that that is fun. I. I understand it from a rivalry standpoint. If you're a fan of a Pacific team and you're like, fuck this team for just showing up and being so good, if it's a respect Hate. Hell yeah. But if you have this mentality that's like, they're bad for the league. This is. This is bad stuff. I can't believe that this is electric, dude. It is.

[Chris]

It is. Well, we don't need to get into this debate again because everyone listed a couple episodes ago why they don't like Vegas. But, yes, I'm with you, dude. And mostly because of what you said a few eps ago about what other teams might start doing now that Vegas. If Vegas really gets cooking, like, or they're already cooking, but if Vegas wins, certainly. Because, dude, I want, I want teams to be cutthroat. Yeah, I think, you know, I'm not sure because I used to be the most like, oh, everybody. No superstar should ever leave their team, guy. Because I was like, it's good for the fans. It's good for loyalty. You know, you don't want it to be such a business. But if Vegas goes, hey, every other team. Hold yourself to a higher standard.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

You should be in the cup every year. Then every team will want to get better and the league will get better.

[Dan]

I. That's what I'm saying, man. And I remain a. A player's guy, as I imagine. So do you. Like, I, I am pro full no moves in contracts because it's so important for players. I am pro players going and getting their fucking bag. Go take care of yourself and your family. No doubt about it. But this is like, it's the, it's the Belichick shit that we've talked about. It's what I was saying with, with Buffalo, I was like, you got an opportunity here, and I know you got all your guys, and all the fans are like, oh, we love this guy. We drafted him. Blah, blah, blah, blah. There's. There's times where it's like, well, dude, you know what you want. You know what you actually want. You know what you actually love winning Cups.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

Going to the Cup. So I'm kind of like, I, I, we got to change the narrative here. It's like, it's. I don't get it. I don't think it's cool to hate this. I think it's. I think it's cool that they are relentless in their pursuit for the Stanley Cup.

[Chris]

Yeah, dude. Some great comments in here. I'm trying to track them while we go. Aloha State just says us Vegas fans had to suffer two years of being couples. Very dark times.

[Dan]

Brutal.

[Chris]

If anyone deserves a couple, very. Watching Florida run, run roughshod all over. You did.

[Dan]

God, it Must have been horrible.

[Chris]

Okay, this one. Dude, this comment. Dan, make sense of this for me. Okay, this is. This is Jameson 7299. As a longtime Leafs fan, I am genuinely happy for Mitchie Doc Marner.

[Dan]

Hell yeah.

[Chris]

As a Mammoth fan and Vegas native, I hate this. Go Haves, go.

[Dan]

That is one of the craziest stream of thought. Okay, hold on, let me break that down.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

As a Leafs fan, longtime Leaf. As a long longtime Leafs fan, happy for Mitch Marner.

[Chris]

Yes. Which I respect. So after the first sentence, I really respect this.

[Dan]

But as a Utah Mammoth fan and Vegas native.

[Chris]

Yes.

[Dan]

Fuck Vegas. Go Habs, go. So this. This person. Okay, this person is a Vegas native who is a longtime Leafs fan, but current.

[Chris]

But maybe now current Utah man.

[Dan]

Current Utah Mammoth fan who hates the Vegas Golden Knights and is rooting for the Montreal Canadiens, who are down to one in the series.

[Chris]

And like, I could not fathom how you could root for the Habs if you are a Leafs fan. Unless you hated Marner, but he seems like he likes the document.

[Dan]

I. That man has a very complicated life.

[Chris]

I got to see Jameson. You got to chime back in here.

[Dan]

Jameson, like, what I need to know as a Vegas native, why do you hate Vegas? And what made you root for the Utah Mammoth now instead of. Instead of the Leafs? Like, were you a longtime Leafs fan and now you like the Mammoth?

[Chris]

That's what I think. But I don't know. But I don't know.

[Dan]

Complicated stuff.

[Chris]

Complicated stuff. Okay, here's another one that came up earlier. Well, actually, let's not get to that yet. Oh, somebody.

[Dan]

By the way, do you like my Elvis glasses?

[Chris]

Yes, dude. I almost. I tried to get an Elvis costume. I wanted to go, you ain't nothing. But I wanted to do. I wanted to do the. He gets the dance going pretty good.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

But I couldn't get an Elvis costume in time.

[Dan]

Shout out Caleb. Shout out producer Caleb.

[Chris]

Okay, he gave. That actually makes perfect.

[Dan]

Caleb actually gave these to me in a bar and at the end of the night I was like, take them back. And he was like, they look too good on you. Keep them. And then about a month ago, we were in another bar and he put rose colored glasses on me and I. I gave him back to him and he's like, no, you got to. And I was like, stop it. Yeah, you can't keep giving me these ridiculous shaded, framed glasses every time we're at a bar together. The.

[Chris]

I want to talk a little bit. Actually, let's start here, dude. Because this was My first thing I think, and I guess this is the root of why the Aves lost. And you get to grave dance a little bit on this one, Dan, if you want it. I'm giving you the opportunity. I could not believe the black would start and I know I feel like I'm in the massive minority here. And obviously they just lost three straight, you know, and Wedgwood gave up four goals in that game. It's not like he was lights out. But I just cannot believe the Blackwood star in this moment when your season's on the line, you're like, we're just gonna go with Blackwood, who gave me one good relief appearance and then got shelled the other time, right? I think so. Where are you? And again, the reason I brought it up is because I was like, I think it goes. I think it goes. The root cause is the AVS goalie questions is why they are not in the playoffs anymore. That reared its head, which you said. But were you like, oh, good job. I'm glad that. I'm glad Blackwood's in depth. And any ass fans in the chat. Oh, and. And someone R. Lee just said he was fantastic, which he was. I'm not. This is not a critique at all. On Blackwood's game.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Last night I'm literally just shocked they went to Blackwood in the first place.

[Dan]

And I have one.

[Chris]

I was shocked too from Go Canada, go. So I'm curious, any ass fans in the chat? Were you like, oh, great. This. This instills so much confidence in me that we're going to our backup.

[Dan]

I thought it was crazy. I thought it was disrespectful to Wedgie. And that's not any disrespect to Blackwood because Blackwood's an amazing goaltender as well.

[Chris]

Yep.

[Dan]

The only thing I have to say on this CP is.

[Chris]

Wait, hold on.

[Dan]

Is Jameson explaining him?

[Chris]

That's actually an incredible comment. I'm a dual Canadian citizen, born in Vegas, but not a Vegas fan. Lifelong hockey fan. I love hockey. Yes. Lifelong Leafs, Canucks and Habs fan. Mammoth convert. Also not a dude.

[Dan]

That also not a dude is so funny.

[Chris]

He think.

[Dan]

And so Jameson, it sounds like you are a. And everybody. I just want everyone to have fun type type of gal.

[Chris]

Canadian though, type of gal.

[Dan]

And let me tell you what, I love that. Yep, I love that.

[Chris]

Go go Habs. Go go. Bring the cup back to Canada.

[Dan]

That is the most Canadian I've ever heard. The fact that you are Canadian and you have three separate teams in Canada that you really love. That's just Canadian pride right there.

[Chris]

Yeah, you're just.

[Dan]

You. You want a Canadian team to win. But it does make me wonder what did the Flames jets and sends do to you that they don't true.

[Chris]

That they don't get Oilers and Oilers.

[Dan]

That they don't get your support.

[Chris]

Jameson, were you all in on the Oilers the last two years? No.

[Dan]

No. We can't even get into this. We gotta. We gotta call Jameson. We'll offline also. Not a dude is so funny. So the one thing I'll say about that the goalie situation is. And this is going to lead into probably the largest topic I have for the apps.

[Chris]

The.

[Dan]

The cockiness in some of the fandom this year has to answer some questions. I tweeted out last night, I don't know if you saw cp. I said I. We're going to be nice to have fans tonight. We'll wait for the live tomorrow to have some hard conversations and that's what we're going to do. We're going to have hard conversations today. We're not going to grave dance. We're not going to be mean. We're just going to have some hard conversations. And if you guys, if you boys remember, a big thing from round one that I brought up with every Avalanche series was what type of goaltending are we going to see from Scott Wedgwood?

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

Is it. Was there a chance that the tandem carried them through this year and this really stacked deep roster led by Nate McKinnon and Cal McCarr and. And Marty Natures who exploded this year is. Is regular season hockey. And of course they. They've got a great pk. They've got a great defense. Standing in front of these two goalies, is that just doing well in regular season hockey? And when we get to playoffs and they face a really good team, they're going to struggle. That was the question. We had that first insane game against Minnesota where Wedgie gave up six, five or six. Then we had the Minnesota win. Yeah, he got. He got cheesed. Yep. But you won in five. So it was like, okay, now here we go. Vegas didn't run run up the score a lot, but at the end of the day you got swept.

[Chris]

Yeah, dude.

[Dan]

And you were the worst team. I think Vegas outplayed the out of you in this series. And I'm sorry. Reject. See this.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

Rejection. I reject any injury conversations.

[Chris]

You said that yesterday or whatever that was.

[Dan]

I reject them because as we said in games one and two, stone out, Kale out And Kale came back. Yeah, Stone came back. You want to talk about Nate taking a shot off the inner thigh in the end of game three, be my guest. But reject. Yeah, reject button.

[Chris]

So there's some great comments. I mean the guys, the chat is absolutely buzzing today. Absolutely buzzing on a Wednesday. Vin, you just said. Did you hear the post game comments from Blackwood? Yikes, I didn't hear them. So please either send us a link to a tweet or just type it in and tell us. Then R. Lee was talking about it's one of the most fun regular seasons ever, but they acted mentally weak. And then Zach says goaltend let in some soft goals I the ABs. This is what's interesting to me about this ABs team. I think this is one of the best teams, especially post, I have ever seen. I'm. And not that I'm not saying that to give any solace to as fans, it actually just hurts more. But I was sitting there watching this game tick down in shock, looking at the roster going, how in the flying fuck is this ABS team losing any games, let alone this series, let alone getting swept, let alone not the cup. I'm literally was just like, what is going on? And. And I think we in fact some people, but definitely us, have been a little harsh on the AV's success in the last five years. Because we have said many times, and I'm completely with you, how do they only have one cup? But the answer to that is it's just really hard, right? I think the answer to that is it's really hard to win a Cup. I'm probably being a little too harsh on them that they should have more. We just said in a BET MGM video that the Florida Panthers last year are probably the best cup winning team in the last 20 years. So I'm like, even if the Aves made the cup last year, they, they would. We would have picked them to lose to Florida. You know, like, yes, it's hard to win. And they've been one of the best teams in the last five years, but not necessarily the best this year though. This year they are the best team. And I'm like, oh man, this one sucks.

[Dan]

So if, if there are people who remember we did a little tier, a tiering of teams at the end of last year. Yeah, it was not our preseason preview or anything like that. It was like the end of last year we tiered all the teams in the NHL. Florida was in the S tier, I believe alone in the S tier. Maybe we put Edmonton up there, but

[Chris]

No, I think maybe just Florida.

[Dan]

I think it was just Florida. And then there was a serious debate of, is Colorado A tier or are they B tier? And Avalanche fans? We, like, really were being like, I want to put them B tier and Avalanche fans. Some Avalanche fans lost their minds at us. And it was like. It was a really funny. All year long, people would. People would bring it up to us online in, you know, a good. You know, good, spirited, funny, like, remember this? Blah, blah, blah. And that was funny. And I was like, yep, we deserve it. Because what was funny is we then did our season preview, and you and I both, in the season preview, in the division previews that come out at the beginning of the year, we picked the AVs to. We both picked them to win the division. And in that episode, we were like, and I think they're going to the Cup.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

So that all happens. People bring up the B tier thing, and what we kept saying was, dude, yes, how does this team not have more cups? But it is hard to win a Cup. But the B tier comment was because of where they lost over the last few years. Yeah. First round losses.

[Chris]

Awful.

[Dan]

And it's like, they're consistently winning the division and they're losing in the first round. And we were like, you can't be this good and keep losing in the first round. And now you, like, listen, you're in the Western Conference final. That's fucking awesome. Yep. That is so fun. It's such a fun run for the fans. It's a fun run for the player. Obviously, they want to go to the Cup. They want to win a Cup, but, like, that's a good season. But to be this good, to beat Minnesota.

[Chris]

Yes.

[Dan]

Who we were. So we were all like, the world. The hockey world was so high on in five, and then to get swept in this round, it just like, it's. This is another. Like, I don't think that you look at this season and we'll talk about the President's trophy curse later, but I

[Chris]

don't think you look at this season

[Dan]

and you go, obviously it sucks that we didn't win, but great fucking fight, boys.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

I think you were like, this is so embarrassing.

[Chris]

Yes.

[Dan]

And that blows.

[Chris]

Yep.

[Dan]

This is just another, like, what. What is it gonna take for this group?

[Chris]

Dude, didn't you say almost exactly this about Minnesota, where you went, man, this should have been. If I told Minnesota second round and you beat Dallas and you lost to the Aves.

[Dan]

Yep.

[Chris]

On paper, you go, hell of a year, boys. Yep. Losing blows, but hell of A year.

[Dan]

Yep.

[Chris]

But then when you got dummied, it all of a sudden turned it sour a little bit.

[Dan]

Yes.

[Chris]

That's just what happened here.

[Dan]

No doubt about it.

[Chris]

And the abs are harsh because they might have been like, dude, it was cup or bust. And I bet abs fans in the chat would say that. But if you zoom out a little bit, you're like, I don't know. Western Conference finals. We lost in seven. It is what it is.

[Dan]

Absolutely not. Absolutely not. This is. This was the most cup or bust year. Especially when Florida is dead.

[Chris]

I know, dude.

[Dan]

Tampa is dead. And Edmonton loses in the first round.

[Chris]

Yeah, like, dude, this. That are you.

[Dan]

And even Dallas.

[Chris]

Like, who beat you? You know, even. Yes. Like, I didn't want ranting and I didn't want that.

[Dan]

And like, it's like, this was the most cup bust year for the Colorado I have ever seen.

[Chris]

Yep. It's the Bills.

[Dan]

I know they can't hear me because it's Mike, but it's the Bills is the mic, bro. Well, but I can hear you on Twitter.

[Chris]

What?

[Dan]

The

[Chris]

bills.

[Dan]

It's 100% the bills. Y. Yeah, Zach's saying it's the Bills. And he's right. Like, it's. You just. You had the path.

[Chris]

Oh, dude, you had a clear path.

[Dan]

Foul.

[Chris]

Yeah. Patrick Mahomes tore his acl. Take it home.

[Dan]

I would be. If I were a die hard ABS fan, I would be just flabbergast. My. My.

[Chris]

I am flabber.

[Dan]

My gas would be flabber.

[Chris]

I am flabbergasted. My abs future is in shambles. Yeah, it's been torn up and used as kindling. I cannot believe it.

[Dan]

You can do whatever you want, pal.

[Chris]

Yeah. This is gonna be sick. Oh, okay. Yes. So. And also, shout out Jess in the chat because she found this too. This is the quote. And I think I forget who said that initially about his quotes. Maybe it was Lee R. Lee Dan. That's Blackwood's quote. And then Jess said. And maybe Luna said, that doesn't. That doesn't seem that yikes to me. Like, that is actually, like. Yeah, that's what I would say.

[Dan]

Yeah, I'm. I'm confused. Like, what. What are you saying? This is.

[Chris]

Someone said, did you guys see Blackwood's quotes? Yikes. And I.

[Dan]

Losing fucking sucks no matter how you do it. But losing like that, it stings a little bit more. I don't think that's yikes.

[Chris]

Me neither. Maybe it's a different one, but to me, I'm like, that's a That's a fine reaction. That's a fine reaction from Blackwood.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

I. Oh, yeah. I want to say this to you.

[Dan]

I think that's an incredibly mature statement.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

Because that is the. That is the. Well, even with the fucking in there, that is the very calculated way of saying, we are. We cannot believe that this happened.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

I think that's a great quote, right?

[Chris]

Me too. Great quote. Because that's how they should feel.

[Dan]

Yeah. The.

[Chris]

We said early in the playoffs, the kings went down 3, 0. And we said out loud, unfortunately for our LA friends and fam, this series is over because. And do you remember what the next thing we said was?

[Dan]

No.

[Chris]

We said this AVS team specifically is not capable of losing four games in a row.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

They could not happen.

[Dan]

And here.

[Chris]

Here it is. And bang. Dude. Four games in a row. That's my biggest surprise, dude.

[Dan]

Yeah. You know what I really loved? Stoney had a. Had a quote at the end of the game where he was like, listen, this is a very good Avalanche team that we're playing. And you know, you. You know that they can win games, you know that they can get back into it, but when you haven't, when you have a chance to finish the series and take care of business, they got to do it.

[Chris]

Yes.

[Dan]

And that this game felt so much like that. I know, you know, one nothing after the first period. And then it was just a one nothing game all game long. You could see that mentality in Vegas and in the goaltending and the defense, special teams, they were like, do not give up a goal. Like, take. Just finish this team now.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

Because absolutely. That's not a team you want to give any life to at all. So they. They. They understood the assignment, man. And they came out and they slammed the door.

[Chris]

Yes. Okay. Some great things here, Dan. First of all, someone says, where is it? Someone says, I'm too. We were doing the Bills thing and they said, I'm too Australian for American football analogies. And then Nat goes, it's like your boomerang never came back. And they go, no.

[Dan]

That is so funny.

[Chris]

Yep. That's incredible, Vin. Is that a real quote, Vin? Stuff you put. He just put a Blackwood quote in here, which I can't tell if that's real or not, because it could be. And if it is, that one's a little bit more. Yikes. Vin, chime in and tell me if that's a real one. Somebody got. I gotta find this. Somebody said that. And Dan, how do you feel about this? If true, if True. Somebody said that Bednar. Oh, here we go. Was that the game? Drinking with some ABS fans. So this is a Vegas person was at the game last night drinking with some ABS fans who said they knew it was over when they saw Bednar gambling at Arya.

[Dan]

I, I saw that photo too. I, I, I hate that take, dude. Like, you got to blow off some steam, dude.

[Chris]

And he was trying to get luck on his side. Dude, a little fight.

[Dan]

Also, like, if, if you've ever been in Vegas, like, you're staying in, you're staying in these hotels. There's casinos everywhere.

[Chris]

Yep.

[Dan]

You got to just get a little action on the table.

[Chris]

I think that actually could have been everything they needed. I think if he honestly, he probably went cold, and that's what cost him. But if he had gotten hot, if he had fought a little harder, if

[Dan]

he had little action on the table,

[Chris]

they would have been in there.

[Dan]

Little action on the table. Do you want to have the bed in our conversation?

[USPS Announcer]

Sure.

[Dan]

I, I stand by wholeheartedly. Absolutely not. You do not fire this coach. He's a good coach. Unless you have your exit interviews and you talk to the boys and it feels like he's lost the room. But I don't, I do not suspect that that has happened. I think Bednar is a great coach.

[Chris]

Let me read you this. Let me read you this Blackwood quote.

[Dan]

Oh, this is the yikes quote.

[Chris]

I don't know if this is yikes, but it's more yikes than the other one.

[Dan]

Okay.

[Chris]

I mean, it's freaking hard to not play for so long and come into a big game, but, you know, I just said, eff it and go play the best I can and give them the best chance to win. So I think he's being like, yeah, it sucks that I'm not. I get sat down this long after

[Dan]

the season I had. Yeah, not again. Not yikes for me at all. I respect that.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

It's like what we talked about with Sway a few years ago. It's insane to be down or, like, to lose two, three games in a row and be up against elimination and then put a freezing cold goalie and go save us.

[Chris]

That's why I thought it was a crazy start. And he played great. Someone said at the beginning he actually played tremendous. Yes.

[Dan]

And you also, if you're black, would you go like this if. I mean, if he was a prick,

[Chris]

he would go like this.

[Dan]

Yeah. I mean, my guys didn't score for me until the last minute of the game, so what do you want me to fucking do. Yeah, that's what I would say.

[Chris]

So good. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, he's a good coach. Unless. What did you say?

[Dan]

Unless you have the exit interviews and the boys start talking and it feels like he's lost the room. I don't suspect that that's the case at all. I think Bednar is a great coach. Like I said, he's a Jack Adams finalist. You guys were on pace to fucking shatter every regular season record of all time. You win the President's Trophy. That, to me, regardless of how good the roster is, doesn't feel like a coach who has lost the room.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

So this is a. Don't panic. We talk about it right now with, you know, we, we just heard rumors that the Kings are interviewing Laviolette. No disrespect to Lavs, but there's not a great coaches market out there. Everyone wants to bring up David Carl. Everyone wants to bring up David Carl. Yes. David Carl is great, but there's also the element of this man, no one's talking about this. David Carl has not coached in the NHL. Yeah, like, he has not been a head coach in the NHL. There's no guarantee that he will come in and translate to an amazing, perfect NHL coach. I bet I, I would bet all my money that. But it's not like Carl is this like legendary available NHL coach. He's just the best college coach we've ever seen. And that would be a great hire for someone. But they're like this mar. The coaching market is not amazing. Why the fuck would you fire, if you fired Bednar? Because of this. You have any idea how fast LA hires Bednar? Yeah, how fast the, like, you know, like immediately Edmonton would be like, oh my God. Get like. Yeah, that's what you got to think about when you're, it's like the Cooper conversations, people are like, is Cooper going to get fired? And you're like this. If Cooper gets fired, fired, he will literally have 31 teams to pick from it. Like, it's, I, I, I just don't think you get rid of them.

[Chris]

Brennan goes. Oh, wait, Brennan goes. Bednar equals Cooper. Great coaches, but maybe a little too cool.

[Dan]

I do agree with that.

[Chris]

Me too.

[Dan]

I, I, I do actually agree. Well, you remember I was a little harsh on coops.

[Chris]

Yeah, There we go. Dude. Dude, what's he got?

[Dan]

Dude, Also look at the forearms. He, he's been hitting the, he's been hitting the, the incredible. The, the fucking tri. Pull downs.

[Chris]

Is this, is this, is this blackjack?

[Dan]

It appears to be or baccarat.

[Chris]

Like, I think that might be.

[Dan]

I actually don't know what that game is. Someone in the chat tell me what game that is. I think that might. I don't know.

[Chris]

I think that might be baccarat. If this is baccarat, he's. Then he's a fucking legend. Bleeding. I can't see what's in his left hand though. Maybe he's got a stack in there.

[Dan]

That's true. That might be the act of folding.

[Chris]

Yeah. Yeah. He's like, toss.

[Dan]

I. I said this. I was a little harsh on coops post loss comments because he's being too cool for school.

[Chris]

Yep.

[Dan]

And Bednar's pretty cool. Bednar's got the hockey hair too. You don't see that in coaches that often.

[Chris]

Yes, that is correct, dude. And I like that. I think we should get that back.

[Dan]

Or. Or is it like, dude, you're too much of one of the boys. The boys are getting confused.

[Chris]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dan]

Look like one of the fellas in here.

[Chris]

Whoa. Everyone's saying it's pie gao. He's playing.

[Dan]

He's playing pie gow.

[Chris]

He's playing pie gow at Aria and people are mad about that. That's. That's swag.

[Dan]

I don't want to live in a world where a guy gets lampooned for playing some pai gow before a game.

[Chris]

That's fucking insane, dude. The fact that he even. The fact that his brain can even comprehend pai gow means he can comprehend any scheme, any system, any power play.

[Dan]

Pai gow sounds like the most delicious dish I've ever heard in my entire life, dude. You're telling me that you wouldn't want to go to best friend in BET park at Bed MGM and order a nice steaming plate of pai gow?

[Chris]

We'll do a. We'll do a pai gow for the

[Dan]

T. I'll do well, yeah. We'll do a table Pie Gal, please. Wow. I got taken care of.

[Chris]

Zach says it's making us money, it's

[Dan]

getting us nuts, and it's filling our bellies. That's unbelievable.

[Chris]

That is fucking awesome. All right. I got some shit for you, Dan.

[Dan]

Okay.

[Chris]

There was after they scored, after landy score, which I'm going to come back to, There was a grade A, grade A chance immediately after. 30 seconds after that fell to nature's stick and he fired one and fired and fires off the crossbar. Carter Hart, right paddle and it's that was that save that you always like that Looks like a pinball yeah.

[Dan]

You know, leg kicks out.

[Chris]

So I wrote man, natus like that would have been.

[Dan]

You want that one?

[Chris]

Well, landy scores and then 30 seconds later you tie it.

[Dan]

Oh my God.

[Chris]

The place would have gone. I mean it wouldn't have. Would have gone dead silent because it was in Vegas.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Fans everywhere would have lost their. And somebody said Father Coop. I screenshot of this chat. This comment from way earlier. He said crazy that Natures and Drury have still never won a game in the conference finals because they came over from Carolina who have been getting swept to death.

[Dan]

Oh.

[Chris]

And then.

[Dan]

My God. And then here. What a comment.

[Chris]

Very interesting. And I'm not saying.

[Dan]

And hey, hey, here's the thing. Carolina now has a couple wins in the conference final. Yeah. Maybe they. Maybe this is a Drury and nature's problem.

[Chris]

That's what I'm screaming.

[Dan]

Maybe. Maybe Jack Drury and Marty Nachess have been up to some tomfoolery and ballyhoo.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

And they've been doing some voodoo shit and now they're in trouble. Maybe they are the issue.

[Chris]

Yeah. So CC Ant Andy says they just brought the cane's ghost with him and now they're did. We didn't even know. We were busting the wrong place, Dan. We were busting up the wrong locker room because the ghosts have been in Colorado the whole time.

[Dan]

My God.

[Chris]

And dude, three wins. Oh, Burns too. A bunch of guys going burnsy too. Dude.

[Dan]

Oh my God.

[Chris]

We brought all. We brought all the ghosts into Colorado and now we didn't realize that the hex. Dude, you know how in. You know how in like the ring and a lot of horror genre things you have to move the curse to someone else and that's to get it off of you.

[Dan]

That's what the nature straight.

[Chris]

The canes have put the curse on

[Dan]

the aves and Marty and Drew didn't

[Chris]

even know it because they.

[Dan]

When they were. When they were packing up their bags, Tulski and Rod were like hey guys, it's great to see you.

[Chris]

Yeah, hey.

[Dan]

Or great to see it. It was great. Great plan.

[Chris]

Yeah, we had a good time.

[Dan]

Dat me up, dude. And they went curse past and they took an ectoplasm slime.

[Chris]

Yeah, they took this slime over to call. They had no idea because dude, last

[Dan]

year and it also makes sense, dude, like the Denver airport is all that. Have you seen that body curse shit? That horse is the devil.

[Chris]

They. They literally dude, were supposed to beat Dallas last year. They were up two nothing.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

And would have gone to the conference Finals and been swept by Edmonton because. And we would have known the curse was already there.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

But unfortunately Dallas Ranton went crazy off script.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

And knocked them out. So we didn't get to realize that they had already been cursed.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

But they were cursed last year. And now we got to see the curse in full effect. The ABS will never, will never win a conference final game as long as Natures is on their team.

[Dan]

That is so shitty. Also on a human level that makes me feel so sad for those gentlemen.

[Chris]

Yes.

[Dan]

Like if, if you are Nature, Drury and Burnsy, you probably go into the series and you're like it's going to be so fun to finally win a game in this fucking round. And then you get swept

[Chris]

be so good. So good.

[Dan]

I mean think about Marty Natures right now. He must be like, are you fucking my dad?

[Chris]

What is happening, dude? Somebody said earlier he said Marty Nature's noted big game player. I can't find it but. And I know that's a chirp but I do think, and I've said this many times, dude, but I do think, bro. Every Cane's fan, every single Canes fan said to us that's his issue. He's so good in the regular season because he's so fast. But when the, when the ice shrinks in the playoffs, he disappears. That was the knock. So they said, you know what? That trade was chaos. And I can't believe we got ran in and lost Rant and blah blah blah. But they go whatever dude, we're fine. And you had said and he finished the year, Dan with 13 points. 13 points in 13 games. And you had said that's, that's fine. We can't be hating on that. But I just go to the one goal, dude. Like one goal after a 38 tuck season.

[Dan]

No, it's not good enough season.

[Chris]

I'm like buddy, it's not good enough.

[Dan]

No, no doubt about it. I mean this guy like he. Yeah, he scored damn near 40 in the regular season. He's one of the best players in the league. It is. The game does change. The game does shrink. And, and players we, we've. I sound like a broken record. But playoff hockey is different. There are play regular season teams and playoff teams. There are regular season players and playoff players. There are certainly playoff players. I mean it's like look at Howden. Look at Newhook. We keep joking about those guys but it's like the level up certain players do in the playoffs is unbelievable.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

When you're as good as Marty Naches you. You have it in you. I know you do. He knows he does. It's about finding it. And I always love those conversations. Like Patrick Kane talks about, like the times when he would go in slumps. He would literally go back home and watch YouTubes of himself.

[Chris]

Yeah, I love that.

[Dan]

And be like, oh, yeah, I can do it. I can score goals. And maybe that's it. Maybe work with a sports psychologist. Maybe work with a priest and have an exorcism happen because you have ghosts possessing.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

But you've got to do something because you are too good to disappear. And I genuinely, man, I don't believe in it. I don't believe in that. That narrative of. Of you've got players who are all star level players, hall of fame level players. I'm not saying Marty's hall of fame level, but he might be who then go, no, I can't play in the playoffs, though. I'm like, bullshit, dude. Yes, you can. You just got to figure out how to. Yeah, you have all the tools to do it. Yep. You just got to figure out how. Dude.

[Chris]

He's incredible. And. And I think him. This always happens right in playoffs, by the way, when you're. When you lose. If you're a good team. If you're a good team and you lose, somebody went quiet. This happened. This is pretty much the exact script. It's happened to a ton of Boston teams. Happens all the time. Marty Natius. And this is actually a good transition to another thing I want to say. Natures and Brock Nelson went pretty cold after having great. Yeah, great years. I was actually bummed. I saw Torts and Brock having a great moment on in the handshake line.

[Dan]

Sick.

[Chris]

And I was like, Brock must be like, God damn it, dude. Like, I wish I had done what I did there with you because he was our best player. I know for the whole group stage. So someone else said this. Alex Renner 802 A long time ago in the chat said, call me crazy, the AVs top 6 outside of Landy is why we lost. And I don't hate that take at all. A lot of people go in a goalie. A lot of people go into goalie. A lot of people go into injuries, obviously. But man. Dude. And I will even. I'll even extend that comment from top six into your top dogs because I want. I want a Brock in there. I want some of the guys you were expecting to do it. And when Landy scored that goal to make it a one goal game. And I heard on the broadcast Them go. Landiscog has three of the seven goals the AV scored in this series. I was like, dude, yeah. And don't forget. I mean, Landy is the. So vital to this team. But don't forget he had a slow start. Remember I was saying, man, Landy has one goal in 20 games. That's not enough at the beginning of the year. And he ended up finishing with a great year. But you. Everybody in Colorado would have to think, if landy is scoring 50% of our goals, we are in trouble.

[Dan]

I don't know that. I totally agree with that because Landy is Landy. And there's a world where their top six is buzzing and it's just Land. He's the one scoring.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

I don't think that you would think that.

[Chris]

Personally.

[Dan]

I think that's disrespectful to Land.

[Chris]

I just think they need. He had. They have too many weapons. They go, if you have 50% of our goals, but too many people aren't going.

[Dan]

I. Again, I just think it's a. I think it's a. You are putting the. The bad signs or negativity on the wrong guy. Yeah, Landy is a top six guy. He's a. He's a power play guy. Like, I don't think that that is the sign. If it was like, fucking. I don't want to sewer anybody here. But like, if it was a different guy, you know, if they were like, oh, yeah, Nick wa.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

Has half our goals, I'd be like, oh, yeah, okay.

[Chris]

That would be worse.

[Dan]

Yeah. But it's like. I mean, it's true, dude. Like, they're so deep. And I know Lekkanin, like, came back in the lineup, but, like, Lekkan and Nate Kadri, Natures Val Brock. Gotta be doing more, man.

[Chris]

Yeah. It was just too many. It was too many people that. That disappeared.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Oh, I want to talk about this, too.

[Dan]

What?

[Chris]

What? And, God, maybe it's just credit to Vegas again, But, dude, the ABs. There was a stretch there where they went 25 minutes with two shots, and

[Dan]

I'm like, dude, this.

[Chris]

Your life is on the line.

[Dan]

I know. I'm going to. I'm gonna do what a lot of people online do to me.

[Chris]

Okay.

[Dan]

When I say this, now that it's happened so many times in a row, I don't think it's an AVS problem anymore. I think it's. I think Vegas is so.

[Chris]

It's not an AVS bug. It's a Vegas feature.

[Dan]

I think Vegas is so good right now. Man, I mean, the abs, they're kind of like two thing major things that I want to talk about. The AVs, they were broken.

[Chris]

Yep.

[Dan]

The Vegas Golden Knights figured out how to break this team. Yeah, they broke them. They broke them mentally.

[Chris]

Somebody said. I want to check this. Somebody said Vegas has won eight straight against the Aves in the playoffs. Is that correct? Whoever said that in the chat, if you remember, someone said they've won eight straight. And.

[Dan]

And so that means they swept them also.

[Chris]

Or. Or like, went down 2, 0, and then we're sure four straight.

[Dan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Chris]

But either way, dude, it's like they legitimately some. You know, Marty was like. As in Alec Martinez was like, they. They built to beat the apps.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

And I was like, oh, maybe. But now it kind of does feel like they are. They just have this team's number.

[Dan]

I mean, they. They. They had their number from game one, and they never let off. This is what I'm saying, man. They. They beat them every game. They outplayed them every game.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

They deserve to win every game. This was, to quote or to. To opposite quote, Rod the Bod. This was a sweep. This. This was a. Like, you got swept, boys. And, yeah, you've been broken. And so my. My Colorado topic, we did it last episode, and we did it kind of in, like, a fun, jokey way. And I still want to do that, but also have a real conversation.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

We got to fix Nate.

[Chris]

Yeah. Here we go. Dozer Cat says last time, Vegas. Vegas. Once, game three, four, five, six.

[Dan]

Yeah, there you go. So they went down two. Oh, yeah. And then they won four straight. Yep. So we gotta fix Nate.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

No, dude, not. Yeah, this is. I don't care. Listen, it's been a tough year between. I said this last night between the Stuffed Weasel in Milan and now this. It's been a tough year for Nate McKinnon.

[Chris]

Yeah, sure.

[Dan]

No doubt about. This is a year you want to forget 100%. Like, you got Landy back for the full season. You went out and you got. You've got Brock Nelson on the team. You trade for fucking Kadri at the deadline. Like, this was. You know, all the right moves are being made. You guys are buzzing, but you lose in Milan, and you get a fucking stuffed weasel shoved up your hoop.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

And now you get swept by Vegas when Florida is out, Tampa is out, Edmonton loses in the first round. It is the most clear path you will ever get.

[Chris]

Yes.

[Dan]

Dude.

[Chris]

God damn.

[Dan]

And that's no disrespect to Vegas because Vegas has clearly presented themselves as the best team in these playoffs. But it was everything you could have dreamt of. It was the path that you could have prayed for.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

And you've got. You get swept. Like this has been a tough year. So I understand the frustration, but it's, it's. Dude, that was a one goal game. And he, he was still so visibly frustrated and, and negative. And I'm like, dude, we can't be doing this. We've got to lighten this guy up.

[Chris]

Yeah. Happy place, happy place.

[Dan]

We have to.

[Chris]

Happy place, happy place, happy place.

[Dan]

And that, that transitions me into. I. I've been a little annoyed the last couple of days online.

[Chris]

Okay.

[Dan]

The. The amount of hockey people, the amount of creators, the amount of podcasters, the amount of Internet personalities, whatever you want to call them, who are hopping all over our shit in talking about Jack Eichel.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

Is pissing me off. And it's, it's dumb because it shouldn't piss me off. It should make me go, yes. Everyone is now finally realizing, but dude, every show in the stratosphere is now being like talking about Jack Schmaltzy. Peoples was like, I mean, I love how much of a wind up he is online, but he was like, we gotta look at the 2015 draft, dude. Like, do you. Jack Eichel is potentially about to win his second cup and a gold medal this year. Do you take him first overall? I love that wind up tweet and I love fucking schmaltzy. So that was awesome to see. And I know he's winding people up, but at the same time he's also one of the people who are getting on what we've been talking about for years, dude.

[Chris]

And it's a lot closer than people want to think.

[Dan]

Netters fans will. Will back us on this. We've been saying four years that Jack Eichel is the best 200 foot player in the game.

[Chris]

Yep.

[Dan]

I went to war with people saying he's the best pure skater in the NHL. And dude, did you see the way he fucking 1v1 completely butt Nate against the boards at the end of that game? Like Nate is doing his stop, turn, spin around. Jack stayed with him the whole time. Lit stick lift twice, takes the puck off him, dishes it back to. I think it was Nabber or Hannifin who scooped it out. And I was like, dude, the way Nate like got off the ice, I was like, you just got.

[Chris]

Dude. It was one of my most important highlights right here in this my little mad scientist notes thing that I Was taking, which was this. Dan. Nate was on. I. I beg people to go back and watch that they get the goalie pulled. They also didn't pull Blackwood for so long. I know. I was like, get out of the net, dude. This is insane. You're down, too. I think know what the score was. Nate is on his strong side. Okay. And literally, he cruises just across the zone just so he can get into the shooting area to be on the weak side. So he's got the one timer. So he's got the thing. And, you know, here comes. We're going to get Nate the puck. Everyone starts rotating. Kale comes up and they give a one touch pass over there. Y. And, dude, I could not agree more, because don't forget game three. I think that Nate did that exact stop, spin around move and put McNabb on Fourth Street.

[Dan]

Yes.

[Chris]

And then walked in and fed one over to Landy. Jack was up his ass. Dude. Kindly crawl out of Nate's ass.

[Dan]

It was unbelievable.

[Chris]

And then got the clear and ended the fucking game.

[Dan]

It was such a noticeable play because how often do we watch these games when players like Nate and Connor are playing and they get the puck in that situation and you watch everyone just back off.

[Chris]

Yep.

[Dan]

They increase their gap because they're like, gee, I don't know what the fuck this guy's about to do. Jack just went, oh, no. I'm getting right inside your shirt, and I'm taking this.

[Chris]

I'm not leaving.

[Dan]

Yeah. It was like. That was the. That was the literal final nail in the coffin for Colorado, where it was like, here's your last great hope in

[Chris]

Nate because there was enough time left.

[Dan]

Yeah. And Jack.

[Chris]

And he wanted the job, dude. Oh, yeah, Let me take him.

[Dan]

Oh, you could see a smile on his face. Like, he went in and was like, oh, you think you're gonna spin cycle me? Yeah, I spin cycle you.

[Chris]

Spin cycle you, dude. I'm Jack Eichel.

[Dan]

Here's a quarter, Jack. Spin cycle. I just put it in the machine. And now you're on fucking tumble dry, dude.

[Chris]

Yeah, dude. I even wrote before that, Dan. Vegas iced it. Howden went for the empty net, which he's been such a killer. I was like, here it comes. Howden again. He misses it. Vegas icing, ABS Timeout. So they get all the big dogs on. There's a minute nine left. Plenty of time. Ozone draw for Colorado. And Jack came out there and snapped it back so clean. And Vegas cleared it. And I was like. I already was like, Jack's the fucking man, because that's such a big draw. Dude. That is such a big draw. And he snaps it back. Then he gets the Nate clear. And I was like, oh my God,

[Dan]

he just looks, he looks so dialed. It's, it's, it's beautiful to see. God, this tip was nasty by Smith, by the way. Just a teeny or. Yeah, just like a teeny, teeny little change of direction freezes Blackwood.

[Chris]

Great stuff,

[Dan]

Vegas, man. I, I, you know, we, we've gone back and forth here. Colorado's in a tough spot.

[Chris]

I feel ill about Brent Burns.

[Dan]

Yeah, I do too.

[Chris]

I feel so bad.

[Dan]

I feel really bad for Brent Burns. We're obviously going to see the, I mean, Kale Maar is going to need a Bucky Barnes winter soldier arm after what has happened to his shoulder. I bet Nate is more banged up than it feels. But this happens to every team. It happens. Everyone, every player, everyone's banged up. But this is a, this is a brutal loss for Colorado. Yeah, this is a very tough loss. And they've got some big question marks this off season. A lot of things they need to figure out. And I think it's more than personnel. How about that? I think that there is a, I think we need a culture shift in Colorado.

[Chris]

Damn.

[Dan]

I, I, and, and I just, I think that's just mindset.

[Chris]

Yeah, it might be. It might be. I think, I think, I mean, they

[Dan]

get a sports side. Yeah, I'm serious.

[Chris]

I love that.

[Dan]

I'm serious. Get a sports sigh in there. Find the happy place. Because this two dialed mentality, it ain't working, man.

[Chris]

Dude.

[Dan]

But yeah, I think first round losses now you've been sw. You've lost eight straight in the playoffs to Vegas. Something's got to change.

[Chris]

I think you, I think it's this, dude. And this, we've talked about this and this is going to make it sound like I'm chirping Nate and I'm not. But we, I know people that have played for them and other, other competitive teams. Dude, I think you need more games and fun like on the plane and in the, in the training room and things like that. I think it is a little too ratcheted up in Colorado where I'm like, dude, let's play some, let's play some ping pong.

[Dan]

You got to get on the piss. Yeah, dude, like we, I'm dead ass.

[Chris]

Some Sour Patch Kids on the plane.

[Dan]

Dude, you got to get on the

[Chris]

piss, put some fucking kids plane.

[Dan]

You've got to start careful Sour Patch Kids. You've Got to start drinking more. You got to start having fun.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

You're in one of the coolest cities in the game, dude. Start go to Mile High Spirits. It's Great bar.

[Chris]

Great bar. Holy shit, I forgot about that.

[Dan]

Start ripping it up. I think the abs need a little bit of a mentality and a fun culture shift. Otherwise, they're cooked.

[Chris]

Couple things for you here, Dan.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

The Golden Knights in 2023 did not touch the Clarence Campbell Bowl.

[Dan]

I don't give a.

[Chris]

And they brought the whole team out and they did the stand behind it.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

For the pick.

[Dan]

I don't give a fuck about this pretend curse.

[Chris]

Everyone else does give a fuck about

[Dan]

this, but it doesn't matter.

[Chris]

It does matter. Changes everything. No, dude, it changes everything.

[Dan]

You know why it doesn't matter and why I won't give it any time, any air time. In the last 10 years or more, we have seen both sides touch, not touch and win or not win. Therefore, it is not a thing anymore.

[Chris]

I think it's a thing internally, though. I think you always talk about this, like, if they go, this helps us.

[Dan]

Yeah, sure.

[Chris]

We didn't. We did exactly this last time. We won. We're doing it again. Like, I think it would have been the height of insanity if they touched it this year.

[Dan]

Yeah. Because they didn't touch it when they won.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

Yeah. So that's fine. But it's not like, whatever can we bring?

[Chris]

I mean, I know they can't hear

[Dan]

me, but say, the Knicks. Did y' all see that? Oh, no.

[Chris]

What happened?

[Dan]

The Knicks did what I think is the kiss of death where they went and partied last year after they lost. Right after they lost and had finals 20, 26. Like, bottle service and girls coming out last year after they lost. This is the first time I've ever seen somebody win in after doing something like that.

[Chris]

Oh, sure. So I don't know if everyone heard that, but the New York Knicks last year when they lost in the playoffs, went to a club and got bottle service with signs that said finals 20, 26. And then that should have cursed them for this coming year, but instead, here they are in the finals.

[Dan]

I love that. I don't think that I. I think that that's, like, the coolest thing I've ever heard.

[Chris]

But normally teams do that, and then you lose because they're like, you're clowning. But

[Dan]

I don't know. It turns out we've lost in the playoffs, and they go, instead of sitting here and being sad, we're going to manifest Success next year, Dude, I promise

[Chris]

you this, Dan, If.

[Dan]

I think that's awesome.

[Chris]

If you saw that last night, the Colorado Avalanche were ripping Omnia with Cup champs 20, 27 signs, you would be. You would be like, that is pathetic.

[Dan]

No, it didn't say finals champs. It said finals 20. That was them going, we're making it to the finals next year.

[Chris]

Okay. If the AB sign said Stanley cup appearance 2027, you would have gone, go home.

[Dan]

No, I would say the same thing. I would go. I would go. I love this positive linguistic programming. Manifest what you want.

[Chris]

Yeah, actually. Okay. That's the culture change.

[Dan]

I think it's great.

[Chris]

I should party tonight.

[Dan]

I think it's great.

[Chris]

Colorado have a rip tonight. You should be partying, dude.

[Dan]

I promise you. They partied in Vegas last. Yeah, I promise you that.

[Chris]

That is so funny.

[Dan]

And then last thoughts on Vegas. I do hate, like, if Montreal wins tonight. I hate it.

[Chris]

Oh, me too.

[Dan]

It's a nightmare. I'm like, I cannot believe we're sitting here on the 27th and Vegas is. Is done. They're there. They've punched their ticket. Yeah, we're going to. We're going to talk about this a little bit in a second because I've got a lot to say about all that stuff. They have punched their tick. Vegas has punched their ticket to the cup, and we are potentially about to have the other series tied to two.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

I hate it. I hate the time. That does suck. And that's not me saying I want Carolina to win so they can win in five, but I'm just saying for if I'm Vegas. Yeah.

[Chris]

I hope this is quick.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Here's my last thought, Dan. And last time I closed with Prego Magic, and it turns out that was the most important tidbit fact in the history of playoff hockey analytics. I just figured out there's another one. And this is also vitally important, Dan, and you are going to love it.

[Dan]

Okay.

[Chris]

This one isn't as good, but it's. It's right there. Who would you be? I guess this answer is going to be Marner. I was going to say, who would you be most happy that they're lifting a cup if Vegas wins? And I assume you're gonna say marner because it's such a incredible thing.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

But there was someone else that was coming to mind for me that you go, wow, that's awesome.

[Dan]

Probably Marner. Probably Torts.

[Chris]

Yes, Torts. And do you know how long it's

[Dan]

been since Torch wanna come?

[Chris]

Yep.

[Dan]

Wow.

[Chris]

How long? It's been exactly. Now, I don't mean to the day. I just mean, like, when you hear me say this, you're gonna go get it.

[Dan]

Is it 20 years?

[Chris]

21.

[Dan]

22. Oh, my God, dude. After 22 years, John Tortoro.

[Chris]

I saw that. I was like, you have got to be kidding me.

[Dan]

22 years. Wow. That's crazy.

[Chris]

Isn't that sick? Dude, we'll get another one. We'll get another 22 year rip. That is amazing. Dude, cue the sound bite. We got prego magic and 22 years.

[Dan]

That's crazy. Listen, this team, they're there. I feel the same way about the Knicks. Weirdly, I think the Knicks and the Vegas Golden Knights have a lot of vibes right now. A lot of similar vibes. And very unexpectedly, the Knicks are the best team in basketball right now. Yeah, and I think very unexpectedly, the Vegas Golden Knights are the best team in hockey right now.

[Chris]

Would you say, though? I would say.

[Dan]

And look at it right? Like we've got on. The Knicks swept. Vegas swept. Like they're very. They're very. And dude, a lot of people had the Knicks going to the Eastern conference final. I think most people had them losing to Boston. And then Boston was hurt and Boston choked. And they're fucking clowns. But. But this was, for a lot of people, unexpected. And here they are sweeping their way to an NBA finals. It's same going on in Vegas. The Knicks and the Vegas Golden Knights are vibes. Very similar teams.

[Chris]

I think, though, the Vegas actually, I guess if the Canes make it.

[Dan]

Cat is Marner. Marner is cat. Yeah.

[Chris]

If the doc. We got to find another doctor. The Knicks must have a doctor on their team.

[Dan]

Yeah, dude, he took the end cats.

[Chris]

Oh, okay. There you go. He's the doc. The mcat. That's great. That's great, Dan. The Knights, though, feel like legitimately they are the favorite, whereas I think the Thunder certainly are like. Like the. The Knights don't have their way to.

[Dan]

I completely disagree. I. I think the Knicks are the best team in basketball right now. And Vegas is the best. Vegas is the. The favorite. They are the best team in hockey right now. But I'm favoriting the Knicks, dude.

[Chris]

But what I'm saying the difference is the Thunder will.

[Dan]

But I think basketball. Exactly. You're a basketball guy. Wouldn't you agree? I think the Knicks are the best team in basketball right now. They're playing the best basketball in basketball right now.

[Chris]

One like 13 straight games.

[Dan]

Yeah, but they're also playing in the East. I think the Spurs Also, look at me, you know, I know.

[Chris]

They're a little.

[Dan]

They're down.

[Chris]

They're down. Down. Three, two. It's been a tilt no one can handle.

[Dan]

My guy Brunson, dude, It's w. W.

[Chris]

M98 says canes have a legit shot. People need to stop giving Vegas the cup so early. I agree with that, because we are.

[Dan]

Yes.

[Chris]

I think. And I think the Habs have a legit shot because of how fast they are.

[Dan]

And I. I don't need anyone telling me to respect the Canes.

[Chris]

Yep.

[Dan]

I don't need that.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

But I am saying, if you look at the two games the Canes have won, where they've eked out wins in overtime, when the opposing team has managed 12 and 13 shots, you cannot say they're playing as well as Vegas.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

Vegas just swept the shit out of the Colorado Avalanche. We're not counting out Carolina, but Vegas is playing better hockey than Carolina is right now.

[Chris]

That is.

[Dan]

That's all I'm saying.

[Chris]

That is correct. So do you. Do you want to talk about the Knicks?

[Dan]

I do. I want to talk about the New York Knicks.

[Chris]

Okay.

[Dan]

We're taking. We're taking a little. A little fun break in between series here. I want to talk about the New York Knicks, and then I want to talk about the UNES men's national team for the World Cup.

[Chris]

Hell, yeah.

[Dan]

I hate that. This fucking guy's mic doesn't work. Like, where is. Can we get you a different mic? I can. I can sit down with you guys. Yeah. It's fucking bullshit. All right. Let's talk about the New York Knicks. I love this New York Knicks team. That's not what we're talking about. I want to talk about on court antics. We've got Timmy living his best life drunk as a skunk in that game.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

I don't know if you saw the Clips, but we got Kylie sneak in vodka in her purse and, like, spiking their. Like, which, by the way. What, do they not serve booze at msg?

[Chris]

Well, they do. It's just. No, like, expensive, Dan. It's expensive.

[Dan]

Yeah. We're talking about a billionaire.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

Here. So I'm a little bit like, what are you doing sneaking booze in here? But either way, respect it because it's a Google gobble.

[Chris]

One of us. Yeah. Correct.

[Dan]

Like, you. You can be a billionaire. You can be one of the most famous people on the planet. You're still sneaking booze into games. Hell, yeah.

[Chris]

Yep.

[Dan]

So Timmy drunk is a skunk taking pictures with The Wags.

[Chris]

Yep.

[Dan]

Just, like, jumping up and down, like, hugging people. Looking like a child out there. They're. He might be. He might have the best life of anyone on earth right now. He's peaking.

[Chris]

He is. I'm afraid he's peaking too early.

[Dan]

No. All of these Oscar losses keep him hungry. That's why he's fine.

[Chris]

Yep.

[Dan]

But I'm looking at Timmy, I'm looking at Spike. I'm looking at Stiller, Fat Joe in the mixer every now and then. I don't like that we don't have an on the wood situation at hockey games. That's what I wanted to bring up the Knicks for.

[Chris]

Ooh, okay. Yeah, that would be sick.

[Dan]

I think it's so cool at these games, particularly the Knicks and the Lakers, when celebs are just on the wood. Yeah, it's awesome. Glass seats at hockey games are trash. This is, like a. Zach, you might not know this, but this is, like. I've been, like, kind of waiting for an opportunity to talk about this with people. Will Ferrell always at Kings game, sitting on the glass. Dude, I don't know if you know this, Zach. Glass seats at hockey games fucking suck. You can't see shit.

[Chris]

Yeah, you can't.

[Dan]

Running handheld. They are so bad. Like, if you're ever offered glass seats and, like, you have an option to get something else, do not get glass seats. They're terrible. You literally can't see fuck all that's going on down the boards in the corner. You're in because of the boards. You can't see anything.

[Chris]

Yep.

[Dan]

So row, like, 15 to 20 is the dream. That's the money spot. Because you are. You're perfect. You're right on the top of the glass level, and you can see everything.

[Chris]

Yep.

[Dan]

But that's not like. Hey, look. Look who it is. Like, sitting on the wood is so metal.

[Chris]

How do we get. I think maybe there should be. Maybe we should extend the benches and it's still.

[Dan]

You can't see. Fuck off. You can.

[Chris]

All you. The bench is a good seat.

[Dan]

Yeah. Because there's no glass.

[Chris]

That's what I'm saying. Extend the bench. So there's, like, now the whole team. Here's where I'm.

[Dan]

Now we. Now we got an opportunity for Timmy to catch a puck in the face. We can't have it.

[Chris]

No, but that's. If he's metal enough. He wants it. Yeah.

[Dan]

I mean, yeah. I don't think Timmy would do.

[Chris]

He doesn't. He doesn't, but Will does.

[Dan]

The studios would not be we can't have Paul Atreides.

[Chris]

Toothless Will Ferrell does. And. And I would sit on the bench. I would buy those bench sheets and just sit right next to my car.

[Dan]

I just. I think hockey needs. We need more celebs at hockey games.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

And I was looking into it.

[Chris]

Luna says she loves glass seats behind the bench.

[Dan]

Specifically, Luna, you're. That. That might be the worst seat. That might be worse than a glass.

[Chris]

I'd like. I'd rather have my back against the cement in the 400 section than be in the glass behind the bench.

[Dan]

So here's. Here's my thing. Live hockey is the best show in the world. And if you have not been. I mean, everyone in this chat has been. Yep, dude, Zach, you've been to both. And you're. You're a basketball guy. You're a football guy. You can admit live hockey is unbelievable. Yeah, I. I. So, like, I will still argue that, like, I've been on, like, sideline, courtside, everything. Running camera. Yeah, yeah. The best experience I've ever had has been hockey.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

Because they're. Interface. Zach just said best experience he's ever had is. Is hockey.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

And it's like, dude, it. It is. It is the best. And I'm looking at how much fun it is. And. And I could either easily sit here and poo poo and be like, dude, all the celebs, it's so late. Like, that's not what hockey's about. And I'm like, fuck that, dude.

[Chris]

Yeah, why not?

[Dan]

Give me a break, dude. Like, when. When you're watching that. That Knicks game and it cuts to Timmy going fucking crazy. Like, that's fun. Timmy's an entertainer. He's a fun guy.

[Chris]

Special moment.

[Dan]

Let's get fun people at these hockey games. And I was looking into it. There's no one, no one in the celeb world from Vegas, Montreal, or North Carolina. Yeah, like, there's. There's some people, but, like, other than sports people.

[Chris]

Yeah, it's.

[Dan]

How are there not more famous people from Montreal? It's like Celine Dion.

[Chris]

Wow.

[Dan]

And that's it. God, is that, like, someone in the chat talked to me? And, like, Vegas, too, is like, there's musicians, like my guy, the Killers. Brandon Flowers is from Vegas, and there's a couple, like, Bryce Harper's from Vegas, but again, he's a sports guy, but like.

[Chris]

Oh, yeah, yeah, it's.

[Dan]

There are. I am shocked that Montreal does not have more actors.

[Chris]

William Shatner. That'd be gas.

[Dan]

That would be gas. But like, she's kind of an old guy.

[Chris]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dan]

I'm not aging. I'm not trying to be an ageist, but, like, there are so many celebs from Ontario.

[Chris]

Yeah. Fucking.

[Dan]

There are so many famous people from Ontario. How are there not more famous people from Quebec?

[Chris]

Andre Agassi, Vegas. That'd be kind of sick. No, I mean, Andre Agassi, Aggies.

[Dan]

He's the man. But, like, they're not fucking. Timmy.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

They're not even stiller.

[Chris]

They're not even stiller.

[Dan]

We got Jay Barashel.

[Chris]

Okay. Yeah, I need.

[Dan]

I need more Jay at these Bell center games.

[Chris]

Yeah, yeah, he. Dude, he should be. I love Jay. He should be in there. That's actually crazy. He hasn't been.

[Dan]

I love Jay. We got to get Jay in the mixer more. But it's. I think it's pretty sick. You know what? I didn't like John.

[Chris]

That's good. Lil John's at night.

[Dan]

He's a Vegas guy.

[Chris]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dan]

He's. He's there a lot, and that's good. That's a good one. I think Taffer's there sometimes, too.

[Chris]

Yeah. Shatner is 95 years old.

[Dan]

Yeah, he's old again. I'm not trying to. I'm not.

[Chris]

Shame. Come on.

[Dan]

But he's a guy. You know what I really don't like? This is, like, I'm not trying to do the whole hockey, NBA thing. The fucking Jalen Brunson is my guy. I'm loving this dude. I'm all in on the Knicks. I felt the same way when Tatum did this shit. The fucking staged photos these fucking guys are doing in the locker room with their, like, Conference Final MVP trophy. They look like the biggest boners in the world. Like, Brunson sitting there with his goggles on his head and, like, he's in his, like, under gear, and he's, like, pretending to, like, slouch back with the trophy sitting next to him. It's the most basketball thing I've ever seen. You would never see a hockey player doing that.

[Chris]

Correct.

[Dan]

And again, I'm not. I am literally doing the, like, hockey's better thing. But they're just. They just look so corny.

[Chris]

It's ridiculous.

[Dan]

It's like when, like, Tatum with the finals trophy, trying to get his, like, Kobe and, like, MJ photos. I'm like, just fucking celebrate, dude. Yeah.

[Chris]

Drink a fucking beer, dude. The picture and shout out, who took that picture is one of our friends. But that Matthew Tkachuk picture from the cup with the cigar that it was like an all time photo that's just literally candid, caught in the moment while they're partying.

[Dan]

Yeah. I mean nothing will ever beat the Gustav Forsling lying in the cooler of beer smoking a cigar. God damn, that was amazing. Okay, now can we talk? Usmnt Surely everyone in the chat put. Actually, you know what I was about to say thanks for putting up with this. We. It's the fucking World cup, dude.

[Chris]

It's the World Cup.

[Dan]

It's the World Cup. You're not putting up with shit. This is fun topics. I am a massive footy guy. People know that. What I need people to know is that I'm also a massive US Men's national team. I'm a US Women's national team guy. Do. Because they're winning World Cups. But I love the idea of American soccer getting good. I had a discussion with a couple of friends the other day who are big footy guys as well. I can't believe how bad we still are.

[Chris]

Oh, we are terrible. And dude, Leo, Leo Carlson Grazer. Diego Luna snubbed. Couldn't agree more. Couldn't agree more.

[Dan]

Wait, what happened?

[Chris]

Diego Luna snubbed from the roster.

[Dan]

Oh yeah.

[Chris]

Couldn't agree more. Yeah, need, need guys like that on this team.

[Dan]

Dude, we are so bad at soccer still. It's fucking insane. And shout out Jeff Boxer, our boy. Big footy guy. Big Chelsea guy. I sent him the roster, squad list and I was like, this is so embarrassing. And I'm not quitting. I'm not quit.

[Chris]

Dude, quit.

[Dan]

I'm not quitting. I'm going to be right there with my USA kid on rooting on the boys during the World Cup. We're going to be at some games. But I am here to say he, Jeff was like, dude, 15, 20 years ago, if you were to send me this roster and see all of these guys playing top flight football, you'd be blown away. And I kind of agree with that. But the way U.S. soccer media talks about it, the way they talk about Pulisic and how he's dominating AC Milan and he had eight goals this year in 30 games.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

And I'm like, oh my God, he's dominating. And when I look at it and we have. This is our fucking World cup roster.

[Chris]

Yes.

[Dan]

And we have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 MLS players on this roster. Yep. MLS. That's not great.

[Chris]

Yeah, correct.

[Dan]

I just can't believe it. I can't believe we're still. And dude, I'm not trying to knock the MLS I go to MLS games often and they're fun and great, but the MLS is a bad league compared to top flight football. And we are sending nine of our eight. Eight or nine of our World cup squad players from the mls.

[Chris]

Yeah, I can't have it.

[Dan]

I just don't. I don't think that's it, man.

[Chris]

No, dude, it is. It's. It's hard to watch, bro. Like, it's legitimately hard to watch where I'm like, here we go again. And I'm going to get all excited and then we are going to suck and then people are out.

[Dan]

People are out here talking. I mean, I just watched a clip of Landon Donovan and Tim Howard doing one of those things where they said, don't speak until you hear a player better than Clint Dempsey.

[Chris]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dan]

And quite. I don't know if anyone's seen this clip. Quite literally, every single player named, aside from maybe Theo Walcott, is decidedly better than Clint Dempsey. And Landon Donovan, like, never spoke.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

It was unbelievable.

[Chris]

Well, they love him, dude. They love.

[Dan]

I don't care. I don't care. It's like. But I'm like. I'm like, are you guys trolling? And we got that going on. We've now got people being like, if the US doesn't make the quarterfinals of this World cup, it's going to be a disappointment. And I'm like, they might win one game.

[Chris]

Yeah, correct. That's what I'm saying. It's. It's hard. It's hard to even enjoy anymore. They're like, we're hosting. I'm like, who cares?

[Dan]

We're on home soil, dude.

[Chris]

Who cares?

[Dan]

It's crazy. That's all I had to say. I'm. I'm excited for the World cup, but I am. I'm quite scared.

[Chris]

Do you think. Do you think the. The spirit of the home soil will rally the boys at all? Like, will it. Will it matter that we're here then? The crowd?

[Dan]

Yes, I think so. A little bit.

[Chris]

That'd be Great. Also, Dan. USA Canada tomorrow, right? On the 28th. USA Canada tomorrow. World Championships.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Do you think it's funny that Crosby shows up there and he has nine assists, like, no goals? Not. He just shows up to be like, I'm just gonna dish it around.

[Dan]

No, I think it's. I. I mean, I think it's awesome. It's incredible. It's like the most him thing.

[Chris]

It's incredible, dude.

[Dan]

All right, let's jump into Carolina Montre for tonight. What. What are you feeling?

[Chris]

I Feel as though the Habs will win. Marty St. Louis had an awesome quote. He was like, it was just the most Marty quote to me. He goes, we're trailing but we're not dead. We will continue. And I was like, yes, we will continue. Like I actually want that on a shirt, dude. We will continue.

[Dan]

Marty has some of the just like the coolest comments.

[Chris]

It's like the most unbelievable thing. You know how it reminds me of a video game, Dan, when it's like you lose. Yeah, dude, here we go. We. We're not leaving. We will continue. You know when you die in a video game and it's like at an arcade and you put your quarter in and you die and then it goes, continue, question mark. And then it's like 10, nine and you have time to put your quarterback in. That's what Marty has just said. He has said, we have put our quarterback in. We will continue and then we will even this series. That is my opinion of what's going to happen tonight. They will not give the Bell center fans two losses. That would be insane.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

And they need it. They need it. That's what I think. But I also thought they would come out better in Game 3 at home. And they came out flat as. And dude, maybe it's what you're saying where I go, how is Colorado not shooting? And you go, it's a Vegas feature. It at this point it could be a Cane's feature.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Where it's just like, man, I'm never going to see a Montreal 40 shot game and I should just, I should just strap in and accept that. Holy shit. It's Dobish's birthday today.

[Dan]

Oh, that's big.

[Chris]

That is fucking. I think that's big, Marissa. Thank you. That is insane.

[Dan]

Do you feel like I hate that it's a Wednesday. Yeah, actually Wednesday. Kind of a good day. Little hump day vibe.

[Chris]

Okay.

[Dan]

I want the Bell center to be out of control. It's going to be out of control. I Do you feel like Montreal has pressure for the first time in a while?

[Chris]

Yeah, 100%. You lost two in a row. Now you go, dude, if we lose two straight at the. If we lose a third or third straight, but two straight at the Bell center and go down three one like they do. They have been up going into game six in every series. Yeah. In the. In the previous two series, they've lost game six at home going into game seven. But they, they have not really been up against it. It. Right. Because didn't they. They. I guess they Lost the first game to Buffalo, but then they bop, bop, one, two there. So they immediately took the series lead. So they took the series lead against Tampa in game one. They took it right back against Buffalo. This is the first time in. Into the middle of a series where they're like, we could be in trouble.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Four. If two, two. They are. They go. We are literally fine.

[Dan]

Yes.

[Chris]

All caps.

[Dan]

I stand by one.

[Chris]

Now we're.

[Dan]

I stand by what I said last episode where I genuinely feel, dude, if they. If they go down three one, they are still comfortable. Yeah, you're a little itchy, but if the reverse happened, Carolina would be dead.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

You said this the other day, and I, I'm. That's why I bring it up. I stand by it. I stand by it. I think obviously they want this game and obviously the Canes want this game like they. The Canes want to put the fucking serious pressure on them. But I genuinely do believe if they lose this game, they. They will go into game five being like this. Just fight, dude. Just, you know, just fight.

[Chris]

Yep.

[Dan]

Because the. The big thing for me is I don't think Carolina has figured out do best yet. And I. That last win by Carolina was so gritty.

[Chris]

I know.

[Dan]

It was so gritty. And I, you know, I. You want more from a ho. Definitely first starting. And I'm just not entirely sure that they feel like they have figured out do bash to an. To a level where they are going into this game in the Bell center being like, let's step on their fucking throat. Because I'm like, I don't know if you can step on their throat. You've held them to 12 and 13 shots and you've won an overtime both games.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

You have not beat this team in regulation and they beat the fucking bag off you. So they still. They need a comfortable win before they feel like they can step.

[Chris]

I know. Well, it's interesting, dude, because I'm with you and everything you just said is a fact. Like, they got rinsed and then they've had two overtime wins in one of them or kind of both of them. The Canes or the Habs weren't really shooting in one of them. The Habs tie it up late with no shots, and you're like, we're dead, we're dead, we're dead. But it's. It's. I almost think it's a good sign for the Canes, even though. You wish. I'm sure Kane's fans in here are like, yeah, it would be amazing if we just Pounded them once. But I swear it's a good sign for the Canes that they are unfazed by this shit. They don't. They don't fold. They don't wilt at all. When it's like, oh, no, Montreal tied it late. They go, we're just gonna win, dude.

[Dan]

Yes.

[Chris]

We will slowly grind you down. We don't have to blow you out. And even though this is stressful for us and it's stressful for the fans, we are so sure that we will just. What's the. What's the Herman Boone. It's like Novocaine or. It's like, what does he say about his.

[Dan]

Just give it time. It always works.

[Chris]

Is it Novocaine?

[Dan]

Yeah, I think it says, like, novocaine. Just give it time.

[Chris]

Give it time. It always works. The Canes are just going like this, dude, you can't beat us. It's almost like what Paul Marie said, where he goes. His was. He would always say it about a series.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

But he would say the way the Panthers play means you cannot beat us in seven games. So we don't get bothered when we lose games along the way because we know by game seven, we will win. I feel like that's how the canes feel about 60 minutes of hockey against this. Have seen where they go. It's not going to be pretty necessarily. It's not going to be easy, certainly. But I promise you, by the end of 60 minutes or. Or more added time, we will win.

[Dan]

Yeah, I liked that. And we kind of said that last episode. I was like, this. Their spin zone is there. Doing what they did against Philly.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

And Ottawa, where they're like this. Yeah. I mean, like, we'll let you hang around. We're eventually going to swing the ax at the end of the game.

[Chris]

Yep.

[Dan]

I don't like that. They're both hot, though.

[Chris]

Yeah, no, it's. No, it's. It's not ideal.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

But at the end of the day,

[Dan]

it's like, just win and like this really good Habs team, really dangerous, scary haps, and they feel like they feel no pressure ever. And that's especially an OT that's a scary team to play against. So I think against a team like that, you definitely have that element that's like, fuck, man. We just got to survive. And they've survived two games in a row, so it's like, even if you win this game in ot, you're like, yeah, whatever, man. We're just. We're getting the job done.

[Chris]

T. T Singleton Says as my voice, as my boy Vinnie D said, once upon a time, it doesn't matter if you win by an inch or by a mile. Winning's winning. Which it is. Dude, we playing for pink slips out here, dude. So OT or whatever, just get the dubs. For a team that can't win in the conference finals. Get the dubs any way you can.

[Dan]

Such an awesome.

[Chris]

However. However, I do think the cane. This has got to be the Canes or. Sorry. I mix these teams up all the time. This has got to be the Habs hardest punch. Like, I know everybody's going, oh, it's okay. The Habs don't shoot that much. I do kind of think if I'm in that locker, I'm going, boys, everything on net today. Like, I. I can't if I'm the Habs, I cannot sleep at night if we lose another one where I shoot 12 times.

[Dan]

I agree with that.

[Chris]

I'm like, what are you doing?

[Dan]

I. I do. I. I do agree.

[Chris]

Where.

[Dan]

I mean, it was funny in game seven against Tampa. Nine shots and they won.

[Chris]

Yep.

[Dan]

And if you lose three in a row now, where you have sub 20 shots, it's not funny anymore.

[Chris]

It's not cute.

[Dan]

It's no longer cute.

[Chris]

It's.

[Dan]

It hits the point where you go, hey, it was cool when we survived doing that. We've now lost three straight games doing that.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

So no more.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

You got to get pucks on the cage. Especially at home with the crowd behind you. For Carolina, I stand by. You want. You really want Aho going. I know that one deflected in, but, like, that was a big goal for Svetch.

[Chris]

I thought, dude, someone. Let me see if I can find this someone.

[Dan]

Just. That was a big goal for Switch.

[Chris]

Yeah. Chris goes fetch. Usually goes bonkers after he get. He pots his first goal. After a slump that would be. We just saw Hurdle do that, right? Like, Hurdle didn't scored since January, and now he's a weapon.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

So keep eyes on that. And maybe Dan, just maybe Aho gets going after a fake goal.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

He goes. I guess they gave me credit for a goal. I saw. I saw my name on the score sheet for a second. I saw myself first star. Maybe now he gets going after a fake goal.

[Dan]

After everything in these playoffs, I think as a betting man, I would say Montreal's definitely going to take care of business in this game.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

But after what we've seen in these last two games, I think that there. There is an opportunity sitting on a silver platter. In even. Even though they're away. There's a silver plattered opportunity sitting in the locker room for the Carolina Hurricanes. And it is an opportunity for friend of the program Seth Jarvis.

[Chris]

Okay.

[Dan]

It is an opportunity for Sebastian Aho. It is an opportunity for friend of the program Nick Ehlers. It is an opportunity for Andre Svetchnikov. It is an opportunity for young upcoming star Jackson Blake. It is an opportunity for once red hot friend of the program Logan Stank of.

[Chris]

Yep.

[Dan]

Get a lot of friends the program.

[Chris]

Oh, Big Cane's pod. Big Cane's pod.

[Dan]

You guys are star hockey players, every one of them. And you have an opportunity to make the world know that you are also a dog.

[Chris]

Yep.

[Dan]

Because remember what we watched Mikko rant and do to Colorado last year.

[Chris]

Yes.

[Dan]

There is an opportunity for one of those guys here to come out and go, yeah, we're in Montreal. Yeah, we've only won the last two games in ot. They could come out and have a monster game where they score dagger goals, like suck the life out of a city goals. You have an opportunity to do that. I'm not saying if you don't do it, you have fucked up. If you don't do it, you lose. It's two, two. You're going home. You're fine. But you have an opportunity to become dogs in this game and an opportunity to make everyone in the national media stop stroking off Vegas. What that comment said earlier, that was like, everyone needs to stop, you know, disrespecting Carolina.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

The reason no one's talking about Carolina is because they've won two games in Otto and they had that first game that looked really, really bad. But if they get this game where someone becomes a junkyard dog, then people will go, okay, like, Vegas might have a fucking tall task at hand here. Like, if this Carolina team went 4, 040, and now after a brutal game one against a really, really good Montreal team, they go 3 1. Now people start respecting this team with

[Chris]

a chance to gentlemen sweep. And their, their only loss, they will say, was completely rust. Which I will say too, after a longest break in 107 years.

[Dan]

No one, no one can argue that if they gentlemen sweep and the canes.

[Chris]

Dude, what? 113 points or something? Like, I think they were not that far behind the ads.

[Dan]

No, no, no, not at all.

[Chris]

Team in the league.

[Dan]

Yes.

[Chris]

So I'm like, I, I guess to, to contradict myself earlier when I said, yeah, but the Knicks have the. Potentially the Thunder waiting for them and Vegas doesn't have that. I Think if the Canes make it, they actually do have that narrative, especially in a gentleman sweep. If they gentlemen sweep, the Canes go into the final going, what do you want? What can you say now? Dude, we. We are the. We were the second best team in the league behind the fucking Aves, who you all said was the best team of all time. We were right behind them, and we have rolled our way fucking 12 and 1. They would be 12 and 1 into the final. Like, dude, has anyone ever even done that? I would love someone to look that up. Has anyone made the final at 12 and 1? I know the Oilers went 16 and 2 once, so maybe they did. I don't know how many games they lost in that Stanley cup, but that would be like, truly, Carolina would go, what the are you talking about? We've lost one time. We've swept. Swept, gentleman swept. And now we're here and you're. I'm scared of Vegas off 100.

[Dan]

I think it's going to change a lot. I think right now most people in hockey media too, dude, are going, oh, it's over. Like, they're going, Vegas has won. They're gonna do it again. No question. Blah, blah, blah, blah. But I'm telling you, if Carolina shows up tonight and emerges as dogs, they. More. More people will start being like, wait a minute, dude, we are sleeping on Carolina.

[Chris]

Yeah, because remember when they get over this hump, when the ABs beat Minnesota, we both said, Whoa, the ABs have a chance to do something special. Winning a cup in. In a teen number of games. And it was. Now Carolina's feeling that way, too. If they win tonight, Carolina's like, dude, we are. It's us. It was us. Yeah,

[Dan]

hit me, talk to me. All right, give me. Actually, keep going.

[Chris]

Okay, we've got a stack we've got to get. Zach's got a stat cooking about, I think, playoff dominance. We'll see.

[Dan]

Oh, come on.

[Chris]

But, yeah, man, this is. This is a massive one. But. But, dude, this is also one. Dan. Where. Now the way we're talking right now, we're writing off the Habs, and I wouldn't be that shocked if the Habs. The Habs could win the series in six. They could win tonight, steal one in Carolina, come home and win in the Bell center and go, what was all that? Canes are going to win the cup in 18 games talk. They didn't even beat us. You know, this. This one does feel like nothing is decided yet tonight. Obviously a huge swing game. But. But you said earlier too, this. If the Canes will squeak one again tonight. As Marty said, they will continue. There's no. They are not going to roll over and die. This Habs team is, is very good. And he's gonna gonna be in the mixer. Here we go.

[Dan]

Yes. Two NHL teams have finished a Stanley cup playoff run with a 121 record. The 67, 68 Canadiens, the 75, 76 Canadian.

[Chris]

Very sick. So. So. You know what I mean? Like, I don't think anyone's even gotten through to the final then. 12 and 1.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Unless. Unless maybe that Oilers team did it in the, in the 80s. But that's fucking sick, dude. And that's if the Canes win.

[Dan]

Do you think that was even fun? I met. I'm dead ass. Do you think that was even fun for them?

[Chris]

Yes.

[Dan]

Like, just dominating the whole time. Yeah. Like winning. I think winning a Stanley cup at any point in life is probably. But it must be weird, right? Because if you win that shit 12:1. Yeah, you are. You were probably playing game one of the final, and when you win, you already know you've won. Yeah, but winning is fun. Winning is fun. I love winning. But like, you've got to imagine you need to add, like, a level of flavor after every game. Like, you probably start partying. Like, I would, I would be playing guilty every game. Just being like this. Let's make this a little interesting because, like, imagine being like, let's say the Cane. What if the Canes just turn it the fuck on here? And they gentlemen, sweep Montreal.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

And then they go up against Vegas and they win game one and two, like by five goals. They're probably like this. Wait, did we win the cup already?

[Chris]

Yes.

[Dan]

And I know a lot of people would be like, no, you can never have that mentality.

[Chris]

But I'm like, no, dude, suck my dick. Yeah. Yeah.

[Dan]

You've lost one game. You might have that mentality, dude.

[Chris]

Chris in the chat says this is actually an amazing. This is funny, but it's just an amazing stat. The Canes haven't lost a playoff series in three years when they didn't start down 03. So either they start down.03 or they win the series.

[Dan]

Like, interesting. Yeah.

[Chris]

Which is amazing. So they have won this series just, just solely based on the fact that they didn't get start down. Rinse job 03. Which is hilarious. What was it?

[Dan]

Put it up there. Oh, Habs money line is a whale, man. I mean, Locks has been. I, I, it's Locks has been kind of dialed.

[Chris]

Yeah, he has.

[Dan]

So, I mean, all right. I Think that's the official pick for tonight. We are taking Habs Moneyline. They're not letting this get through the doctor.

[Chris]

Hey, listen, Doc. Doc Marner delivered in the west. The doctor Locks will deliver in the east for us tonight. Yeah, I think it go. Maybe that means it has to even up and go to.

[Dan]

I love it. All right, I got to blast that out. Hold on.

[Chris]

Okay. Okay. I love that, man. Dude, this one, I, I love that Locks knows because I'm just gonna have to ride with him. But this one is one where I, I don't have a read on at all. I just, I feel like I have no idea which team is going to jump out. Is it the Habs team that scores a billion goals in the first period and is flying? Is it the Habs team that can't shoot? You know, I, it's, it's. Until the game starts, I have no idea which side of it I should have been on. And whereas in some of these other Western Conference games, I feel like I have a good sense of what's going to happen. This, this series is, is, is pure madness.

[Dan]

Yeah, I, I, I, I'm having a blast watching these games because I'm totally with you. I, I don't know what's going to happen every single game.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Dan]

Like, I, I, obviously no one predicted a sweep from Vegas, but I did kind of have an idea of what to expect every game. Whereas this series, I'm like, would we be that shocked if the Habs came out and scored four first period goals? I wouldn't.

[Chris]

What I'm saying, I wouldn't, you know,

[Dan]

and I also wouldn't be shocked if Carolina went up three nothing in the first period.

[Chris]

I think, though I will say this, I'm not predicting this is going to happen, but I'm a message to the Habs. We have said all playoffs. It feels like, man, the Bell center is incredible. And someone had said earlier they're two and five at home, which is a fact and ridiculous, but the Bell center is incredible. Oh, my God. The away team. The away team really needs to get an early goal to try to suck the life out of it. It and many times, mostly Buffalo would get that early goal and then the Habs would score a bunch. So they were able to recover from giving up that away goal. But too often, too often at home in this playoff run for the Habs, they do give up that first away goal. When the crowd wants nothing more than to just fucking ride this train. Give it to him one time.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

Get an early lead. If you're Montreal, that's what I'm screaming. If I am Marty and this team, I go, guys, we have let this fan base down at home when they just want to because we have a chance to bury the other team if we just get up and make the building suffocate them. So do that once.

[Dan]

I agree.

[Chris]

Because you were giving up that first goal at home way too often.

[Dan]

Agree completely. All right, I think that's going to do it for this episode. Great stuff, Vegas. Congratulations. You're headed to the Stanley Cup. Montreal Carolina tonight. Let's see what is on deck. We're hammering the Habs.

[Chris]

Money line has spoken.

[Dan]

We think it's what's going to be going down. We'll be recording tonight, so we'll get a fresh episode up for you tomorrow morning and we can't wait to see you then. Let's see what's in store.

[Chris]

Come on. Going to be a big one in

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