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Dan Powers
Welcome to the Empty Netters podcast.
Sean Buffini
Can you believe what this has become? There's a full 48 hours where I felt like I was like literally Superman.
Dan Powers
Jumbo loves playing Fortnite, so he gets on the sticks. Did TR show you the saunacy or was that all?
Sean Buffini
No, I invented that. Almost a year now that I haven't taken a body check. That's kind of nice.
Chris Powers
Finished tonight with some chicken fingers and a few Guinnesses. Ran into you guys. That's where this pod came to life.
Dan Powers
Ice is ready. And we are back with another episode of the Empty Nighters podcast, brought to you by BetMGM. I'm your host, Dan Powers, and over here on the sticks. He looks amazing because he's got a twinkle in his eye and gold in his soul. Sean Buffini.
Chris Powers
Aw, shucks.
Dan Powers
How are you, pal?
Chris Powers
Good, Great. Excellent.
Dan Powers
Fantastic. And over here to my left, he looks amazing because he's wearing a sweater that I bought him.
Sean Buffini
Chris Powers, as always. That was actually nice. I was about to complain that you always get good shit and I always get bad shit.
Dan Powers
No, you don't get bad shit. You get honest shit. Yeah, real shit.
Sean Buffini
And everything is real about Shawn too. It's just all good.
Dan Powers
Yeah, he's just a good. He's a perfect man.
Sean Buffini
Fuck.
Dan Powers
We addressed this last episode. Sean just is always dropping nuggets of truth and he's just the best guy in the world.
Sean Buffini
Actually. I want to see.
Chris Powers
Can we clip that?
Sean Buffini
It's probably gonna be.
Dan Powers
Yeah, it's a five second clip.
Chris Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
And it's just.
Dan Powers
That's just how it is.
Sean Buffini
It's probably gonna be not as good as I want.
Dan Powers
What's going to not be as good as you want?
Sean Buffini
Yeah, I wish this had been better, dude. I. I'm not mad that I. I have a burner Instagram, but I swear sometimes it hurts my engagement when I try to use it because everyone's like, this is a bot or something. I just think my comments deserve more appreciation. And I. They are. They are squandered by my grave picture and no posts. But in the Venmo thing I did, my only comment is Sean goat emoji. And it has six likes.
Chris Powers
Thank you, dude.
Dan Powers
I mean, you're getting a lot of love in that post because it's the truth. I mean, it's like our reaction to it. I was just like, it was the same thing as the fries dilemma.
Sean Buffini
Someone commented too, Sean and says, yup, clapping emoji. I love him in the mix. Exclamation point. King Emoji. Goat emoji. Wizard emoji.
Chris Powers
Wizard emoji. Wow. That's hyper special.
Sean Buffini
That's incredible.
Dan Powers
I mean, that is true special stuff. That's fantastic. What's also fantastic is hot ice. Everything going on in the league right now. We gotta start with the Utah Mammoth.
Sean Buffini
Dude, the Mammoth. You know what I really like is when people. Players go like this.
Dan Powers
Yeah. The Cold Palmer.
Sean Buffini
Yep, Cold Palmer. Trae Young does it. I think I. Iced tea.
Dan Powers
Ice cold. Yeah. Is that his nickname? Ice Tea?
Sean Buffini
I think so.
Dan Powers
That's pretty sweet.
Sean Buffini
Ice Tray, maybe or some shit.
Dan Powers
Pretty sweet.
Sean Buffini
And I would like the mammoth to have that. I feel like it's the mammoth that gets to go like this. We cold with a mammoth. But I know that there are other teams that would say we are colder than Utah. Like the Avalanche, probably. And then all the Canadian teams.
Dan Powers
Winnipeg, Winter Peg, Calgary and.
Sean Buffini
But the Calgary are the Flames. Like you can't go, we're cold. And I'm like, you're a fire. You are.
Dan Powers
Thought about how ironic that name is. The Calgary Flames.
Sean Buffini
Flames. Why are they the Flames? Can we look that up?
Dan Powers
Look that up right now. But yeah, you're in northern Canada. It gets quite cold up there. And you are called the Flames. That's interesting.
Sean Buffini
Because the Maymays.
Dan Powers
Wait, wait, don't we know this is because they came over from Atlanta.
Sean Buffini
The Atlanta.
Dan Powers
They were the Atlanta Flames. That makes sense.
Sean Buffini
See? And.
Dan Powers
Oh.
Sean Buffini
Whoa.
Dan Powers
Uh. Oh. Feel like something bad happened.
Sean Buffini
Crazy. Okay, I have two comments now. Okay. One, I strongly feel that teams should have to change names. And I think this is a pretty common take. But it's like when the Minnesota North Stars go to Dallas and then. Actually that one's kind of weird. Cause the stars almost works for Dallas. I don't know, it just feels like Sheriff to me. You're like, you're a Texas Ranger. They're all wearing stars.
Dan Powers
Yes. Yeah.
Chris Powers
Wait, I never put that together. That makes so much sense. Stars and like the Texas Ranger thing.
Dan Powers
It is like the Texas Ranger. Do you know what the Texas Rangers are?
Chris Powers
The Texas Rangers, like the. Isn't that like a football team? It's not like a sportsball team.
Sean Buffini
Close. Yeah. It's a baseball team.
Dan Powers
It's a baseball team. Yeah, it's a sports ball.
Sean Buffini
Cricket.
Dan Powers
It is Cricket Shop Cricket. Yeah.
Chris Powers
American cricket.
Dan Powers
But like the Dallas Cowboys have a star on like that is their logo. So like fair. And I wonder if that.
Sean Buffini
That one's actually a good one. Because I'm like, oh, you're paying respect, but also making it yours. Because they were the Minnesota North Star, Sean. That was a hockey team. Because of course, the North Star, Minnesota.
Chris Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
And then they.
Dan Powers
Hold on. I'm not sure I'm okay with us saying of course.
Sean Buffini
Dude. The stars are out everywhere in the sky.
Dan Powers
I get it. The Minnesota is more so than.
Sean Buffini
There's not a team in Maine and there wasn't a team in Seattle. So that Minnesota was probably the north, the northernmost team. Pretty close. But the US does loop. It does smile. The US does smile.
Dan Powers
Does smile.
Sean Buffini
So maybe they're not that north, but.
Dan Powers
But it is more. It's objectively more north than Dallas. So the fair.
Sean Buffini
They were the North Stars. They moved to Dallas and they changed their name to the Dallas Stars. They dropped the North.
Chris Powers
Right. I. So I thought it was either. I mean, when you said, like, Texas Ranger, I was like, oh, yeah. Because, like, sheriffs and stuff have, like a star. But then I realized, like, Texas is like the Lone Star State, isn't it? Like, that's even now.
Sean Buffini
It's even cooler.
Dan Powers
It's even cooler.
Sean Buffini
It.
Dan Powers
It. That must have been considered kind of nice when they went down there. They must have said, let's just keep stars because it's the Lone Star State. Cowboys have a star. Rangers. It's. It's in the sheriff stuff. It does make sense.
Sean Buffini
So then there was also a Minnesota basketball team called the Lakers, because there's lakes. It's this land of a thousand, ten thousand lakes. And then they moved to Los Angeles and just kept it the Los Angeles Lakers. And I'm like, there's no water here. It hasn't rained in a billion years.
Chris Powers
That's so funny.
Sean Buffini
You need to change your name. But then they didn't, and now everyone's like, no, it's LA Lakers. And I'm like, no, it's very strange.
Chris Powers
So funny.
Dan Powers
And I. Lakers. It's funny because it sounds so iconic. I know there's a bit of alliteration there, but LA Lakers makes no sense.
Sean Buffini
So, yeah, I wish teams had to change their name. If you're gonna move. If you're gonna move them, you gotta change the name.
Chris Powers
But then what's the point of even buying a team if you don't get the brand recognition?
Sean Buffini
I think because, well, I think you don't want it. Like, the Arizona Coyotes were the hockey team, and then they moved last year and became the Utah Mammoth. Cause the Utah Coyotes would have been fucking ridiculous.
Chris Powers
I will say Mammoth is a dope name.
Sean Buffini
It's incredible.
Chris Powers
Yeah, it's incredible.
Sean Buffini
And they did they did, Sean. They did a whole thing with the fans. They released a ton of options and then the fans voted. Like that one, actually. I think they were trying to be the Yeti and then the Yeti Yeti Cooler sued them and was like, no. So then it went to Mammoth. So. Yeah. But. But then you. So you create your own thing with your new fan base and hopefully you keep some Arizona fans. But maybe not. But, you know, now you got a thing where you're.
Dan Powers
I actually wonder that. That's such a good question. I feel as though there are so many yotz fans who must be so loyal to the players.
Sean Buffini
Yeah.
Dan Powers
That they're like, I'm still gonna root for them.
Sean Buffini
Rooting for him.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
I don't know. People get mad.
Dan Powers
I don't think that if you're in Arizona, you have a. Any sort of rivalry or anger towards Utah.
Sean Buffini
Yeah. So this. Before we even get into that. I'm about to sneeze.
Chris Powers
Oh, log it. Log it.
Dan Powers
Oh, my God.
Chris Powers
Only two. Hang on. Before we. I don't want you to move on. I don't know what you're about to say next, but Atlanta Flames. Why are they called Atlanta Flames?
Sean Buffini
Okay, this is where I was going. So first of all, it was the Atlanta Flames, which I think adds to this argument, because then moving to Calgary and staying the Flames is fucking insane. The Calgary Flames? Ridiculous. How about the fucking icicles? How about the fucking Ice Flames?
Dan Powers
How about the Calgary Snowmen?
Sean Buffini
Yeah, dude. Activate fireblades. Dude. Calgary fucking fireblades. That'd be sick. So, yeah.
Dan Powers
But I will say, however, Calgary Flames, one of the best logos in the league.
Sean Buffini
All time. And. And so then it says that. So that's why they're the Flames, because they just came over. Ridiculous. They should have changed their name. And then it says this. The name originates from their time as the Atlanta Flames, who were named originally to commemorate the burning of Atlanta during the U.S. civil War.
Chris Powers
Oh, my God.
Sean Buffini
I'm like, why in the fuck?
Dan Powers
Why are we commemorating that? Was that a good time?
Sean Buffini
Hold on.
Chris Powers
That's like if we were like the Irish famished or something.
Dan Powers
Genuinely.
Chris Powers
That's not a good part of our history, truly.
Dan Powers
Or like la. Like, I mean, you could do that with la, with the fires and like the LA Earthquakes.
Chris Powers
Yeah.
Dan Powers
Isn't there a MLS team named the Quake? Like the San Jose Dude, Too soon.
Sean Buffini
The Irish Famine. The Irish Famine. And then John, hilariously, you. Your franchise transfers to another country and remains the Famine. Why is your logo a starving man? I don't Know, if they were starving in Ireland.
Dan Powers
Misinterpreting the burning of Atlanta in the Civil War, was that like a good moment or is it literally like, what.
Chris Powers
Side was Atlanta on in the Civil War?
Dan Powers
I gotta believe definitely the South.
Chris Powers
Okay.
Dan Powers
I promise you that it would be very strange if the city of Atlanta during the Civil War also.
Sean Buffini
Yeah.
Chris Powers
Because it's like, Atlanta, Georgia. That's like super sad.
Dan Powers
Oh, yeah, Yeah. I highly doubt that they were an undercover Northern. Northern allies down in Atlanta.
Sean Buffini
It says the burning of Atlanta was the widespread destruction of the city's military and industrial infrastructure during Bi Union forces under General William T. Sherman in November 1864, shortly before his march to the sea, crippling Confederate resources and morale by burning railroads, factories and warehouses to prevent their use by the South. While not directly targeting homes. The fire spread, leaving much of the city in ruins and thousands homeless, marking a significant blow in the Civil War.
Dan Powers
This is flames.
Sean Buffini
Go.
Dan Powers
That is truly crazy.
Chris Powers
To name your team after that is insane.
Dan Powers
I mean, objectively, the thousands homeless and people's homes destroyed, and I imagine many people dead, not good. Obviously a great moment for the Civil War given that Union forces were able to hurt the Confederacy. But what are we doing naming the Atlanta team after that?
Sean Buffini
The Calgary Flames.
Dan Powers
Calgary Flames. Anyway, we're talking about the Utah mammoth.
Sean Buffini
Yep. And I just want them to be cold. I think the mammoth deserve to go like this. They're cold. Boom. They're the coldest in the fucking world. I think.
Dan Powers
I also think Utah has claimed to be colder than Colorado. Right?
Sean Buffini
Think so. Denver is the sunniest city in the country. You know that Denver gets more sun than la.
Dan Powers
Yeah, they're really sunny. So I don't think we. Yeah, I think Utah gets that.
Sean Buffini
And when I.
Dan Powers
When we've been skiing in Colorado and Utah, I do feel like Utah is always colder.
Sean Buffini
Yeah, probably. I mean, Montana, but there's no team. No. We could get a team up.
Chris Powers
There should be a Montana team.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
Has there been any great tragedies in Montana we could name the team after?
Dan Powers
Or. Or we just go, you know, the Montana palm trees.
Sean Buffini
Yeah, yeah, yeah. They came. We moved them.
Dan Powers
Yeah. The Montana Dolphins. Done.
Sean Buffini
Gators. We moved the Florida Gators. College team. We made them a pro team in Montana, so. All right.
Dan Powers
We're talking about the Mammoth. We're actually going to do it this time. They've got the first wild card spot right now with a three point cushion. They're only nine points behind Dallas and nine points is a lot. But for a time, we had talked about those three teams in the Central being a lock.
Sean Buffini
No one would ever catch them.
Dan Powers
Dallas and Minnesota are kind of slipping. In fact, if you look at the last 10 games for all three of Colorado, Dallas and Minnesota, they're not great. Their record of all of their last 10 games.
Sean Buffini
Yep, agree. The Aves. Okay, a couple things. One, you're right. But no one is catching them. I think you agree with that. Those three teams are going to be the three teams in the Central in some order. Well, actually, I'll even say this. The AVs are going to win the Central. I guarantee it. Dallas and Minnesota are going to be second and third in the Central in some order. I guarantee it. Yeah. I am also dead in Colorado's chance to break the point. I think so, too.
Dan Powers
Good.
Sean Buffini
Danny, thanks for coming out. Not on my watch. Bruins forever. That's over. Colorado, however, maybe prefers that because the.
Dan Powers
You got it.
Sean Buffini
Bruins lost in the first round. The Lightning lost in the first round.
Dan Powers
It happens a lot, so just don't do it.
Sean Buffini
Ease the tension, baby.
Dan Powers
Don't break it.
Sean Buffini
Ease the tension. Don't break it.
Dan Powers
Their goal differential still just cracks me up. It's unbelievable. But what I love about the Mammoth, they're playing great. Five wins in a row. Want to talk about Clayton Keller? 3 goals, 4 assists in his last 4 games. Leader of this team. They got a lot of guys buzzing. But what I love specifically about Keller, I think he has 50 points in 51 games. Now his heater kind of comes on the tails of being named to Team USA when I think there were some people being like.
Sean Buffini
When I said he's having one of the worst years in recent memory.
Dan Powers
Yeah. And people were like, does Keller need to be on this team? And he was like, I'll show you why I need to be on this team. And the last couple of games he's played, unbelievable. Making highlight real plays.
Sean Buffini
Plus 18 too. That's fucking great.
Dan Powers
Oh, yeah. Yeah. He's buzzing. It's fantastic. Go.
Sean Buffini
It's really fun to watch because this team last year was such a. They were honestly the Ducks of this year. Coming into the preseason, everybody was like, mammoth, Mammoth, Mammoth. They're making playoffs. Arizona played well. Logan Cooley, all these guys are awesome. And then they got decimated. And I'm actually using that word correctly. Okay, you guys know what that word means? Here comes another crazy tangent. You know what the word decimated means or where it comes from?
Dan Powers
No.
Sean Buffini
I believe Roman. Someone's going to ether me if this is wrong, but a Roman armies would fight in units, 10 units. Like they would bring. They'd be like boom. Your chunk decimal. Yeah. So then if one got wiped out, they'd be like, oh, we've been decimated. Like we lost one tenth of our fleet.
Dan Powers
Brilliant.
Sean Buffini
And I feel like we always use it now meaning like destruction. And I'm like, you lost 1 10th, you're back.
Chris Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
So they've been more than decimated. They've been decimated thrice over with. With injuries. Last year, remember they lost like every defenseman on earth. And I was like, oh, okay.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
And they of had a little fight in them, but it was just too little too late last year. And then I thought this year, man, what a disappointment because they were so hyped about playoffs and now they stink and they will always stink and everything sucks now. They don't suck. And that's kind of fun, I think.
Dan Powers
It's so fun. I also think vibes in Utah in playoffs would be gas. Yeah.
Sean Buffini
People ordering, dude. People pregaming. Going to the bar go, can I get a drink? They go, no problem. Here's less liquor than you would get in a drink in any other state. And they go, oh, dope. You know what? Now games on Sunday, can we have a drink? And they go, nope, no alcohol on Sunday, but enjoy the game. Yeah, it's going to be so sick.
Dan Powers
We actually just got hit up by Utah's.
Sean Buffini
I know you want to go and.
Dan Powers
We'Ve got to talk to them about. Because you know what I desperately want to do? I want to go to Utah and ski all day and get off the mountain and take a shower and drive over to the arena and go to a game. I am not sure I can think of a better day.
Sean Buffini
How far in the rink from is it. Are they in the Delta center still?
Dan Powers
Yeah, they're in the Delta center forever. Forever. Like how far is Alta from Delta Center?
Sean Buffini
It is.
Dan Powers
It doesn't even matter. I bet it's. I bet it's 38 minutes, 36 minutes.
Sean Buffini
That was really good, Dan.
Dan Powers
Thank you. That was really so easy.
Sean Buffini
That was really good.
Dan Powers
I'll ski all day.
Sean Buffini
Yeah, because you can stay, dude. You get your. Get your place in Salt Lake City.
Dan Powers
Exactly.
Sean Buffini
And then you just.
Dan Powers
That's what, that's what we always do. I always. We always get a house in Salt Lake City and then drive to the mountain. So I'll just. I'll just ski, get off the mountain at like 4, drive home, shower, and then go to Delta. God, have the best day of my life.
Sean Buffini
There's a Topgolf. Right there. There's a Buffalo Wild Wings right there. There are two Buffalo Wild Wings. You're telling me we're gonna drive? The route takes us directly past two Buffalo Wild Wings. We gotta find out how far apart these Buffalo Wild Wings are. Because this.
Dan Powers
They're treating Buffalo Wild Wings like Starbucks in Utah. That's crazy.
Chris Powers
There's two on every corner.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
A lot. Have you ever seen.
Dan Powers
Have you ever been to New York City?
Chris Powers
Yes. Yeah.
Dan Powers
Have you ever or. I don't know if you've seen the moments when you're in New York City and you are standing on a corner outside of a Starbucks and you look across the street and there's a Starbucks there as well. Is when I'm like, this is.
Chris Powers
There's. I think it's San Diego airport in Terminal 2 where you can do that. You can stand at one Starbucks and look about 45ft down the terminal and see another Starbucks. And I'm like, what was the point of this?
Sean Buffini
Yeah, dude, sometimes.
Dan Powers
Can we. Can we not get a coffee scene in here?
Sean Buffini
This happens in Boston a lot with dunks, but sometimes it's on Route 1, for example, and there's a guard or whatever that you can't cross. Right. Like there's a guardian. You can't turn. Yeah. As a median. So it's like there's a dunks across the street. But I'm like, well, those serve two different people because like, you can't get. You can't. You know, you can't u turn. So it's like actually kind of nice. But I love a airport terminal where I'm like, I could just walk there. Like, this is it. This isn't traffic.
Chris Powers
The most American thing ever is not being able to walk across the street because of car infrastructure. So you just build another of the things on your side of the street. And of course, that thing is a donut shop.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
Yeah. These Buffalo wildlings are a 16 minute drive apart in Salt Lake City. That feels close.
Chris Powers
That's. Yeah, but I mean, that could still be like. I could see how those are like. That's okay. Sixteen is okay. If it was like four, I'd be like, that's yo. Yeah.
Sean Buffini
Okay, dude. So perfect day. Perfect day and Utah. Stay hot, dude. Stay hot.
Dan Powers
Stay hot because. And also Utah will see you soon. Like I said, we just got hit up by the mammoth. The mammoth.
Sean Buffini
Mammoth.
Dan Powers
And we're gonna. We're gonna come get some stuff cracking.
Sean Buffini
You know what's exciting?
Dan Powers
Not cracking. Sorry.
Sean Buffini
I was gonna say pun intended. What's exciting is right now the wild card is Mammoth 58, Sharks 55, Kings 50. And games are, you know, slightly skewed. Sharks 55, Kings 55, Kraken 55. And I will put in the Preds 52. I think I'm debting the Hawks, I.
Dan Powers
Think from the playoffs. Yep.
Sean Buffini
Yeah, but maybe not. They're only five points back games.
Dan Powers
That wasn't me saying. Yeah, I'm debtting that and I'm.
Sean Buffini
You are probably debtting the Preds. I am keeping them alive because I believe and I believe this.
Dan Powers
Well, here's my thing. Like I'm. The preds are above.500 and the. As far as point percentage.
Sean Buffini
Yeah, yeah.
Dan Powers
And The Hawks are below.500. And I think through 52 games to be below.500 is tough. But at the same time we've seen it before.
Sean Buffini
Yeah.
Dan Powers
So I'm not going to get. I will not dead them.
Sean Buffini
But that means, you know, we've got two spots for Mammoth, Sharks, Kings, Kraken. Yeah, you know, I'm putting Ducks in. So yeah, like Mammoth, dude, you can make it. It's not like there's teams, it's not like there's the getting healthy Panthers behind them surging where you're like, oh shit, for sure. You know, like you could make it.
Dan Powers
For sure.
Chris Powers
You can make it.
Sean Buffini
It would actually. It actually feels sick, Dan, that I'm putting the. Well, they're not in for sure, but I just believe the Kings are making playoffs. So that means one of Mammoth Sharks and Kraken. Yeah, we'll probably get in. And I'm like, Fuck, yeah.
Dan Powers
Yeah, 100%. Let's talk about another team that's streaking. You just mentioned them, the Anaheim Ducks.
Sean Buffini
Is there anything that happened to the Ducks that has spawned this seven game win streak? I feel like because they were slumping big time. They were in a rut. They had fallen out. They fell out of first in the Pacific, then they fell out of top three in the Pacific.
Dan Powers
They fell out of a wild card spot.
Sean Buffini
They were in big, big trouble. And then I swear something happened. And now they've won seven straight. And now they're making playoffs easily.
Dan Powers
They needed a boost. They needed some mojo.
Sean Buffini
God, I can't.
Dan Powers
They needed someone to help them take flight.
Sean Buffini
That's what it was.
Dan Powers
My hand is still not right.
Sean Buffini
That's what it was. We went down to the Honda Center. We hammered the take flight button. Take it easy. We thought the crowd fired up.
Dan Powers
Take it easy.
Sean Buffini
We inspired the boys. And now the Ducks are The best team in hockey.
Dan Powers
That is all true. Except we did nothing.
Sean Buffini
We did everything.
Dan Powers
Well, listen, we went down there and we gave a little bit of oomph, but the boys did it, and that's why they're still doing it. They've won seven straight. Beckett, your boy got his first NHL Hattie last night. Sunday night. Unbelievable. Kreider goal as well. Here's the thing. The Duckies, they're back in top three in the Pacific. They could win the Pacific. They're one point behind Edmonton, I believe, with the game in hand. And there are only three points behind Vegas.
Sean Buffini
And how many games. Vegas is sitting on a bunch of games though, right?
Dan Powers
Only one on the Ducks.
Sean Buffini
Okay.
Dan Powers
I believe Vegas has three, has played 51, Edmonton, 53, and the Duckies 52.
Sean Buffini
Okay.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
Wow. Wow.
Dan Powers
Wow.
Sean Buffini
Yes. That's actually tight. That's actually tight. Vegas is always. Vegas is weird as fuck, dude.
Dan Powers
Like, absolutely.
Chris Powers
Absolutely.
Dan Powers
But it is funny, you know, they've got 62 points, 60 points and 59 points. And then if you just go down. The Sharks have 55, and the Kings have 55, and Seattle has 55. So, like, it's all tied in and.
Sean Buffini
They only have 50 games. Those guys, you know, you got to win them. You got to win them. But technically they're tied.
Dan Powers
If they.
Sean Buffini
If they get those games in hand.
Dan Powers
We.
Sean Buffini
The Ducks are awesome. Dude. It's been such a fun team. Sick. Watching them be good.
Dan Powers
Such a fun team.
Sean Buffini
I really, really want them to make playoffs. I actually am very sure they're going to make playoffs. Similar to what we. What we just said about the AVs. I'm. I'm glad they had that dip then.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
You know, it's a long season. These are young. It's young guys. They need to feel some adversity. They did. This is a good time to surge. Grabbing a couple wins here. I hope they get to Olympic. Break strong, get some rest. Leo Carlson, get healthy. Healthier. Boom. We're off and running. Cause they have entered. It's a disaster if they miss.
Dan Powers
Terrifying. You think so?
Sean Buffini
Yeah.
Dan Powers
I don't know if I'm ready for the word disaster.
Sean Buffini
It is.
Dan Powers
I think it is a massive disappointment.
Sean Buffini
They were first in the Pacific till, like, first.
Dan Powers
I know, but you can't. I don't think you can say disaster when you have this young team with everyone under contract, but it's.
Sean Buffini
It's.
Dan Powers
And also, everyone is so happy and chill.
Sean Buffini
Yeah. True, true.
Dan Powers
That's the thing. That's the thing. When Vancouver. This is going to be Such a ricochet shot in Vancouver, and I apologize. When Vancouver was the best team in the league, and then the next year, they were bad again. That was a disaster because there were, you know, contracts coming up. There was rumors of players being unhappy and wanting trades. And look at how many trades we've seen. Everyone in Anaheim is like, I fucking love it here. Let's keep rocking. So I think it would be a massive disappointment. I'm not ready to use the word disaster, but massive disappointment falls in the same category as you got to make playoffs. So they got to keep this up.
Sean Buffini
Yep. Beckett. I don't even want to talk about this, really, but Beckett, the. Where do you. Where are you currently at? So preseason. This is what I didn't want to talk about, but whatever. Fuck it. Fuck it. Tell me if you want Beckett preseason or sorry, not preseason. After opening night.
Dan Powers
Okay.
Sean Buffini
We went to Ducky's opening night, and I was like, man, this team looks so good. And Beckett looked so ready. So NHL ready.
Dan Powers
He's unbelievable.
Sean Buffini
In one game, they had played some road games, but I was like, holy shit, this kid is, like, unfaced. I sprinkled Beckett, Calder.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
Then.
Dan Powers
Yeah, you did.
Sean Buffini
And right Now, Demidoff has 43 points, Beckett has 41, and Schaefer has 34. And I had said a while ago, we had all been like, oh, it's Schaefer, it's Schaefer, it's Schaefer. I think as of right now. And we'll do our three quarter season awards eventually. But I'm wondering where you're at, Dan, with. We had said, well, it's. It's the Lane Hudson thing. Like, it's not really a point race. Cause if Schaefer's in the mix, like, it's obviously Schaefer. The Islanders are in playoffs. It's incredible. He turned the entire city around. Turn the entire island.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
But it's morphing away from Schaefer. For me right now.
Dan Powers
I believe that it's not as much of a runaway for Schaefer as it once was. I'll agree. And I want to give props to Demidoff.
Sean Buffini
Oh, he would probably win right now.
Dan Powers
I don't know about that. I still think it's probably amongst players. I think it's still. Probably Shaffer, but I still put Walstead up there. Walstead is still amongst the league leaders, and he's definitely fallen off a little bit with goals against, I think. But say percentage. I believe he's. He's fifth in the league. And say percentage. He's second in the league in shutouts. And we're talking about a rookie. I know, a rookie goaltender. But I. What, what's really exciting about the Rook the Calder race is it is very much a race.
Sean Buffini
We've got a lot of dogs, got.
Dan Powers
A lot of horses in this race. Now, this will be fun one.
Sean Buffini
This will be one where usually you're like, obviously I know the top three, so let's see what they go with. And this one I'll be like, man, making a final, like the top three finals will be something of an announcement too.
Dan Powers
No doubt, no doubt. Ducks in playoffs, I think is an absolute must.
Sean Buffini
They're. Oh my God. Dude. It's always awesome when there's, when there's a little bit of new blood. We hadn't seen it in a while.
Dan Powers
We talked about at the top of the year how the stock that you should be putting into the Anaheim Ducks and the San Jose Sharks. And it is so wild and how cyclical the world is. It feels like we are on a crash course to the Ducks and the Sharks being massive, massive players and contenders for the next 10 years. And that's pretty cool.
Sean Buffini
Yeah, it's amazing.
Dan Powers
You wanted to talk about some goalie.
Sean Buffini
Stuff, dude, I just had. I found a cool thing on Reddit that was so interesting. The average across the entire league, I'm sure there's a minimum start, but across the entire league, every goalie save percentage. I'm going to read you from the 2016 season all the way to so far this season, okay. 913. Save percentage. 9 12.
Dan Powers
So hold on. Say, say this. This is the.
Sean Buffini
This is the average, the average save percentage of every goalie in the league, I'm sure with some minimum start. So it's not like, oh, this one guy played one game and then tanked the save percentage.
Dan Powers
Got it.
Sean Buffini
The average goalie say percentage across every goalie in the league, 2016 season to now. 9139-129109-10908, 9079-049039-00900, 897. Just steady plummeting every year since 2016. And we've seen points go way up. You know, that's not that surprising to me. Cause I'm like, what are you checking out? People are pumping in points. But sometimes there's such clear things, oh, we reduce goalie equipment size. Go even farther back with a one piece sticks. One piece fiberglass sticks. Like, you know, things change.
Dan Powers
And say Bauer has May's making the best Sticks on planet Earth. Bower pumping in. Yeah. Stop it.
Sean Buffini
Literally. Chill, dude. Don't think you can give these guys a pulse. Bauer should only make sticks for us. Agree.
Dan Powers
Like we. I need.
Sean Buffini
That's what I'm saying. I'm a plug.
Dan Powers
These guys don't need this.
Sean Buffini
You can't be giving a pulse to Connor McDavid. That would be in our ECCMA. But you can't give a pulse to somebody. David Post. David Poster. So. But goalies. I'm like. I swear I'm looking at, like, the best goalies in the league. Like, the goalies are better than they've ever been.
Dan Powers
I know. It's really funny when you look across the league and we did this with Olympics, thinking about how. How many unbelievable goalies there are for all of these different nations. It feels like there are so many elite goalies in the league right now. So many.
Sean Buffini
Yeah.
Dan Powers
I wonder if this has to do with how heavy the tandem vibes are these days.
Sean Buffini
Maybe. Yeah. I think that is it.
Dan Powers
You know, back in the day, we were living in days where Martin brodeur was playing 72 games in an NHL season. Right. That's.
Sean Buffini
That.
Dan Powers
That's pumping those numbers up.
Sean Buffini
That's a good take, actually. Let me think about that.
Dan Powers
I wonder, maybe.
Sean Buffini
So backups are getting in more.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
Who are theoretically worse. Theoretically. Some teams have a luxury of two. Great.
Dan Powers
It doesn't mean you're a bad goalie, but theoretically, a little bit worse than your starter. Not as ranked as your start.
Sean Buffini
I wonder if total. I've always thought this. I wonder if total shots are down. Because I swear, people take more calculated shots now. Instead of just being like, just get it on the cage. Which was a. Which was a mantra for a long time, I think. Now it's like, no, dude, just don't flick it on there. It's a waste of possession. That's a turnover.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
Get it. Get it.
Dan Powers
Cross site.
Sean Buffini
Line. Sight line. Sight line. Bang. Shot. Goal.
Dan Powers
Yeah, fuck you.
Chris Powers
Fuck you.
Sean Buffini
Because I do see some games, dude, the other day, it was like, oh, it was the fucking Tampa game, dude. Fucking Tampa Blue Jackets was like, eight, five. But I was looking at. It was like. It was 5, 4 with 10 minutes to go in the second period, and each team had taken, like, 12 shots. And I was like, it's five, four.
Dan Powers
Crazy.
Sean Buffini
What is going on, dude?
Dan Powers
So maybe it's that, but I don't know. I'm looking at these numbers here that you shared with us, and it looks like, you know, what. What. What are these it doesn't. Show me what it is. What are the. Are these goals scored on the left and then shots on the right?
Sean Buffini
Yeah.
Dan Powers
So, like, there's gotta be. I guess there's more shots in 20, 25 than there were in 20.
Sean Buffini
Let me see if I can find that, because that doesn't make sense. Eh. Like the math. That. That ain't math at all. Oh, here it is.
Dan Powers
I feel like there's just a screenshot from them. Yeah.
Sean Buffini
Right. Either way, I wonder what that means.
Dan Powers
It's interesting. We're just scoring a lot of goals.
Sean Buffini
We're scoring a lot of goals and I'm getting in the net. I'm here for it because I like this. I like a. What's your dream? You go to an NHL game.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Chris Powers
Boom.
Sean Buffini
Not a team that you are rooting for, actually. Sure, whatever. But you go to an NHL game, you had a drink before. Everybody's excited. You got great seats. I just skied. You just skied?
Dan Powers
I just had a full day of skiing.
Sean Buffini
Skied B dub.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
You skied. You hit B dub for a pregame.
Dan Powers
Drink, then B dubs for a pregame. Different B dubs for a pregame meal.
Sean Buffini
Yeah. B dub drink. B dub wing wangs.
Dan Powers
Wangs. Then get to the rink.
Sean Buffini
You get to the rink. Got great seats.
Dan Powers
Got it.
Sean Buffini
What's your dream score score?
Dan Powers
43 and OT. I think 43 is a perfect hockey score.
Sean Buffini
7 goals. Yeah.
Chris Powers
Yeah.
Dan Powers
So gets a goal for every period for each team. An extra one for the ot.
Sean Buffini
Yeah. A little free hockey. Little free hockey. Okay, Dan, so here you go. Graph of average goals per game in the NHL. This doesn't go up to recent enough. Fuck that graph. Hold on. Yes. Goals. No, this cannot be right. Do you think this is per team?
Dan Powers
I don't know. You're losing. You're losing the plot with us here.
Sean Buffini
I'm just so curious if seven is what we're seeing. Here we go.
Dan Powers
Hockey.
Sean Buffini
The Hockey News dot com. NHL teams are averaging 3.212 goals per game.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
So I guess Hockey Reference was right.
Dan Powers
So that's. I mean, if each team is doing that, then we're getting close to seven goals.
Sean Buffini
Yeah. So it's been over three for the last. It's 306 so far this year. It's 301 last year. 308, 314. 311. Then we're in the twos. Twos, twos, twos, twos, Twos. Yeah. So this is the first time it's been in the threes this run. Since 05. Since Crosby joined the league.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
2 2, 2, 2, 2. Oh. 95, 96. 3, 1, 4. Oh, wow. Dude. Dude. Now we're talking, Dan. 1981. 82. 4.01.
Dan Powers
Oh, those were the times.
Sean Buffini
That might be the only four, dude. Is that the only four? Oh, no. 1940. 1943. 44.4.08. That's right. Those are the only fours ever.
Dan Powers
Except for stand up goaltenders with no helmets on.
Sean Buffini
1917. 4.75. Take me back, dude, Take me back.
Dan Powers
Imagine.
Sean Buffini
Take me back. Okay, so that's our mission, dude. The last one, two, three, four full seasons and we're in our fifth. We're in. We're in threes for the first time in a while.
Dan Powers
Yeah, we're up.
Sean Buffini
Keep. Keep it going.
Dan Powers
Pump those numbers on.
Sean Buffini
I want to be four.
Dan Powers
Don't go too high though.
Sean Buffini
I want to be 4.01 by 2035.
Dan Powers
I think 3.5 is a sweet spot. Then we're getting seven goals in a game.
Sean Buffini
Okay. 3.3.5 by 2020.
Dan Powers
Then we're money.
Sean Buffini
I like that.
Dan Powers
I like that too.
Sean Buffini
It's probably a pretty good score. You're right.
Dan Powers
All right, let's take a quick ad break and then get back into some college hockey.
Sean Buffini
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Dan Powers
Whoops.
Sean Buffini
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Dan Powers
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Sean Buffini
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Dan Powers
Time to jump into Netter's college puck drop. Breaking down the college game. We had a big weekend. Our game of the week was number three, Western Michigan, going to number seven, Duluth. And they beat them 43 on Friday and 43 and OT on Saturday. The Broncos have never.
Sean Buffini
People ready to admit it. They are never ready to admit it.
Dan Powers
You knew it. You've known it all along. I hate to say it, but you were right. You were right, dude.
Sean Buffini
It's. It's incredible. And people were sleeping on him for no fucking reason, by the way.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
And never played anybody. Never played anybody. Get. Dude, they are going to be. They're going to. I think there's pressure to repeat. I think they had a target on their back. They're going to have a target on the back in the tournament. But that is a group that just proved they know what it takes to win. So good luck. Good luck getting them out.
Dan Powers
Yeah. You know what's interesting about that team is they're such a team.
Sean Buffini
Yep.
Dan Powers
When you go to individual statistics, I think Grant slickinski is like 31st in the country as far as points per game, which just goes to show they're. They're a top three ranked team in the country and they're. They're not being carried by one guy or two guys. Like, they are very, very well rounded. And I think that's scary. Like, that's the team that you do not want to go up against.
Sean Buffini
Number six, Quinnipiac, beat Sacred Heart 51 on the road on Friday, but then lost 42 at home to UConn, number 13, UConn on Saturday. UConn had gone to Yale on Friday and beat them 5 2. Rivalry game. Big rivalry. All three of the little round robin of. Of. Of hate there. Tough matchup. Quinnipiac still good. But fuck, you want that game. You want that game bad. You want that game bad at home to just stay. Keep the momentum up.
Dan Powers
That's not great. Not great at all. What is great is B.C. recently they beat UNH 5 two at home on Friday and 3 nothing on the road on Saturday. Dean Letourneau playing out of his mind. I think he's top of the nation in player, like drafted players in their second year in college or something like that. James Hagan's another Bruins prospect doing great stuff over there, but that BC team is starting to fire a little bit. And again, that's. That's a rivalry weekend too. That's a hot east rivalry weekend. We're making UNH great again. UNH is playing well, so that's big for BC.
Sean Buffini
Good, good weekend for you. Maine to number 17U Main. They beat Lowell 2 nothing on Friday and 65 and OT on Saturday, both on the road. Maine's been a little up and they were top 10 for a long time and they had some huge wins and they have some slip ups. Little wins like this, little weekends like this get you back going and they're going to be in the mix the whole way. A little bit of momo for sure. I got no issue with Maine.
Dan Powers
Number 11, Providence beats 18 BU at home for three on Friday and then went to BU and beat them for nothing on the road. BU is in trouble for sure. This is a. With the roster they have, they just keep having weekends like this. And listen, Providence is a great team, but it's the 4 nothing loss that on Saturday that is just a dagger and it's kind of like, ooh, boys, I don't know here. I don't know. I don't know what we're. What we're doing because that, that makes them slip big time. And we've got BU out of the top 20 now, so.
Sean Buffini
Well, they're 12, 12 and 1.
Dan Powers
What are we doing?
Sean Buffini
And Cole told us, dude, you just beat the bean pot coming right up here. The bean pot first of Mondays in February changed our entire season last year. You didn't want to rely on that momentum swing again this year. But I more mean just the timing of the season. Like nothing is decided, nothing is over. So you're okay. But dude, they are. You're. You've gone so far that you're like, hey, guys. And luckily it's a group that learned this exact lesson last year. They should. It's like, hey, dude, now or fucking literally never.
Dan Powers
And we're BU hockey. Men's hockey is officially in a. February is the most important month of your life.
Sean Buffini
That's that number 10 Dartmouth, who we've loved all year. They went to number 12 Cornell on Friday, lost 21 in OT. Then Dartmouth went to Colgate on Saturday and lost 5 2.
Dan Powers
Bye. Bye. Top 10.
Sean Buffini
There goes that top 10, right?
Dan Powers
Hate to see that from Dartmouth, but Cornell. Yeah, good stuff from Cornell. Yep.
Sean Buffini
Cornell hosted Harvard on Saturday. 1, 4, 1. They're looking pretty good. And they're looking like all the falling they did early in the season. Like don't forget how highly they were ranked preseason.
Chris Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
So now they're coming on really strong.
Dan Powers
So real. We got a blue chip death. Number two, Michigan State beats Minnesota 31 on Friday, 32 on Saturday. Minnesota.
Sean Buffini
You're dead. I wanted them to. I wanted them to have that resurgence and they didn't. Here's another one who's dead. Number four. No Dak. Went to Arizona State. 174 on Friday and five three on Saturday. No Dak. Nasty. Arizona State. Dead. Also wanted them to recover from their early season debacle. They have not. Thanks for playing. It was fun.
Dan Powers
It was fun, but you're dead. We're not going. We're not going to. You are no longer a threat. We're not going to take you seriously. A team that needs to be taken seriously. St. Thomas, number 16. Unranked opponents in Lake Superior with a 74 win and then 5 nothing on Saturday. This is what we talk about. You got to beat unranked teams. You can't slip. And we're seeing tons of teams slipping. And over here, very quietly, St. Thomas is just this team that not a lot of people think about, not a lot of people give enough attention to, and they're just surging.
Sean Buffini
Been kind of crazy. Yeah. 19 Michigan Tech went to Northern Michigan, took care of them 82 on Friday, but then they lost 32 at home on Saturday. Perfect example of what can happen if you don't take care of business.
Dan Powers
Denver loses to st. Cloud at home 42 on Friday. They bounce back with a 6 nothing win on Saturday. But again, that's a split that you don't like if you're. Denver saw them fall out of the top.
Sean Buffini
They're back to. They're back to start of the season. Denver. Yeah, you know, they got in the middle. They cleaned that up so much. And now I'm like, dude, why are you dumping these games? Number 20, Minnesota State, beat number 14, Augustana, 41 at home on Saturday. Good win for Minnesota State, Honestly, because Augustana, similar to St. Thomas, is someone who demands Joe Bluth. Do I demand to be taken seriously? Yeah. And that's been cool to see. So tough loss for those boys.
Dan Powers
Yeah, Brutal. Okay. And then the big one action of the weekend, we had number eight, Penn State, went to number five, Wisconsin. They beat them 72 on Friday after Wisconsin went up 2 nothing in the game. And then Penn State ripped off seven straight goals. Penn State then won 31 on Saturday after trailing 1 nothing going into the third Gavin McKenna with a Hattie on Friday and another goal on Saturday. Second goal was disgusting. Knocked that pass out of midair, came in, snipped one through the defender's legs. It is time to put on that little Derek Jeter fan respect hat. Yeah. Because we had conversations of Gavin McKenna. Maybe college hockey was a little bigger than he was anticipating. Maybe he's taken a little bit of time to adjust to the game. He has adjusted to the game in the new year and he looks fucking disgusting. And there's a lot of guys on this Penn State team again, they are ranked number eight. They're now ranked number five. All of a sudden, the projected number one draft pick in the country is playing the the best he has played all season. If you were a team going up against Penn State right now, you are not feeling very thrilled.
Sean Buffini
That's correct. And shout out my boy Kyle, who texted me and was like, looks like people said, Gavin not trying hard enough. And he said, hold my fucking beer, dude. That's been the demo. Like, oh, he actually does have this talent. He just isn't asserting himself in these games. And this is a great weekend. Okay, we're not saying, oh, wow, now look out for the McKenna wrecking crew coming moving forward, but we could be. We could be. And this team will be super exciting in the tournament no matter what. Because first frozen four ever last year, 750k to get Gavin McKenna this year. This is what they wanted. They wanted this hype. They wanted this target and they wanted to make another run. And they are not going to make a deep run unless he is going. And this would be a great time for him to start getting hot and just riding this thing. Because, bro, if they win the Natty, it would be incredible.
Dan Powers
It would be truly unbelievable.
Sean Buffini
Okay, let's hit some new rankings. One, two, got to be the same. One, two, got to be the same. Out of respect, Michigan didn't play. Michigan State took care of their shit. So it would be unfair. Even though they Michigan State played the corpse of Minnesota, it still is worthy of staying at number two.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
Number three.
Dan Powers
It's got to be the same. Gotta be Michigan. Gotta be Western Michigan.
Sean Buffini
I think so too.
Dan Powers
100%.
Sean Buffini
Like, you just pumped Duluth. Yeah. So I'm going western Michigan, 3. Then you have to go. North Dakota stays. 4. They did nothing wrong.
Dan Powers
I agree. But then I need Penn State.
Sean Buffini
Yeah. Could they jump them? No, they can't. But you're right. North Dakota 4, Penn State 5. Also out of respect. Then you go. I mean, I'm Kind of loving. I'm kind of loving what Providence did. The question is how bad. I want. I want Denver out. Get Denver out. I want Dartmouth out. Get them out. Quinnipiac, I don't know if they can fall all the way out, but they're going low. Is Duluth getting kicked out? Is number seven, Duluth out due to getting by Western Michigan? I don't think they can be out, but maybe they're like 9 or 10. I. I mean, they're good games.
Dan Powers
No.
Sean Buffini
4, 3. 4, 3. Yeah.
Dan Powers
No, I'm not putting them out. For sure. Not.
Sean Buffini
Okay, so give me then give me at 6. Maybe Providence. Maybe Providence goes. I know they beat BU. Who's 18?
Dan Powers
I need Providence top 10 for sure.
Sean Buffini
Basically, I want. I need Providence in there. We have five spots left. I need Providence. I need to decide how far Quinnipiac drops and how far Duluth drops. So there's three spots, and then does UConn sneak back in? Does BC sneak back in? And then what happens to Wisconsin? How far does Wisconsin drop?
Dan Powers
I'll go as far as nine for.
Sean Buffini
Wisconsin, but no more than that. Okay, so let's put Wisconsin at 9. Is Duluth only 8, or does Duluth go all the way to 10? Because they have to fall. But they were good games. They either fall one for those good games or they fall three.
Dan Powers
Do we have six locked?
Sean Buffini
No, six is open.
Dan Powers
Okay, so we've got Michigan, Michigan State, Western Michigan, Nodak, Penn State. That's the same as the current ranking. Like, we're on par with the current ranking. I want Providence up. I want Duluth up.
Sean Buffini
Duluth up.
Dan Powers
No, no, I'm selling, like, up in here. Duluth, Wisconsin and Providence must be in here for me. I almost think Cornell, too.
Sean Buffini
Ooh, yeah, I like that one. Let's get Cornell in here.
Dan Powers
And then where do you have Quinnipiac? That's the big thing for me, right? Like, is Quinnipiac just six? Because Quinnipiac is six in the ranking.
Sean Buffini
Like, I'm not sure six. They lost to UConn at home. Yeah.
Chris Powers
Okay.
Sean Buffini
Good day.
Dan Powers
So you think you want Duluth or Wisconsin above them? Providence above them.
Sean Buffini
Providence could go above them.
Dan Powers
You're going to put Providence all the way up at 6? Sure, let's do it. Providence at 6, then. Do you like Quinnipiac over Duluth in Wisconsin?
Sean Buffini
I guess so.
Dan Powers
Okay, so Quinnipiac at 7, and now I think we go 8, 9, 10.
Sean Buffini
Is Duluth, Whiscoe 9.
Dan Powers
And Providence.
Sean Buffini
Providence is 6.
Dan Powers
So they can't beat also and Cornell.
Sean Buffini
I mean, Cornell over UConn. Yeah, fuck it. Yeah. Cornell 10. Boom.
Dan Powers
Done. All right, games of the weekend, unbelievable matchups. We got bcbu, we got Denver, Duluth, we got Michigan, Ohio State. Lots of rivalry weekends, but has to be Michigan State, Penn State.
Sean Buffini
Michigan State tagged them twice earlier this year. Right. So this will be a big one at Penn State playing really well. Michigan State playing well, too. But this would be a big time response, Big, big, big time response if Gavin McKenna does something this time and takes care of some shit. Yeah, huge stuff.
Dan Powers
All right, let's get into some ad breaks and then we'll come back. Guys, you know that Bauer is the best sponsor in the world. We absolutely love Bauer because they are always giving us the best gear, the best workout attire, everything that you could possibly need, whether it be helmets, pads, sticks, skates. Bauer has been the leader in the clubhouse since the beginning of time because Bauer is truly, truly, truly elite. And we've got to talk about sticks when it comes to being elite. And we've got to talk about the Bauer pulse. This thing has given you the best of both worlds. They've got the latest kick point innovation. Two distinct energy zones in the shaft give it a mid kick feel and a low kick release, bringing a new level of speed and accuracy to every part of your game. You're going to confuse goalies by the way you're handling the puck and the way it snaps off of your stick. And don't even get me started on the feel. They've got that raised lettering on the stick that gives it a grip feel without that sticky texture. It is absolutely unbelievable. It's going to bring balance to your game in a way that you have never felt before. So like I said, whether you need a new hoodie, joggers, shorts, something like that, while you're in the gym, while you're training and working on your game, whether you need all of the equipment or whether you need the best stick in the industry, Bauer has you covered. So you're going to go to Bauer.com make sure you get your entire game fitted out to be that next level every single time. Bowers got you covered.
Sean Buffini
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Dan Powers
We're going back to the Super Bowl. It's unbelievable.
Sean Buffini
Everybody. New England versus everybody all over again, dude. The old days are back. After a short reprieve, the world's national nightmare has returned. The Patriots are the greatest team of all time. Drake May is the next is Tom Brady reborn. Sean, do you like American football?
Chris Powers
Do I like American football? I've never really understood American football. I've had a couple people try to explain it to me, and it seems very complicated. And every super bowl, people are like, oh, come over to my house. Like, I'll show you everything. I'll Explain everything. And I get there and I'm like, what's happening now? And they're like, I don't know.
Sean Buffini
They have no idea.
Chris Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
Do you think? I guess here's my question. Because I like American football, but I don't pretend to be a football guy. I know the rules, certainly, but I don't know what, you know, the A gap. I guess I probably do know what the A gap is, but, like, there's things. There's technical things in football that I'm like, I've never played the game. I don't know anything about that. I loved watching Tom Brady, my favorite athlete ever. But the. Once he retired, like, football, it's. The sport itself doesn't interest me that much. I think there's no action, nothing's happening. You know, it's really slow. But I have to say, having not watched a lot of football for the last few years because Tom had retired and now kind of being back into it because the Patriots are good again. It is a fun day, you know, like, it's a fun gathering. More than. Even more than the sport itself.
Chris Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
So I was curious, as a foreigner, if you're like, it is pretty sick that you guys, like, you have a day of the week where everyone's like, dude, should we all hang out and eat awesome dips and drink? And I'm like, yes.
Chris Powers
Yeah. I feel like. I mean, I can't speak for certain because I've never been to an American football game live.
Sean Buffini
Yeah.
Chris Powers
But I do know that baseball is great live. But, like, if someone was to be like, come over to my house and we're going to watch baseball, I'd be like.
Sean Buffini
You'd be like, are you fucking?
Chris Powers
That seems like a really boring time.
Sean Buffini
Yeah. Yeah.
Chris Powers
Despite the fact I love being at baseball games, I feel like the reverse might be true for football games where, like, the real, like, enjoyment happens at your house or your friend's house. Like, when you go to, like, have a little party and, like, people are barely paying attention to the actual football game. But that's kind of, like the reason everyone has, like, congregated.
Sean Buffini
Yeah.
Chris Powers
I could be wrong in that, because I don't know for certain, but maybe.
Sean Buffini
No, I think that's very accurate.
Dan Powers
I think it's very accurate.
Sean Buffini
The tailgate is fun.
Dan Powers
The tailgate is fun. But again, it feels. Listen, we're back in the super bowl, and I'm very happy. Yeah. I love Drake May. I love Mike Grable. I love the New England Patriots. Football. American football is the most. It's the strangest sport in the world. To me. I, I, that that stat of there are 60 minutes on the clock in an American football game, and on average, I think it's something like there's 13 minutes of actual football that is played. That is insane. Yeah, that is utterly insane.
Sean Buffini
How much soccer do you think is played?
Dan Powers
90 minutes. What do you mean? Yeah, well, no, there's, or there's time wasting on the sidelines, but that's, and.
Sean Buffini
Like a free kick, you know, Fair point. It's definitely not 90. It's high.
Dan Powers
I bet it's eight. Yeah, I bet there's no way there's more than actual 10 minutes of real dead time in the soccer game. I bet it's 80. But that's a great question. You could even look that up right now. But again, it is crazy to me that this sport is the most popular sport in the world and we don't even play the game. We, we're watching these games over the weekend and you just can't help but laugh how many times it cuts to TV commercials and the TV timeout is like 10 full minutes.
Chris Powers
Is, is it, is it like that to take, like, is it made for tv? Is it like that to tailor to advertisers?
Sean Buffini
Okay, I have a take on this. And to answer your question, the average, this is a wide range, but the, the ball is actually in play for 51 to 68 minutes per game.
Dan Powers
Damn, that's great. Okay, wow. I've given way too much credit.
Sean Buffini
So did I. I thought it was going to be, I thought it was gonna be 82. Yeah, this one says it can get up to 70. Okay, this is my take, Sean. This is what I was going to talk about. But to answer that question, the. If you're watching HBO Home Box Office, that plays TV, it's like, you know, your show's 30 minutes, that show starts at like 9pm and your show airs till like 9:26. And then there's four minutes of commercials and bullshit. You know, HBO pays the bills and then the next show starts. And you can probably answer this, but that I'm told that is, that is normally how it works in Europe, where it's like the TV show plays, then there's a block of commercials, then the next show plays. Whereas on American television, It's like your TV show is from 9 to 9:30. So we play at 9 to 9:05. And then make you watch two minutes of commercials, then 9:07 to 9:12. And then make you watch, you know, it's like, all broken up. And I swear, soccer is plays to the European style of television, where it's like, the game plays, then there's a break, then the game plays. Whereas football goes like this game, commercial, game, commercial, game, game, commercial, commercial, game, you know, and you're like, the fuck is going on? But we're just used to it.
Chris Powers
Like, I can't imagine what would happen if there was, like, a live game, like a live football match, and they were just like, all right, commercial. You don't get to see what's happening during the football match.
Sean Buffini
It's insane.
Chris Powers
Even.
Sean Buffini
Even soccer match, the actual team, like, momentum, you know, like catching your opponents, catching your breath. Like, you have someone on the ropes, and they're like, oh, sorry, this is the television commercial. And I'm like, what, dude?
Dan Powers
And here's the deal. Listen, I'm. I'm wrong here. Yep. But my opinion is that I don't love going to football games. I. It's an amazing experience, and it's. It's wonderful, and you're lucky if you can go to one. And I hope everyone who wants to get set. Experience, but I don't personally think they're that fun. You get there, you're in a stadium that's charging way too much money for beer and way too much money for food. And you sit there and you do feel the lack of football. And not to mention the fact that I don't care how good your seats you are. Excuse me? I don't care how good your seats are. It's a big field.
Sean Buffini
Yeah.
Dan Powers
So when the teams are on the other side of the field, you're kind of like, I can't really see what's going on. I think it's a better experience to watch on TV in your own home or in a bar when you got all the food and drink that you could want. And also, I feel like I see the game better, which feels insane. But the fact that there's still an issue with that, too, because we were. That Patriots game was just. They just ran every single play, and the game was over in three hours. And we were going, God, that was the quickest game ever. Three hours. And we were saying it was the quickest game ever.
Sean Buffini
But that's kind of my point. Isn't it kind of sick? I think it's a great swindle.
Dan Powers
I think it's.
Sean Buffini
Think it's like the male species greatest swindle of all time. That we were like, we watch football with our boys.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
And it takes 10 hours, you know, the first kickoff's 10:00am and Sunday Night Football ends at fucking 8:00pm oh, yeah. On the West Coast. And I go, yeah, I gotta go get fucking hammered with my friends all day.
Dan Powers
I think.
Sean Buffini
I'm sorry.
Dan Powers
I think the gals always joke about there's a bunch of funny Instagram videos where they're like, they lied to us. They said on listen Sundays, we can't go to the farmer's market. We can't do this and that, because especially on the west coast, football starts at 10am and doesn't end until 8. And on the East coast, it starts at 1 and doesn't end till 11. Yeah, but then it was like, there is also Monday Night Football and there's also Thursday Night Football, and now sometimes we play on Saturday too. It's like, it is the greatest swindle. And there was lying involved, too. Like, it went even further than that. It's crazy.
Sean Buffini
So you don't watch ever? You don't do that? You don't have a hang on Sunday?
Chris Powers
No, I don't have any friends.
Sean Buffini
Yeah.
Chris Powers
What you're asking?
Sean Buffini
I do watch football. Just alone? I'm sitting by myself.
Chris Powers
No, I don't really watch football. It'd be kind of pointless for me because I don't really understand the game.
Sean Buffini
Do you crave a. Like, I want to sit there. I want to sit and watch something for four hours with a bunch of my friends.
Chris Powers
Yeah, movies.
Sean Buffini
Yeah.
Chris Powers
Yeah. For me, that fulfillment is made by movies. That's not even watching the movie. It's like. Like, we'll go to a. To a movie theater, watch. And then afterwards, it's just like, the discussion that takes like, three times.
Sean Buffini
The length of the film is crucial, though, dude, because otherwise you sit with the movie. No one talks, you know, and you're like, okay, good to see everybody.
Chris Powers
Yeah. Like, it would be insane to me if you just saw a movie and at the end you're just like, all right, I'll see you.
Sean Buffini
Like, bye, dude. Loop and Foose and I went to a movie, like Fantastic Four, maybe.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
And they were like, come on down. And granted, in their defense, we did meet just before for a quick Loki bowl.
Dan Powers
Nice.
Sean Buffini
That is their move. So a quick bowl and then we go to the movie. And then I was like, hey, there was this bar just opened up next to theater. And I was like, yo, should we go in and just chat? And they were like, no. And I was like, yes, we are going in. And they didn't want to drink, which is fine, but we went in And I made them sit there while I had one drink. And they sat there just so we could talk about the movie. Because I was like, did you literally want me to just go home and be like, thanks, thanks for the advice. You have to. Dude, I'll stand in a parking garage for an hour. Yeah, a post movie. Just.
Chris Powers
I have.
Sean Buffini
Open it up.
Chris Powers
I've done that in the foyer of the theater, like at the door, you know, before we leave.
Dan Powers
We need to start doing more.
Sean Buffini
Dude, how do we make that more normal?
Dan Powers
What?
Sean Buffini
There should be an area. There should be a discussion area.
Dan Powers
Well, I was right about to say all of these theaters now have these great, like, bar and lounge areas. We should start doing that more. I don't know why we. I have a shout out. My friend Alan, he is an amazing actor here in la. He's the best guy. And we would go to movies a lot. And we would always go to the AMC nearby him and get a drink before the movie. And I'm now thinking, I'm like, we should have done that after. Yeah, we should go, oh, we should get a drink, go into the movie. And then after, sit at the bar in these theaters and have a drink, have a bite and discuss the movie. We should plan on that. We need to start going to movies. Movie times that are 30 minutes to an hour earlier than we normally would. So we can then allocate that 30 minutes to an hour after for a quick bite or drink and chat about the movie.
Chris Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
I think I have two things to say about this. One, I believe the expression dinner in a movie is to blame. I believe that may put in our minds that you have dinner than a movie, but it should in fact be movie and dinner. Would you like to do movie and dinner? We go to a movie, then we have dinner. And now the dinner is amazing because.
Chris Powers
And then if, like, if you're on a first date or something and the conversation runs dry, you can talk about the movie.
Sean Buffini
Perfect. I wouldn't even. I wouldn't even learn her name. We'd talk about the movie for through dessert. And then I'd be like, okay, great, I gotta go. And they'd be gonna see her again. I'd go, see who again? I don't remember who the fuck that was.
Dan Powers
This is also one of those things where it comes up whenever people. I talk to friends who are going on first dates and they're like, we're going to a movie. I'm like, that's the worst idea I've ever heard.
Chris Powers
It's a really Bad idea.
Sean Buffini
Can't even speak unless you do something after. Okay, and then here's my other idea. Sean. Wouldn't it be sick if every movie theater from now on? I guess some are.
Dan Powers
I just want to say I love how this started because we were talking about American football.
Sean Buffini
Every movie theater from now on should have a lounge.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
You have to have the equal number of lounges as you have screens, and each lounge has the name of the movie above it. So it's like a Reddit thing in irl. Like, you come in with your group and you're talking about the movie, but everyone else in there is also talking about it. So you can join conversations. You can keep to yourself if you want, but there'll be no spoilers because only people having snacks and drinks in there are the ones who have seen that movie.
Chris Powers
Yeah, that's. That's an incredible idea.
Sean Buffini
Wouldn't that be fucking awesome?
Dan Powers
Interesting. Or how about this? I got it. Trailers are what, 25 minutes long now?
Chris Powers
Yeah, I think so.
Dan Powers
What if we cut the trailers back down to you play three trailers, so it's nine minutes maybe. And then at the end of the screening, so we're not cutting into new movie times, the lights come on, and you are encouraged to stay in the theater for 15 minutes and chat with everyone who is in there about the movie. Is that not enough time?
Chris Powers
Locked in?
Dan Powers
You don't have to screen.
Chris Powers
Have you ever gone to a test screening? That's what it's like.
Sean Buffini
Yes, that is what I'm saying.
Chris Powers
Yeah. That's great. I love it. I always stay behind at test screenings to talk shit, dude.
Sean Buffini
Isn't that hilarious, Sean? I always go like this. This is my normal movie experience. I arrive, I get this is. This is more information than people need, but this is actually my 100% movie experience. I arrive at the theater, I go to concessions. I always load up, get myself a pop and some candy popcorn, and then I go into the theater. And then I spend literally almost the entire trailer section like this, covering my ears and humming. Because I hate seeing trailers of movies I'm excited to see, and I don't want to have anything spoiled for me. Chris, why don't you just go in after the trailers end? I don't know. I go in there and make a fool of myself.
Chris Powers
There's an anxiety of going too late, and then there's like. When you go too early, you're like.
Sean Buffini
I don't know, and I'll be getting in people's way. So I literally sit there and Hum. And don't watch a single trailer. And then Dan or somebody will hit me to be like the movie starting. Then I will watch the movie. Then I will leave the movie and stand in the parking garage or something or sometimes the lobby of concessions or whatever. But stand somewhere with my group for like an hour making fun of everything that happened in the movie. Like every single thing that bothered me I just completely trash on. And then I go, all right, gotta go. I absolutely loved that movie. It's one of my favorite movies ever made. Like literally I'm like, that is what that movie was fucking tremendous. Here's an hour of everything I hated about it and genuinely I loved it. And I'm not even being like because I'm trying to be critical. It's just, it's just fun, you know, I'm like, this is ridiculous. That was stupid. But then I'm like, that was the best time ever.
Chris Powers
That's, I mean the most. Like I grew up in an era, I was about a teenager in an era where like online video reviews of like movies were popular.
Sean Buffini
Yeah.
Chris Powers
And the most popular videos were always like the so bad they're good genre.
Sean Buffini
Yeah.
Chris Powers
I think people just love dogging on the things in movies that don't make any sense. Because when you put any movie underneath a microscope of like comparing it to real life, like of course nothing's going to make sense with it. And that's just like such a low hanging fruit to make fun of and then thus create camaraderie with people who have also shared that experience where you're like, yeah, that was really dumb.
Sean Buffini
Yeah.
Chris Powers
But you enjoyed the experience of seeing the film.
Sean Buffini
Amazing. Dude. There's I, I sometimes even when we're writing stuff, I get too literal with the plot off. Like sometimes I'll be, I'll finding plot holes in our own things where I'm like, oh man, I'm trying to think about how bad traffic would be at that hour. I don't know if he can make it there in time. And it's like, who gives a flying fuck?
Chris Powers
I'm trying to think of an example like Harry Potter. How are the Weasleys? Poor daddy works in the government. Molly Weasley has magic doing all the house chores. She's a stay at home mom who's has magic doing all the work. So she's just doing nothing all day. Then why have a house when you can go to Target, buy a tent for $15 and turn it into a mansion on the inside? How does the economy in this Place work. Also, objectively, Voldemort is a terrible villain. I love Voldemort on screen. I love. I love watching him. The US military could defeat the Wizarding.
Sean Buffini
World in, like, a day.
Chris Powers
There is no Avada cadavering your way out of an intercontinental blood ballistic missile. And the fact that Voldemort thinks that the wizards are superior to the. To the human world, despite the fact that they've been technologically stagnant. They're running on steam trains and broomsticks. Have you seen an F16 flying? Yeah, there's no broomstick going supersonic. So. I love dogging on all this shit. And it's like, you can pick any movie and once you start, like, actually thinking about it from, like, instead of the viewer, if you were the person making this, I would. These are the things that I would get hung up on. Yeah, it's a lot of fun. But also, everyone I know who I do this with is just like, I love Harry Potter. You can't talk bad about Harry Potter. Don't ruin this for me.
Dan Powers
I was about to. I was about to go to war with you over Molly Weasley. I was like, don't fucking talk bad.
Sean Buffini
About Molly Weasley, Sean. There's a scene in one of the first books, I think must be the first one where they go, Harry gets a look in Arthur Weasley's vault at Gringotts, and there's one galleon in it. That's. What's the description? It says there's one galleon in there. And I'm like, isn't that like 100 bucks? Like, literally, there's the.
Dan Powers
The. The monetary value of a galleon gets lost a lot in those books because. Because of that scene, I'm like, yeah.
Sean Buffini
Dude, he has seven kids. Like, what is going on? How is their food?
Dan Powers
It's like, they say that, and then there's a time where Harry's, like, buying school supplies for just him. And it's like 17 gallons.
Sean Buffini
And I'm like, oh, fuck.
Chris Powers
I love those movies, but there's so many, like, glaring issues with them.
Dan Powers
I love how we're saying that. We're not talking about magic. Here's a glaring issue. Everything's magic.
Chris Powers
I can suspend my disbelief for magic, but the moment, I'm just like, yeah, no, this financial system makes no sense.
Sean Buffini
Yeah. Yeah.
Dan Powers
Okay. Let's jump into a beer league hotline and try to get things back on the rails here.
Sean Buffini
Okay, let's do it.
Chris Powers
We had the early game last week, and a guy on our team emailed that he was bringing beers and asked us all to please make time to stay after for a couple. We didn't think anything of it. We get pumped nine to one. But everyone gets in the locker room and cracks a beer with this dude. Then he steps outside and comes back in with his girlfriend. Then in half his gear, still gets down on one knee and proposes. She says yes. Everyone claps. Turned into a pretty fun night. But can you ask your old lady to marry you after getting destroyed nine to one with your skates on?
Sean Buffini
Absolutely.
Dan Powers
I love this. I. I love this. I think I would cry. I think I would cry if we're on the team. And you know what? Hand up. We are so many reasons why I am a little bitch, but I'm. I don't always drink beers after the game. I. I'm in my zone during the week where I'm like, I don't drink during the week. I'm trying to stay fit and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, Whatever, whatever, whatever. If someone on the team emailed before the game and was like, hey, please stay after and have a couple of beers, I'm. I would be. I'd be ready to. I would uber to the game.
Sean Buffini
Really?
Dan Powers
100.
Sean Buffini
You didn't know? He was just like, have a beer after.
Dan Powers
If he made. It sounds like he made a point to be like, can everyone please stay? Yeah, I would. I would probably uber to the game.
Sean Buffini
Yeah.
Dan Powers
Because I'd be like, this guy's going through something or, you know, maybe it's his last game ever. I would be like, 100%. I'm having beers. And if we had a few and it was like, oh, yeah, we just got pumped. But like, whatever. We're having fun. We're together, and it seems like this guy needs this. And then all of a sudden, he comes in and proposes to his girlfriend in half gear. I think I would cry, dude.
Sean Buffini
I.
Dan Powers
That would be unbelievable.
Sean Buffini
Well, see, I. What? The reason I'm partially on his side is because you can't have the nerves. Clearly, this was the plan. The ring was like in his fucking bag or something. You. I just don't think you can have invited her to game, sent that email and then not go through with it because of the result of the game.
Chris Powers
Right.
Sean Buffini
I think you'd have to be like, this is too much for my emotional state. I was so hyped up to propose. I was thinking about it all game. I probably turned the puck over 50 times.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
Because all I was thinking about was the $40,000 ring in my hockey bag in the fucking unlocked locker room.
Dan Powers
Nice. This guy's got a nice ring.
Sean Buffini
40K.
Dan Powers
God damn.
Sean Buffini
But it is. I would be bummed, put it that way. I'd still do it, but I would be bummed that we got murdered.
Chris Powers
I wonder if this is the same locker room as the shower room thief.
Sean Buffini
Can you imagine that guy's going through just looking for a couple twenties in a wallet and he's like, oh my God.
Dan Powers
Yeah, you can't leave that in the locker room. Yeah.
Sean Buffini
Where was he had that on him.
Dan Powers
Sean, I'm so glad you said that. What a great pivot. That's the, that is actually the biggest thing about this beer league hotline. You better not have left that ring in the locker room.
Sean Buffini
It must have been. Maybe you'd do the key. Maybe you're like, I'll lock up.
Chris Powers
No really dirty, horrible, smelly underwear. And you wrap it up in that.
Sean Buffini
You put in the bag. So everyone goes, ooh, I, I still.
Dan Powers
I don't think I would.
Sean Buffini
She's like, all this.
Dan Powers
I think I would have brought it onto the bench.
Chris Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
Oh, interesting. Yeah. Actually, that would.
Dan Powers
You cannot, under any circumstances leave an engagement ring in the locker room. We gotta get a follow up.
Sean Buffini
Because it would be sick. I don't know if the boys knew. It sounds like. I guess they didn't.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
But it would have been sick if, if you brought it onto the bench. Because everybody's like the is that. And you're like, I'm actually proposing after the game, you know, on the bench, everybody be like, oh my God.
Chris Powers
You've got to imagine it would have hyped up the boys to play a little bit better.
Sean Buffini
A little better than a 9:1 pump job.
Dan Powers
Or it might have done the opposite where everyone's just anticipating what happened.
Chris Powers
I think in this guy's head, he thought it was going to be like, you know, we're like seconds away from the whistle. He's beyond the halfway point, takes a shot, scores the game winning goal. And then on the ice, everyone storms, everyone collapses. He gets down on one knee and proposes. And in reality, he just got absolutely destroyed.
Sean Buffini
I hope he scored. I hope it was him. I think, I hope he had the one.
Dan Powers
Yeah, that would be sick. I do think the. It's beer league this, the score doesn't matter. Yep. The second you get into the locker room and you're, you're gassing beers, you forget about the score and you're like, whatever.
Sean Buffini
Okay, here's another thought also.
Dan Powers
91 is so bad that it's almost like, whatever.
Sean Buffini
Yeah.
Dan Powers
It's like if you lose, like a shitty game, 6:3. And you don't think you played. Yeah, I mean, if you lose a nine one, you guys played bad.
Sean Buffini
Yeah.
Dan Powers
Kind of like, whatever.
Chris Powers
And it's a good test because the fact that she said yes, despite the fact that he got destroyed, she's not in it for the winner, she's in it for him.
Sean Buffini
Here's the other thing, or I guess a couple things. If you were playing, if you're a bad team, you're playing a good team, you know you're going to get PUP9 1. And in that case, I'm like, why did you invite her to this game? But maybe it was because it was the early game. And he was like, I have to have her at the early game. If it was not a great team, like, if that was. If that loss was a surprise, that sucks because you're like, wait, we shouldn't have got killed. 9 1. And I invited her because I thought we were going to win because we were playing someone shitty and we got murdered. It has to be time. It has to be time. But my other thing is, I think I might have showered. Like, I might have. Everyone's staying. I've asked the boys to stay. I might have been like, boom, quick shower, change quick. Usually I lingered in my gear. Quick, quick change, boom, shower. I don't care if everyone else has showered, but quick change, shower for me. Wave her back in.
Chris Powers
No, she. She. She must like the funk. And she likes that the ring smells like dirty underwear.
Sean Buffini
That's what it's on.
Dan Powers
That's right.
Sean Buffini
You take her toes off.
Dan Powers
No, I think gotta be careful. Yeah, I. I think my favorite thing about this is how much of a fucking rock star this gal is. Yeah, she. First of all, I've said it so many times. If you are a Wagner and you come to beer league games, you have the most special place in the hall of fame ever.
Sean Buffini
Yeah, I.
Dan Powers
As much as we love beer league, I know it's not the best hockey, it's not the most fun. They're terrible hours. But to be there, to be a partner coming to beer league games, you are so fucking ride or die.
Sean Buffini
Yeah.
Dan Powers
You are so awesome. And then you gotta be pretty confident that your partner is saying yes. If you're proposing in the beer league locker room.
Sean Buffini
Can you.
Dan Powers
So that even adds more to the fact that she's just the coolest fucking person ever.
Sean Buffini
A no in the no in the locker room would have been well, it's.
Dan Powers
Maybe not even so much that. Also, you gotta know that she's not gonna be pissed off. It's like, you just proposed to me in your beer league locker room.
Sean Buffini
You sweats at the rink.
Dan Powers
You gotta be pretty confident that she's like, fuck, yeah, let's do this. So that's awesome.
Sean Buffini
I want the picks. The picks must be gas.
Chris Powers
Oh, they'd be incredible. Well, it's also like a much better story if you won the and then you proposed. It's like, that's like, no one's particularly interested in that. It's such a funnier story to be like, yeah, we had a horrendous game. Yeah, it was terrible. People asked, being like, oh, why did you win the game? And be like, no, we got demolished.
Sean Buffini
Got demolished.
Chris Powers
That's such a better, funnier story.
Sean Buffini
Got so true. Then we got ripped in the parking lot together. Yeah. Yeah. Like, sick.
Dan Powers
Oh, my God. Incredible. All right, let's end things off with a Bauer blind ranking again, Bowers, just the greatest thing in the entire world. Blind rankings are also the greatest thing in the entire world. We got the stadium series coming up where, you know there's going to be Bauer gear galore. Pulses are going to be snapping it around on the ice in Tampa. Let's do stadium series jerseys, blind ranking. Sean, take us away.
Chris Powers
The 2024 Rangers 1 1.
Sean Buffini
Oh, my God.
Dan Powers
I think this jersey is fucking awesome. I said it. When the stadium series came out a couple years ago, I was like, easily. They knocked it out of the park. They did that sick photo shoot in, like, the subway. It's the end. I love the classic diagonal. It's a very Rangers thing. They're diagonal Rangers, New York on some of the new ones and the big nyr. I think the jersey sleeves were perfect. It's hard to get a white specialty jersey looking great.
Sean Buffini
Yeah, that's a fair take.
Dan Powers
And I thought they. Because they kept the cool block raised lettering on the number. That's what I don't like about their current jerseys. Yeah, these new ones, they're whatever they are. They're anniversary jerseys. They look like beer league jerseys because the letters are. It's just like screen print, simple letters. These ones kept the famous New York blocked raised lettering. I think this is. I. It's one for me.
Sean Buffini
But this is interesting because normally, you know, when we're disagreeing, it's usually like, because we're a couple off. I don't. I was like, I don't like this one that much. And then you're A one.
Dan Powers
I think they're so.
Sean Buffini
But when I'm thinking about. I'm also.
Dan Powers
Here's a hot take. Stadium series jerseys aren't that kind of stink. They. They historically are not that great.
Sean Buffini
That's what has actually swung me back to being like, okay, maybe I can go pretty high, because I do love the sleeves. I love the sleeves. I just. I didn't think. I liked the. The huge letters like that, but.
Dan Powers
How.
Sean Buffini
Low would you go?
Dan Powers
Look? You go look through all of them there. Because here's the thing. There's a. There's a few that might pop up here. They're not unique enough for me. Like, stadium series and Winter Classic. You got to get funky. And there are a couple that come to mind where I'm like, yeah, it's a cool jersey. You didn't do anything different. And I. I mean, okay, I will not go lower than 2.
Sean Buffini
Then. Then give me 2. Give me 2.
Dan Powers
Crazy work by you. Fine. I can't believe that you even think there's one that you're so confident is above it. I know you. I know you can't. I know you don't think any of them are great.
Sean Buffini
There's one that I think is better, but. But we can go one.
Dan Powers
I think we should go one.
Sean Buffini
It's fun going one off the rip. Yeah. Okay. One.
Dan Powers
Boom. Yeah.
Chris Powers
20. 20 kings.
Dan Powers
Probably five for me.
Sean Buffini
Really?
Dan Powers
I think this jersey sucks.
Chris Powers
Why?
Dan Powers
It's like. It's so dumb. The black and the white, this jersey.
Sean Buffini
And there are some so much worse than this.
Dan Powers
I will give you that. There are some that are worse, and at least this one is different. They tried something, but, like. Just like the LA with, like, streaks.
Sean Buffini
In it, but it's big block letters diagonal across the shirt. Just like the.
Dan Powers
That's not diagonal across the shirt. It's slightly slanted. It just says on the front. It's not big, like block letters. Means there's. There's two colors in it. It's raised lettering. This is just a flat LA across the chest with straight. Oh, it. Look how fast LA looks. These jerseys stink.
Sean Buffini
This. This jersey.
Chris Powers
Sick.
Dan Powers
It's like these jerseys.
Sean Buffini
Block letters. These are block letters. They're not. You don't need a shadow box to make it.
Dan Powers
Well, the point I was making about why the Rangers want. I kept saying, raised you dumb.
Sean Buffini
Yeah, they're raised.
Dan Powers
These are just like. Every letter you're going to see is block lettering on a fucking jersey for the most part.
Sean Buffini
So you like the Ranger just so much because it was raised no, there's.
Chris Powers
I.
Dan Powers
For all of the reasons I listed there. Those ones are great. Look. What on earth do you like about this LA jersey?
Sean Buffini
Because it's fast as fuck.
Dan Powers
LA looks so fast.
Sean Buffini
They're fast. It looks like fucking ice. It's cool. It's new. It's. I love the. The diagonal that it goes across into the arms. I think that is fucking.
Chris Powers
I think the white and the black hard contrast does look so dope.
Sean Buffini
The.
Chris Powers
So wait, where we. Where are we settled with it?
Dan Powers
I won't go higher than three, but do what you will. You gave me one. So you get to pick literally whatever you want in this, but you cannot pick two.
Sean Buffini
What would you.
Chris Powers
If you had final say, where would you put it?
Sean Buffini
4 or 5?
Chris Powers
4.
Dan Powers
I agree that they're.
Sean Buffini
I agree that there are some awful.
Dan Powers
There. I don't know that there are ones that are that much worse. This one is just boring. They had the chrome dome.
Sean Buffini
That's nice.
Dan Powers
And the white gloves kind of nice.
Sean Buffini
Let's go. Let's go four. Okay.
Dan Powers
I'm happy with that. I appreciate that.
Sean Buffini
All right.
Chris Powers
Settled in for 2018 Leafs.
Sean Buffini
Okay.
Dan Powers
I love this jersey.
Sean Buffini
This jersey is horrific.
Dan Powers
Okay.
Sean Buffini
It's one of the worst things I've ever seen a professional athlete wear.
Dan Powers
I think the jersey looks cool. I think the Maple Leaf looks awesome on the front. I don't think it's very different.
Sean Buffini
It's not different at all. All they did was take their current jersey and make it worse. They were like, what if we took our exact jersey and then didn't change anything except make it worse?
Dan Powers
Well, they went white gloves and white pants. I think that's the big thing. Like, they did a full white out. Yep. And the stripes in the middle are way different. It's just, you know, usually just a white jersey.
Sean Buffini
Yep.
Dan Powers
So for that, I mean, are you prepared to go five?
Sean Buffini
I wish I had gone Kings three now, because this. This is. This is way worse than the King jersey. And there are ones way worse than this.
Dan Powers
God, you've got strong opinions on how bad some of these jerseys are, so.
Sean Buffini
But now I guess because out of protection, I might have to go three.
Dan Powers
Interesting.
Sean Buffini
Because there. If something else comes up that is so bad, then I would be mad that 5 wasn't available. Yeah. Because I hear you. At least there's like a full white out here. You like that leaf logo?
Dan Powers
It's the Toronto Maple Leafs logo. Yes. It's fantastic.
Chris Powers
It's very classic.
Sean Buffini
Yeah.
Dan Powers
Toronto Maple Leafs logo is a top three logo in the NHL. So Yes, I do like it.
Sean Buffini
Okay, let's. What would you. Where would you want this?
Dan Powers
I would probably go three.
Sean Buffini
Okay, let's go three.
Dan Powers
Okay, so we've got two and five left.
Chris Powers
20, 22 Tampa.
Sean Buffini
We have to go five. Yeah.
Dan Powers
You hate this one. Yep.
Sean Buffini
This jersey is also horrible, but we have to go five because I can't go to. But this doesn't deserve to be five. The Leafs jersey is. The King's jersey is better than this.
Dan Powers
I'm surprised you think that Kings jersey is so significantly better than this. They feel like very similar vibes.
Sean Buffini
They are similar vibes. I guess. I think it's cool that it's like a lightning design across the bottom.
Dan Powers
Yep. Like, that's shades of a lightning bolt on the bottom. I love that they have the lightning logo on the pants. That's pretty cool.
Sean Buffini
Like, do you like the Lightning jersey this year more than this?
Dan Powers
No, I'm. The Lightning jersey this year confuses me. Like, it's very. It feels very chatgpt. Like the ice blue. It was a weird choice to me, but they're fun.
Sean Buffini
Yeah. I mean, they're close to the fucking Rangers jersey.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
Not raised, though. Not raised. I mean, I think. Would you go two here?
Dan Powers
No. Yeah.
Sean Buffini
I mean, I think you have to go five just because of the grave we've dug.
Dan Powers
I don't think this is that bad of a list. Again, this is the problem. Like, I don't love any of these jerseys other than the Ranger King's jersey is incredible.
Sean Buffini
Okay. This jersey is 5.
Dan Powers
Okay.
Chris Powers
5, 20, 23 caps.
Dan Powers
Again, I'm not. What I'm starting to realize is I don't think any of these are spectacular. So I'm not, like, I'm not moved one way or the other.
Sean Buffini
This jersey.
Dan Powers
You hate this one?
Sean Buffini
Well, no, this jersey actually, based on the way this list went, I don't mind being two because there was some cool. Like, the Capitol Building and the Eagle. Like, they did some cool things.
Dan Powers
The Capitol Building and the Eagle on.
Sean Buffini
The front is cool being a W.
Dan Powers
The stars on the pants are really cool. The Eagle is a W. Also, the helmets with the numbers on the side. Oh, yeah, yeah.
Sean Buffini
So. So I'm actually okay with this being two.
Dan Powers
Okay, sweet.
Sean Buffini
So it's rags Caps and then what? Got three by accident?
Chris Powers
Maple Leaf.
Sean Buffini
The Maple Leaf Leafs.
Dan Powers
Yeah.
Sean Buffini
Puke. Easy, dude. Puke. What's your favorite one ever? I.
Dan Powers
The Rangers. But the Columbus Blue Jackets last year were six. The Cannon on the front.
Sean Buffini
So sick.
Dan Powers
Those are probably number one now.
Sean Buffini
If I.
Dan Powers
If I could do this again out of fear of that being named. I might have said Rangers to that. Blue Jackets one was awesome. The.
Sean Buffini
Detroit 2016, very cool. Gas. I actually, you're going to say it's too similar, but the 2019 Penguins gas.
Dan Powers
It is too similar for me. The helmets, though, are cool, but yeah, like, it just to me, those feel like a Color Rush jersey more than they do a stadium series jersey. Same with the Devils.
Sean Buffini
The devil is awful.
Dan Powers
2024 and the Devils just went. They were like, yeah, we're just doing. There's just black in a jersey more.
Sean Buffini
Do you like the Bruins one this year?
Dan Powers
I think it's. I think both the Bruins and the Bolts this year went very bright and flashy for purposes of a game in Tampa. Yeah. So I'm like, cool. It is weird, though. Yeah, it's really yellow. The white gloves are a choice, but I think they're fun. Yep, they're both fun. They're kind of kooky. Okay, not bad, not bad. Great stuff today, folks. Hey, we absolutely love you. Psyched for a big week. We're heading into some fun, fun stuff. We got Olympics coming up. We got some fun interviews coming up. Just beautiful things across the board. Can't wait to get into it with you. Fucking just absolutely adore you guys. It's amazing. Let's have a great fucking week. And until we see you next episode, there's only one thing to do. Skate.
Date: January 27, 2026
Hosts: Dan Powers, Sean Buffini, Chris Powers
Producer: Almost Friday Media
This episode takes a deep dive into the insanity of NHL team name histories, the meteoric rise of the Utah Mammoth, playoff race dynamics, spicy jersey talk, rising stars, and why off-ice hockey culture is the best in sports fandom. It’s peppered with hilarious tangents, a lively college hockey roundup, hearty debates on jerseys, and a classic Empty Netters beer league story.
Opening minutes: [00:00 - 03:13]
[03:13 – 08:50]
[08:50 – 19:00]
[19:00 – 22:00]
[22:00 – 26:30]
[26:31 – 33:39]
[34:51 – 46:29]
[73:44 – 83:23]
[66:58 – 73:44]
[49:44 – 66:54]
| Segment | Timestamps (MM:SS) | |-------------------------------------|--------------------------| | Opening Banter | 00:00 – 03:13 | | Team Name History/Rants | 03:13 – 08:50 | | Utah Mammoth Playoff Discussion | 08:50 – 19:00 | | Playoff Bubble, Ducks’ Surge | 19:00 – 22:00 | | Calder & Rookie Race | 22:00 – 26:30 | | Goalie Stats & Scoring Trends | 26:31 – 33:39 | | College Hockey Puck Drop | 34:51 – 46:29 | | NHL Jersey Blind Ranking | 73:44 – 83:23 | | Beer League Proposal Story | 66:58 – 73:44 | | Football/Movie/Miscellaneous Tangents| 49:44 – 66:54 |
The Empty Netters episode is irreverent, frenetic, and packed with witty hockey insight, sharp roasts, and the kind of camaraderie only siblings and lifelong hockey players can conjure. The hosts’ genuine love for the game, paired with their skepticism of its weirder traditions, makes the episode feel like talking shop after a late-night game at the rink.