Spittin’ Chiclets Episode 561: Featuring Curtis Joseph

Summary

Spittin’ Chiclets Episode 561: Featuring Curtis Joseph
Release Date: May 9, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode 561 of Spittin’ Chiclets, hosts Ryan Whitney, Paul Bissonnette, and Mike Grinnelli dive deep into the ongoing NHL playoffs, offering their characteristic blend of insightful analysis and irreverent humor. The episode culminates with an exclusive interview with Curtis Joseph, a legendary NHL goaltender and Maple Leafs icon. Throughout the conversation, the trio touches on pivotal games, player performances, and behind-the-scenes dynamics, providing listeners with a comprehensive overview of the current hockey landscape.

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NHL Playoffs Analysis

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Florida Panthers

The episode opens with a heated discussion about the Toronto Maple Leafs' performance in the playoffs. Ryan Whitney expresses cautious optimism about the Leafs, noting their strong start but also highlighting concerns about their consistency:

Ryan Whitney [03:10]: "Two wins for sure."

The conversation delves into the Leafs' defensive strategies and the impact of key players like Connor Brown and Evander Kane:

Paul Bissonnette [05:37]: "Connor Brown was with Evander Kane at least one time, in LA. He showed up in a Rolls Royce. I mean, I always thought you take the team bus, you maybe walk over with teammates."

Whitney emphasizes the resilience of the Leafs despite challenges:

Ryan Whitney [16:11]: "Evander Kane showing up to a road game in a Rolls Royce, it's one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen."

Edmonton Oilers’ Goaltending and Team Performance

A significant portion of the episode focuses on the Edmonton Oilers, particularly their goaltending prowess with Calvin Pickard stepping in and stellar performance from their fourth line:

Ryan Whitney [23:10]: "As soon as I get in the Room put on the tv games, anthems, puck drop. Well, we're up late in that game. We got to get that video in celebratory style."

Mike Grinnelli highlights Pickard's record-breaking streak:

Mike Grinnelli [12:17]: "Upon reviewing Calvin Pickard's NHL career, it appears that prior to his recent six consecutive playoff starts with the Edmonton Oilers, he had not previously started six straight NHL games."

The hosts laud the Oilers for their depth and strategic play:

Ryan Whitney [26:00]: "I'd put him back in. I think he's done it since he came in. It's amazing."

Controversies and Referee Decisions

The discussion turns to controversial referee decisions, specifically a missed high-stick call that led to a significant injury:

Ryan Whitney [14:04]: "The refs mixed calls. That's what happens. And I don't want to win in a way like that, but I want to win."

Mike Grinnelli criticizes the officiating for potentially influencing the game's outcome:

Mike Grinnelli [14:53]: "It was a really bad missed call. If you watch the whole game or maybe the last two games, Frederick like maybe he's given him these little pokes and these little jabs where he's irritating him."

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Interview with Curtis Joseph

Career Highlights and Maple Leafs Legacy

Curtis Joseph, affectionately known as "Cujo," shares nostalgic memories from his storied career with the Toronto Maple Leafs and other NHL teams. He reminisces about the intense atmosphere at the old Maple Leaf Gardens and the pressure of being a goalie in such a high-stakes environment:

Curtis Joseph [32:34]: "Well, my first memory of Leaf Nation was actually playing for St. Louis and we lost in game seven. It was insanity."

Joseph also discusses the iconic goaltender masks of his era, emphasizing their simplicity and recognizability:

Curtis Joseph [35:00]: "This is a great mask. No puck marks on it. One game."

Current Playoff Series and Team Strategies

Joseph provides an in-depth analysis of the current playoff series, particularly focusing on the performance of the Edmonton Oilers and the strategies employed by both teams:

Curtis Joseph [56:24]: "Well, definitely their D is big and strong. I mean, we don't see them get manhandled in their own end."

He praises the Oilers' defensive play and the contributions of players like Connor Brown and Evander Kane, noting their impact on the team's success:

Curtis Joseph [57:09]: "Nylander, man, this guy, how does he beat goalies? He must have great deception on his shot."

Leadership and Mental Preparation

Joseph delves into the psychological aspects of goaltending, highlighting the importance of mental resilience and leadership. He shares insights on how goalies can maintain composure under pressure and support their teams:

Curtis Joseph [47:04]: "Being in a leadership position, you need to show the rest of the team. You see that, you see Pickard hasn't been a number one, but he's in a leadership position and if he battles through adversity, guys see that."

He also discusses his mentorship role, offering advice to current goalies like Jack Campbell on handling the pressures of playoff hockey:

Curtis Joseph [40:40]: "The first thing I said to Jack is, you play every game. Just make sure you're ready to go."

Team Dynamics and Player Relations

Joseph reflects on the camaraderie and dynamics within NHL locker rooms, particularly emphasizing the mutual respect among players and coaches. He shares anecdotes about interactions with teammates and the importance of positive reinforcement:

Curtis Joseph [43:42]: "That's part of being in the position. You give it a little extra windmill and guys respond, they love it."

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Key Player Performances and Team Assessments

Connor McDavid and Leadership

The hosts discuss Connor McDavid's performance and leadership within the Oilers, acknowledging his continued excellence despite the team's challenges:

Curtis Joseph [57:09]: "Nylander... this guy, how does he beat goalies? He must have great deception on his shot."

Tom Wilson and Washington Capitals

A detailed analysis is provided on Tom Wilson's impact with the Washington Capitals, highlighting his physicality and influence on the team's morale and performance:

Ryan Whitney [80:30]: "Tom Wilson leads the team with 27 hits. He’s giving it to Jordan Stall... he's in the opponents' heads."

Dallas Stars and Goaltending Issues

The conversation also touches on the Dallas Stars, focusing on their goaltending inconsistencies and the implications for their playoff aspirations:

Mike Grinnelli [76:47]: "He's doing amazing. I mean, Manning has been his best."

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Curtis Joseph’s Insights on Goaltending and Leadership

During the interview, Curtis Joseph emphasizes the evolution of the goaltender role, the importance of communication with active goalies, and the mental aspects of maintaining peak performance:

Curtis Joseph [53:35]: "You're in a leadership position whether you want to or not, whether you're a leader or not, that being a goalie... you need to show the rest of the team."

He also discusses his approach to handling media pressure and maintaining a positive mindset:

Curtis Joseph [44:52]: "You have to leave negative thoughts behind. Stay positive and in the moment."

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Controversial Referee Decisions and Their Impact

The hosts revisit the controversial missed high-stick call involving Nicholas Wa and Trent Frederick, debating the intent and fairness of the decision:

Ryan Whitney [75:12]: "But he is like, just grabbing it and coming down. Maybe the fall through is a little."

Mike Grinnelli [75:58]: "If you don't think he tried to sell the hit to draw a penalty, I don't agree with you there, but I don't think he should have gotten a bell shin penalty."

Curtis Joseph provides perspective on such incidents, viewing them as part of the game’s physical nature:

Curtis Joseph [42:53]: "As a goalie, you have to reverse that. You take it as a compliment, go, hey, I'm playing great."

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Final Thoughts and Predictions

As the episode nears its conclusion, the hosts and Curtis Joseph share their predictions for the remaining playoff series. They express confidence in the Maple Leafs' depth and the Oilers' resilience, while also acknowledging the Capitals' formidable play led by Tom Wilson:

Ryan Whitney [51:37]: "It's going to get harder. You're going to try and put this team out. It's going to be extremely difficult."

Curtis Joseph [51:50]: "It's going to get tougher, and if it doesn't, great."

The episode wraps up with a mix of humor and anticipation for upcoming games, leaving listeners eagerly awaiting the next installment of Spittin’ Chiclets.

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Notable Quotes

• Ryan Whitney [10:11]: "Evander Kane showing up to a road game in a Rolls Royce, it's one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen."

• Curtis Joseph [32:34]: "Well, my first memory of Leaf Nation was actually playing for St. Louis and we lost in game seven. It was insanity."

• Curtis Joseph [47:04]: "Being in a leadership position, you need to show the rest of the team. You see that, you see Pickard hasn't been a number one, but he's in a leadership position and if he battles through adversity, guys see that."

• Paul Bissonnette [05:05]: "This is a trimming my beard."

• Mike Grinnelli [14:53]: "The first one was laying down and there's still this much room, and, I mean, obviously, like, Stone's gonna find him there."

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Conclusion

Episode 561 of Spittin’ Chiclets offers an engaging blend of tactical NHL playoff analysis and personal insights from one of hockey’s revered goaltenders, Curtis Joseph. From dissecting the Leafs' strategic maneuvers to understanding the mental fortitude required in high-pressure situations, the episode provides listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the current playoff landscape. Joseph’s reflections on his career and the evolving role of goaltenders add a layer of depth, making this episode a must-listen for hockey enthusiasts eager to stay informed and entertained.

Transcript

[Ryan Whitney]

Hey, Spit and Chiclets listeners. You can find every episode on Apple.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube Prime.

[Ryan Whitney]

Members can listen ad free on Amazon Music.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Me and Ryan have been officially welcomed to the jungle that is Barstool Sports.

[Ryan Whitney]

Our white whale, Sidney Crosby. Shave his head.

[Mike Grinelli]

Shave his head. Shave his head.

[Ryan Whitney]

Ryan Whitney.

[Mike Grinelli]

Paul Vincent.

[Ryan Whitney]

Ra. Mike Grinelli. Spittin Chickfil. What is.

[Mike Grinelli]

I thought you guys were with me.

[Ryan Whitney]

What is up? Yeah, we'll get to that in a second. But first, welcome to episode 561. You'll notice somebody's missing. Somebody's team's down. 02. I don't know what to say, but we do have a lot to say about Pink Whitney, which is why we're here. Take your shot with Pink Whitney. We're episode 561 of Spit and Chickleth. We're middle of the second round. Things are buzzing. And so is with Pink Whitney. Right, Biz Mother's Day is coming up. What else would your mom or wife, rather than a big old handle, I.

[Mike Grinelli]

Got her a case. That's it? No flowers, no nothing? Just a case.

[Ryan Whitney]

Not even a card. Just. Hey. Here you go, honey.

[Mike Grinelli]

Well, I wrote it on the cardboard box. What? On the. I. I wrote it on the outside of the cardboard box that holds the bottles.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay, that's perfect. Yeah, I. I actually got different nips of Pink Whitney for my wife. I left them all over the house, and I said I actually paid for these. These weren't free, so. Happy Mother's Day, sweetie. I love you, and I hope everyone out there takes care of their mothers. Thank you. Their wives, their sisters who are moms. Anyone in your life would love a little Pink Whitney. Spring is here. Summer's coming. So take your shot with Pink Whitney. Thank you so much, Biz. This is all time.

[Mike Grinelli]

This. This is. This. This isn't real. I'm. I'm living in simulation right now.

[Ryan Whitney]

And this is just great for you. Kind of hurts me because I'm, you know, I'm the leaf hater. And then I got to shout you guys out. Different. Different team this year. Looking. Looking just fantastic. But I needed my.

[Mike Grinelli]

Before we go any forward. You as well. Congratulations. 2 and 0 on the road, especially. Like, are you kidding me? What a win. What a win. So we're in the winner circle at this point.

[Ryan Whitney]

We're the winner circle. Yes.

[Mike Grinelli]

Or as yance, I'm my nostalgia. The memories going a little bit right here. I'm so flustered. He's got me in a blender. I thought that maybe you And Keith had planned this for him to like, not show up at the start. And maybe you have and I just don't know it yet. Kind of like you trolling on Twitter as of late trying to reverse mush the Leafs. So going back to your. Why? Why? Don't give that look. Don't. Don't give that look, please. I see you saying the series is over online and listen, I had a nice Game two celebratory video and maybe they want to pull it up and we can go through it. But as soon as the videos go out, I know it's back to business. I'm not getting ahead of myself here. I'm not going to start acting as if though this series is science sealed and delivered, the next two games for the Toronto Maple Leafs will be the hardest games any of those players in the lineup have ever played in their entire life. They are going to like the next.

[Ryan Whitney]

Two wins for sure. Oh, let's play it.

[Mike Grinelli]

So here's the video. Calm, cool, collected. Two nothing. So Whit, little backstory, A lot of questions. Little backstory. So game one against Florida, I had the BET gala with barstool. They threw it on at the the sports book DraftKings Sportsbook just off of Frank Lloyd Wright Avenue near TPC Scottsdale. So I go there on Monday. Well, that's game one. So I'm like, okay, like, I'm not gonna wear my, like, lucky stuff there, but I'll be done by the first period and I'll take off. So. Well, they start the game. Well, they're up 3:1 after the first. So I start a little bit of the second period and I'm like, ah, man, like, like, do I leave? Because I'm turning into one of those fans now that if your team's playing good and you're watching it at a certain location, I don't want to, I don't want to mix with the mess with the juju. I don't want to mess with the feng shui. So I go home, fucking goalie gets injured, Stolars comes out, and then all of a sudden it's a fucking shootout. We obviously, we end up winning the game, but. But nonetheless, I had that feeling like, whoa. As a fan, I'm partly responsible for not only the, the injury to Stolars, but the fact that they almost came back and won. But we held the fort. Win the game. Lesson learned. As a business, the fan. So I have a massage booked for game two starting at 4:00. As soon as I get in the Room put on the tv games, anthems, puck drop. Well, were up late in that game. There was probably about 10 minutes left. I said to her, I said, you got to keep running, rubbing me till we win. And she agreed to it. I stayed there the entire time. She rubbed me an extra 30 minutes. And we got to get that video in celebratory style. Two nothing Leafs, unreal start to the series.

[Ryan Whitney]

I was, I was waiting for a pan up of the camera and to just see like Taylor Pyatt or one of your buddies or Joey Superstein just rubbing your scalp.

[Mike Grinelli]

She wrote Bonnie Blue on Instagram. Not Bonnie. It was not Bonnie.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, we have a lot to get into. I have, I have a bunch of questions for you, but we're having Jesus Cujo on Curtis Joseph, all time goalie in the NHL Maple Leafs legend. He's coming on in about, I don't know, 25 minutes. So I figured we'd start with the oil. Now why would I want to start with the oil?

[Mike Grinelli]

Let's start with the oil. Absolutely. I just wanted to get, I just wanted to give my, my video explanation because I'm sure a lot of people are wondering where the was this guy. Was he at the time of Seuss parlor, like asking him to like put, put like do this video and throwing the game on the, the, the big screen. What was the other thing I just wanted to mention, quick. Oh, from a fan standpoint, do you do that? Because I'm sure there's tons of fans out there. I want to say Hank from barstool, he got stuck on the concourse for, for like a, a Super bowl game because the way the Patriots were playing.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think he ended up like watching the game from the concourse on one of the six super bowl titles that the Pats got. I have never been like that. And we were chirping you on the group chat a little bit or Grinelli said he's like that. I mean, I don't know. He like switches outfits and stuff. I've always thought it's insane. But then after you talked about it, I was going to watch the game on the Oilers of the Oilers game in my basement. Just a little more quiet. Great couch down there.

[Mike Grinelli]

Oh yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

And what happened? I'm like, I, I can't sit here. You got in my head. I'm, I think I'm full blown fan now. I'm full blown into the mix as a true fan was. It's like we never played. I mean it was a different life. It was a different life. It was years Ago biz. We're now full blown Oiler Leafs junkies in the middle of a war trying to raise Lord Stanley. And I'm not going to do anything that'll screw up my correct.

[Mike Grinelli]

You don't want to be the one to cost them. You don't want to be the one thing.

[Ryan Whitney]

Stretching an intermission doing. Yeah, yeah. Oh, it's very flexible. Working on my ham bones and then I'm just making sure. Okay. Stay loose, stay calm. I don't really stay as calm as you've stayed throughout your little run here. You know, you're six and two, Biz. So am I. We're both six and two. A lot of people around the Internet are talking about a crash course in the Stanley Cup Final. I'm not even thinking about.

[Mike Grinelli]

We're not there yet.

[Ryan Whitney]

Mentally, we're not way, way too far away. But I am thinking about the Oilers and Calvin Pickard. It is absolutely insane what this guy's doing. I mean, he's six and oh, I don't even know. Can the chat look up? I'm not reading the chat because, geez, texting us things. Because maybe Yance might come to the show today. I don't know if he's actually going to show up. Has he ever even started six NHL games in a row, let alone win? And we're talking regular season. He has come in and changed everything and I don't think anyone saw it coming. I myself after down 20 to the kings is like, I don't know. Yeah, we're going back to the Terror Dome. The Oilers are now calling Rogers the Terror Dome. I think they're sending me over some stuff like. And we know it is a Terror Dome.

[Mike Grinelli]

That's a, that's the, that's an evolutionary name. Like where it wasn't around last year. Like they just did it this year.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think so because I'm seeing the comments. What is this Terror Dome? What are we talking about? Terror Dome. But then some fans are dying in.

[Mike Grinelli]

It's the Terror Dome.

[Ryan Whitney]

It's Rodgers, right? Go in and try to try to get a win in Rodgers. But this series started and bing bang, boom, Mark Stone two zero. And I'm like, oh my God. Jesus. I didn't need this, right? I didn't need a 2 nothing deficit, right? We've won four in a row. We're buzzing right now. And for some, I have no reason why someone's looking down upon the Oilers right now and has touched us with depth scoring and they touched us with playoff. Connor Brown who just loves playing in big games. Great interview with army the other day. They've touched us with Evander Kane's health. Let me tell you, Evander Kane showing up to a road game in a Rolls Royce, it's one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen. I believe he did it in la. Maybe a Ferrari or something like that. I mean, I always thought you took the team bus, you maybe walked over with teammates. I think Connor Brown was with him at least one time in the. In la. He showed up in a Rolls Royce. And as you mentioned, biz, you'd think, you know, guys are preparing for what they want to do on the four. Check what they want to do on the pk.

[Mike Grinelli]

Well, I thought Connor Brown would show up at a tractor before he would a Lamborghini. Like, I mean, you know, he seems like more of a meat and potatoes kind of hailing bay guy, Bailin hay kind of guy, but.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, I said I think that McDavid might have sent him with Kane. Like, make sure he doesn't stop at the casino and just get him to the game in the Rolls Royce.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

And you know what? Evander Kane, as I mentioned in the group chat, can ride in on an elephant with women and men fanning them off with.

[Mike Grinelli]

Well, he was actually. He was actually supposed to go with Lamar Odom. And then. And then they were like, no way, that's not happening. We're sending Connor Brown instead. Lamar will get his own car service. For anyone listening right now, in our.

[Ryan Whitney]

Lives, Biz had an all time line last night. He said Lamar's been seeing on Twitter that this year's playoffs is on crack. So he reached out to his publicist and he's like, hey, why don't you reach out to the Golden Knight?

[Mike Grinelli]

That's one for the pod, not one for Twitter. I thought I'd keep that one in the group chat, I think.

[Ryan Whitney]

Smart move.

[Mike Grinelli]

Smart, yeah. Starting to evolve. You know, get. Use my filter a little bit, the brain filter.

[Ryan Whitney]

I think that after the first period and even 10 minutes into game one, I said, the Oilers, like, don't change. Like, they were playing phenomenal. Like, they. They really own one. And credit to Vegas, they came back and they changed a lot up. It seemed like the neutral zone was so hard to get through. All right, Gee. Upon reviewing Calvin Pickard's NHL career, it appears that prior to his recent six consecutive playoff starts with the Edmonton Oilers, he had not previously started six straight NHL games. During the 2016-17 season with the Avalanche, Pickard played in 50 games. All right, whatever. He hasn't done it. There's no record of him doing it. He's done it in the playoffs. So back to game two. I don't know if you agree. Vegas was a different team. They looked more dialed. The neutral zone, as I mentioned. And McDavid.

[Mike Grinelli]

What I was going to say. You're about to mention it. They did a great job of shutting down McJesus.

[Ryan Whitney]

He had nothing going, and neither did Leon. And it was weird. Yes. The time and space wasn't there, but they were even like, fumble fucking the puck a little bit. Like, it was just. It was not. It was not what you usually have come to see from the two greatest playoff performers the league has seen since Gretzky and Lemieux. So I'm kind of like, jesus Christ. But somehow this fourth line. Pod Colzin, he has six points. Biz in the playoffs. Six points.

[Mike Grinelli]

He's been a.

[Ryan Whitney]

That fourth line, they just keep coming at you, coming at you. And what happens? McDavid and Dreis.

[Mike Grinelli]

Oh, oh, hey, there.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Times 11:30.

[Mike Grinelli]

No, no, no, no, no. Cujo. 11:30. Pod starts at 11. We don't.

[Ryan Whitney]

I said 11:30 on the Chiclets video because I thought it was 11:30, but then I saw it was 11 on the text.

[Mike Grinelli]

Okay, that's okay. No worries.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Don't worry. Up. Accountability.

[Ryan Whitney]

No, no.

[Curtis Joseph]

This is.

[Paul Bissonnette]

This is a trimming my beard.

[Mike Grinelli]

Nothing's going right in Florida.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, Keith, we're talking about Edmonton, and we're talking about some feeling and something going on that I can't describe. Tyler Yaremchuk, which is a he. He pretty much runs Oilers nation. Big Oilers fan, does a lot with Daily Face Off. He texted me after. He's like, this is even better than last year. Because last year everything went right until the finals. Everything went right. It was smooth sailing. This year, it seems like nothing's going right and they can't stop winning. So it's like if you're winning these games that you really have no business winning. Game two, they had no business winning. We will get into the refs. One of the worst missed calls I'll ever see. And to have it cause an injury actually is even worse. Now, a lot of Oilers fans are like, that's karma. They've missed calls on us for years. This is bullshit. Echo em. High stick. Last time we played him, two years ago. I don't. I don't subscribe to that, guys. I'm an honorable fan. I'm not somebody that's jumping off the bandwagon. Here and there. I'm somebody who's sticking with my team and calling out the refs who, when we got a great call now will I take it? Yeah, I'll take it. Who wouldn't take it? That's a, that's, that's a gift from the refs because McNabb looked injured. I mean I, I texted the group. It looked like his shoulder might have popped though. Not good. Huge loss for them. Arvidson. Anyone out there saying he caught an edge? Go watch the video and turn your brain on. He dude, he can't open and the top right picture shows that he didn't catch an edge with his right foot. He, his stick literally just can't open his foot and he would find into the boards and got injured. But refs mixed calls. That's what happens. And I don't want to win in a way like that, but I want to win.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah, I, I was a little shocked to not see no call there especially after they'd been given the five minute major. Now that might be one of the more bigger brain farts I've ever seen in a, in a, in a Stanley cup playoffs game where Nicholas wa just gave Trent Frederick. He took. Tried to check out his upper deck like he, he cross checked him right in the face. Like I don't sometimes if you'd watch the whole game or maybe the last two games. Frederick like maybe he's given him these little pokes and these little jabs where he's irritating him. He's maybe beating him in a couple wall battles where it's made him look bad. So maybe at that point was just completely irritated by this guy. But something clearly snapped right. The wires crossed in his brain enough to him go straight legged look at him and just give him full extension cross check right to the upper deck.

[Paul Bissonnette]

It's like he found out his wife was cheating on him that morning and took it out on Frederick. That's the only re I've been trying. I lost sleep last night with Frederick.

[Ryan Whitney]

Can you show, can you show the quick image again? I think based on talk I think that he might have thought that Frederick was going to cross check him and he was like meeting him maybe I.

[Paul Bissonnette]

The puck was up in the air. That's the only thing. The puck was like kind of there and I don't know if he was kind of. I've never seen somebody cross check the puck but.

[Ryan Whitney]

Because I don't think was a dirty player and that's even beyond dirty. That's just like your brain Turned off like literally your brain, it started coming out of your ears.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

And then you had to turn it back on and suck it back in like a vacuum.

[Mike Grinelli]

Your, your theory makes sense though, because by the time that he gets it in the face, Frederick's arms are out in a cross check position, but more where you normally have them like, like chest height. Not right for the top grill of the guy's mouth.

[Ryan Whitney]

Fred.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Nice. A big lad too.

[Ryan Whitney]

And he's not dirty. He's not dirty. He's an honest hell of a player. I mean, they don't have depth players like us. Let's go back to Gary Lawless. Gary. Gary. We got a better goaltender, we got a better depth.

[Mike Grinelli]

We got a coach's pinky in the.

[Ryan Whitney]

Brain because Aiden Hill right now, Hey.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I got Gary Lawless.

[Mike Grinelli]

For those of you listening, he's got his, he's got a happy face drawn on his thumb. Please don't get me fired.

[Paul Bissonnette]

That's not us sad face.

[Mike Grinelli]

That's brutal. That's. You guys got a family, man. Come on.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Hey, not anymore.

[Ryan Whitney]

When they didn't score on that power play, I, I, I said I, I don't see a way we can win this game. Like the, the, the vibes on the bench getting that kill now. The first unit went on. They got nothing accomplished. By the way, I don't think that the Oilers have scored a power play goal on the road yet this year. They didn't have one last night, right? I don't think they have a road power play goal chat. Correct me if I'm wrong, G. I'm not looking because I'm trying to concentrate. But when they killed it off, I'm like, oh my God, we're done. But Jesus Christ, does this team have belief? Does this team have like a drive to never give up, never give in? I mean, Corey Perry, guys, the dish he gave, that was him that did he give it over to McDavid just flying through the middle. And let's get ahead of this. Anyone chirping Eichel, if you took sperm from Scott Nedemeyer, Cale Makar and Bobby Orr and built a defenseman out of that sperm with new age skates that didn't even exist yet. Nobody's stopping him. That is like you're flat footed in the neutrozone against Superman coming at you.

[Mike Grinelli]

So I just have to pray it's.

[Ryan Whitney]

Like, what is that? What is that YouTube guy. I show speed. It's like him combined with I don't know what else. Who else is really fast the. The Wiley Coyote or the Coyote. Check the Roadrunner. Yeah, I'm all over the place. Don't. Maybe don't chirp Eichel on that. Eichel had. He was done well.

[Mike Grinelli]

He was probably still in shock at the fact that they didn't call a penalty on Arvidson and that. That the game was still going on 5 on 5. Just an incredible like how about dry sidel 2 just hanging in the weeds. Slows up just a little bit. He knows exactly where he's going to get it to him and the minute he gets it over to him, it's in the back of the net. So just an iconic two on one from those guys. Unfortunately McJesus put the rollerblades on Eiko and he was doing the Chopstick Dance. That's a tough one. That's a. That's like a na na na na na na. When you get to your hotel room and or even home for him and you see you're all over ESPN getting dummied. But you mentioned it wet. Like I didn't think their depth was as good coming into these playoffs. Like it wasn't. It hadn't proven itself. It was the fact that Skinner is still in the press box. He's only played one playoff game in his career after coming over. But it just seems like some of the other ads they've made have picked it up. You mentioned pod closing. I mean Corey Perry, man, like he's drink, he's butt chugging from the fountain of youth. The what he's able to do in the net front, he's such a gamer. It doesn't. He's not slow but his speed just doesn't really necessarily matter because he just knows what areas to go to and where to be effective. And he doesn't always even have to get to the wall like when the puck's coming around. And like they're using the back of the night for back of the net for like these. These cycles and stuff. He's so long that he's able to be off the wall when he gets the puck right. So he's able to maintain even better body position. And I mean you play with him with like he's not like the. He's obviously a scrawny guy. I would assume he's probably in the 195 to 200 pound range. But the way he's able to use his body, it almost feels like he's like 230, 235. Like he's very dense and so good on his edges and able to control what he's doing. That's why when he's falling on the goalies, you're like worm. We know you got good edge work, but we know you're going accidentally on purpose. So the way that he's playing right now, this guy could play till he's fucking 50 years old. And I'm sure that Oilers team would love that because I think I was reading something online. I hope I don't butcher what it is. It's like that expected goals for and obviously what they're actually producing as far as the goals so far this playoffs. They're outpacing any other playoffs by like 12% right now based on the runs that they've gone in the last like four or five years with McDavid and dry Seidel being in their prime. So like games like last night where you're maybe not seeing McDavid and Dreidle's best for the first 60, if you're fucking third and fourth lines are able to keep you in the game, you know they're going to end up making a play like that and, or if they can even just win them the game where they can have an off night. This is a, a dream case scenario. And it always goes back to what we, we were talking about four or five years ago about, oh, you're, you're. You're chasing the game late in games or, or because you don't have that depth, you're. You're laying the ace of spades for 24, 25 minutes a game. Well over the course of the first few rounds, they're not going to have any gas left in the tank. And right now they're not having to use those guys all the time when they, when they need a big play because they can rely on these others. So really, really impressed by the Oilers and how they've been able to go into that R knowing in game two they were going to get the kitchen sink thrown at them. Like that was the Vegas team I expect to see in games three. In games four, Petro's first game back, apparently he had the flu and that's why he was out game one, like he was out with illness. So the last thing I'll say before I hand it over to Yan is like Aiden Hill just. He. He hasn't made that, that big stop. That one. The. The Connor Brown one. I feel like he probably should have had that. No. Is that not a goal that he should have had?

[Ryan Whitney]

Which one?

[Paul Bissonnette]

The breakaway one.

[Mike Grinelli]

The. The. Was it Wait up. Maybe I'm thinking of the one he.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Scored a breakaway five hole.

[Mike Grinelli]

I'm thinking of the wrong one last night. Sorry. Maybe it was the pod closing one or. No.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Maybe.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

He should have had.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah. I thought the nurse one was. Was probably the. Well nurse was low blocker and at least he had a clear look. It was probably the pod closing one where it felt like he cut across and it almost like got him like, jammed up in the glove area. Right. So just not a good outing. And I don't know if they look to their backup to mix things up. I mean, the Oilers have. Have done it.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, how about this stat? When they lost to them two years ago, I think McDavid and Dry Seattle had 11 goals in six games. The rest of the forwards had five. The rest of the forwards have five through two games this year. So I mean, that. That is. And. And McDavid and dry settle aren't like, doing what we're accustomed to them doing, yet. They both have three points in two games. So it's like, that's how good they are. But we're just so used to. Through two games, they both have, I don't know, four, maybe five. Like, that's how this team rolls. But when this team's rolling without them playing their best, that's when I'm starting to think, holy, like, what is going on here? And everyone's like, oh, even if they win, they'll lose next round. Everyone said that last year, too. So the Pickard story for me is by far and away the biggest storyline because you don't even look at save percentage and goals against. It's like. I think he said it after the first round. Can you make one more save than their guy? The Grant Fuhrer line. I think Gretzky said it like, you just got to make one more than their guy. And he's doing it. He's continued to do it since he came in. It's amazing to see the adversity that he's fought through in his career and. And where he's at now. And apparently, like, you know, guys love him in the room. They're. They're. They're constantly like. You see McDavid sprint down to him when they beat L. A that night. I think it was game four in overtime.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Just things that this team is. It's incredible to watch. It's a roller coaster of emotions. Nothing is ever easy. Six in a row comeback victories, I would say, like being down one nothing. It's a comeback victory, but I Mean, I. I think of, like, two nothing in game one, and some of those LA games that's a little bit different, but nonetheless, you're. You're losing at one point in a playoff game, and for some reason, they just. They have weird starts. Like, even game two, like, I was like, what the hell? Like, you had to know Vegas was coming, but they gave up one Kulak. Just a tough play on. I don't know if you guys could think of the goal that Olufsen scored, because it happened, like, three or four times. Kulak's laying down.

[Mike Grinelli]

You.

[Ryan Whitney]

You. If you're laying down, you got to make sure your skate is almost right against Pickard. You cannot allow that pass through. And then the second time, the second power play, it happened. He did it perfect, blocked it, and then it got through again. And Pickard made this incredible.

[Mike Grinelli]

Are you talking about the play where Eiko literally shook his head saying, no, no, no, and then he found the lane?

[Ryan Whitney]

No, that was covering the always dangerous left post on that one.

[Mike Grinelli]

Okay.

[Ryan Whitney]

But it was like, I think. I don't think. I don't know who had gone. Maybe Stone had gone behind the net. It was the first one where he's laying down and there's still this much room, and, I mean, obviously, like, Stone's gonna find him there. Eichel was incredible last night. At the end of the game, the first line got caught out there against the fourth line, and I love playing the fourth line. They had been the best line, but the last minute, oh, yeah. Eichel had him hemmed in the zone, and I think there was a huge save made, maybe on Olufsen or Barbershev in the slot. Eichel got the one timer off, and I'm like, oh, God. But I don't really know what else to say about this team besides, it's shocking. It's amazing. I don't want to continue to go down in games, but maybe we do. Maybe it's like, all right, that's just fine. I don't know. Keith, what do you think so far?

[Paul Bissonnette]

I think a big thing, too. And we. We touched a little bit on it about goaltenders not playing through injuries and kind of, you know, if they get bumped or hurt, they're kind of out, which, you know, goalies aren't used to getting hit. But Pickard last night, when he got, you know, landed on. I thought his knee was done. I thought he was gonna have a tough time coming back, but he just gritted it out. You could see him kind of laboring a little and you know what that brings to a team like those guys on a bench. Like, hey, this fucking guy's going for us. We gotta go for him. And he was outstanding I think too. I mean, obviously we're pumping Edmonton's tires, but last series, the way that Capri, Saab and Boldy exposed the top lines there, I was worried this, at this series that, you know, McDavid and Dry Saddle were going to have 900 points. They've done an unbelievable job shutting them down, you know, just kind of forcing them to areas in the neutral zone, not letting them get in, except for on the final goal. But I thought they've done a really good job. I think they deserve some credit with that, with, you know, Stone and Howden is impressed me.

[Mike Grinelli]

He's awesome.

[Paul Bissonnette]

He's great. So they've done a good job with that. And then, you know, last series, their third and fourth line did a good job against Minnesota's bottom line. And then it's just flip flop this series so.

[Mike Grinelli]

Well, that was, that was what I was concerned about, Yans, is I felt like last series against Minnesota, we always talk about Vegas four lines. Like, I mean, at most points, Raw's on their fourth line. I think he got bumped up the third line when Carlson went up to that top line. But I thought that they got chewed up a little bit by that Brazil. Who's the 13? Trent? Is it Trenin? Trenin, Trenin and Rossi. And. And that's when Gary came on and says, oh, you know, we have more depth. And I'm like, I don't know, man. I felt like your depth got kind of exposed against Minnesota and I was surprised a little bit. Let's see how they're able to fare against Edmonton. And once again we're seeing it where that's when Vegas won its cup, man, they rolled out that third and fourth line and they knew exactly what they were getting. They were getting the momentum back if they didn't have it or they were maintaining it. They were getting them that big goal and running guys through the end wall. And I just, you know, I feel like they're lacking maybe that a little bit from what we saw during the cup run and I guess what expectations were coming into playoffs. So if Edmonton's bottom six is continually like drawn them even or, or outplaying them a little bit, there's no way that this series is going longer than six games. This is going to be the Oilers series. And very happy for Darnell Nurse and you. Yeah, we talk about sometimes going full Nurse you never want to go full Darnell, but I mean, from the start of that first round to how he's playing now is a world of difference. And I think that going back to last round, the. That goal he scored was definitely a. Like a elevate elevated his confidence because he's playing a lot better now in the last four or five games than he has in the start of that LA series. And without Ekom that. That is huge. Mind you. I'm sure. Last thing we'll say before we bring on our guests. You have to be so happy with Walman and Klingberg.

[Ryan Whitney]

I was just going to bring him up. Clingberg, man, to me, Klingberg. I'm so happy for the guy.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Same hip resurfacing surgery. Like I know Patrick Kane went through it, but for a guy who constantly was swiveling those hips, Shakira style biz, that's how he played. All he did was open up, walk the blue line. And you could tell like the guy was injured in Toronto, he was in Anaheim. He's all over the map. And then he comes over and he didn't look great at the beginning. And it's just, it takes a long time and there's a lot of times injuries, it never comes back. I, I know that from personal experience, but this guy is so good with his vision and with the puck that now the skating is where it needs to be. It's never going to be what it once was when he was 25, but it is still like incredible to watch this guy play. And Jake Wallman is solid. Like, that was the thing about Ekholm being out. Those two guys, like, can they, can they even pick up any sort of minutes that Ekholm would have carried this team with? And they've looked phenomenal. This series is so far from over. But, but, but getting them done on the road has me like, I'm at a higher level than you Biz. Like you're going into sunrise.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah. Your anticipation is. If we get a split at home, we're in great shape. Like I said before, when we're talking about the Leafs and Panthers before we bring on Cujo, here is these players are going into not only the most insane environment they've ever played a game in, playoff wise, but these will be two of the hardest games they've ever played in their life. Hands down. They are going to get the kitchen sink thrown at them. They're going to get whatever you name thrown at them, including the Rat Kings fall. So it's, it's Going to be. It's going to be a crazy series and I don't really have much like Vegas. Great game to expect a lot more from you guys. Heart of a champion. Wondering if we see a goaltending change. But right now I think all the focus is on that missed call and just the depth for the Oilers. Getting it done.

[Ryan Whitney]

No doubt. I love it. And with that, I believe it's time to bring on Cujo. Curtis Joseph, but Cujo, I want to make sure everyone knows this interview and this episode is brought to you by the body armor sports drink. Body armor has great tasting flavors right here. Strawberry banana. They also have orange mango. No artificial thighs, no bad flavors or sweeteners. None of the trash. Just body armor sports drink. It keeps you hydrated. And these late nights, guys, right, not even drinking, but you still need to be just pounding the body armor. Strawberry banana. It's almost like a smoothie. It's like dessert for me right here. So body armor is where it's at in a bold new look with the same great taste. Get your body armor today at Walmart or local grocery store near you. Body armor choose better. And with that, let's bring in an all time great Curtis Joseph. Kujo, you look great.

[Curtis Joseph]

Hey, boys. You guys are dialed in. We're enjoy listening to you.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, thank you very much. It's a pleasure. Biz and I are very lucky. Our teams are doing great. Keith, on the other hand, is in a little bit of a panic mode. But you got the Leafs gear on there. I believe that's a Leaf shirt. You're rocking some incredible runs for you as a Maple Leafs goalie. Take me through what you remember and how you feel the city is right now. Because I said the other night on Twitter, it doesn't seem like the yacht club. It looks like it was when you played. The crowd seems insane, intense. And I'm sure you have some wonderful memories of those years.

[Curtis Joseph]

Well, my first memory of Leaf Nation was actually playing for St. Louis and we lost in game seven. I think it was 93. And it was the first time the.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Leafs were great again.

[Curtis Joseph]

And literally we needed an escort to walk out of the gardens onto the bus. And then they started rocking our bus. It was a sea and they started rocking it. We're all standing up going, if this thing flips, these people are dead. It was insanity. I'm like, this is round. This is round two. I think it was. I'm like, if they ever won the cup, it's going to be insane. But playing for the Leafs Was we had a lot of playoff rounds and a lot of. A lot of good times and everybody's all in. And being a. Being a goalie for the Leafs, I remember driving in and you could cut the tension with a knife. And I always remember not to have negative thoughts. The only thing you would think was, hey, don't let one in from center. You'll be front page of every paper. Good thing I didn't, though.

[Mike Grinelli]

That would. That would suck. A lot of pressure playing in that city. What was it like playing at that old Garden?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Oh.

[Curtis Joseph]

Being a goalie in that rink was the hardest. I don't know if there's ever a rink that had the dimensions like that. It was like a. Like an indoor. It was like being an indoor soccer goalie, you know, with the nets behind the boards. Yeah, because every time you dumped it in, the boards were like. They weren't. They were rounded. So somebody dump it in. And here come Wendell and Andrew flying in. It was a rebound in the slot off the board. So everything was in play. Everything was in front of you, and it made it extremely difficult.

[Mike Grinelli]

Did you. Did you play there? You. You didn't play there as a Leafs goalie, though. Only when you were playing for away teams. Correct. Or. Or when you first.

[Curtis Joseph]

I was fortunate. My first year was as a leaf goalie in the Garden. It was great. I actually signed my contract in the summer on the top of the net while I'm looking outside and watching people walk by, like 15ft from the goal line.

[Mike Grinelli]

That's awesome. So you got to see the send off in the last year of the building. I'm sure the last game there must have been gnarly. Were you. Were you able to get, like, some form of memorabilia? Were you able to take a chair?

[Curtis Joseph]

Let's not talk about the last game we lost. I didn't play very good.

[Paul Bissonnette]

But.

[Curtis Joseph]

But there's a mass right here. I don't know if you can see.

[Ryan Whitney]

Those masks are sick.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Best match.

[Curtis Joseph]

You can see the leaf.

[Ryan Whitney]

You're.

[Curtis Joseph]

Hold on a second.

[Mike Grinelli]

Oh, here we go. We're getting the. People are probably going nuts in the chat.

[Curtis Joseph]

Yeah, this is one of one right here. So this is. I knew it was a memorabilia fiasco the last game, so I had a mass made up with the gardens on the top and wore that in the game.

[Mike Grinelli]

That is so sick.

[Paul Bissonnette]

High tech, old School. That's 101.

[Curtis Joseph]

This is a great mass. No puck marks on it. One game.

[Ryan Whitney]

What's that? The reddish one?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Oh, sorry. Kedwin, top left.

[Mike Grinelli]

Maybe you're that Detroit?

[Curtis Joseph]

No. So that's Team Canada, right? And that's. That one's actually Calgary Flames. See the flame on the side?

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay, yeah, I got it. I got it.

[Curtis Joseph]

Yeah, but, yeah, they're great beat up. Actually, here's. This is a Detroit one. Talk about getting hit. Here's the Detroit one. Look at the. There's a skate, like, skate right there.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, wow.

[Mike Grinelli]

I can see.

[Curtis Joseph]

Of course, the. I don't know when this happened, but the. The.

[Mike Grinelli]

Those cat eyes look bigger than normal, too. Where.

[Curtis Joseph]

Those are 2.

[Mike Grinelli]

2 Stable street legal cat eyes.

[Curtis Joseph]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember one night I got hit in the face in the cat eye, and I could tell the bar was distorted, and it was. I think it was in Edmonton, and it was a team.

[Paul Bissonnette]

He.

[Curtis Joseph]

Time out. And I asked one of the linesman, I said, hey, will you grab the puck and see if it fits through? He came over and he. He goes, oh, yeah, it does. But just barely. There's a minute left in the period. You think you can manage? And I was like, all right, let's do it. So then he changed the cage at the. At the intermission, but I played a minute. I was like, ooh, if I take this in the. In the eyeball, it's not going to.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Feel good playing like this. Yeah, right. Cujo, I got one for you. For this series, obviously, Stolars was the guy coming in, and Wall's been unreal. Like, any chance, even if they win tonight or, you know, even if they lose tonight, would you go back to Stolars if he's ready to go?

[Curtis Joseph]

I would. I would. He's your guy. And Wall's done an Admiral. Admiral job, being in a. A tough situation, clearly, but he's done it three years in a row, I think. But Stolor, he. He's played great, so it's his job to lose, but plus, he handles the puck really well. And that's an intangible that, you know, you see as a. As a defenseman. Yes. And myself as a goalie. This guy dumps it in. I mean, you're trying to get pressure on the team, and he just makes a great play and you're out of the zone. So that intangible, Bennington's really good at that. Also keeps your D safe. You're not taking the big hits. You want all your defensemen out there. So the way he handles the puck, I'd put him back in.

[Paul Bissonnette]

He doesn't have to flip the stick over like you used to have to and shove it.

[Mike Grinelli]

You Were nice.

[Curtis Joseph]

I know. Hey, I was terrible at it, but I had my older boy Taylor before I came on because my sons are like pre scout for this, for this big Chiclets episode. And I said, hey, Taylor, find out how many points Biz has. I now way more. I know.

[Ryan Whitney]

Sorry, Biz. This is Leafs on Leafs crime.

[Mike Grinelli]

How many did you finish with?

[Curtis Joseph]

I didn't want to bring it up, Biz, but I think add more career points.

[Mike Grinelli]

How many did you finish with?

[Curtis Joseph]

31.

[Mike Grinelli]

You.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, so he only had you by seven.

[Mike Grinelli]

I got you in goals though.

[Curtis Joseph]

Not to pile on, Biz. Not to pile on. But I think I have in a season two, I have more.

[Mike Grinelli]

No, no, no.

[Curtis Joseph]

But I want to pile on. I don't want to pile on it.

[Ryan Whitney]

You're saying we hate that you have more.

[Mike Grinelli]

Oh, you. You have I guess a higher career. Like a one season number. Okay. What? You have like a seven, eight points. Oh my God, a nine pointer. Who are you passing it to? Cabrer?

[Curtis Joseph]

No, Brett hall was scoring on every shot, so.

[Mike Grinelli]

Okay, that's it. That's it right there.

[Curtis Joseph]

Brown. Jeff Brown. To. To Brett Hall.

[Ryan Whitney]

Did you have any question, Joe?

[Curtis Joseph]

But I used to. I used to stick with the wrong curve too. I shoot right. I used to stick with the wrong curve.

[Mike Grinelli]

I might have been shooting the wrong way my whole career too. I still don't even know. I golf right, I shoot left. Me, I was. Those are the types of questions I had halfway through. Like, how can these guys stick handle so smoothly? Maybe I got the wrong thing going here, but kind of going back to Yan's question about going back to Stolars, like, how much do you communicate with the active goaltenders and, and, and maybe get to borrow them and get to know them at all and, and, or do they like reach out to you forever? Like maybe some advice, like, do you talk to the goalie coach?

[Curtis Joseph]

Like, well, this year, this year is a year that you don't talk to them. They were so good. If there's ever a problem, I'm always there to, to talk. Like Jack Campbell, you know, it was really fun for me to, to work with him and give him some. Some thoughts on how to prepare for playoffs and just take the pressure off. Like your mind is a powerful thing and you can talk yourself into playing well. That's what I tell him. I said you can talk yourself into playing great at any moment. You just gotta have the right mindset. So I give him a lot of pointers and he played great. So that's fun for me. But this year, I wasn't touching. I wasn't going near those guys. They played so good.

[Ryan Whitney]

Cujo, I got a question about the Stol Arts injury. What did you think about Bennett? Because it's Bennett. I understand. Everyone's like, this is ridiculous. Suspend them. Elbow to the head. Personally, I thought, I know it's him. But it was like, almost incidental and for sure a penalty, but not a suspension. But how much do you take into account the shot he had taken, the rocket? I don't know. Was it Reinhardt? I was before that. Like, because it looks so innocent, or in your history, is it something. A soft bump like that could really give you a concussion. And, you know, you hear he leaves on the stretcher. He doesn't travel to Florida. So obviously there's something serious going on, right?

[Curtis Joseph]

I've never had a concussion, fortunately. But when Wendell hit me with a slap shot in the face and I had turned my face, that left a. That left a mark and it left a resounding ringing. So I would say you're right. I think maybe the shot before was more than the bump. The bump didn't seem like a lot, but, you know, maybe it's more of a neck thing. Sometimes concussions are really stem from the neck, so it may be part of his neck. It got in a certain way. And, you know, with Sam Bennett, he. He plays that way and. And I. It did look incidental. I know he's got, you know, he plays hard, but I remember him playing with my son at 6 years old, him and Connor on the same team, the York Simcoe Express. And that kid was serious at six. I didn't. I never saw him smile as a kid. I mean, that's what it takes to make an NHL guy.

[Paul Bissonnette]

He's.

[Curtis Joseph]

I'm a big fan of that, that, the way he plays, obviously, and the way he played for Canada. So he's going to be in your face all night long. And you know when you're a goalie and you're in the moment and the other team is bumping you? I always took it as a compliment. I'm like, oh, I must be playing good. They're, you know, they're trying to try to get to me.

[Mike Grinelli]

Oh, yeah. Florida's just full of compliments, aren't they?

[Curtis Joseph]

Right? So as a goalie, you have to. You have to reverse that. And you, you take it as a compliment, go, hey, I'm playing great. You know, they gotta bump me. So, you know, I always took it as a compliment.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Even going to, like, Other, other goalies. Like last night, you see, you know, Picker get land on and, you know, you just see him fight through that injury. And I just think, like, it shows the team so much more. And like you said, like, you're an old school guy. You're in there playing. Like, I feel like sometimes some goalies get hit and they're done and they're out and it kind of just, you know, it, it drops the momentum of your team a little bit. But last night for Edmonton, it was like, hey, he's staying in for us. Let's do this for him. Like the goalie. Do you think goalies nowadays realize how much it means to them if the guys are playing through injuries and playing their hardest for, you know, because everyone else is playing hurt too. Right?

[Curtis Joseph]

It's a great question. Thank you. You're in a, you're in a leadership position whether you want to or not, whether you're a leader or not, that being a goalie, a number one goalie in the league, playing in the playoffs, you're in a such a leadership position, you need to show the rest of the team. You know, over the years, you know, I'd hear comments which helped me grow as a player, and guys would come to you and say, hey, how are you so calm? How are you so common? And the right right away, that's feedback for me. Oh, I gotta be calm. You know, they see that. So, you know, maybe Pickard hasn't been a number one, but he's in a leadership position and if he battles through adversity, I mean, guys see that. So I used to take that even when I was struggling, I would embellish a save that was from the blue line or through a screen, and you could see the team on the bench, you know, get up on the bench and slap the boards and you know, it would give your team confidence. Meanwhile, I was embellishing a save for the team. So you're in a, you're in a leadership position. So I, I see that too. And, and he is battling through it. And that has been a trend lately in the last few years. Goalies aren't finishing series more than back in the day when you had Mike Richter and Marty Berdeur, Patrick was so kudos for him for sure.

[Paul Bissonnette]

You touched on, you touched on leadership. And you know, just looking at the Leafs team like what Chief has brought to the, to these guys, it just seems like there's, I mean, you see it in the first series, he's sitting, he's hitting Savard to Calm down. Like, he just looks like a guy that you just want to go to war for. Do you notice that too?

[Curtis Joseph]

No question. I'm a big fan of Barubi. He's. He's a man of few words, it looks like. But when he, he gets that look or just like the. He answered the question about Nylander, you know, what do you do to get the most out of him? He's like, hey, I leave him alone, you know, And I love it. It's. It's truthful. It's to the point there's no messing around. So I think one of the biggest, like Chris Tanf's play, he is a stud defenseman to me. He plays hard. He's. I think this is a coming out for his career playing for the Leafs, getting all eyes on him. You know, if Team Canada for the Olympics, they should look at him for next year. Especially if you play on NHL sized ice. I mean this guy's got to be a no brainer. I think that's a stud defenseman that the Leafs needed and they got. He's playing like one. So you know, you know, Ekman Larson also is playing great. I mean all those guys are playing great. But I think Tanf has been the big difference maker back there.

[Mike Grinelli]

Cujo. So you, you kind of alluded to it. So you kind of give a little extra windmill to get the boys on the bench going, eh?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Oh yeah, yeah, you gotta do that.

[Curtis Joseph]

That's. It's part of being in the position. Why not? You know, I remember going the other way. I remember a slap shot from center when I was playing for Edmonton and I bobbled it. There might have been two in a row or something. And Glenn Sather came right to my stall. He goes, hey, you need glasses. You need to get some glasses. We're going to get you in the. I'm like, I'm fine. I can see.

[Mike Grinelli]

Just trying to sell it, bud. Just trying to get the boys going. You fucking do a better job than on the bench, bud.

[Curtis Joseph]

Yeah, exactly. So that's. Yes, I would give it a little extra windmill and guys respond, they love it. They don't know, you know, if it wasn't. Some guys may know, but that would embellish it every once in a while.

[Mike Grinelli]

I love it. I was going to go back to the thing you were talking about with Jack Campbell and like you say that you can talk yourself into playing good, like just it goes for any of these goalies in playoffs right now. What's the mental preparation like for a goaltender like Leading into a playoff game specifically. I mean, I know regular season, it's also hard, but you're the starter. Dialing it in, like, where does your mind go for the, let's say three hours before the game? Like, what are you going over in your head to not only stay calm and positive, but to like, make sure you're ready to go for when the puck drops.

[Curtis Joseph]

So everybody's different, clearly, you know, Talking to Jack at length, I could see what his weaknesses were and what his strengths were. So my, my goal was just to take the pressure off, you know, and, and play every game. The first thing I said to Jack is, you play every game. Just make sure you're, you're ready to go. You're not missing a game, you're not missing a minute. When you play for the Leafs, it's a historic franchise. You have a chance. Doesn't matter. Nobody remembers the, the terrible game I played in Ottawa. Game two, I'm an ambassador now. I go. And they go, hey, game seven, you were great. So I said, jack, you can leave. You know, the loss at home. You have a chance with the Leafs to have a 45 save shadow performance every single night. And you'll go down in history in Leaf fans mind. So they only remember those games when I do my ambassador duties. They remember the good times and they remember the memorable. And you have a chance to do that with the Leafs because it's such a historic franchises and the eyes are on you every night. So that's how you, that's how you got to look at it. Take the pressure off. So do the work, Put in the pressure. It's like studying for a test. And when you go to the game, you go, hey, I studied as hard as I could.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I'm.

[Curtis Joseph]

I'm ready to go.

[Mike Grinelli]

That's interesting. So you think because of you're a Toronto Maple Leaf, you had to bring your mind there as opposed to maybe just worrying about what your duties were and your angles were, where you were inside your own head before games. Basically be like, you have an opportunity today to be a legend in Leafs land. Like, you had to keep those thoughts going. Like, that's what playing for Toronto Maple Leafs is like.

[Curtis Joseph]

Oh, yeah, and they're always positive. You can't let any negative thoughts creep in. That's how you have to handle the media. That was a big thing with Jack too, handling the media. I go, listen, don't ever talk about one of their players. They'll give you hypothetical questions. You know, what do you think about tkachuk? You know, he's really good player. Yeah, he's. He's good. He's a good guy. He's a good player. And you don't go any. They try and get you on a tangent, talking about their players, how good they are, and never take blame. Never take blame for a loss, literally, because it'll be forgotten if you keep bringing attention to how you played in a game. The fa, they'll keep bringing it up, so you never do that. So there's a few things that you need to know with the media and how to handle yourself and to stay positive and in the moment. It's like hitting a golf shot where you got to forget about it right away and then it's the next one you. You envision, you know, a high draw or whatever. You have to keep that mindset.

[Ryan Whitney]

I mean, looking at these numbers quickly before I ask you my last question. The four years in the playoffs, 98 to 99 to 2001, 2002 in Toronto, a 9.07243 goals against, save percentage, 932. Save percentage, 2.06, 927, 2.1 and 914 and 2.3. So, I mean, that the game has changed, but those numbers are so wild that it makes sense. The way you approach it mentally, how the bigger the game, it almost got a little easier for you. I guess I'm just pumping your tires. My question is, what do you see the rest of this series? What do you see happen in Florida? Like, do you have any opinions on how this goes?

[Curtis Joseph]

Well, Biz is right. I was listening to you guys before I came on, and it's gonna get harder. It's gonna get harder. And you have to know that in your mind, you're like, it's gonna be really hard, guy. I'm gonna get bumped, but I'm up for it. I love that, you know, so that's how you approach it. That's how you talk to yourself. And it's going to be harder. You're going to try and put this team out. It's going to be extremely difficult. And every player should have the mindset. Yeah, I'm looking forward to that. I'm actually looking forward to playing against the best because it's the greatest risk reward. You play against the best and you win. There's no better feeling. I don't get that anymore. We don't get that anymore as athletes. So we have to look for other things, but there's no better, like stopping a Mario Lemieux or a Wayne Gretzky. There's no, there's no better feeling. So, you know, that should be the mindset. It's going to get harder, it's going to get tougher, and if it doesn't, ah, great.

[Mike Grinelli]

All right. At least you're prepared for the worst, right?

[Curtis Joseph]

Exactly.

[Mike Grinelli]

I love it.

[Curtis Joseph]

You gotta enjoy it.

[Mike Grinelli]

Wit, just read off those numbers. Now, if I'm not mistaken, twice you were runner up for the Vesna while you were a Toronto Maple Leaf, right?

[Curtis Joseph]

I guess. Yeah, I think so.

[Mike Grinelli]

Who did you lose to in those two times?

[Curtis Joseph]

I remember all of Olaf Kolzig one year, you know, that was the chance for sure. But certainly Hasek had a run there. You got Hasic Broder and Wa that you had to try and get through and Dom was running the table a little bit.

[Paul Bissonnette]

In those days, your era of goalies were insane. Like, if you go back and think, I know the goalies, everyone talks about the goalies now, but your, your era of goalies were so fucking good. Like, it's insane.

[Curtis Joseph]

Yeah, they were gamers. They were gamers. They were playoff guys. Smart, competitive. I played with all those guys. I saw them firsthand. I saw what makes those guys tick. It was interesting. So, yeah, that was, was a fun era. So if you, plus if you beat one of those teams, you know, you beat Colorado against Patrick Wall, you feel pretty good. I mean, you know, the best of the best.

[Mike Grinelli]

Cujo, do you follow hockey Illuminati on social media?

[Curtis Joseph]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Good guy.

[Mike Grinelli]

G Just posted in our our chat here that you were born in 1967.

[Curtis Joseph]

Correct.

[Mike Grinelli]

The last time the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley cup, was it before.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Or after the Cup?

[Curtis Joseph]

That's a big question. April 29th. So I don't know when the playoffs finished back then. Probably end of April, probably the exact.

[Mike Grinelli]

Same day they won the Stanley.

[Paul Bissonnette]

He's gonna find out. He's gonna find out.

[Mike Grinelli]

That's just the way that the mojo is going for the lease right now. But to bring a trip down memory memory lane for all the the Leafs fans in the chat, what were those two runs like to the conference finals that you guys went and when did you feel like you guys had the team that could get over the hump and get it done, but just fell short? Like, which team did you feel could get it done?

[Curtis Joseph]

This is the one that got away. These are painful memories, no question, but good memories. But I remember we had Matt and Darcy were hurt for a while and you had Greeny and Alan McCauley and all these guys Stepping up and playing lights out. And we should have beat Carolina. I remember we had a giveaway behind the net and forget who scored, but we should have beat Carolina. You know, nothing against Arthur Zurba, but that was our chance, you know, the.

[Mike Grinelli]

One, the one that got away.

[Curtis Joseph]

Yeah. It would have been Detroit. Well, we still have to get through Detroit, clearly. But it would have been the Detroit Toronto final. How good would that have been?

[Mike Grinelli]

Oh, that would have been so good. So good.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah. Cujo, I don't. I don't know how much more time you got, but I just wanted to say something quick. I like when I. Growing up, I was a goalie and you were my favorite goalie. Till I was like 12, I played goalie and you were my first goalie in the NHL. And I just want to let you know how awesome it was to play with you and how good of a guy you were and so good to me. I remember you bought me a PSP so we could play Call of Duty on the plane. Guys were playing. It was like a. And yeah. So I just wanted to let you know, and I don't know if I've ever told you that story, but just what you meant to me in my career and I was young, just starting in the league, and you were so good to me and I really appreciated it.

[Curtis Joseph]

Thank you so much. You knew. And you know what, Jens, you. You paid it back. I remember the young man, Joe, that had the. The Navy SEAL who. Who had the grenade go off in his hands. Yeah, he's doing great. I see him every once in a while when I'm in Virginia. But, you know, his commander is a good friend of mine and he said, hey, Curtis, can you do this? Spit and Chiclets, his favorite. And. And wit made a shout out and biz, you. You FaceTimed him in the hospital and yens, you FaceTimed him after that and he said, hey, Florida's my favorite team and Keith Yanl's my favorite player. I'm like, oh, perfect. I'm glad he didn't say Mariel Lemieux.

[Paul Bissonnette]

That would have been tough.

[Curtis Joseph]

So you guys stepped up to the.

[Mike Grinelli]

We saw them at the Winter Classic, Yance. We were hanging out with them. They were having a good time.

[Paul Bissonnette]

They were having a blast.

[Mike Grinelli]

Oh, yeah.

[Curtis Joseph]

Honestly, you made his. You made his life tough situation for him to have to give up the dream job of his. But you guys, you paid it back.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Y.

[Curtis Joseph]

Thank you so much and anything for you. This is shout out to Joe.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, Yan made 84 million. He could send you the 300 for the PSP now and then we're completely even.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah.

[Curtis Joseph]

Ah, so funny. That's great. Those were good times. Another life.

[Mike Grinelli]

Any final words on. On the Toronto Maple Leafs where they lie right now, like, how proud of you or the. The core four? I mean, we call it the core five now with knives. Like, what has impressed you the most and what makes you belief that Toronto can go on a run and get this thing done?

[Curtis Joseph]

Well, definitely their D is big and strong. I mean, we don't see them get manhandled in their own end.

[Paul Bissonnette]

That's huge.

[Curtis Joseph]

As a goalie, I see that the most goaltending's great. Nylander, man, this guy, how does he beat goalies? He must have great deception on his shot. He just holds it out there, the patient. But his shot, he's beating goalies clean with no screen. It's. It's impressive. So I enjoy watching all of it. The talent level, it's great. I'm on the edge of my seat, so I like the position. You gotta be up, too. It's great. But the. The best is yet to come and the hardest work is yet to come. So we're all going to be watching intently.

[Mike Grinelli]

I think as far as the. The shot from Nylander and even Matthews is just the deception on the release. I feel like they hold it that extra split second and then they do something with their wrists where it. It changes the angle where. I mean, you saw the one the other night, he beat Bob clean on and. Yeah, it's just. It's unreal what they're doing with their twigs now.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah.

[Curtis Joseph]

I love when Matthew scores along the ice. That's my favorite because you don't expect it as a goalie. You're trying to stay up. You know, he's going shelf if he gets in and he goes right along the ice hard when he beats a goalie before he can get down. That's impressive.

[Mike Grinelli]

Awesome. Hard to do. Wait, do you have a few. We got a few chat questions.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, you were an ebug.

[Curtis Joseph]

So funny, funny story. I'm doing a. A commercial for olg and I'm bringing my equipment in because they're going to take it to the. The shoot the next day. The Leafs are. And literally the. The house cameras must have caught me. And then it got leaked to the media and I'm doing my ambassador duties and I'm coming in with my stick and my equipment for a OLG commercial the next day, and somehow I start getting. I'm. I'm literally Going into different boxes, talking to people, and I'm getting texts from media guys. Curtis, you the OLG or you're the E bug tonight, Blah, blah, blah. I'm like, yep, I'm. I'm busy. I'm going, yeah, yeah, of course. You know, just kidding around. But they're taking. Why would a 56 year old guy at the time bring his equipment and hoping both goalies go down so I can get in there? Makes zero sense to me, but it is. It is funny. And then I get on the plane like two days later, and there's a bunch of Canadians on the. On the Air Canada flight. And the young guys, they're like, hey, you're trending. You're trending. I go, yeah, thanks, thanks.

[Paul Bissonnette]

And the other team probably wouldn't be bumping into you.

[Curtis Joseph]

So. Hey, I don't bring my equipment to the, to the rig every time in there, but I do see Reed Mitchell and I always say, hey, Reed, I'm the E bug tonight. Put that goalie away. I'm ready to go. I'm in the building.

[Ryan Whitney]

Let's go, Cujo. A guy in our team, the Chiclets team, Merle's the biggest mush of all time. He can't get a win for any team he roots for. Right now, he's wondering the Vegas goaltending situation. He's begging for Schmid to be put in there. Schmid, however you say his name, I don't really care right now.

[Mike Grinelli]

He wants to give him an answer, Cujo. He's been busy trying to reverse mush the Leafs for the last, what, two, two, three games here?

[Curtis Joseph]

Right? I honestly can tell you I haven't watched too much of Vegas goaltending, but, yeah, I don't know anything about him, to be honest with you. I honestly don't.

[Mike Grinelli]

So we're not giving you no help, Merls.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Right?

[Curtis Joseph]

I honestly, I. I can't give you my expert opinion. I have to scout them.

[Mike Grinelli]

Worry about your own team, Merle.

[Curtis Joseph]

Right, I got one team to worry about.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, God, you were an oiler. You were a great oiler.

[Curtis Joseph]

Jesus.

[Mike Grinelli]

Hop on over.

[Ryan Whitney]

You need a Western Conference team. Biz has seven teams.

[Curtis Joseph]

Well, you know, Edmonton, Toronto would be a great final. I'd be in heaven. It'd be amazing. I'm not sure Batman would like it, but you know, we'd love it. And you know, Connor McDavid played, you know, with my son growing up in York, Simcoe. Great, great young man, obviously. And actually, I put the full gear on every year. Once a year in a. In. In the barn. I had a rink in my riding arena. So I'd go in there and, you know, he didn't have the reach back then when he was 6, 7. So I, you know, I handled him pretty good. I was playing for the Leafs at the time, so, you know.

[Ryan Whitney]

All right, well, thank you so much. Incredible career. We appreciate you coming on. Leafs fans love it. And. And you were a fan favorite your entire career in the NHL, so we appreciate it. And you look great. Like I said, you kind of look like Darcy Tucker. I don't know if anyone's ever said that.

[Mike Grinelli]

He looks like the soccer coach. That clout.

[Ryan Whitney]

You get the salt and pepper, dude. It's nice. I'll give you. You know who I'm talking about with Jurgen Culp.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah. Doesn't he look like Culper A little bit?

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, he does. Not even know where that guy.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah. One of the best soccer coaches in the world. Last one for me. So the one, the mask directly behind your head, that was your St. Louis Blues one. And that's probably your most famous helmet? No. Yeah, the one right there in the middle.

[Curtis Joseph]

Yeah, that actually, I give it to Kelly Chase to put in their arena and Chaser about six months ago. Scooch. They lost the. They renovated and they lost it. I'm like, Chaser, are you kidding me? With those. Those blue pads? Those old blue pads, which I have. And he. Anyway, I went there for the hall of Fame this year, which they treated us, my whole family, amazingly. I can't say enough about the Blues organization was incredible. Anyway, they. They present me with the mask. I'm like, oh, you got me. So I'm so happy to get it back. I probably have 300 games in that thing. And then these pads too. They said they lost, but look at these bad boys.

[Mike Grinelli]

Oh, my goodness. Heaton.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Oh, yeah.

[Mike Grinelli]

Do they even make those anymore?

[Curtis Joseph]

So this is illegal. See this toe thing that went across? They made that illegal? No, they don't make it cheater. Brian Heaton is the one of my favorite people. He died young, unfortunately. God bless him, but that's his last name. And then he came. He sold it for millions of dollars. And then he came out with Brian's. I guess he had a non compete smart guy. But yeah, those Heatons were. I love those pads. So I still have them. So I think that's the only set co.

[Mike Grinelli]

I was just gonna say, is there any way we can see the. The St. Louis mask? Like, can you pull it up to the screen? I Just want to get a good look at a bit because it's, we have some probably some goalie gear nuts that are in the chat who are just loving this.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Did you say you played 300 games in that?

[Curtis Joseph]

Probably 300 games. I, I love this.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well that is so for sure because.

[Curtis Joseph]

You can still see some of or the tape residue. So when I went to Edmonton I taped blue tape around the outside and wore it in Edmonton also. But this, I love this mask was so simple. It's so simple.

[Mike Grinelli]

It's iconic.

[Ryan Whitney]

Right.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I think the masks nowadays have too much.

[Curtis Joseph]

I agree with you. I agree with you.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Like you Marty.

[Mike Grinelli]

Like it looks like my arm tattooed. It's got the jack. It's got.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, yeah.

[Curtis Joseph]

So I, I always, well I grew up with the guys who kept it simple and you always knew them by their mask. Tony Esposito, Ken Dryden, Cheevers. Like it was same mass every year. So I went with that too. I wanted to have the same mask, hopefully have a great career, have the same mask so you get recognized by it. You know, it's like that commercial with Tony Esposito. He walks into the bar with a bunch of hockey players. That's when you could do beer commercials. And they're like, who's that guy? He puts his mask on to go Tony, Tony Esposito. So I got to redo that commercial. Be great.

[Ryan Whitney]

CL thank you.

[Mike Grinelli]

I, I, I hate, I don't even want to let him go. I just love asking him all these questions.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Same.

[Mike Grinelli]

What was the. I had one more. It was on the tip of my tongue before you said that. Fuck. Ah, well, I guess we'll let you go.

[Curtis Joseph]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

CIO most wins by a goaltender not in the Hockey hall of Fame. I really, really hope that.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Gotta get him in.

[Ryan Whitney]

454. Just incredible career. And, and we thank you so much for coming on, man. It's been a great, great time chatting with you.

[Mike Grinelli]

I remember my question. When did you get the nickname Cujo? Obviously it's because, yeah, Robert, Dirk.

[Curtis Joseph]

You know, he just started calling me Cujo. Guys were saying Curtis Joseph or whatever and he just shortened it right up. Dirkie. We had a tough team back then. He was a tough dude. But he shortened it up for me and, and I was like, yep, Stephen King novel. I'm, I'm making a mask. So I definitely went that route. And you know, playing in Toronto, I at the time CSA Canada Hockey let the kids wear a mask. So they had CSA approved masks. So I'd go to my Kids. I had three boys in AAA and I'd go to their games and you'd see Cujo masks at both ends. So it was the pinnacle of. Of, you know, mass designs because every kid was able to get one. But yeah, that's great. And you know what? Being competitive and other the wins list always, anytime I hear it, I go, hey, we had ties. You know, I think I have 100 ties.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Really?

[Curtis Joseph]

You don't have ties, right? I'm sure Marty has 120 or 150 ties, but I think I got 100 ties or somewhere around there.

[Mike Grinelli]

Oh, that sucks.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, my God. Yeah, even half of those are dubs now, right? Overtime, shootout. I didn't even think of that. Get this guy in the hall of Fame.

[Mike Grinelli]

How were you on breakaways, but you.

[Curtis Joseph]

Guys before me only played 70 games or whatever.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Maybe they push back your date because you did that ebug stint. So you got. You got to wait another three years. So in three years you're gonna get it.

[Curtis Joseph]

I think I text Brendan Shanahan too. I said, you can't afford me, Shannon, for one game. I would negotiate for that E bug if I had to go in. For sure it can't afford me.

[Mike Grinelli]

That's unbelievable. Well, Buddy, we can't thank you enough for hopping on and go Leafs go. Be nice to go on a crazy run here, but hey, one day at a time. Stay in the moment.

[Curtis Joseph]

Yeah, best is yet to come. Can't wait to see it. And Chris Tanner for playoff MVP right now.

[Mike Grinelli]

Let's go.

[Ryan Whitney]

Hi, Kujo.

[Paul Bissonnette]

See, Buddy.

[Ryan Whitney]

What an amazing guy. Unreal. He came on that interview. And this show is brought to you by. Game time. NHL playoffs are here. We're in the middle of the madness. The only place to buy hard to get playoff tickets is Game Time. The official ticketing partner of Barstool Sports. With killer last minute deals, all in prices, views from your seat, and their lowest price guarantee. Game Time takes the guesswork out of buying NHL playoff tickets. Prices on the app actually go down the closer it gets to puck drop. You could save up to 60% when buying last minute tickets right now to get in the building in Sunrise for game three tonight. 66 bucks on game time to see Panthers Leafs game three. What are you waiting for? Somebody's got to go buy those tickets right now down in Florida. Take the guesswork out of buying NHL playoff tickets with GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account and use code Chiclets for 20 off your first purchase terms. Apply again, create an account and redeem code Chiclets for $20 off download the game Time app today. What time is it?

[Mike Grinelli]

Game time.

[Ryan Whitney]

Game time baby.

[Mike Grinelli]

So I want to go to ask the Yan's quickly. So what kind of goalie gear did you have when you were playing net?

[Paul Bissonnette]

I had Hartford Whaler's color. My team was red and white and I had Hartford Hartford Whalers colors green and blue because it was given to my dad. My dad wasn't going to buy me anything, you know, so it was given to him from someone else. And I loved it though. Loved it. But I wore a regular helmet with like a chin thing like Hashok.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah, you look like Hashuk out there. What made you finally switch out? Just kind of like.

[Paul Bissonnette]

It was so expensive. Thank God though. I would have been a horrible goalie.

[Ryan Whitney]

I don't know, you're. You get that quick twitch. You might ended up making it as a goalie too. And you're really weird.

[Mike Grinelli]

Oh yeah, you would have been an unreal starter.

[Ryan Whitney]

I'm more interested though Biz quickly.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yep, yep.

[Ryan Whitney]

Keith, what's up with your squad? Like what's going on here? Because I mean I didn't see them playing like that. The Leafs have been phenomenal and they had the comeback in game one and maybe looked a little better Game two. But are you no panic, no worry because you're heading home?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, I'm no panic now. First game, you know, it was just one of those games. Bob didn't have his best.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, not at all.

[Paul Bissonnette]

He. Yeah, I mean call spade a spade. He was just not great. And I thought they were going to have a bounce back game play. Well they did. They started out well, they played hard, they just couldn't, you know, keep a lead. They'd score a big goal and then you know, Leafs would come down and score. So it was kind of just like a momentum thing going. I kind of think they got away from the way that they've been playing probably because of people like Biz like trying to you know, give out guys rooms numbers when they're just trying to play hard. And so like Benny, I don't think he was at his best. It might have been a little like worried, you know, maybe all eyes were on him so.

[Mike Grinelli]

Well his fucking elbows are sore. Give him a break, dude.

[Paul Bissonnette]

So yeah, I mean I, I just think, I just think we haven't seen the best of them. I think their third line, Margie loose to Rynen and Lundell have been amazing. They've, they've carried the team so far so they need to Keep going. And then the big boys will step in. Matthew. Matthew Barkey. Bennett Rhino. I think it's their time to show up tonight. Huge game tonight at home. Friday night and sunrise. Where else would you rather be? Biz and yeah, I think it's just one of those things they need to get a dirty, greasy Florida Panther win. And the way that they've been doing it for the last three years, just finding ways and. But you gotta, Yeah, I think you just gotta give credit to Toronto. They, they're not playing the way that they're known to play. They're not playing soft. They're. They're hard on battles. Like Kujo was saying. They're deer big and strong. Tan at blocking shots. Like East Cujo out there. Ekman Larson playing great, getting up in the play. Morgan Riley scoring a huge goal the other night. So I think a lot of credit you got to give to Toronto. They've been playing amazing. You know, Scott Lawton's been great. Knives has been amazing. Like, just think of the first game, the they come back, which I thought was great for a momentum for them. Even going into game two, I didn't think they were going to win that. And then, you know, complete brain fart. They got four guys on the ice. Nice. Get a breakaway with three minutes left. It's like crazy. Yeah, they're kind of shooting themselves in the foot. All the goals, like even very uncharacteristic of them. Like, Matthew the other night had a, you know, backhand pass up the middle. They go down and score like. But I wouldn't even blame that on. On Matthew. It's the 2D are pinching in the, in the neutral zone, 2D get caught up, sends them in on a 2 on 1, on Bennett, like there's nothing. So I think just the brain farts that they're having right now are not your characteristic of what they've been doing. Like, they played the most simple, you know, what you're getting every single night game the last two or three years. And I think they've gotten away from it a little bit. I don't know if the pressure of being in Toronto, a lot of guys from the area, you know, maybe having to get tickets, all that shit. So I think coming home tonight, you know, you get to sleep in your own bed. You get a lot of vitamin D the last couple days. So I think tonight you're going to see a different team. Maurice will have them back to their structure of just playing hard, simple hockey. You know, score one or two on the Power play and shut them down and, and Bob's going to be kicking because he's one of those guys that takes so much pride in his game and what he can bring to the team. And I think he, I think he'll be, he'll be solid tonight.

[Mike Grinelli]

Want me to hop in there?

[Ryan Whitney]

Woody Biz. He said one thing that sticks out that I can admit. There, there is something different going on.

[Mike Grinelli]

I've been saying it all year.

[Ryan Whitney]

It's. Yeah, you have been. It's. To me, it's all about the Vegas style defenseman from when they won the cup and they still have him. Just monsters and, and you don't really, if you have a couple puck movers, you're not worried about some of these guys putting it off the glass and out when in front of their net is constantly cleared, giving wall stole arts. All these guys like vision to see the puck. For me, it's the, it starts all.

[Mike Grinelli]

At the D. Yeah, that's what BX said. He was on game notes too and he, he was raving about them. And we knew how big that Carlo pickup was when it came over the wire in the last like few minutes of, of the trade deadline. And I mean tanv. I mean it speaks for itself. We knew exactly what they were getting. Like look what he went over and did in Dallas after he was moved there and how quickly and seamlessly he was able to fit in. Right? Like, he is a, he is like a Jacob Slaven. He is a top tier defender. His reads when he goes back, he always makes the right play with the puck. But ultimately the biggest thing, especially going against the Panthers, they're not intimidated. Their defensemen are not intimidated. They'll look, they'll. They'll stare those guys right in the eye and say you, if you want to try to come to the boot paint, we're going to try to cave your face in. Mind you credit Florida, man, because Florida did have a game plan coming into the series and it was to get to the go goalies as it probably normally is. Like you're trying to create as much traffic as possible. But even the Bennett incident aside, there's been a play when Rodriguez came crashing in, bumped the wall when he came in a relief in game one. And then last game where Ekblad, who.

[Paul Bissonnette]

By the way, an embellishment call like they gave Rodriguez.

[Mike Grinelli]

So if, okay, so why we can hop into that right, right after. If you people didn't see the Ekblad elbow on wall in game two, just go online and see that clip I sent it to the group chat. I won't ask Gans right now, Wick, because he's so biased. He's got his head so far up his ass. What did you view of the. The infamous Ekblad elbow that Hagel had to chew on in the first series? What did you view of the one that he gave Wall? Would you say there was intent there at all?

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, I. Because of him coming off a suspension for an elbow. I don't know, like a blatant. It definitely didn't look good. It definitely didn't look good. I just find it hard to himself. I find it hard to believe that Ekblad is elbowing a goalie in the head on purpose after what he just did and had to sit out a game for. Do you see where I'm coming from?

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah, sorry. I'm just in a little bit of shock here, Dronell. Can we make your head out of.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Stolars ass and realize it's a hockey.

[Mike Grinelli]

I don't, I don't. I don't like.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Kujo said it's a compliment. If guys are going to the net playing hard, it's a compliment.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Let me watch a little bit. Let me watch it again.

[Mike Grinelli]

I understand a little bit of contact, but it was basically like Nicholas Waugh on Trent Frederick's upper grill.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Like, can we get crazy?

[Mike Grinelli]

Gee, if you could just kind of read the reviews in the chat and maybe when we're done this conversation come back and. And bring these guys back down to planet Earth about.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Read some reviews that aren't from the Greater Toronto area too. G. Will you.

[Mike Grinelli]

Now, is. Is. Are we able to show the video of it or is that I show it right here?

[Paul Bissonnette]

No, it's X.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh, man. It doesn't look great. Well, he's trying to catch the puck. He's trying to catch the puck, but then his elbow. Ah. If the puck wasn't in the air, biz.

[Mike Grinelli]

No doubt.

[Ryan Whitney]

But he is like, just grabbing it and coming down. Maybe the fall through is a little.

[Mike Grinelli]

Oh, he's trying to catch it with his elbow. Did he? Okay, interesting.

[Paul Bissonnette]

But Biz, he's good friends with him. He likes them.

[Mike Grinelli]

Oh, yeah. Yeah. So we don't need to go down that route now. People were very upset about the Rodriguez one. And I wrote right on Twitter right away, I don't want this power play. I don't want to win games like that. I don't want to spend my time and energy after games being like, oh, well, we shouldn't have won that because we Got hand delivered a power play like the Edmonton Oilers, right? We don't want.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Wasn't it.

[Mike Grinelli]

What's that?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Wasn't it four on four or.

[Mike Grinelli]

No, no. Leafs ended up getting the power play out of that whole scrum. Now I think that most people in the chat who watch Rodriguez goes down, throws his stick. I thought it was Nick fucking Cousins out there for them.

[Ryan Whitney]

No, you didn't think that was embellishment?

[Mike Grinelli]

I listen, I don't think he should have been called for embellishment. I think he tried to sell the hit and then he fucking down. He's injured down the tunnel and then he's back for the next shift. If you don't think that he tried to sell the hit to draw a penalty, I don't agree with you there, but I don't think he should have gotten a bell shin penalty. And I also think if you watch it in real time, Lawton like slows up and he's barely skating and he like taps him on the back and just explodes himself into the wall. So once again, I don't want the power play, but I'm glad the refs aren't feeding into that nonsense because it's like if one team can't dive, it's the Florida Panthers. If you're, if your M.O. is that you're the big bad Florida Panthers, you, you can't be throwing yourself into the wall like a fucking broad. Who's, who's showing up here?

[Ryan Whitney]

So I asked if it's clean or dirty and I, I did a, a YouTube poll and after over 300 votes, 62% said it was dirty, 38% said it was clean.

[Mike Grinelli]

I mean that's, that's even light. That's even. They're, they're coining it as the Ekblad elbow and he's actually dethroned Truva. So now it's ekblad's on the 1.

[Ryan Whitney]

More Leafs fans are watching this right now than Cats fans. The tickets are 66 bucks tonight to get in the barn.

[Mike Grinelli]

I mean, I don't know man.

[Paul Bissonnette]

For tickets, like, yeah, guy just spend fucking 180 bucks.

[Mike Grinelli]

But going back to the Leafs play in general, so happy with the response shifts. Like normally in the past you talk about this team looking different. They would have got scored on, they would have went into a shell. They would have been like, oh, take the puck and not make plays and, and curled up into a ball essentially. But especially against a team like Florida to twice have those response where they go back down and score right away. And for one of them to be Mitch Marner, which, listen, like, I'm obviously so thrilled that he got the game winner and, you know, just had his newborn first game with his new kid. He's got the M on the stick rights. Mitchie, way to go. I think that at up until that point, five on five, I still feel that he could bring a little bit more. And that's that, that's what I'm excited about. I think Matthews has been great. Shutting down Barkov and getting that matchup at home, that's no easy task. People are like, oh, I wish you was score. He should be scoring. No, he's making personal sacrifice so he's given his team a chance to win. But from an overall standpoint, if we can get a little bit more from Mitch and a little bit more from Austin Matthews, we're with what NY and, and Nylander are doing right now, this team could, this team could go on a run.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Boys, if you pay him more than Nylander, they're insane.

[Mike Grinelli]

I. Listen, we don't need to get into the weeds on that.

[Paul Bissonnette]

No, let's do it.

[Mike Grinelli]

I've watched every, I've watched every playoff game, five on five. He doesn't dominate. There's no, there's no domination. And sometimes when he, even when he's in his own end, if somebody's breathing down his neck, he's rarely getting the puck out himself. He'll kind of float back a little bit. Like he'll, he'll backpedal and wait to get support from either a centerman or winger. Yeah, and sometimes he makes the nice play where it's a soft play and his players able to skate into it. But there's, there's things about his game that I would like to see improve, especially now that he got the confidence of that game winning goal. I don't obviously to.

[Ryan Whitney]

Nice. That was a nice. That was a beautiful pass.

[Mike Grinelli]

I agree. I'm. But we're, we're also talking about a guy who's going to make $14 million. So when you talk about that kind of money, you're. You're hoping to see the sheer dominance that you see out of a Capri Sov in like a 5 on shit 5 of shift. I'm not talking about doing it every shift. You're playing against unbelievable teams who also are good at puck possession as well. But if you watched a period of Minnesota Wild playoff hockey for two shifts, five on five every period, you're like, oh, my God, Caprice, I've just ran the show that whole shift. Yeah, that's a $14 million guy. And that's kind of the point I'm making. Where is like I love Marner's ability to penalty kill. I don't think he's a liability five on five. He obviously helps the power play, but he's also not a major shot shot threat on the power play. He's a pass first mentality. So there's a lot of things. If he wants to get to that 14 million number with Toronto, I'm going to have to see progress here over this run. But that goal could be the catalyst to seeing it. So I digress. Going back to wall, you, you, you mentioned it earlier. Yes. You said like I was pumped to see Florida in that game one after they had such a shitty start. To see them turn it up on the Leafs in the. In the second half of the game, essentially the last two periods. As a Leafs fan and somebody who's concerned for them after that, I was actually happy that they got that lesson in that moment. They had that lead, they didn't blow it. They still get the W. But they got to understand if there's any amount of fuckery for stretches of time against the Florida Panthers, they're going to bend you over. They're going to go straight, you know. Have you ever seen the movie 7? When they walk in, that guy's got that huge thing on his.

[Ryan Whitney]

Oh my God.

[Mike Grinelli]

Like, that's what they're gonna shove up their hoop. That's what they're gonna shove up their hoop. So eyes on the prize. We know what's coming. Game three. They're gonna be the biggest savages you've ever seen your life. Keep your cool, keep your head. Leafs are complaining about all this going on with the goalies.

[Paul Bissonnette]

They're not locked in. Dude.

[Mike Grinelli]

What?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Chief's got them locked in.

[Mike Grinelli]

Like got him locked in. Yeah, he's got them locked in. They ain't complaining about any of the.

[Paul Bissonnette]

So the only thing is every goal that they scored last night, I think every goal, it was a mistake by the Panthers and they're capitalizing, which is a good thing. Right. You have to do that to win playoff games. But I think at some point in the series it's going to come back to Florida just not making those like forsling on the pacioretti goal didn't box out. He's. I've never seen him miss a box out. He's a guy that's doing it every shift every game and just kind of gets puck. Watching patches gets behind them, tip in.

[Ryan Whitney]

And what a tip, by the way.

[Paul Bissonnette]

That was unbelievable.

[Mike Grinelli]

He has been the gift that keeps on giving for them. Between him and Max, go me. They're getting. They're getting that second wave of like, who's going to be the guys to step up? I thought Max Domi's played awesome. I also believe that having a guy like Max Domi as good as Marshawn's been, like, that's a trade off. We're talking about the big bad Florida Panthers. You need guys who, who, who can go when it's go time. And Max Domi is one of those guys. And Patch already transforming his game and coming through in the clutch with what he's done so far. I mean, it's kind of like a Corey Perry situation. You think the guy's over and done with at a certain age. And look what they're bringing to the lineup. And I got nothing but high praise for them. But know that this is far from over. Witty. You got anything?

[Ryan Whitney]

No, you guys have pretty much said it all. It's. It's been a fun series to watch. You know, we only got one. One game so, so far of Winnipeg, Dallas, we'll get into Ronton in this sicko. But compared to Carolina, Washington, which we'll probably talk about now, Oilers, Vegas and Toronto, Florida have just been so much more. It's such more entertaining games, which I think everyone expected. The way Carolina plays Washington too, like. But Florida, Toronto, tonight, I, I haven't been this fired up to watch a game since last night in Vegas.

[Mike Grinelli]

So I get to do it on TNT with Rick Talkett, who's going to be on the panel. So that's going to be fun. We're bringing back our old buddy.

[Paul Bissonnette]

See, if you were a real fan, you haven't done the last two games. You wouldn't even do this game. If you were a real fan of the Leafs, you would. You would sit in your hotel room, get your fly, your massage lady.

[Mike Grinelli]

No, it's all. It's all about where I start the game. I mean, we, we went over it, but you weren't here. You. You missed the start time. We went over this whole thing about me not changing location. So do you want me to go through it again? No, no, I'll.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I'll go back and watch.

[Mike Grinelli]

Just watch the pod when it, when, when you sign off.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

So last night, Washington ties it up. Like, if we go back to game one, they had no business being up one nothing. And I, I think Logan Thompson is an enormous story right like they were getting dominated by Carolina on home ice. Outshot over two to one, and somehow they're leading with nine minutes to go. And I think it was Protoss threw a brutal pass to the middle and maybe Chickren skates stank oven buries it and then Slavin gets the winner on. On a seeing eye shot. But total deserved win for the Carolina Hurricanes in the first game. And I, I kind of was watching, like I thought that Washington would be able to bully them and out muscle them. And all of a sudden Carolina speed is. They weren't able to handle it. And Carolina is skating. They, they. They shoot from everywhere sometimes. We've talked about that. When they do outshoot teams, it's. It's not necessarily as accurate as sometimes with other teams because they'll shoot from anywhere. They're shooting from outside, they're just creating traffic. But they just looked so much better, quicker, and way different of a team than Montreal. So I understand where Washington started off a little bit slow. Couldn't catch the pace of that game. And I knew that they would come back bigger and better in Game 2, but it took him a little while even in game two. And then what happened? The inevitable Tom Wilson takeover. One of the best games played by any player in the playoffs. I tweeted out I think he might be a top five player in the playoffs so far through whatever a round and a half. People were all over me. It's like, I don't know, man. He's changing games completely.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah, not just with points, with, with his play, with his intimidation, his physicality, like net front screens. He brings it all. And he's a. He's. He's like their emotional leader. Like, Ovie can't do it all the time. Like, obviously they, like, he's their captain whip, but he's like, that's the guy, as army calls him. It's. It's Tom Wilson's team now.

[Ryan Whitney]

It is. It is. He ranked second on the Capitals with seven points in seven playoff games. He leads the team with 27 hits. And these are not like when Whit would get a hit in Madison Square Garden because they gave him out like candy when I made. He's running people through the board. I think he just missed Martin Nook. Did he kind of catch him? Like, almost murdered him. I mean, we saw what he did in the first round. You can't really handle somebody that big, that strong and that fast. And when he's playing defensively, like, he's. I mean, how many times has this guy on the back check. Broken up a play, dive to shit to save a shot against. Constantly after every whistle in guy's face. I believe it was in the third period. He's just giving it to Jordan Stall. Stahl was talking to him, but you could tell he's in the opponent's heads. And. And it's not saying that Carolina's like weak mentally or anything like that. It's just the whole team is constantly aware where he is on the ice. And Ray Ferraro on the broadcast is talking about when he gets looping and skating. The whole bench is like, heads up. You're constantly worried about this guy murdering someone on your team. And add to the fact that he can score that pass to John Carlson. That is not. That's not a pass that like a lot of players in the league can make, specifically players who can also run around and dominate physically. So the unicorn thing in today's NHL, it's just a fact. And when you look at how Washington's won games, it's on Tom Wilson's back. That and Logan Thompson. He has been so steady and he's sitting in net. He looks so confident. What he's been through has been so impressive. He lost a job in Vegas. We've talked about that. But now you have a team that they're on the ropes. They lose game one at home, you're going back to Carolina, which they are the best home team. I think LA may be right there in the regular season, but I think Carolina was number one. That building is hard to play in. It's chaotic. They're buzzing around. They lose game two, I think they're done. But Tom Wilson and Logan Thompson carries him through. And John Carlson with that goal. Not a hard goal to get right. Empty net because of the dish by Wilson. But, man, this team is. It's scary. They're scaring me. They're scaring me. And I thought they might be in trouble after game one, but. Keith, what do you got?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Well, game one, just to touch on Thompson. Game one, they had 14 shots on net, Washington the entire game and went to overtime. 14 shots. So he's getting peppered. And he just looks like one of those guys, like, the more shots, the. The more comfortable he feels. But he's making the big saves, too. The game changer, like, he made a couple last night where it's third period, you know, could tie the game. And just to have a guy like that, he. And, you know, I think we've got a lot of, like, inside, you know, cameras in the locker room with Carberry. And, you know, he's always pumping his tires and stuff in, but he just seems like a guy like Cujo that's just calm. And he sits there and, you know, the coach is pumping his tires. He's like, yeah, thanks, guys. Doing my job. So he. He's been amazing. I think besides Tom Wilson, he's probably been their best player. And, you know, just. Just to have the. The focus that you have to have in that game, one of, you know, where your team doesn't play great, you get 14 shots on that. And to come back last night and, you know, to play the way that he did, he only would they. He gave up one, right? So it's like he's been amazing. And, you know, that team's really rallying around him. And, you know, I think if he gets hot like he is and not letting in goals like, it's. They're going to be a problem to.

[Mike Grinelli]

Be going back to game one. That winner, like, I was tweeting online a little bit. So the winner was a point shot. I believe it was. Was it slaving who got credit for the goal? And, you know, little bit of traffic in front. Thompson probably should have had that one, let's say. But the thing that stuck out the most in the first two games were the amount of block shots for the Capitals. So in game one, they had 32 blocks, and I believe in game two, they had 33. Compared to where in game one, like, Carolina had nine. Like, obviously, because from a puck possession standpoint, we know what Carolina's MO Is, right? Let's just fire pucks. Fire pucks. Fire pucks. What I think that they should try doing if they continue to have a hard time putting it in the back of the net, is second sticks. We talk about the mixer all the time, and that's probably why that first one that I was talking about, the slaving one, went in, because you got guys there, hard to track the puck. You got bodies. Well, I would say advantage to Washington as far as how big their doctor and how. How well they're able to box out. I think Carolina needs to try to shoot for the higher slot and try to get some of those high tips in to create a little bit of deception. Change the angle on Thompson. Now all of a sudden, instead of the direct shots that are kind of weak and coming from outside the dots, at least, it's like, you know, he has to play off of a rebound and. And a. And a high tip. I mean, you saw it with Cole Perfetti. Now that's a, a perfect example and that's also on the power play, but a little bit more of deception where there's plays like that shooting for second sticks, I think will, will lead to more opportunities for them and get them scrambling a little bit more, Less predictable is I guess, the message I'm trying to send to the Carolina Hurricanes. Because at the end of the series, if you lose in six games and you're sitting there and you're like Rod the broad every year after the press conference being like, you know, we outplayed them, we outshot them and just like it doesn't fucking matter. You can't just keep, oh, we outshot them. It's not about out shooting teams, it's about outscoring teams. So how are you going to find a new way to get it to the back of the net when you run into these types of problems as they always seem to do now once again, credit Carolina. They're going to keep coming the way they come all time. That's the way they play. They're not changing it. The one thing that they did last game, better power play. I think it was the second unit who might have got the goal, but they got, they got to score on their power play opportunities. Their power play other than the goal they got on the one has been absolutely dog shit in the series. So capitalizing on those will make up for the lack of 5 on 5 offense if they can't find it to the back of the net with these predictable shots from the outside. As far as Washington's concerned, as that second game progressed, that's the Washington we saw in the regular season. Army touched on it though. He said some of these teams that have longer layoffs, they haven't been feeling the puck and game situation. So in game one for Washington, they couldn't string two, three passes together. They're a puck possession team. They can play off the rush. Are they as fast maybe as Carolina? No, but they were playing against teams who were faster than them all year. They can make plays. They got the guys to do so. And I still like them in this series moving forward even though the series is moving to Carolina. But that's it. That's all. That's all I got. Those are the two standouts for me in that series.

[Ryan Whitney]

Another guy for Washington you have to mention is Connor McMichael. I mean, forget, forget how he got the puck. I mean if a teammate shoots it off your face like Shane Gossip, like I said, he shouldn't get A minus. Like if your teammate hits you in the face with a puck and a guy goes in a breakaway, like you're off the hook, no minus for you. But that guy went down live. I thought he like put it on the ice, but it was so quick. Bar down that shot. And it's the perfect example of having patience with a younger player. He's the 25th overall pick, I want to say. I mean five years, six years ago, maybe spent time in the minors, had a year in Washington where he didn't do much offensively last year, right around 30 points. And then this year it's the pop off year. You cannot expect every first rounder, every young guy to come in and dominate. This kid has grown into his body. He's stronger, he's faster, and he's got four goals in the playoffs. Now that is a player that has changed Washington right when you're looking at this season and yes, all the moves they made and everyone they brought in, him taking that step is one of the biggest things. And I bet, I bet you Carberry would say the same thing on Carolina's side. The age old thing of not being able to score, as you just talked about biz, I respect they brought in Ronton and it didn't work out. This is exactly what they saw him doing. No doubt when they're offering the money and they're making the big trade for him. But all these Hurricanes fans have talked to me about Sebastian Ajo. He is the superstar you say we lack with. And in the first round he was. He had eight points in five games, right? Dominating so far. The games get tougher. Washington's more physical, way different team than New Jersey. He had a second assist on the power play goal in game two, I think. Yeah, but I, I need, you need a little bit more. And, and if, if you don't have one superstar player, right, you're going to need more guys to get involved. And I know there are times when Ajo looks that good through two games. I think even Brindamore would say, not publicly, but privately, like with the coaches, we, we need more from him. He is our guy. Whether you want to like that or hate it, if you love him or you think that he's not enough to win a cup, that argument really doesn't matter. When you see how he's played in game one and two. And I actually think at home he will be a lot better. But Washington's a hard team to play against, so can't wait to see what happens in Carolina. But they Already grabbed home ice advantage back from Washington, so that's a big thing. And in news with Carolina, guys, the Greensboro Gargoyles. We have an NHL team up top. When you get to Greensboro, you have a dream. I'm in the coast right now. There are plenty of players who've played in the East Coast Hockey League and played in the NHL biz being one of them. Two time all star. The Carolina Hurricanes are where you want to get when you're a member of the Greensboro Gargoyles. Awesome announcement. Pretty cool.

[Paul Bissonnette]

What do you think about. What do you think about them scratching Leonard?

[Mike Grinelli]

I think that. I think that Leonard looked really good when he came in. In the. At the end of the regular season. And I just think that it's. It's such a hard adjustment, man. You're going from. I mean, the round one's a little different. You know, you're playing against Montreal. They don't necessarily have that much experience. But now you're getting into the second round, it's just. It's a whole different ball game and. And it's. And it's a hard adjustment to make and maybe he finds his way back in. I don't necessarily think he's played bad. He did have an opportunity and I want. I want to say it was in game one of the car. The. Against Carolina.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah.

[Mike Grinelli]

And he had like a half breakaway and he kind of missed it.

[Paul Bissonnette]

No, the guy got a piece of his stick.

[Mike Grinelli]

Oh, buddy.

[Ryan Whitney]

But what's funny, he buries that, which would be his first goal on a goalie. He got that empty netter during the OV Goal chase madness. That's like that. That is. I know the game of inches, man. It's like that goes in. He ain't coming out of the lineup. But I think that overall Capitals fans didn't like him coming out because I feel like although he wasn't scoring, he's running around, he's. He's not on the top two lines. Right. So, you know, you're getting energy. I get it though, because, man, it's a lot of hockey for a kid who's coming out of college. So you're fresh, but then all of a sudden you get into the second round and I bet you Carberry told him, like, you're going to have a chance to get back in. But right now it's maybe just a little bit of a reset. But it is nuts to see that breakaway that goes in his confidence, goes through the roof. He's in the lineup still. And that's when you see Guys go on scoring streak. So I didn't, I didn't really see it coming. But at the same time I kind of got it. Keith. Right. Like you're coming out of college. It's. Biz said it, it's, it's. I mean this is. The speed of this at this point is unlike anything he's ever seen, specifically with Carolina and how they skate. But this is, this is, this series isn't super exciting so far. It's just muck and grind, dude. And it's like playoff hockey.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Unless you like the Unders.

[Ryan Whitney]

Our teams are madness.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah, it's not exactly crack cocaine hockey, but it's still good.

[Paul Bissonnette]

It's like melatonin hockey.

[Mike Grinelli]

The one thing kind of non playoff related with Carolina, Anderson, he got an extension, a one year extension. Nice little, little, little pump up before he got put back in the net after going down with injury in round one. So I thought that he's looked solid too. He's been kicking, looks great. And I, I think that if they have any chance of winning the series, he has to stay healthy. He has to be their guy. They're not getting it done with Kachov.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Good, good strategic move by Carolina. Sign a goalie, give him some money right before the next series starts. Get him feeling good. He's like, all right, they like me, you know, so that's a good move. He, he deserves it. He, he's earned it. And yeah, I think this series, it looks now like it's going to go seven, right? Like every, it's going to be every other. It seems like. And you know, take the under.

[Mike Grinelli]

Take the under for sure. Um, well, now it's off to crack hockey and Miko Ratnan, who's been smoking the most rocks of them all. This guy is out of his fucking mind right now. McFarlane, like, he can't have any shoelaces. He better be in a padded room.

[Ryan Whitney]

He needs to get off the Internet, turn the TVs off like, because this has to be. And I, and I think even more is the, is the AVS fans who are just like, how, how are we watching this? And Nick Kyprios came out with the report that apparently Rontanen wanted to go to Dallas specifically to. What was the word?

[Mike Grinelli]

Stick it right up, shove it down their throats, shove it down their Bonnie Blue style.

[Ryan Whitney]

I mean, what's the difference between jam and jelly, guys? Jesus Christ. Because this guy is a possessed human being right now. He now a couple of the goals in game one, like kind of some lucky bounces. Here and there. But it doesn't matter because when you're feeling like this and you're. And your. And your stick is light, your feet aren't heavy, everything is slowed down. And once he got through Colorado with that performance that we talked and raved about, the greatest, greatest Game seven third period anyone's ever seen, now it's like, oh, dude. I mean, it almost even takes another weight off the shoulder. We're like, I'm their home. Their GM is basically in a padded cell staring at himself wondering, what happened? Why did we let this guy go? And we're going into Winnipeg and we're stealing game one. Now, I know army talked about the teams with the long layoffs kind of struggling a little bit, which I get. I also understand that Winnipeg like to go from that game seven and, like, it's hard.

[Mike Grinelli]

St. Louis threw 400 hits in the series.

[Ryan Whitney]

I know, I know.

[Mike Grinelli]

Flesh wounds.

[Ryan Whitney]

But it's more about, like, the game and. And yes, it's the second round, you're at home, game one, but the letdown after that, it's almost a little natural because you're starting a series over again and you just had this insane comeback in the last two minutes, and now you're like, all right, you just cannot just, you know, tap the water with your toes at the beginning of series. And that's what Winnipeg was doing. Arnel was pretty disgusted, actually, with.

[Mike Grinelli]

Very disgusted.

[Ryan Whitney]

He was.

[Mike Grinelli]

I think. I think he's just annoyed because there's no consistency to their game like there was in the regular season. And their foundation is built on structure and they're having so many structural breakdowns that are leading to goals and other problems, like having to take penalties and like, odd man rushes. Like, this is a team that would put your nice. Your. Your nuts in a vice. Like we talk about Florida having the Anaconda chokehold. Like, that's what the Winnipeg jets do to you in the regular season, right? And not oftentimes are they even allowing these east to west passes that Hella Buck has to deal with. And people might say, well, that's in the regular season and half the games you're playing against non playoff teams. And yeah, like now all of a sudden, you're dealing with teams that are incredible off the rush. They're able to get past these types of forechecks because that's what makes them so special and so good. Not only that, they have the personnel that can do that, like the rotten ins, like the Rupe hints who can take it from his own end and go to the offensive zone because of their speed. So I think that he, his frustration is just stemming from the fact that going back to the St. Louis series and now all of a sudden in game one, they keep putting themselves in these brutal situations because of small breakdowns throughout things that they were able to do throughout the regular season. Problem free. And once again, game one, I feel like hella Buck should have had maybe one or two of those goals like that one that Rotten and is battling with the defenseman in the crease and, and he, and he's able to just poke it home because it falls. Falls out. Yeah, it falls out from, from under like him trying to cover the puck and it just lays there in the crease like look where he is. Rotten's got the whole net to poke it in. Like I, I hate just continuing to put the blame on goal a goaltender. Like I'm not, I'm not picking at the late, low hanging fruit here. Can we agree that he probably should have had one, if not two of those saves against Dallas in that game?

[Ryan Whitney]

The second one was the tip.

[Paul Bissonnette]

It went off someone's foot.

[Mike Grinelli]

I'm talking about the one, I think it was the first one. Rotten. It's in the crease, battling with a fenceman and he's able to just get his stick free and poke at it. People are like, well, defenseman's got to tie up his stick. It's like bro, he's tying up the guy. He's got no leverage on his shot. All he's doing is poking at it. Hello. Buck's outside of the post to post like come on here.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, he slid over, slid over for.

[Paul Bissonnette]

A one timer from dad Knob, right? And then.

[Ryan Whitney]

And it leaked.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I don't know how much blame you can put on him for that. I think more the one that I don't. It's, it's tough cuz he's sliding across them. He made a good save on. It was dad Knob, I think, right? Makes a good save there and the rebounds there. I don't, I don't know. I think you're, you're picking on him.

[Mike Grinelli]

Am I picking on him?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, put it this way, Biz, he was better than in the first round at all. The problem for the jets is they hadn't lost a home game yet. And if you're gonna, if you're gonna have worries about what's going on on the road based on that St. Louis series, like it's hard to lose Game 1. Now on the bright side, Scheifele Came back and looked phenomenal. Right? You got it. You got to think that he's only going to get better. Game two with how poorly they played. Actually, can we play the Arneel clip? Because I'd like to see it again. You could tell the disgust.

[Paul Bissonnette]

G. There's a lot of sloppiness to that game.

[Curtis Joseph]

That did not feel like a playoff.

[Ryan Whitney]

Game in ground game one and round two, that felt like game 45 and in the middle of December. Obviously, we know the high that we.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Are on coming off that St. Louis.

[Ryan Whitney]

Game, but, man, this is the playoffs.

[Paul Bissonnette]

That's a game that, you know, no matter how you're. You know, how you start the game or however you get into the game, it's one of those ones that there's.

[Mike Grinelli]

A way we have to play as.

[Paul Bissonnette]

A group, and that's not how we play tonight.

[Ryan Whitney]

So I expect a lot better effort. Game two. But, yeah, it. I. You have to win game. You have to win game two at home. I mean, just based solely on what they did on the road in St. Louis, like, how are you going to trust that they can go into Dallas and beat a way better team on the road? If they couldn't even get a game, they couldn't even make it a close game on the road against St. Louis. So they're going to need to be a lot better, and they're going to need Ronton to get off whatever finish gas is being sent over to him. And like the guy, even though some of those goals were lucky, that's what happens when you're. When you're in this sort of run, everything you touch turns to gold. So I expect a better effort. Ottinger solid, though, man. Like everything about Dallas, they. They are a true Stanley cup threat. They look phenomenal. They got by the biggest, baddest test in the west in terms of their mind in game one. And now they're just cruising and Heskinen still hasn't played. So, I don't know.

[Paul Bissonnette]

First goal was a little. The Nieder Riders goal was a little shaky. I didn't love it for Martinger. And then he. I mean, the Scheifele goal at the end of the game, that's no one saving that, right? But I was a little worried after that goal went in. I'm like, oh, boy, is the horseshoe gonna fall out of his ass. But after that, he. He really dialed it in. I thought he was amazing for them. Gave them chances to win the whole game. Making big saves at the end, too. So if he's Playing like that and Rantman's playing like that. If they get Heiskin him back with, they are gonna be an issue.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah, they're very, very big problem. Morrissey is actually expected to return into the lineup for game two and Scheifele scored end of the second period. So third period, Ottinger was there. So we'll see. Winnipeg needs to get a win. They need to get a win at home.

[Mike Grinelli]

So the other one I was thinking about was the Sandberg one where he ended up getting the deflection on it and it went through hella bucks five hole. But I'm gonna say, boys, that cross ice pass over to Dadnov, it's not a very fast pass. He's got plenty of time to slide over and he overslides and he's completely out of the net. Like, I'm not listening. I'm not, I'm not picking on him. But I'm also saying is if he's a Vesna winner and he's one of your star players, like those, in my opinion, are the ones that need to be made. Like just the way that you would say that about Bob. Just the way that you would say that about any starting goalie. Like, those are the ones you need when you're leaking oil. And a play like that happens, you just gotta, you gotta suck it up. You can't be letting it dribble right beside you for an easy open net tap in. But I digress.

[Ryan Whitney]

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[Mike Grinelli]

Look at these bad boys.

[Ryan Whitney]

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[Mike Grinelli]

Oh, they're unbelievable. Just if you want to boot around town, get errands done. If you want to go for a hike, the multi purpose shoe. Whatever you need them for. Go to the gym like you said. Do your, your, your namaste breathing exercises before a big Leafs W on the road and sunrise. Whatever you guys want. Whatever you. As long as you're not getting harassed.

[Ryan Whitney]

By Keith or, or yeah, even you can wear him. If you're getting your head massaged for three hours during your favorite team's playoff game. Does it matter?

[Curtis Joseph]

With a dress shirt on?

[Ryan Whitney]

With a dress shirt on.

[Mike Grinelli]

I got it in my bag. I didn't want to wear it today. I don't want to. You know, you can only wear it so much. You don't want to.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Oh, you don't want to win the luck too early.

[Mike Grinelli]

Save it for puck drop.

[Ryan Whitney]

Quick hits. Quick hits portion of the show. There are some people very upset Joel Quenville is back in the NHL and I think it's an incredible hire for the Anaheim Ducks. I don't really care what you. You have to say. And I understand people have their opinions and you're right to have that opinion. For me, the guy has been away from the game for a long time. I believe him when he says that he realized how much he fucked up and that there was an enormous mistake made. And we've been over that a bunch. But I mean, he was going to be back in the NHL at one point and he got the okay from the NHL commissioner. And at this point, I think this is a guy who's won three Stanley Cups. People have loved playing for him. He brings energy, he brings enthusiasm, and he's won everywhere he's been. And Anaheim has a young core. Similar. And I am not at all saying Anaheim is ready to build a dynasty the way the Chicago Blackhawks did. But when he took over there, it was a lot of similar age guys, right? And they ended up bringing in veterans like Hosa. Brian Campbell had already been there. But I think this is a great hire. I think it's exactly who Ducks fans wanted the Ducks to hire. And I look at this team and what they could do in the next few years. And my bet with Pasha that the Ducks will win a cup before the New Jersey Devils 5,000 bucks. This is who. This is exactly who I needed them to hire. So. Because I don't know if you have an opinion on this, there are people with certainly many different ones, but he's now behind the bench of An NHL team.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah. I mean you kind of touched on it. You said you understand like some people's frustration, especially if they've been involved in something that, that Kyle beach has been involved in. Right. Like that's something that's going to scar you and, and, and affect you for your. The rest of your life as a result of, of the mistake that Quinville made in the situation, which I think that people, if they've read up into it, like, I don't know how much he was aware of what actually went down when it did, considering that at the time Kyle beach was a black ace and there's separation there. So any accountability that Quinville needed to take, he took it and he lost his livelihood as a result of it. And he had to go away and not only reflect and have that strip from him, but also put in work to understand, you know, what his decision, the pain that it caused and if it were to ever come again, how he would handle it and deal with it. And you know, he's put that work in according to the press conference and his words and the organization's words. He's still going to work locally to continue to understand what maybe went wrong throughout that whole process and also in the meantime reached out to Kyle beach to talk to him and then also get his blessing on the fact that he continue. Can continue his coaching journey. So at the end of the day, guys, like this was a horrible situation. It scarred a lot of people. Obviously Kyle beach being the biggest one. And you know, I'm just happy that Coach Q is able to continue his livelihood and kind of put all those demons behind him in a sense of whatever his, his involvement was and, and indirect or direct as it was. And I'm like, I'm not one of those people that's going to come here and, and shame anyone. I just really hope that they were able to, to help each other through the healing process. More importantly, Kyle beach and everybody can move on and, and enjoy and live their, the rest of their lives in, in a happy place other than obviously the scumbag who did it.

[Ryan Whitney]

Well said biz hockey wise, you played for Q, what is it like? I mean, obviously a little different in Florida than the teams he had in Chicago. But take us through playing for him.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, I think, I mean obviously he's, he, his fingerprints are on the teams that Florida's had the last few years. Right. He kind of, you know, besides Matthew, you know, he kind of, he helped get Barky where he is, help get Ecky where he is for Haggie. Um, so he. He was there when they brought forsling in. So just the guy that has his fingerprints on, you know, another winning team. But I think, I think it's going to be a great. A great hire for them. I think. I think it's going to help them. He has, you know, Gudis is there and Frankie V are there. That guys that have had him in Florida, they know what to expect because he's a demanding coach. He's a guy, you know, he doesn't allow you to make sauce passes in practice or backhand passes in practice. Like he's kind of. He's got that old school mentality of, you know, he wants it his way and, you know, it's. You can't argue him with it. Right. Because the guy just wins. So I think he's going to be great for that group. Huh?

[Ryan Whitney]

Sorry. Is it true that you cannot make a backhand pass as a defenseman?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, not allowed.

[Mike Grinelli]

I think that for. For most D men at the NHL level, it's hard for them on an execution standpoint to make backhand passes. But I also think there's probably one or two on each team. You could greenlight in a sense of like you. If you feel like you can make the play, make the play. But you're telling me it could be Duncan Keith in his prime and he's blowing the drill down saying, get on your forehand.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I don't know. I wasn't there for with in Chicago, but for us he was. And maybe he just didn't think we were as good as them, but yeah, he had no saucepan wit.

[Mike Grinelli]

Because I used Duncan Keith as an example.

[Ryan Whitney]

No, I'm laughing because he said, I don't think he thought any of us were as good as donkey.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah. Which is fair and he's not wrong.

[Mike Grinelli]

But who was your best defenseman when he said no backhand passes?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Oh, it was everyone. I mean, Ekblad. Yeah. I don't know. No, it was. I don't even think it was like in practice. Like, even forwards weren't allowed to make backhand passes. Like in the. In the D zone, like coming out. Everything was hard on the tape. You know, his practices were great. Ran a great practice. Everything was fast, up tempo. I would imagine he's going to bring all Samuelson with him, who is a great coach. I had him in Phoenix, New York and in Florida. I love Alfie, so I imagine he'll bring him there. Alfie will be great with that young. With that young B core. Yes. I mean, at the end of the day, I think it's just a great hire. Anytime you can get a. A guy with his, you know, winning pedigree and you know, the respects, the respect he demands around the league, you know, from the players, other coaches, you know what he's going to bring to that locker room. You know, they haven't. Who did they win with? Was it. Was it Carlile?

[Mike Grinelli]

I think Carlisle?

[Ryan Whitney]

Randy.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah, Randy.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah. So, I mean, that's kind of probably their last. Oh, they had Bruce Boudreaux for a bit, but yeah, I think it's a great hire for them. I think he's going to help them out a ton. And I think your bet wit with Pasha is a home run for you right now.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah, I agree. I'm curious to know though, like, that much time off, Definitely an old, more of an old school coach. That. That's a young core. Right. Like there's a few older guys there, but you. I also feel like a guy like McTavish would. Wouldn't mind a hard coach. You know, he can, he can handle it. So I'm interested to see how the other young prospects, who they have in their system, that it's Ja, Jackson, Lomb, like some of these guys, how. How are they going to handle being told that they're not using their backhand anymore?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Well, I think it's a little different.

[Ryan Whitney]

Interviewing Leo Carlson. Kid seems like somebody who does not mind if a coach is hard on him like that, that high character. And I feel like he's somebody who maybe even appreciate once in a while a demanding coach. Now they just had like maybe that a little overboard with Cronin, where some of the things we were hearing were a little ridiculous.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah. Q is not like that.

[Mike Grinelli]

Well, he's doing media now and apparently he was asked about what we were saying and he said that we were lying about everything. Right. Is that what was said?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, I think. I think he's.

[Ryan Whitney]

Are we gonna move on from that then? Players on his team are lying.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

We'Ve been called liars before. Bizarre.

[Mike Grinelli]

That's true. By the Boston Bruins.

[Ryan Whitney]

The Oilers killed the Kings. We killed the Flames. Now they're back a little bit. We killed them a few years back and they've been doing pretty well. This year specifically, we really buried the Canucks. I mean, the Canucks, they don't have a coach that, that team's a mess.

[Mike Grinelli]

An employee.

[Ryan Whitney]

And now I think we've. We've buried L. A. So we're just knocking down teams in the pacific year.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Rob Blake and the Kings have parted ways. Apparently it was a true parted ways, mutual decision where I think Frank Cervali said they had offered him a contract and maybe he figured it was kind of time to move on. I mean, four in a row to one team is hard. Especially this year where it looked locked in stone. They had that series and the rumors. G says here is Mark Bergevin could be the replacement.

[Mike Grinelli]

Okay.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. So we'll see what happens with la. I still think la, like they're in a good spot. Yes. Doughty and Kopitar are older, but you got to get Kempy signed. And then I, I mean can.

[Mike Grinelli]

I mean, I said 10 million a year in the chat, guys were like, you guys laughed at me. And I'm like, I think he might get fucking 11 and a half. I think it's like he should be making more than Elias Pedersen. Yeah, like, yeah, right. Like this. He's. He's the future there.

[Ryan Whitney]

Yep.

[Mike Grinelli]

You gotta, you gotta lock him and sucks to hear about Blakey. Like, I guess hearing that, that it was like a mutual decision. Like, I guess like it's not even like taking onus for what happened in playoffs. It's more maybe just like, hey, like, you know, my, my, my time is done. It's a lot of work, man. He had a long career. He's been doing it, you know, since he retired basically. And you got to be turned on all the time and, and glued into the hockey world. So maybe he just wants a little bit of a break and kind of seemed like at the time when it was announced, falling on the sword for the, for the Hiller Fumble as far as coaching in games three and four. But yeah, tough times for, for la. And yeah, they're Oilers own their shit.

[Ryan Whitney]

You also remember when, you know, Paul Maurice stepped away from Winnipeg, it's like sometimes you just know, like, I don't know that my, my time has come here and, and Rob Blake, I mean, God, how much money did that guy make? It's not like he needs to do anything. He's just a hockey lifer, great person from what I've been told.

[Mike Grinelli]

Awesome.

[Ryan Whitney]

Loves the guy.

[Mike Grinelli]

That whole, that whole brass is awesome and they work well together and they draft well, they develop well. They're all buddies, they've played together. That's why I was surprised to see that he was, he was stepping down or, or they mutually agree.

[Paul Bissonnette]

You think he'll take another job or he's gonna.

[Mike Grinelli]

I don't think so. He. Apparently when he went to la, he bought a Property. He went and looked at a house and I'm going to use 5 million as a number. And, you know, he was obviously making enough money at the time. And it was on a double lot. And where do they all live? What's the area called?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Hermosa or something?

[Mike Grinelli]

I think it's Manhattan Beach. And he buys it and I think that the house now is worth 30 million bucks. Like, it's insane. It's one of the most beautiful properties there. It's a double lot, which is extremely rare. So as far as, like, money and how he's doing and how he's chilling, he's in the top echelon of, like, career earnings and how he did away from the game. So he. He's going to be chilling. He's going to be. He's going to be chilling big time.

[Ryan Whitney]

Breaking news here. Nicholas wa will have a hearing tonight to Edmonton. Now, some people thought maybe wouldn't be suspended because he's kicked out of the game five major. I'm like, what are we talking about here? That is maybe the most blatant suspension I've ever seen. I think one game, considering Frederick's not hurt. I am, I. Am I fucking up that they don't go based on injury or they do. I always.

[Mike Grinelli]

I don't think they. They. They go on based on injury. They go on intent.

[Ryan Whitney]

Okay, so I think one game. Do you guys agree with that?

[Mike Grinelli]

I would say one game. And then send him to dental school to help him out with his root canal. And that's it. And we call it a day. As far as quick hits, the one that I really wanted to get to and it kind of been festering, and I think this has been a couple weeks since both of them have spoken to the media was the Detroit Red Wings, where I'll throw it over to you if you have like, more of like a breakdown of like the timeline in which it was said. But basically it went from Dylan Larkin saying that he thought that they could have added more at the deadline to give the team a boost to. Then the media asking Yerman about it, let's say a week later or days later in a different press conference, and him rolling his eyes saying, like, I was looking to our leadership group for that boost and they didn't bring it. And if anybody was watching the games, essentially their play dictated the fact that we didn't make playoff playoffs. Like when we lost nine of 11 games down the stretch. Is that kind of like Cole's notes, what you had written down?

[Ryan Whitney]

Yes. And I don't remember. And. And maybe the chat can let us know. Like, obviously the postseason press conference, exit meetings. For a team with expectations and a team who needs to get over the hump at some point and get in the playoffs, they can get a little contentious with media sometimes. And this is an original six market. Iserman's a true legend in the game. I don't remember, like a captain coming out and almost calling out the GM in a way like that. And I kind of get Larkin's point. Right? Like, we're looking for you to add something. If you remember. I believe they got. Was it a couple years ago when Ottawa waxed them back to back and Iserman's like, that's when I knew I wasn't going to add anything. Well, this year, I think the fan base and the players, obviously not. I think based on Larkin's comments, that deadline day is exciting. Right? You're thinking, we're going to get something here, we're going to add something. And they didn't. And Larkin made it clear that the whole room just. It's kind of like the balloon popped a little bit. Like what? Like we're not doing anything to help and then to see Eiserman come back and almost. I don't want to say call out the leadership, because I didn't see that quote exactly. Biz. It's kind of a. Kind of an odd end of the year, right? You got your captain and your GM obviously disagreeing on. On how the trade deadline was approached. You have, what is it? Is it eight years, seven years without the playoffs in Detroit. You see Ottawa take the next step now. Now you're sitting there wondering, like, what's going to happen this summer. I don't know what Detroit ends up deciding to do. I don't know if Iserman thinks there's got to be big changes until they can become a contender and look to add guys in the deadline. I think they have some awesome prospects that should be ready in the near future. More just concerning for Red Wings fans to see the captain and the GM disagree that much at the end of the year. So I don't remember.

[Mike Grinelli]

And I think saying disagreeing is putting it lightly. I think that there is there that is a spark to something. Where there's smoke, there's fire. And I was. I saw a clip from Cam and Strick and I agree with them. Like, it felt like they were saying, like, at what point, like, do you not take into like a Hall of Fame playing career into account where if you're being asked Questions as a general manager, like, you could see that he was getting frustrated with the media and he was kind of like rolling his eyes and like, like, that's a stupid question. Like, this is nonsense that I'm being asked that where it's like, I don't know, man. At a certain point, I think that people are going to separate that and say, we don't care what your pass was as a player. We want questions answered about what's happening with the fabric of this team. And I'll just say this, like, I think bringing in Patrick Kane for what he's going to do as far as rubbing off on the players in the locker room, first ballot, hall of Famer for those guys to learn off of him, that's a, a great move bringing him in. Do I think going out in free agency and getting a guy like Vlad Tarasenko is like the best needle moving signing? Not necessarily. I thought he did a great job in Florida because he got to go there and just be like a little piece and was surrounded by all the rest of the guys. And I thought, I think that he had his moments, but I don't feel that, that he's went out there and helped surround the top three forwards with other incredible players. Now it could be a few years here till his drafts and I believe he's had like what, six, seven total drafts. His own. Sometimes it takes a year or two to put your own guys in place to draft the guys that you want to draft. Well, let's see if maybe some of those guys come to fruition. But to, for him to kind of get snippy at, at like Larkin specifically, I guess, and then the leadership group, if they had, I, I, I wrote it down here, they had 96 goals between Larin, DeBrincat and Raymond, and towards the end of the season we had them on a broadcast and they had accumulated, I believe, 41 to 42% of the team's goals, where they either either factored in them or maybe even their goal total was 42%. So if you're saying, well, I'm hoping for a little boost from those guys at the end of the year, it's like, well, tell me a successful team that, that had 42% of their offense coming from their three best forwards and, and goal scoring wise, and then it really dropped off after. So in a point, I, I kind of agree with Larkin. Like, why wouldn't you try to go make a little bit, maybe more of an aggressive move in order to go get a piece that can Help them win now like other teams have done it. So. And then going back to what Cam and Strick said, it's like for. For Larkin to question it publicly, not crazy about. But for the other reporters to be asking questions like this and then maybe see his reaction. I don't know, man. At a certain point, you gotta. You gotta stand there and take the lickings. If you're the one who's been in control for eight years, like, what's, what's happening here? If they don't make playoffs next year, who, who do we blame then? Okay, not next, next year, the year after that. What do you think, Yance?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Yeah, I honestly, I respect the shit out of Larkin for doing it, because at the end of the day, it's his career. Like, Stevie already had his playing career, right? He won, made the playoffs every year probably, and that's what they were used to in Detroit. And Larkin's kind of came in. I think he made it his first year and then he hasn't made it since or something like that. And, you know, for a guy, and he's the captain that team, to go out publicly and say that, you know, he wasn't happy that they didn't go out and get guys at the deadline. It didn't show them the best, you know, leadership, I guess I think it's very admirable of them and just to, you know, put his nuts on the line there and, you know, because I think he's like, okay, this is my team. I got to get this team back to the playoffs. I am sick of being done, you know, in April. I want to be playing in these meaningful games. So I really do give him a lot of credit for that. And I think. What did Stevie say something about. He was like, well, Montreal didn't make any moves. They made the playoffs. So it's like, you can't. Like, every team's different, right? Like, they could have. They could have easily gone out and got somebody. Like, they could have, you know, traded away these good prospects that they have and got some players. And I think if you want to show, because we've all been in the locker room where, you know, if you're at the bottom of the league, you're trading everyone and you know what's coming. And then if you're in a playoff spot or close to your team's going out and getting guys, and when your GM goes out and gets them, you're like, okay, he's all in, we're all in. Let's fucking go for this guy. So more, more than anything, I just kind of respect the fact that Larkin's kind of taking it, taking it by the, you know, by the chain and saying, listen, this is my career, this is my team right now. I, you know, I, I want to be part of it and, you know, I want to make this team get better and help in any way. So kudos to him.

[Mike Grinelli]

And, and let's look at the guys they've brought in, okay? And, and like I was a plug. I'm not insult, I'm just saying like, these aren't exactly needle movers. I said the Tarasenko one. Andrew Cobb, don't mind him as a player, but I, I mean, he hasn't exactly been unreal since he's been there. He dealt with some injury this year. 10 goals, 13 assists. Ben Sherrod, yeah, he's a steady stay at home defenseman, probably there to help cider out and, you know, learn from a veteran, but not exactly a needle mover. Justin hall came over from the Leafs. Not exactly a needle mover. Jeff Petrie, while he's on the back nine. Like at what point?

[Ryan Whitney]

And, and Red Wing, sorry to interrupt you is they traded Wallman and they had to give up a draft pick to trade him for San Jose to take him. Now.

[Mike Grinelli]

He wouldn't, he wouldn't answer that question.

[Ryan Whitney]

That was an interesting part of that press conference where that was a great question. Something happened there. I, I shouldn't say something happened. There was something about Walman that Eiseman made it pretty clear, like I didn't want him around. And Wallman gave quotes after the trade saying he was heartbroken and shocked. Who knows what actually went down there. But Eisenman at the press conference, he, he wouldn't, he wouldn't go into it. He made it very clear that that was a move that he felt needed to happen. Well, you see how Walman's playing right now for Edmonton. I think Wings fans have a reason to be like, well, what? Well, what the fuck? I mean, would they love to know the story? Yes, I think, as most people would. But something was going on where Eiserman decided not only am I going to get rid of this guy, I'm going to give a draft pick away for him.

[Mike Grinelli]

I'm almost, I'm almost curious sometimes if that, like, if that switch, right. And I would compare Stevie Iserman switch and his mental strength and his like psycho ness about hockey. I would compare him to Nate. He seems like he's got a demeanor like Nate. No, nonsense. I'm Going to rip your fucking heart out and I'm going to stomp on it until. Until you're done and we lift the Stanley Cup. And if maybe he's not seeing that from others, that same exact mentality, it drives him up the wall and he just has no fucking time for it. But gritty, like the gritty, the same things that, that, that made him great as a player could potentially, I guess, hurt in a GM role where sometimes patience is important, sometimes a little bit of leniency is important, sometimes being a little bit more aware of the times and the type of personnel and players you're dealing with is different. So I think that he has so much respect in the hockey community, especially for what he's helped build in Detroit by leading all those teams to Stanley Cups. I would imagine that if they don't make playoffs this next year coming up, he would still have enough leash to then have one more year after that, to then miss playoffs. If they miss playoffs for two more straight years, then he's gone. That's my opinion. Some of you Detroit fans who have seen it and been in the thick of it might say if they don't make it this year, he's done. Especially at the way that the press conference went, especially at the way that Larkin was in his press conference. What do you guys think about that? Would you not agree that I think he's probably got two more years left in that seed if they don't make playoffs?

[Ryan Whitney]

Yeah. I mean, God, it's just hard to picture. Yeah, it's hard to picture him going there with the ISA plan, a legend of the Wings, and it not working. I think everyone just assumed and what had happened in Tampa, like, he's going to build a winner. And maybe, maybe they do. I mean, that. That Danielson kid, supposed to be very good. They picked Axel Sandin. Pelica's coming. So, like there's, there's, there's room to grow here and there's young guys coming and there's a lot of questions that, you know, remain to be answered. But it is odd to see that it's taken this long and, and Red Wings fans are starting to get a little upset, which I don't blame them.

[Mike Grinelli]

Well, I tell you what, of all those guys I mentioned, they better be making a bigger splash in free agency this summer is one. And he sure as hell better hope that some of these picks that they've picked start popping off and looking more like Lucas Raymond's and the Dylan Larkins, because if they don't, something's got to crack. And maybe it's Dylan Larkin saying, hey, thanks. Thanks, but no thanks. I want to go play some playoff hockey and take my talents elsewhere. And if you think that I need to keep boosting this team up more after what we've been able to accomplish on the top line, well, then so be it. Stevie.

[Paul Bissonnette]

The main one for me is they gotta sign that goalie Augustine. Like, it. It almost seems like he's going back.

[Mike Grinelli]

Well, they have. So there's another thing. They have both their goalies signed for next year, and probably a reason why he's like, well, I'm not playing in the minors. I gotta hope for an injury. They have him and that Costa in the pipeline. They have goalies in their pipeline.

[Ryan Whitney]

And now if he goes to August, he's a free agent.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I know. That's it. That's what it looks like he's doing. Right? But he's from Michigan. He's going. He goes to Michigan State. Why wouldn't he want to be there? But maybe. I don't know.

[Mike Grinelli]

Same reason that the kid from Isaac Howard. These kids have all the leverage. Why would they. Why would they care? They want to play in the NHL now. They get their feet wet, they have one good season, and then all of a sudden they're signing an eight year times eight extension. Yeah, that.

[Ryan Whitney]

That.

[Mike Grinelli]

That was pretty gnarly. I'm glad we got to finally catch up and talk about that. Drama. Wings. We'll see what happens here. Drama.

[Ryan Whitney]

And to. To end the show, the draft lottery went down. I'd say one of the most confusing things I've ever watched or seen. Credit to the league for trying to switch it up. Right. It was a different idea. It was just a little confusing. Where I think most people were. I think Merle said, just, like, have the certain amount of numbers for each team and then, like, have their logo.

[Mike Grinelli]

On it when it comes, just flip over the card and tell me who gets first pick. Like, off. Like, I.

[Ryan Whitney]

It was like. It was like, bruins fans are like, we need this. Six numbers in a row. And it was like watching keno balls come out playing it at the bar in Massachusetts.

[Mike Grinelli]

It makes people think it's more rigged than it. Than. Than it is, apparently. Yeah, like, they're just. Like you said, they're creating more confusion. It's kind of. It was interesting to see that the. The.

[Ryan Whitney]

The mayor, the governor of New York.

[Mike Grinelli]

The governor, excuse me, wrote a letter to Gary in the NHL complaining about the fact they're being stripped of that All Star Game. Because of the amount of government funds that were used to help build that arena. So people obviously speculating at the fact that they were hand delivered a first overall pick as a result. I don't know if the first overall is that much better than the second third. From my understanding, it seems like there's three consensus first overall picks. It could be either three guys and they're just going to go 1, 2, 3. Is that the same thing you guys are hearing?

[Ryan Whitney]

Well, it's funny I looked at it because you get the first overall pick and it's. Oh my God, the excitement for the fan base. I looked in the last 20 years, the number one overall picks. I have 11 guys that are true. Like, oh my God, we got this guy. Like we won the law. All right, that's what. So it goes Ovi Sid, then Eric Johnson. Right? That's not what you think. First overall. This is no disrespect to any of the nine guys, right? Kane, that's three. Stamkos, four. Tavares five. Taylor Hall. We're talking first overall. No. Nugent Hopkins. No. Jakob. No. Yes. The oilers had the first overall pick three years in a row. McKinnon. Yes. Ekblad. No. McDavid Matthews. Yes. He sheer. No. I have Darlene as a no. Maybe I'm just so off there because it's Buffalo. Hughes I have as a yes. Lafrenier? No. Owen Power. No. Slafkovsky. No. And Bedard and Celebrini I have is yes. Do you guys get what I'm saying? That this year seems to be like. And buddy, those, some of those names I just mentioned. Incredible, incredible, incredible careers. But you're talking first overall. It just shows. It's not a guarantee that you have this full blown organizational franchise changing player.

[Mike Grinelli]

Correct.

[Ryan Whitney]

Now this year seems to be that way. Maybe this Matthew Schaefer turns into Heskinen or Makar and. Or maybe Misa is a 50 goal guy. I don't, I don't know that much about this draft, but what I've heard is it's not Gavin McKenna next year. So.

[Mike Grinelli]

Okay. Interesting people.

[Ryan Whitney]

I mean, I don't know. Do you disagree with any of those? So let me give you the names.

[Mike Grinelli]

I, I don't know enough about. Like, that's not.

[Ryan Whitney]

No, no, no. I'm saying if the guys that.

[Mike Grinelli]

Oh yeah, true number one picks. Pasha's losing his mind right now and saying no Nico, he sheer sober up with Jesus. That's what Pasha wrote.

[Ryan Whitney]

So hold on. What do you guys. Is he sure?

[Paul Bissonnette]

I agree with you on all.

[Ryan Whitney]

Amazing player. Is he one of the 11 guys I just named no biz.

[Mike Grinelli]

You're in what sense? You're saying like a guy Franchise rule number one. Like a. I would say he's on the cusp because like he. He's like.

[Ryan Whitney]

I'll give you that.

[Mike Grinelli]

He's in the same 75 same thing.

[Paul Bissonnette]

As Ekblad and maybe Darlene.

[Ryan Whitney]

I wouldn't even put Eggblood there. But he's one Crosby OVI Stammer like dude.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah.

[Ryan Whitney]

Matthews.

[Mike Grinelli]

Not those. Not. And I would actually put Darlene and. And Nico in that second tier right down until. Until we see otherwise and when they could I view Nico. He sure like the Sebastian Ajo. Like kind of not. Not quite on the top tier. Life franchise changing. And if you want a 70 point guy who plays both ends of the ice and he's a. Yeah, great, great 200 foot player.

[Ryan Whitney]

If you want to trip my picks. Maybe. Maybe take off. Jesus Christ. What the hell?

[Paul Bissonnette]

I think your list was perfect.

[Ryan Whitney]

Bedard. Maybe. Maybe. I don't. I don't know. Celebrating one year.

[Mike Grinelli]

I think he's gonna. I think Bedard's gonna pop off next year.

[Ryan Whitney]

All right.

[Mike Grinelli]

So he's gonna.

[Ryan Whitney]

Great show, boys. Cruz Armstrong, first round by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the US Priority WHL draft. Congratulations, Cruz. Awesome for you. I know you're. It's funny I asked. Army stayed over at my house the night of Oilers Vegas game one. And he made like. I was like, how good is Cruz? Like. And he. And he just obviously downplayed it, but happy for him, man. That's awesome. He stays in the United States, which I know army said he was hoping for, and we'll see what he can do. Now, I don't know if I think. I don't think you play in the.

[Mike Grinelli]

WHL yet, but Brock Lesnar's kid was drafted too. I think. I believe his name is Duke Lesnar. Yeah, he's going to be.

[Paul Bissonnette]

How is he drafted in the. In the dub if he lives in Pittsburgh?

[Mike Grinelli]

It's an amaz. Yeah. It's a special draft. Like you're able to pick what league because army plays there. Yeah.

[Paul Bissonnette]

Oh, I heard be. I heard it was because they know how much of a crazy hockey dad army is and they want him as far away as possible.

[Mike Grinelli]

Doesn't matter where the team is. It could be in China. And he's into the mix. He loves it. He wants to know what's going on. I bet you if I had a kid in hockey, I'd be the Same fucking way.

[Paul Bissonnette]

I was kidding. I don't know what Army's like behind the bench.

[Mike Grinelli]

Oh, he's a lunatic. But yeah, congrats to Army. That's huge. I look. That's gonna be awesome. Following his career when he's playing in the dub, drinking beers, thrown both ways.

[Ryan Whitney]

Just head shot and guys like his old man.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah, just giving him the Ekblad elbow.

[Ryan Whitney]

All right, guys, great show.

[Mike Grinelli]

Unreal show.

[Ryan Whitney]

Kujo, Keith, stay calm tonight. I can't wait. I cannot. It's so nice having a night off too. After the. After the. I'm like, I need tonight to just like, watch and just as, as a, as a hockey fan just looking for good games. It's not life or death. So everyone, who do you like tonight?

[Paul Bissonnette]

Wit, who do you like?

[Ryan Whitney]

I like Florida, but I think it's going to. I don't think they're going to blow them out. I think it's going to be another incredible game.

[Mike Grinelli]

And I just want to say to all Leafs fans still listening, ignore the idiots. Like, like, while Yan's isn't too bad, at least publicly, Merls is starting to do the reverse mush and also trying to spread lies at. Oh, Leafs already think they got the Series 1 because William Nylander went to the beach yesterday and got a little bit of sun, a little bit of vitamin D. What's wrong with that? Apparently Merle's doesn't think that that's good. He thinks that they're checked out of the series. I mean, I said, I said the Merles send me pictures of them with margaritas in their hands and, and, and getting tugged off by their Thai masseuses like I was after game two. And then maybe we'll talk about them thinking the series is over.

[Paul Bissonnette]

It's called the Big Blue Pill. The ocean is called the Big Blue Pill. It helps inflammation. It helps everything get in there. I get in there every day biz.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yeah, I guess Merle's is anti recovery. He's like the old school way where he thinks you should be at the elbow room gassing a 24 of beers, but they decided to go chill at the beach, but I guess they think that the series is over. So.

[Ryan Whitney]

Merles has a bigger problem. I think he sits at home and watches the Elbow Room Live cam.

[Mike Grinelli]

Yes, he does.

[Ryan Whitney]

Like, he's just like, I want to be there. I want to be just like he says. He's watching the World Championships right now. He's staring at the Elbow Room Live cam and he's hoping to see some Leafs drinking some beers and some pink Whitney. So he's.

[Mike Grinelli]

He. He's basically tmz. He's tmz.

[Ryan Whitney]

All right, guys, awesome show. Great catching up with you guys, and good luck to both of you tonight.

[Mike Grinelli]

Let's just hope for a fair game and after all.

[Ryan Whitney]

Cut it. Cut it. That's it.

[Mike Grinelli]

You're my wonder wall.

[Ryan Whitney]

Cut.