Erik Karlsson's return as an elite NHL defender

Summary

The Athletic Hockey Show — Erik Karlsson's Return as an Elite NHL Defender

Date: March 18, 2026
Hosts: Sean Gentili, Sean McAdoo, Frankie Corrado

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Overview

In this episode, The Athletic Hockey Show dives deep into the resurgence of Erik Karlsson as a top NHL defenseman and what his return to form means for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the broader playoff picture. The hosts analyze how the Penguins' surprising season has subverted expectations, the shifting Jack Adams Award race for best NHL coach, major developments in the Eastern and Western Conference playoff races, and some memorable individual performances from around the league.

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Main Discussion Points and Insights

1. Erik Karlsson Powering the Penguins Back to Relevance

Timestamps: 03:33 – 06:45

• Penguins’ Outlook: Sean Gentili reflects on how the Penguins have evolved from potential bottom-feeders to a formidable playoff team. Erik Karlsson is highlighted as the key driver behind this shift.
• Karlsson’s Numbers:
  • 20th in net rating, 11th in offensive net rating.
  • Scoring pace of 65 points, with the Penguins outscoring opponents 57-40 with him on the ice.
  • Since the Olympic break and Crosby's injury, Karlsson has 14 points in 11 games and has led the team during both Crosby and Malkin’s absences.
• Signature Performance: Against the Avalanche, Karlsson outplayed Nathan MacKinnon’s line, registering three points and controlling play.

Memorable Quote:

“And the main reason for that, Frankie ... is Erik Karlsson, because he has been a legit number one defenseman this year. We thought he was past that point in his career. He certainly has not been.” (Sean Gentili, 05:12)

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2. Penguins: From Sellers to Scary Playoff Opponent

Timestamps: 06:45 – 09:26

• Narrative Flip: Frankie Corrado recounts how Pittsburgh’s outlook at the start of the season was that of a seller; now they're a team nobody wants to face in the playoffs.
• Team Stats:
  • 9th in goals for per game, 4th in expected goals, top ten in most offensive metrics.
• Playoff Implications: With Crosby, Malkin, and Karlsson healthy, teams are wary of facing Pittsburgh in the postseason.

Memorable Quote:

“You don't want to play Pittsburgh in the playoffs, because Sidney Crosby and Evgeny Malkin and Erik Karlsson in the playoffs are going to be really good players, and that is going to be a struggle for some teams.” (Frankie Corrado, 07:09)

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3. Coaching Carousel: The Jack Adams Award Race

Timestamps: 09:26 – 17:35

• Dan Muse in the Spotlight:
  • First-year Penguins coach Dan Muse is getting credit for handling a veteran core and integrating new talent.
  • Muse has enabled Karlsson to play to his strengths in a way that Mike Sullivan never did.
• Other Top Candidates:
  • Travis Green (Ottawa Senators), Rick Bowness (Columbus Blue Jackets), Lindy Ruff (Buffalo Sabres) discussed as strong contenders.
  • A rich crop in contrast to previous, more predictable years.
• Coaching Surprises:
  • Frankie notes that Green and Bowness were able to keep their teams in the playoff race despite adversity (bad goaltending/bad starts).
• Playoff Turnover:
  • Huge potential playoff field turnover with up to eight new teams.

Memorable Quotes:

“Dan Muse was always kind of known for being this really intelligent kind of tactician... Now we’re kind of seeing what he’s done as a head coach. I mean, yeah, he would have to be in your top two to three at least when it comes to coach of the year.” (Frankie Corrado, 10:19)
“The Jack Adams is a broadcaster award.” (Sean Gentili, 15:53)

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4. Eastern Conference Playoff Race: Chaos and Emerging Powers

Timestamps: 17:35 – 27:21

• Surprise Teams and Turnover:
  • Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Islanders, two of Bruins/Wings/Jackets: possible playoff entries.
  • 50% playoff field turnover from last season is in play.
• Team Assessments:
  • Buffalo and Pittsburgh are “playing the right way,” and not teams top seeds want to face.
  • Ottawa’s improvement highlighted, hinging on better goaltending (Hallmark's post-Olympic numbers: .882 Sv%, 1.7 GAA over 6 games).
• Spotlight on Pressure:
  • Detroit Red Wings pegged as under the most pressure to maintain their spot after a promising first half; recent injuries and underwhelming stretch could spell disaster.

Memorable Quotes:

“My initial thought is ... these teams are still playing at such a high clip, and now the Buffalo Sabres are first in the Atlantic and it's not the Tampa Bay Lightning. Like, I don't know, if you're Tampa and Carolina, you probably look at that and are saying, I don't feel the way I used to feel.” (Frankie Corrado, 19:31)
“It does kind of even out a little bit. I can't imagine after all of the pieces that we all wrote about the patient, conservative Iser plan... if they miss, I mean, that's catastrophic in Detroit.” (Sean McAdoo, 24:35)

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5. Western Conference: Avalanche Midseason Crisis, Utah Rising, and the Wild West Wildcard

Timestamps: 28:40 – 41:44

• Colorado Avalanche Under Scrutiny:
  • Frankie Corrado details a slip from "wagon" to mediocrity:
    • Pre-January 1: 32-7, elite offensive and defensive numbers.
    • Since Jan 1: 14-11-2, merely .500 pace, issues with new player integration and mental mistakes.
  • The importance of holding first in the division, lest they face a much tougher first-round opponent.
• Dallas Right on Colorado's Tail:
  • Impending Avs-Stars matchup framed as a potential regular-season game of the year.
• Power Rankings Dilemma:
  • Debate over whether Colorado can still be ranked #1 given their extended slump; Dallas is on their heels, and Carolina, Buffalo, and Tampa mentioned as possible top-tier alternatives.
  • Notable: Avalanche power play is a major weak spot (30th in power play goals since Jan 1, 20th in generation).

Memorable Quotes:

“Their captain is even saying as much right now... new guys don't know what they're doing and we're making silly mistakes. It's not two weeks now ... two and a half months.” (Frankie Corrado, 30:59)

• Wild Card Drama:
  • Utah, Anaheim, Seattle, LA, and San Jose all battling for spots.
  • Utah could finish with more points than any Pacific Division team despite crossing over as a wild card.
  • LA and Seattle critiqued as uninspiring stories, but Utah praised for smart moves and goaltending.

Memorable Quotes:

“Utah could do something we’ve never seen before, which is there’ll be a wild card... with more points than any team in the Pacific Division… And I would love to—I'm rooting for this." (Sean McAdoo, 38:32)
“Nobody wants to see [the Kings] play.” (Frankie Corrado, 39:58)

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6. Notable Individual Feats: Cole Caufield Hits 40 Goals

Timestamps: 41:50 – 43:39

• Cole Caufield scores 40th for Montreal, first Canadiens player to hit the mark since 1993–94.
• The Montreal crowd’s reaction highlighted as “berserk” and a rare moment for the storied franchise.

Memorable Quotes:

“That city, that building was going nuts. And crazy to think Montreal has not had a 40-goal scorer in over 30 years. That is crazy, crazy stuff.” (Frankie Corrado, 42:47)

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7. Fun Segment Closers & Hockey Culture Moments

Timestamps: 45:17 – 49:57

• Jersey Karma:
  • Story about a Habs fan wearing a jersey to a non-Habs game and getting hit with a puck—hockey gods’ “punishment” for representing the wrong team.
  • Reminiscent nostalgia for the Steve Sullivan fan incident.
• Impersonation banter:
  • Gentle ribbing about Jack Hughes impressions and hockey media routines.

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Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “We thought [Karlsson] was past that point in his career. He certainly has not been.”
  — Sean Gentili (05:12)

• “You don't want to play Pittsburgh in the playoffs, because ... that is going to be a struggle for some teams.”
  — Frankie Corrado (07:09)

• “Dan Muse was ... really intelligent ... had run the penalty kill... Now we’re kind of seeing what he’s done as a head coach.”
  — Frankie Corrado (10:19)

• “The Jack Adams is a broadcaster award.”
  — Sean Gentili (15:53)

• “Their captain is even saying ... new guys don't know what they're doing and we're making silly mistakes ... we're two and a half months that they have not been playing quality hockey.”
  — Frankie Corrado (30:59)

• “Utah could do something we've never seen before ... be a wild card ... with more points than any team in the Pacific Division … I'm rooting for this.”
  — Sean McAdoo (38:32)

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Important Timestamps

• 03:33 – 06:45: Penguins’ resurgence and Erik Karlsson’s pivotal role
• 06:45 – 09:26: Penguins go from sellers to playoff threats
• 09:26 – 17:35: Jack Adams coach-of-the-year race and the importance of first-year and veteran coaches
• 17:35 – 27:21: Eastern Conference shuffle, new blood likely in playoffs, pressure on Detroit
• 28:40 – 41:44: Avalanche woes, Dallas challenge, and the chaotic Western wild card race
• 41:50 – 43:39: Cole Caufield breaks Montreal’s 40-goal drought, fan reactions
• 45:17 – 49:57: Off-ice anecdotes, jersey superstitions, and hockey fan cultural moments

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Tone and Style

• Conversational, humorous, and candid between experienced writers and analysts.
• Opinions are strong but backed by current stats, with friendly ribbing and inside-joke references.
• Analytical yet accessible—balancing stats (“expected goals,” “power play %”) with big-picture storytelling.

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Final Note

This episode stands out for its sharp analysis of how one elite player—Erik Karlsson—can change a team’s trajectory, enriched by detailed playoff race scenarios, candid discussions about coaching impacts, and a warm embrace of the quirky culture that sets hockey apart. For anyone wondering why the 2025-26 season feels so unpredictable, this episode is a one-stop digest of the key contenders, surprises, and ongoing storylines as the NHL playoff race heats up.

Transcript

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[Sean McAdoo]

This is the Athletic Hockey Show.

[Sean Gentili]

What up? What ups the Athletic Hockey show for Wednesday, March 18, 2026. I am Sean Gentili. I sound marginally less disgusting than I did last week. So congratulations to all you. Thank you, man, we set the bar low here. Sean McAdoo. Frankie Corrado. Fellas, how are we doing?

[Frankie Corrado]

Pretty good. Like, just kind of coming down from that crazy game last night in Montreal. We called it Habs Bruins. We'll get to that later, I'm sure. But things are good, man. Like I. I don't know if you guys feel this. Maybe not you gentilly, because you're just coming off being sick, but I feel like fresh. Like I feel pretty fresh for this time.

[Sean Gentili]

Congratulations. Congratulations, man.

[Frankie Corrado]

It's a grind and it's like you're traveling a bunch and you're staying up watching all these games and it's late and you feel like garbage, but I don't know why. March 18th. I feel okay, so I'm gonna take it.

[Sean Gentili]

No, I, I feel like ass still. Just for the record, I would like to establish that,

[Sean McAdoo]

but I just, I just want to point out. Look at us three guys. The morning after St. Patrick's Day. We're all bright eyed and bushy tailed. That's a good sign that we're a bunch.

[Sean Gentili]

I tried on Saturday. I tried on Saturday during, during parade day here in Pittsburgh. My, my cousin had had some people over and I, I dipped over and was like, nope, not happening. Too old, too sick. I gotta, I gotta get out of here asap. I did find myself though, in a pharmacological haze on Tuesday night. I thought I was hallucinating. Turns out I was not. I was on the couch. It seemed like the Pittsburgh Penguins were beating the Colorado Avalanche's ass. I thought maybe that was cold medicine talking or something. It wasn't. Now that was a wild game to see on Monday night. And that's where, that's where we're going to start, fellas. 72 win for Pittsburgh over Colorado. We're going to talk about what that means for potentially the AVs, and if that's any kind of insight on the way they've been playing in a couple of minutes. But I wanted to start out by mentioning Eric Carlson, specifically because we've talked a lot about the Penguins. I feel like I individually have been wrong about them at a lot of different points. I thought they were going to be a bottom five team in the league. At the start of all this fast start didn't sell me on anything. I was like, okay, let's see, let's see. I think sometime around Christmas I accepted that this was a team that wasn't going to be awful. And now it's St Patrick's Day and I think we need to recalibrate. I need to recalibrate. I'll speak individually. I need to recalibrate how I think about this team because right now they look like a group that can win a playoff series. And that had not crossed my mind as a legitimate possibility until the last week or so. And the main reason for that, Frankie, and I don't mean to interrupt you, but the main reason for that is Erik Carlson, because he has been a legit number one defenseman this year. We thought he was past that point in his career. He certainly has not been. 20th in net rating, which is impressive. 11th and offensive net rating. So so of course there's. It's going to be a little bit lopsided, but he hasn't, he hasn't been brutal in his own zone overall in the season as, as a body of work. He's scoring points at a 65 point pace on the season. The Penguins are outscoring opponents 57, 40 with him on the ice. And most of all, and this is what has sold me on him and it's what sold me on Pittsburgh is that since the Olympic break, that is post Sidney Crosby injury, he's got 14 points and 11, and they're winning his minutes 7, 4. They needed someone to step up, not just in Crosby's absence, but nickname, Malkin's absence, because he was suspended for five of those games. And it was. And it was Eric Carlson and I, and it has been Eric Carlson. And I think the game against Colorado was as good a proof of that as you're going to find because he was out there against Nathan McKinnon. Pittsburgh won his minutes. He ended up with three points overall, and he was the engine for them with a fairly dominant win over a team that, you know, on balance, let's say, has been the best in the NHL this season. And I was not prepared for that.

[Frankie Corrado]

The narrative is shifting so quick for the Pittsburgh Penguins because if you go back to the summer, they're the only team that are true sellers. How many times did you hear that about the Penguins? They're open for business and they got to strip things down and they got to figure out what's going to work for them moving forward. And as the season starts, you know, they're getting really good goaltending. Their two big boys are playing well, and Crosby and Malkin, and they're scoring a bunch, but the team is playing well. And for the longest time now that Pittsburgh has been out of the playoffs, we haven't really talked about, you know, what it would look like if Pittsburgh ever got into the playoffs because no one really took them seriously. They're a team that was supposed to be rebuilding. And now we can sit here and have the conversation of, you don't want to play Pittsburgh in the playoffs, because Sidney Crosby and Evgeny Malkin and Eric Carlson in the playoffs are going to be really good players, and that is going to be a struggle for some teams. And I'll throw a couple numbers at you guys real quick before I pass it over to dgb. But the Pittsburgh Penguins right now, according to sport logic, like goals for per game, ninth in the NHL, expected goals for per game Fourth in the NHL, eighth in shot attempts, seventh in shots, second in slot shots and inner slot shots, and sixth in offensive zone possession time. Like, this is not a team that's just like, caught a little bit of a heater or they have like this unsustainable shooting percentage. They're generating what they're scoring. And now it's like we've been clamoring for, oh, Sidney Crosby has to be in the playoffs. Guess what? He's going to be in the playoffs. And you probably don't want to play him in the playoffs because we don't know how many more cracks he's going to have at it, but he's going to have a crack at it this year.

[Sean McAdoo]

And don't forget, you're talking about that, that Colorado game. That's a game that's been circled on the schedule since last summer because this was supposed to be Sidney Crosby's first game against his former team. Remember when Sidney Crosby was going to the Colorado Avalanche, that was, you know, we had all connected the dots and figured out that was going to happen. I don't think, I don't think it's happening.

[Sean Gentili]

I think I'm, I'm grateful for, I'm grateful for Pittsburgh season for one reason only, is that the way they've played has stopped me from getting asked on Canadian radio 15 times over the last three months. Like, you think, you think it might be. You think deadline Crosby, what's going on? Montreal, Colorado. All right, so where's he headed?

[Sean McAdoo]

Let me ask this because, you know, Frankie's right. We, we spent the summer looking at this team going, well, they got to trade Brian, Russ, they got to trade Ricardo, Cal, they got to move all these guys because they're going to stink. And then the legal rigged the lottery and they'll get Gavin McKenna. So I have to do, you know, per the sports writer bylaws, I have to do the thing that we always do when we get a team wrong, especially when we think a team's bad and they turn out to be good. I have to say, it's got to be the coach. So is Dan Muse now in the Jack Adams front runner conversation with what he's done with this team? Is this, is this the thing where we couldn't all possibly have been wrong about how good a team was? So therefore the coach has to be a miracle worker, right?

[Frankie Corrado]

Well, yeah, I think there's a lot of validity to that. Like, first time head coach takes a team with very low expectations and a team that would be difficult to Coach, like, keep in mind you have to try and satisfy Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Carlson, while at the same time integrating new players into that group. Like, I don't know, Brazo Mantha, like you got Tommy Novak, like Ben Kindle, an 18 year old kid who just got drafted. Like he's kind of meshed these two worlds together now and this is the product that they're throwing out there. And Dan Muse was always kind of known for being this like really intelligent kind of tactician, had run the penalty kill in his time as an assistant coach and did a really good job with that. And now we're kind of seeing what he's done as a head coach. I mean, yeah, he would have to be in your top two to three at least when it comes to coach of the year.

[Sean Gentili]

I think he's, I think he's coaching players individually in a way that Sullivan wasn't at the end for sure. Like I. And Carlson said it has said it much. He said it early. It was easy to joke about the way Carlson was playing like early in the season and be like, all right, he's just happy to be away from Mike Sullivan. But like, I don't know, maybe. I mean, and he's, and he's like alluded to as much where I think Dan Muse, if you want to look at it through the seller, through the, through the Carlson prism, I think he's okay with, with Eric Carlson being Eric Carlson in a way that, in a way that maybe Mike Sullivan wasn't. And he's also good at mitigating what Eric Carlson maybe isn't so great at in a way that Mike Sullivan wasn't. And I think that kind of individualized, you know, contextual understanding of the guys that you're coaching is the sort of stuff that should make guys, should make coaches. Jack Adams candidates. Like, I don't know if he's going to win. I know there's a push for John Cooper just because of, you know, what he's done with Tampa and the fact that he's never won one. And everyone's going to want to vote for Lindy Ruff and there are people who are going to want to vote for Joel Quinville. Like, that's all well and good, but I think Muse has absolutely pushed his way, you know, to the, to the front of the line here because he, the things that the buttons that he's pushing are working. This is not a team that's winning games because of a goaltender, heater or whatever else. This isn't. Or you know, this isn't a team that's, that's coming off an unlucky season that has a, that had a bunch of talent in the mix. This is clearly, you know, the coach pulling levers and pushing buttons in a way that, you know, you don't often see from, from, from Jack Adams candidates. Yeah, I think he's, I think he's got to be in the mix.

[Frankie Corrado]

Since, since we're on the subject, I'm going to go, I'm going to throw two names into the Jack Adams conversation and you tell me why they wouldn't be considered for that award if their teams make the playoffs. Travis Green, Rick Bonus. How can you argue with those as well? Because as far as I'm concerned, when you have bad goaltending, that sinks your season. And Travis Green has had the worst goaltending in the NHL and they still have a very realistic chance of making the playoffs because of how they play as a team. Not just Stutzle goes hero or Tkachuk goes her. They don't have Jake Sanderson. They're not going to have Nick Jensen now he's got a meniscus surgery coming up. Like Travis Green deserves a lot of credit. And like Rick Bonus. What changed in Columbus? Exact same team. I mean, you made a couple trades at the deadline, but it's the same team except new coach. And now all they do is win. If you go back to January 1st till today, the Buffalo Sabers are the best team in the NHL with 44 points. The Columbus Blue Jackets are second with 41. And wouldn't you know it, the Pittsburgh Penguins are third with 40. Like, I don't know, says a lot about what's going on with those three teams.

[Sean McAdoo]

I love the idea that. And I'm trying not to get out over my skis on this, but you talked about Columbus and Buffalo. That could be a first round matchup. Imagine those two teams, those two buildings, the fan bases. I don't even. I mean, who do you even bandwagon in in that case? Plus, it's Lindy Ruff versus Rick Bonin. How many times do we sit here and talk about how this league is all about just bringing the same guys back over and over? Why don't we get a fresh set of eyes? Why don't we get a. Why don't we bring some new voices in here and, and let them have a chance instead of recycling the same guys? Apparently with the three teams we're talking about Dan Muse, the rookie, Lindy Ruff and Rick Bonus who's been doing this since the 80s.

[Sean Gentili]

If, if we get. If we get savers. If we get savers. Blue Jackets, this is pop quiz for you guys. What would be the combined age, age of the head coaches in that series? Just did some math.

[Frankie Corrado]

Both, what, 70.

[Sean Gentili]

So I don't know, 140, 100, 137.

[Sean McAdoo]

Wow.

[Frankie Corrado]

God bless, man.

[Sean McAdoo]

They're doing it.

[Frankie Corrado]

Really doing it. And Rick Bonus. I got time for Rick Bonus. He could, like, that's a guy who could Coach till he's 85 if he wants to. I think, anyways, like, he's. He's got a lot of youthful energy. Let's call it.

[Sean McAdoo]

And, and if people are wondering, there's plenty of precedent for guys getting Jack Adams votes and even winning it based on less than a full season. I don't think there's a ton where it's as, as, as few games as it would be. But yeah, I mean, if they make the playoffs by going like 35 and five under Rick bonus, you have to.

[Sean Gentili]

I don't mean it. I don't mean this is a knock on broadcasters. I. True. I truly don't. The Jack Adams is a broadcaster award.

[Sean McAdoo]

Yeah.

[Sean Gentili]

And I. Rick Bonus has been particularly good to the media over the last. Over the last however many years. Right. And I, I don't. I. If, if we're talking about the Columbus Blue Jackets, whenever award ballots are due, which is when the puck drops on the. During the first playoff game. If we're talking about them pushing their way in, God knows what their record would have to be because it's been out of control since Bonus took over. There's still some work left to do on the, on that end, but, you know, the wind's blowing in the right direction for them. I. He's going to be a finalist at. At minimum.

[Frankie Corrado]

How's he not. How. Like what, what. What's your possible argument against it?

[Sean Gentili]

Just that it's a deep field, I think. I feel like there's probably. I feel like there's, you know, I would say five. Five guys who could pretty credibly win it this year. And sometimes there's not. There's other seasons. There's other seasons where Rick Bonus would be doing a lap around the field when it comes to Jack Adams. I just don't think Joel Quinville would be too.

[Frankie Corrado]

Like we were talking about it in the first half of the year. Deville Cooper, who's it going to be all of a sudden now we're talking about all these other guys because their Teams have had such drastic upticks in the last few months.

[Sean McAdoo]

And this is like I said it half jokingly, but this really is an award for coach of the team. That is the biggest surprise. Half the league is a surprise, half the league is a good surprise. And the other half have been miserable surprises. So I mean, it is a deep field because you look around and it's just. None of us had any of this figured out. So it's got to be the coaches, I guess.

[Sean Gentili]

Let's, let's talk about that now and we'll talk about the east, the east playoff field kind of, kind of through that lens. I know Frankie wants to dump on the Colorado Avalanche. We'll save that for a second too.

[Frankie Corrado]

How do you know that?

[Sean Gentili]

I'm a very perceptive young man.

[Frankie Corrado]

I wasn't going to dump on them any more than what their star player dumped on them after that game against the Penguins.

[Sean Gentili]

Let's go. All right, Eastern Conference. This is, this is very real. Producer Jeff said this and I very regrettably did not, did not, did not completely trust him. I had to go back and make sure. We are looking potentially, this would be tough. We're looking potentially at an eight team turnover in the playoffs from this season to last. Sabres, Penguins, Islanders, two of Bruins, wings, Jackets would, would, would get it done. And then in the west it would be Ducks, Mammoth, Kraken. I think that speaks, you know, we're talking about the Jack Adams field and how there's a bunch of surprise teams. I think there's no better way to elucidate that than to say like we're a 50% playoff turn up playoff field turnover year over year. That doesn't happen. Like we can look at the last couple of years for proof of that. And the Sabres are leading the way there. Obviously they win last night tied atop the Eastern Conference. They're 10, 0 and 1 on the road in their last 11 games, which is wild. And they're two points from their best points total since I think 2011, 2012, which is something in Matt Fairburn story coming out of that game against Vegas last night. Fellas, what do we think of the east, east playoff field? I don't want to do this every, I don't want to do this continually for the next few weeks because, because there's going to be change. But I think it's worth talking about today. Like where do we think of the east playoff field? Who, who's, who's looking good and who's, and who's probably looking. You Know, from the outside in at

[Frankie Corrado]

this point, my initial thought is this, that because there was all these, like, new teams on the block, if you were Tampa or you were Carolina or you were like, fans of those teams, you looked at this and said, this is our year. You kidding me? We're going to get the Islanders, we're going to get the Red Wings, we're going to get the Sabres. Like, we can get any of these teams that haven't really been here before. Like, we're licking our chops. The Panthers aren't in our way. You know, Boston's not what they were a few years ago. You know, Toronto's. I guess Toronto loses in the playoffs all the time, so what are you really scared of? But they're a good regular season team, right? And now, because these teams are still playing at such a high clip, and now the Buffalo Sabres are first in the Atlantic and it's not the Tampa Bay Lightning. Like, I don't know, you're, you're. If you're Tampa and Carolina, you probably look at that and saying, I don't feel the way I used to feel. Like, these teams are, are really good. They're playing this way for a reason. And if we've learned anything over the years, it's that, like, if you're playing that, like, urgent, intense hockey for a couple months leading up to the playoffs, it helps you come playoff times rather than being in, you know, some kind of, like, lethargic funk waiting around. So who looks good? Clearly, Buffalo looks good. Pittsburgh looks good. And then the two teams that you don't want to see right now, I, in my opinion, are not in the playoffs today. It's Columbus and it's Ottawa, and I think if you see either of those teams in the first round, you're. You're not exactly thrilled that those are the teams you have to play.

[Sean McAdoo]

Yeah, it, it brings me no pleasure to run report this, but I think the Ottawa Senators are the best team in that group.

[Sean Gentili]

Oh, my God.

[Sean McAdoo]

Of maybes and, and, And Frankie touched on it. It's been disguised because this is a, this is a very good team at pretty much everything that was getting terrible goaltending, and that's what was keeping them out of the. Just out of the playoff picture with, you know, they were hanging around with terrible goaltending. And the goaltending's been better. Hallmark's been better, you know, since the, since the whole weird incident with, you know, with him leaving and then coming back and the, the rumors and the letter and, and all of this, the, the, the statement, the Capital S statement. It's this team, they, they get into the playoffs, right, there's going to be a lot of people, especially, you know, maybe fans in the Western Conference or whatever who don't follow it as close, who are going to be like, okay, so Ottawa up against Buffalo or especially if it's Carolina or Tampa, they're going to go, okay. Ottawa's happy to be there, but I mean, geez, they lost to the Leafs last year of all teams, so, I mean, they're not. And then they're going to be surprised when this Senators team gives some Stanley cup contender absolutely everything they can handle because they've got everything lined up other than the goaltending. And the goaltending is starting to show up now.

[Sean Gentili]

Oh, Mark. Since the Olympic break, 8, 882 save percentage, 1.7 goals. Have to love expected. I mean, it's, it's only, it's only six games. I know he'd been okay at points before that.

[Frankie Corrado]

He doesn't get a lot of shots, though. That's, that's the thing that's going to skew his, like, save percentage is they give up nothing. So it's not like he has to make a ton of saves, but when there's a good chance in front of him, he just has to make that, like that sharp save where maybe there's been like, it's been a lull in the game and you haven't been as busy as maybe you normally would if you were in a rhythm. That's, that's his big challenge when, when he's playing, because they don't give up a ton. You just have to make like. You're going to have to make like three or four big ones when, when they do arise, you don't get the empty calorie freebies.

[Sean McAdoo]

So let me ask you guys this. In the, in the east, let's flip it around.

[Sean Gentili]

There are five, there are five points out of a playoff spot today, by the way.

[Sean McAdoo]

Yeah. And last night was a bit of a rough night, but they've got games in hand on, on, on most of those teams. A couple of games and in a few cases. So we talk about Ottawa, Columbus maybe getting in, obviously that means somebody comes out who is. I, I touched on this in my Monday call up. Who's under the most pressure? Like, who's the team that you look at, you go, oh, they can't, they can't miss, can they? And there may be in danger of it.

[Sean Gentili]

It's Detroit 100% right.

[Frankie Corrado]

Like it's 100%.

[Sean McAdoo]

I feel like, you know, Boston and the Islanders are similar in that obviously you're holding down a playoff spot all year. You want to make the playoffs. It'll be crushing to, to lose out in the final weeks. But both of those teams are better than expected. Both of those teams are ahead of schedule on what they're trying to do. The Red Wings, especially in the first half, I mean, they were flirting with first place.

[Sean Gentili]

I think that. I mean, they were there. They were there for. At a couple different points.

[Sean McAdoo]

And I know, I know because I. That was my pick. And I had some pushback from Detroit fans saying, well, look at all the injuries. Injuries and having. It's not even so much all the injuries, but all the injuries in the same position. Like all the centers going down one at a time. But this was a very healthy team in the first half, too. So, I mean, it's, it does kind of even out a little bit. I can't imagine if we're looking at the end of the year and after all of the pieces that we all wrote about the, the, the patient, conservative Iser plan. Oh, get your apologies to Steve Yzerman ready because you all said he wasn't doing enough. And now here they are. And especially after they finally go out and trade a first round pick to supplement the roster if they miss, I mean, that's catastrophic in Detroit.

[Frankie Corrado]

Devastating.

[Sean McAdoo]

Yeah, it's.

[Frankie Corrado]

It's devastating. And they have, I believe they have the least man games lost in the NHL right now. But it's Larkin and it's cop, and it's March. And that's the issue is that, you know, March and April, the last few seasons for Detroit has been awful. Like, that's where they've been. Well below.500. And right now, since the beginning of March, they're a 500 team. They're three, three and two. They're 500. They've got eight points. They cannot afford to dip below.500 because their next five games are against divisional opponents. So we will know in the next week to 10 days what's. What's up with the Red Wings? Like, they. And last night they got no favors done for them. Boston gets a point, Montreal gets to Columbus wins. It was the worst possible scenario on the scoreboard for them last night.

[Sean Gentili]

Yeah, they're. They're 4, 4 and 2 since the Olympic break. They've been a decent 5 on 5 team. Like they're their top 10 in goal share and expected goal share since, Since Milan. But you know, Things happen. Right. So it's, it's. And they haven't had Dylan Larkin for, for, for a huge chunk of that. And we all know how important he is to that team. But yeah, Montreal, Boston, Ottawa, Buffalo in a row coming up between now and in the 27th of March. Like that's, that's not like an elimination stretch necessarily, but it's as close as you're going to get with like 15 games left in a season when you're already in playoff position. Like, that's. We're going to know a whole lot more about, about Detroit after that, after that run than we do today. Let's, let's take a break. We'll come back in a second segment. We'll talk about Colorado, some other stuff and then we'll get Frankie the hell out of.

[Jennifer]

Thy ticket lady Jennifer of Coolidge. Well, many thanks, good sir. Here is my Discover card.

[Sean Gentili]

They accept Discover at Renaissance fairs?

[Jennifer]

Yeah, they do here. Discover is accepted at the places I love to shop. Get it with the times.

[Sean Gentili]

With the times.

[GNC Announcer]

You're playing the loot.

[Paige from Giggly Squad]

Yeah.

[Jennifer]

And it sounds pretty good, right? Right.

[Sean Gentili]

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[Sean Gentili]

all right, we're back. That's enough eastern conference talk. We're heading west. We're going to talk to Frankie's least favorite team in the NHL. Colorado Avalanche.

[Frankie Corrado]

What are you. What are you doing to me, man?

[Sean Gentili]

You hate him. You hate him. You said it yesterday.

[Sean McAdoo]

I remember before we started recording Frankie, you were saying all that stuff about them.

[Sean Gentili]

Sakic, you had seen some interesting remarks about you.

[Frankie Corrado]

You want just facts? You want.

[Sean Gentili]

Just give me some facts, brother.

[Frankie Corrado]

And by the way, like, going into Trade Center, I had the ABs as my fourth most likely team to win the Stanley cup, and everyone else had them first. And then they go out and they make the trade for Kadri, and I'm sitting on the desk and I'm like, well, they kind of won the day. They got Kadri, they got Nick Wa, they got Brett Kulak. I'm like, they addressed every possible need that they could possibly need to address. I'm moving them up to number one. And I put them ahead of Dallas and Tampa and Carolina. And I sat there and I'm like, did I truly believe it? No, I didn't truly believe it. But I went with it anyways because.

[Sean Gentili]

Swayed by Canadian media, Man, it happens.

[Sean McAdoo]

It sounds like somebody's ready to start writing a power rankings column.

[Frankie Corrado]

I was swayed. And now if. Let's just. Let's just. This is cold, hard facts. Okay? Keep in mind, I will preface this by saying Colorado, very good team. But since January 1st, they're the 19th best team in the NHL. They're scoring 3.26 goals per game, and they're giving up three goals per game.

[Sean Gentili]

14, 11 and 2 in that stretch. So they're playing like a 91 point pace since January.

[Frankie Corrado]

If you go back to the range from October 7th, when the regular season started, to December 31st, that's 39 games. They were 32 and 7. They were scoring 4.05 goals per game and giving up. Check this out. 2.15 goals per game. So will the real Colorado Avalanche please stand up? Who are they? Are they a bad team or are they a good team? Are they. Some are like, are they a wagon? There's. They're somewhere in the middle as far as I'm concerned. And their captain is even saying as much right now because he's kind of talking about how new guys don't know what they're doing and we're making silly mistakes. It's like, it's not two weeks now. Like, we're. We're two and a half months that they have not been playing quality hockey. So where are they?

[Sean McAdoo]

And for a big chunk of that second half slump, you could say, look, these guys were so good in the first half. They are so far ahead in the central, of course they're going to take their foot off the Gas a little bit. Nobody cares if you break the single season points record for a team because we've seen how that's gone for, for some teams in the recent past. Of course they're taking their foot off the gas. Well, guess what? Check the rear view mirror. Dallas Stars are right there now. And this isn't just, you know, yeah, you want to finish first. Tampa wants to finish first over Buffalo, you know, I'm sure in the Pacific, yeah, it matters. It is absolutely crucial that you finish first in the Central because that means you get to skip the Minnesota Wild and instead you're going to be playing some, you know, LA Kings or the Kraken or something. You will never see a bigger drop off in as far as the threat level of your first round opponent. The Stars are right there behind them now and, and sometimes, you know, sometimes the team does take its foot off the gas and then when you go to put that foot back down, the gas pedal isn't where you thought it was and you can't find it and that seems to be where they are. And oh, by the way, coming off that loss and with all the criticism and everything, guess who they got tonight? The Dallas Stars. This is it. This is the game. The, the regular season game of the year potentially. Because this is Colorado's chance to kind of slam that door and go, all right, you know what, we got our problems where, you know, we obviously have some things to figure out, but we're not giving up first in the Central. Forget it. It's ours. If Dallas wins this one, especially in regulation. Oh, look out. Maybe Colorado, Minnesota is on the radar now.

[Sean Gentili]

Yeah. Because it's just the sheer amount of time that they've been mid. Right. Like this isn't a two week thing. This isn't a post Olympic.

[Sean McAdoo]

I called it a slump, but it's how many, you know, a slump is weeks, it's not months.

[Sean Gentili]

Yeah, it's been, it, we're, it's been weeks, but unfortunately it's been almost seven weeks for them. Pretty much. It's like post, post holiday calendar flips. You know, they're, they're playing at a Utah mammoth pace then. Since then, basically. So not necessarily which one is.

[Sean McAdoo]

So let me do this. Okay. Because Sean, you and I both do power rankings.

[Sean Gentili]

Yes.

[Sean McAdoo]

But we, we come at it from kind of different angles. Right. You and Dom do the Friday rankings and it's sort of like in the moment a little bit versus my rankings when I do. Here's my top. I'm saying, here's who I think is going to win the Stanley cup just like like Frankie had on deadline day. I've had Colorado number one since, I think like the second or third week of the season. Every single week they have been number one in my rankings. And there have been a couple times I came close. There were a couple times I almost put Tampa ahead of them.

[Sean Gentili]

Yeah, we had Tampa ahead of them a time or two.

[Sean McAdoo]

That looks a little bit smarter because Tampa's backed off a bit now and I. But I'm starting to feel like I don't know how much longer I can keep this up because I mean, looking at that, I mean, certainly if they give up top spot in Central, forget it. Then, then they, they plummet down.

[Sean Gentili]

Well, what if they lose? What if they lose to Dallas tonight? Like, does that make Dallas number one in, in the weekend rankings? Like, you gotta.

[Sean McAdoo]

I mean, Dallas, Dallas is, is. Because that's the thing, right? I. Okay, so if I'm gonna drop him out of number one, who goes, who, who goes in? You know, and you look around at the other division leaders, it's not going to be anyone from the Pacific. No, it's not going to be Buffalo. I mean, Buffalo to be the Stanley cup favorite feels like a little over the top. Carolina, you know, Carolina is kind of a boring choice, but maybe that it, that should be. I know Dom's model loves the, the Lightning still and, and you know that that's an option.

[Sean Gentili]

Tom's model likes the Lightning more than Dom does.

[Frankie Corrado]

Dom's model had the Leafs as a hundred point team also this year, but that's besides the point.

[Sean Gentili]

You guys had to leave. Whereas, whereas you two had, you two had to leave us as a 110 point team.

[Sean McAdoo]

the start, I think I said I had them down at 81 and a lot of people complain, but I just, I mean it's, it's, it kind of comes back to whoever comes out of the Central is the cup favorite.

[Sean Gentili]

Yeah.

[Sean McAdoo]

And that's going to be. You would assume, like, I mean you, you definitely would pick whoever finishes first because I mean, somebody's going to win that Minnesota series, but they're gonna be. Be pretty beat up coming out of it. I don't know. I mean, help me out. Give me, give me the argument to not have Colorado at number one for the 20th week in a row or whatever.

[Frankie Corrado]

Their power plays terrible. Their power plays really bad.

[Sean McAdoo]

It's.

[Frankie Corrado]

It's been better in March. Like, I think in March it's, it's over 20%. But regardless, like, it's still been bad all season long. And I think it really just comes down to like, anecdotally because there's still a. Like, they're still an analytical darling. They still number one and expected in goals and, you know, right across the board offensively, defensively, it really just comes down to like an anecdotal. Do they defend the right way at the right times? Do they get too frustrated with things? Do they force plays? Like, I almost feel like with the abs, it's going to come down to a little bit of an eye test thing here when we kind of assess what's their likelihood of winning a Stanley cup because their. Their stats are going to be so skewed from going 32 and 7 to start the season.

[Sean Gentili]

Power play counts, man. And since even since January one, which is when we're. We're using that as our, you know, line, we're using that as our delineation for when they started playing, you know, pretty mediocre hockey. They are 30th in the NHL and power play goals for per sexy. That's just a good way of, you know, that's a nice sub in for.

[Frankie Corrado]

For.

[Sean Gentili]

For percentage of effectiveness. And it's not just because they're not. It's not just because of cold shooting or bad luck either. They're. They're 20th in Enchant Generation on the power play, too. So, you know, if it's not hard to. It's not hard to pick. I don't. I don't even want to say that it's nitpicking. It's not hard to find, you know, bits around the margins that then make you think that maybe there's some. Some. Enough going on there to take them out of the number one spot. I think. I think Frankie might. Interesting. Who do we like right now? Let's. Let's just do a quick spin with. At the bottom of. Of the west because we got. We got Utah. We got. I shouldn't even say bottom of the West. That's obviously not correct. The other western teams, we got Anaheim, we got Seattle, we got Utah at various points of the playoff picture. Who. Who are we feeling for in that. In that space right now?

[Frankie Corrado]

Utah. I kind of like Utah, man. I feel like they've made the right moves to address their team. Like their. Their goaltending has been pretty good for. For this season. They play with a lot of speed, and I just think if you're kind of looking at, okay, Utah, Seattle, Los Angeles. I mean, San Jose is right there as well. I Think the celebrity factor, of course, is a huge thing, but as far as, like, putting it all together as a group that's, like, ready to be on the precipice of pushing, like, these established good teams, I feel like it's Utah.

[Sean McAdoo]

Utah's in. And in fact, Utah could do something we've never seen before, which is there'll be a wild card because they're. The big three in the Central are so far ahead. So Utah is going to be a wild card. They're going to cross over to the Pacific, and they could do that with more points than any team in the Pacific Division. They could have the best record of any of the four teams in the Pacific Division, which they're not in. But they. They would be temporarily, which. Which does a whole lot of interesting things. First of all, for those who are wondering, they're still the 4 seed as a wild card, they don't get home ice or anything like that. So, I mean, even if they've got a better record than Anaheim or Vegas or whoever, they still are the road team. But we have. We have seen teams crossover. We have never seen a team win a division that they're not in. And I would love to. I'm. I'm rooting for this.

[Sean Gentili]

Hey, hang the banner.

[Sean McAdoo]

Hang a banner that says Pacific Division champions 2025. I think that would be fantastic. But, yeah, no, I mean, Utah's into me. It's. It's three teams for one spot. And it's. It's fascinating because it's. You know, it's la, who we're all sick of because they always make.

[Sean Gentili]

It makes me. It makes me sick that they're still in this race.

[Sean McAdoo]

No one.

[Sean Gentili]

It.

[Frankie Corrado]

Nobody wants me. No one wants to see them play.

[Sean McAdoo]

It's Seattle. It's. It's Seattle who are. Who are not just a team that nobody's paid any attention to all year. Like, we've all just kind of been waiting for them to drop out of the race. You know, even now.

[Sean Gentili]

Might be happening right now, too.

[Sean McAdoo]

The different models all have them at, you know, like, 10%, and they. They've been holding down a playoff spot for the vast majority of the season. And yet nobody. Like, nobody. Nobody wants to see that Seattle, Colorado rematch.

[Sean Gentili]

There's. There's no better indicator of how badly. Of how bad things have gone for the Kings, like, that they. They can't beat out the Kraken for this. Like, they're like. Despite their best efforts, they're still run behind.

[Sean McAdoo]

And then you've got the San Jose Sharks. And that's what everybody wants to see. So, you know, we're not getting that because that never happens in the hockey world where the team that everyone's rooting for. But yeah, like, and here's the craziest thing of all, and to me, this is even crazier than the Utah thing. You look at these three teams, okay, you know what, we've taken our shots of them, but they're in the mix, right? San Jose is a great story, Great young team. La, you know, have been up and down, but they are fighting for it. And Seattle, a team nobody gave any credit to, thought they were going to be bottom five. And they're fighting and holding onto this spot. Hey, it's three pretty good stories, right? And then you look at the standings and they're all sitting there at 70, 71 points right now. You know, Waltz has 70 points. The total tire fires in Toronto and New Jersey, where both of whom have to fire everybody because it's been the biggest disaster in history. And if you took the Devils or the Leafs and just dropped them in the Western Conference, oh, guess what, you're sitting right in a playoff spot today. It's absolutely ridiculous.

[Frankie Corrado]

It's bizarre.

[Sean Gentili]

Divisional champs.

[Frankie Corrado]

It is bizarre, man. Yeah, it's crazy.

[Sean Gentili]

Frankie, we got to let you go, but I know you wanted to talk. Cole Coffee scores his 40th goal of the season last night for the Canadians. The first time it's happened in like a gazillion years. You guys said, you guys said before the record that Stefan Richard was the last guy to do it, which was more than 40.

[Frankie Corrado]

Yeah, Risha was the, the. He had more than 40. Vinnie Dumfries was the last one to have 40. That was in 93, 94. And Caulfield got 40 last night. And that building was berserk. Like it was crazy. It was a nightmare for every other team that's in that playoff race because Boston gets a loser point against Jersey, they get the loser point against Montreal, and Montreal collects both. But like that, that's that city. That building was going nuts and crazy to think that a team like Montreal has not had a 40 goal score like 40. They haven't had 40 goal score in over 30 years. That is crazy, crazy stuff.

[Sean McAdoo]

I wrote about this earlier in the season and it was like, you know, I pulled how many other teams and how many guys they've had scored 40 goals. I mean, scoring 40 goals isn't nothing, especially when we were dead puck era for most of that. But in 30 plus years, when you're this great legendary franchise, they just, they didn't have anybody at your.

[Frankie Corrado]

Eddy had 39 one year. That was the closest they got.

[Sean Gentili]

He must have been close. Good God.

[Frankie Corrado]

That's. That's the closest they had. But no, it was fun. And they got Detroit, Montreal on Thursday. That is going to be man nerve wracking game for a lot of people watching.

[Sean Gentili]

What else you got the rest of the week, bud?

[Frankie Corrado]

I'll be in Ottawa tomorrow for a little panel work. We got the sens and the islanders. The Schaefer show continues in the province of Ontario.

[Sean Gentili]

Love it. Your boy. You get to talk. Your favorite player, Matthew Schaefer. Thanks, bud. Talk to you next week.

[Jennifer]

Thy ticket lady, Jennifer of Coolidge. Well, many thanks good sir. Here is my Discover card.

[Sean Gentili]

They accept Discover at renaissance fairs?

[Jennifer]

Yeah, they do here. Discover is accepted at the places I love to shop. Getth with the times, with the tines.

[GNC Announcer]

You're playing the loot.

[Paige from Giggly Squad]

Yeah.

[Jennifer]

And it sounds pretty good, right?

[Sean Gentili]

Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide. Based on the February 2025 Nielsen report. Knock knock. Ooh, who's there?

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[Boost Mobile Expert 1]

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[Boost Mobile Expert 2]

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[Boost Mobile Expert 2]

Wait, we're going on tour?

[Boost Mobile Expert 1]

We're delivering and setting up customers phones? It's not a tourist.

[Frankie Corrado]

Not with that attitude.

[Boost Mobile Expert 1]

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[Boost Mobile Expert 2]

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[Sean Gentili]

all right, there goes Frankie. We're back. Sean McAdoo. Guess what I learned.

[Sean McAdoo]

What did you learn? What have we learned, Sean?

[Sean Gentili]

I learned that the feel good positive vibes of the US Men's Olympic team didn't quite cross over to team USA for the world Baseball Classic. We saw the baseball boys game worn jerseys from the from the Olympic team yesterday ahead of their game against Venezuela. They got and promptly lose 32 in the. In the final of the World Baseball Classic. I really thought. I really thought that some of that goodwill and positivity that the U.S. olympic team engendered in Milan would have carried over to the baseball squad. It just didn't happen. I was shocked by this.

[Sean McAdoo]

That's. It's, It's a shame. I mean, I, I think. I think some of the vibes carried over. I just. It didn't.

[Sean Gentili]

Yeah.

[Sean McAdoo]

Which was out quite in the winning way. Here. Here's my question. Speaking of. Speaking of great and positive vibes now, does. Does this mean that the ball from the, from that baseball game, does that go to the Baseball hall of Fame or. Or does that not happen? Because I know, you know, Jack Hughes

[Sean Gentili]

is pretty bad on the Venezuelan team. Is gonna. Is gonna be. Is gonna be pissed about this, is gonna be upset.

[Sean McAdoo]

Why would this famous hockey puck be in the Hockey hall of Fame? I can't figure it out.

[Sean Gentili]

Says I'm trying to get it. That's bullshit. That the Hockey hall of Fame has it, in my opinion. Why would I have that puck? That's.

[Frankie Corrado]

That's used.

[Sean Gentili]

That's used.

[Sean McAdoo]

That's not. You doing real quote of like pretending to be a dumb guy not understanding how hall of Fames work. That is. Oh, yeah, the actual Jack Hughes quote. So, yeah, great. Great day.

[Sean Gentili]

I got it. I. I got a Jack Hughes impression that I'm workshopping. I don't think it's quite ready for the light of day yet, but I. I think. I think maybe at some point I'll be.

[Sean McAdoo]

Are you taking it to, like the Wish with the Wishinski impersonating camp and getting some tips and.

[Sean Gentili]

Yeah, I'm just. It's a variation on my two other impressions. Just like, Just like the case with Wish.

[Sean McAdoo]

Do you have to knock your front teeth out for it to work or is it.

[Sean Gentili]

I. I actually did that already. We can. We can talk. We can talk about that off mic. It was a dark day in 2004. Okay.

[Sean McAdoo]

All right. Well, yeah, great. Great week for Team USA across. Across sports. Real. Real cool. Cool vibes. Speaking of cool vibes, here's what I learned. And I. I won't say I learned it because I knew this already. Don't. Don't wear a Habs jersey to. Just in general is a good. Is. Is kind of a good life rule, I think. But don't wear a Habs jersey to a game involving other teams because last night the Leafs played the Islanders in a game that was attended by 18,000 Matthew Schaefer friends and family. And one guy wearing a Habs jersey doing the old, you know, wearing the, wearing the jersey of a team that's not playing, representing the crest in hostile territory. Hockey gods apparently didn't like it because he got drilled in the head with a hockey puck.

[Sean Gentili]

Million to one shot, Doc. Million to one.

[Sean McAdoo]

Yeah. I mean, they, they, they got him and he, you know, we wish him all the best in his recovery, but a little life lesson, you know, the hockey gods don't, don't appreciate it. So.

[Sean Gentili]

Have you ever done that? Have you. Were you ever wearing a Doug Gilmore jersey to, you know, a sense game that he was involved with?

[Sean McAdoo]

I can't promise that I haven't done it.

[Sean Gentili]

I would actually bet money that you have.

[Sean McAdoo]

Well, I mean, the reason I'm hesitant is because it's not like I'm at that, that many Senators games that the Leafs aren't playing in. And, you know, and I don't, I should say I don't wear the leaf jersey in the press box.

[Sean Gentili]

Congratulations.

[Sean McAdoo]

You know, or if I do, I keep my coat on at least so that, you know, because I'm a professional. And that's, that's just, that's just how

[Sean Gentili]

I roll Leafs long johns. No, no promise there. You can hide those under anything, my man.

[Sean McAdoo]

That's, that's between me and, and myself. So, yeah, so tough break for this fan. Not, I, I would say not quite up there with the immortal Steve Sullivan fan.

[Sean Gentili]

Oh, my God.

[Sean McAdoo]

As far as fan karma, but pretty, still pretty good. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, just go, go on YouTube type Steve Sullivan fan and sit back and enjoy because it is maybe the greatest thing that ever happened.

[Sean Gentili]

I'm not even gonna, I, I, I was gonna do like, a quick, a quick synopsis of that whole thing. I don't, I don't even want to. I think people, if you haven't seen that, I think you need to see it with completely fresh eyes.

[Sean McAdoo]

It's, it's that that clip is like the old quote about watching Gretzky play. Like somebody's seen it for the first time and somebody's seen it for the last time. And neither one will be disappointed because it's, it's so good.

[Sean Gentili]

Do you got to post stuff today? I always ask that, and you always do. It's a dumb, it's a dumb way

[Sean McAdoo]

to get into this post. We are bringing back capcort, salary cap court, and in which I asked the question, does anyone have a bad contract anymore? Because I don't know if you've heard this, Sean, the cap is going up. I. I saw a tweet by Alan Walsh. It's going up to eleventy billion dollars, I think in the next few years. So is anyone have a bad contract anymore? And I. I think I found a couple of guys, but it was. It was tough sledding, I got to be honest with you.

[Sean Gentili]

Is Wade Redden still in the book somewhere?

[Sean McAdoo]

He probably is, yeah. I mean, if Shea Weber is still out there, so you know who has

[Sean Gentili]

control of his contract right now? Is it. Is it. Is it Utah?

[Sean McAdoo]

You know what? It's. Chicago, I believe has got Blackhawks legend Vegas, and Carrie Price is still out there on the books of the San Jose Sharks. So, you know, if the Sharks can make a bit of a run,

[Sean Gentili]

check in and see how his rehab's working.

[Sean McAdoo]

Yeah.

[Sean Gentili]

Thanks, buddy.

[Sean McAdoo]

Thank you.

[Sean Gentili]

Thank you, Frankie, wherever you are. And thank you, producer Jeff. We talked about this earlier. Dallas versus Colorado is. Is the big game tonight, but we're also getting Pittsburgh, Carolina. That's a fun one. Two. Two pretty. Two pretty solid games on a six game night. I'm back Thursday with Dom and Russo. Russo shock you. Is it the GM meetings? Another plum assignment to keep them out of the cold in Minnesota. Shocking.

[Sean McAdoo]

They did call you for that. Like you do a lot of traveling.

[Sean Gentili]

You didn't get the. I did that. I did the g. I did the GM meetings once. Pierre was sick or something, so it was me. It was Merisso. It was the weirdest experience of my life. You'll never guess which GM I'm. I'm pretty sure escaped through the window of a conference room in. In Florida that year.

[Sean McAdoo]

Wow.

[Sean Gentili]

You'll never guess.

[Sean McAdoo]

Right out the window. Well, I know. Was it the perseven tried to hide behind the plant and nobody could tell it was him. It was just. It was just a random guy with 36 inch biceps.

[Sean Gentili]

Yeah, a random jack guy wearing multiple

[Sean McAdoo]

scarves, hiding behind a plant. Be anybody, never know.

[Sean Gentili]

All right, folks, enjoy the games. Like I said, I'll be back with Tom and Risa tomorrow and we'll see you again real soon. Knock knock. Ooh, who's there?

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