Ryan Callahan discusses Stanley Cup playoffs, Florida hockey battle

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Energy Line is a production of the NHL and iHeart podcasts.
Welcome Back to the Energy Line with Nate and JSB.
Playoff hockey is upon us, just days away from the
beginning of the Stanley Cup playoff run, which starts on Saturday.

(00:27):
So crazy. Energy Line is a production of the NHL
and iHeartRadio podcasts. I'm Julie sharpinks he's former NHL R
Nate Thompson and a former teammate of Nate's in Tampa
is joining us later on in the show. An ex
captain with the Rangers, and you hear him calling games
on ESPN. It's Kellie Ryan Callahan will join the Energy Line.
But first, Nate, your name came up on a show

(00:50):
earlier today about a team and some predictions, and let's
check that out right.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
Now, Like, congratulations, guys. Not one person pick the Caps
to win the man either media outlet. Not one person
picked the Winnipeg Jets to win the division in either
media outlet. How is that possible that not one, if
not one person. That's not consensus or group think. It's
what happened here was unpredictable.

Speaker 3 (01:18):
I actually know of one. I think I'm pretty sure.
I'm pretty sure.

Speaker 2 (01:23):
Nate Thompson said on Empty Netters that the Winnipeg Jets
will win the division.

Speaker 3 (01:27):
Okay, that doesn't count.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
The point is, well, I should be. So we had
thirty some people listed from two separate outlets that no
one I'm not saying did someone on planet Earth pick
I'm saying no one from these two outlets picked either
team to win the division?

Speaker 1 (01:45):
Yikes?

Speaker 3 (01:47):
What the fuck? Frank? I don't count?

Speaker 4 (01:51):
What Like, I know we're throwing Johnny under the bus
here a little bit, but like, Frank, come on, Frank,
what are we talking about here?

Speaker 3 (02:00):
I don't count.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
Yeah, I think that.

Speaker 3 (02:02):
I think I count.

Speaker 4 (02:03):
I think got cow and the best is the best.
Is Colby's reaction. You see Colby Cohen's reaction. He kind
of gives like a whoa, whoa.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
Yeah, those were fighting words from a form nest of
the energy line. Might we say a friend of the show?
We thought? Apparently Nate is just anyone in the universe
that doesn't count at all. But shout out to Johnny Lazarus,
who was one that brought it up. I know you
said he got we got thrown under the bus, but

(02:31):
I don't think he I think he stood up for you, Johnny.
I agree, Johnny lasses is like nails. I think he's
awesome and I love that he brought that up. So Okay,
so we're we're kind of pissed off of Frank about
this because you do count and your your voice and
your opinion counts on this. So so you did pick

(02:51):
the Jets. The Jets won the division, the Jets won
the President's Trophy, and nobody's talking about them other than
the fact that they're in Really, I bet you most
people don't even know where Winnipeg is, but Nate and
I do because we both lived there. Why do you
think people are just sort of like, oh, the Jets? Mah.

Speaker 4 (03:16):
I think it's a big reason. Why is because you're
it's in Winnipeg, right. They're not a huge market, uh,
you know, Winnipeg is not a sexy team.

Speaker 3 (03:25):
To talk about, you know.

Speaker 4 (03:27):
And I think too, like they haven't really shown us
anything from the playoffs in a while, or they haven't
really done much in the playoffs at all. And I
think that's why people just don't believe in the Winnipeg Jets.
I mean, I picked them to win the division. I
never thought that they would win the President's Trophy.

Speaker 1 (03:44):
But that would have been pretty bad.

Speaker 4 (03:46):
That would have been crazy. Yeah, that would have been insane.
But I did pick them to win the division because
of their core group, their core nucleus, and I mean
the state, the obvious Connor Hellibuck.

Speaker 3 (03:56):
You know, I think if.

Speaker 4 (03:58):
Connor Hellibuck is elite, this team will go far in
the playoffs. And you know they've shown that this year
by winning the division. And Frank, I really don't know
what to say. You are our guest, and it does count.
I don't care if you were just thinking just those
two media networks. I'm gonna say it again.

Speaker 3 (04:18):
I count. We count.

Speaker 4 (04:19):
Energy Line counts. And you know what, the Winnipeg Jets
made me look really good.

Speaker 1 (04:24):
Yeah, Like, does daily face off count? I don't think so.
Then if energy Line doesn't count, Yeah, the hell is that?

Speaker 3 (04:31):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (04:31):
Yeah, I think I think the Winnipeg Jets. I think
That's why. I mean to answer your question. I think
that they just you know, they're not They're not that
sexy team that everyone wants to talk about.

Speaker 1 (04:41):
Right And also, as you mentioned, it has been like
beating a dead horse about Connor Hellibook in the playoffs.
I mean this poor guy. It's just like, hey, I
can do it, Like I just had a couple of
bad games one year, Like do you know what I mean?
I feel like he's and you have to then wait
to the next playoffs to be able to sort of
redeem yourself, Like that's got to be such a new

(05:03):
year because you're just like, Okay, nobody cares about this win.
Nobody cares about this game. They just want to see
how I do in the playoffs. And I think that
if he can have I mean, like what if scenario,
he's great. But then and I'm looking at just Connor Hellibuck.
He does a great job, but somehow the Jets don't win.

(05:24):
Does he Is he able to erase sort of the
past problems people said about him or is it all
just going to go together.

Speaker 4 (05:33):
That's a good question, Julie, that's a really good question.
I think it's on the team. I think Connor Hellibuck,
you have to give you can't blame Connor Hallibuck because
I don't think that the Jets are in the Presidence
Trophy this year without Connor Hallibuck and what he's done.
I mean, his numbers are ridiculous. I mean he might
be up for the Heart Trophy too, for what he's
done for Winnipick Jets. So I think, you know, it's

(05:55):
not just on Connor Hallibuck, it's on all the other guys.
I mean, you got to look at Mark Schifley, Kyle Connor,
Josh Morrissey, I mean all these guys, Nikolai Eiler's, all
these guys that.

Speaker 3 (06:04):
Have been there for a long time.

Speaker 4 (06:06):
Like you know, Kevin shovel day Off didn't do a
whole lot to their team at the trade deadline, and
you know, I think that's that's a message to them saying, OK,
you I believe in you guys. You guys are the
guys that are going to get us to the Promised Land.
So it's not just on Connor Hellibuck, it's on those
other guys that I mentioned that have to step up
and be the guys that Kevin shovel day Off believes

(06:29):
in them at to be.

Speaker 1 (06:30):
Yeah, And I mean let's look at that Jets right
now currently number one obviously, but that mean, man, these
wild card spots are just a whole revolving door, a
big hooton nanny that Calgary could still get in Calgary
is pushing for that second spot. Saint Louis is currently

(06:52):
in it right now. How do you think Winnipeg would
do against either Saint Louis or Calgary.

Speaker 4 (06:59):
I mean, I do think that Winnipeg probably wins that
series against both teams. I mean, it's hard to say, though,
I mean these predictions. I mean, because all you gotta
do is just get into the dance, right, just get
to the playoffs, and anything can happen. And every team
says that every single year, because you see that every
single year there's always one team that no one expects

(07:20):
to win, or no one expects to go on a.

Speaker 3 (07:21):
Deep, long run that ends up going on a long run.

Speaker 4 (07:23):
So I would say, but I will say that I
do think this is a different Jets team this year,
and the fact that I don't think they're going to
lose in the first round.

Speaker 1 (07:33):
I don't know about why, Like what is it.

Speaker 4 (07:37):
I just think that the Jets defensively, they're so good
defensively with Connor Hellibuck this year, I don't think that
either one of those teams could beat them in a
seven game series. Like, I don't think that they're gonna
be able to beat the Jets four times at a
best of seven. I just don't think that's possible. So
I think the Jets win against either one of those teams.

Speaker 1 (07:56):
Yeah, defensively it seems like they have such an edge,
But how will it be if it was Connor Hellibuk
and Jordan Binnington against each other again for four nations?

Speaker 3 (08:06):
Yep?

Speaker 1 (08:06):
And we've seen the Saint Louis Blues have a real
fun run down the stretch. But man, I just don't know.
Would you want to be a fan of one of
these teams that ends up like coming from behind and
like giving you hope at the very end of the playoffs,
like very end of the regular season, and then being
like it's good come down to the last last game,
Like do you want that or would you rather be

(08:27):
like my team's in, I'm feeling good, we got playoffs.

Speaker 3 (08:31):
Yeah. I think it's exciting. I think it's good for
the game.

Speaker 4 (08:33):
I think the fact that you have these teams it's
literally going to come down to the last game is
so good for the NHL. And I look at even
I mean we're talking about the Columbus Blue Jackets. We
were you know, obviously with the tragedy that happened and
now you look at the Columbus ju Blue Jackets where
they're at, and they're fighting for that last playoff spot
all the way to the end. I mean, this is great.

(08:56):
You know, this is good for hockey, it's good for
the NHL, and it's amazing. I mean, and I think
either to either teams, Montreal or Columbus were expected to
make the playoffs. So I think they're both kind of
playing with house money at this point, right.

Speaker 1 (09:08):
Both of those teams. As we know, of course, Columbus
is really just has been a story that everyone can
really support because of obviously the tragic loss of Johnny
Gudreau and his brother, and so the fact that it
feels as though they are riding almost something that's just
greater and bigger than hockey. I think that we're seeing that,

(09:28):
and I think we see a lot of the rest
of the league understand that and kind of I don't know,
rally around it as well in a way that is supportive,
and we though see of course, we give respect to
the Montreal Canadians who are currently holding that second wildcard spot,
and we would be remiss nate to not discuss last

(09:51):
night's game for the Habs and in Chicago where Ivan
Demodov had his debut, and boy did he debut two points,
had an assist in the first period, and scores his
first NHL goal in his first NHL game. What did
you what stuck out about him in his in his
first ever NHL game?

Speaker 3 (10:10):
Everything?

Speaker 4 (10:11):
Everything, this, everything he did last night just jumped out
to me. I was texted with a buddy of mine
who works for the Montreal Canadians, and I was asking
him about him, and you know, it's it's crazy the
comparisons he was giving and what he's done in the
records he's broken over in the KHL, and he's beaten
guys like Ovechkin, Malkin, Caprice off Panera, and you know,

(10:33):
he's breaking all these records as a rookie over there
in the KHL, and now he comes over here and
his the similarities he has to some of these guys,
Like when I saw him in the corner of the way,
he was protecting the puck and he was so strong
on his skates and like moving. He looked like a
priess off and then he's on the and then he's
on the power play and he's making these one touch
passes and he looked like Kutrov And I'm like, who

(10:55):
is this kid they make?

Speaker 3 (10:58):
Did they make this kid in a lab? Like?

Speaker 4 (11:01):
And then and then yeah, and then you see and
then you see his assist and the way he you know,
has a headfake, but the whole time he has his
head up as he's making these moves and he makes
the past.

Speaker 3 (11:11):
Alex's new hook and then his goal.

Speaker 4 (11:12):
I mean he you know, more times than not, every
single guy is going to bury that puck right into
the goalies pads and not have the wherewithal to make
that move and go around.

Speaker 3 (11:21):
Him to his back end and too empty net.

Speaker 4 (11:24):
And not only that, but when he stepped on the
ice for warm ups for his rookie lap, the place
was pretty much sold out and everyone was standing cheering
for his rookie lab. And that's what's so great about
Montreal is that these habs fans like they they take
everything to a whole other level. And when Ivan Demoov
stepped on the ice last night, you could hear it
every time, Like when he stepped on for his first shift,

(11:45):
the place erupted, and man, the Montreal Canadians like having
this guy, like this guy's different, like he had like
he he is him. He has that it factory. You
could see it. Every single time he was on the ice,
something something was happening, or when we had the pocket
was Oh boy, man, those those gms that you know

(12:07):
he's picked at five, those gms that didn't get him
before that.

Speaker 3 (12:10):
I think it's a whoops a little bit.

Speaker 1 (12:14):
Now, yeah, I mean, you make such a great point,
and everyone just everyone tuned in to watch that game
to just see what he was going to be like,
and then it just felt like, not only did he
live up to the expectation, but he was just even
so much better. It was like, oh gosh, this guy's
now playing in the league. This guy's now playing for
the Habs as they try to get a playoff spot.
And I think it's interesting how Marty Saint Luis has

(12:36):
to try would try to bring him in while the
team is has already been kind of like working together
and on this stretch trying to get a playoff spot.
And obviously he's a really good player, but it's a
unique balance of bringing someone new into the whole mix
and then seeing how that all works out. Evidently it worked, However,
it was an odd ending to the game with it

(12:58):
going to a shootout, and like the puck being like
in and not in, and the nick Suzuki like kind
of a weird whatever. And I think a lot of
habstance just sat there at the end. There's so many
good faces. Everyone was just like like, what's going on? Liked,
did we get enough to get in? You know, like
have we made the playoffs yet?

Speaker 3 (13:17):
No?

Speaker 1 (13:17):
They all knew, they all knew they need they need
one point right now essentially to get into the playoffs,
which gosh, you just hate to leave it, hate to
leave it this light. But Demoedov, Demoedov, they could be doing.
It'd be great. If he's the one that gets.

Speaker 3 (13:33):
Him in, it would be awesome.

Speaker 4 (13:35):
I mean, for Marty Saint Louis to have, honestly, it's tough.
But at the same time, I think it's also a
treat for him to have a guy like Demanov to
come in and insert him.

Speaker 3 (13:46):
Into the lineup.

Speaker 4 (13:47):
I mean, you know he's young, but you could tell,
you know, he wasn't phased by he wasn't phased by
the spotlight. He wasn't phased by you know, having all
these expectations on him from the fans. At the same time,
it is only a one game sample size, you know.

Speaker 1 (14:01):
He and against Chicago, although pure Car, well, they had
some bite. They were trying to like play spoiler.

Speaker 4 (14:08):
The black Hawks played well last night. I thought, you know,
they played spoilers. Always happens this time of year. I
mean those those games. I remember being on a team
that chasing, you know, chasing a playoff spot. Playing against
spoiler teams is not easy because they're playing loose. You know,
they had none to lose. These guys are just having
fun out there, and sometimes playing against seems like that's
hard when you're you know, you have a little bit
more pressure on you to win the game.

Speaker 3 (14:28):
So you could kind of see that last night with
the with the Montreal age, you can kind.

Speaker 4 (14:32):
Of see they were a little bit tight at times
and uh, you know they weren't able to get that
extra point. But now it comes down to one game
and they just have to get that one point to clinch.

Speaker 3 (14:40):
Which is which is which is a little bit of pressure, yeah.

Speaker 1 (14:44):
Which is yeah. Oh my gosh, I'd be puking before that.
I'd be like, oh my god, Like this is we
had all the we had all these games, no it's
it's great that they're I mean, it's it's fun for
the fans. This is what we want. Hockey want like
the stakes to be as high as they possibly can.
And speaking of the stakes being very high, we see that.
And Marty san luis the connection to Tampa Bay Lightning

(15:06):
and Florida facing off on Tuesday. These two teams could
be facing each other in the playoffs, and which is
kind of wild because it's like, wow, these are two
teams that have won the Stanley Cup. Three out of
the last five years the Cup has been won by
a team in Florida, which is Banana Sandwich. And congratulations
to Gary Betman because he did a good job of

(15:27):
getting those teams in Florida and then being good teams.
And I love both these coaches too, John Cooper, Paul Maurice.
I could sit and listen to them give sermons all
day long. I think that they're both fascinating individuals. So, oh,
you played for Paul Maurice in Winnipeg.

Speaker 3 (15:43):
I did, I did. I played for both coaches.

Speaker 1 (15:45):
Yep, okay, So what's your take on his sermons?

Speaker 3 (15:50):
Oh, he's incredible. I've talked about this before.

Speaker 4 (15:53):
I mean Paul Maurice is one of the He probably
is the best motivator.

Speaker 3 (15:57):
I've ever played for.

Speaker 4 (15:58):
Like this guy, he'd come into a locker room and
he'd talk, and he'd have one liners and jokes and
he just activates everyone. He just sucks you in when
he talks, and yeah, he can talk, you know, he's
he's just a good person.

Speaker 3 (16:09):
You know.

Speaker 4 (16:10):
He was always a good communicator with me as well.
And I'm a huge Palm Mares fan.

Speaker 1 (16:14):
I'm so glad to hear that because the way he
spoke to the media last year when I was covering
him in the Eastern Conference final, we were like, Wow,
I just feel as though he's done a lot of work,
Like personally, I mean, maybe that's just like goes with coaching,
like just that positive intelligence in a way of how

(16:35):
to motivate a room. Like I think coaches that are
really good orators are just really fascinating individuals because they
have to have something new and unique and different, and
if a team's not doing well, they've got to find
like another way to sort of spin kind of the
same message. So and I'm sure that obviously John Cooper
can do the same thing. So we look at these
two teams Florida injuries, but they were Florida Florida all

(17:00):
over Toronto last week. Oh my lord, did they look
good and look like Florida again. And then Tampa has
been on a heater for a while, but you know,
some a little bit cool in some areas, but still
both of these teams are stacked. Who do you think
has the edge?

Speaker 4 (17:17):
I mean, I would say I think Tampa has the
edge this year, I think more than any other years.
And people will probably question that because Florida is Florida.
But I just think with the injuries that the Panthers
have sustained and they it seems to me they're kind
of limping into the playoffs a little bit. I know
they're going to be getting all these guys back, and
I'm sure some of these guys might hit the ground running,

(17:38):
but I just think Tampa adding you know, Yanni gord
borg Strand, and then obviously you have Andre Vassilevski. You know,
he is the guy to me, and I think he's
he's a guy I think that can get Tampa through
the series.

Speaker 3 (17:52):
I do.

Speaker 4 (17:52):
I think it's going to be a long series. Yes,
it's going to go at least six or seven games,
But I do think Vassilevski will get them over the
hump against the Florida Panthers. And and I look at
the back end too. I think, you know, Tampa adding
a guy like Ryan McDonough it takes a ton of
pressure off Victor Hadman this season because Ryan McDonough can
play those extra minutes and you know, Tampa hasn't had

(18:12):
that last couple of years. So I think having him
is going to get Tampa over the hump against supported
Planthers this year.

Speaker 1 (18:20):
Right, and we still don't know for sure what the
matchups are going to be, as Toronto still needs to clinch. Yeah, yeah,
that first spot, which like I don't trust me, I don't.
I don't think anything's a given ever as someone who's
from Toronto. But news of the day, which we are
going to talk about with Callahan and Ryan Callahan excuse
me in a bit, but Gabriel Landscock, Holy holy moly,

(18:44):
he was playing in the AHL. Who's doing well. He
comes back and you know he's also still the captain
and now he's back with the Colorado Avalanche after being
out for what three years or something like that.

Speaker 3 (18:59):
Amazing.

Speaker 4 (19:00):
I mean, I have to give four callings like Fort Collins,
that that arena and Fort Collins. I can't remember the
name of the arena. I played there before. I've coached
there before when I was with the Ontario Rain and
that place was rocking. I mean, having having a chance,
like having Gabe Landiscott come play a couple of games
there was great for those fans. It was great for

(19:21):
Four Collins. But now at Colorado Avalanche, you get your
captain back after three years. I mean, what a what
a story, I mean for him to come back after
this long. I mean, I've always been a huge Cape
Gabe Landiskowks fan. I mean just the way he plays,
you know, the way he presents you know, the way
he carries himself everything. You know, he's just he's through

(19:43):
and through. He's just so good for the hockey and
so good for the NHL. And you know these guys
on the ABS, guys like Nate McKinnon, mccarr uh.

Speaker 3 (19:52):
You know, now Eric Johnson's on the team.

Speaker 4 (19:54):
You know, they get their they get their buddy back,
you know, they get their good friend, they get their
captain back.

Speaker 3 (19:59):
And and I don't even know what he's going to play.

Speaker 4 (20:01):
I don't think we can put expectations on game Lanniscog
and what he's going to do in the playoffs. I
think the expectation is is that he's there, he's with
the team, and I think he's only going to be
a boost in that locker room. I mean, if you're
looking down and you're Nate McKinnon or you're one of
these guys and you're tying your skates and you look
over and you see Gabelaneskog in the locker room after
this much time, I don't care what he does on

(20:22):
the ice. That's a boost to your room. That's a
boost to all the rest of the team, boost to
other young guys seeing him there because he's been there
and he's done that.

Speaker 1 (20:29):
I think that's the biggest point of all. I think
you couldn't have said it better. That is, regardless of
what he does on the ice, and anything he does
on the ice is like a bonus right now is
an added bonus because they've already done so well and
they're already in a really great position. But you're right
being able to look down in a locker room and
see him and he's been out since Game six of

(20:50):
the twenty twenty two Stanley Cup Final, which of course
they won that year, and just knowing also like it
kind of brings you back to that feeling in a
way of like that year where you want it. You
saw him on the ice of the Cup and he's
there with his family and it's like the vibes are good.
So those guys are dead and yeah, as you mentioned,

(21:11):
like the team dynamics, like having him back and just
as like a little aside when you mentioned just kind
of the way he holds himself and like his character.
When I got a chance to be in the room
with the Boston Bruins scouting staff for their combine like
before the draft, they invited me in twenty eleven and
who was it No. Twenty ten and twenty eleven to

(21:33):
be in there to help interview guys, which was insane
that I got asked to do. That is because I
was covering the OHL and they were like, hey, you
know these guys a lot, You know them better than
we do. And then I know a lot of the
WHL guys after that. But Gabe Blandiskog was one guy
that walked in and it was like he was already
like acted like he was ten years older than the

(21:55):
guys that were in there, like other guys that came in,
because he just like he was a professional, he was
an adult. Like he anything the Bruins threw at him.
He was calm, cool, collected. I mean they knew. They
were like, we wish we could draft you, but we're
at we're drafting at nine, I believe, and he went second, right,

(22:17):
So or did he went second that year twenty?

Speaker 3 (22:19):
I believe he went second? Yeah? Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (22:22):
So it's like, I mean I just remember them being like, damn,
wish we could get that guy because just like you
could tell because there are other guys that walked into
that room, and like you can just tell based on
if they make eye contact or not. Like there's just
so many interesting intricacies with how the scouts like also,
oh god, there's so many they scouted me. They knew,

(22:44):
they knew my tendencies. Do you know they read me
off a list and I know I'm mandering here, but
they were like Jim Benning from who was the assistant
GM at the time, he was like, Julie, we know
which players you like that walked into this room. I
was like, what, what do you mean like I told
you guys which ones I thought, like work here your
guys or like because they would say they'd ask me

(23:06):
after every guy about character, how he felt or anything
like that, which felt interesting for the Bruins to do that,
to be honest, And they were like, okay, you like
blank blank, like they read me off a list after
we talked to maybe like fifty guys of like maybe
ten guys, and I was like, holy shit. I was
like they freaking knew like ones that. It was like

(23:29):
we could tell by your body language who you liked more,
not like I'm like, oh, Google Gaga, this guy's hot.
I was like, which ones I thought were like they're
like their children? Which guys I thought were good, good people?

Speaker 4 (23:44):
Did you see so I saw a clip of I
was on Daily Face Off? Actually Jeff Merrick interviewing Brian Burke,
and he talked about Laniskog at his draft combine.

Speaker 3 (23:53):
When they interviewed him.

Speaker 4 (23:54):
He said that he said as he left, he looked
over to I don't know who it was and says
that guy is going to be a general manager one day.
And for him to say that when he means you
like Gabelandesko, I was only eighteen years old, and he
said he came in and he just like stole the
room and just commanded the room. And he said that
Brian Burke was almost explained to as if we were
just we were captivated by him as he was speaking,

(24:16):
and you're like, Okay, yeah, this kid's you know, this
guy's he's got it right.

Speaker 1 (24:20):
And that's a great story.

Speaker 4 (24:22):
Yeah, he talked about it on there. I saw just
a clip of it. So when Brian Burke says something
like that, you know this kid is he's got something
special for sure.

Speaker 1 (24:29):
I love that. I love that he comes into the
room time and he runs the room like you're just like,
oh all right, let me tuck in my shirt like
I'm not ready, sorry, mister Landiskog. All right. So on
that note, we want to talk about the fact that
we are going to see a matchup of the Oilers
and the Kings again. Running it back. We're running it,

(24:51):
running it running back. You're in la you're seeing you're
seeing it up close. We know Echo's not going to
be in that first game that's been reported, but we
got we got Oilers and we got Kings. How are
you feeling about this one?

Speaker 3 (25:06):
Well, I feel good.

Speaker 4 (25:07):
I mean for a guy that's covering the King, seeing
the Kings daily, watching their game last night, and I'd
be remiss if I didn't talk about what Phil Dano
said last night. I mean, it's already there's already some drama,
some you know, some.

Speaker 1 (25:21):
Uh little like Real housewives.

Speaker 4 (25:25):
Some stuff to talk about. I mean, it was it
was a very chippy game last night. Obviously Edmonton didn't
have a lot of players in the lineup playing last night.
The Kings, you know, beat him pretty handily. I think
the final score was four or five nothing, uh, five nothing.

Speaker 1 (25:39):
I believe it was five nothing.

Speaker 4 (25:42):
And you know, in between periods, you know, Patrick O'Neill
is interviewing Phil Dano and phild and says, well, you
know they have their B lineup in and you know
they're just trying to hurt us.

Speaker 3 (25:53):
And you know when you when you give some uh
to me, it's a little bit of it's a little
bit of fuel for material.

Speaker 4 (26:03):
Material for the Edminton oilers. So there's already some hate. Obviously,
they've a fourth time in a row they've played each other.
But I do think that if there is a time
and a year that the Kings will.

Speaker 3 (26:15):
Beat the Oilers. This is it.

Speaker 4 (26:16):
You know, they've been lights out as we know at
home this year, they're gonna get home ice. And I
think as a team they're better than the Edmonton Oilers. Well,
I think they're They're deeper right the first three lines.
I think for the LA Kings. You know, you look
at their centers down the middle on j Copeitar Quentin Byfield,

(26:39):
who I think now is almost like a one A
one B. And then you have Phil too in your
third line center spot where he probably should be. And
I look at even their DP pairings. You have Gavikrov
and Mikey Anderson, who I think Mikey Anderson is making
four million and for the next how many years he
might be one of the biggest bargains in the league.

Speaker 3 (27:00):
You know, you have Drew Dowdy. I didn't even mention
Drew Dowdy.

Speaker 4 (27:02):
You have all these other guys, and I just by committee,
you know, the LA Kings as a team is better
than Edmonton Oilers. The problem is the Edmonton Oilers have
two guys named Connor McDavid and Lean dry Sidle. And
that's the X factor, and that's obviously the mental aspect
of it for the Kings getting over that hump this year,
But I do think if there is a year they're
going to get over the hump, this is it because

(27:24):
also Darcy Kemper, like Darcy Kemper to me, is going
to be a Vesita finalist this year, and when you
have a hot goalie like Darcy Kemper, sometimes that can
also be a mental block for the Edmonton Oilers going
into this series. So I do think it's going to
be a long series. Do I think it's going to
go six or seven games? Probably, But I do believe

(27:45):
that this is a year the La Kings get over
the hump and beat Dempton Oilers in the first round.

Speaker 1 (27:50):
Well, they will certainly have them on their spite list
as we are both Kurb fans, and the fact that
they just just need to get over the hump and
want to beat the Oilers. But we have seen the
Oilers go against good goalies in the past. Obviously, they
made it to the Game seven of the Stanley Cup
Final last year and they didn't get it done. But

(28:10):
we have seen the fact that they look like they're
going to steamrolled against Florida and then boom it was
the second coming of Mcjesus and they were able to Also,
isn't it weird that I was going to say that,
like it's Easter this weekend and like Edmonton's going to
start playing I don't know what day, Like what if
they aw no Sunday, Like if Edmonton's playing on Sunday,

(28:35):
they're winning for sure.

Speaker 3 (28:37):
Why do you say that?

Speaker 1 (28:37):
Because that's when Jesus like grows Jesus. That's my like
one religious thing. Maybe I sort of potentially might know.
I think, yeah, that's what you're right, right, right, yeah,
drunk religion over here. That's basically yeah, I think. I
don't think I'm not going to bet against Jesus on

(29:00):
on Sunday, Okay, on Easter Sunday or wait he rose
on Good Friday. Okay, Well, we're a hockey podcast. We're
not We're not a Christian religions, but we can be
if you guys want us to advertise. Okay, so we

(29:21):
know that the next time that we see each other
will be when the playoffs have started. So we got
to give some picks right now on the spot. Haven't
done any prep on this really, other than the fact
that I've watched the entire season. Let's go who's gonna win,
Who's gonna win the Cup?

Speaker 3 (29:38):
Oh okay, well you're gonna be happy with me. I
made this pick before.

Speaker 1 (29:42):
Oh no, don't see it.

Speaker 3 (29:44):
I'm gonna I'm gonna say it. I'm gonna say it.

Speaker 4 (29:46):
They're gonna get to the finals. They're gonna get over
the hump. They're they're set up this year from the
first round. That sets them up in the second round,
the third round and get to the finals. But I
do think and everyone else is gonna be like Nate,
you're crazy, You've made so many different picks. But as
Julie covers her face and doesn't know what to do,
I do think this is the year that the Toronto

(30:10):
Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup, and that and that
cup is gonna be.

Speaker 1 (30:16):
Would you just say that.

Speaker 4 (30:18):
That cup, that Cup is going to be in the
six and it's going to be rocking in Toronto.

Speaker 1 (30:25):
It's going to be the biggest party of all time.

Speaker 3 (30:28):
The maple Leafs they're bringing at home this year.

Speaker 1 (30:32):
I guess visualization is what you're supposed to do if
you want something to happen.

Speaker 3 (30:36):
Manifest, Manifest, manifest, I mean I can't.

Speaker 1 (30:38):
I can't even like think that. It's just I don't know.
I like, like, I'm not a die hard Leafs fan
because I gave that up.

Speaker 3 (30:47):
I'm putting myself out there right now.

Speaker 1 (30:49):
By the way, I put money on them at the
beginning of the season, I got I got money on
the leaves to win, and I was like, because I
always have to. That's just like one thing. I'm like, well,
we always put money on the leaves to win. But
I don't know. I think their path'd be good if
they beat I say, they go up against Ottawa and
then like Florida and Tampa beat the crap out of

(31:11):
each other, and some now they get Tampa and not Florida.
I don't like them against Florida. I think it's a
bad matchup. Last week they got shit kicked by them.
It's bad. It was a reminder that Florida is that
much better than them, and the least are still kind
of figuring out the identity. But they do have a
lot of guys on there. I will say, like, even
with guys out, they've been able to do some stuff.
The optimism is high in Toronto, which is a tough

(31:35):
place to be, but it's better than it being low.
I think. I don't know, It's just one of those things.
It's one of those things. Nate, what's it like?

Speaker 3 (31:45):
You just.

Speaker 1 (31:48):
Why why would you get your hopes up?

Speaker 3 (31:50):
Can I give you another reason why to get your
hopes up? Can I give you another reason? Please?

Speaker 1 (31:54):
Okay?

Speaker 3 (31:56):
Did you see who just won the Masters? Oh?

Speaker 4 (31:59):
God, did you see that Rory McElroy just won the Masters?

Speaker 3 (32:03):
Yes?

Speaker 1 (32:04):
So good.

Speaker 4 (32:05):
I think that lines up with the Leafs a little bit.
I think that this is I haven't.

Speaker 1 (32:08):
Thought about the Rory.

Speaker 4 (32:10):
Yes, there's a connection there. I think with Rory Rory
McElroy winning the Masters, I think that it lines up
this year with the Leafs winning. I think all these
things are are for a reason.

Speaker 1 (32:24):
Wow wow wow wow. Oh so, but they're going to
put us through hell is what you're saying. They're gonna
put Leafs fans through hell on the way there.

Speaker 4 (32:31):
So just know there's a chance that the Leafs might
have a one goal lead in Game seven going in
to the third period, the team ties it up, then
then they have to win an overtime, just like what
Rory McElroy just did.

Speaker 3 (32:44):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (32:45):
Yeah, And they're going to think like you're gonna you're
going to see them come from like in the second round,
they're gonna do well, they're going to shoot a sixty
six and then but it's going to be like a
whole lot going around, going up and down. Yeah, oh
you know, it's great. Gosh what I cried when Rory won,

(33:05):
Like I literally cried.

Speaker 4 (33:07):
It was awesome. That was amazing. I mean, he was
It was cool to see. I mean, any sportsman getting
to witness that and seeing his reaction was was was incredible.

Speaker 1 (33:15):
It just was like the reason why we watched sports
was just like that moment. It felt like it's and
that's the whole story. Watch Oh my god, watching him
watch walk to the clubhouse, I was like I had
tears streaming down my face. I was like, Julie, go
check yourself. Well, you know, you and Rory aren't buddies,

(33:36):
Like what what is it? That's so But it's because
his story and he talked about it to Jim Nance
when he said, like, you know, or I think maybe
it was actually in an article ahead of time, but
he'd also said, like you know, seventeen years you just
don't think you wonder if it's ever going to happen,
and I was like, oh my god.

Speaker 3 (33:54):
Yeah, I know.

Speaker 4 (33:55):
I mean for him, I mean and to be continue
to be talked about like in that you know, grand
Slam talk with the other guys that are you know
how that have one of the grand some Tiger Jack Nicholas,
those guys.

Speaker 3 (34:06):
And now he's finally done it. Like you could see
the relief on his press car.

Speaker 4 (34:09):
I know, it just seemed like he's got this big
giant gorilla off his back now and he's he was
just light and now it seems like he's almost like
all right, you know, I'm just gonna play with house
money now. I'm just gonna go play golf, which is
dangerous for everybody else because if Rory mclroy is on
top of his game, he's one of the best.

Speaker 3 (34:28):
He is the best.

Speaker 1 (34:29):
I agree. And he had said, oh, you guys are
gonna have to talk about something else now, going into
the Masters next year or something, just because it's always
the story for him going into this, and we said,
I think it was at the US Open, was it
when Bryson won and he had lost it and it
was just like he was just sitting there afterward and
he was just like and you feel it. This is

(34:49):
what I put this on twit on Instagram. But I'm like, man,
you just feel it as a person because it kind
of reminds me of the Olympics and Olympics stories where
it's like we can all relate to people having to
go through something difficult because we as humans. That is
what being a human is is like having a dream
going for it. Maybe you have these hurdles, you have

(35:11):
these setbacks. Maybe how you wonder if it's ever gonna happen,
and then seeing it happen, it's like it was like
hope of like anything you've ever gone through in your life.
I just found him kind of like the everyman in
a way, and it was I mean, obviously I read
into stuff quite a bit and make it about myself.

Speaker 3 (35:33):
So he gave you hope as a Toronto Maple fan.

Speaker 1 (35:37):
Oh God, I'm gonna if I could punch you in
the face right now, I would. Don't you talk about
the leaves like that. You could have ruined it.

Speaker 3 (35:49):
I just picked them.

Speaker 1 (35:51):
Okay, I'm gonna say who's gonna win. Let's pick who
who from the West could win. I'm gonna say, you
know what, the goddamn Jets are gonna win the Stanley Cup. Okay,
the New York Jets, that is, the Winnipeg Jets are
gonna win the Stanley Cup. That's a bold prediction. And
it's gonna be Toronto versus Winnipeg. And you know who's

(36:12):
gonna hate that is us ratings. That's gonna be a
real tanker. But it could be worse. It coulda be
Autawa Winnipeg. How bad ratings would that be?

Speaker 3 (36:26):
Hey, it would be sick though, all Canada final, that
would be great.

Speaker 1 (36:29):
Yeah, Canada needs Canada needs a win, especially right now. Okay,
all right, we are someone who knows a lot about
winning and also a lot about broadcasting is our guest
on our program here today, and that is none other
than Ryan Callahan. He's with ESPN now. He of course,
was a former captain of the Rangers, played with Tampa

(36:51):
Bay Lightning and he will be joining us on the
other side of the break. All right, welcome back into
the energy line with Naton JSP. We are now very
fortunate to be joined by someone that Nate knows well,
former teammate from Tampa Bay, former New York Rangers captain

(37:11):
and current analyst on ESPN. He's coming to us from
Tampa Bay, that is Ryan Callahan. Ryan, thanks for joining
us here today to talk all things hockey and beyond.

Speaker 3 (37:22):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (37:22):
Absolutely, thanks for having me on guys.

Speaker 1 (37:24):
All right, So you're in Tampa right now, big Florida matchup.
The two Florida is really, I guess the home of
hockey these days, it's like it's the new Minnesota. The
state of hockey is Florida. So we got Tampa, we
got Florida. For those listening, we're recording this on Tuesday,
and these two teams could see each other in the
playoffs when you look at both of them, having known

(37:46):
in the last five years that between the two of them,
three Cups have come to Florida, who do you think
has the edge this year?

Speaker 5 (37:55):
Yeah?

Speaker 6 (37:55):
I think it all is based on injuries, right, I
mean you look at that Florida Panthers team and obviously
without Acblad for his suspension, he's not coming back till
Game three, and then question mark of Kachuck, you know,
will he be back at Game one or a little
bit later in that series, and you know, you take
those two guys out of lineup and even if it's
for rerec led for two games, or if it's Ka

(38:15):
Chuck for one game, I think that could definitely tilt
that series, you know, in the direction of Tampa. And
you know, that's like looking at Tampa and maybe taking
point out of the lineup and taking headmand out a
lineup that team looks a lot different, right, So I
think it will be based on that. But you also
look at Florida and what they've done over the last
two years, and in the style of play, I think

(38:36):
they they gear towards playoffs, the way they play with
their their intensity, their four check, They're hard to play against.
Lebroski's good in net. You know, you can match Bassileski possibly,
which usually gives Tampa a little bit of an edge
in a series. So you know, with health aside, I
mean the Florida Panthers, I mean that's the team I
think you have to go through in the East to

(38:57):
make it to the finals. And as you said, you
know the last five years, both these teams out of
the East, they've represented the East in the last five years,
so I mean hockey and Florida is as well and thriving.
And you know this, these two teams have built quite
the rival Remember when me and Nate were playing in Tampa,
and you know my later years in Tampa, Florida wasn't
that good of a team, and everybody tried to build

(39:19):
up this rivalry. But unless you play each other in
the playoffs and our two contending teams, it's hard to
get that. But they've done that here in Florida, and
these two teams don't like each other.

Speaker 4 (39:28):
Yeah, Cali, let's talk about Tampa too a little bit.
You know, you playing there, myself playing there. Take us
in the locker room, and you know they have obviously
the guys like Victor Henman, Koutrov, bradon point, these guys,
But what are some other players that might be an
X factor against Florida in this series?

Speaker 3 (39:43):
They if they end up playing each other, it looks
like they're going to.

Speaker 5 (39:46):
Yeah, it looks like it.

Speaker 6 (39:46):
I mean, and Toronto needs one point I think as
we stand today to clinch that. But you know, I
look at that team and the other guys I look
at here is guys like Brendan Hagel. You know his
emergence over the last couple of years. He's thirty five goals.
I think this year zero on the power play, which
is absolutely insane. And as you know, playoffs a lot
of times five on five, right, you know, special teams

(40:08):
kind of even each other out, and your five on
five plays, what kind of sets you apart in your
depth as well? And you know, also his line made
in Sorelli, who I just love as a player. I
think he should be in the Selky conversation year after year.
So good defensively, contributes a bit offensively, you know. And
then also you know those guys in that room. Bringing

(40:29):
over Ryan McDonough back this year, I think was huge
for them and just adding to the depth. Obviously you
lose Sergachev, but the way McDonough plays, I mean, he's
a playoff player, right, He's going to do anything for you,
the way he block shots, takes hits, always playing against
the number one team's top line. So you know, you
look at that team, the experience they have, it's it's
hard to bet against them. And you know, but I

(40:51):
definitely think, as you said, I think Hegel and Sorelli
are you know, two X factors As you look at
that Tampa Bay lineup.

Speaker 1 (40:57):
Right, and when just flipping it back the other way,
they're kind of like Florida kind of finds themselves in
a situation kind of like Tampa in a way, Like
I mean, Tampa obviously had two back to back Cups
and then went back to the final, but like Florida's
been to two finals back to back. Obviously they won
the last one and they've played I guess it was
I found like what two hundred and ninety games in

(41:20):
the last nine hundred and sixteen days, which, like I
don't think really anybody actually knows what that means. But
it's just a lot of hockey. So if they're built
for the playoffs, like how at this point in the
third year that they look still really really good and
they look like they could go out a long run,
But knowing that they've had these injuries, Like, in what

(41:41):
way do you think that maybe it could potentially put
a ceiling on how far they go?

Speaker 6 (41:46):
Ye, it's tough, you know, as you said, Tampa went
to three Cup finals, right, so the amount of games
they played didn't seem to really bother them. I think
for players, once you get into the playoffs, no matter
what bumps and bruises you have, you kind of see
the finish line, right, and you know what you're working towards,
and you know what the team you have, and you
only get so many cracks at it. You know, it's
you know, how long this Florida team will be together.

(42:08):
It's it's hard to say with you know, the caps horizon,
but that cap is always you know, when teams do well,
guys get paid. So I think, you know, it kind
of goes back to our first question. It you know,
it's it's injury. But like a guy like Kuchuk, when
he comes back, I expect him to be the Kachuck
we all love to watch it and play. He's I mean,
he's gonna go right, he's gonna be an agitator. He's
gonna put up points. You know him and bark Off

(42:30):
you know, led with twenty two points last year in
the playoffs, both of them. So you know, he comes back,
I'm not worried about him missing time or not being ready.
You know, I think he's gonna jump right back in.
You know, it's that Florida team. It's just like I said,
it's hard to bet against him, just the way they
play and how intense they are, and you know, doing
what I do. I talked, I've talked to Paul Maurice

(42:50):
a couple of times last year this year, and he
says that room is just just a well oiled machine.

Speaker 5 (42:55):
He says he barely has to go in there and
talk to them, just the.

Speaker 6 (42:58):
Way that they know what the approach they need, that
they know the way they have to play, they know
their system works. The belief is in that room. So
I think Florida is just you know, they're just gearing
up and they're not worried about how they're playing when
they enter the playoffs less two seasons went for the finals,
kind of huttered out towards the end of the year,
and you know, guys, people were worried about him. But

(43:18):
you know, for some reason that Puck drops Game one,
they're they're ready to go.

Speaker 1 (43:22):
Before Nate, Nate, before you go. I just have to
call out Kelly. You said you wouldn't bet against Florida
and you wouldn't bet against Tampa.

Speaker 5 (43:29):
Yeah, so I guess I'm not betting the series. You know,
it's right, Like what I mean, who do you?

Speaker 6 (43:37):
I think it's a coin flip of a series. It's
and that's why I want That's why I talked about
those injuries I think that could be the difference. You know,
if you don't have those guys for two games, you know,
that could be the difference in this series, I see
it going six or seven.

Speaker 4 (43:49):
Speaking of well oiled machines and guys that make a difference.
I want to talk about Nikita Koutrov. Obviously you played
with him, you were in the locker room with him.
I think what he's done and continued to do over
the last you know, however many seasons, you know what
he I don't think he gets talked about enough. And
obviously with McDavid McKinnon, Dry said all these guys, people
don't talk about him. Tell us about Nikita Kutrov from

(44:11):
Ryan Ryan Callahan's point of view in the locker room.

Speaker 6 (44:14):
Yeah, he's uh, you know when I got traded here,
he was obviously getting called up and down.

Speaker 5 (44:19):
And I remember Cooper brought me to the room.

Speaker 3 (44:21):
I was there for that. I was there.

Speaker 5 (44:23):
I know you were.

Speaker 6 (44:23):
So the night before the first game I got traded,
Coop brings me in the room and he's like, you're
gonna be playing with Filpala and this young guy Nikita Kuchrov,
who we think is gonna be a pretty good player, right, So, like,
looking back now, I'm like he turned out okay, but
you know, playing with Koch and I think part of
the reason why he doesn't get the notoriety and the
attention the other guys that you've just mentioned is is
just his demeanor with the media, right, I mean, he's

(44:45):
all business. He doesn't you know, he doesn't care what
people think about him. All he cares about is the
way he plays, what he does on the ice, his teammates,
and from early on in his career to where he
is now, he had a lot to learn too. You know,
he wasn't the best defensively. You could see his offensive talent,
his creativity, but he had to learn the other side
of the puck. And you know, as his career has

(45:07):
progressed here you can see it. You know, he doesn't
turn the puck over as much. He's responsible defensively, and
for him, I think he's not talked about enough just
because of that.

Speaker 5 (45:17):
A sole reason.

Speaker 6 (45:18):
It's just that the media unfortunately, you know, especially what
he did in the All Star Game. You know, doesn't
you know, doesn't believe him. I think he should win
MVP this year, you know, I really do You know,
the way the season he's having, he's gonna win the
Art Ross this year. It looks like with you know
McKinnon right there. But he's such a special player, he

(45:40):
really is. I mean, his his talent and his skill
is just he slows the game down. His vision, he
can shoot, he makes his line made so much better.
And he's not flashy with it.

Speaker 3 (45:49):
Right.

Speaker 6 (45:49):
You look at McDavid. You can see him all over
the ice, right he flies around. McKinnon's fast, he'll run
guys over. He just comes at you like a horse.
Where I think cooch Rough is just he more thinks
the game right, he slows it down, He sees the
player before they happen. He has the ability to make
those plays and he just doesn't have that exact flash
that you watch the game and he jumps off the

(46:10):
screen at you. But look at the scorecard afterwards and
he ends up with four points. So I think that's
the difference between them. And you know, if it's my opinion,
I think he should get the MVP this year.

Speaker 3 (46:19):
I don't.

Speaker 5 (46:19):
I don't have a vote, but if I did, that's
who I'd be picking.

Speaker 1 (46:22):
Well, you should have a vote. Working for National Broadcast actually.

Speaker 5 (46:26):
The first year.

Speaker 6 (46:27):
I did have a vote one year and I filled
out the belt. The next year, I said, you know what,
I'm good and I'm not. I'm not going to do
this again.

Speaker 1 (46:34):
You know, it's a privilege to be able to vote.

Speaker 6 (46:36):
Really, and I took it seriously and I did it,
and but I bowed out.

Speaker 5 (46:40):
I said, this is uh, this is it. I'm done.

Speaker 3 (46:43):
So I'll leave it.

Speaker 5 (46:43):
I'll leave it to the other guys and girls.

Speaker 1 (46:46):
Well that it is hard to vote. But I think
I definitely I agree with you on MVP art Ross.
I mean, obviously art Ross, but I just want to
go to Colorado right now. With the news today that
the ABS released on X Gabriel Landeskog's conditioning loan has
been terminated and he will rejoin the Avalanche today, Holy bananas,

(47:07):
Landisgog is back.

Speaker 6 (47:08):
Yeah, your thoughts absolutely wild. I mean, three years out
of the game, I don't know how. I mean, it's
just sheer will and determination to get back healthy and
to get to it a you know, a spot where
he could play again. And you know when he went
down there in the A and the scene there and
you know, ends up scoring a goal and everything else.

Speaker 3 (47:25):
It was.

Speaker 6 (47:25):
I mean, just a good story, right, whether he comes
back for the Avalanche and makes an impact or not,
which you know, I think if he's somewhat healthy or whatever,
he will make an impact.

Speaker 5 (47:35):
He's that good of a player.

Speaker 6 (47:36):
But to be able to go through that for three years,
I mean, I've dealt with tons of injuries in my
career and you know how hard that rehab is. And
to do that for three years and have the setbacks
he had throughout that, you know, but to still have
that will to you know, get healthy and get to
a point where he can play again, it's just a
just a great story.

Speaker 4 (47:55):
Yeah, Kel, I'll get into that, like as a former
captain and Gabelaniskag as a captain, like, how how is
that for him stepping in as after that long three years?

Speaker 3 (48:05):
And you know what I mean, right.

Speaker 4 (48:07):
It's it's trying not to screw up the mojo of
the team, but obviously you want to contribute at the
same time, and you're the captain, but you haven't been
there for three years, so it's a little it's a
little weird. Uh kind of explain that a little bit.

Speaker 6 (48:20):
Yeah, I think, you know, in a situation like that,
I think he has enough respect in that room. He
could step in and be vocal and you know, the
one stuff will take care of itself, right, I mean,
just him getting back up to speed. I guess you know,
as you mentioned being captain and you know, stepping back
into that role. I just I think there's enough respect
for him in that room for what he's done. And
a lot of those guys are were there three years

(48:40):
ago that you know, he won a Stanley Cup with,
So I don't think that adjustment should be too hard
for him. But on ice is different. I mean, I
don't it's tough. I mean, will you get a game
in here before the playoffs start? I hope he does it,
you know, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (48:54):
I think they're done, right, Are they done?

Speaker 5 (48:56):
Now?

Speaker 3 (48:56):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (48:57):
Like there's a weird schedule where.

Speaker 5 (49:00):
They're tough to jump in.

Speaker 6 (49:01):
You know, you haven't played in the NHL in three
years and all, so you're gonna jump into a series
against Dallas. That's you better get your feet under you
pretty quickly there, you know. So that'll be interesting to
watch you see how quickly you get off to game speed.

Speaker 1 (49:14):
Yeah, they have a weird it's I mean, I was
just listening to this and thirty two thoughts the other
day how they said that the schedule is just so
wild that they'll they're off this whole basically this whole week,
so then they'll play in like the first I guess
iteration of the playoffs starting this weekend, which is also crazy.
So there's a team that has been can't get no

(49:37):
respect is what you know, little Rodney Dangerfield there, and
that is one of Nate's many former teams, and that
is Winnipeg Jets, just one of the President's trophy casually. Yeah,
nobody really, nobody really talking about them. Why do you
think we've kind of I don't know, I mean, other
than the fact they're obviously Winnipeg and it's not really

(49:59):
like near us and people not a lot of people
have been there, Like, why have we not really talked
about them that much?

Speaker 5 (50:05):
That's a great question. I don't know.

Speaker 6 (50:06):
I mean, they've they've obviously earned that respect to be
talked about this year, you know, I guess Winnipeg being
in Winnipeg and not having that national attention a ton
is part of the reason. That's just being honest, and
in the lack of playoff success, I guess too of
recent you know, it's I think everybody kind of has
that question mark in the back of their mind, like,

(50:27):
you know, can they do it come playoff time? And
there's a lot of teams like that that have a
lot of regular season and success, but you know, fizzle out,
fizzle out in the playoffs, can't win a you know,
first round or a second round. Look at the Toronto
Maple Leafs for how you know what I mean, like
they could have the best year going there, looks like
they're gonna win the division, but what's the number one
question everybody asked? How are they going to do in
the playoffs?

Speaker 5 (50:47):
Right?

Speaker 6 (50:48):
So that's I think Winnipeg's kind of in that same boat.
Until they win a round or two, they're not gonna
They're not going to have that same respect of a
of a Colorado or a Dallas who's been to conference finals,
Edmonton who's been to a final. You know, it's I
think you got to have playoffs sixs to to earn
the respect of everybody.

Speaker 4 (51:07):
Speaking of playoffs and teams that have had high expectations,
I want to talk about your former team than New
York Rangers, being being the captain there and also playing
with Chris Jury. Where do you think the Rangers. Where
do you think Chris Jury needs to go with this
team going into the summer, into and into next season.

Speaker 6 (51:26):
Yeah, that's a disappointing year, right. You know a lot
of people had them winning the Stanley Cup this year
at least, you know, making a long run when President
and Trophy last year, going to six games against Florida
to the Conference finals. You know, and you you basically
bring back kind of that same core. You don't lose
a ton of guys off of that lineup. Obviously you
trade end up trading away trueba part of that. But

(51:48):
it's gonna be a long offseason for New York and
where they go.

Speaker 5 (51:50):
You know, I'm not.

Speaker 6 (51:52):
In the belief that you need to blow anything up,
you know. I think that it's a situation where maybe
it's a couple of guys, you know, one or two
guys and some new guys you know, some old guys out,
some new guys in. But I think you got to
keep that quarter. They've had success, right, It's not like
a team that hasn't had success before. So I think
that nucleus is there. Where it went wrong this year,

(52:13):
I think a lot of people are scratching their head
on why there was a lot of noise around that team.
You talk about the true betrayed, you talk about, you know,
the potential letter that I went out there about.

Speaker 5 (52:22):
Crieter and savantage Ad.

Speaker 6 (52:23):
If you've been in the room before, that's not easy, right,
I mean, that's a lot of noise in you're the
New York market as well, where it gets amplified times ten. Right,
So every day you're answering these questions about your teammates,
if they're leaving, if they're coming, or if you're that
guy you know where you're gonna go. That's that's not
easy to handle day to day basis. So you know,
I think there was a little bit of turmoil in

(52:44):
the room because of that. But if I'm Chris Drurie
or if I'm New York, I you know, I don't
blow the thing up. I mean you just, yes, just
stirking in that you got Fox on D. You know,
like you got some pieces there that you know that
a lot of teams would love to have and build around.
So I think you take one more swing at it,
and you know, if it's kind of going the same

(53:06):
way next year, then you get to take a really
hard look.

Speaker 1 (53:09):
At it, right And Ryan, I cover the New York
Rangers here in New York. That's where I'm at right now,
and I can you know, the media obviously does amplify everything.
Times ten. We saw this week obviously Calvin de Haan's
comments that really got a lot of people's attention. But
having covered them this year, you mentioned the memo that
went out that named players in there that definitely had

(53:33):
an effect. You could feel it. It felt like from
that moment on, this team was put in a very
precarious position to try to succeed. And I wonder for
you as a former player now you're covering a league
you've played for the Rangers. Sometimes when you see maybe
management or a team I don't know, get get their

(53:58):
fingers in different pies and kind of put stuff out there.
If you're a guy in the room, you talk about
how it can affect the room, But what's it like, Like,
what do you think about the team in the room
when you see like a letter, a memo go out,
a letter go out, someone saying something about a player
when you know it can affect them.

Speaker 6 (54:15):
Yeah, I mean, I mean call me old school, but
I mean, I'd like to tell the media nothing, right,
like keep everything in house.

Speaker 1 (54:22):
You know, there's there's guys like you, there's.

Speaker 6 (54:24):
No need for it, but I mean there's there's just
no there's no upside, right, what do you especially situations
like this, right, I don't think there's an upside to it.
And it's tough being in the room. I mean, I
go back to when I was a captain there and
my last year before I got traded, and we were
going through contract negotiations and then all of a sudden,
the New York Post has you know, I'm asking for

(54:45):
this much, and you know that things get out there
and it doesn't help the player, you know, and the
things that go on behind the scenes, and that doesn't
help the player. It doesn't help the team. And even
if you're not involved, you know your teammates are affected
by it. You know, you can see it the way
they carry themselves at the rink, how they enter the room.
You know, you just it's like you pull the life

(55:05):
out of the room when things like that happened. So yeah,
I mean personally, I don't I hate it.

Speaker 1 (55:12):
Can I interrupt you for just one second, like if
it was say not media putting it out there. But
like in like like let's look at the exact instance,
like with Chris Drury's memo that he sent out that
was leaked, but like, you know, by whom could have been.
It could have been the organization. A lot of people
are saying it could have been another organization, but like

(55:32):
that memo going out and say it was the team,
like that feels like counterintuitive.

Speaker 5 (55:39):
Yeah, Like and listen what I said, the media.

Speaker 6 (55:41):
I mean, there's only one way the media gets that information, right,
It's not it's it's the team. So that's you know,
it's and that's what I mean by that is, you know,
the team leaks stuff to the media of what they
want to get out there. And as you said, I
don't know how that memo got out. I don't know
if it was another team or or whatever. But if
it was another team, I mean, gosh, I'm making a

(56:05):
couple of phone calls and I'm not happy knocking on
some doors. But yeah, but that's what I mean. Like,
you know, as a player, you know that, like you know,
it's not it's the organization and the team that is
setting that. Like when the New York Post posted which
wasn't true what I was asking for. It didn't come
from my camp. So you know, there's only one other
team I was negotiating with at the time, so you know,

(56:27):
and I don't think the New York Post just made
it up, you know, So I had to come from somewhere.
But that's what I mean by that. I you know,
I just keep things close to your chest. I don't
see why how that could help.

Speaker 3 (56:37):
All right, we'll get away from the Rangers for now.
For you CALLI right.

Speaker 5 (56:40):
Now, I'll get it.

Speaker 1 (56:42):
You're done, I mean they still have to play.

Speaker 3 (56:46):
Yeah, you're done with the Rangers.

Speaker 4 (56:47):
I guess let's get into your playing days a little bit,
you know, I guess with playoffs around the corner, like
talk to us about some playoff memories and what playoffs
means to you, especially as a player and now watching
I guess, you know, covering it now for ESPN.

Speaker 6 (57:01):
Yeah, I mean people ask me all the time, you know,
do you miss the game? Do you miss being on
the ice? And I don't at all. You know, I
don't miss the game like you. Tomer missed the guys
and missed the room. I missed that. But one thing
I do miss is playoffs. I mean, as you know,
covering it now, as soon as the playoffs started, I
really missed the game because there's nothing like it.

Speaker 5 (57:17):
There really isn't.

Speaker 6 (57:18):
And you know, you talked about, you know, some of
the runs my days in New York, you know, going
to the conference finals against New Jersey losing in six games.
That one still stings. You know, I love the team
we had, you know, I thought we could have done
something there. We lost the watch, We beat Washington in seven,
Ottawa seven. We had no more gas left after that
playing that Jersey team.

Speaker 5 (57:40):
And then you.

Speaker 6 (57:41):
Know, something that sits with me to this day and
probably always will is going to the finals with Tampa
and losing to Chicago. I mean, that's uh, you know,
unfortunately I never won a Stanley Cup and I often
think about that series and that opportunity and it still stings.
And but that's how much this means to these guys, Like, yeah,
they're making a lot of money and you know, making

(58:02):
a good living and everything else, but man, it is
you trade a lot of that for winning a Stanley Cup.
And there's nothing like playoff hockey. It really isn't. And
covering it too, I'm it's so excited for playoffs to
start next weekend, especially the first round. I mean, the
first round is the best. You know, it's uh, everybody's intense,
everybody's healthy. I feel like it's the most hits, the
most scrums, it's you know, it's it's fun time of year.

Speaker 1 (58:25):
Yeah. I couldn't agree more with the first round, and
just with your what you said about Stanley Cupp and
knowing your career like and not to play therapists or anything,
but like in how much how much do you ever
think about? Man? What if I had stayed a bit
longer with Tampa, I.

Speaker 6 (58:43):
Wish I could have. I mean, uh, I degenerate dis
disease in my back. My last two years was complete
nightmare with the back. I went to a bunch of
specialists try to figure it out. They basically said, it's
either you stop playing or you get a fusion where
you can't play. Either way, they didn't recommend a fusion,
just my age and still my mobility, so it's kind
of poor out due to injury. And then of course

(59:05):
they went they went two in a row as soon
as I retire, So I always joke around as that
they figured out the issue.

Speaker 5 (59:10):
But uh, but yeah, it's it's tough. And that was
tough too.

Speaker 6 (59:13):
I mean watching that, you know, I was so happy
for the guys because I was with them for five
years battle with them. We got close two conference finals,
one Stanley Cup final. But at the same time I
couldn't help also to be like, man, you know, it
was one year away from being a part of that
and that was so hard to take. And you know,
Stammer and the boys. I remember they facetimed me in

(59:34):
the Edmonton because it was in the bubble, so they're
all in the house hospitality room and it was actually
five six am. The next morning. I'm waking up taking
it all sudden, I got a FaceTime from Stammer and
it's all the boys in the hospitality room with the
cup and partying, which was awesome. I mean, you know,
to have him call me and you know, but I
was happy for him, but it yeah, it wasn't meant

(59:55):
to be.

Speaker 4 (59:56):
Yeah, Kelly though, I mean when we talked about playoff
guys and people that thrive in the playoffs, for people listening,
you know, you were a guy that was a playoff guy,
and even getting to play with you in a short
amount of time you could see it. And there's a
reason why you were a captain for the Rangers. So
you know, kudos to you in your career. You were
one of those guys that were hard to play against,
which I think is one of the biggest compliments. Uh

(01:00:17):
but but but I'll say, I mean, going into the playoffs, now,
who is who is?

Speaker 3 (01:00:23):
Who is a sleeper? And who do you think who
do you think wins the cup? Cant who? Who's Who's
your prediction this year?

Speaker 6 (01:00:30):
Well, I said, originally my my pick was Dallas, but
you know, before the start of the year. But looking
just looking at that West and what they had to
go through to get there, it's you know, it's it's
hard for me to you know, they got to go
through Colorado. You know, you at Vegas as well. Who's
really good Winnipeg as we mentioned Edmonton. But I mean

(01:00:50):
I'll go with Dallas still. I mean, I just I
think they've been close a couple of years. I like
the way they're built. Obviously, I think that Rantom deal
kind of pushed them over the edge maybe and and
hopefully for them, you know, gives them a little bit
of a playoff. I mean, he has you look at
his playoff numbers and I did a game recently and
I had it down. It was like eighty something playoff

(01:01:11):
games and one hundred and like thirteen points he has
in the play like in the way he does it,
he goes to those dirty areas like you talk about
playoffs performers. That's a guy, right, I mean, he steps
up and he produces in the playoffs. And so I'll
stick with Dallas. You know what I'm interested too to
see is this Washington team. You know what they can do.
You know, they've had an unbelievable regular season, a team

(01:01:32):
that I've I've doubted throughout this whole year if they
could do it. But with Spencer Carberry's done there in Washington.
With that team and how they're playing, I think Logan
Thompson's big question mark. Will he be back in goal?
Without him, I don't think they can make a run.
But if he's back, and you look at their path,
they have to get to a conference final. You know
that's that's that'd probably be another first then first in

(01:01:54):
the East. But you know that probably my sleeper pick.
If first in the East could be a sleeper pick.

Speaker 1 (01:01:59):
Yeah, I think that's a good I think that's such
an amazing point too, at the fact that they played
Columbus back to back and allowed eleven goals after the
whole OV thing. But I think that was good to
get the OV thing kind of over with at least
before the last week of the season, so that then
they could just really focus on them. But before we
let you go, and maybe Nate has another one, but
I just know my last one is I have to

(01:02:20):
ask you about Ivan Demidov and the fact that he
had his debut with the Habs, had a point and
then his first goal looked just like, I mean, what
an X factor for the Habs if they were able
to get in They almost were able to get into
that second wild card spot last night against Chicago. They
lost in a shootout. But if like the halves are

(01:02:42):
able to get in and they have this guy with them, like,
where do you see him being able to kind of
take them?

Speaker 6 (01:02:50):
Yeah, I mean that was wild scene last night, just
from the start of warm ups to every time he
touched the ice the bell center exploded, and then going
out in the first period and get an assist to
start and then a goal. That's why I mean, that's
why I think Montreal is the best hockey city. You know,
it's just their love for the game, their knowledge for

(01:03:10):
the game. Guys people showing up at the airport for
his arrival. I mean that's uh, that's European soccer style
right there, right where the airport's loaded when the new
guy comes in. But you could see his talent right away, right,
you think there's gonna be a little bit of an
adjustment to the league, but he steps in.

Speaker 5 (01:03:27):
I mean the movie pulled on Murphy.

Speaker 6 (01:03:29):
I think it was the d Man, you know, the
little shake and bake and then has his head up
the entire way, dishes it to the middle, perfect pass
and then even the patients on his goal coming down
and hesitating, freezing the goalie, you know, bringing it, bringing
it in. So he's I mean he can if he's
if he's comfortable enough, and it looks like he is.
I mean how about that adding him with three games

(01:03:50):
left in the season, Like that's a stud right, so
as you go against Washington if they make it in,
I mean, he could be a huge X factor, right
to make that team a little bit better. And all
the pressures on Washington, Montreal wasn't even you know, to
make the playoffs this year. So that's a team playing
with house money. And to add a guy like that
who who looks like from one game could be ah,

(01:04:11):
could be a star in this league. It's all good
in Montreal right now. Just got to win it, get
me one more point. I mean I couldn't believe he
lost to Chicago.

Speaker 1 (01:04:20):
I know it's such a weird shootout too with the.

Speaker 5 (01:04:24):
Goal no goal. Yeah, I got one last one.

Speaker 4 (01:04:28):
And it's just to talk about give him his flowers
as Sam Rosen, Uh, Kenny Alberts taking his spot now, Uh,
you know, talk about Sam Rosen. You know he he
actually called my first NHL goal at MSG. So you
know I have a special you know connection with Sam Rosen.
Even Kenny Albert too, he he called it too on
the radio. But you know, talk about that, No, it's
not at all. And and talk about Sam Rosen, you

(01:04:50):
know you obviously playing for the Rangers, being the captain.

Speaker 3 (01:04:52):
How you know what he means to you.

Speaker 6 (01:04:55):
Yeah, he's I mean he called my first goal as
well when I was in New York as well. And
I mean he's just he's Rangers hockey, right. You hear
his voice here is legendary. You know, it's a power
play goal, Like it's just like that's Rangers hockey. You know,
you could you could pick his voice out from anywhere.
And I mean, everybody knows how great he is as
a play by play guy and you know what he

(01:05:15):
does there. But I think what I take away is
my time in New York is just how good of
a guy he was. You know, sitting in the room
with him, you know, before games, after games and just
talking about life and what's going on and and everything else.
You mean, he's as good as a play by play
guy is. He's a better human and you know he's
going to be greatly missed. I mean, there's generations there

(01:05:36):
that that grew up listening to him, and you know
that that that locate his voice to New York Rangers hockey.
And I'm one of them. So if there's one guy
who earned his retirement's, it's definitely Sam Rose. And but
you know, I'm just happy at the time I spent
with him, Not even the calls he made for me,
it's the just chatting with him about life and you know,
and how great of a guy he was.

Speaker 1 (01:05:58):
That's wonderful. I love hearing you talk about him and Nate.
What a great question too, because we want to be
able to honor Sam Rose Andy. He's had an incredible
career and as you mentioned Ryan, he's just such a
great person. He takes every single game, regardless of when
it is, how many years it's been. You know. I
see him in those press conferences this year and he's

(01:06:19):
taking every single thing, loving every aspect of it. And
I love him with Joe mcletty, even in the last
couple of years, just even when they make mistakes, like
they have fun with it. They're very relatable. They're they're
guys that you you know, you know you can just
sit and watch the game with them. And I think
that as you mentioned, like his voice for a lot

(01:06:40):
of Rangers fans is going to it's going to be missed.
And Kenny. That's nothing against Kenny Albert. He's obviously a
big Rangers voice as well and great person to take over.
But Sam will certainly be missed.

Speaker 3 (01:06:51):
Sam.

Speaker 6 (01:06:51):
And I hope, I mean, I hope there Rangers organization
does it right. I mean, his his name should be
in the rafters, right, I mean, whether it's a mic
on the jersey or whatever it is. But his I mean,
his name should be in the just complete legend.

Speaker 1 (01:07:05):
Love to hear that. Well, Thank you so much, Tryan
for joining us here on the energy line. Good luck
with your game tonight Sanpa, Florida as well as everything
you do during the playoffs on ESPN, and we will
be watching you awesome.

Speaker 5 (01:07:18):
Thanks guys, appreciate how me on?

Speaker 3 (01:07:25):
All right?

Speaker 1 (01:07:26):
That was Ryan Callahan from ESPN and former NHL or
former teammate from Nate Thompson. Nate, do you have any
good Cali stories?

Speaker 3 (01:07:37):
I mean, I guess no, not really.

Speaker 4 (01:07:39):
I mean, like I said, we only played for you know,
half the season there when he was traded for Marty
Saint Louis. I guess I didn't really know Calli that
well when he got traded to us, and there was
like I think one night after a game, we ended
up like hanging out in a room after we were
you know, staying the night, and I really kind of
got to know him a little bit more.

Speaker 3 (01:07:55):
You know, whenever you hang.

Speaker 4 (01:07:57):
Out with someone away from the rink and away from
you know, away from the everyday stuff, you really kind
of get to know the guy and you could see why.
You could see why right away he was a captain
of the Rangers. He was a team guy. He was
one of those guys that you know, everybody loves in
the locker room, and you know, you could see it
with his interview.

Speaker 3 (01:08:14):
I mean, he's he's.

Speaker 4 (01:08:15):
So well spoken. You know, he does a great job
in ESPN. And uh, you know, Cali is just a great.

Speaker 1 (01:08:21):
Guy, very steady, very just like calm, cool, collected, you know,
lead by example, not too up, not too down. And
I love how you're like, I hung out with him
one time. Maybe well we know.

Speaker 4 (01:08:35):
I mean we hung out more than that, but I
know it was initially after he got traded. You know,
you want to you want to make the guy feel welcome.
You know, he was with one team his whole career
and he came to Tampa and we just wanted to
make sure that he was, you know, welcome right away.
And but he fit in seamlessly. I mean, he's just
he's just a team guy and a great dude.

Speaker 1 (01:08:52):
It's like, gotta have been tough to have gone to
Tampa at that point when Marty Saney. We went to
the Rangers, and then the Rangers went on that Stanley
Cup run. But then the Rangers didn't win the Cup,
so at least like man if the Rangers had won
that Cup and then he retired before Tampa had won
their two Cups. I've been like, yo, Dad.

Speaker 3 (01:09:12):
It's tough. It's tough.

Speaker 1 (01:09:14):
You're like so close to those moments. But I always
I don't know about you. Okay, what do you think
if you were to what would you rather? Would you
rather a team that you likes? Like now that you're
in the you're in your fanboy era slash broadcaster, would
you like to have the team that you want to
win either just flame out in four games or go

(01:09:39):
all the way to the Stanley Cup final and lose.

Speaker 4 (01:09:43):
I mean I'm not I'm not like rooting for guys
to lose. I don't think.

Speaker 1 (01:09:47):
No, No, Okay, this is a hypothetical. It's like, okay,
say hi, I'm Nate Thompson. I live in LA. Let's
pretend hypothetical this person, this other Nate Thompson lives in
LA and he wants the La Kings hypothetically to win
the Cup? Would he rather the team with lot? Like,
just if you're not going to win the Cup, just

(01:10:09):
don't don't waste my time?

Speaker 4 (01:10:12):
No, I think still go on a run to the
cup finals, because you know, those experiences you can never
get back. I mean I know for me, like you said,
you know, I went to three conference finals. I never
made it to a cup final, but I was close,
and those those playoff runs I'll never forget. I mean,
he said it like playing in the playoffs. There's nothing

(01:10:33):
like it. You know, people can talk about the regular
season and the awards and the accolades and all this,
but every player they only give a shit about is
the playoffs. Like the reason why you train in the summertime,
the reason why you go through the things you go
through is because when you get to April, that is
what it's all about.

Speaker 3 (01:10:53):
You try to win a Stanley Cup.

Speaker 1 (01:10:55):
Okay, well that was a really good answer, and I
didn't want to interrupt you, but I meant like, as
a fan, Okay, let's preat I did it bad. I
did a bad example. Okay, let's hypothetically take the Oahu Orcas. Okay,
would you, as a fan of the Orcas, if they're
not going to go all the way to the big
dance and win it, would you, like, would you want

(01:11:18):
to go along for that ride and then feel that
heartbreak or would you rather just be like, if you're
not going to do it, just get me out now.

Speaker 4 (01:11:25):
I would rather go along the ride and feel that
heartbreak because they get to go that far. You This
is a question coming from a Toronto Maple Leafs fan.

Speaker 1 (01:11:33):
Yeah, that is why the question. I don't know what
it's like to I mean I do, I don't know
what it's like all the way.

Speaker 4 (01:11:39):
I think you would trade even if you know that
the Toronto Maple Leafs go to the Cup Final this
year and they lose, you would still take them going
to the Cup Final to be able to go on
that ride all the way as a Toronto Maple Leafs fan.
I think every Leafs fan would take that.

Speaker 1 (01:11:54):
I mean would they like, Well, it's either that or
you have masochists.

Speaker 4 (01:12:00):
It's either that or you do the same thing you
do year after year and you just talk about how
you hate the Leafs because they lose in the first round.
Or you'd rather talk about them on this magical run
and the Leafs almost win the cup but at least
they were there.

Speaker 1 (01:12:12):
But it's so heartbreaking to get all that close rights
like that's part of it, like to get I know,
I mean Rangers. Even seeing Jonathan Quick in New York,
which is still just like pretzels me every time. Like
when he won the Rodd Gilbert Award the other night,

(01:12:32):
I was like, wow, it's so weird. He like he
robbed Rangers fans of their glory with that, like Kings
back in twenty fourteen, and now he's winning this like
prestigious award for the Rangers. But it's like, just I
know Rangers fans feel that still that all the way,
Like it's just like this weird.

Speaker 3 (01:12:52):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (01:12:53):
I mean again, I've never felt it as a fan
growing up. I've only seen the Leafs go to the
Eastern Conference Final. It's it's so sad that was a
Those are the glory years too, Yeah, I don't know.

Speaker 3 (01:13:06):
Coincidentally enough, they're all there were.

Speaker 4 (01:13:08):
Those are the years that they were playing the Ottawa
Senators in the first round, too, wasn't it.

Speaker 1 (01:13:12):
Oh, don't think I haven't forgotten. Those were some of
the best first rounds I ever ever remember because they
always beat the sentence. It was like Toronto always beats
the sence. So like now if they play them in
this iteration of the playoffs, I'm like yeah, they're gonna
beat the sence. You know, it's not like, oh, they're
going up against the Bruins again. Oh boy, let me

(01:13:33):
get out of my paper bag so I can like
hyperventilate into it holy smokes or have like former colleagues
tweet at me online about the Bruins, like all the time.
I'm talking about one person in particular who will not
ever let up when that happens. He happens to be
a big fan of the Boston Bruins, okay, and the

(01:13:55):
Red Sox and the Celtics, and he has a company. Okay,
So Nate, let's give our flowers for episode eleven. Who
you got?

Speaker 4 (01:14:05):
I think I'd be remiss if I didn't give this
kid as flowers. I've in Demodoff what he did in
this first game. I mean, you get a goal and assist,
and you do it in the first period. It's pretty special.
I mean this kid is from watching him.

Speaker 3 (01:14:19):
He's he's got it. He has that it factor.

Speaker 4 (01:14:25):
And the Montreal Canadians, I mean they're in a good
spot giving Ivan Demodof right now, and I just what
he did last night. I got to give the kid
his flowers for that.

Speaker 1 (01:14:35):
Right and Nate's talking obviously about the game Montreal and Chicago,
and you know what, I'm going to stick with that
game and I'm gonna get my flowers to analyst Blake Bolden,
who is a former hockey player. Also she is a
scout l I Kings and does ESPN as well. She
does a lot of drills on the in like there

(01:14:56):
are different segments, and Blake has worked her tail off
to be where she is right now and has been
put in a lot of big situations and has had
to rise the occasion. And I think she has done
an incredible job for showing women and women of color
that they can be in that position and have that role.
And I think that her visibility and the way that

(01:15:17):
she's handled it and really gotten better and thrived with
every single day in every single game, is just a
testament to the future of our broadcasting in the sports.
So Blake's got my flowers and that's hard. I like, Yeah,
Blake's awesome. And she's also hilarious and she has a

(01:15:39):
really funny laugh, Like she has a laugh that, like
you makes you feel good. You know, some people have
really good.

Speaker 3 (01:15:46):
Laughs, infectious laughs.

Speaker 1 (01:15:48):
Yeah, We're like, oh, I guess what I did. I said,
what's sort of funny. Maybe I'm just saying is that
if you have a good laugh, come hang out with us. Okay, guys,
thank you so much for listening to episode eleven of
the Energy Line with a JSB podcast. Energy is a
production of the NHL and iHeart Podcasts. Thanks to Ryan
Callahan for joining us, and thank you to Jake Brown

(01:16:10):
for producing the show. Subscribe to the show on Apple,
Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts, or listen to
the iHeartRadio app. Give us a five star rating, and
please write a nice review. I'm Julie Storp Binks. He's
Nate Thompson. Nate and I will be back with another
episode next Tuesday as we react to the start of
the playoffs. The first round is the best round as

(01:16:31):
we know. Thank you so much for tuning in to
the Energy Line. Chat with you next week. Energy Line
is the production of the NHL and iHeart Podcasts. For
more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.

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