Stanley Cup Playoffs - Round II Predictions

Speaker A: All right, we're back. The last time we did this as a group was last year during the uh, during the playoffs. What do you guys think of the playoffs so far?

Speaker B: It's awesome. I, I don't think there's anything better. Jaclyn was just speaking about it, but I mean having two sweeps is pretty cool. ABS and uh, and the Hurricanes and then I mean we've got game seven of um, round one with the Habs and the uh, Lightning tonight, so. Gotta love some game sevens.

Speaker C: I love game sevens. We didn't have any until tonight. It was weird. I was just saying like it was. We had the two sweeps and then everything was two and two games, four games. It was, it's like wow, that's. I don't know the last time that that's happened. I'm sure the some sports bureau uh, stats geek knows but that was pretty interesting to me. Um, and I didn't get to watch a lot. I had been very busy traveling and some work stuff going on for round one, but I'm hoping to get to see more of round two. I was relegated to reviewing what had happened as opposed to watching it. It was unfortunate, but my son has a prediction. He said that he didn't think Colorado was going to lose a game until possibly the finals. So that's the one prediction that comes from a member of my family.

Speaker A: Okay.

Speaker B: I mean I'll, I'll take whatever your stubborn's throwing out there. Maybe he's manifesting something. Obviously repping yams today start at the start of round two against uh, the Wild tonight. So that'll be a, I think a good matchup. But I know in previous seasons, I mean round two has not been kind to the ABs so we will see.

Speaker C: See.

Speaker B: Mike, how about your Ducks man? What do you think so and huh.

Speaker A: I think most people have listened to this know I'm a lifelong Islander fan. I, I did adopt the Ducks when they first showed up in Southern California uh, and started playing at the pond and all of that uh, stuff before the Coyotes came out here to Arizona. And so the Ducks were my, my west coast team. Big uh, Paul Korea and Tamu Solani fan. So just watch, watching that team and it's fun to see them play as well as they're playing now given how young they are as a team. Uh, the. I've, as much as it pains me to say it, the one benefit of the ABS winning would be that uh, Brock Nelson would get uh, to be. Get to get to hoist uh, the cup. Um, but I don't know that I'm going to let that overcome my hatred for, uh, for that team. It's not really hatred. It's not as bad as the east coast stuff. Like the. There's no other east coast team that I could be cheering for. I mean, as much as I think Buffalo is a good story and it's kind of fun, and they've got a couple of Arizona kids playing in Buffalo. So you got Tage Thompson, who, uh, is from out here, and Shane Doan's, uh, kid, Josh Doane, uh, is on that team. I mean, you've got some Arizona connection there, but, um, so I'm going to use for this one. I'm going to. I'm not going to change my prediction. I'm going to ride or die with everybody that I selected in my bracket, uh, for as long as I can. As long as I can do it. And I can still. I can still do it. I've got one I missed on Pittsburgh, uh, and Philly. I. I didn't realize how good Philly. Philly was playing.

Speaker B: Yeah, I was surprised, man. I was surprised that the, um, Pens came back as. As good as they did. I mean, Flyers could have put them away in, in four. They could have swept them, but let them come back in. I was like, come on, guys.

Speaker C: So, yeah, I thought that was going to be another sweep for a bit. Oh, I wasn't sure. I mean, going.

Speaker A: Going in or. Or just.

Speaker C: Just going. Going in. I thought it had a good chance of being a sweep for um, Philadelphia, but, I mean, I was wrong. So. And it's more hockey. So we, uh, the three of us do agree on one thing. Even if we may not like each other's teams, we always agree that more hockey is more fun.

Speaker B: I will reverse that.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker A: I don't remember a year, and I don't know if that's just me getting old and not remembering stuff, but I don't remember, um, a series starting before the previous round has not been completed.

Speaker B: I, I would agree with that, too. Yeah.

Speaker C: Uh, honestly, I, I thought that was surprising. I, I'm not going to say I thought there was a rule against it, but I thought it was kind of like a accepted thing that we're not going to start round two until all of round one is done. But that was weird to me. I'm going to be honest.

Speaker B: I mean, I think there's probably some. Has something that has to do with making more money or viewership or something like that. Like, I think it's got to Be more like contracts with TNT or TVS or whatever it is. Like, I don't think it's a NHL rule per se. I think people are just trying to make more money. And I mean, I think that with everything going on with, uh, basketball playoffs taking place at the same time, I think it has to do something with,

Speaker C: with the team television slots. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that makes sense. All the money.

Speaker A: Since we kind of know where things are in the first round, with the exception of the. Of the game se Game seven that's going on tonight. Let's, let's, uh, let's focus on round two and we'll make some, uh, we'll. We'll make some predictions on who wins tonight. So we got the Habs and the Lightning playing tonight. Who do you guys have?

Speaker B: I. I had, like, in my initial bracket, I had Lightning winning. I did not think it would go seven games. Um, and having them go back. And it's in Tampa tonight, right? Yeah.

Speaker C: So I's in, uh, Montreal. Wait, hold on a second. It's Montreal to Montreal.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker A: Okay.

Speaker B: I think I was gonna say whatever team is, is home tonight. I mean, maybe I'm wrong. Going back to Tampa.

Speaker A: It's go. It's. It's in Tampa because.

Speaker C: Sorry about that.

Speaker A: Higher seed.

Speaker C: My bad.

Speaker A: I kind of for. I forgot how well they started playing in the second half of the year. Like the same. They're. They played. They started to pick it up after, uh, the Olympic break.

Speaker B: I thought, I thought the Habs were going to do it in game six. If you guys didn't want that, that Game six should have been in Game seven. Like, that was one of the best games I've seen in a long time. It was 00 through all of regulation, and obviously Tampa scored, um, uh, in overtime to win it. That should have been in game seven. Um, I think that the momentum Tampa's carrying back into. Into Tampa now, I think that they're able to take it. So my prediction is Lightning tonight.

Speaker A: Jacqueline, who you got?

Speaker C: You know, um, I think it's going to be Montreal, and I hate that team, so this is certainly not a heart pick for me because my, My favorite teams are out. So, you know, I don't. I got nothing left to, to, like, root for.

Speaker A: That's.

Speaker C: That's near and dear to my heart. So my guess is that Montreal is gonna shock everyone and win. Um, it's difficult, uh, to imagine that, like Tampa losing at home, but I think it's possible, so I'll go with that prediction tonight. I was wrong. About where the game was. So maybe I'll be right about this. I like my eyes.

Speaker A: Sean and I went back to Tampa to go see game seven in back when they were doing the. They. I think it was the second Covid year so they were calling them the semifinals. Wasn't even conference final kind of thing. But uh, we, we saw game one. The Islanders beat the Lightning and then went back for Game 7 and the Islanders lost to, to Tampa. And that's a, it's a, that's a cool place to watch a game. It's a fun building. Um, the reason I'm going to go with Tampa is I want to, I want my bracket to keep moving forward. I already, already, I'm already out a team as I mentioned, uh, for whatever reason saying the Pens, we're going to beat the uh, beat the Flyers. But I, I think Vasilevsky is playing really good in goal. But I also think tonight's gonna be another one. Just like last, uh, the other night where it's gonna be. It's going hard to get goals. It's gonna be. We might be looking at a overtime, uh, shutout overtime game session would be kind of cool.

Speaker C: I've lived through a few of those.

Speaker B: Those are the best.

Speaker A: So if we do that. And Jacqueline, you're better at keeping track of who's, who's got matchups up. I don't. Do you have it in front of you?

Speaker C: Yep, I do.

Speaker A: Okay, so let's assume that our team wins. Whoever we picked wins tonight and use that for the matchup, uh, against the Sabers. Mhm.

Speaker C: I'm going Sabers, baby.

Speaker A: Why don't you take us? Why don't you take us? Ah, around the horn, so to speak. Matrix.

Speaker C: Yeah. So. So based on, based on what you just said, so let's assume, you know, whatever team plays Buffalo, I'm going to predict for round two that Buffalo wins. I'm rooting for the Cinderella story to happen with the Sabers. Um, I'd love to see them go really far. And in order to do that I think they need to win in round two. So I think they'll beat their opponents in round two.

Speaker B: I, if, if my prediction is right and Tampa moves on, I think Tampa beats the Sabers. Um, I don't think, I mean I, I would love the Cinderella story of, of Sabers gone through, but I just don't think that uh, they could beat Tampa. Um, I was talking to a friend last night about like why the hell are these Florida teams so good? I was shocked that The Panthers. I was kind of rooting for a 3P just to like get into, into the playoffs, but obviously they didn't make it. Um, and then Tampa's like coming back. Uh, uh, for whatever reason, these Florida boys are really good. Um, but I think Tampa beats Buffalo in round two.

Speaker C: Cooper's, my daughter in law, loves the Panthers for some reason. She just decided when she adopted hockey, when she married my son that she would be a Panthers fan. And I just. Yeah, can't. What were you gonna say, Mike? Sorry.

Speaker A: Uh, Cooper's a heck of a coach. Like. Yes, he just figures, he figures things out. Um, and they've got good goaltending. So in this series though, I've got Buffalo, uh, going, and I actually have Buffalo going all the way to the end, uh, playing Constant to jump ahead of everybody, playing Constantine's team. So that's, that's where, that's what I've got in my bracket out there, uh, right now. But, um, I think that's what I'm

Speaker C: thinking for the final two. That's fun that, you know the same pick to you at the final.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, it could be. It could. It's. That would be a fun matchup. Young M team grit, some older veterans who, um, are trying to get a cup. Uh, yeah, that could be that, that could be an interesting final. So I, So I've got Buffalo, uh, winning in this next round.

Speaker C: Um, so you, Mike and I have Buffalo. Constantine, you have got the player to be named later, which is most likely Tampa Bay. In your world would be possibly Montreal in mind. Okay, excellent. All right, well, Carolina and the Flyers, Carol, Carolina and Philly. What do you all think?

Speaker B: We already got a taste of what it looks like last night. Um, I, I have to, to stay true to my loyalty. I mean, I was born in Philly, so like, I mean, love, love my Flyers, but I. The Canes look really good. I, I can't deny it. I mean, I'm rooting for the Flyers, but I think that the Kings will take this one. They just are, are deadly. I mean, they score at will. It's tough.

Speaker C: Uh, better goaltending from Philadelphia versus what we saw from Ottawa, I think. But it'll, I mean, time will tell. What do you think, Mike?

Speaker A: For, um, Carolina with Constantine? I'm, I think, I say I, I don't think anybody stops Carolina. And I, I, I think you just. Based on the way game one went on, I see him sweeping them.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker B: Around too.

Speaker C: Damn.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker C: Yeah, I think, I think Carolina will win that round. I think It'll take him more than four games. Um, maybe like, six games, but we'll see. Uh, I don't. I hate Philadelphia, not the city or its people. I just don't like the team. I still holding on to 2010, where we beat them in overtime in game seven.

Speaker B: So I remember. I remember watching that game.

Speaker C: It was my husband's birthday. It was my husband's birthday. I remember it because there was no television on at the restaurant, and one of the waiters kept giving me, like, hints on what the score was and what was happening. And then it was going into overtime, and we went home and watched the rest of the game from home.

Speaker B: Um, wasn't that the goal? I remember the goal. Like, you couldn't even see that. It actually went in the net. And I was like, no, it's not in.

Speaker C: Because it didn't register.

Speaker B: It's like, what the hell was that?

Speaker C: At first, the only person, uh, that knew that there was a goal was Patrick Kane. Is. Took off his gloves and was celebrating because he saw it go in. But, like, the horn, red light, nothing went off. Something. And it wasn't until it was like, slow motion. Doc Emmerich made the call. It was like.

Speaker B: That was insane. I remember that goal very vividly.

Speaker C: Yeah. All right. Okay, cool. So we're all aligned. Carolina. Okay. Um, anything else? All right, gentlemen, moving to the West. All right. Colorado in the wild. So Colorado, Minnesota, two cold states. Who's gonna win?

Speaker B: Well, obviously, I'm biased, and I think for. For a good reason. I mean, I do think that Colorado has the. The stronger team here. Um, I think that Minnesota and the Stars beat each other up pretty good, which I'm. I'm grateful for. Um, yeah, won six games.

Speaker A: Um, but they.

Speaker B: They fought, they played each other very, very hard. Um, so I think Colorado is a little bit fresher. Honestly, I think that we have better firepower. Our defense is firing on all. On all cylinders. Um, I think that we take this one pretty easily. I'm hoping. Um, but in the past, I mean, Minnesota's had our number. Um, round two has good to us. So I'm. I'm respectful and I acknowledge that. But still rooting for the apps.

Speaker C: Yeah, well, according to Clayton, my son, the ABs aren't going to lose till finals. So what do you say, Mike?

Speaker A: Anybody know what the, uh, what the series split was this year between Colorado and Minnesota?

Speaker C: I did not look that up. Was it. What did their season look like? Are you checking now or do you

Speaker A: want me to see? I'm looking to See if it's, if

Speaker C: they're head to head matchups. For me, I think Colorado, when the majority of them, if I'm not mistaken, but I've been wrong. I'll make my prediction while you look that up. I, I believe the ABs are going to win that series. I don't know if it'll be a sweep, but I think Minnesota will be lucky to win one.

Speaker B: They play good at home, though, I will say. I mean, Minnesota, they. Yeah, they play well. Um, so, yeah, so, I mean, I could see it. I, I don't. I, I agree with, uh, with your statement, Jacqueline. I don't think it's a sweep. I think they will get at least one. But yeah, abs, take it. I'm manifesting.

Speaker C: Yeah, the ABS are a higher seed. So they're gonna have. If like, God forbid it went seven games, they'd have at least the home advantage on the last game.

Speaker A: Correct? Yeah.

Speaker C: Um, so what did you find out on the season matchups, Mike?

Speaker A: I don't see, I don't see it. I just looked real quick on, uh, on ESPN app and didn't see it in here.

Speaker C: But the, uh, what's your prediction for that round? I mean, you said you got the ABS going all the way, so you're

Speaker A: the ABS going all the way. And I, I don't, I don't think Minnesota stops them, but I think Minnesota, like, uh, definitely wins a couple of games. Maybe even go. Maybe even three games and this one goes seven. But I, I see just a gritty. They're a gritty team m. That can score and can get really streaky. So I, I see them winning.

Speaker C: At least they'll win a few. Yeah, yeah, I, I think they'll win at least one. But they also are going to be lucky to win one in my book. I, I know that's double talk, but. Yeah, that's what I believe. All right, on to the. Of the four matchups that remain, my least two favorite teams, the Vegas Golden Knights and the Anaheim Ducks.

Speaker B: Oh, can we, can we reverse to, uh, round one? I really want to get Mike's, um, perspective on, on the new. The old Phoenix Coyotes team now the Utah.

Speaker A: I won't even, I don't even acknowledge that team. We will.

Speaker C: They don't exist. They don't exist.

Speaker A: They're. It's. I am very happy that they're done. Um, yeah, I, I, as much as I like a lot of the players that are on that team. Uh, no.

Speaker B: All right, never, never mind. No, rewind. We're glad that they're gone.

Speaker C: Uh, I'm just gonna try to stick the knife in. About the Oilers.

Speaker B: No, I, I, I just liked that, uh, the Mammoth made it in their, their first season. I thought it was cool. I thought that they were going to have a, a better, better showing, um, at the end. I mean, they came out strong in, in that, uh, in the first Knights, I think have more, more experience, better players. Um, and obviously that, that showed through in, uh, that last game especially.

Speaker A: So that's one of the things I think is funny, is how many people talk about this being, you know, how young the franchise is and going to the playoffs and whatever. Whatever, Whatever. They went to the playoffs.

Speaker C: They know how the team was formed.

Speaker A: They, they, they went to the playoffs as the Winnipeg Jets. They went to the playoffs as the Phoenix. As the Phoenix Coyotes. And the Arizona Coyotes. They've won playoff series before. The team was picked up, although all the records were. Yeah, of course the, the, the team was, was moved. It's not even an expansion team. Uh, the, the one that I'm, I'm actually disappointed that they're not playing as well as I, I expected more out of Seattle, like I expected one out of the Kraken based on the way I thought they were going to follow the same kind of model that the Knights did, uh, where they didn't even make it. So many different, so many really good players. Jordan Everly, former Islander is on that, on that team. There's, they've got Decord, uh, goaltender, uh, who used to play at asu. Like, I'm surprised Seattle wasn't able to make, hasn't been able to kind of figure some of this stuff out. But I'm also irritated by all the noise around Utah and being like, oh, it's so great that this new expansion team is doing whatever.

Speaker C: Um,

Speaker A: not.

Speaker C: It's.

Speaker B: Yeah, no, I know, I know it's not expansion. Certainly recognize that. I just kind of meant like a new team, someone new to, to cheer for.

Speaker A: Um, that team is so good. It is so young and so good. Um, and it just sucks that they left this place especially. I mean, that was a good arena. Wasn't it fun to go watch hockey at that arena?

Speaker B: I thought it was awesome when I've been to games and I know that they kind of, I mean, you guys also went to, what was it, the ASU arena and saw them and that's,

Speaker A: that's what I'm talking about, like playing.

Speaker C: Was that Mullet Arena?

Speaker A: How would you describe, Jacqueline, how would you describe that experience in that Arena.

Speaker C: Besides watching Chicago win the Stanley cup in 2015, when I was there in game six, going to mullet arena to. With you to watch that game was my best hockey experience. That was awesome. Uh, it's. You're just so close to everything. There's. There's great food and beer and drinks, and it's just, like, such a great setting, and you don't feel like there's possibly any bad place in the arena to watch. It's amazing. And the people were really nice, you know, it was awesome.

Speaker B: I will say, just to bring it back to the Kraken real quick, I had the opportunity to go to one of their last games this season, uh, against the flames. They won 4 to 1. Climate Pledge arena, guys, is phenomenal.

Speaker C: Like you said, it was amazing.

Speaker B: It was so cool, so clean, very modern. Um, and it's. So. I've been to a number of arenas that are usually like three floors. This was really only two. Um, and as you just said, Jacqueline, there's not a bad seat in the house. Um, the entertainment was really cool. The Jumbotrons were kind of, like, angular, um, and curved on kind of all sides so you could see action all around. And given its name, Climate Pledge, they have a huge commitment to carbon zero or net zero. And then they have this wall. They call it the Living Wall. And it is all plants. Um, it's just a green wall. Super, super cool. I. I really enjoyed the experience in Seattle. Um, would love to go to a game with you guys there. That would be so cool.

Speaker C: That would be fun.

Speaker A: Let's figure that out.

Speaker C: We gotta go to a game together.

Speaker A: Yeah. When we're all gonna be in a place where we can go to a game or go to a couple of games and just kind of make that a thing.

Speaker B: That'd be fun.

Speaker A: That, uh, that's the old Key Arena. Yeah. So. And in order to keep it in the same place and keep the same, they, they basically, my understanding, they had to dig it out and still keep the main, uh, superstructure for the roof in place in order to be able to have to keep the arena in that place. It's kind of a cool thing to look at. If you're looking. Want to go deep on it. Just go do a search for the Key arena and how that arena was built and all of that kind of stuff, and you'll see some pretty cool stuff there. But when you go to an arena, whether it's Amelie, which is the. Where the lightning play, or Mullet, where the coyotes played, or. Um, I went To. I went and saw the Islanders play the night up in Vegas. This, uh, in November, when Sean and I were up there for a conference in November. And you said this.

Speaker C: It's beautiful, right?

Speaker A: Absolutely insane. Like, there's a, uh, so high on

Speaker B: my list I want to go to a nights game very, very bad.

Speaker C: So have either of you been the United Center?

Speaker A: I have not.

Speaker C: No. I, of course have been. Many, many, many, many, many, many times. And I loved it. It's awesome. I also went to a game in the old Chicago Stadium and in, um, out on Long island, um, where the Islanders used to play Nassau Coliseum back.

Speaker A: Nassau Coliseum, the barn? Yeah, that, ah, I, that was the place where I grew up watching NHL in that arena. And it is a, uh, One of the things I remember is being able to go down like, either in. During the game and in between periods you could go down. There was like this arcade kind of setup that you could go into just like in the, like the bowels of the arena. Um, and I could go in there and play super checks. Ah, so bubble hockey and just do. It's. It was. That was a heck of a place to watch.

Speaker C: Hey, so before we do the prediction for Vegas and Anaheim, I do have an answer to Constantine's question about head to head or make. It was Mike's question. The abs to the wild. So Minnesota actually won the matchups. It was 21 and 1 against Colorado in the season.

Speaker A: What's it say about home? Did you said two one and one?

Speaker C: So I don't know that part.

Speaker A: So let me see. Hold on. I think.

Speaker C: Okay, hold on. I have the answer. Okay, so it was evenly split. So two games in Colorado, of course. Two games in Minnesota. Um, Minnesota won in Colorado. Colorado won in Minnesota. Minnesota won in Colorado again. And then, um, Colorado, uh, won in Minnesota. And that's when there was a shoot. There were two shootouts. So the first game in November was a shootout. Um, and the last game was a shootout. So that's crazy.

Speaker A: Damn.

Speaker C: That's crazy.

Speaker A: Yeah, I think Colorado is the hotter team and the better team and the faster team and all that other kind of stuff. But I think Minnesota. I think Minnesota gives them a run. I wouldn't be surprised if that goes seven. But I. What I'm imagining is it goes six. I think it goes six games. Um, but we'll. We'll.

Speaker C: We'll let y' all geek out on those. The season head to head matchups.

Speaker A: We'll see how that goes. All right, so Ducks and Knights, what do you guys think?

Speaker B: I'M going Ducks. Um, I, I like Joel Quinville. He was coach of the AVs. He was coach of Blackhawks. I think he's a great coach. I love that, uh, what he's doing with the Ducks. Um, I like the Knights. I mean, the Knights are an incredible team. I don't have any skin in the game. I could see either team winning this out. M. But I'm, I'm rooting for, for Ducks on this one.

Speaker A: Yeah, I'm rooting for the Ducks, too. I don't know if I picked them, though, in my bracket. I gotta, I have to double check that. But I'm, um, I'm, I'm rooting for the Ducks.

Speaker C: I'm rooting for Coach Q. Just to be clear on the record, I am not rooting for the Ducks or the Knights because I want them both to lose. Since that is not possible. I would like Coach Q. I would like the Mustache to win.

Speaker A: All right, so I, so I love Q.

Speaker C: He's my favorite.

Speaker A: I said I was going to keep with my bracket, my original bracket. I picked the Knights over the Ducks, so I'm gonna, it will be for the Ducks, but I'm picking the Knights to win. I'm picking the Knights to win.

Speaker C: He's, uh, serious about that tiny trophy here.

Speaker A: What drives me know, so my, my family, ah, we, we have all these different competitions that we'll do throughout the year, whether it's the bracket challenge for NCAA or it's some, you know, playoff thing, like what's going on, uh, for the Stanley cup right now. But there's always these things that are out there, and I've got one kid who will have, like, six brackets and like, what is that? Like, what, what is that about? And he'll have, it'll have a family bracket and then he'll have a bunch of other brackets he's doing in different places. He doesn't carry them over, so it's like he's spreading out the

Speaker C: lotto tickets.

Speaker A: So I am not gonna be, I'm not gonna be the thing that I throw shade at. And, uh, so I, it's good that I double checked it because I would, I, I, I think the Ducks are playing fun. I think, I think Edmonton's broken, though. Like, Edmond just looks and it's kind of fun to watch.

Speaker C: Hey, they're not playing. Okay? You don't have to pile on and trash them.

Speaker A: Oh, it's. But it's fun.

Speaker B: Like, it's almost, it's, it's sad now. I kind of Feel bad for him, but.

Speaker C: Yeah, I.

Speaker A: There's a, uh, one of the roommates

Speaker C: still better looking than either of you.

Speaker A: Yeah, you know, it's a fine wine. I'm still working on the. On hitting that hole.

Speaker C: M. I'm teasing you guys. You know that. So you sent me a quack, quack, quack gift the other night. Like, that's not gonna sting. Just.

Speaker A: That's awesome. It was so good. Oh, no. This is a big thing to see him do it. The I am, um, I think or so in Islander's Twitter world right now. There's a lot of buzz and talk about, uh, McDavid wanting to play with Schaefer.

Speaker B: Interesting.

Speaker A: Yeah, interesting. I don't know. I m. Haven't met Jesus on the island. On the island.

Speaker C: You would be so freaking happy. And you wouldn't hate him anymore.

Speaker A: I wouldn't hate him anymore. He could bring his friend Leon.

Speaker C: He's a good hockey player.

Speaker B: So still in the hockey universe. I did want to bring up the topic of discussion in announcers or announcing, I will say. And one of the biggest topics is PK Subhan's, uh, attire. I don't know if you, if you guys have caught on to that train. Uh, I don't know what he was

Speaker A: wearing, what he was wearing the other night. He looked like he was wearing drapes.

Speaker C: It is. But this man has been a fashion like an icon for sure, a fashion icon for years. He's going a bit crazy. Um, but the man is always, you know, until recent examples has been very sharp in my book. And I do, I love him. I always liked him, um, as a player, as a commentator, but the wardrobe.

Speaker B: Interesting. I don't know if we're, if we're talking though about like fashion or. I mean, Jacqueline did talk about how, how attractive Leon draisaitl is. I will never back down. I think that Hank, Henrik Lundquist is like one of the best looking men. Like, oh yeah, the way he wears the suit. I'm like, dude, you've. You've got it.

Speaker C: And he's very easy to look at.

Speaker B: I link to Mike's coin aging like a fine line better than I've seen anyone else. I think he looks incredible. I think, um, this, this season is also the introduction of ej of Eric Johnson into announcing. Um, and he was a previous defensive man on um, on the abs. And I think he's doing an incredible job.

Speaker C: It's.

Speaker B: It's fun seeing him interact with the players. He's in between the benches talking with the guys. He's I think he's having a great time. He's got obviously his veneers in because he has too much even crunch tees. So was he him with tea doing a great job as well. But I love, I think the announcing is, is really fun to watch but I had to bring those up too.

Speaker C: No, no, no.

Speaker A: The announcer figure out how to age like ah Runquist. Like I've got to, there's got to be something. Maybe, maybe it's uh, Peptides A lot of, a lot of like uh, smoked uh, salmon or something like that. I don't know what the.

Speaker C: Who knows. Yeah he's, he's a very good looking guy. Well I will say this like I, I, I am a huge fan of Doc, uh, Emmerich. I miss him every day. I feel like Kenny, Kenny Albert and Edzo uh, are doing a nice job uh in his absence the last couple of years. So I really enjoy listening to those guys. And I think wasn't Kenny he was in the, in New York market. Like that's where he came from. When, before he went national I believe.

Speaker A: I thought he was like he's Rangers. He's, he's one of, he's one of the Rangers guys.

Speaker C: That's what I thought. Yeah. I'm a big fan of local broadcasters. Like you know me, I listen to every Cubs game with my home radio announcers. Even when I'm watching it on TV and I'm gonna be. And I'm missing the first part of the game. I gotta go soon.

Speaker A: Well Brendan. So uh, Brendan Burke, who is the Islanders guy has been on TNT for a while and I saw him. They brought up uh, Butch Goring uh, too like Butch Goring started, started. No calling some of the, some of the games on, on tnt and I don't know if he's in the playoff group. But uh, you know Butch Goring is one of the guys who played for the Islanders back when they won their cups and he was the, he was the trade deadline guy that they picked up from the Kings.

Speaker C: Was that in the 1800s that they won the Cup.

Speaker A: Uh, what was right before they won four, uh, in a row. Um, the first of four in 1980. And Butch Goring was, was the guy. Butch was the guy at the trade, at the trade deadline which was what the Islanders talk, uh, Shen was going to be for the Islanders. The Islanders completely just absolutely fell apart. It was disgusting. I was so optimistic going into the last couple of weeks of the season that I was going to be watching playoff hockey and then they absolutely just laid an egg. Um, so. And fired their, fired their coach with four. Four games left. Fired. Uh, Roy, I, I'm happy with the, uh, DeBoer pickup. Like, I think he's going to end up being a good coach for the team. Um, long term. I just wish there would have been any.

Speaker B: He's coached pretty much every other team in the. On the East Coast.

Speaker C: Was it.

Speaker B: He was Devils, Was he? Who was he before that too?

Speaker A: So he. Did he coach the Stars, didn't he? Stars. Stars. He coached the Lightning. I think he coached the Devils. I think he was with the Devils. I don't know that he's been with anybody else out there but the, uh. But I don't know.

Speaker C: Okay. Just one thing before we go.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker C: In case it's anything that you care about. Um, so there are two teams remaining in, in the playoffs that have never won a Stanley cup, so the Minnesota Wild and the Buffalo Sabers. Wouldn't that be fun if that was the two final. Not, not wishing anything bad on Colorado, but wouldn't that be interesting if the two could never run a Cup? But not cool for you.

Speaker B: I mean, I, Hey, I'm, I'm. I mean we said this from, from day one, like we're hockey fans first and foremost. I'm, I'm all for it. Yes, I'm going to root for my teams, but like, if there's a cool Cinderella story, I won't see Minnesota and the Sabers being in the finals. But if that happens, like, cool, like I'm, I'm all for it. Um, I don't think it's going to happen, though.

Speaker A: Well, and one of the other cool things that's, that is going to happen just based on the way the teams are kind of playing out as you're likely going to see someone for the first time since actually this might have happened with some of the newer NHL players, but, um, Ken Morrow, uh, won gold with the US in 80 in the 80 Olympics and then won gold with the Islanders in. Or won the Stanley cup with the Islanders in, uh, in, uh, in 1980 against the Flyers. There's a bunch of guys that have a chance to do that this year too. That's true. After winning with the. Winning the Olympics and the one that I would like to see, I think Nelson. It'd be cool to see Nelson do it. Um, but then again, once he's had

Speaker B: a hot series like Round one, he was looking good. I think that he's picking up steam. I, I love Nelson. I think he's a great.

Speaker A: I, I wouldn't be disappointed if you saw Buffalo in the Wild in the finals. I think that would be kind of.

Speaker C: That could potentially then, you know, a team that's never won the cup is going to win it.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker C: I mean, that's kind of cool.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker C: I, I learned a fun fact over this weekend. So a friend of mine was visiting from New York, she grew up in Minnesota and her mom was a very well known caterer in Minnesota back in the day and knew the, the Miracle on Ice. A bunch of the guys on the team as well as the coach and had catered and made a bunch of food for all those guys. And when the movie came out back in the day when my friend's mom was still alive, she's like, oh my goodness, I know all those young men, they were so nice. And it was like I just was sitting there with my jaw like on the table as my friend's telling me this story. I'm like, you've got to be kidding me. Your mom. What?

Speaker B: That's pretty cool. And it's. I will say one thing, tip my hat to the Wild. Like, picking up Quinn Hughes was a huge move. Like that kid. Oh yeah, Gores just like as. As much as he wants to. So I am a little bit nervous about that going, going against them. They do have a strong team, but like, God, I love watching that kid play. Um, the Hughes brothers are insane. I mean, watching them and Olympics was so cool. Um, so I mean, um, I, I like, I like players on the Wild. I don't like the team.

Speaker C: Yeah, well, yeah, and you gotta root for the apps. It's so funny. Like somebody was telling me the other day, like, I guess first game back after the Olympics, said, because Jack Hughes pays for the Devils, I guess he got booed. And I'm like, for what? What are you booed for? I, I guess maybe it was because he was just too proud to be an American or something. I just thought that was shitty.

Speaker A: The uh, I mean there were a couple there, there. There were a couple of, uh, incidents that happened where they were. There were reports that players were booed and it was all bullshit. Like when Austin Matthews. Yeah, when Auston Matthews took the ice in, in uh, in Toronto and he's so. He's their captain and he also comes back woods gold. Um, there you could see video feeds on, on Twitter or X that made it sound like they were booing. But then there were, there were, um. And nothing's real anymore. Like it's so easy to fake so much of this stuff. But there. There were, um, other audio feeds coming from the arena where the fans were cheering them. And.

Speaker C: Yeah, okay, so I. Apparently, I believe that I was like, wa.

Speaker A: It's. Well, it just. It's. And it's. It's, um. It's so easy to fall into it. But one of the. One of the things.

Speaker C: What I warn you guys about is the fake.

Speaker A: One of the things that happened with Hughes is I think they played. I think the Devils played Buffalo right out of the. Right out of the. Coming right out of the Olympics. And so Hughes went over and brought Thompson out onto the ice, and Devils fans cheered, cheered, cheered him. And then there were people in the background. Well, why didn't they bring the other players that were out there who also played the Olympics? And we're like, they didn't win gold.

Speaker C: But yeah, with the one guy just.

Speaker A: It's.

Speaker B: It is.

Speaker A: It is such a cool. It is such a cool time of year one that gets us back together to talk about it. Uh, we will. Let's, uh, let's. Let's see how we do in round two. I think, uh, I think we all are expecting the Lightning to win tonight and come and come up with that.

Speaker B: That gentleman Declan's room for her halves.

Speaker C: Oh, that's my house.

Speaker B: Not her hands, but the hats.

Speaker C: I hate both of those teams. But tonight, like, even more importantly than cheering for Coach Q is rooting against the man that I don't understand why any team in the NHL has ever hired.

Speaker A: You're not a Tortorella fan.

Speaker C: Can't stand that man. Hey, they like, oh, look, this is free. Let's hire him.

Speaker A: Well, they. And they. And, uh, they've gone on a run since bringing him. Since bring. Bringing them in.

Speaker B: You know, it's not a coach. He's rope, though.

Speaker A: I wish Deborah would have done the same thing for the Islanders. I mean, literally, the Islanders win two more games than they're in this freaking thing anyhow. I'm not better at all. I'm seriously, like, just jaded and hurt after, like, the excitement. Like, how cool was it to watch Schaefer play this year?

Speaker B: Like, that's awesome.

Speaker C: Good player.

Speaker A: Oh, yeah, dude. He's 18 years old.

Speaker C: It's amazing.

Speaker B: Incredible.

Speaker C: It's amazing.

Speaker A: So I am, ah. I am optimistic about what the future looks like for the, uh, for the New York Islanders. Let's figure it. We'll figure out where we go get to go watch. Watch, uh, some hockey someplace. And going. Watching a game in Vegas is absolutely amazing. Um, if you get a chance, go out there. All right, we'll pick this up after, uh, after round two wraps up. M let's let everybody know where to go. Where to go find you guys. Where do you want people to to go find you if they want to follow you on the social media platforms or any place else?

Speaker C: Yeah, you can find me on LinkedIn. There's a black and white snarky picture of me next to a vineyard and it says don't die with a full wine cellar. Jacqueline Nicholson with a Y.

Speaker B: And you can Find me on LinkedIn or, or Instagram at just Constantine Johns.

Speaker A: Perfect. We'll include links in the show notes. Thanks everybody for going through and doing it. Uh, we'll also include our picks. If you want to join in the fun and share your picks with us, send them over to us, uh, uh, uh, via your favorite social media application. Thanks, everyone. See you guys.

Speaker C: Bye.