Slapshots and Tackles: NHL All-Star Revelations and Super Bowl Defensive Showdowns

Skate into the electric heart of NHL All-Star week with us as we dissect the hits and misses from Toronto's hockey extravaganza! I'm not holding back on my views about the new team selection format; it's a swing and a miss in my book. But let's talk about Connor McDavid and his stunning performance in the skills competition—netting a million bucks and leaving fans, including yours truly, awe-struck. Toronto's buzz didn't stop there; I'm spilling the details on the highly anticipated return of global hockey competitions and why star players are sitting on the edge of their seats. Plus, we're giving a stick tap to the Maple Leafs for their All-Star victory and a look at how Vegas Golden Knights' absence, thanks to a slew of injuries, is shaping the season ahead.

Now, let's huddle up and feel the Super Bowl frenzy that's gripping Vegas! I'm sharing the ins and outs of enjoying the NFL experience, whether you're planning a family day out or seeking the solace of your own couch for game day, just like me. For those braving the live spectacle, I've got your play-by-play on making the most of it. Let's break down the impending clash between the defensive juggernauts, where I make a bold claim—it's not the quarterbacks who'll be the game-changers, but the defenses that'll make or break dreams. Tune in for my take on the strategic moves and key players who could very well rewrite the final score. Let's gear up for an episode that tackles the heart of sports fever.

Transcript

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All right, everybody, welcome back to the show. This is the Vegas Guys locker room. I'm your host, jay Vegas aka Jesse. Listen, we're the show that covers all things pro hockey, pro football, both trending news, stats and picks, and also a little sprinkle of some fantasy implications. So welcome back to the show. Glad to have you. This is Super Bowl week. That is what everyone is talking about. Of course we're going to get into that, pick our matchups and look at the spread and what the betting community is looking at. But first we're going to start off with a little NHL talk. We just had All Star Week and go by, and it was in Toronto and it was a great showing. Like you know, I watched the skills competition, I watched the games. Everything was fantastic. Everything I really didn't like is the new style of picking. They did the school yard style selection with everybody kind of picking their teams, like back in the day, and it was. To me it was a little interesting. I didn't feel it. I tried to watch, it really wasn't getting into it, decided to move on to something else. I wasn't a big fan of it. I was not a big fan of it. But then you get into the skills competition. I'm telling you that was the Connor McDavid show. Oh, my goodness, if you guys have not had a chance to watch what he put on as a show in that skills competition, please do so, because that was amazing. What he did Gets to high points. Remember, in these skill competitions for an NHL the overall winner gets a million dollars. Connor McDavid cashed that check and it was insane to watch. So if you haven't checked that out, definitely get it on thenhlcom and watch those highlights. That man is amazing to watch Play hockey. It is something that truly you will look back on Like, wow, I got to see that man play hockey, because that is like watching Wayne Greski play. But the buzz in Toronto was huge. I mean, having the All-Star Game there was incredible, especially with no All-Star Game next year. They are bringing back the World Championships of hockey aspect to it, which the players are very excited about, because then it gets them back into that and also the Olympics in two years, which is I know a lot of people, including Connor McDavid himself, is very excited about representing their countries in the Olympics and getting a chance to compete for that gold medal. So no All-Star Game next year, but there will be the following year, along with the Olympics, so that should be very exciting to see. I know a lot of the players are really just amped up about it. It's been a long time since we've got to see the stars of the NHL playing the winter games. I believe the last time we were able to play the NHL guys were able to play in the Olympics. Connor McDavid was only 17, so he was still too young. So to see guys really get in there and play it's going to be amazing to watch. It's going to make great TV. As for the rest of the All-Star break, of course Team Maple Leafs is I like to call them because that has awesome Matthews on there, but it also had his teammates along with him, alongside him and yeah, they pull out the victory in that tournament style All-Star winning the team cumulative $1 million for everybody on the team. Congratulations. It was fun to watch. Of course, it's an All-Star Game. Nobody's hitting anybody, nobody's really going at it that hard, but it was fun to watch some of the offensive moves and watch guys showcase their skill sets. That was really amazing. That was the great part about it was this whole set of is not set up for goaltenders to be successful and those guys I thought played really well against the world's best and the league's best it was. It was fun to watch. It was really really fun to watch. Of course, you know, none of our VGK guys were in the all-star game, a lot of them Due to injuries. Everybody wanted to get healthy, completely understandable. It was a long season last year, winning the memory. It's hockey, I believe, is the hardest trophy to win Because you are playing so many months out of the year. That's why it's. It's incredible to see what Pittsburgh did all those years ago with what Tampa Bay is doing now, making long runs into the playoffs year after year. That is a lot of hockey. I mean you're talking from October to June if you get into the Stanley Cup finals. I mean it's a long season. So you know, but no VGK in the in the all-star game this year. But looks like we're getting a little bit healthier. And then we've been bitten by that injury bug. We did come out and play our first game after the all-star break and did stop Connor McDavid and said Oilers and their quest to tie the record for most consecutive wins in a row, ending their streak at 16, not letting him get to that 17th win on us. So the nights look good. William Carlson, you know he hit him in his flow. We're back in the lineup. He gets the empty netter at the end of the game. Good to see him back in the ice. It has been a while. We need that 200 foot game from him and he did. Everybody on that team they look good. They looked. They look spry. It was good to see him. They look quick. I know towards the all-star break they were looking a little slow. I know a lot of guys playing a lot of minutes due to all the injuries. So in and out of lineup it's good. I'm. Hopefully we can get back to some consistency, some continuity with getting healthier and getting back into this. Right now we're still sitting behind Vancouver and in the standings, but a lot of moves to be made and it's gonna be fun to see, after this all-star break out, things go so Really excited to see what the VGK is gonna come up. Hopefully we can make a back-to-back title run here in Vegas. Speaking of Vegas, the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is in town and that is what everyone is talking about. The news. It is Super Bowl week. Guys. It's been Fantastic to watch. We broke down the, of course, championship games last week. Now we're getting into the Super Bowl matchups. I'll tell you what the buzz around Vegas been stellar. I mean it's. It's been incredible. You got Mandalay Bay doing the NFL experience down there. Hopefully you guys had a chance to go down there and check that out. Hurt us a lot of fun. I looked online. It's recently priced. I believe you can get tickets to enjoy that for 30 something dollars a ticket to go down there and have a good time and, you know, let your kids run around have a good time doing that stuff. So good family fun. Hopefully you guys do get a chance to check that out and go down to Mandalay Bay and enjoy the festivities down there. I know a lot of festivities going around for the adults, a lot of places having watch parties, a lot of places having watch Parties and such circles. Having big events everywhere is having big events for the big game. It should be fun. So please get yourself on a Reservalist if you do feel like you need to get out. I know a lot of Vegas locals. We're Gonna go to work and we're gonna go home and watch the game. I know that is my game plan. I Don't want to be out and about during that whole situation. So I know a lot of Vegas locals will be at home. But if, in case, you do want to get out there, please look up, make reservations, make sure you're not in the cold trying to figure out what you're gonna do for this big game experience. But I'm speaking of the big game. I mean ticket prices, ticket break, my goodness. I know a couple guys cuz you know I'm a. I am a Niners fan, even though we live in Vegas and of course, the Raiders are a local team now, but it wasn't always a case. I am. You know I Wasn't around. I was around when Oakland was the Raider country, so Having the Niners in I love. A lot of people have asked am I gonna get a chance to go to the game? And the answer is absolutely not. There is no way I'm going to be able to filter myself into that. I am not important enough to get a ticket to this game and I am not buying a ticket to this game. It's At something like what is it? I think that the cheapest ticket I know, a couple days ago with something like 8400 or something like that, my god, and if you're coming from out of town, the room rates are astronomical. I mean, you're gonna stay a stratus there and hopefully not get robbed, and you're looking at $300 for a room. Yeah, it's. It's interesting, so curious to see how that goes. I mean a lot of people. Hey, you got the money for it. Hey, I hope you saved up for it and you knew this Super Bowl is coming and you specifically saved up for this. Kudos, you enjoy the game. I hope you have a good time. I know the Super Bowl is a once-on-a-lifetime experience. I Just can't afford to shell out that kind of money. So, that being said, I hope everybody gets a chance and find somewhere to enjoy the game. Represent your team. If you're a Niners or Kansas City Chiefs fan, please enjoy the game. Enjoy it responsibly, be safe out there, guys. Alright, so we're talking matchups. I Know everybody's queuing in on these matchups, especially the quarterback matchup. Everybody's picking homes. Listen, my homes got the experience. He's the. He's the go-to guy. He is the new Tom Brady. He is. He's undoubtedly the best quarterback in the league. That being said, a Lot of people are keying on these quarterbacks. Brock Purdy, second year in the league, mr Irrelevant, shining through his whole story has been amazing. I don't think it's gonna come down to the quarterback matchup, I think. I think in the end, I think it's gonna come down to defensive Standup and whoever has that ball ass might be able to be the one that pulls this game off. I Mean the strengths of KC's defense and the strengths of the Niners defense matchup. Really well, I Think San Fran's defense might be slightly overrated and I believe Kansas City's defense might be slightly underrated compared to what you've seen and what you hear, and especially the names you see on there. I think I believe I talked about it last week with the Niners pass rush. They're like the Marvel Avengers, but yet their run-stopping ability is like the Care Bears. I mean, they just can't stop the run and if you let Isaiah Pacheco get started, he's gonna eat you up. He's proving it already in the playoffs. It's gonna come down and who wins this? This old line D line battle, who's gonna win the line of scrimmage? And you know, listen, you got Chris Jones. He's probably one of the best defensive tackles in the league. He's very versatile. You saw them moving against Buffalo. Move him to the outside. He is, he has a stud athlete. The Niners are gonna have to step this up. You know we made the trade for chase young early in the year. He needs to get that ball rolling. He needs a produce. Nick Bosa, you know he looked good. He looked good. Last we got a couple sacks Getting to the quarterback but the run-stopping hard grave Arms said you guys got, they got a bottleneck it and stop the run. You know you got Fred Warner Green laws back there. These guys are gonna, these guys are gonna get their tackles, but you got to stop the run. If you bottle up the run. Yes, I know it's a bad thing to let my homes beat you because he probably will, but it's gonna take everything. The Niners got to pull off this way and I know they're favored by two points. I'm kind of trying to figure out why and then I get it. Everybody's. It's a power ranking thing, but every time you look and you turn on the media and everybody talking about the game, it's always about Kansas City and how Kansas City should be the next dynasty. They should run away with this game or they should win this game. I wouldn't say run away with this game, but I say win this game, and that's kind of the feeling that everybody's getting from this, which is understandable. I mean they are, they've been there. They've got the experience of Niners. Listen, everybody's oh, it's a rematch. The Niners don't have a lot of guys left on that team that were there before. I mean they just don't. There's not a whole lot of guys left. You know Ward, who's our starting. Our best corner was playing on Kansas City's you know team last, last time we met in the Super Bowl. So it's gonna be interesting to watch. I think it's gonna be a great game. Trying to keep my expectations in check because you know it is Patrick, my homes, the man gets you know flags six minutes, six minutes after the plays over. I've never seen someone to get flags that late. Not even Tom Brady got flags that late. I mean I couldn't believe during that Buffalo go Buffalo game to see some of the flags that came out. It's gonna be interesting. I'm curious to see how the referee and goes in this one. I know the the head referee going into this game is in the X 49er, which I found kind of ironic. So I'm kind of Kind of curious on how this whole situation is gonna go. You got the Swifties out there. Do you want to let them down with Taylor Swift not winning the Super Bowl with her man. It's gonna be fun and you know, I know a lot of people, including myself. Listen, I am kind of tired of the whole Taylor Swift narrative, but she has brought a lot of exposure to the game. It is what it is, listen, it's a school. Hey, it gets guys out there to get your daughters watching football with you a little bit. Take the win, guys. Did your girlfriend all of a sudden show a little interest in watching the big game with you? Take the win. It's okay, man. It's okay that you know, listen it. And I believe a Collin Coward said it the best you know. Did your father come, your grandfather complain about people who watch the game? No, you just watch the game. Don't sweat the small stuff. That was the best thing. Don't sweat the small stuff. Take the W's. Why you can get them. If you got girls you know Girl dads a, take the win. If girls want to sit down watch the game with you just because Taylor Swift, my pop on TV, enjoy it, enjoy it, right. So, looking at the betting spreads and the picks, I'm liking for this for this week. It's interesting because I'm you know, listen, I'm not looking at any of the sporting apps or the betting apps that are here in Vegas. I am simply looking at the score doc. You know App that I have on my phone looks like they. They have it as a one and a half points Favorite for the Niners, which means to tell you the money's probably going on Kansas City side and all things lead to, if you believe in, defense wins championships, that's Defensively, the Kansas City Chiefs are the more powerful team. I mean, they, they are. They're ranked better in every aspect except for rushing yards. But if you look offensively, the Niners lead in every category. Now, I believe this was flip-flop. The last time they played in the Super Bowl, where it was, the Niners had the better defense. So it's gonna be curious to see because, listen, everybody says defense wins championships, but nowadays, is that really the truth? Is that the truth nowadays? Because I, I don't know. I don't know anymore, I. So I mean it's funny looking at the point totals and the team has given up more than 17 points on average per game, but they're also scoring at a higher rate. The Niners are scoring almost 29 points and the chiefs are scoring at least 20. You know about 22 points a game. So this, this, this game should be interesting to watch. I know the over under on it. I believe on the score app they have it at 47 and a half right now. Make sure, yeah, they have it at 47 and a half on that app. I don't know where you're getting your betting information for, but 47 and a half. I Think I'm taking the under on that one. I really do with these, these two defenses and the way they play the game, and I think you're gonna see a lot of the running game trying to see who wins that running game battle to open up the passing game. I think it'll be a tight-knit game. I don't think anybody's gonna get out to a big lead. You know you may see a seven point Lead at one point or maybe somebody get up ten if there's a turnover, but I think that ultimately, I believe this game comes down in the end as a close game, a one possession game, and I'm gonna take the under on the 47 and a half. It's hard for me not to be biased, and I'm trying not to be, but I'm gonna take my Niners. I think it's an offensive league. Now Defenses young. Everybody says defense wins championships, when nowadays how it's hard to play defense. It's hard to play defense in this league. It's all gonna depend on if my homes gets his you know his tissue flags where he's crying to the ref and all of a sudden it comes out, you know, six minutes after the plays over. I'm curious to see how that goes, to be honest with you, because he does get him. And you know, hey, I know Brady got a lot of late flags in his day. We'll see what happens. I'm not holding my breath. I'm just hoping for a great Super Bowl Good time. I'm gonna spend it with my family and watch the game at home. Bought a new TV to watch it on, so I'm excited about that. That's my big excitement. That's gonna be my enjoyment. But I am gonna take the Niners and the under in this game. I think it's close to that 47 and a half, but I think it comes in under. Just with the two defenses in the way this is gonna play out, I wouldn't be shot for a very low scoring first half, both teams kind of getting out there and Jabbing at each other, counter punching, seeing how that goes. But I am gonna take the Niners. I'm gonna take the under, my betting portion To team parlay. If you have a chance, take McAfrey to get a touchdown, because it that's a very good bet for him to get in the end zone. Always take that bet and he should be a good game to watch. So I hope you guys enjoy it. Listen, it's, it's, it's the big game. It's the big game. So Big game. So get out there, enjoy it with some friends, enjoy it with family. Make sure you're being safe out there, please, please, do not drink and drive. If you're going out to watch the game, be safe, keep others safe around you. And, guys, I will catch you in the next one. We're gonna start breaking down our fantasy aspect portion of this next week From a NFL standpoint, with the dynasty portion. Listen, you got the NFL draft coming up here in April, so guys are breaking out who people are thinking are gonna go first and In the first round and see who might be contributing to your dynasty teams. Alright, guys, thank you so much for listening. Please join us next week. We'll have a brand new show for you. Alright, guys, enjoy the big game, enjoy it with your families, have fun, be safe, take care. Guys, I'll see you in the next one. You.