Mid-Season Mania: Canucks' Climb, Flyers' Resurgence, and NHL Trade Turbulence

Discover the NHL's most riveting mid-season twists and turns as we join forces with Rick, our ice-savvy confidante, dissecting the league's most surprising juggernauts and unexpected downfalls. The Vancouver Canucks, under the strategic wizardry of Rick Tocchet, have become an unstoppable force, while the Philadelphia Flyers' revival has been nothing short of astonishing under the tough-love regime of John Tortorella. But amidst the highs, there's the Los Angeles Kings' slump – a dark horse narrative of regression that’s leaving fans bewildered and analysts scratching their heads. 

As the trade winds pick up, grab a front-row seat to our compelling analysis of the movers and shakers shaping the league's future. We're not just throwing names around; we’re tearing down the very fabric of team dynamics and forecasting the potential seismic shifts poised to occur. Will the Pittsburgh Penguins' legendary duo, Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, seek new horizons? And what's in store for the likes of Noah Hanifin and Jake Guentzel? The trade deadline is a chessboard, and we're here to play – with Rick offering insights that could turn any amateur into a seasoned strategist.

Finally, we zero in on the unrelenting push towards the playoffs, with an eye on the roster tweaks that could make or break a team's Stanley Cup dreams. From the cutthroat competition in the Eastern Conference to the challenges facing the Vegas Golden Knights, including the significance of Will Carrier's presence, we've got you covered. With Rick's insider knowledge, we're peeling back the curtain on practice habits, defensive strategies, and the invaluable role of a clutch goaltender. Fasten your seatbelts, hockey fans; the race to the finish line is nothing short of electrifying.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:05

All right, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of the Vegas guys lock room. We got a special guest today. We're talking hockey and our friend Rick is in house. How we doing bud.

Speaker 2: 0:15

We're doing good yeah.

Speaker 1: 0:17

We could be better with a couple more BJK wins, but we'll get into that in a little bit later.

Speaker 2: 0:23

Yeah, how do you like that? Three straight home losses Can you remember that happening?

Speaker 1: 0:27

Can we just play on the road? But anyways, rick is here to help us talk a little bit of hockey. We're in the middle of the hockey season trade deadline. It's coming ahead. We're going to talk about some of that, but first we'll listen, we'll get into who's the biggest surprises, your top three surprises and teams wise for the season, and why are they a surprise to you?

Speaker 2: 0:47

I'd say first we knew Vancouver was good and improving, but we didn't know they were this good. Okay, I mean, this team is there, they're just loaded. You look, you look at a half a defenseman who has 57 assists, oh yeah, and Quinn Hughes. I mean that just shows you, right there, the type of production they're going, with JT Miller and Elias Pederson. I mean these guys, they're both going to have 40 goals. Probably Brock Besser, they could have three 40 goal scores.

Speaker 1: 1:20

And JT Miller, he's really taking off. He's got a career year and he's been around the block. It's not like he's a spread of chicken.

Speaker 2: 1:27

No, he's a veteran, but they've just put together a great team and Demko is solid in the net and they're going to be a force. They're going to be difficult to handle. I think they're a surprise in that respect that we knew they were getting better, but I don't think we knew they were going to be this good.

Speaker 1: 1:46

Yeah, I mean Rick Tocke. He has done a heck of a job ever since taking that job over. I know he was a he was a candidate to take over VGVGK before we went with Bruce and he has done an amazing job there in Vancouver with that team.

Speaker 2: 2:00

Yes, he has. And I think another coach when you talk about a little bit surprising is Philadelphia. They are again Tortorella, another really good coach. You figure it would take them two or three years to get that team turned around, but he's turned that team around pretty quick and they're playing. They're the type of team they're kind of built for playoff hockey because they don't mind playing two to one, one nothing. Three to two. They don't mind playing those games with the type of team that four checks like they do. They're going to be a tough out in the playoff and they are a playoff team at this time. So I think they're a little bit of a surprise because they just they really don't have the players yet, but they're playing like a playoff team.

Speaker 1: 2:49

They don't have those guys that catch headlines. You know they don't have those big names on that team and I believe they're third in the Atlantic, correct? That was the last I saw.

Speaker 2: 3:01

They're third and if you watch them they're like an annoying team to play. They're on you constantly. So they play as a unit and wherever the they're just constantly. There's no space. And that's the way Tortorello. He preaches that time and space don't give the players space to operate, and then he's got everybody playing that way. So they're another bit of a surprise to me just how quickly they've turned it around, and I think we could also look at surprises on disappointing teams and a disappointment. I think the Kings would be a disappointment at this time. They had to fire their coach but they kind of looked like they were going to take the next step. But they've taken a step backwards and I know some of the people that I know down in LA were not happy with some of the moves they made in the off season. You know they let a couple you know good role players go and it seems like they've kind of lost their way. But you know there's still time and they're still on the bubble, so we'll see what happens.

Speaker 1: 4:10

Yeah, that's a. That's a great team. Because it was funny when they started tearing it down everybody thought this would be a couple year rebuild. They kind of bounced back rather quickly last year and looked like they'd be a threat this year and so far it hasn't really panned out for him.

Speaker 2: 4:22

No, no, with. You know, certain players are getting older. We know Copa Torres. He's a Hall of Famer and but he's, you know, he's got a lot, of, a lot of years under his belt. You don't know how much longer he has. You just have a team with some veterans that have been around a long time and maybe, maybe they're just starting to get tired. It's stuff. You see some of these players playing 15, 16, 17 years and takes its toll.

Speaker 1: 4:49

No yeah it's it was, and it was surprising to see how quickly they bounced back from their rebuild, because they had a really disappointing year Was it two or three years ago? And they've really come along strong in their rebuild. So you got some good young talent on that team. They just, I just don't think they've taken the. The next step is as far as in their career as yet, but I think that seems a is one to watch out for. I believe whether three points out of third right behind Edmonton.

Speaker 2: 5:12

Yeah, they're, they're on the bubble. But you know, having to fire their coach to that people, they kind of liked their coach there and they and they weren't real happy that they had to get rid of them, but you know how that goes. But you know, drew Doudie's still putting in 20, 24, 25 minutes a game and they're just a little thin when it comes to, you know, the blue line in goal. They haven't had the gold tending that they wanted. So you know, overall they're to me a little bit of a disappointment. I thought they'd be a little more probably in the top three. They still have a chance, but we'll see what happens there.

Speaker 1: 5:49

What's another disappointing team you've seen this year?

Speaker 2: 5:52

Well disappointing. Here's another team that was supposed to kind of be getting better is Anaheim, and they've they've been terrible. You know they're the same old Anaheim ducks and you know they're looking to unload a couple of players now, probably Adam Henry, because he's going to go at the trade deadline somewhere.

Speaker 1: 6:12

I I heard reports of Trevor Zegris being on, that being the possible.

Speaker 2: 6:15

Well, zegris is one of those. He's one of those talented players. He's a guy that Cassidy would not like, because he will not, he won't play D he's. He's uncoachable, he makes some stupid mistakes at times, but he's a highlight reel too sometimes. So you know he's one of those types, but that's not the type you need to really win.

Speaker 1: 6:37

He sells tickets. He definitely his name sells tickets, that's for sure. And I'm sure he sells merchandise because, like you said, he's a walking highlight reel. He's one of those guys that every NHL commercial you see, zegris one of Zegris's plays in there.

Speaker 2: 6:51

Yeah, he's kind of. You know, eichel had a bit of a reputation before he came here and look, he's become a 200 foot player now, but Zegris doesn't seem to be coachable in that respect. These guys that score at every level. In their hockey careers they've scored, you know, 40, 50 goals. And now they get to the NHL and they forget that you got to play defense too.

Speaker 1: 7:14

And I, you know, maybe a change of scenery for Zegris, maybe they get some on track, maybe that's a kick in the butt to get him going in the right direction, because he does have talents. It's just so far you can't find the right person to get it out of him. So but yeah, anaheim, anaheim is a big disappointment. There was one question I wanted to ask you about what is your and get your take on this, because we've all been kind of waiting for Ottawa and Buffalo to kind of take off, because we know they've got really great young talent and it just seems like neither team can get there. I don't know why. Is it coaching? Is it something? Is it the old sending and getting in?

Speaker 2: 7:49

What are your thoughts on those two? I think coaching is a big part of it, because you have to find the type of coach that is going to instill those habits of playing defense. And Buffalo is they just, they just don't play defense and then they don't draft. You know, when it comes to the draft they're so thin at the blue line but when they go out and draft they're just they'll draft a forward or they're just not filling those spots they need to fill to play D. And I know it's sometimes it's not popular, it's not flashy, it's not exciting, but you have to find those hard nose players that will play defense and go in the corners and, you know, help clear out the front. And it just seems like teams like Buffalo, ottawa, like you said, even even Detroit. Detroit has a ton of talent. Detroit is an exciting team, yeah, but until they learn how to make it a little easier on their goalie, it's going to be hard for them to win consistently. Yeah, yeah, I agree that you know there's a lot of teams with talent. Then you look at, like you said, philly, it's hard to name one or two players on that team Exactly, but but they play as a unit and they're very difficult to play against.

Speaker 1: 9:06

Yeah, and it was so fun. I think I was watching the Ottawa game and just seeing some of the names, you see, because it's it's not just full of young players Like Buffalo. You kind of have just this, this young, talented team. Buffalo's got a nice mix and you know, like you see, like Tara Sanko is now on a trade ball. He hasn't been the same since being injured in St Louis Right. Claude Giraud, of course you got him there. It just seems like you would think there'd be a little more veteran leadership getting that team going and I just haven't seen it out of out of Ottawa.

Speaker 2: 9:36

Now Claude Giraud, he's. He seems like I mean you think you thought he'd be a flyer his whole career and maybe he's just playing out the rest of his career because with Philly he was a, he was a fixture there. Maybe once they leave that team they thought they'd play their whole career, for they kind of lose their juice. You know some of them so playing up in Ottawa maybe it's just just not as motivated. Some of these guys near the end of their career, you know they're just trying to to still stay in the league and make some money and try to finish it out.

Speaker 1: 10:11

Get to the finish line.

Speaker 2: 10:12

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 10:13

Mm, hmm, yeah, speaking of which, like we talked about, there's a lot of these talented players on, some of these talented teams, who, in your mind, are the buyers and who are the sellers coming up with this upcoming trade deadline here in a couple of weeks?

Speaker 2: 10:25

Well Calgary was. They were looking like they were kind of going to go for it and and make a run to try and make the playoffs, but now it's looking like they're going to be sellers. Look for Noah Hannafin to probably be dealt in the next two weeks and he's definitely a you know, a frontline forward that can do some damage, for he's a good player. He could put the puck in the net. I think Calgary is just one team that they look like they were kind of undecided what they wanted to do, but I think I think you might see a couple of their players go in the next two weeks somewhere, and I think Pittsburgh is definitely. I mean, I think Gunsell. I think Gunsell is gone, I think Gunsell is going to end up somewhere because they're. They're right at that point where a rebuild is coming.

Speaker 1: 11:22

So you know it's hard to think of the Penguins rebuilding, but you know it's so, you know, because you know in Sydney Crosby and and that whole core still there, I mean that's an older team, yeah, and going through a rebuild and you got a lot of older guys on some. I mean long contracts. I mean there's, they're not on their last years, they've got. They've got a couple more seasons of these guys with Carlson and Malkin Crosby and LaTang, I mean those guys are. They're up there in their age and I saw that you know an ex Golden Knight who was traded there after the cup was Riley Smith. He he looks like he's probably going to be moved here because he is, of course, on his last year of his contract and that's as part of the reason the BGK had had walked away from him and moved on from him to get a young player assigned and free up that five million cap space.

Speaker 2: 12:10

Riley Smith. He started the year a top six guy for them. After a month or two he was no longer in the top six. You know, I just think the Penguins are. They're in for probably a couple of years of rebuilding there, especially of how long some of these players are going to be there. Or do they want to cash their chips in and get a bunch of draft picks and and start the process?

Speaker 1: 12:35

That's my curiosity. How would you, would you think somebody like Sydney Crosby or Malkin would want, would be willing to move to have another run at the cup?

Speaker 2: 12:44

Well, we never saw it. Gretzky would ever leave Edmonton. You know, these things you think can never happen, they can happen.

Speaker 1: 12:54

You know that whole that whole great Edmonton team in the 80s.

Speaker 2: 12:57

they all moved on coffee they all messy, he goes and he, he wins the Stanley Cup with the Rangers. And those are guys who would say you know, how could Edmonton ever let him go?

Speaker 1: 13:08

But you had five. You know you're starting five was was all Hall of Famers in Edmonton.

Speaker 2: 13:12

Yeah, yeah, I know it's a long time ago, but still. That is this where, if a player is valuable and you could start getting some draft picks and looking to get young, then sometimes you don't want to wait too long, you know.

Speaker 1: 13:27

So you know it could happen.

Speaker 2: 13:29

I think Pittsburgh is a candidate for that and I think Calgary are going to see them unload some players in the next two weeks.

Speaker 1: 13:38

I know, yeah, hannafin, like you brought up Hannafin and I know Hannafin's contract is going to be a little difficult for them to move him. I know he's on the last year's contract, he's got a no trade plus so I believe he has a. He can go with a no trade for eight teams, so that might make it a little tough to move him. I think Chris Tanev, who's also on the last year's count, I think you can move him.

Speaker 2: 13:58

Markstrom. Markstrom Could be another.

Speaker 1: 14:01

I think it's going to be a dumpster sale in Calgary. They just that you, ever since Goudreau and and Kachuk left it hasn't been the same there in Calgary. Unfortunately, florida definitely got the better of that trade, didn't they? Holy smokes? Yes.

Speaker 2: 14:17

I was, you know, just being here in Las Vegas. I was hoping we would get Kachuk, but you know we didn't go after him.

Speaker 1: 14:24

Yeah, he's a he's, a he's a great player, to kind of get you that. He brings that mentality, that toughness to a team that you need that. You need that to win playoff games. You got to have that guy who's willing to mix it up.

Speaker 2: 14:35

Well, you hate him when he's not on your team and you'd love him if he's on his team.

Speaker 1: 14:40

Yeah, he's like Brad Marchand you can't stand the rat if he doesn't write for your team, but if he plays for you, you'll love the guy.

Speaker 2: 14:47

That's it, yeah. So, yeah, I know some, some players. Those are usually the guys, the physical guys. I know, I know the leagues changed a little, but the physicality aspect of it, when people watch hockey regular season and then all of a sudden they watch a playoff game, it's like two different games. Once the playoff starts, the games become extremely physical and if you, if you're not made for that, then you know you're not going to last very long.

Speaker 1: 15:15

No, and folks, if you guys don't believe us, look at the hit stats during a regular season game and then look at what the hit stats are in a playoff game they triple. Now I mean, they don't just double, they triple in the amount of hits. These guys listen to the playoff hockey. It's a whole another season. Yep, yes, it is. So who do you think will be the buyers, Some of these guys we talked about? We looked at the teams that are selling. Who do you think is going to be buying here at the trade deadline?

Speaker 2: 15:40

Well, the interesting thing is, just in the last day or two, you know the Golden Knights, you would think they were not buyers at all up until all of a sudden.

Speaker 1: 15:50

You know, Mark Stone goes down.

Speaker 2: 15:52

Yeah, they lose Mark Stone, for, you know, for maybe till the end of the year, we don't know.

Speaker 1: 15:59

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 16:00

Like last year. So maybe they are going to go looking for. And we've had, they've had trouble scoring with Eichel out and stone out. You know you can't go on an losing streak in March and you could all of a sudden find yourself looking up at the playoffs and even though they're in, they look like they're comfortably in a playoff spot. It's, it's not a given I mean you can't just all of a sudden. They've had a rough last week or two and you know they need to find their game, they need to find ways for these younger players to contribute. So but they could be buyers. They could, they could actually go. They've. They've shown in the past they're not afraid to go after a player. So you never know, yeah.

Speaker 1: 16:46

I think also.

Speaker 2: 16:48

Yeah, I think. Well, vancouver seems to be all in. You know they're, they're serious, they. They're looking for to fill any hole they might have because they feel this is their year. So they could still be buyers. And in the East I think Boston is is looking for, they're still looking for another forward. The East is extremely. I mean, when you look at Carolina, boston, toronto, the East looks very strong this year and I think the West it's a little top heavy. But I think Boston is going to try and make a move for forward and I think Carolina might too. Yeah, I think.

Speaker 1: 17:32

I think you're right there Because, yeah, looking at the East standings and it I mean it's anybody's, anybody's game right now. Anybody can move in from spot to spot. Rather is, like you said, the West everybody's kind of sitting kind of idle right now and you really going, ok, nobody's really going to threaten for, you know, for the playoffs, unless somebody really makes a big move. But in the East man, you go on a small losing streak. You could, you could be looking at yourself on the bubble all of a sudden.

Speaker 2: 17:56

Yeah, I think you know it's going to be interesting. March it's everything ramps up, everything ratchet the ratchets up and we'll see what happens. But segue into the Golden Knights situation. They're starting to show I mean we knew we were missing. You're missing Eichel, you're missing Theodore for a long time Now. You're missing Stone. So it's good You're scoring. You're going to have trouble with the score consistently, but the thing the Knights have always banked on Is their defense in their goal tending can carry them through when they're having scoring grouts and they could win games two to one, three to one, you know. But just recently they've shown a little bit of a little bit of a problem with their goal tending. Actually, aiden Hill the other night he led up some weak ones that are very uncharacteristic for him, and I think Petrangelo's got he's got a lot of time when you know he's been in the league a long time too. The wear and tear, martinez, the blue lines showing a little bit of wear and tear. They do have some young defensemen that played early in the year that are very good Pekal and Corsac, and they got Hutton back too. So they are deep there, but they look to me like they're going to have to really dig and scratch to win some low scoring games, which is kind of. If you look at the league lately the scoring's been crazy wild.

Speaker 1: 19:29

Some of these scores are tennis, they're football scores.

Speaker 2: 19:33

I mean, and it's like what is going on. You look at the goal-tenning around the league or the defense and it's like nobody's playing any deep. But the teams that are like Philly and Carolina, they're going to be set up for the playoffs. They're not going to have to adjust, they're used to playing those games.

Speaker 1: 19:50

Yeah, and touching on the VGK, talk about the way they play, the style of defense, blocking shots, getting into hustle plays. Do you think? Maybe because, listen, they made the full run, they win the cup last year and listen, trying to go back to back, that's a lot of hockey in a year's time. You think maybe that's starting to catch up and maybe just for that long season.

Speaker 2: 20:12

Well, even their blocks, their blocks are down in the last month. So the willingness to block shots and to make it easier on their goal, it does take its toll and to be able to do that back to back. I know Cassidy just listening to his post games the last few games, you could tell he's not happy. He's trying to be diplomatic but it's not the style of hockey he coaches that they've been playing lately. They haven't been managing the puck. They lose puck battles in the corners and that's just more desire and physical play Like I equated to like in basketball rebounding. Rebounding is about desire and it's just the will to put yourself in position and to box out. Well, in hockey it's the same thing in the corners to win puck battles. When you're battling in the corner for a puck, it looks like. You know, people don't realize when they watch hockey game the pucks in the corner and they're just all fighting for it. Well, there's a lot of skill and there's a lot of strength involved with coming out with the puck and being able to control it, and they've been losing a lot of those battles on the boards and that's not what they did last year After the All-Star break. They just took off, and when it came to managing the puck and things of that nature, they never look back. But they're not doing that right now, so we're going to have to see if they can find that in their game. I know they practice it all the time, but you know how that goes to, whether it equates to, you know the game. That's another story.

Speaker 1: 22:02

Yeah, that's one thing. And if everybody's kind of slacking in that area, practicing it, I mean you're not going full, 100% at it, you're not getting any better. And so you know you got to practice against guys that get that desire. That's the only way you get any better. And I'm just curious to see now, with your captain out, eichel out, even though Eichel should make a return sooner than later, hopefully who's somebody they might target now that they have some open space with you know, in the cap, with those guys kind of being out of the lineup, because I kind of looked down the list of people that are potentially on the trade block. I was looking at possible like a guy, like maybe a Jason Zucker come in, as you can move some guys up, I think he can provide some third line scoring even though he's kind of later in his career and he is a Las Vegas guy, so maybe it would be a fuel that's. you know, that will that you know he's still a good player, but you know it's just they're limited on what they can do with the cap situation.

Speaker 2: 23:05

Right. Well, maybe it's time to. They've never really put a lot of time in giving some of their prospects a little more time to develop and maybe this is an opportunity because they still, you know, the luxury they have is that they banked so many points in October and November that during this period of injuries and whatever, they're able to bring up some young kids from the Henderson team and let them play a little. But maybe it's time to see what they have in the farm system with guys like Brisson and let him find his game a little. Let this come up for one game, two game boom off and they ship them back. Maybe they should put a little more time into that and let a player try and develop and have this valuable experience of playing more than one or two games. I think maybe that's the route they're going to go, because they're hoping to get most of these players back.

Speaker 1: 24:16

Yeah, hopefully for a late playoff push.

Speaker 2: 24:21

An underrated guy. Golden Knights fans know that missing Will Carrier is a huge loss for them. Everybody thinks of, we all think of Eichel and we all think of Theodore, now Stone. But Carrier, he's a fourth line guy but his presence and his energy and his I mean when he's on the ice, everyone knows it and the other team knows it too, because he will take a hit, he will give a hit and he's become much better at actually shooting and handling the puck. So he's been a big. Hopefully he comes back for them too, because it's not just the top line guys that they're missing, but they're missing one of their top fourth line energy guys. Sometimes they even often actually they start the games with that line.

Speaker 1: 25:14

He has been amazing. He's always been a favorite of mine, just with his. We talked about the desire to win those puck battles. He's one of those guys every game you see his high energy and that's what I love about Will Carrier and when the team is kind of stagnant, it was amazing to see how, when that fourth line was fully together, how they could all of a sudden start igniting, get a goal and get that team rolling.

Speaker 2: 25:36

Well, that line was a big reason why they beat Florida, because Colasar and him and Nick Waugh was centering them at the time and they oftentimes had to go head and head against Florida's number one line. And I think everyone can remember the hit Colasar put on the Chuck. That, just you know, changed the whole series really. And right, because he was hurt the rest of the series. But I kind of lean towards they're not going to make a move because they expect these players to be back before the end of the year, and but they're going to. They're going to have to, you know, start playing their type of hockey, like you said, blocking shots and making it a little easier on their goal tenders, because that's that's the style of hockey. They keep the middle clogged and everything's from the outside and it's very hard for teams to get the puck through, and that's that's the way they play. We'll see what happens.

Speaker 1: 26:40

It's going to be interesting to watch. I hope, like I said, I hope they do give some of those younger guys a chance, like you were talking about. I'd like to see some of our young Henderson talent get up there, because there are there is some good talent on that team and hopefully they do give him a shot.

Speaker 2: 26:53

Yeah, corsac actually looks like he's got almost a little bit of theater skill, like like he's got some of that skating ability and able to shoot the puck more so than like. If you look at Hague and White Cloud, they're very good defensemen but they're not dynamic players. No they're not guys that that can skate and handle the puck. I think the opposing team always knows that they're looking to just give the puck. You know, pass the puck to the other zone. So I think that they do have they're. Actually that's one of the. If you look at their farm system, that's where their strength is. They got. They got some young defensemen that some of them are going to in the next year or two. They're going to have their chance.

Speaker 1: 27:42

Oh yeah.

Speaker 2: 27:43

Martinez is near. We don't know how much more time he has the Trandello is. He's still got what? Four years left on his contract, I think he's got four years left on his contract. I don't know if he'll he'll make that, but we'll see.

Speaker 1: 27:56

Yeah, something that that contract I think goes to well, he's what like 38, 36, something like that yeah, Something. He gets up there and he's still making a good chunk of change for sure, right Now I know it's going to be difficult, with us losing our captain and all the injuries, to catch Vancouver. Can we hold off Edmonton to hold that, that, that home ice advantage going into that two, three game, that's.

Speaker 2: 28:18

That's probably where we're going to be fighting for, yeah, I, I actually think I think there's no chance to catch in Vancouver. That's how good I think Vancouver is. I think we can hold off Edmonton because Edmonton is still even. If you watch last night's game, it was kind of a glimpse of what can happen with Edmonton. They played Boston, they lost six to five but Skinner, skinner came down there and Skinner's been playing out of his mind for them and he can, he's, he'll come down to earth and once that happens it'll become the Mcdavid show which it always is, and I don't think they've really changed much to have a different result. When it comes to late in the year and into the playoffs, I think the Knights are still match up well against them. If teams can shut down their top line, which Boston actually did last night they they usually could that team can beat, beat and I think that's Vancouver to me is much more formidable. They look like a complete team now.

Speaker 1: 29:25

Yeah, they really do, I don't. Yeah, I agree with you there. I don't think we're catching Vancouver to win the Pacific this year which I'm fortunate. I really was hoping as to come out on the strong but With all the injuries, it's been a tough year and like I said, I think with all that hockey we played last year, I think it's starting to take it, stolen it. That's why, when, when guys repeat, when teams repeat, I think it's, I think it's the most amazing thing playing that much hockey, you know, one year, one year span.

Speaker 2: 29:49

I think it's amazing and usually when they repeat, like Tampa did, it's it's cuz they have a phenomenal goalie, vasilevsky and and they, when they're not, when they don't have their a game, they can still win because their goalie can win them a game. Yeah, when your goalie can win a game or two in the playoffs, that's huge. And demko's, that's how he's demko's playing like that. He's playing as good as Vasilevsky did when Tampa won back-to-back. So I think that when you saw that score the other day when they allowed 10 goals, well, he didn't play. Yeah, I'm gonna play them, go to. When I saw that, I was like that was a that was a three-hat trick game, right. Yeah, they gave demko the night off and they allowed 10 goals. So I Mean he's he is, he's been solid all year and we remember what he did to the. Golden Knights Three years ago. Yep, he, he basically won that series.

Speaker 1: 30:50

So that's a guy when he's on his game. Yeah, when he's on his right he's almost on stuff, and there are main goalies like that.

Speaker 2: 30:55

If you look around the league, there's only a handful that really can win you, just single-handedly win you a game or two in the playoffs, and I think that I wouldn't put Skinner in that category, and I think that the Aiden Hill showed it last year. I I think the Knights have a good chance of holding up Edmonton, but I think they have very little chance to catch Vancouver at this point. No, let's Vancouver. Just something Jurassic happens.

Speaker 1: 31:21

Yeah, I agree with you there, I agree with you All right guys. Well, hey, that's. That's all the time we have for the day. Thanks to Rick for joining us. Thank you appreciate it, buddy. Thank you.

Speaker 2: 31:30

No fun yeah always fun.

Speaker 1: 31:31

Well, we'll have to get on there again with a wooden wood, rick, and in the future we're gonna talk a little bit of fancy football and some hockey as well. Well, we'll dive more into that next week and if Rick's up to join the show next week sounds good, all right, all right, everybody. Thank you guys for listening and we'll see you next week on the Vegas guys locker room.