Special Teams Decides This Stanley Cup Final | Here's How

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Well, what a playoff so far for the Carolina Hurricanes.
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After Canes knocked out the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers in four straight games, they went to work and finished off the Montreal Canadiens in five games, outscoring the hats 16-5 after the first game 6-2 debacle.
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Next order of business for the Canes will be the Vegas Golden Knights.
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Who stood out in the Canes win versus the Canadiens?
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How do the Canes stack up across the board versus this veteran-laden Golden Knights team?
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And what will be the key matchups to keep an eye on throughout the series?
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Joining me as always to break it all down, Star Trekers Stavonis, Aaron Manning, and Katie Burflet, and a very special guest tonight, DNBR Colorado Avalanche reporter, Haley Curtis.
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Hi everybody! Hello.
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Hello, it's a pleasure to be here, you guys.
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Thank you so much.
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I I have an opportunity to talk about more hockey that's revelant right now that's not related to the Colorado Avalanche.
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So anytime I can stay up on revelant active hockey, it's always fun.
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Well, for sure, and thanks for joining us, Bailey.
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We are very excited to have you because, of course, you've been scouting the Vegas Golden Knights as uh, of course, the avalanche for playing the Knights.
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And we hope that some of those uh some of those things that you've seen are going to be kind of interesting for us and interesting for the folks who uh check in with us.
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Tell us a little bit about what you're doing with uh DNBR.
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Yeah, so I joined the DNBR team back in October, uh, a little late to the season, but I hopped on their team to become the official beat reporter for the DNBR Avalanche beat, meaning I am boots on the ground at every single home game for the Colorado Avalanche.
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And I also had the pleasure of traveling with the team for their entire playoff run.
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Uh so whether that's LA, Minnesota, Vegas, uh, my publication, my our company was able to send me out and I was able to kind of follow the team around as a little groupie, whatever you want to call it.
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Just uh getting the opportunity to report on things and and just kind of see things.
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It's always nicer for me when I can go and see things in person.
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You're able to gather a lot more about the game than you might be able to just see on TV.
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Yes, uh broadcasters are always very good at catching things, but I'm able to kind of see things for myself and make my own deductions based off of the little things that I'm seeing that the camera's not always trained on, which is super exciting.
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Uh on top of going to at least 42 of the regular season games, uh I'll I'll travel from time to time for bigger events.
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I'm super excited that uh we've got a winner classic coming up here next year and uh New Year's that I'm very excited to go and cover in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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Um, yeah, outside of going to games, I am also the main host for the DNBR Avalanche podcast.
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So I get to kind of steer the conversation for my co-hosts, AJ and Ruda, most times.
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Uh, they are the big brains behind the operation.
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I'm I just kind of steer the conversation, allow them to kind of do what they do best.
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And yeah, we it it's I I was just telling somebody the other day, it is truly the best job in the world because not only do I have the opportunity to cover hockey, I get to do it in a passionate manner, which I didn't really get to do.
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Not not that I wasn't passionate about it with my previous publication, but there's a certain level of a lack of bias that you need as a reporter going into the game, especially writing for certain publications.
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I don't necessarily need that with DNBR.
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I get to, it's we're a company that is by fans for fans.
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Okay, so let's uh let's talk a little bit about uh the Montreal series.
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Um who stood out in that Montreal series?
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Uh Katie, why don't you kick it off?
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Um I think I'm just gonna go ahead and start with the entire decor.
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I think that they were fantastic, that they really set the tone and the pace for the Canes, whether it was back in their own zone, preventing opportunities or creating those breakouts uh for their for their forwards and supporting those forwards playing offense.
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It was just a full 200-foot commitment from all three D-pairs, and they made good work of the Canadiens outside of that first game.
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But once they tightened up those screws after that first game, it was just uh I think I've heard the term anaconda-like thrown around in lots of different places.
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So I think I'm just gonna give my my flowers to the entire decor.
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Yes, and and I think uh as you take that a step further, you have to bring in on the defensive side Freddie Anderson.
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Um Katie, continuing on that, did you see anything that uh really stood out with Freddie in this uh series?
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Well, Freddie was his normal fantastic self.
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Once again, going back to that outside of that um that first game, he's been really good.
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The NHL edge stats back that up and show that he's been very consistent and had good save percentages no matter where the shots are coming from.
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And looking at some of that data, I thought it was interesting to see how he's progressed over the different series.
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And in the first series against the senators, he had a 955 save percentage according to natural stat trick.
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The second series against the Flyers, it was 945, so also really good.
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And then you go to the series against Montreal.
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If you look at the raw data, it says he had an 876, which seems to suggest that he regressed quite a bit.
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But again, if we treat that first game like an outlier and you just do the other four games, he had a 946-8 percentage.
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So this is consistent, high-level goaltending from Freddie Anderson across all three series, which gives me really, really high hopes that he's gonna be able to continue it on into this next series against Vegas.
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And if he can do that, I really like where the Canes are gonna find themselves at the end of this.
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Yeah, he's definitely uh he's definitely been magic uh between the pipes.
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Um okay, so another group that I think has really stood out, of course, and we talked about them last uh last podcast was the Junkyard Dogs, as uh Paul Bisonnet has uh labeled.
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The line of, of course, uh Logan Stankoven, Taylor Hall, and Jackson Blake.
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Uh interesting thing I saw recently was a comparison to the Florida Panther line, their third line uh last year of Anton Lindell, Brad Marshand, and A2 Lucerina.
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Interesting.
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Uh again, looked upon as a very significant offensive line that would get, you know, real reasonably strong matchups.
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Aaron, what are your thoughts on the darts?
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Well, first of all, I like that they have actually embraced that nickname and are calling themselves that.
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That's kind of cute.
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It's just you like to see that personality come out when they start, you know, saying, oh, hey, yes, we are that, and that's what we're gonna be.
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But I think that the reason the label works for them is that this isn't just a skilled scoring line that's getting out there and scoring and you know, taking advantage of unequal matchups, although those matchups are being sought for sure when you look at the coaching and the way that they're doing that.
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Um, but they're also capable defensively.
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It's not a line that's gonna get run roughshod in the in their own zone.
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They're very good at paddling for the puck and getting it out of danger.
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So it's it's not a line that's you know, a lot of teams have lines that they're they're good at scoring in the playoffs, but they're you have to really weigh how much time they can be out against anybody that's you know, a more significant matchup.
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And um, because of how well they've managed to play on both sides, you know, they're they're able to be trusted in all kinds of situations and be used, you know, pretty much across the board.
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So um anytime you have a line that can do that, you're in good shape, you know.
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Now they they did not have the hardest time against Montreal because um, again, they they were seeking those those really ad advantageous matchups to use Seth Jarvis's favorite word.
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Um they were they were being matched up quite frequently against the Valleno line, which is the fourth line for the halves.
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And um, so they were they were definitely able to outplay that line anytime they were on the ice together.
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And I think I didn't go back and check the stats, but a good bit of their scoring did come when they were able to take advantage of those weaker matchups.
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So I think that they're gonna continue to do that.
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They have the skill to do that, and there's no reason not to deploy them in that particular way against Vegas.
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The trickier part, you know, and I know we'll get to this when we talk about Vegas, will be how exactly do you create those matchups for that line?
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Because you're gonna want as much of that as you possibly can.
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This is the line that I I again, I'm just basing this on our eye test stuff.
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I haven't had a chance to look at the stats this week.
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But um, I think their finishing has to be probably the best on the canes right now.
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There it's just, you know, there's no way that that anyone is beating them in that particular stat.
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And when you look at how the canes have struggled to produce offense in previous Eastern Conference finals and previous playoffs in general, finishing has always been their Achilles heel.
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It just has.
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So if this line is able to do that, you know, and that's you know, to be those junkyard dogs and finish the other guys, then you know they're they're gonna they're gonna get this done.
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So we'll uh we'll look forward to seeing what comes ahead for these guys.
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For sure.
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They've got a 12-4 goal differential.
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So 12 goals for them, four against while they've been on the ice, which is tremendous.
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And you know, you look at where they are in the stats.
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I mean, Taylor Hall is third in scoring.
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Who would have written a script that Taylor Hall would be third in scoring heading into the Stanley Cup finals?
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That's insane.
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Uh Logan Snakhoven is third in goals with nine.
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I mean, these are incredible stats.
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And the guy that was a fourth round pick, I don't know what he's doing in there.
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He's only got 15 points in 13 games, and he's tied for six.
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Of course, that's Jackson Blake.
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Incredible.
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Just an incredible performance.
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Um so, yeah, the dogs, they're gonna be key to the success of the Canes.
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Now, another person that has been key and I think will be extremely key is Key, okay, Andre Miller.
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And uh, Katie, why don't you talk about Miller?
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You were talking about the defense a little bit, saying, hey, they've been uh they've been getting it done.
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What about this guy?
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He's been amazing.
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He has been absolutely fantastic.
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He leads the team in plus minus at plus fourteen.
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He just seems to be out there, and whenever the puck is near him, he's able to get a stick on it or cut off a pass or just frustrate the offense to no end.
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And then he activates when he's in the offensive zone.
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We saw that beautiful play he made driving down low and then feathering a pass to the front, which Stahl was able to win his positional battle battle to knock it in net front.
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And but that play doesn't happen without Miller knowing his his role and where the i the open ice was and being able to use that big frame to protect the puck and and that long reach to get the pass around the defender in order to get it into an area where Stahl could do something with it.
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And so Miller has just been absolutely fantastic.
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You know, he's been taking lots of notes from getting to play on the same ice as Slavin and using a lot of those same skills that Slavin is so expert at in his own play as well.
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So it has been wonderful to see Miller step up and do a great job.
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And, you know, plenty of flowers to Sean Walker as well.
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Yeah.
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Because he's really helped to balance that entire D-pair.
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He's just a solid, um, a solid line mate for Miller to let him support him, to back him up and uh let him shine at the best in the best possible way.
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So Miller has been huge, and we definitely need to see more of that come against Vegas because they have plenty of weapons to deploy, and he will be one of the best countermeasures for the Canes to use against that uh high-level attack of the Knights.
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Yeah, I mean, him and Walker are combined plus 27, so they're right at the top of the NHL, so I think that tells a story.
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You know, the key thing I think we've seen with Miller is he's playing almost 24 minutes a game.
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He leaves the canes in that area.
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He's kind of stepped up and and taken a lot of the weight off Jacob Slavin, which I think is huge.
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Um, he's he does pretty well what Slavin does.
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So you've got almost two Slavins out there.
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I know that sounds incredible, but you know, we know how significant uh Jacob has been in the past, and now you've got a guy that looks like he's doing the same kind of thing in the same way.
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So it's incredible.
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And he's outstanding with his stick, as you mentioned, Kitty.
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That's one of the key things for uh Kay Andrew Miller.
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He's he's incredible.
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So that's uh that's good stuff, and it kind of segues into one of the other areas I thought we'd just touch on briefly, and that's the penalty kill.
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Uh and again, the penalty kill has been getting it done, and Kay Andrew Miller's been a part of that, Jacob Slavin.
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Aaron, any thoughts on the PK?
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Well, they've been incredibly good.
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You know, they've um only allowed four power play goals in the entire playoffs.
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Uh and uh they also had a short-handed goal, so you could say, you know, net three.
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Yeah, exactly.
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Uh but uh yeah, they they are um in the playoffs, they're second to uh Boston.
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Um and I think it that uh I you know I saw the stat that you shared earlier that Vegas is currently fifth at 87.5%.
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So this is a really good place for the Kings to be.
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This is you know exactly what you want.
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You look back to the beginning of the season when they were really struggling on the PK very uncharacteristically, but um that was because I think largely because of the injury to Jacob Slavin and the fact that he missed so much time.
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Um right now he leads the team in short-handed time on ice for the um playoffs.
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Uh he's playing uh four minutes and or averaging around 20 seconds a game.
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And then, you know, Stahl right behind him at three.
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We all know that Jordan Stahl is the king of the PK.
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So um, all of that is really good for the Keynes going into this series.
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They're going to need to be excellent on the penalty kill, as I know we're gonna talk about coming up, because that is one of the Golden Knights' more deadly weapons, and they're gonna need to be at their absolute best.
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So no, for sure.
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And and you know, as you said rightfully, I think too, Aaron.
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In in the past, we were always expecting the Canes to be in the top, you know, two or three for uh penalty kill numbers, and it wasn't that way for a good part of the season, but Tim's got them back uh on track.
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Uh fantastic play.
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Jordan Stahl, he's been a big guy, of course.
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He's he's been averaging three minutes uh a game on the PK, and of course, Jacob Slaven leads with over four minutes a game.
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Those two guys are rock solid there.
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And uh we'll talk a little bit about uh you know how this PK and and the power play of uh of uh Vegas is gonna play together.
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It's gonna be fun.
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One last thing I wanted to touch on, just very briefly, when we look back to the last series and what's been going on, and it's been kind of talked a lot about.
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In fact, uh Wayne Gretzky was all over this uh in a recent uh uh broadcast on TNT, and that's the fourth line.
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Uh they're getting a lot of kudos, right?
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Uh man, uh a lot of people talking about them.
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Katie, fourth line for the Kings.
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They've been fantastic.
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They are the ones that help to drive the momentum and create opportunities for the top three lines as well as give them a little bit of a breather uh while they create what they're doing.
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They're a combined plus 12, which is excellent for any fourth line.
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That's supposed to be the line that teams can take advantage of, and that just has not happened against these guys.
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Of course, the big shiny highlight for them is Eric Robinson's three goals.
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He was kind of quiet in those first two series, but really came alive on the score sheet against Montreal.
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Jankowski's done a good job keeping that line centered and moving around, and of course, Carrier brings the big physicality with all of the hits that he has been delivering.
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He's over 60 hits already, and I'm sure he's got plenty saved in the bag for his old team.
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Well, you know, we talked about Will Carrier a lot.
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Uh remember earlier in the year, of course, he was patrolling the wing alongside uh Jordan Martinuk and Jordan Stahl.
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Um and we kind of, you know, that wasn't quite the right fit, right?
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Because uh, you know, they just didn't have any offense at all.
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And uh I kept certainly emphasizing, and I know there was some agreement at times that maybe he's a fourth liner.
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And we recall that he was outstanding with Vegas when they won the cup uh as a fourth liner on a line with uh Nick Waugh, ex-Hurricane.
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So it was kind of fun.
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Uh I think he's doing a great job.
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Um and you know what?
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The interesting thing about these guys is that they get a fair number of offensive opportunities.
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Like, like you don't expect it, and they'll go in, and next thing you know, the puck's going right through the blue, and somebody's out front pushing around, and if they could get their stick on it, it's in the net.
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So they do get their chances and they're playing a heavy game.
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So I also did see there a couple of different reports today where there's a feeling that this line might be stronger than the Vegas fourth line.
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So we'll talk a little bit about that as well.
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I think that's a good story to tell.
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Uh hang on, there's some people talking about it who are seem to have a pretty good idea.
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In any case, um as we go into as we go into a discussion on uh on the uh on the two teams, and I think we'll break it down a little bit.
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We've got uh some interesting things to cover, and I know Bailey's gonna weigh in on quite a bit of it, which is great.
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Um I just wanted to go back to something.
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Uh uh couple of years ago I I did a podcast, and it was at the time that Eric uh Tulski was being hired by the Canes, and they had just a terrible situation with the Cat.
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The numbers were foolish.
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Uh they had$31 million available, and to re-sign the players they had on the roster, it was going to take 54.
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And we know what happened.
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You know, Gensel left, Peshi left, Terra Vinon left, um, Shea left.
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Okay, so the big dogs all left.
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They were all gone.
00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:26.319
And there's Eric, he's sitting there trying to figure out what do I do now?
00:19:27.359 --> 00:19:28.559
And look what he did, though.
00:19:28.640 --> 00:19:30.160
I mean, you think of some of the moves he made.
00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:37.279
He got Shane Gosses Fair in a long-term deal, Sean Walker in a long-term deal, Will Carrier in a long-term deal, Eric Robinson signed on.
00:19:37.440 --> 00:19:39.599
I mean, these are, you know, his first goal.
00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:42.400
Like that was his first summer in the in the situation.
00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:45.200
And then this past year, he was unbelievable, right?
00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:49.440
He uh he gets uh Stanhoven in the deal that went south on Ranton.
00:19:49.839 --> 00:19:54.160
He then turns around and gets uh, you know, Kandry Miller in a deal with the Rangers.
00:19:54.319 --> 00:19:58.559
He signs Nikolai Ehlers, he also got Taylor Hall in that deal with Ranton.
00:19:58.799 --> 00:20:00.000
I mean, these are incredible deals.
00:20:00.160 --> 00:20:05.920
I mean, if you think about almost half the team was assembled under Eric Tulski.
00:20:07.440 --> 00:20:08.799
It's incredible, really.
00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:10.480
It's it's incredible.
00:20:10.640 --> 00:20:13.519
And I don't think he gets enough kudos, so I wanted to give him one.
00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:16.079
That's a great job, Eric.
00:20:16.400 --> 00:20:17.359
That's fantastic.
00:20:17.599 --> 00:20:19.039
So all right.
00:20:19.359 --> 00:20:20.559
We look at the lineups.
00:20:20.880 --> 00:20:27.359
Um Bailey, if you look at just look at the general lineup before Vegas, and you've watched them now very closely.
00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:30.559
You've seen them through the season, of course, you've watched them in the playoffs.
00:20:31.039 --> 00:20:42.960
Um you know, they've got four lines that are solid, but they got six D, and they've had to fill in with, you know, um uh some of the D guys that uh we didn't expect.
00:20:43.279 --> 00:20:46.079
Um so what are you seeing?
00:20:46.319 --> 00:20:48.160
What did you see generally with our lineup?
00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:48.880
Was it deep?
00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:50.240
Was it was it heavy?
00:20:50.319 --> 00:20:51.120
What did you see?
00:20:52.480 --> 00:21:03.519
It's a deep lineup where every single line has their role, which I think this late in the in the playoffs, when you're making a run as deep as the Vegas Golden Knights have, that's key, right?
00:21:03.599 --> 00:21:09.359
You you need to be able to roll all four lines and make sure that the product that you're getting out on the ice is a sufficient one.
00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:15.839
That second line in particular has been lights out for this Vegas Golden Knights team.
00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:21.279
But even that top line, I mean, Eichel's not a name that you slouch at uh as of right now.
00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:26.799
Dorfev is a a guy who's making a name for himself in these playoffs.
00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:32.640
He's somebody I talk to my co-hosts a lot about and saying, like, he's maybe not the most proficient skater.
00:21:32.799 --> 00:21:42.480
He's not the best guy out there, but he's taking advantage of a lot of the chances that not only he is creating for himself, but the guys on the ice with him are helping create for him.
00:21:42.799 --> 00:21:52.000
Um, Tomash Hurdle, he's he's been a huge body for that third line, throwing around open ice hits, making sure that you're he he's standing up for his line mates when he needs to.
00:21:52.160 --> 00:22:00.559
And then I I look at that fourth line, and if you if you're looking for a guy who's maybe a fly in your ear kind of guy, Smith.
00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:03.279
Cole Smith has been incredible for this team.
00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:07.920
Yeah, he's racking up a lot of penalty minutes, but it's because he gets in everybody's faces.
00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:13.440
He knows that that this late in the playoffs, it's hit or miss whether or not something's gonna be called.
00:22:13.519 --> 00:22:16.240
So if you can go and take the chance, go and take that chance.
00:22:16.319 --> 00:22:24.079
And it's somebody that Cole Smith in particular is somebody John Tortarella has talked about numerous numerous times.
00:22:24.160 --> 00:22:27.920
I think back to the uh game forward post game presser.
00:22:28.319 --> 00:22:32.000
He was like, I thought I was gonna kill him for some of those penalties that he was taking.
00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:34.960
But he's out there scoring goals.
00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:37.440
He's out there doing it like doing his job.
00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:42.720
And for a guy on a$1 million deal, like that, that's really all you can ask from your fourth line.
00:22:42.880 --> 00:22:48.000
I it's something my co-hosts and I say a lot about other teams' fourth lines.
00:22:48.079 --> 00:22:54.480
It's something we've gotten away from for the ABS fourth line just because they've been or they became such a force in the postseason.
00:22:54.559 --> 00:22:58.559
But all you really hope out of your fourth line is that they're not bleeding mistakes for you.
00:22:58.720 --> 00:23:00.240
You asked them to be sufficient.
00:23:00.400 --> 00:23:04.640
And that Vegas Golden Knights fourth line has been more than sufficient for them.
00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:09.200
Well, Nick Dowd, of course, uh, you know, veteran coming in from Washington.
00:23:09.279 --> 00:23:10.160
We knew what he could do.
00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:12.960
He's a big player that can win a lot of draws.
00:23:13.120 --> 00:23:14.400
Uh, so he's interesting.
00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:16.240
Now they had some injuries on the D.
00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:19.200
What did you see with some of these guys that were filling in?
00:23:20.559 --> 00:23:34.160
Um I the biggest thing that I really saw, and I think was the most disappointing, was how little that they're in actuality getting out of a guy like Rasmus Anderson.
00:23:34.559 --> 00:23:39.279
Oh that that's been the the big kind of draw for me.
00:23:39.519 --> 00:23:44.000
Um Shea Theodore has been incredible for for the Vegas Golden Knights.
00:23:44.160 --> 00:23:46.799
I I mean he he's a veteran guy, though.
00:23:46.960 --> 00:23:48.559
That's what you expect of him.
00:23:48.799 --> 00:24:02.559
Um and being able to play the way that he has uh with Braden McNabb, there is another guy who maybe hasn't been injured, but he's missed at least one game in these playoffs uh due to some extensive physicality.
00:24:02.640 --> 00:24:07.680
And and I mean anybody who saw that hit knows that it wasn't pretty during the Anaheim series.
00:24:07.839 --> 00:24:18.960
But um yeah, they the thing is, is yes, while they've had some guys out due to injury, it's not anybody who's you know, they like they've been able to pick up the pieces.
00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:22.960
The Vegas Golden Knights are a team that thrive on that next man up mentality.
00:24:23.120 --> 00:24:30.400
Um, you look at what they were able to do with Mark Stone out for the first two games and how they were still able to get the edge over Colorado.
00:24:30.480 --> 00:24:35.599
Now, granted, there's a lot of other factors that draw into that, on especially on Colorado's side.
00:24:35.920 --> 00:24:44.720
But Mark Stone comes in and he fits, it's not as though it was a missing puzzle piece that, oh, this team is so much worse without Mark Stone in it.
00:24:45.120 --> 00:24:50.079
And he just came in and bolstered everything that they were doing correctly.
00:24:50.240 --> 00:24:57.120
And that that's kind of the pieces that I see as far as maybe what's been missing or hasn't been showing up on the defensive side of things as well.
00:24:57.279 --> 00:25:06.480
Um, you're you're getting what you need out of Braden McNabb, you're getting what you need out of Shea Theodore, um a couple other guys who maybe weren't injured, but Dylan Coghlan's been incredible for that.
00:25:06.720 --> 00:25:10.319
Well, yeah, I was gonna say Dylan, Dylan Coghlan, good lord.
00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:13.519
Yeah, no, I they trust me, I was getting there.
00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:25.359
Um there's a lot of moving parts for this team defensively, and the injuries haven't really hindered them in in the way that you might expect them to this deep in the playoffs.
00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:31.200
Well, one of the things we will watch, and we'll talk a little bit about this as we go forward, of course, is uh Mark Stone.
00:25:31.519 --> 00:25:35.920
Uh he's a key part of this lineup, and uh he's been struggling with injuries as well.
00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:37.359
But that's a good that's a good intro.
00:25:37.440 --> 00:25:38.319
I think that's great.
00:25:38.559 --> 00:25:45.200
If we look at uh some of the general kind of stats on these two teams, Katie, is there anything that jumps out at you?
00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:56.240
Well, the Athletic provided a really nice chart to show a comparison of where the Canes have been producing and where the Knights have been producing um head-to-head.
00:25:56.319 --> 00:26:06.480
And the one that really stands out to me is that while the Canes are leading a lot of the offensive categories five-on-five, uh their shooting percentage isn't as good as Vegas's.
00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:29.759
And so that's going to be a key area that I want to keep an eye on is because the canes create volume, are they able to keep their shooting percentage at least high enough to outpace what the Golden Knights are able to produce with what probably is a lower volume but higher quality per shot opportunity that they create?
00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:45.519
The Golden Knights definitely uh search out and seek those high danger opportunities, and they're willing to let those more low danger, mid-danger opportunities pass by them in order to try and hunt those high danger ones.
00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:59.680
And so I think that's really kind of what I've keyed in on on some of those stats is the canes being able to have enough finishing in order to keep the Golden Knights at bay with the way that they're able to be opportunistic.
00:27:00.160 --> 00:27:01.519
Sorry, Baby, go ahead.
00:27:01.839 --> 00:27:08.400
No, I I was just gonna kind of add on in on this too, because I do think it's a really interesting stat when you look at shooting percentage.
00:27:08.559 --> 00:27:13.519
And there's some numbers I think that help skew that a little bit for the Vegas Golden Knights.
00:27:13.599 --> 00:27:21.839
So you look at guys like Brett Howden, like Cole Smith, who are shooting at 30% or above, and that's not a sustainable number for guys like that.
00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:28.559
I mean, Cole Smith has totaled 10 shots in this postseason run so far, and he's scored on three of them.
00:27:29.440 --> 00:27:32.960
For a fourth-line guy, that's just not it's not a sustainable number.
00:27:33.039 --> 00:27:40.720
And Brett Howden, I mean, he's put up 28 opportunities that at least at least found the frame of the net, shooting at a 35.7, almost 36%.
00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:44.640
It's those numbers like that tend to be outliers.
00:27:44.799 --> 00:27:48.559
The next guy down, Pavel Dorofe, who's shooting at 23.8.
00:27:48.640 --> 00:27:53.759
That is a much more sustainable number, just given what he's been able to do through three rounds so far.
00:27:53.920 --> 00:27:58.079
But that you've got those two outliers that I think are boosting those numbers for Vegas.
00:27:58.160 --> 00:28:03.200
It would look a lot more even if they weren't finding some of those luckier opportunities.
00:28:03.519 --> 00:28:05.599
Yeah, though, those are those are great stats.
00:28:05.680 --> 00:28:07.279
And it does make a huge difference.
00:28:07.359 --> 00:28:13.680
I mean, obviously, if you're shooting at 30 or 35 percent, as you say, that is definitely not sustainable.
00:28:13.920 --> 00:28:19.680
Uh, let's start looking at some of the matchups, and there's going to be some really uh interesting ones for sure.
00:28:19.839 --> 00:28:21.519
And we'll start with head coaches.
00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:25.519
Uh, Bailey, why don't you talk about torts, John Tortorella?
00:28:26.319 --> 00:28:31.680
Yeah, this is it's kind of an anomaly situation for the Vegas Golden Knights, right?
00:28:31.759 --> 00:28:39.359
Because this is a team everybody talked about the Pacific as a whole and how it was kind of fraud alert for a lot of them.
00:28:39.519 --> 00:28:44.000
And and you know, they're they're trying to keep up with the gauntlet that is the central division.
00:28:44.240 --> 00:28:54.400
And while some of that is true, I I mean, look at the Vegas Golden Knights record through the regular season, they ended with more losses than wins, uh, over time or not.
00:28:54.640 --> 00:29:03.759
And and that's just it's kind of a baffling stat when you look at you know, every other team that came into this postseason outside of the Pacific.
00:29:03.839 --> 00:29:06.319
Um, and they they ended up leading their division.
00:29:06.559 --> 00:29:17.920
So John Cordorella is an interesting case because he he comes in at the end of the season and completely kind of turns the tide in the locker room.
00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:23.680
Uh, it's a team that I'm sure would have been on pace for at least getting into the playoffs.
00:29:23.839 --> 00:29:27.519
Um, that that's just how close the race was for the Pacific Division.
00:29:27.599 --> 00:29:37.839
But John Tortorella kind of comes in and shakes things up and says, hey, you know, all this complacency that you guys might be playing with, just saying, hey, getting into the playoffs is good isn't good enough.
00:29:38.240 --> 00:29:42.079
And look at the record he went and finished the season with.
00:29:43.200 --> 00:29:46.000
Jared Bednar said it best following game four.
00:29:46.160 --> 00:29:48.799
They the Vegas Golden Knights are a buzzsaw.
00:29:49.120 --> 00:29:56.960
And it's because of the message and and the authority and the respect in which John Tortorella demands out of that locker room.
00:29:57.039 --> 00:29:59.519
He's demanding the best out of every single player.
00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:07.680
He's making moves that maybe surprised uh a few different media outlets and fans across the league.
00:30:07.839 --> 00:30:23.200
Uh I know we're gonna get into uh goaltending specifically, but Clinton making the decision to go with Carter Hart when you have uh a goaltender sitting on your bench who has already won a Stanley Cup and has done a lot of things for this organization.
00:30:23.440 --> 00:30:32.720
He decides to go with Carter Hart, who maybe that's the right decision, just given the numbers that he's been able to put up for the Vegas Golden Knights in this postseason run.
00:30:33.039 --> 00:30:36.880
Um he's been a very reactive coach.
00:30:36.960 --> 00:30:43.519
He's a coach that's I I think won a lot of the coaching battles, if you're looking at those specifically in the postseason.
00:30:43.680 --> 00:30:48.480
He's a coach that knows how to adjust well, which is something.
00:30:49.039 --> 00:30:57.519
And when I say that, I don't necessarily mean like, okay, you're you're breaking down video between games and you're saying, all right, we need to adjust our game here and here.
00:30:57.680 --> 00:31:00.000
Those mid-game adjustments are really hard to make.
00:31:00.079 --> 00:31:06.640
And John Tortorella has gotten really good at making those mid-game adjustments and saying, like, hey, this is where this team is excelling.
00:31:07.039 --> 00:31:12.799
We know you can be better in these tight areas to make sure you clean that up between intermissions, and they go out and do it.
00:31:12.880 --> 00:31:15.120
They really respond to him very well.
00:31:15.599 --> 00:31:18.079
Um, and it that's that goes from top down.
00:31:18.240 --> 00:31:24.559
Carter Hart's been very vocal about what John Tortorella has been able to do for him, just as Jack Eichel has.
00:31:24.720 --> 00:31:30.400
Up and down this lineup, they have a lot of respect for John Tortorella, and John Tortorella has a lot of respect for them.
00:31:30.880 --> 00:31:35.359
And he's also a coach that a lot of other coaches in the league respect as well.
00:31:35.519 --> 00:31:43.839
That he's he's somebody I was able to kind of see the outside of the relationship that both he and Jared Bednar have.
00:31:43.920 --> 00:31:52.480
They spent a little bit of time together, and so seeing just how much other coaches respect him as well, it's he's a fun coach to play against, I'll put it that way.
00:31:53.039 --> 00:31:55.519
Well, for sure, and he definitely has the respect.
00:31:55.599 --> 00:32:01.680
And uh, you know, it's interesting that uh he's he's changed his coaching style a little bit.
00:32:01.839 --> 00:32:10.640
Apparently, he you know, he used to be a kind of a heavyweight kind of pushing and shoving and you know, trying to get people to do certain things for him, and now he said he listens more.
00:32:11.200 --> 00:32:15.599
He's uh he's not rushing to uh to tell everybody what to do, he's trying to figure things out.
00:32:15.680 --> 00:32:19.920
And and Jack Eichel, and you mentioned Jack, and he's a key part, of course, of Vegas.
00:32:20.079 --> 00:32:25.359
Um, he basically said, look, uh his message and demeanor is is really impressive.
00:32:25.519 --> 00:32:27.519
Like we really want to listen to him.
00:32:27.759 --> 00:32:31.599
So I think that's the story, and you're right, he's made some smart decisions.
00:32:31.680 --> 00:32:41.920
I mean, Carter Hart, he fell on his sword in one of the games early in the playoffs, and uh there were some questions would he go to Aiden Hill or not, but he didn't, and he went and kept going with uh, of course, Carter Hurt.
00:32:42.000 --> 00:32:45.279
So yeah, Torts, he's been here, he's been around.
00:32:45.359 --> 00:32:50.960
He's he's uh he's a guy that uh you know you expect him to be significant.
00:32:51.200 --> 00:32:57.839
But the fact that they made that move with just a short uh part of the season left was kind of perplexing.
00:32:57.920 --> 00:33:02.079
And and you know, it's uh somebody sitting back and saying, hey, this is incredible.
00:33:02.640 --> 00:33:22.319
No, and it's it just goes to show how much belief the organization as a whole had in this team and were unhappy with the the message that was rattling around that locker room, the complacency that was rattling around that locker room, knowing that there was more left in the tank for this Vegas Golden Knights team.
00:33:22.400 --> 00:33:25.680
And I think that's exactly what John Torello was able to pull out of them.
00:33:26.000 --> 00:33:32.480
As much as he might be a coach that's listening a little more now, he's still a coach that demands a lot out of his players.
00:33:32.640 --> 00:33:35.359
Don't don't let him don't let him fool you that way.
00:33:35.599 --> 00:33:42.559
He's absolutely a coach that that demands a lot, but he does it in a way that the players respond really well to.
00:33:42.640 --> 00:33:47.039
And I think that's the kind of key point here is that the the players really respect them.
00:33:47.120 --> 00:34:00.240
He's sending messages in the locker room that the players respond to, but he's also giving a lot of players in the locker room their own voices too, and making sure and encouraging his leaders to take that step up.
00:34:00.480 --> 00:34:04.400
And I think with championship teams, that part is really important.
00:34:04.559 --> 00:34:15.679
Yes, making sure that everybody is on the same page with the message you're trying to send in a postseason run, but making sure that that's trickling down, not just from you, but for your from your leadership as well.
00:34:15.839 --> 00:34:21.759
Um, he he's a coach that doesn't really have a long shelf life either.
00:34:22.000 --> 00:34:25.440
Like he's with the way that he coaches his teams.
00:34:25.519 --> 00:34:28.239
I mean, it look at the his tenure in Philadelphia.
00:34:28.400 --> 00:34:30.880
He was able to do a lot with that team.
00:34:31.279 --> 00:34:35.679
But it's a coaching style that doesn't last a long time.
00:34:35.839 --> 00:34:37.839
You look at these longer-tenured coaches.
00:34:38.000 --> 00:34:54.639
I I think of John Cooper, I think of Rod Brindamore, I think of Jared Bednar, who their message hasn't debate or not, their message has not gotten stale, and they've been able to demand a lot in most of the important moments from their players up and down the lineup.
00:34:54.879 --> 00:35:06.479
They've been able to embolden a lot of players, not just the leadership, to use their voices and to speak out and to uh crowdsource, if you will, to help solve problems on the ice.
00:35:06.639 --> 00:35:14.000
And I think that's kind of the approach John Tortorello is trying to take with Vegas, at least that's what it seems like.
00:35:14.239 --> 00:35:16.479
Um, and I really hope it works out for him.
00:35:16.639 --> 00:35:21.279
The the room absolutely loves him from what I gathered in my time covering the Vegas series.
00:35:21.439 --> 00:35:37.119
It's it's empowering to see a lot of how that organization from the guys on the ice every single day up to Kelly McCrimen running the front office and just how positive everything has been about around John Tortorella.
00:35:37.919 --> 00:35:38.399
Yeah.
00:35:38.639 --> 00:35:39.439
Well, I think so.
00:35:39.519 --> 00:35:45.679
And you know, on the other hand, I don't think the Keynes coach is a slouch, Aaron.
00:35:46.399 --> 00:35:48.799
Oh, you know, he's just such a warm and fuzzy guy.
00:35:48.879 --> 00:35:49.839
No, I'm kidding.
00:35:51.759 --> 00:36:03.519
This will be the eighth straight season in the playoffs for the Carolina Hurricanes, and that is an incredible accomplishment, especially when I listen because I haven't been a hockey fan for eight years yet, I don't think.
00:36:03.759 --> 00:36:09.599
But um it's an incredible accomplishment when you listen to Keynes fans that have been around for a really long time.
00:36:09.839 --> 00:36:26.559
When you where the team was before he came in and the, you know, the the the just waves and waves of empty seats and players being invited to come down to the lower bowl because it looked so bad on television that there were just weren't anybody, you know.
00:36:26.879 --> 00:36:28.159
There's just wasn't anybody there.
00:36:28.479 --> 00:36:30.159
But yeah, some of those games, Aaron.
00:36:30.639 --> 00:36:32.159
I I know, I know you have, Tom.
00:36:32.319 --> 00:36:34.000
I know you have some of you listen to that.
00:36:34.239 --> 00:36:41.599
So you know that you know that he's earned that right to be in this position now and to be taking them to a Stanley Cup final.
00:36:41.919 --> 00:36:57.759
And honestly, I think that as we've talked over the last couple of years, you know, one of the frustrations was seeing them get so close and then run into the Florida Panthers two times in a row, you know, in the Eastern Conference final and just not be able to take that next step.
00:36:58.000 --> 00:37:00.879
So he's this is a a golden opportunity.
00:37:00.959 --> 00:37:06.479
We knew this was gonna be a great opportunity this year with the way things uh kind of shook out in the East.
00:37:06.719 --> 00:37:09.679
So they have to be able to seize the day.
00:37:09.759 --> 00:37:13.279
And I, if there's anybody that's gonna try to get them to do that, it will be Brenda Moore.
00:37:13.359 --> 00:37:16.879
Um, he demands a lot of high energy, he demands that they play his way.
00:37:17.599 --> 00:37:22.879
There's no room for anybody to be the lone wolf who comes in and saves the day.
00:37:22.959 --> 00:37:32.399
They don't have those kinds of players, and they and there's really no room for a player like that on a team that is so focused on being, as they are saying a lot about themselves right now.
00:37:32.559 --> 00:37:33.679
A well-oiled machine.
00:37:33.759 --> 00:37:37.839
I mean, a well-oiled machine requires all the parts to do just their job, and that's it.
00:37:38.000 --> 00:37:41.519
You don't get to decide you're gonna do another part's job, you know.
00:37:41.679 --> 00:37:43.039
So you have to play that way.
00:37:43.199 --> 00:37:53.919
But the players love him, and they love that, I think they love that they don't have to be, you know, players that other teams would consider superstars in order to have a valuable position on the Keynes.
00:37:54.079 --> 00:37:55.519
So it goes both ways.
00:37:55.599 --> 00:37:59.039
And and so we will really see that, I think, in this series.
00:37:59.759 --> 00:38:04.719
Now, um, continuing on, Katie, why don't you talk about the goaltending matchup?
00:38:04.879 --> 00:38:07.759
So we got Fred Anderson, we got Carter Hartz.
00:38:07.919 --> 00:38:10.000
Um, how do you see it?
00:38:10.799 --> 00:38:17.519
Well, both goalies are doing really well, which for the Keynes is no new uh no new news.
00:38:17.679 --> 00:38:20.959
They've been going against hot goalies the entire playoff.
00:38:21.279 --> 00:38:32.399
Uh Omar was hot and Vodar was hot, and whoa, Dobesh was the hottest of them all, and the Canes still managed to find a way to solve them.
00:38:32.559 --> 00:38:40.079
And they are going to have to go four for four with Carter Hart because Carter Hart is also having an extraordinary playoffs.
00:38:40.159 --> 00:38:49.599
And he and he and Freddie kind of mirror each other in the sense that if you just look at their regular season stats, neither of them had particularly impressive regular season stats.
00:38:49.839 --> 00:38:58.959
They spent time injured or being uh benched in favor of other goalies starting because their numbers weren't that great and kind of muddled through.
00:38:59.119 --> 00:39:14.799
But there was something about that back half of the season, especially after the Olympic break, where both of them kind of started figuring it out, getting their groove back, getting rolling, and their counterparts were not being as successful, which opened the door to more playing time.
00:39:15.039 --> 00:39:29.039
And if you're gonna give Brenda Moore the opportunity to play his experienced veteran over his inexperienced rookie, even though Besie's too old to be considered a true rookie, Brenda Moore is gonna go with the veteran.
00:39:29.119 --> 00:39:34.159
And so he has trusted Freddie Anderson and wow, has Anderson delivered in a huge way.
00:39:34.319 --> 00:39:36.239
Like I mentioned with those stats before.
00:39:36.399 --> 00:39:44.799
If you get rid of that one outlier game, he has been the model of excellent throughout every single series.
00:39:44.959 --> 00:39:50.000
And Carter Hart's not two steps behind him as far as far as that's concerned.
00:39:50.079 --> 00:39:55.679
He was a little wobbly to start, but it seems like each series he's just gotten stronger and more confident.
00:39:55.759 --> 00:40:08.399
And so it's really gonna be incumbent upon the Kanes to find a way to get to him and get to him early because the more opportunities he has to build his confidence, the bigger of an uphill battle the series is going to be for the Carolina Hurricanes.
00:40:08.799 --> 00:40:10.399
Yeah, I think that's a good analysis.
00:40:10.639 --> 00:40:11.919
A couple of interesting things.
00:40:12.079 --> 00:40:15.279
Uh Freddy's had great numbers in the playoffs forever.
00:40:15.599 --> 00:40:28.239
Okay, so I mean, his playoff numbers, he's 58-36, he's got a 2.26 goals against average and 9.15 save percentage, and that's with uh Toronto, of course, mostly and the hurricanes.
00:40:28.479 --> 00:40:30.479
Um those are excellent numbers.
00:40:30.639 --> 00:40:31.679
I mean, they're fantastic.
00:40:31.839 --> 00:40:33.919
So he's a guy that delivers in the playoffs.
00:40:34.000 --> 00:40:46.079
Yes, he's probably been maligned because you know they they've gotten into situations where you know he was the GOAT uh when actually, you know, I I look at some of the Florida series and so on, and it certainly wasn't fret.
00:40:46.319 --> 00:40:49.439
So he's playing the way he can play, except he's kind of a step ahead.
00:40:49.519 --> 00:40:51.039
His numbers are off the charts.
00:40:51.279 --> 00:40:54.239
I there's one thing about Carter Hart that I wonder.
00:40:54.879 --> 00:40:57.919
He missed almost two years of hockey.
00:41:00.959 --> 00:41:02.479
Any thoughts on that?
00:41:03.519 --> 00:41:17.679
Yeah, I I mean the most impressive thing there is that he he came back, and while he maybe looked a little shaky in his first couple games back, he's put on a heck of a performance in these playoffs.
00:41:17.919 --> 00:41:33.599
Uh he he really emerged as the guy John Tortorella believed in and saying, hey, we we know we have this guy potentially backing you up who who's you know got the hardware to prove how good he is, but we're giving you your shot.
00:41:33.759 --> 00:41:38.719
We're we're giving you an opportunity to say, hey, I'm back and I can be a competent goaltender in this league.
00:41:38.799 --> 00:41:41.199
And Carterhart took that and ran with it.
00:41:41.519 --> 00:42:00.399
And he he's been sufficient enough to get this Vegas Golden Knights team through a team like Utah, the offensive puncher like the Anaheim Ducks were, and then he just came and stood on his head against the Colorado Avalanche, shutting down shot opportunity after shot opportunity.
00:42:00.719 --> 00:42:13.439
And while I think that is very telling of, you know, what he's been able to build through this postseason, through this regular season and his comeback, it's also very telling that the defense that you have in front of him.
00:42:13.519 --> 00:42:24.639
But I think that's also true of Frederick Anderson and the product that they're putting out in front of Carter Hart that's just and and in front in front of Freddie Anderson that have just made their jobs so much more easier easy.
00:42:25.039 --> 00:42:27.919
They're they're able to get square to pucks more easily.
00:42:28.000 --> 00:42:42.559
They're they're able to if they're giving up some of those rebounds, they know they've got players who are trailing just behind enough to pick up those opportunities and move the puck out, break the puck out the way that they need to and move the other way.
00:42:44.000 --> 00:42:44.959
Exactly.
00:42:45.359 --> 00:42:55.199
So for sure, and and it kind of kind of segues into something else as we look at you know some of the challenges the Keynes defensive side are gonna have.
00:42:55.759 --> 00:43:00.079
You've got Mitch Marner and you've got uh Mark Stone.
00:43:01.039 --> 00:43:08.479
These are two guys that you know basically, you know, uh what can I say, Marner's leading in scoring?
00:43:08.639 --> 00:43:10.399
He's a it's a little bit unusual.
00:43:10.479 --> 00:43:15.279
I mean, Martner, the knock on Marner in Toronto always was was that he disappeared in the playoffs.
00:43:15.839 --> 00:43:20.000
Uh you know, he did not score at the rate that he normally did in the regular season.
00:43:20.159 --> 00:43:21.039
He struggled.
00:43:21.199 --> 00:43:24.719
Um, and of course, they had you know not much success.
00:43:24.959 --> 00:43:26.159
So that didn't help.
00:43:26.319 --> 00:43:30.079
But what are you seeing in terms of of that combination?
00:43:30.159 --> 00:43:36.559
You know, you look at the canes, you look at the canes blue, you look at those two guys, you saw them against Colorado.
00:43:36.719 --> 00:43:38.000
What were they doing, Bailey?
00:43:38.159 --> 00:43:40.559
How can the canes stop those guys?
00:43:41.839 --> 00:43:45.919
Really, the big key to this is gonna be shut down opportunities.
00:43:46.319 --> 00:43:49.519
And it I know it sounds cliche or simple.
00:43:49.679 --> 00:43:56.319
Um, it's a lot easier said than done, but that's truly where you have to attack these guys from.
00:43:56.559 --> 00:43:56.719
Yeah.
00:43:56.959 --> 00:44:00.239
It's not just Mitch Marner, it's not just Mark Stone.
00:44:00.319 --> 00:44:08.319
This is a very opportunistic team, a team that's going to make you bleed if you make the mistakes enough to give them opportunities for blood to flow.
00:44:08.479 --> 00:44:13.759
Uh, Mitch Marner, I I mean, this is uncharted territory for him, right?
00:44:13.919 --> 00:44:21.279
Because he he hasn't had many opportunities or any opportunities to make a deep run like this with the Toronto Maple Beasts.
00:44:21.519 --> 00:44:32.000
And the Vegas Golden Knights have really built an army around him and given him the tools and resources that he needs to go out and build.
00:44:32.479 --> 00:44:34.559
The player that they believed he could be.
00:44:34.799 --> 00:44:37.599
And he again took it and ran with it.
00:44:37.679 --> 00:44:41.279
And he's building himself a con Smythe worthy performance.
00:44:41.839 --> 00:45:00.000
Mark Stone, he he's what you call the playoff merchant, I suppose, with some of the cap workarounds that the Vegas Golden Knights have been able to wrangle in past years, that the CBA finally said, uh-uh-uh, and and gave them a little less slack to work with.
00:45:00.159 --> 00:45:03.039
Um but he's another one of those opportunistic players.
00:45:03.359 --> 00:45:06.319
He's a player who knows how to find gaps in defense.
00:45:06.559 --> 00:45:16.799
Um, so that's that's gonna be a key for a very defense, defensively sound Carolina Hurricanes team, right?
00:45:17.199 --> 00:45:28.879
Um they they really need to make sure they're capitalizing and keying in on not making those little mistakes because you have guys like Mark Stone, who is not playing particularly high in the lineup, by the way.
00:45:29.039 --> 00:45:35.279
Uh guy who's playing a little further down, considered a depth guy for this Vegas Golden Knights team.
00:45:35.359 --> 00:45:39.039
And he he's still able to pick up on a lot of those opportunities.
00:45:39.279 --> 00:45:46.239
And offensive zone sustainment is going to be key here too, because it's something both Marner and Stone are very good at.
00:45:46.319 --> 00:45:53.039
Uh Mitch Marner, as far as John Tortorella is concerned, is one of the best 200-foot players in the league.
00:45:53.199 --> 00:46:07.679
Well, which I think what was it was the one of the more surprising things for me, too, because you hear about how offensively gifted he is, too, but it's on the other side of the puck that maybe blows people away and you maybe underestimate a guy like him a little bit.
00:46:07.759 --> 00:46:14.159
And so it comes down to those conversations of being efficient on both sides of the puck.
00:46:14.239 --> 00:46:17.519
And you've got a lot of different players on this Vegas Golden Knights team that can do that.
00:46:17.759 --> 00:46:20.319
Mitch Marner and Mark Stone are just two of them.
00:46:20.799 --> 00:46:23.359
Well, there's a funny story about uh Mitch Marner.
00:46:23.919 --> 00:46:34.799
Um, if we saw the press conference with uh Eric Tulski and Rod Brindemore uh, and they asked Eric, you were interested in Mitch Marner, why?
00:46:35.039 --> 00:46:37.359
And Eric said, I can't really talk about that.
00:46:37.519 --> 00:46:39.119
Uh that's not something that's appropriate.
00:46:39.199 --> 00:46:43.199
And and Rod got up and said, What's not to like about the guy?
00:46:43.599 --> 00:46:46.479
You know, like he is a Rod Brindemore.
00:46:46.879 --> 00:46:47.439
He's not wrong.
00:46:48.479 --> 00:46:51.199
Yeah, no, he's absolutely the kind of player.
00:46:51.279 --> 00:46:54.399
I mean, you look at some of the the players that they've gone out and acquired.
00:46:54.479 --> 00:47:02.959
You mentioned Miko Rantinen earlier, who a lot of us uh both in the hurricanes and the avalanche community are very familiar with.
00:47:03.119 --> 00:47:07.599
Um very offensively minded, but not very good on the other side of the puck.
00:47:07.679 --> 00:47:14.479
And Rod Brendamore is a guy who set a big precedent and a big standard as far as playing defense as well.
00:47:14.799 --> 00:47:23.519
So you have a guy like Mitt Marner, Mitch Marner, who fits the cookie cutter description of exactly the way Rod Brendemore wants a forward to play.
00:47:24.239 --> 00:47:26.639
Yeah, he's he's a tremendous 200-foot guy.
00:47:26.799 --> 00:47:29.599
So yeah, so those are guys that they're gonna have to watch.
00:47:29.839 --> 00:47:36.959
Um, now, on the other hand, the Canes have their line of guys that are gonna be a challenge for Vegas.
00:47:37.279 --> 00:47:40.079
Aaron, you talked about the junkyard dogs.
00:47:40.319 --> 00:47:44.479
How would you stop the junkyard dogs if you're the Vegas Golden Knights?
00:47:45.119 --> 00:47:54.319
Well, first of all, um we talked about this a little bit with when we were talking about the the fourth line matchups uh between the Canes and the Golden Knights.
00:47:54.559 --> 00:48:11.359
Um it's it's been a feature all along in the playoffs that um because Logan Stankhoven's line does not take the heaviest matchups, not not on purpose anyway, you know, sometimes they're out against them, but you wouldn't want Paul Stancoven and Blake up against the top two lines in Vegas.
00:48:11.519 --> 00:48:17.759
So they have typically been feasting against either their co-partner third lines or against fourth lines.
00:48:18.000 --> 00:48:29.839
It is gonna be harder, I think, for that line, the Stancoven line, to have that much space and and so on and freedom to move against that fourth line.
00:48:30.079 --> 00:48:34.239
I know they're fast, and if they can exploit their speed, they can probably still do it.
00:48:34.479 --> 00:48:45.279
But you're talking about um the line of Smith, Dowd, and Kolisar, and you know, the team leader in hits for the Knights is uh Barbashev with 83.
00:48:45.679 --> 00:48:51.279
But then you've got um Smith with 66 and Kolisar with 70, and even Dowd has 37.
00:48:51.519 --> 00:48:57.359
You compare that, you know, even just to the to the Keynes uh fourth line, it's not it's not a comparison.
00:48:57.519 --> 00:49:01.599
And when you look at how the the Hall, Stanko and Blake line, you know, compares.
00:49:01.759 --> 00:49:07.839
I mean, yes, Logan Stanko is, you know, he's been throwing some hits, but they're probably not going to do any damage, you know.
00:49:08.399 --> 00:49:10.559
It's not that's not his role, and that's not what I mean.
00:49:10.639 --> 00:49:13.759
He's he's certainly not going to be knocking anybody out of the game.
00:49:14.000 --> 00:49:26.799
So with that increased physicality, I think that there may be some areas where they can get those matchups, but then there may be some areas where that matchup may not work as well when you have two smaller players on a line.
00:49:26.959 --> 00:49:49.599
Um, you know, and so it's gonna be interesting to see if Rod adjusts his uh his matchup uh choices with that line at all uh in in this series, because that would be the way that Vegas would try to shut them down as to use that weapon of their physicality to try to get these guys to maybe, you know, come out of the corners a little quicker or be a little bit more afraid to hang under the puck too long.
00:49:49.839 --> 00:49:56.319
I don't think that it's gonna be something that those three guys are gonna do in terms of their mental and emotional makeup.
00:49:56.399 --> 00:49:59.919
They're not afraid to take that kind of physicality.
00:50:00.239 --> 00:50:07.199
But it can slow you down as as the as the games wear on, you know, this is gonna be a decently long series, I think.
00:50:07.359 --> 00:50:20.559
As the games wear on and guys are battling in the corners and you're getting pushed around a little bit more and you're getting you're taking some of those heavy hits, it can start to slow you down and start to impact your ability to get in there and produce those um scoring chances.
00:50:20.719 --> 00:50:32.639
And then you have to ask, if are the knights going to shut them down also by really getting in front of the net and really, you know, stacking those layers of defense in front of Carter Hart because they probably will do that as well.
00:50:32.799 --> 00:50:45.199
And and there's a size differential that could be harder for this line to solve when you have some of Vegas' bigger defensive players can't kind of putting up that wall in front of the net.
00:50:45.359 --> 00:50:48.000
So it'll be interesting to see how they work how they work through that.
00:50:48.079 --> 00:50:53.279
But that's my that that's my thinking of the kinds of things that the Knights will probably try to do.
00:50:53.759 --> 00:51:05.919
Well, that's an interesting one and it segues into a question because when you look at the Vegas defensive corps, uh you've got, of course, you know, Shea Theodore and uh Braden McNabb.
00:51:06.079 --> 00:51:09.839
Those guys are rock solid defensively, but they're gonna get the tough matchups.
00:51:10.079 --> 00:51:11.439
Okay, that's the first thing.
00:51:11.599 --> 00:51:13.359
So that leaves the other two pairs.
00:51:13.439 --> 00:51:24.000
And the number two pair uh of uh, you know, Anderson and Hannafan uh could be a pair they could beat up on, certainly Coughlin and Colasar.
00:51:24.079 --> 00:51:36.959
So Bailey, when you look at that and you say, hey, wait a minute, you know, this Hannafin Anderson duel, which is their number two duel, you know, we were laughing before saying, hey, there's almost two Slavins on the Canes now.
00:51:37.199 --> 00:51:41.039
How do you see the Canes uh taking advantage of those two guys?
00:51:41.519 --> 00:51:57.679
Well, first off, uh player that the Hurricane should be very familiar with in Dylan Coughlin, uh player who I wasn't sure would see as much uh, I guess, proficiency as he has in an NHL jersey again.
00:51:57.919 --> 00:52:00.000
He's a fantastic AHL player.
00:52:00.159 --> 00:52:03.519
Um the Hurricanes saw that in in spades.
00:52:04.079 --> 00:52:10.639
Um the way that he's been playing with Korzak has been fantastic for this Vegas Golden Knights team.
00:52:10.879 --> 00:52:18.239
Um, and it's a defensive pair that John Tortorella has applauded multiple times throughout the the postseason.
00:52:18.559 --> 00:52:27.679
Dylan Coughlin's really been a huge step uh in or huge key in a lot of their their success in the postseason.
00:52:27.759 --> 00:52:33.039
And that just goes back to that depth um that that the hurricanes are gonna be facing here.
00:52:33.199 --> 00:52:47.519
But as far as this Hannifin um Anderson line, I wanted to read out an interesting stat for you because you mentioned this McNabb Theodore line or the this McNab Theodore pair is gonna be the pair that sees the most matchup from top any guys, right?
00:52:47.679 --> 00:52:51.039
And that's very evident when you look at expected goals for and against.
00:52:51.199 --> 00:53:05.039
Um right now the the McNab Theodore line is seeing 7.3 expected goals against, which when you're seeing the top guys from every single team, like that that's I feel like pretty it's still a very high number.
00:53:05.199 --> 00:53:16.399
Um it's a lot higher than you want to see from a top line, but it's still when you take into account the the ice time that they're getting and the mad types of matchups they're seeing, it's understandable.
00:53:16.639 --> 00:53:22.639
This Hannafan Anderson line sits at 11.7 expected goals against.
00:53:22.879 --> 00:53:29.839
Yeah, and I think a lot of that is telling just with the way that Rasmus Anderson likes to play, he's more offensively minded.
00:53:30.319 --> 00:53:36.559
Uh had a down year in Calgary, his that has not improved with the biggest Golden Knights, one bit.
00:53:36.959 --> 00:53:40.399
No, Hannah's really, really not helping him in that regard.
00:53:40.479 --> 00:53:42.879
He's a guy who likes to play, I think, a little higher up.
00:53:42.959 --> 00:53:45.039
He likes to get caught in the offensive zone.
00:53:45.279 --> 00:53:53.599
And it's something that if the Hurricanes can really stick to a nice four-checking game, something you can really take advantage of.
00:53:53.759 --> 00:54:09.759
And I I wondered just how much John Tortarella kind of sticks him to the man and just says, hey, you've got a team that can explode if they need to, and you can't afford to make those offensive zone mistakes that give them a little more room down the ice.
00:54:10.399 --> 00:54:22.479
One thing that's interesting that I saw, and I think it was from Corey Schneider, is he said that when it comes to zone clears and the defensive end, the Golden Knights really lean on their forwards to do that and not so much their defensemen.
00:54:22.559 --> 00:54:25.759
That the defensemen are really weak in getting zone clears.
00:54:25.839 --> 00:54:31.439
And when they do get zone clears, it's more just to lob the puck out to the neutral zone and hope that your guy can pick it up.
00:54:31.519 --> 00:54:37.279
It's not with it's not with clear intention towards advancing the puck to their guys up the ice.
00:54:37.439 --> 00:54:57.039
And so if the Canes forecheck can really isolate the Vegas Golden Knights defensemen and get the puck directly from them and not allow their forwards to come back and support and help with zone exits, that will be a huge advantage to the Canes and their offensive push in the zone and being able to get multiple looks in a single possession.
00:54:57.919 --> 00:55:06.479
I think what would really help them here too is taking a bird's eye view look of the Vegas Golden Knights and how they play through each third.
00:55:06.639 --> 00:55:17.679
Because they're they're a team that really relies on a neutral zone trap, which if if you take that explanation in that, it makes a lot of sense why they're not really trying to lob the puck all the way across the ice.
00:55:17.759 --> 00:55:30.159
If you can sit there and play the game that you've perfected over the season in the neutral zone, you're you're really just creating a smoother transition for yourself to go and shoot up the ice if you if you can sit and trap teams in the neutral zone.
00:55:30.399 --> 00:55:33.839
And you're you're just setting yourself up for success that way.
00:55:35.119 --> 00:55:46.399
Well, you know, there's an interesting thing in what you were talking about is that uh, you know, trying to put pressure on that defensive core, trying to make them, you know, cough pucks up and do different things.
00:55:46.559 --> 00:55:50.399
But I mean, obviously, behind all that has been the great play of Carter Hart.
00:55:50.799 --> 00:55:59.439
For the Canes, one of the areas that I think might help them against Carter Hart would be for their top line to really get rolling.
00:55:59.759 --> 00:56:01.919
And Katie, why don't you talk about that?
00:56:02.000 --> 00:56:12.479
Because I think we've started to see some things that are kind of encouraging, but you know, this changes the rules for the Hurricanes in terms of putting pressure on Hart in the defensive core.
00:56:13.599 --> 00:56:26.000
Well, the one signature aspect of the top line throughout all of the series has been despite their lack of offensive production, they have shut down the um their opposition.
00:56:26.159 --> 00:56:28.719
And so that is something they definitely don't want to lose.
00:56:28.879 --> 00:56:34.719
It's not going to be of any benefit to them if they loosen up on their defense just in order to create more offense.
00:56:34.879 --> 00:56:37.679
It's still going to draw out about even.
00:56:38.000 --> 00:56:50.799
So they will definitely need to keep their defensive game on point when it comes to whoever they're matching up against, whether it's the top line with Eichel or the second line with Marner.
00:56:51.279 --> 00:56:53.759
Um, they they need to keep that up.
00:56:53.919 --> 00:57:01.039
But they they have been showing a lot more um opportunistic tendencies, especially Svetch.
00:57:01.119 --> 00:57:11.759
He has led the way with that, followed by Jarvis and a little less so with Aho, but of course that's because Aho is the is the key to the to the good defense to start with.
00:57:11.919 --> 00:57:17.039
So he has to be a little bit more mindful with where he goes and how he positions himself on the ice.
00:57:17.199 --> 00:57:27.439
But I really think that Svetch is the one who is set to have a breakout series and to finally start cashing in and a bunch of the looks that he's created.
00:57:27.599 --> 00:57:30.079
He's also built more for a series like this.
00:57:30.239 --> 00:57:36.559
I think he's third in the team with hits, and so even playing top line, he's still bringing that physicality.
00:57:36.719 --> 00:57:43.039
He's battling in the corners, he's going to the middle of the ice, he's shooting the puck more.
00:57:43.119 --> 00:57:53.279
And so I think that they're right there on that verge as long as they don't get too frustrated and too caught up in that neutral zone trap, like Bailey was talking about.
00:57:53.439 --> 00:58:02.239
But if there's one area that the Kanes definitely have experience in, is even though they have been fantastic off the rush this season.
00:58:02.399 --> 00:58:02.479
Yeah.
00:58:02.799 --> 00:58:07.919
I think it's seen various stats that they were second only to the Avalanche when it came to rush goals.
00:58:08.559 --> 00:58:11.279
They aren't limited to playing on the rush.
00:58:11.359 --> 00:58:15.839
So when the rush is set down, they have a plan B and a plan C that they can go to.
00:58:16.079 --> 00:58:22.879
I mean, Brenda Moore's system started as what has been traditionally known as a dump and chase system.
00:58:22.959 --> 00:58:36.719
So the Canes are perfectly content if they can't get through the neutral zone to flip the puck in and go chase it down in the corners and lay the body and battle for those 50-50 pucks along the walls and try to create chances that way.
00:58:37.119 --> 00:58:40.319
And that the top line is skilled in that as well.
00:58:40.399 --> 00:58:51.919
So I I think they have a lot of different avenues and opportunities that they can work with just as long as they don't let their defensive uh uh skills lapse at all.
00:58:53.039 --> 00:58:55.279
No, I I think you're I think you're right on.
00:58:55.439 --> 00:59:05.519
Um an interesting thing that will uh I think also play a key part of the success for whoever wins, of course, in this series will be special teams.
00:59:05.679 --> 00:59:13.359
You know, we've talked a little bit about some of that uh in the PK side for the Canes, the power play for uh Vegas.
00:59:13.599 --> 00:59:16.479
Um what are you thinking about with the special teams?
00:59:16.559 --> 00:59:19.599
Who's gonna win that special teams battle, Bailey?
00:59:20.399 --> 00:59:27.759
Honestly, it's anybody's game at this point because Vegas has been fantastic on the power play.
00:59:27.839 --> 00:59:38.559
And I I think some of that has been due to you know, you have teams like Anaheim, teams like Colorado whose power play started or whose penalty kills started to go a little cold.
00:59:38.719 --> 00:59:41.759
And they they've been able to capitalize on that.
00:59:41.839 --> 00:59:52.399
Uh I think their penalty kill numbers are a bit inflated too, given you know, some of these power plays for some of the teams they've faced through three rounds so far have also gone a little stale.
00:59:52.559 --> 00:59:59.359
So however inflated you think these Vegas numbers are, it's still a team that you should be wary of.
00:59:59.599 --> 01:00:16.319
Um one thing in particular um that I think needs to be looked out for is again that opportunism for Vegas when they are shorthanded or when when you're looking at different opportunities because they have the ability to go the other way.
01:00:16.479 --> 01:00:23.119
It's those keying in on uh small mistakes when you're on the power play that they can go and take advantage of.
01:00:23.199 --> 01:00:29.519
And they they love working through the neutral zone, they love taking advantage if they can catch players short on the back check.
01:00:29.759 --> 01:00:38.079
So really watching out for some of those opportunities, making sure you're playing it close, yeah, a very tight game close to the blue line.
01:00:38.159 --> 01:00:47.039
This Vegas team is a team that knows how to get sticks in lanes, they know how to shorten gaps, they know how to get in into passing lanes and do it well.
01:00:47.279 --> 01:00:54.079
And so as long as the Hurricanes can do that both at they keep an eye on that, both at five-on-five and on the power play.
01:00:54.399 --> 01:00:57.279
I I think they have the slight advantage here.
01:00:58.079 --> 01:00:58.879
That'll be interesting.
01:00:58.959 --> 01:01:01.519
I mean, we you know, and you mentioned the short-handed goals, of course.
01:01:01.599 --> 01:01:04.319
The Canes led the league this year, I think, in short-handed goals.
01:01:04.399 --> 01:01:12.399
So they, you know, it's gonna be interesting that uh both of these teams have the ability to score, and they put players out that uh generally can make something happen.
01:01:12.479 --> 01:01:14.479
So that's that's gonna be kind of fun.
01:01:14.719 --> 01:01:17.759
Uh you've got the juggernaut, PK, the Canes.
01:01:17.919 --> 01:01:18.879
You talked about it, Aaron.
01:01:18.959 --> 01:01:20.399
I mean, it's been incredible.
01:01:20.559 --> 01:01:23.679
Uh and can they shut down this uh forward crew?
01:01:23.839 --> 01:01:29.039
Now it's interesting that Torts went back to a five-forward power play.
01:01:29.359 --> 01:01:34.399
Okay, and that seems to uh that seems to have really turned things around for them.
01:01:34.559 --> 01:01:39.119
Uh they have uh Bench Martner actually is the point guy, he's the lone point guy.
01:01:39.279 --> 01:01:42.159
If you watch them, uh it's kind of an interesting setup.
01:01:42.319 --> 01:01:43.599
So they're they're dangerous.
01:01:43.679 --> 01:01:48.239
But that does open up that opportunity for short-handed uh breaks for the Keynes.
01:01:48.399 --> 01:01:55.679
And we know that uh that uh our good friends Seth Jarvis and uh and uh Sebastiano are about as good as it gets with that.
01:01:55.759 --> 01:01:58.799
So that'll be a fun one to watch, and uh we'll have to see.
01:01:58.959 --> 01:02:04.879
The other thing I was gonna ask about this, and and you know, this is always a question, is is the face-off side.
01:02:04.959 --> 01:02:08.000
And Katie, have you got any thoughts on the face-off side here?
01:02:08.079 --> 01:02:10.479
Because I see the stats are certainly in favor of Vegas.
01:02:10.719 --> 01:02:12.639
How does that affect this special team?
01:02:12.719 --> 01:02:33.759
So I mean if you if you look at the numbers, they seem to overall the face-offs don't favor the canes, but it seems like when they get that key defensive draw when they're sending out Stahl to win a face-off, he he is doing well and he is helping the Canes gain possession and kill those first few seconds.
01:02:33.919 --> 01:02:50.799
So um I I think that strong play will continue, especially when you consider that some of those numbers are skewed by uh going up against teams like the Senators that are just with where they were one of the top teams, if not the top team, in face-offs for a lot of the seasons.
01:02:50.879 --> 01:02:58.159
So I think I think they'll be fine for the most part, but it definitely something they want to try and tighten up on against Vegas.
01:02:58.239 --> 01:03:02.319
Every every opportunity could could be key.
01:03:03.599 --> 01:03:23.919
So there's definitely uh there's some areas that both teams I think have uh potential advantage, and there are areas that uh you know they're gonna have to keep uh keep their eye on because uh boy, it's gonna be a hard fought series, and they're gonna push hard to you know to find any opening to uh to crack the other team's uh success in this.
01:03:24.000 --> 01:03:25.039
So it'd be kind of fun.
01:03:25.199 --> 01:03:28.239
So we're gonna uh we're gonna wrap up with some closing thoughts.
01:03:28.479 --> 01:03:37.519
Before we do, I just wanted to mention uh we're now available on Fire TV and and Roku, and for folks who have that, it's a great watch.
01:03:37.679 --> 01:03:40.799
I've been uh watching some of the episodes on Roku and they look great.
01:03:40.879 --> 01:03:43.279
So yeah, we're excited about that as well.
01:03:43.439 --> 01:03:45.439
Um so closing thoughts.
01:03:45.599 --> 01:03:48.479
Um what do we think is going to happen in this series?
01:03:48.639 --> 01:03:49.759
Who's gonna win?
01:03:49.919 --> 01:03:57.119
Um and who are players on the canes that uh that we might want to keep an eye on uh in this series?
01:03:57.199 --> 01:03:59.759
And why don't uh Aaron, why don't you kick it off?
01:04:00.559 --> 01:04:08.879
I'm really, you know, I'm looking at this whole thing and saying, like kind of like I've done all along, the the canes have, I think, the edge here.
01:04:09.039 --> 01:04:12.799
It it is um it is still their series to lose.
01:04:13.039 --> 01:04:28.799
But in previous series, I would say that and say, you know, they really have to have something horrible go wrong because they they they really, I mean, apart from the Ottawa Senators, who I thought were a tougher or could be been a tougher matchup, their their injuries on the blue line really kind of changed that narrative completely.
01:04:28.959 --> 01:04:35.199
Um they were a team that could have probably stretched the series longer and given the Canes more of a run for their money way back in round one.
01:04:35.439 --> 01:04:38.399
But the Flyers were never gonna be that difficult of an opponent.
01:04:38.639 --> 01:04:42.799
Montreal was never gonna be that difficult of an opponent at this stage of their rebuild.
01:04:43.039 --> 01:04:45.119
Um you can't say that about Vegas.
01:04:45.279 --> 01:04:47.199
This really could be anybody's series.
01:04:47.439 --> 01:04:49.759
It could, it's gonna come down to a lot of little factors.
01:04:49.919 --> 01:04:52.399
The Canes have the edge, and I think they will take it.
01:04:52.559 --> 01:05:00.639
But that the the one of the big X factors I'm looking out for is the Canes have not had to face a series where they have had significant injuries.
01:05:00.959 --> 01:05:29.439
And I know that after watching some of the uh Colorado games, I'm sorry, Katie, but after watching some of those games and seeing, you know, the kinds of physical, you know, the way that that physicality can start to impact players that are already perhaps nursing some things as everyone is at this time of year, that would be the biggest game changer, I think, that would change how the Canes would be able to go about their business because they are such a well-oiled machine and everybody does fit exactly where they fit.
01:05:29.599 --> 01:05:38.239
And you've got, you know, everyone's playing their roles and everybody's on the same page, and that can change in a heartbeat if a key player or two isn't available.
01:05:38.479 --> 01:05:46.159
So um barring that though, I really think that the canes will get this done, and I think that the series will run six or seven games.
01:05:46.239 --> 01:05:47.199
I don't see any.
01:05:47.359 --> 01:05:51.039
I know there are a lot of people saying the canes are gonna take it in five or they're gonna sweep.
01:05:51.119 --> 01:05:54.639
I mean, it's I they haven't been watching Vegas if they think that's gonna happen.
01:05:54.879 --> 01:05:58.079
I don't think there's any way that the Canes can take it that fast.
01:05:58.319 --> 01:06:05.359
So as far as the players to watch on the Canes side, um, I think it's gonna be fun to watch Wilcarier because this is his former team.
01:06:05.439 --> 01:06:06.639
He won a cup with these guys.
01:06:06.719 --> 01:06:11.119
So, you know, that's gonna be fun to see how that goes and unfolds um in terms of that.
01:06:11.279 --> 01:06:22.079
And as far as, you know, the the players that are key, though, I have an odd feeling that Seth Jarvis is going to make his presence felt um more than he has so far.
01:06:22.319 --> 01:06:32.000
Um, just the dreams of a lifetime to play in a Stanley Cup final, um, and then combined a little bit with the disappointment of being the guy in the Olympic team photo that had.
01:06:32.399 --> 01:06:33.439
The silver medal on.
01:06:33.759 --> 01:06:39.439
I think that that will be a factor for him to be motivated to motivate him to try to make an impact on this series.
01:06:39.599 --> 01:06:40.719
So we'll see.
01:06:41.039 --> 01:06:41.679
That's great.
01:06:41.839 --> 01:06:42.559
That's uh yeah.
01:06:42.639 --> 01:06:47.599
Yes, that Jarvis, you know, we've been hoping he would uh find his ways uh kind of struggle.
01:06:47.839 --> 01:06:49.439
Katie, what do you got?
01:06:50.879 --> 01:06:55.679
Well, after Aaron said that you're gonna say game feet four.
01:06:56.079 --> 01:07:01.119
I think that that game one is gonna be the get their feet wet sort of game for the Canes.
01:07:01.279 --> 01:07:08.559
And whether it's a victory like they came out with against the Senators and the Flyers, or it's a loss like they came out with Montreal.
01:07:08.719 --> 01:07:17.839
Once they get their feet wet, they just get rolling and they start working downhill and they just start working and working and working and wearing the other team down.
01:07:18.159 --> 01:07:32.799
So I actually my prediction is canes in five because I think the way that they're playing and the way that they can just well, it's bold is also perhaps tempered slightly by the fact that I want them to win it in front of the home crowd.
01:07:33.039 --> 01:07:33.199
True.
01:07:34.000 --> 01:07:36.879
So that that there's a little bit of that as well.
01:07:37.039 --> 01:07:44.639
But I just every single series, it seems like they've gotten a little bit stronger, a little bit stronger, a little bit stronger as the games have gone on.
01:07:44.719 --> 01:07:49.839
And even if the score has been close, you can see that like that game was gonna go to the canes.
01:07:50.000 --> 01:07:52.559
You could tell that game was gonna go to the canes.
01:07:52.799 --> 01:08:04.719
And so again, barring all of the you know, the injuries or the wheels falling off the goaltending or something like that, I just think that momentum is on the canes side.
01:08:04.799 --> 01:08:07.919
They get a chance to establish themselves once again at home.
01:08:08.159 --> 01:08:13.679
I really, really like where they have put themselves so far in the different series.
01:08:13.759 --> 01:08:22.399
And I think that this next series, even though it's against a tougher opponent and the battles will be a little bit harder fought, I think the canes will find themselves in a similar position.
01:08:22.800 --> 01:08:24.880
And who is your player to watch?
01:08:25.199 --> 01:08:30.800
You know, there there's one player that is super, super impactful that we have not mentioned his name not once.
01:08:31.279 --> 01:08:33.760
I know you're gonna say that's probably the guy I've got.
01:08:34.720 --> 01:08:36.560
It's it's Nikolai Ehlers.
01:08:36.800 --> 01:08:40.319
I know you're gonna say Ehlers can't be the interesting thing.
01:08:40.560 --> 01:08:56.000
We know we know Stahl's line is going to get some premium matchups, and so Ehlers is going to go against either Eichel or Marner, almost guaranteed that that is going to be something that Brenda Moore is looking to do.
01:08:56.239 --> 01:09:02.880
And he is going to be the counterpunch offensively to those two fantastic wingers.
01:09:02.960 --> 01:09:17.840
And so if he is able to match or exceed what those guys are able to produce and still hold up the defensive end of the bargain that comes with playing with the two Jordans, I think he could end up playing a very special and very important role on this team.
01:09:18.000 --> 01:09:24.880
So I'm I'm gonna be keeping my eye on Ealers and seeing how um how he progresses throughout this series.
01:09:25.279 --> 01:09:26.000
No, exactly.
01:09:26.079 --> 01:09:33.519
And and you know, there's been a lot of discussion about uh the matchup of Ealers and of course Mitch Marner.
01:09:33.599 --> 01:09:39.920
Uh similar situations, joining new teams, uh had been with their team for a long time, both in Canada, as it turns out.
01:09:40.079 --> 01:09:41.599
Um and I think you're right.
01:09:41.760 --> 01:09:47.760
I think they could see each other a lot on the ice, and I fully expect uh Nick Ealers to show what he can do.
01:09:48.000 --> 01:09:50.479
Um hey Vailey, it's up to you.
01:09:51.519 --> 01:09:59.359
Um Aaron already kind of mentioned it, but the big thing that I'm looking for in this series is the physicality matchup, the physicality battle.
01:09:59.599 --> 01:10:01.039
I think that's gonna be huge.
01:10:01.279 --> 01:10:10.000
Um when looking at previous Eastern Conference final matchups between the Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers, what was the biggest Achilles heel?
01:10:10.960 --> 01:10:26.719
You look at that physicality, and while the hurricanes are that well-oiled machine and they've been throwing a lot of physicality around themselves, they haven't really run into many teams that are gonna hit them as hard and as fast as the Vegas Golden Knights are.
01:10:26.960 --> 01:10:30.639
And when that tends to happen, we know this story and we know it well.
01:10:30.719 --> 01:10:32.880
The hurricanes get away from their process.
01:10:33.119 --> 01:10:44.800
They they start hitting back and it may be comes a little more brazen or a little more undisciplined, or you're you're seeing them get away from that process that they know how to stick to and know how to play cohesively.
01:10:44.960 --> 01:10:56.960
And so I think discipline is gonna be the huge thing here and being sure they can use their physicality to their advantage, but also not letting the Vegas Golden Knights goad them away from that discipline and away from that process.
01:10:57.199 --> 01:11:06.800
Um, because of that, and because of how evenly matched I think that particular matchup is, this game absolutely goes or this series absolutely goes six or seven.
01:11:06.960 --> 01:11:15.760
Um, I I just don't see a world where unless one of these teams is falling apart, then it gets done in four or five.
01:11:16.639 --> 01:11:24.960
These teams are too deep, they're too talented, they're too physical for this to be that lopsided for either of them.
01:11:25.279 --> 01:11:32.719
Um in this case, as far as players to watch, uh, another player we really haven't mentioned too much of.
01:11:32.800 --> 01:11:37.760
We talked about KayAndre Miller, but I want to point out his defensive partner and Sean Walker.
01:11:38.159 --> 01:11:41.359
Oh for you.
01:11:41.599 --> 01:11:45.359
I and and maybe that's a little bit of bias from me, former Av.
01:11:45.599 --> 01:11:52.079
Uh really he signed a very team-friendly, very helpful deal with the Hurricanes, and he's been nothing short of impressive.
01:11:52.399 --> 01:12:04.479
And as much as I want to point to my Colorado boy Jacob Slavin here and give him the flowers and this, that second pair has been liked out for this Carolina Hurricanes team.
01:12:04.559 --> 01:12:13.199
They've been they've played in crucial crucial situations on the ice and it's been an advantageous part in a lot of the success that the hurricanes have found.
01:12:13.279 --> 01:12:21.840
And a lot of that is largely due to how much production and how much uh positional effectiveness they've been getting out of a guy like Sean Walker.
01:12:21.920 --> 01:12:29.039
So I I think I'm really excited to see what he does and if he continues on that upward trend in this in like a final series.
01:12:29.679 --> 01:12:30.239
Incredible.
01:12:30.319 --> 01:12:31.679
Yeah, he's he has been.
01:12:31.760 --> 01:12:36.800
And and you know, you talk about uh you know this physicality situation.
01:12:37.039 --> 01:12:43.279
He boy he likes to lay the body on for not a big guy, he definitely does his share of hits as well.
01:12:43.599 --> 01:12:44.800
You know, it's interesting.
01:12:44.960 --> 01:12:56.159
Um, one of the things that Eric Tulski, when we talked a little bit about him rebuilding the team, one of the things he was really contemplating was trying to build a team that could beat the Florida Panthers.
01:12:56.639 --> 01:12:59.119
He figured they were going to be the problem.
01:12:59.599 --> 01:13:05.679
And so he was going out and trying to get some players that he thought could come in and could handle that heavy, heavy going.
01:13:06.079 --> 01:13:10.239
Now, a couple things about last year, of course, in the playoffs, the Canes were missing some players.
01:13:10.559 --> 01:13:12.559
Uh they had entries to 2D guys.
01:13:12.639 --> 01:13:14.960
Walker was out, and of course, Jalen Chatfield.
01:13:15.119 --> 01:13:16.800
So it's a little bit different now.
01:13:16.960 --> 01:13:23.119
But but you know, interestingly enough, in the playoffs, the Canes actually have more hits per game than Vegas does.
01:13:23.279 --> 01:13:27.840
Even though Vegas has three or four guys up near the top, the rest of their team don't hit that much.
01:13:28.239 --> 01:13:31.599
So it's kind of interesting uh when you take a look at it.
01:13:31.679 --> 01:13:33.199
And and I think you're right.
01:13:33.279 --> 01:13:34.960
I think it's gonna be a physical series.
01:13:35.039 --> 01:13:42.000
I think they're both gonna be trying to find their way um and create space and try to find uh the opportunities that they need.
01:13:42.079 --> 01:13:44.239
But it's gonna be exciting and it's gonna be close.
01:13:44.319 --> 01:13:46.239
I think it's gonna be a six-game series.
01:13:46.319 --> 01:13:47.119
I feel the same way.
01:13:47.199 --> 01:13:51.279
I think the Canes will steal some in in Vegas, but I think they'll win the series.
01:13:51.519 --> 01:13:54.800
And um I'm gonna double down on Nick Ehlers.
01:13:55.199 --> 01:13:58.880
You know, I just I'm not giving up on Emma just because Katie took.
01:14:01.119 --> 01:14:05.359
And uh and I think that's gonna break out, and I think he's gonna have a great series.
01:14:05.439 --> 01:14:06.880
So so lots to look forward.
01:14:07.039 --> 01:14:08.159
It's gonna be exciting.
01:14:08.399 --> 01:14:17.679
Um, something I thought I'd mention, though, as we kind of wrap up this part, was that uh there was a coach's survey done by the athletic, and they said, hey, who's gonna win the series?
01:14:18.000 --> 01:14:25.519
Twenty-nine coaches were uh checked out with and and uh and laid their winners down.
01:14:25.679 --> 01:14:30.079
The canes were on 16 ballots and uh Vegas on 13.
01:14:30.239 --> 01:14:37.840
So I think uh I like that because you know usually the coaches are pretty close to the action, so maybe they've got their idea on what's going on.
01:14:38.000 --> 01:14:42.639
And also the odds makers, they're still showing the canes by a slight margin.
01:14:42.719 --> 01:14:44.800
But it isn't a big margin, but it is a margin.
01:14:44.880 --> 01:14:49.359
So at this stage, it looks like folks are getting on board with the hurricanes.
01:14:49.679 --> 01:14:52.559
Bailey, it's been fantastic having you on.
01:14:52.719 --> 01:14:53.519
Thanks so much.
01:14:53.760 --> 01:15:01.119
Um gosh, it's great to have you here to talk about Vegas and uh have some fun around the Colorado Avalanche as well.
01:15:01.199 --> 01:15:02.079
So thanks so much.
01:15:02.319 --> 01:15:04.639
I wish it I wish it was the Colorado Avalanche.
01:15:04.719 --> 01:15:06.000
We were all do.
01:15:06.239 --> 01:15:10.079
We love it.
01:15:14.719 --> 01:15:18.559
But um I'm looking forward to a really hard pot series.
01:15:18.800 --> 01:15:25.519
And I I was telling uh former co-host of the search cast, Zach Martin, this the other day.
01:15:25.599 --> 01:15:31.920
I was scrolling through some pictures and I found a picture of me in a a little Cam Ward jersey with uh stormy.
01:15:32.800 --> 01:15:39.920
And I I'm just thinking about how like I was maybe 10 years old, 11 years old in that photo.
01:15:40.159 --> 01:15:50.800
And I'm just thinking about how excited that little girl would be for this series and seeing the hurricanes finally get this close to the top of the mountain for the first time since those days.
01:15:51.119 --> 01:15:53.359
So I I'm rooting for you guys.
01:15:53.519 --> 01:15:59.679
I I can't wait to see what this series turns into, and hopefully it turns out the way that we're all hoping it does.
01:16:00.399 --> 01:16:01.039
Well, great.
01:16:01.119 --> 01:16:03.279
And uh thanks again for spending time with us.
01:16:03.439 --> 01:16:08.159
Uh, for those of you who've been watching or listening, of course, we're delighted you spent time with us.
01:16:08.319 --> 01:16:11.279
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01:16:15.679 --> 01:16:17.119
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01:16:17.279 --> 01:16:28.800
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01:16:29.039 --> 01:16:36.960
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