Let’s Get Cracking – NHL Ep. 6
I would wonder if Chris krider made a guarantee in the Rangers locker room that he would win that the Rangers would win this game and then he went on to score that natural hattrick I don’t know if I’m suggesting too much or if Mark Messier somehow finds this video 3 two 1 Wise Crackers Wise Crackers Wise Crackers Wise Crackers C cracker wise cracker come on come all to the Wise Crackers ice hockey arena we’ are bar down and we s hard to the Conference Finals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs or halfway there oh Living on a Prayer Bon Joi always a classic hello everyone I am Alec he is Redbox how you doing on this fine Tuesday well pretty good excited for the Conference Finals excited to finally see a Canadian team back in the Conference Finals that’s not the Montreal Canadians oh you know that feel all right well Conference Finals time is here our four teams are set for the final four the New York Rangers representing the Metro division the Florida Panthers representing the Atlantic the Dallas Stars representing the Central and represent presting Canada and the Pacific Division the Edmonton Oilers so those are your final four teams second round is over and done with and we look at the Conference Finals or these may be three of the best teams in the National Hockey League the Oilers they’re a really good team offensive wise defensively they’ve also improved but there are questions to answer on down for the road but we look to recap each one of these four series well that Rangers Kane series ended a little too quick let’s be honest with ourselves and it probably could have ended quicker if anything too yeah it could have because the way the Rangers played it felt like they were getting out outworked by the Hurricanes at most points but at the same time they goal e their hurricanes on most nights if you look at game three 42 face by eigor shurin and the overtime winner for ouri panan even Vincent tro he want a measure revenge on his former team of a double overtime winner on the power play but what stood out stand out to what stands out to me Carolina with how good of a power play that they had was completely neutralized just two Power Play Goals all series in at least 17 attempts and they allowed a short-handed goal in game three as well that’s that’s not how you win a series and it’s very hard to come back with a fre nothing hole but once they LED 31 you would think that they would go on to hold it for a seventh game but then I would wonder if Chris krider made a guarantee in the Rangers locker room that he would win that the Rangers would win this game and then he went on to score that natural hattrick I don’t know if I’m suggesting too much or if Mark Messier somehow finds this video H yeah I think I was definitely expecting it to go at Le six even after game three I figured they could still maybe find a way back but the offense was just not there no what doesn’t help is that even when we learned about them acquiring a big G bigname goal scorer Carolina lacks that oomph on the Superstar talent I mean closest player they have to Superstar Sebastian AO but he’s not a superstar by means of how we measure him that’s that’s unfortunately the sad truth the canes don’t have a superstar yeah they’re a very deep team but they don’t have a clear number one guy yeah that’s that’s what we learned about them it’s not a queer not a queer Superstar player that they have to take them over the top they have some pieces but their number one is a mid tier number one I’m not sure if if Alo can reach that next level that can place him among the leak’s elite not but we don’t see him somewhere at the level of other Metro division number one centers like Jack Hughes Sydney Crosby or the team that they or among the team that they lost to mik aanad for example I feel like ao’s always tried to be that guy he just hasn’t ever really been able to fully fit into the role he tried to and he he likes Rod Bren Moore system and he’s comfortable playing it as it is I mean he signed that eight-year deal but Carol I just don’t know what it is with Caroline they are a nice defensive team it’s been goal tending for them that’s also on and off the offense can be there for them at times but go tending is on and off has been evidence throughout the season Fredy Anderson P ketkov not a bad one two punch but go goenda that they once had in their Peak form and I feel that’s sadly happening to Freddy H you could say it happened to fredd a long time ago but I I think you just can’t expect that kind of performance consistently for four rounds from a 33 year old most 33 year old Goldies maybe not all but yeah you’ll be wondering if kochetov can f in at the number one starting goenda for the Hurricanes I mean he did get a starting game three and he played his hardest unfortunately I didn’t think he was expecting a tip in from right between the legs from the bread man I mean how are you supposed to stop that it’s basically an impossible shot to stop exactly oh my Lord but we were expecting a six-game series and we did get a six-game series between the Rangers and hurricanes but the r the Rangers the they were the better of the two teams between them their power play quicked especially in the first two games and even though it was off in games free through five they still stood firm they looked to be in trouble for a moment but then the aforementioned natural hattrick got them over to the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in three years and the only president’s Trophy winning team to make it to the Conference Final in two separate decades in which they’ve won the President’s trophy make it there in the Spanish of the last two decades this one and last decade yeah as for the bread men Adam Fox well I’ll tip my hats to all the Rangers but it just feels complete heartbreak for the kanes I mean now that you are in offseason if you’re Carolina you just got an extension done for Rod brandamore as your head coach but now what do you do you have 15 free agents to take care of nine of there are unrestricted free agents six are rfas I know the canes they’re prioritizing on against so extension but I can’t really say the same for Martin NES I don’t I don’t think the canes are focusing on NES right now as they’re constructing it to be out I’m checking cat friendly again they have 31 million to spend in the off seon so that’s also taken into consideration but 15 free agents they may be for there’s going to be a lot of shakeup here because notably it’s NIS Seth Jarvis who are the most prominent race gensel Brady Shay Brett pesy Anderson not Anderson but if we look at the UFA is Shay pesi gensel Jordan martinook table ter V Stefon n Jaylen Chatfield those are the notable ufas for them I I think pesy goes because if you look at the financial situation that c KMI contract and that second year of the Oraf contract that’s going to hold them back yeah and those are ones that are definitely I think both priorities for him I think they they have to keep gel uh NIS maybe I could see him getting up and leaving though also trade offer sheet maybe yep yeah realistically Nate just goes Seth Jarvis I think stays yeah so do I so Jarvis stays Jack Drury RFA he stays you got to build on his confidence young guy what not to mention that you can bring him back some dep players on some team Friendly Deals such as martinook I think Shay stays I don’t think peshi stays in any way Tony D’Angelo is gone there’s no doubt about that I’ll be interested to see where pesi goes I yeah I agree I think he’s going to go somewhere else it’ be interesting to see who wants some yeah I think a team that’s in need of defensive help at the defensive back end I think somebody’s going to give him a nice deal I think there may be some shakeups in the off Seas for Carolina there’s no doubt but Ian did note that I if things don’t change for the canes they could be forced into an early rebuild which they don’t want yeah I think it’ll just all depend on who they can keep and who they can’t and then well we depend who else is out on the market this summer too um there’s quite a few big names I think that are going to be up this summer so we’ll see as you said they got some money to spend so 31 million not a terrible amount but one or two they can find one or two pieces to kind of help Shore up that defense a little bit might be worth it yeah to replace peshi that is yeah so at that said and done so the Rangers on to the east final their opponent the Florida Panthers beating the Boston BRS for a second straight year this time in six games and mafik kach Chuck he looked to have caused a glitch in The Matrix if we watched the celebration in game six knowing that the puck was out of the Zone he started jumping for joy hip hip hoay hip hip hoay we beat the R again let’s go to the Eastern Conference Final as the final buzzer sound after gusta four swing with the Series winner around3 left from around the same place that mour scored this uh game time going last year’s game seven in the first round now this one it I I feel Ian and I we had our doubts on the Bruins even after they beat the Leafs and this series as added with the last three games of the Broan Series against the Leafs it those last three games against the Leafs plus this entire series reinforces every single narrative about the Bruins let’s not lie to ourselves game seven for the Bruins was more of a win for the Panthers than it was for the Bruins I’m going to put it at that because it felt like Boston was just leaving Jeremy San out to dry on most occasions in a second round amplifi that Pain by a lot more there wasn’t even a completed pass by the Bruins everyone looks lost onto the ice and the only one was possibly showing up for the Bruins was Swan himself well I think just that Series going to a game seven as you said was a winner for the Panthers because the Bruins were exhausted they had to turn around what two three days later I’m actually I was impressed they took it six I thought the Panthers would get that done in four five I mean game one by some vation had us all thinking that the Bruins were taking us as a grudge match against the Panthers but then came games two through four where the Panthers took those Wars personal game five well the Bruins have some life nope game six happened and that was the killing blow but I’m more surprised that the Bruins made this a bit interesting here in game five but and also came out out of the gate swingy in game one but I’m I’m surprised that the Bruins they had some o left in them but then reality struck that the Bruins the number one Center by committee between Charlie Coyle and Pavo zaka that’s not sustainable it’s nice to have high quality Wingers in Pasto marshan jusque and to an extent Frederick but you still need Center depth Boston doesn’t have a true number one Center their hope is that Matt potra can develop into that but with coo and zaka your number one guys that’s not sustainable no and I think you you got to wonder how long this iteration of the Bruins because Maran uh Pastak they’ both been around for what now the BRS organization I mean bostock’s been around for a decade now marshan for even more than a decade yeah over 10 years they were both there in 2013 I believe it was when uh they Bruins had the game seven that we remember so well here in Canada uh they they were both playing for the Bruins then I believe this past knock didn’t arrive until the 2015 season oh no yeah sorry past knock didn’t arrive till 2015 but marshan was there there um I guess I don’t know I think this was their chance I think this was their year to prove that they could go far and now I think you’re G to be looking to either rebuild or transition to I maybe they can transition to a younger team but they’re doing that I don’t know I guess they’re a youngish sort of team would they have potra in the mix Johnny beer in the mix Trent Frederick is a youngish player who’s in the mix you also have Mason lorai in the mix the aforementioned San in the mix is it enough though I mean San by far I think is their most promising um love what I saw from him in the series he singlehanded he single-handedly carried that Bruins team at certain points you could even say during the playoffs I mean he is their Team MVP let’s be honest throughout the playoff they’re Team MVP throughout the playoffs and there’s no doubt about it a 955 save percentage in round one nothing to scoff at and for Boston you also have to take care of the situation with the Brusque as Easter big UFA that they have to take care of you have $21 million to spend among five UFA forwards three UFA defensemen and one RFA for forward and Jer boquist also you have to give a new contract to swayan he’s an RFA is I imagine that he gets a nice deal he’d have to because he’s gonna have offers coming in I would hope he’s gonna have offers coming in yeah he is um be nice maybe we could try and pull him in in Toronto I would be I would say it’s a priority knowing our front office it’s not going to happen but um yeah I think first and foremost you gota you gotta work on retaining him and then worry about everything else yeah I think the priority will go Swan de Brusque then everyone else Matt grizzli he was healthy scratched for several games in the playoffs I feel he may be on his way out of Boston Parker W spoon cheaper Edition 26 years old he’s younger and he has a third pairing upside to him so that’s nice for them Mason laui younger higher upside than grizzli so he stays as well yeah no this agreement there I think all yeah grizzli as you said definitely gone I he’s not going to be there the start next season yeah I feel he’s gone as well so that’s that for Boston their season ends at the hands of the Panthers again and what we learned for the series The Panthers they’re deeper and they’re more built battle tested now it’s a tougher Panthers team compare not saying that last year’s Panthers team wasn’t tough but they built on last year’s toughness to make this team an even tougher team they built on last year’s toughness and there was still lots of people I saw saying oh the Panthers aren’t going to do anything this season uh when the playoffs started they aren’t going to do anything in the playoff while they’re back in the Conference finals against the Rangers which I think is the matchup most of us had I mean I had Panthers and hurricanes on my bracket so I was close enough but Panthers and Rangers that’s also a good bet to have for an Eastern Conference Final and we got the match up that and for most people who are picking Stanley Cup picks on the bracket they got the matchup that they wanted now they’re at this point so so in between we’re previewing this Eastern Conference Final I know they’re not exactly a mirror image of one another but if you’re looking at both teams the Rangers have the advantage on scoring Talent the Panthers have the advantage on depth and defense but you know what who else else has the you know what the Rangers also have in terms of Advantage goal tending Sergey bosski is great eigor just stking is utter worldly and I think the Rangers will finally um be a president trophy team that makes the stle Cup Final I see this one being a close one though I I think a seven game series is in the works um for sure I mean he has to go seven at least six anything less than six is considered a disappointment and an epic coaps by to lose team six or seven I feel this is the only outcome of how this series will go to you you got superstars on both sides as well you you factor Mafi kachuck for the Panthers the breadman for the Rangers that’s going to be a match up to watch plus with the line matchups in which both sides can go to who matches up with what line so I feel I feel it’s going to be the paner line against the kachuck line how would that sound oh man that’s that’s an incredibly tough matchup I would say that’s yeah it would be but though I feel the Panthers it can also counter with the barov line on the tro on the panan line that’s also a nice line to have Tarasenko barov rehard up against panan Troi and laier ironically you have a 10 a 16 and a 13 on both of lines of the pan Aon line the barov line how how fers is that and I would almost say the barov line matches up a little bit better um Baron line you could say overall I think is more established but um lafier has has also shown that he’s um has also developed well uh coming out of uh the Juniors so yep there’s also that which breaches patience when it comes to a young player’s development you want to take your time with these young players do not be quick to jump and put the bus label on them otherwise you’re just slamming the door straight on their faces immediately out the gates yeah with LA forer they preach patience it’s year four J feel career trajectory of laf forer were to go as advertise I think it’s kind of similar to that of Daniel sadine and I think is a mere image right now of Daniel sadine with lafier yeah I think that’s a sound comparison yeah yeah we can put our deps so the Rangers and the Panthers evil evly tight matchup defensively you got two potential number one defense man on the Panthers between Aaron ebad and Brandon Montour they have a deeper defensive core and I’m not going to discre the Rangers because Adam Fox is a superstar on defense plus Ryan lingren he’s a heart and soul player who perfectly compliments Fox’s game on the other end Keandre Miller a highend number two defenseman as well put him on with Braden Schneider or Jacob trouba he fits in nice with them Schneider defensive defenseman Eric Guston power play quarterback trouba hard-hitting machine but that’s not to mention that on the other end you have Nik mikola a hard hitting machine mour offensive defenseman also a power play quarterback Oliver emman Larson on a reduced roll still a power play quarterback who can drive the we Dimitri kulakov defensive mind defenseman and Gustav fourwing what a steel that contract is yeah I mean I think the Panthers as as you said kind of when we opened the series preview not night and day but it’s pretty close when it comes to the defensive uh pairings I think the Panthers have the clear Advantage me quite a margin I mean it is it’s there the rangers they can close that Gap any time but the Panthers they do have the advantage excuse me there but if we’re looking for series predictions I know we were expecting six or seven games out of these two though if you were to pick a team to go to the Stanley Cup Final who lifts or touches or doesn’t touch the prison Wales trophy um half one but I’m I’m gonna say Rangers and seven I like that confidence that you have with the Rangers I mean with the waiter built around I I feel you could pick either one of these two teams you would not be wrong of a pick on this one I feel the rangers they have the better goal tending of the two of them and I know when they say defense wins championships that is true but sometimes your best defender is your goenda sterin gives the Rangers a cleer advantage on the Golding Department he can steal gains for the Rangers when warranted I know New York lost in this exact round of the playoffs just two years ago I don’t think this happens this time around I’m going with the same prediction as you Rangers and seven and make it sweeter series winning my pick for series winning goal I’ll give it to Chris krider oh yeah um I don’t know maybe panarin panan is also a good bet I mean does break my my heart that panan had the Series winner against us in the first round two years back I don’t want to think about it well so that’s that for the East shifting over to the wild west and speak of the Wild West there is some measure of venge on some specific players around you know when a former player wants to get the Series winner on the team they first played for we had that exact scenario in in Denver Colorado in game six between the stars and Avalanche remember mat Shane ABS he’s out for blood and he just got a double overtime winner against you guys and when he was shoved to the net by Kale Mar when it looked like he was lightly pushed to the net they ruled it gold T interference on the base that duain enter the crease but marar pushed him to the net I’m just not sure about that call but du Shane made sure to end the series in the second overtime of game six this was a top curvy Series in many ways the Ain had a comeback from down three nothing in game one they nearly had a comeback from down four nothing in game two got smacked in games three and four trounced on the stars in game five then Jake ainger had the last laugh in game six how we’re pointing up with this this far with the playoffs were looking a good series many were anticipating for this to be the best series well it was a good series wasn’t the best however but this was still a good series nav McKinnon was great Dallas’s depth showing why dep is valuable to go of your star players yeah and I think um there was a lot of concern the Avalanche weren’t going to make it a good series um at least at the beginning of course they more or less did um I’m not surprised to see the stars in the Western confence Finals though um I I honestly I’d say this would have been my this would have been my finals matchup either well assuming if Vancouver had not been so injury it might have been Stars Canucks I would have predicted but Stars Oilers no real surprises uh having Dallas in the western final no no surprise there I mean Dallas they they were the Deep they are the deepest team in the Central Division so that it’s not really surprising of why they made it to the Western Conference Final with the depth that they had Colorado they did make it a fight but they they have some depth in them just not the type of depth that Dallas has considering the Stars they a to go with Jason Robertson Ro and roope hints he had the emergence of why Johns to becoming a star this season I’m not ready to put him at Superstar status but he is a star in the making Jamie Ben Tyler Sean Mason Marchman mat the Shan even the newest cult hero of the Stars Logan stankoven 5 foot eight and he’s already Ling the lap yeah stankin really did break he has really has broken out um this playoffs hasn’t he he has and the tailor the regular season as well sorry I had to I was Sid tring for a bit there but with Colorado I’ve been I’ve been looking around for the free agent situation as we get in joining us right now how are you I’m uh I’m good man yeah I S text yeah you’re all good all right sorry the the connection’s gonna be a bit spotty I’m out I’m out in rural countes so well uh we’ll see see how this goes so yeah we went so red box and I already went for the Eastern Conference so Ian and who you’re seeing on the profile picture that is red box and red box me Ian he is what up what up yeah what’s up what’s up so so we already made our East predictions so I know for a fact that to take away from what we saw in that Eastern conference second round doing a bit of a lightning round as we want to get to your East prediction so so for to so for the Rangers the canes outworked them that can that’s true but at the same time the Rangers outsmarted the canes which is also true what we thought was a competitive close series turned up to be onesided at first before the canes had hopes so reverse sweep then Chris krider had one of the greatest individual efforts in rang playoff history in that third period we were both there yeah um okay lightning round um just just what I’ve seen from the Rangers in Florida I still think it’s Florida that gets through but it’s gonna take a while at least six or seven games but Florida comes out on top got to make a prediction here so D you see it going in six or in seven games for the Panthers in going back to the Stanley Cup Final um it’s going to take seven because the Rangers are going to stick around better goaling helps around and the Panthers yeah you did not about that even though that first round the first round series between the Bruins and the Leafs really didn’t prove much of anything for the Bruins because the last three games plus the entirety of that second round against the Leafs reinforce the narratives that the Bruins have kept along no there will be no 2020 lightning story for them exactly so there’s that um sorry I’m I’m right by a busy road and there’s no good places so um have you guys already so you talked about the Eastern Conference have you talked about the West yet we’re already in the west so we’re currently on Dallas and Colorado well let’s face it this is probably the most complete team Dallas has had in years I mean you have a mix of both both you have a mix of Veteran oity and and skill you know skilled veterans with a with an excellent mix of Young Guns I mean I mean let’s let’s go let’s go with the c let’s go with the usual cast you have Tyler Sean you have Jamie Ben you have uh uh who uh who else is a who else is an old guy on the Dallas Stars oh we’re talking about the old core the veteran core round you could bring up Joe pavelski and Ryan suder who are both 39 years old pavelski didn’t score until the second round but he’s still reliable exactly but then you know you got all you got the experience you know you got the experience there and then you got Jason Robertson and then you got W Johnson and then there’s the there’s another kid that they have who can score but I’m forgetting his name are we speaking the rookie Logan stankoven uh uh I thought it was another guy but that hits rope hits yes him um and then well and then enough can’t be said about the a jake ainger not to mention Meo hkin and Thomas Harley the number one pair they’re both young yep them two it’s just they have a very complete team and the fact of the matter is look let’s be real Colorado had had an outside shot but they just wasn’t a great one yeah I mean you know what they were going with was hang on I mean what Colorado Colorado had going in was they weren’t expecting they weren’t expected to do to do much of anything you know no one really looked at them as hey this team is going to this team is going to run the West you know truth to be told I think they made it um their first round opponent well I forget who their first round opponent was for Colorado yeah Winnipeg exactly Winnipeg was supposed to stop them and Colorado made them and Colorado exposed him his frosts I wish I had an UNO reverse car to display what Colorado did to Winnipeg when we were expecting a competitive seven game series between the ABS and the Jets I don’t have an UNO card deck yeah and truth be told you know I I never I don’t remember all I said but here’s what’s here’s what’s true I never trusted the I never trust I never trusted winipeg you know I felt like I feel like their record was a little fraudulent just because it seemed because when you look at the opponents they would beat yeah some of them were quality opponent but it almost felt like in in a lot of those games they get lucky bail out by hellu and once again it was if heluk is not on his game you’re screwed guess what happened he collaps I mean how in the world does Winnipeg allow five goals per game what like that’s what happens when you rely almost exclusively on one player though and I honestly thought they would survive at least the first round I didn’t think they were going to go anything beyond that but I thought they’d at least get through the ABS yeah that that’s the surprise it it it’s it’s frustration if you’re a Jets fan W watching in your team get stomped like this you just yeah but that’s why oh sorry my bad you you you you win as many games in the playoffs as you had last year with that flame out yeah it’s just and you know now when it Peg honestly honestly the Jets should just flatten it flatten it start again because whatever is going on with the current regime is not working you can’t I’m going to say it glad durations except for one year your team still can’t make it past the second round of the playoffs you can’t even make it past the first round of the playoffs oh going the tree route I see well we’re not going that same route for Colorado it looked like they were going to make it interesting but it was just not meant to be their depth is good but not they’re not as deep as Dallas is the Colorado there are a lot of questions to be had yeah it’s easier said the done that they’ll be back but projected cap space is 15 million for next season when they account for the return of Gabe landeskog valer nushin is’s going to be out until November because he failed a drug test he’s put on stage three of the player assistance program if if he violates that he effectively goes into stage four and will be suspended for a full year reinstatement if you’re on stage 4 is not guaranteed oh yeah you know it’s not looking good in Colorado I mean you know at this point you know how was looking for Colorado it’s one of those thank goodness you won that cup because it’s not um it’s not looking so good for you it’s just it’s a it’s a mess right now I mean you have nushin plus the mystery situation for landeskog was five years left on his contract whether he returns next year and I feel if he returns it’ll be a feel-good story if he comes back we just don’t know how he’s going to look like next season we be back in form or if he’s going to be like Quay Thompson right now I don’t think think land of SC comes back as the land regardless he’s not coming back as the land of scog of old unless unless he has a you know unless he has a an arc again Crossing sports but unless he has a Justin Verlander Arc where he comes back from his injury you know J A Verlander came back from from Tommy John and then at the age of 39 won the won the sa Young Award by cutting down everyone unless land scog has that kind of Arc he’s all all Colorado can really hope for is that he’s a shell of what he used to be and that he can s provide useful minutes but it’s not gonna be it’s not this it’s not gonna be the same yeah I don’t feel so what say you on Landis scog Red Box yeah yeah would I would agree I think I don’t think he’s G to come back to be what he used to um interesting to see if they can try and sell him off somewhere else but that would be a I’m sure they’d take a hit doing that with his contract as you mentioned then who would be willing to take that on I don’t know probably not many I was writing that down about selling him out to some somewhere else cuz that is interesting when you know about the selling off to someone else given that he has been injured for the last two seasons you got naan McKinnon under contract up until what I believe is 2031 yes it is 2031 Kel mcar under contract until 27 Devon Taves until 2031 so you have most of the core around m ransen in however next season is a contract year for him he’s on the final year of his current deal at 9.25 million so he’ll be doing a new contract soon not to mention that you have eight ufas plus Casey was an RFA so you have to prioritize I feel you prioritized middle stat now yeah droan duim trenin kagano Shawn Walker those are the five notable ufas for them I wonder if Walker comes back for air Colorado but you know he had he didn’t have a point for them in the playoffs that’s serious he never had a single point for he has in the playoffs I don’t know but uh yeah man Colorado is just in right now they’re in a place of uncertainty and there’s nothing that can be you know there’s nothing that can that they can really do because they’re like you just laid out the contracts it’s not so much how much the contracts are where will all those players be when those contracts come to an end what I mean is how old will they be I mean I mean most of those guys they locked them up to long-term contracts they have to be in their 30s by the time they come to an end as just mention about McKennon and Taves who are on long-term deals those they are locked in for 2831 Landis scog he’s 31 now his contract ends in 29 29 sou oh Jesus she’s 31 he’ll be 30 what 36 yeah so that right there I mean look Colorado has got to be careful with how they with how they sign their guys back or how they or how they how they sign them back or else they could be looking at a San Jose Shark um San Jose Shark situation if they have to they feel if if you keep ranting it around say if they were to give rantin a new contract now would you imagine it being at what speak of the s a sharks would you imagine the a new rident contract being eight years hey uh Hey Alec sorry I have to uh I have to I have to say goodbye to everyone but I’ll try and rejoin you if I if I can no worries it’s all good Ian see you man yeah so so what we were discussing with Ian earlier so say if you were to give ranin an 8-year deal would that be realistic uh that seems a little steep to me eight years maybe um he’s 27 let’s factor that in yeah um I I’d say they give him a long-term deal but I think Eight’s pushing a bit maybe a five or six year deal with an option I don’t know six years can be I mean would you give it around at a higher value maybe at least 10 million for what he’s worth if if you want to go up ranting yeah plus with the salary cap seing increasing the season there’s going to be more leverage on how these players are going to be paid out and I feel rant is going to be the benefactor of a higher salary next season oh for sure 100% and for sure so but Colorado they have to be careful of how they lay out things they they got a Stanley Cup in their window I feel it’s starting to close right now that Stanley Cup window H yeah if it hasn’t already yeah if it hasn’t then it’s starting to close now for the series that you thought would be a great series I thought it would be over in five boy was I wrong and I’m glad I was wrong because we got Peak entertainment out of this Northwestern North American series the Vancouver Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers took a seven game Beatdown six of the seven games deide by one goal one of them needed overtime four of them needed late game heroics in the end it was the Oilers in seven games advancing to the Western Conference Final if you got popcorn for this series glad you got your popcorn for that series you must be covered there may be wanting more and more popcorn for what’s about to come in into Conference Finals takeaways from this conu Oiler series to start off we’ll begin with you well I think I can’t remember what I said at the start of this round but I think I had either can so early I definitely had it going seven um I think the Canucks if they had been healthier this would have been not a walk in the park for them but they very well could excuse me they could have taken it in five um I think quite easily now of course your top two goalies were gone at the start and then a few other pieces that were lost throughout uh the Oilers just they they were able to play it right in game seven they jumped out to a three nothing lead and of course the Canucks did what the Canucks or they tried to do what the Canucks do best and come back in the third uh on a three-goal rally they ultimately couldn’t get that third one in although they certainly were not short of chances uh in the later stages of that one I mean it was close for them just didn’t end up the way they wanted to be but then again late game heroics was the name of the game four games yeah games two four five and seven game four it was an Evan buard Ripper right after a tying goal from Dakota Joshua buard with 40 seconds left game f was JT Miller 31.9 game seven wasn’t in the form of a goal but rather a a series ceiling block by Matias Yanmar and absolutely said you have game sevens you were saying yeah and I think I mean when it was three nothing at the end of the second I thought it was over and then Vancouver got one back I’m like okay I think it was uh Miller that scored it daring daring um then yeah after 3-2 I like any I figured anything was possible and again they had CH they had chances in the third period that they couldn’t convert it could have been a three all game it could have gone to overtime and the series could have gone entirely differently everything changed when Chris knok used to timeout in G in game seven after the second goal from Philip honic you know knock using that timeout helped the Oilers in the end and it paid off as well but when you go but when you put yourselves in a hole in Shots Out goal down 23-4 in game seven that’s not a recipe of success I know the Canucks were fighting back but you put yourselves in that hole you’re not going to win the majority of the games I get game free against Nashville that’s an albatross it’s not sustainable we need some more deep breaths for this series because of the absolute Insanity mind you Conor McDavid was hell out a point in four of the seven games I understand if we’re all getting some more deep breaths around here but the oiler step was tested about the it was and they responded it was and I think again the problem with the oil as we were kind of alluding to earlier the defensive dep could leaves a lot to be desired they’re probably one of the best defensive teams in the league but like so many teams apparently it’s a themeless playoffs they could just use a little bit more depth on defense I mean they did get that defensive turn around with Matias EOL Evan Bard plus the forwards when they got Sam Carrick when they got Adam Henri well Henri didn’t play for much of this series but also you have to account for Yan Mark Derek Ryan Connor Brown even Zack Hyman got involved in some of it Brett kak underrate defensive piece Vinnie de AR big physical body who can punish others with a 6’6 frame oh if we were to be honest about the oiler as we’re learning more and more about the playoffs about them in the playoffs they’re good offensively and they’re Stout defensively with the turnar around from Paul Coffey as their assistant coach to help out the defense goal tending however hasn’t really changed despite the series Victory Stewart Skinner Calvin peard it’s not really your your your ideal onew tandem even though Picard’s point the better of the two between them and Skinner I don’t think this is a goal tending tandem that can take the Oilers all the way to the top no I agree and I think the Oilers are GNA get exposed in the Eastern Conference Finals on multiple fronts gending being one of them um I don’t know if for quite the serious predictions yet but I certainly don’t see them taking it all the way oh I would be legitimately shocked if they make it to the Stanley Cup Final two star being s I’m not making a series prediction now but this leads us to the previews of the Western Conference Final between the stars and the Oilers I know the Oilers have that one series victory over the stars in 1997 that Curtis Joseph save and the Todd marshan to breakaway goal but ever since it’s been all stars in that mini rivalry in the late ’90s and early 2000s and field of stars historically have dominated this I don’t see this going out quickly as it was but DS clearly has the Tactical advantage on all three fronts offense defense goal tending coaching wise this is where it gets interesting between nwok and Peter dor yeah I agree there I think again the stars are just overall a deeper team [Music] and I mean I don’t know if there’s a whole lot more to say I mean um I mean we don’t want to sound like a broken record saying this but clearly the stars have the depth Advantage the otter has been on another level in the playoffs though the bower is a really interesting coach in both good and bad ways the good part is he can squeeze out the maximum of the offensive talent that He he can work with as was shown with San Jose with Vegas with New Jersey in his previous coaching 10 years the bad is that he doesn’t adjust to opponents and somehow oh that manages to not some and he doesn’t adjust to his opponents and that leads him to getting burnt deeper down for the series Vegas experienced this San Jose experienced this and if signs or any indication Dallas could experience at one point but so far that’s not been the case well so far they haven’t they haven’t had to yet either it hasn’t really been put in a scenario like that in Dallas not really right well say for last year when Dallas went down three games to zero against Vegas in the conference final with the boow as a Stars head coach it’s kind of crazy when you think that the Bower has been to five what is it the 2019 2020 2021 2023 2024 Conference Finals as five of the last six Conference Finals that theor has been to he SW the four prior in which he has coached with San Jose Vegas and Dallas you think he may be due for one this time around is that who you me towards Dallas I’m guessing yeah You’ think I’d say Dallas in five six um you think it’s time for him it’s just it’s the right matchup um I love the Oilers I love it that we have a Canadian team in the finnel I but I just I I think I even said this at the start of the series I had the Oilers getting through the conu but I thought the conu would probably have the better shot in the Conference finals against Dallas and I’m I stand behind that I think makes the loss of Brock besser even more brutal blood quats are no joke nope man that was an unfortunately timed blood clot just absolutely brutal for Vancouver you’re on the cusp of winning a series then you get that news plus paired with the loss of fat Demco and Cas to Smith yeah yeah you you just run out gas not to mention that you average 20 shots on goal that’s not sustainable yeah as for my prediction in the Western Conference Final I too lean Dallas I’ll give it six games however I feel Edon will make it a series with their highend talent and their defense but I would be amazed if the Oilers do make it in Stanley Cup Final in which in such case if it were an Oilers Rangers series boy ESPN is going to be promoting that like crazy oh yeah for sure I mean I don’t think ESPN wants the Oilers to win the well maybe MC McDavid on maybe McDavid will be good for Ratings I don’t know how well he does down there in the states though um I mean because if you think about it the Rangers are basically ESPN’s Golden Boy of course yeah because New York team largest market in sports they’re going to get a l discourse just Rangers Nicks Yankees you know yeah all of that so so we pretty much have a ranger Star stanle Cup final this is where we stop all the talking and let the game speak for themselves exact that’s pretty much going to do it here for this episode do we have any final thoughts before we wrap this one up again I just want to say glad we finally have a Canadian team back in the Conference Finals I hope this round’s as good as the last one um although again as I said I have my doubts I’ll be watching as much of it as I can hopefully all of it butth yeah that’s all for me glad to have you with with us Redbox thanks for joining here in this episode let’s get Kraken we talk the NHL and all other sports I’ll be with you in touch shortly afterwards or preview of the Stanley Cup Final once we wrap up the Conference Finals alongside Red Box I am Alex saying so long and let’s play that hockey tomorrow good night
In this episode, we recap the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs and preview the conference finals.
Recorded on May 21, 2024.
Let’s Get Cracking is a Wisecrackers production.