Hershey Bears Dominate Game 2 of Calder Cup Finals, Ovechkin’s Legacy and Frustrations in the NHL

Hershey Bears Dominate Game 2 of Calder Cup Finals, Ovechkin’s Legacy and Frustrations in the NHL

on today’s show the Hershey Bears pick up a big win in game number two your locked on capitals your daily podcast on the Washington Capitals part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day well hello and welcome into this edition of lockon capitals I’m so glad you decided to join me today as always this podcast is free and available on all the major platforms including the Sirius XM app and on YouTube and I want to thank you for making this your first listen each and every day my name is Dan homy I’ve covered the capitals for the last three seasons for locked on and various other outlets before that I’m also the host of the weekly show called the capitals minute cast available wherever you find your podcasts you can find me on Twitter it’s at danc caps 28 you can find the show on Twitter it’s locked on caps and the best way that you can help go the show is to subscribe to locked on capitals on YouTube and comment anything down below today’s episode is brought to you by fandel make every moment more right now new customers get $200 in bonus Bets with any winning $5 bet that’s $200 in bonus Bets with any winning $5 bet visit fanduel.com locked on to get started so in this edition of locked on capitals we talk about how the Hershey Bears pick up a huge win at home Sunday on Father’s Day against the Coachella Valley Firebirds we’ll talk about that and why that win was so important a little bit later we will talk about photos that have emerged of Alex oetkin this off season and saying he looks a little out of shape maybe a bit of a dad body going on there how concerned should we be about Alex oetkin and then in the final segment we will talk about Alex oetkin and his thoughts on goals being reviewed and how that came back to haunt him multiple times this last season but just to get it going here talking about the Hershey Bears picking up a huge win today on Sunday against the Firebirds at home as this series now shifts out to Coachella valy for the next three games and this has been a bit of a difficult series and I know we’re only two games into it but uh you know if we take a look at the teams that the Bears played before in the playoffs the Phantoms you take a look at the wolf pack you take a look at the monsters that there wasn’t any significant push back there was some with Cleveland uh towards the end there but all things considered they were able to pretty much just Sleepwalk their way through it but this team this Coachella Valley Firebirds they’re a different breed uh it’s with the head coach of Dan BMA who is again going to be the head coach of the Kraken next year we remember his history uh in the NHL and he has that team firing on all cylinders it’s a really great team of course if they’re playing at this point of the Season we know that so it was of Paramount importance that the Hershey Bears found a way to win today like I say as this series now shifts out to Coachella Valley for the next three games and certain players showed up big uh as the Hershey Bears like I say win in a convincing fashion five2 the Bears offensive Firepower was on full display even Mir nenko Jimmy Huntington pick dubet and Hardy hman octel all finding the back of the net just I’m just going to go ahead and say I love this team they have scoring up and down the lineup and even Mir nenko has grown by Leaps and Bounds this offseason I think solidifying his spot on the capitals in the fall uh just really kind of knocking everyone’s socks off I’m going to go ahead and say surprising me how great he’s played and not only that pick dubet we know what a big player he is on the Hershey Bears and how huge he was for Hershey all season playing really big right now with the big front aquarium on the front of his face that is not a deterrent as he finds a way to score goals in Hardy H octel knocking it out of the park from the blue line just huge out there and then taking a look at it also Hunter Shepherd uh stood firm against a barrage of shots uh there were times that the Firebirds were throwing the kitchen sink at Hunter Shepard and he stood tall making 32 saves and demonstrating his exceptional skill between the pipes I’ve spoke about Shep daddy many times that I would have zero problems with him if Darcy or Charlie got dealt this summer if he came up uh and was in the rotation either at number one or number two just really a dynamic net minder but in particular even mesenko uh if I’m going to pick one player in this early series that has really stood out um is even Mir schenko the game opened with a statement of intent from the Bears as mirnes shenko notched his seventh goal of the playoffs just 551 into the first period propelling the Bears to an early one to nothing lead the young Russian Winger’s exceptional goal scoring form has been instrumental for the Bears throughout the playoffs and he has adapted to the North American game I think much quicker than anyone had anticipated and if you listen to me when I talk about the capitals it’s the same thing for the Bears and just in general the team that scores first controls the momentum so it was huge that even mirish nenko was able to find the back of the net first but coachi struck back early in the second period uh through Luca Henman but the bear swiftly responded an air by the fireberg net minder Chris dger behind his own net presented an opportunity that Alex L’s capitalized on setting up Jimmy Huntington for a crucial goal um and not maybe not necessarily household names to capitals fans I’m talking about Jimmy Huntington in particular but you know often times when I talk about bears players we know uh you know even Mir nenko we know L here we know you know those names that have kind of jumped up and down between the Bears and the capitals but there are some really great players that maybe you’re not too familiar with that you should be because I think that they are on the cusp of doing really great things in their careers in particular I’m talking Alex lamos and Jimmy Huntington Huntington who has been enduring a dry spell found the back of the net for his third goal of the playoffs injecting new energy into the Bears offensive play and this is a team that has had its fair share of struggles with the injuries to pick dubet uh not to mention the blue line that has a lot of injuries as well but it’s just like everything else it’s next man up and if your team has that needed depth you can rise to the occasion as the Bears did today Huntington continues to make an impact setting up Pi dubet for another crucial goal just 341 later despite initially fumbling his pass attempt dubay’s goal his third in five games further solidified the Bears lead uh pick dubet is the guy next season I think for sure that is set to make an impact on the capitals team that wants to get younger and quicker uh I’m also going to put Ethan Frank of course in that mix I think a lot of these players on hershy um are going to be due for a promotion or at least a look I’m not going to say that they’re going to find spot for sure for sure but at least deserve a look another guy that I’ve spoke of on the show is ham oel then sealed the deal with another goal into the empty net uh from his own Zone with just 11 seconds remaining uh keys on the blue line Hardy hom oel if you’re not familiar with him get familiar uh you should remember him when he played for the Capitals in Camp last season despite missing key defensive and top scores Garrett roow due to injuries the Bears depth was on full display with Matt Str making a seamless return to bolster the team’s lineup the depth players stepped up admirably with L’s Huntington and veon all delivering multi-point performances to compensate for the lack of scoring from the Top Line this team has the depth that the capitals do not uh as of right now I guess it remains to be seen what happens on July 1 but a really fun team to watch and you know I do talk to quite a few capitals fans and some people just aren’t that into uh AHL hockey if you’re not into it get into it it is exciting uh it was on the NHL Network it’s on Monumental there is literally no excuse as capitals fans for you not to be watching it it has been some truly fun hockey watch as the series heads to California for the next three games the Bears find themselves in a critical position they must secure at least one victory in California to ensure that Giant Center hosts another electrifying playoff game this year with their depth and determination the Bears are poised to continue their quest for another CER cup I do believe they can do it the difficult part however as uh Bears fans primarily on the East Coast not on the west coast suffices to say that the games will be rather late that you will have to be a really hearty hockey fan uh as I look at the schedule 10 p.m. 10 p.m. 900 p.m. coming up here so um dig deep if you don’t have to work early in the morning stay up and watch those games it’s going to be worth it but uh this team is is finding a way the Hershey Bears are finding a way to overcome adversity that even though they have their backs against the wall it seems at times they’re able to find a way to to win these games some teams would have folded um if you take a look at the injuries on the Blue Line in particular for Hershey they’re finding a way to get it done again truly fun hockey all right so coming up here Straight Ahead we will talk about how Alex oetkin appears to be out of shape and some people will say d Dan you’re not in the best shape yourself well I’m not a professional athlete either Alex oetkin is rocking a dadbod and how concerned should we be as capitals fans I’ll discuss Straight Ahead a lot of life is unpredictable but a good in life insurance policy plan gives your family a financial safety net prot to protect against some of the unknowns policy genius is the country’s leading online insurance Marketplace it makes choosing the right policy for your family easy and 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all right welcome back into this edition of locked on capitals part of the locked on podcast Network it is your team every day in this next segment here we are going to talk about the pictures that have come out uh looking at Alex oetkin you know seeing what he looks like taking part in some different functions and he looks a little out of shape he looks like a hockey player that has hung it up and is retired we know the struggles that Alex aletkin faced last season his slowest start turned it on but was kind of non-existent in the playoffs and the pictures that have emerged here recently show him um I’m just going to go ahead and say not in shape and what you would classify as a dadbod and I understand that this is June and he has quite a bit of time before now in the start of the Season maybe he plans on hitting it hard in July and August I don’t know but as of right now it is going to be a bit of a mountain for him to climb uh to get into shape Alex oetkin has been had a legendary career in the NHL and has always been known for his toughness and durability however concerns have Arisen among caps fans after a quiet season from the League’s best goal score and recent offseason photo suggesting he might be out of shape as oetkin prepares for his 20th NHL season there are questions about his ability to maintain his Elite Performance and break Wayne gret’s goalscoring record with just 42 goals needed to break the all-time record oetkin has a legitimate chance to achieve this Milestone however his physical condition has raised doubts about his Readiness and what are some of the things that we already know about Alex achkin by his own admission there was a special on ESPN saying that he doesn’t adhere to any strict diet that a lot of the younger guys do I’m talking about the boiled chicken and and broccoli and just a lean existence he is a guy that likes to eat pasta he is a guy that likes to have Coca-Cola in his water bottle at the games uh he is also the guy that eats a steady diet of Subway sandwiches with flaming hot Cheetos not necessarily the kind of diet that you want to have at this point of your career considering the struggles that you had last year uh considering that you are in fact chasing down Wayne Gretzky and at the end of the day you’re trying to help the Capitals win hockey games so are we reading into it too much um or are the pictures deceiving a look online and you can see for yourself last season oetkin scored only 31 goals in 79 games and struggled in the playoffs as he approaches 39 years old it’s evident that maintaining his Peak Performance will require extra effort a recent photo of obie was had a noticeable dadbot in quotes has raised concern among capitals fans about the fitness for the upcoming season while it’s not unusual for athletes to relax and gain weight in the offseason Obie’s physical condition has sparked a debate about the expectation for athletes like him during the off seon some argue that maintaining Peak physical condition is crucial especially with a significant record on the line While others believe that players can still perform effectively despite not having a perfectly sculpt physique um you know and this is not a fairness thing this is not a body image thing this is you are considering you know playing at the highest level possible you are an L player it doesn’t get any bigger than that you must adhere to rules that other people don’t if you want to partake in fast food and not taking care of yourself there’s an office job there somewhere out there for you but you are considered to be a peak athlete and uh for me if you’re just asking my opinion I think it’s a little reckless um it’s just going to be something more that he’s going to have to overcome and um you know if he doesn’t get that production in in the fall earlier in the season are we going to be able to draw lines to him being out of shape uh there were times to start the season that he looked rather winded and uh you know oftentimes people will do that what about you D I’m not a professional athlete he is that’s why he’s getting paid a bolt load of money so that is my take on it right now now the caveat to all of this of course like I said maybe his plan is on July 1st he’s going to hit it hard with his trainer maybe that is the case but that is not the case I think that yes in fact there is at least a level of concern as he does look not his best self I’m going to go ahead and say so I think that that is something that you know should be pushed to the front burner in his mind but you know if I know anything about Alex oetkin he’s not the kind of person uh that you can sway his opinion the question remains should oetkin be held to a higher standard given the goalscoring record this debate reflects his high expectations placed on Elite athletes and the intense scrutiny they face both on and off the ice um I don’t think I really need to say much more uh about Alex oetkin other than that that you know I’m concerned about you man I I know that you struggled last season I know that you went to the all-star break in Dubai and came back a changed man but I also you saw you struggle in the playoffs and you know I I I I look at the the players comparables that are even older for example I see what Tom Brady did Peak Fitness he saw the writing on the wall that I’m not the youngest man anymore that if I’m going to play the best that I possibly can I should be in Peak Fitness now Tom Brady set himself to a standard that I don’t think most people can attain it was a very regimented regimented lifestyle however uh Alex oetkin does appear that at least according you know looking at his diet it has gone off the rails I think is what I’m going to say a steady diet of pasta Coco Cola uh Subway nachos you know whatever he’s eating this offseason that we don’t know about it is it’s a little bit Reckless considering how much he struggled last season if that was me say I struggled and you know I take what I do very seriously I would do my darnest to make sure that didn’t happen again just from this you know from outside uh point of you it looks like a little bit Reckless you think that you would find a way to dial it in a little bit that you would say he maybe I should maybe not do this maybe I struggled last season maybe I should be working out um I only have a couple years left to my contract anyway after that let the pasta fly you know pasta Doritos whatever you want to do but while you are still having your check cut by the capitals the NHL team KHL wherever you should try to be your best self uh that’s my take on it I think that Alex achkin should look at it that way again he’s not the kind of a guy that can have his opinion swayed but uh there is at least a level of concern with the pictures I’ve seen again I guess it remains to be seen what he looks like in the fall once practice starts all right so coming up here Straight Ahead we will talk about Alex oetkin and his thoughts on goals being reviewed and then oftentimes overturned he was the victim of that quite often all the way in straight ahead summertime means baseball the NBA NBA finals and more and you can bet on it all with FanDuel right now new customers get $200 in bonus Bets with any winning $5 bet that’s 200 bucks you can use to bet on everything from the finals MVP to who’s going to hit one out of the park and listen often when you’re watching a sporting event and you know maybe you’re not that interested your team’s not playing that well well if you want to get into the game and make it that much more exciting open up the FanDuel app put a little bit of money on the game all of a sudden the game is that much more exciting so visit fanduel.com Lockton and add a big win to your summer bucket list FanDuel America’s number one sports book all right welcome back into this edition of locked on capitals part of the locked on podcast Network your for Team every day talking Alex oetkin in the last segment here and goals being reviewed and then oftentimes overturned and it seems that the capitals and Alex oetkin were victim to that quite often last season and how much should we look into this should everything that’s done on the ice be put under the microscope should everything that’s out there you know be had a magnifying glass put on it and stop it and riew it and stop it and review it well that is the question that we’re going to talk about in this last segment now this isn’t just anything these are goals being reviewed and I guess all things considered I would say it’s a good thing but it’s the consistency in which these goals are either called as good goals which is horrible grammar because a goal in it of itself is a goal good goal is redundant but that is a topic for another time and a goal being overturned because it is perceived as being a bad goal uh or not an allowed goal because it didn’t go across the line all the way that kind of thing and one of the things that Alex oetkin uh talked about and I’ll talk about it here in this segment is that that’s fine if the rules are easy to understand it’s a lot like baseball and baseball has been under scrutiny as well as far as balls and Strikes are concerned uh and it seems that as technology gets better uh you think that you know it would it would be better all around but it seems like umpires and officials on ice and just officiating in general has taken a dip and why is that and is it for the best that we must find the need to review everything that happens Alex ofkin the capital of the capitals is known for his incredible talent and we know that his passion for the game and love of hockey over the past year Obie has faced frustration due to multiple goals being taken off the board after video review and coaches challenges in an interview with its hockey brother oetkin expressed his weariness with the trend stating that if he could change any rule in the NHL it would be to eliminate video replays and coaches challenges altogether however that is from the capital’s point of view if that negatively affects you how about goals that the capital score that they say aren’t good goals do you not want those goals reviewed so it’s an interesting tight rope to walk on that if you got to take the good you have to take the bad with it I think Alex oetkin is coming from a place of frustration because he saw a fair amount of his goals overturned for that I do understand his frustration the team lost the second most challenges in the league last season with nine decisions going in favor of the opposing team oetkin specifically recalled a conversation and a controversial call against the Nashville Predators where where his game time goal was cancelled due to goal tender interference he empath emphasized the inconsistency and how similar situations were handled which led to his frustration with the current system coach’s challenges in constant reviews uh where games are on the line he recites an episode or a game with Nashville where it was a game time goal those are very frustrating and then you got to wonder at the end of the day did the official get it right that is the frustrating part for fans and for hockey players alike as oetkin prepares for his 20th NHL season and approaches Wayne Gretzky’s alltime goals record he acknowledged the challenges posed by the referees differing perspectives and the lack of clarity in their decisions during video replays despite these frustrations oetkin dedication to the game remains unwavering uh as he continues to pursue hockey and chasing after grety so you know you take a look at it if your goal is overturned of course you hate it like I’ll put this system away but say the capitals were well say the capitals scored the game time goal or a game-winning goal uh would wouldn’t you want that goal reviewed so again that to reiterate you have to take the good you have to take the bad and I think as far as Alex oetkin where he’s coming from he’s coming from a player that has had some of his goals overturned he’s not looking at the big picture of that if those goals weren’t reviewed that maybe the capitals would have in fact lost games as well so again an interesting position these rules that keep changing I think the one thing that fans and players Al like would like is consistency what is good what is not good and avoid the gray area me as a person I struggle with gray area in my work life and everything it’s either yes or it’s no with no exception I don’t like exceptions so I think that players also struggle with that so if there was a bit more clarity and if you could avoid gray area situations I think that would make players and fans happy and at the end of the day that’s what we want we want our players happy and the fans of the team happy as well listen I want to thank you for joining me on this edition of locked on capitals your only daily yearr on podcast covering the Washington Capitals and I want to thank all of you that listen on the audio side and watch this on YouTube you are ultimately what makes this show successful when you’re done here head on over to lockd On’s 247 streaming channel available on the free Amazon Fire TV channels app and on YouTube all right once again I want to thank you for joining me on this edition of lockon capitals part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day my name is Dan homy and I’ll talk to you again next time

The Hershey Bears secured a strong 5-2 win in Game 2 of the Calder Cup Finals against Coachella Valley Firebirds. The Bears’ offensive players Ivan Miroshnichenko, Jimmy Huntington, Pierrick Dubé, and Hardy Häman Aktell scored goals, contributing to their impressive postseason performance. Goalie Hunter Shepard made 32 saves, showcasing his exceptional skills. Despite missing key players due to injuries, the Bears displayed impressive depth as they head to California for the next three critical games.

Concerns have arisen about the Washington Capitals’ star player Alex Ovechkin as he prepares for his 20th NHL season. Questions have been raised about Ovechkin’s physical condition and readiness to break the all-time goal-scoring record, especially after a quiet season and recent concerns about his physical shape. Additionally, Ovechkin has expressed frustration with the current video replay and coach’s challenge system in the NHL, citing inconsistent decisions impacting game results. Despite these challenges, Ovechkin remains dedicated to the game as he continues to pursue his passion for hockey.

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