Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoff Awaits, New York Rangers Hire Sullivan

Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoff Awaits, New York Rangers Hire Sullivan

Round two of the Stanley Cup playoffs is set for most of the field. How do those matchups play out? Plus, there’s only one game seven so far, and one of those big coaching carousel spots is gone. All that and more on today’s Locked On NHL podcast. [Music] You’re Locked on NHL, your daily podcast on the National Hockey League, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. Happy Friday everyone, and thanks for making Locked on NHL, your first listen every day. I am Rachel Donner from Locked On Flyers. I’m here each and every Friday with Gil Martin of Locked On Islanders. You can find the show over on YouTube or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Subscribe to get the latest episode as soon as it’s available here on the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day. This episode is brought to you by the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K. You can turn any TV into your Xbox. No console needed. Head to amazon.com/firetvlockedon to learn more. Gil, how are we doing this Friday? We are doing round one is starting to wind down and uh you know, round one is my favorite round. just as a fan. If my team is not involved, it’s the best. So many games you’re switching around one right, no emotional baggage. It’s great. Just enjoy the quality hockey, you know. It’s great. Yeah. Very interesting, though. Uh, you know, right now we only have one guaranteed game seven. that of course is between the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars after the Aavs won game six in that series last night uh in a very back and forth game with questionable goalending. But I think that it’s interesting because again both of the potential game sevens, we do know the Jets blue series could go to game seven. Game six uh is tonight with the Jets having a shot at closing out that series, but both of those are in the same corner of the bracket. Yeah, they are. So, it’s uh a lot of unknowns in that particular part of the bracket right now. Yeah. And of course, as we know, they recede. And so, you know, we’re not sure what’s going on with that uh section of the playoffs, but uh we do know that the entire Eastern Conference kind of got their ducks in a row, so to speak, even though the Ducks play in the West. We’ll forgive that line there. But I think, you know, it is interesting that uh we are going to see the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes in round two. And I mentioned goalending in the previous series. I feel like goalending has been such a narrative in these playoffs so far and that’s going to be no different in this series, right? Yeah. No, I agree. And and we’ve seen, I think, a lot more highscoring games in this playoff so far than I anticipated. Usually you get a lot of two to ones and 3 to2s. We’re getting 64, 75. I mean, I’m waiting for coffee and Curry and Gretzky. I mean, this is like 80s hockey all over again. Yeah, it’s been a lot of fun. Now, we do know that for the Washington Capitals, Logan Thompson went uh 4- one in the first round, a 2.23 goals against average, a 923 save percentage, and excellent performance. There was that slight scare with the injury when Dylan Stro ran into him. So, Charlie Lingren went in for a while. He only allowed a goal on four shots. So, I feel like of course they want Logan Thompson to play it out, but that the Caps do have a decent enough backup should something happen with Thompson again. They do. And, you know, depth for goalending is important. A, you don’t want to wear your starter out entirely, and B, you know, injuries happen in this game, and you need to have somebody ready to step in, even if it’s for five minutes. You know, you give up three goals in five minutes. That’s the game. That changes the momentum of a series even potentially. So, you may only need your backup once or twice, but sometimes that’s a very important once or twice. Yeah. And that is a huge factor for the Carolina Hurricanes in this series as well because as we know, you know, Freddy Anderson, we don’t know what his current status is as of now and if he’ll be able to return. You know, he left in game four of their first round series against the New Jersey Devils. Uh Peter Kachekov won game five to clinch this series, but goalending turbulence, I’d say, has been a hallmark of this Carolina Hurricanes team for what seems like forever, right? Yeah. It always seems like they’re trying to figure out their goalending situation. And it’s not that they don’t have good goalies, but I don’t know if they’ve had a dominant goalie. They’ve had hot goalies sometimes, but you know, there’s always two guys fighting for to see who’s going to be the number one guy and it just injuries and slumps and streaks. It goes back and forth. Uh, and curiously enough, you know, Carolina has always been a contender, but has yet to get all the way over the hump, so to speak. And maybe the goalending has something to do with that. Even though it’s uniformally good, it’s not outstanding. Yeah. And I just think this is going to be an interesting matchup just because we do have that veteran presence and a bunch of guys who did already win a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals on that side. And of course, we have Alex Ovetkin wanting to cap off a tremendous season with the goals record. we have like a which Tom Wilson is gonna show up today question to answer that has continued and I think you know the emergence of Conor Mcichael as a genuine star on that team and can he step it up in the playoffs in a way that you know he doesn’t have as much experience as the other guys on that Capitals team he doesn’t but he’s surrounded by people who do and I think that can make his acclamation to playoff hockey that much faster. He doesn’t need to be the guy and he’s going to learn even just by osmosis, by example, uh from guys like Ovuchkin who have been there and done that. So, I think he’s in a, you know, a very good spot considering his age and his experience level. That’s where you want to be. You learn from the best and you take it from there. Yeah. And I I think this series is going to be a lot about discipline as well. I think that it’s not just about like taking penalties discipline. I think it’s defensive structural discipline because we know like Carolina plays like a faster looser game than Washington does. And I think that the Caps are going to have to have a strong defensive structure and back check a a lot and a lot faster in this series in order to prevent the Canes from having multiple opportunities in the offensive zone. Yeah, they’re they’re a fast team and and they are coming at you. So, and I think for Carolina, there is sort of an advantage in that they the style they play is conducive to playoff hockey all year long. So, right, you know, they’re not adjusting their game the way some teams have to get into playoff mode. I think Carolina’s pretty much in playoff mode. 82 games during the regular season. They are. Yeah, they are. Yeah, I know. That’s what I think it like the coaching duel here and the matchups. I I just think this is going to be a really interesting series and I think a thinking fans series in a lot of ways, but then it could also immediately go off the rails. And that’s why I like it in a lot of ways because you can probably get a little of both here. you can get that dash of of of the unknown, of the daring, of the physicality, and yet and and I kind of anticipate like this is a series where both of these teams just have so much to prove. And I mean, if I’m Carolina, I’m just sick of not meeting those expectations in the playoffs. And if I’m the Capitals, certainly, you know, you want to prove the regular season is no fluke. You wanna, like you said, cap off Alexander Ovuchkin’s outstanding record setting season. Uh, it is and make it so that that season wasn’t just about that that this is a good season, you know, which which again to your point, we we know they are based on the regular season record, but was it partially the goals record motivation that got them there? Like can they go beyond that? And I think that’s an interesting question. It it is an interesting question and we’re going to find out the answer over the next few weeks when uh these two teams go head-to-head and it’s going to be a great series. It really really is. I think so too and I’m looking forward to seeing like if Spetchnikov and Sebastian Aaho can like continue the success that they had because that Devil’s team was broken, right? And so to have to switch gears and go up against a much stronger team that’s in a much better shape like that that is a difficult thing to do. So I am very curious to see how the Canes can like take it up a notch in the next series when I think even though we know that Montreal is a team that’s just getting going in their kind of playoff eligible run here. They’re young, they’re fast, and so I think the Caps had a really good competition to compare in the first round, whereas I don’t know that the Canes did. And I’m interested to see if that has an effect. I am too. And you know, that could cut two ways. On the one hand, you could say, okay, now they have to flip the switch and rise up that intensity level. On the other hand, if you’re going to win a Stanley Cup, you kind of need one series that’s a little less intense at some point. You know, you want to win the series four nothing or four to one so it’s not so much of a grind. Maybe, you know, that opening series for Carolina was that series that was a little easier. No offense to the Devils. They just had so many injuries they weren’t even themselves by the time the playoffs started. Yeah. Well, speaking of four to one, there was a series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers that ended that way a couple of years ago. They are going to have a rematch and we’re going to talk about them coming up next. Did you know that your Fire TV is also an Xbox? Turn any TV into your gaming and entertainment hub with Fire TV Stick 4K devices. No console required. Just grab your paired controller, subscribe, or sign in to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with EA Play included and you’re ready to go. Dive into hundreds of premium titles, including EA Sports College Football 25 to Call of Duty as easily as you stream your favorite shows. Do you ever find yourself flipping between apps to find one place that just works? With Firestick TV 4K, everything is in one place from Netflix to YouTube and beyond. So, head to amazon.com/firetvlocked on to get started. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription and compatible controller required. It’s available on select devices including Fire TV Stick 4K second gen, Fire TV Stick 4K Max first and second gen, Fire TV Cube third gen, Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K. Check it out today. The Florida Panthers versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. Where have we heard this before? Of course, it was in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs in the second round where, as we recall, Toronto fans were begging to play the Florida Panthers and were rooting for them against the Boston Bruins in that first round series that went to seven games. Toronto got their wish and face the Florida Panthers and then promptly lost the series four games to one as I mentioned. Be careful for Right. Exactly. So now though, I feel like there’s definitely a different energy here. Toronto, of course, defeated the Ottawa Senators in six games. Florida, I think, surprising a lot of people, eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games here. And I think that people expected that series to be a little bit closer than it was. And a lot of people uh picked the Lightning, myself included, to win that series because we weren’t sure, you know, what this Florida team was with the injuries and the suspensions and all of that. And I I think that when you are the defending Stanley Cup champion and you made it to the final the previous year as well uh in that infamous year, I feel like, you know, there’s a certain respect and a certain ability to just get the job done that maybe people underestimated with Florida. the experience counts and and the Florida Panthers, look, 10 years from now, Florida Panthers fans are going to look back at these three seasons and like, “Oh, these were the best days. These were the good old days for our team.” And, you know, this team knows how to win. and going out and beating Tampa Bay as soundly as they did. Not that the games themselves were necessarily easy, but I don’t think too many people expected the series to be five games. And uh I got to give credit to the Florida Panthers because they did coalesce and come together and just really take it up a notch in the playoffs and I think the experience has a lot to do with that. Yeah, I think so, too. And I think, you know, you want to say that this is a little bit of a rematch even though it was two years ago. And there’s some things that are the same about both these teams and some things that are different. Um, I think, you know, again, goalending comes to mind. Same for Florida with Sergey Burbowski and Net. And you know, if you look at the head-to-head between these two teams during the regular season, Bob was 3-1 and 0, a 1.77 goals against average, 925 save percentage. So Bob knows how to shut down this Toronto Maple Leafs team. He does. And you know, on the flip side, I think Toronto is going to surprise some people in this series because people who don’t watch the Maple Leafs a lot always think of the Big Four and and they’re an offensive team. This team can play defense and this team is built for the playoffs, I think, more than any previous Maple Leafs team in the last, let’s say, 10 years. So, they’re going to surprise some people with how tough an out they’re going to be or they’re going to pull off the upset. I I just think people will assume that the Leafs are always going to find a way to lose in the playoffs and it’s not going to be that simple. Yeah, I think that’s absolutely true and that’s one of the lessons that Toronto learned from that series loss two years ago is they started shifting their mindset a little bit when building the team. And you know, I think with goalending, they still have had that problem of finding the exact right goalender, but Anthony Stlars has stepped up for this team. I think, you know, if you look in at round one, he went 4-2, a 2.21 goals against, average, none save percentage. So, obviously not as good as Bob, but it was certainly enough to carry him through that series against Ottawa. And I think, you know, in a lot of ways, Ottawa had the experience to try to get around the Leafs goalending in a way that um was just something we knew going into there. So, I think that Stlar is actually like getting that experience in that series is going to carry through to this next round um a little bit better here. I think, you know, the cores of both these teams is pretty similar to what it was two years ago, but to your point, the style of play of Toronto has changed a a little bit. I think that’ll be a big deal. The only thing that’s interesting is the Aaron Ecklad suspension, not the original big suspension, but the little suspension for the Hegel hit. Like this guy, man. At any rate, um you know, he’ll be out for game one because he still has to serve that second game and um that’ll certainly open up some doors for the Leafs. It will. And you know, he’s such an important part of the Panthers success and having him out of the lineup changes the dynamic of that team. It changes the power play. It changes he he he plays a lot of minutes. All of a sudden, everybody has to step up and do a little bit more than maybe you would want them to do if you were coaching this team. Uh, play a different role slightly, take on more minutes. And I’ll say this, if the game goes to overtime, that could have a big effect on on the Florida Panthers. Yeah, I think so as well. And I think like if you’re looking at how the Florida Panthers have gotten here, it’s been more of by committee, whereas like the top guys in Toronto have been the ones to get the payoff here and be the high scorers. You know, if you look at the top scorers in the playoffs overall, you know, there’s a couple of Leafs up there before you get to any Florida Panthers. There’s like three, I think, Leafs before you get to any Florida Panthers with um Sam Reinhardt having the most points by any Panther in the playoffs so far with only six. And so, you know, I think when you’re when you’re winning by committee versus winning by your core, that’s a different approach. And I think that’s an interesting matchup to see. It is. Now, keep in mind, the Panthers played one less game. So it’s true but still like no no no your point is valid. I’m just saying that there there is that uh you know in there but yeah I think and the advantage of the committee approach is you could have a different person step up at any time. The disadvantage is you don’t know who it is going to be and sometimes nobody steps up. Whereas, if you’re relying on your, you know, four big superstars, the odds that one of those really elite players is going to step up, I think, you know, can be higher. Yeah, I I think so. So, again, I just think like the narrative around this series is extremely strong. I think the Leafs making it another round in the playoffs. I mean, let alone potentially getting to a Stanley Cup final. Now, I honestly think who’s ever in the West is going to win. But that being said, I think like the pressure on this Leafs team to come out of this series with a win is extremely high. And it’s just like, can they meet the moment? Yeah. Yeah. and doing it against the defending Stanley Cup champions just adds to the mix. I I am looking forward to this series. I am too. Well, there’s some other teams out there who aren’t really thinking about the playoffs. They’re thinking about who’s going to be their new head coach. And one of them, the New York Rangers, have already made a decision in hiring a former Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. We’re going to talk about that and the coaching carousel in general coming up next. The Stanley Cup playoffs are in full swing. And if you’ve never been to a live NHL playoff game, it is unlike anything else. It’s been a while for me, but I still remember what it’s like. The intensity, the speed, the energy in the building, it is next level. And thanks to Game Time, getting in the door can be easier and more affordable than ever. Game time is the fastest way to grab those playoff tickets, even for those must-sea matchups. And prices actually drop as puck drop gets closer. And with those last minute deals, you can save up to 60% for sports, concerts, comedy, and my favorite, the theater. Their all-in pricing shows the total cost upfront with no surprise fees at checkout, and the app even shows you panoramic cues, so you know exactly what you’re getting before you buy. And with Game Time ticket coverage, I know I’m protected, whether it’s cancellation protection, job loss assurance, or their 24-hour return guarantee. So, take the guesswork out of buying tickets with Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, use the code locked on NHL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, that’s code locked on NHL for $20 off. Download the Game Time app today. Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. So, Mike Sullivan is now the head coach of the New York Rangers. That was a pretty quick decision there, right? They didn’t have to think about it too long, did they? No, not at all. And I think, you know, that being decisive, I think, has its advantages. Um, I think, you know, there’s also an advantage to being a little slower and more deliberate and considering all the candidates and, you know, considering candidates that are still in active playoff situations right now. Um, I think, you know, but if you know who your guy is, you know who your guy is. I I think it’s going to be interesting. There’s a lot of like metro division. There’s like a mini carousel within the bigger carousel in the metro division. How do you think that will affect things for the Rangers? Uh yeah, it’s going to be interesting. Uh you know, the the Flyers are looking for a coach, the Islanders are looking for a coach. Uh and the Rangers just like you said, they were decisive. Look, you can’t argue with Sullivan’s resume. Okay. The guy’s won cups. He’s he’s coached star players. He’s gotten the most out of them. Now, the last couple of years have been a little tough, but he hasn’t had the talent to work with and the depth to work with that he did in the past. Yeah. I just find it’s really interesting that the Rangers just keep hiring other former Metro coaches. Yeah. Like they can’t get out of the Metro. It’s a habit, right? It’s weird. It is really weird. And um I think you know there’s speculation that John Tordella because of the close personal relationship with Mike Sullivan, he could potentially return to the Rangers in some capacity to work with Mike Sullivan. Um I think that would be certainly very interesting as well. Yeah. Well, look, Torch is never dull. You could love him, you could hate him. He’s never dull. So it would be interesting to see him come back. I wonder what his relationship is like with ownership uh with the Rangers, whether that would complicate things or not, but it would be very interesting if he were to come back in some capacity. Yeah, I think so. It’s uh it’s going to be really interesting here. Um you know, right now we have four vacancies and three interims left in in the carousel here. uh because since the last time we added Vancouver to the mix but now have subtracted the New York Rangers. So we’re still at seven here. And uh speaking of those Canucks, you know, Rick Tockett is obviously a perceived to be a top candidate for the Flyers job because he is a former Flyers player, but he’s also a former Pittsburgh Penguin. So it’s true. you know, I would not count him out and I think for that job either. And I think it’ll be interesting to see like what situation because I feel like Rick Tocket right now is in the driver’s seat in terms of what kind of job he’s looking for with what kind of roster. And I I do think that it’ll be interesting to see how that matchup comes into play because I do think he will take a job for this next season. It’s just a matter of where. I I think he will too. And the question is like where do you think he fits better that his coaching style is it more suited to the Flyers or is it more suited to the Penguins or somewhere else? Or somewhere else. Yeah. Yeah. I mean because you know we’ve got the Kraken job open like that could be enticing you know for a lot of reasons. Yeah. And I think, you know, the duck’s job is an opportunity to build a team, you know, and mold it to your to your own. Um although I don’t think that’s what in particular wants to do right now. But, you know, I I think it’s interesting. Um I you know, we know that there’s a couple of college coaches that have been making the rounds. Um Pat Fers Schweiler who was the head coach or is the head coach of Western Michigan who just won a national championship. Um we know that he talked to the Philadelphia Flyers and through Kevin Weekes we got that information and it’s interesting because you know he’s going to get anything he wants. He’s the king of the castle at Western Michigan. So, it would take a lot for him to leave. But one of his top players literally just signed his contract with the Flyers, so there is that uh connection there. But, you know, we also know about David Carl in Denver, but again, I don’t think he’s going anywhere either. Um, I do also think there’s a couple of top AHL coaches that could land somewhere that are, you know, are still in playoff situations in the AHL. So, I just think there’s so many names out there right now that it’s hard to say like where the next stop on the carousel is going to be, right? It is tough. And I think it’s a good thing that there are so many names out there. And and I’ll add, you know, we still don’t know from a New York Islanders perspective, they’re looking for a new president and a new GM. Does the new GM retain Patrick Wah or move on from him? So there could be another opening. I It’s sort of still up in the air on Long Island as well. It is. And the other kind of asterisk I would add to that is I am very curious what happens in Tampa. Like is John Cooper like is he done now? Like I I don’t know that like he’s an excellent coach and I have no beef with him as a coach, but some but he is the longest tenure coach in the NHL by a significant margin and at some point like you just agree to part ways. Like even if there’s been a ton of of success and there isn’t necessarily anything wrong with the coaching, it’s just like is it time? And I I just keep wondering if that’s going to happen here. Look, they they still had a good season. They didn’t do what they wanted to do in the playoffs. Obviously, this was a transition year after losing Stamos, the heart and soul of that team for a decade or so. Uh but yeah, eventually there is a point where it’s just time for a fresh perspective and a fresh voice. And I think we’re getting close to that point whether we’re there or not. Well, decisions have to be made, right? And I the other question that I have which adds to that for me is the Olympics and team Canada. We know that John Cooper coach team Canada and the Foreign Nations Cup to a win in that tournament. And would it be something that he would take a year off from NHL coaching, like leave Tampa, focus on Team Canada for the Olympics, maybe come out of it with a gold medal, and then go back to the NHL the following season? Well, like That’s the ideal course, right? If if he’s going to do that, the the of course he could go to the Olympics, not medal at all, and then the whole thing blows up in his face. So, listen, I just think it’s it’s a path that has a certain degree of logic to it. It does. It really does. And so, it’s just something that’s been in the back of my mind ever since Foreign Nations. And now that Tampa’s out of the playoffs, like it percolated a little bit more. Yeah. If it’s going to happen, this is the time, right? I mean, that’s Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, we’ll keep uh riding that carousel and see where everybody lands. See if there’s some more opening. See if interims become permanent. There’s lots to follow up on there. And we here at Lockon NHL will cover all of that. Uh that will do it for today’s show. Gil of course will be back on Monday to talk with hosts from around the network about what’s going on with their teams and of course we have locked on NHL game night every day every night until a Stanley Cup champion is crowned. You can get all the best local analysis on a national scale with NHL game night on Locked on NHL on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts right here in this feed. I will be back tomorrow for the women’s hockey report with Erica El Ayala. We’re getting into the nitty-gritty of that season there and heading into the PWHL playoffs. So, lots to talk about there as well. Have a great day, everyone.

The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs already has one Game 7 ahead when the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche meet, but there are two more series that can also go the distance. We discuss the keys to victory in the remaining opening round games of the NHL playoffs.

Plus, the second round is set in the East with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers set to go head to head in one series while the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals are set to meet in the other. We break down both upcoming series.

Plus the New York Rangers hire Mike Sullivan as their new head coach, we discuss that move and the remaining coaching openings including some top candidates to fill them.

All this and more on today’s Locked On NHL Podcast with Rachel Donner and Gil Martin.

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