Chicago Wolves Take On Texas Stars | First Round Begins

Texas had Chicago’s number all season, and that’s exactly why this first round matchup is so fascinating. The Wolves enter the AHL playoffs with real momentum, a deep lineup, and a big jolt of organizational confidence after Spiros Anastas officially becomes the full-time head coach. Andrew Rinaldi (On Tap Sports Chicago) joins me to talk through what that kind of leadership clarity can do to a locker room when the games get tight and every shift becomes a battle.

From there, we dig into the development story that’s powering this run. Multiple Chicago Wolves players stepped into Carolina Hurricanes games late in the year and looked like they belonged, which says a lot about how the system is built and how roles are taught. We break down standout seasons and growth from Felix Unger Sorum, Bradly Nadeau, and Justin Robidas, including the details that don’t always show up in highlight clips but win playoff series.

Then we turn the page to the Texas Stars playoff preview: special teams, goaltending, net-front play, and how Chicago can handle Texas’ size and veteran edge. We look at the Stars’ key scorers, why this opponent is never an easy out, and the specific Wolves X factors that could flip a season series that went heavily Texas. If you’re searching for a clear “Wolves vs Stars” roadmap, this is the one we’d want in our pocket.

Subscribe for more stormTRacker, share this with a Wolves fan, and leave a review so more AHL and Calder Cup hockey fans can find the show. What’s your biggest key to Chicago winning this series?

Highlights:

• Anastasis earning the head coach job and why the room responds to him
• Hurricanes call-ups looking comfortable and why system fit matters
• Felix Unger Sorum’s leap into elite AHL production
• Bradley Nadeau’s shot plus the 200-foot game that changes everything
• Justin Robidas as the do-anything forward coaches trust
• Noah Philp’s late-season scoring burst and second-line chemistry
• Special teams adjustments and how Texas will try to take away lanes
• Goaltending matchup and the playoff reality of second chances
• Blue line contrast between Texas size and Chicago mobility
• Forward lineup depth and the case for added physicality
• Texas veteran scorers and why postseason experience travels
• Resetting the season series and picking players to watch

#canes #erictulsky #raiseup #carolinahurricanes #stormtracker23 #bradlynadeau #podcast #lockedonhurricanes #thehockeyguy #spirosanastas #chicagowolves #darrenyorke #ahl #Justinrobidas #carolinaculture #chicagowolves #texasstars #dallasstars 

Transcript

Wolves Surge Into Playoffs

SPEAKER_01 0:31

Well, Chicago Wolves have started to eat up heading into the playoffs, winning five of their last six games. The Wolves' run was fueled by the return of WizKids Bradley Nadeau and Justin Robedah, and the strong offensive contributions of Felix Ungerstorm and Noah Phil. Joining me to wrap up the season for the Wolves and break down the upcoming first round series with the Texas Stars, I'm delighted to welcome in our stormtracker Chicago Wolves insider, Andrew Rinaldi. Hi Andrew, how's it going? Hey, good to be back, Tom. Okay, so lots to be excited about. Uh congrats to the Wolves players and staff for finishing second in the central. But I understand there's some exciting news that we've heard this week as well.

SPEAKER_00 1:20

Absolutely. And I don't think it comes to a shocker to anyone that's been following the team, but it's good to have a vote of confidence from the organization up top. And that's uh head coach Spiros Anastasis has had the interim tag removed from his position. He's now officially the full-time head coach of the Wolves. And again, I can't say I'm very surprised by this move. I mean, he's had a 25-14 and 11 record since he's taken over. Um, the team had you know a strong finish and and and solidly there in that second place spot in the central. And I feel like you can just I mean, I can't necessarily speak for the players, but I feel I feel like I can just feel how much that they want to kind of go and and play for this guy. It feels very Ryan Warsovsky-like in just how they speak about him and how much they they enjoy playing for him. And in the times I've I've talked to him, I mean, it's I I'm I'm very I'm so happy for him. I think it's just well deserved for you know the job and and just uh the energy that he's brought to to that to the team in Chicago. And um, you know, I can't say enough good things about Coach Anastasis, and um, I I think this is just the beginning for uh a splendid career that he's gonna have in the game going forward.

Canes Call-Ups Look NHL-Ready

SPEAKER_01 2:48

Well, it's exciting, and of course he was recently on Storm Tracker, so that was great. And and he talked a lot about the players and a lot of the development activity going on with the players. But you know, when we watched the players head up and play with the canes at the end of the year, there were several recalls, as you as you noticed, and of course the canes were resting some of their key players. And boy, we saw you know Brenda Moore, Slavin, Nadeau, Ungersorm, Lego, Seeley, Nestrom, all seeing action with the Hurricanes. What did you think about uh how they did with the Canes?

SPEAKER_00 3:23

I I think they've all performed wonderful, honestly. You know, for a couple of guys that are just starting to get their feet wet, a couple others that, you know, maybe been their second or third call up or so. And I've what has really stuck out with me is just how seamless it seems the transition is for some of these guys to, you know, it's not they don't look like fish out of water, you know. It's it's hard to point out and be like, oh yeah, that guy has clearly been in the minors for the last few months. Um Coach Nasis has gotten these guys playing a great brand of hockey, and it's one that that that is in lockstep with what the organization in Carolina wants. And it's so that way when they do get these call-ups and whenever there's an injury or hey, this is just your opportunity to come up here and and show us what you got, they're not you know, shying away from the moment. They're stepping up and they're making they're making plays, they're looking confident, and you know, uh the coaching has a big part to to do with that. So I've I I I I I've loved it. It's one of my favorite things about covering this league is seeing these guys go up, whether it's for a game or whether it's for the rest of their career, to kind of to use the springboard of this league into something to something great like that. It's uh it's truly a treat. I think each one of these guys has taken a ton of of the lessons they learned here in Chicago, and they're gonna go up there and do great things with it.

Breakout Seasons From Key Prospects

SPEAKER_01 4:55

Yeah, and I mean it was it was interesting because I mean I we had certainly in the discussion with uh Spiro Sinastis, Spiros had talked uh very strongly about his belief that Skylar Bridemore is uh is a player that could play in the in the NHL right now and certainly could handle a fourth line or whatever role. And he did a great job. And you know, the the Keynes fighting for first place uh at that stage in the metro and also trying to get as high as they could overall in the NHL, battling Dallas for second overall, and they all they did was win four or five games with these guys. So, you know, quite a story. And uh, you know, we saw certainly Bradley Nadeau doing what he can do, and he was given a chance to move up onto a more offensive mind and line, which was great to see that. And and uh the announcers, of course, on the different groups, not just the Keynes announcers, but others were quite impressed with with Bradley. And and you know, some of the other guys, it was great to see Roman Seeley. A lot of folks were kind of excited about that because he's a guy that's been toiling away, doing his thing quietly uh with the Wolves and uh and previously in in the ECHL and so on. And and he's a guy that really has stepped in and done a really nice job and and good to see that. And he's turned out to be quite the offensive player lately, which is a bit of a surprise with Ronan because he went many, many, many games without uh much offensive and then started scoring like crazy. So, anyway, Low's playing better. Uh they did great even with some of the players they had filling in. So it was kind of interesting. Some players up with the canes and some folks filling in, and and we'll talk a little bit about some of those folks, uh Iron Ryapkin coming back, which was kind of fun. Um, but an interesting lineup on the 18th. We saw some players that were called up uh filling in from uh the gargoyles, uh certainly uh Blake Beondi, who I thought played very, very well, and and some others that that were also helping out. Uh oh, Bryce Montgomery, of course, uh coming in. And and we've talked about Bryce before too. And and he's a player that that Sparrows had talked a lot about uh in our podcast. He was very high on on uh Bryce Montgomery, so it's great. Um ended up in second place, seven points ahead of third place Texas, and here we go. Were there uh tell me about some players that really stood out for you this year as we wrap up the season?

SPEAKER_00 7:18

I mean, you gotta start. If you're talking about the whole year, you gotta start with Felix Undersorum, right? I mean, lead the team in points after I mean, I don't want to say it was a troubling rookie season, but it was tough. It was tough for uh, you know, for a 19-year-old to come over from Europe and and play in a league like this. It's it it really is a steep learning curve. Um, you know, they kind of try to play him at center for a while and kind of threw him off, I think. And this year, I feel like, you know, he he he gained a lot of strength over the offseason. He he got a lot more confident with the puck. They kind of stopped jostling him around the position that kind of and put him on his his strong wing and said, you know, get after it. And boy, did he ever, you know, fifth in the in the entire AHL in points, um played all 72 games for the Wolves, only guy in the roster who did that, and uh honestly just got better and better as the year went along. Like it I feel like, you know, there's so much attention on and on Nate for obvious reasons, and and on Roboda for everything that he brings in night in, night out. That it all he almost got lost in the loop until you realize like, hey, this guy has has been here all year and he's done everything that the coaching staff has asked of him and more. And I especially you know, down the stretch, he's you know, I feel like he's he's turned his game up to another gear as we're getting to the nitty-gritty and with the with the postseason coming up, and and all he's done is kind of I wouldn't say put the team on his back, but he's really stepped up in terms of his offensive production, and uh, you know, it's it after his the early struggles in his career, kind of seeing him blossom into this player and then earn his his NHL debut, get his first point in his first game. Um, you know, you're seeing all those tools that made him uh a high draft pick and you know a dark horse candidate for making the canes when he first came in. You're seeing all that now start to come together and and a complete player start to emerge.

SPEAKER_01 9:37

Well, Unger Swarm, um, he's been on a tear, as you mentioned. He's got five goals, nine assists his last 12 games. He ended up with um uh 66 points, which is a tremendous performance, but seventh in the AHL in scoring. So he he kind of moved up. Obviously, injuries hampered both uh Justin Robodaugh and uh and of course Bradley Nadeau, who were up right. I mean, Robodaugh was up near the top for a good part of the season as well. But uh, you know, we talked about this last month too. And and you know, the key thing for him was building his his strength. I mean, they talked a lot about him building his lower body strength and being able to win five on five battles. And and uh we talked about Jack Renzel, the strength and conditioning coach, and some of the things he was saying, and basically saying he's just more powerful, stronger, and faster. I mean, and hey, nothing wrong with that. And we've seen the results of that. I mean, we knew that Unger Sorm was a just a tremendous player in terms of his hockey IQ, the way he sees the ice. I mean, he sets up players, it's just insane, right? That's how he's got 49 assists this year. So he's happy on the right side. And you know, I think, and we talked about this too last time, I think too, Andrew, that he he's back in the mix as far as Kane's prospects, serious Kane's prospects are. And I I know during the broadcast they were talking about boy, this guy, he's right back there. So, you know, with Unger Sorm and obviously Bradley Nadeau, those two guys are right at the top of the list. And and speaking about Bradley Nadeau, the show, as he's called by the guys uh on the announcing crew, Jason Shaber and so on. I think uh tremendous season for him. Uh boy, what he was player of the week twice, he was player of the month in January. All he did at the All-Star Game was uh shoot 103 miles an hour. I mean, you know, he's he's he's doing it all. And uh three goals in 12 games with the Kanes, didn't look out of place at all. Uh clearly has done what they wanted him to do this year, and and the folks uh broadcasting were very clear. He's able to play a full 200-foot game in a big way and uh and blaze the body on and so on. What have you seen with Bradley? How do you feel about his season?

SPEAKER_00 11:54

I mean, he's you know, between call-ups and and a bit of an injury bug there, he missed 20 games this year and he still managed to lead the team in goals, and it's everything as advertised and you know getting better as as the games go on. And you know, again, I I I've said a million times, I think on this podcast, that we all know he can he can shoot the puck, but yeah what's what's gonna make him the real game breaker is that 200-foot game that he's been developing and working on and has really added another element to kind of his his total package of tools. Yes. And when you can combine all of that, it's you have a you know a solid player who can contribute to your NHL franchise immediately as as the canes have seen. And you know, it's it's our privilege to see him down in Chicago because you know Carolina's who's running a pretty solid organization up there. I don't know if you've noticed over the last couple of years, but uh he uh um you know he gets the opportunity to to play at all kinds of minutes and all kinds of situations, you know, getting penalty pill time and everything that he might not get up in the NHL club and just refine those, you know, those little corners of his game. And that way, again, as we talked about before, when he makes that transition full time up to the next level, it's there's not gonna be uh, you know, uh, okay, let's ease him in. It's you know, he's already before we even drop him in the water, he's already paddling and swimming. So it's it's um, you know, I I'm gonna hang on to this postseason run because it's probably gonna be the last we're gonna see of 82 here in Chicago. But uh I'm I'm gonna really enjoy it while it's here.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

Well, I think you're on, I think you're right on with that. Uh I don't think there's any question that he's earmarked to play for the Canes next year. Not quite sure how that all plays out. You know, they're pretty loaded, but but he's a guy that they've got to find some room for, and he's definitely a player that can play up and down the lineup now, so it's great. And uh, as you say, rightfully too, Andrew, he's he's a guy that not only brings that incredible shooting capability, he's uh he's just a solid player all around. So great stuff. Um now his line mate and running mate uh for a good part of the season, of course, was Justin Robodaugh before he got injured. Uh Robodaugh uh last year had 20 goals, 35 assists this year in 58 games. He had 23 goals and 37 assists. So better season in that regard. Ended up 17th uh in the AHL. Interesting thing about both of these guys, um, last year they were negative players. Um again, uh uh last year, in fact, uh was minus 20. This year he's plus 16, and last year Robodah was minus 11, he's plus 20. So these guys have really rounded out their game in a huge way, and that's been the work that Spiros and his crew, of course, of course, have been doing in the background. And you recall with uh Robodah, he had that one stretch where he was unconscious for like 19 games, he scores 16 goals. It's insane. Uh, and he's back on track again. Looks like he's ready to go. One final thing I'll mention um Spiro was very, very um uh excited about Robodah's game. Uh really thought he's a student of the game. He just he's just a guy he loves to put him in any situation. Justin Robadah.

SPEAKER_00 15:31

He's a guy you can rely on in any situation, and coaches love that, whether it's you know power play, penalty kill, offensive zone draw, defensive zone draw. To know that you can you can rely on this guy no matter what the situation is, where the puck's gonna be dropped. It doesn't matter, it's just hey, you know, get out there. It's uh he climbs over the boards and you know what he's gonna bring. And it's it's been that way since his his first game in the league. There was never, you know, like whereas kind of with Unger Sorum, there's kind of uh, you know, those growing pains, Robodot hit the ground running as soon as he stepped in and and has never really looked back. And I I mean this year has just been uh building on a tremendous rookie season for him, and and he's just he's he's the everything man for the Wolves. And it's it's it's it's been a great fixture, a great privilege to have him in the lineup. Um I also want to mention that you know he won the uh or was awarded the Dan Snyder Man of the Year Award for the Wolves. Um for those uh listeners who aren't familiar with Dan Snyder, he won the Call Their Cup Championship in 2002 with the Wolves. Um and then the following year was involved in a car accident and unfortunately passed away as when he was a member of the Atlanta Thrashers. Um and so the the Wolves hand out this year to this award to uh to the member of the team that kind of best exemplifies the uh you know uh the contributions of the community in Chicago and just kind of what it means to be a wolf, you know. And so if that doesn't speak to his character off the ice and what he brings to it on the ice, I mean this guy is Chicago, I it it's easy to understand why, you know, these guys on this line are are willing to follow him in the into in the war. So it's it's been it's been great. I think he's got a a bright, bright future ahead of him as well. And um, you know, I I think that energy that he brings every shift is really going to be an X factor for this team and as they make their their run for a Calder Cup here.

Noah Philp Catches Fire Late

SPEAKER_01 17:44

Well, and you know, the interesting thing, we've talked a lot about the fact uh he's a short king, as Nick Bass would say. But the thing about uh, you know, again, Robodow very stocky, he's very solid, and we're seeing what another short king can do with the Carolina Hurricades these days with Logan Stankoven. So I don't think too many people will be suggesting that uh that's a big holdback these days. So that's great. Um, moving on to another player, and and I know you've you're very excited with what he's been doing. We mentioned him last month, but there was a move made with Noah Phil to join Felix Ungersor. What happened there?

SPEAKER_00 18:24

He uh uh it at first it was, you know, I don't know if he was just kind of needed some time to get comfortable on the team, and and you know, he was active and involved, but the numbers kind of the production wasn't really there. Yeah, and then this April, holy Hannah, is the production there. Um something has has clicked, especially with you know, Unger Sorum playing as well as he has and the playmaking that he has. I mean, these guys have just they're they're finding each other all over the ice. Felix is finding him, he's finding the back of the net. What I think he has seven goals in his last nine games or something like that. I mean, yes. Um Phillips on fire, and that's exactly what this team needs heading into that postseason. I mean, there's so much attention to the to that big first line that you know, again, kind of like with Unger Swarm, you can almost get forgotten about that, you know, the the second line coming in, and and they've been kind of always they've been finding who can fill in that that second line center role a little bit. I know they had Nikita Pavlchev there for a minute and just kind of like what's working. Well, this is working, and um finding it at the just the absolute right time of the season. Um I mean Phillips been a huge addition for him, and um, you know, I I think especially I've seen with a lot of some kind of uh some vet some veteran players in the league that you know you get on a new team, you don't really kind of feel comfortable, and you know, you you almost start looking ahead to like, all right, well, the Americ I'm beyond the American League at this point. What's what are my options in Europe? I've seen that with a lot of bets, and mostly in Grand Rapids, but um Philip kind of kind of fought through those those early jitters, and I mean he's he's again, I can't uh overstate his contributions over this last month enough. He's he's really been an X factor for this team. Um I was excited about bringing him in. I'm really excited about him now heading into the postseason, and um, you know, I I think the this this Texas team that's in front of them has really been a thorn in their side all season, and we'll kind of get into that later. But I mean they haven't had this kind of contribution really as they've uh as they've taken on the stars. And I think it's just gonna it's gonna change the series so much to have him playing the way he has.

Special Teams & Texas Tendencies

SPEAKER_01 20:55

Well, for sure, and and as we go through the lineup, we'll have some fun looking at that and and uh some of the similarities to the Carolina Hurricanes. It's it's uncanny. But uh we'll we'll certainly have some fun with that for sure. And yeah, Noah Phil, uh, right shot, great in the faceoff dot. He's a guy that uh I had high hopes for him when he came over from the Oilers uh with the Canes because uh, you know, again, he he's prototypical, he's a big player, you know, like I say, he's a right shot and great in the dot, and that's something the Canes have been kind of trying to find as well. So, you know, we'll see how this goes. Um definitely uh while he's with the Wolves, we'll enjoy that for sure. So let's uh let's kick it off and start looking at the matchup with the Texas Stars. Uh the Stars, uh, as I mentioned earlier, finished third in the Central, so that's great. Um, if we look at the basic stats, uh Andrew, we can see them, and they're they're very close. I mean, there's there's you can almost you know you can uh pick one and then pick the other. I mean, goals for 222 for Texas, Chicago 225. Uh, but you look down at something like the power plays, right? And and that seems like it's a bit of an advantage for the Wolves. Uh, they've got some numbers there, and the same thing on the PK. How do you feel about that?

SPEAKER_00 22:14

I definitely, again, I think it's with that uh that added depth, like I said, when bringing Phillip in and everything, I I like kind of the special teams and how they've been playing and heading into this series. Um, I feel like there's a lot of struggles early on in the season. There's it really Surely it was a roller coaster, I feel like, with special teams all year for this team. Um, and you just gotta ride the ebbs and flows, and that's really what it's all about. There's surely it's no secret to anyone and and that's been paying attention to this team that you know there's the trigger man on the power play in in 82, and they're gonna be they're gonna be looking for him the whole time. Now, I feel like you know, we're uh there was a lot of interesting looks, especially at the end of the season. Like they had uh Felix Hunger Storm playing at the top of the key to kind of get a different look, and it was interesting, and I kind of liked it, but I also liked him at the front of the net. And it's uh I I I like the versatility, I guess, is what I'll say with with how they've uh how they've had their their looks on the man advantage, and it kind of gives them a bit of a change of way. Obviously, you know what you're getting from Nadeau, but it's kind of it if you can kind of make it uh make it interesting, kind of around the edges and up the middle, it uh it starts to throw the penalty killers out for a loop and get them a different look, and all of a sudden, oh look, open lane for the dough, and you can kind of let it fire. Um, and that was one thing I thought that they were really good at, especially um as we kind of moved on into the middle and later on in the season, is that when the penalty killers are so committed to stopping that shot, all of a sudden you get a lane to the that you can take advantage of. And um, you know, you've seen uh Robadah, I know Pavlichev in the past has had a lot of uh success with that. And um, if you have a guy who can take advantage of that from the point, I know earlier in the sea um in the month they had Falomacke before his injury. Um he was really he was really good at at kind of deceiving the pass, take it to the net. Um and uh I don't know if he's gonna be available for the series. I know he's been out for the last month, but um you gotta you gotta find the you have the personnel to be successful with it to not rely on one guy to make this unit work. So you know what you're getting from the penalty killers, you're getting a heavy dose of Josiah Slavin, you're getting a heavy dose of Skylar Brennamore, you're gonna heavy dose of Ronan Seely, you're gonna heavy dose of Don McFrensori, and uh they're gonna make it. I mean, Texas is no joke. They've got no matter what the situation is going on in Dallas, they've always found a way to put a lot of talent in that lineup in Texas. I mean, you know, Stanko and was I've Carolina's fans are obviously very familiar with him. He was a menace down in Texas. Um Maverick Bork was in the MVP. Yes, Maverick Bork, too. Justin Riscovian was uh a free agent out of college, and he ended up being uh a leading scorer for that team last year. So the the Starz organization is absolute class from top to bottom, and it's it, you know, no matter what their record is, they're always gonna have a talented group in there, and they're gonna make it a challenge for this team to uh it's gonna it's gonna be a battle. It really, I mean, the numbers don't lie. This is gonna be uh a series.

Goalies And Defense Decide Series

SPEAKER_01 25:42

Well, it's interesting you mentioned uh Justin Riscovian, uh who, as you say, was a free agent, free agent out of Northeastern University. You know, they also signed uh Artu Huru, uh, who was with uh with Texas earlier. We've seen him with Dallas lately, and he was a free agent out of Finland. And uh and then Kyle Copabianco, uh, who had been uh with Arizona for a while. He was drafted in the third round in 2015 by the uh coyotes. All three of those guys were stars earlier, Texas stars earlier this year, and uh we're kind of glad they're up with Dallas. That's okay. Uh that's gonna be a good thing for uh for the Wolves for sure. Um couple of pretty good, three pretty good players right there. So, anyway, let's start looking at the lineups and just kind of take a quick look at some of these players. Um, obviously, you can talk about the Wolves and uh and Caden Primo. They have a guy, Remy Poirier, uh sixth rounder, 2020, came out of the uh Quebec Major Junior League, had played there and done well. Uh, had a pretty good season. If you look at these two guys, again, very, very close in the numbers. How do you see the goaltender matchup?

SPEAKER_00 26:53

It's uh, I mean, yeah, it's neck and neck. I, you know, I've followed this league for several years now. So I've watched Poirier come in from being a rookie to now, I believe this is his fourth season in toxis. And so I've I've I've watched him grow as as a player all these years. He's no, it's no longer some you know, wet behind the ears young uh goaltender. This is a guy who's you know, we've seen it all. He's been through the postseason, knows what's you know, what's being asked of him up ahead. Um and I think it was last postseason run, or maybe it was the year before, where um he had a bad period and the coaching staff wasn't afraid to to yank him and throw in the you know the next man up and in an elimination game. It's so you know this he he understands the stakes, he's he's been here before. Um and and Primo's the same thing. Say Primo's been a veteran of this league for years and years and years, uh, you know, several different teams. You you know what these guys are gonna bring every every single night. Um and they're and they're no put neither one of them is is a slouch in that regard, and the stats speak for themselves. So it's gonna be a matter of you know who can kind of get in the face and take their eyes away and and finish off the second chances. I know it's pretty much uh uh uh you know copy and paste for nearly every postseason level of hockey, but if it if it that's kind of what keeps deciding it, we're gonna keep saying it.

SPEAKER_01 28:26

Well, and Caden Primo had a just a tremendous year. Uh he had a 916 save percentage, 241 goals against average. I mean, he's just he's a beast in the American Hockey League. There's no question. And he had a period, I think he went 10 or 11 games, he didn't lose in regulation. So he was he was definitely getting it done in a big way. He's gonna be the horse, he's gonna be the guy that carries them. Uh they do have Niptakok, but I think you're gonna see mostly uh, of course, Caden Primo. So yeah, a good matchup. As you say, uh Remy Poirier is a veteran, he's been here like four or five years, so that's gonna be interesting. The blue line's a little bit different, though. So they've got uh, you know, they've got a couple of rookies on their blue. Uh they've got Trey Taylor and they've got uh Tristan Bertucci. Uh both of these guys, you know, they're solid offensive guys, 24, 26 points. They're, you know, as far as D-men are concerned, uh, they're they're in the mix. Um their number one defenseman appears to be Michael Core. Uh he led the D Corps in scoring with 28 points. You know, nothing really jumping out at me. Um Taylor was undrafted, uh, you know, Bertucci, similar kind of player. He was uh drafted in the second round, though. Um 6'2, 187 pounds. He's a guy that played with the Barry Colts. I'm from Barrie, so that's kind of fun. Uh, had heard about him before, so a solid defenseman. But there's nobody that really jumps out in their blue. Um, and then you take a look, of course, at the at the Wolves, and you've got, you know, you've got some pretty darn good players there. And and you know, adding in uh, you know, you've got Nistro back, he's he's going, and Charles Alexis Wagos in there. You know, you've got uh uh definitely Cal Foot, who's done a nice job since he joined the team, and of course the leader is Phil McFinsori. How do you see these decors matching up?

SPEAKER_00 30:18

The one thing I will note about Texas's decor is that it seems that at minimum their smallest guy is about six foot two. So they're big.

SPEAKER_01 30:30

Oh my goodness, yes.

SPEAKER_00 30:31

Uh yeah, they got they got some big boys on that blue line. Um, not that you know Chicago's got any slouches on on third defense. It just, you know, sometimes you look at uh at a guy like Nietstrom or Fensori, who might not be the tallest guy, and then you see kind of what you're going up against there on the other side, but it you know, it it it shouldn't matter. Okay, so the guy's bigger. Well, you know, you're faster, so skate around him. Um all that's all that means is that you know they're going to make life as difficult as possible for the guys in front of the net to try and and and make Remy Poirier's life harder. Um and you just gotta you just gotta win those battles. Every shift is just another battle that you're gonna have to win, and they're not gonna make it easy on you. Um I believe uh Vladislav Kolnya.

SPEAKER_01 31:21

Ali at Jonuk. I was just gonna mention him. He he had uh played with Arizona and also played with Dallas. So he's a good one. I didn't notice him there until just now, and yes, he's definitely another good one they've got.

SPEAKER_00 31:32

Physical, physical, physical.

SPEAKER_01 31:34

And they're yeah, he's a good player.

SPEAKER_00 31:36

Yeah, and and they're and and I just I I know that I've seen the stars year in, year out. I mean, it's I've I've been around this league long enough to notice trends, other than Iowa missing the playoffs every single year. Um Texas is just one of those teams, again, it doesn't necessarily matter whether you got a high draft pick or you got some uh you know some guy on a tryout uh back there. You're you know what you're gonna get from this team every single like the the names on the jerseys change, but the the playstyle hasn't really evolved all that much. And um it's it's they're gonna they're gonna make it tough for you. Whether it's it's you know it's crowding crowding your net out front or it's it's uh clearing their crease. It's they're not gonna they're not gonna make it easy. Wolves are gonna have to battle, and that yeah, they might not be piling the points up, but they're gonna be piling the bodies, you can guarantee.

Depth Lines & Added Toughness

SPEAKER_01 32:35

Well, taking a look at the at the wolves side again, you've got Charles Alexis Legaux, who's gonna be critical. I thought he looked great in the in his uh little tour with the Canes at the end of the season. He he was uh courted himself quite well. Uh you've got Yuel Nistro, whom I mentioned, of course. Ronan Seeley, uh, he won the Breslin Unsung Hero Award this year. Uh we've talked about him before, and I think he's just done a great job. Uh, you know, he ended up with uh you know 11 goals and 12 assists. I mean, 11 goals for Ronan Seeley is incredible. I remember watching him uh closely two or three years ago in the uh prospect showcases. And the one thing I really liked about Ronan was his his wheels. He can skate, he's smooth as silk out there, and he just uh nothing fizzes him. He's just uh, you know, he's he's very quietly getting his business done. And I think he's gonna be a key player. You know, they've got Dominic Badenka, they've got Hima Salmi, they got a ton of death on this blue. And if they manage to get Valamacke back, if they can continue to stay in the playoffs and get him back, their defensive core is gonna be just incredible. So I I think that's the strength of the team. I mean, you know that I'm all over their leader, Don Fensori. I just think he's he's something else. And uh so I I kind of give the edge to uh uh the wolves on this one. Um but again, you're right, a huge, very uh solid decor with Texas. So we'll have to see how that plays out and uh and hopefully it's in the favor of the wolves. So let's start talking forward. If we look at the wolves crew first, uh hey, what can you say about that crew? And you know, I wanted to mention as we break down some of these players, what is it similar to the hurricanes? Let's think about it. You've got your big line, okay, so you've got Suzuki with Robodah and of course the Dome. And then you've got your line now with Phil and uh, of course, Unger Sorm, and quite often Noichev is up there, and there's other guys that jump in, but that seems to be the line. And then you've got what would be very similar to the Jordan Stahl line, where you've got uh Skylar Brendamore alongside Josiah Slavin and usually Noel Gunler. So, you know, it's kind of interesting, and then you've got a solid kind of a you know, a lunch pail line led by uh Nikita Pavlich and Evan Vierling, and then whoever you bring out with those guys, and there's a host of players that join them as well. Now, we'll talk a little bit about some possible ads, which will be kind of fun, and we'll talk about that as we kind of look forward uh into the games ahead. But boy, that's a loaded, very deep forward crew.

SPEAKER_00 35:20

Thought. It's uh, I mean, again, you know what what you're gonna be getting from the top line, right? I mean, that's the that's the main ticket, it's the it's the bread and butter, but it's gonna be the contributions, it's gonna be the depth that's that's gonna be the what that's gonna stir the drink. It's either gonna be you know nice and and smooth and we we move on here, or you know, it's gonna be, I you know, I don't want to rehash it, but last year's, you know, last year's playoff run kind of felt like, okay, here's this this Wolves team, you're feeling good about it. And they ran in the Rockford, managed one goal in two games. It just it they never really felt like they were able to kind of jump up and grab the moment, you know. Um they had that they had, I think, one goal on the power play. So, you know, big guns had had one. Um, and then and then they just couldn't really get anything going offensively other than that. So you're gonna have to um you know it's it's a five-game series, it's so it's you know, it's not quite as as long of a string as that seven gamer, but it's I mean, it feels like every moment's so much more intense because of that at the same time. Um so yeah, it's gonna be you're gonna have to to put some big minutes on on some of the depth guys, and and you're right, there's a lot of talent out there in the lineup, and it's just a matter of of reaching out and grabbing the moment and who's who's gonna be the X Factor to kind of grab up and do it. I love the idea of get bringing in you know a physical fourth line and get a guy like Giovanni Smith in there and kind of uh bang the bodies around, you know. I mean, she's he's been a guy who's who you can talk about knowing what what to do around in this league, who's been around for years and years. I've seen him a lot in Grand Rapids, of course. Um, you know, he spent some stints in Colorado and in Lehigh. So Yeah, for sure. He's he's the kind of guy who lives and and breathes through these kind of moments where it just then and the intensity ramps up. He loves the chirping, he loves the physical play. Um, you know, if you kind of kind of need someone to get in the head of the opponent, I'd love to see a guy like Giovanni get in there in the lineup, but uh, you know, I I I think it's just again, it's gonna come down to to who's gonna support the big dogs, and um just just not just not kind of letting the adversity get you in the face like it did last year to to because Texas is Texas they got haymakers and they're gonna throw them, and you gotta you gotta peel yourself up off the mat and fire right back at them. That's the only way you're gonna be able to move on there.

SPEAKER_01 38:03

Well, it's interesting. You mentioned uh, you know, Giovanni Smith is uh kind of a tough guy on that fourth line, and you've got Turkot as well, uh, who could be brought in. And you know, it's funny because I had I had talked about uh what I call the Bash brothers with the hurricanes, and that's uh, of course, William Carrier and newcomer, relative newcomer Nicholas Delauriac. So, you know, you you have a similar situation where you can, you know, you can uh flank uh Nikita Pavlichev with a couple couple of heavyweights, and all of a sudden it changes all the rules. So that's kind of fine, and that gives uh Spiro's uh a little bit of flexibility if it gets kind of a little bit rough uh in uh in Texas. But I want to mention a couple of things that I thought were interesting. Umchev, lately, how's he playing?

SPEAKER_00 38:50

He must have heard what I said about him on last episode because uh yeah, he he hasn't even really seemed like a different player. It's just not he he the confidence I think is there, and it might be kind of similar to what was going through with Phil, where you know, new team, you kind of feel like you're you know kind of gripping the stick a little too tight. Um so I think you know Spearhouse must have just kind of sat him down and been like, you know, kid, you can play. We know you can play, you just go out and and and stick to your game, you know, do what works for you. Um and and just over these this last month, especially these last six or seven games or so, he's he's taken the extra ice time that's been afforded to him, I think, with some of these call-ups. Yeah and he's he's looked really good. He's the the production is there, and you just again you you just you see him more loose and not quite so rigid with the with the puck. And I I just I love the idea of like this kid kind of starting to now break out, especially again and when you need him the most, uh, to show us show us what he's got, you know? And you get you put a good showing in there, especially in the postseason, and uh it can change entirely what an organization can think of you. So yeah, I I I've I've I've loved seeing him kind of blossom over this last month here, and I just hope that this this week-long break because this AHL playoffs is just a nightmare. But uh I hope he can kind of we can we can keep that momentum going. Um again, I kind of I I I I don't want to say I hope what he heard, he heard what I said last year, last episode, but um, but I think there there might have been some uh you know, so that he can hear the footsteps behind him, like okay, we kind of need to get this going. And I mean, credit to him. He's he's really stepped it up over the last month and and looks a lot lot more comfortable out there.

SPEAKER_01 40:43

Well, Spiro's mentioned that uh some of the you know some of the players and others uh check out some of this stuff, and maybe they did hear you, Andrew. He said, I better get off my depth and get going. Interesting though, we knew that Noychev, um good pedigree, uh, third rounder with Buffalo, but he played in the KHL a full season uh as a 19-year-old, which is not usually done. Uh they normally play them up and down with the BHL and the MHL, and so that's a that's a good situation for him. And you know, he's a guy that's got uh solid offensive skills. I mean, the book on him was uh this guy can he can handle the puck and he can do some pretty sweet work with it. So uh maybe on a line with uh with the likes of Philip and certainly with Unger Sorm, uh boy, you couldn't put him in a better place. Um, you know, one of the things we talked a lot about the similarities to the big club, of course, uh when you've got uh Skylar Brendemore alongside Josiah Slavon, it's kind of like Jordan Stahl and Jordan Martinuk. And guess who the big hero last night was, of course, uh uh two nights ago, Jordan Martinook. So great stuff. Uh they're gonna be key. Uh Brendamore had uh had his best season in EHL. He uh he had 16 goals, 18 assists, so it's better than last year. So he continues to grow his game offensively as well. Those guys are gonna be key, and uh Gunner, as they like to call him, uh will be uh patrolling uh the other side, Noel Gunler. Um how do you see that line as a key part of this uh story for the Wolves?

SPEAKER_00 42:15

I think you kind of hit it right uh on the head when comparing it to Carolina's kind of lunch pail line with Stahl and Martin Ook there. It's it functions exactly the same way, and it it's just it's so poetic in this game how those those energy guys kind of your checking line always seems to come up in in these big moments in in the playoffs, you know. So if if if I was a betting man, which I'm not, I mean you can check my phone history, but if I was um I'd probably put uh put a couple sheets on on Brindamore and Slavin, kind of getting involved early in this series, and um one of them coming up with with one or two big plays, because again, it it's it's they're the the heart that they bring every night, every shift. It especially for uh for Brindamore, you know. Again, I feel like when I first saw him come in, I'm like, okay, you know, coach is kid, I kind of get it, but I wasn't, you know, I wasn't expecting him to to blossom as a player in the manner that that he has, especially. I mean, his first season down in Charlotte didn't really kind of stick out to me. But I love being proven wrong in these kinds of situations, and um, and I think, I mean, he again, cruz, you can't understate how important he's gonna be in the face-off dot, especially ease when it comes to to getting the puck in the postseason. There's a few guys I would lean on more than Skyler Brindamore to take a I mean, you know, you can already see uh if you're one goal lead with 30 seconds left, defensive zone draw, you know who's getting so you're gonna be there. The Texas is gonna be seeing him a lot, and it's gonna, if he's anything like his dad, they're gonna really hate seeing him in the face-off dot in the postseason.

SPEAKER_01 44:09

Well, rounding out the line is Noel Gunler. Now we do know that Noel is heading back to Sweden. He's gonna play with uh Jurgard next year. He's already signed a deal. Um, interestingly enough, he that was announced, and he seems like he's playing great since then. He scored a beautiful shootout goal. Uh and he and he's been doing a great job. And uh, and again, um, nice fit on that line. I like him when he's on that line because he gives them a little bit of an offensive look as well. And of course, he's he's uh solid on the power play when he gets out there as well. So I I'm excited about what he's gonna bring. Um I just wanted to wrap up, and and the depth of this forward crew is tremendous, and we talked a lot about it this year too, Andrew. And that's that a couple of those fourth line guys have just had their best seasons ever in the AHL, uh, Evan Bierling and Nikita Pavlitev. And when I talked to Spirosynastis, it was fun because I said, Man, you can take two second liners and now they're on your fourth line. How good is this? And he said, Yeah, that's incredible. You know, like that's beautiful, right? Um, those guys have really done the job. They've been incredible.

SPEAKER_00 45:15

Yeah, it's it's a great problem to have, you know, when when you can mix it up and take a guy who's been up put playing on your second line all year, like I'm Veerling, and you can plug him in down there in the fourth line. And it's, you know, he's not gonna sit there and and pout at losing some ice time. He's gonna go out there and he's gonna bring the same intensity that that he's been bringing all season long. You know, I can recall months ago when I was like, who's Evan Veerling? And then he's started scoring all these goals and bunches, and I'm like, oh welcome to the team, Evan Veerling, you know? And and you know, that's again, that's the kind of stuff that endears you to a coaching staff, endears you to a fan base. You know, these guys might not be your heralded high draft picks, but they're gonna come every single night and they're gonna bring it and make life just miserable for the other team. Um, and especially in in the postseason where the play around the net and just matters so much more, you know, and getting those rebounds and second chances and just kind of mucking it up, making life harder for the goalie to stop the puck or to track the puck, he's gonna be one of those kind of guys that you that you lean on to give you a momentum shift. And yeah. I, you know, I like like can what can I say about him? Pavlochev's the same thing, except he's eight feet taller, you know. But um, again, when you can kind of fill out four lines of this kind of energy, and you know, it's just it's it's so relentless. And if you can just kind of continue to carry the play and and wear these guys down over, you know, game after game, it's it's it's gonna take its toll. And you know, uh, fans watching up in the NHL, it's uh I they're playing the same games down here, you know. It's uh it's all it's it's a couple of chess masters behind the bench that are gonna be working against each other and line matchups and just kind of how they work and play with their lineups. It's uh you know, it's it's it's good it's gonna be interesting. You know, Coach Nastis obviously has been around and uh is an assistant role, but now he's kind of taking up the reins here as his first as uh as a full-time head coach in the postseason. So I'm gonna be in, it's gonna be interesting to see how he how he toys with those lines, how he makes adjustments, and how how he plans to attack a very good Texas team.

Texas Scorers & Playoff DNA

SPEAKER_01 47:48

Yeah, and I I think the with the announcement happening just before the playoffs, I don't think it could have been a better time because uh the team is just gonna be, you know, they're gonna be fired up, and of course, uh he's gonna be uh very, very excited to, as you say, go into his first playoff round as the head man. You know, when we take a look at uh obviously the the forward crew for the Wolves, very deep. Uh now that they've got Robodah back, now that they've got Nado in place, uh, you know, they've they've got pretty well a crew there. And with a solid second line, as you mentioned it with Philp and and uh and Unger Sorum and then uh if it's Noich or whoever, uh they've definitely got some uh they've got some uh talent up front that can really get this done. So I think the forward side's very strong. When we look over at the the stars, they've got some veterans leading them. They've got a couple of guys that are a little bit older. Uh I thought we'd look at at some of these guys and just take a look and see where they are. If you look at their scoring side, uh Cameron Hughes uh led them in scoring. He was third overall in the AHL. He had 68 points, 17 goals, 51 assists. Uh Matthew Semenoff, he had 50 points, 24 goals for them. Jack Becker had 40 points, and Artem Schlein had 38 points. Um I thought I'd mention these guys and talk a little bit about them just uh kind of to give a perspective of some of these more dangerous uh players on the stars. If we start with Cameron Hughes, as I mentioned, 29 years old. He's a guy that was drafted by the Bruins um in 2015. He's been around the American League for a lot, an extended period. He's played with Providence, he's been with Coachella, he's he's uh obviously with Texas now. So he's a veteran guy that's gonna be leading them. Uh again, center ice guy. He checks in at about six feet, 180 pounds. So he's a solid player and a good one, and he's gonna be a great guy to be leading them. Uh Matthew Seminov, again drafted by the stars in 22. He's a smaller player, 5'11, 190. But again, uh came out of Cam loops, Western Junior League. He was a big scorer out there. He's been with the stars pretty well throughout that. He went to the ECHL for a cup of coffee, but he's been mostly with the stars. So again, he's a guy that uh he can he can put some pucks in the net. And then Jack Becker, um, again, he's another uh Boston draft pick, which is interesting with the Bruins back in 2015. So he's kind of of the same genre as uh as was Cameron Hughes, right? So again, uh 28 years old, he's a bigger player at 6'3 and 216. So they've got some real veterans here. Uh he's a former U of Michigan guy, so that's kind of fun. And then Artam Schlain, uh Russian player, um, and again, he's uh he's six feet, 180 pounds. He was drafted by the Devils. Okay, so I mean it's an interesting crew they've got here. Uh Schlane's had his best year in the American Hockey League. He was out of uh Northern Michigan and Arizona State University and had spent some time in the USHL as well. So, you know, they're not quite the same pedigree as some of the top players uh on the wolves. But again, uh a lot of depth, a lot of veterans, an experienced crew. What are you thinking about as you look at this Texas forward crew?

SPEAKER_00 51:13

It's yeah, there might not be the kind of high draft picks up in this lineup, but um it's they they do not care about that. I can tell you that first and foremost. Um, I'll start with uh with a bit of a package deal with Cameron Hughes and Cole Lind. Oh, Cole Lind, yes. These two guys were instrumental in Coachella Valley their first two seasons in the AHL, and they went to back-to-back Calder Cup championship or champ, they went to the back-to-back Calder Cup finals and and lost both times to Hershey. I'm sure that kind of stings them both. But uh they I mean Hughes is I mean, you know, he's got that that toothless smile because of course he flies that just a you know Alberta boy coming in, just being an absolute wrecking ball. Like he's not the biggest guy on the ice, but he certainly plays the biggest when he's out there, and he's not gonna back down from anything. Um, you know, the Wolves defenders better be ready to have him and smiling in their faces all night. Um and Cole Lind is just a guy who scores huge goals in the postseason. So I'm dialed in on him. Um, another guy I want to point out is uh is Cross Hannes.

SPEAKER_01 52:32

Now okay.

SPEAKER_00 52:34

I I covered Hannis with the Griffins. He was a second round pick by Detroit. Um, a hugely promising rookie season, uh cut short by shoulder surgery, and then he just never caught traction with the Griffins. Went back home to Texas where he's from, and I mean, just absolute career resurgence. You see his confidence coming back, and I feel like he's got a swagger to his game that I feel like, you know, he he had in his rookie season, but was kind of, I don't want to say timid, but you almost felt like he he lost the confidence of the coaching staff after that injury and just never really got it back. Well, they gave it back to him in Texas, and he's off and running with it. So there's a couple of, I mean, again, not necessarily like, you know, a blue chip prospects down there for Texas, and and but it they don't care again, you know. It's the Coachella, you know, again, these two guys were in Coachella, there was no prospects there. It was a brand new franchise with uh a brand new NHL team in Seattle, and all they did was blaze through all these blue chippers to go to the finals. So it's um, you know, is they're tailor-made for postseason hockey and a lot of these guys, and um, this is where they they come to feast, and uh it they might not you know have their have their eyes set on on the NHL. It might be just kind of like where their new contract's gonna land them, but they're just gonna be playing just as hard as these guys who who might be fighting for uh for a spot up in the national next year. So um it's this there's certainly again, as I said, it's a the the stars run a class organization top to bottom. Um they wouldn't be in this position if if these guys weren't capable of rising up to the moment. So it's uh it's gonna be a war. I've said it again and again, and I continue to stay by it.

SPEAKER_01 54:39

No, for sure. And and you know, you look at uh, I mean, there's depth there, and one of the things I've talked about in the Hurricanes Senators series is that uh the hurricanes have been there. Okay, they're experienced, uh they've you know they had several years in the playoffs, they know what the grind is, they know what they're gonna be getting into. It's relatively new for the Sands, you know, they're trying to find their way. And I think that's a similar situation with this Texas squad. They they, hey, listen, they've got some crusty veterans there, and they've been there and they know what it's gonna take to get this done. And and you know, like you say, they're playing their hearts out and they're gonna do whatever it takes to try to move forward uh to the next series. So with that, let's uh let's kind of wrap up. And and you know, as we look at the series coming up, we've got the first two games in Texas, which is interesting, uh, on the 28th and 30th of April, and then into May, we see three possible games back home in Chicago and the friendly confines. You know, it's interesting looking at the you know, going into this series and possible games in Chicago, you know, now that the Blackhawks are gone, the Wolves are really the team to be watching and to be paying attention to if you're in Chicago for sure, because this is gonna get exciting. And, you know, I want to mention a couple things before you kind of give your thoughts on where this is all gonna go as we kick off this series. You know, Charlie Serrado was at practice uh today, and and he looks like he's uh he's starting to feel better. And and boy, wouldn't it be fun to add Charlie to the mix uh in the playoffs because he's a guy that we're seeing some of these collegians coming into the NHL right now. You know, I think of Porter Martone and some other guys, James Hagins and others that have signed late in the year, and there they are, they're contributing right away. And I think Charlie Serrado is going to do exactly the same thing uh with the Chicago Wolves. So that's exciting. And how about Ivanry Atkin uh coming back to the Wolves? And you know, we're trying to figure out where he fits in all of this, and I know he's uh he's also been patrolling a wing and doing some fun stuff there. Look, in 20 games with uh with uh Charlatan in the Quebec Major Junior League, he had 13 goals and 29 assists. He only had 42 points. He just feasted on those guys, and he was tough, as you know. He plays a very kind of a game with an edge, and he was in all kinds of situations, I know uh for sure, but he's a guy that uh his confidence is high right now. He's feeling very, very good. So, a couple of guys added to the mix, but what are you seeing as we go into this series with Texas?

Beating The Boogeyman & Closing

SPEAKER_00 57:19

Well, uh to be frank, for the Wolves, I see their boogeyman right in front of them. Um eight games in in the season series between the two of them. Yeah, Texas won seven of them. So, you know, it's this is the thorn in your side. This is kind of you know the one team. I mean, this team fared better against the historic Grand Rapids squad than they did against the third place Texas Stars. So, but you know what the beauty of the postseason is? You start 0-0. So, you know, yeah, this team is has been frustrating and has given you fits all year, but you know, you're playing some great hockey lately, uh, and and you got a chance to to make a statement early in their own barn. And and frankly, I know it's you know, with uh the way the AHL works out, it's postseason, they want as little travel as possible. So you're starting on the road in your higher season. Yeah. Um but uh I I kind of almost like that for these guys, you know. Yeah, you I feel when when you're on the when you're at home in in the first game in the postseason, right? Okay, especially you got uh uh uh a team that's kind of in your let's let's let's be real, they're kind of in their head a little bit here. I can tell you that. Um and you're in front of your fans, you know, they're all excited, but let's say yeah, yeah, get down early, one-nothing or something, and all that energy is now starting that that hushed, like like that nervousness, like, oh, like oh boy, or versus like if you're that team that's on the road, you go and you take that energy out, now you can play loose and you can just kind of focus on your game, you know. I I kind of I like that opportunity for the wolves here to kind of start to exercise their demons on the road, um, and just kind of kind of take it to these guys. And again, you know, you didn't have Philp playing the way that he did. You uh it's you know that the blue line is is kind of full, other than than Valamaki. Um and the team, the team's been playing great over the last month. And you I feel like those woes of March, even though they're just a month ago, or feel like they're so far in the rearview mirror. I mean, we haven't even we haven't even talked about it on this episode, which is just kind of a testament of how this team is able to rebound to in the face of adversity and not kind of let that energy drag them down, which is I think something that they struggled with a lot last year. So I, you know, I like kind of what the direction they're heading. I I I like that that there's a challenge in a team that kind of had their number all year because it's like, all right, now you get it, you get a chance at a new slate and a chance to kind of to kind of shove it right back in their face. So it's um again, and it's not uh it's it's Texas. This is a team that's been uh a challenge in the postseason literally every year that I've I've been covering them. Uh they're never an easy out, they're always extremely well coached. They've they they're led by a great group of veterans, as we've already said. Um but so are the wolves, you know? Uh we got guys that have been here that have done it before. Suzuki's one, he's got a ring on his finger at this level, you know. That's right, exactly. Yes. So you got you got you got the guys, you got the talent to make it happen, and it's all just a matter of of winning the battles and eventually winning that war.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:53

If you were going to pick a player or two to watch for the Chicago Wolves, who would they be?

SPEAKER_00 1:01:02

I'm gonna go. I already said Skylar Brindamore, but I'll double down on him because again, talking about winning face-offs and puck possession has got to be so, so key. And he's gonna be the guy that they're gonna lean on. You know what? He's gonna pot a couple of goals too, because that's just I can just see, you know, a uh a defensive play leading to a two-on-one going the other way, and he finishes and taps it in. Uh, I'm not calling my shot, but I kind of am. Um so I'll say him, and then I'm gonna go with uh I'm gonna go with Noah Philip. I mean, the guy's on fire right now. You're gonna tell me he's gonna score another three, four goals in this series, I'm gonna be like, uh, probably it sounds about right. So I'll uh I'll go with those two. Um if if you're gonna get if I'm gonna give you two two to look at, it's gonna be the uh just kind of your middle six centers right there. Yeah, you know, you know what you're getting from the top, guys. It's gonna be if if you're gonna break through this team, move on to probably see Grand Rapids. Um, you need those middle six lines. Oh, don't even get me get me going on that. But uh we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Gotta get gotta gotta gotta shoot down the stars first.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:20

For sure. And and um I'm I'm gonna talk about uh Caden Primo. I think uh in these playoffs, as you know, goaltenders can change everything. Caden's had a tremendous season for uh for the Wolves, and uh I expect he's gonna continue to do that. So I think he's gonna be critical uh to the success that uh that they're gonna have. And and again, as you say, and it's kind of like the series the Kanes are uh involved in with the Senators, these are two very close teams. Man, uh very play a very aggressive game. They're they're out there in your face doing things, and and uh you've got the experience on that on that Texas team as well that uh for sure is is gonna be handful for for the Wolves. But yeah, great stuff, Andrew, as always. And you know, you got it covered for front to back. That's awesome. And I'm sure we'll uh we'll get together as the playoffs continue here uh and let folks know about uh you know some of these teams that that the wolves are facing. Try to give them an understanding of uh the opponent. I think we did a good job tonight of talking about Texas and and giving folks uh a clear idea of what the wolves are going to be up against, and it's a handful. But uh let's hope that uh you know the announcement of Sparos is just what they need to uh to push them over the top in the series, and uh we get a chance to go against uh Grand Rapids, which I think would be a lot of fun, and I know for you it'd be particularly great because of course you've covered uh the Griffins in the past. Anyway, thanks again, Andrew, and we'll look forward to getting together very, very soon and uh continuing to talk about the wolves. For those of you who've been listening or watching, again, uh Andrew and I are delighted you spent time with us, of course. Um, if you like this episode, please press the like button. If you have comments or questions, put those in the comments section for us. And finally, if you want to be alerted of future episodes of Storm Tracker, please press the subscribe and the bell buttons, and you'll be made aware just as soon as they're available. As always, Andrew and I are delighted you spent time with us and look forward to getting together with you real soon, right here on Storm Tracker.