Freddie Andersen Can't Carry the Hurricanes If Their Power Play Stays Broken

Carolina swept Ottawa, but a sweep doesn’t answer every playoff question. We’re coming out of Round 1 with one huge comfort and a few real warnings and it all starts in net. Freddie Andersen looks dialed in, calm under pressure, and ready for the kind of high-danger saves that decide tight NHL playoff games. When Carolina gets goaltending like this, the team’s structure stops being “good” and becomes suffocating.

We also dig into the biggest on-ice story: the Stankoven line. Taylor Hall’s resurgence is real, the chemistry is obvious, and that trio is driving play at five-on-five while also giving the power play its best moments. On the flip side, we can’t ignore what didn’t show up enough. Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, and Andrei Svechnikov do the defensive work, but Carolina won’t reach its Stanley Cup goals if that line stays quiet and if the power play keeps drifting into one-pass-too-many mode. Faceoffs and a few wobbles on the third defensive pairing round out the “clean up before Round 2” list.

Then we turn the page to a Hurricanes vs Flyers preview: how Philadelphia’s young skill can punish mistakes, why Carolina’s aggressive style has to stay smart, and the one matchup that can flip a game even when the stats say it shouldn’t, Dan Vladar. If the Canes want control, we think the recipe is simple: win the net-front, keep the penalty kill lethal, and start Game 1 like they mean it.

Highlights::
• Freddie Andersen’s playoff form and why it changes Carolina’s ceiling
• The Stankoven Hall Blake line as the engine of five-on-five offense
• Penalty kill dominance led by Jacob Slavin and Jordan Staal
• Concern over limited production from Aho Jarvis Svechnikov
• Power play issues including predictability and shot hesitation
• Faceoff struggles against Ottawa and how that can rebound
• Third defensive pairing play and the Nikishin health watch
• Rest versus rust and the importance of starting Game 1 fast
• Flyers lineup strengths including young scorers and counterattack risk
• Dan Vladar scouting report and the need for net-front goals

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Transcript

Sweep Recap & Round Two Setup

SPEAKER_01 0:31

Well, the Carolina Hurricanes stormed into the playoffs, completing a sweep of the Ottawa Senators in style. After dealing with the Sens in short order, the Canes have been resting, waiting for the second round to begin. What were the biggest positives of this four-game sweep? Are there areas where these canes can do even better in round two? Will the lengthy time between series affect the Canes' momentum? And what do we think of the second round matchup versus the Philadelphia Flyers? Joining me as always to discuss this and more, Star Treker Hockey Samants, Aaron and Katie. Ladies, start your engines.

SPEAKER_00 1:16

Yes, let's go.

Freddie Andersen Steals The Spotlight

SPEAKER_01 1:18

Okay, we uh we're ready to go into the second series now. We obviously Philadelphia winning last night over Pittsburgh, so they're gonna be our opponent, so it's gonna be kind of fun. Um I thought we'd spent a couple of minutes and just maybe highlight some of the great things that happened in the series that caught our attention and maybe talk about some of the things that, hey, they weren't quite as good as we'd like. And then uh then we'll talk a little bit about the flyers in the upcoming series, and we'll wrap it up with some uh with some closing thoughts. Okay, so let's get started with our first part of this and positives. Aaron, what do you want to kick it off with?

SPEAKER_03 1:58

Well, I think that we all um have to say that that one of the biggest and most pleasant surprises in this series was uh the performance of Freddie Anderson um, you know, in the goaltending. Um that was one of our question marks coming into this, you know, because um uh Freddie has been very good in the playoffs at times. He's been excellent at times, and then there's been times when he has unfortunately not been as good or has been injured. So coming into this series, um knowing he was gonna go up against uh Linus Allmark and and how you know the Ottawa Senators play in general, I think we had the the question that, you know, was he gonna be up to the task? And and he was more than up to the task, you know, he was uh incredible. I think that that puts the Keynes in a good place going into round two. You know, there's not that worry, is Freddie going to be able to handle it? Um we have not seen Bussey yet in these playoffs, and you know, I'm sure that that will happen down the line. You're not gonna make it all the way through four rounds if they get that far without uh bringing in other goaltenders. But so far, so good with Freddie, and it's it's been really nice to see.

SPEAKER_01 2:59

Yeah, Freddie uh sitting and looking at the the numbers right now. Uh Fred is number one in goaltenders uh for the playoffs, which is kind of great. He's got a 1.10 goals against average, and he's only got a 955 save percentage. So he's definitely playing great hockey. Katie, what have you seen with Fred?

SPEAKER_00 3:22

I just love the fact that we have ice water in his veins, Freddie Beck. I mean, when he is when he's just having the economy of movement that he has, and you can see those eyes tracking the puck and being in anticipation, and then when he needs that quick athletic move, he is ready to explode to whichever side he needs to go to. It's vintage playoff Freddy at his best. It's exactly what the Canes need and want because in their system with the way that they limit their opponents, but then when the opponents do get a chance, a lot of times it's high danger. And when you look at his stats, like on the NHL edge charts, you can see that not only has he been very good overall, but he has been particularly good with those high danger chances and really, really smothering those uh that come his way. And that is going to be key for the keen canes moving forward because the canes never played from behind. Freddie never let in an early goal or uh a goal that made them put them in a position where they felt like they had to panic. And that um is again going to be key moving forward is if he keeps them in the game, if he gives them chance to to get acclimated and to get their feet wet, so to speak, and to be able to set the pace and get that opening goal, it's uh it's gonna be almost impossible to beat the canes if they have that to rely on in net.

SPEAKER_01 4:51

Yeah, and and we've often talked about the fact that if the canes had just good enough goaltending, they'd be in great shape. And when they get awesome goaltending, and we actually saw some of that early this year with uh Brendan Bussey as well, making those uh$10 saves like crazy. You know, it's interesting in this series against the Sins, uh, we saw him make outstanding saves against uh Tim Stutzla a number of times, and I think uh he was shaking his head going off to the bench and saying, How do you beat this guy? And of course we saw Brady Kachuk get a couple of breaks right in on Freddie, and he stood tall. So, yes, kudos to Fred. Uh, outstanding job. And uh I actually heard um Eric Tulski talking about the goaltenders and and uh was quite effusive to say, hey, we got three, we're in great shape. You know, we just thought we'd start with Freddie and go from there. So it's a good situation for the Keynes goaltending boys. So that's a great story. There's another one that's very exciting, Aaron.

Stankoven Line Drives Real Offense

SPEAKER_03 5:50

Well, again, this was our one of our questions coming into the series with the Ottawa Senators. And, you know, we we know that they have a a very strong center core. All four of their centers are really good. And then, you know, anybody else that has to step into those roles, they've got some other options. They've they've got um tremendous, tremendous skill in the face-off circle. And that was one area where the the, you know, we I know we'll get to that. But they they're really good centers, they have really good centers. And and our question was, you know, Logan Stancoven's coming in. He has been good in the playoffs in the past, he's a good playoff performer. We know that, but he's always played wing in the playoffs. And it's a little bit different. And he even said that, I think, in one of his interviews. It is different when you're playing center, the responsibilities that you have. And um, I believe some of his line mates even said that, you know, that it's an adjustment for him to not be the guy that's just you know out there trying to create all the time, he has to be the guy that's watching over his shoulder for you know what the defensive responsibilities are. So, you know, it was an open question simply because he hadn't done it, you know. And um, I know that they had a tremendous hot streak, that that entire line coming into the playoffs. Um but sometimes sometimes that doesn't hold up and you just don't know what to expect. But, you know, as we all know, that line was the best line for the Canes offensively, and they were really solid defensively, too.

SPEAKER_01 7:08

Yeah, and Katie, what did you see from uh another member of the line that's actually uh eighth in scoring right now and has been uh a story of resurgence, Taylor Hall?

SPEAKER_00 7:21

I think Taylor Hall has given that line the calmness that is needed for my veteran presence. He has really helped to drive play, he's helped to guide his young linemates in how to um how to move forward together. There's something, there's just something very magical about the connection between him and Stenkoven. Stenkhoven always seems to play better when Hall is on his line as opposed to not. And he is obviously just drinking in everything right now because he I think Hall's just waited a long time to get back to this level of hockey personally, as well as just this level of hockey in terms of the the playoffs and getting to make a deep playoff run. And so it's great to just see his ear-to-ear smiles and how much hard work and effort he is putting in, and the fact that he and the line are getting rewarded as an as a result. And as long as those good vibes keep flowing, that line should keep producing. And what's even better is that line's uh effectiveness has even uh worked on the power play as well. Both of the Kane's power play goals that they scored in this series came with the trio of Hall, Stenhoven, and Blake on the ice. Stanhoven, the one being that being the goal score, but the others being there, creating the plays, creating the space, retrieving the pucks, uh, in order to make those goals possible. So just five on five power play, whatever they're called on. That's been a special group for the canes, and hopefully it continues forward. And there's no reason to believe that they can't produce similar results against the Flyers.

SPEAKER_01 9:07

You know, it's interesting. Eric Tulski was asked in that same interview why the resurgence for Taylor Hall. I mean, what's happened, right? And uh a lot of folks around the league are noticing it. And you know, we had a lot of questions about Taylor Hall, you know, certainly last year and into this year at different points. But he's definitely he's definitely found his game and he's playing the way he did when he was a star player in the league. It's it's fantastic. And and Eric's comment was basically this sometimes teams aren't the best fit for the player. And he felt like the last couple of teams that Taylor Hall played for were not necessarily the right fit for him. And he was talking about Hall's ability on the sideboards, his ability to go in and play heavy hockey, his ability to go in and you know pull the puck off the opposition and make a play and do some magic work. And of course, we've seen that numerous times, and it's turned into goals either by Blake or uh Stankhoven or somebody else out there. So it's a great story. And when you start to peel the onion back, you start to understand why he's having as much success. And of course, he's a happy camper because he loves playing for the Hurricanes, and he's got a couple of great young players beside him. So this is a winner. And boy oh boy, it's uh it's great that they've been doing this. Interesting, uh, Aaron, you mentioned that they had been on a bit of a tear prior to the playoffs. Um, Logan Stanhoven has points in 12 straight games, 11 goals and five assists. That's pretty good. And how about Taylor Hall? He's got 15 points in his last 11 games. Okay, these guys are just going crazy. And the weak link out there, Jackson Blake, he's only got 12 points in his last 11 games.

SPEAKER_00 10:53

Only.

SPEAKER_01 10:54

Only. I'm just kidding. He's been tremendous, of course. But isn't that something? When you look at those numbers, I mean, they're and they were strong right from basically the Olympics on, right? They were just on fire. So um, I don't think this is a lucky thing, and I don't think it's necessarily gonna go away. Whether or not they'll dominate in this next series, that's a question. Okay. So we've got Stenkoven and his line, we've got uh Frederick Anderson and his great play and goal. Was there anything else that really stood out, Katie?

Penalty Kill Turns Into A Clinic

SPEAKER_00 11:29

Oh, for certain, there's one thing that stood out, and that was the amazing penalty kill from the Hurricanes. They only gave up one power play goal, and that was when they after they already had established their stranglehold on the series. They were just monsters. They faced multiple five-on-threes, and not only did they kill them off, they made the uh senators look like absolute amateurs while doing it. They just hounded them and pressured them and forced them into making their own mistakes, clearing the zone on their own, missing their passes, putting shots wide. It was an absolute clinic each time the canes went on the penalty kill to the point where the canes would get whistled for a penalty and be like, well, that sucks, but you know what? I'm not worried that the canes are fine. They're just just gonna be another two minutes of relatively even hockey, or sometimes on some of the penalty kills, we actually had more chances shorthanded than the senators had on the power play. And then back to business as usual. And obviously, Freddie played a big part in that. The whole PK unit is working together as a group, but the standout on that PK was definitely Jacob Slavin. He played that last game, he played over 10 minutes of penalty kill time. He was just a force of nature out there with his stick work, his positioning, knowing when to step up into guys, knowing when to back off and take take away passing lanes. It was just a treat to be able to watch him go to work on the penalty kill.

SPEAKER_01 13:16

Yeah, I mean, he was he was incredible. And I like to use the term that uh Jacob's back. You know, we kind of missed him playing at this level. Uh, you know, we again uh some of the situations he faced where he was just coming back and kind of needed to just come back slower than he did, perhaps, but rushed off to be in the Olympics, and that's that's obviously that's the right thing to do. But I think it slowed him down a little bit in in his uh rehab and and uh getting back to the level that we're used to. So that's great to see. Now, somebody else was doing a bit of good work. Uh how about Jordan Stahl, Aaron?

SPEAKER_03 13:56

Yeah, I mean, you what can you say about Stahl on the penalty kill? It's kind of been his uh his his bread and butter for the last, I don't even know how many seasons. I can't go that far back. But uh he was uh, you know, uh one of the most important things for him was just the sheer number of face-offs he had to take on the penalty kill. And even though the senators still kind of had the edge on that, he was um certainly better than the others when it came to trying to get the the possessions to begin with, you know. So that helped a lot. And then just the way he plays, like Katie says, it's the positioning, it's how they how they make those decisions, those judgment calls about getting into the lanes versus um, you know, uh trying to check someone off the puck. And and I mean it's just he and Martinook have been, you know, a duo out there for so long that you, you know, what you just don't even like Katie says, when when they start a penalty kill, you never even worry because you know that first unit, you know, as good as both units are, that first unit is just, you know, you the the other team is wasting their first, you know, 90, 30 to 60 to 90, whatever, 30, 90 seconds, you know. It's just however long the first unit survives out there, and sometimes it is just 30 seconds because sometimes they give up right away and pull out the second unit because nothing's happening. So we saw a few of those, especially I think the the five on threes were were kind of getting that way. They were like, well, nobody's our first unit can't get it done. Let's get the other guys out there to see if they can maybe disrupt something because they weren't getting anywhere. So um, and and just just knowing that all of that was coming together so well. I mean, when you think about how important penalty killing is in the playoffs, because I know the the expression is that the roughs swallow their whistles in the playoffs. And I think that the games I've been watching, that has not been true. There have been, I mean, there have been missed calls by the plenty, you know, but there have not been calls, you know, or games where there's just, you know, they're really just putting the whistles away and letting them play. We may get there in later rounds, but just even these glimpses I've had of other of other teams playing, it's that is not happening. So you've got to have good penalty killing because you know sooner or later your guys are gonna end up in the box. And even if it's a phantom high sticking, you've got to still sit there for two minutes.

SPEAKER_01 16:03

So well, and and you know, they generally say that uh you know your your penalty kill and your power play are critical elements in the postseason. I mean, they could be the difference and usually are. Uh the Keynes power play we'll talk about in a minute, but the PK has been unbelievable. Jordan Stall is right near the top in the total number of face-offs he's taken. He's taken 106, which is a lot of draws uh in four games. Okay, so you know he was taking a lot of the key draws, and that many that's obviously led to additional ice time, and he's averaged over 20 minutes a game in the four games. Now, one of the things that uh we can take Solas in, and we can feel the same way with uh Freddie Anderson, is they've had lots of time to rest. And that's great for these guys, certainly the older guys. And speaking about Martinuk, how about that block? Did you see? I mean, that's incredible when he dives in front of Tim Strensla, literally saves a goal. Like just, I mean, uh in harm's way beyond anything, right? It was incredible, and that's the kind of player he is, and he just rises to the occasion, and those two guys I think were were huge, and they will be through the whole playoffs, and that's why uh winning these series quickly is great, right? In any case, uh Jalen Chatfield, I just want to mention him too. Um, you know, he's being asked to carry big minutes, he's right alongside of uh Slavin. Jacob Slavin's been averaging over 25 minutes a game, and Chatfield's not far behind him. And you know, I think it's it's incredible the way those guys have been able to shut the other team's top lines down. And you talked about the penalty kill, and we saw one 5-0 or 5-1-3 when the Sens were so discombobulated they could not even get in the zone. I mean, it was too much.

SPEAKER_03 18:06

They were clearing the puck themselves, and it that was just the saddest thing to watch because you just you know what that at that point the PK is just in their head. They know that they can't get anything past them.

Top Line Quiet & Power Play Flat

SPEAKER_01 18:17

I watched the Canadian broadcast for a while, and only to say they were uh frustrated was an understatement. Anyway, good stuff for the PK uh and a full team effort for sure. Now, not everything was the way we would like it to be. Um Katie, what are you thinking about in terms of some of the concerns we might have for you know different situations in that series?

SPEAKER_00 18:45

Well, I think the the main one that stands out like a sore thumb is the fact that there was almost no production from Aho and Jarvis and Svechnikov. Now, Svetch looked good. Svetch had a lot of chances. He was moving well, he was for-checking, he looked like a power forward, and it looks, and I think it's just a matter of time until he breaks out. Um Aho and Jarvis have those stat padding goals because of the two empty netters at the end of the that last that that last game. But um they they just they're they're really struggling to find their looks to trust themselves, I think, in a lot of those opportunities. Maybe that one pass too many. But I at the same time, I still have to give them flowers because obviously their first job was to shut down the top Ottawa line, and they did that extremely effectively. But moving forward, they the canes are not gonna win a cup if that line is quiet. That line has to be a tone setter, they have to get on the board, they have to help drive the power play because they were also ineffective on the power play. Just like the Steinhoven line was great at both 5v5 and on the power play, the Aho line was quiet and non-productive both at 5v5 and on the power play. So I think that's really the biggest area of improvement that would benefit the canes the greatest is to see that line. I mean, they don't even have to go gangbusters. We just need some production from them, some level of scoring threat to reassert itself. And once that happens, the the canes are gonna be uh in a beautiful, beautiful place.

SPEAKER_01 20:34

Yeah, and I think part of it was they didn't get much sustained action in the offensive zone. Like it was one and done, right? They go in, they do a pass, it's gone, and and they're off uh off again. And I think that's something that through the season we saw a lot of that. They would go in, they'd be working around, they'd you know, create some chaos in in the off opposition zone, and next thing you know, there's uh puck in the back of the net. So that's definitely been a challenge. And you know, you can actually carry this line over to another part of concern, Aaron, power play.

Faceoffs Dip & Third Pair Questions

SPEAKER_03 21:08

Yep, the power play was not getting a lot done either. Um, as Katie pointed out, they got just two goals, both of them from Stancoven on the second unit. Um, and that was also, you know, obviously um something Hall and Blake were involved in as well. Um but um And there again, you know, you still have that, I still think that there is that element of surprise for goaltenders when they don't really know how that line is operating. And you know, they're they're relatively new. It's not with Aho, you kind of know if you've been in the league for a while as a goaltender, you know that Sebastian Amaho can be standing three feet in front of you in the slot and he's still going to pass the puck. So you know what to look for. You're watching for that pass, right? So unfortunately, Aho is a little predictable on those in those moments, and I think that there was a little too much of that, too much of just being a little, like they say, cute with it. Um, one thing I will say is that um both um both of these concerns that we have about our group are things that I have read on Twitter about just about every team out there. Everybody's saying, you know, our top line isn't doing anything, the power play is, you know, because I think in the first round there is more tentativeness and a and a little bit less because everyone is focused so much on the defense. You don't want to be the guy who makes the mistake defensively and gives up an important goal that costs your team a game or maybe even a series. So in that first round, I I think that it's kind of natural for the top lines to just sort of zero in on defense and be. You know, we're we're all about not letting those guys score, you know, and then they're then that on the other side. I think those guys were doing the same thing to our guys. You know, they they didn't want to see, um, they did not want to see Sebastian Aho get a goal. They did not want to see Seth Jarvis get a goal, especially at the Lenovo Center, that would have brought the roof down. So, you know, they're they're trying as much as our side is trying to keep everybody off of the score sheet. So when it comes to the power play, I think it's just a case of the that you're you're they're out there facing the top penalty kill uh unit for Ottawa. So the Ottawa's top penalty kill unit is also quite good, and they're gonna be doing the same kind of things to disrupt that power play. So as the series go on, as as injuries happen on you know all sides, as people don't have maybe their their first choice to put out there on their top penalty killing unit, those are where those holes start to open up. And I think those are where you're gonna see the Aho line start to get its its uh chances. And I think in a, you know, we're I know we're gonna talk about the Flyers coming up, but I think that every team being different with the senators, the the way they play is so reminiscent of how the Canes played a few years ago, you know. The Canes I think have evolved beyond that. And there was some good commentary about that. But because it's still so reminiscent about how the Canes played a few years ago, one thing we know that um Tim Gleason was was very dialed into was that the penalty kill had to be better and it had to be, you know, top of the league. So there the Ottawa penalty kill deserves some credit for not letting the Aho line score on a power play.

SPEAKER_01 24:04

You mentioned face-off success, an area that uh obviously against the Senators was a tough road to hook. Um Keynes ended up at uh 41.5 percent. Uh at the start, it was really low. I mean, the first couple of games it was it was brutal. And they went back and uh I guess Rod dropped a lot of pucks and they and they uh they figured out uh how to how to get some of those wins. And we even saw Logan Stankoven pulling off some great wins. But still paltry numbers. And um, and it's well down, obviously, in the in the playoff rankings right now. So if you're looking at that face-off success, what do we what do we think they need to be doing? What's how can they get better at this? Katie, any thoughts?

SPEAKER_00 24:55

I mean, the first thing that comes to mind is not play the senators anymore, which I think they've taken care of. The senators are just a really good face-off team. Yeah. So I mean, to to be perfectly honest, sometimes you come up against teams that are that have better face-off guys, and it just is that reality. And so I think that's part of it. I think part of it is also the matchups, uh who's going up against who, which side are they on. Uh, it also seemed like the the linesmen were very quick to throw guys out of the dot, and so a lot of times it would be our secondary guys who would be taking the face-off instead of our main, our main ones, you know, Jarvis instead of Aho, or Hall instead of Stankoven or um, or gosh, heaven forbid, I think there were even a couple times it was Martinook instead of Stahl. So um yeah, you know, you're you're yeah, you you you know your face-off rate is not going to improve when that's happening a lot. And so I think it's just about getting set, staying focused, you know, getting in there, not just to win it clean. Winning it clean would be great, but even if you have to to get down and kick it back with your skate or um to to find another way to to gain possession, because that is one thing that the canes are good at is even when they technically lose the face-off, they're still hounding the puck and they get it back almost as though it were a face-off win. So I I think especially coming up here against the Flyers, number one, the Flyers are not the senators in the face-off dot. I also think that the Canes will have some um will have a strength in just battling for the puck a little bit better and end up improving their numbers that way.

SPEAKER_01 26:39

No, I agree, and I think I think you're right. I think uh, you know, they just have to be smarter in the dot and stop getting thrown out so much, and they'll be they'll be a lot better off for sure. You know, I just mentioned uh Shane Gostas bear. Uh another area that I kind of wondered about was that third defensive pairing. Um Ghost was he struggled a bit as well just in uh five-on-five play. And you know, it's uh the first full opportunity for Alexander Nikishan. I thought at times it was a bit chaotic out there with those guys on the blue. Aaron, thoughts?

SPEAKER_03 27:15

Well, it's hard look you know looking back on it now to to pinpoint specifics, but I do think that there were some times when they weren't maybe quite as sharp as the other two uh pairs. Um and I think that um certainly uh Nikishan's injury um was not a fun thing for us to witness, um, although there's some good news on that front. Looks like he is practicing again, so that's good to see. And we're gonna be really hopeful that he's gonna be able to come back in because he's an important part of their defensive uh core. Um I I think that sometimes there you you you kind of look at and say, well, what lines were they out against and and what lines were they out with, too? Because that can make a big difference for how well they're doing, you know, um, if there were some changes where, you know, maybe they were stuck out there while um uh Stutzel's line was coming out or something like that, you know, it's easy enough to get a little rattled or miss your coverage just a little bit. But they really weren't, I don't think, you know, you can't really say that any of the defensive uh pairs cost the the team greatly. You know, there these games were very tight and there was not a lot of you know breakdowns or anything like that. So, you know, I think that if if anything, I would say my feeling is not so much that they were terribly shaky or anything, but just that I feel like they can give us more. And I think that especially, and that kind of goes back to what you were saying about uh ghost on the power play, you know, we feel like he can give us more. Um, and that's where, you know, I know that he was dealing with some things on and off this season. Don't know what his status is completely, but we want to see him be that offensive defenseman. We want to see him be supporting the offense uh whenever he gets that opportunity, um, either at five on five or on the power play. And so if they can get the the little uh hiccups out of whatever they're doing and and and focus on that, I think that they'll be a real benefit against the Flyers.

Rest Versus Rust Before Game One

SPEAKER_01 29:01

Yeah, and and you know, the whole question of Niketian, I mean, I think that's critical uh because uh if Alexander's good to go, and they're gonna have some extended time, it doesn't look like they'll be playing before Sunday. So they're gonna have some extended time for him to uh to get back on track. And and obviously we've been seeing him in yellow sweater. It looks like he's skating fine, and and uh they're just waiting to move him to the next level where he can do full contact uh practice with them. And I would expect he he's probably gonna join them. Um if he didn't, it would be Mike Riley. I don't know. I I think they could probably get by, but I would really prefer to see uh Alexander Nikitian for sure. So hopefully they can get back on track. And and one of the things about the Nikitian Gossespare duel that we know is that uh they started to see where a five-man unit with those guys in the Stankhoven line was was pretty darn good. And we were seeing that deployed frequently. They try to get them out as a as a unit as much as they could. And boy, you know, when you've got Gossespare and and uh Nikishan playing the way they can offensively from the point, and then adding the three guys up front, that's deadly. So I'm hopeful they'll uh they'll do the same thing in the next series, and it'll be should be great. So that should be a lot of fun. I wanted to ask a question before we take a look at the upcoming series, and it kind of fits into that. The canes will be off for over a week, it looks like, right? So they're gonna be, you know, they're practicing, they're doing what they can do to stay uh sharp. But how do we feel about that? Um is it is it a good thing? Is it too long? Uh you know, what are we thinking about this whole idea? Aaron, have you got some thoughts on that?

SPEAKER_03 30:50

Well, I think it's just the famous rest versus rust conundrum. You know, there's um there's good sides to a time, uh a long time off like this, and there's potentially some less good sides. For the Canes, um, I don't think that they're gonna be off long enough for Rust to really set in or be a factor. Um, they're certainly when they practice, they certainly practice hard. It's we've known that for, you know, it's been part of their culture since forever. I believe they've had two practices already. They did not practice today, um, this being Thursday, and then they're set to practice again tomorrow, and we'll probably, you know, then make those decisions going forward depending on when the next game is. So they're putting plenty of work in to keep themselves in game shape. The the thing you can't control for is the loss of momentum that happens a little bit when you're not playing. You know, you're these other teams are playing, they're in it, they're, you know, they're they're still very uh battle ready. But that's only really um an advantage to a team if they finish a series and step right into their next ones. And and the Flyers are not gonna be in that position either. Like you said, um they have already finished as of yesterday, and they're not going to be playing, you know, a whole lot quicker. They're they're gonna get a few a few less days off. So I think both teams are gonna be kind of in the same position when it comes to that. The uh the only thing that the Canes need to watch out for is being ready to go when the puck drops. They cannot afford to have a slow start. They the Flyers will not, you know, just like the Senators wanted desperately to steal a game at Lenovo Center, especially game one, the Flyers will be even more desperate to do that because if they can control that outcome, you know, in the first game, then that changes the whole picture for how the series is going to go. So they can't afford to have one of those starts like we've seen them have after a break. Um, I think they know that better than we do. And I think they know what they have to do to be in that right mindset.

SPEAKER_01 32:40

Now, let's take a look at this opponent, right? So the Philadelphia Flyers winning last night in overtime. Um I saw the action throughout the series. The Flyers are a different team than Ottawa for sure. I mean, if you take a look at their lineup, I mean their their top line is Trevor Ziegris with Porter Martone, who we'll talk a little bit about, and Owen Tippett. You know, when they got uh Porter Mark Martin from uh when he came in out of the college rant, he was off to a great start. He had 10 points in his first nine games, and he was outstanding. He's a guy that uh, you know, he changed everything for them. They got uh they got him and they got Tyson Forster back, and according to Coach Tocket, this really changed their trajectory. All of a sudden they had a couple of guys that could score. That's one thing about the Flyers. They're not a big offensive juggernaut, they don't score a lot, uh, and they're they were well down on goal scoring. So again, uh and Trevor Ziegris is their number one center. I think I can rest my case. Um you take a look at their number two guy, Aaron.

SPEAKER_03 33:52

Well, I'm quite familiar with Christian DeBorak from Montreal, and you know, um I'm familiar with the uh the many, many times that uh frustrated Habs fans would be calling for him to be basically shipped off to China, you know. So um in all fairness, uh I think DeBorak is a better player than he gets credit for, but he has been in the position where, for whatever reason, um he's tended to be overslotted for much of his career. He was overslotted in Arizona because they didn't have anyone else. He was overslotted in Montreal because they didn't have anyone else for for the a good long while after um you know that uh uh the end of that uh 2021 season and then coming in the next season and losing their uh coach and their GM and starting from from scratch. So um he had to carry the weight for you know until they had enough people to step up and do it. And and it he's not cut out to play that role. So when you're not cut out to play the role of a 2C or a top six center, and you have to constantly get pushed into that, then you don't look very good playing that part. Um, as a 3C, he's a very solid 3C. He's got some good you know benefits. He's certainly very good at face-offs. I think that's been one of his bread and butter things all throughout his career. And um I believe he does uh work on the penalty kill as well. So um he has some things that you know, but he really fits the profile of a of a solid third line center. And once again, here he is in um Philadelphia. And for time at times this season, he's he was there oncey because they didn't have the confidence that Zegers could do it. Um, so that's just I I look at that and I think that a lot of people look at Christian Dvorak as kind of a running joke to a certain extent, extent, especially people from Montreal. But realistically, he's good at what he's his role should be. He just doesn't often get to play that role because he seems to find himself on these teams that are in such desperate need of a second line center that he ends up playing there. So he's uh he should not be a problem from the matchup perspective for the Canes at all. I don't think that there's any way that he's gonna be a problem for the top nine, really. Um so and that line that he's on, um the the the biggest threat, of course, I know that uh you want to talk about is uh Keneckney on that line. That would be the player you have to watch out for.

SPEAKER_01 36:10

So yeah, Travis Keneckney um he had a pretty good year. He had uh 27 goals this year. He played for Team Candle last year. I mean, in the four nations. Uh he's a guy that uh, you know, he he's he's just a solid player, two-way guy, 200-foot guy that's gonna go out and he's gonna score some key goals for you. But again, um not not a flashy player, okay. He's he's kind of a hardworking kind of guy that uh he's got a great shot and he'll score some goals. So you've got you've got uh Travis Kenekney. Um again, they're counting on some of their young players. Uh Matt B. Mishkoff, okay, is another one. Uh Mishkoff, he was actually sat down the other night. And and you know, he's a guy that uh very highly rated. Last year scored 26 goals. Here's what uh hockey forecasters said about Mishkoff. It might not be very long before Mishkoff becomes as popular in Philadelphia as Rocky Balboa or at least Sakwan Barkley. The electrifying winger led the Flyers with 26 goals, which also led all rookies. He survived early season struggles at the highest level and displayed flashes of potential franchise winger he is. He was the guy in last night's game who got the best opportunities, frankly. You know, he came back after sitting out of game, and he he's got some natural skill. He's he's one of those guys, you know, he's kind of like Demodov on the half, so we'll talk about the halves. But he's another Russian with huge, huge skill that, you know, he's dangerous every time he's on the ice. But again, he doesn't seem to care much about his defensive responsibilities.

SPEAKER_03 37:53

You know, I was just gonna say he's dangerous on both ends of the ice, and that's the problem.

SPEAKER_01 37:59

Kind of like Trevor Ziegress. So again, a guy that you're not gonna you're not gonna hear much about him. They had a guy they brought in uh after Porter Martin had scored two goals, the game-winning goals in the first two games, so he was doing great. So they thought, hey, let's bring in Alex Bump. And Bump's another collegian that uh he had played at Western Michigan, and this is what McKean said about Bump. And Bump looked pretty good. He scored a goal, he looked darn good in one of the games that uh that he was in. And that they say Bump is a do-it-all kind of forward. He ex he's extremely effective at driving play and transition thanks to improved skating, strong protection skill, and a creative approach. He has a wicked shot thanks to a deceptive and quick release. He did score a goal in a wicked shot, and he almost scored last night. So Bump is another one of the young guys. He's gonna be out there trying to prove a point, but again, not too much fear from their forward crowd. Okay, so then you take a look at the back line, their best guy is Travis Sandheim. We've seen him in the Olympics, right? He's a guy that can play. He plays huge minutes, he's a big player. Um, he averaged 26 minutes a game in the playoffs. He's he's a big player, he he's their guy. And the other one back there that we hear a lot about is Jamie Drysdale. Now, Drysdale, as you recall, was acquired for Cutter Gauche. You know, Gauche didn't want to play in Philadelphia. I understand that. He wanted to go out uh uh out west to play for Anaheim, and he's only scored, he scored 41 goals this year. So I think that was a good trade for Anaheim. But the word on Drysdale is that he's a guy that has some offensive upside. We watch him, he's he's not a big player. Again, um we're not gonna deal with a heavy team. I mean, it's not gonna be like a heavy defense back there pushing and shoving.

SPEAKER_03 39:56

So any thoughts on the blue? Yeah. Well, not so much on the blue, but when you're talking about a heavy team, the one player who I has played more playoff games this season than I would have thought, I was quite surprised, was Garnet Hathaway. I didn't think that they would be playing Hathaway. I didn't think they'd be playing him, and he played, I believe, um, five of the six games. And actually, no, he had a goal and an assist so far, which is a lot of production for him considering he only had three points all year in the regular season. Um uh he does have, I believe, 253 hits. So he is their big guy that will hit people. And if they decide to bring him into the lineup, it will be for that kind of purpose. So that's where, you know, then a lot of Keynes fans start raising the question well, is that when you bring in uh Nick DeLaurie and just say, don't do that? But but uh but yeah, as far as the blue, they're not heavy. And and Katie, I don't know what you think about that, but is there anybody besides Gritty that scares you?

SPEAKER_00 40:52

Not really. I mean, when you look at the hockey viz charts, the the flyers really did not produce well at all. You look at the um the 5v5 chart, and it is a bunch of blue with just some red on the perimeter. There's one red spot if you look right in the middle, kind of in the high slot area. So the canes will have to be mindful of that. That same spot is there for the power play. Their power play also was relatively ineffective. And we have to remember that this that these numbers that the Flyers put up were chances against the Pittsburgh defense. The Pittsburgh defense does not play at the level that the Canes do systematically. They are a zone defense, they are they will cede a certain amount of space in order to maintain their positioning in their zone. Whereas the canes are going to absolutely hassle the living daylight out of the flyers forwards and give them no time in space. And you talk about those flyers forwards that are young, those are the most impactful ones so far, which means that the canes, if they play their game right, can get under their skin and can have that same mind game effect that they had on someone like Stuttgart. And if they can get understood's skin and get into his mind and his psyche, oh, they can definitely get into the others. But the Flyer's forward crew and their system is still a two-edged sword in that if the canes get a little get overconfident or play them overly aggressively, they will cherry-pick, they will flash and and attack in the opposite direction with force, and do have the ability to punish the canes for making mistakes. So that is the biggest key. The canes absolutely overmatch the flyers. But if they overdo it, if they overplay their hand, then that's when the flyers will have a chance to counterattack and hurt them. And that's what the canes need to avoid. They cannot be giving the flyers chance after chance and leave Freddie out to dry, potentially.

SPEAKER_01 43:10

The one area that I think as we look at the roster of Philadelphia, we need to definitely take note of, and that's goaltending. And you know, we talked a little bit about uh you know how the canes goaltending has been unbelievable with uh with Freddie Anderson. Not far behind has been Dan Vladar, who's been manning uh the net for the Flyers. He's a great story this year. You know, it's uh kind of interesting. Um hockey forecaster basically said he he's a he's a great number two guy, but don't expect him to be number one in so many words. Um and he's actually gone ahead and done that. He's done a wonderful job. In fact, in last night's game against Pittsburgh, he stood on his hat, literally, and he was the reason they won that game. So they definitely have a guy in net that can can make it happen. He let in a couple of uh funny goals in the Pittsburgh series, as we saw, a couple of uh strange ones, but he's played very, very well. Um how do the canes get a damn Vladar? Karen?

SPEAKER_03 44:14

Well, I mean they could keep trying to shoot for the stanchion and hope of goal bounces in off his leg, but I'm sorry, I had to bring that up. That was just such a funny moment. And poor poor uh Vladar, that is not the kind of thing. I mean, you're even if you're not rooting for a team, you don't want to see a goaltender have that kind of moment. Just unfortunate, and there's you know one in a million chance that something like that happens. No, realistically, though, they have to remember, I think, you know, one of his key um attributes, and I know this was talked about on the various broadcasts, is his sheer size. He's a big guy. So they're gonna need to get in there and they're gonna need to take his eyes away, just like they would with anybody, but it's gonna be a little bit harder. I mean, he can see over Logan staying open even if he's kneeling down. So they're gonna have to have some bigger bodies in front of the net to try to create those screens. And it's gonna take um some of our defense getting in there too and pinching and then the forwards falling back. You're not gonna be able to do it the same way that you did, you know, trying to uh score on Allmark. Now, the thing is, Allmark of the two is clearly the better goaltender, superior in, you know, in goaltending in every way. So the fact that the Canes were able to score goals against Allmark should not make anyone worry that the Kanes are gonna suddenly have one of those strange scoring evaporations that they've had in the playoffs before. They should be able to score. They're just gonna have to approach it a little bit differently because of how um Lidar plays the game and how uh he uses his size to his advantage, both in his visual um line of sight, being able to see, uh, filling up the net more so that you don't get those little uh short side, you know, top corner that there's not much there, the space is gonna be very minimal. So they're gonna have to work for more of the mucking around in front of the net and really getting some greasy goals to get things going, I think. If they do that, they should be fine.

SPEAKER_01 46:04

Yeah, I mean, for sure. And and again, we look uh when you match the lineups, you match the stats, you can cut it any way you want. And you look at the the hockey biz charts that uh that we've been able to see, and and Katie's talked about. There's no question the Keynes are the team here that that should prevail. Daily Faceoff uh said this about the series, and I think they hit it right on the head. They said Carolina's a heavy favorite in this series, and for good reason. They're better up front on defense and roughly even in goal with their opponents in this series. They have the edge in both experience and rest, and the Flyers are not a sort of team that has given them trouble in playoff runs past. So that's uh I think that's pretty big things. And they said after a convincing series win over Ottawa that proved that profiles as a better across the board version of the Flyers, there's every reason to believe in the hurricanes here. Hurricanes in five games. I don't think there's any question that the Canes are the better team. They ended up in first overall, they were well ahead of Philadelphia in virtually every metric you could think of. So I think uh again, um it should come together quite nicely. Don't we agree?

SPEAKER_03 47:23

I think so. I think that um there's been a lot of people on um social media that are worried because the four games played previously all went to overtime. And Katie, I really liked what you had to say about that.

SPEAKER_00 47:37

Uh basically, I said you just have to look at the circumstance in which those games happened. One was the second game of the season, the next two were a back-to-back in the middle of December when Slavin was out, and then the fourth one was the game where the Canes had already decided that it was time to rest their big guns and had six or seven different uh uh wolves in the lineup that particular time around. And so it it it just it it isn't a good example of what both of these teams are now. And and the playoffs are just by definition a different beast. The canes are dialed in right now, and the canes at their best should not have any problem with the Flyers, even if the Flyers bring their A-game. The Flyers are an up-and-coming team, they weren't even in the playoffs last season. They they still have room to grow. The canes have have, like you said, Aaron, they have the experience, they have the wherewithal to get this done and to get this done in relatively clean fashion. I know most um most outlets are, I think, being a little conservative in saying canes in five. If the canes play their game, this will be another sweep. It just will.

SPEAKER_03 48:55

I think so too. And I as especially if there's no injuries, you know, that's I mean, those are those are the kinds of things that, you know, when you say, well, could they lose this series? Anything can happen. It's a playoffs, right? So anything can happen, you know. But let's remember that if there were injuries, like you said in that last game when they brought in all those uh all those kids from Chicago, the Keynes not didn't just the the Chicago Wolves took the Philadelphia Philadelphia Flyers to overtime and a shootout. And then Rod Rindemore made some absolutely baffling decisions about who to send out in the shootout. So you can't in any way look at this and say that they can't, even if they have to call in people, these are gonna be people that can play at least as well as the Flyers can. So, I mean, I don't get where all the doom and gloom is coming from unless people just really enjoy, you know, thinking that it's more gonna be more uh close than it than it really will. But but looking at all of that and just seeing it, you know, I I kind of have to say that um, you know, it kind of brings me to a comment someone made last night when I was expressing surprise about the fact that no one had as yet scored in the Pittsburgh Philadelphia game and that they were gonna be going to overtime. And someone said, well, you know, the Flyers are playing for the shootout, so wow. Yeah, so but not to be mean, but I I agree with you, Katie. This should not be. This should be. I mean, the statistics about getting a second sweep after a first sweep, you know, you could say, okay, maybe Lodar will steal a game, maybe.

SPEAKER_01 50:19

Yeah, I think uh I think that's probably correct.

SPEAKER_03 50:22

But you know, so five is probably the safer pick, but I could see it either way.

SPEAKER_01 50:27

I mean, my my biggest concern is you know, playing against Ottawa and the kind of feverish series it was. It was very highly contested. Uh it kind of pushed the Keynes to their A game as much as possible. And I'm a little concerned that you know they're gonna go out, and this isn't it's not gonna have the intensity I don't expect uh on a continuous basis that you know with the senators. And I think you know that's the only concern I have is that maybe they'll you know they'll take a night off and and lose one. So we'll see.

SPEAKER_00 50:59

Well, the fly the Flyers captain definitely is not gonna be challenging Jordan Stahl to a fight. So we can give back we can assume that at the very least.

Other Playoff Series Worth Watching

SPEAKER_01 51:07

There you go. We can't expect that to happen. Yeah, uh Sean Kuteri is probably not gonna drop his gloves at the opening faceoff and start punching uh Jordan Stahl. Anyway, I think I think it's uh yeah. Um I think it's great the canes have got the flyers now. Uh a lot of folks believe that the first series was as tough as they're gonna see. And I if that's the case, uh we'll see about that. And you know, again, Eric Tulski talking about his feelings with this current team, and he's he's pretty bullish on this being one of the best teams that he's been around with the hurricanes. So he thinks that uh they're put together in a way that they should go deep. So that means Philadelphia should be uh the next victim, I guess, uh in this run for sure. So um I thought we spent just a couple of minutes on some other series that we're watching. I mean, obviously, Aaron, you're all over it with a great series with Tampa on Montreal.

SPEAKER_03 52:06

It has been one of the most fun playoff series I can ever remember watching, honestly, because there were just so little expectations for Montreal coming in. Um and you know, you want you don't really you you understand that they're the youngest team in the league. So obviously also the youngest team in the playoffs. Um individual players have some playoff experience, but not as a group. They don't have a lot. They've had just last year's first round against um the uh Washington Capitals. So they they don't have um the the kind of firepower that you see over with Kutrov and and you know that kind of thing. You know, there's they're you know, they they certainly have some very good scores, but you know, like just like every other team, the top lines have been neutralized in these in these playoffs. So um the the top line of uh uh Suzuki and Caulfield and Svakkowski has not been as effective. And in in the last game, um Martin Sedlouy decided to mix things up a little bit and put Slavkowski on the second line to try to get some scoring going on that line. Um but it's it's been fun for me because in a lot of ways there's a lot of mirror image stuff going on. Um the the top two lines have had their moments, but not a lot. It is the third line of uh Bullduk, Doc, and Tex A that have come in and done an incredible job. And they are very comparable to um the Sankhoven line in terms of both the fact that, you know, it's again, it's not one of those second, they don't really have a true second line just yet. It's coming along, but you you're gonna have mix and matches of defensive and offensive players up the up on those lines. So um the Bullduk Doc Tex A line has played three games together, and they have five goals, six assists, eleven points, and are a plus eighteen. So they've been incredible both offensively and defensively, and their their goals are all at five on five. So this is huge five on five production from this one line. And I don't think that Tampa knows what to do with them because this is they just recently came together as a line. They're not they're not something that's been done from the beginning of the series, but they are really driving the success right now of uh Montreal and the fact that they were able to take that game last night in Tampa and now they have a chance to win it in Montreal at the Bell Center on a Friday night. I mean, you're right. This is this is the kind of stuff you write, you know, hockey uh books about, you know, these kinds of magic moments. So this is a magic moment for these guys to be able to come together like this. And then, you know, the fun story of last night's game was Brendan Gallagher, who has been a healthy scratch uh periodically through the through the end, he was he was through the end of the season and and starting the playoffs, you know, and it's just it's simply his his his foot speed and all these other things have not been able to keep up. But coming in as a veteran leader to help them calm down and have that maturity, because he is someone who's been there before many times, and he is someone who knows what it takes. So even if he'd just been a veteran mentor presence in the what six minutes and 48 seconds that he played, that would have been enough. But he came in and scored the opening goal and really, you know, kind of wiped the smiles off the Tampa bench, and it just it never changed. The momentum never really changed in that game. So I'm excited. I can't wait to see how this plays out.

SPEAKER_01 55:22

Well, it's interesting, you know, we we talked about some of the challenges our top line has had with the Kings. Um Nikita Khrutchov has really been shot down. Oh, yeah. Which is hard to believe. He had 130 points in the regular season, and he's done hardly anything. And, you know, it's the same story. And I think, you know, watching Tampa, um, I don't I just don't think they're deep enough. Um I think uh, you know, back in uh the friendly confines in Montreal with 20 odd thousand people in there, whatever number it is, I think it's the biggest brick in the NHL. It's gonna be just manic. And and and you know, I think it's it's sitting there for the halves to take. Uh Jacka Dobush continues to play extremely well. And uh boy, I think Elaine Hudson has been incredible. You know, they're they're a team to watch for sure. And you know, obviously um, you know, as we watch them from the hurricane side, uh they're a team that we've had some challenges with in the past. So we'll have to keep our eye and see how this all plays out. Uh Buffalo and Boston, of course, they're uh mired in a pretty tough series as well. Katie, from your side, is there anything that's caught your eye?

SPEAKER_00 56:38

Well, obviously the Aves got the same luxury as the Canes when it came to sweeping their series. So that's all said and done. So my eyes have turned to our potential next round opponent with the matchup between Dallas and Minnesota, and it has lived up to its billing for sure as being the big heavyweight matchup of the first round. They have gone toe-to-toe and traded games back and forth uh with many currently up three to two in games on Dallas. And I am just I I really don't know who I want the Aves to face. I feel like there are benefits either way. There's certainly something to be said for the Aves being able to slay their Dallas Star Demon at some point. Um, there's also something to say for just avoiding the psychological mess of facing the stars and getting fresh meat in Minnesota. So, you know, which whichever way the game goes tonight, I'm I'm sure there will be some benefit of the Evs. Um, I'm watching the scoreboard a little bit, and the game is currently tied one-one. Okay. So I I, you know, let's let's just push this. That's three overtimes sounds really good to me. I would love for them to just keep going at each other for as long as possible. Probably tonight it'd be great if the stars would win because then it would force a game seven and they'd have to beat each other up even more before one of them would come out victorious and face the Aves. Um so we'll see. And of course, it it'll probably turn around at some point. But one of my favorite storylines has been that a certain large power forward for the Dallas Stars has been pretty ineffective, especially at five on five. He has accumulated a handful of power play points and an empty net goal. But other than that, um yes, Dan Coven is really making it making it look like the canes are are enjoying the fruits of their end of the trade very, very much.

SPEAKER_01 58:50

Jason Robertson.

SPEAKER_00 58:55

Not who I was talking about, you know.

SPEAKER_01 59:00

I didn't think that's who you were talking about. Okay. Um, yeah, I mean that's interesting. And and one of the things that uh, oh, just in that series, one thing that I found very interesting has been Quinn Hughes has been uh just a beast in that series. He's played 32, 33 minutes, I think, on average a night, and he's uh he's everything you know you expect he would be. And and you know, the reason I mentioned him is because the canes were very, very interested in Quinn Hughes. And boy, he would have been an incredible ad. In any case, uh he's doing good.

SPEAKER_00 59:33

If the Aves end up if the Aves end up facing the wild, one of the best storylines of that entire series is going to be McCart versus Hughes. Yes. That is a quick thing to watch. I think I I don't know this for sure, but I think that that will be the first time that the two of them will have faced off in the playoffs.

SPEAKER_01 59:51

Uh, that's probably right.

SPEAKER_00 59:52

So that that will be quite incredible to see how that plays out because they are both so, so gifted.

Standout Picks & Final Predictions

SPEAKER_01 59:59

Yes. Incredible. Now, on my side, I'm watching two series because I'm wondering about upstarts. Uh, we have uh the Oilers uh and the Anaheim Ducks, of course, uh battling hard. The Ducks got ahead in that series, but it's starting to tilt uh towards the Oilers. Um, and that'll be interesting to see how that plays out. And I know that Connor McDavid has been playing through some injuries as well and playing hurt, so we'll see how that goes. And the other one, of course, is Utah and the Vegas Golden Knights, and that's another one of these ones that uh boy oh boy, it's uh it's gonna be interesting if one of these teams like Vegas or Edmonton gets knocked out uh in the first round. That will be quite a change from what we've seen in the past. So maybe there's a a new regime coming into the National Hockey League. So we've already seen some uh some changes this year with Florida not making the playoffs. Or we're gonna see some of these other guys knocked out early. So it could be quite a different uh landscape uh following this first round, depending on what happens in some of these series. So it's a lot of fun. Okay. I thought we'd do some closing remarks. Um you know, we've got the series coming up as we did with the other series. Who are the players that you've got uh that that you're thinking are gonna really stand out in this series? Katie, you want to kick it off?

SPEAKER_00 1:01:22

Um I gotta go with Aho. I think he gets his game on, I think he finds his groove, and I think he leads his line. Um that once once he uh gets his shooting down and he starts producing that it'll be like dominoes tipping and Svetch and Jarvis will follow right along. And man, if that line can can get going, it's uh it should be uh pretty smooth sailing for the canes moving forward.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:52

Yeah, and of course, uh having scored a couple of goals his last game, maybe he's just gonna feel the you know the the touch and say I can score now, so it's easy. The fact there wasn't a goalie in there, don't worry about that. Uh, but it's uh it's good that he got those goals nonetheless. Aaron, from your side.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:08

I'm gonna have to I'm gonna say two different people because uh why not? Um I think that the the first one, and and you know, obviously we don't know his status just yet, but it does look like he'll be returning, and that's Nick Ehlers. I think that um Ealers the stall line, just like um the Aho line had a lot of very heavy defensive responsibility in the series against the senators, and I think that that kept Ealer's uh contributions to a minimum. But um we know that he can be so much more than that, and especially with his speed, um, you know, the the Flyers have some players um on their team who can skate quite fast and and and very agile, you know. So having some some people on our side that can match that is important. And that's why the other player that I want to highlight is Keandre Miller. I think that this is the kind of series that is gonna really bring out his strengths. I think we're gonna see a lot from him. I wouldn't be surprised to see a really big series from Keandre Miller.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:03

So well, that's great because I have both of those guys lined up and you took both, so I'll What can I say, Tom?

SPEAKER_03 1:03:11

Great lines think alike. You're gonna have to pick a couple other guys.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:14

I think that's great work. Considering I picked Logan Stanko in the first series, I think I'm doing okay. Yeah, you are. Absolutely. Uh I'm actually gonna take Shane Goss to spare. Um play is gonna come back to life, and I think Shane's gonna start to play the way he can play. And and we know just how good he is, and he loves to play against Philadelphia, of course, because he was there for an extended period. And uh so this is gonna be interesting for him. Uh, and I think uh clearly um he's I think he's gonna come back in and make a make a huge difference. So yeah, we've got some interesting ones. Uh they'll all be a part of it, I'm sure. And uh I fully expect, as as you said too, Katie, I think that the top line and certainly Sebastian Aho are due to to kick into gear. So maybe this time off will uh give him some sleep. Now, don't forget, uh Sebastian's got the a young baby, so sleep is kind of uh a short, a difficult thing these days. So hopefully he's had a chance to get a lot to rest and uh and he can carry on from there. In any case, uh, as always, you know, Aaron and Katie, great to talk hockey with you about the canes in this series. I think we set up the first series quite nicely, and it turned out pretty well uh where we thought it would. So we'll see how our prognostications are uh with this second series for sure. And for those of you who've been watching or listening, of course, uh we're delighted you spent time with us. If you like this episode, please press the like button. If you have questions or comments, please put those in the comment section. And of course, if you want to be alerted of future episodes of Storm Tracker, please press the subscribe and the bell buttons, and we'll make sure you're aware just as soon as they're available. As always, Aaron Katie and I are delighted you spend time with us and look forward to getting together with you real soon, right here.