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005 - We DESERVE This!
116 Plays15 days ago
TONIGHT'S SET LIST:
- Let's all laugh at the Red Wings
- Let's all laugh at the Leafs
- Sens in 3
OUTRO: You. by Keturah ( https://keturahmusic.bandcamp.com )
Recommended
Transcript
Understanding Playoff Losses as Learning Experiences
00:00:00
Speaker
Next message. Virata here, standing outside the Senegoth lounge, behind the velvet rope, waiting to be let in, watching James and Luke through the window, my face pushed up against the glass.
00:00:17
Speaker
And I have a question for them, and for you, and for Peter Mansbridge and Chantal Hébert. so Usually what happens when a team is eliminated from the playoffs is that the players stand there in the dressing room and, you know, they got their hands on their hips and they're not making eye contact with the reporters or looking into the camera.
00:00:47
Speaker
And they say something about how it's just a learning experience. You know, it's something that they've gained some knowledge that you can only gain by losing in the playoffs.
00:01:01
Speaker
It's something I think we've all heard before. We've all followed teams that didn't go all the way to the Cup.
00:01:11
Speaker
And they all say, you know, it's a learning experience. doesn't matter if you get eliminated in Game 7 of the Finals or get swept in the first round. You've learned something.
00:01:24
Speaker
I don't really get it um no one really ever goes one step further to say, this is the information I've gained by virtue of losing.
00:01:36
Speaker
i mean, everyone says well earlier than the playoffs that they know that the playoffs are a whole new game. It's really difficult. you know No matter how difficult you think it's going to be, it's even more difficult than that.
00:01:51
Speaker
It's this kind of like logical mind-slug, you know, horror movie puzzle box where all you know is that you can't know how hard it is.
00:02:04
Speaker
And if somebody tells you, and matter how hard you think it's going to take that and multiply it by a thousand, and it's still harder than that. I mean, i don't I don't even know. It's like this logical ah rabbit hole. You never find the end of it.
Ottawa Senators' Performance and Challenges
00:02:22
Speaker
Anyways, this year, I'm kind of becoming a convert to the idea that your team can seem more confident, can seem to lock in for, like, the long game, can seem a little bit more grizzled and veteran in nature. And I know that's weird to say because the Sens have one playoff appearance in the last decade under their belt.
00:02:50
Speaker
And it was a first round loss to Toronto. But it really does seem like they're locking in or they're at least locking out all the distractions and the noise.
00:03:05
Speaker
And I think it's pretty extraordinary what the Ottawa Senators have been able to accomplish in the last two months. I don't remember what the record is. It's like 26 and four or something like that in the last couple months.
00:03:18
Speaker
and don't don't really I don't remember what it is except to say that it's insane. They're dealing with a goaltender who every once in a while gets in front of the media and says things like, every day is a struggle and i'm a broken person.
00:03:35
Speaker
um They, one point, had a defensive core of Jordan Spence playing over 30 minutes a game. And, you know, two...
00:03:48
Speaker
rookies making their NHL debut and they were still winning those games. It really just does feel like something's different about this team. And the point of this voice memo is for me to implore you, the fan, and implore myself, the fan, remember this if Ottawa loses the first game against Carolina probably, but maybe Buffalo.
00:04:15
Speaker
If Ottawa loses the first game, Let's think about what we learned from prior losses. Are we the grizzled veterans now?
00:04:26
Speaker
Do we have the perspective to be like, it's just one game, just get ready for the next one. You know, um let's try and, you know, keep our better angels in charge here and be professional about this.
00:04:42
Speaker
Even though I know most of us will be watching the games, um sitting at a bar and drinking 17 beers. Let's really try and and put our best foot forward here because the team is is locked in.
00:04:55
Speaker
And, you know, i think I think we've earned the right to have fun with this and not not fall apart at the first sign of adversity.
00:05:08
Speaker
So anyways, have fun. Be safe out there. Tell your kids that you love them. And back to you.
Senegoth Lounge and Team Turnaround
00:05:18
Speaker
luke and james
00:05:28
Speaker
good evening and welcome to the synagogue lounge i'm your bartender luke our drink special tonight is azuba libre and we've got our best customer james here tonight james what can i get you
00:05:45
Speaker
Can I get ah a iron flask of Red Wings Tears with a Maple Leafs Tears chaser, please? That's coming right up, buddy.
00:05:59
Speaker
I just got a shipment of Red Wing Van and Leaf Van Tears just this week. This is the Pappy Van Winkle of tears.
00:06:11
Speaker
They're selling out fast, folks. So it's really funny that the last time we recorded, i think the mood was like just slightly more optimistic than Dire.
00:06:28
Speaker
we were yeah We were kind of like, well, i guess they can do it, but will they? And ah turns out the answer is, fuck yeah.
00:06:42
Speaker
And yeah not only that, but ah after that whole drama with a Allmark sitting out a game and then like letting in, i don't know, what was it, five goals on three shots or something and getting pulled and then people were posting the YouTube channels. being like, this is getting hard to watch. This is absolutely. but wrap but whi And then they just won. And then they just like won like the next five straight games. So basically, yeah, this is huge. This is huge suck my dick from the back territory.
00:07:12
Speaker
Turns out hockey is extremely fucking weird and hard to predict. Although you wouldn't know that from everyone's playoff predictions, which are so cowardly. And like, I think bravely that the higher ranked team will be the victors in every series.
00:07:30
Speaker
I think at the very least you should at least do a bit of like astrology or something. At least the guys on like talking head shows or TSN will say something like Boston's going to have the advantage and the third pairing D
Detroit Red Wings Playoff Struggles and Comparisons
00:07:47
Speaker
match up. And so that's why I like them in seven. Like that's this like that's way more satisfying than just being like ah who my advantage will carry the day.
00:08:00
Speaker
From the minds that brought you Panther's Dynasty Inevitable. And actually, the guy they got for Mitch Marner is sneaky good. Comes playoff predictions.
00:08:17
Speaker
but Seriously, whatever that guy's name is, who they traded Mitch Marner for sneaky good. Actually, they do you know that guy that guy actually got traded? What? Yeah. and And they actually, I think they got like a first round pick for him or something too, as that's which is like annoying.
00:08:33
Speaker
but Was it Justin Falk at the deadline? No, this is haters corner. Before we talk about the playoffs, let's talk about who's not in the playoffs because yeah this this particular conversation is a long time coming and I'm not even sure this is going to be the only time we have it in the next 12 months.
00:08:49
Speaker
But let's begin with our dearly departed. James, do you have any words of remembrance for our fallen comrades in Detroit? Well, ah you know, I have a soft spot for my fellow Nepean Raider, Steve Aloysius Yeezerman.
00:09:13
Speaker
But, and so, like, i don't want to come off like a softy, but I do think that the Detroit Red Wings could have made the playoffs pretty easily if the amount of points or wins that you get didn't really count towards that. Like, if they had a different format.
00:09:34
Speaker
You know, like, if it was judged on, like, having a terrible goal differential all year or, like, having a team that's as soft as a chinchilla, like... I think they would have made it. i think it's kind of It's kind of not fair, but sports isn't fair.
00:09:47
Speaker
Maybe if it was just based on were you in a playoff spot on March 5th, that would get you in. you know wo If it was based on where you if you were leading the division in January,
00:10:03
Speaker
ah they would be they would they would get the president's trophy of that. They would be right there, though. Wouldn't they? ah Can I get a small chronic break for PR Usain Dorian? Remember when that guy offered Alex the board cat fucking nine and a half sheet?
00:10:24
Speaker
Remember that? Yeah. And we were like, don't. yes and And then he took less to play for Detroit and then proceeded to score this year. The quietest 40 goals in NHL history history. Her stories. Excuse me.
00:10:44
Speaker
He scored 40 goals this year. I just found that. I was like, that guy's fucking washed. And I looked it up and I was like, holy shit, he du did it again. no one is talking about this.
00:10:56
Speaker
Like Detroit has the most players who are like empty calories guys i have i think I've ever seen. And I think, you know, i ah obviously like Moe Sider and Lucas Raymond seem to be good. But yeah, Alex, DeBortcat.
00:11:15
Speaker
and his 40 goals. ah And like even the reanimated corpse of ah Patrick Kane, like on the one like 37 year old Patrick Kane still putting up numbers allegedly. But like if 37 year old Patrick Kane is one of your best, I don't know, four forwards, like I think you're toast. like Yeah, it's not great.
00:11:45
Speaker
In watching a couple of... being Sorry, being forced to watch a couple of um Detroit Red Wings games this year because it was a way to see my beautiful Ottawa Senators children, I found Patrick Kane to be an alarmingly important player piece of their puzzle. No, you you can look at this. He was fourth in the on the team in average ice time amongst forwards.
00:12:14
Speaker
Like he was, and if you compare that to Ottawa, and because I know some of you people are thinking, oh, well, Claude Giroux is also old. It's like, that's true. But Claude Giroux is seventh Claude Giroux gets less ah ice time than Ridley Gregg and Dylan Cousins and Brady Kachuck and Drake Batherson and Shane Pinto. The way nature intended. Claude Giroux is actually a depth piece and yeah Patrick Kane is a piece of load-bearing drywall.
00:12:44
Speaker
Listen, I couldn't pick Dylan Larkin out of a police lineup. Who else we got here? James Van Riemsdyk. He's still out in the NHL. Okay. What? Who?
00:12:56
Speaker
Your Austrian brother, Marco Kasper. Who are these guys? Axel Sandin-Pilge. i don't I don't know her, the team.
00:13:09
Speaker
Mason Appleton, say that name to a cop. They're going to be like, nice try, smart guy. What's your real name? Two goalies with a combined age of 70. Jacob, Jason St. Bernard Docker.
00:13:25
Speaker
Wow. He played 63 games for the the the winged wheel this year. Tarvis Hamannick, I forgot all about that. and And tablet. tight Cosmic lineup. All the stars are there.
00:13:41
Speaker
Come tablet. Come tablet too. This is awesome. The only embarrassing part about the Red Wings is ever thinking they were going to make it to begin with. The the Shanna scam is complete. Yeah, Yeiser scam. Oh, yeah, so the Yeiser scam. yeah the Yeah, well, same thing, except with, like, less fanfare. But, yeah, that this is probably, like, the thing I'm taking the most pleasure in is that I did not appreciate being compared to this team in Ottawa. like You know like, in fact, it it'd be, like,
00:14:16
Speaker
There's some teams really coming up like, you know, Detroit and Ottawa and Buffalo. And like, we're like, we're not getting top billing over Buffalo or over Detroit. Like, come on, man. Like, it's a semantic, but, you know, sorry if I don't believe in Jonathan Bregenbergren from Ypsala, Sweden.
00:14:43
Speaker
Like, I don't know.
00:14:46
Speaker
And, you know, Moritz Sider good, but i like we're we're like begging people to watch ah pay attention to better player Jake Sanderson. Although, you know what?
00:15:02
Speaker
We don't need y'all. Expect him when you least expect him in the first round of of the playoffs. I mean, this is what I've been saying about Montreal for months too. It's like, yeah, they have some good players. yeah Everyone's got good players.
00:15:17
Speaker
I mean, except for Vancouver, but every team has like five or six guys who are pretty good. Yeah. And, you know, it's you you got to start looking down the lineup. You can't just say, oh, that team's got Patrick Kane and start penciling them in. It's how I managed to survive the rebuild. You tell yourself. Yeah, we got Anthony Duclair. He's pretty good. Wow. Yeah, that's true. Man, guys i remember talking. Guys were around, you know, pretty good guys. Remember them days with pretty good guys? All too you well.
00:15:49
Speaker
I just want to get this on the record before we move on. The Red Wings won seven of their last 22 games down the stretch. That rips. They traded up first for Justin Falk and then acquired ah the absolute boy, David Perron, at the deadline, and then immediately won less than 33% of their games to the end of the season and missed the playoffs. Yeah, and I actually quite like David Perron and his time here. i think there was a lot of like unfortunate events. ah No Lemony Snicket.
00:16:30
Speaker
But it was time to... This is not feasible. like The fact that they got him got something for him and he probably didn't mind going back to Detroit and he was replaced with...
00:16:43
Speaker
Warren, I figured it. Like, that's the Steve Stoicism difference right there. Yeah, I mean, I was definitely a believer in David Perron after his playoffs last year.
00:16:56
Speaker
Like, I definitely saw the this guy's a crafty vet who knows when and how to elevate his game in the playoffs. Like, I saw the vision. But you Warren, further as a that's an upgrade. Yeah.
00:17:09
Speaker
Yeah, like imagine imagine if Perron could skate extremely fast and wasn't almost 40 years old. these are so These are good ideas. you know These are good attributes for a guy that you just traded for. Yeah. um So shout out to you And also trading for Justin Falk, you know,
00:17:36
Speaker
you know, eight points in 17 games, uh, Yakety Saks ass, uh, you know,
00:17:48
Speaker
shooting yourself in the dick out of the playoffs. aside We're allowed to make fun of anything, right? As Sens fans, we've been through, ever like, remember when Olesh Hemsky like single-handedly fucking eliminated the Sens from the playoffs and then Brian Murray traded for him and then he didn't resign here? Like,
00:18:14
Speaker
that's ah that awesome you know like let's remember some fucking painful memories it's like yeah we're allowed to make fun of this fuck you um yeah i hope they don't get rid of steve eiserman uh and yeah i hope they keep doing what they're doing over there in the motown Uh, Alex Hemsky's career is hilarious just because you can see, you can look at his stats and just from that alone, you can tell when his contract was coming up.
00:18:48
Speaker
I looked him up the other day and I was floored by how spectacularly mid he was in his career. Like, I thought of him as this sort of like, like a, like a, like a Bobby Hussein Ryan. Like, uh,
00:19:04
Speaker
where you know he was like a player from the Western Conference that was on my radar or before he got traded here. you know like I thought of Hemsky the same way, as like a highlight reel goal, like sort B-tier star.
00:19:19
Speaker
um But do a number crunch on that, guys. Leave something to be desired. he's at He had a couple of really good seasons, but there's like a couple. Anyway, Steve Iserman.
00:19:33
Speaker
Yeah, hope you stick around forever. Uncritical and continuous support for Steve Iserman. We love having you in the division, bud. Yeah, like, Steve Iserman, if you... If your time in Detroit has indeed come to an end, perchance you could take over the Boston Bruins.
00:19:55
Speaker
ah You know, I'm really sick of their bullshit. ah Thank you, Boston Bruins, with your, like, quarter-century window. like We need to bring in a, you know, cursed amulet into the mix to... to Spice up your relationship by working a cursed amulet into the mix.
00:20:22
Speaker
ah Hey, Boston. yeah Things are getting kind of stale. I was thinking maybe we could buy this cursed amulet and see how it feels. Yeah. Maybe maybe you could get experience, again, Sen's fans can make fun of everything. Maybe you can experience the joy of trading Alex DeBortcat for magic fucking beans.
00:20:51
Speaker
whoever the uh 2026 offseason version of dominic former nhl player but still totally able to play the nhl physically dominic kubalik i think we can move on to the main event okay the main course and what would that be luke it's fine it's time it's It's been a long road and it's almost been 10 years.
00:21:21
Speaker
It's
Toronto Maple Leafs' Rebuild and Future Prospects
00:21:22
Speaker
almost been. From the time sat at the Canadian Tire Center and watched Austin Matthews score four goals in his first NHL game and the Ottawa Senators winning anyway.
00:21:37
Speaker
Oh, they did. Oh, you'd think that if somebody scored four goals for one team, they'd win that. I mean, that's what always happens to Ottawa, at least. um But now I think we can finally start pouring the door, pouring the dirt, pouring the door. mark mar I think we can finally start pouring the dirt on this Leafs era.
00:22:00
Speaker
And not a moment too soon. It's too bad that they just couldn't keep it going. I thought we were going to so many epic rivalry series in the playoffs after last year. Weren't you pumped to see the Leafs again this year, James, in the playoffs? Weren't you thinking this is the year we'll finally get them? Weren't you thinking we're we're we're one year older and wiser and this will be finally the the time we can beat the Leafs in the playoffs?
00:22:23
Speaker
Nope. No Leafs in the playoffs. Just us, baby. My biggest takeaway from last year's um ah playoff experience was it's almost like why I was hoping in a way for Buffalo, who is such a good bit that they made the playoffs and Detroit did, but was was The Sens truly had, i think in our voicemail ah series, which we will bring back for this playoffs, ah after that first game, I was i was pretty hot because,
00:23:03
Speaker
I was just so bummed that Ottawa didn't look like they were going to win that game for one second. Like, at no point i did I think, hey, we got, like, just stay cool. Everything's, like, the boys, are like, no, they looked terrified.
00:23:20
Speaker
i was in I was in Italy. I was in Tuscany. I set my alarm for like 2 a.m. so I could watch it. i was immediately like, why am I doing this? yeah Holy fuck, I hate this so much.
00:23:33
Speaker
I was in the Eastern time zone and I was thinking... But by the end of the series... ah even though they lost, I mean, they went down 0-3, and I thought to myself, like, yeah, you're probably going to fucking, like, they dug themselves too deep a hole, and, you know, ah the they didn't take the series, but my my takeaway after that was run that back. Like, they seriously had them on the ropes at some points, like,
00:24:06
Speaker
If they didn't blow that first game just by like seeing through time or whatever the fuck happened to them, I don't know. know if if If Drake Batherson back checks properly against fucking Max Domi, there's at least five things I could point to that I would be like, oh yeah, Sens were right there though.
00:24:27
Speaker
Yeah, if if Drake Batherson could have remembered that he was Drake Batherson at a few points in that series. ah But anyway, I'm really looking forward to the Sens meeting the Leafs again in the first round this year.
00:24:44
Speaker
Oh, I'm just I'm looking at NHL standings dot net. And you have to scroll really far down. It just says, hey, what happened?
00:24:58
Speaker
Huh. What does that mean? Is that good? Hey, what happened? By the way, this is really like topical to like the last, I don't know, 24 hours. but Have you heard Austin Matthews' latest bon mo? no.
00:25:19
Speaker
he's He seems happy as a clam, doesn't he? He seems happy with things. I believe they call him Mr. Satisfaction in ah in Toronto. William Nylander just seems like a generally like grouchy dude with the media. But also Matthews is like, hey, I'm an Ottawa Senators fan.
00:25:39
Speaker
I speak fluent player not committing at all to staying ease. It was is actually like really impressive the way he did it.
00:25:52
Speaker
like Are you thinking of staying here, Austin Matthews? Yeah, of course, there are a lot of ways to answer this question and one of them would be that and you know, we're just blocking out the noise right now. Like, oh, he went with the Spassky Bishop blocking out the noise. Just opening.
00:26:11
Speaker
Matthew's actual quote was when asked about his future in Toronto was, I can't predict the future. I can. Yeah. yeah Right. Based on that, I think we can all predict the future.
00:26:24
Speaker
ah Yeah, I'm an Ottawa Senators fan. I know exactly what's going to happen in the future. But it's why I'm scared to listen to anything Brady Kachuk has to say lately. But ah no he seems he seems happy where he is.
00:26:44
Speaker
One thing I absolutely refuse to do is engage in like being afraid that the Leafs will somehow win the draft lottery. It's like, I used to dream of times like this.
00:26:56
Speaker
What are they going to do with the draft lottery? Like draft another guy who might be as good as Alston Matthews, who they're going to trade or who or who even better might just leave for nothing.
00:27:08
Speaker
Amazing. I mean, we talked about this on our last episode. Thanks for listening, everyone. um About how, like, unfortunately for, well, fortunately for us and at this point, but their last rebuild was quite successful. If you compare it to how long it took the Edmonton Oilers to get to where they are, you know, like,
00:27:39
Speaker
It is insane that ah Ryan, Ted Nugent, Sir Anthony Hopkins like made it through like three of the fucking rebuilds. you know ah And now he's like a serviceable middle six forward. Yeah, that guy's a number one pick. In his 15th year of NHL hockey.
00:28:04
Speaker
And he was like a no doubt number one pick. You know, like... just like Adam Larson, all these guys, like, I don't even know he's in the fucking league anymore. Like he probably plays for a, a W H L team, like the Seattle Kraken now or whatever, but like, uh,
00:28:24
Speaker
You know, the Leafs got like a fucking 60 plus goal scorer. ah ah You know, a crafty guy like Nylander. Does Nylander put up 100 points? I think so.
00:28:40
Speaker
ah he he's right He's the only guy who does now, I think. I have a blocker to like to not be able to look up ah disgusting content like that on my computer. But you want to tell me where it is so I can avoid it?
00:28:57
Speaker
Marner, 100 points, ah played in all situations. Say what you will about him. ah Yeah, like it's going to take and they had some misses like former Ottawa Senators legend Nikita Zaitsev. But other anyway, i digress. they They did the rebuild thing like they are fucking ah gambling to try it again.
00:29:24
Speaker
And it's going to take a very fucking long time to get there. And then they're going to have to like resign the next version of like John Tavares as well.
00:29:36
Speaker
e Good point. Who is that? Probably Mitch Marner. like Mitch Marner going to go off and like win two cups with Vegas, and when he's 38, he'll be back. Maybe McDavid will decide he wants to go there after he's done in Edmonton. I'm sure McDavid's ready to go to the Leafs. that's that'll be That'll be the new narrative. McDavid wants to play for a winner, which is why he's heading to Toronto.
00:30:05
Speaker
Yeah, I'm sure McDavid is down for rebuild at this stage in his career. That's good. I'd put money on that.
00:30:17
Speaker
Especially with a team like Toronto at the helm. Like, you know, what could possibly go wrong? The crazy thing about this version of the Leafs rebuild is that it is completely like antithetical to like the idea of the ideal Leafs team to their fans.
00:30:41
Speaker
Like the, your, your typical like Labatt blue drinking GTA Leafs fan. so Like loves Wendell Clark loves Dougie Gilmore loves Ty Domi. Just guy like loves guys who cared and care and like also did score. David Clarkson. But like these guys who were like not the best players in the league but like went out there and tried it hard anyway. like These are the real legendary players and... like
00:31:15
Speaker
you know to To like your average Leafs fan who, you know, fondly remembers the 90s and 2000s. And like Matt Sundin was an extremely good player, are not quite deserving of that, you know, label. But still like the thing that the Leafs fans really just want is like a team that gives a shit.
00:31:39
Speaker
And they just got guys who did not It rules. like It just absolutely rules. like they like They got a team that was good, but still lacked the one thing they all wanted. yeah It's tremendous.
00:31:55
Speaker
Maybe it's impossible to care about Toronto like that. you know Maybe that maybe there's a glitch in the Matrix.
00:32:06
Speaker
It's like New York without all the stuff. ah Yeah. i Rest in peace. I got to just load up that Austin Matthews.
00:32:22
Speaker
I can't predict the future clip. That's that's my playoffs. Yeah. That's okay. Austin Matthews can't predict the future. Well, we fucking can.
00:32:36
Speaker
yeah I actually have a reading series about ah the Leafs because this article drops on Wednesday. and must have been hard to find. There's not a lot of press about that team. So it seems like a really fun place to play.
00:32:51
Speaker
So this is an article from The Athletic. It's got three reporters on the byline. It's by... That rocks. What is this fucking Maggie Haberman reporting on like palace entry? Yes.
00:33:05
Speaker
It seems like a fun place to play. Jonas Siegel, Chris Johnson, and James Myrtle are all on this article called Inside the Stunning Fall of the Maple Leafs.
00:33:17
Speaker
Chaos, Dysfunction, and ai Alan Iverson's? Nope. Nope. The other one, the bad one, James. Artificial intelligence.
00:33:29
Speaker
they've They've tried human stupidity and now they're switching to artificial intelligence. Yeah. I mean, why not get a, you know, snake oil product involved in this?
00:33:42
Speaker
ah i'm i'm I'm ready to go. Do you know who Keith Pelley is, James? Devontae Smith's... Kelly's... cousin? I don't know. He's the current president and CEO Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.
00:34:00
Speaker
And... Here's what happened. That's like being... That's like... Going into my lexicon ah or my Rolodex of names, like how I know like Abdul Bakar al-Baghdadi. Like, oh, he's like an ISIS operative.
00:34:20
Speaker
here's Here's what this article has to say about Keith Kelly. Seldom does a finely tailored suit from his from the C-suite, rub shoulders directly with scouts who spend hundreds of days pounding the pavement each year looking for players.
00:34:34
Speaker
But there was Keith Pelley, the president and CEO of MLSE, overseeing the action. Pelley had never taken that approach with the NBA's Toronto Raptors or MLS's Toronto FC, the two other big league clubs he oversees, nor had he been in the room on the trade deadline day a year earlier when Brendan Shanahan was still president of the Leafs.
00:34:53
Speaker
But he was concerned by the direction the team was taking under general manager Brad for living and felt it necessary to get a first-hand view at how the front office operated under pressure and arrived at decision.
00:35:05
Speaker
So, I mean, first of all, can you imagine you've been a scout for 35 years and then like a guy who like cut his teeth with the Argos like drops in and it's just like, so how's things going down here? right Did you know I used to be the president of the PGA European Tour?
00:35:24
Speaker
How do you do, fellow weird old guys that analyze young men's bodies and how they will develop? Does anyone have the good face in our prospect pool?
00:35:38
Speaker
Does anyone have a hot girlfriend? Also, so far, by the way, before you could go on, this is so far giving like... And by the way, New York Times, ah according to our source, J.D. Vance was very against invading Iran.
00:35:56
Speaker
I wonder who the source of this story was. Peli viewed himself or as as merely an observer, but others felt differently. He didn't sit in silence. He peppered the team's scouts with questions, demanded more assets, in quotes, in trade conversations, and tossed out opinions and ideas.
00:36:16
Speaker
As one team source put it, fans would have been surprised to see just how involved a non-hockey executive was that day. Peli didn't come empty-handed either. he had notes that included possible trade returns that Leafs staff members believed were generated by large language models and artificial intelligence.
00:36:34
Speaker
Tools that have become increasingly influential at the top of and MLSE, but hadn't been part of the usual process with its NHL team. So basically this guy is like showing up at the end of the season, talking with the vets and then like coming out and then like spitting out trade returns that he got from a large language model trained on like HF boards posts by like a guy called Sven Farchi, whose avatar is like that picture of Yarmur Yager in bed with that girl. The impression I'm getting is that this guy is like the Rosa Parks of the MLSE executive. Like he's a trailblazer.
00:37:16
Speaker
one you know, one of one. Here's the thing. We're no stranger to being like cheering for embarrassing front offices.
00:37:28
Speaker
we may need maybe We may even have done that kind of recently. Yeah. And yet, were we ever this badly embarrassed by Eugene Melnick?
00:37:39
Speaker
Yes. But I feel like we are afforded the dignity of only we know about it or like.
00:37:50
Speaker
very like Maybe some hockey media in Canada knows about it here and there, but we're served with the reaction of, guy you stupid idiots over in Ottawa, whatever. like Whereas this is like front page news, you know. and ah It seems like a fun place to play is what I'm saying.
00:38:14
Speaker
There's a section this article ah from the um early in the season. Six games into the season, Stolarz ripped his team's performance in the kind of blunt manner that goaltenders rarely ever use.
00:38:29
Speaker
I thought the first two periods we kind of let them walk all over as Stolarz said, following a loss to the Seattle Kraken. Oh, it's like an AHL subway series.
00:38:40
Speaker
even Even for a Leafs team that always started slowly, only to blast their way to the 100-plus points during the regular season, this was proving to be no ordinary October. The roster looked slow and old and meaningfully weaker without Marner, with the top line and power play taking big hits.
00:38:56
Speaker
Here comes old man maximum dome piece. Yeah. Old man Matthews is on the prowl. He's 27 years That's good Tianto
00:39:07
Speaker
that's that's some
00:39:13
Speaker
tionto Tianto finessing like the old the old Toronto Leafs roster. Austin Matthews is not even 30. How old is William G?
00:39:29
Speaker
this This is your fucking window, guys. 29.
00:39:34
Speaker
Matthew Nyes is 22. These guys are in their prime, and they're already, like, coloring up the chips to cash out and start again. 100%. Perfectly put. it's It's really a shame that Mark Mathot's dead, because that tweet he had where he like three years ago where he was like, I would take Ottawa's future over Toronto's right now, got, like, clowned on at the time, and now it's like...
00:40:05
Speaker
uh methstradamus was amongst us that day yeah he was right about everything well not everything absolutely i 100 stand by all his twitter likes and follows on all and his his brother is a what for a living a police officer interesting anyway go on yeah Skipping ahead to the trade deadline, um the Leafs GM engaged in trade talks involving Nyes with a handful of teams in the hopes of landing a rich return.
00:40:38
Speaker
Trilliving also tried and failed to turn Oliver Ekman-Larsen into a tidy haul of draft picks and approached Matthews and Nylander to discuss the team's intended direction. most of Sorry, hold on. Before you before you go on, a haul of draft picks? No, no, no, a tidy haul.
00:40:54
Speaker
a ti This guy's like 34...
00:40:58
Speaker
yeah Like he's having like a nice season, but like yeah it's kind of like the Sens were looking to trade Artem Zub for a tidy haul of draft picks. Like, all right, like I love Zub, but like a tidy haul. Like, yeah, Oliver Ekman Larson for two firsts, a second, a third, and, you know, but a top six winger.
00:41:26
Speaker
Most vexing, even shocking for ah the front office was how little interest rivals seem to have in Scott lawen Lawton or Bobby McMahon, two low-cost rentals who priced their way out of staying in Toronto.
Leafs' Trade Strategies and Player Roles
00:41:41
Speaker
Those are the two guys who are too expensive to stay Toronto. They were too expensive for Toronto. Respect. With only 30 minutes to go, Tre Living emailed the NHL's other 31 GMs to inform them that the Leafs were trading Lawton.
00:41:55
Speaker
Pelly would later tell... Do you think the email said sent using co-pilot? Pelly would later tell MLSC staff in his weekly Pelly's Page internal newsletter... Oh, no, not Pelly's Page!...would later tell the staff that the team hadn't drawn any offers on either McMahon or Lawton with just 15 minutes to go until the 3 p.m.
00:42:21
Speaker
Eastern trade deadline. Like, they're fucking sending out birthday party invitations and getting hit with the, yeah, I'll make it if I can.
00:42:32
Speaker
no worries. Text back, true living. over copy Copy pasta. No worries. Holy shit.
00:42:44
Speaker
Scott Lawton, we barely knew ye. it So they did trade Scott Lawton for a second rounder and Bobby McMahon's now in Seattle ah for a second and fourth rounder. And that then immediately turned into like the third best forward on Seattle. Yeah.
00:43:02
Speaker
you know I love it. do yeah You gotta love the commitment to the bit. yeah He's doing it for us. Conversations around Nyes continued until at the last minute too with marquee Canadians and Sabres prospects in play. Sorry, can you can you help me out with something, Luke? Why are they so horny need to trade Nyes? Is his contract something or something? i look I'm going to be straight up with you. I haven't looked into that and because, first of all, I don't care.
00:43:27
Speaker
But I agree it doesn't make any sense. like it's At least in a world, like is his contract up? Because like Matthew Nyes was a fucking dog in the playoffs last year, and he's only 23.
00:43:41
Speaker
How can you have how can you have like three good players and you're over the cap? He just signed a six-year deal. And I guess now now he's got a seven. And they're trying to trade him? Yeah, because he's because he makes like almost million dollars a year.
00:43:55
Speaker
And which AI platform did they use to make this decision? like i i You'd think that... Is it Claude? You'd think that they would be... The the article would say, like and True Living tried to move heaven and earth to get John Tavares to a contender. Like, no, no, no, we're hanging hanging on to this guy think No matter what.
00:44:15
Speaker
He's our second best split player.
00:44:19
Speaker
i don't I don't get why you trade your... It's with a heavy heart that I must confess that Matthew and I is good. you know. like No place for that sort of thing on this Leafs team.
00:44:32
Speaker
You guys gotta switch up the AIs. You know that, like, have you seen that thing where somebody was like talking to their AI and they're like, what do you think of my music? And they just play this cacophony of fart sounds and it's like, it's really cool. It's got a late night vibe to it. This could work well as a soundtrack ending, like while the credits roll on a cool movie.
00:44:57
Speaker
Trading Matthew Nyes is a bold move. I support you 100%. I just want to go on record and saying I 100% support the trading of Matthew Nyes.
00:45:09
Speaker
i could Keep going, little guy. You're doing super. is Is AI a good way to run a hockey team? Yes. I've been saying that. I've been saying, though.
00:45:22
Speaker
And it worked. That's the worst part about it. You know, like at the end of the day, you got to take your hat off to it. but Did you know that while they were talking about braiding Oliver Ekman Larson, Oliver Ekman Larson's wife was just days away from ah having their second kid?
00:45:45
Speaker
And so they sat him so that he could get traded while his wife was heavily pregnant. And then they didn't trade him. pretty cool.
00:45:56
Speaker
It's a great place to play. Just when the organization thought things couldn't get any worse, they did in the next game. Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudis, nicknamed the Butcher, threw his left knee out in an apparent attempt to clip Matthews.
00:46:11
Speaker
As the Leafs captain lay crumpled... Attempt by the way. As the captain lay crumpled, the four other Leafs on the ice, including Morgan Riley and Nylander, the two longest serving members of the team, did not rush to Matthew's defense.
00:46:26
Speaker
He would later require a season-ending knee surgery. I mean, that's pretty brutal. Attempt at putting his like that's some like IDF secures buffer zone in Lebanon. what
00:46:43
Speaker
How can you get ah suspended for attempted kneeing? Have you ever heard of someone winning the Nobel Prize in attempted chemistry? Call on the ice remains attempted kneeing.
00:46:56
Speaker
By the way, like, by the way, how awesome, it's, I'm sorry, but this just seems like a really fun place to play. Imagine putting up 79 points in 65 games and fucking being run out of town like you're a lazy piece of shit.
00:47:16
Speaker
William Nylander I'm talking about, of course. like Where were you when Matthews got need? Well, according to Ed Scissor Sisters or whatever that guy's fucking name is, like heep he passed Austin Matthews the puck.
00:47:33
Speaker
How dare you pass the best scorer on your team, the puck, in front of the net? Knowing full well that... It was a hospital pass. Radko Gudis was right there.
00:47:48
Speaker
Nicknamed the Butcher, by the way. Have you had you heard that one before? The Butcher of Anaheim? think I have, but I support it. Making him sound like a Balkan war criminal.
00:47:59
Speaker
I mean... Do a number crunch on that. It's pretty pretty good. Like, if we were in different circumstances...
00:48:10
Speaker
Yeah, right, right. What's the difference? I'd be hiding behind that guy in a bunker. So good luck with your rebuilders again or whatever, you fucking asshole.
00:48:25
Speaker
Sorry you couldn't trade. Olivier Ekman-Larsan. for matthew nice Or How do you how do you not manage to trade a player that you're looking to trade?
00:48:38
Speaker
yeah it's i guess you just make a stupid price and then fail? I don't know, man. yeah does anyone Does anyone know? i mean, maybe maybe ah Claude knows. but Can you also imagine wanting to, like, can you imagine being the next GM slash coach and being like, all right, part of your job is to take the, is to take Keith Pelley, Pelley's insane ramblings from his LLMs and incorporating them into your decision making, by the way.
00:49:15
Speaker
Pretty sick. would you Would you want this job, James? i know i have I love life and have no intentions of harming myself. i just want to make that clear before we start this.
00:49:28
Speaker
Let's check the old TSN headlines ah right now. Oh, what's this? sure Maple Leafs meeting with Matt Sundin about potential management role.
00:49:40
Speaker
Once again, Alfie gets there first. This is like an AI solution to the problem. Everything is an AI solution now. Anytime they do anything, I'm going to be like, did AI tell you to do that? Have you tried increasing the vibes? Call up Matt Sundin.
00:49:57
Speaker
He seemed very happy when he left Toronto. He had a good time. That was like one of the only players I ever kind of felt sorry for.
00:50:07
Speaker
Where i'd object I'd be watching SportsCenter and objectively think, this guy's doing what he can. like he is can't do everything. He's doing his part. And then, you know.
00:50:24
Speaker
I mean, don't feel too bad. i mean, ah man item dean Matt Sundin did get to ride Daniel alfred's Alfredson's jock to a gold medal in turn in 2006.
00:50:37
Speaker
Look it up. Daniel Alfredson, 10 points. Matt Sundin, 8. So, you know, it worked out for him eventually. He did win that cup in Vancouver, though, so. Yikes.
00:50:49
Speaker
How long was Matt Sundin in Vancouver for? Like that's on some like Alfie year in... Alfie year in Detroit at shit is the... He did get to play five extra postseason games, so... Anyway, rest in piss, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Good luck with trading your remaining good players, I guess. I don't fucking know. This is the Senegoth Lounge difference, is that the Sens made an like absolutely heroic...
00:51:22
Speaker
you know, Herculean... Feats of making the playoffs for a second consecutive year in fucking last place in the division at one point.
00:51:33
Speaker
And we're just like, hold on. we can can we get a small timeout for like a solid 45 minutes of hating on our rivals?
00:51:44
Speaker
That's, I mean, look.
Ottawa vs Carolina Playoff Preview
00:51:48
Speaker
Sens in three. You want to know what I think about this? like Any thoughts on the Carolina Hurricanes? They're so uninteresting, I find it impossible to even have an opinion about them.
00:51:59
Speaker
I'll tell you what, though, I did enjoy the last week of the regular season once the Sens had locked up their spot because i was finally free.
00:52:12
Speaker
The Sens played and it didn't matter. it was the most relaxed week of my life. I got better sleep. My skin was clear. Every morning, Bluebirds would deliver me my Viennese coffee on my way to work like I was some sort of Austrian Snow White.
00:52:30
Speaker
it It was a wonderful week. Yeah, like if, listener, if you've ever wondered what taking 10 milligrams of Xanax is like, just be a science fan for the last week.
00:52:42
Speaker
Just letting it wash over you in an awesome way, like... Oh, Sens gave up a comeback lead to blow it in overtime? don't give the shit.
00:52:56
Speaker
I don't care who we play in the playoffs. Carolina is ah obviously a great regular season team. A great city. The city of Carolina. The city of Carolina, yes, of course.
00:53:08
Speaker
In the great state of Carolina. Carolina. All you need to know about the upcoming series is Carolina at Ottawa on April 5th, 2026, Ottawa six, Carolina three on ah four expected goals for Ottawa and 2.7 expected goals for Carolina.
00:53:30
Speaker
Absolutely put the boots to them. It 3-2 for Ottawa after the second, and then Ottawa scored two goals early in the third, and yeah, Carolina never got close. That's why I think Ottawa can win the series.
00:53:49
Speaker
ottawa they go to Ottawa matches up very well against Carolina. I'll say that. You don't think Freddie Anderson is due? Well, I mean, they might put in Brandon That's crazy. Don't say that on the pod. Am I saying that right? Am I going to have to bleep that like I do with Cumb Tablet? Sebastian A-hole, am I right? Yo, get...
00:54:12
Speaker
get his fucking name out of your mouth people be like who shall reign supreme sebastian a-hole or tim stutzler like man fuck you i don't even know who that is sebastian a-hole fucking olympic team ass world championship ass the stutzler comparison's not not that bad ah I do think our German fella has a little more of the how you say ah sauce about him.
00:54:45
Speaker
Yeah, that's what makes this so hard is like, I got to respect that they are a number one team in their division. and But I don't care about their sauceless asses at all.
00:55:00
Speaker
So we're going to see what happens. And if if Ottawa loses, lawyer fucked me, you know? Yeah. yeah Would you like to remember some guys? Absolutely. i'm always ready to remember some guys. ah Here's a guy Carolina has, Taylor Hall.
00:55:14
Speaker
Playing on his 14th NHL squadron. Also, Jasperi coked up Niemi. Habs runoff. Remember when remember when Carolina made the ah the offer sheet of the century to get that guy? And then, fine, third liner. Some extremely like, this is why we don't do offer for sheets.
Hockey Player Names and Fan Challenges
00:55:39
Speaker
Shane Gostaspare. Okay. remember Remember the ghost bear? Yeah. I remember you. like I remember like Puck Daddy talking about that guy.
00:55:55
Speaker
That's kind of like my relationship to him. A former Winnipeg Jet, Nikolai Ehlers. One of the most annoying names in the NHL.
00:56:06
Speaker
Ehlers, that sounds made up. Don't say that to a Scandinavian cop. They won't buy it He is actually Danish.
00:56:17
Speaker
I don't care. these are the These are the stars we get to look forward to hating. Yeah. I'm hoping that the Sen's sauce advantage remains supreme. You know?
00:56:32
Speaker
i also hope that Lidus Allmark is traveling with the team of We wish you a stable and consistent playoff.
00:56:47
Speaker
Weed us all, Mark. We love you we support you. Continue playing games. Continue to play well. And, you know, after you get the Stanley Cup, you still get a few months off to rest and recoup. So just, you know, something to look forward to is very important.
00:57:09
Speaker
Yeah, the vacation you get after you win the cup is one of the best vacations of your life. Yeah. We all want to go on vacation now, but it's only April, you know? like Save it for when it's really nice out.
00:57:24
Speaker
i And Brady Kachuk, we love you. We love your terrible podcast. Please stop having your asshole dad on there.
00:57:39
Speaker
We gotta put up with a lot of Sense fans. say like Did you hear what the captain of the team's dad said on his podcast? like Like, what are what is the bottom depth of drama that we have to deal Dad being a dick on the Suns podcast? Like, what other team has to put up with this shit?
00:58:02
Speaker
That's why we are allowed to spend 45 minutes, dump like, dunking on other teams in our division, is because we've earned it and we deserve it.
00:58:17
Speaker
Yes, correct. On both fronts.
00:58:22
Speaker
Sens in three. I mean, I'm sure you will learn all sorts of stuff about players we never knew we about. And suddenly we hate them almost as much as we hate certain people who we hope a certain thing happens to.
00:58:35
Speaker
Did you know that there's Nepo baby Carolina? Yeah. on carolina Okay, let's hear it. Couldn't be any of our Nepo babies. This happens, but go ahead.
00:58:48
Speaker
How about, ah but try this for a name. hey Are you ready? You're going to like this name. Skylar Brendamore. That's fucking crazy.
00:59:03
Speaker
Wu-Tang name generator, but for like... Napo baby NHL players. Oh my God. i ah I bet I could fire up Claude and vibe code that tonight.
00:59:16
Speaker
That's the best one since Landon Ferraro. My son Landon is playing. God damn. Skylar Brindamore. Like, look, we have a lot of fun on this podcast. I make up a lot of names. Skylar Brindamore? Even I don't have the fucking cojones to come up with that one.
00:59:37
Speaker
Gidget Gretzky. Skylar Brindamore. Moon Unit Lemieux. yeah Pilot Inspector LeFleur.
00:59:54
Speaker
Dweezil how.
00:59:58
Speaker
Listen, Sens in three, that's all I got say. Yeah, look, I'm going to put out a half-assed series preview if you want to know my actual scientific opinions. Who Long didn't read Sens might win, Sens might lose, but I think they match up well against Carolina. Tight. I'm gonnam just going to attach my name to this.
01:00:18
Speaker
And yeah, Ottawa's even arguably got the better goaltending. Hell yeah. so It's nice to have that... get said one time in my entire life. So respect.
01:00:33
Speaker
Yeah. Game one later today, probably. went but the yeah getting Game one, you did not listen to this before that game.
Community and Supportive Events
01:00:42
Speaker
So that's why we kept the playoff talk to a minimum.
01:00:45
Speaker
yeah We're going to bring back the voicemail series. Go Sens, go Sens in three, you know. They probably already won all three games to take the series. Enjoy your 3 p.m. afternoon start.
01:00:59
Speaker
I'm wish assuming everyone in Ottawa is going to be watching that, as God intended, on their phone while they're at the Charge game. Damn, why you got expose me like that? i bought those tickets months ago.
01:01:13
Speaker
It's a very important game for the Charge. Yeah, it's also PWHL playoffs, is it not? Or it just almost there? It's very important. I don't know. We're going to see what happens. Stupid Delete Sensbrain hasn't put out a podcast episode lately, so I don't know what to think about the PWHL. I'm flying blind here.
01:01:35
Speaker
Beata and Erickson's Burner, where are you? Drop the next episode already. I need to i needed you to tell me all your opinions about the PWHL so I can steal steal them. ah And if you're at the Charge game, drop by the Ottawa Otters kiosk while you're there.
01:01:52
Speaker
you know what saying? Support queer hockey in your own backyard. It's going to be Pride Day at the PWHL game, or as I like to call it, any game.
01:02:05
Speaker
the vi The vibes are immaculate at any game I've ever been to like that. Oh, I announced the name of the song. I got a couple of messages asking what the song was that ended the last episode. Reaper by the Male Nurse.
01:02:24
Speaker
Also, i always post the name of the song, the name of the artist, and a link to their SoundCloud in every show description. So you do not necessarily have to message James about it.
01:02:37
Speaker
ah But he still loves hearing from you. So again, i always want to talk about the male nurse. Fantastic. I mean, yeah. And all the all the songs you suggest rip.
01:02:48
Speaker
And that one even more so than usual. I don't know if she would approve of this, but I think we should go out on ah the song You by otherworldly talented artist, Ketra.
01:03:04
Speaker
Go Sens Sens 3. We'll see you on the voicemails, and we'll see you back in the Senegoth Lounge very soon. Shout out to me.
01:03:15
Speaker
forgot almost forgot to thank myself for this. Sends in 2.75. it Sends in negative two. Aha, I win. All right. See you later, folks.
01:03:25
Speaker
Have a nice playoffs.
01:04:49
Speaker
I've been struck by your choice