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Notre Meilleur Ami
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In this first episode of the new year, we discuss the Josh Norris return game, the most Karlsson-esque trade to hit the NHL since the Karlsson trade, and whether the Sens and Charge are bad.
Then, we continue our Heated Rivalry discussion, and Beata talks about the other hockey romance series she has recently become obsessed with.
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Transcript
Introduction and Mood Check
00:00:06
Speaker
I ran Michigan. don't even know what he was thinking. He's just a complete bird head. Brady Kachunk. Thomas is my best friend. I got a lot of good-looking nukes on my team. You just got nuked.
00:00:17
Speaker
I've got them. I've got them, O.C.
00:00:23
Speaker
Hi everyone and welcome to episode Mark Kastelik of Elite Sense Brain. As always, I'm Beata and I am joined by the artist formerly known as Twitter and Blue Sky user at Erickson's Burner. How are you doing today? i'm doing good.
00:00:39
Speaker
how are you doing? I'm good too. Yeah. Nice.
Ottawa Senators' Performance Woes
00:00:44
Speaker
I'm good despite the sense being kind of shit. Yeah.
00:00:50
Speaker
I'm like, what is going on with them? We can never get it. i feel like whenever we like, okay, like okay they're good again. immediately go back to bad.
00:01:01
Speaker
Yeah. And it's weird because this year I feel like I'm weirdly less stressed about them. At first I thought it was just because I was like, oh, November, who cares? and cares if they're bad in November? But now I think because we got a taste of the playoffs, I'm just like, ah as long as they get into the playoffs, it's whatever.
00:01:20
Speaker
and like, I still think they're going to make it, but I don't know, guys. I don't know. It's all just like so close. Like, I feel like the East changes like every single day. And I'm just like, i feel like I can't like get my footing about like what's happening there.
00:01:36
Speaker
Yeah, and for context, we're recording this the day after a very weird game against the Leafs that I was recapping. So I was paying close attention to it. And it was one of those games. Look, okay, I have a personal rule where I don't try to I try not to draw too many conclusions from rivalry games, especially against the Leafs and Habs, because I know that the Sens are just weird in those games. So it's like, you can't really draw conclusions. But like, this was a game where both teams were so bad.
00:02:07
Speaker
And it's just like, i don't know, guys. know this team might be bad. Why are they bad? They weren't this bad last year. yeah I just don't know. Like, I don't know what to think of them, which is like great for a podcast. Like I have like nothing, nothing good or smart to say.
00:02:26
Speaker
Yeah, it's like, should we be concerned? Because the thing is, people who are smart and know about analytics are saying that the Sens are, like, fine, and also that the Red Wings are bad and relying on only four players.
00:02:39
Speaker
That's great. I love to hear that stuff. However, I watch them on the ice, and they don't look very good. Like, they get possession.
00:02:51
Speaker
right Like the defensive mistakes? The penalty kill is so bad, the goaltending isn't good. What are we doing, guys? Yeah, I feel like I was, like, in my head, it's so much goaltending.
00:03:05
Speaker
Like, so much of it is goaltending. was like, I wonder if that's real. I checked, like, one moneypuff thing, and apparently it is the goaltending. But also, what point is the problem, even when the problem is goaltending, the problem with the goaltending is not the goaltenders themselves. Yeah. Because it feels like no matter who we have in net, our goaltending is always bad.
00:03:28
Speaker
So it's just ah something's wrong here. Something's wrong with the system, with the goaltending coach, with the scouting. I don't know, because I don't think we're going to get any better than Olmark. You know, traded for a very good goaltender, guy who won the Vezina very recently.
00:03:45
Speaker
And if he's not good, nobody's going to be good here.
Goaltending and Defense Analysis
00:03:50
Speaker
Yeah, like it's it's interesting. how much people, like, goalies come here, get bad, leave, get good. and it's like, okay, once or twice it's fluky. But now it's like, why is Anton Forsberg, I don't think he's, like, amazing. But, like, he's pretty good, I think. So I'm like, okay, maybe we're the problem.
00:04:08
Speaker
Yeah, we're like the reverse Canucks, where you know how the Canucks just, every, like, they constantly have good goaltenders. And it's like what's happening in their system that every goaltender they have becomes good. Mm-hmm.
00:04:21
Speaker
But then they they stay good even after the Canucks trade them. They're just kind of the goaltending farm team of the NHL. Why can't we get into that? I know. Maybe it's like but like there's something like in the water. like I don't know. like how to even like What is up with it? Because I feel like also, maybe my memory is so bad. Did we not like fire the goaltending coach? like ah like a couple years ago or something yeah I feel like I feel like we've made multiple changes on that front I don't understand I don't know and even like okay yeah the stats say it's the goaltending but it doesn't even look as bad as it was in previous years i don't know guys
00:05:07
Speaker
Should we be scared? I just feel like Olmour's problem is whenever he doesn't play for a while, he's garbage for a little bit. And then it takes a while for him to get back into game mode, which is very frustrating. But at least you kind of know how to anticipate that.
00:05:26
Speaker
But it's not even happening now. Like he was bad against the Leafs. But also the defense was so bad. Guys, Nick Jensen needs to go. I'm tired of this guy.
00:05:39
Speaker
But at least Shabbat and Spence have been playing together and they have been good. And guys, did you see how bad the sons were without Shabbat? Very vindicating. the most important stat. Like team without Shabbat.
00:05:53
Speaker
God, I feel like I've lived a thousand lifetimes since our last episode. Because last episode they were good. and then they were bad. then they were good again. And then bad again. Yeah, like it's like i just don't know what to think.
00:06:07
Speaker
They've become a very streaky team. Yeah. Which is very, very frustrating to experience. um I just don't understand them.
00:06:19
Speaker
Like, at least when they were just consistently bad, I understood them. Like, I understood what they were. It's like, here's the list of problems with this team. And now it's like, sometimes they're so good, but sometimes they're just bad and you're like, yeah, there are a million problems with this team. Like, I don't know.
00:06:38
Speaker
i feel like they've gotten better at finishing at least this year. Like they have, they're not struggling with scoring goals quite as much as they had, but they could still do with a few more good forwards up front.
00:06:51
Speaker
The defense is like fine. I feel like Sanderson hasn't had the best season ah Shabbat has been pretty has been like between pretty good and extremely good all season, at least when he's been in the lineup.
00:07:08
Speaker
So that's great. We know that we need Shabbat and Sanderson. It's really like hammering that home. Clevin has been like, i don't know, people shit on him. i feel like he's a decent third pairing guy. i saw how good he was in the playoffs, so I'm like, yeah, we'll stick him wellll we'll stick with him. It's whatever.
00:07:25
Speaker
Spence has been good. Jensen has been terrible. Zub has been good. I don't know, guys. We need a Jensen replacement. That's what needs to happen.
Trade Scenarios and Team Dynamics
00:07:36
Speaker
We need Eric Carlson. Yeah. What package do we put together for Eric Carlson? This is the next like topic conversation that everyone should be having. When's his contract up, low-key?
00:07:51
Speaker
Because it's like, I feel like we have several teams retaining salary on him now. Well, no, no, it's just the Sharks retaining salary. And then if we could convince the Penguins to retain salary, or or we wait for his contract to be up, and then we sign him league minimum or something.
00:08:09
Speaker
I believe like I think that'll happen. Once again, my feelings toward Eric Carlson are summed up in the song Winter Break by Muna. I know it will never work out, but I'll always have one more try in me. yeah I don't know how much more we have to say about Sins.
00:08:27
Speaker
It's almost like the same thing. I know. Like, they were... It's either, like... It's like a flowchart, and it's like, were the Sens bad? if yes, like, we have, like, what we talked about. If they were good, we have what we talked about. It's like, they don't give us... Like, they're just, like, either on or off, you know? Yeah, and you know what's worse?
00:08:45
Speaker
All the worst teams are doing well. Except the Leafs. The Leafs are still, like... They're pretty bad. They're still in panic mode. It's nice. Unfortunately, the Sabres are on a run. i haven't looked at the standings. I only look at the standings when the Sens are winning and they've been losing a little bit. So I haven't been looking, but I understand that the Sabres are doing quite well, which would have been more upsetting last year, it's still upsetting. Yeah.
00:09:11
Speaker
Actually, it would be funny if the Red Wings fell out of the race and the Sabres made the playoffs. Like I can see, i can see that. the that would be That would be nice. if feel like um Josh Norris coming back stirred up a lot of emotions for me. So I was like, oh, you know what?
00:09:30
Speaker
I have a soft spot for the Sabres for right now. and then they like won. And I was like, what the hell? He deserves the playoffs. He's special guy.
00:09:43
Speaker
Thing going into that game, I didn't even really have that game identified as one that I should pay attention to because I knew that the Sabres were coming to town, but I was like, what are the chances Josh Norris is healthy? He's not going to be healthy. And then that game happened and I was like, wait, he's coming back and the tribute video was so good. It was so good. And like before the game, I think someone like sent me something where he was like, yeah, I don't pay attention to any of that. But like my mom says that there's still people here who want us to do well. I was like, we got a shout out by Josh's mom. Like, she knows about us.
00:10:19
Speaker
Oh, my god I know. Maybe she listens to the podcast. She must. I know some people on Twitter who were very stressed about that statement really didn't want um Josh Norris' mom reading their tweets. Oh my gosh.
00:10:34
Speaker
I hope she doesn't see everything we say about him. I feel like most of the things I don't want his mom to see, i see i just say on private or in DMs, so it's it's fine. I'm normal about Josh Norris, and I say normal things about him.
00:10:48
Speaker
Exactly, exactly. He's like, someone made a beautiful flag with your face on it, Josh. Like, Oh my god. That flag is still in my house.
00:10:59
Speaker
And it's the first thing you see when you walk in the door. and it brings me so much joy. But the thing is, sometimes you have a really weird decoration. And for those who don't know, it is a flag. It is a lesbian flag with Josh Norris's face on it.
00:11:12
Speaker
This is what happens when you move in with somebody that you met on Sen's Twitter. Yeah. And it's a thing where like, I've had this up in my house for so long that I forget that it's there and that it's like a weird thing and people will come over and sometimes I'll just see them kind of eyeing the flag, like too afraid to ask anything. Anyways, recently we did have a cat sitter come in and she never noticed it, didn't say anything. And it was after she left that I was like, oh my God, she came to visit to meet the cat and arrange this cat sitting thing.
00:11:45
Speaker
And like just never mentioned the flag, but she must have noticed it Anyways, I hope Josh Norris's mom knows about it. i feel like that would be like her favorite thing. i don't know. I don't think she would understand it Yeah.
00:12:01
Speaker
Again, she might just be like beautiful colors. i don't know what they mean. Yeah, it's also like even funnier now that he's not on the Sens anymore, because we try to explain it and we're like, oh yeah, and also he got traded. Like, he's not even like, it makes it seem like he's not even a good enough player for us to care about him that much.
00:12:20
Speaker
He's not a good enough player and that's why we care about him so much, obviously. Yeah, most people don't understand it. Mm-hmm. God, I... He's not too miserable in Buffalo. but also, it would hurt so much to see him in the playoffs without us. Like, it's just so fucked up that this has happened.
Fans' Reactions to Trades
00:12:43
Speaker
No. and they even included the Toma et Momerai thing in the tribute video. They cut out Je T'aime, but like... I know.
00:12:54
Speaker
Censorship. Thank you to Rivalry, but change these things. I know. They also didn't have any clips of him eating pizza in the press box or popcorn or you know, various things that he was eating in the press box.
00:13:10
Speaker
Yeah. Because I was like i like, most of his time was spent in the press box towards the later year It really was. They did include the pumpkin carving video though, although I think they needed more of it because I just have such fond memories of that video.
00:13:27
Speaker
I remember I first saw it in the arena before they put it online and I was like, this is the greatest thing ever. And also it is the video that made me realize that Josh Norris has absolutely nothing going on upstairs. Like i watched that and I was like, he is so stupid. I'm obsessed with him.
00:13:43
Speaker
Yeah, like the specific part where he like understood that like the middle chunk of the nine wouldn't stay unless he put in toothpicks.
00:13:54
Speaker
So good. God, what a guy Man, and miss him so much. Come back, Josh.
00:14:05
Speaker
we We reacquire Eric Carlson just to then trade him again for Josh Norris. Oh no. I feel like the past month has also reignited all these feelings about Eric Carlson because every time a similar trade happens and people are having emotions similar to what I felt, i the that the Carlson stuff comes back. And I have a lot of Canucks fans in my life, but I guess we can transition to this discussion, which we're going to talk about later. But ah there's been a lot. I feel like this is the most comparable trade to the Carlson trade I've ever seen.
00:14:45
Speaker
Yeah, like in terms of like, i guess the difference is that Queen Hughes like wanted out so bad. Like, i think like, I think he was like, he hated it there.
00:14:57
Speaker
Which like, in my heart, I'm like, Eric Carlson didn't hate it here. But I think everyone kind of hated it here. Yeah.
Team Moves and Strategy Comparisons
00:15:06
Speaker
Yeah, and also it was really sudden. Like it was kind of crazy how with Carlsen there were rumors for a solid year. Like I remember he was at the All-Star game talking to Tampa players and we were like, he's gonna go to Tampa Bay because he's friends with Victor Hedman and freaking out. And then the last game of the season, he took the puck, which is the same thing Alfie did. So we were freaking out. And then it was like all offseason. We thought he was going to get trapped. traded and then the season start, you know, training camp starts, I think, cause it was in September. It wasn't even, you know, it was before the season that it happened. So it did drag out a lot and that's how these things work. And I remember actually talking to one of my friends who was stressed about the Quinn Hughes rumors and I was telling them, oh don't worry. Like these things always drag out forever. People make really stupid trade, you know, proposals online. And there are a million rumors about where the guy's going to go. Like, wait until the trade deadline. Don't worry. He's not going anywhere. And then, like, immediately he got traded.
00:16:04
Speaker
Yeah. The other, i think, I don't know, like, what everyone's take on it is. But I think in terms of, like, return, like, when Hughes was not resigning. so I'm like, wait.
00:16:15
Speaker
really good return, i feel like. Like, no one was like, why the heck did they get Eric Brandstrom in a first or whatever? Like, this is like... The second. that Mark soen my Stone also, but yeah. but
00:16:29
Speaker
Yeah, I know. It was weird. And I guess that's the advantage of just, you know, taking the first good offer you see, right? Instead of dragging it out forever. Because I think a lot of teams...
00:16:42
Speaker
you know, really drag their feet about it and and shop around and stuff. And at a certain point, it's like, well, the guy's desperate to leave. Also, clock is ticking on the season. We don't have that much time for him to, you know, um get used to his new team and everything. So I guess i guess the Wild just said, hey, here's our offer. and And they took it. So happy for Quinn Hughes that he is on a new team that is not the Canucks.
00:17:08
Speaker
Sorry to Canucks fans. You have no idea the extent to which I understand what you're going through. Yeah.
00:17:19
Speaker
and It's like, I don't know. like I was just like, what the hell? like i I didn't even know Minnesota was in it. like I was like, they trade for people? like They care?
00:17:31
Speaker
But good for them, I guess. Yeah, I hope they make it out of the first round finally, i guess. Yeah. ah what I really appreciated was that in the weeks leading up to the trade a lot of people were saying Detroit and it made too much sense and I was really stressed but I should have known that Detroit never makes the move that makes sense it's true that would have been like devastating oh my gosh yeah I was very worried about that my god because he's like
00:18:07
Speaker
into school in Michigan and stuff. It's like retroactively we can talk about why it makes so much sense. like, oh gosh. And like, okay, I guess the Red Wings do have you know, star power on defense, but I feel like he would, you know, they really desperately need defensemen of any kind, you know, and adding a Norris trophy winning defenseman, one of literally the best defensemen in the world would be so good for them. Could you imagine Sider and Quinn Hughes? Wait, no, Sider plays the left side, right?
00:18:40
Speaker
So that wouldn't be the pairing. It would be Hughes and Ben Chirot, probably. and then Sider-Edmondson, which I know is a good pairing now. That would be insane. That would have been so good. It's so funny that they didn't do it.
00:18:55
Speaker
Thank you so much to the Detroit Red Wings for not doing it. I also kind of love the Canucks logic of, you know, how most teams will say, yeah, we want to trade this guy far away, you know, not to a divisional rival. I mean, not divisional, but at least like same conference, right? We don't want to risk playing him. The Canucks were like, we're not going to be good anytime soon. you go Like, I remember thinking about that with them with the Sens too, where I was like, why are you stressed about not trading Eric Carlson within in the Eastern Conference?
00:19:24
Speaker
You are not going to be good anytime soon. And sure enough, that by the time the Sens are good, Carlson is back in the Eastern Conference. Oh my gosh, it's true. That's so funny. Yeah, it was funny that like, it's like, I don't know. It's just funny that he did go so close. I think it's also funny that in his like goodbye Instagram post,
00:19:51
Speaker
and what I understand, he did not say anything to the fans. I was like, damn, get him, Quinn. That's so funny.
Ottawa Charge vs. Sens: Performance Frustrations
00:19:57
Speaker
And I think people are very upset about that, which adds to the hilarity.
00:20:03
Speaker
i know. and then again, I remember being there where Sens fans were upset, were mad at Carlson for not playing well enough and like happy when he played badly in San Jose. And I was the one being like, but I love him and I miss him.
00:20:19
Speaker
you guys are being so mean. But it was a little bit different because Carlson like very obviously didn't want that to happen. Whereas Quinn Hughes apparently had been checked out for a long time. Yeah. Quinn Hughes was like, wasn't there a thing like ah couple months ago or something where he was talking about how he was talking to like the like devil's GM and he like used like the nickname of like the G and it's like oh my god what is or maybe not GM maybe coach I don't remember who but he was like using like their nicknames and stuff and people were like Quinn you can't be doing I didn't even see that that's crazy I maybe made it up if I made it up and it came to me in a dream sorry Quinn who's for spreading lies but like I'm pretty sure it happened oh my god
00:21:04
Speaker
Yeah, like, Quinn Hughes wanted out so bad it was actually great.
00:21:10
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, that happened with several other senators. can relate to that. Thankfully, Eric Carlson always loved Ottawa. Yeah. Or at least if he hated it, he didn't let on. Yeah, exactly. But he needs to come back.
00:21:27
Speaker
No, he does. But I feel like Quinn Hughes, like, I don't know. i don't know how much, like, actual location plays into it. Probably zero. But I feel like if I were him, I'd be like, actually, you know what? Even though this team is trash, Vancouver's just lovely to live in. So I'm happy enough. Like, it's fine.
00:21:43
Speaker
I know. who would want to leave Vancouver, truly? i mean I guess if the team is bad enough. That's the thing. It's like, the team must have been, like, obviously, like, on ice.
00:21:54
Speaker
I don't know what's going on. Like, must have just been, like, awful. like The whole time to be like, you know what? and don't need like the beautiful Vancouver mountains and stuff. It's fine. I'll leave.
00:22:06
Speaker
Yeah. But that's another funny thing where, again, Canucks fans keep going like, oh my god, things are so bleak. This is rock bottom. like It's hilarious how bad things are with the Canucks. And I'm like you you don't know how bad it can get. like This is nothing compared to what the Sens experienced.
00:22:26
Speaker
It's true. Talk to me when you've got billboards. Talk to me when your owner sits down with a third pairing defenseman to justify the Quinn Hughes trade. Talk to me when your players get into an Uber and talk shit about your PK. It's actually so funny how much like whenever anything else happens, and you revisit everything that happened in the Sens, it's like, why were they like comically crazy? Like what was going on?
00:22:54
Speaker
i so I think about this every year when Down Goes Brown does this thing at The Athletic where he does the offseason bizarro meter where he just ranks teams or like rates teams based on how weird their offseason is. And the thing is, in 2019, the Sens broke the bizarro meter. It was like one of the funniest pieces of hockey writing ever, in my opinion, because he was just like, what the hell? hell happens to this team this is the weirdest offseason I've ever seen and now every year whenever he writes the bizarro meter he's like nobody's ever gonna beat the Sens he's always other than the start of the article is always like you know these seem boring now that we don't have you know after the Sens completely broke this thing right it's so good it's like an amazing legacy like to leave
00:23:45
Speaker
It's just crazy how many things happened in like one year. yeah Like remember when they had to recall the merch because it was choking babies? No. Oh my god.
00:23:56
Speaker
What? Baby onesies that were a choking hazard. Oh my gosh. That's like crazy. That's like like that whole thing for the sentence was like biblical plague levels I feel like. it's Like that's nuts.
00:24:12
Speaker
Man. Sorry, I'm trying to find some of the things my friend said to me about Quinn Hughes. That's so fair. And the state of the Canucks.
00:24:22
Speaker
Although, didn't they go on a winning streak right after he left? So then obviously the joke is like, oh, classroom cancer. He needed to go. Yeah. Anyways, i i have been there, Canucks fans.
00:24:35
Speaker
It sucks. Don't forget, don't forget that this doesn't suck as much as the Eric Carlson trade sucks. Please, again, every time there's a big trade that people are upset about, I'm like, hold on, hold on.
00:24:47
Speaker
and Please acknowledge that Sens fans have it worse. I said this with Claude Giroux. I was like, no, no, no, Alfie was worse. We had it worse with Alfie. Give us credit, please.
00:25:00
Speaker
Everyone always first think about how bad things were for the Sens. And then like, would that privilege in mind that you have be like, okay, it's not that bad.
Brady Kachuk's Antics
00:25:09
Speaker
Also, you know what else is bad?
00:25:11
Speaker
um That the charge are also bad. ah What is going on We can have, sometimes we can have one team being good and the other one being bad. We can have both of them being bad. We can never have both of them being good. But also at least we expected the charge to be bad. Yeah, it's literally, oh my gosh.
00:25:30
Speaker
Anyone knows logic gates, it's like XOR. You know this one where it's like one or the other, but not both? Like it's like a logic gate thing. and Anyone who knows about this, you'll you'll agree with me. You'll be like, wow, exactly. But yeah, it's like one or the other, but not both. And both can be off.
00:25:47
Speaker
And that's exactly what I'm seeing right now. And like they've started winning in overtime a few times, which is nice. Like it's nice that they win. occasionally I was at the game yesterday and they won in shootout and it was fun but they were really bad thankfully Vancouver is bad too so we're buddies yeah it's actually so awesome I'm really happy that Vancouver is bad like I'm just like thank god that happened I would have been so much more like it would have been so much sadder for me
00:26:23
Speaker
Yeah. Anyways, I like Rory Gilday. She's good. I've been enjoying watching her play. I've been enjoying watching my favorite players from last year. Savalainen is still good Actually, Rebecca Leslie, kind of amazing.
00:26:41
Speaker
I kind of love her. She's really come out of nowhere. I thought she was just like local girl. And like, obviously she is a local girl, but I thought that I was like the only role she played on the team, but she's actually really good. Also, Breanne Jenner is just so good. It's unbelievable.
00:26:54
Speaker
But yeah, overall, this team is not good. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. don't know what else to say. It's just sad ah Every conclusion is just sad Yeah, at least, you know, the three point system makes it easier to make up ground if you suddenly figure things out. But I don't really have any hope that the charge are going to suddenly figure things out. So I think our only hope is to wait out this season get a good draft pick. Isn't Layla Edwards available in this draft? I would gladly take her.
00:27:30
Speaker
And then there will be an expansion draft and the other teams will get even worse. And you know, at this point we can't get much worse. Like, just so expansion draft, sure.
00:27:42
Speaker
yeah it's actually an advantage to be this bad right now because then when all the other teams get bad, they won't know how to deal with it. But we'll be like, oh, we've been here before. We've already like bottomed out. That's fine.
00:27:55
Speaker
Yeah, I'm sure it'll work out. just, it's going to be a bad season. And we're just going to sit it out and come back good next year. They won't know what hit them.
00:28:08
Speaker
It's true. Gosh, it's so sad to remember, like, how close they were last season. Like, it it's like, like, in the playoffs, I'm just like, oh, man, if only it's, oh, it's fine. like They lost all those games in overtime.
00:28:23
Speaker
you know. I can't think about it too hard or I'll be so sad I know. And they had no business being there, to be clear. I know. But like... But once you get there, it's like, well, why not?
00:28:38
Speaker
Oh my god. Why... Why does hockey hurt so much? It's fine. It's okay. It'll all be okay. Next year? Yeah.
00:28:50
Speaker
Next year. There's your hope, everyone. Charge fans. And like, you know, Gwyneth Phillips is great. I'm so sorry. so sorry, Queen, that you have to deal with this shit.
00:29:04
Speaker
It's like so embarrassing how many shots she has to face every game. Anyways, going back to the Suns for a minute, we forgot to talk about this one thing. This one really funny thing that happened. Okay, so we used to have a segment on this podcast where we'd be like, what did Brady Kachuk do this time? Because he was just always getting up to some shenanigans. And thankfully, we have a fun update this week.
00:29:24
Speaker
Because did you see the stats? That Brady Kachuk became the first player in NHL history... to get high-sticked five games in a row.
00:29:36
Speaker
and didn't see that, but it couldn't have happened to anyone else. I feel like this makes sense. No, yeah, it's like if you... if If you were doing trivia or something and they were like, who was the only player to ever get high-sticked in five NHL games in a row and you had no idea who it was, I feel like Brady Kachuk is probably at least one of your first five guesses. I think he would be my number one guess.
00:30:03
Speaker
Yeah. Like, obviously, it like... Like, his teeth are technically, I think, all fine, but I just feel like I'd picture his teeth and be like, probably he got a high stick five times in a row.
00:30:16
Speaker
Just picturing the way he plays. It's like, yeah, people people wanted to smack him in the face, I think. Oh my gosh, that's so funny. Like, the guy gets bitten, he gets high sticked. What will he do next?
00:30:36
Speaker
I don't, like, that's the thing is that, like, if after the bite, you would ask me, like, what will happen next? I'd be like, I don't even know what could potentially be next. So, like, I guess we'll just have to find out when the next thing happens and then be like, of course, that's, like, the spiritual successor to getting high stick five games in a Yeah. Like, what are what are a opponents going to do to him next? They're going to find new and creative ways to try to stop him. And then...
00:31:03
Speaker
was it, the one game that he didn't, the first game where he didn't get high-sticked, they won. So it was like, okay. Or no didn't he score a bunch of goals? That's what it was. And it was like, clearly, this is the only way to stop him.
00:31:17
Speaker
To high-stick him. So he has to go get stitched up in the locker room. And then I'm pretty sure he got high-sticked the game after that. So he, like, had five in a row, and then he had, like, six and seven games or something like that.
00:31:34
Speaker
It's so funny. it's kind of messed up if they gave him that day off just so that like the streak couldn't get even longer. feel like there was a coordinated effort, yeah. I know, it's like, we don't want him to have that streak, right?
00:31:48
Speaker
God, what a guy. Like, okay, probably a bad person and everything. I get why opponents hate him, but like, there is nobody more entertaining to watch than Brady Kachuk. It's so true.
Players' Off-Ice Activities
00:32:02
Speaker
Is his podcast still happening? Yeah. Oh my gosh. They heard the podcast and they were like, we need to take a guy out. Yeah.
00:32:15
Speaker
God, there's a war on podcasters happening. We need to look out. Everyone be safe. Oh my gosh. So funny. What a guy. I look forward to whatever he gets up to in the new year.
00:32:29
Speaker
so
00:32:31
Speaker
Also, i texted you about some of the Sens holiday content. Did you make sure to watch all of it Yes. Did you sit through all two hours of the Zooblog?
00:32:42
Speaker
i hope every listener did. i hope every Sens fan made sure to watch that thing in its entirety. i didn't realize it was a loop. So I was like, what if something happens? I needed to watch all two hours. Yeah, exactly. That's one of those things where it's like...
00:32:58
Speaker
You can tell that Ian Mendez was behind that. It's so true. Like, I don't have confirmation, but I strongly suspect that this is his doing. Because you have to be extremely online and extremely tuned into SENS Twitter to think, what's a fun thing we could do for the holiday season? What will SENS fans, you know, love? Just freak out about Zoob sitting in front of a fireplace reading a book for two hours.
00:33:26
Speaker
That's what we need. It's true. It was awesome.
00:33:33
Speaker
And also the police went Christmas shopping, which was nice. It was. And that's why I can't be mad at Omar. Because like... He just seems like such a nice guy. Like, guys, they did this video where the goalies were going Christmas shopping at Canadian Tire. And at one point, Olmark sees the PWHL Barbies and he's like, oh, this is great. Except why don't they have Ottawa Charge Barbies? Exactly, Linus. Exactly. That's the attitude I need. It's Charge or nothing.
00:34:05
Speaker
None of this, like, I love all women's hockey stuff. Pick a team. Yeah, he gets it. That's why it's so sad whenever he's not doing awesome. I'm like, no, you're doing everything off ice perfectly.
00:34:21
Speaker
i know. He's such an easy guy to root for.
00:34:28
Speaker
and he played well against Boston too. Yeah. I just need him i need him to be good all the time. Why is that too much to ask of any goaltender? And like Fabian Zetterlund dressed up as Santa for his kids.
00:34:48
Speaker
i By the way, Zetterlund has been so good. i know people were hating on him.
Ottawa's Hockey Culture
00:34:54
Speaker
The Welcome to Your Carlson Years podcast was talking shit about him so much. And then he went and scored a million goals. He's finally figured it out.
00:35:03
Speaker
He's going to day on the first line. he and Timmy have chemistry. We're so back.
00:35:11
Speaker
We are so back.
00:35:15
Speaker
It'll all be fine. What delightful guy Remember when after the trade, when Sharks fans were like, poor Fabian Sutterland, you must be so sad that he left a good up-and-coming team to play for the sets.
00:35:30
Speaker
Why are Sharks fans like this? Aren't Sharks fans also just like really interesting in general, like about they're two young players or whatever I feel like I've seen that discourse paul did you see the controversy on hockey twitter I've seen like whispers of it because okay here's the thing number one I get some stuff number two sometimes I'm just on like my regular twitter and like because I think heated rivalry now is on everyone's twitter I think just like random NHL stuff sneaks in like through the algorithm but yeah I'm not
00:36:06
Speaker
totally sure what it was about but something is happening with Sharks fans I'll explain it to you later sounds good don't need to get into trouble on the podcast but yeah the Sharks have attracted ah a specific demographic of a hockey fan that's very entertaining I'm glad that Fabian Zetterlund is free of that. He loves Ottawa, Ontario.
00:36:29
Speaker
Just like Elia Rosanoff. People love Ottawa. By the way, it's the best city to live in, the best place to play for. not accept any slander. Oh my gosh.
00:36:42
Speaker
I feel like that's another thing that keeps coming up is random Ottawa strays because people are like, I would never move to Ottawa for... I don't fully understand the plot of what happens, but I guess Ilya moves to Ottawa, like get wants to go to Ottawa, but anyway. Well, yes.
00:37:00
Speaker
So hilariously what happens, and I can say this now because the show has aired, and I know most people just watch the show and haven't read the books, but ah Heated Rivalry, the book, ends with Shane, well, no, Ilya is like, oh, I'd kind of like to move a little bit closer to you. I'd like to move to a Canadian team. I don't really want to be in the US. I'm going to leave Boston because, you know, he was drafted by Boston. He's the big superstar on Boston. And then Shane has this idea. He's like, you could move to Ottawa. It's only two hours away. Also, they have cap space because they're shit. And the book ends with Ilya signing with the Ottawa centaurs. and
00:37:33
Speaker
you know, everyone is just very confused. is They're like, what? um But, you know, they have this whole thing where they're like, they start a charity because they have to act like friends or whatever.
00:37:46
Speaker
You know my thoughts on the book. I don't think any of this was very well written. Anyways, that the later books are set in Ottawa. because Ilya now plays for Ottawa. And also there's another book about a different player who goes to Ottawa. And they are they are very bad, the Ottawa Centaurs. But what I have learned since our last episode, and I'm sorry for not knowing the full story when I complained in our last episode about how Ottawa is catching strays in this book series, the series does end with Ottawa assembling a woke gay hockey team and becoming good.
00:38:23
Speaker
So that's nice. I do appreciate that. he should do that. then that you're listening. Well, maybe they are. Look, who knows? Who knows?
00:38:37
Speaker
Clearly that's the secret to success. Yeah, what the hell? Oh my gosh. Wait, that's so awesome. Yeah, and then everyone's watching the show, so next season I guess will be in Ottawa, so everyone will just be like,
00:38:51
Speaker
I don't know. Maybe a tourist is a tourism boom for Ottawa, Ontario. I hope there are specific Ottawa locations that become iconic heated rivalry moments. Oh my gosh.
00:39:05
Speaker
The business owners would be so happy. They're like as featured in. Oh my gosh.
Heated Rivalry Book Series Critique
00:39:12
Speaker
And it's just people are going to think of Ottawa as the woke gay hockey team.
00:39:20
Speaker
I urge the Sens to lean into this. like Please. Yo, next year's... Okay, no, not even next year. This year's Sens Pride Night, they'd better be going all out.
00:39:34
Speaker
people People are expecting it. People just, like, people won't accept less. Unfortunately, um so okay, while the books, the Game Changers books did go off in a specific way, unfortunately, I do have more serious problems with them because update from the last episode, after people told me that the series ends with Ottawa assembling a woke gay hockey team and presumably like winning the cup soon because they ended being like, we're definitely going to win the cup now. And I was like, show me, show me the team winning the cup, you cowards. um Anyways, I did read the long game.
00:40:10
Speaker
And i disliked it for completely different reasons than I disliked Heated Rivalry. I don't know. I was very actually, like, legitimately mad about this book series. I was like, I do not like the way that they talk about hockey culture. I don't know if we want to go into it Also, update, you read, you tried to read Heated Rivalry, and you are not presenting a rebuttal like you said you would.
00:40:33
Speaker
i didn't finish it. I DNF'd it, unfortunately. I was just like, you know what? This is not for me, and that's okay. Like, It's fine. ah you agree with my criticisms of it?
00:40:45
Speaker
I didn't get far in. I didn't really know if I do or don't. I like super didn't get far in. You know what though? From, yeah. really From what i read, yes, I agree.
00:41:00
Speaker
because I'm always right. and I'm sorry, like, i know, I try to be all gracious and like, oh, so I love that people like this book series. I'm not judging people. It's just like, as somebody who appreciates art,
00:41:16
Speaker
It actually makes me mad when a book that is so lazily written and so bad gets so popular because there are so many better books out there, including better romance books. Guys, why? Why are we making this so popular? um Anyways, yeah, also, we're all over the place. I don't know if I want to, like, continue my full review of the Game Changers books because I don't really. I do feel like I need to warn people. This is the thing that made me really mad that like in the later books, there is a storyline that concerns sexual assault in hockey that i think was handled so insensitively and so poorly that like I had to rage quit this book like three times. I could not handle how upset I was about this. So like if you are considering reading Game Changers for the Ottawa propaganda in later books, like
00:42:08
Speaker
please, please be warned. Like, this deserves a massive trigger warning for how they handle this storyline. Just wanted to say that. don't know if you have anything to say to that. No, yeah, i haven't read it, but yeah, that's, like, the thing. It's, like, I don't know.
00:42:23
Speaker
Obviously, like, just, like, random stuff about hockey culture that people get wrong. It's, like, whatever, it's harmless, but it's, like, oh, if it's doing, like, actual, like, bad stuff, it's, like, Rachel Reed is, like, I can't be doing this.
00:42:38
Speaker
Yeah, and it's just, it's kind of like what I said about heated rivalry, where I talked about the way it deals with homophobia in hockey, where I kind of feel like you can either say, oh, this is a fantasy world where these problems don't exist. or you can actually treat these problems with the gravity that they deserve and like put effort into portraying homophobia in hockey accurately. i just felt like that problem got even worse where it was like the book was trying to use actual problems in hockey culture as plot points, but like not actually putting effort into portraying them accurately or like
00:43:19
Speaker
in a sensitive way. like my problem with the sexual assault storyline is basically like the women are completely absent. Like a player gets accused of sexual assault entirely in service of a different player's character development because the book is like, well, book five, i read book five because I wanted to make sure I was criticizing the storyline accurately. It's just like, it's also in the background of book six because they overlap, but like book five is about the character after he has dumped this friend who's been accused of sexual assault, like moving to Ottawa and getting a fresh start.
00:43:53
Speaker
And it's all about like him trying to reinvent himself and, you know, move away from this like bad person that he was when he was friends with this other character. and it doesn't really like, it doesn't even dive into his decision to cut off this friend.
00:44:12
Speaker
doesn't center the experiences of like the women who were assaulted it's just entirely like this guy is a bad person and you know we're gonna write a book about his ex-friend who has turned on him because he realized he's a bad person I don't know i just I thought it was very upsetting to me the way that it was handled yeah and there was there was more it was just oh my god I need to There are scenes in the long game, literally, where, like, the evil commissioner is sitting Ilya down in, like, it's giving President Snow in Catching Fire showing up to Katniss' house to be, like, convince the masses that you're not, that you're in love with PETA, except as' the commissioner being, like, you can't come out, Ilya. You cannot date Shane Hollander. You...
00:45:08
Speaker
like this would be a bad look for the league why don't we work together to make sure that the league's image is intact also women are attention-seeking liars
00:45:20
Speaker
it's like guys what's going on okay because i saw a random heated rivalry tweet that was like I was talking, I don't know, someone like had said, like a hockey fan had told this person like, oh, like you don't know about hockey, blah, blah, blah. I don't really know what it was all about. But the person was basically like, this isn't even set like in real like hockey culture, like in real life players don't have beef with the commissioner. And I was like, what does that mean? Yeah.
00:45:50
Speaker
They just didn't look more into it. It's like, that's what that would be. He just, it's five and six. The commissioner just keeps showing, just keeps like calling these players into meetings to wag his finger and be like, you can't do this.
Balancing Fantasy and Reality in Hockey Narratives
00:46:05
Speaker
You can't talk like this.
00:46:10
Speaker
I just found that offensive. Because, like, obviously, i think anyone reading it understands that's not how it works. But it's like, okay, if you're not going to portray these real, like, actual serious issues accurately, like, why are you throwing them into here? Why are you telling a story about players dealing with homophobia in hockey, and that the homophobia in hockey is the commissioner calling them into a meeting telling them that they can't come out? Like,
00:46:36
Speaker
Just don't bother. it's like It's like the readers won't understand like a societal issue, so society has to be a character. It's so bad that it's funny, and so I kind of see the humor in it, but whenever I think too deeply about it, just because like these are real issues that I actually care about a lot. You know, especially after what happened over the summer. Having a story that deals with sexual assault so insensitively, I'm like...
00:47:02
Speaker
you know, kind of upset about it. Because, like, that's not how it works at all. How it works is way worse than that, but also more subtle, you know? Yeah. I don't know. It's like, if it's not impossible to portray, like, things happening if like, a person isn't explicitly saying what's happening, you know what I mean? It's like, you don't need the character to be like, and also, this and this and this and this, and this is why you can't do that. Like, it's like, but you can you can have those things without just one guy.
00:47:32
Speaker
being like the evil person it feels like a cartoony where it's like evil is just like one person basically well it's a handful of people like in book five why am i role model is the name of the book because that's the book about the guy who like cuts off his best friend after the accusations right there are a handful of players who show up to just like repeat rape myths like you know just the most disgusting things that people say about survivors which is so jarring when you're reading like a light-hearted romance and then the characters just show up and say like the most awful things but then every good guy in the book is like completely on the protagonist side in fact so many people are falling over themselves to be like you're such a good guy for cutting off that player like you know good for you for standing up to survivors
00:48:21
Speaker
And his answer is always, oh no, I feel bad because I used to be his friend and not, why are you praising me for doing the bare minimum when I'm just some random guy? Like, why don't you actually praise the women for coming forward? It's just it was so, so frustrating.
00:48:38
Speaker
So I hope the show handles that better. Yeah. It's just like not even rooted in real life anymore. where it's like ah How do you even even criticize it? It's just like, it's not real.
00:48:50
Speaker
i don't know. you know what I mean? It's like, it's like not even like, what is what are you talking about? Like often when you read books that deal with serious issues and it's done well, you have a moment of going, oh my God, this author gets it. Like, this is so real. I completely like feel seen by this. Like I, this is exactly how it works. Beartown is like that.
00:49:12
Speaker
And so it's just like, what is the point of including this issue in this book if you're going portray it in such a weird, cartoony way? It's giving people who just...
00:49:24
Speaker
constantly joke about players with allegations against them being bad or whatever and think that like that's allyship like making making all these funny jokes I don't know it's just that kind of thing where it's like um you're treating this issue in such a like you're simplifying this issue so much and it's kind of offensive to do that yeah Anyways, slightly related, but like more fun thing. um Last episode, after I tore into heated rivalry, as people remember, if they remembered last episode and explained all of my specific grievances, um we got a comment.
00:50:02
Speaker
on Twitter about my specific criticisms of Heated Rivalry because not only did I tear into this book, I also explained how it could have been better, right? And I was like, I was joking, oh, I'll just rewrite it, but good. Like, this could have
Book Recommendations for Hockey Fans
00:50:16
Speaker
been so good. They could have done so much for this concept.
00:50:18
Speaker
And a commenter on Twitter who is named Anna, has the username at Gabe Markson, which I now know what that is referencing, pointed out that like that book exists.
00:50:32
Speaker
Heated Rivalry but Good exists and has pretty much all the exact same things that I said I wanted out of Heated Rivalry. Like I went and re-listened to my um to my review of Heated Rivalry and I was like it is crazy how I literally just described this other book series which is called the Between the Teeth book series. Guys Guys, you have to read the Between the Teeth series.
00:50:58
Speaker
It is so good. hi want to read it so bad that I couldn't find it at my library because apparently it is not there. ah Yes, so I must say it's a little hard to find because it's self-published. You can only find it as an e-book. The e-book is pretty cheap.
00:51:16
Speaker
And also, most of the other series in the same universe are self-published on Archive of Our Own as original works, so you can just read them for free. Guys, you have to read this.
00:51:28
Speaker
Like, okay, here's the thing. Our last episode was recorded right at the start of exam season, and I don't know if anyone else has this problem. Every smart person I know has this problem. Every good student I know has this problem, so clearly it's like it works. But um during exam season, every single semester without fail, I pick up some new obsession. Like there there has to be something where I'm just like, I do not have time to devote all my time and energy to this. And yet I can't stop. Like this is taking up all of my brain space. I do have a friend who became obsessed with reading wicked fan fiction during the last exam season. And I think this is slightly less embarrassing. Anyways, I discovered the Between the Teeth series.
00:52:11
Speaker
at the absolute worst time when I absolutely needed to lock in on schoolwork and it completely took over my life and as I alluded to there are other series that are self-published on AO3 that I've been making my way through this is like you start down this rabbit hole and you can't stop so just a recommendation that I am passing on to everyone like this series is literally heated rivalry but good And it's so accurate to hockey. Down to like, there is a disturbingly accurate portrayal of shoulder injuries in a later book.
00:52:46
Speaker
There's even a scene early on where the commissioner is talking and everyone boos the commissioner. It's crazy.
00:52:55
Speaker
and like actually deals with real issues in hockey culture. on top of just being so well written and so good. And like, this is what I meant when I said heated rivalry could have been good.
00:53:06
Speaker
Just the execution was so bad.
00:53:12
Speaker
Just everyone read it. I was also, people know about this obsession because I was tweeting about it. I accidentally got like a hit tweet about a different series, which is also in this universe. So if you saw my tweet where I was talking about basically, okay, I've I don't know if I want to spoil things, but there's a different series in the same universe that also crosses over a little bit with the Between the Teeth series that's about these hockey players who fall in love while playing on the same D pairing in college. And then it blows up spectacularly. They have this like awful, awful breakup. but they still have insane chemistry on the ice so throughout their careers they just keep ending up on the same team and on the same D pairing and it's so good and it's updating like it's still updating and the last update was so good so now is the time to get in on it just like start with the between the teeth series and then go from there guys trust me trust me and it's such a quick read too
00:54:16
Speaker
I'm excited. i think it sounds very awesome. That's so funny that there's shoulder injuries in it. That's too real, unfortunately. I know, some of them some of it is too real. Also, i do have to give two warnings for the Between the Teeth series. The first book is called Coming in First Place, by the way, and it's they're really short books, so like go read them. There's no excuse, guys. You have to read these. If you...
00:54:40
Speaker
like heated rivalry you'll probably like this if you dislike heated rivalry you will also like this like if you like the concept of heated rivalry you will enjoy this book series
Reading Habits and Recommendations
00:54:48
Speaker
anyways the two warnings i have to issue are number one the the narrator of the between the teeth series is an asshole to the point where like for a while you are not even rooting for the couple to get together because you're like run like i mean this guy's head he's crazy but That's part of why the series is so like satisfying, because over the course of the series, he becomes like the most endearing person ever.
00:55:16
Speaker
and he goes through so much character development, it's great. So like just push through that. Second warning, this one might be more serious, but I hope that coming from me, people will trust me that it's not a huge thing. At one point in the first book, there is an offhand mention of, trigger warning, the Leafs winning the cup. I'm sorry.
00:55:35
Speaker
And this was really upsetting for me and I felt like I needed a warning. So I'm passing on this warning to everyone else. I promise it's just like an offhand mention. If I could get through it, so could you.
00:55:47
Speaker
The Leafs winning the cup. There's like a different book series by the ear book by the same author that chronicles that. And it's the one that sort of launched the whole universe that she writes in. i will never read that book, obviously. And I think you can just read all the other books without reading the one about the Leafs winning the cup.
00:56:05
Speaker
I appreciate those warnings. Thank you. Yeah. So I want every single one of our listeners to go and read the Between the Teeth series by Taylor Fitzpatrick. find Find it online. Find the ebook. Download it.
00:56:18
Speaker
Give me your thoughts. And then after that, read the Always in Tandem series, which is the one that I mentioned earlier and that I was tweeting about. Sounds good. Everyone has homework, me included.
00:56:30
Speaker
It does. Yeah. And also, if any, I did tell. So I've been, you know, I've gotten onto ah the You Can Make a Life universe. That's the the extended universe. That's what it's called. I've gotten onto that side of Twitter because of the tweet that blew up. And I did tell people to listen to this podcast. So, you know, welcome to everyone who enjoys those books. I hope you can become Sens fans through this.
00:56:55
Speaker
Also, for anyone wondering where I'm at with this, i was trying to control myself during exam season and not like, you know, completely flunk out of school in literally my last semester, but I have read Between the Teeth and then I read Always in Tandem and then i read Cards on the Table, which was pretty fun.
00:57:16
Speaker
Then I read, I forget the name of it, the one about Gabe and Steven, um it was really short. So I i read it quickly. i enjoyed it. And now I'm currently reading It's a Setup and I'm completely obsessed with it. I'm almost halfway through. You guys are so lucky that I am like even taking time away from it to record this podcast. Like I'm going to stop recording and just immediately finish it in one sitting probably. And then after that, I'm going to read Impaired Judgment and Other Excuses, which I started, liked, wasn't completely hooked on, but like, I'll i'll go back to it. And that's a really long one. i think that's the last really long one I have.
00:57:49
Speaker
If there are others that I need to read, let me know. But that's that's where I'm at. And so far, it's a good reading order. Anyways, put that out of the way. i will i will I'm sure I'll provide more updates in the next episode. We'll see if I'm still full
Reflecting on Past Predictions
00:58:04
Speaker
in the obsession. But with that out of the way, it is the end of the year.
00:58:08
Speaker
And so we are going to revisit the predictions that we made last year and see how correct we were. i think we were wrong about a lot of things. yeah The first two, we were completely right, though. Yeah, do you want to say what those were? no Yeah, it Ottawa-Charge-Makes-A-Playoffs and the Suns-Makes-A-Playoffs. Both things happened.
00:58:30
Speaker
They did. And, you know, not going to take it for granted. yeah There's a good chance neither of those things happened in the new year. Yeah, what a year it was, though. That was awesome.
00:58:43
Speaker
I'm like, I'm gonna, like, listen back on our podcast from those eras and be like, aw, I'm so happy. appreciate appreciate where we're at You know, yeah, like, it's nice that we are now at the end of the year going like, just get to the playoffs already, you know? It's a good change.
00:59:02
Speaker
Yeah, so we were right about that. Unfortunately, the third one. oh no. and Our third prediction was that Josh Doris has a good year.
00:59:16
Speaker
i'm sorry about your shoulder, King. I'm sorry about Buffalo. so sad. I think he seems happy-ish. is Like, I feel like, I don't know. i guess technically he's doing great because Buffalo's randomly good right now.
00:59:35
Speaker
Yeah, 2026 prediction, Nick Jensen has a good year. Let's say that.
00:59:44
Speaker
I just, I feel responsible in some way. I'm like, did we make that trade to happen? No. Like, I don't know, maybe he personally had a good year. Yeah. Like, he said he was, like, off social media. So if he's to be believed, then that's probably, his his his screen time is probably really low. And that's good.
01:00:06
Speaker
Yeah. I'm sure he's doing well. just Just not with us. I feel like, I don't know, I wonder if he's like, well, they went to the playoffs without me, so whatever now. You know what i mean? like In my head, I'm like, I wonder if that's how he thinks now. It wasn't our decision, though.
01:00:27
Speaker
Yeah. um Our next one was, we thought that Tim Stutzler was going to piss off another fan base. I don't think he did. No, I think he's running out of New West.
Conclusion and New Year Hopes
01:00:44
Speaker
Which is kind of crazy because I didn't think he would ever run out of them. I feel like he probably did annoying things in different games, but I feel like he still hits another level when he hit when he plays the Hobbs. like that's You can tell that is the team that he hates the most. And then i don't think we've played the Red Wings much in the past year.
01:01:05
Speaker
But he doesn't do that much against them. The Leafs, yeah. But... It's like he saves it. like It's more concentrated that way. he doesn't want to spend He can't have like five teams that he hates. you know he He really needs to put all his energy and beliefs that he had erdone into the Habs. And then he has like a little bit of energy left over for Leafs, Red Wings, all of that.
01:01:28
Speaker
For sure. Now the next one. you want to say who the next one is? Next one is Brady Kaczek does not score between the legs goal. And we got it wrong!
01:01:42
Speaker
I'm trying to remember, did we try to like reverse jinx ourselves by saying that? Probably. Okay, yeah, that's what I feel like happened.
01:01:52
Speaker
I am so happy to say he scored it between the legs goal in the best way possible. This was my 2025 highlight. Like I was trying to think of what were the best Sens moments of 2025 and truly all I could think about was Brady Kachuk scoring of between the legs goal, which if you guys don't remember, this was in the playoffs. I think it was a pretty important goal. pretty sure they lost the game. It was like, I don't know. It might've been game two or something.
01:02:19
Speaker
but he went between the legs, missed, but it bounced off a Leafs player into the Nets. And they felt it was credited as a between the legs goal. Which is so funny because our next prediction was that a Sens player that is not Brady Kachuk scores a between the legs goal in the playoffs. And it's like he heard that and took it How did we ever doubt him?
01:02:42
Speaker
But like, I feel like we got the spirit of it right, you know, where it's like, You know, he got the goal. Just, like, maybe not the way he was intending. Yeah. And he hasn't tried it since then. It's like he he succeeded on the move, and then he was just like, there we go, my job is done. Even though he technically didn't even succeed on it.
01:03:06
Speaker
oh my gosh. So funny. Yeah, that was, like, definitely, I feel like, the peak moment. Yeah, I don't know what else happened. That and...
01:03:17
Speaker
the time between game five and game six where we really thought that the Sens were gonna pull off a reverse sweep yeah that was crazy and also the Habs got eliminated so I was walking around Montreal decked out in Sens gear and people everywhere were like I hope you guys pull off the reverse sweep it was so fun it was awesome when Brady was like we we'll be back thats Oh my god, yeah. It was so good.
01:03:51
Speaker
Our final prediction, at least for the Sens, was that Thomas Chabot was going to get over an hour of ice time in a playoff game. The Sens never played enough enough overtime for that to be a problem.
01:04:04
Speaker
They got things over with pretty quickly in those overtimes.
01:04:10
Speaker
Yeah. i feel like it's like he In many ways, he played like a year in ice time in the playoffs. I don't know. I feel like it was like, it just felt like forever, even though it was short.
01:04:25
Speaker
I'm pretty sure Jocelyn Larac got close to an hour in that one really long playoff game for the charge. So like, we weren't too far off.
01:04:36
Speaker
Close. This would have been really depressing if the Suns hadn't made the playoffs, I'm realizing. Yeah. We really put all our eggs in the Sens make the playoffs basket. Because I think that at that point, they had like just gotten into a playoff spot or something. We were we were feeling optimistic.
01:04:54
Speaker
oh God. I don't even want to... Yeah, I don't even know if I want to do predictions for next year. It's so uncertain. I'm just like, I'm worried that the Sens are bad, you know? Yeah. I don't know what I'm going to do if they miss the playoffs. I know. It'll be so sad.
01:05:12
Speaker
Yeah, so let's once again, we'll give them the same New Year's resolution we have every year on this podcast. Please stop being bad. We're not even going to say that to the charge because I feel like it's hopeless. They they can keep being bad. It's whatever. They get another year.
01:05:29
Speaker
yeah like that's the thing. is like Again, they kind they just got here. like They can be bad a little bit more. It's fine.
01:05:38
Speaker
Man.
01:05:41
Speaker
man
01:05:44
Speaker
let's just but Let's just hope things are okay for the Saints.
01:05:49
Speaker
I still believe. but I believe. I'm just scared.
01:05:58
Speaker
So, that's about it for this episode. We will see you in the new year. Go Suns Go, etc. No, I'm once again doing things in the wrong order.
01:06:10
Speaker
Hopefully the Sens have a good 2026. twenty twenty six As I've alluded to in the last few episodes, I'm going to be maybe a little bit less present in Sens fandom for the next few months for reasons that I will maybe discuss later, maybe not. lot of you know what it is.
01:06:27
Speaker
I'm just going to be very busy for good reasons, okay? But we will see you in a new year for sure. Hopefully the Sens will stop being bad.
01:06:37
Speaker
in the meantime, follow us on Twitter and Blue Sky at EliteSensBrain. Follow me at CBiataE. Follow us on Tumblr at EliteSensBrain.tumblr.com. Read Silver 7. Sens go.
01:06:51
Speaker
Go Sens go. Bye. your hopes go bye