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Podcasters against Podcasts
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For the second time this year, we have an extremely depressing post-mortem for you all.
We discuss what went wrong against the Carolina Hurricanes, why Brady Tkachuk should not be allowed to have a podcast, and how the Ottawa Charge are now our only hope.
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Transcript
00:00:06
Speaker
I don't even know what he's thinking. He's just a complete birdhead. Brady Kachunk. Thomas is my best friend. I got a lot of good-looking dudes on my team. You just got new.
00:00:18
Speaker
I've just had him. I've just had him. We'll see.
Welcome and Introductions
00:00:23
Speaker
Hi everyone, and welcome to episode Artem Anisimov of Elite Sensebrain. As always, i am Beata, and I'm joined by the artist formerly known as Eric Sensebrainer. How's it going? Literally really the biggest drop-off between last episode and now I'm doing kind of bad. How are you doing?
00:00:42
Speaker
Real bad as well. You know how we finished last episode being like, we'll be back during the playoffs. Like, we'll do some more emergency episodes between games. Not necessary.
Playoff Elimination Shock
00:00:56
Speaker
Yeah, technically speaking, it still is the playoffs, but practically speaking, they are over because the only team that was in the playoffs has been eliminated. So they've decided not to award the cup again this year. Yeah, you know, harsh but fair. ah Really sad. Maybe next year there will be playoffs. Literally, I think this must be the biggest drop-off in vibes between two episodes. We've had some bad ones. I don't know. but like, damn. Yeah.
Analyzing Playoff Performance
00:01:25
Speaker
I... You know, I wasn't like 100% confident they were gonna win this series. i really didn't think they were gonna be out in four. yeah that's the thing.
00:01:37
Speaker
I feel like I was like, oh shoot. i care the hurricanes are good like the whole time I was watching the games I was like that's why we were afraid of them um but yeah it like ah also like never having a lead from what I remember like the whole series that's extremely like I don't think anyone would have predicted that like that level of it so yeah and like You know, I've seen a lot of people make excuses. And I think with a bit of distance, I've been like, you know, it was closer than it seemed. Like, they probably could have won a few games.
00:02:13
Speaker
i just feel like when you get swept, you can't really hold on to those. Because at the end of the day, you lost four games in a row. And it doesn't really matter how you lost them.
00:02:25
Speaker
ah What matters is that you had four chances to find a way to win. And you did not do that. And I feel like if they had played exactly like that and they pushed it to seven, i would have been okay with that result. Like, disappointed, but I would have been like, you know what?
00:02:43
Speaker
That's pretty fair. They got outplayed, but, like, not too badly. They played okay. Like, they ran into a really good team in the first round. It happens. But, like, when you go out in four, there's something wrong, guys.
00:02:55
Speaker
Like, something bad happens. Yeah. Like, i i honestly... It was just like painful, i feel like, to watch. Because it's like they it's not like they didn't have chances. It's that everyone low-key forgot how to score a goal. And like fair enough. i don't know. Maybe that happens.
00:03:16
Speaker
Yeah, it's like you said, it's the fact that they never had
Lack of Hope in Series
00:03:18
Speaker
a lead. Which means like there was never a moment where we were like, hell yeah, Sens are winning. like Let's go. we can win this.
00:03:26
Speaker
we were just either tied or losing the entire time. Also, this is now the second year in a row where the Sens went down 3-0 in their series. So, like, we don't even get a series lead. We don't get any point where we, like, feel like there's a lot of hope, you know? Like, we might actually be able to win the series. It's just immediately, like, digging themselves into a massive hole. It's... Yeah, it sucks.
00:03:53
Speaker
Yeah, like, I... It's like hard because obviously the Hurricanes are like extremely good, but it's like, they're still just a hockey team. Like you can still like, you can still win a game against them. Like it was just like awful. um So yeah, it was like, honestly, probably the worst possible outcome. Like it's hard to imagine a worse outcome. Maybe like four blowouts in a row would have been worse. Like this just hurt because every game it was like, they just need to score a goal. And it's like, they did not. Yeah.
00:04:26
Speaker
By game three, like, I wasn't even stressed anymore. You know, like, last year, every single game I went in being like, oh my god, they have to win this. Like, I'm freaking out. i am, you know, scrolling. I'm like, I have the NHL app open that I'm refreshing religiously to figure out what's going to happen in 30 seconds because my screen is slightly behind. You know, I'm so stressed about this.
00:04:52
Speaker
Games one and two, I felt that way. And then by game three, I was just like, yep, they're going to lose. And I'm going to sit here watching it. Yeah, you do reach like a level of zen, I think. Which was like, okay. At least it wasn't like...
Fan Expectations and Reactions
00:05:07
Speaker
It was like still hurt, but I was like, at least they didn't give us hope. It's like hope probably would have hurt more. it's totally just mistake but hope also would have been fun for a brief moment. It's cool. Yeah. Like looking back on the series, it's fun how they like literally gave us no reason to be happy at any given point.
00:05:26
Speaker
Because, like, okay, the one, i don't know if we want to go game by game, there was one moment where it was honestly like the league made us have hope, which is when like that overtime winner was... Oh yeah, no, we'll talk about that in a minute, yeah.
00:05:41
Speaker
But the Sens themselves give us no reason to be happy that entire series. It just sucks. And especially like after seven years of missing the playoffs, after how bleak that was. like It's not just that we missed the playoffs for seven years. It's that like at the beginning of the rebuild, we genuinely had no hope for the future because Melnick was the owner and we thought that every player we loved would eventually leave and that the team would never spend money on the front office or anything.
00:06:10
Speaker
And then once things started to look up, we had like, what, three, four years in a row of the season is over in November. So we don't even, again, we don't even have
Rebuilding Disappointment
00:06:20
Speaker
hope. We don't have the like, oh, they're kind of in the playoff race in January and then they fall off.
00:06:27
Speaker
So it's just like so bleak for so long. And then they make the playoffs two years in a row and two years in a row, they immediately go down three nothing in their series. What did we do to deserve this?
00:06:39
Speaker
It's and okay, like this, maybe this is like taking a backseat for a lot of people. And that would make sense. In the back of my head, I was like, this so sad that the first time and however long that the Sens have made the playoffs and the Leafs missed the playoffs, we win the same number of games. Like literally, no like why? Like you gave us no ammunition. it's so embarrassing.
00:07:05
Speaker
Yeah, no ammunition against anyone. sucks. At least we had like, you know, that that fun like one week where we got to make fun of the Red Wings. I do appreciate that Red Wings fans were, from what I could tell, hate watching the Sens with the kind of passion that we usually reserve for hate watching the Leafs.
00:07:23
Speaker
I feel like that's a huge win for me. You know, there weren't many wins in this like one week of Sens playoffs. That was my one win. It's true. Honestly, though, also, i feel like there might be a bit of it where it's like, we took that playoff spot and then did nothing with it. And it's like, that might sting even more for Red Weeks fans. It's a little funny. Yeah.
00:07:43
Speaker
Well, it's like, didn't the Capitals do that a few years ago where they like accidentally ended up in the playoffs despite having a horrible season just because everybody else like fell and, you know, yeah like completely tanked their seasons for some reason. The Capitals accidentally ended up in the playoffs and they just immediately got swept, which was funny. That was good.
00:08:05
Speaker
yeah It's like seeing someone like take the last like thing at a store and then like If you just then immediately saw them like throw it out. It's like you'd be so much more annoyed. Because it's like they didn't even want it that bad. Why'd they take it? so We just didn't want the Red Wings to have it Yeah, exactly. so like there you go. i feel like.
00:08:26
Speaker
Like if I'm a Red Wings fan, I can't tell. I think I'd be like angrier this way than if the Sens actually made a deep playoff run because then it's literally like why like we lost like our playoff spot to this. And it's like, yes, you
Mental Struggles and Critiques
00:08:38
Speaker
did. Like, unfortunately. Sucks to suck.
00:08:42
Speaker
Yeah. But that's the thing. Also, it's like we did win the same number of games as the Red Wings in these playoffs. so that's also embarrassing for us. We faceplanted just like a week later, you know? Yeah. um So, yeah. I think that probably like fans of the Red Wings and Leafs are having fun at our expense. And you know what?
00:09:06
Speaker
It makes sense. We would be doing the same thing. Literally, I saw so many Sens fans being like, oh my god, I can't believe Leafs fans and Red Wings fans are trying to throw stones when they literally miss the playoffs. Like, they don't have a leg to stand on. And I was like, guys, do you hear yourselves? Like, you cannot be serious right now.
00:09:26
Speaker
I honestly respect the haterism of like pretending that the past like however many years just didn't happen. like Yeah, exactly. We're gonna say the exact same things that Leafs fans used to say to us, ah because now we're allowed to say this.
00:09:42
Speaker
Yeah, honestly, like that's haterism. Honestly, yeah. Why are Leafs fans so obsessed with us? I don't get it. We would never do that. i know, if we made the playoffs, no. If we ever made a deep run, we would not be thinking about them.
00:09:55
Speaker
yes ah but yeah Honestly, i'm like at least I'm not stressed. like I feel like I watch like or I see like people in my life who like have teams that they like still in the playoffs and I'm like, damn, like you're having a rough time because because of the hope. You can't have... like The hope is so nice, but then it also makes it hurt so bad. um i still miss the stress.
00:10:18
Speaker
Yeah, that's the thing. It's nice to feel something. and i just feel nothing. so sad. So anyways, let's go game by game here because it's pretty easy to do this ah when there are only four games to discuss. so they were mostly the same.
00:10:34
Speaker
Game one, how did you feel about that game? I'm gonna be so honest, i they all bled into the same game for me. so like I think I was like, oh no, okay. At the beginning, I was like, okay, they dropped game one. But I didn't actually care because I was like, it's first, it's game one and it's also at home, and like at like Carolina, right? So I was like, okay, that's fine. like We're getting our footing. It's fine.
00:10:56
Speaker
But yeah. Yeah, I kind of... I don't know, i feel like my perspective on game one has shifted since they played it because initially I was recapping that game and I also recapped game one against Toronto and I felt like the narrative that I wrote when I was recapping that game on Silver 7, I mean the the one did in Carolina, is I was like, they were way more prepared than last year. like yeah, they totally got outplayed, um you know, but like they were in it right until the end.
00:11:27
Speaker
And i don't know, looking back, I'm like, I feel like it was a sign. i feel like they were not good. The one thing that I remember really pissing me off about game one, I don't know if you noticed that, but like...
00:11:40
Speaker
They were in the game the whole time and then they went down to nothing and it's like they gave up. Like they weren't even trying to score. They were just trying to like hit people and start fights and they took a million penalties. So they were just killing off penalties for the entire like rest of the game.
00:11:58
Speaker
And it was like, guys, i think they I think the second goal was scored with like at least 10 minutes left in the game. And it's like, this is so much time to score two goals. And you've just decided to give up on this game and focus on like bullying the Hurricanes. Yeah.
00:12:11
Speaker
yeah so Honestly, okay, it's coming back to me now. The other thing about game one that I thought was dumb is the fight right off the bat. Because I was like, why? I was going to say Yes. Because also it's like, okay, it was Brady Kachuk, obviously, and like a Stahl brother, right? Like Jordan Stahl or whatever. Is that the one? I don't even know. I can't, I don't know which was which, but like, I think it was Jordan Stahl.
00:12:34
Speaker
But it's like, okay, number one, i just find that stupid and like, whatever. Like you can have your opinions about fighting in hockey. But number two, it's like, okay, so you, Brady Kachuk, are basically indicating that like, I am as valuable on the ice as like 80 year old Jordan Stahl. Like we are gonna make, we I'll take us both out. Who cares? It's like, you're supposed to be like, good. Like go score a goal. Why are you sitting in the penalty box? It's so stupid, and I felt like it really showed what I think has been the Sens' problem in the first few games of the playoffs both years that they've made it, where I feel like they just get so distracted being like, playoff hockey is different. We need to be big boys. We need to you know throw all these big hits. We need to know that like we're playing tough playoff hockey. And it's like they forget that they're supposed to score goals and that they're like a good hockey team who...
00:13:26
Speaker
is allegedly capable of scoring goals. You wouldn't know that from watching this series. And I felt like game one was a lot of that. Just like, that's why I was kind of comparing it to Toronto because it was like, it felt like in both games, they made that same mistake of just like getting so in their own heads about, oh my God, it's playoff hockey. Playoff hockey is so different.
00:13:44
Speaker
And like, forgot to just play hockey. i don't know. And yeah, that that seemed like the perfect example of it where it's like, Brady Kachuk, when like When he is getting when he's really into the game and the emotion comes from that, where it's like, you know...
00:14:03
Speaker
it makes sense for him to be throwing big hits, getting into it after the whistle and stuff, then like you can kind of see the value his physical game, you know? but when it's just like, I'm going to get into a fight to show that it's the playoffs, it's like, what is the point? There's no animosity at at the start of game one, you know? There's no reason for you to be fighting.
00:14:25
Speaker
Yeah, it's like, this isn't Four Nations face-off, like, what's going on? Like, it was also, like, I don't know, I feel like for so long, obviously, people have been like, Brady Kachuk is going to be such a playoff performer, because, like, his physical game, all this stuff. And it's like, I feel like he only heard that like, yeah, physical game. And then he forgot that like you
Playoff Insights and Missed Opportunities
00:14:44
Speaker
do still have to... It's like there's still a game in it, though. It's not just the physical part. like You need to go play the game of hockey. It's not... I don't know. It was just so silly to me. And it honestly, like that like frustrated me. I was like, this is annoying. like What am I watching? like Go play hockey. like Why are you doing this?
00:15:02
Speaker
Literally. And then again, that extended when at at the end of the game or toward the end of the game, they're losing to nothing and they're like, yeah, we're just going to get into fights. And it's like, what message are you sending to these people? Are are the hurricanes going to be afraid to score because you were beating them up so much? What's the point of any of this? They always do this in the regular season too, where like if they're losing late in the game, they're just like, let's just start fights. And it's just, it's so embarrassing. It just makes you look like sore losers and sends the message that, like, you're going to give up as soon as they take a lead. Yeah, like, it's so corny, but it's like, I feel like the Hurricanes would have been more upset if they had, like, if the Sens had, like, won opposed to, like, just punch them a lot. Right?
00:15:46
Speaker
Like, the best revenge is actually winning the hockey game. Allegedly. So yeah, like i and it's like coming back to me now as I remember it And I'm like, I wish it weren't because I'm getting annoyed. Game two, I truly have no recollection of though.
00:16:01
Speaker
i don't know what happened. Yeah, game two, it was also much like game two in Toronto where they went down 2-0 early and I was like, okay, so we're done. Like they're getting swept. At that moment, I was just like, this team, I think I was i was posting like everybody got a lobotomy between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs. like they have no brain cells left something is wrong um why are they playing like this and then they came back and tied it and it's like okay now suddenly they're good like second period onward I was like wait hold on these are the Ottawa Senators I know and love maybe they have a chance they push it to overtime it's like okay here we go they were by far the better team in both overtimes that they played
00:16:51
Speaker
And then in the first overtime, I think toward the end of it, um there's a delayed penalty ah the Hurricanes' score, and I grab my remote and turn it off. And I'm like, the Sens lost!
00:17:02
Speaker
I'm going to bed! um and then I go on Twitter and I find out that ah the Sens have not lost yet! yeah it It's so funny because every single time an overtime goal happens, in the back of my head, I'm like, what if it was offside and it gets like turned over? And I'm like, that'll never happen, though. like It never happened. And I was like, I can't believe this is happening right now. This is actually amazing. That was like the highlight of the entire series for me. I was like, oh my god, like we got saved. like
00:17:35
Speaker
Save me one millimeter offside rule. Thank you so much. I've always loved Matt Duchesne and I've always said that he's not cursed. So that was really awesome. And then I was like, in the back of my head, I was like, oh my god, like maybe they will win. Because like I feel like that would be very deflating. like If that happened to us, I'd be like, that's so sad. Now we have to go play. like We thought we won. It's so deflating. And actually the Hurricanes didn't care and then they won for real and it was fine.
Emotional Toll of Losses
00:18:05
Speaker
Yeah, that sucked because i I felt like I accepted the loss three times. Where it was like, first of all, when they went down to nothing again, I was like, we're done. Season's over.
00:18:18
Speaker
um and then when they lost in overtime, i was like, yeah, okay, the failed comeback. You know, whatever, you lose both on, ah like, both of your away games, just win the two on home ice, whatever, I'm already thinking of this. and then And then they lose a third time. It's like, man, would have been nice if we had accidentally won that game, you know? like think that's the one yeah that I feel like they could have stolen a win.
00:18:45
Speaker
Yeah, it's really true. and also, like I think that this is like the theme throughout, but Olmark was so good that game, and I was like, I'm so angry that they can't win. like why can't you just do it for him? He's literally playing so well.
00:19:03
Speaker
I know that was like the game of his career, certainly his playoff career. Like that was crazy. And then he goes out and has two more amazing games. He was also like decent in game one. It's just like he gave up two kind of iffy goals, I remember. So it was like, oh, it was great, except for those two bad goals that he gave up. But games two, three and four, like just absolutely lights out. And you're just like, how are you wasting this performance from him? That was the thing is that we can, we were like, i I don't know if it was just us. I feel like many people had this opinion where it's like, if Allmark can just be an NHL level goalie, he doesn't even have to be amazing. Maybe we'll have a chance. And then he was amazing. And it's like, you wasted it. He literally gave it his all out there. Why are you so bad at hockey, everyone else? It's just crazy. Like, yeah, and we'll talk about it later about like the specific way that they lost is breaking my brain. Yeah.
00:19:56
Speaker
um Anyways, game three. i don't remember details. I just remember being so angry the whole time. The other thing I remember about game three is not actually about the game, but it's that every single hockey fan I know in Ottawa was at that game. And I was like, surely they don't lose in front of all of my loved ones. Well...
00:20:19
Speaker
Guess what happened? Not only did they lose, they played like shit. Like, they looked awful. And I know, like, Hurricanes fans, the Hurricanes are one of those teams, like the Sens in the regular season, where, like, everybody who plays them goes, wow, our team played a terrible game. How did we play that terribly? And it's just because the Hurricanes are good. But, like, it was not just that. Like, the Sens were not playing well in game three, especially.
00:20:48
Speaker
Yeah. And then it's like, honestly, at this point, I was emotionally checked out. I was like, yeah, you kind of knew the writing was on the wall. Because honestly, like, compared to last season, right, like last playoffs, I truly don't I'm like reflecting on it now and I'm like, was it that we won two games or was it that we played the Leafs the whole time and the Leafs were the Leafs for two games? Is that the only reason why? like I'm like, maybe not. It's like far away now. So I don't know. But I'm like, man, we have gotten swept last season if it was against like an actual, like normal hockey team.
00:21:25
Speaker
Yeah, well, even last year when they went down 3-0, it was kind of like, okay, yeah, this is basically insurmountable, but it's the Leafs, you know, if there's any team that can beat themselves in this scenario, it's the
Acknowledging Opponent's Strength
00:21:38
Speaker
Leafs. The Leafs are going to defeat themselves, we're going to win in seven, and then, you know, we won the next two, and we truly thought, like, this is going to happen.
00:21:46
Speaker
But yeah, going down 3-0 to the Hurricanes, it's like, we are not ah we are not winning four games in a row against the Carolina Hurricanes, especially not playing like this. Like, this is ridiculous. There is absolutely no way we come back. So in a way, it hurt a little less because it was just like, they might win the next one, but they're they're not winning four in a row.
00:22:06
Speaker
Yeah, it's just so sad because it's like, No one has ever been like, maybe they'll win because they're the Sens. They've been, maybe they'll win because they're playing this joke team. And it's like, yeah, we need to only play joke teams, I guess.
00:22:22
Speaker
Like, as soon as we're against the real teams, it's just all crumbles. I don't know. It's so sad, though, because like, they literally, they couldn't, like, I'm still like, no, but they, like,
00:22:33
Speaker
I don't know what I saw. Maybe everyone was sick, but I'm like, this was remarkably bad. Like, I feel like they they weren't the actual sense that I've grown to know the like the last half of the regular season.
00:22:48
Speaker
Again, I feel like they were just in their own heads playing completely different hockey because they were in the playoffs and they felt like they had to play differently. This is the only thing that makes sense to me.
00:22:58
Speaker
but That's the annoying part is that i think, i don't know if I said this in like so many words last episode, but I was like, okay, well, they've been technically in the playoffs now one time, like not technically, they they were there and they won two games. So I was like, okay, like,
00:23:12
Speaker
you can now act like you've been there before. Like, you don't have to be afraid. It's like still, you know, like, you know how it goes now. And it's like, it's like they forgot everything. It's like they were like, oh, shoot, we're playing against a real team this time. I don't know what to do. um but yeah, it was very, very upsetting because i was like, I feel like they learned nothing from last playoffs. So it's like, okay, cool. Yeah, I think in his postgame interview, Stutzler said something kind of to that effect that gave me a bit of hope where I was like, oh, so you know what the problem was.
00:23:43
Speaker
So maybe won't maybe it'll be different next year. We'll see Maybe. But then I'm like, next year? Who knows if we're going to be here next year? It was so hard this year. Because then I'm just like, man are we doomed? Do we have to rebuild again? We rebuilt for so long.
00:24:03
Speaker
oh I'm like, look, just if we can just sneak into the playoffs every year, like i won't even complain. i don't want to go through that again. Oh my gosh. i Like, i don't, I think it was because it was fun. Because like everyone on Sons Twitter is so fun. Miss you guys all on Sons Twitter. Miss being there, but sorry. i can't do it. I was addicted to my phone. But anyway, um i think it's like, oh, it was so fun. Like, Sons Sickos. Like, I remember all that. But then I'm like,
00:24:29
Speaker
But that's because the team was so bad that we just had to like make up stuff. Because it was just so bad. And like the world was so bad. like Everything was terrible. And it's like, this is our reward?
00:24:39
Speaker
we win two playoff games in two years? i know. Terrible. Yeah, we'll we'll talk about the future later. um game four, they made it fun ah in the second period.
00:24:54
Speaker
And that was about it. Yeah. Like, yeah they played okay. What I remember from that game is, like, they played okay, and then second period, things just got crazy, because there was just, there was a huge hit from Cleven, there was just a lot of, like, post-whistle-like craziness, um and it was just absolutely nuts. And also, there was, like, a good chunk of, most of the second period, I feel like the Suns were completely hemming the Hurricanes in their own zone, like,
00:25:20
Speaker
And then I thought, okay, at least we're going to get this one win. Like, they're going to score any moment now. And then the Hurricanes still score the first goal of the game. And it was just like, okay, all right then. it was fun while it lasted. Honestly, curse the deal that put Logan Stankoven in in Carolina. He should just be in Dallas and then we never have to be afraid. i feel like he scored like a billion goals. don't know.
00:25:48
Speaker
Yeah, he didn't score that first goal in game four, though. That was Taylor Hall right after murdering James Anderson. Yeah. What the heck? I literally thought it was him again because I was just like, honestly, that game, I think I scored the second one.
00:26:02
Speaker
Okay, there you go. Well, why is Taylor Hall in Carolina? They should be winning the draft lottery. They have him.
00:26:13
Speaker
That's so messed up. but So yeah, that was the series. How fun. ah Like... So cursed.
00:26:23
Speaker
And now it's just like, now what?
Reflecting on Team's Swift Exit
00:26:26
Speaker
Like it got over so fast. And then also like I was watching um kinging game six of Philly-Pittsburgh and then they were like, so the Philadelphia Flyers will face the Carolina Hurricanes. And was like, how embarrassing that that's like been decided who the winner of that will play this whole time. They've been going and having a series and just like Carolina has just been waiting for them for a like a week. Like what the hell? It's so humiliating.
00:26:52
Speaker
I know. And like, I love and respect the Flyers. I have so many friends who Flyers fans. While the Sens were still in it, I was like, oh my god, we're besties. Go Flyers. Can't wait to meet you in the second round. It'll be so much fun. And now I am so jealous of them. I'm like, if the Flyers don't get swept by the Hurricanes, if they win a single game, this will be so embarrassing for us.
00:27:16
Speaker
It literally will be. Also, like that series, the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh series, I was like, can't be that bad. like Sidney Crosby is going to get swept too. like And then they went in one like couple and I was like, fuck, what are you doing? i thought we were in this together. Honestly, God bless the LA Kings for getting swept. Thank you for being our swept besties. I was like, if we're the only ones who get swept, I'm actually going to be a lot sadder about all this.
00:27:42
Speaker
That was my logic too. I was like, as long as other teams also get swept, so we're not the only ones. Yeah, it could be worse, honestly. Yeah, exactly. But it could be worse. Like, you could be, it like, the LA Kings, like, the one time you don't face Edmonton, so I feel like you think at the back of your head, like, I've got a shot, and then no. Like, that's also rough. Sorry to them.
00:28:05
Speaker
Yeah. And then it was sad because then I was like, Edmonton will be my backup team. Canada's team, go Conor McDavid. And then no, I jinxed them. Sorry, oily gifts. It's very sad. and Yeah.
00:28:21
Speaker
Just, it just sucks, man. We are also recording this on Saturday afternoon. And man, I really hope the Habs are out by the time this goes off. think I can't handle this.
00:28:37
Speaker
Yeah, because then the Habs, like, they're having, they're having, the like, the the story that we should be having. Like, why? Or if they win. you know what I mean? It's like, why are you, like, we should have won You stole our idea. I honestly think Buffalo. Buffalo, I'm like, that's who I'm most jealous of. Because I'm like, you were so, so bad for so long. And now you're really, really good. and it's like, how come we were so, so bad? And now we're, like, mid. yeah.
00:29:05
Speaker
It's because we didn't win the draft lottery three times, I guess, but whatever. or however many. Twice, I guess. But yeah. it's very, so very sad. and it's also like, right when the regular season ended, so many people were like, this is a perfect season for the Sens because the Sens made the playoffs. Detroit didn't. Toronto didn't. And I remember thinking like, oh, guys, just wait.
00:29:32
Speaker
We don't know how Montreal is going to do with the playoffs. There's one enemy that hasn't been defeated. Also, we don't know how the Sens are going to do with the playoffs. And unfortunately, so far, my fears have been proven correct. Yeah, and honestly, like, i think everyone listening to this is a Suns fan, so, like, you you probably agree. But, like, you need to stop being Habs fans in
Local Fan Critique
00:29:52
Speaker
Ottawa, guys. Like, come on. Literally. Like, it's a been, like, what, 30 years?
00:29:57
Speaker
Three years or whatever of SENS in Ottawa, like you can let the Habs go. i understand they are the closest geographically, but the actual closest geographically is the Ottawa Senators.
00:30:11
Speaker
The SENS are older than, well just barely older than the Habs Cup drought. Like, just get on the bandwagon, guys. It's so stupid. Yeah, it's not okay to cheer for the Hobbs when you live in know, like, I see so many Hobbs jerseys. I'm like, guys lock in. What are we doing? like this is why no one takes this seriously.
00:30:35
Speaker
Just embarrassing. I hate it. you know. Um... So anyways, going back to the series, I thought, like, let's talk about some of Les Grands Lings, you know, the why the Sens lost this. What were the problems? And then we'll go into what we think needs to be addressed in the offseason. um Starting with, I think we do need to be honest here and we need to take some accountability. um We were wrong about the Carolina Hurricanes.
00:31:08
Speaker
They're a really good hockey team. They just like thoroughly outplayed the Sens and beat them fair and square. let's Let's start with that one. I'm starting to see why they've never lost in the first round in like a billion years. Like, okay, fair enough. They are quite good.
00:31:24
Speaker
But like, I almost like, like, yes, but I'm like, That doesn't excuse how bad the Sens were. See, like, I still feel like the Sens could have beaten them. And I know people have also said, oh, in hindsight, like, you know, the Hurricanes um weren't trying as hard. They had a lot of injuries the last time we played them and stuff. And I'm just like, I don't know. I still feel like the Sens should have at least been able to push this to seven.
00:31:50
Speaker
Yeah, like, it's it's truly like, okay, maybe I'm just like not up to date on like my goalie lore, but it's like, how are you not scoring on like Frederick Anderson? Like he has, he's he's so old, no hate to him, but it's like, how how is how are you making him look like the best goalie in the league? Like, maybe he is, and I'm just mistaken, but like, I feel like that's not true.
00:32:12
Speaker
And how are you just like getting so few scoring chances? Like I know again, the Carolina Hurricanes are an elite defensive team. They are like probably the best in the league at like keeping you from getting anywhere near their net. So this is just what happens. But like surely you can come up with a few good chances, you know?
00:32:32
Speaker
Yeah, like I swear, I think it was like game two or something. Like there was an amazing chance and they didn't score and I was like, man, how did they not score? it's like, well, actually, that was like Amadio. So like he, that's not his job. Like he shouldn't have to be doing this. Like where is everyone that we're paying like $8 million? dollars There's like five of you guys. Like what's going on?
00:32:55
Speaker
Yeah. So, I mean, well, that kind of leads into the next reason the Sens lost, which is what the fuck was wrong with their power play?
Power Play and Star Players' Performance
00:33:06
Speaker
yeah like, it was so bad. Like, I swear, like, they had, like, a five on three at one point, right? And I was, like... i like One point? Probably, like, five points. Yeah. I honestly, I'm telling you, they've all bled together. but I think that, like, I never had hope.
00:33:25
Speaker
Even, like, on a five on three. It felt like, honestly, i was, like, this is the level of hope I had when, like, Team Canada had five on three. I was, like, this just isn't going to happen for them. Exactly. Like... and I know. and it's just, like...
00:33:38
Speaker
When a team is playing such a tight defensive game, when they are giving you nothing around their own net, you have to be able to take advantage of those power plays. And like, like literally, if the Sens had just had a normal power play, they could have scored like a handful of goals here and there and won at least two of those games, you know? Like, this was I feel like like, watching it, it felt like that was the deciding factor. That like things were pretty even at 5-on-5. They got a little bit outplayed. The penalty kill was fine. But like they could not get anything going on the power play. And they had so many of power play opportunities. Because the Hurricanes play such a like a ah type of game that's full of stick infractions. So they're just like constantly in the penalty box. And you have to take advantage of that. And they just couldn't do it
00:34:30
Speaker
yeah look at i'm like Yeah, like you say, like if they just had a normal one, it's like how did they not regress to the mean? I understand it's a small sample size, so like stats people explain this. But I'm like, how did they like just regress to the mean? What's going on? like You guys are so bad for some reason. like They were like remarkably bad.
00:34:50
Speaker
Yeah, it was really frustrating. And also, again, related to that, ah the star players really, really did not show up. And I do, like, I want to add, like, a little asterisk to that. But, like, again, this might just be Carolina being really good. Carolina's top players didn't really show up either. So it was kind of even. Like, I may be willing to entertain the idea that, like...
00:35:16
Speaker
possibly this just was the effect of playing the Carolina Hurricanes but I still feel like they played badly like I I still think they've gotta they gotta play better than that man yeah like I feel like that's the most frustrated I've ever been watching Tim Stutzel play hockey like in like my entire life I was like he can't like you can't do anything like what's going on I know. And like, yeah, I don't think it was just Tim Stutzler getting shut down because he's like this, right? Like Tim Stutzler will have stretches where you're like, how is this not a one hundred point player? Like this is the best player in the league. He's unstoppable. He's scoring like two goals a game and getting like five more amazing scoring chances. Like this is insane. And then he'll go through a phase where he's like really snakebitten and you're just like, what's wrong with him? I don't understand. And that was him in game two, I felt. Yeah.
00:36:07
Speaker
And then after that, you can tell that he's in his own head about the fact that he hasn't scored in a while. And then he just starts playing terribly and he like refuses to shoot the puck or anything. And you're just like, this is a complete disaster. And then he shaves his head or something and then gets going again and it's fine. Right. And the cycle starts again. But like I think what happened is just that like he's a streaky player.
00:36:31
Speaker
The playoffs happened to land on a time where he was cold. um He was useless for the series. The Sens had no other goal scoring options beyond him. So he put even more pressure on himself. And like, yeah, I think Tim Stetson needs to like...
00:36:48
Speaker
you know, work with a therapist on whatever the fuck happens to him during these slumps. But also, like, it would be nice if the Sens had other goal scoring options for when Tim Stutzler isn't on his game. Or, like, if he just had a good player who could get him some easy points when he's, you know, not feeling it right? Yeah.
00:37:07
Speaker
yeah It's very true. yeah because it's like it is true that like I was like, okay, well, Tim Stutzel is not going, so we will lose. But it's like, i feel like there's other teams where it's like, the stars don't go, but that's okay, because like other people step up. And you know what? Amadio tried his hardest.
00:37:29
Speaker
literally like haven't there been several like Oilers series or at least games where like McDavid doesn't play well and then Dreisaitl just goes on a crazy tear like that's what you need or like the the not the best example because of the whole like first round thing but like Mitch Marner famously this not show off in the playoffs and Auston Matthews doesn't either and they still took it to seven most times Well, as of last night, Mitch Varder, known playoff performer, big, ah big ah elimination game guy. oh yeah. Honestly, I don't even if it's like, like west of like Winnipeg, that's no longer my problem. Like, I don't know what goes on there.
00:38:12
Speaker
He scored two goals to. Oh, my gosh. Wow. i guess Yeah. That's amazing. it truly was the Toronto media. Yeah.
00:38:22
Speaker
um But yeah, like that's the thing. It's like i feel like other it's not like the Sens invented having like a star that is snakebitten, but it's like other teams have things that they can like rework or things like that. but yeah Yeah, well, and it's not just Timmy who was bad. like Brady sucked. um Yeah. Yeah.
00:38:45
Speaker
I don't want to be too mean to Dylan Cousins and Drake Bathurston because they are literally the only two players on the team who scored goals in that series. So like clearly something was working, but I did not like the way they played in that series. I did not... i it did not inspire confidence in me and I don't think that they should get a pass just because they happened to score a few lucky goals.
00:39:13
Speaker
Yeah. Like, i don't know. It's just like, I feel like everything that was working in the regular season just like totally fell apart. Like, i don't, I just don't get it. I don't know enough about why that happened. Yeah, well, I mean, i think the main theory is what people were also saying before the series and I was trying to be like no no no it's not gonna happen that way but it's like the Sens just ran into themselves but better so it's like you know the Hurricanes just play the exact same way that the Sens do and they did it slightly better in this series so that was it
00:39:53
Speaker
Okay, the Sens need to start modeling their game after a team in the West so that we don't run into that until the Cup Final.
Lessons from Playoff Loss
00:39:59
Speaker
Like, that's the new plan. No, but that's, yeah, it's fair. I'm just like, why, why did that have to happen? It makes sense, though.
00:40:10
Speaker
They even stole our Colors game and everything. I guess, I don't know what team team first, but like, so messed up. Yeah. I noticed that when I was trying to paint my nails in Sen's colors, because I always do this for the playoffs. I did this in high school and I just kept it up. And I was like, wait, these are in Hurricanes colors. I can't do this. And I had to end up like painting them in gold like every time. um Because I was like, that's the one color we have that the Hurricanes don't have.
00:40:35
Speaker
Yeah. But it's like, man, they're just our more successful twin or whatever. It's very sad. I mean, the good news is they only have to play the Hurricanes if they um are a wildcard team. So in future, if they just don't want to play the Hurricanes, they can not be wildcard team.
00:40:56
Speaker
I was like, okay. i was like, it's so unfair that we have to play the Hurricanes. like We were so good to end the season. And it's like, no, you actually have to be good throughout the whole season. And it's like, let this be a lesson. Stop sucking for the first half of the season or whatever. like it Just be good. And also...
00:41:12
Speaker
Let's be real, guys. a lot of us, by myself included, were hoping for the Hurricanes. not i know i didn't necessarily think that the Hurricanes were an easy opponent. I was just like, there's less drama here, and also they get the Metro Path, which is easier. And I was a little bit overconfident as well. like i'm not going to I'm not going to do this revisionist history that I keep seeing where everyone's like, oh, it's so unfair that we got the Hurricanes, when like...
00:41:35
Speaker
Right before the postseason started, we were all like, wow, it's such a stroke of good luck that the Sens get to go through the Metro instead of the Atlantic.
00:41:45
Speaker
Ugh. Yeah. Honestly, the only reason that's lucky is, like, it would have felt worse to lose to, like, the Sabres. I feel like. I don't know if everyone agrees with that, but, like, I would have hurt more.
00:41:57
Speaker
Oh, absolutely. yeah At least now we can be like, we just ran into such a good team. Yeah. Yeah. but I also feel like with the Sabres, they would have at least gone seven. Yeah, like, that's the thing.
00:42:10
Speaker
i don't know. i feel like, like, I feel like we're better than Boston. soly feel like we would have done at least as well. This is based on nothing and it'll never be proven wrong. So whatever, I can say whatever I want.
00:42:27
Speaker
Yeah, I know it is funny to go into the hypotheticals because I was thinking right after the Suns got swept, I was like, wow, it's funny how if they had missed the playoffs, this season would have haunted me probably for years because I would have spent the whole offseason being like, oh my god, if they had just snuck into the playoffs, like they would have made a deep run. You know, so now it's nice to know that like I was wrong.
00:42:48
Speaker
you know, we we got an answer to this question of if the Sens sneak into the playoffs, can they make a run? ah No, they can't. Yeah, the whole just get in, anything can happen. Actually, no there's one predetermined outcome and it's get swept by the Hurricanes.
00:43:07
Speaker
Um, so yeah, another reason the Sens lost. This one boggles my mind. This is the one thing that I cannot wrap my head around.
Performance and Resilience Questions
00:43:17
Speaker
Because apparently when you look at like the line by line breakdown and stuff, right? Like I said, the top lines for both teams Kind of neutralized each other. Like, yeah, we didn't get anything out of Shuzhla and Kachok, but also, like, the Hurricanes didn't really get anything out of Aho or Sveshnikov or, you know, any of their top players.
00:43:38
Speaker
The way the Hurricanes won, at least at 5-on-5, was that the Stankoven line was just, like... So much better than the Pinto line. And I don't understand this. Why was the Pinto line so bad? that like Pinto was supposed to be our Dark Horse Selkie candidate. like That line has been so good for so long. And like I'm genuinely just baffled as to how that happens.
00:44:05
Speaker
Yeah, like... i have I have no idea, but it's like truly devastating. Because that's the thing, is like i feel like going into it I wouldn't have expected that like that's the reason why we lost. But yeah, it is, in part obviously. but
00:44:25
Speaker
It's so rough. its I know, i I can't even take any lessons from that. I'm just like, i know that that is such a good line. That, like, against any other team, I'm sure they would have been fine. i don't understand.
00:44:40
Speaker
Like, I can accept that the Hurricanes have a great third line. i can't accept that they have a line that's that much better than the Pinto line. Yeah.
00:44:53
Speaker
Like... I don't, I don't know. i don't know. And just like, it's so true. Cause I'm just like, i I never thought, I didn't like didn't think that hard about this, but I'm like, now I'm like, shit, you're right. How did that happen?
00:45:07
Speaker
Like, I'm just confused. This can, yeah. If anyone has a chart to explain that to me, but like, what would a chart say? Just like, yeah, caved in or whatever. But like, I don't know. who And even like,
00:45:21
Speaker
you know, yeah, the charts, that's thing I've been looking at the charts that say that this is how the Sens lost, and I'm just like, okay, but I don't understand this. Why why was the Pinto line bad? but Like, they're not usually bad. What?
00:45:35
Speaker
Yeah. don't know. It's hard to, yeah, like I said, it's hard to take anything from this, because I'm just like, honestly, I think they should just run it back next year with Pinto. Like, Pinto was a great third-line player. i Just gotta hope that he plays better in the playoffs next year than he did this year.
00:45:51
Speaker
Which, like, I feel like he will. i don't know. It's true, because it's like, I know what I saw before this series. So, like, I don't know what else to think other than, yeah, run it back.
00:46:05
Speaker
I'm like, I think that line was good last year against the Leafs. I don't remember having major bugs with them. And like, yeah, they played, like, the Leafs' third line was much weaker than the Hurricanes' third line.
00:46:16
Speaker
But like, by that much? Like, that's... I can accept ah the Hurricanes having a slightly better third line than the Sens. But like, by that much, that the Hurricanes' third line got like, all their goals. Like, I don't understand.
00:46:32
Speaker
they just don't know what else to say. It's bad. Yeah. Yeah. um And then, yeah, our final reasons that the Sens lost is just the whole team looked bad and also had a general lack of clutchness.
00:46:50
Speaker
Which is so embarrassing because I said that they were going to be more clutch than the Hurricanes. They made me a liar. Yeah. And, like, it's really frustrating because, like I said last year, during the playoffs, after they went down 2-0, I was like, hmm, this team has been kind of not clutch for a very long time. Every time they're losing in a game, they just start fights instead of, like, trying to win. And, you know, i don't love that. ah
00:47:20
Speaker
I wish they were better at comebacks and stuff. um And then, like, you know... games four and five kind of alleviated those fears for me and now I'm just back to like does this team just not have that dog in them like what I feel like it's such a throwback to like the sense of like the early 2020s where like as soon as they went down by one goal you were like ah it's over like you know so it's like I thought we I thought we defeated that demon
00:47:51
Speaker
Well, yeah, especially when we managed to, like, claw our way back into the playoffs. Like, you know showed a lot of resilience and fight there. ah where Where did that go?
00:48:05
Speaker
and like, okay, I will say, i don't want to... make use injuries as an excuse because famously in our last episode i did kind of make fun of the Carolina Hurricanes for not being able to win the conference finals when they're injured um I do think the Suns were very banged up and very tired but still that should not be the difference between winning your series and getting swept if if a few injuries mean that you get swept then like you have no business being in the playoffs
00:48:37
Speaker
Yeah, like, I don't know, famously injuries are what happened in the playoffs and like everyone is playing on like five broken bones. And like, not to say that that's a good thing, but I'm like, that just is what happens.
00:48:50
Speaker
Yeah, and like, usually the injuries show up a little bit later. You know, like i yeah the problem is the Sens already had a bunch of guys playing through injuries because the games were so important down the stretch, whereas a team like the Hurricanes was able to like rest up and get healthy for the first round. So they were at least healthy in the first round. And again, that's why I was making fun of the Hurricanes, because I was like, by the time you get to the third round,
00:49:12
Speaker
Obviously, you're going to have injuries. And I was also, again, making fun of them for having injuries to not even their best defenseman, just some random defensemen, whereas the Sens did lose their entire first pairing during this series, in which I think is something worth complaining about. i Sorry, I got a little bit of heat for cursing the team, and I think it was 100% deserved. like i I do think the Zub injury was my fault.
00:49:36
Speaker
But again, my point in our last episode was like, you should be able to weather injuries by the time you get to the third round. And if a handful of injuries means is a difference between you winning the Stanley Cup and getting swept in the conference finals, you're not a real cup contender, which I stand by. um So yes, I think we can complain a little bit about the Sens being banged up right out of the gate for the first round facing a really healthy opponent, which again, the Hurricanes were not doing in the conference finals because everyone's banged up in the conference finals.
00:50:08
Speaker
However, i do have to stick with my earlier criticism of the Hurricanes and say, if you can't play through injuries, you don't deserve to be here. i don't know.
00:50:20
Speaker
I guess the lesson then there is that, like again, the Sens need to be good throughout the year so that like in the last however many games, they're not like literally playing them as if they're playoff games because like every single point matters.
00:50:34
Speaker
Yeah. God, what a weird, cursed season this is. like It's just so crazy to look back at the whole season and be like, for the first half, they were playing fantastic hockey, couldn't buy a save, just like...
00:50:50
Speaker
Goaltending completely tanked their season to the point where it was like, I guess we just give up on the season, even though they've been really good. like this is so weird. There's literally only one problem.
00:51:03
Speaker
They finally get league average goaltending. And everything clicks. They go on this long winning streak. Well, not like ah not completely a winning streak, but like play fantastic hockey down the stretch, find a way into the playoffs, and then suddenly their goaltending is otherworldly.
00:51:20
Speaker
And the whole team is just like too tired, I guess, from that final stretch. like Just so cursed. Just like ah run it back. i Part of me is like, run it back. Just play the hockey that you played all season and hope that your goaltending is not...
00:51:34
Speaker
you know, a complete
Unpredictable Season and Goalie Hope
00:51:36
Speaker
tire fire. And then you'll be at the top of the Atlantic and you'll go into the playoffs nice and well-rested. Like, I don't know. i don't know what to take from this.
00:51:47
Speaker
Yeah. It's like... It feels so like, I know this isn't perfect, it feels so like Gift of the Magi or whatever, where it's like, I got you this thing that you no longer have use for because you got me the thing that, you know what I mean, or whatever. so I'm like ah like, right when like they are delivered like great goaltending when they actually have no more need for it because they're so bad.
00:52:15
Speaker
Like, okay, you know, what are the odds of of that happening of like, you know, nothing ever really perfectly lining up except for maybe like that stretch late in the season where they made the playoffs, you know, like and even that it wasn't, didn't, it wasn't perfectly aligned. Their goaltending was not as good as it was in the playoffs. Just just so strange.
00:52:39
Speaker
Yeah, I feel like, I don't know, it's it's like it's nice to know that like when we saw everyone at their best, we were like, this is a great team. like If the goaltending is good and the players are good, obviously that's like every single team. But like we saw it happen for like a brief moment, they coincided.
00:52:57
Speaker
So like maybe just try to get everyone like in sync. I don't know. like really and like can a sports psychologist help with that? I don't know.
00:53:09
Speaker
Just, I don't know. i feel like the Sens just had everything working against them all season. And just, like, at least they made the playoffs, I guess. Yeah. Honestly, like also, like, at least, like, it was... Honestly, there's a way to look at it where it's, like, at least it was in a deep run. So now they just get to, like, rest this whole time. And it's, like, just come back ready. Yeah, and also, I guess, you know, getting swept is embarrassing. But it also means, like...
00:53:37
Speaker
hey, ah you are not ready for the playoffs. Like, there are problems here. You need to address them. Like, you can't just run it back, you know? yeah because I feel like that's the thing is that, like,
00:53:49
Speaker
last season since it went to six even though they did like go down right it was like okay but like we took it to six and like almost not seven so like we're we're good it was like oh we weren't ready for the playoffs but you know then we figured it out so just just go back next year and be fine which was also my attitude about it um but yeah i feel like after this season it has to be like okay there's something needs to change a little bit um which we'll we'll discuss later. I wrote down, like, what are the positives we can take from this series? And the only one I have written is Linus Olmark. um Good to know he can play good hockey in the playoffs. We didn't know he could do that.
00:54:29
Speaker
Yeah, I'm honestly so happy that that happened. I feel like if he would have been the reason why we would have lost... It just, like, would have been so upsetting. Like, everyone would have been so angry and it would have been, like, really sad. And, like, now everyone's just sad so angry at other players. So I'm like, okay, the heat's off of him. yeah I know. And he's such an easy guy to root for. Like, and just every, I know everybody wanted him to be good in the playoffs. Because also, even before coming to Ottawa, he had a reputation as a playoff choker. Like, he had this, unfortunately, like, a history of going to the playoffs and suddenly sucking So even though the rest of the team was bad and the results were bad, it's really nice to know that Linus Olmert can go into the playoffs and just be completely lights out because we didn't know that was
00:55:18
Speaker
Like, I feel like if I were him too, I'd be like, thank God. Like, that's good to know about myself. Yeah. Yeah. Like, and I hope that, like, it gives him a boost of confidence that can also help him in the future, you know? Because he's a player that tends to, like, not do very well when he goes in cold or something. um Because that's also why I was, like...
00:55:40
Speaker
I don't know, i'm I'm mad that they wasted this because as soon as he started to play really well in the series, I was like, Linus Olmark is back. Like, he's going to be good for the rest of the playoffs as long as they last, you know, because when he's on his game, he is on his game. It's when he's been resting for a while and then he comes back that you're kind of like, oh, I don't know which version of him we're going to get.
00:56:02
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. I think also the only other thing I'll say about the playoffs, this is such a tangent, but we had the best playoff, the WAG jackets. True.
00:56:13
Speaker
And we talked about them, like we texted about them. and I was like, this was, and they were already down by two. And then they debuted them at the that game three, like at home. And I was like, these are the best in the league. i really hope that they get to wear them for more than two games. And that didn't happen.
00:56:30
Speaker
No, I really thought, i truly thought they were going to win game three because we got the wag jackets revealed. And also the Sens social media team did that yeah hilarious thing where they banished a fan to Taiwan. That was so good. That I'm so mad that the Sens wasted that because can you imagine how funny it would be if the Sens had like tied the series at home after that? And we would have been able to be like, this is the reason it happened. Yeah.
00:56:59
Speaker
I know. So sad. But yeah, now I'm like, damn, those wag jackets were so nice and they have no use for them. Like, honestly, check the value villages like in Ottawa. i will be trying to find one there. They're so cool.
00:57:15
Speaker
Yeah, don't even know they're not donating them. I know, I'm trying to keep them. It's like souvenirs or whatever. But I'm like, you don't need on them. They lost. It's fine. It says 26 on them. it was a bad year. Just give them away Some fan can wear the Sanderson one or whatever the hell. I feel like that'd be awesome. Okay.
00:57:34
Speaker
Let's talk about like where the Sens go from here. um Which is not a fun discussion, but we have to talk about this after they get eliminated. And i feel like we need to start with the weirdness surrounding Brady Kachuk.
00:57:54
Speaker
Because why is everyone in the media suddenly trying to, like, fabricate Brady Kachuk trade rumors out of thin air? Yeah, I am, like, again, not as on social media, so I don't fully see it as much. But I feel like there just is a general air of, like, Brady Kachuk is going to get traded.
00:58:14
Speaker
And I thought that it came from, like, somewhere, like, oh, did he say something? But, like, don't think, I think it's just the media is saying it. Like...
00:58:26
Speaker
It's just so, it's it's such a like complicated discussion. um Because the thing is, Brady looked completely checked out this year, especially in the playoffs. And there were times, especially during the playoffs, where I was watching him going, he's gone. Like, he does not want to be here.
00:58:42
Speaker
i don't really want him here. Like, just get the guy off the team. um'm I'm so done. Because he looks completely done. now Are there potentially other explanations? You know, he had a young kid. I'm pretty sure his wife gave birth like during game four something. Like, or yeah like game four like I'm pretty sure he missed the birth of his second child ah because he was playing in game four. You know, there might have been any number of things happening with him. He also got injured early on in this in this season.
00:59:14
Speaker
So, like, maybe there was another reason that he looks completely checked out. And maybe he'll come back next season and be his usual self and be full of energy and everything. i also don't think a trade would be a terrible idea. I don't think he's that good of a player. um But also, at the same time, so many people are acting like Brady is like super anti-Canada and you know is constantly talking shit about Ottawa when it's like, guys, that's Matthew. That's what Matthew is doing. And like I know that Brady associates with Matthew. I'm not going to close my eyes and pretend that like there's no way Brady could possibly share his brother's opinions. But like...
00:59:55
Speaker
Could we maybe discuss the things that Brady Kachuk has actually said and done ah instead of just being like, this is what his brother is like? Yeah, it's true. I do wish that they did not have a podcast anymore. really, really wish that. I really, really wish that. Yeah. I think the first change I would probably make this offseason just to be like Brady, like the podcast goes. Because like, I understand that they're trying to be the Kelsey brothers, at least like, whatever, like, that's my understanding of it. But it's like, isn't the whole thing with football that like,
01:00:33
Speaker
play a game and then have to take like a bunch of time off because it's so hard on your body and that's why they made a podcast and it's not like you have practice and games all the time like in hockey. So it's like maybe that's an off season or a never type of activity. i just feel like the podcast cursed us. like People think it's that like parody song. I think it was the podcast.
01:00:57
Speaker
Yeah, well, I mean, that's why the whole season was cursed. It was a stupid podcast. And that's the thing, like, in Brady's end of season press conference, which I watched in full, um because I wanted to know what he thought of all this, he was visibly really annoyed that, like, you know, since he got drafted, everyone has been making up these weird rumors about him wanting to leave Ottawa, and he...
01:01:23
Speaker
you know, and I agree with him here, has done nothing to indicate that he
Brady Kachuk Trade Rumors
01:01:27
Speaker
wants to leave Ottawa. He has constantly said that he's happy here. he always looks happy here. Like, there's no reason to think that he wants out except for him looking checked out all season this year.
01:01:37
Speaker
But that at the same time, i was like, okay, yeah, that's really frustrating, Brady. But like, you know what would help this? is not having a podcast with your brother, who constantly talks shit about Canada, says, you know, that like, when Brady was in the playoffs, Matthew was on the podcast being like, yeah, I promised Brady I would go to his games if he was ever in the playoffs and I wasn't. But at the time, I thought there was no way that would ever happen. And like, also, there's no way I'm going to Ottawa for his games, so I'm going to go to Raleigh instead. Where it's just like, maybe don't sit next to that guy and have a podcast with him if you don't want All of this, like, drama around you wanting to leave.
01:02:17
Speaker
yeah like, it's just so weird. Like, why? i i like I feel like Matthew Kachuk definitely wants a Brady Kachuk trade. And it's like, okay, fine. But, like...
01:02:30
Speaker
I want the podcast anymore then. Like, it's been obviously yeah, people are like, well, your brother is saying this and you're just like, like, you don't really see like, no, I disagree. So it's like, okay, you don't cut it out of the podcast either.
01:02:44
Speaker
yeah where are the editors? like what's going on? i don't know. It's just all very odd. And it's like, you don't need a podcast. Like, no one needs a podcast. We just do this for fun. so like, they can have fun. Others, they should just call and just like pretend they're recording a podcast and then just not put it out. and it's like, everyone would be much happier.
01:03:12
Speaker
And the thing is, like, it also extends to his off-ice reputation as well. um Because, like, you know, I'm going to preface this with, like, I don't think Brady Kachuk has good politics. Like, I don't think he's a good person. um I'm not trying to make excuses for him. And I think that he deserves criticism for the things that he has actually said and done, mostly, like, going to the White House when he didn't have to do that, right? But...
01:03:36
Speaker
So many people talk about Brady as, like, he is one of the most outspoken right-wing players in the league. Like, you know, he is the face of, like, MAGA influencers in hockey or whatever. Like, you know, people who don't know anything about the Sens talk about Brady as if he's, like, one of the most outspoken right-wing players. And it's, like...
01:03:55
Speaker
You're talking about Matthew Kachuk. Brady is the guy who sits next to him looking awkward and doesn't say anything, which, like, again, i don't think that he's a good person. I think he deserves criticism for, like, not challenging his brother on any of this stuff. But also, like, it bugs me when people are inaccurate that way, you know?
01:04:15
Speaker
Yeah. And i I think like, that's the thing is that like, I think it's definitely very like implied that like, okay, sitting next to your brother, not saying anything. Like there's an implication that like, either you're fine with it or that like, whatever, you don't care enough to actually challenge it. But it is true that everyone are like, the Kachuk brothers said this. And it's like, well, technically speaking, no. And it's like, I don't like love them. I'm not like, um well, actually like get it right. But it's like, like technically speaking, like you're incorrect. And it's like, I don't,
01:04:45
Speaker
Like, it's impossible to know. Like, ah it's not impossible to know. I feel like Brady Kachuk probably, like, definitely shares a lot of, like, those views and stuff. But again, this is why they just gotta of cancel the podcast. Because it's like, okay, either, like, say on the podcast, like, I agree. And then it's like, okay, we now know. Or just, like, don't have the podcast where you're sitting next to your brother as he's saying all this stuff. But there's just, like, this weird in-between where it's like, I guess, technically speaking, he didn't overtly agree with any of this, but he's on this podcast. Brady...
01:05:13
Speaker
from day one has been very like PR trained, um very careful to avoid saying anything controversial. Like if you look at his social media following, he doesn't even even follow any right wing accounts, which is more than can be said for many players around the league, including probably lots of Sens players. I don't check them that closely.
01:05:32
Speaker
And yeah, like, has been super careful not to say anything, not to, like, get involved in politics at all. But then, like, his brother has none of these reservations and Brady has no problem associating openly with his brother. So it's like, I don't know what you but we're supposed to think other than that you agree with your brother.
01:05:51
Speaker
But, like, again, there's a very clear, like... way to fix this problem, which is like, stop having a podcast with your brother and people will stop assuming that your brother's opinions are yours. Literally, because I feel like I'm going crazy because it's like, obviously, like, i think probably Brady Kachuk, if he had a choice, probably just wants to play in America, right? But it's not like he's like anti-Ottawa. Like, I feel like right when he signed his extension, everyone was like, holy shit, Brady Kachuk loves it here. Like, he could have signed a three-year deal. He didn't. He signed like a seven. You know what i mean? Like, there were all these things where it's like, oh, he actually wants to be in Ottawa. He actually like wants to like do all this. So then it's like just weird that this happened, like whatever, like four years later where it's like, what's going on now? Like, I don't understand.
01:06:36
Speaker
Yeah, and like, he genuinely seems to love like, being the captain, being the face of the franchise, playing, you know, with all this attention on him. Like, he seems to love that. And he seems to enjoy being in Ottawa.
01:06:51
Speaker
So but yeah, and so there's this weird rumor. yeah people just insist that like, he's desperate to leave for the States. And it's like, if you actually watch him, I don't really think... that he is. Like, he doesn't give off that impression. Maybe he is secretly, but he has certainly seemed happy to be in Ottawa, um, for this whole time.
01:07:11
Speaker
I don't know. It's weird. and And yeah, now, like, I don't know. it just bothers me when, like, all the, like, People who follow hockey generally but aren't, like, huge Sens fans, like, so many people now talk about Brady. We'll talk about the Sens as, like, the evil MAGA team because all they know about us is Brady Kachuk. And I saw so many people in the lead-up to the playoffs being like, we must defeat the evil that is Brady Kachuk. Meanwhile, they're, like, baby girlifying the Sabres when Tange Thompson is, like, significantly worse.
01:07:42
Speaker
It just bugs me. Literally, because it's like obviously Brady Kachuk, very American, very like associated with Matthew Kachuk, all these things, right? But it's like, we also still do have like many Canadians on the, day like obviously a lot of Americans too, but like we do have like Tom Chabot, like Claude Giroux, like we have these Canadian guys where it's like,
01:08:01
Speaker
I don't know. Like, obviously other Canadian teams have, like, more... Like, obviously, like, Nick Suzuki is the captain of the Habs. Like, obviously, like, Connor McDavid captain the Oilers, all these things. But it's like, we also have Canadians, guys. Like, please.
01:08:16
Speaker
It's just another example of people not paying attention to the Sens, which I don't like. Yeah, it's like like... because they pay attention to Matthew Kachuk, which, like, honestly, yeah, like, I get it. Like, he...
01:08:31
Speaker
like for better for worse, that guy draws your attention and you're like, what the hell is going on? What the heck is this guy? You know what I mean? But then it's like, they're technically different people. i don't know. It's also like, I guess it's like the whole very close friends with like Quinn Hughes, like the Hughes brothers, that whole thing. like You know what I mean? It's just like,
01:08:50
Speaker
I mean, surely he must, like, i don't know. Because it's so weird that doesn't just agree with your brother on the podcast then. He doesn't, like as far as, I don't tune into the podcast, so maybe he does. But from what I understand, he's just like, ah like on this, you know what i mean? Like he doesn't actually be like, I agree, Matthew. I hate Ottawa, Ontario or whatever. Yeah, and just generally, and you know, this is an issue that I've always had with like Twitter discourse and stuff. I just think it's frustrating when people criticize people based on like, what they think their beliefs are or whatever, when I think it's a lot more helpful to criticize people for the things that they have actually said and done. Just because like, once we start speculating about someone's beliefs, or you know, who they are as a person, it's just kind of like,
01:09:35
Speaker
and You know, you're you're just trying to, i don't know, we don't have necessarily hard evidence and it's hard to formulate like a good criticism of someone that way. Whereas I would prefer to be like, these are the things that they have actually done and this is bad.
01:09:52
Speaker
um and I wish people would do that more with Brady and like criticize him for, again, the things that he has actually said and done instead of being like, well, he is just a symbol of like the American right.
Family Dynamics and Public Perception
01:10:04
Speaker
Therefore, i hate him. Which, like, you can still hate him for the things he's said and done. Like, I'm not excusing anything he's done. It's just, like, I just feel it's gotten a little bit out of hand, especially when so when there are so many players as bad, if not worse, around the league.
01:10:21
Speaker
Yeah, like... I don't know. all like and'm definitely not like Brady Kachuk's biggest fan at the current likeping moment. So I'm like, I definitely am a fan of like like, again, why do you have this damn podcast? But it's like, i agree that it's like, you do have to just like keep it, I guess, to the things that he's actually like said and done. um But yeah, the whole thing is odd. Because it's like and like, people are like, oh, he hates Ottawa so much. And I'm like,
01:10:53
Speaker
Maybe he said it on the podcast, but I'm pretty sure he didn't. Like, I think that, like, that's not actually based on anything except what his brother is saying. So it's just all confusing. I don't know. Why does he have this podcast? Like, just stop having it.
01:11:09
Speaker
Literally. Well, it's like, you can really see how, again, this is like the Sens inferiority complex where like, you can see how the public perception of Brady changed based on Matthew's behavior, where like, when Matthew was a hockey Twitter meow meow, and everybody loved him, Brady was like the goofy younger brother and people, he was sort of an afterthought, like, oh, I love Matthew Kachuk. And also, it's so cute that he has this like, silly brother who plays in Ottawa, right?
01:11:38
Speaker
And then as soon as Matthew kind of showed his ass about his politics, everyone was like the evil MAGA brothers. And it's like, Brady didn't do anything. Yes, i I mean like before the White House, yeah.
01:11:52
Speaker
Yeah, it's just a mess. I don't know The move Sen should make in the offseason is like adding a clause to Brady's contract. Like no more podcast. Just like your thoughts out loud to no one and then just go on with your day. Give him an ultimatum.
Trade Strategy Discussions
01:12:09
Speaker
You say stop the podcast or we trade you immediately.
01:12:14
Speaker
And then he'll know though, because then he's like, okay, yeah as long as it's to an American team. Honestly, the worst case scenario is like trade him to like, I don't know. That's the thing, because I'm like, oh, would hate Winnipeg. He a full no-mo though.
01:12:25
Speaker
wow that's true. But I'm like, if he was in Winnipeg, I'm like, would he hate Winnipeg? But his is from Winnipeg. That's the whole thing it even weirder. It's like, okay, have a Canadian mom. I know!
01:12:37
Speaker
and Are they dual citizens? they They have the right to dual citizenship. like like What is going on? And then, oh my god, I'm just like suddenly remembering everything when he was like, I don't want the 51st state because I love to play hockey against Canada.
01:12:53
Speaker
Technically, then he says he didn't want us to be annexed. so like I don't know. That whole thing is just ridiculous. He's a true ally, truly. ah Yeah. don't know what other moves the Sens should make, though. I guess that was this segment, technically. Is that, like, what moves are we thinking? well no I think there's more. Well, because with Brady, i don't know. There's so much discussion about, like, and so many news outlets are basically being like, Brady's obviously getting traded in the offseason. Here's a you know, mock trade package.
01:13:21
Speaker
ah But what it comes down to is just what Brady wants. Like, I don't think the Sens want to trade him. I don't You know, we don't really get the impression that Brady is desperate to leave. I hope they sit him down and they're like, hey, do you want to play out these next two years or not?
01:13:34
Speaker
um But I don't even think they're going to do that. Like, truly, i think the Sens want to keep him until the end of his contract, at least. um And it's it just comes down to whether Brady's going to request a trade or not. So it it feels a little bit pointless to discuss it because it's just like...
01:13:50
Speaker
I think it's up to Brady. i also think that like right now would be such a bad time to trade him. It's like coming off of zero points in the playoffs. I'm sure that people are going to offer a ton, but I don't know.
01:14:02
Speaker
But also, in a way, I feel like it is a good time to trade him because he has two years left. And also, again, we can use the fact that people don't know anything about Brady to our advantage because everyone's going to be like, oh, we get like younger Matthew Kachuk.
01:14:17
Speaker
Perfect. You know, we'll give up lots of assets for that guy because he's like basically Matthew Kachuk, right? Little do they know. Banking on the fact that like no like front offices pay attention to the sense. Just don't do a deal with a kit with the Carolina Hurricanes and we're fine. Because they're the only ones who saw it recently.
01:14:39
Speaker
yeah i I feel like they could make a trade work. I don't know like what a trade would look like. I feel like Sens fans are very, very high on Brady Kachuk. I don't know. i've seen like ah i think I've seen like a couple of like, ah this is what this is the package I would do. And it's like, okay, we're not going to get like three young, good prospects and also a star player for Brady Kachuk. I hate to break it to everyone. I saw some people speculate that the um hurricane not the hurricanes the Panthers might just trade the 8th overall pick for Brady. And I was like, you know what? that
01:15:16
Speaker
That feels realistic. I feel like we could do that. um i also saw some like St. Louis, because they're probably going to trade um what's named Robert Thomas.
01:15:27
Speaker
So it was like, oh, they obviously would want Brady, so that would work. Like, I don't know, some of them, i they made sense to me. But again, I'm like, I think it all just comes down to whether Brady wants to leave or not. And I don't necessarily get the vibe that he wants to leave.
01:15:45
Speaker
Yeah, i it's like... I don't know. It's very... again I'm like, why is this guy an enigma? He should be very simple to understand. But I don't know. Like, I don't... Also don't get the sense that he wants to leave. But then it's like, his brother and dad, I think, want him to leave real bad. So it's like, I don't know. Well, yeah. And it's like, you can kind of look at it two ways, right? Where you're like, on the one hand, okay, Brady himself doesn't seem like he wants to leave. And I'm not just saying this by, like, you know, the things he has said to the media. Like...
01:16:15
Speaker
he He has fun going out in Ottawa and stuff, you know? Like, he seems to be enjoying it. He's friends with everyone on the team. um So then you're like, oh, well, it's just his brother and his dad making up noise. And Brady, obviously, you know, they they don't speak for Brady. But then you're also like...
01:16:33
Speaker
Maybe, like, Brady obviously can't go around saying that he hates Ottawa, you know? So, like, yeah maybe they are saying what he's thinking. He just can't say these things, right? And they can.
01:16:47
Speaker
In the CBA, there needs to be a no podcast, like, thing. It should count as tampering. Like, I swear to God, it doesn't make sense. Like, this whole thing is weird. It's weird.
01:16:59
Speaker
I know, it's so weird. And it also just frustrates me because I'm like, Brainy, you are a grown-ass man. Like, are you truly incapable of, like, talking back to your dad and your brother? like why Why are you sitting back and letting your brother say all the controversial things?
01:17:18
Speaker
Why are you letting him push you around like this? Like, if you actually disagree with him on anything, give us a reason to think you do. you know, it's just so weird. Like, it I miss when he didn't have podcast. I know I keep coming back to it, but the podcast is the root of all evil.
01:17:37
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Well, okay, let's talk about the rest of the roster. It's like, I don't know, with Brady, again, it's like, he'll get traded or he won't. I feel like they could upgrade on him. i think people would be worried about, like, the intangibles and all that and the leadership, but, like...
01:17:52
Speaker
I think Brady has reached his ceiling. I also think he's had too many injuries. I'm like, his body is going to completely fall apart in a few years. Like, we gotta get rid of him before this happens, guys. He went blind on the ice. Like, we gotta leave. Oh my god, that shit was crazy. Oh my god. So I'm like, you know what? Let's upgrade on him. He's not even that good of a player. Like, just... If we can find... If we can get another goal scorer, like... to replace him and hopefully, you know, score more than him. Because I think he's topped out as like maybe a 30 goal scorer and that's it.
01:18:29
Speaker
But he brings all the intangibles. of course, super valuable.
Team Roster and Skill Improvements
01:18:33
Speaker
um But beyond Brady, what other changes do we make to the roster before next year? That's the thing. i don't know.
01:18:40
Speaker
Like, do you have it? Because I'm like, should we run it back? Like, were we good and we should just run it back? I think they need to make some adjustments here. Okay. First of all, in goal, bring in a backup goaltender. That's all we need. Oh, yeah, yeah.
01:18:55
Speaker
But if Olmark is cold or he needs to take personal leave or he gets injured, you need to have somebody to play the backup position, which was, I think that was their main problem. Like, yeah, Olmark let them down, but like, they also just had nobody past him.
01:19:09
Speaker
So get yourself a backup goaltender so that you can have league average goaltending for the whole season. And then you're good, right? That I think should be a priority.
01:19:20
Speaker
ah Defense, I would run it back, honestly. They had, like, literally some of the best defense. I think the best defense, like, in terms of the analytics in the entire league. um Yeah, Sanderson, Zub, Shabbat, Spence, and then some combination of, like, Clevin, Matinpalo, maybe Yakumchuk on the third pairing. Like, all good to me.
01:19:44
Speaker
um They had so many injuries on defense, and they still played perfectly good defense down the stretch, like, all All fine for me. Don't make any changes there. Forward.
01:19:55
Speaker
i do think they desperately need upgrades in the top six. I think they need one like pure goal scorer or like one really, really skilled forward to play with Timmy.
01:20:08
Speaker
And i would say they also need another one. like um Because the thing is, like they've got Timmy, they have Brady on his wing, They've been playing, well, no, they had they weren't playing Brady with him. They were playing Batherson.
01:20:23
Speaker
i Was it was at Batherson and G that were on Timmy's line? Batherson we'll get to in a minute. I have some issues with him. I don't think he's good enough to play with Timmy. G is rapidly declining. We cannot count on him in the top six, guys. like he He's a third liner now. um Please, please free him from the top six.
01:20:44
Speaker
And then, yeah, the second line was that they had, like, Dylan Cousins, who's fine, and then Brady Kachuk and Ridley Gregg, who, like, Gregg is a guy you can have in the top six if you're injured, if you have players injured, but, like, I don't want him st starting the season in the top six. And honestly...
01:21:01
Speaker
I think people are overlooking the fact that the Sens were like really healthy at forward this year. Like if they had had more injuries at forward, like they would have been pretty screwed. So I, I think they need to add at least two forwards, um which is not an easy task.
01:21:19
Speaker
Yeah. I think that all makes sense. i i also just don't know like what the, like trade market like looks like or like free agent. and like I don't know what anything looks like right now. so I'm like, i don't know who they should even try to target. But yeah. People are saying Jason Robertson might be on the market. I don't know who the Sens would trade for him.
01:21:41
Speaker
Yeah, I don't know what Dallas' view of Jason Robertson is, honestly, because I feel like he gets overlooked. like Obviously, he got overlooked for the Olympics and stuff. So I don't know if like Dallas is also low on him.
01:21:52
Speaker
Yeah. And the other thing, other thing I want to talk about is, like, okay, I know Drake Batherson scored, like, some of the only goals for the Sens in this series, but, like, I am so sick of this guy Like, I know there's also, like, some off-ice reasons why I don't like him. Um...
01:22:10
Speaker
ah You know, like, this has been a thing for a while. But, like, this guy has no hockey IQ. And watching him with Tim Stutzla all season, I wanted to tear my hair out.
01:22:21
Speaker
This, like, Tim Stutzla would be constantly starting plays that Bathurston would just kill. Like, whips on great scoring chances. He makes the wrong decision every time he has the puck. I've said a few times on social media, and I'm going to stand by this. I'm going to put this on the podcast. He is the player that the Spezza haters thought Spezza was. Like, he is a skilled player who just, like, makes so many egregious mistakes on defense that, like, it completely cancels out any positive contributions he makes.
01:22:54
Speaker
Yeah, the thing also, like, I know, like, not that much about Bathersen, but I do know that in the summer he goes to, like, train with Sidney Crosby and Nathan McKinnon because they're all from the East Coast. And it's like, where is that? Like, what do you do in the summer? It's not showing up on the ice. Like, did you not pick up some brain cells from those guys? Like, maybe it goes the other way. They just steal all his brain cells and he just comes back with no hockey IQ. Yeah.
01:23:24
Speaker
Like, it's honestly like shocking. I'm like, how do you hang out in any meaningful capacity with them and then still play hockey like this? Yeah. um So the thing is, like I know people would respond to this by being like, why are you trying to get rid of one of the few like skilled forwards that the Sens have when they desperately need skilled forwards? So i I'm not at the point where I'm like, we need to just like get him off the team. We need to sell him off for whatever assets we can get. But like I just think if they can get an upgrade on Patterson...
01:23:57
Speaker
They really should. um Because I just don't think he's that good. And the thing is, he has this great contract with one more year on it. He's probably going to make more, but I think he's worth less than his contract. I'm so done with this guy. Like, trade him to a team that is, like, up against the cap, that desperately needs, like, you know, cheap, a cheap forward.
01:24:19
Speaker
And see what you can get back from him for him. Like, I don't know. Or it's more like if you can't, Like, if you need to give up players in order to bring in an upgrade at forwards, I would be willing to trade him.
01:24:35
Speaker
Yeah, but that's like, that's my list of... of upgrades i would make. Like, okay, the thing is, they need to add two forwards. I would say Brady and Batherson are the two players that I'd be like, if you could get an upgrade on them, then do it.
New Talent Speculation
01:24:53
Speaker
Because I think you could do a lot better, right? Like, if they just had two better forwards than Kachuk and Batherson, and then the rest of the lineup was the same, I'd be like, okay, it's not perfect, but, like, we've improved, right? Or if they can just bring in two good forwards and keep the rest of the forward...
01:25:09
Speaker
intact, ah group intact somehow, then, like, that's great, too. Yeah, I think that makes a lot of sense. I don't know, though. i also... I don't know. Like, I guess I've liked like the recent moves that we've made. I thought that like, like obviously Spence was good. I think like Fogle was pretty good. Like, yeah. So I'm like, okay, I guess I have some confidence that like they can probably like get some value in some places. Maybe it just like, look at whoever is most underrated and is the most, has the most blue on their like whatever statistic chart. And then it's like, yeah, do that. Just sort by like highest to lowest or whatever.
01:25:50
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, even if they add, like, middle six forwards, it's like... There are worse things than having, like, a really solid group of, you know, like, four lines that are all
Ottawa Charge Playoff Potential
01:26:02
Speaker
competent. um I would definitely get rid of k Nick Cousins for off-ice reasons and also on-ice reasons. He sucks. Love it when those things converge, you know? um i can't remember who else. i don't I don't think anyone else in the bottom six was really bad, but I'm kind of like, you know, if you can just, like...
01:26:19
Speaker
improve slightly in the bottom six bring in some players that like can maybe hang with the top six if you need them to like not the end of the world, but I i do think they need like they need some highly skilled players. They need somebody who can actually keep up with Jim Jutsa. Famously, the easiest thing to do, just just pick up 50-goal scorer. Just get good players. with No pressure, Steve Steyos. Who was it? Steve Weizerman, who was like, I think our problem is that we just don't have enough good players.
01:26:51
Speaker
I'm really obsessed. Oh my gosh. Yeah. Isn't that everyone's problem? The issue is honestly there's too many damn teams. 30 teams is too many. Contract.
01:27:09
Speaker
A good segue into the final section of this podcast. gonna yeah It's a long podcast because we so much to discuss. Did you see that we were called out on um at the Senegoth Lounge for not talking about the charge recently? I'm sorry.
01:27:25
Speaker
Yeah, we well, the thing is we took a long break and then we were all hyped up about, like, Sens playoffs that we didn't have time to talk about the Charge. But now that the Sens are dead, ah we have time to talk about the Ottawa Charge.
01:27:40
Speaker
Yeah, so ah we're recording this before game two, so things could be going very badly very soon. um Charge, kind of hard to figure out, I find. Have you been watching, like, a lot of their games this year?
01:27:55
Speaker
I've watched like where i could. Honestly, this is so embarrassing for someone who like technically has a hockey podcast. didn't watch a ton of hockey this whole year, but when I did, i could I tried to watch The Charge. They are like very hard to figure out, i feel like. I don't know.
01:28:11
Speaker
i feel like I was never like confident in like where they stood. Yeah, they're really not a team that inspires a lot of confidence. Like, even during the regular season, I was like, oh, I don't know if this team's going anywhere in the playoffs.
01:28:27
Speaker
um But also, like, I think part of it is just that there's been so much, like, talent dilution because of expansion that all the teams look worse this year than they did last year. um You know, the Chargers, they're a team that are really good at getting to overtime.
01:28:41
Speaker
ah and And that's about it They have, like, one line. um Some decent defenders, but, like, not really. And obviously ah an amazing goaltender.
01:28:56
Speaker
But like, yeah, it's kind of hard to figure out what their chances are. i kind of don't feel that confidence in them They got pretty badly outplayed by Boston in game one. so it's just like, it's a little, I hate to say it, it's a little hard to get excited about this team.
01:29:13
Speaker
um Even though obviously, I really, really hope that they can make another run. Because like, I kind of said that last year too, where I was like, this team is not that good. And then and they almost won the Walter Cup. So yeah, i don't know.
01:29:27
Speaker
I think that, um yeah, like, i think that goaltending is the only thing where I've consistently been like, we got this, but everything else, I'm like, i truly have no idea, like what, how good we are.
01:29:44
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, like, Brienne Jenner's had a great season. Rebecca Leslie just, like, coming out of nowhere. Like, that's been such a cool story. Like, that that you know, that there is, there has been exciting stuff to watch and everything. um Sarah Wisniewicz, too. Wisniewicz, I'm sorry. um She's a ah rookie and she has been absolutely amazing on that line with Jenner and Leslie. Yeah.
01:30:09
Speaker
Katarova I absolutely love like just came out of nowhere ah she's so much fun to watch and unfortunately Emily Clark has had a really really rough season um and a really react rough game one too but like yeah you know there there are positives and negatives I feel like I barely see any of the bottom six on the charge like they're not a very deep team um not like wowed by their defense either But like they're they're a team that can get to overtime.
Women's Hockey Rivalries and Expansion
01:30:40
Speaker
are do Yeah. we move it
01:30:44
Speaker
And but something we can hang our hats on, the Victoire are afraid of us. It's true. They picked Minnesota instead of us.
01:30:56
Speaker
Yeah. I also saw an edit of that set to the election of 1800 from Hamilton on TikTok. And I was like, yeah, TikTok editors know what's going on.
01:31:07
Speaker
Hell yeah. I did not see that, but that's that sounds awesome. But yeah, I think that that's nice. It's nice to be feared somewhat. um I don't know if I would fear us, but I don't... I like it. Yeah, I was kind of like...
01:31:26
Speaker
like First of all, you're picking the two-time defending champs who both times have gone into the playoffs as like, have gone into, i think, every, no, not all of their matches because they would have been ahead of Ottawa, I think, last year. But anyways, has gone in as a lower seed and just like beaten everyone.
01:31:44
Speaker
and And, you know, yeah, you did well against them in the regular season. That doesn't mean that much. ah So yeah, you're picking them. um And also, like, have you seen Ottawa play this year? i don't know. I feel like you match up pretty well against us.
01:32:01
Speaker
Yeah. And it's like, okay, on the one hand, i want to be like, oh, I'm not complaining. Like, I don't necessarily want to play the Victoire. I definitely don't want to lose to the Victoire. But also, the one annoying thing about this is that my two most hated teams are now playing each other.
01:32:16
Speaker
And now because of all the like drama around the Frost and specifically Brita Curl, naturally everyone's like, the Victoire are the forces of good against the forces of evil. like We all have to rally behind them. you know her Our beautiful lesbians defeating the transphobes. And I want to support that, but I'm like, i not the Victoire. I don't want them to get that glory. like We are the lesbians defeating the transphobes. We have to be that team. Yeah.
01:32:43
Speaker
I know, it's also so sad because we had the opportunity to do it last season and we failed. Yeah. So it's like, I can't really root for anyone in that matchup. But then it's like, I feel like I'm evil if I'm not rooting for the Victoire. It's just like, I can't root for them. Come on, guys.
01:33:02
Speaker
Yeah. It's just like... Not that I like Boston either, Yeah. yeah Yeah, I don't know. i hope that they can... Like, get a win. i don't know if I'm confident in that.
01:33:16
Speaker
It will be so depressing if both Ottawa teams get swept. I know, but like, why this kind of realistic? Sorry, I'm like being a hater of the chart. I believe in them. Mm-hmm.
01:33:29
Speaker
i you know I could see them doing it. I could see them pulling it off and winning the Walter Cup. It could happen. I have to also remind myself that like as much as the Charge have gotten worse this year, everyone else has also gotten gotten worse, right? Yeah, exactly.
01:33:46
Speaker
Speaking of that, expansion is coming again, apparently. getting worse again. So fun. Yeah, I don't know. um i mean, we don't have the expansion rules yet.
01:33:59
Speaker
There are rumors that apparently there's going to be like, it i I don't know, this is Ian Kennedy, who's not a super trustworthy source, but he reported that they're apparently considering not doing an expansion draft and instead just focusing on free agency, um which is like slightly better. But also rumor has it they're adding four teams.
01:34:17
Speaker
We're not going to have any players. Yeah, wait, what? Yeah. feel like that's like very, I'm like, obviously like awesome. More like hockey and like more women's hockey and like more cities, but like,
01:34:30
Speaker
That's very quick. I feel like the teams might all not be good enough then. Yeah. And it it concerns me a little bit because like, you know, the PWHL has done so well in recent years, especially like in Canada for any of our American listeners. Like you do not understand how much people love the PWHL in Canada, or at least the Canadian cities that have teams. Like it is such a big thing now.
01:34:54
Speaker
um ah But it's like, when you expand this quickly, like every single year, you are, first of all, robbing several players of like the faces of their franchise. Right. So it's harder for people to get attached to the players because there's just so much turnover all the time. Right. um So it's a little harder to build a fan base when like all the players that play that fans get attached to leave, but also like, yeah, you're,
01:35:20
Speaker
you know, diluting the talent, you're making the on-ice product worse. And, like, obviously, you know, I've watched much worse women's hockey leagues than this. Like, I was a PHF fan. That was not, like, the best quality hockey ever. um And, you know, obviously the new players coming in are still good. Like, it's not not unwatchable. It's just, like, I don't know. I'm worried that the product is going to get worse.
01:35:40
Speaker
um And that's just sad. Yeah. It is, like, it would will be, like, disappointing. I i guess, like, I don't know. i guess it's like probably a, like, they've probably like run the numbers and been like, look, like we can support, like, there's enough, like, obviously there's enough fans to support and everything. They've probably also been like, yeah, there's enough like talent and everything to go around. It just feels like very, very fast. I don't know. My only like measuring stick, I guess, is like, I guess like WNBA, like how fast they've expanded. I don't know if it was similar though.
01:36:18
Speaker
Yeah, I've heard that the it was kind of similar, but I don't know enough about the WNBA. um But i don't know, the PHF did that. They expanded way too quickly ah and like couldn't really support their league.
01:36:30
Speaker
And you know I think the PWHL is coming from a much more stable place. like Things are much better for women's hockey now than they were a few years ago. And I'm sure they'll be fine. and It's just a little sad to to see this like happening. so just All this expansion so quickly. It's just like...
01:36:47
Speaker
I don't know. It sucks. And like, you know, there is new talent coming into the league. I'm glad that like, you know, the players get more opportunities. You know, a player like Rebecca Leslie might not have had the opportunity to be on the top line on the charge without expansion happening. Like, it's it's nice that we get to discover all these new players.
01:37:08
Speaker
But... and And, you know, obviously, like, I'm glad that they get more opportunities because, like, I care about women being able to play hockey for a living. um But, like, I think it's also fine to acknowledge that, like, unfortunately, there haven't been many opportunities for women to play hockey um professionally at a high level for a very, very, like, you know, for...
01:37:31
Speaker
ever basically, right? Like until a few years ago, it was really, really, there were so few opportunities for women to play hockey. And unfortunately, that did hurt the sport, you know, like, there wasn't, we didn't have the same, like, level of development, the same resources for players to develop. Players often retired after they, you know, graduated college, right?
01:37:53
Speaker
And, like, that meant that a lot of talented players didn't keep playing hockey. ah And that just means that, like, we don't have, like, a super huge talent pool. um I don't know, right? Like, it sounds bad. It sounds like I'm shit-talking women's hockey.
01:38:13
Speaker
But, like, I just think that it's going to take a while for... the league to for women's hockey to get to a point where like they're producing such high level players at like a high enough level to sustain this many new
Sustainability of Women's Hockey
01:38:29
Speaker
teams and I don't know if the influx of like new talented players from the NCAA which is definitely happening like you know we've got a lot of really talented players joining the league next year I don't know if that is happening as but quickly enough to match the speed of expansion
01:38:46
Speaker
Yeah, if that makes sense. The other thing is that like obviously like one would hope, and like I feel like it will happen, is that like the the fact that like the PWHL exists in the first place like definitely will have an effect of, like oh, players can like like want to pursue that. So like they play for longer. like They're actually like actively like working towards that and stuff like that. So it's like...
01:39:05
Speaker
Like, obviously, like, i think hopefully it'll also cause like more people to even start like playing Wins hockey, like from like, obviously that trickle down effect though will take like many, many years to like happen. you know what I mean? So it's like, yeah, that's the thing.
01:39:19
Speaker
so Yeah, like, going to take a few years. I feel like it's going to take a few years for the sport to produce, like, enough, like, high-level players to sustain a professional league that has the level of play that we've had, you know, that we had in the first two seasons and this season too, right?
01:39:37
Speaker
um So, like, I don't know. It'll still be interesting to have all these new players. I'm sure we're going to discover all kinds of new players through expansion and everything. ah But, like,
01:39:47
Speaker
I also do worry a little bit about the on ice product, at least um in the next few years, because adding four teams to an eight team league or 16, wait, 18 league. Yes. um that That's a lot. That's a lot of teams, you know? um Yeah.
01:40:08
Speaker
Like it is like 50% increase or whatever. So yeah. I just feel like they could have waited like two more years. Yeah, like, i don't, I guess like, I don't know what goes on behind the scenes. Like, I don't know if they've like, ah like, surely they would have like thought about all this. But like, I don't know if it's just like, they're like, yep, it's viable. And like, we have people who want to invest. So for sure. And I don't know, i guess we'll see. Hopefully, i feel like it'll be fun.
01:40:36
Speaker
do we know where the teams are going? Not yet. um A lot of people are saying Detroit. um Weirdly, apparently Vegas is an option. Honestly.
01:40:50
Speaker
oh my gosh, we're going to lose all our free agents to Vegas, man. Probably.
01:40:57
Speaker
I've seen in Quebec City thrown out, possibly. i don't think Halifax is getting a team. It sounds like the travel is too much. Yeah. I don't know. i I also heard rumors that they might all be American, which is so stupid because like like I said, the QWHL has taken off in Canada like so much.
01:41:17
Speaker
um I feel like they need either Edmonton or Calgary. Like it's still completely nuts to me that a women's hockey league doesn't have a team in Calgary. That's just absolutely wild because that's such a women's hockey hub. um But it sounds like Edmonton might be more of a friend runner.
01:41:32
Speaker
i don't know.
01:41:35
Speaker
Yeah, I guess, a well, that'll be interesting to see. Obviously, like, more rivalries, things like that. um Yeah, there'll be lots of positives. Like, I don't want to be all, like, oh, no, this is terrible. It's going to be awful for the sport. Like, I'm i'm sure the league will survive it. I'm sure it's fine. I am just sad as, like, a fan of...
01:41:54
Speaker
very good hockey that is being played in the PWHL, I have noticed a drop-off in the quality of the play from last year to this year, and I'm worried that that's going to be worse next year.
01:42:08
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, I guess, like, that's always, I guess, a fear with extension. Is that, like, well, technically, like, there's there is, like, now the talent has to be spread thinner, just how it works. But I don't know. I feel like it'll be exciting. I just also hope that, yeah, they're...
01:42:26
Speaker
like surely they thought about it but I'm just like okay hopefully like nothing bad happens like hopefully they are they are deciding on places there it's like definitely sustainable and all that because I feel like some places it might take ah like I think anywhere in Canada could definitely like there are women's hockey fans general hockey fans just like all over i feel like if they're only doing it in America though I'd be like hopefully they like ran the numbers and are sure that like it's all good there you know what i mean Well, yeah, especially when you look at the attendance numbers in the Canadian cities versus the American ones, it's like, I mean, I'm sure the TakeOver Tour stuff went well, but I don't think you can judge fully based on the TakeOver Tour.
01:43:07
Speaker
like when all of your American teams are struggling to sell tickets to their regular games and all your Canadian teams are like basically selling out. I don't know. why Why are you trying to expand more in the States?
01:43:22
Speaker
Yeah. I don't know. Hopefully someone thought about all this though. Hopefully there's someone in the league who is like, hey, don't worry. We thought about all this. joe Not to you know, rehash old discourse. I still felt a little feel a little bit like maybe they could have kept the PHF around as a development league.
01:43:41
Speaker
maybe a development league would be cool. um Although I guess i i guess like the European leagues are kind of the development league now, because like that's the place you can go if you're like not in the PWHL, but you still want to play pro women's hockey, I guess.
01:43:56
Speaker
know. Yeah, well, all this to say, you broke all this news to me. i guess I'm in more offline than I thought. I did not know that like they were going to expand by four. That's crazy.
01:44:08
Speaker
Yeah, I feel like we could do like two seasons, expand by two teams, two seasons, expand by two teams, you know, like that, that feels like a decently sustainable development model to me.
01:44:21
Speaker
ah Sorry, I got flashbacks. I did an international development degree, and it's just like sustainable development model. up But you know what I mean? Yeah.
01:44:31
Speaker
And that this feels a little too fast, but I mean, maybe if they just rip the bandaid off and they do it this year and then they're like, we're done with expansion for a little bit, then like, it's fine. We can recover. Things will be fine in a few years.
01:44:43
Speaker
Yeah. It'll also be interesting if they do not do expansion draft. I feel like it makes sense. like so There's so many free agents where it's like, I feel like that's like there. Yeah. And then you give the players more choice, which matters in women's hockey because you're not, they're not paying as much, you know, they usually have other responsibilities and stuff. um it It makes more sense to do a free agent model. So I do hope they stick with that, even though it would hurt to see players leave on purpose.
01:45:09
Speaker
Yeah. It's true. There's no like plausible deniability of like, no, they really wanted to stay. It's just the expansion draft. Yeah. No, a part of me is like, oh, so all of our favorites are going to stay in Ottawa they just like love Ottawa so much, you know, like it's fine. We get to keep all of our players.
01:45:27
Speaker
don't know. Yeah, we will see. if Well, I feel like it's exciting news. That's the thing. I feel like hopefully like it generates a big buzz or again. like I feel like there's obviously, like I don't know the case in the States, but I feel like, yeah, there's like always a buzz about the PWHL in Canada. So hopefully like if they do end up expanding to America, or more in America. like it'll like The initial like excitement will create a buzz that's like sustainable and
Cultural Support Differences
01:45:54
Speaker
stuff. i just don't yeah i guess I just don't know about hockey fans outside of like ah new like i don't know like a few states. I just like don't know what the demographics are like like. All my American family does not care about hockey, so i'm like I don't know the vibe.
01:46:10
Speaker
Yeah, I don't know. Well, see, I have family in literally Minneapolis, and I keep telling them that's like the place for women's hockey. Yeah, and they just don't care about hockey, unfortunately. So I feel like they must be outliers, though. No, or like, well, Minneapolis.
01:46:28
Speaker
I know. Yeah, I think people in Minneapolis generally care well because also my uncle, like he teaches at the University of Minnesota, which is like that is the the place that all the, yeah you know, ah Team USA girls go through. and so that's why I keep telling him like, you got to get into women's hockey. He's he's from the south. So I think it's seen and grew up. So it's yeah, he likes he likes other sports. Unlike my dad, who is also from the south and just hates all sports, including hockey.
01:46:53
Speaker
Yeah, that's fair. yeah well, and like most Americans I know, they kind of see women's hockey as like a niche thing. Like, I feel like it's just not as big of a thing in the States as it is in Canada, where it's like, at least in the cities that have teams, it's become very mainstream.
01:47:08
Speaker
Yeah, like, I feel like it's like, and there's very much like crossover. Like it's like, if like you are like a Toronto sports fan, for example, like you are a fan of like everyone, plus like all the men's teams plus the Scepters as well. Like there's this guy who always goes to Blue Jays games and he wears a sparkly jacket and sits behind the home plate and everyone is like, has strong opinions on him, but he's often seen wearing a Scepters jersey. so it's like, there you go. yeah Like there's huge, like everyone is just a fan of all Toronto sports if like in Toronto and stuff, but yeah.
01:47:40
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Yeah. So anyways, that's all we have for today. Sorry we didn't have more charge discussion. Hopefully they'll make a deep run and we'll have more to say. It's just kind of like but a weird season, you know, doesn't feel like there's that much to say about them, but obviously we are still rooting for the charge. um Yes. They obviously will be winning the cup, so it's fine. Yeah.
01:48:03
Speaker
Yeah, obviously. um So ah follow us on Twitter and Blue Sky at EliteSenseBrain. EliteSenseBrain.tumblr.com as well. Read Silver7Sense. My personal socials are linked there too.
01:48:16
Speaker
Go ChargeGo. Since we can't say GoSenseGo anymore. Go ChargeGo. Bye. Go ChargeGo. Bye.