Transcript
Speaker: The horn has sounded, but the conversation is just getting started. Welcome to Mavericks After the Horn, your home for Kansas City Mavericks hockey. From game breakdowns and player interviews to fan reactions and everything in between, we're talking Mavericks hockey all year long with your host, Joe Friedman. Let's drop the puck.
Speaker: Welcome to KC After the Horn, where we break down the stories, the players, and the moments shaping Mavericks hockey. I'm your host, Joe f Friedman, and we have episode two, same barn, different faces. The building is the same. The expectations are the same. but this roster has a different look.
Speaker: With questions left by Marcus Crawford's departure, the potential impact of the new Mavericks Defenseman Gianfranco Casaro. And... How are we going to keep Alex Young at bay?
Speaker: in opening night and Saturday night. Let's drop the puck. It's time for the puck drop.
Speaker: The Mavericks are entering the season with a reshaped... Blue Line. When you lose a player like Marcus Crawford, you don't simply replace a name on the lineup card. You have to replace the minutes. The punk movement. and the decisions he made under pressure.
Speaker: That brings us to our first big question. Which defenseman earns the trust to play in late? Tight. games And who becomes the first option when Kansas City needs a clean breakout or a power play setup? Here is who we are missing. Here's who left. We had 14 players that actually aren't on this year's roster. There's some big names on there, some big points and big scoring, especially Marcus Crawford on the blue line. um And then we lost our...
Speaker: Goal tending tandem also, but... I have a feeling that our goaltending tandem this year is just going to be as good as it was last year. Um, and so i'm not worried about that i'm more worried about the blue line and our defensive pairings because right now we pretty much have three.
Speaker: Sets of new defensive pairings. And so that's where we're going to start off is on the blue line. And so this is everybody that we have. Now we have one familiar player that's coming back that played for us three years ago, Nolan Walker. He brings... offensive skill, speed, and his points and his scoring is going to be a huge part of our offense this year. um he
Speaker: Had a point a game in his last time he was with the Mavericks and has the most goals in single season for the Mavericks. He's top five for the Mavericks in single season goals. um He's going to be a huge part to play in what the offensive does. um But I think our blue line is where we're going to have the most questions and where a lot of that's going to get answered is on a Friday night. I do know that we're going to dig into.
Speaker: pre -game and what we need to look for but i do think cassaro is going to be a huge impact on the blue line on the power play and also going to be a huge impact in the transition game coming out of our defensive zone and moving into the rush
Speaker: Based off of last year, I think a lot of our scoring is going to be spread around. We have a lot of good talent on the team this year that a lot of that scoring is going to be spread around, whereas we had a lot of it congested, especially a lot of it came in Crawford's way. um I think the blue line scoring is going to be spread out between a lot of ah you know two or three of them, and then our offense is going to spread around a lot of the goals and a lot of the points that they get.
Speaker: So instead of having two or three heavy hitters, we're going to have a lot of consistent all -around scoring, which is going to be a different look and a different change than what we had.
Speaker: In the years past. So let's dig in This is the final horn.
Speaker: The Final Horn Report. Normally, this is where we rewind the week's games and talk about what actually happened on the ice. But this is our season opening preview. So there are no regular season results to recap yet. And on the last episode, we recapped the finals against the Everblades. We're not going to invent a box score. We're not going to pretend like they already played. There was no preseason games. None of that. So what we're going to do instead is we're going to get right into Maverick of the Week.
Speaker: <unk>s Time for the Maverick of the Week. For a preseason edition of Maverick of the Week, this is a player to watch, not an award for a game that hasn't happened. My spotlight is on Gianfranco Cassaro. Why, Casaro?
Speaker: Because the Mavericks have an important question on the back end. Who helps drive offense without sacrificing defensive structure? I want to see how Casaro handles pressure at the blue line, whether he finds passing lanes when the forecheck closes in, and whether he can keep the puck in the offensive zone long enough to create a second chance. And then I also am excited about what he's going to do in the power play. and In the first game on Friday, I'm really going to... look and watch him.
Speaker: As we get power plays and how he is running the power play and how he is at the blue line up at the top. I want to see where he positions himself, how he quickly distributes the puck, and whether his shots create rebounds and traffic in front of the net.
Speaker: None of that means we're declaring him Crawford's replacement. My early benchmark for Cesaro is simple. Smart puck decisions, reliable defensive shifts, and signs that the offense can flow through him when the opportunity comes. um I'm really excited to kind of see how he performs on Friday and Saturday. I think ah those two games are going to be a good test for the Mavericks. It's a great opportunity and a great team to play against to kind and of get our...
Speaker: Skates going and and kind of see how the line pairings are gonna do especially the defensive pairings and then kind of see the chemistry with the offensive lines. um I'm really excited to watch Casaro. I'm really going to zone in on him. um I think he could be a huge, impactful player, especially since ah Crawford left. I know that a lot of people are nervous. What are we going to get now that Crawford's gone? I'm really excited for what Casaro can bring to the Mavericks.
Speaker: All right, it is time for Checking In.
Speaker: Checking in. So I'm really excited about digging into physical play this season. Checking in is going to be an amazing opportunity to dig into those physical hits that create momentum, that create scoring opportunities. the net front scrums and the kind of hard legal play that changes momentum in a hockey game for opening weekend. I can't wait to see what.
Speaker: That physical play for the Mavericks looks like. Are they going to finish their checks when the opportunity presents itself? Are they winning 50 -50 pucks along the wall? And are they making opponents work hard to get in front of the net and making it really hard to want to stay in front of the net? And are they ah getting the defense to turn their backs and going in and hitting them hard behind the goal line? That's what I'm going to be looking for. For the new faces, this matters as much as skill. A clean breakout starts when somebody with...
Speaker: possession A dangerous scoring chance often starts when somebody takes a hit to make a play or battles for position in front of the net. Not only is there physical play that they are giving out, sometimes physical play is taking the hit to make the play. Are the new Mavericks going to take a hit to make a play to...
Speaker: create a scoring opportunity uh one of the things i want to make sure kansas city Play's tough. is physical, but smart about it. I don't want them to get physical and be undisciplined and take penalties that we don't need to take. because a lot of teams are going to come at us because of our skill. They're going to come at us with physicality and try and get in our heads and try and get us to take a stupid penalty.
Speaker: And we can't do that. We got to stay disciplined and we got to make hits and be physical when there's opportunities and when there's net. Front scrums, we got to do it. and until the whistle, and then when the ref comes in and says, no, no, no, no, no more, you stop.
Speaker: Alright, so my... Checking in question for opening weekend, which Maverick is going to set the physical tone, and can the team sustain the intensity for 60 minutes? Now, one thing I do know is Tad had them working hard.
Speaker: Had them working hard during practices to lead up to this opening week. And he gave two days. he They did two days, two ice practices a day. He worked them to the bone. I was at five, four of the practices. Four of them.
Speaker: And he was working them hard. um So I think he's got them ready. I think they're going to be ready to be able to make it through 60 minutes with that same intensity from when the puck drops at the beginning of the game until that. horn sounds at the end of the game. It is time for Mavs Mailbag! Mavs Mailbag.
Speaker: Alright, so we have a question from one of the Mavs fans. How committed are we to getting back to the playoffs after a clear rebuilding offseason? And how do the new guys fill those missing spots? Well, here's the deal. I don't think it's a full rebuilding offseason. um In the ECHL, there is a lot of...
Speaker: Change. guys A lot of guys move. Guys go up. Guys go down. There's a lot of movement anyway in the ECHL. I don't think it was a full rebuilding offseason. I think some of the players...
Speaker: Because of the talent and because of what they showcase they got opportunities to play elsewhere And got chances to move up and got a chance to go overseas and play. And that's what sometimes happens in the ECHL because once players do really well or showcase they can do something, they move on to better opportunities. And we have to say thank you to them for what they gave the Mavericks and what they...
Speaker: Their blood, sweat, and tears, especially for last year, going to the finals, hard -fought finals. We've got to say thank you for that and just know that the organization is always putting a good team on the ice, and we know Tad is going to have the players ready. And I can tell you this. ah Tad worked them.
Speaker: hard. um And I can tell you they look fast. They look good in some of the practices, especially the last practice on Friday that I went to. They looked fast.
Speaker: They looked precise. um He has them ready. We have a lot of offensive talent this year. I don't think it's going to be a few guys that are going to create all the offense. I think we're going to have it spread around. But that's a great thing to have it spread around because then instead of โ Other teams defending around one or two or three players, they got to defend around five, six, seven players. Two on the blue line. Four forwards. It creates...
Speaker: a lot more havoc for other teams that are trying to stop us offensively. So I'm excited about that and the new guys. Casaro is going to be one of those guys that I'm going to be looking at like I said earlier. We're going to dig into the new guys and what to look for leading up to this first game opening night on Friday night. But I will tell you this, I think Casaro is going to have a huge impact and I don't mean to... put a big target on his back and make him feel like he's got to do everything to to carry the team. He doesn't. We have a lot of players around him. We have some.
Speaker: talent that's coming back nolan walker is going to be a huge impact um he is a scorer he's a fast guy who actually creates a lot of opportunities and he has done it um he did it last year in the echl and he did it three years ago with the mavericks in the echl um a point a game average is unreal in the ECHL. I know Crawford had an amazing season last year, won for the record books, but...
Speaker: That's not going to happen every year. Even if Crawford was still here, I don't think that happens. What's great, though, is we got an opportunity to spread it around because we got a lot of new talent that came in and we've got a lot more scores that are going to create opportunities for each other.
Speaker: All right, it is time for next face -off. Next face off. All right, now let's look across the ice. The player I want Mavericks fans to know about. is Rapid City Rush's Alex Young.
Speaker: Alex Young comes into the matchup as an offensive threat. And Kansas City cannot give him free space through the middle or allow him repeated clean looks in dangerous areas. If they do that, it's going to be a long night. Alex is going to create a lot of havoc anyway. But I imagine that Tad's going to have the team and the defensive strategy set up to make sure and they look close at him and and and make sure they keep him at bay. But the key matchup isn't simply Casaro versus Young every shift.
Speaker: It's whether Kansas City's defensive structure can take away time and space from Rapid City's skilled players. including Alex Young. And whether the Mavericks...
Speaker: can transition the other way when they win the puck. That's going to be the biggest thing, is transition our blue line defensemen, since we have a whole new set of defensive pairings. Can they transition out of the zone with clean breaks into the offensive zone and when we get in the zone can we get the four check going can we start cycling the puck and and can our blue line guys Keep the puck in the zone for extra opportunities and extra chances. That's going to be the key to this game.
Speaker: So, opening night, let's get into it. Give it, give it.
Speaker: My three keys to opening weekend. Start fast without getting reckless. Limit the counterattack and make special teams an advantage rather than a liability. So keys to game one, start fast in the first 10 minutes, limit Young's clean scoring looks, control turnovers and odd man rushes, and stay disciplined on special teams.
Speaker: all right what to watch in opening night i want to see the new defensive pairs under pressure i want to see how they handle the pressure when they get pressure put on them in our own zone when they get pressure on them when they're in the offensive zone, and also when they get pressure when they're...
Speaker: in the neutral zone I just want to see how they deal with pressure, how the pairs work together. um I'm also excited to see Casaro's puck movement and his power play role. I think he's going to be a huge impact for this season. As you can tell, I've talked about him a lot on this episode.
Speaker: I also can't wait to see Walker's chemistry with the Fords. Nolan Walker comes in. He was already here three years ago where he averaged a point a game. um Had 34 goals, which is top five in single season goal for...
Speaker: record for the Mavericks. He had 59 points last year, 27 goals, so he comes in as a goal scorer, a guy that's going to also set up other guys. I want to see what his chemistry looks like with the Fords on his... line i want to see what him and his line mates look like and then i also want to see who sets the physical tone for the mavericks i also want to make sure that we get on them right away those first 10 minutes are huge those first 10 minutes we need to come out we need to come out Firing on all cylinders.
Speaker: Get that forecheck going. Get the puck deep. Get that cycle going. Create one, two, three opportunities. Over and over again. I just want... Rapid City to be overwhelmed by our forecheck.
Speaker: So here's the early question. Do the Mavericks take both games? Do they split? Or do they have work to go through on some early growing pains? So my prediction for game one is I think the Mavs are gonna come out and beat Rapid City Rush 4 -2. That is my prediction for game one. Here's what I think.
Speaker: I think we're going to take both games. I know it's early in the season. I just feel like we have better talent and more offensive skill on our side, and I feel like our blue line is going to be as good, if not better, than last year. And so I think that we're going to take both of the games, and I think the fans in Kansas City, after not really knowing what's going to happen with this team, scared because so many... players left a lot of them think it's a rebuilding season even though i don't
Speaker: I think they're going to be shocked. I think we're going to take both games and you're going to see what... It's going to be the Mavericks of 2026 -2027. I have a feeling we're going to make the playoffs. Definitely. I hope. we can with i mean Obviously, making it to the finals would be amazing. A lot has to go into it. It's not just talent and what you have on the ice. Sometimes its injuries can cause you to be in a position where you just can't make it to the finals because you've got some of your top guys that are out.
Speaker: And so hopefully the injury bug does not hit us. um And we can stay healthy enough to get through into the playoffs. I have a feeling we're going to make a deep run in the playoffs this year with the talent and the team we have.
Speaker: All right, Mavs fans, Orange Army, that's it for Episode 2. Same barn, different faces. We've got a new season, new opportunities, and plenty of questions that can only be answered when the puck... drops.
Speaker: Remember the two names on today's cover? Gianfranco Casaro and Alex Young. These are two players we'll be watching as opening weekend unfolds. If you enjoyed the episode, Follow Casey after the horn. Share it with another Mavericks fan and drop your opening weekend predictions below.
Speaker: comment below comment with any maz mailbag questions you may have comment below until next time keep your sticks on the ice and your eyes on the mavericks we'll see you after the horn
