Clearing The Crease Podcast
Hockey’s best podcast featuring Mike Commodore Andrew Raycroft and hosted by James Cybulski.
Clearing The Crease Podcast
Mike Commodore goes off on AJ Greer’s gross hit... CTC 73
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On the newest episode of the Clearing the Crease podcast the boys discuss everything from the AJ Greer suspension, to the woes of the Oilers, and more!
They're so fortunate they're in the division that they're in because they they'd be toast, man. They wouldn't even be in the in the playoffs. I just think he's I think he's tired voiced. Like, you know, like he's had how much hockey? Like they've gone thank you, you know, almost the distance. Then you got the four nations Olympics, couple, couple weddings sprinkled in there too, right? Those aren't uh, you know, those are a little bit of got buried.
SPEAKER_04So there goes all of his free time.net. He is the call to quote you winner. Andrew Raycroft, the Razor, the cup winner, call me Mike Commodore, and then I'm the guy who never won any of those. Just Sabalski hanging out. Don't forget, everybody, if you're enjoying the show uh and enjoying all the content and you're liking the podcast and all the add-ons on social, be sure to like and subscribe. Mash that subscribe button if you're on YouTube because we've hit well over 10,000. So thank you. Thank you, everybody, who continue to find us. Uh, leave a five-star review on Apple or Spotify. And if you're following along, whether you're subscribed on YouTube or on Instagram, X, TikTok, or wherever else you are tuning in from, uh, the Clearin' the Crease podcast, powered by Ozun.net. But don't forget that the road to the Stanley Cup is open. The clearest route to winning big is to play on Ozun.net. Ozun's got you covered for all props, game lines, futures from now until the cup final and beyond. Make your power play, score big with Ozun. It's your turn. Now, Razor, we were talking about this last week. The brackets are set for the road to the frozen four. Have you got an early pick? Have you got an early pick to lock in for people to jump in on Ozun?
SPEAKER_02Oh, frozen four. I put you on the spot here, but you can. You did. I love um, I mean, Michigan's number one overall. They could have a tough go in the second round. Minnesota, Duluth. I think we'll get through. They got Penn State or Duluth. I'm gonna stay away from them. Uh, Western Michigan, Denver look like a collision course. I'm gonna stay away from those two. So to get to the frozen four, I am really leaning into North Dakota. Yes. I'm leaning into commie. North Dakota. They have three East Coast teams going out to Sioux Si, Sioux Falls. And uh I think that the Dakota home fans, that's kind of a home game, and and they're gonna be the ones that go to the frozen four quite easily as an as a two seed.
SPEAKER_05Come on! Oh, Andrew Raycroft is now loved in Edmonton and Grand Forks. Yep, that's what I'm going.
SPEAKER_02I need some West Coast. I get called out on my East Coast bias on those shows all the time, and I'm I'm leaning no Dak.
SPEAKER_04Comeie, do you still have any eligibility left that you could get some of that NIL money to go play for North Dakota?
SPEAKER_05Man, well, that'd be nice. Get some of that. I mean, I only played three years, so I should have one left. I'm pretty sure. I'm pretty sure I'm not making that team, though. I'm a little slow these days. I think I'd be on one of the lower end teams, maybe. Addled strength. Addled strength.
SPEAKER_04Old man power. Come on, buddy. You got this.
SPEAKER_05That's true. I'll just play the angles. But uh, yeah, obviously I like Razors pick. There's only actually I'm usually pretty honest. If I don't think I do think North Dakota, I haven't looked at looked at the bracket, but everything Razor said just makes sense. Um who's in the you got who's in the fourth one? You got Michigan, Michigan State, right?
SPEAKER_02Michigan State takes on Yukon in the first game, and then the next game is Dartmouth, Wisconsin. So Michigan State has a pretty good path as well. Dartmouth could be tough. Okay, yeah, gotcha. But Michigan's Michigan State comes out to Worcester. Um, and and they're the they're the three seed. So I I North Dakota, Michigan State feel like they're playing each other in the frozen four.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, should be good. Frozen four this year is in Vegas. So I'm sure uh Las Vegas is sitting there. And hey, look, I'm not, you know, I'm not the one that cheers for all the big schools all the time, but I'm sure uh Michigan State and the North Dakota's of the world, they travel pretty well. And so there'll be there'd be a lot of green in Vegas. So yeah, it's good for North Dakota. They weren't very uh they weren't great last year. New coach this year. They got some players on that team. There's no question about it. So, but you know, like we know, like just like March Madness, which is going on right now, you know, I guess it's kind of been chalk winning, but you know, talkie's a little different. Um, but you know, it's one game. One game and done. So one done. Yeah, you can have the best team in the world and you run into a hot goalie or you get a little snake bitten for you know five-minute power play in the second period and you're done so and you're done. That's the end of it. Yeah, no, it literally is. So you need some you need to be playing well and and have a good little good fortune too, for sure.
SPEAKER_04And still the best, maybe arena, I think even in the pros, dare I say, the Ralph Engelstead.
SPEAKER_05Ralph Engelstead is up there still, yeah.
SPEAKER_02It's too bad they can't uh I'm not sold on these uh yeah, the the the yeah, the um alternate sites, the alternate sites. They need to go. They need to go on campus, not the kids rock. Yeah, I've guessed.
SPEAKER_05I've seen some clips with some coaches where like it's brutal. And like I don't get like I understand like you know what happened to me my first year. We were the top seed, and we had to go to Michigan and play Michigan at Yoast Arena. We played them in a home game and we lost in overtime. Like that shouldn't be happening. But like let's say, you know, North Dakota's the number two seed. Why is why can't North Dakota host in North Dakota? I mean, that would be, you know, maybe not every university could do that, but I think it would be pretty, you know. Like, I don't know what Sioux Falls holds for attendance-wise, but I'm sure it's not 20,000. I'm sure it's you know, 10, maybe. I don't know, something like that. So no, I mean, Grand Forks, the Ralph Engels and Arena is 13 or 14, so they could do that, and all the games would be slammed. I don't care who's playing, they would show up. So, anyways, problem for another day.
SPEAKER_04Not everything needs to be neutral site. Yeah, come on. I'm not kidding. Yeah, it's a little home ice advantage that you play for, right? That's right. What the hell? Apparently, they do that in the pros. Yeah. You have home ice advantage, right?
SPEAKER_02Football now, they do it, you know. It's it's it should be a thing.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah. I'm with you. Uh, okay, let's uh before we get to the news. Uh let's uh this kind of bleeds right into our Clearing the Creek Saturday night special. We were oh so close once again. Uh uh so we picked three. Jesus, I'm never doing it again.
SPEAKER_05Uh a couple weeks in a row, those kings screwed us.
SPEAKER_04I felt I felt a little risky that one, but uh hey, uh you know what? I I appreciated the boldness on your part there, Razor. So here we go. Let's pick a winner. Uh, three winners to get you loaded and locked up here for the weekend on Saturday night. What a time right now. Playoff races everywhere in the east and the west. So, Razor, I'll tell you what, you can get back on the horse here on this one. Where do you want to start on Saturday night?
SPEAKER_02Well, we just talked chalk. I'm going Carolina Hurricanes, Commie's Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils. I'm taking the Carolina Hurricanes, a five o'clock start on the road at home. Boom. Take the hurricanes.
SPEAKER_05There you go. Rocky Lake a hurricane. Commie. I don't I don't I don't think the cave, I don't want to jinx it, so I won't say anything, but they've been pretty solid for us this year. Uh, you know what? I know there are big uh there's a whole bunch of different uh you know, playoff races are tight. We're gonna talk about that in a little bit. Um, but I'm gonna avoid all of that, and I'm gonna go straight to the toilet bowl. We've got the Vancouver Canucks going play the Calgary Flames. Give me my flames in the toilet bowl, please.
SPEAKER_02Oh, I love it.
SPEAKER_05Vancouver sucks. I was sitting at a sports book two nights ago, was it? They were uh Vancouver was playing St. Louis, and Vancouver had I put a little just because it was there, or there was basketball there. So I'm like, ah, why not? What the hell? The number was pretty good for Vancouver, and through two periods, they had nine shots. At home, at home at home against St. Louis, who they're not setting any records this year. I'm like, oh boy, this is uh it's gotta be tough.
SPEAKER_02Should be betting on the right then and there, you knew you were going against them next Saturday. Oh, for sure. I'm like, these guys are terrible.
SPEAKER_05Don't care who they're playing. Put them in the frozen four. I'll take Quinnipia or whoever. Give me Merrimack.
SPEAKER_04Okay, round out. So round out the triple. Uh, you know what? I'm gonna go back to Columbus again uh at home to San Jose. You know what? The jackets have been on a roll. I liked Buffalo as well, but you know what? Give me the jackets to take care of business uh against the Sharks at home on Saturday. Um, you know, and commie going back to your your conversation about the Canucks and how Vancouver's stinking it up. How about this? So on Saturday, you had a PWHL game, the Golden Eyes were playing at noon. So you had 10,000 plus fans there in attendance for that. Then at four o'clock, you had a Canucks and Blues game going on for a matinee. And then at seven o'clock local time, you had the White Caps, uh, the Vancouver White Caps playing MLS soccer, and they were in action as well. So I ran into a buddy of mine at the PWHL game on Saturday afternoon. So at lunchtime, this guy was planning to, he had tickets for all three. Oh, wow. So he was doing, he was doing this rare triple facta, triple head in Vancouver, and in classic Vancouver fashion, all three teams lost.
SPEAKER_05Oh.
SPEAKER_04And he had all three jerseys ready to go. So he had his Golden Eyes jersey ready to go at lunchtime. He had in the car, his wife dropped him off downtown to Rogers Arena. He had the Canucks jersey ready to go, the old flag V throws that on, wearing his white caps underneath, runs over because L L and then reps out.
SPEAKER_05Well, at least he made it to all three. I thought you were gonna say went to the Canucks game and fell asleep and missed all this thing.
SPEAKER_04No, he made all three. Good for him. That's fun. And the home team, yeah, the home team uh they had an off night. They went over all three. So there you go. There's your Saturday night special in a very convoluted good luck to our editing staff trying to put that one together on a special. Okay. Uh hey, we're talking suspensions again here, guys. Uh AJ Greer, uh, suspended for three games from the Florida Panthers for a hit on Connorsary. Uh, a terrible look. Uh, I guess let me start with both you guys. Um, you're a former uh flame, so I feel this one's probably close enough to home for you. Does the punishment fit the crime on this one?
SPEAKER_05Um I will say, you know, I don't like going against my boys at the Department of Player Safety. I will say I didn't see the game, I just saw the clip. I'm fine with the suspension. I would have been fine with more. I thought it was an incredibly dirty play. When I saw it, I'm like, did something happen here early in the game? Which shouldn't matter. You shouldn't be doing that anyways. Um so I will say I'm I'm satisfied with the punishment, but I would have been just fine with more, if that makes sense. That was a bad look. That's like six feet from the boards or four feet from the boards, shoving a guy in the back headfirst into the boards. Like that's like I don't really care what's going on. That is a no-no across the board for me. So they could have gave given him ten, and I would have been fine with that too.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I he could have given them ten. I think coming right off of the goodist thing, I would have loved to have had them call him in, put him on the five-game minimum, and then go from there, just make it look bad. I because again, goodness was careless and and and stupid in his play, but this goes way over the line. Like, this is just egregious, gutless, uh, terrible uh look all around and just shouldn't be anywhere near the game. He's gonna have to pay, like, he might have to go through the whole league now taking guys on. Um, you just wouldn't do that. Yeah, so for me, I I would have loved to have seen him get five minimum just because it gudas thing came down the pipe a week earlier, and and I thought it was way worse than that. I know it's just a shove, I know it's but but you just don't do that out on an NHL rink. You just don't. So uh five would have been great for me, minimum.
SPEAKER_04I and that was and and you know what I agree with both you guys and Matthew Barnaby, our friend of the show, uh, I thought he said it really well on social media as well at the beginning of the week that you know this was an opportunity for if there was ever an opportunity to kind of have a layup to throw a book at somebody, sure, respectfully. Look, uh AJ Greer is a National Hockey League player, so you know, and I say this respectfully, but who is AJ Greer in in the grand scheme of things in professional hockey? And so that's a dangerous hit. And I think both of what you guys are saying, like that's how you end somebody's career. Never mind end somebody's career, but potentially paralyze someone, right? It's it's a dangerous play that if you're trying to look for precedence, you know what? Why not create precedence to say there is absolutely no business, no freaking business for a play like this in our sport. And so Razor Kami, I think what both of you were alluding to, I think five games should have been the bare minimum. Right. And and maybe 10 seems really extreme, but at least the message is sent, and there's a precedent now to say, you know what, don't even think about going there. Right? Like there's that gray area that that is a dangerous play. And and commie, you you spend a living, you know, in the corner battling for pucks. I'm sure you've seen those opportunities to take guys or even be vulnerable yourself. And and I think you just know better than to do that to risk somebody's livelihood or potential life for that matter.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, no, I mean, yeah, that's that that's actually really well well worded, where that would have been like you just said, and like I didn't see Barnaby say that, but take your word for it, where that would be a fine one where hey, if you wanted to toss the book at him, that's fine. I don't think there would have been too many people other than maybe some floor. No one's pushing back on. Nobody's pushing back. Hey, that's fine. You're right, you can't do that. Yeah, I like I said, you know, the they look at those plays in and of themselves. I think that's part of their process or whatever. When I first saw it, I was like, man, there must have been a lead up to this. Like, I'm assuming that didn't come out of the blue. That's how kind of dirty I thought it was. But at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter. Like, there's other way ways to get a guy hard without without doing that. Uh like I said, it was when I when I saw the highlight, I was like, oh my god. And you know, I watched it further. Yeah, it was terrible. No, yeah, that was bad. I don't know what that guy was thinking, if anything.
SPEAKER_04Nevertheless, so three games, and uh yeah, I guess people still player safety.
SPEAKER_02But sometimes this was one that felt like, you know, man, if there was ever a time like Yeah, they could have really like freed themselves. Yes, of everything that happened prior, two weeks prior, you could have just taken them to the shed.
SPEAKER_05I'm playing golf with Ray on Wednesday, fellas. I'll have more information for you next week. I'll I'll find out what Ray wants to do. What were you thinking there? What what why not hammer with the book? Yeah, I'll I'll ask him. Well, commie.
SPEAKER_04Well, commie for context, you can just tell them what we just heard from Razor. Like they really dropped the ball there.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I'll let them know. But all of a sudden, I'll uh Ray won't want to be playing. Nah, I'm playing with golf with Mike anymore. Too many questions about work. I come here to relax.
SPEAKER_04Are you recording on your phone right now?
SPEAKER_05No, no, I'm not, Ray. Don't worry about it.
SPEAKER_04Just taking a selfie here.
SPEAKER_05Oh, your swing's really nice.
SPEAKER_04Uh okay. Uh, there was some conversation out of the uh out of all the bosses getting together in Florida last week, talk about the playoff format. I don't think anything's changing, but um, there has been a little bit of discussion about it. Does the league need to go back to 1v8 sort of uh, you know, seeding through that, or do you keep it the way it is? Uh, how do you like things, commie?
SPEAKER_05I don't hate how it is now, but I do hate how this is. I mean, obviously the first thing that comes to mind, three of the top teams are in the same division, and we're gonna have Dallas and Minnesota, one of them's gonna be gone. Like, I do get that. I think you have to have representation from each division somehow. Like, although, and we're gonna get into how bad the, you know, with Connor McDavid's comments and everything. And he's right, but uh yeah, I mean, I always liked one versus eight. I would be totally fine with it going back. I understand how it's really being highlighted right now, especially because of those three teams. And then you look across the way at the three teams that are gonna get in out of the Pacific, and none of them would be in the playoffs in the East, like in the Eastern Conference. So I get it. Um, so yeah, like I think when they did that, the idea was, and correct me if I'm wrong, Razor your C Ball, you guys probably know a little more, but I think the idea was to create rivalries within the division. Yeah, that was exactly the reason. Yeah, so and I get that too, but this kind of situation that's coming out, you know, coming kind of coming out this year is a little unfortunate. So I I'd be fine with one versus eight, but I don't scream it from the mountaintops like a lot of people are.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I've I've been the one screaming from the mountaintops one through eight prior to this year. I just I just think that's how the conference play goes. You you one through eight now. I was, I do, I I appreciate the league, and Gary Bettman said it this week, and and maybe didn't come right out and say it, but I read between the lines enough, and I think enough other people did that the NHL loves the first round being very difficult. And all the eyeballs are on the first round. They're not as worried or concerned as things go along. They want the first round to be electric, whether it's rivalries, whether it's Dallas, Minnesota, everybody is going to watch that series. They are going to get ratings galore. And when he said that the other day, that they really think the National Hockey League playoffs first round is better than anything else in sports. And that all makes sense to me why they won't go one through eight, because technically one through eight should just give the benefit to the top seeds, and those should be four-nothing sweeps, and then you move on and build. But if you have this chaos in the first round, great teams playing each other, you're gonna get more games all the way through. That's good for league revenue. If you have five, seven-game series in the first round doing it this way rather than only one doing it one through eight, that is better for revenue. That's better for eyeballs, and that's better for the game business-wise. It might not be fair every year to some teams, but I do when they said that that it turned me a little bit off of one through eight, and I understand the method in their madness of having eyeballs on the first round, not necessarily the best teams playing each other in the conference finals when in the end of May, not hockey night might not be on the on the brains of everybody. So I appreciate that outlook, and and it has moved me off of one through eight, or it's at least moved me off of just the I just didn't know why they were doing it. And and it's more than just the rivalry that they they kind of spun to us earlier, and and I I'm okay with that.
SPEAKER_04I got a couple of years on both you guys, but I I grew up watching divisional rivalries, right? Going through, and especially as a fan, as a kid. The spite division, right? Like that was murderous road. And and then and then you had the Norris division that was filled with cupcakes in the 1980s, right? And so whoever came out of the Norris was basically cannon fodder for whoever came out of this fight, right? Right? Like it was true, whether it was Calgary filing away to knocking off the Oilers or just Edmonton year after year after year, whoever it was basically a four or five game series that went through the Norris, but still, you had to get through your division that created those rivals, or look at the Adams division, right? And those classic rivalries between whether it was the Haves and the Bruins or the or Nordiques and the Haves, or you know, even the Whalers had a couple of classics, right? Or if you're a Patrick division fan, like there were some classic rivalries that were formed. And I think this is about as close as that we're getting to these divisional rivalries. I don't think they're just not long enough because you get wildcard teams that kind of sneak in and so they kind of upset the Apple card, but at least you're starting to get traditional rivalries going head to head within the division. I think that's what I like about it. And that was the mission, I think, to begin with.
SPEAKER_02And to that point as well, do we ever talk about Calgary Edmonton being in the first round or the conference finals? Would it like they're great series? We think of those 80s as great series, great rounds. Didn't matter if they got beat out the first round or the second round.
SPEAKER_04Razor, even the Jets, some of those teams.
SPEAKER_02The Jets were always the third best team in the Western Conference at that time. They were better than everybody in the Norse, and they couldn't get through because they always had to go up against the juggernauts in Alberta. And and I guess in high in history, as we go through, it doesn't really matter whether it's the first or last. Um, I would like a I guess fairness is one through eight, but the the idea that we're getting great hockey right out of the gates when everybody's watching playoffs, it it I guess in the end it it doesn't matter as much. And and to Kami's point, it it probably isn't worth yelling at the clouds about.
SPEAKER_04Can we lift up the curtain and would we all admit that you know after the first round, we all tend to check out a little bit. Right.
SPEAKER_02Conference finals, we conference final, yeah, it's hard to watch. It's hard to watch when it's light out at nine o'clock and I can play golf. And yeah, so there you go. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. If you don't if like if your given ishmeter isn't all that high on who's in the conference finals of the Those final four teams, chances are on Saturday night, but Wednesday night you might not stay up. Nope. Nope. Or I'm out. Yeah. It's softball season for the kids. And so you're out the games or you're golfing or you're it's patio time, or you know, you're out at the beach. Yeah. I mean, I think we're all guilty. I think we all admit that the conference finals better be engaging as hell, or you're losing us. So that first round is everything. And so, yeah, I think in terms of what the commissioner says, one of the rare times that you can find two former players actually agreeing with NHL commissioner Gary Pepp. You heard it here first.
SPEAKER_05You want my year back. Yeah. You want your year back? I want my salary rolled up that 33% I lost. Exactly. It's like 10%.
SPEAKER_04Well, wasn't that in fairness? I think that was Bob who had suggested that 25%.
SPEAKER_05Well, whatever.
SPEAKER_04Gone but not forgotten, clearly, Mr. Goodnow. Okay. Uh let me ask you this. I mean, speaking of the playoff race, it is absolutely madness right now. How about this? As of we record this on Monday, you got two points separating six teams in the East, and five are separated by just one measly point. And that we're not even including Ottawa, Philly, the Caps, who are all like four to six points out right now. But uh I throw this at you. Which team makes you nervous to get squeezed here on this one? Which team is is getting squeezed here, Razor?
SPEAKER_02Um, I kind of lean the Islanders still. Um they they're the they got in Detroit. Like it's just I feel like the Islanders are the one that they they have a metro division problem and a wild card problem in that the the Atlantic teams are right there. Ottawa's on its way up. You've got Detroit and Boston there and Montreal, and then you still have to deal with Columbus and Pittsburgh. So I feel like the Islanders are the one that will be looking outside in when this is all done.
SPEAKER_05Commie. They've had a really good year. Uh unexpected. There's a lot of teams that have like what most people thought were going to be playoff teams to which ones are actually playoff teams. There's a bit been a pretty big, like, a huge kind of switch as of right now, anyways. Um I'm a little concerned that maybe the Penguins run out of gas and kind of it doesn't end great form, which in all things has been a really good season for him. I think everybody, you know, would love to see Crosby back in the mix. We like see him in the playoffs. You know, he looks like he can play forever, but he's he's not going to. You know, sooner or later it is going to come to an end whenever he chooses. So we'd like to get him in there. And I would hate to see that after such a good year for the Penguins in general, them kind of fall out at the end.
SPEAKER_04I'm probably leaning towards Detroit right now. And as of uh recording, I think we got three different names.
SPEAKER_02That's why this is so great, because we can all take different teams. It's awesome.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I I think, and I I don't think people like me in Detroit already going back to a comment. I think I went was raving about how good Trevor Zegris was when oh yeah. But but I I just like I look at the numbers. Let me throw this at you guys here. I I just kind of did a little bit of math, I know. Crazy. Um, but scary thought here, Sabalski doing math, but kind of looking at some of the teams that are in this playoff battle right now and teams grabbing points. So, you know, basically based on games between like January 25th or 27th, but uh Ottawa in the last 18 games in that span here in the last two months, they picked up points out of eight 81% of the possible 36 points for them up for grabs. For Montreal, 68% of the points that were available over the last 17 games in that span. So they picked up uh, you know, a healthy amount. Pittsburgh, so uh those who don't feel great about Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, 63% of their points. They they kind of hung on without Sid, right? Um, but only 63%. The Islanders um are 26 out of a possible 40 points, so that's 65%. Then you get to Columbus almost 80% in the 19 games that they've played in that span. Boston Razor, they're at 68%, so sitting almost identical to what Montreal has done in that span. And then last but not least, Detroit in the 17 games since January 27th. They've won six, they've lost 11, and only three loser points. So they've picked up only 15 out of a possible 34 points for only 44% of the available points for them. And that's look, Dylan Larkin might be back as we record this. So um help could be on the way in a huge way to kind of get your big guns back up front, but it just Detroit just doesn't seem to be going in the right direction right now, where everybody else seems to be still clipping at about a 65%. Like you're getting points, you know, two-thirds of the points that are available. And if you got a bit of a cushion, like you're right. Uh, are we bringing in? Uh okay, so let's take a quick pause for the cause and then we'll uh rock and roll with our special guest, Rick Rowley, next. All right, the Clearin' the Crease podcast, powered by Ozoon Rolls on, and our special guest for this week's episode, comedian Rick Rowley. Rick, how are you, brother? I see you're ready for the Jays season already.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, boys. I am Sabolski first off. How are you? Call me Razor. What's going on? I think it's time to uh time to find a new team. Okay, I haven't been too successful at picking them, boys. So uh we're gonna I'm all in on the Jays. Okay. Go for it.
SPEAKER_05Have you gotten past that crushing? I I still don't're not sure if I have that. Well, I guess that was sad. Yeah, you know what? Sadly, take it back. It's a new year. That was a great run. Forget about it. Go, Jays. I'm gonna go watch a Jay's. Yeah, exactly, boys. Yeah, you're right. Sorry. That was a that's a down way to start it off. Uh so I take the Jays back. Yeah, come on, come on. My bet it together. Where are you at, Rick? You're in Alberta, right?
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah, yeah. I uh I actually I'm from uh Razor's neck of the woods, Bell Vegas. I'm originally from uh around there. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04How did you pick up that prairie accent so well then out of Belleville?
SPEAKER_00Oh, I just got a lot of people telling me I sound like that. Uh I do stand up, and people say that I sound like I survived multiple snowmobile accidents.
SPEAKER_02So uh we got lots of sleds in Bel Vegas. We got lots of sleds now. Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_00Bell Vegas is a great time. Um, so I actually like I grew up a die hard lease fan. I gotta be honest. Oh boy. We won't bring that up either. We leave that one alone. No, no, that's next year. Let's not. And then what happened was I I wanted to try to experience what it'd be like to be in a you know, like a winning market. So I uh, you know, I went across the country and moved to Alberta. And plus, I have a kid now, so I didn't want my kid to be exposed to a lot of pain and suffering. So I I I bought my kid uh an Oilers tarp, and I don't know, man. Like lesson learned, it's not looking well this year. So I I just don't think I know how to pick them, boys.
SPEAKER_02Black clouds following you.
SPEAKER_05Black let's stay on the Oilers. What uh are they gonna be able to hang? I know the Pacific Division is a catastrophe. So you're in Edmonton, is that right? You moved to Edmonton? Oh, yeah, to answer your question, call me. That's right. I I do live in in Edmonton. Okay, that's yeah, perfect. That's where I'm from. It's a great city. I I got out of there, but it is a great city. Talk to me about uh talk to me about it. Must have been great, eh? No, no, it was great. You go visit Fort Saskatchewan. You should go check that great time. Been there before. Okay, good, perfect. Um, what's going on with the Oilers here? What are you seeing? I know it's, I mean, it's a that's a like Conor McDavid mentioned the other day, it is a pillow fight. The the division is a catastrophe. Everybody could be, well, not everybody, but there's a few teams that could be in or out very, very quickly. What are you seeing in Edmonton?
SPEAKER_00Man, I like kind of what what McDavo said, right? Like, like pillow fight, they're so fortunate, man, they're in the division that they're in because they they'd be toast, man. They wouldn't even be in the in the playoffs. I just think he's I think he's tired, boys. Like, you know, like he's had how much hockey, like they've gone thank you, you know, almost the distance. Then you got um, you know, the four nations Olympics, couple, couple weddings sprinkled in there too, right? Those aren't uh, you know, those are a little bit of got married.
SPEAKER_05There goes all of his free time, I heard.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and then dry dry south the following year. And you know, like the the Oilers, I got a lot of boys out here that were super stoked when they got Jari. And I said, Man, you boys, you boys better watch it, man. Like I I was a teddy growing up, I'll be honest, and they used to call me Red Light Rally because like I wasn't very good at hockey, but I said, be careful with that because the grass isn't always greener. Like, number one, Jari's health. Number two, like he's he doesn't put up like amazing numbers. He's not gonna, you know, save your season. And and then on top of that, too, boys, like one thing that doesn't get looked at enough, I don't think, is the contracts on the team. Like they have some of the like the worst contracts in the league. And I'm sorry, but that that money adds up, man. Like, you know, like when you consider Trent Frederick, I mean, again, the guy when when he's on, man, he he's nails. He's got six points this year. Yeah, and he makes what four bananas? That's like a million dollar point.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I don't know what's going on with him. I liked him too. I thought he was a pretty good player. Yeah, I I know I saw that six, and he's not, I don't think he's touching anybody. I don't know what's going on with him, but yes, good points. And it's not easy, it's not easy being a goaltender in Edmonton. And Stuart Skinner went to Pittsburgh and he he looks like Tom Barasso from back in the day.
SPEAKER_00But that but that's just it, boys. It's like, well, Racer, you know what it's like uh attendee in a in a pressure cooker, right? But it's no, I I actually I had your back, man, when that stuff was going on. But but I I'm telling you, boys, it's like I I don't know what it is with this team, but it's just and and Freddie for four bananas, right? You got Darnell nurse, and man, he he eats minutes. Like, I'm not gonna knock the guy, like he gets ripped on here, but he's probably overpaid by what on a contending name, probably about three, three bananas at least. I go up a little more, but that's fine. Yeah, well, I'm yeah, I'm being kind of general.
SPEAKER_05You live in Edmonton, so that's nice. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and then McDavill signs that that ticket, right? Does the boys a solid, and then they go and they spend seven seven bananas on Walman? And don't get me wrong, like Walman, like on the lease, like they could use a puck mover, but he's not worth seven. Call me, you're a D-man. You you like is is that seven seven sheets right there? Jake Wallman.
SPEAKER_05Well, I know for sure nurse isn't 9.25. I can tell you that right now. I do. You're getting there right now. No, but don't get it.
SPEAKER_04But if he's on the open market, is is he maybe at least a seven on an open market?
SPEAKER_05Darnell.
SPEAKER_04Darnell?
SPEAKER_05I'll give the I'll give you this. I uh from the games that I've watched, Darnell, I'll give credit where credit is due. Ever since I came up with that drinking game that only lasted one game about him Zambonian sliding all over the ice, and I every time he touches the ice, he got to take a shot. I don't know if you read the tweet, but he stopped doing it and he stays on his feet. I will say from what I have seen this year, Darnell has been better. I will say that. Before this year, I thought I wouldn't pay that guy two million bucks a year to play. This year, he is it, I think he's been significantly better. But when you bring in the contract, like now, in fairness to him as well, look, you got Kale McCarr making 9.25. Nobody's nobody's Kale McCarr. So he's not gonna be able to live up to that. I I will give Darnell his props. I do think he's been better this year. I'll be nice and say, like, you know, I he's five to six. That's the highest double what I usually say.
SPEAKER_00No, for sure, call me, but would you not agree that all that money, like, it adds up, man, right? Like with all those overpayments, like hey, you could probably go get a like attendee with that, eh?
SPEAKER_05Like, yeah, um at the end of the day, they have the same problems, right? They got they got rid of a goalie that they basically ran out of town who's now on fire. They took a chance on somebody who a year wasn't a year before you could have picked them up on waivers. Yeah, so he gets yeah, like so you're reaching here and you're crossing your fingers and hoping, and at the end of the day, it looks like it almost looks like they're basically in the same spot where they're on fire and then the goaltending.
SPEAKER_00The fellas on Edmonton in Fort Saskatchewan will tell you that the reason why they did that Stu Skinner move is because like the mob spoke boys, like the fans, and you should never make a trade when you are like your back's against the wall, and that's what they did.
SPEAKER_05You get some of those aggressive rigors, though. They get them on fire, they start beating your door down, you start making pannecking trade.
SPEAKER_04Rick, let me let me let me ask you this, Rick. Uh, as a comedian, better line over the weekend. Connor McDavid calling the Pacific Division race a pillow fight, or Senators fans chanting to the Leafs uh in Ottawa last weekend, you need Marn or they did. I didn't boys.
SPEAKER_00I don't like any of those. That's well, first off, it it was, but uh for a fan base that's gone 0 for five against the Leafs, like the Leafs, and this is speaking from a kid who was born born bred, you know, I bled the blue, but it's like we're the biggest jokes, and we beat you five times in the playoffs.
SPEAKER_04I'm from Ottawa, so I I get it, man.
SPEAKER_00I hear you. It's like settle down, but but I would say like uh Davo's comments, like Odyssey man, and especially when he he was given uh coop props, like Naublock, man, is does he like what does he do? Like he doesn't he's so motionless. Like, I don't think when they get their uh you know asses kicked against like the the cats and in Tampa, like is he he's not saying anything? Like, I like how late can you fire a coach before like in the season if you're going to the playoffs? I think you can do whatever you want.
SPEAKER_05Lou Lamarillo did it. The devils did it right before the playoffs. Larry Romer. Oh yeah, you could do that at any time, Rick, whenever you want.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, maybe that's maybe that's the answer out there.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, maybe maybe interim uh coach should be uh McJesus, and he just basically works the bench when he's not like walking on water boys. Yeah, Reggie Dunlop.
SPEAKER_04But do you not but do you not think, guys, all three of like all of us together, like, is it not easier for Coop to be Coop in Tampa as opposed to Coop being the personality that he is in say in a Canadian market? Of course. Yeah, no question.
SPEAKER_02Look at Baruby. He was uh he was the godsend, and now he's dog meat and can't get rid of him. Like it's he didn't change, it's just the market and and what everyone says, and the mob, the mob turns quick.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I don't know. I was I was just down at Brazil, just quickly, I gotta say, and I went to go watch a soccer game down there. And one thing I'll say, man, is I'll give the soccer fans credit. Like, they're a passionate bunch, they boo their own players, they boo their own, their their own tendy. Every time, I guess they're not called tendy in soccer, but every time he touched the ball, they their whole team was booing them. And and not one of them requested a trade after uh good point. So good point. I I I kind of respect that a little bit, but you're right about about the the mob mentality. It's just it's just tough to see, man, because I I really do believe that the oil are Canada's best shot to win the mug right now. But this year, I I don't know what to think of them. Like I don't even know if they're gonna if they're gonna win a round. And trust me, I know that's like to support a team that can't win a round.
SPEAKER_05I got I'll comment on that when we got a last one for you, Rick. Uh one, I think you're correct. I think the oilers are tired. I've been saying it all year. It's a they played a lot of hockey in the last three years. Oh, yeah. And I think I think you're asking for a lot. I mean, look at Florida a little bit this year, even though they have been very, very hurt and injured and everything, but still, uh, give us a cup prediction, then we'll let you go, Rick. I know. You can make it any way you want with this, pretty much.
SPEAKER_00Okay, I'm gonna go uh oil in the bolts. Oh boy.
SPEAKER_02Title Title Burda in Florida. Okay. Round three.
SPEAKER_04I love it. I love it. That's amazing. Uh, Rally, thanks so much for this, man. Really appreciate it. Nice to catch up. Uh, where can people find you on social?
SPEAKER_00Uh, just follow me, uh Rick Rally3 Boys. Perfect. Love it. Awesome. Looking forward to it.
SPEAKER_04I feel like I got to see you in an episode of Shoresy at some point down the road here. You and TR would just make a wonderful dream TV. It's a good comedy. Yeah, I've heard that. Yeah, I see you, boys. All right, there he is. Comedian Rick Rally joining us here on the Clearing the Crease podcast, powered by Ozude. Okay, and of course, staying faithful. Ride or die razor. It's not just you riding with the Oilers. There you go. Ricky, Tricky Ricky's with you as well on that one. Uh, okay, uh, fan question of the week. Uh, this one coming at peak underscore hoops. And just a reminder, everybody, if you want to engage with the show, hit us up with a question wherever you may be on social media, on Instagram, TikTok, on X, or even on YouTube if you're watching along there. Use the hashtag ask C T C. So this week coming from Peak underscore hoops, asking, who is someone that people may not know who was known across the league for being one of the boys? Someone you'd really want to play with and have in the locker room. Come on, I right off the top of my head, I feel like you are an easy answer for probably a lot of guys around the league based on how many people we've had on this show that are like Hall of Famers or legends. So I just put that on the show. I appreciate that. That's very nice of you. Thank you.
SPEAKER_05Thank you. I appreciate that.
SPEAKER_04It was one that both of you guys would value.
SPEAKER_05Razor, you go first because I read that question wrong and I have a different answer. Then I'll go.
SPEAKER_02Uh well, I had one guy that that played 1,100 games and won a Stanley Cup that that is uh buddies of mine and Hal Gill. Um stay at home defenseman, could have a hundred beers with anybody, um, and and just a great teammate all the time, up for it. Um that that's the that's the guy that always comes to mind just because I know him so well and I love him so much.
SPEAKER_04Um Razor, I just watched that episode just popped up the other day uh in my algorithms. That episode, Kami and Hal Gill sharing stories about how they both got worked by the late Rick Rippins. Razor, you giggled your ass off for that entire episode.
SPEAKER_02I'll never forget it. I'll never forget it. We went out in Vancouver after he's like, dude, you didn't like a heads up or something. Like, I'm like, well, I figured you knew. It's like he hit me with eight before I knew anything what was going on.
SPEAKER_04And Rick was like, what, maybe five, nine?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, maybe five, nine.
SPEAKER_05He had the blocks, he had the blocks. He knew what he was doing. Oh, he sure did. He did, he definitely did. Uh, I originally read the question, like, who's a guy that people think were a scumbag, and then end up being a decent person, like a decent guy. Oh, okay. And the only guy I could think of. That can work. Yeah, you know what? I had to Google, I'm like NHL's most hated. And then, you know, your usual suspects come up, you know, Sean Avery, Jerome McGinla. Jerome. Yeah, Jerome's a very hated. But one of the guys that can't, and I've never met Sean in person, so I can't comment on that. Never played with him. Um, but Matt Cook was a name that came up. He had some very questionable moves on the ice. There's no question about it. Got into it with the media. There's no question about it. You know, he was kind of, and I actually hung out with Matt Cook last fall. Um and you know what? I know it's post-career and everything. Matt Cook was a I love cookie. He was a great guy. I actually really I don't know what I was expecting. Like I should have maybe, but I was expecting like just some hammerhead that was gonna do something dumb. And I couldn't have been more wrong. I ended up spending like a lot of the weekend with him. I mean, Matt Cook's a good dude. I actually enjoyed his company, so that's how I read it that way. And the first name that comes up to mind for me, and I don't know if it was well known around the league, but uh to me, Doug Waite is teammate-wise, he was one of my favorites for sure. And I don't know if if that's well known or not, but uh he was a guy that I always really enjoyed being around. He was make you laugh. And I don't think Doug's had too many bad days in his life, I put it that way.
SPEAKER_04Living his best life. Uh Matt Cook was in Vancouver for the years that when I was working as a reporter in the early 2000s. And he was like, he was he was sneaky, like he was just he was very mischievous behind the scenes. But I like from a media standpoint, I love dealing with Matt. Yeah, he was great. Oh, good. You know what? There's there's a guy for you know, for as much as people talk about, you know, the shenanigans on the ice or or how he was, there's another guy who got over a thousand games in the national hockey lake. Great career, yeah. Obviously, he had to do something right to, you know, especially, you know, playing with all the years with the Canucks, played with the Penguins, got a Stanley Cup with the Penguins as well with the Wilds. So, yeah. So there you go. There's one off. Uh, did not expect that one. So there we go. Uh, don't puck it up. Uh I'll throw this one out here, guys, to the universe. I kind of mentioned it earlier. Don't puck it up, Detroit. Come on, Red Migs. It's been a decade of darkness. Tommy, former team. I'm with you. Don't falter now, even though I don't love your chances. Larkin should be back this week. Um, might already be back as the time this show drops, but uh, Detroit, don't puck it up. Don't puck it up.
SPEAKER_05I'm with C Ball. Detroit, don't puck it up. You know, let the let C Ball rally you. That was the team all year that I'm like, if I have to pick one team that I hope makes the playoffs, it's Detroit because the heat was starting to get turned on there, and I got some buddies around there. So don't puck it up. I'm with you there. For me, we already mentioned it a little bit earlier, but it's a perfect time for it. My alma mater, the University of North Dakota. You've had a rock solid year. You've been good from start to finish. You've got some excellent players. You've got a little mix of younger guys, high-end guys, no question. One of the top picks of the draft will be coming. You got some first rounders, you got some veteran guys. It's all looking pretty good. Like Razor just pointed out earlier. You know, the road, you're not going through Duluth. You're not going, you know, these other teams can play, don't get me wrong, but it looks a little easier, anyways. Uh, you're in South Dakota, right down, straight down highway. What one is that? Is it 95? Whatever it is, it's dead straight and it goes south. It's not that far of a drive. Uh, so don't puck it up. The University of North Dakota, you know, they want me to say fighting hawks, but I still see him as the fighting Sioux. Let's get it to Vegas and see if we can hang banner number nine this year.
SPEAKER_02I got read the riot. It has to be the hawks when I did the show this week. 2026. Come on.
SPEAKER_04Just mess it up once for me. Just be like, oh, sorry, sorry.
SPEAKER_02I'll giggle. Just that's for coming.
SPEAKER_04And say final four while you're at it there, Razor.
SPEAKER_02Oh, Jesus. I almost did that once and almost got ran out of town by everybody in Minnesota. They went after me like animals. Um, don't puck it up. I'm going the West. Nashville Predators are in the playoffs right now, kids. One four in a row. We've got lots of friends of the show there in Nashville, our boy Stammer. Um, you've gone on a run. Don't lose four in a row now. Hold on to that position. Get in, cause a little chaos against the Colorado Avalanche. Nashville Predators, you put yourself in the spot. Everyone wrote you off for dead. Stay in the mix. Don't puck it up. Including management, too, right? They traded guys off.
SPEAKER_05Yes. Yes. I like that. Good one. Really good one.
SPEAKER_04They're trying to find an error parent for Trotsi right now as we speak, right? Like you talk about a time uh team that's kind of in flux right now, and they're basically they're basically pulling that Tom Baringer line and Mary Bajer Lake. That's when the whole FN thing goes.
SPEAKER_02They got the mannequin in the room, pulling pieces off. Right off Trotsi's body.
SPEAKER_05Right off Trotz.
SPEAKER_04What an image raiser.
SPEAKER_05What a win every game for sure.
SPEAKER_04There you go. All right. Barry Trotts and a G string. Imagine that one. Okay. Uh well, on that note, uh, don't forget to uh like and subscribe on YouTube for more Clear in the Crease action, powered by Ozoon.net. You can follow along with Apple, Spotify, X, Instagram, TikTok, because the road to the Stanley Cup, it is wide freaking open as we've been talking about here. These playoff races in both East and West are tight as anything right now. And the clearest route to winning big and seeing Barry Trotz in a loincloth, well, all you got to do is play on Ozoon.net. Ozun's got you covered for all props, game lines, futures from now up until the cup final and beyond. So make your power play and score big with Ozun. It is your turn now. I'm Sabalski. He's Kami. He's Razor. We'll talk to you next week right here on the Clearing the Crease podcast, powered by Ozoom.net.