Clearing The Crease Podcast
Hockey’s best podcast featuring Mike Commodore Andrew Raycroft and hosted by James Cybulski.
Clearing The Crease Podcast
The NHL playoffs have been absolutely INSANE... - CTC #77
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The boys get together to talk the NHL playoffs and more on this episode of the Clearing the Crease podcast!
You know, every week, whenever they release a new episode, we always get some big headline from our editors here at the Clearing the Crease podcast powered by Ozoon.net. And it's typically Razor. We know that the straw that stirs the drink is Kami. He's he's the personality.
SPEAKER_00I don't know about that.
SPEAKER_04And every and every week it's always Kami Goes Off on dot dot dot. Kami destroys this week's episode. I'm just waiting for the headline now. Commie destroys former NFL running back on the library.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Hey, they do go way too aggressive with those headlines on you.
SPEAKER_07They do. Like I'm not out here destroying people. I mean the outers.
SPEAKER_01I've read a few of the headlines. I'm like, destroyed. Destroyed it.
SPEAKER_03Anyway.
SPEAKER_01Whatever gets a play.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, I'm like throwing it in the other day. I'm like, it wasn't.
SPEAKER_03It wasn't that bad. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Just obliterates Amon Green's athletic ability. I'm giving the guy compliments.
SPEAKER_07Clearing the Crease.
SPEAKER_04Hey everybody, welcome back to the Clearing the Crease podcast, powered by Ozun.net. He's Razor Andrew Raycroft, Cammy Mike Commodore, and I'm James Sabalski. Just a reminder, everybody, if you're enjoying the show and the content that we're bringing you each and every week, between the podcast, all the social add-ons, make sure you're liking and subscribe. Smash that button on YouTube. Leave us a five-star review on Apple or Spotify. And make sure you're following along wherever you're subscribed, whether be on YouTube or Instagram, X, TikTok, or wherever else you are consuming this content. You know, Razor, I'm watching you. Obviously, the playoffs are here. Everything's happening right now. We'll get to that in just a moment. But what do I see? A video posted on social the other day, courtesy of our redheaded friend. And what do I see? Pickleball. I see legendary Cardinals quarterback, Jake Plumber. I see TO. And there's Kami Surprise, six foot four covering the court, man. Like, Commie, I was impressed.
SPEAKER_02Athlete. Athlete. Yeah, well, thanks, guys. Uh, yeah, you know what? The first time I ever played pickleball in my life was a year ago at the first annual Jake Plumber Celebrity Invitational. Uh, I got a racket then. Uh, the second time I ever played pickleball was just at the second invitational. So I played and I got another racket. So I got two sick rackets. I played pickleball twice. I will say, you know, some people rip on it. It's fun. It is fun. I will say that. I could also see why um surgeons probably love it.
SPEAKER_05You know, you I was gonna say, Commie, like, you are rolling the dice, big boy, jumping in there. Yeah, no, you're right.
SPEAKER_02The Achilles are just waiting to pop. No, it's true. If like if you really start cruising around, um, yes, that that thought did go through my mind. I mean, I will say it wasn't like I wasn't diving for balls, I'll say that. Um, but we did pretty good. I got drafted. Uh, you know, I I've come and done this. They invited me back again. Uh, long story short, I sent an email back kind of hoping they'd say, like, hey, we got enough celebrities. Because it's like, you know, it's football people or Terrell Owens. And then, like, you know, and it was like last year, the ASU hockey staff was there, so they drafted me, so I didn't look like an idiot in the draft. This year, you know, we go up on stage this year. I'm like, oh my God. I'm like, nobody here knows who I am. But there was like 18, 20 people. I went 10th overall. Uh to the yeah, to zips. Right in the middle, that's a nice start. You don't want to get first, you don't want to be last.
SPEAKER_05That's perfect.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, they heard I was I got drafted because the uh uh Todd, the guy's kid, plays hockey, and they heard that I was like fun last year and like, yeah, like I'm playing, but like I don't care, I'm not here to win the goddamn thing. Uh so that's what they went with me. Um, yeah, it it was fun. I feel like we had a pretty good day. Um now, am I gonna get a membership and and really get into it? I don't know. It is fun, but to touch on what you just said, Razor, with the I'm like, uh, that would be a total buzzkill. If I, you know, I think the ball is going one way, go the other, and all of a sudden a pop down at my Achilles.
SPEAKER_05Um all the golf all summer just ruined.
SPEAKER_04You know what, Razor? I I don't know, man. You know, Callie, you're you're what, 6'4?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, 6'4, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, so look, I mean, you're spot, you're like Mr. Fantastic, you're Reed Richards, you got the long reach, right? Like you don't have to, you don't have to move. You're you got the wingspan that kind of is that.
SPEAKER_02What I have learned and I got better at it this time is because I was watching, there's some really good players there. Like Jake Plummer's good, Terrell Owens is good, like they have a couple of like pro guys, like legit like sponsored professionals. And obviously they take some touch, but it's pretty much about touch, and then basically a lot of it is positioning. If you're in like the right position, I guess it's like any other sport, but you know, if you're in the right position, it it actually isn't too, too bad. Um, but yeah, I mean it was interesting. I I definitely had a good time. I I think I've earned an invitation back for the third annual, so I'll get another racket. Get another racket. Yeah, get another racket. I will say what I did. It's kind of funny watching some athletes, you know, and I'm not ripping on them, but like I'll I'll just use one guy for instance, and he's just starting to play. Like, don't get me wrong. This guy's not a pickleballer, but hey man, neither am I. I played this game twice, and I never played tennis or nothing. I played baseball. Baseball and wait to hear this. Well, Amon Green was there. Leading leading rusher, the Green Bay Pack is his first. Great running back, really nice guy.
SPEAKER_04Too bad he is a Packer, but yeah.
SPEAKER_02Fair enough. Yes. He had his nice from a Bears fan. From a Bears fan. From a Bears perspective. But, you know, I'm like, oh, this guy's in good shape, like looking good in his Packer jersey. And I'm like, oh man, this guy's probably pretty good. You know, he's a running back. I'm assuming he, you know, had to catch the ball. And I mean, this guy's an athlete. Jesus. I mean, it's my only time. I've only played 10, you know, and he's learning. Don't get me wrong. But like, it was the only time where I'm like, man, I got to take a log off the fire here a little bit because we were smoking them like 19 to 3. I'm like, I don't know how to play this game any easier. I mean, without just hitting it out of the court. So, anyways, a really nice guy. I'm not ripping on him. He is learning, but at the end of it, I'm like, man, there's no way I'm gonna look up his stats. Like, there's no way this guy had very many receptions. Like the hand I with maybe it was the ball and the paddle. I don't know.
SPEAKER_04But, anyways, you know, every week, whenever they release a new episode, we always get some big headline from our editors here at the Clearing the Crease podcast, powered by Ozoon.net. And it's typically Razor. We know that the the straw that stirs the drink is Kami. He's he's the personality, and I don't know about that. Uh, and every and every week it's always commie goes off on dot dot dot. Kami destroys this week's episode. I'm just waiting for the headline now. Comeie destroys former NFL running back.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, they do go way too aggressive with those headlines on YouTube. They do like I'm not out here annoying people.
SPEAKER_07Bring it down at us.
SPEAKER_01I've read a few of the headlines. I'm like, destroyed? Destroyed anyway. Whatever gets a claim.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, I'm like throwing in the other day.
SPEAKER_03I'm like, it wasn't that bad. Come on, decimates. Yeah, just obliterates Amon Green's athletic ability.
SPEAKER_02I'm giving the guy compliments.
SPEAKER_04Oh man, I'm turning into a tomato right now. Oh my god. This is funny. Yeah. Meanwhile, some assholes complaining, you guys just spent seven minutes talking about pickleball, talk some hockey.
SPEAKER_07Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Oh, there we go. Hey, just a reminder, everybody, the Clearing the Grease podcast is powered by Ozun.net. The road to the Stanley Cup is open. I just figured this would be a perfect time for a sales pitch as well after all that pickleball talk. 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 the props, game lines, futures from now until the cup final and beyond. Make your power play score big with Ozun. It is your turn now. Okay, so the playoffs are underway. Uh, we're gonna hit our Saturday night special because we've got three games on the schedule on Saturday. Um, we don't really get to pick our, we don't get the pick of the litter. We've just got three games, and if the series are still going, then we'll see how it all plays out here. But Razor, let's do this as a group vote, okay? Let's uh majority rules copy. Okay, so first off, the game that starts things off on Saturday, just like last weekend, it's the Ottawa Senators, this time at home to the Carolina Hurricanes. All those in favor of the Canes taking care of business on Saturday, raise your hand. All those in favor of the senators.
SPEAKER_05I'll take the senators on Saturday. That should be game four, right? That'd be game four. Yep. I'll take the sense in that one. Send it back to the code.
SPEAKER_04Tommy Bole. Here we go. We're all going, we're all going sends. We're all going sends. Love it. Uh Dallas at Minnesota. The wild at home to the stars.
SPEAKER_01Boy, did Minnie look good in game one. This series might be over in three after that first game.
SPEAKER_05It might not be a game four. Oh my god. Just cancel it.
SPEAKER_04And Razor, you mentioned about hints, right? And he's still out for a couple of things. It's so obvious.
SPEAKER_05They got Ritzcovian playing on the first line. It's like you can't win with that.
SPEAKER_04Uh not a good debut for Jake Ottinger after getting trashed by his coach last year and stepping out with a 6-1 spanking too. Okay, all those in favor of the wild at home. Hands.
SPEAKER_05Dallas going Dallas, too. I'm going Dallas. You're going Dallas, Dallas, or Dallas. I feel like you're gonna need that one to stay in the series.
SPEAKER_04Majority rules for uh the stars for that second one. So we've got Ottawa, we've got Dallas, and then we've got the Battle of PA Pennsylvania. We've got Pittsburgh and Philly. Philly at home for this one. Hands for the Flyers on home ice.
SPEAKER_02Oh, just won. Okay. So we're going Pittsburgh. Okay. Oh, thinking about it.
SPEAKER_04Razor, you got the swing vote here.
SPEAKER_05You're taking Pittsburgh? I'm taking Pittsburgh. I'll I'll say I I mean again, we're I I'm we're really handicapped here, but I I think Pitt's gonna prolong the series pass. So it feels like with Philly winning game one, uh Pitt will need that one. So I'll take Pitt.
SPEAKER_04Okay, there we go. I thought you were just gonna by default go Sabalski. Everything you touch turns out. No, no, I'm not gonna go on your side. I'm staying on your side on this one.
SPEAKER_05But um Pitt did not look good in game one, fellas. No, did not. Sid looked kind of injured or something. I don't know. We'll see how this week plays out for them. But I was huge on Pitt, but Philly looked legit.
SPEAKER_04And and you know what? Credit to some of the kids. Like maybe this is just uh something to kind of dive in from one of the takeaways. Like you look at Montreal for a young group, you know, going against a veteran-lady those kids were not phased at all by the moment. I mean, Slavkowski with a hat trick. I mean, the guns came out, um, and and that took to the point further, like Philadelphia. It's not like that team's loaded with tons of experience as well. And you know, going against some absolute legends and rock stars, there were no bright lights for Philly or Montreal and some of these newer teams to the mix. You know what, Dare, I say even Utah looked good in their loss against Bates.
SPEAKER_05It's funny, right? Because it's one game and we wait for this all season long, but it's really the experience and the young guys and the stuff we talk about is when you have to close a series out. That's when it's that's when it's hard to close out the Brandon Haggles of the world and the Braden Points and the guys that have won and done this. That's really like game one. Kuchov didn't lose a minute of sleep, right? He didn't lose one minute of sleep the other night. He the they know this is a long one. Um, but you're right, the the young kids have come out swinging here this first weekend of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and it's it's always the ones who can figure out how to win and how to close out the series. I will say Tampa Bay, from what I saw, better stay out of the penalty box.
SPEAKER_02Holy shit. That Montreal power play is rock solid. Marty St. Louis taught them something. He was good on the power play, and he he's he's taught the kids uh yeah, Montreal looked good, but yeah, it is interesting, and I'm with you. Utah looked good. You could just kind of I watched that game too, or the second and third period, uh, the third uninterrupted, and you just kind of you could just kind of see Vegas coming and coming. And for a while there, I'm like, is Keller, you know, he didn't have the puck for a while, and Vegas, I mean, Vegas had the puck for for quite a bit, I think. And and yeah, Vegas, Vegas looks good too. So, but yeah, Utah first game. I mean, uh, I would really, I'm not gonna be there, but that'll be another interesting uh first game out playoff game later this week in Utah. That'd be fun to be at for sure.
SPEAKER_04Absolutely. Can we also, uh Razor, you're tracking this series right now with Boston and Buffalo. Can we just give a shout out to the city of Buffalo?
SPEAKER_05Oh, it was wild. It was unbelievable.
SPEAKER_04Steel Lottery Razor, Banana Land. Banana Land. Wow.
SPEAKER_02Oh I actually I got a bone to pick with my good friends in Buffalo, actually. I didn't see the beginning of that game. I picked, well, here I tuned in in the third period. And you could kind of, you know, they're saying, hey, if Buffalo can get one, they get one, they get two, they get three, they get four. It's four, two. Well, before the game, I did take my sabers to win by two goals.
SPEAKER_05Oh boy, the past the backhander through nine legs. Oh my god.
SPEAKER_02Six seconds. Six seconds left. I and I just told my girlfriend right before that face-off, or right before no, it's right before it ended up taking a penalty there. Before I said, Yeah, I go, hey, I actually did take Buffalo to win. You know, I lost a couple here, but I get it all back. And I'm like, I hope I didn't jinx myself. Penalty and backhandry. And I was like, I walked out of the room, shouldn't have said anything.
SPEAKER_05Anyways, goddammit.
SPEAKER_04Less is bar.
SPEAKER_05But there's another group, right? Young kids that come out and and fearless, they found a way at the end of the game. It was and yeah, good for Buffalo.
SPEAKER_04And to do that against a team that you know has some pedigree or at least has some experience. Uh and guys who've been there are good goaltend. Uh check a lot of boxes, Razor.
SPEAKER_05100%. Swayman was unbelievable. Like, yeah, David, like Pasternak, McAvoy, they have 93 games in the playoffs. Like these guys have gone game seven, Stanley Cup finals. They they've gone, um, they've got a ton of that pedigree. So um it was a big one for Buffalo to come back. I don't know if they that would have been a problem if they had lost that one.
SPEAKER_04I want to get to our fan question in a moment. Look, we are literally some of the series are just starting as we kind of get to this. But uh, one of the things I do want to touch on, because we're gonna probably send these teams to the wayside for the foreseeable future, but uh some of the Canadian teams that missed the playoffs. Um, let's let's just a quick thought on as we head into the offseason. Obviously, it's early. Uh, let's start with the Canucks. Um, look, you're you've just Patrick Alvine, obviously, the big news over the last week, fired uh a day after the regular season. I think everybody saw this coming um for weeks. I don't know if Jim Rutherford, your boy commie, is winning too many fans over. And and you know, and in fairness, like Jim's getting closer to 80 than he is 70 now. And so they need a succession plan in place. But um, going forward, I mean, this could be a long few years for the Canucks, but they've got the best odds for the first overall pick. Like, this is a massive offseason for them.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I'll go first on this one. First off, before I get into it, I just want to congratulate the Green Jacket winner, Brock Besser of the Vancouver Canucks. What a season! I mean, it's a little the leaderboard doesn't really tell the truth because our Belarus friend there, Artie in Chicago, was out for the last two weeks, which is unfortunate because he could have competed. After that, Besser really won this thing by 15 strokes. So, congratulations to Bros. Uh Brock. Actually, a guy in Vancouver sent me a picture. I posted it on Twitter. I get it. Somebody called it weird. I'm like, it's not that weird. But I guess Saturday morning, the old Canucks are at the golf course, and the fellow showed up and he's got a green jacket on. Come on, we lean into it, Brock. He had it on and he was rolling the rock with it or whatever. So good for him. I love it. It is just a fun thing. But yeah, I mean, yeah, I don't know even where to the Canucks got hey, cross your fingers for the draft. I don't know what else you do. You sell and let's just start drafting, develop. And I don't know what you're doing to do with with our boy there, EP40 or whatever. Hopefully he can find it, but they got work to do.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, they just got they got to start winning. They got to win the lottery this year. They got to get a top two or top one of the top three guys that any of those three are gonna help change a franchise and then just go from there. Because right, it it is yeah, that they're at rock bottom. It's it's very obvious that that press conference was uh was something else.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, didn't exactly didn't exactly incur much in the way of uh equity for the amongst the fan base. And no, you know, look, I mean the other thing is you gotta draft, you gotta get this right, like you got to get these picks right. Like just too many, too many key whiffs over the last dozen years. You missed on Jake Fertan and you missed on Ole Olevi, Pod Colson. Like these were all top 10 picks over the last dozen years, and you know, none of these guys really panned out. So off uh another long summer for the Vancouver Canucks. Uh, let's stay out west, the Calgary Flames, commie. Um, I mean, uh I feel like I don't I look, they're scrappy, they compete, but this still feels like there's lean years ahead before we're really gonna see the talent blossom. And look, I think they made a couple of good moves in terms of moving Cadry and moving Anderson, but you know, to see the to see those seeds planted for prospects like it's gonna be a while still.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think it is, and that's fine. I understand everybody wants to make the playoffs. 96 points the year before, and you missed the playoffs. I'll tell you what, for the Calgary Flames for the next few years, this year was better than the year before, I think. They have the fourth best chance that you know they should be drafting very high. Yes, I totally agree. There's a couple of lean years coming, but to me, anyways, the focus is when that rink opens up in a couple of years, three years. I think there's two more seasons at the dome. So let's just keep assets developing. The Wranglers are right there in Calgary, the Flames brass seeing them all the time, so they see what's going on, just keep moving in the right direction. I and I I like what Craig Conroy is doing. Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_05That's where I was gonna, at least they have culture there. Like, even though they're not that good, you you said scrappy, they played right to the end, they did it the right way. They still lost enough games where they're going to have a good player come through their their coffers here over the as long as they don't get smoked by the lottery picks, but um, or the lottery balls. They have it feels like they have the right people. I like their coach, I like their GM. Everything seems to be kind of in the right place that they have uh they they're a lot closer. It feels like they could turn the switch. When that new rank opens, they can open some open up the bank book a little bit and spend some money and get things right. So I like I don't mind where Calgary is.
SPEAKER_04Can we just agree that like screw the Rangers on the first overall pick? Like, we do not want I know the wings gonna hate me for saying this, but like, you know what? You you've had enough frozen envelopes in New York over the years. Yeah, that's enough moving on.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, enough. I agree.
SPEAKER_04Uh okay, as we continue to shift uh further east, the Winnipeg Jets. I I look secondary scoring, right? Like, I mean, you know, Ealers left and you knew he wasn't staying. Um, and that was a big hole. Like, literally, they struggled to try to fill that spot.
SPEAKER_05Well, and and Taze was they for whatever reason, they thought Taze was gonna be in India for four years and just come out and score 40 goals this year. I don't like it. They they really needed to give him a break. Like they they thought way too much of him because he started playing really well at the start at the end of the year. Like he's he might be there next year, like he actually might be able to be what they thought he was gonna be this year, but they didn't they didn't support him in any way whatsoever and allow him just to kind of cruise into it. Um they gave everybody a bit of a scare. They gave they gave Kami a bit scare at the end. Good god because they were playing way better than everybody else. Hellibuck's comments at the end of the year, a little interesting, of course.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, what'd you make of that as a goalie?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I just I I just think those guys got beat up. The American guys got beat up, and I think he knew it was coming, and he just kind of wanted to they haven't drafted well either, right? Like they actually refilled their their guys. Did they have an opportunity to do that here?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's for me, it's simple. The head coach in Winnipeg is a clown. You get rid of him, you'll be back in the playoffs. There you go. There you go. Get rid of him. I'm actually playing golf tomorrow afternoon with I'm not gonna say who, just in case I go deep digging and I get some information, but uh, I'm going golfing with three of the Winnipeg jets tomorrow afternoon. All right. So I'll be sniffing around. Tune in next week, folks. Oh all the info.
SPEAKER_01We'll air it all out, Winnipeg.
SPEAKER_04Oh, oh boy, I'm looking forward to this. Uh okay, last but not least, uh the leaves. I mean Uh they need to get faster. Like, and look at that aging blue line racer. I think you touched on it a few times, but that's a creaky group with and I I love Chris Tanneh, 36 though, and OEL's turning 35. McCabe and Riley are both 32. What do you see? Obviously, they still needed a new, they need a new boss to begin with.
SPEAKER_05Well, that's that's it. Who who takes that job? Who gets that job? Um you have goaltending issues at this point now. You thought that was pretty solid. It didn't look solid this year. You've got big time defense, creaky group problems. And then you've got this issue. Well, of course, the Austin Matthew thing is gonna be awesome. This is gonna be great. We are gonna get it every single day for the next 16 months. It's gonna be awesome. And then they this draft pick thing is hilarious to me because I know everyone's really focused on this year, but if the Leafs get the pick this year, they're not getting first round picks for another two years after this. Oh, there's no way you yeah, because if if if they win it this year, if they stay in the top five somehow, yeah, and they don't have to give it to Boston, then Florida or then Philly and Boston get it the next two years. So it's not like you're gonna have this ability to like really grow this prospect pool. So whoever's getting this job is going to have to work absolute miracles to find a way to thread the needle of making Matthews happy and not make it a rebuild, but also make it a rebuild. I I yeah, they're there, it's a disaster. I don't know how they're gonna pull all this off.
SPEAKER_02Producer Stu, I'll just I just almost laughed out loud. Yeah, Stu's a huge Leaf fan, he's losing it. Grok is getting the job as the leaf or leaf leaf's GM. He's gonna talk to them fall. What should we do? Um, yeah, the Leafs, it's amazing what what one year does. Yeah, you know, on the on the front end, like you I'd like to, you know, and just like hey, you know, it's terrible this year, next year, things could be totally different. It can go you know both ways, although it is very hard to see now. I will say that that back end is probably my biggest concern from the outside looking at the leaves. Because like, and like you said, I there's guys I like there as players, but they're on the second half of their 30s. Like that's you know, I like Chris Tanneh, but I liked him in Cal. The guy, I mean, he yes, he's a warrior, but I mean the guy gets hurt every and it's not gonna get, I would assume it's not gonna get better as he gets older. So yeah, um, yeah, the the back end, I don't know. Other than that, I I'm not sure what the Leafs are gonna do. I guess we'll start with AI and see what happens.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, call Claude, call Grok, yeah, call Chat GPT, call them all. Call them all. Yeah, yeah. It's uh yeah, it's just you wonder. I I guess look, I mean, you'd get quite a haul if you ultimately move Matthews, but that's what's happening before the draft.
SPEAKER_02Before the draft, Matthews is gone. I'm standing on that.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, you got uh you got some reaction on social media with that clip last night.
SPEAKER_02Least fans don't like hearing that. It's okay, it's time to turn the page. Okay.
SPEAKER_04Well, let's keep it to fans here right now. Time for our fan question of the week here on the Clearing the Crease podcast. And a reminder if you have a question for Kami or Razor or all of us, uh send it our way using the hashtag ask C T C A-S-K-C-T-C. And this week's question comes from Ian L in Toronto. Have you guys ever had memorable fan experiences while playing? Fans who went too far, uh, had some sort of gimmick, whatever it may be. Is there anything memorable? Razor, I feel like as a goalie you get it more than others.
SPEAKER_05Well, yeah, I have. I mean, I there there's some some real good, you know. I again, we've talked about the fan interaction in Toronto when I went back there. Um, of course, uh the as a backup goaltender, the interactions you get with some people sitting over on your own in different places, but the best one, and and and what what what the word of that question that got me and and was gimmick was the green guys in Vancouver. I was there the first game, the green guys showed up on the glass, and I pissed myself laughing the entire time. I was sitting on the bench right across. I didn't watch one minute of Hank and Danny passing the pucker on. I was laser focused on the green guys in Vancouver and what they were up to beside the box. Those guys were fantastic, awesome. So that's my that's my fan interaction, those guys.
SPEAKER_04But I gotta give a shout out to both those guys, Ryan Sullivan and Adam Forsyth. Adam, I worked with uh at Rogers. Here's back Ryan. Oh, I know both. Yeah. And uh Ryan Sullivan is a uh he is a morning show host at a radio station, I believe. In Saskatoon stands, yeah, they blew up.
SPEAKER_05They've got they did handstands on the box, like that was that was pretty funny. It was absolutely unbelievable.
SPEAKER_04We'll have to get, you know what? We should get those guys at the show sometimes.
SPEAKER_05They gotta wear the green suits the only way they can.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, you know what? They both got great faces for radio. So I'm killing selling it for screen's kidding. Uh Kami, how about you?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you know what? It is funny. I had nothing to do with those green guys or whatever, but that's the first thing I thought of too when I read the question. It just popped in my mind. Uh, you know, I tried to think of a couple things. Um uh are ice girls considered fans?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, they're considered people. Team employees. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I'll keep it real short. I mean, okay. They had Dallas Stars stuff on. I figured. Well, the Dallas Stars ones.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, so I'll I'm gonna I'm gonna jump in just real quick with the Dallas Stars ones. As a backup goaltender, you're down in that hallway, right? Where the good where the visiting team comes off, which is also happens to be where the ice girls hang out the entire night. That is one hell of a night down there.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, one time in Dallas, we uh I was with Columbus. I think there's a picture online, and like nothing happens, it's nothing bad, but I got my face slit open by uh I think it was Jamie Benn diving for the puck to try to avoid another minus, and it slipped my my face open. I need to go in for stitches, so I go get stitches. I think I'm like, uh no, I'm coming back like I'm fine or whatever. So I'm standing in the hallway there, kind of on purpose because I know kind of you know, it's not my first trip to Dallas. It's putting out the vibe, yeah, yeah. Make sure they could see my stitches. Uh with your pickleball paddle, and uh there was three of them standing. I can't remember exactly what I said, but I was trying to ask them out, or I did ask them out. One of them or something like that.
SPEAKER_04In the middle of a game? Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Well, yeah, I hadn't come back in yet. There was still yeah, I hadn't checked back in yet. But then the one was interested, the other two weren't sure what to do. But then at the end of the day, I'm like, uh, I gotta go on the ice. Like I didn't have any way of and I never fall, it just never happened. Uh, another one that made me laugh that I thought of uh was in Montreal. I uh when I was with Carolina, we had a bunch of injuries. I had a bad Charlie horse, and so we didn't have enough players. Like if I dressed, I couldn't walk. And we were in Montreal, and for whatever reason, Peter Laviolette's like, hey, look, Mike, like you know, the team plays with more he was probably just blowing smoke up my ass, but he's like, hey, the the guys need you on the bench. Like, you know, you think you can you put your gear on and just come out on the bench? I'm like, I'm like, Peter, you want me to put my gear on and like not play? He's like, Yeah, exactly. I'm like, I can't walk, you know that, right? Like, I can't go out there. He goes, I got it. I won't, you're not getting a shift, I promise. I'm like, all right. So I went and sat on the bed. So full game, not a shift, full gear. I watched Eric Cole play D. We beat Montreal like 9-1. Eric Cole, swear to God, for whatever reason in Carolina, we always smoked Montreal. I don't know what it was, there's no rhyme or reason. We beat him like nine to one. Eric Cole was amazing on defense. I mean, he was such a good skater, just get the fucking skate through everybody and go down the ice. Um, but, anyways, going off the ice, you know, I don't think many people knew I like I understand it speak French. So some dude there's like, oh, bonjour ce soir, Commodore. Like, good game tonight, Commodore. So I respond, oh, Mel C Boko, mais mon ami. And a bunch of people started laughing around. They didn't expect me to speak French. Um, and what was one? I had one other one. Did I rate it? That's good for now. I have another one, though. It just slipped my mind. When it comes back to me, I'll share. But yeah, that's amazing.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, Texas Stars alumni grade.
SPEAKER_02I got it. I got it. One blast commodore. This one, this one's from the minors. So we just we just talked about him. Colt Norr. So lockout year, lockout year is happening. Beginning of the year, Calgary Flames golf tournament. I get smash, everybody gets smashed at the tournament. I hang out for a Calgary. We'd just gone to the finals. I'm like, I gotta get out of here. Like, this is gonna end my career. I'm 24 years old. So I sign in the minors, go there, get bag skated. I'm not supposed to play for a couple weeks. The boys are heading on the bus trip from Lowell to Providence for a game that night, like on a Friday night. I'm not playing. I get bag skated. I go home. I just lay down, phone rings. Hey, it was Scotty Allen, our assistant coach. He goes, Hey, Daryl just called. He said, tell Commie he can get in shape during the games. Can you gotta get to the bus? You're playing tonight. I'm like, you gotta be shitting me. So I go get on the bus. Tom Rowe, who is an awesome, I love Tom Rowe. I have nothing but good things to say about him. He was great for me. Tom's like, hey, Mike, um, you know, I know you just got bagscated. I know you're out of shape. Like, just a couple shifts. Like, yeah, sounds good. Uh, two shifts into the game, line brawl, everybody kicked out. Or the four guys on each. The original fight was okay. The other four guys gone. The two of the four guys kicked out, defensemen. Now we're down to four D. I like turn around and look, and Tom's like, I guess you're playing. Colton Orr is like breathing down my neck. I'm just trying to put it to keep it together here. My heart rate's at 190 the entire game. I'm out of shape. I'm getting run into the N boards. I'm eating minuses like tic-tacks. And the whole time I got some fan that's where we walk out who's just giving it to me every single time I come back to the bench, giving it to me, giving it to me. I'm sitting here, I'm struggling. Colt Kore's breathing down my neck. I'm like, Colton, we got 4D, like, leave me alone, this and that. Colt Norr jumps me. Now I get beat up. Which at least I got a little bit of a break in the penalty box, but give back this fan is giving it to me, giving it to me, giving it to me. End of the game comes. I forget how we got smoked, whatever it was. I've had it. Like I have had it. I'm at the end of my rope. This guy's leaning over, screaming at me again. I'm I mean, I kind of regret it a little bit. I stop, I look up at him, and I just spit right in his chest. Yeah. Spit in the guy's chest. He looks at me like I basically like shot him. Doesn't even know what to do. He's like, and I'm and so I say, you know, F you and I walk and I go to the shower. Tom Rowe comes tearing into the dressing room. Where the F is Mike Commodore. I'm exhausted. I come out of the shower. I'm like, hey, Tom. He's like, did you F and spit on a fan? I'm like, yeah, I had enough. He's like, I guess in Rhode Island, it's like spitting on somebody is considered like assault. He's like, the cops are downstairs here. You got to go to apologize to that guy. I'm not apologizing to that guy. I got beat up today. This guy's yelling at it. He goes, Mike, you have to go. The police are outside. I'm like, oh my God. So I go out there, a couple cops, fans standing there. Yeah, it's an instant. So the fans sitting standing there, and I go, hey, look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spit on you. That's a bad move. I wish I could take it back. I was just frustrated. We lost. It's my first game. I got a lot going on, but it's no excuse. I'm sorry. And I go to shake his hand. He shakes my hand. Well, I'll tell you what, we had 11 more games against the Providence Bruins, and those fans traveled to Lowell. From that moment forward, that guy was my biggest fan ever. Every time we go to Providence, I could play the worst game ever. He'd be like, hey, way to go, Mike. You're playing great. First time I thought he was joking. I'm like, I turned, but he was like actually being serious. So he ended up being my number one fan. All he needed was a loogie in the chest. Yeah. Don't spit on people in Rhode Island or anybody that Rhode Island.
SPEAKER_04Oh my god. This episode. I can't wait for the titles from the editors. Call me unhinged. Okay. Uh winding things down. Time for this week's edition of Don't Puck It Up. I'll just start things off. It goes back to a conversation from earlier. Don't puck it up, Vancouver Canucks. Three conference final appearances in 56 freaking years. By comparison, the Vegas Golden Knights have the same amount in eight years. Okay. Get this general manager hire right. Okay. The biggest lottery of franchise history looms in two weeks. It's real simple, okay? You just had two of the biggest dumpster fire seasons in recent memory. Diehards are walking away from season tickets. Maybe you shouldn't have upped ticket prices when you only won what 25 games all season or lost a combined 57 games? Come on. You got it wrong with Benning. You got it wrong with Alvine. Vancouver, you gotta get this one right. Canucks, don't fuck it up.
SPEAKER_05Well, for me, I'm gonna jump in, Commie. I'm gonna take the Edmonton Oilers, my team, my team of destiny on the Western Conference. We're about to start. McDavid is ready to cook here. We got Dry Sidal looking like he might be jumping back into the lineup. I love the Montreal Canadiens, but I don't see them getting through the East. The Ottawa Senators, Travis Green's one of my favorites. I love them. I don't see them getting through the East. Be the hope. The Edmonton Oilers. I have sat on this bandwagon for the entire season, not wavered once. Give it to me, Edmonton Oilers. I want to see you wax the Anaheim ducks and just move on from there. So don't puck it up. Connor McDavid and the Oilers. Make it this year.
SPEAKER_02Love it. I like that, Razor. You have been rock solid and steady in your support of the Edmonton Oilers. There is no question. Um for mine, I'll get this in before my mic keeps screwing up, but I think I'm okay right now. You know, I'm reading these articles about, you know, from the Washington Capitals. We have a plan with or without OV, and there's waffling back and forth. Alexander Ovechkin, you've had an incredible career. It's been amazing. It's been fun to watch. You've scored almost a thousand goals. You've had a great run. You've won a Stanley Cup. You're going into the Hall of Fame, right? I mean, it's a no question a great career. There's second to almost none, basically. And good for you. Let's not puck this up and come back another year. I mean, look, you're slowing down. Yes, you had 32 goals. Yes, you're going to put up points. Yes, you're going to be sitting there. Washington has to put you in the circle on the power play, and you're going to rip shots and you're going to score. But in the overall game, it just ain't there. There's no shame in it. You've been in the league for a long, long time. So don't puck this up, Alex Ovechkin. It's time to go home back to Mother Russia and call it a career. Or play a couple more years in the KHL over there if you want. By all means, go ahead. But it's been a hell of a run over here. I think that's enough.
SPEAKER_04Cut it. Oh, there we go. Steal a line from full house. See what? I think we're all in the same vintage. Should we get it? Oh, yeah, I got it. Okay. Uh, what an episode. And on that note, uh the playoffs are underway. They're going wild, and that'll bring an addition, this edition of the Clearing the Crease podcast to a close. Don't forget to like and subscribe on YouTube for more ClearingTheCrease content powered by Ozun.net. Follow along on Apple, Spotify, X, Instagram, TikTok because the road to the Stanley Cup, it's on right now. It's on like Donkey Kong, and 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 and score big with Ozun. It's your turn now. He's commie with apologies to Amon Green. He's Razor. I'm supposed to be. Sorry, Amon. We'll see you next week right here at the Clearing the Grease podcast, powered by Ozo.net.