What Matters More: Week Three Wins Or Playoff-Ready Chemistry

The standings look shiny, but they don’t win you a Game 7. We pull back the curtain on a week where bold trades, role changes, and a Canada vs USA thriller forced everyone to choose between clout and chemistry. Our take: build a system-first roster, ignore the panic, and make the hard moves that turn chaos into a plan.

We get specific. The Devil Hawks surged after nailing availability and shoring up the blue line with dependable RAs, while the Bisons owned a small skid and doubled down on the long game. We unpack the headline deal—trading Iverson to a rival—and explain why fit matters more than fireworks when you’re shifting from skill-first to structure-first hockey. Then we zoom into depth: Razor’s upside with Clamp and Mesa, Hypo stabilizing the middle, Kaz bringing defensive calm, and why a second line that can open a playoff series without drama is worth more than a hot week in the standings.

There’s heart here too. A player gets out of the net, slides to right wing, and rediscovers the joy that speeds up hands and minds. We relive a tense Canada vs USA series that flipped after smart role swaps between center and defense—proof that timely adjustments can rescue a lopsided start. We trade big ideas: a cross-league world tournament, a Young Guns vs Veterans bracket, and cleaner age splits that test speed versus poise. Around the league, we scan notable trades, expectations for quiet contenders, and where we see the next wave of movement as week four hits and the deadline chatter rises.

If you’re into team building, hockey IQ, and the psychology of a locker room under pressure, this one’s for you. Tap play, then tell us: would you trade a star to a rival if it made your system better? Subscribe, share with a teammate, and drop a review with your boldest midseason move.

Transcript

Weekend Recap And Standings

SPEAKER_05 0:36

What's up, everybody?

SPEAKER_02 0:37

This is Blaine710. Welcome to another edition of Titans Talk here with your boy LeBlanc57. How's it going on this man marvelous Monday?

SPEAKER_04 0:47

It's going good, man. How about you?

SPEAKER_02 0:50

Uh, it's going great. Feeding the kids. They're a pain in the ass tonight.

SPEAKER_05 0:56

Gosh darn kids.

Devil Hawks Surge And RAs Boost

SPEAKER_02 1:03

Alright, so I figured we'll talk, we'll recap what happened this past week. Start like Monday or Tuesday, sorry. What happened with uh Devil Hawks?

SPEAKER_04 1:19

Um well we we pushed ourselves up to second now in the standings. Uh we uh we had way more avail. Shaner showed up more, so that helped a lot. And you know, just the guys being ready, being prepared. We got a couple good RAs our way. We we we got but we bolstered up our D a lot with again again the RAs and everything, and we just we we really boosted ourselves up very well, and we're looking pretty good. I mean we're there's still room for improvement for our team, but so far we've we've done pretty good.

Bisons’ Slide And Long-Game Focus

SPEAKER_05 2:05

How about the bisons? Well, we're going through a little bit of a transition period, but nothing crazy.

SPEAKER_02 2:18

I had a little bit of a slide, but you know, I'm not trying to be the best week three team, trying to be the best week seven team.

The Iverson Trade And Team Fit

SPEAKER_04 2:27

Yeah. I mean, regular season, it it doesn't matter where you end up because one way or another you're gonna have to face the best teams that's left. Whether it's the first round or the last one. So it's all about just getting getting yourself in shape, getting the chemistry going, and getting everyone ready. But yeah, so far both I'd say we've we've had our trades. I mean we have the sniper one and then we have the the big one, which included Iverson going our way and basically what'd you I forgot who we sent for you.

SPEAKER_05 3:17

I need a check.

SPEAKER_03 3:23

It's clamp and uh oh yeah, clamp and henne, sorry. Of course.

SPEAKER_04 3:30

So yeah, I mean so far what was your idea going through the the process of making that trade? Because I was not a part of it.

SPEAKER_02 3:45

No, you were not. It was all shamer. No, it was just uh we were shifting from being a skilled forward team, you know, just a bunch of individuals with skill to a more system dynamics, so more chemistry, more system based. Still in the process of switching to that. Still got a couple more moves I'm gonna have to make, but all in all it's working pretty well. I told the guys after the trade, I'm like, don't worry about the standings right now, it's all about building chem. Don't don't worry about that crap. Keep it out of your mind, just focus on your game.

SPEAKER_04 4:34

Yeah. It I know you said like Iverson was pretty tamed, but I feel like my um like what helped you push from accepting that trade was maybe just how it just how it went this week and like maybe some couple outfalls, and then he started expressing frustration and maybe pushed you to trade him.

SPEAKER_02 5:03

Not necessarily. It's uh it was just something that was always on my mind. You know, I was trying to find chemistry with different right wings for him. I tried to like fight different right wings and I couldn't get it. So it's kind of just like maybe if I trade him for someone else, the system would work a little better. You know, he's a elite player. He could carry a line, basically, did for me for the majority of the season. Well, the majority of the uh first three weeks, let's say that. But other than that, no, it's just a fit thing.

SPEAKER_05 5:48

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 5:49

Yeah. Makes sense.

Switching To System-First Hockey

SPEAKER_02 5:55

I never heard any bad words from him or anything like that. He was if it was in a game, it wasn't anything crazy like you fucking suck or something like that. It was just like, hey, I need you here, or I need the pass here. He he he knows exactly how he wants to play and exactly what he wants and what he expects from the other players.

SPEAKER_03 6:25

Okay, gotcha. I mean that that makes a lot of sense. Uh but I mean, yeah, with the reason I feel like the reason why Shane got them got him was purely because we had his buddy Volky, and he wanted to get a second line set and establish, and just work on just getting basically a second line that's reliable enough that they have Chem, they they know what they're doing, and we add juju in that mix, and I think it's gonna be a like a decent line to where like if I don't get to play the first, I don't know, like the first game in the playoffs, they can play it. It won't matter to me. Cause I feel comfortable with either lines, but we have we're we're still short somewhat on defense, but it's all about just bolstering up each other and just trying to see what works.

SPEAKER_02 7:31

I'm just trying to get out of the net. I want to play right wing again. I don't want to be net.

SPEAKER_03 7:36

Yeah, I mean, yeah, that's that's brutal.

SPEAKER_02 7:40

I was playing I played right wing, I think, for like the first time on Friday night. I played a couple hours with a couple of the guys on the team. And it was like I was like a brand new player, felt like scoring goals, making plays, it was it's like you know when you want to play something really bad and you just like play like at a higher level than normal.

Building Reliable Second Lines

SPEAKER_05 8:06

Yeah. I gotcha. I'm like shit, where why haven't I played like this in forever? I haven't playing I haven't stopped playing Gollion D.

SPEAKER_03 8:24

Yeah. Yeah, it's just it's that's why mainly we I wanted to get just like get defensemen, so I just get stop playing defense because it's just like not not the position I I am, so and I'm I'm doing fine, but it's just a matter of like, hey, I like what's the most optimal for a team. So I understand what you're feeling, so but uh did you want us to like say anything about the other teams, like what you saw about them? I mean I I'm pretty sure you've made other trades with other teams too.

SPEAKER_05 9:14

Yeah, we did um I did uh trade for Razor. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:24

Uh uh the cuckoo choos, I mean uh the cuckoo's how do you how how excited are you to try that out?

SPEAKER_05 9:36

Good.

SPEAKER_01 9:39

I feel like uh Razor will work work well with uh clamp and uh Mesa.

SPEAKER_05 9:49

Let's hope so.

SPEAKER_02 9:51

That'll be my uh top line and I can move Mike down to the second lane.

Position Changes And Finding Joy

SPEAKER_03 10:01

Okay. Yeah, so just kind of like what you were doing, just uh hey, let's just get some and if I can't play the penny too, and he can play on the second. Yep. And then he's also a versatile forward. He could play wing, he play center. So he'll definitely definitely help you wherever to play because he's a very decent forward. I'd say that's that's a good offensive lineup you're you're starting to do, so that's and then we get uh we got uh new RA.

SPEAKER_02 10:48

We got two RAs. We got hypo and Kaz. Kaz can play D2, so probably where he's gonna end up playing. He's probably gonna play with magic on our first pair.

SPEAKER_03 11:04

Okay. So yeah, so that was that your friend that you were talking about?

SPEAKER_05 11:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:14

So yeah, so no, you got basically bolstered up your with those two. I think what you got also a defenseman out of that, right? Or was it just a goalie? I can't remember.

SPEAKER_02 11:28

No, I got a center, hypo center, left wing. Can play a little bit of D or goalie if needed, but his main is center.

unknown 11:38

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 11:39

And Kaz is mainly a D. We can play a wing too.

SPEAKER_03 11:46

Okay. So yeah. Basically you just bolstered it up you down the middle and bat on the back end a little. Yep. That's good.

SPEAKER_02 11:56

We did get a goalie last week. Played a couple of games, but the defense in front of him wasn't that good. I think it was me the one game, and then I think last night was Ralph and Fowler. Or not last night, but Friday. It was Ralph and Fowler, and I don't know what happened there.

SPEAKER_05 12:20

But Friday line there was a couple of no-shows we had a actually Thursday too, there was no show we had to get ECU.

New Pickups: Razor, Hypo, And Kaz

SPEAKER_02 12:38

It seems like availability is better this year or this week.

SPEAKER_03 12:42

Okay, that's good. That's what we've been wanting the most is just getting that new new bump of players and get that extra bit of a veil that everyone wants. Because sometimes it's pretty brutal on what happens with all the players and whatnot. So that's that's good. We everyone's getting better, it seems. Everyone's trying to achieve what they want to achieve, so kudos to everyone.

SPEAKER_02 13:22

A lot of the guys are like, why'd you trade Iverson to Devil Hawks? Now you're making them better. I'm like, listen, if I don't if I'm avoiding trading with the Devil Hawks, then I'm uh managing scared. I can't be worrying about other teams standing because I gotta worry about my own team.

SPEAKER_03 13:42

Yeah, I mean, I I don't understand why we have like a target in our back for for no reason. Uh I mean, can't be afraid of just one team. You know, you you you know that that's not gonna be easy, like whatever. Like, for instance, I when it was Man Beast and Bailey last season with the Dark Knights, you know, they they didn't have no worries. I mean, the the Anarchy Riots were a team that was secretly just stacked to the teeth with high quality players, and they just didn't worry, they knew what they were doing, and they just they still wanted to just progress our team and focus on our team, and don't worry about them and what's best for us. So if if there's anything to take from what they were doing is that don't be afraid of anything. I mean, even if it's trading with that team or us because you think we're we're scary.

SPEAKER_04 14:54

That doesn't mean anything if, say, down the line, we got no avail and we just get swept in the first round, you know? And it's like well, you worried for nothing and got your team potentially not that much better because you were too worried about us.

Availability Woes And Goalie Trials

SPEAKER_05 15:10

So it's a good perspective to have for sure. Alright, what else we got?

SPEAKER_02 15:28

The Olympics. You you're in the Olympics.

SPEAKER_03 15:31

Yeah, Team Canada on top.

SPEAKER_04 15:35

We it was a it was a hell of a series. It was fun, it was fun. The I think the VOD is still up for Twitch on the Titans Hockey League channel. So if anyone wants to watch that and enjoy themselves, a nice little treat, you could go ahead and watch it. It was definitely some high competitive, high intense gameplay with a lot of jitters and a lot of close moments, close calls and everything. So if anyone wants to watch that, it's kind of crazy. Uh before I explain what happened, you know. If you want to watch it, don't get spoiled, then go ahead. But I'll spoil it here. The first game, it was a I'd say it was a chickup period. I mean, we had Sizzle on defense and wizard on C, and we kind of got shut out and cut down, so we we weren't we weren't too ready, we weren't too focused. There's some pointers that we missed out, and we were just trying to focus on okay, when basically that whole game after it was 4-0, we basically focused on okay, what works, what doesn't work. You know, like do we attack them, do we for check them, do we pressure them? And we got good leaders on our team that didn't give up right after the game where we're like, okay, let's change our style, let's be more aggressive here, let's attack them there. We had a small switch put Sizzle at center with whiz on defense and switch those two, and it from then on we became so much stronger. We won the second game 4-2, and in the final, it was 2-2 with five minutes left in the third under five minutes, and we get that one goal, big goal from Sizzle from a nice pass from Bailey, and then then on we just blew them out of the water. And there was some there was some USA banter going on between the the defenseman and the winger, razor and foams. You know, they they they were pointing fingers at each other for sure, so there's that, but I think overall it was a fun tournament. Everyone seemed everyone liked it and enjoyed it. So it's definitely something that if they ever want to do again, it would be it would be great.

Trading With Rivals Vs Managing Scared

SPEAKER_02 18:17

So I wonder if uh wonder if the banter led to the trade.

SPEAKER_04 18:26

Oh, for I'm I'm pretty positive that's what happened. I think they were just mad at each other and then they started just spilled over into the library, probably.

SPEAKER_05 18:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 18:41

But yeah, so uh it was it was a fun, it was fun. Fairy was Fairy and Wolf was in the in the stream. They were basically just like talking about like the different duality of what's going on in the locker room, what they are what they're saying, what they're coaching about, what they're expressing. And it was it was a fun it was a fun watch to re-watch it after. So if you want to watch a VOD, go ahead. It's it's pretty funny.

SPEAKER_05 19:13

It's it's nice, it's it's just chill.

SPEAKER_02 19:18

So uh nice little way to get revenge, I guess.

SPEAKER_04 19:33

Yeah, it was you know, we've we we've we try to play it for our country, and that was the biggest chance we could have gotten to just represent our country the most and try to just win a game, and we did it. We showed that hey, you might have win the Olympics off a fluky, you know, fluky goal and a crazy performance from your goalie. But you know, in virtual, we're still ahead.

SPEAKER_02 20:07

Crazy idea I just had. Very insane. Never it would never happen. Is if all the le if it some of the leagues got together and did like a whole world tournament thing.

SPEAKER_04 20:25

What never won't happen, but well, why don't you enlighten enlighten it more about it?

Canada vs USA: Series Breakdown

SPEAKER_02 20:31

Like what it was just something that just popped in my head. So I like if THL and a couple of the other leagues, you know, pulled together and got like a team USA, team Italy, you know, different countries. That'd be cool if they could do that, but some leave go owners don't really get along with each other, and you know, you got all that stuff that plays into it.

SPEAKER_03 21:02

So like the best from the best from THL goes against like the best from another league. You can do it that way. Vice versa. Okay. There'd also be a lot of definitely like overlapping, because I'm pretty sure a lot of like the players who play here probably plays on those other leagues.

SPEAKER_05 21:27

There'd be some overlapping, but hey, that's not a crazy idea.

SPEAKER_01 21:37

Um are there any other trades that happen anything big?

SPEAKER_02 22:00

Senzi and Pmeister to the Firebirds for Ferdzi and Joker and Habon. That's one of the other trades.

SPEAKER_05 22:15

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:17

There's There's a couple of trades that are not really mentioned much. You know, Lord Saying the Singh Ascends for Super Gangster. And then the Breezy for Marcel. So a bunch of like uh let's say low low low risk trades for a couple extra owners, so it's not too too crazy, but it's still something like looking at different options.

SPEAKER_05 23:02

What do you what do you expect for this week coming up?

SPEAKER_02 23:08

Hopefully for us, some more wins, but but mainly just working on the chemistry and everything, getting everything set.

SPEAKER_03 23:21

Okay. Do you see any team that's gonna uh uh do something radical to you? Like do you see some teams moving up, moving down, changing?

SPEAKER_05 23:33

I'm thinking uh I'm thinking the Firebirds might make some trades. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 23:44

I'll probably make some trades, maybe. I don't know yet. We'll see how it goes. But I think uh I think the madmen are probably gonna be a little quiet.

SPEAKER_03 23:57

They have been overall they've been pretty quiet, I would say.

League Crossover World Tournament Idea

SPEAKER_05 24:01

Yeah, I think that's that trend's gonna continue. I'm sorry, go ahead.

SPEAKER_03 24:14

No, I was gonna just say like maybe it's because like their team is like a first, so it's like uh why why make trades if we're first, you know?

SPEAKER_05 24:23

Makes sense for them.

SPEAKER_03 24:34

Uh I mean, yeah, uh I say the uh the main man is are gonna be definitely the quiet bunch in the group, and definitely gonna see a lot of moves from now on. It's gonna be from the other teams. I feel like there's a couple teams that don't have their like the players that they want specifically, and they're gonna be looking for that.

SPEAKER_05 25:00

So maybe in a week from now we might talk about crazy trades that happen. Oh yeah, we'll see how it goes. Week four coming up. So uh anything else before we close it out.

SPEAKER_03 25:30

Um, I mean I I talked about it a little bit, but why not bring in this like thing? What what do you think about the young guns versus the veterans style of you know idea that I've brought up?

SPEAKER_02 25:49

I think it'd be cool to do like a like an age bracket tournament.

SPEAKER_03 25:54

I feel like that would be the like the funniest way to have a a group of teams that would just all work with each other and all show the show, you know, hey, the young the young up-and-comers of the league versus the you know the old time you know pillars of the league. Kind of like showing what you know, what if what if Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard and all of them would match up against you know Crosby, Ovechkin, and all that things like that.

Notable Trades Around The League

SPEAKER_02 26:34

So would it just be two teams, or would you try to split it like you have like the really old guys and the middle-aged guys, and like the guys in like their older adults, and then you get the teens and the younger adults?

SPEAKER_03 26:52

I think you could probably do like the like do definitely a bracket or like two just two teams, like uh have a 25h age limit and have it down the middle of like two line two full lines of you know under 25 versus over 25 lineup and have a you know best of seven series or whatever with two whole lines, see what happens.

SPEAKER_02 27:23

And joining us right now is Pmeister. Where the hell have you been?

SPEAKER_06 27:29

Roommate decided to bring friends over, so I had to be entertaining them for a little bit slash too much noise in the background.

SPEAKER_05 27:38

Shaking my head.

SPEAKER_06 27:41

Oh, settle down the blonde. You guys won your freaking series on Saturday. You have your victory lap now. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_03 27:48

Yeah, well. I've already discussed it, you know. It's just it's beating Americans is a Canadian pastime at this point. It was it was fun. It was definitely fun. There was a lot of bickering after it, but uh it was a it was a fun, a fun little replacement for all-stars, and it's definitely a a new type of different thing to do, so that's fun. I like it.

SPEAKER_06 28:18

And the games are actually competitive, so that was very nice to see. Yes, it was sometimes sometimes when we set that up, it's 10-1 each game. You're like, okay, there was no real point in this.

SPEAKER_05 28:33

Although the first game kind of seemed that way, but it was after the adjustment we we got settled down, so that's good. Can you uh talk about how you being traded?

SPEAKER_03 28:51

How'd that feel?

Week Four Predictions And Quiet Teams

SPEAKER_06 28:53

I mean a little bit of a knife in the back, but I knowing what I know now, it I understand why, because there's been some friction in the past.

SPEAKER_05 29:10

Friction? Friction. Care to enlighten. I mean, you just look at the team management and you can kind of figure it out. Okay.

SPEAKER_06 29:25

Yep. No, no ill will towards them or anyone else on the Canucks. Hopefully the Firebirds get on a roll here like the Canucks have for the past two weeks, and uh we can start to build something towards the playoffs.

SPEAKER_05 29:41

Yeah, okay. That's uh the way we're looking at it, that's for sure. So that's good. Anything else did you want to like say or you know, bring up to this?

SPEAKER_06 30:00

I mean, I'm pretty sure you guys have covered it up to this point. Is Good Canada US series all the last week? I believe trade deadline is this week, uh Pauline, if I remember correctly. Um is it this week or next? I thought it was this week. Hang on, let me double check. Yeah, so last minute moves are gonna be made, trades are gonna be flying, a lot of course words are gonna be sending chat probably for that.

SPEAKER_05 30:38

Not sure.

SPEAKER_02 30:40

I don't remember what I don't remember if I got posted or not.

SPEAKER_06 30:44

I was gonna say it's like 60% of the season approximately, so however that math works out.

SPEAKER_01 30:56

They won't have three weeks left after this week.

SPEAKER_06 31:00

Okay, yeah, then probably next week then. And then kind of beyond that, just any other shenanigans that have been sued during the week, which I'm pretty sure you and Blaine being the top tier duo. You guys have already covered that.

Young Guns Vs Veterans Concept

SPEAKER_05 31:15

Oh yeah, we talked about trades and uh any predictions of what could happen? Meeting the league and plus Do I have a prediction? Me lean the league in my sisters, probably. Who? Me? You that prediction or a fact?

SPEAKER_06 31:41

I mean, right now I think it's a prediction, but I just seem to get stuck whatever night where the offense scores like one or two goals and DA decides to cursus with six.

SPEAKER_02 31:54

I think that just means they have faith in you. Hold it down.

SPEAKER_06 31:59

I mean, I try best, but as I think Wonk can attest to the defense can only do so much on the offensive end.

SPEAKER_03 32:09

Yeah, it's definitely what if especially if the forwards don't want to play back for you, then it's just a whatever the case may be just of it's a shooting caller. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:24

I mean that's what I try to do when I'm playing D is just slow the forward down, and hopefully my team comes back and helps me.

SPEAKER_06 32:34

Yeah, I find that's only like maybe a tenth of the percentage of the whole NHL community in general. Every other time the forwards are just kind of slow to get back and reset.

SPEAKER_02 32:59

Alright, so we recapped the Olympics, we did trades, we did standings, did predictions.

SPEAKER_05 33:08

Umless you guys got anything else to add, I think that's it.

SPEAKER_03 33:17

I I don't have anything else really to say, Pmeister.

SPEAKER_06 33:22

I got nothing else really. I mean you two do a great eight cracker job as always. Wolf being the lazy son of a gun never shows up. And yeah, we're pretty good this week.

SPEAKER_02 33:34

And Buffalo Jones never joins us because he hates us.

Pmeister Joins: Trade Feelings And Reset

SPEAKER_06 33:37

Well, I think he works like I think he works second shift, so it makes sense for him not to show up.

SPEAKER_05 33:43

Uh I don't I don't think it's an excuse. I mean Yeah. Screw screw Buffalo.

SPEAKER_06 34:05

I guess thank you all for tuning in, and hopefully we'll see you next week for Titan Talk.

SPEAKER_02 34:11

There was uh we do have something coming up next week, some big news about what's going on in the offseason.

SPEAKER_06 34:18

So are we finally getting the website that was promised like three years ago? Damn it. You're gonna ask Wolf about that one. That's no, that was uh Oh god, what the hell's the guy's name? Way back in the day. He tried setting up the league with the website, it didn't work out well.

SPEAKER_01 34:40

Oh, that's uh was it Bob it?

SPEAKER_05 34:44

Was that the guy's name? I forget.

SPEAKER_01 34:48

I don't remember. Alright, but yeah, we got some big news uh the uh big heads are working on.

SPEAKER_02 34:57

That uh I was informed like five minutes before the show.

SPEAKER_05 35:01

Is Amtrak getting fired? No, but he's getting fired up. Damn it.

SPEAKER_02 35:13

All right, but we will have more on that next week. So everyone, thanks for listening. And I guess that's it.

SPEAKER_05 35:28

I'll see you guys next week.