The Mask & The Mic
The Mask & The Mic brings together two longtime voices from the sports world for real conversation beyond the game. Former NHL goaltender and Original Mighty Duck Guy Hebert and veteran broadcaster Kent French sit down to talk sports, entertainment, and life with honesty, humor, and perspective. From stories behind the scenes to conversations with athletes, entertainers, and influential voices, this is a space where experience meets curiosity — and where the talk continues after the final whistle.
The Mask & The Mic
Stanley Cup Playoffs - Second Round!
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The playoff intensity keeps rising — and so do the stories.
On Episode 14 of The Mask & The Mic, Guy Hebert and Kent French continue their deep dive into Anaheim Ducks playoff hockey as the Ducks move from an emotional first-round victory over the Edmonton Oilers into a second-round battle with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Guy shares what it was like experiencing Game 6 of the Ducks/Oilers series from the stands instead of the crease — and proves that once you’re a goalie, you’re always a goalie. During a tense moment late in the game, Guy admits he was still trying to make saves from his seat… resulting in spilled wine on the fan behind him.
The conversation then shifts to Game 1 against Vegas, where the Ducks suffered a tough loss despite outplaying the Golden Knights for much of the night. Guy and Kent break down two key turning points — young Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe passing instead of shooting at an open net, and the controversial no-icing call that directly led to the game-winning goal.
The guys also recap the wild Game 1 matchup between the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche, where the Avalanche survived an old-school playoff shootout with a 9–6 victory.
To close the episode, Guy previews the upcoming Anaheim Ducks Alumni Golf Tournament at Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Beach and shares which former Ducks legends are expected to attend.
From playoff drama to alumni stories and behind-the-scenes moments, Episode 14 brings you inside the Stanley Cup Playoffs through the eyes of a former NHL goaltender and broadcaster.
Hi everybody, this is GA Bear. Yes, I know you know. And I'm a former NHL goaltender for the Anaheim Ducks. And listen, we've got a podcast called The Mask and the Mike. And obviously, I am the mask. And I've got a partner in crime, Ken French. And you're not going to believe this.
SPEAKER_02I am actually the Mike in this equation. Yes, long time broadcaster. And we got a fun one here for you. Of course, a hockey centric. And why not? It is now round two of the playoffs. Your Anaheim Ducks taking on the Vegas Golden Knights Debo. Exciting stuff. Evenly matched.
SPEAKER_01And this is going to be a series to remember. Without a doubt, uh, we've already seen some great goaltending, and I think that's going to continue because it's my favorite topic throughout the course of the series. And I would not be surprised if this one goes the distance.
SPEAKER_02And we touched on the other teams in the postseason in the West and the East. We also talk about this alumni golf tournament taking place uh also at Pelican Hill Golf Club. That and much more coming up on a show we'd like to call The Mask and the Mic and Debo, as always. And good for us. Hello everyone. Welcome to another edition of The Mask and the Mike and French alongside my broadcast partner, Guilla Bear. We are back for another uh Rousing Rendition.
SPEAKER_01Not to interrupt you, but this is gonna be rousing.
SPEAKER_00We gotta let things right out of my mouth.
SPEAKER_02I was gonna say rousing rendition of the mask and the mic. Um my goodness, we are uh deep into the playoffs, my friend. Uh had a conversation uh regarding round one at the time. We were hoping the ducks would close things out in game five. That did not happen, but things happened in game six. Gibo, let's start there. Let's start. Yeah, thumbs up, thumbs up, let's start again. Your boots on the ground.
SPEAKER_01Were you there for game six? I I was insanity. I was like five rows behind Connor Ingram. Um and I listen, I was flashing out the glove saves and the kick saves. I mean, it was just almost like being back in action, you know, like don't you know?
SPEAKER_00People behind you going, sit down, GA Barry, sit down.
SPEAKER_01So it's funny. I didn't jump up unless the duck scored, of course. But what I didn't know is that I I was kind of twitching. Yeah, and I I had a glass of wine in the little seat holder, you know, cup holder, and I get this tap on my shoulder, and the guy behind me is like, uh, hey, dude. I'm like, yeah. He goes, like, you're spilling your drink all over me. And I'm like, what? Oh man. He goes, Yeah, he goes, like, your elbows are flying out. And I'm like, dude, it's you know, I mean, it's a thing. I used to do this for a living. I'm like, I it's I it just happens, right? Can you have your wife, Sarah?
SPEAKER_02Can you just have her do the split screen, like film you, and then we'll have the game going on and see if you and Asky have the same mannerisms. I'd love to see how that would look, split screen.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I I bet it could happen. Yes. I I think she was trying to distance herself from me as the game went on. She's like, I'm sitting next to him, but I'm not with him.
SPEAKER_02That is fantastic.
SPEAKER_01Um, but yes, boots on the ground. Sorry, I got uh off on a tangent there. So excited.
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_01Uh what a great game. Ducks did not sit back and wait to see how the Oilers were gonna come out. They set the tempo early. Uh, a lot of great for checking pressure led to early goals. They put the pressure on Edmonton to then chase the game. And uh, you know, after the series, you heard how banged up the Oilers were. It's it's never an excuse in hockey, right? I mean, everybody plays hurt. Um, you know, fortunately for the Ducks, uh, the guys that were hurt uh included Connor McDavid, you know. So, I mean, I I heard that you know he was playing with a fractured ankle or some part of that, which uh with as fast as he was still skating on that ice, uh, hard to imagine that he was injured. But I'm playing close to 20 minutes a game still on that ankle. Yeah, impressive. Uh, but yeah, what a what a great signature win for the ducks, close it out at home. That place was just absolutely bonkers uh when that empty neck goal went in and it was a guaranteed that they were winning. Uh I mean, yeah, the the crowd, I mean, there people were hugging each other, high five, and I was turning around and they're like, Gee, whatever. You know, so uh what a moment. I mean, what a moment. The energy and the life, and uh, you know, the fact that the ducks are they're back. I mean, I know everybody says mask on, that's the the mantra right now, but um, yeah, the the fans were certainly treated to a wonderful game. And now we're in round two, Frenchie.
SPEAKER_02We're in round two. And one thing I've been telling people as well when they talk about this ducks team in the postseason, the mantra was just to get in, right? Just get into the postseason. We heard Henry talk about it at the very beginning. That's why Coach Q was brought on, and that's why they went on and got John Carlson at the deadline. There was there were things happening going, okay, Pat Verbeek, this team needs to get into the postseason. So the players are hearing that, but once they're in, now you have to change the mindset, Ghee, from a player standpoint, is not just to get in, but now, as we like to quote Ted Lasso, just you gotta believe. And I think game one in Edmonton, when they could have pulled out that victory, that was the the first loss in uh round one. I think they started going, you know, we can beat this team. We are a very good hockey team that's gonna continue to get better. Hey, you know what? Let's forget about 13 guys who are making their NHL playoff debut. Let's go into this thing and believe we can win. And as the series went on, then they come home and they win the two at home. They're up 3-1. It's like we we can do this. We are a good hockey team. Is that part of the evolution of a playoff team? You continue to gain confidence and go, you know what? We're we belong here and we can make a run here.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yes, yes, and yes, right. I mean, the the key is to be able to get into the playoffs. Uh the always the the bonus is with home ice advantage. Sometimes it's overrated. Uh, generally, I would say in the playoffs, you always want to have a game seven in your building. But heck, uh, I watched Montreal with their Cinderella story against Tampa Bay Lightning. Uh, and you know, they lost game six, and they're building in another crazy overtime, which was one-nothing. I mean, what a spectacular display of goaltending by uh uh uh Vasileski and Dovech. I mean, just insane. Sad that one of them had to actually lose that game, but then they roll right into Tampa in the Lions Den with all those players with all that history and John Cooper and the veteran presence. And oh, what does Montreal do? They they don't really get many shots on that. I think they finished the game with nine shots, but end up getting a great goaltending performance and push uh Tampa Bay out of the playoffs. So it may not be as important as we all think. Sometimes there's a little less pressure when you play at home, but be that as it may, if I had to, I would prefer uh a game seven at home. But yeah, listen, the Ducks, it's it's incredible. You know, they had these spurts where they'd go on like a 10-game winning streak, and then you know, they'd slide. I think they had two major slides throughout the course of the year. Uh, that's part of their learning curve and you know, trying to, you know, get some other players into the lineup. But once you're in, and I think that these guys just figured it out. I think with the coaching staff, they said, listen, hey, we're in, we have one opponent, and if we beat that opponent, we get to play another round. And if you do that, then you know you set your sights just basically on game to game to game, make those adjustments, and I think the confidence grew from that first game in Edmonton where they could have won that game. And I think that is, it's it's all about belief. You know, the chemistry is there. Uh, the guys are not playing like it's their first time in the playoffs. I I think the veterans have been incredible. I think Alex Klorn has shown why he was picked up a few years ago. It it's maybe not what he's done in the regular season, which has been very good and solid, but man, he's just one of those guys who knows how to turn it on in the playoffs. And he's been outstanding for the Ducks. Uh, physical, scoring goals, getting in front of the net. I mean, kind of paying the price, doing a lot of those things that the younger guys are emulating. And I think that, you know, now as they've now moved on to the round versus Vegas, you know, it's a similar team in one sense, Frenchie, to Edmonton. There's a lot of veterans, uh, not a lot of young players. So I think that youthful exuberance with the Ducks, I mean, I think just you can't beat it, right? You see Seneca out there. I mean, Troy Terry not being a 22-year-old, but his first time in the playoffs, you can see how excited he is. Uh, you know, Cutter Goche at 22, Leo. I mean, the list kind of goes on and on of the impact that the the guys are having, and it just so well balanced between the veterans and the young guys.
SPEAKER_02Here's what I love environment, right? Hockey environments. And for these, for these players who haven't had a chance to experience it, it is unlike any other from from what I've experienced in sports, and a lot of people will tell you the same. But going into Canada with the pressure on the Edmonton Oilers, what that fan base that environment was like. And then all of a sudden, Gibo, now we're going to Vegas. Now we're going to Sin City. Elvis is in the building. Everyone's wearing the shiny, glittery jackets, the show girls are there. We've been there. It's insane, right? Outside the environment's insane. You go inside, it's crazy, it's fun. And it seems like now this team is embracing this team, the Anaheim Ducks, embracing the craziness, the excitement, and thriving in this environment. And it is it is fun to watch. And I mentioned it to you just a minute ago. They're evolving, they are now becoming a team that is you know is really thriving in this environment. So let's dive in to game number one in Vegas. And uh, you and I were just chit-chatting a little bit uh prior to coming on here and pressing record. But one of the best efforts you've seen from this Anaheim Ducks team. I mean, clearly they were the better team despite the outcome in game number one.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, first let's just quickly talk about goaltendings and we can circle back to goaltending.
SPEAKER_02Goaltending. Of course we got to talk about goaltending.
SPEAKER_01Uh uh this series, I think, is gonna be a series of just superb goaltending performances. Uh, last night we got a chance to see that, right? I mean, Dostal, not as busy as Carter Hart, but equally as good. Some incredible timely saves, especially in the third period. Uh, his first shot in the night was a breakaway. And so, I mean, he was locked in early on. Uh, you could see the confidence build throughout the game. And, you know, those are the type of games. It's one-nothing, it's a very odd game for the ducks to be in, just a one-nothing game for, oh, I don't know, about 50 something minutes, maybe. Right. Um, and and then at the other end, Carter Hart uh really spectacular in his own right, uh, robbing the Ducks on multiple quality opportunities. So I think that's gonna be uh something that we see as a common theme throughout this playoff run is that this series is gonna boil down to great goaltending. Um, but heck, I mean, what a performance. I mean, the Ducks finally figured out how to play better defensively for the most part. They kept Vegas to the perimeter. They didn't get a lot of guys inside those slot areas, and when they did, Dostal made those those big saves. I just think that this matchup is great. I I think that, you know, they are very they, as in Vegas, are very wary of the Ducks speed and any team that the Ducks are going to play uh beyond this round if they move on, is that that speed uh it just backs off the defense, and so the Ducks are creating some great opportunities. We saw the incredible play by Leo Carlson doing kind of a spinorama, and then he not only did he do the spin spinorama and beat somebody, then he moved in and deked out another defender. And then, oh, by the way, he found oh, Jackson Lacomb all alone in front of the net with a wide open net. And you know, unfortunately, Jackson, I think he was predetermined that he in his mind was trying to dish it back to Troy Terry because he thought that the goalie was gonna kind of just drive and lunge across at him. Um, where I mean, in hindsight, everything's uh a lot easier, right? He could have put it on the empty net and scored the goal. But uh, you know, Jackson certainly is a guy who's gonna get more opportunities to do that, and I don't think that's one that you really dwell on.
SPEAKER_02I think what's exciting too in the postseason, you know, I brought it up a couple times before postseason play started. I'm like, how can how long can the ducks play like this and be successful, right? As far as trade firewagon hockey, trade chances and be okay with it. I think that's starting to wear, and the other opponents are starting to think about that because if they score, the ducks are okay with that. They're okay with spotting a team one or two, even in the postseason. And what I liked about this last game, game number one, is they still were okay playing one-nothing, zero zero, and that didn't affect the way they were playing. They outshot Vegas in each of the three periods. And you know, you talk about um uh withstanding the storm, right? Weathering the storm of the opening, the opening 20 open five minutes when you're playing in a hostile environment like Vegas, they outshot him like five to one to start 11-6 in the opening 20, a 0-0 hockey game, as you mentioned. I mean, so they they came out and they were playing and they were pushing the entire game, regardless of the score. They didn't change the way they played. They are playing who they are, they're fast, they trade chances, they're okay with giving up chances on the other side because they know they have the talent to get it done, you know, uh on the other side of the ice. So it was it's fun to watch and the confidence is there. Um, but I do want to so you mentioned Lacomb, arguably the best player on the ice, despite you know not taking that shot. And yes, I give him all the credit in the world for a 25-year-old kid, his postseason, you know, debut stands up in the locker room and answers all the tough questions. But for for that play, he was involved in all the other big plays on the ice. I mean, he was involved in the ducks goal to Mikhail Granlin. He put the puck on the net, he drove the net, found an open seam, you know, was off of uh Carter Hart's pad, and uh Grenlin put it in. But 65 seconds later, after the tying goal, should it have been Guilla Bear an icing call in the ducks zone? Jack Eichel, Lacombe going for the puck. Icing was waved off right after that. Barbaschef put the puck in the back of the net, and that proved to be the game winner. Very controversial. Coach Q was hot after it during right after the playing after the game, he was steaming. Oh, I I haven't, and he's an emotional guy, and I haven't seen him that hot this year. Um certainly the stakes are higher. Yes. What did you see watching that game, and what were your thoughts on that?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know, it's interesting because they did have Dave Jackson, uh former ref uh, actually when I played, and you know, he kind of broke it down what he thought uh the linesman saw. And so from my vantage point, sitting on my couch, of course, you know, I saw the chip puck, which was uh designed to make it a 50-50 puck between Jack Eichel and Jackson Lacomb. And so it went probably a little further than Vegas wanted to lob it in. Um what I saw was that Eichel was kind of right in the hip pocket of Jackson, and I think that they both were assuming that it was going to be an icing, right? Because Eichel didn't really blast by him, but he was, I mean, he was right on his hip pocket, almost equal or in front of him. And but you know, 99% of the time, I mean, that's just blown down as an icing. I mean, it it's kind of like this tie go to the runner type of thing, right? Is it like, oh, is it tie go to the runner or is Ty go to the out? And normally in in the NHL or in hockey in general, I mean, when it's in question, it they always blow it as a as an icing. So that's part one. Part two is the fact that as you watch the play continue and Jackson and I'll both realize that it's not an icing, Jackson to his own admission, and and the other players on the ice, I think, you know, it's that thing you're expecting the whistle, it doesn't happen. You've all of a sudden taken your foot off the gas. And once Vegas realized it wasn't, they had two guys driving to the front of the net. And as Barbashev came out of the corner, um, you know, and he was looking for options. Uh Jacob Truba was kind of in no man's land. He was trying to take the higher slot and didn't see the back door. And I think Jackson kind of let the guy peel off the wall a little bit easier than he normally would have. So I just think it was a culmination of things just based purely on the fact that everyone expected the whistle. Uh, but listen, that it's a great learning curve. I mean, we talk about all the time in different uh facets of the game is that going into another play, not one ducks player, defender, will expect icing to be icing unless it's icing or offsides or icing in the offensive zone. I think that they're gonna take this to heart and say, listen, uh, that's a great lesson to learn. We we need to take this and move forward with it as um you know, as something to put in our back pocket that we can't count on the ref not waving that off, you know, ever again. So uh do I think it was icing at the end of the day? I I do, and that's just not as a Ducks fan. I just think that's what the the call should have been. Dave Jackson explained it as it's not a race to the dot which determines whether it's icing or not. I think a lot of fans are under that impression who's who gets to the face-off dot first. It's as they get to the face-off dot, who does the lineman see being the first that would have been able to get possession of the puck? And so if it's a tie, they're probably gonna wipe it off. And I I think that's what the linesman saw was like, hey, this is a 50-50 race for the puck. I'm waving this off. Um, so that's how Dave Jackson explained it to the fans.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you can see Lacomb too, kind of moved his arm inside of Eichel and looking over, you know, showing that he had position, that he had positioning and that he was, you know, he was there first. Um, but to your point, and we you grow up when you play sports that whistles are involved, you play to the whistle, right? Sometimes that's one of the hardest things because you've been playing for so long, then you're expecting it. You know the game so well that you are expecting it to actually play to the whistle, sometimes very difficult, but certainly a tough lesson to learn, especially in the postseason.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, um well, I I've got something else to add, and it's it puts you kind of the onus and the pressure on the goaltender, and and there's a lot of things going on for a lot of the players, but it's the goaltender's responsibility. And and I'm sure uh Dostal was trying to communicate with Jackson. And and when the icing is waived off late, then I mean, even if you communicate, sometimes it it's almost too late. But I think that's one big area to make sure that you know the goaltender, he's got eyes for the defenseman, right? The defenseman's heading into the corner. It's hard to take a peek at the linesman at that point when you feel the pressure on you. So the goaltender has to be the guy being your eyes and making sure he's barking out some orders, you know, icing, you know, no icing, whatever it is. But you know, the goaltenders indeed have uh a very simple communication pattern. And, you know, as soon as the defenseman hears something from the goaltender, he knows immediately uh what he needs to do.
SPEAKER_02One more time, uh back to Jackson Lacomb, though, too. He played a team high 28 minutes, seven seconds. Uh the assist on Granlon's goal gives him 10 points, which is only second to Quinn Hughes for defenseman scoring in the postseason. Um you can't say enough about what he has done. And talking about getting better with every series. I mean, this is a guy that didn't see didn't see a lick of ice time during the Olympics. Again, you kept telling me how like how stacked they were, and then you have what he's doing in Queen Hughes, his his uh teammate on Team USA, um, you know, is leading the way for defensemen. But yeah, my goodness, what what a series he is having. I mean, we saw it this year, you know, as is people that cover the team, but Jackson Lacomb is a name that people uh if you if you didn't know who he was, you definitely know who he is now.
SPEAKER_01But that's the great thing about the playoffs is that people who don't watch the Western Conference at all because they're on the East Coast or Midwest, and they might see the ducks one time a season and they might be like, Oh, I heard about this player, you know, uh this guy, you know, Lacomb or Gautier or you know, Leo Carlson, whatever. Uh, but when they don't see him on a regular basis, they they really don't know how special they are. And I think that's what Jackson is showing now a nationwide, a worldwide audience of what he's capable of doing. And we think about his breakout season last year, and then we think about you know Pat Ferbiek signing him to that extension in the summer that doesn't kick in till next season, which was a lot of money and a lot of term. And you think, okay, is he gonna continue to continue to evolve? I mean, he may have some pressure making that kind of money. Um, but listen, he just does what he does on the ice. I mean, he's big, he's strong, he's fast. Uh, he's a Scotty Niedermeyer-ish skater, where he's missing a lot. That is like that is a hell of a comparison because Scotty's the best. Yeah, I mean, being able to skate forever, and when you're logging 28 minutes in a playoff game that does not go to overtime, uh, you know, those are numbers that got great players like Scotty was putting out there. You know, I mean, if ducks want uh fans want to rewind and think about how much time on the ice that you know Niedermeyer and Pronger spent out on the ice during that playoff run to the Stanley Cup, you start looking at that, and they were out there for about 30 minutes a night, and and that's where Jackson is. He's high 20s, and he just doesn't he never looks tired. And I think that's the thing. He's so well conditioned that when you watch him, he comes off from a shift and you're like, I can't believe he's right back out there again. Uh, but credit, you know, credit him for being able to just take charge. And, you know, I know he's wearing an assistant captain label, right? He's got the A on his jersey, and I know the ducks are always thinking about, you know, down the future, who may be the next captain after Radko Goodis. And we make some assumptions as just fans. And you know, you think about, okay, well, Leo Carlson probably would be the, you know, guy who might be it, or you know, maybe Cutter Goche. Like you start, you start to prognosticate, you know, a Mason McTavish. I mean, who might fit the bill? I I have an inkling that with the way Jackson Lacomb is starting to play, and of course, the way he's handling himself, as you said in the media, I mean, that speaks volumes for him and his character and his maturity. It speaks volumes with his teammates to say, like, hey, I mean, here's like our best player in the playoffs. He feels bad that he didn't score a goal when he tried to pass it again and he was on the ice for the winning goal. And that's what guys look up to. That's a leader who steps up in front of the cameras and just, you know, I mean, just honest, just totally honest to how he saw how you know things went, how we saw them, and what he needs to do to get better. So uh, you know, good on him. And I can only imagine that in game two, uh, there'll be a little more fire under Jackson Lacomb. Not that he really needs it, but I can't wait to see how he plays.
SPEAKER_02Great, great point by you. I Jackson Lacomb for me wasn't not because of of who he is, just knowing the other players on the team that maybe, you know, have a little more charisma, at least from the out, you know, like a cutter, right? Uh to eventually wear that C because it it'll be passed on. And I'm sure Pat is looking at someone that's gonna wear it for a long time in an Aheim Ducks sweater. But Jackson Lacomb, I think I completely agree with you. The way he has played, the way he stood up in the media, what he has done and what he's turned into, and knowing he's gonna be here for a long, long time, I think he is definitely gonna be in the mix for that C. I think that's a great conversation to have. I think Ducks fans should be extremely excited. Um, just a leadership group coming with these, you know, younger players on the ducks. And as we meant as we just mentioned, they're evolving and they're maturing even more so in the postseason on the biggest stage in the Stanley Cup playoffs. So good on them. And you alluded to game number two taking place on Wednesday, May the 6th. That would be back in Vegas. I'm sure though the Elvis costumes will be back in there. Can't wait to see all those guys show themselves on TV once again. Um, I am going to say, though, that knowing what the Ducks went through, experience-wise, game one in Edmonton, knowing they outplayed the OL could have come away with a victory, they were two plays away. And again, the playoffs are all about inches, right? All about plays, all about making that one play the other team doesn't make. You have to think the Ducks are going to go into game two with a ton of confidence. Like you said, fired up Lacombe, fired up team, and knowing that that one got away from them a little bit, I'm looking forward to seeing what game two and how that unveils.
SPEAKER_01And I think the fact that uh the power play, which has been red hot at 50% game. Oh for four, right? Was uh was and so listen, let's unpack that quickly for just a second. So, okay, different team. So different players, different personnel, different goaltender. Uh, it might have shown the weakness that Edmonton had uh a little bit more, their goaltending, their defensemen, uh how they decided to defend against the Ducks power play. Um so now all of a sudden you're rolling to a thing where you have to make those adjustments, right? So I think that game one, I think they're gonna break down the film, they're gonna look at what's going on. I I thought that the Ducks were just slightly more hesitant with their passing and decision making uh against Vegas. And that's to be expected because uh listen, you got Mark Stone out there, you got Jack Eichel, you got McNabb out there, you got Shea Theodore, you got guys who have been around the block who defend very well, they take away those seam passes, uh, they know when the collapse, they know when the pressure. So I think that's just part of as the series goes on, it's you know, identifying those weaknesses that they can exploit. And when they find those, uh they will do that. Uh a great point is that Mitch Marner uh tried to make the same pass the the Brett Howden earlier in the game, and it didn't connect. And then when they had a second opportunity, it was almost an identical play, and it was amazing to see because they had corrected their mistake where uh Mitch Marner kept the puck a little bit longer, moved into a little bit different area, which kind of exposed a little bit of a passing lane and it opened up that backdoor pass for their goal. And so I would expect the same type of adjustments for the ducks on that power play, but it is crucial to move forward. That you know, that momentum swing that you get from scoring a power play goal, uh, the momentum swing you get when you kill a power play. And listen, Vegas has been red hot in the PK department. I've only given up one power play goal in the playoffs so far. I think they are now 20 kills out of 21 opportunities. So uh that's certainly going to be a big part of this series.
SPEAKER_02Before we uh move on to another topic here that I want to touch on, um, Carter Hart, whoa, like what a you know roller coaster he's had. The fact that he finds himself as a starter. Um, are you surprised he's taking over the reins in Vegas? We know he's damn good, obviously.
SPEAKER_01I mean, he was he was a really good goaltender in Philadelphia and uh on on a not a very good team, right? So like any goalie, you're gonna have some some nights you look spectacular, other nights you don't look so good, your stats are gonna take a hit, but he certainly was that goalie and goalie of the future for the Flyers. Uh we'll fast forward past all the turmoil and get to his his another lease on life, uh getting a chance to get back in the NHL to play with a very talented team, a team that's won the Stanley Cup back in 2023, looking to make another run at it. And so with Aiden Hill, uh some injuries this year, uh inconsistent play. I I think that they said, listen, we got a goaltender who we think could be our goalie now for not just this season, but for the future. I mean, uh Carter Hart has got a lot of years ahead of him to play. Uh, he's been rock solid in the first round. He did, he looked, he looked very good uh last night. And I think that's the thing. That's the key is when you see a goaltender make these key saves, I've said it a million times uh on any forum I've been on, Ducks pregame show, post-game shows, our podcast, anybody's podcast. I'm like, when goaltenders make the saves they're supposed to, and then they make a couple of the ones that they are not supposed to, just the energy that it provides to the guys on the ice and especially sitting on the bench, you know, it just gives them that boost of confidence of like our guy is on tonight, and it's gonna take a lot for him to be beat. So I that just gives you that surge of energy, be like, okay, we need to go get him a goal or get him a couple goals and then make him not hopefully to work so hard. But we know he's gonna be there in the clutch. I think both teams feel that way. And I think Carter Hart is showing the NHL hey, uh, I might have been away for a little bit, but uh, you know, I'm back and I'm here to make a statement. And, you know, it's gonna be uh as a former goaltender, I love a series where goaltenders are at the forefront making great saves.
SPEAKER_02All right. Um, another tail at the tape that we want to touch on now. We are done with goalies. No, well, no. For this series, we are. We're gonna dive more into goalies in a minute. Uh, just to make a quick note another game within the game on this one is Tortorella against Quenville, four cups between them, hundreds of playoff wins. I I mean it's incredible what those two have done. And so to watch them go head to head, two great hockey minds, um, that's been fun to watch as well. Now, the other series taking place in round two in the West, this is okay. I pause because now we go back to goalies again. Because I I want to know Gui A Bear. It wasn't two to one, it wasn't one nothing, it wasn't three to two, it was nine to six final in game one. It was Minnesota at Colorado. Hold on. Like if you're a goalie, tell me. I mean, are you you were mentioning you're just watching a game and you got reactions and twitching. Are these goalies doing that in their sleep after a nine-six game? I mean, that is unheard of in playoff hockey. I have a stat here. Hold on. Tenth playoff game ever with at least 15 combined goals. First since 1994, 14 different players, GA Bear, scored a goal in that game, five goals in each period. Um, it's it was insane. It's more like a baseball score, if that. I mean, what how how do you how do you react as a goalie to that game? Does that give you nightmares knowing that 15 goals were given up in a postseason hockey game?
SPEAKER_01Well, I mean, you're talking about Minnesota Wild probably the best defensive team remaining in the playoffs. And you know, Colorado's no slouch, of course. Uh obviously they're known for their offense. So I thought it might be a little higher scoring than the Wild would want it. Uh I that being said, like, you know, four to three, five-four, uh, something to that matter. But yeah, that that score, I'm sure it is not indicative of how the series will go. I think that both teams are breaking down the thing, going, whoa, whoa, whoa. Like the, you know, we can't score six goals and lose a game in the NHL playoffs in the second round. Like it sounds impossible, right? Uh as I mean, as for the goalies, I mean, yes, I mean, what it does is, you know, as as good as uh the goalies are in the NHL, generally speaking, and how good they're able to bounce back and the confidence they have, uh it is a chink in the armor, right? You you get hit for that many goals against, and you haven't given up that many goals in multiple games, that all of a sudden, you know, does the confidence slip? And you start to fight the puck because of that. Uh, you know, I mean, now it's game two is gonna be really interesting to watch to see how the goaltenders uh you know bounce back. Uh I I would expect that they will and have no issue. I mean, goalie's good about compartmentalizing. That's the end of the game. You put it in the back pocket or a rear view mirror, and you just move on, and all you're doing is trying to stop the next shot. You know, with that being said, I think the two teams defensively both need to clean up what they're doing out in front of the goaltenders. You know, I think that became such a run and gun type of game where uh I I mean I watched I watched the majority of that game and I was like, oh, five five after two periods. Oh, this will be interesting. Is it gonna be like 7-5, 7-6? You know, somebody gets an empty netter at 6-5, you get an empty netter. Right. Uh oh no, no, I mean, number nine was the empty netter, right? You know, but and with that being said, I mean, it was incredible. I mean, it shows, I mean, anybody else that's in the Western Conference, oh, I guess for the Eastern Conference as well, is like if you possibly might face one of these two teams, whether it's the conference finals or in the Stanley Cup finals, right? Like Colorado's offense is wicked scary. And we've all known that all season long. Uh now, Minnesota, they showed that they can score some goals too. Uh, but it also opens up the door that they are susceptible to being scored on themselves. So uh I would expect a much tighter game, Frenchie, in game two. I I think that the first period will be uh a lot of clogging up the neutral zone, making sure that you know McKinnon doesn't have a free, you know, free wheel and pass to get up the ice. Uh really anybody, Landiscog. You talk about Kale McCarr getting up into the play. I mean, they just have you know one after the other that can really jump into the play.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's uh intriguing to say the least. Um again, another stat. I you know, have a few states. I love stats. I love stats. Since the Colorado Avalanche franchise moved to Colorado in 95-96, the Aves are 72 and one in the postseason when leading by three or more goals. Pretty damn damn impressive, right? I mean, that's they do they they do not give up leads. So um, and and you mentioned high scoring. They they love to score, and usually they're very good with a lead. So game two will be interesting. Um, just a quick uh touch on the East. That's been intriguing to watch. Our friend Freddie Anderson playing well for the Canes at the time that we're taping this podcast up 2-0. It's about goal again. We're keeping the goalie theme in here, Gibo. I mean, I keep going back to goaltenders.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, that it's the best time of year for goaltenders because someone will emerge as as the best out of the rest, right? I agree. And and right now, I'm not really sure who's gonna be that guy. I mean, Dobish isn't been incredible, right? You got Alex Lyon taking the reins in Buffalo. You got Freddie, who's been uh, I mean, he had an average regular season, but you know, you make you make your you know, you make your money, but you make, you know, your career and uh, you know, kind of your legacy when you get to the playoffs. And and Freddie has been outstanding. And Dan Vladar, uh insanely good, right? I mean, Calgary obviously didn't know what they had with him or in him uh before they moved him to Philadelphia. Great new lease on life for him. Uh he has been uh he has been the reason that they moved on to the second round, without a doubt. So you got these great goaltender matchups, and I mean I'm sitting on the couch and I'm like, you know, once again twitching, trying to make saves, and it's uh it it's it's incredible.
SPEAKER_02So hopefully you don't have white carpeting and you're drinking red wine because you're gonna be spilling stuff all over the place at home. I can only imagine Cyrus going, hey, you know what I'm just putting the other road.
SPEAKER_01You know, the things where you get a sip out of it. I got a sippy cup.
SPEAKER_02Uh oh, I'm just gonna touch on the other series real quickly because you alluded to it at the very beginning of this podcast when you talk about uh the abs um getting by the lightning in seven games. But you need Montreal Canadians.
SPEAKER_01Oh, the Habs. Habs. I thought you said abs. Listen, people have all the mic abs.
SPEAKER_02We don't have I don't have abs. I don't talk about abs. I don't talk about abs. Um, but when you talk about the uh the Canadians, you talk about um coaches, right? We alluded to to the coaching matchup that the ducks are in right now, but Martin St. Louis seems like a coach I'd want to play for. He's got fire, he's got that player coach thing going on too, and and social media is great when it comes to that. He's he's in the locker room after game seven and he's singing with his team. I mean, he seems like he seems like that type of guy. He's been there, he's got the respect from that aspect of things, so he knows what the players are going to. He's won, and then he steps into this role. Uh, what a great time for Montreal and for St. Louis as a coach.
SPEAKER_01Well, and against his old team, right? You know, I mean what what a great player legend he is in Tampa Bay, and then have the opportunity to go in as a coach and and and beat Tampa, especially in a game seven in their building. Uh listen, is it the Matthew McConaughey thing, right? The oh that's that's what they're doing, right? Um, and I love the fact that I'm so glad you brought that on.
SPEAKER_00I was like, that was awesome. Whatever they're doing is cool. I don't know what they were doing, but yeah, that's totally a McConaughey thing. Uh yeah, so that was awesome.
SPEAKER_01And you gotta you gotta engage your I listen. When I played for coaches and they engaged with you, yes, um, you know, celebrating in the wins, feeling like they were right there with you in the losses, you know, not pointing fingers. Uh, and that was one of the great things about you could see when Jackson Lacomb not to come full circle, whatever, but when Jackson passed that puck and didn't shoot, he went back to the bench and the cameras went right on him. And I don't know if it was uh Jay or it was Coach Q or which coaching staff member it was, but all they did is they walked up to him and they patted him on the shoulder and said, get him next time. So, you know, that was a great moment right there of not you know berating the player. Like, what were you thinking? It was more, hey, I'm just gonna keep encouraging to do what you're doing. And I think Martin St. Louis is doing the same thing. Um, I mean, nine shots on goal for the game. Uh, I mean, again, Dobish was out of his mind. Looks, and I'd love to hear from our viewers or whatever.
SPEAKER_02He one words opportunistic, yeah.
SPEAKER_01But who does he remind you of? A Montreal Canadian great. Oh, he looks like a young Patrick Wah. I mean, he really does his mannerisms, the way being a tall guy, he gets down really low with the butterfly. Um, I I it's he's been uh really enjoyable to watch, but just the passion uh and and the effort of the Canadians players. Um, Jake Evans, I mean, like just you know, physical presence out there, taking the body, scoring goals, fighting people, high sticking people, like just trying to do it all. Uh Slavkowski getting in a fight with Hegel, standing up for himself. He gets dropped with a right, uh, but keeps plugging along. I mean, these are just you know great moments that these young players, especially the young guys, are learning as they go through their, yeah, most of them their first try at the NHL in the Stanley Cup playoffs. So uh a great series is coming up. I mean, Buffalo. I mean, do we want to talk about Buffalo? My roommate from college is from Buffalo. He's been a lifelong Buffalo Sabres fan. They have not cheered a lot in Buffalo for the Sabres in a long, long time. I think maybe Dominic Kashik, Ryan Miller, I mean, those are the last times. I know I I chatted with Milsey in another podcast and his first time in the NHL playoffs with Buffalo, uh, they were able to win the first round, I think, in a game seven in Buffalo. And he said it was just, you know, uh, again, insanity with the passion of the fans. And oh, by the way, after the Sabres won and they got back to Buffalo at like 1.30 in the morning, there were tons of people there at the airport and uh celebrated as they came off after they clinched the series. Pretty cool.
SPEAKER_02And yeah, I think you talk about the Ducks fan base, you know, yeah, desperate to get back in. Try doubling that in Buffalo. I mean, that's pretty much what it's been like. Uh well, good stuff on the postseason, and we'll see where we're at next time we tape this podcast, where where everything lies.
SPEAKER_01Yes. Yeah, I mean people are gonna be waiting to hear because all of a sudden from one week to the next, a lot's gonna change.
SPEAKER_02Things are changing. Um, we're gonna move from the ice to the links, Gibo, a place that you spend a lot of time on when you can. When I can. Yeah. When you can. Um, and we uh there is a big tournament coming up when it comes to the Anaheim Ducks alumni. Can you please enlighten everybody on when that when and where that is taking place?
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. It's our annual alumni golf tournament, and it will be at the beautiful Pelican Hill Golf Club on this Thursday, May 7th. Uh, everything's closed up. Uh, there are no spots. So if you're thinking about doing and joining us next year, you're late. You are late, you are too late, uh, but happy to have you sign up in the future for next year. But it's a great time. Uh, one alumni for every threesome that's out there. Uh, so it's a quick pace, tons of fun, good golf, probably some bad golf as well. Uh, but a memorable day, lots of prizes, uh, a lot of auction items. And um I think it's one of those things that we as alumni really embrace. We're happy that we have it going. Uh, I think this is our third uh rendition of the alumni golf tournament. So uh looking forward to it. And it's great. It falls in between hockey days for the ducks, right? We got a game before and a game after. So uh looking forward to be able to talk a lot of hockey with the fans and and the other golfers.
SPEAKER_02And alumni association for the NIM Ducks continues to grow. I mean, you're a big part of it. You you're very involved, but there are a lot of other players that um, you know, are getting involved and other guys that have been involved from day one. I mean, can you throw out some names of guys we might we might see for those Ducks fans and really hockey fans for some of these you know all-time greats uh that played here in Orange County?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, well, I'll tell you one guy you won't see, and it's no shocker. We've been trying to get Paul Korea to come out. And uh, listen, I know he doesn't want to golf.
SPEAKER_00He doesn't want to come out.
SPEAKER_01We like we need we need him to come out and support us, right? Um, we're all part of one big family.
SPEAKER_00So Paul, if you're listening, if you're listening, yeah, we we know you're listening.
SPEAKER_01We we want you out there because uh listen, when Paul lets his hair down, he is a hilarious guy. And the fans would love to see him out there, you know, just kind of you know chit-chatting. And of course, all the rest of the alumni guys uh would love to see him. Uh, but we're working on him. So he's surfing, probably. I mean, yeah, he probably is surfing. He's got other things going on. Yeah, he's stretching, he's busy, stretching, doing uh yoga, something. Um, but yeah, we're gonna have a lot of the guys, uh the guys who are local, uh Jason Marshall, uh architect, yeah. Dave Carpa. Uh I think we're Tamu. I I think is yeah, is he gonna be playing tennis somewhere or traveling the world, or what's he doing? He's on the DL. I saw via Instagram something about a knee surgery. So uh I have not heard that officially, so I'm not sure of his status. And uh maybe he'll be riding around in the car, which I can see that as as entertaining as always, right? Yes. Um, Milsey's gonna be there. I think uh I mean I you caught me off guard. I have a whole list of guys. I know, I know. I'm just throwing up the original guys JF Jamps. Maybe Jeff Freesen. Uh I think maybe uh I think Brian Allen will be there. I it kind of lists goes on and on. Laddie Cohn. So, and we're trying to ingratiate some of the guys that are kind of just back. I think Joe De Penta is local again, and I think Joe's gonna come. I think um maybe Kent Huskins Husky is uh working as a scout, so I don't know if he will have a job to do, and uh he'll be on the road or whether he'll be able to be at the the alumni golf as well. So uh, but a whole host of guys I wish I could remember everybody, and it's always that. thing like an acceptance uh of a word of speech and you try to thank everybody and then you forget half the people you should thank.
SPEAKER_02Well I love it too because you never know who's gonna come into town. One year Chris Bronger flew in. So oh yes yeah so Chris uh yeah thank you thank you so prongs is flying into town uh Getze is flying into town so yeah thank you thank you for the the memory so yeah a couple big cats rolling in and then I think um I think one of our other four former guys God I hate to throw it out here but um somebody else is coming in that hasn't been here in years doesn't live locally uh I think played during my era and uh I I'll I'll figure that out for sure by the way he does this on purpose it's a big tease he just wants you to show up he's just full of it he knows exactly who's flying in and yeah this is this is we just don't fly in anybody by the way I want to just give a not a shout out but a comment Tamu uh on Instagram posted he was going to a ducks game in round one wearing this orange jacket he was very proud of said orange jacket it happens to be a jacket for winning the Anaheim Ducks golf tournament you and I didn't post wearing a jacket but you and I both have an orange jacket because we two in the same group have won the Anaheim Ducks golf tournament.
SPEAKER_01Just want to throw that out there Tamu Salani I mean we can up you I guess or even up you we can we can show up with uh our our two orange jackets and so there. Yeah just so you know you're not the only ones rocking your orange blazer. Hey that reminds me speaking of jackets so I had to go into my storage unit and I'm going through all these old bins of stuff stuff that I have saved since the inaugural season. Yes and uh during our inaugural season we were given these jackets and uh it looks like a you know I don't know almost like a a college or a high school like sports jacket you know the ones you have with like the Letterman jacket and it is you know the old uh purpley whatever color and it's the OG it's an original jacket from the first season. So if you're at the games coming up I'm gonna break that bad boy out and start wearing it's not exactly the jacket that the boys are wearing and giving out in the locker room from the Mighty Ducks movie uh the Coach Bombay jacket but it is a similar jacket that we got in that inaugural season. So um you might see me wearing it. I I it could be like the fan good luck charm. I love it.
SPEAKER_02You know you just you just reminded me this is ladies and gentlemen this is called riffing by the way we're just now riffing. We're just talking got up right now. So um I hosted back in the day the we did like a Mighty Ducks 2 movie premiere or something like that. We had a bunch of the cast members up and I was hosting it and they gave me a Gordon Bombay jacket that I still have. So you should break that out I might have to bring that out if I do go to a game. So okay there that's on the table. Number two though, for those of you watching us at home on YouTube, Guilla is starting his own cooking show because behind him is the kitchen.
SPEAKER_01Well listen as you know I've tried like every spot in this house to find proper light. Like I'll have people text me or DM me and say hey man love the podcast but I can't really see you. You're too dark. Do you have a ring light? I'm like of course I got a ring light I I sometimes will just pull it out and show so that people see they have a ring light. I have every light on in my house and so what I do is I'm doing this off of a desktop computer and I think since it's so big it's shadowing my face so this I tried this so I'd love to hear the comments of whether this is too good. I looked very very white so I don't think it's that good but uh in an I may maybe I need to just get a I don't even own a laptop right I I probably need a laptop oh yeah you got a big old screen on your kitchen counter is what you're doing right now.
SPEAKER_02That's right.
SPEAKER_01Yes so uh I'm always I'm always here for constructive criticism. I just want to let everybody know that's why the kitchen's behind Gebo in this in this shot here he's got the I gotta make I gotta make lunch and probably make dinner tonight and you know there's a lot of things I need to do I'm I'm I'm trying out for chopped.
SPEAKER_02Put that out there I'm gonna be on right or or worse worst cooks in America what we're gonna do we're gonna end this riffing session by by commenting again if you're watching at home so I need to describe this Gebo before we went on put a hat on yes and said hey this is a tequila company and we're looking for sponsors folks yes so can you see it clearly yeah I can see it now.
SPEAKER_01All right well they were sponsors at the athletes first golf event right told you about that so curious that if they uh are fans of the show and uh might have to send a DM and we'll send them a little clip of how we love this tequila and it is right there on my head. There it is. Kebo's got it with it.
SPEAKER_02All right uh well this has been another rousing rendition as we said at the very beginning of the Mask the Mike um just to let everybody know for those of you that want to watch this debauchery um on your YouTube it's the Mask the Mic uh on our YouTube channel um the Mask the Mike Instagram and of course we're on Spotify and Apple Podcast. So Gebo exciting stuff round one of the books off to round two cannot wait to see what next week unfolds enjoy yourself by the way and hit him straight at the 11th of turn absolutely if I don't come home with some sort of championship ring belt jacket I'll be disappointed.
SPEAKER_00And let me know if Tim was driving around in his orange jacket.
SPEAKER_01I'll send you pictures yes can't wait to see it.
SPEAKER_02And as always Givo, how do we end this thing?
SPEAKER_01Yes and good for us