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
NHL Playoffs, A Bright Future, & A Walk-Off!
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The Anaheim Ducks may be out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs — but the future in Anaheim has never looked brighter.
On Episode 16 of The Mask & The Mic, Guy Hebert and Kent French reflect on a breakthrough season for the Anaheim Ducks. After missing the postseason for seven straight years, the Ducks exceeded expectations, returned to playoff hockey, advanced to the second round, and gave fans a glimpse of what could be the beginning of something special.
Guy and Kent break down the Ducks’ season, discuss the young core that has Anaheim trending upward, and explain why this team may be positioned for long-term success in the NHL.
The conversation then shifts to the remaining teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the guys analyze the final four contenders, compare the goaltending matchups, and share their thoughts on who has the best chance to reach the Stanley Cup Final.
And finally, Kent shares a personal full-circle moment as he steps back into the world of baseball broadcasting, once again hosting pregame and postgame coverage for the Los Angeles Angels. He recounts an unforgettable night at the ballpark when the Angels broke up a no-hitter in the 9th inning before walking it off on a dramatic two-run home run by Zach Neto. Kent describes the energy inside the stadium, the chaos of the moment, and what it was like conducting the on-field interview immediately after the game-winning hit.
From playoff hockey to walk-off baseball drama, Episode 16 is all about momentum, opportunity, and why the future feels exciting.
Hi, this is GA Bear once again, and I do know you know that, but I am the mask because I played goalie in the NHL, and this is the mask and the mic with my partner Ken French.
SPEAKER_00And I'm the Mike because I played a broadcaster for a long time in uh I guess in hockey and in baseball. And uh we are part of the Mask and the Mic podcast, and uh coming up on this installment, we got some good stuff. Uh we look back at a very successful duck season keebo. Uh they met exceeded expectations, and the future is bright in Anaheim.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, without a doubt, and we don't stop talking hockey there. We talk about the Canadians and Saber series, and we touch on the abs and the canes, and who's moving into the conference finals and who may be your Stanley Cup finalist? Predictions? Maybe you'll have to tune in.
SPEAKER_00We talk about the alumni golf tournament, Anaheim Ducks alumni golf tournament that Gebo was a part of, and also maybe a little angels baseball and a walk-off? A no-no that was broken up in a walk-off? Wait, what? That is happening. That and much more on this installment of The Mask and the Mike in Gebo as always.
SPEAKER_01And good for us.
SPEAKER_00Hello everyone, and welcome to another edition of The Mask and the Mike, Kent French, alongside Guilla Bear. Here we are. We are back. We are back, and we're uh we're just chatting a lot going on uh over the last couple weeks because we had lucky enough to have Corbinion Holzer on the show. Um last episode talking about the big championship in Austria. I got it right. Yes, Austria, not Germany from Germany, it's Austria. Uh very cool to go down that road with him and he's uh now newly retired, potentially Gibo, join the alumni, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, hey, we love to get more alumni involved. So um he can be one of the representatives from the international team in Quran. So let's make that a segue.
SPEAKER_00Let's make that a segue because then yeah, yeah, yeah. Holsey's gonna be uh um also looking to be or is uh coach GM of the uh U20 German national team. So more on that to come. We will stay in touch with him and hopefully uh uh you know this summer have him back on to chat prospects. So that'll be fun. Yep. Um but let's talk alumni because a couple weeks ago the Anaheim Ducks alumni had their annual golf tournament at Pelican Hill. We were wondering, Gibo, uh, would Tamu Solani show up? Because he had just had uh surgery. Would he be driving around in his orange jacket? What what's the update?
SPEAKER_01Did he did he show? Well, first uh it was a tremendous uh fourth annual alumni tournament. I think at one point I had said fourth annual already? Yeah, so I I'm losing years as uh I sit here. But fourth annual, uh tremendous turnout by the alumni players, uh more than we've had in the past. Uh we had Mike Sillinger flying from uh Arizona. So uh he he will sell it to everybody. He had such a great time. We'll have to have him on the podcast. Uh he is entertainment uh at all times. Uh so he was entertaining the boys, uh, great stories. And uh I think he was disappointed that Tamu Salani was not at the alumni event. And listen, I'll I'll cut him some slack. I talked to uh Dr. Craig Milhouse, uh our buddy from many years of Angels and Ducks, and uh Tamu had his knee done, and uh even Doc Milhouse was like, you know, Tamu, uh you shouldn't go. Tame was like, well, I can just ride riding the cart. He's like, you're like a couple days post-surgery. I I don't think this is a good idea. So shockingly, Temu made a wise decision and wow, you know, didn't come out, but uh he'll be he'll be scheduled for next season, I'm sure. And uh he'll be better than never with that brand new knee.
SPEAKER_00All right, so give me some of the other uh folks that showed up. Emerson Edom put a lot on social. He was out there. I know Ryan Miller was out there. Um the list just keeps getting bigger, as you mentioned, and uh guys flying in too, which is very, very cool. I mean, this is becoming kind of one of those signature events. Um, and kudos to you, GA Bear, because you've been kind of spearheading this thing over the last several years.
SPEAKER_01Well, well, thanks, Kent French. Uh yeah, I mean we've been trying to get it for for years and years and years, and we've gotten some great support um from the Ducks organization, and they've kind of partnered with us to be able to get it off the ground. Uh Chris Loomis and uh Chase Hartman. Um I I mean I don't want to go into it because I'm gonna leave somebody out, but uh everybody um has been uh a big help getting this off the ground, and now it's in a spot where it's almost like a must-attend event. Uh we have people where we only have a certain number of players that um can actually come and play with the alumni. And so it's small, it's exclusive, we like it that way, but eventually we want to continue to grow it a little bit bigger, uh, raise more money for charities and then um have more fun with some of the fans. And of course, yeah, I mean everybody had a great time golfing, everybody had a great time talking to the alumni, but everybody had a great time talking ducks hockey because the ducks continue to be in the playoffs, they were set up for another big game uh the next night. So uh there were a lot of hockey fans that were happy to talk about the old days and of course uh the direction of where the team is going right now.
SPEAKER_00Look at you just throwing softballs to me on the uh the transitions. You know, we've been doing this for a long time. It's like we've worked together before. So that being said, last time we spoke, it we were going, we, the ducks, were going into game six against the Vegas Golden Knights. Uh they were back at home at Honda Center um after losing an overtime thriller in Vegas. Yes. And it was it's you know, one of those where Vegas didn't want to have to go back, they didn't want a game seven. Vegas was desperate. The Ducks had their backs against the wall, obviously. They were trying to get it to a game seven. Um in Vegas, it just seemed to me that the amount of veterans and experience on that team, on the Vegas team, and I mean they have some serious star power, one being Mitch Marner, and the play that he made really to kind of set the tone in that game, that kind of finally won out over this Aim Ducks team.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think you're right. I mean, and I think that you know, that veteran presence, uh, the fact that they have consistently gone through the playoffs, kind of knowing what they needed to do. I mean, obviously, you know, if the Ducks win that overtime game, it's a whole different story. You're coming home looking to, you know, put the nail in the coffin and clinch the series. You know, now they're playing to keep their playoff hopes alive. You know, the first 20 minutes, I think, was just dominated by Vegas. Obviously, that breakaway goal by Mitch Marner, which will give uh Lukash Dostal every goaltender like just nightmares. Um, incredible. It's got to be one of the best goals I've seen uh in a long, long time.
SPEAKER_00Especially the postseason. I mean, you don't see that type of goal scored in the playoffs. Usually it's like a tip play or traffic in front of the net, one of those grinding, dirty goals. You don't necessarily see the pretty play, the highlight, the highlight reel play like we saw with Mitch Martyr.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and not many guys could pull that off, right? I mean, Jackson Lacomb was chasing him down, Dostal was out, you know, challenging him, and then just to be able to, you know, have this uh patience and the skill set to be able to, oh, wait a minute, Lacomb just went by me, and Dostal is still sliding a little bit to the opposite side, and oh, I can put the puck between my legs, my stick between my legs, and be able to tuck it past the outstretched pad. So, you know, I mean that set the tone that went up one nothing early. I think the backbreaker really was the goal that the Ducks gave up when they were on the power play. That short-handed goal against kind of took the wind out of their sails. They're down two to nothing, eventually down three nothing. And then I think, you know, they're just running out of gas with those, you know, multi-goal comebacks. Uh, put up a nice uh second period. Uh, I think everybody was encouraged. And then, you know, it just in the end, it just wasn't meant to be. There was a lot of um, you know, again, the savviness of you know, Vegas uh and their core players. Uh, I thought Jack Eichel, uh, you know, another superstar in the NHL. I thought he raised his level of play. Uh and they knew, of course, like you mentioned, that they did not want to go back to a game seven, even though it was in their own building, feeling a lot of pressure against that Anaheim Dutch team. So I think that, you know, for them, uh, they knew it was a must must-win game.
SPEAKER_00You know, give it give the the nice credit, too. They made the coaching change with what a couple weeks left this season.
SPEAKER_01I'm here to be honest and say I did, you know, I was like, what are they doing? Bruce Cassidy is a great coach. You know, we don't know what goes behind the scenes, right? And and how, you know, was he losing the room? Yeah, you know, we heard a lot of speculation and rumors, uh, but we all know kind of John Tordarella's uh MO, right? I mean, he is I mean, he's a tough coach, he's a vocal coach, he will he will sit superstar players, he will scratch them uh if they're not you know being accountable and given 100%. So uh they went on quite a run. That's where you're going. They went on quite a run at the end of the season, and of course, now in the playoffs, you know, finding a way to win and now getting back to the the Western Conference champions championships against, I mean, what a matchup, Vegas versus Colorado Avalanche. I mean, star power galore.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, Vegas and Colorado in the West, and you have the Canes and you have the Canadiens in the East. More on that in a moment. I know you want to touch on some of this uh Montreal magic, um, but I I want to go back to the Anaheim Ducks now since that season has come to an end. I would say from an outsider perspective, it's it's easy to say they met and exceeded expectations because it was the mandate was given to get to the postseason. Not only did they do that, they got through an Edmonton team that had been to the Stanley Cup back-to-back years, and they fell to a very good Golden Knights team. Um, inside the locker room, it's a different story. You know that better than anyone, Gibo. It's like they believed you could tell they had even higher expectations for that team. But now, moving into the 26-27 season, everybody knows about the Anaheim Ducks now. It's gonna be a different story for this team. How how do things change for the ducks here moving forward from a league outlook perspective?
SPEAKER_01Well, you're exactly right. Listen, you as a team rebuilding, you can always sneak up on teams throughout the course of the year, right? Uh somebody doesn't take you as serious as they should, and all of a sudden you beat them, and then all of a sudden you're, you know, you're gaining traction. Uh I think two seasons ago, the ducks were doing that on a consistent basis where teams were starting their second goalie, you know, so they were facing a lot of backup goalies. Uh, star player might get the night off just because the expectation was is that we can beat the Ducks without our best players. Well, now fast forward to this season where the Ducks got off to a great start, were in the first and Pacific, and held that really for a majority of the season, right? I mean, they had, you know, Edmonton and Vegas behind them chasing them all season long and didn't get caught until at the end of the season. So I think that as uh you know, teams and organizations and general managers around the league have now said, yeah, you know, Pat Verbeek, uh the Anaheim Ducks, all that talent, all those trades, all those first and second round picks being able to be developed in San Diego, some really wise trades um and some really nice pickups in uh free agency, like this is a team to be reckoned with. And we've all heard, you know, other podcasts. I heard Matthew Kachuk say, hey, that team out in Anaheim, and they are gonna be a team to be reckoned with for the next decade. I mean, because you look at Leo and you look at Cutter and you look at Dostal, and you know, you're thinking about Beckett Seneca and uh McTavish. I mean, like the the the core group of players that and played really well in the playoffs and led in all you know statistical categories. I mean, like Jackson Lacombe. I mean, um, I mean, he would have been, I think, uh in the Consmyth trophy type of conversation if they continued uh to the next round. And so, I mean, there's your core of a very young group, and they all want to take better steps and bigger steps next year. I heard Cutter talk about you know leadership, that he wants to take more of a leadership role. And I think those young guys, as they're looking at their own future of this team, you know, they're like, hey, we're well positioned for a really nice run in the next several years. And, you know, hopefully the pieces, the pieces are all there. I mean, if I'm general manager Pat Verbeek, I'm just licking my chops thinking about okay, what moves can I make in the offseason? You know, who do I want to target specifically to shore up some weakness that I think we have? And of course, with free agency, you know, you'll be able to have players who are now looking at the ducks in a much different light, right? Like, hey, they're no longer rebuilding, they are a team that's here. And how fun is that to have free agents actually calling you and saying, I want to come play out in Anaheim? And I think that's gonna happen. I think there's gonna be uh some top free agents calling Pat for Beek and saying, Hey, can I fit into your puzzle out there? Because I think I could be the piece that really gets you to another Stanley Cup.
SPEAKER_00In sports, I don't think there's anything more valuable than experience when it comes to a young player. And this is coming from someone with no no experience playing professional sports. But I I've been around enough to see it and know it and talk to players that for people like Lacombe, Cutter, Leo Carlson, to name a few, set Beckett Seneca. I mean, you have these guys who now have played on one of the biggest stages in their sport, and they have been played against by some of the best players because for the most part, as we just talked about, they've been they've gone unnoticed really in for a lot of the other leagues going, well, yeah, we've heard of this guy or whatever it is. Now they're they're marked men. I mean, they are going out there, and the best players in the other team are are marking them. So they have they have had to understand how to overcome that type of attention. You saw Leo hit a little bit of a rut, he came out of it. Um, cutter scored 41 this year. You you these guys have got this invaluable experience. So that is what the Ducks have going for them with the youth. But I love what you say about the free agents because believe it or not, coming to California and playing here in in Anaheim hasn't been always the last five, six years hasn't been on the top of list for a lot of free agents for whatever reason, right? For whether it be the outlook of the team and kind of the growth it was going through, whether it be the coaching staff or whatever it may be. Something wasn't taxes state. Well, let's not get into that. That's another whole thing. But something wasn't attractive, but now they've put it all together. And and I think the icing on the cake was Coach Q and this all-star coaching staff that they have. So you are exactly right. Now, this is a place for free agents to come, find those complimentary pieces and take this team to the next level. That being said, put your GM hat on, Gebo. I'm putting you on the spot. Sure. Tell me, tell me some of the areas you might want to see, you know, a piece added here and there to complement what the Ducks already have.
SPEAKER_01Well, I think first and foremost, before you can actually think about who you want to sign, you have to deal with the players that you need to sign. And that's going to be the Ducks restricted free agents. You're talking Leo, you're talking cutter. Uh, those are going to be two guys making a lot of money and a lot of term. Um, you're hoping at this point that they don't want short term, that they will sign for a max contract and get them locked up for seven or so years, where then you just have them for almost that decade uh of the window that now exists for a Stanley Cup run. So once you get those guys signed, Jackson Lacomb already signed that deal last year that doesn't start until next season. Years. Yeah. That deal is looking really good right now. It's looking really good. So that's the that's the only thing is like as a player now, do you think, all right, if I sign like a bridge deal, a short-term deal, you know, a two-year deal at you know, some really good money because they're both phenomenal players, they're gonna be paid accordingly. But all of a sudden you're like, God, I, you know, if I'm the manager, Pat Verbeek, I'm thinking there's no way I want to sign these guys to short term because if they continue to score 40 goals like Cutter Goche did last season, 41. I mean, it's like anything. He's gonna have to uh you'll have to pay him more down the line. So uh those are the two biggest guys. There's other guys who are restricted free agents as well that uh Pat will have to deal with. But then you have your unrestricted free agents who are currently on your roster. And, you know, the biggest ones are on the blue line, right? You got Gutish, you got Truba, and I think John Carlson, right? So you've got three veteran defensemen that you know the team's gonna have to decide, you know, do we continue with all three? Do we have to cherry pick and keep one or two? So that's gonna be, I guess, the determining factor of, you know, well, then what do I look at? Um, if they want to sign them right away, then they can do that and not have to wait until free agency starts, uh, which I believe is always July 1st. So uh with my GM hat on, Frenchie, that's a lot of business that needs to be taken care of. I would expect that, you know, Pat will want to get Cutter and Leo done as soon as possible and then have that in his rear view mirror. And then I think he's gonna have to deal with those free agent defensemen that are veteran players and then decide, you know, who he wants to keep, or maybe he wants to keep all three. I mean, the good news is he's got options. Yep. And you think about all the young defensemen that are in San Diego that are, you know, just waiting. They're just waiting to get that opportunity to play up in the NHL. You saw Tyson Hines get a really nice look at the end of the season. And because he's a great skater and he's big and he's physical, I mean, he got the play in the first several, got to play in the all in the first round against Edmonton. He started in the second round against Vegas before being replaced by Zell Wager. So think about Stan Solberg down in the minors. Uh uh the list kind of goes on and on. Um, so internally, French, before you're looking for other free agents, I mean, uh, I'll just go back to last summer's pick where I don't know if anybody thought that Mikhail Granlin would be as good of a fit as he ended up being. Um I think that's one of those guys that, you know, you're doing the pro scouting and you know that he's a guy who's gonna fit seamlessly into your organization because he can fit a variety of roles. I I think that's what the Ducks are gonna look for. I think, you know, do they look for a defenseman? Do they go into the market? I mean, is Jason Robertson something that they might entertain as a restricted free agent? I mean, the Ducks have all that collateral uh with trade value, draft picks, and prospects that, you know, they can do a variety of things. So um I think Pat's gonna sit back for the most part and just wait to see who's out there, who's not re signing right away. And once he gets that opportunity to see who's really out there and viable, then he can kind of make his pitch to them, or better yet, they make the pitch to Pat Verbeek and Coach Q.
SPEAKER_00For those not watching us on YouTube, Guy Abair's GM hat is representing a tequila company.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I figure if I keep wearing it, maybe they will reach out to me. I keep DMing them about, hey, tune into the mask in the mic, and I got your uh I got your product in my tequila cabinet, and I'm wearing your hat.
SPEAKER_00So I didn't I didn't mean it. I said put on your GM hat and I look, I'm just I'm like, oh wait a second, you're wearing a hat, a tequila hat. Um, John Carlson, uh what an acquisition. Uh late 30s, mid to late 30s, and gave up a first rounder for him. I think they should extend him. I think he was he's shown that he's a lot, has got a lot more in the tank. He is an asset to the blue line. He's an asset when it comes to leadership. What do you think?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I got a chance to talk to him just the other day after the season had wrapped up, and you know, I asked him, I said, you know, how was your experience, you know, being in one place for 17 years? It is really difficult to move and kind of assimilate into a new locker room. And he's like, Listen, first and foremost, this team, you know, how would you not want to play on this team? You know, it is on the upswing. There is talent everywhere. And he said it made the transition for him uh really easy because he got paired with great players, he saw the direction of the team uh and enjoyed all of his time that he had out here. And he's like, Oh, and by the way, the weather's not too shabby either, it's a lot better than DC. So um, but listen, I think at one point, or he still currently holds the hardest shot during the playoffs. It was like 102 point something miles per hour. So when you have that threat on the blue line, especially on the power play, uh, I mean, it is hard to think that you wouldn't want to keep a veteran guy like that uh if you can.
SPEAKER_00Ratco Gudas, you mentioned him, and he was he's the captain of the team. Um, he was dinged up a lot, didn't see a lot of time of the postseason. Um, you mentioned if he does not come back, uh he was the first uh duck to wear a C since Getze. Yes, and yeah, he was it took a while to to get that decision, and and I think it was a wise decision. A and a wait, B, I like Radko coming in and the person who he is, the way that he stands up for his teammates, and the way he he is a leader. We both seen it and what he can do off the ice. But knowing that maybe you know whatever timeline he has with this team, it's a fun conversation to look at going back to some of these young guys. If and again, if you were Putting on your tequila GM hat. We have guys like Lacombas you mentioned, Cutter, Leo Carlson, just to name a few. Is there somebody in this young group of talented players that you see being someone worthy we're in that C at some point? I'm not saying next year, but at some point.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think the Radko um, you know, will that situation will play out one way or another. I mean, he'll be a very coveted player if not here. Uh I both you and I love him. I mean, he is salt of the earth guy. He is a team first guy. Uh everything that you want in a captain, he has. And so there's no doubt that he was the obvious choice uh after those few years between Getzloff and and you know, many years with no direction with a captain. So I I think he's uh been an incredible leader on and off the ice. Um, you know, a man that speaks up when he has to, but really just leads by example. So I think that Radko is uh, you know, I mean, he is a special player, without a doubt.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, a special person, like you said.
SPEAKER_01So I mean, but you know, as you start to look, you know, down the line, I remember being out here um, you know, when we first started with the Mighty Ducks, and you know, we wanted to have obviously a veteran guy. And so, you know, we had Troy Loney with uh Randy Ladissur as an assistant captain, and you know, so it was uh a veteran, you know, leadership group, and then a bunch of sprinkled in younger guys. And then very quickly, when Paul Cree arrived, they said Paul Cree is the the future of this franchise, and Paul has the makeup, even as a young guy, to to be a leader and a captain. So, you know, they gave it to him, he embraced it and you know wore that C for, I mean, a decade or whatever. So uh I I can see in the very near future that you know had you asked me before this season, I mean, I probably would have said, you know, I they still might lean toward you know Troy Terry or you know, somebody else uh in another year.
SPEAKER_00Don't forget about Troy. I mean still relatively young. I mean, you know, it is what 27, 28 years. Yeah. Right. So he's he's right there, right? Late 20s, but he's a guy that's been around. I yeah, let's not forget about Troy Terry, but then also, like you said, look at some of these guys that so many guys that are in their early 20s. Um, and again, that and going back to the contract situation, right? Yes, you got Lacombe dialed in for eight, and Cutter and Leo are gonna be right. You probably they don't want to sign bridge deals. So those that term could be big as well. And if you have those type of people locked in for that long, then to what you're talking about with Paul, you could see maybe a C going that way.
SPEAKER_01And I would never have picked Jackson Lacomb at the beginning of the season. That's kind of uh in my long-winded answer is I'm like I like that you're going here, by the way. Keep going with this. I like it. I mean, the the strides that Jackson has made last season uh as a player, um, all of a sudden, you know, he kind of went from like, is he, I mean, is he gonna be an NHL player? Is he gonna be an average NHL player? Yep uh, you know, and then he just took off. And then this summer, you know, I think he did everything he needed to do to make sure that he was coming in as good a shape or better than he was the year before, you know, bigger, ready for the physical grind. I I knew he probably was thinking that, you know, if I play well, I'm gonna start to log a lot more minutes, which of course he did. I mean, I think he was over 25 minutes throughout the course of the season on average, which is you know, what you need your top-rated defenseman to be able to do on a night.
SPEAKER_00Pushing 30 in the postseason.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So uh, but you know, he took that quiet leadership role. And as the season went on, you could really see him kind of embrace that. And with his play on the ice, and I think also in the locker room with the guys, I think he finally felt comfortable enough where, you know, with that eight-year deal in his back pocket, thinking that, you know, I mean, this is kind of my team. I mean, uh, and I love the fact the guys start to think about that. That's why I loved reading about Cutter Goche the other day that he's like, you know, I will only get better if I put more pressure on myself to be a leader on this team. And when you start putting those expectations and setting those goals and and wanting the accountability, uh, I mean, it it's hard not to give those guys uh some sort of letter on their on their jerseys. So I would I would speculate, you know, in the next couple of years that you might see Jackson uh with a you know a C on his jersey or an A at least. And you know, we've seen it, I think, uh throughout the the course of the season. Um but Leo as well, you know. I think that's it's gonna have a the best part of it is you're gonna have a number of young players that are superstars that are gonna be here for a long time that you know I think one of them will break out of the pack as that kind of alpha male, and whether it's Leo, Cutter, or Jackson, or or maybe somebody else that I'm not thinking of right now, but those would be the guys that I would think uh would be next in line. They're all gonna lead in different ways, like you said. And you don't have to have the C on your jersey to be a great leader or the A. But you know, uh the thing about being the captain too is and think about being the captain is there's so many things that you deal with off the ice with you know, the media, the coaching staff, the general manager, and the PR department, right? Like, hey, we're having a team thing, we need all the players at this place at this time. Coaches said yes. There's a lot of things that go on that take care of the case.
SPEAKER_00You're a liaison between a lot of other departments, including the coaching staff and your team.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and you know, I mean, hey, we all bitch, right? It'd be like, oh, you know, hey, Radco, seriously, we just got back from the road and now we have to go do this. And it's not that players don't want to do it, but the timing sometimes is really difficult. So that's the one thing that you don't want like a younger player to get so bogged down by all the ancillary stuff going on with the organization that it starts to take away from their focus and what they do on the ice. So it's a it's a balancing act, but that's why you know the guys who can do that embrace it, and it doesn't ever affect their on-ice performance.
SPEAKER_00Well, I love the fact there's options, like you said, really, really good options. And I love the Jackson Lacomb conversation, and I couldn't agree with you more. I he wasn't on my radar, you know, last year. Yeah. For the for even the end of this conversation, and the fact he goes to the Olympics and he didn't play a minute. So but he's around that team, he sees it, right? I think that helped, but then he comes back and he's just I don't know. I mean he was already playing at a high level, but I think he started playing at an even higher level after the Olympics. And the fact that what he did in the postseason um was so impressive. And I am not making I'm only making a comparison maybe in um demeanor. Okay, when I when I bring up a guy like Scott Niedermeyer, it's kind of like Michael, it's like Michael Jordan. Like you there's it's very hard to p you don't want to put anyone in that with him as a as a player at this point in time, right? So, but when it comes to demeanor, Scotty was the quiet leader from what we saw and from what we've heard. I mean, ne either of us obviously were in the room, but he was a guy who led by example, led by the way he carried himself, and he had all the ex the respect in the world. But when Scotty spoke, people listened. And I'll I'll never forget like you know, we had uh we had Pronger on our podcast, and Gebo, it was the cool funniest thing. Pronger sat next to Scotty on the plane, and Scotty would have his newspaper up, and Pronger would chirp everybody coming on the plane, and he sat next to him, so he didn't have to talk to he didn't have to do anything. It's like Pronger just chirped everybody, talked to everybody, did his thing or whatever it is, and Scotty just was as quiet and just hung out and did his thing and whatever it was. So but but yeah, but seriously with with Lacomb, I like that a lot. I like that comparison. I think certainly he has come into his own. Um I think that would be certainly a a great possibility, you know, for the ducks moving forward. So I I like that comparison. Yeah. I mean, when you got options in life, you're in a good space, right? Good stuff. Good stuff. Um, well, the ducks, certainly nothing but good things uh looking forward um with the team and you know, the guys like Calorne and Granlon, as you mentioned, and uh John Carlson and these the the veterans that have kind of sprinkled in that have made made all the difference in the world and just just the complimentary pieces that have worked. And there's so many, so much young talent you alluded to in San Diego. Um look forward to seeing who's calling Pat Verbeek, who's knocking on his door, as as Pat I'm sure is gonna have feelers out there as well. But look forward to an exciting off season for the Anaheim Ducks. Moving on to the magical Montreal Canadien. So, Gibo, I'm at a baseball game last night and we're and it was magical. It was magical. Maybe we'll we'll touch on that in a moment. But I'm sitting there and I look up at the TV and it's going to overtime game seven in Buffalo, the Canadiens and Sabres. I mean, how great is that? A game seven overtime. I mean, that was amazing. I didn't see it, but we all know who who won the game.
SPEAKER_01Well, no, I did. I was sitting on my couch watching uh anxiously anticipating what was going to happen. Um, call a dreamate of mine is from Buffalo. I mean, he's a diehard Buffalo fan of all sports, uh, and they have suffered mightily for decades and decades, right? In in all their sports. And you know, but I suppose the half-glass full thing is like if you look at the Sabres beginning of the season, prior to maybe December, you know, it was just another ho-hum year, probably not going to make the playoffs, being disappointed, disappointing their fans. They fire their general manager, Yarmo Kekalinen comes in, and all of a sudden, like almost overnight, the the whole thought process and and the demeanor of the Buffalo Sabres changed. And they all of a sudden put things together and just had an incredible run. And you know, I'm sure they're disappointed, uh, much like the Ducks and Ducks fans, but going into game seven, let's go back to game six. Okay. This is pretty wild, right? I think it was only the second time in NHL history that a starting goalie faced three shots and gave up three goals, and then was replaced and was taken out of the game. And so Alex Lyon, who had played incredibly well, um, was not the starting goalie. Uh Uka Pekka Lukinen, UPL, uh, was the starting goalie for the majority of the season. Lyon stepped in uh in that first round and bailed out UPL and it kind of had taken the the reins. Uh, but Alex Lion started that game a very pivotal game, gives up three on three shots. Gets yanked, the team responds, they score a couple. Uh the game ends up at like eight, eight to three or something like that. Um in Montreal, where Montreal had a chance to eliminate Buffalo. So kind of like the Tampa Bay series, where Montreal goes on the road for game seven, winner go home, beat Tampa in game seven in Tampa Bay, and now they're faced with the same thing. So I think that they felt comfortable going into uh Key Bank Center in Buffalo, feeling like they had already done this and they weren't gonna get rattled. And as it turned out, I mean, Montreal played great in the first period. They get up two goals, and I think Buffalo was like, uh-oh, this is not the script that we want. Buffalo rallies, get down two to one, eventually tie it up in third, and then we get treated to overtime. Now, I will say uh both goaltenders I thought played great. Uh Dobesh from Montreal is making a name for himself throughout the course of this playoff run. Now he was incredible. Uh UPL, uh equally as good, not as not as tested as often. And then, you know, of course, Frenchie in overtime, it just takes one shot. And I heard uh the commentators talk about there's never a bad shot, especially in overtime. And the way the shot looked to me, and I watched it from several angles as Montreal came down the ice, kind of on a three-on-two, shots from about the top of the face-off circle on UPL's right side, comes through a little bit of traffic and goes under his glove. And I watched it and I went back online to look at it because even though the commentators didn't necessarily say it hit something or somebody, yeah, or it was like the Mighty Ducks knuckle puck, you know, it was you could see that the puck actually drops, it kind of is rotating and actually drops below the glove uh of UPL. And for a goaltender, it's always easier at that last second to be able to kind of you know, quick raise your hand. It's so much harder to try to drop your glove in that split second. Um, you know, so incredibly disappointing for Buffalo, uh, but what a tremendous series. I mean, Montreal is like the cardiac kids, they just keep finding a way to win. And I I didn't fact check myself. My other college roommate is a kaniac. Oh, really? Is in North Carolina, and kids grew up as Canes fans, and uh he told me that they were winless against Montreal throughout the course of the season. I think they played him three times and were winless. So I didn't fact-check them. I took him as a fan of the Canes uh at his word. So if I'm wrong, then then he's wrong. But it's gonna shape up to being a really interesting series because you know, obviously, the Canes have just rolled through um, you know, unstoppable, eight straight, and have had a little bit too much time off. So we'll see if the rest has been good for the Kanes or if they're gonna come out rusty in that game one.
SPEAKER_00Margin of error is so small in the game of hockey, but especially in the postseason. We talk about the traffic, and any shot is just the tip or the, like you said, the knuckle puck or what I mean. I mean, not even inches. I mean, you mean again, you know, more than anybody being, you know, in that crease in playoff time, it is something else. So uh, yeah, I mean, wow, it's so much fun to watch. Okay, so I don't want any Stanley Cup predictions out of you, but um, so you got the Canes, the Canadians in the East, you got the Aves and the Golden Knights in the West. Do you have any do you have any uh predictions on who will get to the Stanley Cup? Who will come out of each division?
SPEAKER_01Well, I mean, I I would be surprised um just how well that the Canes and the Aves have played.
SPEAKER_00Your friend Freddie Anderson, by the way.
SPEAKER_01All season long. I'm rooting for Freddie. Yeah. Yeah. I I would be shocked. I mean, listen, Canes are won eight in a row, and Colorado's eight and one in the playoffs. So uh they've kind of just predetermined their outcome for a Stanley Cup final. But, you know, that's the thing about hockey is like, you know, maybe the layoffs are a little bit too long for Colorado and the Canes, and all of a sudden, you know, you get Vegas riding high from their win, you get Montreal certainly filled. They're like, hey, man, we are just playing with house money. You know, what like hey, we're in the the Eastern Conference Final, we're one series away from the Stanley Cup finals. Like, let's not stop here, boys. And I do think that as you look at the goaltenders with the remaining four teams, you know, Colorado uh at the end between uh, you know, Wedgewood and the other wood, McKenzie Blackwood, you know, there was a little bit of like, oh, we're gonna pull Wedgewood. We went with Blackwood, that was fine. Then we had to pull Blackwood, go back with Wedgewood. So is there a little bit gone uh controversy for Colorado? I I don't know. Uh Carter Hart has played extremely well for Vegas. Uh Dobish has played unbelievably well for Montreal, and they're gonna need him to continue to play at that high level. And then, of course, our buddy Freddie Anderson, who is probably had one of the best playoff runs uh of goalie in in years. So uh as a former goaltender, it that's that's what I'm looking at. I'm looking at who is gonna be the guy who continues to play at that level and and not let in the soft goal. Like they need to make a huge save, a timely save, but they just can't afford to let that questionable goal in uh that changes the momentum of a game. Shocking, you're looking at goaltenders. I knew this would turn into a goaltending conversation. My wife was watched uh uh you know UPL Uka Pekka Lukinin, which uh she loves to say, and you know, she's like, like, who wants to be a goalie? Like, seriously. She's like, look at the dejection on his face that he like he's wearing that loss, you know. He like he left the ice, he took his mask, he hurled it down, you know, the runway back toward the locker room. And then of course, I mean he stayed on the bench, came back on the ice for the traditional handshake. But she's like, you know, that that is just hard to swallow as being the guy, even if it's not your fault. And I go, Yeah, you're looking right at him. You live with him, and you've lived through it. So um it's it's the chance to be the other guy, and the glory is what drives us to be, you know, want to be that position.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's it's insane. And and you said it before, we've seen it before, but no matter how good the team is that you're playing, how many offensive weapons and superstars they have, it takes one hot goalie to change everything. And that can be, and we we see that in the postseason. I mean, Jiggy was an example when you come to the Anaheim Ducks. Yeah, one of the greatest right. I mean, I'm runs. Yeah. Yeah. So it's yeah, I I look forward to it. So yeah, I mean, the dream matchup I think would be Kane's abs just based on records and how hot each team is. But as you mentioned, either team could get there. Yeah. So talk about the uh somebody changed the course of a game. So back to this baseball conversation real quick.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, let's get yeah, let's get back to baseball.
SPEAKER_00I I was working in Angels game, and uh as we're recording this, it was the night before, and it was Angels Ace. You're back, yes. You're back, and it's happened very quickly. I don't think uh last time we spoke. This happened like in a in a week, if not if not less than a week. So yeah, uh a little change over with the new uh Angels broadcast television, better known as ABTV. And they were kind enough to consider me and then have me uh come on as their home pre- and post-game host, and I'll fill in every now and then for the great Erica Weston reporting whenever she needs time. Um, but yeah, so very fortunate to be part of that uh broadcast team and part of the organization again, which I've been uh been part of for so many years. So really cool to be back. Great to see everybody again. Uh I can't tell you how warm the reception was, and and everybody with open arms, just I mean, the even the the ushers and the security guards and everybody that I've been around for you know a couple decades over there, um so kind. And and the the broadcast, everyone in the truck and the producers and and everybody has been so welcoming. And it's just it's so much fun. As you know, like when you have chemistry, like you and I sitting together, it's like I just jumped back on with Gooby and and Tim Sam and it's like I never left. I mean, it's like somebody said to me, He's like, so that was easy. I'm like, yeah, it really was. I mean, I there was not a nerve, I had not a nerve to sat in there like it just was yesterday. So yeah, very cool to be back um moving forward. But that being said, uh this particular game, the Oakland A's come into town for four. Oakland A's at 23 and 23 at the time, 500 first place in the AOS. So that just tells everybody the AL West is for the taking still. So uh despite the uh we have a chance, despite the struggles the Angels have had, yes, you have a chance. Um so JT Ginn was the pitcher for the Oakland A's. Gibo, he had a no-no into the ninth inning. Through eight, no hitter, 10 career or 10 strikeouts, career high. He had thrown 99 pitches. That's a special night. In the ninth, so the top of the ninth is 0-0. So the broadcast of J. No run support? No run support. He can have a no-no, and the Angels can still win this game. Uh credit to the Angels rookie pitcher, 22-year-old Walbert uh Urenya, who six shutout innings. Angels bullpen holds. So this thing is That's a rarity. This thing is yes, everything was just like lining up to this game. And so I am now, I am the fill-in reporter as well as hosting. So I'm underneath in the suites, getting ready to walk up the stairs. I'm there with Tim Salmon. We're all of us, all the uh crew and everybody watching the game. It's one-nothing. We go into the bottom of the ninth inning, all of a sudden Adam Frazier, first batter, breaks up the no-no. Oh no.
SPEAKER_01Oh no, oh no, in the case of the Angels. Oh yes. Oh no. Oh no, the no no is gone.
SPEAKER_00He goes the first. Here comes Zach Neto, who is one of the he's got the best energy. I mean, this guy we we talked about leadership with the Ducks. This he has taken on a leadership role as a young man for the Angels. He is he is so much fun. So he steps up. The plate. Tim and he and he misses the first pitch, but he's on it. And Tim Salmon, who knows a thing or two about baseball, says to me, What's your first question going to be to Zach Neto when he hits a home run? I'm like, I'm like, it's going to be a really good one, Tim. I don't know. I mean, he's like, Well, you better come up with one because he's going to hit one out. Sure enough, next pitch. Thanks for coming. Two run home run, walk-off home run, Zach Neto. The second hit of the game, they win, they win it. I mean, unreal. So then I go out and I'm standing there. I do the post-game interview with Zach Neto. He comes over to me. Think of a good question. I don't even know what happened. I'm just sitting there looking at the crowd and looking at Zach and he's pointing to the crowd and he's fired up. I mean, this is a team that just got hammered by the Dodgers for three games, and they've been struggling. So this was, I mean, talk about a you know, to the pressure off your shoulders for a moment, you know, taking a breath, and you can see this to sigh relief for a for just a moment for that, you know, for that uh for that game. So he comes walking over to me. Um, I start talking to him, and then here, and I haven't been so in hockey you don't get you don't get the Gatorade shower. I haven't had to deal with that. So all of a sudden in my corner of my eye, two Angel players coming with two buckets full of the uh the refreshing Gatorade drink. You didn't embrace it? You you dodged? I didn't. I didn't. I was Gebo. I don't I don't have my suit game is is I had to dust off the suits a little bit here, so it's been a while. I'm like, ah, I probably should should get out of the way. So I steered clear. I'm still I guess I still have a little bit of agility, even though I've gotten older in the day, and I was able to get steer clear of the power aid, maybe that's the right way to say power aid showers. Power age with the cat-like reflexes. Cat like reflexes. I get away, I wasn't scathed at all. I was actually pretty impressed. And then Zach came over and great, he was great. Um, had nothing to do with my questions. He was fantastic. You know, you get those interviews that you get the two or three word answers, but he was just he was so passionate, the energy, he was awesome. So what a what a great moment uh for that interview. And then I run over and Tim's sitting there. He's like, I told you, I told you. I'm like, I know you did. So and then we sit over there and do the postgame show. And it's one of those moments, as you know, you and I have had these several times. It's like it's electric. The crowds, the crowd's there, the players are in a good mood. You get a lot, you get to talk about a fun look back at a fun night. Fun night. It's just like that's why you do what you do, right? I mean, it's one of the reasons. I mean, there's many reasons, but that's why it keeps you coming back. It's like that one golf shot. Like, uh, you know, the one golf shot keeps you coming back. It's like that that moment is just so electric, so much fun, so much fun to be part of. So yeah, it was it was a cool moment. And uh hey, let's hope this is a springboard for this for the Angels team moving forward.
SPEAKER_01So you gotta you always gotta start with one, and sometimes it's that type of game where it's a catalyst to kind of give a boost to confidence, right? It's like, hey, our starting pitcher did a great job, our bullpen, which I mean, I'm I'm I'm a baseball fan, but I won't claim to know a lot about it. But I do know that in the last decade, everybody talks about the bullpen, Angels pitching. That's always been kind of the anchor and and not the anchor, the good anchor, it's like the anchor that pulls you down, right? So uh, you know, there's a lot of good positives coming out of that game, and of course, timely. We talk about timely goal scoring, timely saves, but how about you know, timely hits in the bottom of the ninth? And then of course, uh, you know, it doesn't surprise me, Tim Salmon would say, Hey, I've seen that, I've felt it, I've been there, and I know that he is on. And, you know, I suppose like goalie being able to see the puck through a lot of traffic, and you're just kind of locked in that you know the batter is the same way, and he he's gonna see that pitch come. And and I assume looking for the right pitch and he gets it, and then there's just no doubt where it's going. So um, but it is fun because I because of all the stuff you have to buy to watch sports, right? This app, another app, can't get your in-market games to blacked out, whatever. So I was very surprised with uh ABTV. Um scrolling through my YouTube TV service, yeah, and I'm like, Angels baseball. Yeah, I'm like, oh my god, I haven't seen Angels Baseball since I was buying the old ballet app where like it was like $19.99 a month, and I'm like, okay, I mean, I do it because it's hockey season, but and when it gets to be baseball season, I was like, do I want to spend 20 bucks a month, see just you know the Angels and really nothing else? So I was extremely happy, which uh I'm sure most fans that the accessibility, and that's what the Ducks have done so well about accessibility to watch your hometown teams uh on the TV without having to dive through too much stuff or incur a lot more costs. So um I will be watching you, Kent Friends, a whole lot more because now I can have it on my TV uh every night. I actually just saw the the schedule, and it's um quite a homestand that's that's gonna be coming up, right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we're in the middle of a 10-game homestand right now. So yeah, I get the call, the confirmation about three days prior to it going, and here I go. So uh it's been fun to be to to immerse yourself in it. Um the electricity of having the Dodgers in town despite the outcome over three games, it was three straight sellouts, and then having the having the walk-off last night. So it's uh the fans are showing up despite you know some of the struggles. It's just the environment's fun. I mean, being at a baseball game is just something else. It's just there's something about it, bringing the family, the kids, and it's awesome. So it's a it's a great uh a great situation. Glad to be back, and and hopefully you and I can talk about more Angels walk-offs. Yeah, that would be great. In the future, in the future.
SPEAKER_01Well, um well, before you I I you know, I'm just gonna piggyback off the excitement about local sports teams. So, you know, there's always competition between teams, right? And there's also competition between the ducks and the angels, and I think that the ducks have now set a bar for higher expectations, playoffs. Everybody has fed off that energy and excitement about having playoff hockey back at the Honda Center, getting to the second round, game six. I mean, incredibly competitive and looking for more in the future. So, I mean, as an athlete and competitor, the guys across the street at Angel Stadium, like I know that's had an impact on that organization. That these guys are coming to the games. I saw them all in the suite for one of the things.
SPEAKER_00Mike Trout was in the suite with his kid. Yeah, we were watching it on uh or I saw it on TV, you were at the game. But yeah, it's great that they're supporting, they're supporting each other. Yeah, I totally agree with that.
SPEAKER_01And then there's that, you know, like, hey, like that's fun. That's why we play the game. So I know there's motivation uh from from each club to the other. So hopefully that that will, you know, they'll be inspired to try to make the same type of run that the Ducks did. And and then I mean, Angel fans, much like Ducks fans, we can all attest to you, have been waiting a long time for the team to get back into the playoffs as well. Catelus Energy.
SPEAKER_00Yes. Let's go, let's go with that. Something like that. I don't know. We'll we'll come up with something. Maybe it maybe it'll be a t-shirt or something. But uh stay tuned. Hey, stay tuned. And you know what? Stay tuned for another edition of The Mask the Mike because um you can catch us. Don't forget on our YouTube channel, The Mask the Mike, and also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Uh, Gibo, nice uh nice going down a little uh recap with you. It's a great great great duck season, postseason hockey. There's nothing like it, and there's nothing like a walk-off two-run homer after you've been no hit for eight innings. So good stuff. Um, and look forward to to uh to chatting next time and and keeping an eye on the Eastern Conference final and the Western Conference Final.
SPEAKER_01So we're gonna do a walk off right here in the show, right?
SPEAKER_00We're gonna do a walk off, Gebo, and uh, how do we like to walk it off? And good for us.