NHL Unscripted with Virk and DemersSteve Levy is ready for Round 2: Two crazy Game 7s, second-round previews and Clooney on Broadway.
Jason Demers and Adnan Virk respond to the wild series finales in Dallas and Winnipeg before breaking down four awesome upcoming series in the second round. Then legendary broadcaster Steve Levy talks about calling historically long playoff games, appearing in the movies and a special commercial he made with Alex Ovechkin. Finally, Adnan offers his review of George Clooney's Good Night, and Good Luck on Broadway before Jason brings out his harmonica to play us out.
NHL Unscripted is a production of the NHL and iHeart podcasts. That's right, folks, we did it. First round is over of the NHL Playoffs. As we're here on Unscripted breaking down all that you need to know, we.
Will give you our second rim previews in.
Addition to talking about Maddy Cash getting paid by the Calgary Flames and Little Cel File and sixty more theater for you. George Clooney Tony Award nominated for his working good Night, Good Luck, which is an outstanding show on Bobway show is able to see. But we're recording this Sunday night after just watching that thrilling double overtime win. Of course, it makes sense because our special guest this week is Steve Levy, who is known for calling the longest games in NHL claff history. So JD. Caley is going Levia here. We're definitely going DOUBLET and that indeed was the case. We'll talk about all that this means for Winnipeg moving forward. But first off, JD, you're watching it in a slightly different environment than me and Tal who're watching it in our basement respectively.
You were with a Howard Chuck tell Us about that.
Yes, I was, no, we had I went to meet up with some buddies at a bar just to watch the game and kind of just enjoy the atmosphere. And of course in Arizon, I'm in Phoenix, Arizona. So in classic Arizona fashion, it's a game seven, and there's about seven people.
In the bar.
And meanwhile, if it was like the Panthers versus the Falcons, it would be you know, it'd be jammed on a Sunday. So so yeah, so it was it was US seven. And then all of a sudden, you know, Eric Howard Chuck Deal Howard Chucks then walks in and sits down with us. So I didn't know he lived in the valley, but you know, we started chatting and he had his Howard Chuck gear on and from his family's foundation, and he had his jets hat on and and it was tense.
He came in.
It was like they're down to nothing, and I mean, what a crazy game, what a crazy comeback. But as I was like two minutes left in the game, and I'm like, hey, I gotta leave, like I gotta go get ready for this podcast. The game's over. So I start walkouting. I start walking out of the building and as soon as I walk out, they score. So I run back in and I'm celebrating with all of them and cheering, and they're like, you can't leave. Now, you can't leave. I'm like, I gotta get back. They're probably not going to tie it up. So I walk out at with like thirty seconds left, get in my car, and as I start pulling away, they're facetiming me and they're like, here, we did it.
It's I gave one second left. And I'm like, are you you fucking crazy? I'm like, oh twice. So yeah.
So came back here, watched the game, and I mean, he's just elated. And what a crazy, crazy game, and what a resilient team in Winnipeg. I mean both Dallas last game down their top demon, top forward, Winnipeg down their top demon, top four, and guys just stepped up and they just hung with it. And and two, I mean, you got to say these two pretty big collapses by Colorado one and then Saint Louis. So that's it's it's crazy. And it's what's so amazing about the Stanley Cup playoffs is it's just so unpredictable and just you. You never can take your foot off the gas for one second because somebody will just call their way back into the game.
But what a game. It is a good point.
Did Winnipeg and Dallas win or the Blues and the Avalanche choke?
You can have that debate as much as you want.
What is inarguable is the home team wins every game of this Blues and Jets series.
Thanks for our friends with NHL.
Never with this research, twelve series down hockey history have seen the host go seven and oh rost. Recently, in twenty twenty two, Hurricanes beat the Bruins.
I mean, the one thing I have to say, you know about the resilient not only about the resiliency of Winnipeg and Neil Pionk who had a monstrous game, but Cole Profetti had a breakout game and a breakout series. I think he has arrived. If I'm a Winnipeg Jets fan, that is a young kid that you know. It makes Winnipeg a lot more comfortable to let Nicolai Eilers walk after this season, because you know, he is everything they kind of wanted him to turn into when they drafted him. And he's homegrown and it's fun to see. Yeah, I mean that tip played down low was Sydney Crosby esque and then he gets another tip goal to tie up with one second left. He was out in the biggest moments. Young kid just played hard on pucks and you know, for him to have some weird contract issues with Winnipeg, I mean, I think he's just done a tremendous.
Job of developing and and.
It's it's fun to see, you know that, just that building in Winnipeg, and you know there's a franchise that deserved a first round win, which they haven't had one since twenty eighteen. Yeah, I just think that it was so deserving to see that fan base get that and the way they did, in the fashion they did it is just it's it's very heartwarming to see that.
I'm with it.
Nothing quite like the white out I had four games it was sound problem like that crowd is the electric when you're seeing the go bananas like that, it's you know, the entire city is rooting for that team. That Francis. Yes, you like your stay goss there in Winnipeg. I would to further the point because it's so great with you being a defenseman one of My favorite parts of playoff hockey is especially if there's an injury something happens, which unfortunate half for Josh Morrisey.
One of our favorites top de defense from the league is you and I have agreed.
Is you start to see the total ice time of the remaining five defensemen. Yeah, and Peok forty six point fifteen, Sambri forty four, Damello thirty six, forty forty thirty three oh two.
Like again, you can speak to this, I can't.
That's insane to these guys are playing two hockey games out of the greatest pressure imaginable.
Yeah.
I think my first or second year against the Kings, we went to two overtimes and I think we lost the demon in that game as well. I think I played thirty two to thirty three minutes. And it's an interesting I had like pools of water in my skates, like my socks were just completely soaked, and you're trying to skate up ice, but you seem to get kind of into a little bit better of a flow and your the rhythm and you take shorter shifts, but the rhythm of the game just seems to kind of fall in place for you. It's it's hard to explain. It's you know a lot of the times you kind of heard the guys, the guys on TNT were talking about it, and they're like, it seems like they're gonna be more and more comfortable. And when you're a demon like that, you just kind of keep it simple. You keep the puck moving north, you wait for your opportunities, and you almost play a little bit better. As a unit of five. There's a lot of chatter on the bench and yeah, it's it's something that's hard to explain why, but guys just step up in the right times, in the right moments. And I thought that decor as a whole just can't say enough good things about them. And Neil Pionk has really developed, Dylan Samdberg. I mean a ton of credit goes to all five of these guys.
Just a thought on the Blues, how do you evaluate this because the one hand, you say, well, guy, I who was expecting the Blues to do anything. They had an amazing second half up particularly in at home ice. If you just go like gold differential, like they really hammered Winnipeg at home, whereas the Jets barely speakpot home. But I'm with you. You can also look at it and go your gag. A three win lead in game seven, that's a tough build, A swallow.
Yeah, there's I think there's more positives than negatives in this series. I don't think anybody had this going seven. I think everybody was very bullish on Winnipeg. You got to think too. You know, Saint Louis was missing Dylan Holloway. That is arguably their best player down the stretch. They're missing him, and you know, I thought the only tough thing for me is moving forward. They do have an aging decorp and now they're all a year older, a lot of guys with a lot of miles on them. I don't know if you can run it back. I'm sure Ryan Soudor will be not coming back to that team. I just can't see it. In a world They'll probably bringing a young kid, but everybody gets a little bit older. They do have a youthful, you know, top nine, top six up front, So I think they're good. You know, you have a great coaching staff, you get a great front office, you got a lot of good talented studs up front. I think they're not far off to making another run, but I think the windows, like now, especially with that decor, you want to keep as much of that veteran decor there. And with Jordan Bennington, who's kind of shown how good he can be in these moments and nothing he didn't, I don't think he. I think he outplayed Connor Hellibuck for that series. Majority of that series, they just one or two lucky goals was the difference. But you know, I I'm bullish on them moving into next year, like a lot of these teams, you know. I saw Brad richardson yesterday and fan of the show, and we were talking and we both kind of said the same thing. I was like, this year is like the most parody there's ever been in the league per team, Like every team I feel like in the West could have could win the Cup. And in the East maybe you know minus injured New Jersey Devils in the Montreal Canadians, like same thing in the East. Like there's a lot of teams that can that can win, and so it was very tight, and I thought it's a lot tighter than everybody thought. But you know, great first round, but in Saint Louis and Minnesota as well, I'd say I'm bullish moving forward, so I don't think they lost anything from getting knocked out in the first round.
As I've said on this podcast, I've christened you no strech Demurs, but it might have to be no stra.
What the hell were you thinking?
Because you have the Avalanche going all the way my bracket, you're talking. You kept talking about their speed and now their speeders at a different level. They expred their way speedily out of the playoffs after gagging once again choking against the Dallas Stars.
Again.
You a lot of company here who picked Colorado to win. But what the hell happened to your avalancheer?
Oh, I don't, man, It's tough. I think the Decorps really let down the team as a whole. I think they brought in some veteran guys that did not play great hockey in that series. Overall, I thought the decor of Dallas missing Miro Hayskin, outplayed them categorically. They're more physical. I just think Colorado needs to get a little bit more physical in the back end. The only guy that hits is Josh Manson. And listen, their top guys got outplayed in the biggest moments against the top guys of the Dallas Stars. You know, you look at Why Johnston and Miko Randon who had just Turkey Lee in Game seven, but you know Why Johnston was unbelievable once again. You know, Jamie Benn, you look at Rupe Hints, like those guys just kind of over that sixty minute hockey. They just outplayed them. And I thought they all played the top guys. They had some flashes Colorado, but you know, it just it's interesting. I you listen to Nate McKinnon after the game, and you kind of watched him during that series, and he's kind of yelling at Charlie Coyle. He looked frustrated the whole series, and after he goes, well, he just lost, you know, to a team missing their best forward and best team manse I don't know where we go from here, and seemed a little defeated, and it's just tough because you know, I don't know if man, it's hard to say where Colorado goes from here because they they retooled mid season and they didn't get it done. So you're gonna lose a lot of guys. You're gonna lose brock Nelson. You mortgaged your quite. You know, you're I like the trade initially, but him not scoring in the playoffs and then losing Callum Richie Anna first is gonna hurt them because he's Brock Nelson's going to Minnesota. He's gonna get overpaid in Minnesota, which good for him. But then you got Charlie Cole. You got some older guys on the on the bottom six, you know, man, they could have used Miko Ranton, and though.
Jesus well that one. Oh, you're right because it's it's one thing you're no, you're right.
No, you're right, because it's like it's one thing you lose, but you lose with the guy who you had just a few months ago, and.
He just torches you. He starts the season.
In Colorado, played thirteen games in Carolina, feels like a blip on the radar. He takes over for Dallas, and specifically late in the series first four games he was quiet like, oh, they're doing a great job shutting down Ranson. But eleven points in games five, six, and seven, a hat trick in the third period of Game seven, going along with the assists on Wyatt Johnson's game winner, first ever hat trick in the third period of a game seven in hockey history. I mean again, people loving Colorado's the front row. They haven't won a game seven now since two thousand and two. And Pete de boor your boy improves his record in game seven is to nine and oh, I mean props to Ranson, but also props the coach tevot nine and oh, you can't be even in a game of seven.
I listen, you could probably say, like you know, two and oh, three and oh, you know it's on the players, on the players, but nine and oh, you're you're doing something and you're getting that team to believe in a way you know that's not luck and and versus. You know, same thing with Bedner. I think he's a great coach, but they panicked way too much. You know, they they're up to fifteen minutes left in the game and it they just shut their brains off. And no lead is safe in the new NHL. But I just feel like you have to shut it down a little bit again. They're missing their top four and their top team, and and you let Miko ran and run rough shot all over you guys, which he did the previous two games. But I just thought that, Yeah, too much space on the penalty kill on the one, they allow Miko to walk down the middle on the first one, and then you know it's it was just I kind of was like, you know, I thought Mackenzie Blackwood had a great game, but I just think all those goals, he couldn't do a thing. The penalty kill I thought was atrocious at that point of the game. You can't give up that back door tap in to Whi Johnston. But yeah, it's it's man like Miko's in, didn't I ask U tal what's that stat of him with playoff playoff scorers. I know he's like top five in the all time in the NHL with eighty games played minimum.
Right now, Miko Rantinen is averaging one point two eight points per game in the playoffs for his career. The only players in NHL history who have played a minimum of eighty career playoff games who are ahead of him are some guys you may have heard of named Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Connor McDavid Leon, dr Dryseidle, and Nathan McKinnon. Those are the only guys in the history of the game ahead of him minimum eighty playoff games, and he's just ahead of a group of guys named Messier Or and Bossy.
But like, how crazy is that?
Ad Net like the greatest players ever in your rightcord, you'd never think of that. The guy's a great player. Store, he's not like Bossy. You nuts, it's not Bobby Or it's not Eithan Kennon. Again, that's why I keep thinking I'm Colorado. Im like I got McKinnon in my car and I couldn't win around.
For two hundred and fifty thousand they traded him. Is the stories we're hearing hundred and fifty k. That's like us being underpaid for this podcast. Thank you for bringing it back to us, Miko Ranton and of the podcast.
We are hoping to get a big bump going into season two.
We'll drop that now early and often the second round preview, and again JD will be very humble about the fact the bracket hasn't gone the way he wanted to.
But I think we start fresh now. Screw the bracket. Now we're going for three three of eight.
Three p K better than PK su Man PK doing two of eight, so I got beat by one. Hey, you know what's the best I was gonna say, I wanted to ask you. Yeah, we we got to be kind of celebrating a bit because we predicted is no, well Mike Sullivan won. Yeah, we'll take our flowers. But we we talked about a Canadian team winning the cup.
So we got three out around one. Not bad. Hey, that was a bit we needed.
I don't know if Winnipeg, but Edmonton surprised us and we're we're we're kind of cooking here.
We are got three and a round too, so we're still good. That is a good point of redempt if we're waving the flag right now. Trew with the Tariffs Stars.
Jets Winnipeg win three or four against Dallas during the season, including a big four nothing statement win last month. Dallas maybe the favorite after his South Hayes Gonn and Jason Robertson expected back for Game one. No update on Mark Scheiffley or Josh Morrison again recording this Sunday night. We'll see what happens. First playoffs years between these two teams and the Jets. Two point zero Era Ranson's exploits amazing, Kyle conn are great, twelve points against Saint Louis that ties Ranton and for the tops the NHL this playoff season, my listen, I think it's Stars and six United. Said before, the winner of this series wins the Stanley Cup. So I can't go against the Stars. Maybe Winnipeg has some fight them. Obviously be nice to get back Morrisy and Shiffley, but I would be hard pressed to see winning this.
You.
Yeah, I'm gotta rock with Dallas because I took I better not go against the team that knocked out the team that had winning the Cup. So I have to say I have to go down. I gotta ride with Dallas all the way. And I think if Robertson comes back and Miro and Shiefley's on one hundred percent and more season, I don't see a world in which Winnipeg that that series against Saint Louis. Regardless who won that, that took a lot out of both of them. Like that was the most physical series by far. You watch that overtime, they were still fucking running each other in overtime and I was like, it's boys, we're trying to score a goal here. It just was dirty and I think a lot of guys are gonna be banged up, and man, Dallas just looks fast. And Dallas's back end even you know you're gonna have Mirro back. But they're big on the back end too, and they're very you know, I think the thing that Colorado didn't realize was how physical they were gonna be on the back end. That that lean, that lean bischel is is a big boys the fridge, the Drome Bettis of the NHL. Yeah, so they're gonna they're gonna have their work cutout from.
And Jake Gotteners.
It's it's gonna come down to hellabuck and what Connor can do. But I haven't seen enough to to make me confident in any aspect of this series. And if I'm Dallas watching this, you know exactly how to get to him. It's it's traffic to the net and shoot it high.
Yeah, hellibugs performance certainly uninspiring. So if you're looking at.
Goaltending, I don't know how you wouldn't be really raving about Atten during Dallas in this series Hurricanes and Capitals. She made a good point. Both of those teams were very much tested here. The Jets and the Stars, the Kaynes and Capitals. Neither of them are very tested as you did correctly predict Monreal will get one game at the Bell Center. So the Capitals move on and the Devils, you know, marks me thought might be better than he was.
I missed. I missed that one. They were under me.
You're looking for this walk. They lost seven guys in the first game.
Correct, So they split their four meetings this season. They closed up their season by splitting two games eight days apart in April. Take that for what you will. Ovechen scored four goals and Washington's five game win over Montreal. Sebastian Ajo Carolin, his top guy in the first run against Jersey, led the team eight points in five games, including the double ot winner in game five to close up the series. If I'm just going by talent JD, I will say Capital Since what do you got?
Wow?
You went?
Yeah?
I I don't disagree. I have Oh man, Jordan Martino's gonna want to kill me.
By the way, Jordan MARTINOK is responsible for the highest rated episode of Anchelling scripted so far.
So we love Marty and.
The problem is is I took Jersey. He texted me, he said, keep my team's name out of your mouth. And then I'm I'm flirting with taking the capitals, but I honestly go bold. I think I'm gonna go as much as I was talking with EJ. Raddick, you know, another fan of the show, Nice he you know, we kind of talked about and he goes. Eventually, the issue in net for Carolina is gonna come to a head because Freddie Anderson cannot play when if he's not rested, he needs to be rested. Co check off is good at times, but I don't think he'll be good enough to stop when it stop washing it Washington, But I just think Carolina matches up better. I think, you know, Washington likes to really play a little bit cute coming out of their own end, and we saw Montreal really get to them of the Ford check. I think Carolina's four checks on another level. And I do think if Svechnikov stays on this scoring pace that you know, they've needed him for years, they've needed a game breaker, and you know he kind of did that last series. I think they get past Washington. Wow, and then you know, so I'm gonna go Carolina in seven.
Third is Marty give it a little push, Marty, clip that and send it to him.
Tell all right, we'll get to the rest of what to expect you in the second room. But first, Steve Leeve, he's been the face of hockey out of USPN for so many years, he'll tell us, but his distinguished career not only calling hockey and all those overtime games, but also take us behind the curtain on Alexander Vetchkin and this is sports and a commercial.
That's next after this.
Our special guest, ESPN's main man in the studio throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs as the second round opens across ESPN's family of networks. He's been on the air for the World Wide Leader since nineteen ninety three, Wow, thirty plus years at the mothership on the best in the business. Since that time, particularly covering the NHL, he's been the voice somebody and at football he's been a MAINSTAD sports center. And of course he and I were both little league coaches in West Harford, which is a story we'll be telling you in a minute.
Ladies and gentlemen. Steve Leavy leaves, it's great to see you man.
Hey, how you doing, guys, good to good to be with you. Thanks for having me on.
First off, it's great to work at ESPN with your longevity, But how envious were you the last time I saw you in New Jersey Amazon Prime invading the turf. We had a studio which was the size of Ben Hurr. I mean we have we have a cast and crew that put you in PK.
Subant to shame. How inferior did you feel? That was?
Like Fox's pregame for the Super Bowl. You guys had like twenty five on air people. Talent if you will, but a lot of on air people. I looked around, like, oh, we don't even have our producer with us. They were in Bristol. I'm lucky Eve a truck, you know so. But you guys are a big deal. If you're a big deal, it's a big deal, it's a big show.
The best person we did the scrub would talk it and we thought we were We just made it for you to leave, Like, well, now you guys have your own separate scrub.
What is this?
And if you guys each have two or three questions, I mean, ale, it's an our press conference. Craziness.
How are those scrubs in the preparation for that? Do you find like over the years, it's it's you've gotten more comfortable or is there something a nuance in a certain way to take it that allows you to get more from the coaching staffs.
It's really I found, it's really about relationships, you know, and some guys you know, right, some guys you know, some guys you know that you have really they're not gonna They're not gonna burn you, and I'm not gonna burn them.
You know.
It's sort of a trust factor, right. And then you get into some older guys who are old school, who probably you know, super tight lipped, and they don't want to play it all, they don't want to joke. I found Lobbyoletta was extremely straight, you know, and really hard to get anything from. And then you get new guys who aren't sort of sure how this is gonna go, you know, and a sort of trying to figure it out themselves. So I just we just did the game in Minnesota with John Hines, and there was all these rumors in the press room, Hey, Marc Andre Fleury's gonna play. It's gonna be flurry starting tonight, and so we asked Hines, Yeah, you know, I just want to make sure Gus is good to go ton is yet Gus he's one hundred percent, and I'm like, John, yeah, you're giving it to me straight right, I'm hearing a lot of buzz. So I followed up with him and he goes, no, I wouldn't do that to you. I'm like, okay, cause some guys have and I won't name names, but absolutely, next time you get Sean and ray On you can ask them they have absolutely been misled by a head coach ninety minutes before puck drop. I'm a starting goalie on an ABC game, and that is flat out wrong. You know, you don't want to tell people publicly, that's fine, but at least you tell the broadcasters, Hey, don't say it before puck drop, or just save it for the open. You know, we're all trying to work together on this thing. Let's not try to make somebody look foolish. But I really enjoy him. I get a lot out of them. But I'm like a three question guy, you know, and I've written it down. I know exactly what I want to ask, and I find it can be very helpful.
We've had mcdone on the pod.
You're right, it's not suffer full as gladly as you and I both know, a great guy to go drinking with it him a late night diner because Sean lets it fly. We can talk with this year's playoffs leaves me well a little bit, but you know, for me, I'll always think of you, Flyers, Penguins, Marathon Man, Keith Primo. I know you told the stories before, but kind of like how Joe Tess our buddy has become snaymous with these great college football finances, the guy and he tell's an overtime game. Steve Levey was on the call first off, how did your bladder hold up? And tell me about that Flyers game with Primo Scord.
So it's really an experienced thing, like I got better at it doing more of them, right, because you never know how you're going to react. And so I believe I have two five overtimes and a third game that was forty five seconds from a fifth overtime. And I think Gord just recently passed me two years. I still have the longest game ever broadcast, and I think I had the top three. Maybe I have three in the top four, two of the top five, something like that. I'm still number one. Nice for those for those who say, you know, records are made to be broken. That's bullshit. Okay, I want that longest game, man, are you kidding? Like, I want to be known for something. I want to hang my hat on something. I'll be pissed if somebody beats me out on the longest televised game. But so the first one I had was at the Old Cap Center in Landover, Washington, Pittsburgh. Guys were Daryl Ray and Peter Nedven wound up ending that game. So this gets back to the experience part of it, because I found in the first overtime my excitement level at xuberant's voice volume is already up here, right. This is videos people can see here, right, Okay, but if they're on, say on radio, see here, really is not gonna help anybody. And then so it gets ratcheted up. Okay, now we're in the second overtime. By the third overtime, I've got nowhere to go, right, I've got nowhere to go. My heart is in my throat now on you know, icing's you know, like it's just insane. And so now we're in the fourth overtime. Now we're into the fifth overtime, and you know, you get to a double overtime. This is a call that's going to be replayed. You really don't want to blow that call. You don't want to miss the name. It looked like an eight, it turns out to be a nine. And you know that old Cap center was really dark, and I think we're in a corner when I didn't center ice and so I wound up getting the ned bed call. But I just remember being totally out of gas to the point where I had I went out of words right, like it was just strictly last names, you know, Lemieux, Jones, Smith, ned Bed score and it was it was what Mario got kicked out of the game, kicked out of that game there. I think he ran into the goalie, got in a fight. It was a I mean, how Mario, you'll get kicked out of a five overtime stay like a playoff game. What referee is doing that? Right? But that was all way So yeah, and the other story about that, I'm always from Kevin Kaminski. You remember Killer, He didn't play a single shift. He might not even played in regulation, okay, and so Barry Melrose and he you don't lose Saskatchewan guys, they are like cousins or whatever. I remember Barry saying, hey, you had the best seat in the house. But a five overtime game. I don't think he ever saw the ice, which is hard to do so anyway, So fast forward. Then I got another one of those games. I was much more relaxed in the third period. This could be overtime now, I'm okay. First overtime, second and ratchet up to a normal level. That was in Pittsburgh with Panger. That was Keith Primo that you're referencing. The funny story about that is we had a runner who would try to find us, you know, cold pizza or a stale popcorn. The igloo ran out of everything at that point. The runner even left us mid game. It was a school night. His mom took him home. Like that's that's what we're dealing and who can blame him? Right, Like, you know, people are sleeping in the crowd. Uh, there's all of that. Hangar. I believe I think he's okay with me telling the story. I know thirty years later, he of course was in Mario suite at the time. Pierre LaRouche, probably enjoying some red wine, you know, between overtime periods while I'm drinking you know, diet coke without any fuzzy visited so and then I the last one was, uh like I think it was close to five more times with Dallas Anaheim. I think it was an afternoon ABC, Peter Soakora and my game. And so those are the three games. Listen. There's no skill like to get those games right. That's totally fluky to be in the building at that time. But when you get there then you really want to nail them. And I've been fortunate. I feel pretty good about the calls there.
So you know, talk about these these Stanley Cup playoffs so far, and you know what a wild turn of events in a lot of these games. Do you have a moment that's kind of because you've been at the forefront with PK and MESS that's really kind of stood out to you as like a great storyline.
So yeah, I mean last night, I just you know, Dallas had no chance to win that game. They're just they're just not They're not winning that game. And McKinnon scores thirty seconds into the third. You know, PK and I get into it, and the intermission going into the thirdies like Dallas have been the better team, Like, they just went ten minutes without a shot, How could they be the better team? They have ten shots through forty minutes and a lot of time, a lot of hockey left that we all joke about that, right, it's only twenty minutes and at that point they're only down one nothing, and now it's down two nothing and there's a penalty. You know, for Colorado, it felt like them they might have three minors the Abs last night, two on fourth liners, one on their six defensemen, like some odd players who don't see a lot of ice. We're taking penalties last night, and I couldn't object the call we watched on replays. Those were good calls. Those were real penalties, and that sort of turned it. And then all of a sudden they get the puck luck right, it goes off the skate of Girard and goes into the net, the same things that but happened to the Blackwell and the Stars going off of Dallas into their own net. Now it's sort of flipped. But that's an all time, all time game. And I got I got some heat post game because people wanted to draw comparisons to Rantman's hat trick to the messier hat trick, uh added with an empty net, and I'm like, hey, one guy guaranteed it, the other guy didn't. This is the first round, not the conference final. Like everybody relaxed a little bit, okay, but it was. It was an all time moment, certainly in Dallas Star's hockey history. And I love that building. It's not Reunion Arena, Jason Reunion arenas where they used to play. Okay, you're so, I do.
Know that, but I listen. I love that building that Dallas. When the fans stand up and you can't see really really good, it's just an amazing atmosphere.
Loud. Yeah. I ask Adman about the old Stars Club at Reunion a post.
Sure Mart took there. He said, you worked at Darryl Ray too.
Do you have a great I mean that guy lives with the Tasaurus in his back pocket or something, because the ship he brings up is incredible.
He is, I mean, he might be the best local analyst in the game. Like he is so good at his job. And quite frankly, I loved Ralph with him. This is back in the day. It's a long time ago. I always thought they were the top and I've pushed with, Like when the ESPN bosses asked me, you know, hey, maybe we're looking for the guy. I'm like, let's call Darrel Ray. You know. Now, maybe Razor doesn't want to do it. You know, maybe he's got a cushy thing there. He's beloved in Dallas. He's kind of a god there. He's done play by play, he can host, he can do it all. But for my money, he's among the very best local analysts. And believe me, if he wanted a network job, he'd have it. He's he's great and everything because he can do he can do it all right. He's got the sense of humor, he's got the fun, He's obviously got the the great vocabulary. The goaltender is a critical part I think of the analyst role, so he obviously checks that box too. But but he can do it all. And I love him personally. I think he's hysterical to be around.
I still have a bone to pick with him because he he It was a viral moment on Twitter where you know, I was with the stars and and I love him. I think he's great, but I was I had my hand on Jamie Benn and then just during the broadcast, he just goes, what's Jason de Murz gonna do to Jamie Benn And then everybody posted it.
And I was like, Daryl, come on, man, like give me a break.
But you know, going in that, did you ever have a moment when you were calling games like where guys would come up to you when they saw you were you maybe had to toe the line to not chirp guys and kind of adjust to that situation because it happens a lot. And I mean you have to be honest as well. You can't just sugarcoat it because fans are smart.
Absolutely, you have to be accountable. I get I get this all the time because I've been lucky enough and I'm one of the few guys who can do studio and remote. And when I say do it, I don't mean the ability. I mean bosses allow me to do both. And so I think it's really important. And I've said this my entire career, Like it's really easy to sit behind the Sports center desk in Bristol, Connecticut and be all clever and cute and fun and make fun of athletes. Look at this guy, he can't make that play. What's he doing? What was he doing last night? You know, that kind of thing in all the sports, and then it's a different story to have to be in the dressing room there. You know, again in all the sports, go out to training camps, either there's NFL guys and have the hockey guys walk up to you. So you know, we do run that fine line. Look in the studio, we're trying to entertain and inform. You know, we're look, we're trying to have a good time. It's a lot of laughs and at some point, you know, we're taking some shots. My rule of thumb's always been if a player, I think would admit to making a mistake himself, then it's okay for me to say it was a mistake, but it was a gray area. I wouldn't go there. So I try to sort of stick to that. But I make it a point now when I'm on the road to go see the coaches and players, I'm right there in the hallway if anyone wants to say something to be now. Sometimes they come up to me, they talking about PK and mess I'm like, whoa way, that's that's their business. I'm just sorry about leaves right here. You got the issues. The leaves. I'm right here in front.
Of you, all right, so bag of leaves, not sending messages. A couple more from me. Let's talk a little movies. Of course, along with a brilliant career at ESPN, you have been a successful actor and still getting residuals and royalties for such films. A million dollar arm of John Hammond, of course. The Fairly Brothers hooking up in favorite Pitch. You've told me the story, Bobby Fairly, pretty good goalie. How did you get the flies?
Yeah? So the Fairlies happened. I've been in quite a few. It's hard to remember all of them. And then you know, John ham won't stop calling me. I'm gonna put him on blast, Okay, I'm serious. When the Blues play, he texts me, not like once, like I mean like six or seven times during the game, my hammer time. I'm trying to watch the game over here. Okay. But he's real, he's he's hard and all the Fairly Brothers. I was in the Boston area and I was I was dating a girl at time again all the time, and she was sort of a part time actress. And then got had a couple of roles in uh, oh you love What was the first big hit for the Fairlies.
Uh she was in something about Mary, Yeah, pink Pin, which.
Was what was with the weight the weight issue shallow that's the one, okay, yeah it was. So she had a relationship with the Faarilies and must have introduced me at some point to them and they were like, you know, and I joked, so, hey, you got anything is sports canister, I'm your guy. I'm in the neighborhood, that kind of thing. And that's how fever Pitch happened. And they put me in a few other things, and then I got friendly with the Rock. I bumped into the Rock a couple of places, the game Plan, tooth Fairy, don't sleep on a tooth fairy, ad Man sneaky right. What's the other one? Special Olympics.
You're a lad, I think the most.
I'm in that way too much. I mean, that's that's how you know about the movie. I am in the Ringer way too much. I feel for sure some of those scenes would be cut out. I get that one all the time. People come up like a cult following for that. Again, I'm not there for my acting ability. I asked for a sex scene in one of these, you know, a cop chase. I promised my mom, no nudity, but I could take my top off if that would work for somebody. Can I have a gun like Adam Sandler at least gives Dan Patrick other than he's Dan Patrick. You know, I always play sportscaster X or whatever.
So I had a couple of really quick ones. But one thing I had to ask you about.
We talked about the sort of the the Heyday that you I mean, You've been a part of so many great eras of ESPN, but for me that this is Sports Center ads through the years are just so incredible, so iconic, and you, of course star and a great one with a younger Alexandra Ovechkin where he kind of plays a Russian spy. So I can't speak to how well the ad has aged over the years, but it's a classic. I'm sure you get asked about it frequently. I'd love to hear any stories about being on the set with Ov and Semyon Varlamov of course.
Yeah, make that ad.
So that's been uh, that's gotten controversial by the way, Yeah, because of what you mentioned. Yeah, what's going on in the real world and We did run it back a few times recently, you know, after he went for the chase, going for the chase and gets the goal. So the two quick stories about that and man, were you on campus? Would you have been on campus that day?
Now, well, the day I did see avetch in the one day. Yeah.
So they wound up building the set on our basketball court. It looks like it's a copy room right with the copy machine and files and stuff like that. But because of the goof of having to have him go through the roof the ceiling there, they couldn't do it in a real building. They had to set make a set outside and rig the contraption there. And because of the contraption and building a set out side on the basketball court, I was told it was the most expensive This is Sports Center promo ever made because of all those things and the other really cool thing and this will not surprise anyone. We had a stunt double for Ovi. We had a real stunt double, full Uni pad, same height, weight, with color hair at the time, all that stuff standing right there, and OVI refused to let him in, ob I do my own stunts. He's Tom Cruise. He figured that out, you know that kind of thing. So those were the two really cool parts about that commercial. And and people still come up randomly, like I got a text from Neil Everett out of the Blue Gian Perderson and the only line is late night filings. You know, like it because that's what he says. He adds the s for some reason, you know, like it's just it was. It was a classic. Those are fun to be in. Guys anchors like myself, not like myself. Other anchors would jump over themselves to get in the building when they knew they were filming. Eyes would come back from vacations early. I don't care there was their day off. They don't care. They're coming to work because they wanted to be in these things. It was such a big deal. And the last one I'll tell you about this the athletes did not get paid. Ladanian Tomlinson through flew coast to coast on his own dime because he wanted to be in one. And that would be really cool. With the mailbox, you gotta talk about the story about.
This one hit it.
Yeah, that's a goof with Ladanian Tomlinson. Is we're in the mail room and he wears the shaded shield the visor in his helmet, okay. So he's putting the mail in all the wrong places and all the wrong slots. So I'm like, hey, lt, you know, what are you doing. That's not for me, that's not me, that's not me, and that's oh he's sorry. And they keeps putting it in the wrong thing. So that's how it ends. But his PR person is right there, as they often are, and the PR person's a young person, I guess, and they don't really get the goof, and they're pleading with director and the producer he can we do one with his helmet off? Okay, And everybody's like, well, then he's just an idiot. Why would he be putting the mayor the whole goof is because it's the shaded shield right that he can't see if he has no helmet on, Why would he be putting it in the wrong Then he's just an idiot. And so the producer, to try to please this PR person does a whole other spot, you know, just at that second. It's not funny. It never aired. I'll be surprised if it was even filming the camera at the time, just to sort of appease that PR flack at that moment. But those who are blast to do and again same deal, I'm not funny. Like they gave us the words to say everything is everything is less right because sports said today big bag poo want to play, Oh my god, and everything is taken down and understated and less words and less and that was the genius behind Widen and Kennedy. That was the firm.
Shout up to Neil Ebrett.
Obviously you know how much I left bet Or he was in that commercial with Neil, which is one of the all time.
Yes, I'm in the top ten, right, I'm in the.
Top all right.
Last day with Steve, theyve been a personal note. We did one Watch Game seven.
It's fun. You're in the game on it right now, get a live stream.
Mode, do one Sports Center together. Clearly was well of the highlights of your career.
Along with me.
As we're walking outside afterwards and I said, leave's any advice for me and he said, no, you're a professional anchor. I said, come on, you gonna have something you go. Okay, I'll give you two things. One you said when you toss in the sound he said, most guys just.
Go what's the role?
You meaning, what's the first thing Jason Demurr says, hey, we gotta get the fucking deep. Here's Jason Demurr speaking about the importance of controlling the puck. He is, I listened to the whole sound bite because he goes there might be something more interesting later the bite.
So you say, hey, demurs.
For this, but also did this, and I go, that's just a slight attention detail. I don't know any other ankle that actually did that, So I appreciate that advice. And another one you said, don't make fun of names. He said, it's an easy one, a quick joke. And every time I see asker Off the goalie, I want to say, kiss my asker off.
And your point was you don't know what a name means to someone, and you go specific for yourself.
Adnan Urk is not a common name, and I'm made for me to add me on the bad of it. I don't know what that means for your culture in your background. So pretty good advice for your leaves.
So ay, I don't remember doing your show with you at all, quite frankly, and then I'm gonna I'm gonna have the schedule or fired. Okay uh And that came from my dad. My dad is in the other room right now, and I'll tell him you brought that up. He said it to me. He told me, Uh, you know, guys have nicknames, and you never know what a nickname. It came from their grandmother who's no longer with us, and she meant the world to him. It's just it's not worth it, right, Whatever you say is not gonna be funny enough to overcome the potential hurt or pain. And so I just stayed away from the name's first name, last names. I can't I can't believe I told you that. I can't believe you remember it. And that's but I know it's very true. Those are two good things. And I love the throat of the sound bite. I live for that stuff. That's such an important piece to me to this day. I still do it. I want to hear the whole bite, and I want to find a way to the smoothest throat to to make people stick. Let's do it because de Mayor's is gonna go for forty five seconds in a sound bite, and his last five seconds might be the best.
That might be the only good thing there.
So gott to keep it around the whole time.
Love it man, Steve Leeby, I tell you one of the best things about Leaves is his humility.
You've heard him say a couple of times this interview. I'm not the funny thing. I'm not this.
And one time you said to me, I've made a career of being the second band. I said, what are you talking about? He said, no one ever watched it for me, either watching it for Stuart Scott or Scott van Pelt or Neil Evert. And I'm just the other guy. But you know how I feel. Nobody thinks of you as just another guy. You are a great guy, and you're a tremendous at your job and have been a great friend to me and obviously just love watching every time talking to hockey talk whatever it may be.
So thanks so much, Leeves. Appreciate you man, very kind.
I hope to see you guys a stay in the Cup final or someplace soon.
Okay, yeah, I didn't know I Nan could be that sweet. So that was beautiful.
You should hear what he tells me about you, man, It's not the same.
It's oh junker. So more hockey talk here in just a second.
At once again thanks to Steve Levy but Little Cinephi in sixty more theater for you your boy hitting broad Away again, this time for the star power of George Clooney and good Night and good Luck.
I love the film when it came out. When asked on a podcast.
By Scott Finberg for what's the favorite way of his own career this is two years ago, Clooney said, oh, it's gonna be a good Night and good Luck. His dad, Nick Clooney, was a broadcast for years in Los Angeles. Cloney grew up in Cincinnati slash Kentucky that areas. Had always dreamed of being a broadcaster and it didn't work out, became an actor.
It seems I have worked out well for George, but.
Wanted to make a movie called good Night and good Luck, which is all about Edward ar Morrill, the fame broadcaster who took on McCarthyism back in the day. The play and the movie both very relevant today, the whole assault on journalism, what's real, what's not, vast, etc.
But I'll tell you JD.
As a play, I thought it was phenomenal because of and Jill would appreciate this. The depth of the set. It's two levels, so up top you have the jazz band. They have these jazz interludes, jazzing they're playing. And on the bottom you have the TV studio, which you and I are f well familiar with, So you have these gigantic cameras as if back in the fifties and sixties and Edward Armour was broadcasting and the move.
The play was nominated in fact for the Best Set Decoration.
They're up for Best Lighting for the Tony Awards, and of course Cloney is up for Best Actor. And in the original movie played Fred Friendley, who's the producer. David stretheraorn who's incredible actor, played Edward Armour. To be honest, think Edward Murrow, Stretharon Nail that Cloney couldn't do it any better. But what's been getting a lot of notoriety along with George's Tony Wward nominated performance is the fact he died his hair. And because George is so charming, he's been making fun of it, saying, you know, people are making fun of me.
You know, my wife's good. It's a bad look. Listen, tell this is why George Coloney is George Clooney. Because he's sixty three. It looks like he's fifty.
Three, He's so smart, his aeradite, he's charming, his handswer and he can still be self deprecating. How can George Clooney pull this up? I still think he looks like a million bucks. And I gotta tell you the play was fantastic.
Tal go ahead, he looks phenomenal.
He played in a recent I'm sure I'm gonna get some of the details wrong, but there is video of him playing in some sort of like Actors Equity softball game.
I just was gonna say that. I just was gonna say that.
This guy is one of the biggest stars in the world and he's still playing like a union guy. Basically, he's playing softball with the boys, you know, during an off day from from the This like one of the biggest shows on Broadway. It's pretty impressive. I'm a huge Clooney fan, Yeah, big Clooney head. The fact that he's been so deprecating about the die job is it just makes me love him even more. He had an interview he may have been with CBS News where they brought up they brought up his hair, his die job, and the reporter said something like, oh, it's not that bad.
And he immediates like, no, no, it's bad, It's okay. What he laughed?
He said normally in New York, he goes, I wear a happy people still know it's me. This diesis be unblieable because nobody knows it's me. I'm walking around New York City. That's how bad this touch up is. All right, let's get back the second round previews and dive into the Vegas gold Knights taking on the Edmonton Oilers. All of us pretty much fell at Grere picking the Kings on home ices. They couldn't possibly lose to Edmonton four straight years in a row, but well they did. Edmondon's won the last two games between these two teams, including with Vegas. Vegas elimited Edmonton in six games the second round two years ago, Golden Knights won the whole thing. Connor mcdavi in the first round eleven points in six games. He's one point behind Ranson in most points in the plast Vegas pretty balanced offense, and there's six game dance in Minnesota. Five points for Hurdle and Ikele, four points for Stone in Theodore. I see ikle by left for the lady bing nice Vegas and the Oilers. I will say Vegas in six, but I don't feel great about because I picked against the Oilers and I'm loaded to do it again.
But I like Vegas's balance a little more.
Yeah, and then you know what, did we hear Mitia Satcomb's not gonna be ready for round two? So you know, I can't go with that, Mintonnage, I can't. I personally think, listen, they it's amazing resiliency for them to win. And that's my word of the day. I've said about nine thousand times in this podcast today.
But then bullish word of the day.
You said bullish, Yeah, bullish, resilient, Yeah, yeah, yeah, very it's like emphatic for you, resounding, resounding was resounding and emphatic.
Uh.
But yeah, I just think it was more LA blowing that and bad coaching decisions than Edmonton winning it. I feel like LA just shot themselves in a foot when they had it.
I don't think Vegas will do that.
And I think, listen, Calvin Pickard, we're gonna have them on the show eventually. I love them, but you know they're eventually going to lose a game in this series.
And do they stay with him?
The whole playoffs or do they go back to Stuart Skinner and how is Stuart Skinner? And they kind of do what they did last season and bounced around. But I just think Vegas their top guys. They beat Minnesota in six, and their top guys did not play good until like the last game or so, so I think they're kind of cresting, and you know, I just go back to kind of history repeats itself, and I think in a seven game series, I think Vegas overall will play more solid, better games. And you know, you obviously it's hard to bet against Leon and Connor because they're just absolutely electric. And I do love what Evander Kaines brought to this team, but I just can't with no Matias Ekoma once again have to go against the Edmonton Oilers, and if they win this round then I'll probably take them to win the Cup. But yeah, I gotta bounce back and go Vegas, and I'm god, I'm sweating it too right now, But.
I like that logic. You'll go against the Oilers twice, but you want to it a third time.
If indeed, let's check to you fool me twice, you're not gonna fool me again.
The series of the second round. I cannot wait for Panthers Leaves. This is gonna be awesome.
Florida to really oh. I think it's gonna be fantastic. I think it's gonna be I think it's gonna be like you think Florid's gonna push him around.
I think it's gonna be like hot knife through a butt through warm butt.
Ha.
Florida took three or four from Toronto and the season series split their last two things, which they played in the final two weeks the regular season. Panthers knocked out the Leaves in five games. In the second round. Two years ago, Florida made it all the way to the Cup Final. They lost to Vegas. Leaf fans were hurt, chanting we want Florida during their first round series against Otto. Would be careful you wish for Florida scored nineteen goals in five games against Tampa. Ryd hurt, Chuck Bennett Barkoff, Brad Marsham buzzing, and for Toronto, they need to win this series otherwise we know what's.
At if they can look at themselves. J D and go hey.
We went final four Eastern Conference Finals been a while there for the Leafs.
Marty and Taveras both unrestricted free agents.
Matthew Downs, You've spoken about how good he's been so far restricted free agent. I just think Toronto played such a strong game against Ottawa, particularly win of those two overtime games. Propably look good early on, and they're able to study the ship after looking vulnerable that I do think they'll get Florida test. I like the Panthers and six, but I think it'll be hard fought. Why are you more skeptical?
I mean, other than I'm very excited to see Anthony Stolar's versus Babrovski.
Nice. You know, the student against the mentor and the teacher. Yeah yeah, take yeah there. You know.
I think it'll help. They have a couple of the ex Panthers guys, you know, Eckman, Larson, Lorenz kind of helped them get ready. But I just don't think they're physical enough. I think Florida is going to kind of bully him around. We saw what Florida can do against the Tampa Bay team that a lot of us had, I know, didn't add an end. A lot of us had to win the Cup in this Tampa Bay team that was very good down the stretch. They handled them like it was nothing. I and listen, I wasn't bullish on the series Toronto had. I think, out of that whole series, I think Toronto outplayed Ottawa on maybe one game, and I thought overall, Ottawa was a little bit faster, better, quicker to pucks. And you know, I don't think Florida's gonna give him that many chances as Ottawa did to kind of get back. And Bobrovsky looks unbelievable, that decor looks great. You know, ek Blad's going to be back again. I know he was. He was out because that hit on Hegel, but he's gonna come back after Game one and they've proven they can play without him. And up front, Sam Bennett looks looks incredible. Brad Marshan is playing like the Brad Marshan that's won a Cup and and that's been just dominant for so many years. He looks rejuvenated. And I just don't think they have enough answer. And I just don't know if that core four can handle the physicality that's gonna come their way. And I just think it's gonna be Florida and five.
I love it, love the aggressive prediction. It'll be the worst series of the second in terms of games played. Taal which series are mostly going forward to Stars Jets, Kane's Caps Oilers, Golden Knights or Panthers leaves.
I think I I think JD said it before. I think the winner of Stars Jets is the favorite to win the Cup. After that, I think both those if they're if they're both healthy, assuming they're both healthy coming out of that series. The idea that Dallas just went through that ridiculous series. Nico Rannon looked like Mario out there, and they're getting heiskin In and Robertson back for game one of the next series.
Think of that. I mean, that's the worst two one I'll be watching.
That's the one I'll be watching. I think there's there's so much talent Ottinger versus Hellibook. I mean, hey, Helly needs to show up and show out in these playoffs. I mean, it's if it's not happening now in this series.
I don't know when it's happening.
I think there's so many fascinating narratives, so much talent.
That's the series.
And maybe it's because those two teams just played, so we're still fresh in our minds. There's a little recency bias there, but that's the series I'll be watching for show. But I thought Florida was the most impressive team in the first round to go to take on a team like Tampa that a lot of people were taking them as a potential Cup front runner coming in that series, and they just wiped the floor with them. Really, I mean they really, they really took it to them in that series. And I wouldn't say they made it look easy, but they beat a really really good team.
They beat them good.
Oh you can say it that they made it look about as easy as you could make a series look for like two Juggernauts and yeah, it's I just it's gonna be. And again nothing on Toronto. And you know, here, I am sounded like an idiot because we just did all our predictions at and then I picked every Canadian team to lose this round.
But I know what you're doing. It's like the reverse curse. You're like lou Holts, like chance, I want.
I want a Canadian team to win so bad and then just we'll go back to that initial one, say this is the year but never take a Canadian team to get to the finals, not one.
Which jd prediction came true the first one when he said the Canadian to win the Cup.
I like it.
I'm at where, everywhere, where, everywhere, So then we can just cherry pick.
All right, I'm gonna be called it on Sullivan. Do you think Selly can turn the Rangers around?
Yeah? I think so.
I think he's got a you know, winning pedigree, and you know, I always like to talk to people that kind of around that organization, like you know, Brian Boyle and Mike Rupp, and they're very both very high on Mike Sullivan and what he could do for this team. And I think the biggest thing is accountability. That is what this team needs. That is what these top guys need. They need accountability, folks. No, not the accountant with Ben Stiller accountability.
No Bet Affleck, not Benn Stiller. But yeah, oh that would be great tho. I'd love to see Benn Stiller in that.
I can't believe they made a sequel to the account Like it wasn't like that was a juggernaut of a movie.
Or particularly well received. I thank you all right, one more for it. Matty Cash.
Congratulations coming back to Matt Coronado, Back to Calvary, seven year extensionportably worth an average annual value of six point five million dollars. He's twenty two years of age, breakout season, twenty four goals, forty seven points in seventy seven games. Mackenzie Wiger, by the way, referred to as Matty Cash on social media. Freddie Anderson also got an extension signed for one year and two point seven five million dollars. Secures what happens there in around two But Coronado excellent season there for Calvary, and I see they're building that core with a good young player.
Yeah, I thought he you said it exactly hit nail on the head break through season, and I think he's a little water bug that's got a hell of a shot when he utilizes it, and just a good power play forward. So I think it's good. It's a good contract at a good price, and CAP's going up. I think it's going to look really good in five years and you're gonna be really happy Calgary Flames fans, so.
And you'll be even happier NHL and scripted fans again twice a week We're coming at you with all of our opinions and flair.
And speaking of flair, JD play us out.
Good Night Yeah.
NHL Unscripted is a production of the NHL and iHeart Podcasts. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
