Breaking Down the Latest Around the NHL with Dennis Bernstein

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00:00Look who it is, stuck in the chimney, Elvis, on Christmas Eve, of course, we got it all

00:09going, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year's, it's the holidays, Denny, wrap it all up, good

00:16to see you, I love you.

00:18What did you think of Crosby, Ty and Lemieux's assist record, and they've moved over 500,

00:26I mean, for a crappy hockey team, Sullivan is turning them around, they've made a couple

00:33moves, I like the Tomasino move, and they're playing decent hockey.

00:38Yeah, 6-3 over the last 10, like they're a point or two out of a playoff spot, and Sid's

00:43dragging them into the fight, that's what Hall of Famers do, that's what GOATs do, they

00:48drag a team that isn't very good, and you're right, back into the fight, so will they make

00:52the playoffs?

00:53I don't know.

00:54Scotty, it may be going down to the last week for game 81 or game 82, like a couple of years

00:59ago, where the Penguins get in, they're playing better, do I think they're a top eight team

01:03in the East?

01:04Not right now, it depends on Ottawa, I think that Pittsburgh's destiny is tied to Ottawa,

01:11because you think Tampa's going to make it, Ottawa has gotten really good goaltending

01:14from Allmark, they're a good offensive team, they've been playing better, they went out

01:18west and won a bunch of games, so I think that's the one team that really stands in

01:21the way, because you look at the other teams below the line, like Carver Highs Islanders

01:25and the Rangers, I don't know, they can't get out of their own way, so it's going to

01:29be an interesting thing, but it's good to see Pittsburgh get back on track, and then

01:31Raquel has had a really nice season, too, people forget, when they traded for him, they

01:36gave him six large for five years, and it didn't really pay off, but he's had a really

01:40nice season, so it's not shocking that you're telling me the Penguins are playing better,

01:45and Sid's leading the charge.

01:46My boy, Raquel Welch, playing some decent hockey for the Penguins, I just can't believe

01:53they're ahead of the Rangers and Islanders, to be honest with you, and that they're up

01:57their sixth back of Carolina, and then I got to tell you, Florida flipped with the Lightning

02:05in those two games.

02:07I watched them win that game at Rogers Place the other night, whatever, last week, that

02:13was a wild game, they were down four to two, and they won it six-five, and I think Verheggie

02:18had the go-ahead goal, and they reminded me that night that they were Stanley Cup champs.

02:24Do you like the way they stand, right now, atop the Atlantic, and all things being equal

02:32for where they are now, as opposed to winning the Cup last year?

02:37No Stanley Cup hangover, whatever Paul Murray said to his team in training camp, it's worked,

02:42they're playing very, very well, I wouldn't be shocked if they repeated, because you're

02:45right, Scotty, they're playing very, now, they dodged a bullet the other night, I remember

02:49Kachuk got hit knee-on-knee by Kucherov, who's sneaky, dirty, really, when you think about

02:54it, so they dodged a bullet there, but if this team stays healthy, they still have all

02:58the components.

02:59Look, game after game, you see how good Barkov is, and how underrated he is, and he more,

03:05every day he reminds me of Koper Tarkin in Los Angeles, a guy who's unheralded, is not

03:09a flashy guy, goes out, plays smart, plays a 200-foot game, has a surprising wrist shot,

03:15so yeah, the Panthers could easily repeat it, they get the play up front, and of course

03:19they get the goaltending from Bob, it's still a very dangerous team, this team has the zones

03:23on winning back-to-back titles.

03:24So, I just want to say, Kucherov with the knee-on-knee, I prefer, when I'm playing basketball,

03:31the knee to the groin, I think is a more effective, knee-on-knee, you know, there's surgeries

03:37involved, blown-out knees, not a good scene, the knee to the groin lets you know where

03:43you stand.

03:44You mean business, exactly.

03:45You know what I mean?

03:46You're not well-liked, exactly.

03:47I'm telling you, so, you know, a team that I've been interested in, and you and I talk

03:53about them a lot, is your Kings, you know, they've been on this long trip, are they home

03:58yet?

03:59I mean, when does that end?

04:00I know they've been out here forever, and where do you like their situation, and where

04:07are they standing right now?

04:08Okay, so, they're the best, I think the second-best defensive team in the league.

04:12This team is not flashy.

04:13I think they're 13th in offense, and I think at the trade deadline, Rob Blake's got to

04:17go out and get another score on the wing.

04:18I think they're short a forward up front that can have some touch.

04:21But they play great defense, Darcy Kemper, who came back in the trade for Dubois, who

04:25did nothing here in one year in Los Angeles, has been good, 9-15 save percentage, so, they're

04:29a pesky team.

04:31They're a really good team, you know?

04:33Here's the problem.

04:35If they play the playoffs right now, it would be the fourth consecutive season they play

04:39the Edmonton Orioles in the playoffs.

04:41And I don't know if they can still beat them.

04:42Like, it's a different team, Edmonton's a little bit different, they lost some players,

04:46but it's a sneaky good team, it's a team that should definitely make the playoffs.

04:48I think when I look at the West, I see four teams from the Pacific and four from the Central.

04:52The Kings are a nice story, right?

04:54Are they deep enough, and are they talented enough to win four rounds?

04:58I don't know, but, you know, Scotty, they haven't won a playoff round since they won

05:01the Cup in 14, that's too long.

05:03Maybe this team could do it because, primarily because of their defense.

05:05They know how to check, they play defense well, and that's why they're winning games

05:08right now.

05:09Do you like going to their games?

05:11Oh, yeah, I'm fine with it.

05:14Yeah, they're not the most exciting team in the world, I get it, I understand that it's

05:17not the Edmonton Oilers, but a win's a win, like, you know, some games, you know, in November

05:22when they play Columbus on a Tuesday night, is it a thrilling game, and is the arena packed

05:26in LA?

05:27No, it's not, right?

05:28But once it gets to the playoffs, it's still a great fan base, yeah, it's not the most

05:32thrilling hockey in the world, Scotty, I get it, but you gotta win games.

05:36That's what Jim Hill behind the bench is paid to do, is to pay to win games, and with this

05:39team that hasn't, doesn't have an old abundance of offensive talent, you gotta win games,

05:44and how do you do that?

05:45You check, and you play defense.

05:47So let's take a break from the hockey for a second and review Mama Patty's birthday

05:52and the trip to Vegas.

05:54How was the Eagles at Sphere and Garth Brooks?

05:59Okay, so the Eagles was a performance, right?

06:03They had a, Scotty, they sold, you know, for U2, I saw U2 at Sphere, and they didn't sell

06:09any seats on the floor, it was a standing room.

06:11They put seats in the floor for Eagles, and because the fans are like our age, you couldn't

06:19stand up.

06:20So if you bought a ticket on the floor for a seat, you couldn't stand up, there was no

06:22standing room.

06:24It was interesting because they just performed, there's no interaction with the crowd or anything,

06:29even Don Henley said, he got up there and said, well, there's 160,000 speakers, you

06:33know, at the Sphere here, and it's, you know, some pretty pictures, but we're just about

06:36the music.

06:37No, you shouldn't be about the music if you're playing at the Sphere, it's just, it's the

06:40technology is great.

06:42The next night, you have just 180 degrees, or maybe 270 degrees with Garth Brooks, an

06:47entertainer who loves the crowd, who loves the adoration, who connects with the crowd.

06:51Granted, we had great seats, we were in the third row for her birthday, I get it.

06:54But the way he connects to his fan base, and they know every word of every song.

06:59It was such a different experience, Scotty, it was and I, to be frank, I have friends

07:04who work with the Eagles and manage them.

07:06But I enjoyed the Garth Brooks show so much better because he connects with the crowd.

07:10Wow, where was that concert?

07:12Was that at Sphere too?

07:13No, that was the Coliseum.

07:15He has a residency at Caesars.

07:17So that's so it's about a 6000 seater.

07:19Yeah.

07:20So but he is so great.

07:21We see him twice.

07:22We'll go back again in March.

07:23The Kings play the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday, we might see them on Saturday.

07:27But you know, two great shows, but two very, very different shows.

07:31Where did you tag her for dinner in Vegas?

07:33Did you have any good dinners?

07:35We did Mr. Chow with all white tablecloth and they served a nice, you know, red chili

07:40sauce that I spilled all over the table was fantastic.

07:44But Mr. Chow was great too.

07:45You know, it's fantastic.

07:46And then we went to Peter Luger Steakhouse the night before.

07:49So I went to New York Institution.

07:52Yeah, it's mommy's birthday.

07:53I got to go get go all in.

07:55So Peter Luger Friday night, Mr. Chow Saturday night.

07:58Are you surprised the Dallas Stars are where they're sitting right now?

08:02No, because they don't care.

08:03They care about the playoffs, right?

08:05They're not getting great goaltending from Mouttinger.

08:07They don't care if they finish first, second, third, or wildcard.

08:10They don't care because these teams are so close.

08:11Scotty, it doesn't really matter.

08:12Home ice doesn't matter.

08:13So they're just playing for game 83 and game 84.

08:16They need Tyler Sagan back.

08:18He's been out with hip surgery.

08:20But I don't think, I wouldn't be concerned with Dallas Star fans.

08:22They're deep, they're smart, they're talented, and they have a pretty good goaltender.

08:25And Vegas looks good, even without Marshall Chow anymore.

08:28Yeah, they got a chip on their shoulder, Scotty.

08:31Like, be careful of a team because you know what?

08:33They're still pissed from last year.

08:34They went out in game 7, round 1 against Dallas, who was the better team.

08:38This team's on a mission.

08:39You know, Eichel's playing like an MVP candidate.

08:42Aiden Hill's playing great.

08:44They still have a deep, big defense.

08:46This team could do a lot of damage in the postseason.

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