Stanley Cup Champ Mike Richards

The following program is brought to you by Podcast One Sportsnet. Don't forget to download our new Podcast One app. How fun with your important conversations and your big issues with your brains and your smart stuff, okay? We got hockey to learn. Dr. Hockey. Welcome to the Dr. Hockey Podcast. I'm Dr. Jay Calvert and I am here with the Dr. Hockey Crew, which has a special edition tonight. Of course Dr. Jason Berkley. How's it going? Jason, how are you enjoying the playoffs? I'm enjoying him thoroughly even though my team's not in it, but it's some great hockey and it's all that matters. We're going to have a lot to talk about tonight. I'm here with also Sean Gosser, the producer. Sean, good to see you. Howdy gentlemen. Playhouse has been awesome so far. It's going well. There's some heart breaks I think about to happen tonight, but we're all here. Use the word "generalman" by the way. That term must be used loosely, I'm assuming. I don't think it included us. No, it definitely included me, that's for sure. But it did include my son Ace, who is here tonight joining us with the Dr. Hockey Podcast. He said, "Dad, I need to come on your podcast and talk about the playoffs." And what was I going to say? No. Definitely. So he's here. Ace, how are you doing? I'm doing good and I have a lot to say about tonight's games. Well we are after this podcast heading right down to the LA King's Golden Knights game. And what are your thoughts on that game? I think the Golden Knights are going to win because they are really good at scoring goals quickly, like spontaneously, even though they haven't had the most hat tricks, but they've had a lot. So I'm guessing they're going to win. What do you think about the King's chances though? Are they going to stay in the game or is it going to just be a blowout? They have a chance, but I don't think it's fully going to do it. So they might get out, but they're still going to be able to put up and fight. I agree. I think they're going to put up a fight for sure. I think they have, they are in desperation mode. They are down three nothing. They've been there before. And? Yes. One the Stanley Cup. Yes, but after coming back from a three nothing deficit. Yes, but this is a different team and they're up against a juggernaut. And I'm going to have to eat my words when I said that I thought the Kings were going to win that series. I watched a couple games from this series and I swear at some point it looked like there were 15 players on the ice for the Golden Knights. They were everywhere, everywhere. They move. They move. They're at a twice speed of the Kings. I was just an awe of watching these guys play. Well, I think that I think tonight not only are the Kings in desperation mode, I think the Golden Knights are going to be in desperation mode to get this round done. I'm right there with you actually. And you know what? I got to say quick was just damn impressive in that game too. A career high, 54 saves for that game. He was getting peppered and by the end of that double over time, you know, he was just dead, exhausted. I think he just fell flat onto the ice and I felt bad for the guy. I mean, he put up a hell of a performance 54 saves. I mean, that's just, that's nuts. It's, it's a huge number of shots. It's a lot to ask of a goalie and the fact that the score was what it, what it was is just truly a miracle. Right. And look how many shots the Kings had in the game. I think it was like 30 something. So it shows you the difference in the teams, the way that they're the attack, the offensive attack. I mean, it's just a, it's a, they're not. Bob, I really was impressed watching them. I, I, I don't know what I was thinking picking the Kings in this series, but I told you before, I'm a horrible gambler. I cannot pick games to save my life. But don't listen to me, people, whatever you do, don't listen to me. Well, we don't bet. That's the key. I don't bet on any of these games. And that's why I'm able to offer some opinions because I think if I bet I would be so far off to let you put predictions. I cannot, I'm terrible. But well, the data told me that the Golden Knights were going to win. I don't want to spend all night on the Kings and the Golden Knights because we'll be there. And if you're on our Instagram page, to later on, you're going to see Ace and I down at the, at the Staples Center, our Instagram is at Dr. Hockey podcast. And we're looking forward to getting there. But let's move to the, to some of the other series before we get to our guest. We are having on tonight our guest, Mike Richards, former King player, one, two Stanley Cup rings. Ace, you have anything you're going to ask Mike Richards? I have a lot of questions for him. You do. What are you going to ask him about? I'm asking what job did he think he would have at this age? Like if he weren't in the NHL? Well, what did he think, what job did he originally think he was going to have as a kid? That's a great question. Did he always think he was going to be in an NHL or would be a great question to ask? I think also the other thing that we want to mention is that my son, Ace, is a leukemia survivor. And when Brian Boyle was diagnosed with CML, chronic myogeness leukemia, different from Ace who fought acute lymphoblastic leukemia. They're two very different diseases. But when we saw Brian Boyle with his diagnosis, we kind of felt it as a family. It's just, it hits home hard. And to watch him playing now with the Jersey Devils. And by the way, winning last night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Yes. I said, Ace, you got to come and talk about that a little bit. Did you ever think that you could see somebody with leukemia playing professional NHL hockey and playing like Brian Boyle? I thought like he'd play after he finished leukemia, but he's doing it while he has it. So that's a little hard. So he probably gets tired a lot because that is something that can happen from a lot of leukemias. You get tired from doing a very little amount of work. Well, he's scoring some goals and he's playing some amazing hockey. So we got to give him lots of credit because it is really tough. And we saw what you went through where you had to stay home essentially for four or five months straight where you couldn't even go, you couldn't even walk out on the street. It's very different than what Brian Boyle has because he's an older guy and has a bit more of a different disease. But it's still leukemia and leukemia hits more adults than it does kids. Everybody seems to look at the kids because they, it's hard to look at a, you know, four year old. Ace was four when he was diagnosed and say, oh my God, you know, we got to do something about it. But actually more people who the adults are affected way more than leukemia. And that's why Ace is here again to help raise money for concern foundation, which is our charity and will be at the Paramount Backlot on July 14th, best deal day, doing the concern foundation fundraiser, 5,000 people. And Ace, you're going to go up on stage and talk a little bit about it again. Yes, maybe. Yes, maybe. Yes, maybe. Definitely possible. It is definitely possible. And there's like a 2% chance that it's a no speech by then. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Well, Ace was there two years ago and he did stop the crowd. It was pretty amazing. He got up on stage and I remember exactly what you said because they said, we want to bring up somebody special who's just finished his leukemia treatments three months ago. And Ace takes the microphone and 5,000 people shut up. Like you've never heard 5,000 people in Los Angeles stop talking ever. But we did it this Paramount Backlot. And Ace takes the microphone and he goes, you know, I was pretty sick for a while. And then you said, but I'm feeling much better now. They went totally crazy and then they raised an extra 500 grand on the silent auction. I mean, on the live auction. I was just going to say, I don't see Ace being at a loss for words ever. So don't worry about the speech. Just get up there and speak from the heart. That I can do. All right. Good. So how are we doing? What time are we calling up Mike Richards, Sean? Where are we there? And we got five minutes? All right. Six minutes. All right. Ace is very spot on with that. So we got six minutes. So we moved to the Tampa Bay Lightning and New Jersey Devils and finish up with them. How did New Jersey take that game last night, Jason? You know, I just think that like you said before, this could be an issue that the lightning just could be just retired. I don't know. They seemed to really spell a lot of energy into first two games. That third game they just looked like they were slow. They had just they couldn't get to the Pucks in time. They couldn't get to where they had to be in the corners. I just had a feeling that that was going to be a turning point in the series. I don't know. The score was five to two, I think. And I think there was a goal tending change. Yeah, correct. So the other thing is that I think Taylor Hall got hot. I mean, he's a beast. I really is. I think he wasn't having it. He did. What did he have? I got what? 26 game scoring run, scoring consecutive games. Point street. Point street. Yeah. Point street. You know, so I mean, yeah, he's going to explode at some point. And if you have a bunch of tired guys on the ice, you know, what's going to happen? I think, uh, uh, Hayshire scored and I think also, uh, butcher had a goal. Right. So I think the devils just said, you know what? We're not having it. And we're going to take one here. Now what happens, you know, tomorrow night, it could be a, you know, a total blast. If they, if the devils are able to even it up to two, now it becomes a three game series. And that's a whole different day. Is there a chance that the devils can beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in advance? I don't, I don't see why they can't. I mean, it's, it's going to be a tough road, I think. I think that Tampa Bay is going to bounce back from this. But listen, if they get their number again on Vasiletski, you know, we'll see. It's going to be a great series. We have a question. coming over Instagram from Jimmy and he's asking about Columbus. So let's move to the next series, Columbus, Washington. What was all of our predictions? What did we all say? We did say Columbus, but Washington is winning tonight to nothing so far. Bro Browski. Well, I think that the, I think Columbus is going to advance. We all said that. I think we all took Columbus in our brackets. I think Columbus has too many scoring weapons. I think that the, I really believe that Panarin is the most creative player I've seen in a while as Seth Jones said. And it was the kill Chicago when they had to let him go. They wanted Brandon Saad. I know. I'm just saying. Saad was a disappointment. A big disappointment, but it's funny. I actually had a conversation with one of my friends trying to compare who was a, who was at a harder fan base. And I'm going to, I'm going to intermix sports here that he joint lions or the Washington capitals. Now my argument was that the lions have a much harder fan base, but he was saying that the capitals do because the capitals have always had high expectations when the president's cup doing well, expecting to go deep in the playoffs. Whereas us lions fans in the NFL expect our team to stink. True. I stand, I stand by that. And your alliance fan, Sean? No, no, exactly. That's why you saw me perk up as soon as you said Detroit Lions. No, I think you're absolutely right. Washington fans do have that expectation. That's why it creates this heartbreak. It wouldn't be there if, you know, I mean, come on, man, we, one was the last time that the lions were in a playoff game, 1991. I was in a playoff game. Oh, yeah, one of them play that. One of them was 1991, but I can see what his point is, but my, but just from the, from a capitals fan perspective, they've got to be just numb at this point. Absolutely. It's painful to watch. I mean, every year it's like the Lucy and Charlie Brown with the football there. He's holding the football. He's going to go run to kick it and expecting her to keep it there and hoping he's choosing to keep it there. And at the last minute, yanking it away every time that is the Washington capitals in a nutshell. I agree. 100% and it's going to be very painful to watch them lose to the Columbus black, sorry, the blue jackets for the fans. They're going to lose to the black hawks too. Even the flag hawks aren't even playing. Well, I just, I, I think it's terror and, you know, somehow if the, if Washington capitals pulled it out, how are they going to get passed? It's not happening. Ovechkin's done in Washington. He's got to be. We got another question coming over from Michael on the Instagram live. He said that the Preds in five and the abs got one lucky game. You agree? I actually think he's right. I think that the abs, although they look pretty good last night and renail look a little bit rattled, I think they're going to get it back together. And I don't think they're going to win another game in a series. I do not think that the avalanche has a chance of winning either. I think it's a 100% right. Yeah, I agree. 100. Michael, where we agree with you, there's the avalanche. There's a different, you know, and I also remember the, the speed at which this is, this is like a physiologic thing. When these teams come out for playoff games, they are clearly playing at a hundred and twenty four percent of their capacity in the first two games at least. They come out in a way that is abnormal for what they've been doing. They play harder. And so for them to have a, a breakdown in the second or third or fourth game where they lose one. And that's why sweeps are pretty rare in the, in the playoffs because you can't keep going like that. It's just not physiologically possible. I have to say though regarding this national series in game one, I saw one of the nicest, prettiest goals in the playoffs. I've seen a long time. Philip Ford'sburg, I think it was a second goal, skated on the ice, evaded two defenders and just, I mean, put it in. It was beautiful, beautiful. I am totally impressed with that goal as well. I saw that one. It was sick. It was sick. That's the best way to describe it. Well, I think the Pregs are going to, I think they're going to get through to the next round for sure. Jets are the, or the wild. Well, this came over. I saw the wire earlier that Perise has a fractured sternum. Yep. So I think, I mean, without him and Souter, that's their what, hundred and twenty five hundred thirty fifty, two hundred million whatever was between the two of them. You know, that's it. I know. It was over before Souter was in there. I think they also got lucky. Yeah, they caught one. They caught one there. Caught one. They're, they're done. I'm sorry. Well, let's take a little break. We're going to get back to the coverage. We want to go ahead and do two things. First, I want to thank our title sponsor, Never Too Hung Over, which is changing. The name is going to change. I believe to drink it. That's what I hear. Either way, it's good stuff. I think so. It's great stuff. So we're going to talk about that later in the podcast. Also, I do want to mention our Instagram because right now we're getting a lot of action coming over our Instagram live and we appreciate everybody chiming in and bringing their questions. And then we are now going to get on the phone with Mike Richards. Like another 50 seconds. Richards trying to scoot in there alone. A lot way over there. It's been gone for the dreams. Stop. Mike Richards. So I am here with Mike Richards. Jason Berkeley is on the line. Hey, Mark. How's it going? Not too bad. How are you? Thanks to you. Thanks for having me. Yeah, we're excited. Are you following the playoffs? I have been, yeah, over the last. I haven't watched the watcher in the year, but over the last week or so, I've been watching pretty much a period or two every night. If not, most of the Jets games and series and went to their game last week and went to peg and seeing a couple others on TV, so keeping up as much as I can. What do you think of those went to peg Jets? Well, it will be tough to beat. They have a big, strong team and that building is loud. Let me tell you, it's crazy in there and it will be tough to beat at home, but with the size they have and the way they play, I think that will be my favorite anyways from the West for sure and if not for the Stanley Cup. I agree with you. I think the Jets are on their way to the Stanley Cup finals and I think it's going to be a battle with Pittsburgh, but it's going to be a fun bracket to watch the West. What, and you said something really interesting, you said they're a big team. How much do you feel as these teams are evolving throughout the year? Do you believe that the size of the guys on the team makes a difference in the playoffs? Well, I think it helps especially when they have guys out of that size that can skate like Bufflin and Lion Day and Wheeler and it's one thing to have size and no playing in LA. We did a lot of our damage with the size of our players, but with the game being as fast as it is now to have that size with the speed. I think that's going to be probably even the biggest factor for them is they shouldn't get worn down. They have a deep line up and even though they have a lot of guys with size and that can skate, they also have some smaller guys too that keep up if not past some of those other guys. What are your thoughts on hella block as far as being in the net? He's doing a pretty good job this season. Yeah, he has. He's had a great year. I haven't kept up most or haven't been keeping up most of the year with them or watching a lot of their games. I'll see him on TV, but I know up here in Canada that was one of the biggest questions for the Jets coming in and he's played well. With their D-Core and with their 4, I think as long as he is good, he probably doesn't have to be great, but obviously he'll help if he is, but he stood on his head so far. What are you think is going to happen with the old LA Kings here with the Golden Knights? This has been an incredible series to watch. Yeah, it's, I first game I watched a little bit of it and then I really started paying attention during the overtime game and I didn't watch much Vegas Golden Knights throughout the season, but in a matter of they fast, they're keeping the puck away and being on LA. Pretty much all game and LA is no slow cheater with some of the best players in the world and you can just notice the speed when you turn on the TV to watch. It's pretty impressive what they're doing. What do you think it is that made the Golden Knights so good and prolific over the season? Is it a chip on their shoulder with some of the guys not being kept by their teams or was it just something else or just lightning in a bottle that just somehow is exploding in this team right now? Well, I think that could be one of it with having a chip on their shoulder like they said. A lot of guys that were, I guess you could say not wanted by their team or if they had to give somebody out there would have been them. So I think every guy on that team has something to prove and you have a hockey player with a chip on their shoulder and being competitive that always helps. Sure. If you look at their lineup James Niels, great goal scorer, they got Mark Andre and that is a really, really good goal tender and they don't really have that one superstar like Coupatar, Dallini but they have just a lot of really good players that could skate and they're playing all together right now. Yeah, I mean they really have come together in a way that who could have thought that an expansion team could do this in one year. I mean it's been really I think just a shock surprise but it seems like everybody's completely behind them and into it for them to have done well. I don't think the people of Los Angeles are so happy about it but you know. Yeah, I actually know what it's about around two we're sorry for cutting off there but just walking out and walking around I think with being. And I play a lot of people start talking about the Vegas gold nights and how well they're doing. And it seems like everybody's pulling for them to do well. When you have that sort of not only fan base, I think in Vegas, but when you have everybody pulling from you, I think as a hockey team, you kind of feel that and you kind of build around that as well. Absolutely. And you were in Los Angeles for two Stanley Cups. What were the greatest memories of those times in terms of getting through? I mean, how is it that you come from a three-nothing deficit to win the Stanley Cup, you know, in one series, to then go on and win the Stanley Cup? What was in the chemistry that made that happen? Yeah, that was fun. It hit. You don't expect to come back for three-nothing, but I do remember after going down three-nothing right after the game, we didn't think that we were out of it. We played well and every game was right there for us to win. So we felt that we were right there just a bounce or two either way would have gone our way. And it started too. And once we got that first one and then made it three-two, after we made it three-two, we just kind of knew that we were going to win that series. That's amazing. I don't even know how many times, like they always have these crazy stats, you know, one percent of the time, a team that's down three to one can come back and win. I don't even know what the stat is on being down three-nothing and coming back, but I'm sure the percentage isn't very high. No, probably not. In 2010, we did that as well against Boston, too. So we kind of learned from that, that all you really have to do is just win that one game, win the next one, and now they have all the pressure in the world on them. So if you can just get one on the board and then roll from there, it's definitely doable, unlikely, but for LA right now, they're probably thinking the same thing as we can throw one on the board at home and then all of a sudden the pressure is all on Vegas. Well, I think so. We were talking about a little bit before we got on the phone with you that as much pressure is on the Kings tonight, there's serious pressure on the Vegas Golden Knights to put this away. Yeah, exactly. When you win, so tonight, it's in LA. They went at home. They go back to Vegas. Now, there's a little bit of pressure for them to wrap it up there because they don't want to go back to LA for Game 6. And then everyone knows in Game 7 pretty much anything can happen. It's a bounce here and it's a bounce there. So I would think that there's a little bit of pressure on Vegas to wrap it up. And if they don't do it tonight, there'll be a lot of pressure for them to wrap it up the next game in Las Vegas. Mike, let me share a question because you just mentioned about a bounce here and there and that can make a world of difference, which is so true. What do you think the problem is with the capitals? I just, you know, year in and year out, they seem to be loaded. They make moves at the end of the season to try to give Ovechkin some type of other supporting cast. What's going on with them? Is it mental? What else could it be going on there that they just can't get it together? Yeah, I honestly don't even know. And I've sat and thought about that. Even a couple nights ago, I watched the overtime game and it's not like they get all played. It's not like they let their guard down. It just seems like it's just that one bounce. And I honestly don't even know what it is. But if you've been in that position and that happens to, it may get into your head a little bit where you're almost just waiting for something to happen or you're playing well on that old son something happens. And now you're just like, okay, here we go again. So. What happens in the locker room or when the guys are talking or even in between games and days when there's days off? What's the feel of a team that when you were down three or down three or whatever else that goes through and what are the guys try to do to lift everybody up? And what is it that they try to do to what actually happens behind the curtain? I guess is what I want to know. Yeah, it's I guess it's a lot of positivity. I know when we were with so at all, yeah, it was a lot tougher because it wasn't done so long. So I think it was a lot of wishful thinking of just being positive. And I guess just trying to say the right words to try not to think about just being out for the out of the series or having some or begin the next few days where when I was in LA. I didn't think it was that big of a hole just the way that we played and how well we've played against San Jose. And like I said before, they got the bounces and we knew that we were going to get a couple. So it fell it off. Yeah, I think it was a little bit more of a stretch that we were going to come back. Whereas LA, I think we were a little bit more confident. And I mean, there's really nothing you can say other than just trying to be positive and say all the cliches around just to try to motivate yourself. But at the end of the day, it's a bounce here. It's a bounce there. And that's pretty much what playoffs is. Now just because all the teams are so close, you can look at any game and give a night and both teams have a chance to win the hockey game. So you do have to get lucky when you're down 03 and really to win the Stanley Cup. You have to get some bounces and get lucky along the way to win it. Well, you were able to do it twice with the Kings and that's a fairly amazing feat. It's not too many people that go through the NHL to get that opportunity and get to capitalize on it the way that you did. Tell me about what do you think about the Flyers and the Pittsburgh series going on right now. So when we started this podcast this earlier this year, I don't know if you know, but Kevin Connelly was on the podcast with me a while. I think you guys know each other or something. Is that true? Yeah, yeah. I've known Con for a while. Yeah, we were looking at the Flyers just thinking like the Flyers are, you know, we're counting them out. They just don't have it together. Somewhere along the season, they gelled and now they're up against the penguins and they stole a game in Pittsburgh. What's what do you think is going on for them? Is it is it is it is it the whole team? Vore check looks like he's playing out of his head. What what do you see there in Philadelphia? Well, that was actually kind of surprised. Like I watch hockey, but I don't keep up with it as much maybe as a lot of the other fans and being up in Canada, we see it all the time on TV. And I know for not following the point race and everything, Claude Juru had to quiet us 103 points that I've seen in a long time. He was second in scoring and leading up to the end of the season. Everybody was talking about Taylor Hall and the Ken and McDavid for the MVP race and Claude Juru sneaks in with 103 points or 102 points. I forget exactly what it was, but I mean, he's a world class player. He plays a four check so that line itself is dangerous every time they get on the ice. And they have some young guys that stepped in too. So it's crazy how a team can just get on a roll. Like Columbus did entering or going down the stretch there. I've done that before in the past. So Philadelphia got in the eight feet with LA and ended up winning. So really that last month, the season teams that stay hot usually do well and it's no surprise. That's Philadelphia's 1-1 with Pittsburgh right now. Well, I think we're going to see the blue jackets. I mean, I like the way that they're playing against Washington. We think they're going forward. What do you think is the big shocker in the first round of the playoffs? What are we going to see? That's just, oh my god, I can't believe they made it forward. I guess it would be if Columbus ends up winning. I know Vegas was first in their conference, but I and a lot of people that I talked to had LA winning that series. Again, I didn't watch Vegas a whole lot throughout the year. So that might be a little bit naive of me to say, but I'd say it'd be probably Columbus losing a Washington at some point. You got to think that Washington is going to pull through. And I know it's only two, nothing, but if that was two-hub and that'd be the biggest surprise for me. Well, it's going to be a fun round. So tell us, what are you doing lately today and are you doing anything with the NHL or what are you up to in your life? Not much. I'm setting up in Canada waiting for the ice to melt off the lakes. I can go fishing. And other than that, not much. I have been helping around here with one of the local teams just a little bit to keep busy. I still play hockey just around town with a bunch of buddies. I've been approached about doing some different things with NHL clubs, but I'm not sure I want it back into it just yet maybe down the road. with whether it's scouting or different things, but right now I'm just enjoying some downtime, relaxation, and eventually I'm sure I'll get back into it, but right now I just enjoy myself and not get caught up in too much hockey talk right now. Mike, do you keep in touch with any of your teammates, or are they filly or anywhere else you've played before? I talked to Jonathan quick quite a bit, some guys that I played with but aren't still in the league down in Cardsillo. I talked to some of the guys that work in filly as well, but mostly Jonathan quick would be the guy that's still playing that I talked to the most, and actually Cody Eakin that plays in Vegas plays on our ball team in the summertime as well, so I see him quite a bit. Nice. Well, we really appreciate you taking since you're not doing a whole lot of hockey talk and we're really appreciative of you coming on to the Dr. Hockey podcast. This has been really great for us. It's a real honor. Yeah, no problem anytime, guys. Yeah, well I'll definitely let Connolly know that we spoke to you. Glass, but not least, who do you think is going to win the Stanley Cup? I'm going to, like I said, at the beginning of the podcast here, I picked the Jets to come out of the West and I think it's going to be a Western team this year coming out of it. So I'll take the Jets to win the Cup and I'll probably have them playing tap on the final. So those are my two picks. Nice. Anyone with the penguins as far as I'm concerned? I'm going to make my name so if I pick Pittsburgh, I think a lot of guys in Philly are a lot of people and Philly would be upset with me. That's true too. That's right. You might be getting some unwelcome visits. Exactly. All right. Well, thank you so much. Mike Richards, we really appreciate it. Thank you. I know prom guys anytime. That's when the draw point off, pat to the extor. It was shot from the blue line and maybe Richards touched it in front. And this proudest stunned L.A. has tied the game with 9.4 seconds remaining. This all stems from an icing, guys. It's an icing call. The puck gets flipped down the ice. Jonathan, quick. Can't even get out of the net. It's got a little too much on it. And this is the icing. It brings it down with 14.4 seconds and they win the draw clean. The play is. Corporate TAR. Goes right to the boards. It's a set play. They know he's going to be there. They drop it to him and it's a swing shot play. Look at Coppatar. Right to the boards. Slingshot play and I think Richards tips us into the net. Yep. And we do too. Hockey fans, listen up. I just want to take a quick break from the show to tell you a little bit about who's sponsoring this show that's allowing us to bring it to you for free. That's never too hung over. It's a great beverage designed to help you with your party. That's really the bottom line. Never too hung over is the best tasting and one of the most effective ways to prevent hangovers. In fact, it's the fastest growing hangover prevention beverage in the U.S. Never too hung over helps neutralize toxins created by alcohol. 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So a little bit more about never too hung over before you get back to the show. The key ingredients include potassium, B vitamins, milk, thistle, green tea extract, aloe vera and amino acids. It's sugar-free, gluten-free, low calorie and tastes great. If you're skeptical, check out all the incredible reviews on Amazon. It's available at many fine retailers across the US including GNC, Vitamin Shop as well as Bevmo and California Specs in Texas, Binnies in Chicago and the hottest casino resorts in Vegas, and of course at never too hung over.com. Again, don't forget to use promo code hockey to get 25% off your first order at never too hung over.com and now back to the show. Fight Richard! Well, that was awesome to speak with Mike Richards. It was great. He sounds great. I wish him the best. He was always a guy that I looked to on the ice when he was playing and always wishing him that he would much success. So he's a really solid guy. He and Scuderi were just shut down other teams. That was the crew. I mean, they really kick some butt. And again, like I said, he wasn't on my team, but one of the things that as a hockey fan, you can appreciate is when you see great talent and Mike Richards is a great talent. I might as well as him as he is because it is still in my book. He's a great player. He could totally get right back on the ice. Put him on and get him out there. Absolutely. I wish him the best. Well, we appreciate him coming on. And that's what we're doing here at the Doctor Hockey Podcast. We want to hear from the players. We want to hear from former NHLers. We've got lots of guests coming up. Obviously, when the playoffs are over, we'll be able to bring the guys who are currently playing on a lot more readily. But we want to get their opinions. We want to know what they're thinking. Get into the guts of the NHL. Let's move on. We've got to get to the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Yeah. It's a problem when your best player doesn't score a goal in the first two games of a series. And then he scores a goal in the third game and you win that third game. Go figure. But Austin Matthews took a little time to rev up this series, but we'll see what happens. I think Toronto could get back into this pretty easily. I think they have. Anderson has been forced to be an awesome goal tender. They don't have the blue line support that they need. They don't have the defense that can rock it all the way through. So they're really looking to Anderson to save the day. And we can't ignore the fact that the Cajury hit. I mean, that was a brutal hit. Awful. I said it was going to be at least three games. I'm not even sure if it should have been five games. It was a bad hit. It was uncalled for. And I'm sure Bob cocculated into him because he knows better. He's a veteran now. He knows better than the hit. I like that. I'm sorry, but that was inexcusable. What do we think of the Drew Doudy suspension? Was that warranted or no? That's a great question, Sean. I think that it was. It was a weird timing for that suspension. I don't know. I think that was one that could go either way. And it came in an inopportune time. And it cost. I think it cost the Kings a game. Yeah, to me, it was a bang-bang hockey play. And I think you're right. I think what you were getting at was a suspension after the first game. Is that. Are they trying to set a precedent here with how they're going to call the playoffs? Yeah, I think that's really. It just was like. Really? It wasn't a. I don't know. I think that you have to give the NHL the benefit of the Dow because they're big on play. Sorry, player safety, I was going to say patient safety, but same difference. I mean, they are the patient at that point. But the. You know, really, we have to be careful with these guys. You cannot. You can't rack their brains all around and then say, you know, what's. Why can't you play? Why can't you skate? Why are you skating in the other direction? They need to preserve it. A few things in hockey that'll bother me as much when I see a great player like Hadry. And he's a great player. Make a hit like that. Martian, it's the same thing. Yeah, I was like. I was like. Doin' those kind of plays. It just. It doesn't make any sense to me. Like, you know better. You're better than that. Why. Why. Why. Hit a guy like that when his back is turned. It doesn't. It doesn't help your team at all. But are they better than that? Like, that's the Brad Martian question. They should be. They should be. At least you think they should be. Like, I mean, with Brad Martian, he's. He's a extremely skilled and talented player. Yet he cannot. Not screw it up. He's really undisciplined. Yeah. It's gonna cost them. You walk. By the way, did you see that goal by Chara last night? Oh, that was sick. Just flick the top shelf and everyone was gonna go top shelf, it's gonna be him. Yeah, no. He's gonna get more. He's gonna get more top shelf than him. No, he's quite top shelf. But, geez. I mean, he literally flicked that thing in and went over. And when he went over Anderson's shoulder, I mean, it was pretty impressive. Now, Chara is amazing. And I think that. That Boston has a good chance. But, I don't know. I see them advancing. I see them taking out Toronto. Well, again, I think that when your best player gets going, good things happen. And I think that now the math, you seem to be on his way. I don't know. I think they're gonna come back and tie this series. Last but not least, Ducks Sharks. I've had to sit through this pain. As you know, I have my season tickets. And I don't think I'm going to another game. Stick a fork in it. That's it. That's it. I'm sorry. It's over. Yeah. Ace, tell me what do you think? Do the Ducks stand a chance to at least take Steel 1 in San Jose? There is the smallest possible existing chance. So you're telling me there's a chance. But it's the smallest possible existing chance. There was a Lloyd Christmas quote just for anyone else interested. What do they have to do is who's going to have to step up on the ducks to make it happen? Who's the guy that you would look to to make it work? I think their goalie hasn't been doing as well as he did in the regular season. Is he Miller's going to play? Miller may play the last one. I don't know. Who's going to do the scoring? Who's the guy? Is it Kessler Silverberg? Who's going to step up and get them some goals? Silverberg might, because he did that hat trick in the season. Not in the playoffs, but before. And that was a very impressive hat trick. And so I think he might score a few goals and they might win one game. What about Raquel? He's the guy that went to the All-Star game this year. He hasn't been scoring a lot. Could you look to him for the big goals? No, because they don't bring him out as much. At the first period, he's never out. But sometimes in the second period he's out, but he's only out for half of it. It was a close game last night. No, it wasn't. It was anything but close. It was very painful. I feel for the ducks. Like I said, they're not my team per se. They are my team because I sit there and watch them a lot. And I'm actually impressed with what a difference a Vander Cain has made to the San Jose Charks. It's always one of my favorite players for a long time in the league. A lot of off-ice issues, unfortunately, but just a great player. And again, when you talk about bringing in acquisition towards the end of the season and potentially altering the chemistry, more often than not, we see that chemistry affected negatively. He's come in and has just boosted this team and put them on their shoulders. It's that guy just follow me. I mean, really, it's impressive. He is the leader of the San Jose Charks right now. He's physical. He goes to the dirty areas. He can score. I mean, really does everything. Well, he wants to. That was it. I watched a Vander Cain in his first playoff appearance, believe it or not, in the Honda Center. That was the first time he's been in a playoff game. Well, he's been in Buffalo. 570 games in or something. What happens in Buffalo? They don't win. They don't go to the playoffs. No, they don't. They haven't seen the Stanley Cup in them quite a long time since Dominic. Since John Blues time when Dominic Aschick was playing. So they haven't seen a cup in a while. Either way, Cain is the leader of the San Jose Charks. I think they close it out tomorrow. Wait a second. The Sabers ever won a cup? No. Oh, I think they have. Haven't they? No, I don't believe they have. No cups for the Sabers. No cups for you. I thought they. Sean, we double checked that. Can we check? I think they got one cup. I don't think they did. Wow. They've been in the cup. They didn't win. I don't believe with Aschick, but I don't believe they ever won. You may be right. That was the team with Aschick who's on the Chattan, Stu Barnes, but no cup. You might be right. That's very sad. I don't see one coming anytime soon. No, no, but I, yeah, that's just, you know, but I think this is given Cain a new lease on life as far as is playing. No cups. Yeah, right? See, unbelievable. It's not unbelievable. But, you know, they, they, uh, they've been in the, in the Stanley Cup final, I think three times, three times. Three conference championships, 74, 75, 79 and 80 and latest is 98 and 99. So they have not been in a Stanley Cup in this century. Wow. That's harsh. That's to say. Awful. Well, either way, I think Cain made a great move, getting over to San Jose. I don't think he's going to see a cup this year either, but I do think that the ducks are going to eat it tomorrow night. Unfortunately, they, they just don't have it to get up against this team. They aren't up for it. They look like they're phone and an in branded montours trying to do it by himself. That's not going to work. Excuse me. And, uh, is that hockey talk? I think that is. All right. Well, it's a mailbox talk. We have a, uh, we have a game to get to and we was able to talk to the traffic. We got to get downtown. This is not going to be easy. We're sitting. We don't think we'll talk a little more about who might be at the set in the final round of the playoffs next time. Who do you think is going to be? I think it might. It. There's a very high chance of a Pittsburgh. And the sharks, not the sharks. The Vegas golden nights. Because they have barely lost any games this year. So you think it's going to be the golden nights in Pittsburgh? Now, wouldn't that be fitting goalie against goalie? That's the, the two goalies that were in the cup final last year. Flurry and Murray going up against each other. That would be some final to see. Well, we'll see Ace. We'll check it out. For now, but Pittsburgh. That's my mantra. The at doctor hockey podcast. Handle for Instagram if you want to follow us there. Also on Twitter at doctor hockey podcast. And on Facebook, it's I think doctor hockey 902 and L. Since we're sitting in the rock sand building at 465 North Roxbury in Beverly Hills. This is a awesome set of playoffs to watch. The hockey that's being played is I think really fun to see. Ooh, the blue jackets have tied it up against the capitals. I think a few minutes left from the third is 2 2. We love it live update. We're going to stay on top of it. Go jackets. Go jackets. Next week we'll be back. I think I think we have a guest next week. I'm not sure if we're doing a guest with. Are we doing next week? John Stassney next week. Wow. This is like this is like a row of greats for us. We're really excited about that and we're happy that Ace could join us today. Ace, you have any final comments for the doctor hockey crowd? I might start calling in during podcasts. Are you going to give your own Ace Minute Report? Yes. That sounds very confident. Alright, well this is Dr. Hockey signing off with your prescription for the NHL. Thanks for listening to Dr. Hockey. Check out new episodes every Thursday and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or at podcast1.com. Hey everybody. We are going to be talking about the playoffs and who gets in the playoffs? You want to run this podcast, right? Yes. I think he needs to bring it in. Well you bring the doctor hockey podcast. Welcome to the Dr. Hockey podcast. Today we will be talking about the positioning in the playoffs and who we think is going to win and stand the cup. So, would you like to start? Would you like to start?