Alison and JT, Thank You for your Insight as Always
The latest episode of Signals from the Deep dives into the Seattle Kraken's recent performances, highlighting the recent road trip and a couple of slow starts at home. Alison Lukan, JT Brown, and host Piper Shaw then discuss the impact of the Kraken's fourth line in securing two wins in a row at home. The conversation also touches on the significance of Hockey Fights Cancer month, with heartfelt reflections from Alison on her personal experiences with cancer in her family.
Transcript
Calling all college students. Experience the Deep and save on Kraken tickets with Student Rush.
egister by texting student to: Piper Shaw:Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of Signals from the Deep, the official podcast of your Seattle Kraken and I like to say the podcast tentacle of the Kraken Hockey Network. I am Piper Shaw here with our wonderful producer, Grant Beery.
Grant Beery:Glad to be in the same room with you this time.
Piper Shaw:I agree it was nice to have to record on the road and we will probably have to do that again in the future. But I do like to just be physically present. I think better eye contact.
Grant Beery:Yeah.
Piper Shaw:Speaking of enhancing the vibe, we have a treat for you this week because in the studio we have not only Alison Lukan.
Alison Lukan:Hello.
Piper Shaw:But also JT Brown.
JT Brown:Happy to be back.
Piper Shaw:Really? Your face, your face isn't telling me.
Alison Lukan:But this is going to be a problematic episode.
JT Brown:I got a smile.
Alison Lukan:This is going to be a problem.
Grant Beery:Is the home stand already getting to you?
Alison Lukan:No, it's just what happens when we get together.
JT Brown:Perfect. I'm ready to go.
Piper Shaw:We're going off the rails quick.
Alison Lukan:JT and I debates is like five.
JT Brown:It might be over. We'll see, we'll see. We'll see where it goes.
Piper Shaw:If you have any opportunities for debates, I'm sure that the, the people would love to see it or love to hear it rather. So we're going to start a little bit with some Kraken Hockey Network news.
Since we have three representatives from the Crack and Hockey Network here, we have some big news as it relates to talent on our network.
Alison Lukan:We're getting some.
Piper Shaw:We're going to add some talent.
JT Brown:All right, I'm waiting.
Piper Shaw:So, as everyone knows, since we lost the former host Nicolchek of Signals from the Deep, we have been without an additional analyst in addition to our great Alison on our pre post and intermission segments. And that is going to be addressed because we can share that Brett Festerling will be joining our crew. A little bit on Brett first.
So he began his major juniors career with the Tri City American. So if we have any die hard Tri Cities fans, you may recall him from back in the day when he was playing there.
He was traded to the Vancouver Giants where he was eventually named captain. He played some games with the Winnipeg jets and some games with the Anaheim Ducks, also their AHL affiliate at the time. The Syracuse Crunch.
Jt, I know you played there, but you said you guys didn't cross paths or anything.
JT Brown:No, different. Different affiliate. When I ended up going to Syracuse with Tampa's American Hockey League team. So they.
They rotated and then just kind of do a switch. Sometimes that does happen in the American Hockey League where they just switch the affiliations.
Piper Shaw:Yeah. So. And that would have been probably like a two year gap or something too. I think we were looking at.
JT Brown:Yep, yep. That's about right City, though.
Piper Shaw:Okay. Yeah. Maybe we'll have to dig into your time and see your cues. I know that you have many stories.
Alison Lukan:That's where you met Lexi.
JT Brown:That's another. That's another time.
Alison Lukan:Isn't that where you met Lexi?
JT Brown:Yeah, that's true.
Piper Shaw:There we go.
Grant Beery:Fortuitous.
Piper Shaw:Well, maybe you and Brett can connect on that later when he gets here. So currently he does some radio color analyst work for the Canucks.
Alison, you are the only one of our crew here who has actually met Bret at this point. What are you excited about with his addition to the show?
Alison Lukan:Yeah, I've had the opportunity to meet Brett. I think he's going to be a great addition. He's going to come join us for a select group of games.
Not going to be with us every game this season, but I think he's going to be great. I love that he played defense. We all know my super secret passion is understanding defense as best as we can.
And what I'm really excited about is he's been recently in the game. Right.
And jt, that's one of the things I love about your analysis too, is you can take us inside the way the game is being played right now, because you were just there. And so I think he's going to bring a really great fresh perspective. And I also love that he's. He's been covering Vancouver. Right.
So he knows this division, he knows the teams, and I think it's going to be an awesome ad.
JT Brown:Oh, those are great points. And obviously, you know, that's the one thing I try to lean on the most, is that I recently played.
Or you understand the game or you understand certain players that are, you know, still playing right now. So again, that's obviously a benefit. And Alison, you. You said that perfectly. Not gonna lie. That was good points. We're not ready to argue yet.
Alison Lukan:Thank you.
Piper Shaw:Yeah. So, Brett, super excited to have you here and fans were looking forward to you getting to know him as well.
In additional crack and Hockey Network Talent Update News, we've gotten some questions about this from people because our fearless leader, John Forestland is of course also doing play by play duties for Amazon's Prime Monday. Amazon Prime Monday night hockey in Canada.
Alison Lukan:Sure.
Piper Shaw:There's a whole lot of words. It's a great production. Yeah, it is an excellent production. So there's a handful of Monday night cracking games that conflict with that.
So there were some questions on what that might mean for the play by play position, but it's actually going to be the one and only Everett Fitzhugh filling in on the Kraken Hockey Network broadcast in John's absence. And then Mike Benton will fill in for Fitz on radio play by play. Jt, you've worked with Fitz a little bit. Just. Just a couple. Couple times.
You looking forward to that? Getting back in the booth with them or.
JT Brown:Yeah, I know it's always fun. Obviously, we're good friends off the ice as well. So when it comes to, you know, being out there and working, it's. It's going to be fun.
I just really hope that the Lions lose the day before since it's going to be a Sunday in football and I just don't want to be in the booth with him when he's all extra happy after a Lions win.
So, you know, if we could find a way to just make it so that the Lions lose and then we get to call an excellent game on the Monday, you know, then that would be 100% for me. But, you know, again, obviously looking forward to it. It's a little bit different.
Everybody has their own different cadences, different calls based on what John does versus how Everett calls a game as well. So a little bit of timing, a little bit of stuff to kind of work ourselves out with that.
Thankfully, you know, we have called a game before, so there is a little bit of the experience factor. But no, it should be a fun time and obviously looking forward to it.
Piper Shaw:Well, I also hope the Lions lose because just got to keep Fitz humble. I think that's important.
JT Brown:It's hard to do all right when the hits team is doing good. It is too much to handle sometimes. So I'm right there with you.
And as a Vikings fan, I want the Detroit Lions to lose no matter what, but even more so because Everett is a diehard Lions fan. So, yeah, that would be. You know, I'm not rooting for him to do bad, but I just don't want to see his teams do good.
We saw what happened when Michigan won the national championship. Like it took him. He's still not ready to come down from that. One yet. So I don't want to see any with him.
Alison Lukan:We were in Buffalo.
JT Brown:No, I refused to do that.
Alison Lukan:I know you did, Piper. And we went out and it was.
JT Brown:A mistake is we left.
Alison Lukan:We left at halftime, remember? Because we were like, we've seen enough.
Piper Shaw:Yeah. We've seen enough of this. We're going to bow out gracefully before.
JT Brown:This gets out of here. I wasn't going to do it.
Grant Beery:So, Alison, do you have an NFL team that you root for?
Alison Lukan:When I was young, it was the Browns, but I've now sworn off the Browns, So I. I sit and watch football. My husband is.
Loves football still, so I sit and enjoy it with him.
Piper Shaw:My husband hates football. I cannot convince him to watch a football game. Yeah, it's actually become, like, a personality trait because he works in.
He also works in sports broadcasting. He's an engineer, and so he works a lot of college football games. And he makes a point to tell everybody how much he hates football. But.
Yeah, but he played hockey. He loves hockey. Loves motocross. But anyway. Yeah. So I have to, like, beg him. I'm like, I don't know. I really want to watch this game.
And he's like, oh, okay, whatever.
Grant Beery:Well, I married a woman from Seattle, so we have a Seahawks Broncos household, and so it gets pretty contentious every year. So.
Piper Shaw:So with all of that context being said with Fitz filling in, you may recall that we had Fitz as my co host on an earlier episode of Signals from the Deep. And we did actually talk about this, but at the time, we weren't quite ready to share it yet.
So I figured that we could share what Fitz said now about filling in and working alongside.
JT Brown:Am I able to change my response after I listen this one way or another? See, maybe I gotta be a little nicer or maybe I'll start chirping again, but I'm ready to hear.
Grant Beery:All right.
Piper Shaw:So since I just used his signature catchphrase, it's typically, that's hockey, baby. But when we are in this house, it's that hockey, baby.
There is a rumor floating around these parts that while the great John Forsland mamis just a handful of games because of his awesome opportunity to be calling games for Amazon Prime Hockey Night Canada Monday night. I don't know all of the exact branding terms, but that is all of the information at hand.
Everett Fitzhugh:The Amazon Canadian Hockey package.
Piper Shaw:Sure. Which is Mondays, we have a handful of Monday night games that he may have to. To miss. And rumor has it you might be filling in on that TV seat.
So I just Wanted to kind of ask you, how does your preparation vary and kind of the technical execution of when you're prepping to call a game for radio versus television?
Everett Fitzhugh:So I think with radio, I mean, listen, you can't see anything, right?
k there is a lot more of that:You're not going to use 90% of the stuff that you prep for a game, but you never know, right? I spend probably two hours the night before a game just making sure I have all my notes ready to go and everything's all set for that next day.
And then even in the morning, after morning skate, I'll write a few things down and I do all that work and I probably use that much of it, right? So radio, I think is a little bit diff. More, more difficult in that regard.
But for, for me, the issue and the challenge is going to be not speaking as much because JT and I did a game a couple of years ago in Winnipeg and that was a really cool experience. That was my first ever TV game that I'd done and, and I got a lot of positive feedback.
But I remember getting a couple of te in the very beginning, in the first period. Like, hey, you can slow down a bit. You're not on radio and people can see, people can see what's going on.
I was like, oh, yeah, okay, okay, that's cool. So obviously you're terrified and you're so nervous because you don't want to screw it up. And a lot more eyes are on tv, a lot more people watch tv.
Your reach is a little bit broader, I think. So that's, that's going to be the biggest difference.
But I think the way that, you know, I approach the game, if anyone's ever listened to a radio broadcast, there, there is no shortage of energy, there is no shortage of volume and passion and all of that. So I'm curious how that's going to translate to the television side. Because I'm thinking, do I pull back a little bit or am I still myself?
Do I bring myself to tv? Is it a. What you see is what you get? Or do I try to pull back and tweak how I am, but then you're second guessing.
Well, if I want to do the best job that I can do, I want to be comfortable and I'm comfortable being my loud, gregarious, passionate, outgoing self. So these are all things that I think about.
Piper Shaw:Well, there's a reason when I introduced you, I said the enthusiastic and epic presence, obviously.
Everett Fitzhugh:Yes. And that was very good. I'm going to put that on my business card. Thank you very much.
Piper Shaw:Well, and it helps that you and JT have such a light hearted banter as well.
Everett Fitzhugh:No, it man, that. So he, from the second that he was hired, him and I, we, we've had this really amazing friendship and relationship.
It's almost like we're brothers and, and it's so cool.
Piper Shaw:It's almost like you're both little brothers.
Everett Fitzhugh:Yeah. Yeah.
Piper Shaw:And you're not both little brothers.
Everett Fitzhugh:I, I'm an only child. I think JT is the middle of three because I think he has an older sister and a younger brother. So I think he's the middle of three. I'm an only child.
And, and like when him and I are together, like, it's, it's so fun just being around him and his energy and giving him all the gears that I can and finding little things to poke and prod him with and, you know, which is very easy. Very easy.
Piper Shaw:Oh, it's my favorite as listeners of our last episode where JT was the co host would know, him and Yanni were jawing at each other a little bit.
Grant Beery:And I riled him up a few times too.
Piper Shaw:Oh, yeah, tell yourself short. Yeah, he's not here with Fish. I know these two really go.
Everett Fitzhugh:We got, we got to do a tandem podcast one of these days. But. And I think too, with JT like it for him and I to be two black men in this position, it's very rare in our sport, in our league.
So to share this opportunity with him just on a day to day basis, to see him in his element and, and learning this industry, learning this side of hockey. Right. He spent so many years as a player, now he's in year four as a broadcaster.
So watching him grow and learn in, in an industry that you and I have been in for, you know, 10 plus years, right. It's been so fun just to watch him grow and again, give him all the smack talk on the way because you got to keep him humble. That's one thing JT
Brown is not short on is confidence. So that's true. Respectfully, Brownie, we love you. Respectfully, that's true.
Piper Shaw:But there's also a certain level of confidence and gumption required to go out and do a lot of the things that he's Done. I mean, you even think about some of his, like, activism and his. His work. You know, it's not easy. No. Raising his fist during the national anthem.
Everett Fitzhugh:In Florida, like, it's not. It's not easy. And like, dep. You know, we're not going to get into a larger geopolitical conversation here, but it's. It's very.
It takes a lot of resolve and it takes a lot of strength, especially in a sport where historically you've not seen a lot of quote, unquote, them. Right. A lot of other.
And for him to not shy away from, I guess, a certain responsibility is very, very cool to see and to experience, to be a part of.
Piper Shaw:That's one thing I love about our organization in general as well. Very, very purposeful about having some of those conversations and, you know, trying to be purposeful about representation at all levels as well.
Everett Fitzhugh:And that's. And that's. I think being intentional is so important. You know, it's one thing to.
It's one thing to say something, but to actually do it and to intend and to mean to do it is completely different. I mean, you can accidentally hire some folks and you can, you know, oh, yeah, that was totally what we meant to do.
But from day one, we as an organization have laid out these goals and have laid out these pillars of how we want to be and how we want to make hockey for everyone. Hockey for everyone, and genuinely do that. So that's, again, what makes this special, this place so special.
And then when you have people like jt, you have people that we travel with and work with. Yourself, Alison, Zach Peggins, Marcus Allen, dear.
Piper Shaw:Jessica Campbell, who we will talk about.
Everett Fitzhugh:We'll talk about her in a second. So when you have so many people who historically have felt this sport wasn't for them making their own path in this game, it's awesome.
Piper Shaw:We also wanted to talk a little bit about some of the upcoming King five games.
I know our broadcast crew, we've gotten such a great response from the launch of the Kraken Hockey Network, and just we're feeling really excited that a lot of people are getting the chance to tune in with better accessibility when the games are on King 5, in addition to Kong and all of the other Pacific Northwest affiliates, Amazon prime, obviously, as well. So coming up, we have November 27th versus the Anaheim Duck.
So that's going to be the home game against the Ducks, not the away game against the Ducks, which for whatever reason, we're playing them back to back, but not necessarily day to day. Like that, but. And then on the 29th, we're at San Jose Sharks, so that is also a king five game. And then December 6th at the New Jersey Devils.
So Linda Cohn will be in the building. And. Yeah, we're excited for. For those ones.
So with all of that being said, one of the reasons that I knew that I had to have JT back on the show this week is because the weekend before we were our recording this podcast was the Cracking super skills showcase. You may recall when JT was last on Signals from the Deep that we did a little bit of predictions. We talked about who we thought might prevail in.
In these categories. Now, I want to say at the time, we didn't know 100% for sure, like, what the skills that we were going to see were. We knew a couple of them, but.
So a little bit of a.
JT Brown:So you got to give me a little bit of a break.
Piper Shaw:Yes, I mean, that's what I'm saying.
Alison Lukan:Because you didn't give York Strand a break.
JT Brown:We'll get into that.
Everett Fitzhugh:Hold on.
Piper Shaw:Okay, so I want to start JT with your predictions before we go into results. So can you remind us who you predicted would prevail?
JT Brown:Well, I know I said Montour for the Hardest Shot. I believe I said Tolvin. Was it Tolvin for accuracy shooting?
Piper Shaw:I believe so.
JT Brown:But he did not end up participating in that event, so that's an automatic loss for me. I think I said Maddie for the shootout was gonna have to do something crazy and then I guess relay, but we didn't know what the relay was an event.
So it's more of. I would have had to pick all the players, but I think it was Chandler Stevenson as well as who I picked for that one.
I did not do very good on my picks, though.
Piper Shaw:Well, true, but to be fair, like, Montour didn't even. I don't think he even competed in Hardest Shot.
JT Brown:No, he did. He dumped the puppet.
Alison Lukan:That's right.
JT Brown:He dumped it in the corner the.
Alison Lukan:First time he missed.
JT Brown:Yep.
Alison Lukan:And the second time he was.
JT Brown:The second time.
Alison Lukan:That is true.
JT Brown:It was. It was a. It was a bad. Well, he let me down on that one. I'm not gonna lie. I even said it on the. In the arena. I was like, you gotta. You gotta do this.
I picked you to win. And then he dumped it in the corner. Missed the net the whole way.
Piper Shaw:Yeah, I enjoyed your. Your chirping on mic of the players during the competition because they couldn't. They didn't have mics in Their hands.
So even though they were responding, nobody could hear what they had to say back to you.
JT Brown:They couldn't defend themselves. It's okay.
Well, I guess technically, in a way they could, because, like I said, I went out and I picked Bjork Strand because my original pick was not competing. And then McCann came over, kind of skated, and was like, why he didn't pick me? And then he ends up going through.
And at that time, he was winning the event. He had taken over, you know, the time that Bjork Strand had done, too. So that was his kind of message to me, like, he should have picked me moments.
So that would have been a response. But at least the fans maybe not. Didn't catch that part. Wasn't the same as me being on the mic and chirping them.
Alison Lukan:But then you chirp York Strand and he was part of the winning side.
JT Brown:I know, but he didn't win himself.
Alison Lukan:No, but he contributed to the. Hockey is a team game, jt.
JT Brown:Yeah. Yeah. No, but who. Who won the event? That's the.
Alison Lukan:Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. It didn't go to the fastest individual.
Piper Shaw:Okay, so that was something really quickly, that was something that I wasn't 100% clear on, was if the player the. So for everyone listening, in case you missed the super Skills showcase, let's back it up.
Grant Beery:Let's get in the weeds.
Piper Shaw:We had two people competing in accuracy shooting for Team Joey and two people competing in accuracy shooting for Team Groobie. For Team Groovey, it was Jared McCann and Shane Wright. For Team Joey, it was Oliver Bjork Strand and Jordan Eberly.
I was going into this under the impression that whoever individual had the fastest who won the. Apparently, they combined the times of both the players.
Grant Beery:Team effort.
JT Brown:Okay, listen, we need to rewrite the rules then, okay?
Alison Lukan:Because you can't rewrite the rules.
JT Brown:Why?
Grant Beery:It's like a relay.
Piper Shaw:We made up the rules.
Alison Lukan:I. No, no, no. All of you, and I love you very much, but we were emailed the rules. No, I'm looking at your name on the email right here.
JT Brown:There's another JT Brown in the company.
Alison Lukan:Here we go.
Piper Shaw:JT also didn't check the. The notes for this podcast until now, so it's okay. We're riffing.
Grant Beery:I'm just happy he's not blaming me for this.
JT Brown:No. Again, Everly won, all right? He had the lowest time. That's what I was picking. I wasn't picking based on which team was going to win.
I was picking which player was going to have the fastest time. So even if they won the event as a team, I was, my pick. Wasn't picking which team. I didn't pick Team Decord or Team Grubauer. I picked the player.
So at the end of the day, I was. I mean, if you want me to be Right, hold on. Right.
Alison Lukan:But Eberly had the fastest time.
JT Brown:Yeah.
Grant Beery:Yes, There you go.
Alison Lukan:And guess what?
JT Brown:What?
Alison Lukan:I was wrong. You are correct. It was to the skater with the fastest time. Oh, okay.
Piper Shaw:I was gonna say. I thought it was to the individual.
Alison Lukan:JT though. Do you see how you can do that when you get something wrong? You can say, no, no, you can't.
JT Brown:You just pretend you didn't say it.
Alison Lukan:This, this is what happens when. And we love each other. This is just our fun banter, right?
JT Brown:Oh, yes. Okay.
Piper Shaw:Right. Right, jt, this is our fun banter.
Alison Lukan:Look at the face.
JT Brown:Scared right now.
Alison Lukan:Oh, please.
Piper Shaw:All right, so yeah, Jordan Eberly crushed accuracy shooting.
Alison Lukan:Okay.
JT Brown:All right.
Piper Shaw:And Oliver did very well as. As well. But Jordan just.
JT Brown:He just crushed his defense too, though. He shot first. So when you shoot first, obviously the heat, when you go at the end.
I think Everly was the last shooter as well too, which there was a little bit of Shane.
Piper Shaw:Right.
JT Brown:Shane was the fourth, but last for his team. Right.
Alison Lukan:I think did Bjorks.
Piper Shaw:I think it went. It went Oliver, then it went Jared, then it went Jordan, then it went Shane.
JT Brown:There was also. I mean, can you check the rules? Did they have to. Did they have to break the. The target?
Alison Lukan:They will aim to hit all five targets as fast. As fast as possible because there was.
JT Brown:A little controversy for that one because the top right corner did not break. It did hit the post and it kind of pushed it back and around. But you know, that would.
Grant Beery:Does that count though, if it hits the poster?
Piper Shaw:I mean, they did count.
Grant Beery:All right.
Piper Shaw:Also, I mean, I think Jared was point something seconds away from Jordan's time. Like he was like right there. Or maybe a second there with Jordan. No, it's okay.
Alison Lukan:I screwed up.
Piper Shaw:I remember because also on top of it, the previous record was held by one Daniel Sprung.
Alison Lukan:Wow.
Piper Shaw:And I forget exactly what that number was. But both Jared and Jordan did it in like one or two seconds quicker than. Than Sprung, his. His previous record. So. All right, regardless, there we go.
Going into hardest shot, Jamie Alexiak with a decisive win there both of his shots. So all the players got two chances and both of his were the hardest by this radar gun or however they measure it.
Alison Lukan:I think they were using the chip in the puck, actually.
Grant Beery:Oh, cool.
Alison Lukan:I think. Okay.
JT Brown:Which is.
Alison Lukan:Which is good for accuracy. Yeah.
JT Brown:I mean, again, I thought that was a good. A good competition. It also looked like Jamie wasn't even trying his hardest just based on, like, obviously he was shooting.
To shoot it that hard, you have to try, but when you take a look at everybody else that took, like, two or three hard strides into the puck to try to get a little extra more oomph out of it, he just kind of walked up to it and said, all right, I'm going to hit it and just beat everybody anyway, so next time I want to see if he can really. If he can top the. What was it? 104? I think he.
Piper Shaw:Oh, yeah, he was 104.
JT Brown:I think if he would have, you know, taken a couple of strides and really hammered into it, he might have been able to get it. But he already was winning because he.
Alison Lukan:Didn'T even wind up on the second one.
JT Brown:He already has. He already had the win. He didn't have to press for anything beyond that.
So I think he has an opportunity, obviously, having his size and being able to use the stick flex to his advantage there.
Alison Lukan:I was. I was surprised. Montour. But he whiffed on the first one. I was surprised. He didn't get.
JT Brown:Didn't get a good second one. I think was maybe low 90s, high 80s somewhere.
Alison Lukan:I have it back at my desk.
JT Brown:It was disappointing for me. Okay. I picked him to win.
Piper Shaw:Yeah. I feel like he probably could have done a lot better, though, been more.
Alison Lukan:Competitive because he got 99 at the player Media Tour.
JT Brown:That's why I picked him, because I saw it on the Instagram that he had child's like, oh, nine. Okay, so now you get a little bit here and we can try it. And he's going to try.
Alison Lukan:He's got a new baby at home. Maybe he's a little tired.
Piper Shaw:Yeah. Well, on top of that as well, Ellie Tolvin was.
I believe he was in the second place overall, because I think both of his shots were right below Jamie's for both of his. And then Jared had one. Had one as well. But Tolvey, because I was standing in there on the ice on that side.
Tolvi told me that the reason that he didn't shoot the puck harder was because he didn't want to come do the interview with me. So, yeah, he's like. He's like, yeah, I just. I don't want to do interviews. So I just let Jamie win that one. I was like, oh, okay. Okay. Ellie. I'm sure.
I'm sure that's. That's why he was. He was kidding, honestly. But yeah, that was funny.
So the obstacle course, that was one that we couldn't predict necessarily one way or the other because we didn't know exactly what that was going to be. But that was a decisive win as well for team Joey. And that team was made up of Montour, Tolvan and Tanf, I believe.
Alison Lukan:Correct.
Piper Shaw:Yeah. They just pretty much ran right through that. And team Groovy definitely struggle.
JT Brown:There was a little cheating going on in that one too.
Piper Shaw:Oh, what.
JT Brown:I mean, what are you talking.
Alison Lukan:I'm being serious.
Piper Shaw:Share your insight.
JT Brown:It was the. I think it might have. Was it tan. If somebody shot the puck from all the way down, it was going wide of the net.
Alison Lukan:Oh, that is true.
JT Brown:And I think it was. Monty just deflected it into the net. So the next person go versus so you could have added another five seconds to the other squire.
Alison Lukan:Team Grooby did have some struggles with the shooting the puck and because Yanni had the glasses on, remember?
JT Brown:So I don't think description checked on.
Alison Lukan:I think they could have walked down the ice and not because a couple of.
JT Brown:I'm just saying. I'm just saying.
Alison Lukan:I'm just saying.
Piper Shaw:I'm just saying as well. We're all just saying, oh, jinx, Alison.
Alison Lukan:It's the experience.
Piper Shaw:Yeah. I would. I will say even if we gave another five seconds on top of the Joey time, they were still going to win.
JT Brown:Okay. You never know what could have happened.
Alison Lukan:I would also like to point out that we should credit Jaden Schwartz anti Cartier, who were the passers true for that team. And I think Jaden Schwartz is an excellent passer. So I think that was part of it.
JT Brown:Well, I hope so. They just did a little one touch, little bump play.
Piper Shaw:JT's like, why wasn't I a passer?
JT Brown:I could have been a passer in that drill.
Piper Shaw:I think they got to pick their passers as well for all of these.
JT Brown:They needed. They needed the passing to be a little bit harder for the relay because they just went around by the tops of circles. One touch, one touch.
And then shot it down. I needed to, like, have an obstacle. It's got to go over something. They needed to one more. One more layer to it.
Alison Lukan:If they did this to you when you were a player and they made you do all that, you would have been complaining.
JT Brown:Of course I would have.
Alison Lukan:See, this is what I'm saying.
JT Brown:I like to complain about things that don't matter.
Alison Lukan:We know.
Piper Shaw:We are aware. We are aware. All right, let's move to the next challenge here. That was the breakaway challenge. There was a. There was a lot of memorable moves here.
Yes, obviously, if you were there. Adam Larson took the cake on this one. He earned a significant amount of style points, which truly is what put Team Groobie in the race. But any other.
Any other moves that you guys were tracking or that you were impressed by.
Alison Lukan:Shane writes, was super fun. What are we calling it? The Reverse Michigan? Someone's like us called it the Reverse Michigan.
Grant Beery:I like that.
Piper Shaw:I like that.
Alison Lukan:Yeah, but I. I thought that was fun. And I was talking to him after he came over to the bench. I was like, that was sick. And he was like, yeah.
You know, he was just smiling. You could tell he was. He had fun with it.
Piper Shaw:Yeah.
JT Brown:You know, that one was good. And for me, since that would have been my answer. I'm gonna have to change now, so we don't have the same one. Burkovsky, he did not score.
Alison Lukan:Yeah. Yeah.
JT Brown:But he was, like, going between his legs, picked it up a couple of times, batted use the hand eye and tried to bat the puck in. It just missed by, you know, not much. I mean, he got a good opportunity out of it, but just showing off a little of the.
The hand eye coordination down in tight around the net. That was a good move.
It didn't ultimately score, but had he scored, I think that one probably would have been the best move of the entire breakaway challenge.
Alison Lukan:Agree.
Piper Shaw:Yeah. How do.
Alison Lukan:Yeah.
Piper Shaw:How he scored. I loved Larson's, though. Cause it was just hilarious. Like, he's clearly not necessarily trying to show off, but, like, trying to get a laugh.
And he got a laugh, and the puck went in. This is slowing it down. I don't even know how. Would you describe what. What that was?
JT Brown:Well, it's kind of almost like it was called, like, the first starting one of them was like, the NHL glitch when the controller dies. So he kind of just. Yeah. When you stand there and he's going, waiting, and then he started making a couple moves right when he got in tight.
That's what. That's what I always equated to the NHL glitch.
Grant Beery:Right.
Piper Shaw:Is that what we're gonna call the.
JT Brown:Movie and, like, your controller dies and then they don't think. All right. And then you go around them. Yeah.
Piper Shaw:No, I love it.
So Larson's Joey had had some problems with this, but Larson's style points for that breakaway challenge is what really put Team Grooby in the running to be able to ultimately win this competition, which I don't know if everybody knew that style points were involved.
JT Brown:Because I said. That's what I said on, like, when he scored. I said, based on style points, you should get style points for that one.
And then, sure as we go, look up, boom, boom, boom, the points start going up. I'm like, oh, all right. They're getting style points for it.
Grant Beery:So who controlled the scoreboard?
JT Brown:Not me.
Alison Lukan:I don't know.
Piper Shaw:Not me. Not me.
Grant Beery:Do you like a secret clicker in your pocket?
Alison Lukan:There is no mention of style points.
JT Brown:There should be.
Alison Lukan:Well, there isn't, though.
Piper Shaw:Well, clearly it was a factor because. And at first, they gave team groovy 10 points, so Joey was up 15, nothing going into that one.
And then they gave team groovy 10 points for Larson's style points. And then Joey was irate. Yeah. Hooting and hollering, to say the least, down on the ice.
And then they knocked it down to five, which felt more fair in my.
Grant Beery:I'm gonna get. I'm gonna give him the. The air bud defense. While there's no rule for style points, there's no rule against style points. So I think we're okay.
Alison Lukan:Well, but I feel that you should.
JT Brown:Know when I went. Know when we were. When I had the microphone, we were talking about the event. I'm like, and I want to see some cool moves.
You know, I want some style points. And then, boom, I mentioned it. This is like, they didn't listen to me.
Alison Lukan:Goaltender interference. You can't just make it up as you go along.
JT Brown:Sure can.
Piper Shaw:Okay, well, on that note, I can't argue with that. Sure can.
Alison Lukan:We're never going to be invited.
Piper Shaw:Sure can.
Alison Lukan:Ever.
Piper Shaw:You sure can.
Grant Beery:What are you talking about? This is gold.
Piper Shaw:Then it went to three on three.
Alison Lukan:Yes, it did.
Piper Shaw:Three on three. Which was also very entertaining considering that the Kraken had just won in three on three in overtime the night before.
So I was betting on any team that Jared was on was going to prevail, but. So Team Groobie won the three on three. I don't. I don't really know exactly what they were doing during that.
It seemed like they were playing shinny hockey with ends. Shinny.
Alison Lukan:I will say I questioned some of Joey Decord's deployment strategies. He went with a three forward trio to start the 303, and then went with a one forward 2D. That's who was on the ice when.
When I believe the most goals were scored by Team Ruby. So I would question his deployment.
And then there was also some controversy here because there were two periods played but the goaltenders did not switch.
JT Brown:So the skaters.
Alison Lukan:No, they didn't know because Joey was upset about that too.
Grant Beery:He needs to be on the planning committee for next year.
JT Brown:I was happy because that was the only thing I got right. I was over 2 on my predictions going into that. And then when John asked me what was going to happen, I just said something's going to happen here.
Piper Shaw:So great.
Alison Lukan:That's the analysis. Jt, thank you.
JT Brown:I had to be broad and the point that something did happen.
Alison Lukan:Wow.
JT Brown:Somebody won, somebody went out and did something. So I ended up getting one thing right throughout the entire skills competition and that.
Piper Shaw:Thank you for your insight as always.
Alison Lukan:Honestly.
Piper Shaw:So speaking of your questioning of Joey's deployment as coach, I had similar concerns as somebody who was standing on the bench next to Groobie, who I'm not really going to fault him for this. Was signing autographs the entire time.
Because we do know there was a little bit of a hiccup with some of the autograph signing stuff for some of the fans. Um, so Groovy was prioritizing making sure that him and his team on the bench were signing as many autographs as they could.
I did not see Groovy tell any one of those players to go out at any point. I think they were self managing.
Alison Lukan:In fairness, I think Joey's team was too. So I, I, I teased but I was writing this. I had many questions for that. I could have gone way in depth after that game.
Piper Shaw:Yeah. When I was not expecting. Cause I was representing team Groobie when we were out there and Alison was was representing team Joey.
I was not expecting Team Kirby to pull the win out ultimately. So you know that's neither here nor there. But yeah, that was definitely his priority during that time. But I know that Borgen had a big goal.
I recall, I believe Shane again, I.
Alison Lukan:Have it all back at my desk.
Piper Shaw:I failed ultimately ended up in a tie. So then we went to sudden death which was that in the rules did.
JT Brown:Bring them back up.
Piper Shaw:Yeah. What were the rules?
Grant Beery:I think we're learning the rules are a little fast and loose.
Alison Lukan:Okay. Three on three apparently. Okay. Teams will play two four minute periods. Oh. The goalies will change sides at the end of the period.
The team with the Most goals wins 10 points. If we have a tie at the end of regulation, each team will get five points.
But because the entire competition was then tied, they had to Go to the shootout.
Piper Shaw:Okay. Well, I will also say that while we were standing there, Groovy was quite impressed with both of the E bugs. Like, he was like, wow.
Alison Lukan:As was Joey. They were great.
Piper Shaw:And coach Jessica Campbell was standing on my other side and she was like, well, good to know that we have good ebooks. And I was like, yeah, well, unless.
Grant Beery:They play for the other team, right?
Piper Shaw:Well, that's true. That is true.
JT Brown:Good point. Very good point.
Piper Shaw:JT Looking so smug with that on his face. But ultimately, it was Larson who had. It was the shootout winner to win it for team Groovy, as one does. Yeah, Yeah. I asked Groovy.
I was like, so, Coach Bowels, my. You seeing this Larson in the. Larson in the shoot up lineup or what? Because that's what everybody wants, so love it. Yeah.
Any other highlights for you guys from that day? Like, just. It was such a fun activity. Anything else that you guys enjoyed out of that day in particular?
Alison Lukan:Well, I like that we got to wear our sparkly jackets. I do.
Piper Shaw:Yeah.
Alison Lukan:And I also. I do think the guys were in a great mood and I thought it was really fun for fans to see the players and see them just kind of hanging out.
How they chirp each other, how they interact when they're just hanging. I think they were having fun, too. They didn't feel like they were forced to be there. And so I just thought it was.
The energy was good, the vibes were good. It was a good afternoon.
JT Brown:Yeah. I just think you look at the fans and how many people showed up and, you know, how successful of an event it was.
And just like you said, to be able to see the players maybe in a little bit different light. If you have ever gone to, you know, an actual game, it's a lot more serious, especially when you're talking about on the bench.
You don't get to see them really interact. Or even at practice, maybe a little bit more after practice is done. You can kind of see, you know, the guys goofing around a little bit.
But, you know, to get an entire event and see guys going back and forth is something that, you know, the fans don't get to see every day. And to be able to do that for a large group of people was pretty cool, I think.
Piper Shaw:Oh, go ahead.
Grant Beery:Oh, I was gonna say, you know, Groobie's sweater, like that really fancy sweater here. Real sharp. I think that was the highlight for me. If we want to talk about style points.
Piper Shaw:Okay, well noted. I don't think that one earned him any style points.
JT Brown:But we'll get the. We'll get the rules ironed out for the next time and we'll make sure that style points are added in. We'll make sure that sharpest dresser. Yeah.
Hey, Coach has got a couple dress to impress. Okay.
Alison Lukan:Best dog. Cheddar was there.
Piper Shaw:I was going to say, I have a couple of other highlights. Definitely getting to see Cheddar briefly. I asked Jared. I was like, where is Cheddar? He's like, he's here in the locker room.
I was like, why is he in the locker room? People can't see him in the locker room. But it was a little loud for him. Cheddar, a bit of a loud environment. Very busy.
Many people, a lot of stimulation. But Yanni Gord's daughter Emma, on the bench with us the whole time.
Alison Lukan:The best.
Piper Shaw:So cute. And when Team Groovy ultimately won, they gave her the trophy to present to Coach Groovy. And it was so cute.
And it was also just so cute seeing because she was out there, like, the whole time. Every time Yanni went out to go do anything, he's looking at her, like, the whole time and pointing at her. And it was just very sweet.
And she was looking for a French. She had a bunch of friendship bracelets and she dropped one at one point. And Honey's like, piper, do you see that friendship bracelet?
While he's like, in between, like, doing activities, we're trying to find the bracelets and we couldn't find them. I hope she found them eventually.
But just getting to see, like, the players also with their families and like their significant others and their kids. I think that's so cute. Little Otto Bjork Strand was out there for a little bit. So blonde hair. Very blonde hair. Yeah, it was wild.
Alison Lukan:It's so cute. No, I. I talked with Yani a little bit about being a dad to two girls last year when we did Uncharted.
And I just think the way he approaches building those two little ones into full grown humans someday is just amazing. I have so much respect for. For how he parents. Yeah. And the other guys, too. I just haven't talked to them about it as much.
Piper Shaw:Right. Yeah. So that was very. That was very sweet. That was a highlight for me. So we're gonna get into some actual cracking hockey talk, perhaps.
Alison Lukan:Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was fun to just riff on.
Piper Shaw:Whatever, but let's talk a little bit about the game. So we haven't had a podcast since the last road trip wrapped up, so we don't need to delve into Every single thing with all of those games.
But I just wanted to talk a little bit about your guys's takeaways from that trip in general. Obviously, some lessons to be learned. We've had a couple of home games now that have been good results wise. But what do you.
Alison Lukan:Yeah.
Piper Shaw:What do you kind of take away? What are your perspectives on what we saw on that trip?
JT Brown:I mean, I think when you look at the first game, obviously to be able to put up eight is a pretty impressive number.
And you go around and you go through that, obviously you'd like to be better off when it comes to scoring, it's tough to win in this league, especially on the road. It wasn't an easy schedule either.
But I think when you look at the overall, in the end results, it's more about how you got there than the actual results.
And I think that's where, you know, the team started or they needed to come back home and kind of turn things around because the last four games didn't quite feel the same. It didn't feel like they were generating enough or getting the same opportunities. If you're losing the game and, hey, you had a.
You ran into a hot goalie, it does happen. There's games where you've dominated the play, but it just doesn't go your way. That really wasn't the feel for those games.
It felt a lot of times where the other team maybe had the majority of the play or took the play to the Kraken. So for them to come back home after a trip like that, it was going to be about how they responded. Right.
And, you know, we've gotten to see so far two of them, but at the end of the day, it was a tough road trip. Started great. Motions were, you know, obviously high on that one and a fun win, but you can see how quickly it can turn in this league.
If you're not ready, if you're not prepared on any given night, any team can come in and beat you. So I think it's all about just being ready. And obviously, so far, so good on the home stand.
Alison Lukan:Yeah, I think we saw, you know, we. We've seen how this team wants and needs to play to win, and we see how when they don't, that it's. It's a struggle.
And I think even though it's interesting how these last two games have started, you know, really focusing on better on starts and focusing better on not giving up the first goal is. I think there are some key lessons.
You obviously can't control that, but it was good to see them rebound the way they did, and I think that was important for them to do, especially against.
And I know we're going to get into it Vegas, but yeah, I mean, it didn't, it just didn't go the way they wanted and I think it showed them the parts of their game that must be on point for them to play they. The way they want to play.
Piper Shaw:Definitely. Yeah, I think that's a great point.
So let's talk about these two games at the time that we're recording that have happened on this homestand so far, starting with the Vegas game. Um, that's, that's a very good team over there at top team in the Pacific Division, a team that the Kraken have struggled at large to play against.
Um, so slow start again in that game. They give up too early, but they are able to battle back tanf. Brandon Tanf with two goals in that game.
What have you guys seen from that player over these first two games?
JT Brown:Alison, you go first this time.
Alison Lukan:Well, thank you, jt.
Piper Shaw:So cordial.
Alison Lukan:So nice. So nice. No, I think, I mean, I, I want to give full marks to Brandon Tanf because those two goals against Vegas were huge.
The team needed those desperately and it. He took perfect advantage of opportunity that maximizes his ability to break with speed and, and to get those pucks in the net.
But I think it's truly is a reflection of that line. I think that that line of Yanni Gord and Ty Cartier and even, you know, versus Columbus, you see how the three of them. The.
My thing is always I was talking about this on air last night, is it's not necessarily the play that makes the goal, it's the play that makes the play that makes the play.
And I think that those three in particular, the way that they play together, the things that each of them can do, they're not just one note makes them equally dangerous. And we know how much Yanni will make sure his line has chemistry and is talking through what they need to do.
So I think kudos to Brandon Tanf for sure. But I really see that as the culmination of what that line is capable of.
JT Brown:And just speaking on the line as well, I thought that even in the road trip and when the results weren't there, that line was one of the better lines, even though they had been losing the games or the points weren't there.
So when, especially when they're on the fourth line and you end up getting that type of production, obviously it's great to See, you know, from a teammate perspective, but also you get to see them be rewarded. Right?
They do a lot of the little things that, you know, not everybody wants to do, whether it's, you know, Tanvin Gord out there on the penalty kill. Cartier is out there hitting everything that moves and, you know, getting into the corners, doing a lot of the.
The little work and the battles that, you know, maybe get missed a lot of the times or don't show up on the stat sheet. So when you're able to go out and have a game. And again, that first goal at the end of the first period for the Kraken, for Brandon Tan was. Was huge.
Obviously, I think the save right before that Joey made on a breakaway, obviously, that's a different game if it's three nothing versus two, zero. And then Tanf makes a defensive play, gets the goal off the breakaway, but now the lead's cut in half. Right?
Now you go into the locker room saying, hey, we're right there. We're only one shot behind versus, you know what? Hey, it was a bad period, and now you have nothing to show for it. Right?
At least they're like, we can be. We're close. And honestly, I wasn't that surprised that it was a slow start. I think that that can happen, especially after a long road trip.
I think it was like 12 days on the road for that one.
And sometimes when you get home, you're back around your family, you're back in your own environment, and you can have that sort of relaxation feeling and subconscious. Right. No one's intentionally trying to have a slow period, but I can see where that happens. Right. But obviously it's not a.
A recipe for success to continue to be coming out slow in the first periods or not scoring in the first periods. I believe the number was Alison. You can check me if I'm wrong. If not, what? You know I'm right anyways.
Piper Shaw:If I'm wrong, I'm right anyway.
JT Brown:I believe. I believe it was 10 out of the 16 games they had not scored in the first period.
Alison Lukan:Hold.
JT Brown:Hold, please, while we do it.
So obviously, you can't control whether, obviously, they're running, the goal is running to different stuff, but you don't want to end up continuously being down after the first.
It's not a recipe that you can continue to do over the course of an 82 game schedule, keep trying to play from behind or play from that position, and they've done it. They found a way which I think speaks a lot to the team as well, right.
To be able to regroup, to be able to go into the locker room and kind of, hey, let's forget about. We didn't have a good period.
I remember, I believe Yanni talked about it in the media about having, you know, sometimes it's a amazing period and then sometimes it's terrible. Yeah. Like. And so obviously there are. Is going to be the ups and downs throughout a game and that does happen, but it's about how you bounce back.
So again, doesn't mean you don't want to be going down or not scoring in the first period.
But at the end of the day, I think it shows a lot of resolve from this team as well, that even though you are down in a really good team in Vegas and you may able to make the comeback and obviously the same thing, slow start versus Columbus as well, you're able to come back and have a huge offensive explosion in the second period. It just speaks to, you know, them being able to turn the page and move on.
Alison Lukan:So first of all, you're correct.
JT Brown:Thank you.
Alison Lukan:Six games.
Piper Shaw:He just did a fist pump, everyone. He just did a straight up fist bump.
Alison Lukan:There have been six games so thus far this season where the Kraken have had a period, one goal. But I have a quick question for you.
And also because we outside of a team will talk about the fact, like, it was a big deal in that that's the first time the Kraken have beaten Vegas in Climate Pledge. They obviously won the Winter Classic, but that was their first true at home win over Vegas. We all can build up this narrative, right?
Like, oh, they've never beaten this team. Like, does that matter?
JT Brown:No.
Alison Lukan:Okay.
JT Brown:Not in slight. Not even in the slightest. I don't even.
Alison Lukan:Good to know.
JT Brown:I can tell you. I don't think that that was mentioned probably once. I don't know that.
But I would be willing to bet that no one was worried about whether they've won.
Piper Shaw:Yeah.
JT Brown:Against them in this building at this time. It's a. I think you look at it from a standpoint too, of every year's a new year.
Alison Lukan:Okay.
JT Brown:As much as, oh yeah, you had success against a team last year or you didn't have success. It's a new year. It's the first time you're playing them in this building or playing them somewhere else. Like it's. It all starts over.
So I would put zero stock into it as a player.
Alison Lukan:I love that.
Piper Shaw:So going back to the conversation a little bit about the fourth line and how they've been clearly Impactful in these last two games.
I wonder, jt, from your perspective, if there's anything about the identity of, like, the role of a fourth line and of that fourth line and that work ethic and how work ethic and how they, like, have been modeling that, and that's how really this team says they need to be playing through all of their lines.
Is there anything kind of that's motivating, you think, for the rest of the group when you see your fourth line going out like that and getting the job done?
JT Brown:Yeah, I think it's definitely motivating for the other lines. You watch how they play and watch what they do.
And obviously, again, like you say, you're happy to see them get rewarded in those situations because they do a lot of the little things that not everybody wants to do. But I think you would know. Yeah, yeah.
You know, to have a successful fourth line, though, I think it all goes down to those three and them buying into whatever the coach has their role. Right.
And, you know, I think one of the things that stuck with me in my time playing and being on the fourth line was like, hey, we're not asking you to go out and score a bunch of goals. What we're asking you to do is go down, change the game, make the momentum shifts, not get scored on.
Go out there and play against their top lines and make it difficult on them. He's like, if you guys score, it's great. If you don't, just don't do the other thing.
Don't be minus three in the game because, you know, and have a bad game that way. Like, that is where.
And then when you buy into that, then the goals and everything else and points from your line and the offensive stuff kind of starts happening for you.
But I think once you buy in and you're not in a spot where it's like, wow, I wish I had more playing time or, you know, I could be doing beyond the penalty kill, but I'm not out there right now. So I think it's all about just buying in. And it looks like they all have.
And obviously that's about the message and what the coaches are telling you and, you know, making it clear on what your role is. There's nothing worse than going out on the ice and being confused about what is asked or what's needed of you. Right.
So to have that clear communication of what you need and you see what they do because at the end of the day, they're doing it nice in, night out, there's not much change. You know, from that line, especially even whether it's a win or whether it's a loss on how they're going to play.
And that translates to whether you're at home, that translates whether you're on the road. They play a simple game. They played north. They are all physical. Obviously Cartier is, you know, the leader in that department right now.
But no one's afraid to go to the front of the net. Not afraid to mix it up as well. And you know, I think all three of them have the ability to get under the opponent's skin too.
So again, they have a lot of similarities, but I think they each bring their own uniqueness as well. So I think that's what kind of makes them them work.
But also at the same time, like it's all about the buy in and making sure that you understand what your role is. And when you understand that, that is when you can officially, you know, play to your strengths and play to the best that you can as a line.
Piper Shaw:That's what I was going to say too.
When you look at the individual kind of skill sets of those three and the temperaments and the attitudes of those three, I think it's just a very complimentary trio to the role of that line, for sure.
Alison Lukan:You know, and like we've shared this on the post game show, we always love when you watch that too is they that line played just under eight minutes versus Vegas. Not a single shot on goal against not a single unblocked shot attempt in those minutes by Vegas.
Piper Shaw:Eight minutes.
Alison Lukan:Yeah.
Piper Shaw:And that's all that they played. But they had such an impact in that game.
Alison Lukan:Yeah.
JT Brown:Oh, and I mean that's. It's all about making the most of your opportunities when you are out there.
And again, you got to remember too, some of those times, especially when you look at tan have been Gordon. There's a lot of penalty kill minutes if you get out there too. So there's a little bit of time. So how much of that was actually five on five?
Alison Lukan:No, that is all five.
JT Brown:Oh, that was just five on five seed. But he didn't tell me that that was the five.
Alison Lukan:I said when those three players were together on the ice.
JT Brown:I didn't hear three. My bad.
Piper Shaw:It's okay.
JT Brown:Okay. All right. My bad.
Alison Lukan:Good job. So that's close to an apologies. Oh, I know. Trust me. I'm gonna clip this and replay it.
Grant Beery:So I have a question kind of on this. You talk about fourth liners that play their game and they're just trying to do what they do.
But then a coach will come in and whether it be because of injury or just want to shake things up, what adjustment does that player have to make or what is a coach looking for from that player when they're moved up to third line, you know, second line, whatever.
JT Brown:I think you just try not to do too much. I think you still want to play what's made you successful, right. And whether you're on the first line, second line, third line.
Like, I think if you're a guy that goes out and creates energy, you want to go do that.
Obviously, I think when you're obviously playing with maybe a little higher players, when you're on that first, if you get up to the first line, you're going to need to have a little more patience, play with the puck a little bit more. But at the same time, you know, I think that you still want to bring that physical edge. You want to try to change the game.
You can get in and disrupt the forecheck and then get it to the skilled players, right? And let them do what they need to do, go to the net front battle there so that, you know, they don't have to do it.
So I think not a lot should change. I think a little bit maybe in your mentality wise, maybe it's, hey, I should hold on to this puck a little bit longer instead of just chipping it in.
Let's look for a play first versus, you know, obviously you're playing on the fourth line and all three of us know that we're just going to go north, we're going to push the puck, and that kind of helps your. Your reads on what everybody's going to do. But I think it shouldn't change too much.
Obviously it's going to be a little different playing with a different line, and you have to get to your adjustment and watch how they play. But I wouldn't try to change too much.
Alison Lukan:Well, and I think too what I. Is important about the way this team is approaching that line, and I see this as a sign of respect, is that Dan will con.
Will contradict you if you call them the fourth line.
Piper Shaw:He says last, I was gonna say.
Alison Lukan:And Will Borges did it too. And I think, I think that he.
Piper Shaw:Was like, I don't think we have a fourth line.
Alison Lukan:Correct. And for. And for that just to be an immediate reaction from a player publicly, I think is a very big statement about what that line.
There are four lines. You know what I'm saying? JT don't.
Piper Shaw:Well, they have to have a fourth Line. Because there are four.
Alison Lukan:You're sitting there ticking off with your fingers. 1, 2, 3, 4. But you know exactly what I am saying.
Piper Shaw:You know exactly what Will Borgen is saying.
Alison Lukan:You know exactly what Dan Biles must say.
JT Brown:Anything. All right. That's all I'm saying.
Piper Shaw:You just pantomimed it.
Alison Lukan:Body language matters.
Grant Beery:He's trying to get away with it because this is an audio format.
JT Brown:Nobody knows what my body language is right now.
Piper Shaw:You're not. This is not a safe space, jt. This is not a safe space.
Alison Lukan:You know exactly the point I'm trying to make.
JT Brown:Continue.
Alison Lukan:I'm done now.
JT Brown:Okay.
Piper Shaw:All right. Any last thoughts on the fourth line before we move on to other impact players?
JT Brown:I thought it was just a line.
Piper Shaw:Okay. All right. On the line of Yanni Gord, Brandon Danov and Tai R. You teed him up for that.
JT Brown:It was too easy. It was too easy.
Piper Shaw:All right.
Alison Lukan:The Yanni Gourd line is.
JT Brown:There we go.
Piper Shaw:So going back to this Vegas game, let's just relocate ourselves to here again. Talk about this Vegas game. So Oliver Bjork Strand also scored in that game. He was scratched.
The game before against Colorado, you know, comes in, obviously, I would say, trying to make a statement, make a point, get back on the score sheet there.
Jt, to scratch a veteran player like Oliver, you know, you can't speak for the coaching staff or that decision or anything, but just from a player perspective, like, what do you kind of make of that in Oliver's response?
JT Brown:I think it's definitely sends maybe a little bit of shockwaves. Right? Especially when, you know, he's a player that's done so much. He was an all star for the team as well. So you go back and it's. It's early, right?
Like, it's still. I think you'd be wrong. You wouldn't be wrong to say that he's had maybe a slower start than what you would have expected.
So numbers wise, there is a reason, right? And then you look at how they're playing and that's a, you know, that's a personal, like how. How you're watching the game, how you see him.
And at the end of the day, I mean, I think he was very well responded to it. And that doesn't mean that that's always going to be the case.
I know even myself, I've been scratched plenty of times in my career and didn't always handle it the best. And I think you learn as it kind of goes along and it's all about how do you rebound? How do you bounce back from that?
And, you know, I thought he played well, but I do think, you know, when you look at it from a team perspective, when a player like that can be sat. Anybody can be sat.
Piper Shaw:Right.
JT Brown:You know, from that perspective and, you know, that's good on the coaching staff, you want to hold everybody accountable and make sure that, you know, the team is playing the way you want them to play. And again, just said it earlier about the losses that had gone before, that it's not always about the loss, it's about how you got to that loss.
How did the team play within there? Yes. At the end of the day, the only thing that's going to be left on the stat sheet is the final score. And it can be 2 to 1, 2 nothing.
But you just didn't play your game. But it looks better when it's like, oh, it's. It was just 2, 1 loss. It was a close game. Well, maybe it wasn't a close game.
And so I think it kind of just goes to how you're playing and, you know, the message is to get back to how you're going to play. How do we want, you know, Oliver Bjork trying to play?
And again, I think it's fair to say there's probably three or four other guys that could have been scratched in the same, you know, in the same.
Piper Shaw:Ty Cartier was scratched as well.
JT Brown:Correct.
And to bring in and even, you know, calling up Winterton as well, getting some of the young players in and showing some of the guys, hey, guess what, there's some young guys that are wanting to play. They're ready to be in the National Hockey League as well. You got.
John Hayden got into lineup too, that was, you know, in the spot for Cartier as well.
So I think when you do things like that, it, it does send a little bit of a message to everybody that, hey, this is, you know, nobody's, I guess safe is probably the word. But also at the same time, you know, it's trying to get the team back onto the right path.
And clearly when you look at, obviously it didn't work in the Colorado game, but you maybe lit a fire underneath the ollie. And he was able to go out in the Vegas game. I thought he looked good.
I thought he was playing, you know, strong, obviously finishing checks, going to the front of the net. That's how he got his goal and, you know, played a strong game, which I predicted.
I just want to say that, okay, if we on the Jumbotron, I Said, take a look at Oliver Bjorkstrand's game today. That was my player that I picked before the game. We have. We can go back, we can find the tape. I don't have it now, but we will find it.
And I said, ali is going to have a good game. He's going to bounce back, and look what happened.
Piper Shaw:Well, and you could say the same for Tycar Ga as well. We don't need to rehash the fourth line, the line of Yanni Gord. We don't need to rehash that. But you could say the same as well.
Even though he wasn't in the goal column, he was obviously an impact player.
JT Brown:I don't understand why it's so funny over here, Alison. Okay.
Piper Shaw:All right. Well, Alison, you also, you know Oliver very well from your shared time together in Columbus.
So I also wanted, you know, you've covered him quite a bit. You have that relationship with him.
You know, what did you think about how he responded to both, you know, being scratched and then also on the ice when he came back?
Alison Lukan:Yeah. You know, I think Ali is a very thoughtful individual, a very intentional individual. I'm sure he didn't enjoy being scratched. No one does.
But I also was not surprised that he came back and had a good game hit. That is his game. His game is sneaky, gritty. People talk about his skill, but, you know, we've talked for years about how he leads the.
He's some of the league. League not team leaders in takeaway, plus minus, meaning he's taking away the puck more than he's giving it away.
And I think he just said, I'm dialed in. I. I see. I see what you're saying to me, and I'm going to up my counter bet. And it produced, and I think that's exactly what you want from him.
JT Brown:Did you go on the record and say that? No, I'm saying before she said that, I thought, you know.
Alison Lukan:Oh, well, just saying.
I will tell you, sir, that on the post game show after Vegas, I did say that I talked to Ollie before the Vegas game, and he told me that he was going to go out and score a goal that night. And guess what? He did.
JT Brown:All right. Okay. Fair enough.
Piper Shaw:Okay. Well, to put a bow on the Vegas game, we're going to put that one to bed.
It did take OT for the Kraken to win that one, but Jared McCann, the overtime hero there. Yes, he McCann.
Alison Lukan:Yes, he McCann.
Piper Shaw:Of course he can. McCann. Of course McCann. Can. Can. All right, let's go to the Columbus game. Now, let's actually talk about that game.
So similar to the Vegas game in the sense that, you know, slow start. They are not. They're not getting to their game early in that one by any means. I think at one point, the shot differential was like 16:1.
That sounds right. Yeah.
Not obviously not the kind of start that you want, especially when what we heard from the guys all throughout the week was, we need to have a good start. And then I was like, well, all right. But explosive second period offensively. I wondered, jt, from your perspective, you've been in that situation.
We were talking a little bit yesterday, like, that's probably not an X's and O's conversation that's happening in between periods there. What do you think? How would you explain what maybe was happening in that locker room? What's the conversation on the bench?
What is that energy shift to be able to come out and have such a difference in the way that the team's playing and executing in that second period?
JT Brown:Yeah, you know, just through. I've been in plenty of games where it just isn't going your way. It's a tough period, however you want to call it. You just did not play.
You got outworked in the first, and you kind of come back and you're right. It's never really an X's and O's.
It's never, you know, hey, we sometimes, yeah, maybe we were making a mistake here on this player, on this goal in particular. But for the most part, it's more along the lines of, we need to just get back to work. Right.
We need to get back to outworking the other team, and then the rest will follow. Right. To go back out and play your game.
It rarely comes down to after, you know, a period where we saw how lopsided it really was, that it's really an X's and O's. It ends up just coming down to getting yourself back refocused. And, you know, sometimes that can come from the coaches. Right?
The coaches can come in and they can light a fire, light a fire, throw a water bottle. I don't know, whatever you want to do. But it also can be from the players, too. Right.
Like, there's been plenty of times where you have that type of period and, you know, a player closes the door and says, hey, you know what, coaches, you stay over there.
You know, a captain, a leader, you know, part of the leadership group says, we have this because we are the ones who are going to be the ones that turn this around. You can say what you need to say, but at the end of the day, it's going to be in this room.
So, like, there's plenty of different ways that you can, I guess, refocus and get yourself back onto the track. Because, again, it was more about playing their game. It wasn't that. I mean, again, you got to give Columbus credit.
They came out hot, they played extremely fast, they pushed the puck up north, they shot the puck from everywhere, which made it harder for the Kraken to build into their game. But obviously, it was more about the Kraken finding their game than the other way around. Right.
Because we saw what happened in the second period once the Kraken were able to establish their game, get pucks in behind their defense, make it hard on Columbus's defense to break out the puck, causing turnovers, and we just saw the chances just keep piling up for the Kraken. And it was literally a flip of the first period. So, again, I think it's.
A lot of times it does come from the coaches, it does come from a message, but, you know, rarely does it say, like, hey, we need an X's and O change to make this happen. It was more along the lines of, we just weren't ready to go. Can you get. We got to get the legs going. And all starts with there.
Be a little bit better on our execution getting out so we can use our legs to, you know, help feed our game plan.
But, yeah, either way, one way or another, I'm sure something was said by someone, whether it's a coach or a player, you know, to kind of fire the guys back up.
Piper Shaw:Yeah. Any other thoughts on the Columbus game? I feel like we really covered the fourth line impact. We've covered the kind of response the. Yanni Gordon.
I'm so sorry.
JT Brown:I didn't see.
Piper Shaw:I'm rolling my eyes. I am rolling my eyes.
Alison Lukan:I think. I think. I would just say.
I think with everything else that has been happening, and even when we've been talking about not getting wins, I think that it is important to acknowledge, particularly with Grubauer out right now, that Joey Decord has been, you know, even when they were down to nothing versus Columbus, you know, Joey worked.
Piper Shaw:Yes.
Alison Lukan:And he has done a really nice job in net.
And I think that it's important to acknowledge how key that has been, particularly these last two games for a team that's figuring out how to have a good start from the drop. Um, and I think that this team is hopefully learning some lessons, too, is that you can't continue to just wade into games.
You're going to have to have some better starts here because they can play to a level to win these games, but they have to be able to establish that from the start when they're playing in particular, like. Like or the Rangers are coming to town this weekend, so.
Piper Shaw:Sure are. They sure are. On that note, really quick, I also just wanted to touch on special teams.
Do either of you your assessments overall of where the special. The team special teams games are at as it comes?
Alison Lukan:JT
Piper Shaw:You want to start?
JT Brown:Yeah, I think it's tough. I think one of the main things you wait till around American Thanksgiving, right?
So I think we're still at a point where one good game or one bad game can still drastically change the percentage.
So until you get to a spot where one game really isn't affecting, I mean, I believe it was the game you have all of a sudden it drops 5% in our three. See five.
Alison Lukan:No, three goals again. Three goals again.
JT Brown:I'm just saying like the percent can drop drastically.
Piper Shaw:Correct?
JT Brown:Okay. I thought you were saying 3% but I was like, okay, my point still stands one way or another, whatever the exact one is. So again, yes.
Is there stuff to work And I thought the peli kill has been very good even to a spot besides that game. They were about 90 and when was it 90 something 90.5 or 92 somewhere. It's been a very. Yeah, very good stretch.
They're now in the, you know, that high of mid-80s. So at the end of the day, I think that that's a strength you don't obviously want to rely on that.
You don't want to tax your penalty kill to a spot where they are going to be giving up that many goals or gain three. You don't want to be given five, six opportunities a game where you're giving teams those opportunities. So they have done better at that.
And you know, I think of that and then I look at the power play, right? It's all about finding the timing, finding the momentum. It's not always about getting the goal, it's about building.
You just don't want to have too many of those power plays where you can't enter the zone or, you know, you're struggling to get the puck off the wall or you end up getting zero shots and it almost feels like you've almost killed or dragged some of the momentum versus trying to build it.
So again, but I think when you look at the numbers, it's kind of hard still because they could go out in the next game and score three, and all of a sudden you're looking at a completely different number.
So for me, you kind of look at that Thanksgiving mark and that's when you can kind of give maybe a, a better representation because again, you're one or two really good games on the power player or really good games on the penalty kill, or vice versa, bad. Either way, that can completely change what those numbers actually say.
Alison Lukan:Yeah, the number I actually want, I am watching that I'd like to see go down is the number of penalties they're taking.
Piper Shaw:I was just going to say it's.
Alison Lukan:Up from last year and you know, that's okay, but I'd like to see that go down because to your point, jt, you know, Colorado gets three power play goals, but that's because they had five opportunities on the power play.
And for me, what I'm also really intrigued with, because people know special teams is like one of my other favorite things to nerd out about is that they're using a different formation this year on the penalty kill. And so watching what I'm watching for besides the numbers, like JT is saying, I'm not looking at that right now, but how are they adapting to that?
How is it working? What opportunities does that give your opponent? How are they counter punching against that? So that's been very interesting to me as well.
JT Brown:I do have a question for you. What is as. Is there any correlation right now between the wins and taking less penalties and the losses and taking more penalties?
Because we did a different experiment obviously, and we talked about just the goal scoring, right.
And how this was obviously prior to this trip and on the road trip and talking about how in the wins, you know, you're scoring eight goals, you're scoring five, six, you're scoring a ton. But in the games where you were losing, you weren't scoring that. You were scoring two goals per game.
Piper Shaw:And is it because you were killing penalties the entire time or.
JT Brown:Yeah, just. It's, it's hard to win when you have less than two goals in the National Hockey League.
And even if you have a two game stretch, right, you go eight get. You go eight goals in Montreal, you go zero in the next one. Well, the average is four.
But in theory you didn't give yourself an opportunity to win that second game when you had zero versus actually scoring four and four. So trying to find, you know, the breakdown between, you know, hey, when the wins, it's going really good.
You're scoring a ton, probably more than you need to, right? Like to win those games. But then obviously scoring has at times been a struggle and just trying to find a balance throughout that.
So wondering if, you know, in the games where you win, are you taking less and then same time, you know, obviously when you give up five power play opportunities, you're giving a good team, a really good team with a good power play that many chances it can end up biting you.
Piper Shaw:Well, and that's.
That was one of the things that I was going to say earlier, before we went to Alison before was just that, like, there was a moment with this team where the conversation was about, like, discipline, which is ness. That hasn't been like a theme overall in the past. And obviously new season, everything is always in flux. The story's constantly evolving.
But that was interesting when that was when being undisciplined was like a real sore spot with the group. And I do feel like they've. They've tightened that up, at least on this home stand so far. So hopefully that remains.
But, Alison, do you have an answer to JT's question?
Alison Lukan:I do have an answer. So on losses so far, they've averaged 3.2 penalty kills per game and on wins, 3.1.
JT Brown:So it's a wash. Yeah. Okay. I just was wondering.
Alison Lukan:No, it's a. Listen, we talk about this all the time. We ask questions, we investigate to learn. We've learned.
Piper Shaw:Yeah, it doesn't mean.
Alison Lukan:Yeah, it was a good exercise.
Piper Shaw:All right. We're going to move into some league. League leads, if you will, unless we have any final thoughts on what we've seen from crack and hockey lately.
Grant Beery:I just. I have one question. Okay, so we have a back to back coming up Saturday, Sunday. Is there a different preparation?
You know, you talk about not coming into the game fast enough and maybe not, you know, having your legs right away. Is there a different preparation when you are playing two days in a row?
JT Brown:Not for game one? Sure. Obviously that one. You're still more than likely going to have your standard operating procedures for that.
But obviously on a game where you're playing on the second night of a back to back, you're going to look at maybe not getting on the ice in the morning and doing more of a recovery type, whether it's stretching, whether it's getting in the cold tub, whether it's getting massaged, and you got to figure out what works best for you to feel the best. You know, obviously you're playing two games in a quick amount of time. You have to get your muscles recover.
A lot of that is obviously Getting to sleep after the game, getting refueled, getting recovered.
So I think a lot of the times on the second day, at least for me in my experiences, a lot of it was more based on trying to just recover and make sure that you're feeling the best.
Whereas, you know, you come into that first game you've had either whether maybe I practiced the other day, you might have had a day off, you might have, who knows what the day before entail. But at the end of the day, you go into that feeling fresh. Obviously you're going to be more tired in a second half scenario.
So your focus is more just how do we recover, how do we do that?
And that starts honestly the second you get off the ice and whether that's a, you know, a protein shake, whether, you know, getting your fluids in, it could be a light bike to kind of flush your legs out. So there's a lot of ways for you to do it. But the focus really kind of changes after that game. You know, focusing on the second half of a game.
And it's even worse when you have the second half of the game and it's an earlier game, right? Like they did that in the back to back on the road trip right where you had the game and then all of a sudden it's a 5 o'clock game in Boston.
So you now have, have even less time to get yourself ready for the game. You're traveling afterwards too.
So being at home makes things obviously different than being on the road and having to get on a plane and then fly, get to the hotel.
So again, it's all about just trying to get the best recovery you can so that you can play to the best of your strengths in that second half or the second game.
Grant Beery:There you go.
Piper Shaw:Two quick notes on the Kraken hockey updates. I suppose in case you missed it, the Kraken did make a trade for one Daniel Sprong with the Vancouver Canucks. Ding dong, ding dong, Daniel Sprong.
Everett Fitz, who I'm sure is very excited to make that call this season. We he, he loves his Daniel sprung goal calls. So future considerations is what the Canucks are receiving in return.
At the time that we are recording this, he is not here, but he could be here any day at the time you are listening to this. Potentially he is here. So it is in flux. We've.
There's a little bit, there was a little bit of an like an immigration hang up, not necessarily atypical. So Coach Bowser joke that he is walking from Vancouver and that's why it's taking a while.
Alison Lukan:Yeah, I want to, I want to emphasize that point because I saw some people on Social last night saying, well, for someone said he's walking. I'm like, he did say that, but it was a joke.
Piper Shaw:No, yeah, I think I said that.
Alison Lukan:You said it. And then, and then Forsland said it again too. And it was, it was a joke. It was a joke, folks.
Grant Beery:This is how rumors get started.
Piper Shaw:No, it was definitely a joke.
So anyways, Ron Francis said that he's hoping that gives us a little bit of an offensive spark to the team as well as maybe creates a little bit of internal competition as well. So, um, any thoughts you guys on bringing Kraken legend back, Daniel Sprout?
Alison Lukan:Well, I mean, I, when, when Ron joined us on the pregame show, you know, he did say he's like, these players can count. There's now 13 forwards. And you know, that is definitely a big thing that he has thought about with bringing this player back.
And I think that it's really, it's, it's, it's going to be interesting because part of where Daniel sprung hasn't necessarily stuck with a lot of teams is you have to really know how to maximize his strengths and put him in a position to succeed that benefits your team. And because the Kraken have done that, it'll be interesting to see if they can recreate a little bit of that magic.
Piper Shaw:I saw JT counting on his fingers. Can you count jt?
JT Brown:Yeah, I was making sure I could.
Piper Shaw:Figure out enough fingers to get to 13.
Grant Beery:He was, he was reaching for his toes. Yeah.
JT Brown:No, I mean, but in all honesty, you get a guy that can shoot the puck, I think that's his greatest strength. Right. He does have speed. He can create and make things happen. But when the puck is on his stick and he's drifting it towards.
And that there's not, I mean it, it's a good shot, right? As far as you want to be as hard as you can with that shot, you want to be as accurate as you can with that shot.
And you know, that's where you, it kind of gets exciting to think about, oh, maybe he's going to get an opportunity, maybe he gets it on the power play. Obviously you don't know that yet. You don't know where he's going to slot. Can he play on your fourth line? He's done that.
He can play up in your lineup as well with the skill set that he does have.
But the threat of having a right handed shot that can shoot the puck as hard as he does is something that, you know, definitely could help and could benefit the power play, because, I mean, that's his. His strongest asset. Right? It's. It's definitely the way he can shoot the puck.
And I think you look at a guy like McCann and how he shoots, they have different. Both have very hard shots, but have different shots. Right.
Like, you want McCann going downhill and taking a snapshot, but when Sprong gets it, he can just absolutely take. You know, when he gets a one timer off, it's a completely different game. So would have fun to see him do the hardest shot as well. For sure.
You know, at the end, he want.
Piper Shaw:He had the record for accuracy shooting as well.
JT Brown:So, hey, the end of the day, it's all about combining both of those skills together. And when he does do that, I mean, it's. Was.
It's not that long ago where he said, you know, obviously, with the Kraken, set his own personal record for goals, for points. I believe it was 46 points. Right. For the season, and then had 17 goals in Detroit as well.
So, again, you're getting a player that can put the puck in the back of the net. And Alison is looking up right now.
Piper Shaw:I was gonna say, jt, I feel like you're abusing your privileges with Alison here ready to back you up with.
Alison Lukan:Whatever number this is. This is our relationship, keeping it in check.
Grant Beery:I love it.
JT Brown:As soon as I start saying a number, I just see the computer, I see the typing, putting his name and making sure I was correct.
Alison Lukan:But it was 46. But I do want to say 46, right? Yeah.
Piper Shaw:This is.
Alison Lukan:This is what I want. This is. What I love about our friendship is that having played the game, we both have different. And I'm. And I. Not.
Obviously, we both have different questions about the game and understanding it better. And so we can bounce it off each other both in a playing perspective. But then also, where do these numbers help us?
But also, where do they fall short? And I think we have some really fun debates and conversations that I think make us both better at the end of the day.
JT Brown:Oh, a hundred percent. And.
Piper Shaw:But do they make Daniel Sprung better? No. Just kidding.
Alison Lukan:Well, they make it. They make our information. Right.
Piper Shaw:They do.
JT Brown:It's all about, you know, using as much information as possible. Right. And I don't think it's right. Like, there's a lot of people who have played the game at a high level, too.
So not everybody's going to see the game the same way that I do. And you could look at a set of numbers and see it completely different than how I look at the set of numbers.
But how do we bring that together in its entirety to paint the full picture versus Although I do say this a lot, that I'm always right, but at the end of the day, we gotta take as much information to come to that conclusion that I'm always right.
Alison Lukan:Well, but it's. But we find out interesting stuff. We do find out interest and we. So did you hear what he said? I did. Okay.
Piper Shaw:You're just.
Alison Lukan:But the people in this room know I have this big, massive spreadsheet that's been built years over years over years that tracks. And like, we've added a lot of stuff together, JT and I just because of questions we've had over the seasons, and we use it now a lot. And it's.
We just added a new thing already this year and it. And we both. At the end, it won't. And we both can go. Huh? Well, that is a very interesting thing that we learned.
Piper Shaw:Huh? Well, one final note on Daniel Sprong.
Alison Lukan:Oh, yeah, Daniel Sproul.
Piper Shaw:Yeah, I was just going to say, because JT you were talking about his one timer from the circle there on the power play.
And I will always remember when we first initially acquired Daniel Sprong, him talking about how he spent a lot of time with the Washington Capitals. And with one Alex Ovechkin.
Alison Lukan:Look at that.
Piper Shaw:Working on that shot.
Grant Beery:Perfect segue.
Alison Lukan:Wow.
Piper Shaw:There we go.
Alison Lukan:You are a professional.
Piper Shaw:Lovely. So we're going to talk about a couple of league. League leads is what I'm calling them.
A couple of like, highlights league wide that I just think we simply cannot ignore. One of them, of course, Alex. Alex Ovechkin. On Gretzky's record, watch, he has scored 10 goals in 14 games.
It took him 45 games last year to reach 10 goals.
So at this rate, I believe what I read mine, the numbers that I read online, it would take him 45 games this season, which he has time to do that to match Gretzky's record. So Gretzky's record is 8.94ov as of today. As of the day, we're recording this is at 8. 63. Very impressive. He clearly wants this as. As he should.
But what are you guys predictions? Do you think he's going to do it this year?
JT Brown:Yes.
Piper Shaw:Yeah.
Alison Lukan:Yeah.
JT Brown:Are they motivated? You're close. You see it in striking distance. I think you start adding too, that players are also feeding him. Right.
Like they're trying to get him to that record as well. Whether you know your line mates, whether that empty netter for situations, for sure.
But I also think you know, throughout the game, whether it's on the power play, obviously you're trying to find him in his one timer spot in his office where everyone knows he will be. But I think even just from a subconscious point, but his teammates are looking for him to get the record as well.
So I think that, you know, a combination of that where it might be a two on one where you know, hey, another year you might have actually shot the puck and this time you might want to slide it over and make sure he, he gets one more to the tally. So I think he will. I think it's good for the game.
I think it's obviously a, an incredible achievement, you know, for him to even be this close and to even having this conversation. But again, I think it's, it's something that's just inevitable. A guy is, he knows how to score, right? He's been doing it for a long, long time.
And obviously it'll be a fun thing to watch if it does happen this year and if not, you'll look forward to it for next year. But I want to be right again, of course.
Alison Lukan:I mean I, I think he does it and it's more so it's an expansion on what JT was just saying. I think he can do it because of the team around him. Now, last year's team wasn't maybe as effective across all areas of the ice.
And so that's why his goal totals, to me, his goal totals were down last year more so because of the team performance, not because of his ability to score. So I don't think anybody is doubting Alex ability to score, but there were aging curve questions about like that kind of thing.
So for me, with the team playing like they are right now, as if that can keep up, I think he does do it.
And I think it's, it's going to be interesting and it's going to be cool to see what if this can have a kind of ripple effect outside of the hockey world because this is a kind of storyline. Like I feel like even, you know, football players know who Wayne Gretzky is and things like that.
Piper Shaw:And Alex Ovechkin, I mean I maybe.
Alison Lukan:Some really, I don't know if he's as white. Like I think it'd be a good.
Piper Shaw:Opportunity, but I would think, I feel like people who aren't die hard hockey fans still know who Sidney Crosby is. Alex Ovechkin is. And Connor McDavid is for sure. And obviously Gretchen Ski for sure, I would think. Jt, you're not sure about that?
JT Brown:No, I. I'd agree. Okay, well, I know who they all are.
Alison Lukan:Thank you, jt.
Piper Shaw:Great.
Alison Lukan:Helpful.
Piper Shaw:So glad you know.
Alison Lukan:Good job. I'm glad you got this job. Was that your resume?
Piper Shaw:Thank God.
Alison Lukan:I know these three players.
Piper Shaw:Excellent. Great work. Thank you for your insight as always.
JT Brown:Bell is on there for sure. It was toward the bottom of the.
Piper Shaw:Page, though, folks, just so you know, we have. We have a running joke amongst our broadcast crew with the phrase, thank you for your insight, as always. So if you hear that being dropped, that's.
That's what that's all about. So one more big league lead. I just think we have to acknowledge the Winnipeg jets and they've taken off.
Alison Lukan:Wow.
Piper Shaw:Boo. Tomato, tomato.
Grant Beery:I'm going to edit in the sound of a jet flying right there just to really, really hammer.
Alison Lukan:Oh, I succeeded. That was funny.
Piper Shaw:Grant, can you also edit in the sound of me throwing tomatoes at Alison?
JT Brown:Maybe some booing?
Grant Beery:Yeah, the effort was there.
JT Brown:You've been waiting for that one. I know it.
Piper Shaw:Yeah. Through 16 games, they've only lost one game. That's. They lost one game to the Toronto Maple Leafs. What's in the water in Winnipeg?
JT Brown:I don't know.
Piper Shaw:Okay, well, thank you for your insight as always, Alison.
Alison Lukan:I mean, I think JT and I were debating this before we started recording.
I think that they have done what they're supposed to do and that their schedule gave them a nice ramp up to the season and they have taken advantage of those games and built up a beautiful set of points. They have a lot of weapons, but I mean, Connor Hellebuyck is just. Yeah, I mean, he is.
He is a game deciding goaltender and he has been so on his game. And that one game that they lost versus Toronto, he was not. And so I think this is, you know, in a. In a league where goaltending is.
It's harder and harder to perform because right now the shooting is getting so much more effective. I think that to pay attention to him, that's a special player that everyone should be. And again, there's Kyle Connor, there's Mark Scheifele.
There's so many weapons there. I'm not dismissing them, but to me, Connor Hellebuck is the main story and I love watching it.
He's a great guy and he's obviously a phenomenal player.
Piper Shaw:And the hunger and heart that he has, when you listen to interviews with him like how much he genuinely wants to win for the city of Winnipeg.
Alison Lukan:Yes.
Piper Shaw:And his respective response in interviews when they've asked him like, you know, these poking, prodding questions about, oh, what if the NHL took, took the jets away, moved him again, like, he's like, I'm not, not on my watch, right? Not on my performance.
Alison Lukan:Cause these are, this is a team that a couple of years ago was like, are all of our marquee players going to leave? And he was one of two that said, I will stay here and sign a long term deal.
JT Brown:And I mean, obviously they have a great team and the goaltending is probably the, the number one side of it.
Obviously you mentioned Connor as well and Shifely, but you also gotta remember they have a very, very good third line as well too, to be able to get that balance and they can play against, you know, anybody's top lines.
You look at Nino Nidarada, you look at Mason Appleton who was here and then also Laurie as well, and being able to see those three and how they play the game. Their chemistry has been pretty good so far this year too. So you need to have balance.
Scoring can't just come from, you know, just Connor or just, you know, from Scheifele as well. You have to find other ways to get scoring and to get good play. And they've done that. They found a way to maximize all four lines.
Alison Lukan:Good job.
JT Brown:Yep. Some defensemen as well. Getting scoring from the back end is a, is a huge part of that as well. You have some players that can really skate.
So they're a team that skates very well. They have team that checks very well and that looks like they've bought completely in. And obviously you play who's in front of you.
You can't control how your schedule is right. Whoever you're playing, do you have more time off right now and maybe later you're going to have less time off.
But at the end of the day you also got to get a little lucky too. Right. There's going to be games where maybe they didn't have their best, but they still found a way to win.
And that is another part where you got to do that a couple times throughout the year where you don't have your best stuff, sneak away a win and you keep doing that over time and you play the right way, which they have. Again, it's not every time you're going to go that many games and have only one loss.
But at the end of the day, you know, they're a tough team and it'd be interesting to see how it says how it goes through.
Piper Shaw:Well, the Kraken almost handed them.
Alison Lukan:They didn't.
Piper Shaw:Their first loss, they took him to overtime. The Kraken got a point out of that. Kraken played well.
Alison Lukan:Yeah. And the jets are just fun to watch right now, too.
Piper Shaw:Yeah. And it's good story.
Grant Beery:Is this sustainable, though?
I mean, how much is this is because of their strength of schedule or, like, do we see them, you know, first in the league at the end of the year based on how they've been playing so far, or are the wheels going to fall off based on what their schedule looks like coming up?
JT Brown:Look, I don't. I don't think that the wheels are going to fall off. I think they're a very good team.
I think, obviously you look at the players that they have, they're coached well as well. But are they going to consent continue to sit here and be 50 for every 16 games, win 15? I don't think so.
Like, that would be pretty impressive if they were able to.
Piper Shaw:It's already impressive to do what they've.
JT Brown:Done, go the rest of the way every 16 games.
Piper Shaw:If they drop three in the row. Three in a row right now would still be impressive beginning season.
JT Brown:How many losses would that be for an entire season, which, if they could, stayed on this exact same path and did 16. So what does 82 divide by 16?
Alison Lukan:Wait, they're.
JT Brown:They're.
Piper Shaw:They play 16 games, they've lost one in 16.
JT Brown:That's what I'm saying.
Alison Lukan:Okay, hold on.
JT Brown:I want to figure out how I'm not good at 5.
Piper Shaw:5, 5.125.
JT Brown:So they're gonna have six losses on the year? No.
Grant Beery:Well, I had to give you both extremes and see where you've found yourself in the middle there.
JT Brown:So, again, they're going to be a very good team. I don't see falling off the rails as a option and going the other way.
And now losing 15 out of 16 and being a 500 hockey club, I mean, I guess anything is possible.
Piper Shaw:Anything is possible.
Alison Lukan:I mean, it depends. You always have to contemplate staying healthy, stay healthy.
JT Brown:But, yeah, I don't. Is it sustainable? Absolutely not. I don't see that now that I know the numbers.
And we thank you, Piper, for Minnesota Duluth was not a math school, so.
Piper Shaw:Neither is Saint Cod State. So fair enough.
JT Brown:But no, I mean, they're a good team. I think you got to give them their credit and for the way that they've been playing and however it shakes out down the rest of the road.
But again, I think it would be shocking to see them just all of a sudden fall off and become a team where you're not even talking about them come the end of the year.
Alison Lukan:Yeah, for sure. And it's going to come down to. I mean, listen, getting the President's trophy isn't exactly a sign of guaranteed playoff success. So I think that for.
For me, it's looking at the process.
And I think everything that we've just been talking about is what's going to matter is if they can continue to play the right way, execute, stay healthy.
JT Brown:Don't pay too much attention to that. Curses and not being able to win. The present man just go off.
Alison Lukan:It's not a curse. I'm saying that my.
JT Brown:He said it's not been good. I would win if I could. I would.
Alison Lukan:The direct line comment I'm trying to make, jt, you're not cheating.
Piper Shaw:You're not trying.
Alison Lukan:Is that. Just because you have the most points does not mean you're the best team. Is the point I'm trying to make. That is my point.
It has nothing to do with luck or cursing or any of this.
JT Brown:According to the rulebook, it would say you were the best team during the year.
Piper Shaw:Okay.
JT Brown:You had the most points.
Alison Lukan:That is not in the rulebook.
JT Brown:It's in my rulebook.
Alison Lukan:Here we go.
Piper Shaw:Which we learned was very influential in the Kraken Super Skills Showcase. JT's Rule Book.
Grant Beery:Fluid document.
JT Brown:Yeah, like Stephen A. Likes to talk about his. His list. It's fluid. Okay. Oh, yeah, jt, my rulebook is always fluid.
Piper Shaw:The same. The same exact kind of media personalities. JT Brown and Stephen A.
JT Brown:So I like the debate. Okay.
Piper Shaw:Oh, that's why you're here. That's. We're aware. All right. Completely changing gears, you guys.
Since we're talking a little bit about league wide, I figured we would mention a league wide initiative in the month of November. It is the NHL's annual Hockey Fights Cancer campaign.
They've raised over $36 million since its inception to support cancer patients and their families. And the Kraken Hockey Fights cancer game is coming up on November 20th.
So depending on when you are listening to this, it's November 20th, Wednesday, it's versus the Nashville Predators. And there is a beanie giveaway. It's also Healthcare Worker appreciation night as well.
So part of why I wanted to have Alison on for this episode is because it is our last episode that really gets to run the entire month of November during Hockey Fights Cancer Month.
And, Alison, because we are close, I know that you have had a lot of things going on in your personal life that you've been very private about, but that you said that you would be willing to kind of share and open up about with, you know, our audience here on the podcast. So behind the scenes for at least the last three years, you can tell me.
Your mom has been battling cancer, and you've been spending a lot of time going back to Columbus and taking care of her.
So I just wanted to give you the opportunity to talk a little bit about why, like, your story and your mom's story and why this initiative is important to you.
Alison Lukan:Yeah. So, you know, first and foremost, I think it's important to say that my story is not the only singular story.
There are so many of us who have loved ones, be they related to us or not, who face a version of this disease, and we all are. We all get it. And this is, again, the. The uniqueness of it is. Is not mine. It is a community of us together.
But back in 99, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. My grandmother had passed away from breast cancer, so yay me. But she. She was. She made a full recovery there.
She was able to be part of a clinical trial, and we thought we were good. And then going into year two out here, I was literally.
So year one, people may remember, I was going back and forth doing kind of half of the games, and we were literally getting ready to start our move out here. And she got her second diagnosis.
And interestingly, and again, those of us who've been touched by this, we know this, that doesn't mean it was the same cancer. Unfortunately, it was another version of breast cancer, one of the most dangerous. So we've been going through treatment there and just loving on her.
And it's been a struggle, and it's been a challenge.
And I think that when we talk about hockey fights cancer, the first time my mom had breast cancer, we started to get really involved in the cancer community. I was race chair for Race for the Cure for a while.
And I think that when we have nights like Hockey Fights Cancer, I think it's important to remember that it can be so many things and there's no wrong answer. And it can be valuable for someone to finally make it out of the house after going through a treatment.
It can be valuable to be among a community of fellow people who are dealing with this disease or who've lost someone to this disease. And sometimes it's just a night to get out and not have to Think about this disease. And so my mom still is in a state where she.
She's had some complications as a result, and so she hasn't yet been able to travel. She still hasn't been out here. Every year, we're like, oh, you'll come out. And so we're. That's a goal that we have on our life kind of bucket list.
But shout out to my husband Stephen, who's tremendously supportive and also does a lot of heavy lifting when I can't be back for. For treatments or surgeries or things like that.
But, yeah, I think it's just there are so many people who have so much that they're dealing with in this world. And any, you know, we in hockey, we in sport, are here to provide entertainment and here to provide support and escape. Absolutely.
And I think if you are dealing with this or if someone you love is dealing with this, know that this is a time that we want to give you a space to process this, whatever that means to you. And there are people who understand and we love you, and however you make it through this journey, just know that you are seen.
Piper Shaw:Well, Alison, thank you for being willing to be vulnerable and share that. I know it's not something that you have spoken about much, and I completely understand why, obviously, but there's still.
There's so much value in stories and in community. That's something that you and I talk about a lot, is when you can find people to just open up about these things with and confide in these things.
It makes you feel like you're not alone because you're not alone. And that's kind of what this, you know, campaign of hockey fights cancer is supposed to be, you know, all about. Our dear friend Ed Zoe.
Alison Lukan:Yep.
Piper Shaw:Battled cancer survivor. He still, you know, he's such a vocal advocate as. As well, for, you know, getting tested or screened for various cancers.
So I know that he continually has to get a lot of, you know, health testing done and stuff to keep up on his health.
He's very also health conscious, which I believe personally is why he likes to come on the broadcast and talk about all the things that he wants to eat that he doesn't want to eat because he. His.
I know that his journey from talking with him has made him really focus on, like, his health at large, not just, you know, as it relates to cancer. But.
Alison Lukan:And I want to. Just quickly on that, I want to say, you know, I've been around cancer for far too long, and I think that it sounds scary. It can be scary.
But to echo what Edzo talks about, and I even look at Dakota Joshua, who's with the Vancouver Canucks, who just came out with his testicular cancer diagnosis.
Please, please, please, please, please, my friends, do not let your fear of a diagnosis prevent you from seeking out preventative, proactive care we have made.
Again, I've been around this disease for 20 plus years now, and if it weren't for the advances in the disease in 20 years, my mom's process this time would have gone far worse. Far, far worse.
And with it being in my family and my expectation that I will probably deal with this disease sometime, I am optimistic that it will be something that I deal with because there are advances to treat these cancers. So the earlier we can find them, the more effective these treatments are. I know it can be scary. Take a friend. Find someone.
I will help you find someone. But please, whatever part of your body you are concerned about, please go get things checked out. You must, you must, you must.
There's too many people who love each of you listening to take yourself away from us.
JT Brown:I think that's a very important message. And I want to say thank you for sharing not only with us here, but with the fans as well.
And obviously, I think that it is going to have an impact on someone somewhere, wherever they are out there listening to that. And hopefully, you know, your words would definitely help them.
Piper Shaw:Yeah.
And to anybody out there, if you have a loved one, if you yourself are, you know, working through this, Alison, you, your mom, all of the prayers, the good vibes, the positive energy from our entire crew here, Sorry to speak for everyone at this table, but I think that that is safe to say, as well as the entire Kraken Hockey Network. So we're thinking of you and championing you and your family.
So hockey fights, cancer night, The Krakens game, November 20th, the Nashville Predators. Hopefully, we will see you all there in purple lavender, I believe.
Alison Lukan:I think we allow any version of purple. Purple, or if there's a color that you associate with the battle that's closest to you, please.
Piper Shaw:Absolutely.
Alison Lukan:Again, this is a time for you to be however you need to be.
Piper Shaw:Absolutely. There's a couple of other cracking common thread nights that are coming up, too, that we thought we would throw out there.
Most notably coming up is indigenous peoples night. That is December 10th against the Florida Panthers.
So we do expect to have some great programming on the Kraken Hockey Network highlighting one Brandon Montour. He is of indigenous descent. He's very proud of that. And it's against the Florida Panthers So his former team.
Alison Lukan:So I think narratives.
Piper Shaw:The narratives. The narratives are there. And a couple of fun giveaways that are coming up as well. The buoy bobblehead night is on November 27th.
So, you know, that is the bobblehead that I am interested in. As I have said previously, Oliver Bjork Strand Bobblehead night is December 30th. I also like that one because they have him.
If you have not seen it, he is, like, in a maestro position. Like, he is conducting. And you know me, I love music and I love that whole vibe. So I like that one.
And then the cracking trapper hat night is December 17th. I'm also excited about.
Alison Lukan:This hat is sick.
Piper Shaw:It is. That hat is incredible.
I have this old trapper hat that I have had since I was in middle school that I don't have to wear in Seattle because it's usually not cold enough to need it. I once wore it on a high school football game broadcast on Fox Sports Wisconsin. And Fox called and said that I needed to not wear that hat. How dare.
So I have a bit of a sore spot. And because of that, a love for.
Alison Lukan:Obnoxious, we'll be wearing trapper hats on the Kraken Hockey Network. Maybe we should. Who's to say no? Who's to say? Well, I know who says no, but.
Piper Shaw:Well, I can ask. I know who we need to ask. We can all wear those hats. Jt, I don't want to hear anything.
JT Brown:From you if we're wearing Forgiveness later.
Piper Shaw:If we're wearing it, you're wearing it.
Grant Beery:Exactly.
Alison Lukan:As long as you'll have it on.
Grant Beery:I don't have to be on camera, but I'll wear it, too, in solidarity Grant.
Piper Shaw:And no one's going to yell at you if you wear.
Alison Lukan:And it'll keep our ears warm. JT and I are always cold, so it'll keep our ears warm.
Piper Shaw:For some reason, it's been hot outside the locker room this season. I've been, like, sweating.
Alison Lukan:Was hot yesterday.
Piper Shaw:Yeah, I don't know. It used to be it was cold. No, it was well down by the ice. But where I say, like, I'm like, normally it's cold. Cold. Ish.
Where I sit at home, but this season it's been warm. So I don't know what's going on, but it's getting hot, I guess. Yeah. I don't need to be bundled up like normal.
I usually have, like, two pairs of fuzzy socks on and, like, long underwear underneath. Whatever.
Alison Lukan:JT and I have electric hand warmers. That's not. Not a joke. That's an actual thing.
JT Brown:Yeah.
Grant Beery:Oh, nice.
Alison Lukan:Yeah.
Piper Shaw:You guys are in different positions, though. So the environment is all. The environment is different for all of us, wherever we are.
Alison Lukan:True.
Piper Shaw:So, on that note, I think this was a fantastic episode. Thank you so much, you guys, for making time for this. In our very busy schedules, you know, the thick of the season, it's hard to find time.
But it's also great to be able to connect with you all and have some conversations and share them with the best hockey fans in the National Hockey League. So thank you very much. Any. Any final thoughts before we sign off from. From the peanut gallery across from me. Gt I got.
JT Brown:I got nothing. No, it was. It was a lot of fun. Thank you for having me on. And Alison, we will have another debate later.
Alison Lukan:And I was going to say something nice.
JT Brown:I think we didn't know. We were good. This was good.
Alison Lukan:I always enjoy our conversations and I loved spending this time talking with both of you, all three of you.
Piper Shaw:Wow.
JT Brown:That was very nice. That was nice of you to say.
Alison Lukan:I appreciate your insight, as always.
JT Brown:Sometimes. Sometimes it's okay.
Alison Lukan:It is always. I always do.
Piper Shaw:All right, let's wrap this thing up. Thank you guys very much and thank you to all of you who are listening out there.
If you haven't already, please go on Apple Podcasts and leave us a five star review. Maybe write us a review. It would be great to see your various thoughts and feedback and all of that. So thank you for listening and go. Kraken.
Grant Beery:Signals from the Deep is the official podcast of the Seattle Kraken and a proud part of the Kraken Hockey Network. Hosted by Piper Shaw and produced by me, Grant Beery. Music by Benny Drawbars. Have a question for us?
Send an email to signals at kraken.com or call the hotline at two zero. Your message could be featured on an upcoming episode.
