I think the Predators will take that.

Oh, absolutely.

I, I mean, y- you look at that game, and it-- to that point, it, it was all Montreal.

And Nashville's really had struggled with the speed of the Canadiens, just defending way too much, and that's one of the issues I think you've seen this year with the team is they struggle to get out of their own zone and get out cleanly.

On both of the goals, they had possession of the puck, turned it over, ends up in the back of the net.

And there was a lot of that in that period.

And you just mentioned Juuse Saros.

Do you think that was the jumping-off point that Matt needed?

Dude, how this whole TV thing evolved with you? How'd you get into television? Like who presented it to you to begin with?

You know what? Honestly, it's kind of a funny story because when I was in Nashville playing, still for the Predators, I was playing behind Thomas Fokun, and I was a backup goalie a lot in a couple of those years.

So, you know, they were trying to grow the game down there and, you know, try to do some different things.

And then my boss now, Bob Cole, back then he was the producer.

He just asked me one time, he said, hey, would you ever – you know, would you be okay or consider getting on the headset in the third period? And then you could just, you know, talk to the guys in the booth, Pete Weber and Terry Crisp, who are the OGs for the Preds.

And I'm like, heck yeah.

I'm like, sure, I'll do that.

So I'm just curious how you look at the St. Louis squad.

Um, you know, how'd you fall in love with the game out that way?

Well, my, uh, my father, um, his parents moved from England to Canada, and, uh, they were soccer.

They were a soccer family.

And, uh, no one had played, uh, hockey, but my dad fell in love with hockey, uh, when he moved over to Canada.

And so I'd watch all the time, and I remember the year before I started playing, I got a pair of skates in December, and I was gonna play in the fall.

And I got a jersey, a Boston Bruins jersey, uh, for whatever reason, and, uh, I got a pair of skates.

And I just remember every single night I would have my skates beside my bed, and I'd put them there and just watch all the hockey games and, uh, just dreamed of playing, watched every game.

Yeah.

So of the list of names, who are you kind of looking at? Who should some fans maybe keep in the back of their mind?

Well, I was listening to you guys on the way down here, actually.

And one of the guys that's been all over the map in terms of where he's going to go is, I think, Viggo Bjork.

He's five-line.

He's, you know, if you listen to his coach...

i think it was your garden he played in but he's like we've had a lot of great players in this program because i don't think of it i've seen anybody quite like him in terms of his maturity his tenacity all these stuff he may be gone by the times of the predators pit and that's possible but if you look at all these scudder reports all the you know athletic has him going at 11 or 10.

He's a guy that I would say would be number one for the Predators because I don't think the Preds have that many players in that mold.

Tell me what you think of the two trades that Chris McFarlane has made so far for Ross Colton and for Jack Drury.

I did not see this one coming at all.

Did not see this coming at all.

Like, in fact, we were just hanging out with Barry in the lobby in, uh, [lips smack] New York, uh, before we were gonna play the Islanders, and or maybe it was Jersey.

Um, anyway, we're having a good chat with him, and, uh, nothing.

You know, he went around, walking around Manhattan, had a great day, and we're just, you know, chatting about all things hockey, how crazy the schedule was and all this.

And then we come back from that road trip, and, you know, it got out on social media and obviously the press conference, and everybody was just jaws to the floor.

It was, uh, something that was not spoken of.

Yeah

I did not see this one coming at all.

all.... did not see this coming at all.

Like, in fact, we were just hanging out with Barry in the lobby in, uh, [lips smack] New York, uh, before we were gonna play the Islanders, and, or maybe it was Jersey.

Um, anyway, we're having a good chat with him, and, uh, nothing.

You know, he went around- walking around Manhattan, had a great day, and we're just, you know, chatting about all things hockey, how crazy the schedule was, and all this.

And then we come back from that road trip, and, you know, it got out on social media, and the, obviously the press conference, and everybody was just jaws to the floor.

It was, uh, something that was not spoken of.

Yep

There's a long list of guys who had really good years in Nashville, but I guess where I wanna start this is what's at the top of your list when it comes to things that have been the most surprising for you this season in Nashville?

Nashville?Well, you know, I think at the beginning of the year, I, I think the way that they finished last year, there was a lot of optimism back in, in the group, and everybody thought, "Okay, we kinda figured it out." Stamkos got acclimated, Marchessault had a good half, Ryan O'Reilly obviously as consistent as they come in the game.

And so I think that the start this season was really surprising to me how they came out of the gate so slow, and then I'm sure you guys were talking, everybody was talking about it, it was like, all right, they got O'Reilly, they got Stamkos, where are all these guys gonna be going at some point? And then they found a way to turn it around.

They, you know, I think at the beginning of the year, they were really trying to focus on their defensive play, and in turn, it really hurt their rush game and their ability to score goals, and it just seemed like, you know, this, this team was just destined to, to be blown up at the trade deadline.

And, and then they, they figured it out.

You know, they got the defensive stuff down, and they started creating chances on the rush.

The power play has been really good for them, a good solid source of offense.

He's been a big part of this Nashville Predators team where the list of goalies that have played for the Preds is pretty small compared to most NHL teams.