Stanley Cup Playoffs

Before we get rolling, if you haven't already, could you do us a favor and like and subscribe on whatever platform you're tuning in from? It would mean a lot to Justin and I, and it helps other coaches discover the show and ensures you never miss an upcoming episode.

If you do, Justin and I will continue to do our best to deliver you insights from the top coaches and leaders in the game note you can also watch today's conversation on the coach's site youtube channel the merriam-webster dictionary defines convection as a strong persuasion or belief if that doesn't define rod brendamore on the carolina hurricanes i don't know what does let's take a look at the tape in his first seven seasons as the head coach of the carolina hurricanes The club qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs each season.

This included advancing past the first round on six occasions, including three trips to the Eastern Conference Final, which sounds great, except in the arena that is pro sports, this consistent knocking at the door Without producing a Stanley Cup, or at the very least a trip to the Stanley Cup final, could be viewed as a reason to change the club's philosophy or even its leadership.

But owner Tom Dundon elected to stay the course with GM Eric Tulsky and Rod Brendamore's vision for a relentless style of play that required every player to buy into the Hurricanes' blue-collar culture.

Liam O'Brien with us here on our Odd Man Rush.

Liam, coming into this season after your first playoff experience, what was that like playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time and how did it whet your appetite for more to come?

Yeah, it was just such a cool experience.

I think it's something that you grow up wanting to do.

I think Dobesh has to be involved in either one of these trades just because...

Winnipeg wants a goalie back in return and Dobish is one that makes sense Fowler is you know touted to be one of the best goalies uh coming up and was when he was a prospect now coming into the league we're hoping that he will uh turn into that and I think giving that away and giving that potential away isn't something that's on the cards for the Montreal Canadiens but giving up Newhook just had a great Stanley Cup playoffs I know we just signed an extension but this this is a What you would have to include here if you want to kind of keep the core together, he's kind of odd man out in this scenario.

And I love Alex Newhook, a fellow Newfoundlander.

I'd like to see him here on the Montreal Canadiens this season.

And on this Fan Take Friday, if you saw it on our YouTube, which plenty of you did, we put out a poll.

Are the Penguins going back to the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2027? And Hunter, this one was a barn burner.

54% say they are going back.

46% say, "Sorry, they're going to miss." And before we get to the playoff discussion, there is a Fan Take Friday comment that I wanna get to that I do think is an underrated possibility coming out of this camp, and this comes from Austin Fernzler.

When you look at this here as well, kind of putting it into a different picture from Jeremy Tingley, this approach is going to be complete, is going to, excuse me, completely handcuff Guerin and the Wild because what if Minnesota are a middle of the pack team this season? And by March trade deadline, Hughes still wasn't, excuse me, Hughes still isn't interested in committing long-term.

And if Gary isn't trading Hughes now, will he make a bold move before the deadline, just weeks away from the potential round one of the Stanley Cup playoffs? So, You know, there's a lot of things that are going to be pushed up a lot earlier this season.

If Quinn Hughes is not signed before, I would even go the new year.

I think that Bill Guerin's trust is still there.

Oftentimes these high-profile rookies will be exempt from these showcases, rookie camps, what have you, and he does have already a taste of NHL experience.

He had stints in Providence last season with the Boston Bruins, even in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

But he's also kind of having a bit of a soft reset, with a more patient development path set before him, and a checking off of responsibilities and learning goals under head coach Marco Sturm to build trust, um, and to show that he is more than just a one-dimensional player.

And like it or not, that's what the Bruins demand of their players.

He led Hockey East with 47 points in 34 games last season, his sophomore season at Boston College, before making the jump to the pro level, and also mixing in an appearance at the World Junior Championships and the World Championships last season.

That was no fewer than five teams that he played for, and in a wide variety of situations as well.

NCAA regular season tournament hockey, international hockey at the junior and h- uh, senior level, AHL, NHL regular season, Stanley Cup playoffs.

Quite a year he had.

I mean, the league is full of, uh, you know, tremendous, uh, superstar players, but Mitch is just a little different.

And, uh, you know, his ability to seize the moment in, uh, in the Stanley Cup playoffs was really impressive.

He did some pretty amazing things.

And then, you know, add to that, and one of the things we really like about our team is our best players are really good defensive players.

Uh, and this, uh, it says, "Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson looks to make a pass," as this is about the Boston Bruins.

Uh, he defends during game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Buffalo, New York.

And it looks like he's making a shot.

And that brings us to the end of the Quad City Times for today.

The more you use it, the better your face feels.

First-round coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs starts tomorrow night at 8:30 Eastern Time, a Western Division game featuring the Atlanta Flames against the Philadelphia Flyers.

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Two complete games today in the major leagues.