Canes vs Islanders, with an Islanders insider

For the ones who work hard to ensure their crew can always go the extra mile, and the ones who get in early so everyone can go home on time, there's Grainger. Offering professional-grade supplies backed by product experts so you can quickly and easily find what you need. Plus, you can count on access to a committed team ready to go the extra mile for you.

Call clickgrainger.com or just stop by. Grainger. For the ones who get it done. We are 28 hours and seven minutes. Very specific. Exactly. Well, because I know it's a 5.07 p.m. Eastern Time puck drop. Very random. Between the... Well, usually... It's for the stragglers?

No, it's for... They do that seven minutes? They always do that. It's seven or eight minutes before, after the hour.

Like... It's always stragglers. Yeah, we have anthems and all sorts of TV commercials that we have to get in before we actually drop the puck. This is not the Premier League where, if it's a three o'clock game, it's a three o'clock game. Where they kick off at three o'clock. Which, like, there's something to be said for that.

306 in 45 seconds. Yeah. No, none of that. Michael Leboff, Action Network, Islanders Anxiety podcast, my friend with the best Twitter name in the world, at The Big Lebowski.

He joins us on The Adam Gold Show. Alright, we're going to start with the Islanders Anxiety angle here, sir. So, level of Islanders Anxiety, I would imagine it's probably low, going into the best of seven tilt with the Hurricanes.

Yeah, I think that's right. I think it's been a nice couple days here. The Islanders played their first meaningless game in two years. It was 169 straight, meaningful games for the Islanders, because they clinched in game 82 last year. Then they played six against you guys. And then they played basically an 81 game playoff to get in this year. Then they kind of got to take their foot off the pedal against the Penguins.

So it's been nice and relaxing. And I think there is also a sense of calm on the team because, like, everybody knows, right? The Hurricanes are the Stanley Cup favorite for a reason. They're big favorite in the series for a reason. There's no arguing that, but there is some serenity in being a big underdog in a series like this, especially with a team like the Islanders that seems to do its best work when it's counted out. And I will say that I think in a round one theories, the Islanders of the potential opponents for the Hurricanes and probably specifically suited to give the Hurricanes the biggest scare because they've been here before. Like the Hurricane kind of unique style of chaotic hockey is not going to jolt this team. They've seen it before.

So I've seen it plenty. So I think that in that way, like they're going into game one with plenty of experience against it. And it won't be a feeling out process like it would be for some other teams in the conference.

Michael LaBoeuf Action Network Islanders Anxiety podcast is joining us here on the Adam Gold show. So game plan this for me. If you are Patrick Waugh, what is the game plan for New York to get Carolina off their game? Yeah, I think it's, you know, the Islanders have done a pretty good job the past two weeks or so of playing a much simpler direct game going forward and being a little more pressure focused in the neutral zone. And I think that that's just sticking to that is going to be the only way that they can have a chance here. They're also going to like the Hurricanes, of course, are great five on five team, but they're the Islanders are had an abysmal power penalty kill this season last in the league. Looks like JG Peugeot was questionable for game one.

He's a pretty stalwart. Well, yeah, stalwart penalty killer for them. So doing that and you know, the Islanders have to just complete like they can absorb as many shots as they want. I guess the Hurricanes, but they're going to need to be the more physical team. I think especially, you know, in that home plate area, both ends of the ice to have a chance here. So I do think like the Islanders can do that.

It might not just might not be enough. Michael LaBoeuf is joining us here to get ready for the canes and the Islanders. What's the status of Noah Dobson? Adam Golan studio with my man coach Pete through to Capital Financial Advisory Group. I was on your website and I love the term financial termites because there are always things eating at your money that you can't see. So you don't want financial termites termites in the financial world are risk fees, unnecessary commissions. All the bad things that we see and we hear about on TV are happening many times inside your portfolio. You don't see so you need a financial exterminator. Well, for the next 10 of you call, we'll put together for you your very own total retirement plan at no cost. Call 888-843-0013 or text Adam to 600-700.

Adam Gold is a paid spokesman investment advisory services offered by Capital Financial Advisory Group, a North Carolina registered investment advisor. He's going to be in and if the Islanders didn't have him, I would have said that their ceiling in the series was maybe one and a half games and that's with one getting lucky. But but with him in like the Islanders like that's a huge, huge deal. He I think a lot of people are focusing on the fact that the hurricanes were without Andrei Svechnikov last year when these two teams played and terrifying and got hurt in the middle of series.

And they also didn't have against all yet. And but if you go back to that series and remember on the Islanders side like they were missing Alex Romano Dobson was was not good last year. This year he's been terrific and their their best defense and buy up by a mile and also Matt Barzil had had just come back from an injury and he wasn't himself. So I do think it's in a weird way like the Islanders are an improved bunch from what you saw last year. But the hurricanes have probably improved maybe even a little bit more, which is why the odds are wider than they were last year.

But yeah, I do think that overlook like if Dobson is in his in season for him starting with game one. He really does change the the outlook of the series for the Islanders. He was a dynamic player in the season series. Also Barzil was dynamite against Carolina during the season series as was Bo Horvat. Now neither of those guys have been great offensively of late. Kyle Palmeri has and Palmeri cracked the 30 goal mark again, and he's got goals and I think six of his last seven games who at Brock Nelson always scores against Carolina.

Although it wasn't a great season series. I don't think for Brock Nelson against Carolina. So who are the guys who are going to carry the load offensively? Yeah, I think when when you're in Carolina and you know that Brenda Moore is going to be able to get the matchup he wants on on your top line, you kind of have to just rely on on the secondary guys. And the fact that Palmeri is in great form is a huge boon to the Islanders and their chances. He's also built for this like he does his best work in and around the net and he's a bit of a bowling ball. He's very tough to keep off the puck and off the board. So I think Palmeri and Nelson, if they they continue to play the way they are and provide some secondary scoring, it gets a little bit tighter for Carolina. But the big improvement on an individual level the past two weeks for the Islanders has been between Andersley, Pierre Engvall and now fourth line center Kyle McLean, who was a call up in the middle of the year. Engvall was really bad for most of the year, but the past two weeks has looked at completely different player. And if you remember last year, he was, he was perhaps the Islanders best forward against the hurricane. He was in that, in that 16 series and Lee also down here, but he's got his stuff together. Those two are playing on opposite wings on that third line, whether it be Peugeot or McLean there, depending on Peugeot status remains to be seen. But those three guys taking a step forward is also something I think is getting a little overlooked as we go into this, because, you know, why, why would you really notice how much you've been watching this throughout? Right?

Like, but it's something I'm trying to give myself a little bit of hope for if they continue going in the right direction, all of a sudden you're looking at, you know, three lines with some scoring upside rather than just to final thing before I ask you about value around the other what seven playoff series. Is it going to be Simeon Varlamov and not Elia Sorokin to start the series? My guess is that it will be. Yeah. Yeah.

And, and that's the right decision. I think like, you know, we never know how a goalie will play on, on a given game day, but with how Varley has played the past two weeks, like he had potentially given the Islanders a chance to get this playoff birth. And, you know, Sorokin came under a lot of criticism for the way he's played the season. But when you look at the workload he faced in the first few months of the season, it was absurd. Like he, he had faced more shots by basically eight games worth than the second most in the league, which was the org. Yeah. Who had played eight fewer games than him. And that was around, you know, the all-star break. So now what I, what I like about this is that you get barley and let's say he, you know, he's good, but not great.

You have the eighth in the hole. Cause you know, Sorokin has that feeling of just being an absolute series dealer. So, and I don't think it's very different on the hurricane side, by the way, like if you go with Freddie and we've seen could check out, play some, some really good hockey. So both, both teams are going into this with really good situations and goal, which last year, the reason the Islanders were kind of a trendy underdog was because everyone thought Sorokin was going to be able to steal a series. And the hurricanes were a bit of a mess in their net, but now it's completely, you know, it's strength and strength again. It's amazing.

All right. Let me, uh, Michael LeBoff action network and the Islanders anxiety podcast Rangers are the biggest favorite in the first round against Washington. I mean, honestly, I don't see that series going beyond five games. I can't even come up with a scenario that has that series going beyond five games, but where is the value around the league? Everything in the West is tight. And the only real upset I see in the East is Tampa over Florida.

Yeah. I think that, um, the ranger series is going to be a little trickier than I think people realize. And that's because like the capitals play a very stodgy style, right? They're just, they're not going to try to engage the Rangers in anything back and forth. And that's what the Rangers want. So I do think that there may be a little bit of value betting, um, the, uh, betting the capitals on like a game to game basis.

I don't think they're going to win the series, but I do think that's, that's how I would go about that. The, um, for the ones who work hard to ensure their crew can always go the extra mile and the ones who get in early. So everyone can go home on time. There's Granger offering professional grade supplies backed by product experts.

So you can quickly and easily find what you need. Plus you can count on access to a committed team, ready to go the extra mile for you call click ranger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done. The other series I like, I do, I do agree with you. I think Tampa, that series can go in a million different directions. I think we have a pretty good idea of how the other series are going to look at least like the past that they can go down that Tampa Florida series. You can tell me it ends in a sweep. You can tell me it ends in a seven game win for a team that comes from behind three nothing.

And I would believe you it's, it's, it's got chaos written all over it. Um, but I, so I would lean towards Tampa there. And I, I think the Bruins should have a decent chance to be a good favorite against the leaves with the goal attending edge that they have. So, and Toronto has so much to work out on their blue line. So I would lean towards Boston at the current prices too.

All right. And, uh, out west, I know everybody loves Edmonton. I, for whatever reason, I don't, I don't trust Colorado's goal tending at all.

Um, but I mean, every series is tight. What are you looking at out west? Yeah, I think that my favorite thing to do at west is to just go into, um, to look at some of the long shots to win the Stanley cup. Like I do think the predators have a little bit of value at 50 to one. They can get by the Canucks.

I think that, you know, they can obviously go as deep as they want. Um, and then I think in the same regard, I do think that, uh, Roman Yossi at a hundred to one to win the, the consummate is, is, is worth a look if you're looking for some bigger bets, uh, with bigger odds. And then for the stars series, Vegas takes a game or two. I think that you can definitely, um, start to look at, uh, Dallas to win the Stanley cup. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but right now with the odds look a little short on Dallas.

But I think if, you know, they go down to one, they're, they're actually balloon a little bit. And I think that that team is, is, is I think Carolina on the east deepest team, fewest holes. I think it's the same thing with Dallas in the west. So that's how I would look at it. Yeah.

Dallas to win two rounds is plus two 85, which isn't terrible value, uh, just to get to the conference finals. Uh, Michael Leboff action network and the Islanders anxiety podcast. Uh, best part about the hurricanes and Islanders hooking up is I get to talk to you maybe seven times and maybe more. So thank you. I appreciate it.

Good luck to you too. Uh, Michael Leboff, but of course it's tempered. I don't wish him that much luck and he doesn't wish us us us us that much luck. Right. Love Michael being a good sport. Absolutely.

Because we're friends. Professionals it's time to supercharge your career at William peace university school of professional studies, the smart solution for working adults who want to earn a college degree. Our school for professional studies helps you balance work, family, and personal goals with affordable, flexible degree programs, online, flexible, affordable, attend classes. When it fits your schedule, WPU offers various start dates. So why wait, take control of your education. Your future is waiting. Explore our programs at William peace.info slash SPS William peace university, where your success takes center stage.