Bruins at the Olympics: Team USA & Canada Breakdown | Ep. 130

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0:32 Speaker 1: Home right away corner faster Chester. What is that for? Most?

0:50 Speaker 2: Welcome in everyone to another episode of Bruins Tape to Tape. I'm your host today, Caroline with a K, and this week we are talking about the Olympics, and I'm doing so with my fantastic co host Maria from Watertown.

1:05 Speaker 1: Hi Maria, Hello Caroline, how are you today? Good? Good?

1:10 Speaker 2: I've been watching a lot of hockey and I love it. I'm so glad. Uh how about you? Have you been keeping up with the games? I've been I've been trying to do my best when I can find them. The hunting and pecking with the streaming kisses me off, to say the least.

1:29 Speaker 1: But I was hoping for a little bit more compelling hockey. I don't think it's been that awesome yet. You know so, And I'm sure we can get into our thoughts on that. I have. I have some thoughts on perhaps why there's been a little bit of lack of drama in these preliminary rounds and and the hockey hasn't been as furious as I expected it to be. Yeacked.

1:55 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's been interesting for both the men's and the women's side. Because on the women's side, so we are now in the semi final level of play, we've already seen some knockouts happen. It's definitely been a very lopsided tournament.

2:18 Speaker 1: There, and on the men's side.

2:23 Speaker 2: Going into it, I certainly thought that, Okay, this could be.

2:28 Speaker 1: Anyone's tournament, and there's definitely.

2:37 Speaker 2: One team that it's they're running away with it, and everyone else is.

2:45 Speaker 1: Playing a relatively even tournament. So that was a little bit of a surprise because I wasn't expecting that.

2:53 Speaker 2: Let's dive in and we can talk a little bit about some of the bruins that we've seen out there, and then we'll talk the Olympic Games.

3:02 Speaker 1: We saw Jeremy Swayman's Olympic debut.

3:06 Speaker 2: Which well, first of all, before we even talk about him, I have to get this off my chest because people think I'm crazy. I'm sure some of our listeners probably also disagree with me and think that I'm crazy. I gotta tell you, when I watched the very first team USA game, I could not believe whoever makes the final decision. I'm assuming the coach opted to go with Connor Hellibuck. I cannot believe that the choice wasn't between Jeremy Swayman and Jay Ottinger. I know I'm not the only one because I have heard other talking heads say that it was between the two of them, that both of them have earned the net, and yet it almost seems like, well, without question, it was handed to Hella Buck.

4:03 Speaker 2: Yes, and it drives me bonkers because not because they didn't pick, oh, Jeremy Swayman first, because oh he's the Bruins goalie and I must be biased. No, I'll tell you why. That man has the worst yips I have ever seen from.

4:22 Speaker 1: An elite goaltender.

4:24 Speaker 2: That sure, he's having a bad season, just like Jordan Bennington is having a bad personal season.

4:34 Speaker 1: The difference here is Jordan Bennington has shown throughout his career in big pressure, important games he is still clutch in those games, and that's why he had that net.

4:51 Speaker 2: Hunter Hellibuck, he he's I can't believe that they picked him. I can't believe that they picked him. What were your thoughts when you saw him starting well? Again, you know, we watch our team flag, we pay attention to what happens across the league to you know, a decent degree, and we follow people who are informed on these things. And leading up to these Olympics, we were all led to believe that, based on performances on the ice and how these keepers and netminders had fared through the course of the season leading up to the Olympics, that the net would likely go to Jeremy Swinmant, J Gottinger or j Gottinger.

5:39 Speaker 1: They want Hellabuck to be the guy. There's just there's no I mean, there's no questioning and no doubt about that. They want Hellibuk to be the guy. Now, maybe some of it is kind of to prop him up to some degree. I don't know what kind of a head case he is. You've seen him crumble on more than one occasion in difficult situations where his team needed him to step up. Now, let's see, let's see how things go with the next round. Because to me, this first round of games should have been and it was a shoeing for both Team USA Men and Team USA Men Canada.

6:24 Speaker 1: Let's see what happens when the next round of play begins, and if he starts to show any cracks, how long it will take Mike Sullivan and his coaching staff to make a decision. Now, I will say, I will say that our netminder, Jeremy Swayman, didn't do himself any favors with the start he had on Saturday. Two goals, I think very soft. I don't want to hear about the color of the boards, and he even he was asked about it and he said, it doesn't make a difference to me. I'm basically color blind anyways, So he didn't.

7:08 Speaker 1: He didn't help his case any with how he played in the start that he was given. And I understand why he was given the start. They were playing back to back games and seems like all of these teams are trying to manage their goalies with the schedules that they have been they have been given. So you know, I think if if Swayman had played better, I think he would make that he would make the decision from Mike Sullivan and the rest of the coaching staff a hell of a lot harder, Yes, but I agree. But let's just see what happens in the next round of.

7:49 Speaker 2: Speaking of Jeremy Swayman, because we'll talk a little bit about the Bruins that are playing. Obviously, he did not have a spectacular game. He definitely had two goals that were just tear well, at least one that was terrible luck. The first goal allowed going off of Wrenski. That just sucks. I think I felt like that one was that was just kind of crappy, bad luck. You really hope that your goaltender can can stay on top of those. And who knows, maybe there were nerves this is the first big game.

8:23 Speaker 2: But I will say in an in another you know, argument for him to have been used perhaps in the first game and otter in this in the second game and whatever. Was the fact that Swayman took Team USA to the World Championship World Clash, and I think people were putting a lot of a lot of stock in his play in that tournament.

8:47 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think and I agree with you.

8:49 Speaker 2: You know, the shot from the boards that was just that was terrible, like that that was one hundred percent on him.

8:56 Speaker 1: Who knows, maybe he was just not paying attention because it was course to the end of the period. But he had his shot. I think. I hate to say it, because it's not that he was horrible. The team still won, but I doubt we'll see him again. No, I think that I think that that that long distance shot was one that sunk. I think it did sink him to some degree. I really and and this. You know this, this is not a tournament where the margin for era is very very tight. It's a very very tight window it is.

9:37 Speaker 2: And again hence the reason why I think it's insane that they're going with hellibuck, because this isn't the best of X number of games. It's one and done. So perhaps that first round was quote unquote low pressure and he did fine. I don't know that he necessarily held a necessarily faced a ton of shots to say, like, you know, oh my god, he was standing on his head like we saw with some of these other teams goaltenders. Yeah, you know, so he wasn't being put through the paces and the pressure very different preliminary round.

10:15 Speaker 1: Everybody moves on. Everyone's just out right. You're trying to build, you're trying to build your point status. Your goal differential status, which Canada is like freaking running away with like it's crazy. They're like a plus seventeen or plus nineteen. It's nuts, It's nuts. I mean that, yeah, that you know, that beat down against France, that ten to two, that's like that projected them to a goal differential that I'm not sure anyone's going to catch up to.

10:47 Speaker 2: What this ring so exactly, the the preliminary round is more so about your offensive firepower, not obviously you have to win and you win bicycle and goals and then you get your seating based on the points and then goal differential. So it was obviously very important that for any of these teams.

11:11 Speaker 1: That their goalscorers are the ones who did the bulk of the work there.

11:15 Speaker 2: It's going to be, I would imagine potentially a little bit more of a defensive game, or you're going to see a little bit more defensive focus in the following rounds because then it becomes the knockout you that's where it matters.

11:31 Speaker 1: So well, it didn't seem to me that a lot of teams were playing with a sense of urgency because they were preliminary games and I think you're out, Yeah, and I found that to be a tad bit warring, to be perfectly honest with you, and I call it not compelling hockey. I'm also starting to wonder if the because the rink is not up to national hockey standards, right and so you know you've got a smaller ice surface to work with, if that is impeding some of the clipmaking. It just doesn't seem to be a lot of like good ebb and flow to the games.

12:18 Speaker 1: Yep, agreed.

12:21 Speaker 2: So let's take a quick look at some of our other Bruin players. David Pasternak with Chekia, he's had himself. I could have sworn more than one goal, but no, he's he's only had three points. Yeah, yeah, I had those stats this morning and in three games played he has only three points. Yeah, he's had a quieter one goal to assist. Now he's had opportunities on the power play. I think the other.

12:55 Speaker 1: Day was yesterday the wide open net. I know, I know he's bunched up with a bunch of other players with three point margin here with three games, three games played, I couldn't even find a stat for a line of slendle business.

13:15 Speaker 2: I know, well, I saw Loshmellis for Latvia. He has himself two points. Great, good job. We love to see that. And then we've got I know, I was looking. I'm like, I don't see.

13:30 Speaker 1: No, you got to dig down. You have to dig down deep here. But even like someone like Sebastianajo, he's struggling a little bit, he's got you know, in three games, he's got two goals. You expect a little bit more. I think your point of But even Brad Marshaan, Now Brad's only played one game, oh gay one and he's he's registered only one point. Now, John Cooper did say that Marshand would play in the quarter file fimals.

14:00 Speaker 2: So yeah, and I think again, I think that kind of backs up your point of everything in that these teams that have a lot of expectation put on them, the Canada, US, Sweden, Finland, those teams. I'm not saying that they didn't play hard, but I think they didn't put everything out there. And that's insane because if anyone watched Team Canada play even five minutes, first of all, holy crap.

14:37 Speaker 1: But second of all, holy holy crap. If they've got another level, which you know that they do. Yeah, they're scary, and I'm not sure that I could say the same thing about Team USA being a scary team.

14:52 Speaker 2: Let's before we dive into then our kind of breakdown and discussion about in particular Team can Team USA, because those are obviously the big ones. The women's tournament has been going strong an ass man, You know, when I think about the men's tournament and the women's tournament, the way I see the men's Team Canada play is exactly how I see the women's Team USA play.

15:23 Speaker 1: They are.

15:26 Speaker 2: Just, they are surgical, they are a machine. They are intense and.

15:38 Speaker 1: Right.

15:38 Speaker 2: They are playing right now as we record this, so by the time you hear this, the outcome will have been determined.

15:46 Speaker 1: They are currently playing Team Sweden in a knockout round and they lead one nothing. Thank yes, and I think it's in between periods right now. It is. They've only allowed one goal. This entire was just gonna go there twenty six goals for and only one goal against. It's unbelievable what these women are doing. They are just They're kicking serious ass. Yeah.

16:23 Speaker 2: I mean, you watch you watch them play, and it's fun to watch.

16:28 Speaker 1: They are fun to watch.

16:30 Speaker 2: It's like a ballet. It's just beautiful to watch. And you've got players out there like Abby Murphy who she is a future superstar, and she can skate circles around anyone.

16:45 Speaker 1: She can. It's almost like she can.

16:47 Speaker 2: Just will the puck to go where it needs to go. It's just absolutely just surreal to watch. Again, this is a team with high expectations, but I don't think that they went into this tournament. I mean, I don't think us, as fans whatever the world was looking at them and saying, yes, you are the ones who are going to do it. I think Canada is always going to have that mantle placed on them, regardless.

17:16 Speaker 1: That the expectation is that they they go all the way.

17:21 Speaker 2: And since nineteen ninety eight, Canada has won most of the tournaments. The United States has done it I believe only twice once or twice before, and it's been not since when were they in Korea?

17:39 Speaker 1: Oco, Yeah twenty eighteen.

17:42 Speaker 2: For a while, it's yeah twenty eighteen because fourteen is so very excited to see what they can do. Because they haven't lost sight there of what's in front of them. They don't seem to be playing with any other thought in their mind. Than what's right in front of them, and it's just watching them plays.

18:04 Speaker 1: They are fun to watch, and it's just it's a testament to USA Hockey and the growth of the sport here, particularly particularly from from the women's side of things. It's just it's just amazing and these women just their dedication to their craft is super just super.

18:27 Speaker 2: Yes, in less awesome news, we've seen our first serious injury of an NHL player, Kevin Fiala, when they played against Team Canada the Swiss.

18:44 Speaker 1: He got tangled up with Tom Wilson.

18:47 Speaker 2: I got to tell you forever, I was watching the clip over and over again and I couldn't even really understand what happened because it didn't seem like anything terrible.

18:58 Speaker 1: It was. It was just an innocuous tangling up with a bad result. And I did see on social media because it's some Wilson and Barb be it for any of us as Ruins fans to defend Tom Wilson in any way, shape or form. But there was no friggin sloof look there. Agreed. That was just an unfortunate hockey scrum that ended in probably the worst results that you would want to have happen. Which is a season ending injury to Kevin Fiala, who suffered what is being referred to as fractures, not just fracture, fractures in his lower left leg.

19:42 Speaker 1: The underwent surgery. The LA Kings put out a statement yesterday He's resting comfortably, will begin recovery and rehabilitation. He's going to miss the remainder of this NHL season, and then he'll be reavoun You waited at the end of the regular season, so this was one of my concerns, right And I know this injury could have happened during a regular season game because again it was just you know, along the boards, a pet battle, It got tangled up. It was nothing more than that. But it just had a terrible, terrible results for Kevin Bialla.

20:23 Speaker 1: But I hope that there are no more of these types of injuries now. You hate to see it. It's just awful, all right.

20:32 Speaker 2: So as a quick recap just of where the tournaments stand as of today, February sixteenth, we have women's team USA and Sweden. Like I said right now live as we speak later today is Team Canada versus Switzerland. The winners of those games are going on to the gold medal game, which will be on February nineteenth, and then the other two teams that don't win also play on the nineteenth earlier in the day for the bronze medal. So effectively, you see, we've got our four. Three of the four remaining teams are going to be walking away with medals, so we will know what happens by the nineteenth, which is great.

21:29 Speaker 2: They've been playing a long time already. They're probably pooped.

21:33 Speaker 1: I know, it seems like they have been playing a lot longer than the men playing. Yes, is the case. Even they started before the Olympics. They did, they even officially began, so they did.

21:44 Speaker 2: Yeah, they've been playing for I mean, not every day for ten days, but they've already been there for probably they've already been in Italy for probably about two weeks.

21:53 Speaker 1: That's a long time already to be away.

21:55 Speaker 2: And then for the men's again, we just got out of the preliminary round robin. The four top seeds, as determined by points and gold differential, ended up being Canada with number one, USA with number two, Slovakia with number three. That was a pleasant surprise, and Finland and I'm not surprised by Finland only because in their final game of the preliminaries, I believe they finished a game with a final of eleven to zero.

22:35 Speaker 1: I feel the poor Italians have just been like beat down,

22:44 Speaker 1: beat down in every single one of these games.

22:48 Speaker 2: Just I think for both again, the men's and the women's Italian teams.

22:53 Speaker 1: I know we're not doing our.

22:55 Speaker 2: Usual stick taps, but they they deserve a tremendous stick tap. Those goaltenders just unreal the number of shots that they're facing and the fact that they didn't allow that many goals. Considering the shots, those goalies still walked away with probably a nine hundred save percent.

23:15 Speaker 1: No, no, no, they do have, they do have reason to be proud. It's just unfortunate that you know, as as the host nation you're participating in the sport that clearly you don't have the how do I put this, you're just not ready. You're just not ready for prime time. Yet they're still in a developmental phase. Yeah, certainly.

23:42 Speaker 2: And I have to say, at least for the women's goaltender, PWHL scouts better be giving her a very very close look because some of the saves that this woman made were unbelievable. She came who they were playing, I want to say Team USA. She made a diving save with the paddle of her stick on Abby Murphy. It was unbelievable. I couldn't I was blown away. So whenever the PWHL goes to expand once more, because they are going to continue to expand, I hope we see this woman in the league because I mean not to knock any of the Italian clubs, but that woman.

24:40 Speaker 3: Holy cow, holy cow, she was able to survive and thrive against some of the best players in the world.

24:51 Speaker 1: Unbelievable, unbelievable. Well done them. Well, at least they've had an opportunity. Those players, you know, have had an opportunity to show case themselves to some degree. To your point, you know, I'm sure that there are many many scouts and organizations, you know, in Milan Cortina watching these games. So at least they've had that opportunity as posts and ambassadors for Sea Olympics. Yeah.

25:24 Speaker 2: So the first games for the knockout round for the men's tournament will begin on the seventeenth. We've got Germany and France playing against each other, as Switzerland and Italy, Czech Republic and Denmark, Sweden and Latvia the winner.

25:46 Speaker 1: Of and then those winners will play the seedings as there they basically stand on February eighteenth, So there's going to be a lot of hockey, and yes, the next three days with three days, yeah, yeah.

26:03 Speaker 2: Very exciting part of the men's tournament is coming up now.

26:09 Speaker 1: And I know people are complaining about the gold medal game and what time the gold medal game will take place on Sunday, February twenty second, But here's the reality books. These athletes are all there to absorb all that, I would hope and think all that encompasses the Olympics, including participating in the closing ceremonies. That's why these games have been scheduled when they have been scheduled, so as to provide the opportunity for whoever is participating in those gold medal games to then be able to go to the closing ceremonies.

26:54 Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, And it's for them first and foremost. This isn't like the NHL.

26:59 Speaker 2: Where it is exclusively a product of entertainment for consumption. That's not what the Olympics is. It's for the athletes. So the focus is very different and quite frankly, I have zero problem with getting up. What the game is at two o'clock local time there, so it's at eight o'clock in the morning.

27:24 Speaker 1: Yeah, it will be at eight ten, I believe, on Sunesday morning. What's a big deal. That's fine? What do we I mean? Honestly, this is what drives me. Not right. People will wake up to watch a flip an NFL football game at an ungodly hour. But we're complaining about We're complaining about a gold medal hockey game. You know, what are we doing? Exactly?

27:51 Speaker 2: Let's talk about the men again as a quick overview, the Team USA men, because we're going to just talk mostly Team USA and Team Canada because these are obviously the the big the big guns here. Team USA won five to one against Latvia, sixty three against Denmark, and five to one against Germany. Team Canada won five nothing against Chechia, five to one against Switzerland, and ten to two against France. And the ten to two win had nine different goal scorers.

28:29 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think that that game had a little bit of feistiness late in the game, I think, and rightfully so, I'm sure that France just felt so embarrassed and moralize frustrated that. You know, things did get a little little chunky chippy in that game. Yeah, but I do want to say it was you know, Matt Kuchuk is being Matt Kuldchuk. And I forget what game it was, if it was yesterday at the day before where you know, he said to an opponent, you know, always the bride. I mean you could see it clearly without even the need for him to be miked up, always the bride'smaids.

29:11 Speaker 1: So I guess, you know, if he thinks that's what his team needs to get them a little bit more emotionally engaged in the game, or you know, who knows if something was said to him, you know, if if something was said to him first, then you feel compelled to re fond and kind I'm fine with it. I just I thought it was a little funny, you know. But I know a lot of people don't like his antics, don't appreciate his antics because he does have a little bit of a you know, rat behavior. But let's not forget that.

29:48 Speaker 1: You know, we had the King of the Rats as a member of the Boston Bruins for many, many many years.

29:53 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think for me like with his play and his brother's play, because they've gotten a little pushy, chovy, a little chippy. It's not that I have a problem with them necessarily being chippy in a game. I don't trust them in to not take it too far in an international game where the rules of decorum are different, that yes, I would agree with you, even if you're playing against another team that is also one hundred percent and nhl RS. The rules are different, the written and unwritten rules of decorum are different, and I feel like I just can't trust them because that's who they are through and through, and I don't know how you can expect someone who, whatever their personality is, to then not be that thing in the game.

30:54 Speaker 1: I hear what you're saying. I get what you're saying, and far be it from me to defend these boys. Listen, I'd be a hypocrypte if I didn't say that. I would take either one of them on my team in a heartbeat. In a heartbeat, because they can play. They're players, they're big game players, they are leaders, they're leaders on their respected teams. They know how to play. But I believe that they understand the dynamics of this tournament and they understand what's at stake here. It's not only it's not only respect and reputation that you carry, but it's also of your team and your nation.

31:44 Speaker 1: So I think that these boys, I would hope and think that these boys understand that, and that there are other people on the team that will in fact get them to understand that if it seems like they're stepping over that line. But there are instances where guys like Matt Kuchuk and you know, Brad marshand and Tom Wilson's they need to have that little bit of dog or dirt in there way to the level that they expect of themselves. It's just tempering that, knowing your audience, knowing when to use it, and knowing when to stow it away.

32:26 Speaker 1: Yeah, I have to imagine kind of the way USA just went up to Zepp. You must be in the future, because I still only show one ye no during the second period. Here they just here comes it is there, it is there, it is They just got off the Oh that was a bad goal. To let it all a look who's on the ice, Abby Murphy.

32:54 Speaker 2: The way that I feel about those brothers, I'm I have to imagine is how a lot of Team Canada fans feel about Tom Wilson. You heard about it going into the Olympics, like just a ton of concern like can he can he keep it under control?

33:11 Speaker 1: Can he keep it under rightfully? So these are all valid concerns because we have seen the slip ups in the past where these types of players sometimes can't help themselves and they take it sometimes to a level where you're like, did you really have to do that, dumb ass? And I know I've said this about Brad in the past too, like really, what are you doing right now? That was stupid? Our whole season, Our whole Bruins season this year has been exactly that, with stupid penalties that cost them in the long run a win, and again now entering the phase of the tournament where it's you're one and done, that's it.

33:56 Speaker 1: If you lose, you're done, you go home. It's just again this team.

34:02 Speaker 2: And I know you kind of started talking about this a little bit and definitely let's move into this. But for me, the biggest difference between Team Canada and Team USA is Team Canada. I don't know what it is. It's not just their pure talent, because Team USA has a ridiculous amount of talent as well. Yes, for me, the difference I think comes down to on Team Canada, it is a seamless integration of each of these parts that come together to create this singular team that just works together so perfectly.

34:42 Speaker 1: I don't know if that if you then call that, is.

34:45 Speaker 2: That chemistry, their energy, whatever ridiculous thing you want.

34:50 Speaker 1: I think they seem more together as a unified team, cohesive units right now than Team US, say does.

35:01 Speaker 2: Yeah, and maybe, and again this could be, this could be the result of the team culture that has been developed and created by Sid for the past however many years, right since all twenty time. He's been an Olympian since twenty ten, and that certainly seems like his style of leadership. It's don't yep with your mouth, yep with your skill set ability right where? And so I don't know if that's a sid led team culture thing. It could be a Canadian personality cultural thing. I don't know, but I feel like that's very much.

35:44 Speaker 2: But look at the players that they have assembled on Team Canada, and again all great players on both sides of the fence. But when you look at the skill set and the leadership ability of the players that have been put together on Team Canada because most of these guys are leaders on the teams that they play for. Yep, and I feel like they are very much so a similar brand of leadership.

36:19 Speaker 1: What they bring is different. Each one of them brings something different, but their brand of leadership. Again, it's the I'm going to just go out there and play versus with Team USA. It feels like a bunch of parts that have been brought together, mostly working well together, but it just feels a little more individualistic, a little bit more. I almost want to say all star teamy, and I don't mean that necessarily in a bad way. It's just still very very much a group of individual parts. I don't know it.

37:05 Speaker 1: It's so hard to articulate and to watch them play out there.

37:10 Speaker 2: Seems very much full of effort that, like you said earlier,

37:19 Speaker 2: can they sustain this, because I think they look like they're trying very hard.

37:27 Speaker 1: And I'm not saying that the other teams aren't trying hard, but no, you can tell that they are trying very hard. You have high shots on goal, but they're not walking away with ten gold games. And it kind of feels like it could be a slog and can they raise it another level for three more games. That's why I'm going to be really curious to see at this next level here, because again I didn't see a lot of sense of urgency in their play. Yeah, well they don't even play there. They're definitely they're definitely not as deep in my view, They're definitely not as deep as as Team Canada.

38:13 Speaker 1: I mean, you even look look at a kid like Hey Macklin, celebrity freaking nineteen years old. He scored two goals three games, He's got four goals to six points. He's he's behind Connor McDavid in points score, right, And I'm not discounting I'm not discounting Team USA because it's you know, anything, anything is possible, anything can happen. Yes, based on what I'm seeing of both teams, for a Team USA is going to have to play if and when they face each other in whatever round it is, they're going to have to have I think, the game of their lives, of their lives, because this is not like the Four Nations.

39:03 Speaker 1: It's where you know, you can just drop the gloves and get the crowd going and pose your physical will, because you know, any questionable hits can have you sent from the game's no fighting. I think those are I think that's the difference with these two teams. I think Team USA might need to play with a little bit of that. And will they be able to play a little bit of that? Can they? Can they do that? Can they do that? What is it too much without crossing lines or without getting themselves into a prover, you know, a hole that they can't get out of.

39:44 Speaker 2: And even thinking about the comparison of this team to the team that played in the Four Nations, which again it's mostly the same. I remember thinking after Four Nations last year, I was so so impressed with Team USA, and I thought, and I said, if this is the team that shows up to play in the Olympics, this is the best chance that they've had in a very very long time. But looking at the team that I have seen play over the last week, that's not the same team that I saw in the Four Nations. I can't necessarily articulate it, but I don't get the same feeling.

40:28 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I'm just you know, I think to some degree, and I don't want to say, you know, there's no players should be holding that, but it just seemed to me that they haven't reached their highest level yet. Right, It's just my opinion. I could be totally totally wrong.

40:47 Speaker 2: Right, Well, hopefully what we saw wasn't it, you know what I mean like that that it wasn't right.

40:54 Speaker 1: No, no, no, I know, I know, I know because if not, yeah, breaking, And this is if if you end up facing Canada, they're going to wax your doors.

41:04 Speaker 2: Right and Team USA is going to be playing either Sweden or Lavia.

41:13 Speaker 1: So that's that's who they will take on on February eighteenth, the winner of that particular game, the winner of that game, yep, yep, yep yep.

41:22 Speaker 2: And then only then if they win, and if Canada beats the winner of Chechia Denmark.

41:28 Speaker 1: And that Lackedvia team They've got some feistiness to them, you know, they do, they do. They have some spice.

41:38 Speaker 2: But that's where things are as of today, February sixteenth, in the Olympics, and it's going to be an exciting week to come.

41:49 Speaker 1: We're gonna see who walks away with a medal.

41:53 Speaker 2: The NHL teams are going to be back at it very very soon. In fact, there are practices already scheduled before the folks who are in Milan, the Ruins.

42:08 Speaker 1: Are practice, they're going to begin practicing. Those Bruins who are not participating in the Olympics are being called back to work on February eighteen, and I believe their first game after the Olympics, I want to say, is February twenty fourth, twenty fourth or twenty fifth.

42:29 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's midweek that week. So presumably you've got any of the teams that are playing in the gold medal game, which is the twenty second, the bronze medal game, which is the twenty first, they'll all be coming back.

42:46 Speaker 1: They'll have like a day or two of rest, and then it's actually the Ruins may not start right away. Some teens are Ruins start right away. I want to say the Bruins first game is the twenty fifth, but by that right now their first game back for Boston. Yeah, so and their home which is.

43:08 Speaker 2: Good, like that's that's good for our players who are.

43:12 Speaker 1: Charlie Coyle comes back to Boston on the twenty sixth, so and then and then it's then it's like then it's a free for all. It is an unmitigated free for all. Get ready, It's it's like when you look at this, it's it's fricking nuts.

43:35 Speaker 2: Absolutely, it's the Sprint. But that being said, I want to thank everybody for tuning back in. Make sure you like and subscribe for more content, and be sure to leave a rating and review to help other Bruins fans find us. You can support the pod by joining our Patreon or following us on our socials at Tape to Tape mk and on substack at Tape to Tape mk dot subseac dot com. Any final thoughts, Aria, go team U s A.

44:07 Speaker 1: As always, go Bes and go Olympics. Go Bes