Team USA is 2 for 2 at the 25th Winter Olympics | Ep. 131

0:00 Speaker 1: God, Hey hockey fans. Maria and I want to preface today's episode in light of the video that surfaced from the men's locker room of Team USA. We have always been and always will be supporters of women in the hockey sphere, whether it is on the ice or in the stands. We celebrate and admire the incredible accomplishment of Team USA women bringing home gold medal.

1:01 Speaker 2: Welcome in everyone to another episode of Ruins Tape to tape. We are recording today's episode on Monday, February twenty third from Snowmageddon in it seems like everywhere it's just disgusting, absolutely disgusting. I'm pretty much done with Mother Nature and all of her terrible, terrible jokes this winter. But I digress. I want to welcome in my co host Caroline with Akay, who is likely still basking in the glow of victories for Team USA as I am. That has been the one bright spot of this weekend.

1:49 Speaker 1: Yes, this whole week we have been just blessed by the hockey gods on all fronts and bo both tournaments to see some of the best hockey I have ever seen in my entire life. Both the men's and the women's women's hockey. You know, I want to just come out and just say to anybody who is poo pooing the women's hockey team or whatever, you don't know hockey, because you don't know hockey, get a grip on yourselves. You have no idea. Holy shit.

2:26 Speaker 2: So I know we said last week, or I said last week in our episode that I found it to be not very compelling hockey up until these Metal rounds, and I don't think it was compelling. I wasn't alone in in depth block, but the Metal rounds for both the men and the women, Holy molly, did they deliver great hockey in the best way possible.

2:58 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, I would say that, and I mean, you know, hat tip to all of the other teams. But today we are mostly just going to be talking about Canada and the US and both the men's and the women's tournaments. Both teams leading up to their respective Metal rounds and the gold medal games, they played not necessarily fast and loose, but those games that really really started to matter, they started to get super tight, really low scoring, and it became so much more exciting, so much more stressful. It was.

3:43 Speaker 1: It was a completely different game that we saw, completely different. It was night and day. It was night and day. And I can't pinpoint what the difference was other than the stakes got a little bit higher. Maybe there were wake up calls for certain teams in terms of, you know how it seemed like a bit of a cake walk. It was for you know, let's let's lay it out on the table. Team USA Women's they were just kicking ass, taking names and numbers. I don't think they really had any hard games. Same thing for Team Canada Men's up until the Metal rounds, where everything was seemingly falling right into you know, the script that was written for them, so to speak.

4:38 Speaker 1: And maybe the men's team's USA to a little degree, but I know that we had shared some concerns about where's the next level? Where is it? Are they hiding it? Do they have it? Yeah?

4:49 Speaker 2: But yikes, when they got to those Metal games, those those those specific teams and and Team Canada Women's, hats off to them because I think they didn't seem to be playing as strong as as our women's team was.

5:07 Speaker 1: But boy, in that gold medal game, they brought it to another level. Yeah, defensively, I mean they the Canadian women defensively found an ability to completely shut down Team USA's offense. And of course it all comes down to goaltending. Both Canada and the United States fantastic goaltenders. I mean, you know, we're going to get to our stick taps. But Aaron Frankel allowed two goals in the entire tournament. Two goals allowed, okay, And when I was watching that game, quite frankly, the goal that she allowed by Canada a little bit of a freak occurrence because it was not too long after the start of the period and I think that the ice was still a little bit slippery from the refresh and she just didn't, you know, made a tiny mistake, didn't adjust in time, and the goal kind of snuck in.

6:18 Speaker 1: But the fact that the team Team USA didn't run away with the shots on goal, didn't score five goals in a game. They had scored five goals in every game that they played except for that game. So Team Canada's defense just really stepped up. And these two teams played against each other in the preliminaries and it was a blowout. Was there was no contests. Needless to say, I was thinking and I think we talked about this last week because that had happened. At that point, if I was Team Canada, I'd been a little bit nervous going into then that Golden Game.

7:00 Speaker 1: But they they kind of flipped the script and they they came out a very different team, and I don't know if that was a bit of a surprise to Team USA, but sure enough, Captain America herself, Hillary Knight, was able to score just an absolutely filthy goal on the Canadian goaltender to actually give the women then that chance to go into overtime and have a smile on my face.

7:32 Speaker 2: I don't know how you can not.

7:36 Speaker 1: Not be happy.

7:38 Speaker 2: Wait right, see see the commitment, the effort, the pride, the work ethic that these ladies have put in, and and and our men too, because you know now the men that the Team US and men's were just were viewed, I believe, as underdogs if they were going to meet up with Team Canada, and we're going to get to that game. Because there were some things that came out of that game that were awesome and things that are not so awesome that I have some thoughts and comments about, but we'll we'll get to that.

8:20 Speaker 2: This couldn't have played out any better for USA hockey purposes. Oh yeah, if you had kids watching that game, girls, boys, whatever, they're all running around right now, I would think saying, I want to play hockey.

8:38 Speaker 1: I want to play hockey.

8:39 Speaker 2: I want to be I want to be like Jack Hughes, I want to be like Hillary Knight.

8:43 Speaker 1: Yeah. For long time listeners of the pod, even since last year's Four Nations tournament, I have consistently said that this for the men in particular, this is the best team USA that the men say the program has put together, that this was the best chance that they had. But on the women's side, they've always been good to That's something that they have had a degree of success that the men's side of the program has not had. Granted, yes, women's hockey has only been at the Olympics since nineteen ninety eight, and it's been the same two teams in the final every single time.

9:29 Speaker 1: But what team usay on the women's side put forward, I think simultaneously to the impact that the men's team isnt because again, forty six years on par in my opinion, but in two different ways. You know, there's the men's team again that is a generational impact the history behind it. It's going to get all sorts of kids excited about hockey and trying hockey. We know that it nineteen eighty that that win got a lot of American kids into hockey, and so don't be surprised if in fifteen years we see an influx of American players in the pros.

10:14 Speaker 1: But for women's hockey, the product that I saw on the ice was the most elite level finesse hockey I have ever seen put out there for women's hockey, and just the product in general. I mean, there were women on that team. I think that there is zero question in my mind that they could make an NHL team. There's a zero question in my mind right because you've got you have players in the NHL who maybe they're not as physical, they're not as big, but they are those finesse players. And Team USA's Women certainly has people who could make an NHI well.

11:01 Speaker 2: And they're shaped there. They they're comprised of so much experience and talent and leadership within that room. It's just again, it's just a testament to how far the women's sport has come in hockey. The fact that we have now a women's professional league and the Fleet to have a game upcoming here that as Team USA continued to advance, more seats were sold by the time they got to the gold medal game, that that Fleet home game is totally sold out, which is awesome. Which is awesome the league will be able to expand and therefore afford and provide an opportunity for yet more young women to develop and grow in the sport.

11:55 Speaker 2: It's just it like gives It gives me goose bumps. I think it's freaking awesome. And the fact that the fact that there seems to be a good and genuine camaraderie and support between men and women the USA Hockey and those teams, I think is awesome. That can only help the women's cause.

12:22 Speaker 1: Absolutely. I think that the PWHL has really put the cherry on top for women's hockey in general. It's not the first professional league, but this is the first coalesced group. Right There. Used to be a couple of smaller pro leagues, and as you grow and develop that singular league, you are bringing together the best talent that you can find in hockey and bringing that to all of these women to help grow and develop their game. They're sharing the resources, just like with the NHL. I mean, think about it, when you had you went from complete amateurs in the Olympics to professionals.

13:05 Speaker 1: They're not just professionals because they're not just good because they are professional. They are good because they have access to all of the things that professionals have to help raise and elevate their game, right, but all those people behind them to condition them, to coach them, to give them proper nutrition and all of that kind of stuff. And so I think you've hit the nail on the head that as the women's the PWHL expands and grows and brings in more women, it increases the competition level and increases the product that you see out of the ice fantastic all around.

13:43 Speaker 1: I was in the same boat as you. I was a little bit worried that this tournament was going to be lopsided on one side as a hockey fan, fantasngratulation.

13:55 Speaker 2: The team team both team usas on bringing home the gold. But I think even more so the pride that was on display, you know, and I'm not going to go into any type of you know, political tangent, but the fact that we actually have people like Jack Hughes and Hillary Knight showing pride.

14:22 Speaker 1: But being an American is awesome, absolutely awesome. Although I have to say this is kind of funny. With all these NHLers playing in the Olympics, we were very torn about who we wanted to win different games because it's so much harder when you've got these pros, and like, all these bruins are in these different teams, and it's like, but I love Pasta, I know this team to what you know? I know.

14:46 Speaker 2: I have to tell you I was rooting for certain certain players up to a point, but I found myself yesterday for the first time. I looked at my daughter and I said, I have no problem rooting against Brad Marshand, no problem whatsoever rooting against Marshi.

15:09 Speaker 1: That's hilarious, I know. But then that means you also had to root for.

15:14 Speaker 2: Austin Matthews, well, you know what, and the Kutchuk boys. But you know what, because of it, because I am proud to be in America, American, because you know, I'm a competitive you know what, I could hold my nose. I could hold my nose in this instance to watch those boys and honestly say what you will about the Kutchuk boys. And I know, you know, we're not all fans of how they played their games. But to see Matthew Kutchuk skate over to the stands, oh, don't even and and and along with I believe it was we're in and pick up the good Boudreaux kids.

15:59 Speaker 2: Listen, I don't care if he ran over an old lady on her bike yesterday to do that, and they brought those kids over to take that picture.

16:09 Speaker 1: Sorry, that to me is like someone whose cutting onions, you get a shit ton of points in my book.

16:17 Speaker 2: Yeah, thiss me off next time I see him in a Florida Panthers jersey or Ottawa Senators.

16:23 Speaker 1: Of course, of course, of course. The other thing. Also, I wanted to say, because I have to share this story because I thought this was hilarious. But when the women went into overtime, oh my god, and Megan Keller scored that goal, I screamed. I shrieked so loud, and I jumped up so fast I had to immediately sit down because I thought I was going to pass out.

16:53 Speaker 2: I can tell you that, you know, the men's game, to me, yesterday felt like a game seven of a Stanley Cup Finals. Oh my god, where I'm like, I'm not even playing the game. And I think any of us who were watching that game that have been longstanding hockey fans and knowing the history of these two teams and the last time that team USA brought home Olympic gold, and I'm thinking, I'm a rep here, like I'm ready to throw up in my mouth, and I'm not even playing this game. Like that's how intense. And I can only imagine how those players on the ice felt.

17:34 Speaker 2: And listen, say what we will about Connor Hellibuck and the yips that he's had in the past for his playoffs, and say what you will about Tim Thomas and the run he had in the twenty eleven Stanley Cup Finals. That game yesterday, by far, was one of the most superb goaltending performances I have ever seen in my lifetime. You talk about getting a monkey off your striking back, although now the pressure on him because his team is going to expect that from him, But you know what, that's Winnipeg's issue, not yes, yes, but well and then for the.

18:18 Speaker 1: Team you I say, men's. I didn't know that the game had ended because the camera angle was kind of terrible, Like I'm man put all of NBC into our penalty box later, but I didn't know the game ended. I'm sitting there watching, you know, like I got my my face in my hands, and my husband is standing there and he's watching, and he's like, is it over? And I was like what what?

18:47 Speaker 2: What?

18:47 Speaker 1: Because it felt surreal. It felt surreal. You didn't see it, and I just it's not that I didn't think they could do it. I was just preparing myself for the disappointment that they weren't going to do it. Do you know what I'm saying, Like, I just want to think that they could do it, because I've seen them not do it so many times. But we'll get into the game. We'll get into the later, the dirty details of the game.

19:13 Speaker 2: I absolutely flip and love every minute of it, every minute of it. Right, But we do have some Bruins business. Yes, we have some Bruins business. Bruins get back to work on Thursday night. We are going to preview those those games quickly. We have heard that Pavel Zaka has been practicing, however, practicing in a no contact jersey.

19:45 Speaker 1: I think that he just came out of the cot I think they're off today.

19:50 Speaker 2: I don't think they were going to practice today. I think this was an off date for them. But practicing have been taking place for the non Olympians since February eighteenth. We're holding out hope that all of the Olympians get back to their respected teams with what is happening here with weather issues and hundreds and hundreds of flights being canceled. But I think the good news on that front is is that only a small segment of players have games that are scheduled to take place on Wednesday. The rest of them should be able to get back to their teams for their Thursday games.

20:37 Speaker 2: But we'll see about that. But yeah, we're back to hockey business.

20:42 Speaker 1: So actually half a league starts on Wednesday. Okay, that's more than I was expecting. That's more than I was expecting too. Yeah. Yeah, some key guys are going to have to ski daddle out of Europe to get home in time and hopefully no significant delays with the storm that's that's currently hitting the northeast.

21:03 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's hummeling kicking the crap out of us right now. So let's get to the men's game, because that's the most recent that took place on Sunday. I know a lot of people were bitching and moaning about the time of the game. And listen, I understand it is frustrating, right, you're in the Pacific Coast. It's am right, right, right, But you also have to understand there's a big world out there, people, Okay, yes, and this was taking place in a component of that big world. And they also, you know, the schedulers wanted to try and ensure that all of the athletes and perhaps even spectators of that gold medal game would be able to attend the closing ceremonies in some way, shape or form.

21:54 Speaker 2: So again easy for me to say, I even heard people whining about the fact that it was eight ten am Eastern Standard time. Well, let me tell you, there were a lot of bars in Boston that we end up at seven thirty am on Sunday morning that had quite a number of people here, oh yeah, watching this game. I was not at one of them, even though one was within walking distance to my house.

22:17 Speaker 1: I decided to.

22:18 Speaker 2: Watch at all. So I understand that. But listen, these games can't all be scheduled to everyone's convenience, and especially when it's on a world stage. It's just it's next to one possible. So if you really want to watch the game, you can make the effort to watch the game, or you know, stay off of social media and watch it after the fact. Because what I ended up watching it again later in the evening because it was being replayed on USA Network and I'm like, I'm gonna watch this again because I think it was fun to watch.

22:56 Speaker 1: Yeah, oh goodness. Yeah, well we were already up, were ready to go, so I was just glad it didn't go into overtime for another two or three overtimes like we've seen.

23:08 Speaker 2: Possible half And I think that's one of the rationales who are going to three on three. And I know there's been a lot of controversy about that as well, and we'll get to John Cooper's whining about that, but in terms of being able to I think you have more of a plausible chance of the game being completed and having a result three on three rather than five on five. Hey, yeah, this game was not the Stanley Cup finals. This was an international tournament. This happens with World Cups where they go to you know, a shootout as well.

23:50 Speaker 2: These games have to end at some point, and why it's not a perfect scenario or ideal because we're a customer to you know, five on five in the Stanley Cup playoffs, that's it. There's no gimmicks after that, there's no gimmicks. Okay, I get it, I get it. But in this instance, it's an international tournament. There are time constraints, there are travel constraints, there's any number of things. So you've got to come up with somewhat of a viable or matt see it to its conclusion so that a winner.

24:31 Speaker 1: Can come forward.

24:32 Speaker 2: Now here's where I have a problem with John Cooper and his comments. Now, and maybe I didn't understand the context of the comments, but when you're whining after you've lost, and we all saw your reaction John from the bench.

24:51 Speaker 1: Because we clearly heard you.

24:54 Speaker 2: Say Buck, okay, didn't need to be a lip reader, all right, exactly, Okay. If I'm not mistaken, and maybe I'm wrong, I would like to think that the IOC shared with all of the coaches and general managers of these teams what the format was going to be.

25:18 Speaker 1: Well, and we see overtime in the regular season is three on three because you want to get and the reason why it's three on three is to try and get the game and correct. So it's the same concept. I don't want to hear it post game.

25:34 Speaker 2: I don't want to hear you bitching about the format post game because you sound like a petulant child who had his ball taken away from him.

25:46 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, I thought that was like that was Look at the end of both gold medal games, the team that wins silver, and I said this to my kid because I think it's a valid thing to say. Those folks have a right. They're valid in feeling sad, mad, you know, dissatisfied. You have that right. You know it's you're going from the highest high you will probably ever experience with adrenaline to it just not working out. So I feel for them. Okay, you have a right to feel sad and bad. You don't have to sit there and smile.

26:34 Speaker 1: It's okay to be looking sad and not right, and maybe down the line your perspective will change and you will appreciate what you were able to accomplish. So I'm not faulting any of any player or participant for feeling terrible. But but, and this is the same thing with the winners. Right, I'm not saying that either team USA. You could be a bad winner and a bad loser, and you never want to see those things happen. And I just don't see what those comments that Cooper made, like, why why did you have to say that?

27:23 Speaker 2: No, because to me, it's feeding into it's feeding into the comments that Nathan McKinnon made about you tell me who the better team was.

27:33 Speaker 1: Okay, first of all, First of all, Nathan.

27:36 Speaker 2: It was you who missed a wide open, freaking net, not anybody else.

27:41 Speaker 1: It was you. Okay, So if you're pissed off at somebody, look in the mirror. Dude. Okay, you think accountability.

27:49 Speaker 2: Yourself, right, But when you stand up there and you say you'll be the judge of who the better team was or whatever words he used, but it was say to that effect, to me, you are disrespecting, disrespecting your opponent, and not giving your opponent any.

28:11 Speaker 1: Credit for beating you fair and square. They scored one more goal than you did, That's how they won the game. And you look like, I mean, honestly, I just have.

28:25 Speaker 2: To get this off my chest because I think or thought a great deal of Nathan McKinnon as his and his game. But I lost a great deal of respect for him in that moment, and it started with the look of disdain on his face as the players were shaking hands as they were lining up to get their medals. This is the freaking example you as a great player in the National Hockey League.

28:58 Speaker 1: And for Canada.

28:59 Speaker 2: This is what you want to represent to Maclin, Celebrini and other young players who come after him. This is your leadership there to act like a spoiled, freaking mad brat and being disrespectful to Team USA. I'm sorry, I have a real problem with that, and I think it's a shitty look for Team Canada for sure.

29:25 Speaker 1: I am in one hundred percent agreement. You know, again, he can feel sad, he can feel mad also there you have to learn, you know, this is a lesson that we teach kids all the time, especially where when they're in youth sports. You're not going to win everything every single time, and you can you can be mad, and you can say the things you need you feel like you need to say out loud privately because sometimes you gotta get it off your chest. And that's totally fine. However, it also was disrespectful to the IOC because you were invited to play in the Olympics, you as an individual and you as a.

30:13 Speaker 3: Team, you're representing a country, you're you were you were awarded a medal. You were awarded an Olympic medal will exist in the history books. This is something that not many people in the world have.

30:30 Speaker 1: And the IOC recognized your incredible accomplishments. They were the incredible accomplishment to get there, to be there, right, and

30:45 Speaker 1: not only of course, those comments were meant to be disrespectful to the winning team, and that's how hockey is. Them's the breaks, right, hockey gods. Say what you will, whatever, that's how hockey were. Call it whatever you want. But I think it was even more disrespectful to the IOC to you know, receive the metal, the handshake, the stuffy and look that way.

31:17 Speaker 2: Because awful, Absolutely awful in my view, absolutely awful, and I a little humble.

31:23 Speaker 1: Together to you get to the room and you can have a bitch session with your teammates. Still the cows come home.

31:32 Speaker 2: And I understand, right, the level of intensity and and what was at stake for both those teams. You know, I've never played in a situation like that I can only surmise, we guess right, the level of emotion and the level of sadness and frustration. However, however, if you're deemed to be a leader, you're deemed to be a lead. That is not how you conduct yourself. And I called our local sports talk radio show this morning because they were talking about this very topic. One of the hosts on that show is a former Patriots player who has won a Super Bowl and has also sustained some heartbreaking losses as a result.

32:23 Speaker 2: And his comment to me was, take your l like a man. And Nathan McKinnon did not do that.

32:33 Speaker 1: No, I think not. Jacqulin Celebrini handled it better than he did, and Maclin's all of nineteen years of age. He showed more maturity. I mean, you certainly didn't see any of the Canadian women behave that way. It was and not that not that the women would be more inclined to behave that way, but everybody else kept it together. Everybody else kept it together. Mm hmm, yeah.

33:01 Speaker 2: I just I just you know, it left a sour It left a lot a sour taste, and I think it was a disappointment for me because again I've always admired McKinnon as and and and a leader maybe, but I mean, you know, you gotta love his game, like, oh yeah, obviously plays an honorable game. He's always played an honorable game. But I don't think he was honorable in that specific moment. And you know, at some point I would like to think that someone or him is going to walk that back. I don't know, I haven't seen anything or heard anything to that effect, but you know, I just I just it.

33:47 Speaker 2: It ticked me off, and I was not alone in those thoughts. But now let's get to the good stuff. Conn of freaking Hellibu, Jack Hughes, Quinn Hughes, like the whole the whole bunch of them, you know, the.

34:05 Speaker 1: Wrensky, just all of it. Were they a perfect team? No? And listen, I can be honest because I know I said on more than one.

34:16 Speaker 2: Occasion leading up to these games that I didn't think that that Team USA was as deep and as talented as Team Canada. Agreed, But if a member of Team USA had conducted themselves in that same manner, they'd be hearing the same crap from me, the same criticism.

34:41 Speaker 1: Yeah from me. Well, and you know, I mean emotions aside. There is a there is a kernel of truth in what uh McKinnon said. If you watch that whole game. Canada was driving the ship. They were.

34:57 Speaker 2: USA was under siege in the second time, but that second period share domination like Connor Pellbuck was freaking and.

35:10 Speaker 1: The defenseman like, let's be here, yes, yes, yes, that one uh stick saved by Hellibuck was the save of the game, but let's not forget that it was in the net in another moment when that could have been it. Their defense, the team USA's defense, is what kept them in the game long enough to get to that overtime where they would then finally have a chance, and they just kept going and doing what they knew was you know what they had to do, working their system. They were not the fancy I called Canada in the game Rolls Royce like.

35:54 Speaker 1: They were just a seamless machine that was perfection. And these guys who were the John Deere tractor and at the end, they were the ones who were able to pull it off because it was the right place at the right time. And that's that's the beauty of the game of hockey. That is that is why the Stanley Cup Playoffs are best of seven in every single round because that one little mistake, that one little thing could happen, and gardens forever, forever becomes smaller and smaller and smaller. Yes, the game goes deeper and deeper.

36:36 Speaker 1: And listen, we've seen it happen how many times, right in watching our Boston Bruins in playoff hockey.

36:43 Speaker 2: How many times? Right, that's that's the nature of the gang. That's the nature of the game. And in this instance, in this instance, right, things didn't fall into place as it may have been. Script did four Team Canada Before these games even started, right, they were deemed to be the leader in the.

37:09 Speaker 1: Clubhouse to win it all. Yeah, they were put together and seven they would win.

37:18 Speaker 2: They would, like no doubt in my mind, right right, right, we saw it happened at the Four Nations.

37:22 Speaker 1: Right, we saw it happened at the Four Nations. So I just.

37:29 Speaker 2: I want credit to be given to Team USA, and maybe not credit. Just don't disrespect the effort. Sure, don't disrespect the effort by those players that won that game.

37:47 Speaker 1: My biggest concern going into the overtime was because of the intensity of this game. Right, Team USA starts the period they're shot out of a cannon. They're super intense. They're then getting bombard art for two more periods. You know, the whole time we're watching this, we're like, they can't possibly sustain this level of play for sixty minutes, and yet somehow.

38:10 Speaker 2: They've found because I kept I kept waiting for Team Canada's big guys to start to lose some stamina, just because but they had launched so many minutes up until that gold medal game.

38:23 Speaker 1: What I was so afraid of happening, because it's kind of would have just been a very anti climactic end, was that the that the the game winner was going to be the result of somebody making a mistake instead of being the result of somebody having the skill, right, because we've seen that, right, somebody they're just exhausted. You've seen the double overtime games, and they're just like, it's just going to be when somebody makes a mistake because they're just so beaten up.

38:51 Speaker 2: Or you know, a flub or you know the missip because there's exhaustion or mental.

38:55 Speaker 1: Fatigue, it goes off of your own teammate or something, right, Right, Did I see it like that?

39:01 Speaker 2: Because that would have been terrible, but well, Jack, Jack Hughes will never have to buy himself drink ever again in any part of the United States of America. And these guys have done a tremendous service, as our women have to, as we've said before, the growth and development of USA hockey for years to come. And I'm now wondering if Jack and Quinn and you know, maybe they should start being more of the face faces of the NHL. If the NHL is smart, maybe they'll start to capitalize on that momentum in order to grow their game as well.

39:46 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly. Well, look, if we could jump into again our stick tabs and penalty box, the penalty box NBC on a number of for a number of reasons. One for showing us Sad Marshy, because that's I've seen Sad Marshi and that's gutting. The Sad did is horrible to look at. I was like, I don't I please, don't ever show me that again. But also like, look, I understand that, Uh, I understand why NBC decided they needed to make the Kuchuk brothers the face of Team USA because they're loud, they're chattery, whatever, blah blah blah, they got tons of personality.

40:30 Speaker 1: However, I really would have appreciated to see more of the Hughes brothers because I think they are adorable. And uh, I'll just say it, because I'm much better looking than the Kachuck brothers. And I'm so glad now that the olympas a gore over because I don't have to look at either of them or listen to either of them. Again.

40:54 Speaker 2: I'm gonna throw to the fact that I don't know if this is a stickcap of penalty box, will be so happy not to hear Eddie Oulchek. Oh my god, Jesus Christ, can he drown on and on and on and on, Oh my god, Like it's just ad nauseam, ad nauseum.

41:16 Speaker 1: I just him and boush. I just I can't. And he was like wrong half the time, right, that was the other thing. He didn't even know what the format was.

41:27 Speaker 2: But I will give stick taps to Mike Tarico because he was, Oh god, he was great. He was great in covering these games. I thought he did. He did a great, a great job.

41:39 Speaker 1: My stick taps hands down my two favorite. Oh correction, I'm gonna say three favorite stick taps of the tournament. Hillary Knight yep, hands down, goat goat seriously, because she accomplished the most career Olympic goals in US women's hockey history with that one that sent them into the overtime, the most points also thirty three points. My next stick tap Megan Keller. Oh, and she got engaged, by the way. Yeah, she's got to be a flag bearer. Like, best week ever for her. Megan Keller ot winner golden goal Boston Fleet.

42:29 Speaker 1: We love that. And of course the Green Monster herself, Aaron Frankel. Again, I cannot stop telling people like you. You know, she she only allowed two goals, mean tire thing. Two goals.

42:46 Speaker 2: And how about Jack Hughes losing a chick losing a chick lit with a high stick.

42:53 Speaker 1: Oh my god, that bloody photo of Oh my god. And I mean, what did they do?

42:57 Speaker 2: Did they pull the tooth out right on the bench, because I don't even know if the kid missed a.

43:00 Speaker 1: Shift, I don't know it chipped in half. Yeah, so it's ended up somewhere out on the oh lord. Yeah. So those are my favorites. And I know, of course you said, and I'm in agreement. Connor Hallibuck played the game of his life. And I also want to throw in again Chucky, because that guy has had a pretty horrible twelve months. And I think he is such a stellar and upstanding person. I think he didn't get enough attention because I mean it's hard, there are a lot of different personalities. If you haven't had the opportunity to read his diary entries for the Athletic so awesome to read.

43:47 Speaker 1: He's such a huge supporter of women's hockey. You know, I love, love everything that Chucky stands for. I think he's a great role model for the kids and his teammates and other players around the world. I mean, he had such a pivotal role. We again, rightly, so everyone's gonna be talking about Connor Hallibuk, everyone's gonna be talking about Jack Hughes. But go back and see that clip, and he absolutely stopped a pretty pretty what would have been the game? Would yeah?

44:22 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, definitely. I mean it's just memories, you know, these they have they have forged memories and relationships that will likely last a good long time. It'll be interesting to see, right when these these same teammates from Team USA face each other point you know, just I mean, business is business, right, business is business. They have to get back to the business of playing NHL hockey now, and there's going to be some serious business because the schedule is going to to be crazy crazy moving forward, and as we alluded to when we started the recording, Ruins get back to business starting on Thursday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets, which come in now.

45:17 Speaker 2: They were on fire, yes, on absolute fire. So since January twelfth, when Rick Bonus took over and he is taking over the reins of the Columbus Blue Jackets only until the end of the season, they played eleven games, ten wins and only one loss. Yeah, during that time, it's unbelievable. And they are now in the hunt. They are now in the hunt or a playoff spot. So you know, this game on Thursday night does carry some serious implications. So you know, for those allians, okay, it's time to get back to business, and for everyone who's been on break, it's time to get back to business.

46:09 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well this is this is where it becomes the sprint piece of the marathon that is the season. Because we are twelve days away from the trade deadline, which we will have our live episode happening on that day, So stay tuned for for that. We've got this big hunt for for those final spots, especially in the East. I mean, every game is going to matter, Every game is going to matter when it comes to the East. So it's just going to be extremely stressful.

46:40 Speaker 2: As we finished off, I think, yeah, it's too it's too soon for us to start talking about I think any trade deadline stuff. We've got to, you know, let the euphoria of Team USA's victories subtle, and then you know, see where where the Bruins see direction. They are trending in with this return from the break. So they have the Blue Jackets on Thursday night, and then on Saturday they go to Philadelphia to face a struggling Flyers team. And when I say struggling, they're they're on the polar opposite of what the Columbus Blue Jackets are going through because they have suffered some serious they suffered some serious peakdowns before the Olympic break.

47:29 Speaker 2: So but again, no opponents in the NHL should be taken lightly there.

47:35 Speaker 1: There are no shoeings anymore for victories. So yeah, yep, And Thursday's game at home is the return of Charlie Coyle who has been.

47:48 Speaker 2: His resurgence. Also since your Bonus took over, it's been amazing. And when you hear comments from players, I forget what player was asked, what the difference was made, No bones about the fact in answering, it's coaching. It's coaching. So I don't have any other final plots other than these Olympic games will be not soon forgotten. Congratulations to all of our Olympians in each and every sport, and it will be fun to start watching our Bruins back on the ice again on Thursday.

48:27 Speaker 1: Absolutely.

48:28 Speaker 2: In closing, I want to thank everyone for listening. You please teke an opportunity to give us a rating or a review. Help other Bruins fans or hockey fans find us by following us on our socials. You can find us at Tape to Tape mk and on substack you can find us at Tape to tape mk dot substack dot com. You can also show your support by signing up on Patreon to join us as well, and.

49:04 Speaker 1: We thank you for all of your support. Any closing thoughts go bees Goby's play free bird Backacheen