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Ryan WhitneyRyan Whitney

I'm hammering the Vegas Golden Knights at home whenever their opponent has a night off in Vegas beforehand

Whenever a team has a day in Vegas, I just bet the Golden Knights, and they've been great. People get fucked up there. In Vegas? No. It's an 82-game season. You get there, you're just going to rip it up.

Vegas was historically good at home (29-10-2) in their first year, proving Whitney's betting theory extremely profitable.
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Ryan WhitneyRyan Whitney

Coyotes rookie Clayton Keller is so skilled he should have been a lacrosse player

I'll give you Clayton Keller, and since he's on Phoenix, Arizona Coyotes, nobody will really know him. Clayton Keller. That guy's lacrosse. He should have been a lacrosse player, yeah.

Keller has indeed developed into the franchise player for the Coyotes (now Utah Hockey Club), making multiple All-Star teams.
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Big CatBig Cat

Marian Hossa is the best player Patrick Sharp ever played with and it's not even close

Patrick Sharp, who has played on a lot of three Stanley Cup teams and Team Canada, once told me that Marian Hossa was the best player he's ever played with, and it wasn't even close.

Sharp has publicly praised Hossa in similar terms, though 'not even close' might be locker room hyperbole.
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Big CatBig Cat

Winning back-to-back Stanley Cups is basically cheating

I didn't know you could win back-to-back Stanley Cups, so that's kind of cheating in my mind. I hate the Blackhawks. We never knew that those rules existed.

OpinionHockeyMildSarcastic
The Blackhawks did not win back-to-back titles during their modern dynasty; the Penguins became the first to do so in the salary cap era in 2017.
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Big CatBig Cat

The Nashville Predators fan who threw a catfish on the ice in Pittsburgh should walk free

This guy should walk free simply because he vacuum sealed the catfish and put it in his pants. He really prepared for that.

The fan, Jacob Waddell, eventually had all charges dismissed by the Allegheny County District Attorney.
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PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Washington Capitals will be 2018 Stanley Cup champions

I might just go tonight and get a Washington Capitals 2018 Stanley Cup champions tattoo.

The Capitals did indeed win the 2018 Stanley Cup. PFT later famously got this tattoo.
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PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Capitals will win Game 6 and then lose the series in Game 7 in D.C.

The Caps are probably going to win on Monday night. Of course. And then they're going to lose on Wednesday night in D.C. In a brutal fashion.

The Capitals won Game 6 in Pittsburgh and lost Game 7 in Washington D.C. just as predicted.
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PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Sidney Crosby is going to destroy the Capitals

And Sidney Crosby, make no mistake about it, is going to be heavily involved in the destruction of the Capitals.

Crosby and the Penguins eliminated the Capitals in 7 games.
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Big CatBig Cat

The St. Louis Blues will not win the Stanley Cup for the 50th straight year

For the 50th straight year, the St. Louis Blues are not going to win the Stanley Cup. That's a shame.

The Blues lost to the Predators in the second round shortly after this episode, extending the drought to 50 years. They eventually won in 2019.
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Big CatBig Cat

The Capitals will win Game 5 and 6 because they don't let their fans die that easily

I have a theory, and I told you this theory today. I think the Caps are going to win game five and six because the Capitals have that knack. They're not going to let their fans die that easy.

The Capitals did win Games 5 and 6 against the Penguins in 2017 before losing in Game 7.
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PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Alexander Ovechkin drinks Coca-Cola on the bench instead of Gatorade

So instead of drinking Gatorade on the sidelines, he just drinks Coca-Cola. ... So he's in the training room and they're like, hey, do you want painkillers? Do you want a shot? He's like, give me Coke. Give me Coca-Cola.

Ovechkin has frequently been documented drinking Coca-Cola on the bench during NHL games.
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Big CatBig Cat

The Blackhawks have no chance to win the series after Game 2

The Blackhawks had no chance after game two. Did they score a goal? They scored a couple goals. They actually doubled. No, they scored, what, three goals in the series. That's pretty good.

The Blackhawks were indeed swept 4-0 by Nashville in 2017.
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Big CatBig Cat

I am concerned about the Blackhawks' aging core and bad contracts

I actually – I don't want to get too deep into it, but I do think there are issues at hand. They were – It was one of those situations where they had a lot of old guys, a lot of young guys... And I am concerned about some of the contracts. Let's just say that.

The Blackhawks entered a period of decline shortly after this, missing the playoffs in 2018 and 2019 as their core aged.
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Paul BissonnettePaul Bissonnette

Sidney Crosby and the Penguins have the Capitals' number

I thought if the Caps could overcome this, they would do okay. But, man, Sidney Crosby and the Pens have their number, man.

The Penguins did indeed beat the Capitals in 7 games in the 2017 playoffs.
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Paul BissonnettePaul Bissonnette

The Nashville Predators are my pick to come out of the Western Conference

I mean, I like St. Louis, too, but I think Nashville just looks too good right now. That's who I would pick.

The Predators went on a tear and reached the Stanley Cup Finals, representing the Western Conference.
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Big CatBig Cat

The Capitals need the Blackhawks to win some games so they aren't the only story of disappointment in the first round

The Capitals need the Blackhawks to win at least a couple games because the Blackhawks, as it stands right now, getting swept, will be the story of the first round in terms of disappointment and people laughing at something.

The Blackhawks were indeed swept by the Predators, becoming one of the biggest stories of the first round. The Capitals eventually won their series against the Leafs in 6 games.
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Big CatBig Cat

The Capitals will still win their series against the Maple Leafs

I still think the Capitals are going to win the series. I do. I really do. ... I watched the Capitals versus the Leafs and I was like, the Capitals are the better team. They turtled at the end there. They look like the better team.

The Capitals won the series 4-2.
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Big CatBig Cat

The Blackhawks will not come back against the Predators

The Blackhawks are the worst team by far in that series. The Predators have taken it to them every single period. Nine out of ten periods, they've just dominated them. So that's one of those ones like, Blackhawks aren't going to come back. They're not.

The Blackhawks were swept 4-0 by the Nashville Predators in the first round of the 2017 playoffs.
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PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Maple Leafs play hockey like kids having sex

I will say this about the Maple Leafs. They... play hockey like their kids, like the same way that kids have sex. ... kids get out there and they start fucking and they're like, I'm going to go a million miles an hour and just go fast and score. That's what the Leafs do. So they come out and they skate too fast and they go a hundred miles an hour. They'll burn out.

The young Maple Leafs did eventually lose the series to the more experienced Capitals.
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PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

I am not worried about the Capitals losing home-ice advantage to the Maple Leafs

I'm not worried at all. It's not time to press the panic button. My overtime genes are still 1-0 in single overtime. I'd just like to point that out.

The Capitals won the series 4-2, moving on to the second round.
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PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Minnesota Wild are going to have a 'mump slump' after several players contracted the mumps

So it's the [Minnesota] Wild that has the mumps, right? So calling it right now, it's going to be a mump slump. There's your headline.

The Wild did actually struggle shortly after the outbreak, going 4-10-2 in March 2017 after a very strong start to the season.
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Scott Van PeltScott Van Pelt

The Washington Capitals are too good to never win a Stanley Cup

They're too good to never win one. But, I mean, they were the Presidents' Cup trophy winners last year... They have the most points in the league.

The Capitals won the Stanley Cup in 2018, just one year after this take.
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Big CatBig Cat

The Bruins firing Claude Julien during the Patriots parade is the greatest PR 101 move ever

The Boston Bruins who fired Claude Julien... The morning of the New England Patriots parade and held a press conference during the parade. That is the greatest PR 101 story of all time.

Firing a beloved, championship-winning coach during the height of a Super Bowl parade is a textbook way to minimize negative coverage.
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PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Capitals are regular season heroes who always look awesome in January

And I know not only is the Capitals year, but the Capitals in January, this is when they get hot. This is when they beat teams. You can count on the Capitals in the regular season to look awesome.

The Capitals won the Presidents' Trophy in 2017 (best regular season) but lost in the second round of the playoffs, confirming they are regular season heroes.
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Paul BissonnettePaul Bissonnette

The Canadian dollar is the only thing that can stop the Chicago Blackhawks

The only thing that can stop the Blackhawks is your stupid fucking Canadian dollar... because what they do is they keep escrow based on the Canadian dollar pretty much. So they're going to get none of the 20% they were paying.

The NHL salary cap is tied to league revenue, and the value of the Canadian dollar significantly affects revenue, forcing cap-strapped teams to make moves.
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Scott DarlingScott Darling

Professional goalies lose 10 to 12 pounds of body weight during a single game through sweat

With goalies, we have more dehydration issues because we sweat like crazy. We got all the gear on, super hot... I probably lose 10 to 12 pounds in a game.

This is a widely cited figure among professional hockey goaltenders regarding water weight loss during games.
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PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Pat Maroon is correct that the NHL is a 'man's game' because the league is currently 100% men

Well, technically, the NHL is 100% dudes, right? It's a major sausage fest. Sounds like [Pat Maroon] is right.

Fact ClaimHockeyHotSarcastic
Factually, the NHL roster was entirely male at the time and remains so, making the literal claim correct.
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Ryan WhitneyRyan Whitney

Connor McDavid is the best hockey player in the last 10-15 years

Connor McDavid, for all you hockey guys out there, is probably the best player in the last 10, 15 years. I mean, he's like a Sidney Crosby, Ovechkin-type guy, so he's exciting to watch.

McDavid has since won multiple Hart Trophies and is widely considered the best player in the world, vindicating this very early take.
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Ryan WhitneyRyan Whitney

NHL teams are generally locked into their final standings by Christmas

I think if at Christmas, Christmas right around the new year, if the team is – that's pretty much where you see a lot of teams are going to end up where they are then. They can go up and down a little bit, but bearing a huge kind of run or something like that, teams are kind of going to end up where they are around Christmas.

Statistically, a high percentage of teams in a playoff spot by Thanksgiving/Christmas do end up making the playoffs, though it is not absolute.
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Big CatBig Cat

Auston Matthews' 4-goal debut is suspicious and requires a 'witch hunt'

Auston Matthews... He had three goals on his first three shots in the NHL. He actually had four goals on the night in his debut... Hmm. Interesting. Maybe a frozen envelope. I'm just saying maybe these bullies just, hey, yo, we'll let [Auston] score. Hmm. Interesting.

Hot TakeHockeyHotSarcastic
Matthews literally scored 4 goals, but the claim of it being a conspiracy is obviously a joke.
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Logan CoutureLogan Couture

NHL players likely won't participate in the next Winter Olympics

You know what? I don't think NHL players are going to the next Olympics... I think most hockey players would [go], but it's like, is it worth it?

Correct. The NHL did not participate in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
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Ryan WhitneyRyan Whitney

The San Jose Sharks have no chance to come back against the Penguins in the 2016 Stanley Cup Final

Done. Done. Oh, that's not a chance. Like it was pretty stupid. They would even waste the money that it costs to pay for the private jet out to play the game and lose and then have to fly home. ... They're just a better team overall.

The Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 6 games.
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Big CatBig Cat

The Canadian dollar is the only thing that can stop the Blackhawks because it drags down the salary cap

The only thing that can stop the Blackhawks is your stupid fucking Canadian dollar... when you have Toews and Kane both making like 10 and a half a year and the cap keeps going down because Canada can't get their shit together, it makes me a little upset.

The weak Canadian dollar did indeed suppress cap growth during the late 2010s, forcing the Blackhawks into several 'cap casualty' trades.
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Big CatBig Cat

The Sharks will beat the Blues in the Western Conference Finals

[The Sharks] need to beat the Blues, and I need to have that Sharks-Lightning finals so that we can just pretend the Stanley Cup didn't happen this year.

The Sharks defeated the Blues 4-2 to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.
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Scott DarlingScott Darling

The San Jose Sharks will win Game 7 against the Predators

I mean, I got a good feeling about San Jose, to be honest. I mean, I know this isn't going to air in time, but big game seven tonight, so we'll see what happens.

The Sharks shut out the Predators 5-0 in Game 7 that night.
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Big CatBig Cat

Alexander Ovechkin deserves the heat for the Capitals failing in the playoffs

I'm going to blame Ovi... Call me a dumb fan. That's fine. Call me a dumb fan... But if you want to be a top player in any league, you're going to get this heat. It just happens. It happens to every guy. It happened to Peyton Manning. It's happened to A-Rod.

The Capitals lost the series to the Penguins shortly after this, further solidifying the 'choker' narrative for Ovechkin until 2018.
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PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

I'm dreading the Capitals' inevitable playoff exit more than ever

I should schedule a reminder in my phone that goes off this week every year saying, okay, schedule some time with your therapist... this is the gut punch that I get every year and I've gotten it for the last 15 years.

The Capitals lost Game 6 in overtime to the Penguins, ending their season yet again.
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PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

People forget that the 1980 US Olympic hockey win over the USSR was not the gold medal game

People forget that when the United States beat the USSR hockey team, that wasn't the gold medal game. [That was the medal round.] I would say actually 60% of America would forget that.

The 'Miracle on Ice' was a medal-round game; the U.S. had to defeat Finland in their final game to secure the gold.

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