Breaking down Avs/Hurricanes' Cup chances

Added: 2026-05-19

[00:00:09]They won the Presidents Trophy in a landslide. They swept the Kings giving up just five goals total in those four games. Now they're up 3-1 against the highest remaining seed in the West.

[00:00:18]Cameron gone son today's talking point.

[00:00:20]Cam, is there any reason to believe anyone has a shot at stopping this Colorado Avalanche juggernaut?

[00:00:28]There's a reason, but there's a reason why tons of things in the world can happen. Is it probable? I I would not say so. Listen, Carolina for instance is playing unbelievable hockey. They're arguably the best team right now. But I still cannot see them getting by Colorado in a seven game series.

[00:00:46]Minnesota's arguably the third best team in the league and you see the troubles they're having. They went in almost an entire period last night, almost 20 minutes without a shot on net. Yes, that was the recipe for success for Montreal in game seven against Tampa Bay, but against Colorado, that's just not going to be good enough. They won game three against Colorado by playing what they thought was their best game of the season. They talked about Kirill Kaprizov being at a level they hadn't seen him at. They were defending well through the neutral zone. Their power play finally got going.

[00:01:18]But they still only got one game out of it and even in that game Colorado had their opportunities to win. So, when you play your best game and you're only able to win due to a a fluke goal and a couple power play goals, that doesn't bode well cuz that means you're going to have to be at that top level every game and Colorado has shown the depth and the skill that Minnesota just can't hang with and if Minnesota can't do it, why should we believe anyone else is going to? Now again, Carolina is that team lurking. Only it's only taken them eight games and it seemingly seems like they're going to have more practice time in the playoffs than they did all regular season. All we talked about All we talked about all year was this condensed schedule. We're not having enough time for practice, for rest.

[00:02:02]Well, Carolina's making up for it right now and then some.

[00:02:06]Okay, buddy. I need to follow up on this Canes thing because I'm thinking you kind of like them, but you're not convinced. Back-to-back sweeps. They're eight and oh marked up in these playoffs. The best playoff run since the Canes went on an eight and oh run, ultimately won the cup back in 2006. And from a franchise standpoint. So, why haven't the Hurricanes been getting the kind of love the Avs [music] are so far?

[00:02:31]Cuz let's think about the Canes. Who do you think of? I'll ask you, Gino. Who do you think of when you think of the Canes right now?

[00:02:39]Okay, not MacKinnon type player, not Makar type player, not Yes, I get your point, brother. I get your point. But but goaltending-wise, but goaltending-wise, pal, I don't I think there's a mismatch there.

[00:02:51]>> You're very right. But for me, when I think about the Hurricanes, I think about Rod Brind'Amour. I think about their head coach. And that's not a bad thing, but when you think about the Avs, you think about the star power. You think about MacKinnon. You think about Makar. It goes on and on with the plethora of talent that they have.

[00:03:08]The Canes are probably the best team right now, but Colorado is the best collection of players. And if they can reach their optimal level, their peak, it's higher than Carolina. So, when you think about these two teams playing, you anticipate Colorado to reach that level.

[00:03:26]And if both teams are there, Colorado should win. Colorado's the sexier team.

[00:03:31]They've got more of the star power.

[00:03:33]They've won a cup relatively recently.

[00:03:35]They've got the storylines behind them with Brent Burns, with Landeskog, with Kadri coming back, Brock Nelson looking for All these different things that come with Colorado when you watch them play.

[00:03:46]They are the team everyone thinks of as being the best. They are the the team on paper. They're the best team in the regular season, the best offensive and defensive team in the regular season, and so far in the playoffs, they've been dominant. Yes, they lost one game, even though Carolina swept theirs, but Colorado has shown levels that Carolina hasn't quite been able to reach. So, though Carolina is playing extremely well, I think it's just name recognition that gives Colorado the edge in a lot of people's eyes.

[00:04:15]Okay, so you're feeling like it's just a matter of time. Avs and Hurricanes seem to be on a collision course to meet up in the Stanley Cup final. FanDuel agrees, they're the two favorites to make it that far. Okay, then, here's the question. Do you think that would be the best match-up to watch as a Cup final, or is there a match-up you'd rather see that you think would be more fun to watch?

[00:04:37]Ooh, that's a good one, cuz I kind of have two. Carolina and Colorado would be excellent, because as I talked about, you've got the best team versus the best collection of players, and which one is going to come out on top. You always hear the line, skill uh pardon me, work ethic beats skill when skill doesn't have the work ethic. So, can Colorado match that effort? That's going to be something you watch. Carolina has been so good defensively throughout this. Can they slow down Colorado like they have everyone else? Can that second line from Carolina continue to produce the way they have when they're facing a stiffer test in the Colorado Avalanche?

[00:05:16]All of that is fun.

[00:05:18]For me, I like the idea of Montreal.

[00:05:20]Right? Earlier this season, you saw the Nordiques jerseys versus Montreal jerseys. You've kind of got that. You've got the two Rocket Richard, the guy who finished first in McKinnon, then you got second, Cole Caufield, you've got Cale Makar, the presumptive best player best defenseman in the world. Lane Hutson's making a run for best defenseman so far this playoffs, since he's been excellent. The kind of coming of age team in Montreal. A lot of story lines there that I'd like to see. I'd also love to see the Bell Centre in the Stanley Cup final. Those fans deserve it. When you watch that fan base, whether it's in game, whether it's on the when they're on the road, whether it's outside the rink, they love they live and breathe Canadian hockey. And I like the idea of rewarding that type of fan base. You want that type of passion. Players talk about playing there. Players on other teams talk about playing there, how special it is to be there. I've had the pleasure of playing on that ice, and it is as good as advertised. I only had 11 minutes on that ice, >> [laughter] >> but it was one of the best 11 minutes of my career because it's just it brings something out in you. So, the idea of seeing that arena back in the Stanley Cup final is something that I would love to see. But then again, Carolina it's a hard quick and easy second.

[00:06:40]All right. Let's get back to the star power now. Nathan MacKinnon's currently the fan favorite, the betting favorite to win the Conn Smythe. He's scored in five straight games. Cale Makar, of course, the Norris finalist now for a sixth consecutive season. Are they the best duo still alive in these playoffs?

[00:06:57]Yes.

[00:06:58]They are just even when Makar isn't scoring, they are still the best duo in these playoffs. Because last night he had 26 minutes of ice time. He was dominant. He breaks the puck out in a way that is so effortless. He breaks up plays in the offensive zone that are so effortless. His gap control, his stick control is flawless. The way MacKinnon skates through the neutral zone, it's as if he's on a different set of skates than everyone else. It's as if he has something he knows something that other people don't. He brings such speed into the offensive zone that even the best defenseman in Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber have to back off of him, which gives him time. They've got this thing about them on the power play. No, they might not be clicking quite the way they want, but they still understand not only where they're going to be, but where they want the puck. There was a few instances last night, one in particular, a one-timer MacKinnon had where it was put in a position most players wouldn't like it. Usually when you're passing to someone for a one-timer, you know where they want the puck. A lot of players want it near their front foot so they can lean into the shot. MacKinnon almost had it on his back foot and he got off a very hard shot and there was no kind of look at Makar like, "Hey, next time get it up." It's as if he wanted it there.

[00:08:13]And that's a connection that two players at the skill level they're at who have played together for that long, they understand with each other. They play at a frenetic pace that other teams have to keep up with. It doesn't matter who you are, they are going to dictate the pace of the game and you have to match it.

[00:08:31]Not many teams or not many players can say they can match it. So, moving forward in the playoffs, you have to worry about them. You have to constantly game plan for them, and then the rest of the team gets to come at you in waves as they continue to do. Okay, Cam, I want to look way down the road. I'm saying that up front for a bit of a potential touchy-feely moment. Brent Burns has already played over 1,500 games. He would eclipse 150 playoff games if Colorado makes it to the final. Again, it's a long way down the road. You had the chance to play with him throughout your NHL career. If the Avs win the Stanley Cup, does Burns deserve to hoist it right after the captain, Gabriel Landeskog?

[00:09:09]He does. There's a lot of players on that team that you could argue deserve it second, but none more deserving than Brent Burns. And remember, there's history in this organization of such a play. Remember when Ray Bourque played on the team, Joe Sakic almost didn't lift it up himself, he gave it to Ray Bourque first. That type of selflessness is a trend in that organization. So, I wouldn't be surprised if Landeskog didn't even hoist it fully and said he gave it to Brent Burns. Now, I'm not comparing Brent Burns to Ray Bourque, but nevertheless, Brent Burns has that type of an impact on the players around him. I was lucky enough to skate with him a number of times over the summer, and he was as nice a person as advertised. You show up to the rink in the summer and there's his RV that he likes to travel with his family with.

[00:09:59]And as you get on the ice with him, he is the type of person that is talking to everyone on the ice. No one Does he but he doesn't believe he's above anyone else. He's talking to everyone. He's gregarious. His mood throughout is fun.

[00:10:11]And then you look up in the stands again, usually there's no one there.

[00:10:13]It's a summer skate middle of the day.

[00:10:15]Most people have things to do. His family's all there watching him. It's a family affair for him. Then one of the times when we got off the ice, his son actually was on the ice next, and Brent Burns is up there with his whole family, including I believe they were his parents, watching his son skate. It was a family thing. When someone is that connected to those people around him, the loved ones that he has, when he is that nice to everyone that he comes across, you can't help but root for him.

[00:10:43]Yes, he's got all the games he's played.

[00:10:45]Yes, he's got all the points he's had, all the different accolades in his career. But it's the person he is and the effect he's had on those around him that has so many people cheering for him and rooting for him and hoping that a moment like that, Brent Burns lifting the Stanley Cup above his head, comes to fruition because it would mean so much to him, the passion he has, and the amount of people he has been able to help throughout his career.

[00:11:12]It would be special, but again, it's still a long way off. The Hurricanes will get a step closer to finding out their Eastern Conference final opponent while the Avs can close out their series on Wednesday night.

[00:11:43]>> Mhm.