Randy Moller joins the show to talk some Florida Panthers! Randy says it is not really about the regular season, it is about the postseason. He likes how the new additions to the team are playing plus taking a cold puck can hurt you mentally and physically.
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00:00Well, let's get to our guy, Randy Mola, who I would be terrified
00:03if I messed with his bank account.
00:04I need him as my representation.
00:07Randy Mola will get to some cat talk here with us.
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00:18Randy, thanks for joining us.
00:18Really appreciate it.
00:19Hey, Randy, you want to side job?
00:21Guys, Leroy, the number one thing is don't ever be involved with HOAs.
00:26They're nothing but issues.
00:27So, there's your answer right there.
00:30Yeah, I don't have a choice.
00:33Most people don't have a choice.
00:35Right.
00:35They told me I was a member of HOAs.
00:38It's great to have you, Randy.
00:39That was a huge win last night, you know, snapping the streak,
00:42but doing it against the Leafs.
00:43How huge did that feel last night just to kind of get that all over with,
00:47but obviously against the division leader as well?
00:50Yeah, you know, it is because the Panthers,
00:54they played well here down the stretch,
00:57and the wins have been a little elusive to them and that.
01:01And people, they just look at wins, losses.
01:03But if you listen to Paul Maurice, you listen to the players,
01:08and that it's – they've got the experience.
01:10They've been to the finals two years in a row.
01:13So, you know, a game – no disrespect, but a game on a Sunday afternoon,
01:19game number 76 in Detroit on a Sunday afternoon,
01:24it's not the highest priority.
01:26And so, let me explain.
01:28The Panther team, and I think everybody knows,
01:31they want to be healthy and playing the right way with their system,
01:35get the new players acclimated, Brad Marchand, Sturm, some of these players,
01:42get them in and play Panther hockey right for the first game of the playoffs.
01:48That's their number one priority.
01:49And they've made no – I mean, they've said that for a number of weeks now,
01:54that they – that's their priority.
01:56You see so many teams that, you know, excel in the regular season
02:02and they're pushing right to the end to win their division
02:05or win their conference, whatever.
02:07Look what happened to the Boston Bruins two years ago
02:09when they had 190 million points or whatever,
02:13and the Panthers beat them in the first round.
02:14So, to tie it all together, the Panthers here, these last, what, four or five games,
02:19want to get their game in order, get their injured players back,
02:23get their line set, their deep hair set, and turn them loose and pop the clutch
02:30and let's go first game of the playoffs.
02:32Randy, isn't this – this last – these last maybe five or six games,
02:38were they a bit of an anomaly?
02:40Because they outshot every team two to one.
02:44Their defense was unbelievable, and they just couldn't score the puck
02:48for whatever reason.
02:50And you sit back and look at all these games as being losses,
02:54but when you see all the time they spend on the offensive end
02:58and how quickly they get rid of the puck on their end,
03:01like that style of play should have warranted more wins, but it didn't.
03:08Do you kind of just shrug it off and say,
03:10we're doing the right things, it's just not working out?
03:14Well, the other way you can spin it is,
03:16if we're going to go through a scoring slump, let's do it now,
03:20not game one, two, and three of the playoffs in the first round of the playoffs.
03:23I totally agree with you that we're broadcasting those games.
03:27I mean, the game in Montreal, they completely shut them down
03:31until the last number is, you know, they score eight seconds left,
03:34and they score the first shift of overtime.
03:36Okay, that could have been a win.
03:37Same thing in Toronto.
03:38They played very well, 40 minutes, just couldn't capitalize.
03:42The power play is missing a couple of components.
03:45We all know that.
03:46Matthew Kachuk being the biggest one.
03:49And then the game in Ottawa, where Ottawa didn't even have interest
03:53in even touching the puck the last 40 minutes of the game.
03:56The Panthers had 84 shot attempts.
03:58Right.
03:59And still lost the game.
04:01It's the way you look at it.
04:02And I think the leadership and the experience of Paul Maurice, the head coach,
04:07the experience and leadership of guys like Barkov and some of the older players,
04:12Brad Marshawn now that's with the team.
04:16Let's not get too upset about this.
04:19Let's put things in perspective.
04:21Be on an even keel.
04:23You're going to win some games, a lot of games that maybe you weren't the best team that night,
04:29and your goaltending has bailed you out.
04:31And Sergey Bobrovsky's done that for more than a handful of games this year.
04:35Or you're going to be on the other side.
04:37And that's the way the Panthers were.
04:39They hit some hot goaltenders.
04:40I mean, Anton Forsberg in Ottawa was just lights out.
04:43I mean, Montreal goaltending.
04:45I mean, even last night, even last night, while for Toronto Maple Leafs,
04:49he almost stole the game as well because of some of the saves he made.
04:52So you hope that stuff all evens out.
04:55And then you hope that it's all about the playoffs, guys.
04:58The days are gone.
05:00I mean, I've been here for 31 years.
05:0131 years and that we've had a lot of lean years where we were just crawling and scratching
05:08to try and get into the playoff race and see what happens to that.
05:13Now, just make sure you qualify.
05:16It doesn't matter who you play.
05:17And I really don't think.
05:19I don't think the Panthers.
05:20And I don't know.
05:21I mean, I just listen.
05:22Same thing what you guys do to Paul Maurice and the players.
05:25I don't think they really are concerned whether they're playing at home or on the road,
05:29playing Tampa, playing Toronto.
05:31They bring it on.
05:33Bring it on because and as you can spin it around to go to the Stanley Cup,
05:38you got to go through South Florida.
05:40Randy, what's been your assessment of the Brad Marshian move so far?
05:44Just kind of getting acclimated to everybody.
05:46I'm a dummy.
05:46I don't know what I'm watching.
05:47I just, you know, I just remember I hated him and now he's he's in our sweater.
05:52So you got it.
05:52You got to love him.
05:53So what what have you made of his his early games here with the Cats?
05:57Oh, I'm fine with it.
05:59You know, I mean, Brad Marshian is Brad Marshian.
06:01I mean, and you're going to see as well with the rest of the Panthers, you know,
06:06the first game of the playoffs, you're going to see the real Brad Marshian.
06:10I just getting acclimated.
06:12He's played with a number of lines, number of line mates.
06:15I thought probably had his best overall game since arriving in South Florida last night.
06:20He was all over the puck.
06:22I think he had three shots.
06:23He had three or four hits.
06:25He was a plus two.
06:27And that's that's really positive.
06:30And that I think a lot of the middle games, you know, he assisted on the game winning goal
06:36by Bennett in overtime in his first game.
06:38And then, you know, three or four games in there.
06:41I think it was a lot like what the Panthers, they just had chances just misfiring.
06:45There were some miscues and that kind of stuff.
06:48I'm not worried about it.
06:50Brad Marshian, the team is that they were just thrilled to have him as leadership.
06:55He's been through the wars before.
06:57He knows what it takes to win.
06:58And and but overall, no, he's he's he's he's exactly what the Panthers needed.
07:04I had no idea that they were able to be able to get a player like that.
07:07I'm just thrilled.
07:08You know, I was trying to figure out when when Kachuk comes back.
07:14Who is going to be the most annoying one?
07:16Is it Brad Marshian or Kachuk?
07:18Because they're both they're both the same guy in effect, but they not are on the same team.
07:25I can't.
07:25I'm wondering.
07:27I'm just saying who fights first.
07:28Like, you know, I got all about other stuff.
07:30Who fights first, Brad or Kachuk?
07:33Like, I mean, I can't wait.
07:35I just, you know, one of the things that I think has probably hurt them this year, a lot of injuries, a lot of just guys banged up.
07:46You've had to call a lot of guys up and and it's amazing that they still play a certain way.
07:53And I love that.
07:55I love that about the Panthers.
07:57They play a certain way.
07:58You know what it looks like.
07:59And when it doesn't, you can clearly see that, too.
08:03Yeah, no, I agree.
08:05They built a tradition down here and a style of play that you ask around the league and that and they do those surveys.
08:14Who's the toughest team to play against?
08:16Well, the Panthers are at the top of the list because of the way they play.
08:20They're in your face, the physicality.
08:22They're the best forechecking team in the NHL.
08:25They've proven that.
08:26I mean, ask the Toronto Maple Leafs after the game last night how their defenseman felt when their face was in the glass, turning back for the puck and the forwards where they play a speed game.
08:36They play a very physical game.
08:39And you brought up, you know, at the start of this question about Brad Marchand and Matthew Kachak on the same team and that that just adding Marchand to this team just adds more to the identity.
08:51And that's the way I quantify it is they're so tough to play against.
08:56You're not going to get a shift off.
08:58They're going to play as hard as they can.
09:00They'll play in the back alley.
09:02They'll play on Broadway.
09:04They'll play any way you want.
09:05They can they can play any style.
09:07And that's where the Panthers are trying to get, you know, make sure that their game is is rounded out where when they start the playoffs, all four lines, all six defensemen are going to be pinching in.
09:19They're going to hit everything that moves.
09:21And that is how they won the Stanley Cup last year.
09:24And it's how they went to the finals the year before.
09:26So that's the team identity.
09:28And that's what what we're expecting and what I think the fans and everybody's expecting.
09:32We had a couple of months ago, we had Mackie Samuskevich on the show and it's been cool.
09:38So we have like a little extra invested on him and he's just been very impressive, Randy, this season.
09:43But we've seen young guys like Lindell step up in the playoffs, even at his young age.
09:48Do you feel like Mackie getting probably what seems like he's going to earn some time in the postseason?
09:52You feel like he's ready for that?
09:54Oh, I definitely I definitely do.
09:57So Mackie Samuskevich, he's got a he's got a couple of special skills that he possesses.
10:03You watch his game.
10:04He's gotten so much better at winning those battles along the boards.
10:08And that's going to be a big thing.
10:10You talk in the playoffs, that's it's all about those battles, puck battles in all three zones.
10:15And he's much improved.
10:17He understands the game.
10:18He's very intelligent.
10:19And he watches how Reinhardt and Barkov and some of these players and Lundell, Lois Duran and how they're able to get the puck and win those battles and that.
10:30And then what I was talking about, the special skills that he's had, he's got an excellent shot.
10:34But he's also got this first and second stride where he can separate himself.
10:41So, for example, he's in a he's in a puck battle along the boards, blah, blah, blah.
10:46He's able to get the puck and he can turn so quick.
10:49And those first two strides, he can separate himself from traffic and get into some open areas and then be able to take that shot.
11:01Not a lot of players, especially a lot of young players that are in the first year of the league, have that skill.
11:06And that's what he has.
11:07And that and I'm looking forward to him.
11:09He's been a very pleasant surprise.
11:12His progression has been steady, yet always on the positive side.
11:17And just to round it out, guys, to answer your question, is if the Panthers are going to go far in the playoffs, Mackie Samuskiewicz will play a big role in that.
11:27He has carved out a big role on this team.
11:30And he can play with anyone.
11:31So that's that's he's very versatile.
11:33He can play up and down the line up.
11:34He can play left wing, right wing plays on the power play.
11:38He's he's everything that they expected of him and even more.
11:41So, well, Randy, you know, that's my guy.
11:44That's my guy.
11:45He went to Michigan.
11:45So I'm all in.
11:48Oh, that's right.
11:49That's the that's the Harvard of the Midwest, right?
11:52That's it.
11:53That's it.
11:55Before we get you out of here, Randy, we were talking with Gus Forsley a couple of weeks ago about taking pucks off and blocking.
12:02Just how much does that suck?
12:04It feels like that's got to be the most thankless thing in the sport.
12:07Oh, these guys and Gus Forsley is one of the best in the league and that.
12:11And I've said it so many times where all of a sudden he blocks a shot.
12:16He goes down and this and that.
12:18And I thought, oh, no, here we go.
12:19He's going to miss three weeks, a month or whatever.
12:21He doesn't miss a shift.
12:22He's right back out there.
12:24And that he must lead the league in ice packs after the game on his legs and his foot and ankle and that he is.
12:33I tell you what, like I said, he's tougher than that steak my wife served me last night.
12:38He is he is all game, that guy.
12:41And he's not underrated anymore because everybody in the league would like to have Gus Forsling.
12:46So they and he's another guy, guys, that that, you know, he sat out that game in Detroit on Sunday and that he might sit out another game before these last, what, four games or whatever, because the Panthers, they want to make sure that he's fresh because he's going to play 25, 26 minutes a night and you want him to be fresh.
13:04You don't want to be banged up.
13:06So that that's that's that's that's the thing on on on Forsling on the Gus bus.
13:13I'm on the Gus bus.
13:14Are you guys on the Gus bus?
13:15Absolutely.
13:16I'm on the bus of anybody who is willing to jump in front of a puck for me.
13:22Right.
13:22They used to call me the Flamingo because I would try and lift one leg and try and not block it.
13:30And that and then I had a coach once that came up to me and says, Mueller, why aren't you blocking any shots?
13:36And I just said to him, I said, that's the goaltending's job.
13:39That's the goaltender's job.
13:41I'm not paid.
13:42Where is it in my contract that I have to block shots?
13:46But no, it's a big part.
13:47It's it's a big part of team success.
13:50You have to sacrifice your body.
13:52You got to get in front of those passing in those shooting lanes.
13:55And and that and these guys, they they pay the plate.
13:59They pay the price.
14:00And every team's full of them.
14:02They they they they block shots left and right.
14:05Randy, my favorite part of the game last night was when a regular hockey player had to play goalie.
14:10I mean, it was hilarious to me when he's in there trying to do the best he could.
14:16They ended up scoring anyway, but it was like he's doing what he's got to do.
14:21It was I mean, I'm like, he's going to get hurt.
14:23Oh, that was last night when Marner.
14:25Yeah.
14:25Yeah.
14:26Yeah.
14:26Yeah.
14:27Yeah.
14:27And the commentator, somebody said, oh, that was the best save, whether it was a goaltender or not.
14:33Yeah.
14:34Yeah.
14:35Yeah.
14:35Then that's that's that's what players do.
14:39Their instincts.
14:40They're instinctive to do that, to try and block those shots when they have the net empty.
14:44But it was an exciting game last night.
14:46I'm glad the Panthers got a win.
14:48It's always fun to win.
14:50And, you know, players, professional players, yeah, you can say, oh, well, we played well and we did right things and that.
14:58But they want to win.
14:59They want to have fun.
15:00They want to hoop and holler and and that and congratulate each other in the in the locker room after the game.
15:06So.
15:07Randy, we appreciate the time.
15:09Go catch Randy Muller and Steve Goldstein tomorrow on Scripps Sports.
15:12You got Panthers and Red Wings.
15:13Randy, thanks for the time.
15:14Really appreciate you.
15:15Thanks, Randy.
15:15All right, guys.
15:16Thanks for having me on.
15:16Have a great, great week.
15:18There you go.
15:19Appreciate Randy Muller stopping by the program and all guests on 560 WQM.
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