Randy Moller
Appearances
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
Yeah, I'll make room for you.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
Yeah. How are you, buddy? Oh, never better. I haven't been this excited since I stole my first car. Where are you right now? I'm at my place. I got the intercoastal. The boat slipped right there. The beach is right across the street.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
Hey, Moles. It's a beautiful day in South Florida, so I thought the lighting out here is a lot better than in my place, in my house.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
Well, no, not really. You know what? Because my roots are back there, my hometown's only an hour and a half south of Edmonton in Red Deer. I was hoping that an Edmonton Canadian team would be in the finals against the Panthers. And hey, We got our wish and that. But you know where my loyalty lies right now, and that is that's with the Florida Panthers and that.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
But I'm excited as well because this test will be a real test, and the Panthers are going up against the world's best hockey player, undisputed in Connor McDavid. So you've got to beat the best in order to be the best, and this is going to be a true test for the Panthers.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
Yeah, you're going to get that a little bit because there's some really heated rivalries. As one of you guys mentioned about Calgary, a lot of hatred between the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers fans, and even with Vancouver and that. The one thing they'll be in common, guys, is they'll be at least 80% to 85%. of the televisions in the country of Canada will be tuned to these games.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
I mean, you don't see that even for, the only thing you probably see is for the Super Bowl down here in the States. Everybody be watching. Whether you're going to be rooting for the Oilers or not, if you're up in Canada, but they're going to be watching. And that's exciting for me. I'm excited for them, and I'm really excited for the Panthers and their fans down here.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
I don't think you can... Definitely, guys, he's not overrated with the talent that he has. He's the most dynamic, the fastest player, and be able to make plays at such a high level. No excuses, but it's... A number of his years that he's been in Edmonton, like you mentioned, nine years, Edmonton just didn't have the team. They didn't have the depth. They didn't have the goaltending and that.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
And that's not his fault. It was kind of like a one-man band out there for a lot of years. Now they have a lot more depth with Dreisaitl and Zach Hyman and Bouchard back on the point and that. I don't know if I agree with that. I think he's not overrated. And the thing is, though, I will say about Connor McDavid is you can be a fantastic player.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
There's been so many players in this league that have been elite level athletes. But until you win a Stanley Cup, then there's always going to be that asterisk beside your name because you can do whatever you want, individual stats. But until you win a Stanley Cup, it doesn't matter. It really doesn't matter.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
What was that? Go ahead one more time.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
Well, if you break it down into segments, I think the Panthers have the advantage in goaltending because of Sergey Bobrovsky and what he's done and the maturity and the experience that he has. Stuart Skinner has played well for the Edmonton Oilers lately, but he struggled earlier in these playoffs. He was replaced for a couple of games. He had to regain his confidence and his style and that.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
so i think goaltending i think the panthers depth on the third and fourth line their physicality the way that they were able to get past tampa bay boston and a very uh lethal offensive team in the new york rangers uh i think that that bodes them well as and gives them the advantage the only disadvantage i think the panthers have in this series is two things number one
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
is the power play of the Edmonton Oilers, which is almost unstoppable. And number two is Connor McDavid. They have to stay out of the penalty box, limit their power plays given to the Edmonton Oilers. And then number two is they've got to somehow slow down Connor McDavid, get in his skating lane, bump him every time, not let him pass the puck at that high level of speed that he's used to.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
And if they do those two things, they will win this series and they'll win the Stanley Cup. The only way that they're going to lose is if Connor McDavid beats them and the Panthers beat themselves.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
This Panther team is a lot different guys that went to the Stanley Cup finals last year. They were beat up when they met the Vegas Golden Knights. They just weren't the team that they are. They went out in the offseason. They got bigger. They got stronger, more physical with Nico Nicola and Oliver Ekman-Larsen. And then they got Kyle Opozo. They got Tarasenko. They got...
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
Stenland up the middle, Lawrence up the middle. They're bigger and stronger. You can't hardly compare this team last year to this year. This year and the expectations and the experience that they have. They know what they have to do, and that's their only motivation. They talked about it on day one of training camp that anything less than getting back to the finals will be a colossal failure.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
So that's the mindset that they have. Last year was a Cinderella story. They were on top of the world. I can't believe that we're in the finals. How did we get here? This year, they were determined and they know that they were the best team in the Eastern Conference and they proved it.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
Oh, he is just a pure playoff performer. He proved it even before he got to the Panthers with the Calgary Flames. That's when he played his best hockey. And he suits the Panthers... system and the style of they play with the physicality. Everybody knows that the Panthers are the most physical team in the NHL. They lead in hits. They lead in penalties.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
They're the best four checking team in the NHL. And Sam Bennett,
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
leads that parade game after game night after night and he is an important cog and we everybody in the panther land are appreciative that he's got back in the lineup after having that injury but if they lose us a player as important as sam bennett boy that puts a real dent into what you're trying to accomplish and that's to win the stanley cup
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
Absolutely. Bandwagon, any wagon, pull your own wagon. It'll be the biggest party that South Florida has ever seen. And I can't wait for that to happen. I got my dinghy right out here, whatever. I'll lead the boat parade with my dinghy. The motor's not working right now, but I'll lead the... I'll lead the parade along the New River. I haven't heard anything.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
I don't think anybody wants to get ahead of themselves, but they will plan something. If this event happens, it will be something spectacular.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
I think right now it's got to be Sergei Bobrovsky. Roy, I mean... Amazing.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
Yeah, what he's done and what is it? It's nine of the last 10 or 10 of the last 11 games he's allowed two or fewer goals. So that stat just... number one, just puts you right on the leaderboard, I would think. But there's still a lot of hockey to be played. And with the Conchucks and the Verhages, Al Verhage scores those huge goals. And then Alexander Barkov. I mean, he's just been a monster.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
And to go up against... As I mentioned, the top stars on Tampa Bay, on Boston, on the Rangers, and almost single-handedly shut those players down with his play. If you're a casual hockey fan and you're watching the games, you don't really realize...
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
the importance and the input that Barkov has and the little things that he does and he's on the right side of the puck and he wins those board battles and important draws and and be in a position defensively and then lead the rush and and that sometimes that goes uh under the radar and that but for true hockey fans and and the people that are going to be voting for this award they know that he is
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
the best two-way player in the NHL. It's not even up for discussion.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
And he did. Well, yeah, I mean, these guys are tough to impress, you know. I mean, they're fair weather fans. And, you know, it's the same thing with Tua, with the Dolphins, when he has a couple of bad series in the game or whatever. Everybody's calling for him to get replaced as well. But that's all part of sports. That's fun. But I said it, guys. I said it three years ago.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
I said, if the Panthers are ever to win the Stanley Cup, it'll be with Sergei Bobrovsky in goal and no other goaltender. And I think hopefully I'm going to be proven right on that one.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: I've Been a Nerd My Whole Life
Well, that's a good one. I'm a fan of both of them. Guys, I'm a big Tua fan. I'm a big Dolphin fan. I think that with the right weapons and the right protection, the Miami Dolphins have more than adequate quarterback. in Tua, and I'll be a Tua man all game long. And that would be amazing, Stu Gotts, that Tua will reach your salary with that contract. That's pretty ironic.