The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Big Suey: The Land of No Expectations (feat. Steve Goldstein)
Fri, 02 May 2025
Goldie knows that even as a reigning champ, you never want to get too cocky. Also, is Trot Nixon nice? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: Who is Steve Goldstein and what is his connection to the Florida Panthers?
No, I gave him three options on guest. I gave him Chris Felica, the Bear, to make derby picks because we have no idea what we're doing. I gave him Chris Sims because he loves to give Billy a hard time. And then I gave him a third option of Steve Goldstein, the voice of the Florida Panthers. You know what I picked. And Chris Cody quickly fired back at me, Steve Goldstein, please.
All right. Well, let's bring on Steve Goldstein. Into my veins.
Give me this Panther talk into my veins right now.
Of the Florida Panthers, as much as I want to talk to him about the pickup game that we had several years ago with Joe Rose and Ira Winderman and Eric Reid. And I got the nickname fade away from Joe Rose, which I'm so proud of. I don't want to talk. There's no time for that, Goldie. We got to talk about how much better the Panthers are than the Lightning.
Why is it the Panthers turn to just be dominant right now?
Izzy, forget about the hockey. I want to talk all about that pick-up game.
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Chapter 2: Why are the Florida Panthers considered a dominant NHL team right now?
Assess my game.
So do I. Okay. I got Sandman across the board tomorrow in the Derby. And the funniest thing is I was over in Tampa. Panthers took him out in five. I saw Nikita Kucherov, and he asks me, do you know who Jeremy Taché is? What?
Now, I cannot imagine that that's true.
Everybody knows Jeremy Taché. So those are the important things. We can get to the hockey in a second. Hey, Goldie, love you too. Yeah, of course, of course. It's amazing is what's going on with the Panthers. We are really in.
you know a golden age and in south florida if you look back at the early 70s dolphins the big three for the heat that stretch that they had um that's really the only comparable you know the hurricanes late 80s early 90s with all those championships this panther run that started a few years ago and still the window is wide open for the next few years including the next few weeks um
They're just a machine. They could beat you however you want. You want to open it up and score goals. They can do that. You want to grind it out one, nothing and have a tight game right to the end. They do not change the way they play. They know their identity and they got a lot of guys that buy in. Basically everybody buys in and they're even willing to sacrifice their own game to get wins.
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Chapter 3: How did injuries and lineup changes affect the Panthers and Lightning playoff series?
And then obviously we all know that's what it takes to win in sports.
Now the Tampa Bay Lightning led the league in scoring. They were top five in penalty kill and power play, but it's like everybody forgot that once the Panthers got to full health, aside from Aaron Eckland who was suspended, that the Panthers, fully healthy,
are actually going to take care of the Lightning in the first round, considering what the Panthers were a couple years ago when they were just a transition team and now they're a four-track team. We've seen that that style of play that the Lightning have actually does not work in the playoffs. So explain to me why all the media decided to go with the Lightning to win this series.
Well, Roy, you know you're at Amarant Bank Arena all the time, so you watched the Panthers play the last couple of months. Now, you knew Matthew Kachuk was out. Marshan was out for those three weeks in March. Then he just started coming back, getting his game going. Ekblad was out of the lineup. You know, you don't take all those guys out of the lineup and have you be exactly the same.
Then Bennett missed a few games. Hulikov missed a few games. So the Panthers were kind of maybe not intentionally, but they were playing chess while everyone else was playing checkers. And that wasn't the team we knew we were going to see when the lights went on in the Stanley Cup playoffs. They get to game one against Tampa Bay.
Matthew Kachuk had never played a game with Seth Jones and Brad Marchand, like ever. So it It was just a different team. And you had Paul Maurice kind of spreading out that ice time because you can't do what they've done. 209 games the last couple of years. Best four checking team in the league. Intense physical hockey.
You physically cannot do that for 82 games and have enough left in the tank for a couple of months. And I just think, as you mentioned, the media, a lot of people just bought into it and said, well, the Panthers aren't quite that good, but they didn't look underlying. Without the reasons the last six weeks, they weren't quite playing at their optimal level.
Obviously, everybody's swinging a miss on picking Tampa Bay, and it's amazing the series wasn't even close. I'm looking at you, Bob, with shoes and lightning and seven.
Goldie, can you make the argument that this Panther team is better than last year's Panther team that won the Stanley Cup?
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Chapter 4: Is the current Panthers team better than last year's Stanley Cup-winning team?
All right, let's look forward here. Toronto Maple Leafs, Panthers. What scares you? I'm going to make this pretty general. What scares you about this Toronto team?
Cody, what scares me about Toronto is eating the shawarma in the street off one of those carts. Dangerous. You know, by Union Station. I'm not sure I'm going to go there. As far as the hockey... Look, they've gotten a more tighter defensive system with Craig Berube. It's very ironic. Anthony Stolarz, who was the Panthers' backup last year, will be the goaltender against Bobrovsky.
But overall, to me, seven-game series, all things being equal, I don't think Toronto can grind it out four times to beat the Panthers. So of course, Matthews, Marner, Nylander, the terrific offense that they had, but the Panthers have proven time and time again, the last two years, they can shut down the offense. As Roy said, you know, Tampa Bay tries this run and gun.
It doesn't work in the playoffs and it doesn't work against the Florida Panthers defense. So you never want to get too cocky, but Not a huge, scary team to me, but they have adjusted a little bit. You saw the game last night. They're trying to play more like the Panthers, where, hey, 2-1 in the third period, we're comfortable.
But the area I look at, the Panthers are the best floor-checking team in the NHL, and even against the Ottawa Senators, Toronto is in the bottom third of playoff teams defensively at giving up floor-check chances defensively.
So I think the Panthers can outlast them, and I think it's great they're starting on the road because if they go in there and they get one of the first two games, I think they're in good shape.
Goldie, Jeremy's giving me a look, and it's just saying, too cocky, man. I'm getting worried. I don't know. I'm getting worried.
Everybody's so cocky. Confident. Everybody in this room is confident.
They've earned the right to be cocky. Of course. Of course. He's happy that they're starting on the road. Not too scary.
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Chapter 5: What are the key challenges and threats posed by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the playoffs?
I'm going to jump in here. I'm with Goldie. I love being on the road the first two games. You just got to get one of them and you're coming home to home ice.
That does feel good. I'm not saying that they don't deserve it, by the way. The Florida Panthers, they're the best team in hockey. They were the best team in hockey last year. They've only gotten better. We saw through last year's run the difference was there was this era because it hasn't happened yet. There's still a little bit of fear. There's a little bit of fear.
And now I feel like all the way around every conversation I see, everybody is just so confident.
They've done it. And it's the Toronto Maple Leafs. They haven't been past the second round in 20 years. What are we talking about here?
Dangerous, Goldie. Parade of Bass Bags. You know, maybe Tashay's right. Let's go Leafs in seven. Okay, that'll be the prediction. Thank you, Goldie. Make everybody feel better. Then when the cats go in there and kick him in the teeth, we can all rip Tashay. Thank you very much.
Everyone knows who he is anyway. I'm the punching bag here anyway.
We're good.
I'll be the punching bag on that too.
Goldie, we had actually he's going to be a punching bag when he gets back, but Mike Ryan took a while to really get in on this Brad Marchand pickup saying he wasn't very good. Tell us what he's been doing lately.
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Chapter 6: How does Brad Marchand's role and performance impact the Panthers?
Believe me. What did he brought to the team lately?
First of all, you know, they lost some chatty guys, you know, some guys like cousins in Lombard that brought a little of that juice to the table. So maybe it was a little more of a serious team. He brings all of that and more. He does not shut up. It's great. And it's always positive. So when you get the positive guy on the bench and he's going to the hall of fame, It's a great situation.
The other thing is he's slotted in with those two young Finns. It might be the best third line since the 1970s Montreal Canadiens that won the four in a row. I don't even know who was on that Canadiens team, but that sounds impressive. You know, is he just look up Google Yvonne Porn YA and get back to me. Okay, brother, just, you know, look that up.
So you look at the matchup that they're on a third line. So like in the Tampa series, right? You can let Barkov and Ryan Harden, they take care of point Kucharov, Gensel. They kind of cancel each other out. Then the Bennett line, you know, in this series, go up against Tavares. They'll probably cancel each other out. Then you go to that third line and you got Brad Marchand there.
He's the most talented guy of anybody. And he also makes those two young Finns, Londell and Losterine, and think offensively a little bit more, like get to the net and I'll get you the puck. So Marchand has been amazing. I didn't know his hands were quite that good. And I didn't know he was quite as fast as he is right now. I think that layoff really helped him at his age in the mid-30s.
So in every way, the guy has been fantastic. And you know what I love about Kachuk and Bennett and Marchand and these guys? The reputation of being the physicality and after... These guys have cut all of that out. They're just playing hockey. And the other team maybe has that in their mind that, hey, these guys might bring some of that to the table. And they're really not. So Marchand is fitting.
So Bill Zito does, and that staff does an amazing job. Here's what we need. Here's the piece we need. Let's go out and fill that hole. And Marchand's been a big part of it.
But emotionally, what do you say to Panther fans? Because these Panther group chats are filled with a couple of these kind of guys. The Panther fans that care so much about the Panthers that they're like, oh, I hate the Bruins. I've always hated Marshawn. I will never. Go to hell. Like, while Kachuk and Maurice and guys on the actual team have accepted him.
These emotional Panther fans that are way too prideful to root for Marshawn.
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Chapter 7: What is the significance of key players like Seth Jones and Aaron Ekblad to the Panthers' defense?
Has he licked you?
He has not yet, and I'm very disappointed still. I mean, there's no love there.
Yeah, so you said the internet, it was the Calgary Flames, the 3M line. The internet says it was Goudreau, Gordon, Coleman. Is that right?
There you go. Okay. So that's when Tampa was winning those cups. Yes, they had Barkley Goodrell, Blake Coleman on the wings, Gianni Gord in the middle. They were great. No one could match up with them. I think these guys are more Lundell has got a ton of talent. So similar. And by the way, the lightning one, two cups with, with back to back with that line.
So there's the similarity, I guess you could say, but make no mistake. Brad Marshan is a more talented player than all of those guys.
You talk about how deep the Florida Panthers are. Mackie Samuskevich only played 36 minutes in that series against Tampa. And Jesper Bochrist played 40 minutes. I mean, are these guys going to see any time during this series versus Toronto?
You know, Roy, I think a lot of these players, the depth players, and we even saw this last year with Opozo and Lomberg and Cousins, you know, I think a lot of them are interchangeable as long as they're healthy. And you've got that top nine.
And I keep Evan Rodriguez in there, who, by the way, with all the stars, he's the one that led the Panthers in scoring in the Stanley Cup final against the Edmonton Oilers. People kind of forget that. So you look at that top nine that they have. It's loaded. We all know what happens in the playoffs. We've already seen it. You get injuries. You get suspensions. You need 15, 16 forwards.
So the fact that they have that, to me, is great. I'm sure at some point Sam Miskevich gets back in. You know, the thing with Mackey, as a young player, and you know, Roy, you're at the games, he's got that speed, he's got that offensive ability. He's not really a fourth-line guy. So if you're going to play him, I think you need to play him up in the lineup.
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Chapter 8: Who are the top sports figures associated with horse racing and what is the Kentucky Derby discussion about?
What an honor, Wah. Thank you. Roy, you made the Mount Rushmore.
Yes, yes, I'm very proud. Being Dwork, yeah, I'm very happy about that. The hockey show was made. Dwork first, though. Yeah, hockey show coming up later. Greg's going to be outraged.
Cody.
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Chapter 9: Is Trot Nixon really a nice person or a major asshole as perceived by others?
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Don Libetard. Our Panther group chat, we're confident against the Lightning. This is a different team. You're a Panther group chat, though. No, but dude, you're so wrong on that. We've been terrified of this team forever, and I think there's a different energy where the Panthers, they want the Lightning.
Stugatz. I want t-shirts made for this Panther run, what could be this Panther run. Our Panther group chat, we're not afraid of the Lightning.
That's a tagline for World RAR 3. This is the Dan Levitar Show with the Stugats.
Speaking of Cody, he owns a horse. You have a top five list of, is it people in sports or athletes who connote horses? So the Kentucky Derby is this weekend. It always comes around and surprises me. Like that and the Tour de France. You just, wow, look, it's starting. You have no idea.
The Tour de France doesn't really surprise me. I just don't care about it. No, that's true. And I'm not certain I care about the derby as well. Nope. But I do have a top five list of athletes who connote horse racing.
I got news for you with races of all kinds. It needs to be on one day. If your race takes three weeks, I don't care about it. What about the Olympics? Right. What race takes three weeks in the Olympics? I mean, it's sprout.
What Chris is saying is the Indy 500, they do 500 laps in a day. He doesn't need stages with his race. Well, whatever it is. Tour de France? Wow, I thought it was 500.
I thought it was 500 laps.
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