Latest / Chirping Zebras / PLAYOFFS | Chirping Zebras Podcast | Ep #110

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PLAYOFFS | Chirping Zebras Podcast | Ep #110 · Chirping Zebras

• Mark Riley: So hello everyone and welcome to Tripping Zebras. Mark Riley virtually alongside Gino Binda Jr. and Josh Dolan coming to you from the interwebs. Before we get into today's episode and talk some playoffs, I wanna thank our sponsors, the Referees Crease, your one stop shop for all your refereeing needs. And also Damon Financial, Damon Financial LLC, our buddy Mike Damon does a great job with. money management with tax efficient solutions with retirement. He really knows his stuff. And you know what? I put some money in with him. We trust him and you should too. You can check them out at damonfinancial.com. And when you meet with him, there's no obligation. It doesn't cost you anything. You just go talk about your goals and what you want to accomplish with your money and Mike will take good care of you. Like he takes good care of us as our sponsor. Also wanna thank AOA Studios for always being there for us, whether we're out on location or up in the studio, up in Beverly. Also wanna remind you to follow on the social medias, the Instagram, the Facebook, and of course, there it is. And also like and subscribe on YouTube and make sure you check out our website for all our merch, including our lace hoodies. Geno Binda: the TikTok. Mark Riley: and quarter zips and all the different things we have out there. We have golf shirts coming as well. ⁓ boys, we got a lot going on in the last couple of weeks, including the NH. yeah, not bad. ⁓ Before we really get into it, I gotta give a shout out to Tom at Bubble Drunk. So, reached out ⁓ with an email and said, hey, I love you. You know, he's a huge fan of the podcast and he's part of this ⁓ small. Geno Binda: I love the intro. Mark Riley: There's a company out of Natick that makes small batch soaps. And he has a soap, check it out, it's a hockey puck soap with bubble drink, comes in a little box, he sent a bunch of them, I'm gonna get them to you guys. And it's, as it says, it's kind of a man smelling soap. Josh Dolan: Ooh. Geno Binda: I want my logo on that and then we'll sell them to all the referees. Here you go. Let's do it. Chirpin' Zebra. Put a logo on that. Chirpin' Zebra. So get it today. Mark Riley: Well, there you go. I think we should do that. There you go. And you know what? What's hilarious is you know what this soap is called? Give your balls a scrub. Josh Dolan: Give your balls a scrub. That's almost like my Dolan Puck soaps. Mark Riley: I mean, how great is- Yes, yeah. I mean, how great is that? Bubble drunk, check them out, bubbledrunk.com. Our buddy Tom, we appreciate the soaps and we're all smelling good and give your balls a scrub, which is absolutely hilarious. ⁓ boys, we had a ton. Last weekend alone, Gino, you were down in Florida for the college meetings, which we'll get into. Last weekend though we had a couple big things. The Recovery Cup. Kevin Stevens, former guest on the show, had his first Recovery Cup. I got the T-shirt on. And what a great event. Eight men's teams, eight women's teams, Friday through Sunday. was a great tournament. Raised a lot of great money for Kevin's Power Forward 25. And the work he does. Josh Dolan: that. Geno Binda: That's great. Mark Riley: I got to coach three women's games on Saturday. went one and two. Not bad. First game was tough. 10 to nothing loss. um, and then, yeah, the games. Yeah. Uh, did. right. Um, and then Sunday I got to, um, referee the championship games, the men's and women's championship games. And they had some, uh, swoop. Sweeney was there. buddy Bob. Uh, he might've seen some reels that I put out. Not go through my Alma. I finally got her name right. She was there from, um, Geno Binda: Nice. Josh Dolan: ⁓ you're talking about the games. Geno Binda: Nice. ⁓ yeah. Mark Riley: NBC, she did the Olympic coverage. She won the championship. She out coached Kevin Stevens, which was pretty cool. ⁓ Buddy Kenny Hodge was there on Saturday. Just a great event. Kevin and his sister Kelly Wilson just do a great job with Power Forward 25. Geno Binda: I mean you mentioned, know, I can't even say her name. I'm not even gonna attempt it. But you know, her position, right? And those events and like, like finals and the Stanley Cup finals and all that, right? Like you've got all sorts of people in all walks of that industry that are part of that game that actually, you know, it's a, it's a feather in their cap to get selected to go work that game no matter what capacity, whether it's, you know, holding a video camera, you know, making the, you know, announcing the game, being the, you know, Mark Riley: Welcome. Geno Binda: Video replay guy like which I got to do in the frozen four, which is pretty pretty cool. ⁓ Just all those different opportunities. Those guys like, you you got a trainer, you got equipment guy, you got, know, all sorts of different walks of life besides just the players and coaches. And yeah, that's awesome. We had her on. Mark Riley: Yeah, I know it was great to meet her. She was a lot of fun. Joe Lamar from Achilles International, Achilles, Boston. They do a lot of work with ⁓ different disabilities running and whatnot. was ⁓ a champion in the one mile and then lost his foot and he was there. Geno Binda: Did you see that clip of speaking of Achilles? Did you see the clip of the NCDC game? Mark Riley: ⁓ with the kid kicking the kid in the back of the leg. Unreal. Unreal. ⁓ Did he end up getting the penalty? OK, good. Yeah, he karate like it was almost like a karate kick right to the back of the leg. Geno Binda: Yeah. Right. Yeah, you got the panel. Yeah, right, like he tried to take his Achilles out. Mark Riley: That's just not right. I mean, that goes overboard. You know what I mean? Like way overboard. ⁓ But yeah, so, and I want to give one more shout out to Jim Garrity ⁓ from, he was the presenting sponsor of Morgan Stanley. He was there too. So great event, the Recovery Cup. ⁓ And then Saturday, Josh, you and I were over at the Quincy Youth Hockey Rink, which hasn't changed since, you know, you and I played there. ⁓ Josh Dolan: Heh. Geno Binda: ⁓ I went there for Dylan. One of Dylan's games like not this past year, the year before, and it smells the same. It has the same everything like. Mark Riley: It's everything. Nothing has changed. ⁓ Geno Binda: I grew up there. played shitty hockey there every Every day like I'd pick up Mikey Ronan and Braintree I just saw his brother Johnny at actually down at the coaches convention He coaches Union ⁓ But I would pick I would leave salty pick up Ronan cuz you had I had a goalie and then we go to Quincy every day Right me and three of my salty buddies Every yeah was awesome Mark Riley: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that rink, they used to host the Parini tournament. remember that. Yeah, it's not, it's the same as since its inception, since it was put up and they Geno Binda: pay five bucks skate for two hours. Josh Dolan: That's how all those rinks are. That's why I just love all the character of all the rinks and like how each one is built like so different. Like they all have their own like character to it. And the weekend before that, the Bruins alumni, were at the rink in Winthrop, Ruzioni's old home rink. And yeah, I don't know who designed that one, but it's great. I love it. Geno Binda: ⁓ that place is the same. Yeah, that's the same deal. Yeah. Mark Riley: ⁓ yeah. Some of them, I mean, there's some rinks here that like Hockey Town in Saugus with the wall, the brick, the concrete wall is the glass, glass, right? No, that's true, that's true. But that game was fun. That was Kevin Mason, our buddy Kevin Mason and the Merry Men Foundation. And they played for the Warrior for Life Fund. And what a game that was. It was a lot of fun to be a part of. Geno Binda: Ballots. Josh Dolan: At least there's a wall. Mark Riley: Of course, Kevin does a great job. The uniforms he had made were incredible. though even the other hoodies are fantastic. And we got to see our buddy Chris Willie. Our Navy SEAL buddy Chris Willie and Matt Keegan and a couple other SEALs and those guys are just awesome. I got to hang out with him Monday. I went went to lunch with a few of them and man just sitting there listening to their stories. It's unbelievable, unbelievable so. Josh Dolan: Mm-hmm. their hoodies. I love their hoodies. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. I'm always shocked at how big Chris Willis is. Mark Riley: ⁓ Yes, a lot. The dude is huge and one of the seals that I met on Monday was actually taller, not as jacked, but taller and like as wide. was just, it was incredible. Absolutely incredible. those guys, you you're walking a Dave's Hot Chicken with five seals and you're just like, I hope someone fucks with us. You know what I mean? Like just please let someone mess with us today right now. Josh Dolan: Yeah. Yeah. you Geno Binda: See, the problem is, is like my buddy in college, like he was he would run his mouth if he was with guys that he knew like to kick somebody's ass. Mark Riley: Yeah, well that's what those friends do, right? I did not say a word, I didn't, but it's just funny, they get that aura about them, like they walk in a room and no one knows who they are, but you can just tell they're someone. And you know, it's just so cool. Josh Dolan: Yeah. Also, when you make eye contact with them, there's something different about like making eye contact with the seal. Like, and I don't think it's because I know that they're a seal. There's other people have been like, they must be. And then they turn out to be a seal because I'm like, are you downloading me right now? Mark Riley: Well, that's what they do. I mean our buddy John Eccles he can read a person in two seconds, right? Josh Dolan: Yeah, he's the one that I'm like, ⁓ my God, he knows everything about me. Mark Riley: Yeah, no, no, they're cool people. So I was fortunate to hang with some of them and especially our buddy Chris Willie and he didn't break my leg this time, which was good. So, you know, that's always good. He didn't shoot me. He tried, but he did not. ⁓ So, Gino, tell us about the college, the meetings down there. Any rule changes, anything good coming down the pike for next year? Josh Dolan: Yeah. ⁓ Geno Binda: ⁓ it was kind of quiet as far as that stuff goes, you know, the big topics where, know, the, the overtime switching from three on three to five on five. I don't know if that has any legs. ⁓ but like the process goes, it's pretty interesting. Like, like how this process all, all stems stems down, right? This is just part of the process of the rule of the rule changes, right? Like we call, they collect also the data from each conference. ⁓ each conference meets with the NCAA eventually all the coaches go in with their supervisor officials and. You you're you break down all the different rule changes and they give their opinions. You're not you're not voting on anything today, but it's when that with that survey comes out and it's like a shot little window. That's important for when it gets to the rules committee when they're making their decisions. So, you know, it's that that type of process that kind of breaks down and, the commissioners have a say, the supervisors and all the coaches. And then I believe the officials get that survey, too. But. ⁓ You know those we also, you know, what else you do is like, ⁓ you know, video replay on the bench, right? A ⁓ video on the bench to begin with, right? Was that look like? What's that? What's the cost of that? Is it a good thing for the game? ⁓ You know, the NHL says it's the worst thing they put in, especially for, you know, relationship with the officials. And the other one was, you know, Cause in a team if they want to challenge, there was a lot of talk about challenges, whether you know you want to keep it. majors only just goals only and not not review major penalties or you know, is it you're gonna cost the team a penalty if so, which kind of ties in a video on the bench. ⁓ So like I don't think that has too much legs. I think going to keep it as is is costing a team a timeout if they want to challenge. I think I think I like how it is now. ⁓ Just the way the video and all that kind of stuff is in the technology on the bench. So. Mark Riley: So now the overtime, I've kind of grown fond of the three on three. For regular season, obviously not for playoffs. And part of it, I think, has to do with opening up the ice and it usually ends quicker than five on five. And as a referee, never a bad thing when overtime doesn't go very long. Geno Binda: So there was some there was some are you know favor of extending it maybe to seven to ten minutes extending that three on three to get a winner. They do in the Coast League. It works pretty good. I think the percentages are pretty high. ⁓ So I don't know. We'll see how that, you know, survey comes out and the results of it. So I'm trying to think what what are the big ones? ⁓ Mark Riley: Did this come up? Because I heard a couple of people talking about this on different podcasts and reels. Setting up some type of playoff tier for the playoffs, kind of like they have in high school here at Mass, where you have the Super 8 and then you have D1, D2 and down. They were talking about for D1 only, having that kind of that You know how many other teams you put in there? 10, 12 of those, you know, the Ohio States and the Michigan's and those teams that are just a step above the teams say in, you know, some of the teams in the ECAC or the Atlantic having like two divisions. Geno Binda: Easy, easy, easy, easy. Mark Riley: Bentley held their own in the tournament, but let's face it, I don't think they're gonna end up taking out Wisconsin or Michigan or BC. Geno Binda: Hey. Yeah, I did alright. You know what though, like I'll give that league a lot of credit. They got a lot of good young coaches and they they I mean. They're not losing games by, you know, 10 to 12 or whatever when they used to write their established, they hear they're beaten, they got very good non-conference wins. They and they're losing games by one goals or taking teams to overtime like, you know, Air Force took Denver to overtime, you know, things like that. They probably should have won that game. But any rate, you know, Things like that. So the conference is getting a lot stronger. I think the top four or five teams are really strong. And then, the bottom, you know, they need to get up the stuff, but it is what it is. They struggle with the portal and everything else. No different than all the other teams. And, know, like it's interesting how, the portal, like, you know, these coaches, you have conversations with some of them. Like I had a conversation with a lot of like big name D1 coaches this weekend, just like belly it up at the bar with them. And you know, like you, they can't coach these kids hard. ⁓ they got a tiptoe around a few things, you know, you want to try to like, kind of, they kind of dictate a lot of what's going on where, you know, it's frustrating and tell me right now. Right. You can't predict any teams or the rankings, ⁓ for next, next year, everybody's going everywhere. Right. Like all these teams are new, they're getting eight or nine new, new, new faces every year and have to revamp. And it's all about. You know, if your team's going to gel halfway through. So it's an interesting system, but you know, there was a lot of other different, different discussions ⁓ that, know, I won't get into, but it was, ⁓ some, some of the meetings with the coaches and the NCAA were very interesting. Let's, put it that way. Mark Riley: Any talk on the portal stuff? Because one of the things that someone proposed was they get one freebie and then after that if they transferred men. Geno Binda: Yeah, there's been there was a whole lot of those a whole lot of discussion on all that and how the NCAA is actually revamping what they're what they're doing completely with Charlie. Charlie Baker is coming down with a whole new new thing. So it will be interesting how that affects hockey. I think it's going to affect it. think it's going to affect junior hockey. I think it's going to affect a lot of a lot of it. So. Who knows? We'll see. We'll see where it goes. But hopefully the NCAA does the right thing. So. Mark Riley: Yeah. Yeah, I think it's not a bad idea to limit it. You know what I mean? Because you could end up playing for five different schools in five years. Which, I mean, I don't know. And I suppose whatever's best for the athlete is best for the athlete. But, you know, and certain people leave for certain reasons that I think are legit. They didn't gel with the coach or the coach sold them something, didn't come through. Geno Binda: What was the what was the basketball team they left? Every every, know, everybody but two players left like Stanford or something. Ridiculous. Yeah, right. Like the girls basketball. Yeah. Mark Riley: Yeah, Yeah. Well, it's almost putting the coaches in a spot where how do you recruit? You know, how do you like you just said, gel a team or bring a team team together? And and also the whole I mean, we all talked about it and we talk everyone talks about it, how athletes these days are completely different than athletes in the past. You know, you can't you can't do what our coaches did to us. ⁓ You know, now. Geno Binda: Well, well, it's like the recruiting. Well, yeah, that in like it hurts the recruiting process too, right? Because like they put more onuses on the portal and that kind of stuff, their energy on that than rather bringing in or identifying people through three years old, because those those kids are already going to, you know, jump ship anyway. So who knows? Mark Riley: Yeah, it's it's it's an interesting situation. It's not only affecting hockey like you just mentioned basketball, football. I mean, every everyone. ⁓ Then you throw the NIL money in and it's like, who's going to pay me more to go play? Right. It's it's it's a it's kind of a mess, but but now it's so NHL playoffs. Best time of the year. I mean, can we agree on that the best time? You have what three games every night, sometimes four, although they're dwindling down now. Josh Dolan: Yeah, the first few. Geno Binda: Actually, no, before before we get the playoffs, I just want to mention Russ DeMariano from Anna Maria, Boston Terriers, right? Right, so I mean, their school like so part of these meetings, and I think it's very good when you're down there. You you don't just sit in a room and meet like the whole purpose of going down there, smoozing around and talking to people afterwards. Like in the morning I went down, I helped set up my room. The coaches didn't need me in there because they would talk another business they had to deal with. So like Mark Riley: ⁓ yeah, yeah, Russ, a sponsor. Geno Binda: I just kind of had a coffee and, you know, met with some people like, you know, talk to Chrissy Langley, talk to pie, talk to this one, talk to that one. And, know, you get some some one to one time with people. And then I'm just sitting out having breakfast, you know, Russ Russ Rocks by with an inner Maria shirt on. And I'm like, man, how are you guys doing? And it's very interesting, you know, like the kids want to stay together, right? They don't want to go anywhere. They want to be together. Not have a mental portal and. They're looking for a school to get attached to. And I'm like, I mean, that would be fucking awesome. Right. Like they go, who knows, whatever school they can, you know, get attached to. It's almost like they like the Mighty Ducks. But like there's a lot of layers in it, like they need to be a collegiate sport to be in the NCAA and all that kind of stuff. there's there's a lot of loops they got to jump through. But, you know, they're trying to try to do something for these kids. And it's just too bad when these schools are closed. Mark Riley: Yeah. Yeah, Anna Maria just closed. Well, they're closing, but they announced like at the end of the year, we're done. just, you never heard of a college closing. I mean, well, I suppose no, Becca closed, what was that, two years ago. But I just, it's wild how, like a college nowadays, how they just shut down. Geno Binda: Mm-hmm. Yep. The funniest thing was I was sitting there with my associate commissioner and he turns his backpack around and goes, look what I got. He got the Trump and Zebra hack connected. I was like, hey, look at this. Mark Riley: Nice. Nice, nice, I love it. ⁓ I gave some hats out to the Seals on Monday. So there'll be ⁓ some zebra hats all over Va beach and maybe even overseas or wherever. So you never know. Russ hooked us up the Terriers and Landmark restaurant ⁓ for the parade. Landmark is fantastic. Great in Dorchester, great pizza, great food. Geno Binda: ⁓ sorry. Yeah? I wanted to throw that out there because like Russ is awesome. Yeah. Yep. Go check that restaurant out. It's Phenomenal pizza. Yep. Mark Riley: You know, they set us up with a whole meal there on Saturday. ⁓ yeah, so Russ is, he's definitely good people. We appreciate him and the Terriers too. mean, yeah, yeah, very good. And my buddy Derek Curtis is over there too, running that program. Kurt, he's awesome. Never. Geno Binda: ⁓ yeah. that he's the best good hockey guy too. ⁓ yeah, I see. Curried all the time. He grabs me and he doesn't stop working that guy like he just fucking works his balls off like every I see him in the ring. He's either, you know, right in the Zamboni doing coaching, doing skills in the office like he doesn't stop. don't stop. Mark Riley: Yeah, Well, mean, Kurti taught me a lot as a coach back when I was an assistant coach with him down in Sandwich for a year and also working with him at Puck Masters in Norwood back in the day with the synthetic ice. I mean, he knows his hockey and just a great guy. So shout out to Kurti and Ross over there. ⁓ Now, so playoffs, you know, as of taping this this afternoon here, Friday, got three games left tonight that could decide things, right? Geno Binda: Yeah, we're going to be heading to Buffalo, back to Buffalo. Mark Riley: Yep, so you got the B's in Buffalo in game six tonight. ⁓ Thoughts on this series so far? And I'll hold no, no, go ahead. Geno Binda: the Josh Dolan: I was just gonna say is it... Mark Riley: Yep. ⁓ yeah. No, we want to head back to Buffalo. I got you. I got you. I knew what you were saying. I knew what you were saying. Hopefully. Hopefully we are. Josh Dolan: Yeah It's the only time in history that people want to go back to Buffalo. Geno Binda: Yeah, no shit. Mark Riley: Right? No one ever said. Geno Binda: I was in an NHL referee room one night and like actually we were at East coast league training camp. Right. And, ⁓ one kid, you know, or in the other asking questions to these guys, like, ask me anything. Guy goes, kid goes, Hey, how's Buffalo here? Buffalo is a good city. The guy goes, who the only good thing about Buffalo was flying over it. ⁓ Josh Dolan: Yeah. Geno Binda: That was fucking hilarious. Mark Riley: It's a serious question. And I don't have a problem with it necessarily, but I'm just wondering why Buffalo sings the Canadian and ⁓ US American national anthems. Anyone know why? Josh Dolan: because they're basically in Canada. Geno Binda: ⁓ I think it's an upstate thing because like Niagara does it I think ⁓ Yeah, a lot of those schools up there do it. I don't know why yeah, I think it's just a border thing Mark Riley: No kidding. Yeah, maybe, maybe it is. Yeah. Buffalo is right across the, you know, Niagara Falls, right? Yeah. But it's just, Geno Binda: So like it's 20. Yeah, it's about a half hour. Yeah If you change the truth, it's 15 minutes Josh Dolan: Yeah. It's like how people in New Hampshire v- Geno Binda: Ugh. Mark Riley: What were you saying about people in New Hampshire? Josh Dolan: ⁓ I was just gonna say just like how people in New Hampshire say they're from Boston. Like, what? Stay in your own yard. Mark Riley: Yeah. Yeah. Well, anyone outside of, ⁓ yeah, well, the best was, yeah, the best was when you were traveling and like, ⁓ I'm from Boston too. ⁓ really? What part? ⁓ I'm from, ⁓ you know, I'm from Dudley. Dudley you say nowhere near Boston. got a nice light. Geno Binda: Yes. Springfield, yeah, Springfield claims us. I'm like, no. Josh Dolan: You're from Connecticut. Yeah. Geno Binda: I always leave with salty they're like well I'm from Manchester, New Hampshire. Well, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Mark Riley: You Yeah. ⁓ thoughts on the Bruins. I mean, it's so frustrating to watch. Geno Binda: They're lucky to be there first off, right? And you know, they're, got the great gold tending and you know, parkluck. Mark Riley: Yeah, Swamen, I don't think you can argue. Swamen's had a great series, even though they put up goals on him. I mean, I think that game they lost that was really ugly, that game could have been 15. Buffalo could have put up 15 that game, and especially in that first period where they went down 4-0. Josh Dolan: Yeah. Geno Binda: But Buffalo reminds me of that St. Louis team that just went on a run, caught out late. They sucked the beginning of the season and just, you know, jelled somehow and they got the firepower. They're not very, I mean, they're not very fast, right? ⁓ They're built for, I think they're tough, right? I mean, look how many hits they laid in the first game alone. ⁓ They're going to wear teams down. I think they could go on a run if they win tonight. But ⁓ yeah, they remind me of that St. Louis team. Josh Dolan: Yeah. Yeah. Mark Riley: Goal-tending, y'all. They're goaltending, y'all. Josh Dolan: I'll just... Geno Binda: It's the worst that backhand was the worst thing to happen to the Bruins. Josh Dolan: That was brutal. That was brutal. But I will say this. I didn't really have problem with him up until this point, but I will say I'm thinking about reaching out to Kevin Miller to tell him to beat up Tage Thompson again. Geno Binda: Yeah, distress them, sign them. Mark Riley: Right? Yeah, but let's have Kevin. You know what? think honestly, and we've done enough alumni games in Sarm, I think if Ference, Chara, and Miller came back, that would be a better decor. We could drop the three that haven't done anything in the playoffs. Seriously. mean, Loray should be in the East Coast League, let's be honest. Thank God they sat him finally. Josh Dolan: Don't feel bad this time. Mark Riley: put Yoki Haru in, not that Yoki Haru is any of the second coming of, you know, of Al McGuinness, but at least he doesn't get muscled off the puck every time. Hampus Lindholm just disappears. I don't understand how a guy that size becomes that soft when playoff time comes. I don't know, maybe it's me. And then Zdodorov, like, how many times are you gonna just give the puck away? How many times are you gonna suck? so bad that your goalie could sue you for non-support. Is it me? Geno Binda: He probably owes him a few dinners. Yeah. Mark Riley: Just me. Geno Binda: Can you hear me? Mark Riley: Yeah. Josh Dolan: Yeah. Mark Riley: Yeah, so you think, I mean, I think we have, you have McEvoy, you have Peek, who's playing as a number two, but really isn't a number two on most any team, right? I mean, and Asimov, when he's your number three, I think you got a problem. Josh Dolan: Yeah, there's and I feel like the team's missing a little bit of a spark. Like if they had someone like, I don't know, a Marshawn or something that like that's been there and can really get the crowd into it and get the team into it. I just feel like there's that missing piece where they need like another marshy and a Berge or something. But I mean, you don't come across those guys very often. Mark Riley: everyone could use a Berge and a Martian. I think, you know, the fourth line, you know, and Coralli and Castellet, arguably could be their best line up until this point in the playoffs. Consistent. Josh Dolan: Yeah. Geno Binda: outline. Josh Dolan: The Bruins are a huge team. There's a lot of large gentlemen on that team. I think they just need to throw it around a little. Mark Riley: Yeah. ⁓ Well, mean, all right, I'm gonna say something that people might get pissed off about, but ⁓ David Postanak, where are you? I'm sorry, but if he's gonna be that level of a player, you gotta do more than what he's doing in the playoffs. He gives the puck away more than anything, and when he does, he just stands there and watches it. Doesn't even come back for, you know, on the back track. Geno Binda: I mean, I a lot of people say that about him though. Like, that's not like, yeah. I mean, he gets criticized like that a lot in the media, especially with Felger and Maz. ⁓ Mark Riley: Well, they criticize everyone. Geno Binda: But like they they they him him on this point though, but it's they're not wrong sometimes but like a player like that like You need the Bergeron you need leadership you that second line depth like you need somebody to you know Like when when my shot went down to Florida like he was a good, know second guy third guy, right? Like you can't just like have one guy carry you like I've been saying since the beginning of the season pasta knock McAvoy Swain and that's a good start but Josh Dolan: Is it? Geno Binda: Who are these other characters? And I think they're finding that out this year with their young guys and who they have and where you got to put your money, who you're to build a team around. Because when I know for a fact, when they traded Thornton, they were building the team around Bergeron, not Joe Thornton. That's why they got rid of Thornton. So, you know, I think they're trying to figure that out, who they're building the team around. McAvoy, pasta, Swain. You got the good three now fill it in. And I got like. Josh Dolan: Yeah. Geno Binda: It's a good that they didn't go to the basement, right? Like you're still relevant. You're in the playoff teams are going to want to play is going to want to come here. You got good coaching. It looks like he, you know, they had no business being in the spot and you have to give stern credit. Josh Dolan: Yeah, Sturm was also to pasta given the puck up or not showing up. feel like he like you were saying he just needs guys around. He needs someone to pass the puck to. Like, I feel like getting. Mark Riley: Well, Kiki put up 39 goals. He's got someone on his line. Josh Dolan: Someone? Geno Binda: How many pips Mark Riley: They've missed more nets this playoff series than anything. Here's the thing, Pastanak, when he was with Berzhan and with Marchand, I think he was the same player that he is now, right? But they ⁓ compensated for those deficiencies when he gave the puck up, Berzhan was there to cover it, right? ⁓ In the D zone. He's not strong in the D zone. Geno Binda: Holy Mark Riley: with those two on the line and even with Kraytchi when he played with Kraytchi. Kraytchi, I think, hid a lot of his deficiencies as a defensive player. maybe he's hurt, I don't know, but ⁓ it's like how many times you just gonna give the fucking puck up and then stand there and watch. Josh Dolan: Well, we'll see today because he sent them to an extra game, so we'll see. Mark Riley: Well, he did score finally on a breakaway, he scored. Only took him, what, three four times? Tries? Yeah, that's true. Of course, I'm talking, you know, like, I've never been out there, but that's all right. I can do that, because that's what we do. But it's just frustrating, because you know how good he is. You know, you know how good he is. And I know in the playoffs, things tighten up, the space gets less, you know, the whole thing, but... Josh Dolan: He does it when it counts. Yeah. Geno Binda: Usually like I've seen it even in the American League, like you see guys that are like leading, high leading goal scorers and this and that and like the small little guy or whatever, they just kind of not, you know, very thick. They get taken out like those kids get their ass kicked, especially when I was working right. Like, like I just laid the lumber like forget it. Like they disappear in the playoffs. I'm like, dude, where's this? How come this guy produced and they like watch him? Like he can't even, you know. His body hurts. Mark Riley: You get beat up. But some of the other series have been fantastic. mean, the Montreal-Tampa Bay series, just nasty. Minnesota, I'll tell you what, there's a team that could be relevant for like five to 10 years. Geno Binda: I was psyched for Minnesota. I like what Josh Dolan: And you know why that is? Mark Bowers. Geno Binda: Yeah, well, you know what to like John Hines and I love Heinze. He's the best. ⁓ And I got to know Billy Gere through the years, too, right? Like they got a good thing going like Billy and John were in Wilkes-Barre together. And, you know, it was great. Like I would always stop into their office and shoot the shit. And yeah, happy for them. Mark Riley: Yes, Mark Mowry. He tried to eat the skull. Yeah. ⁓ I mean, have, know, getting Quinn Hughes was huge, but, you know, they have Boldy, they have Faber, they have, I mean, they're deep. Foligno, yeah, yeah. Why can't Boston get players like that? Right? But that series has been fun. Conor McDavid, man, like, I don't know how he hasn't snapped. again, Josh Dolan: called felinos? Geno Binda: Yes. Josh Dolan: I know, right? Geno Binda: He'd look good in a brewing juniform. Mark Riley: Yeah, I would. How about pasta from McDavid straight up? If I could do that in a heartbeat, I'd throw in four or five other ones too. Geno Binda: give you a lor-eye. Josh Dolan: Yeah well how's that working out for the oilers? Mark Riley: But Geno Binda: We'll give him one of our young goalies like fuck like, you know. Mark Riley: Yeah, yeah, we could. got a few of them and they're not bad. How about Dan Vladah playing for Philly? Right? Yeah, he's huge too. Huge. He was good here. Just too many goalies. You know, a numbers game really. Geno Binda: Well, I saw that. That guy's awesome. I remember him in the miners, man. He was great. I mean, I think I think the Bruins they got the right one. I think Swain was the guy we'll see Mark Riley: I do too. I do too. I think he's, you know, a lot of people are down on him, you know, I think he's the one. In that, I want to get your take, you know, on the controversial goal in the Edmonton series when Minnesota scored in overtime. ⁓ Josh Dolan: Yeah. Geno Binda: ⁓ So the room that they had set up for like the meeting with the NCAA, you know, and the coaches, Fulton was in there. So I walk in just to say hello. And he was like, call me. Have you seen this goal yet? I go, no. So they pulled it up on the screen. Mark Riley: wait a minute. I messed up, it's not Edmonton. It was Anaheim, my bad, Anaheim, ⁓ Edmonton. I Minnesota playing Edmonton. Anaheim and Edmonton. So what was the consensus? Geno Binda: Yes. Like, like it sets this is how, does the referee have that as a goal of the ice? Like, how did he, how does he see it? He puts his hand up. ⁓ you know, when they come together and they have, you have a call the ice and you know, they, they must have some type of view to have the puck in the net. Mark Riley: My question, first of all, did he even point? No, he threw his hands up. Right? So how does he determine that's a goal? I mean, when you throw your hands up, that's kind of telling everyone I'm stopping it and I'm not sure. And if you're not sure, then you can't call a goal. Geno Binda: It was like, I, no, I said, so I said the same thing. So I go off, I, that happened to my daughter's game in the state tournament, right? Like the bluish gray line, right? It's like, there's no like real goal line cause it's Marlboro and the guy, the referee kind of like this and just pointed and I lost my fucking. Mark Riley: Am I wrong? Right. Josh Dolan: You Geno Binda: You see me on the back of the glass. Look at what's going on! Mark Riley: Well you're not supposed to- You're not supposed to- I can hear you now, but you're not supposed to point unless you see the puck in the net. And if you don't, you can't call a goal. Geno Binda: ⁓ my I know, but like he, yeah, he just made the decision. It was too close. ⁓ yeah, I don't know. can't. the Mark Riley: And then the replay, you've been a replay official for college, right, for the tournament. You can't see the whole puck, right? You just can't see the puck. ⁓ Geno Binda: Like we had a situation like that this year. ⁓ You couldn't see the puck at all until, you know, you're sorry it wasn't in the net. So you can't count it if you don't see it, unless if it's a glove and it's the glove is the hands is completely crossed the line. Right. And you know, it's in ⁓ other than that. Mark Riley: Right. Right, right. But with that one, like Tristan Jirey skates on top of it. You can't see the whole puck. Now, yeah, logic tells you it's in the net based on what you see, but you can't verify that. Well, you're parallax. Yup. But that, that how do you call, how do you verify that's a goal when you don't have 100 % evidence? Geno Binda: Then you get the parallax angle, who knows, right? So like, it's like, like. Josh Dolan: That's a goal. Geno Binda: Well, last call was at midnight, it was overtime. No, I don't know. I really don't have an answer for that. But it's ⁓ you have to go with the call on the ice. So like the referee must have said, hey, I have that across the line from when I came across that. I know. Josh Dolan: No, that's obviously a goal. Mark Riley: Can you pull it up, John? Josh Dolan: Yeah. Mark Riley: But he didn't point! Josh Dolan: No, because like as you're looking at it, it's at the end of the skate, the skate is fully past the red line. You can't see the ice between the goal line and the puck. if you use the skate as a reference, you know that the skate is below the goal line. Mark Riley: Right? That's what I'm saying. but you can't see white behind the puck. So you can't 100 % definitively say that puck fully crossed the line. Geno Binda: It could be like this much like that's ridiculous, but like. Mark Riley: I'm not, and don't get me wrong, I had no, as John Brady says, I have no dog in this fight, right? ⁓ I mean, I'd love to see McDavid finally win a cup, whatever. ⁓ Anaheim's got a great team. My point is that if you can't see the puck fully over the goal line, how do you call it a goal? And if you had a goal on the ice, why the fuck didn't you point? Geno Binda: 100%. Mark Riley: But there's a lot wrong with that. I don't think, know, logic tells you, yeah, like Josh, you just said, it's in the net, but you can't see it. Josh Dolan: Well, hold on, let me see if I can pull it up here because the image I'm looking at on this computer, I'll see if I can pull it up on that screen. That's clearly. Mark Riley: Well, yeah, you, plus where is that camera angle coming from? Josh Dolan: directly above. Bird's Eye View. Yeah. Mark Riley: That's directly above. All right. So. Josh Dolan: So there's. Geno Binda: I mean he could have came in underneath right like see the park, know, like I have it in the net right like hey I got this ⁓ whoa, whoa like I Don't know. right, like sometimes your brain in your arms Don't react the same way sometimes right like you get sped up in that moment where this is Stanley Cup playoff game It's an overtime game. I'm caught in fucking corner Now I get a zip to the goal line. I'm fucking moving Josh Dolan: Yeah. Geno Binda: Now I need to make a decision in a split second. And all I could think of is, whoa, let's have a moment here. I got it. I got it. I got it. I got it. Right. And then they then they huddled like, who knows what went through his head or what he saw? Because like I had a play. I think it was I think it was the first half. I don't know the years blend, but I had a play where it was kind of similar where the puck was underneath the kid. I think it was the same. Might have been a scape later the pad, but You know, the referee said he had seen the puck in the net. Like I had 100 % puck in the net. I saw it. So like the video didn't confirm it, but the colony I stood because he had seen it in the net. They go like I was like, I still don't see the puck in the net, dude. He's like, well, I did from where I was. And I was like, it's all I need to know. Josh Dolan: I mean from what I'm looking at this picture, I'll be completely honest, it does look like across the line, but if this was Buffalo scoring on Boston, I don't see the puck across the line. Mark Riley: Right. Geno Binda: No, it's not a no absolutely not no no Mark Riley: Well, that's fine. Well, the other night we had the goal in the Bruins game where they poked it out of the, who was it, Robinson poked it from underneath the goalie's pad and it went in and they called it no goal and immediately they got like five text. And that was the right call because the ref was pulling the whistle up through his mouth and as the puck got put in, so he had deemed that dead. And the whistle came after the puck went in, but that was the right call. That was no goal. ⁓ Yeah, he did. He did. He waved immediately and he made the decision. I just don't know. Geno Binda: Did he wave immediately? Because he's processing that because he's in position. You could slow it down. Right. And he knew, you know, yeah, you have to get you whistle to you. That takes time. Right. Mark Riley: Well, he turned away thinking the puck was going to ricochet. And as he turned back, he realized the puck was under the goalie's pad. And that's when he was bringing the whistle up, and they poked the puck in. So it was the right call. But he made a call. On that goal, the Anaheim goal, there was no call made. I don't know. Geno Binda: There was no visual compliment, but there was a there was a call on the ice which had to have been a goal so like they huddled and they came out with a goal then they go in and confirm it and Mark Riley: but how they, that, do you understand what I'm, and I'm kinda playing devil's advocate here, but you know, if I blow the whistle. Geno Binda: No, it's It's the question is, is how did he see the puck in the net? And then that's that's that's that's the bottom line. Mark Riley: Well, first of all, I don't know how he saw the puck in the net unless you're, you know, on top of it, I don't know. But if I blow my whistle, I throw my hands up, and then you and I get together, and you say, it in the net? And I say, yeah. Your first question should be, why the fuck didn't you point? Geno Binda: Well this I've seen this happen multiple times that actually happened in the tournament it happened with me and Durfee and the Thursday night pro league, right? ⁓ I forget who it was but somebody comes in rings it off the crossbar. It was like I see it clear as day for my sight line because I had like nobody in my view because it came from that that side of the ice and Durfee blows his whistle and points and I'm like Right like Mike Gray was playing Mike Grant's motherfucker Mark Riley: No? Geno Binda: I'm like, you shut the fuck up? I was like, I'll give you my 50 that was I was like, got it. Yeah. You know, I was like, I'm making 50 bucks. I was like, I'm not going to listen to you fucking yell and scream. I was like, get the fuck out of here, So anyway, I go to DERF. He's like looking for help. I was like, oh, that went off the crossbow. We're going to we're just going to take this outside inside, you know, referee or whatever. Right. But my my taking the center ice wherever the face off was. But. Mark Riley: You ⁓ Josh Dolan: Hehehehe Geno Binda: that we disallowed the goal, but you have to get together and have a conversation like that. That situation there, like I clearly see see it from the high official. It's not just the low guys, low guys call. Right. It's both of us. Like I have to have eyes on that, too, because. It's important. That's what the play is. The sight light. Yeah, you're. Mark Riley: Right. Yeah, no question. The high guy didn't see that goal. The high goal, the high guy never would see that goal in the Anaheim game though. I mean, there's no way. Geno Binda: No, but like this like even being the replay booth, right? Like you got those those shots that come in and they go in and out quick so like that they hit the inside of that bar and come out and every like referee waves boom You know now it's plays going on for five ten minutes, right? but we're looking at in the replay booth and went up underneath which it didn't happen in the tournament, but That's just a situation that that could happen. So like any like any play that was tight in and around the net. We always say hey Mark Riley: down. Geno Binda: Another view overhead. Let's see that again. Boom. All right, we're clear. We move on. It was like that that quick and instant was friggin awesome. But like. That those things happen. Mark Riley: Now let me ask you this, if that were to happen, ⁓ play goes on. Now play stops and no one questions it. If you're in the repay boot, do you crawl down? Geno Binda: I think the way the NCAA had it set up is the penalty box door is going to open. Mark Riley: if you want to talk to them. Geno Binda: to indicate that, you know, they need to come over and check something up. Mark Riley: Okay, so technically you do crawl down, even though you don't crawl down. Okay, no, and I think that's the right thing to do. You wanna get the call right. If someone scores, you don't wanna not put up a goal. Of course, you don't want a referee from the replay booth, but we missed out. Geno Binda: Pretty much. No, they they I mean they'll challenge that or they'll get in or something like they'll figure it out. But yeah. Mark Riley: Yeah. All right. Well, the other kind of big controversial thing happened was really Greg Sucker Punch on Sean Walker. Geno Binda: Dude, that was like a, that was something out of like Slapshot where that guy was just going around punching people. Like, boom, boom. Mark Riley: I know. I know. It just goes against the code, right? Geno Binda: I don't know how like I don't know how he didn't get his ass kicked. How did no one jump? How did no one leave the bench? How did no one do it? Mark Riley: No one saw it. I don't think anyone saw it. Cause he went over and gave him, he was on the opposite side of the players of the bench. And he just went over and like, he didn't even have his glove off. That was the weird thing. And he just popped them real quick. That was a Southie special right there. Right? Your buddy's holding the kid at Sean's and you come from around the side. That's, you know, and it was just one of those, I commend. Geno Binda: Mmm. ⁓ yeah. Mark Riley: I forget who it was that was in the scrap that had him in the headlock. He like immediately stopped and was like calling the trainer because he knew that Walker was hurt. yeah, that was nasty. Josh Dolan: ⁓ I mean, he should have got a yeah, he should have got a penalty just for how his last name Greg is spelled. But yeah, that was a bad. Mark Riley: You watching it now? It's I think that's French-Canadian spelling isn't it? I have no idea making that shit up, but Josh Dolan: Is it? Makes sense. Sounds right. Mark Riley: It was ugly though. It was real ugly. And he got five games, which I mean, I agree with that. No, Jano. Geno Binda: Yes, that's a five game. Oh yeah. You got off light. Mark Riley: for sure. Now, let me ask you about the refereeing in this playoffs. What are your thoughts on the refereeing overall? ⁓ You know, and obviously we've had these incidents and stuff. I don't think there's any call that's kind of, well, other than that goal call that determined the game, but that one could go either way. It hasn't really been anything crazy that caused the team to lose, I don't think. based on what I've seen, how do you think the refereeing's been? Geno Binda: I don't really have an opinion to be honest with you ⁓ I haven't really paid too much attention to the playoffs I got I had a lot of shit going on but now I can this is like take a breather but it's you got like small projects and shit like that now with camps and tournaments like chowder cups and things like that but ⁓ You know now I can really enjoy it but and really sit down and watch but yeah I don't know, I haven't really watched it and went, what the hell. Mark Riley: All right. Josh. I know you've been busy too. I'm the only one that has no life that's been watching hockey every night. Josh Dolan: I've been so busy, Geno Binda: Yeah, I don't really have an opinion one way or another, you know, I'm to say they're all excellent because when they retire, I want them on the podcast, but no. Mark Riley: I'll be honest, and I've watched a lot, a lot, lot of the games. I think overall it's been pretty good. Geno Binda: I worked with the majority of them like probably like Yeah, I worked with pretty much every one of them except for all like the older ones like, you know Wes and runes and those those guys but you know the Luxembourg's the Hanson's all those guys Kendrick Nicholson that game that he had was kind of a shit show with the big hits and got a little out of that one got a little out of hand, but You know the players were the ones Mark Riley: ⁓ Yeah, yeah. Josh Dolan: I'm just playing major catch up right now. Geno Binda: running that asylum they just happened to be reffing that game but you know. Mark Riley: Now, you know what? I'm pretty critical. And I think overall, it's been pretty good so far. I mean, they're calling the stuff they need to call. Yeah, they missed the violent shit here or there or whatever. know, I don't think it's been I haven't watched a game where I went, what the fuck? Like, what game are they watching? Now. Geno Binda: It's good to see Graham skill it or in there like yeah, this there's a lot of good guys like, you you get your horses to like a baron Chiron and those guys are gonna go deep to Mark Riley: Well, but I will say, and I know we differ sometimes on this opinion, but I do think there's too much movement and I think they get in the way way too much. And I think they get in the way because they're moving to get out of the way when they don't need to move. That's my opinion. Geno Binda: They don't know how to bump. Mark Riley: Well, they move, the problem I think, what I see, well, they move before they need to. So they move and they're guessing that I should get out of there when they don't need to get out of there. And they end up going where the hockey's happening. Half wall, know, swinging the net, going behind the net on the end wall. That's where the hockey happens. And they're moving before they need to. I think if they're patient, Geno Binda: Just bump around him. They stay along the boards. Mark Riley: A lot of times that play is just gonna go right by them. Josh Dolan: Is that an instructional thing or is that an experience thing? Mark Riley: I, well, if it's an instructional thing. Geno Binda: Well, I'll tell you what, though, like it the they move fucking fast. Right. So it's a it's a lot different than reference a college game or, you know, if they're bigger, stronger, faster and everything moves a lot quicker. So I think they're I think they just anticipate to anticipate. And sometimes when they don't anticipate, they get screwed. So, you know, I think they sometimes they try to give themselves options by moving. Mark Riley: I realized that. Geno Binda: and reality just like, yeah, right. Mark Riley: then they put themselves in the play. They continually put themselves in the play, continually put themselves in the play when they don't need to. And if it's instructional, I wanna know who the fuck is teaching this. And you know, and you and I have discussed it even in the college ranks and in the junior ranks. Guys are moving too much. you know, back when I came up and when you came up too, no different. You know, we were taught, to be comfortable in the traffic and let the play develop. Be patient. And if you are gonna bump, you bump a foot or two, you bump, you know, maybe three, but you don't really have to bump six, seven, eight feet. Geno Binda: So when I worked at CHC... But I worked the NCHC, know, there was a, you know, Ron Foite, he was a long time NHL, you know, referee linesman. ⁓ He was, you know, had my position in, you know, certain college roles and that he was a supervisor. And, you know, these guys have a lot of insight and like he's old school and he always used to say like, you know, with, especially with the four man system, he's like, less is more. Right sometimes he's like less is more Move when you have to right like accelerate out of the zone you need to that kind of stuff, right? But when you're in the end zone, he's like less is more he's like Does that it has not move in now all that kind of stuff, right? Like we got to him on the podcast. He'd be great ⁓ Like he like he I always just kind of had him saying that in the back of my head when I was out there Right, like less is more then move when you have to Mark Riley: yet Which is exactly my point. Exactly my point. Move when you have to. Yep. Well, and I heard it, I heard it from Zingerman in the USHL and then Andy Van Halen in the Coast League, Luke Galvin in the ECAC. You you move with a purpose, you move for a reason, you don't move to move. And it seems like not only are guys moving to move, but they're being taught that and in certain levels. mean, you know, one of the refs, I won't say who only because, you know, But in the Frozen Four, he had a supervisor tell him, you're not moving enough, you don't look like you're working. What the fuck mindset is that? We don't want to look like we're moving, we don't want to be seen. Why are we encouraging movement to move? Because that puts us in the fucking way. I don't know, it drives me nuts. And I know it's fast and I know it's tough and I know it's the worst. I did it at a very high level, I get it. Josh Dolan: Yeah. Mark Riley: But why are we moving just to move? Why are we not being patient and reacting when we need to react, not react before we need to react? That's the problem I have. And I see it from the NHL down, you know? So, well, that's where you make your money, right? Geno Binda: You gotta get to the net. Nobody gets the net. Mark Riley: Tough to get to the net when you're on the half wall of the hash mark in traffic. Josh Dolan: hahaha Mark Riley: You can't argue that point. Geno Binda: I love that. I love that video. My father had to see that one with sweetie in it. And he, puts the clip in like know where else to go. Like, can you just see sweetie like crawl through like he's above the circle is the funniest video. He gets it. Mark Riley: No. You Josh Dolan: haha Mark Riley: I love it. I love it. That's awesome. Well, and then the Vegas Mammoth. What are your thoughts on the Mammoth coming out first year, well second year, right? First year with an actual mascot, right? Utah Mammoth, first year with a mascot, right? They're no longer the hockey club, but they're giving Vegas a run. Geno Binda: He was just jammed out, that was the funniest thing. The Utah Mammoth. The Utah Mammoth. Mark Riley: I you know, I didn't expect that. thought Vegas would walk right through them. You know? Josh Dolan: Yeah. Geno Binda: I did too. Josh Dolan: ⁓ speaking of mascots, Buffalo's got the dumbest mascot. You got Buffalo Sabres, they have a tiger? Why is it a tiger? Mark Riley: Maybe that's why they sing the Canadian national anthem. That's right, they should have a buffalo, no? Josh Dolan: why they don't deserve to win. They should. Geno Binda: It's going to be one-nothing Boston again. Mark Riley: You think? That's your prediction? One nothing shadow. Geno Binda: It's going be a one, nothing shut out. We're going to score early. We're just going to hang on. Mark Riley: Is pasta gonna get the goal to stick it up my ass? Geno Binda: No, it's going to be like a fourth liner. It's going to be Coralli or someone like that. Yeah. One of those grinders. It's going to be like like he should start that line like just start the fourth line at home, like just go out and just fucking run them right through the wall. And that's what I would do. Josh Dolan: Yes. Mark Riley: Castellic. I like Castellic. I would. Yep, no, I agree. Fourth line starts. Our line star coach, ⁓ they don't leave the bench. ⁓ Josh Dolan: Good, keep going. Geno Binda: You're going for 20 seconds. You're going to hit everything in sight and get off the ice. Mark Riley: ⁓ You know what? Buffalo Dallin. Like, I fucking hate that. I'd love him in a Bruins uniform. But I fucking hate him. Like, he's just... ⁓ Geno Binda: ⁓ yeah. Dude, every once in a while, me and my buddies will jump on the NHL on the PlayStation there and like we'll we'll play as like a team. And we don't care about where like we'll get smoked nine one, but our hits are like one hundred and two to. Mark Riley: It's kind of like how you played in college. Geno Binda: ⁓ it's hilarious. And then when you get a penalty, like you legit sit in the box. So like you just sit there like an asshole. You're like, one. Mark Riley: You know... Josh Dolan: Yeah, Darlene's a good player, but I think he missed his calling being a bad guy in like a Bruce Willis movie, but I think he needs a machine gun in his hand, not a hockey stick. Geno Binda: Mm. Mark Riley: ⁓ all day. He could have played Hans Gruber for sure. He does, he does. I'll tell you, you know another guy I kind of enjoy watching even though he can be a scumbag is Miko Rantanen on Dallas. You know, for a guy that's, he can be a real scumbag, but man, he does not take a shift off. I really, right? Wouldn't he? Geno Binda: Mmm. Robinson will look good in a Bruin Juniform too. Mark Riley: I mean, there's a couple guys on that team that I'd take for sure. And that was a great series too. I was surprised Dallas, Minnesota's good. I was surprised Dallas didn't put up more of a fight or at least put it to seven, but you know, especially with Ottinger and that, but yeah, it's good stuff. Well, there's plenty more too, right? Next week we could be talking Bruins in round two. Josh Dolan: lot more. Mark Riley: Or we could be bashing more on the lack of production. Geno Binda: ⁓ we can be bashing the Celtics if they lose to Philly. Mark Riley: ⁓ fuck, seriously, right? Right? How the hell are they going to... Geno Binda: What the hell are you doing? I just happen to have like a past jersey behind me. I won this in a golf tournament probably 12, probably even 15 years ago. Like, yeah. Josh Dolan: I was gonna say you got a new frame piercer. Mark Riley: Really? Josh Dolan: Really? Still got the plastic on it. Geno Binda: Yeah! Mark Riley: I know, you haven't even taken that off. Geno Binda: I'm going to probably use it for like, you know, like an event, like a golf event and just like put it at the hole and say here, this is going to be the prize 50 50. You get an extra ticket for hitting the green. For your 25 bucks up. Mark Riley: Hole in one, you get a Pierce jersey. I like it. Yeah, speaking of this topic. And then if no one hits it, you take Pierce home and the cash. Brilliant. That's a salty shuffle if you've heard of them. Nobody won. Thanks for the donate. Geno Binda: Yeah, right. Oh, you won that? Dude, even if even if if, know, if even if somebody won it, my father was going home anyway. Josh Dolan: Yeah. Mark Riley: ⁓ yeah, yeah, he'd be taking that thing home. ⁓ Geno Binda: Dude, there was a Heineken umbrella. I'll never forget it at one of those golf tournaments. He's like that. That's going home with me before the event even started. It was in his fucking car. Josh Dolan: you Hahaha Mark Riley: He is delicious. He's delicious. I love going in the pro shop with him and then he comes out. You want a ball marker? What the fuck? Four ball markers. Unbelievable. Speaking of Celtics, so I want to give a shout out to our buddy Eric Dunn. ⁓ was able, it's funny, he sang the national anthem at game five for the Celtics. Josh Dolan: You You Geno Binda: You Selfie Mark Riley: He had done a game last year for the Celtics on autism awareness month. And he got the call this year for game five. And you know, and he's autistic and sings the anthem at the WUSOCs. He does, you know, a lot of the colleges. He does. He did the, he did the ⁓ Matt Light Foundation game against the Bruins alumni. And it was funny. We went out to lunch when he found out right after he found out, but that was before the series had started. So. Geno Binda: Awesome. Josh Dolan: He's got a beautiful voice. He did an alumni game. Mark Riley: You know, I was like, well, hopefully they'll bang off two wins in Boston, lose one in New York, back and win it in the gentlemen's sweep. So, you know, cause if they, if they swept him, he wouldn't have got the chance to sing. And now it's like, holy fuck, we might lose. But, want to give Eric a shout out. What's that? Is he, I don't, I don't think so. think he was just game five, but he, ⁓ want to give a shout out to him. He's a great kid, huge fan of the podcast. ⁓ and, and his. Geno Binda: Mm. You sing it tomorrow? You sing it tomorrow? Right on. Mark Riley: and his dad, also great guys, so wanted to give him a shout out. Also want to just again mention June 1st, T.R. for Heroes, as we talked about that in the last episode, a huge golf tournament to benefit the Warrior for Life Fund. And I think a couple of the Shorzy guys are coming down for it. yeah, so actually a lot of our former guests will be there as celebrities, which is kind of cool. And of course, Kevin Mason, we, think, yeah, we did. Launching careers since ⁓ 2024. Geno Binda: Yeah, we put them on the map, Josh Dolan: That zebra bump! Geno Binda: ⁓ it's funny, like my wife puts on Nesson, right? And I'm like, ⁓ he was on the podcast. He was on the podcast. She was on the podcast. ⁓ yeah, she was on the podcast. Mark Riley: Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's kind of cool. And we got a few more coming. Well, you know who I want on the podcast from Nesson. Geno Binda: And I'm like, Riley wants her on the podcast. Josh Dolan: Yep. Andrew Raycroft. Mark Riley: Barry Peterson. Well, and PJ Stock, all three of them. And then maybe Sophia. But yeah, I wanted to mention that too. well, we got to enjoy the playoffs and this is our first guestless podcast in a while, episode, guestless episode in a while. It was fun to just bang it out with the three of us. But we have some... Josh Dolan: Berry beauty. Geno Binda: Go Bees. Josh Dolan: Yeah. Mark Riley: We have some very significant guests coming up and I'm not going to tease anything because things change. But let's just say we have ⁓ some heavy hitters coming up, which is Josh Dolan: You Geno Binda: Like when we said we would have any brickley on we had them on nine months later Josh Dolan: Yeah. Weren't lying. Mark Riley: you know, and we said, Carrie Frazier's our next guest and Chris Nylund stepped in the way. So you never know. You never know. And then they both chirped each other, which was perfect. Geno Binda: That was hilarious. Josh Dolan: Ha ha ha. Geno Binda: that was funny yeah ⁓ you going down to that tomorrow night, the mass hockey thing. Mark Riley: What's that? I am not only because I was invited by our buddy, JT. Geno Binda: Yeah, I, I, he sent me the link and I went on to buy tickets and it was sold out. Mark Riley: Well, I think you might have an in. He was on our float. So I think you can get yourself in there. You're a celebrity. You're a zebra kid. Come on. Where you go, place? Geno Binda: No, I know. I think if I just showed up I could you know But I don't know, you should have seen the dinner we had down in Florida with my parents. Josh Dolan: the frame to get in. Mark Riley: Yeah, bring Pierce! I'm not I got a big show tomorrow night at the Strand in Dover, New Hampshire. So Really I Know it's back open and we got a big show former guest PJ tibet up on the show Sunday. I'm in Hingham with Geno Binda: Okay. Josh Dolan: ⁓ I used to live right next door to that. Yeah, it was closed the whole time I was there, but looks like it would. ⁓ love PJ. He says I move around too much on the podcast. So I try and fit in. Mark Riley: Well, he does say that. And Sunday night I'm with Jimmy Dunn. Jimmy Dunn, another former guest on the show. Sunday night, so it's a good weekend for comedy. Tonight I'm at the Rex. So I'll be watching the Bruins on my phone. That's okay. So, well, that's gonna do it for this episode. I wanna thank our sponsors, the Referees Crease and also Damon Financial, LLC. Wanna thank again, Bubble Drunk, Tom over at Bubble Drunk for the Geno Binda: I like feedback. Mark Riley: give your balls a scrub, hockey puck soap. Wanna give a shout out to AOA Studios for all they do for us, whether in the studio or on site. Also wanna remind you to like and subscribe on the YouTube and also give us a follow on all the socials, the Instagram, the Facebook, and of course, thank you Gino. ⁓ Also go visit our website. Geno Binda: TikTok. Mark Riley: our online store, get your lace hoodies, your quarter zips, and like I said, golf shirts, we've said it before and they never came, but this year they're coming. So we're gonna have golf shirts. If you're, no, they're listening. Yeah, of course they do. Why wouldn't they? Our endings are epic. Geno Binda: if you're still listening. Do people listen to the endings to this all the time? I don't know. I'm always like ⁓ I'm already gone on podcasts when this part comes up. have ADHD. So like I just can't sit through that. Yeah. Like, yeah. Mark Riley: So do I. So does Josh. This is a whole, we could do a fucking ADHD podcast for fuck's sake. That's why our endings are fricking ridiculous. Josh Dolan: Me too. Bad. Geno Binda: Well, look at this ending. Yeah. Josh Dolan: Yeah, I mean, this podcast should just be called the IEP podcast. Geno Binda: Yeah, right. I wish I wish they said I should have been an IEP. My parents would would said yes, I would have did. I would have did a little better in academics. Mark Riley: You You might not have gotten- Josh Dolan: I had one, it didn't help. Geno Binda: They were like, hey, your son has a learning disability. You might want to get him on this medication. No, I'm not going to keep my fucking son. Boom. Hey, here you go. Here's the C's and D's. What the fuck? How are you getting C's and D's? I'm like, ⁓ they said I had a learning disability. Mark Riley: Why do you... Josh Dolan: Ha ha ha! Mark Riley: I'll beat that out of you. Geno Binda: I just had to learn how to cheat, I got through school. Mark Riley: And like, you wonder if you have five minutes of comedy? Holy shit. You got more than five. Geno Binda: Holy fuck. Josh Dolan: Hahaha! Geno Binda: Dude, you should have seen the dinner we had when my parents fucking, like, I can't just do anything with just having a nice dinner. Business has to get brought up, right? We're fucking three martinis deep at this point, and my mother's talking fucking, I'm like, why are we doing this? I'm like, why is this the conversation? Mark Riley: You better hope no one's watching this. Geno Binda: Never mind. Mark Riley: If your mother watches to the end, you're in trouble. Geno Binda: Dude, the other commissioners, like all the commissioners were gonna have a dinner at the other table and the F bombs were flying. Holy shit. Mark Riley: That's awesome. And the comment from the other table is, they're from salty. Okay. This is how they show love. Geno Binda: All the two people we had dinner with were like, that was interesting. That was something. Mark Riley: which I love language. Fuck. Not the verb. Not the verb. No, not the verb, just the noun or the adjective. Well, once again, always great talking hockey, refereeing and whatnot. so that's. Josh Dolan: Hahaha Geno Binda: It's just another word, it's not a big deal. It's not a big deal. Josh Dolan: Absolutely. Geno Binda: I feel better about myself now. feel like I just vent it. Thanks guys. Appreciate that. It was good. Josh Dolan: There you go. Mark Riley: But you haven't had a therapy session with me for a while in the car. We gotta tape up at the studio in Beverly so you can get some time in. Geno Binda: No I haven't, it's been a while. No, I just got to sit in my car and tape myself for an hour and I'll have a hundred and fifty reels Mark Riley: And you'll never be able to run for public office. Josh Dolan: Just... Geno Binda: Like, you know, like this is that one guy, like all they got to do is sit there with like six hats and fucking five T-shirts for an hour. Like I'll have I'll have material for two and a half fucking years. Mark Riley: You'll have a Netflix special before Josh and I because you have too much material. ⁓ man, outstanding. All right, boys, that's gonna do it for Josh Dolan, Gino Binda Jr. and Mark Riley. We'll see you next time right here on The Chirping Zebras. Geno Binda: God. Josh Dolan: Yeah. That's it.