Overview of Spittin’ Chiclets Episode 669: Atlantic Division Preview
This episode is a mix of preseason hockey analysis, a heartfelt tribute to Barry Melrose, a lively recap of G’s wedding weekend, and a full Atlantic Division preview. The crew debates which teams are real contenders, which ones are likely to regress, and which clubs could sneak into the playoffs if things break right.
Wedding Weekend Chaos
A big chunk of the opening banter is devoted to G’s wedding, which the guys clearly loved.
The memorable bits
- The crew nearly missed the ceremony after a messy Uber situation and a strict gatekeeper at the venue.
- Biz telling a Middle Eastern Uber driver, “for the U.S.?” after the driver said he fought in Iraq, became an instant classic bad-timing chirp.
- The saxophone player at the wedding initially seemed fake to Biz until someone fixed the audio and the performance actually lit up the reception.
- Ravioli, the wedding dog, and the speeches were major highlights.
- The whole weekend was described as emotional, well-run, and one of the best weddings the crew has attended.
Barry Melrose Tribute
John Buccigross joined the show and delivered a moving remembrance of Barry Melrose after his passing.
What Barry meant to hockey
- Barry was described as a larger-than-life TV presence who helped grow hockey in the U.S.
- He was praised for his:
- humor
- swagger
- humility
- ability to make hockey accessible to casual fans
- Buccigross emphasized how Barry treated everyone the same, whether it was a janitor or an executive.
- The crew noted how much his personality, laugh, and old-school hockey background helped define NHL Tonight and ESPN hockey coverage.
Emotional impact
- Buccigross said the news hit him hard in Vegas and that he had trouble even speaking at first.
- The segment turned into a celebration of Barry’s influence, his legacy, and the way he made hockey feel cool and fun for a broader audience.
Atlantic Division Preview
The main hockey focus of the episode is the Atlantic Division, which the crew treats as one of the deepest and most competitive divisions in the league.
Montreal Canadiens
- Eric Engels joined to talk about Montreal’s next step after last year’s surprise jump.
- The Canadiens’ strength is their young core and internal culture:
- Lane Hutson
- Ivan Demidov
- Nick Suzuki
- Cole Caufield
- Juraj Slafkovský
- Chris Kreider’s arrival was viewed as a major veteran addition, especially because he wanted to be there and fit the team’s competitive timeline.
- Martin St. Louis’ extension was seen as a huge organizational win.
- The biggest question remains center depth and whether Montreal can find a true second-line center.
- Goaltending is still a variable, but the overall talent base and culture are trending sharply upward.
Ottawa Senators
- The crew sees Ottawa as a real wild card.
- Key positives:
- strong center depth
- Tim Stützle as a high-end offensive engine
- Jake Sanderson as a potential star defenseman
- Linus Ullmark as a crucial piece in net
- Claude Giroux as important leadership
- The Senators are seen as a team with a “prove it” mentality.
- There’s confidence they can surprise people, but also a real belief they could just as easily end up on the playoff bubble.
Toronto Maple Leafs
- Toronto sparked a lot of debate.
- The upside is obvious:
- Auston Matthews
- William Nylander
- Mitch Marner’s departure changes the dynamic
- a deeper, meaner bottom six
- The questions:
- Matthews’ health and motivation
- the blue line
- whether the new coaching setup can actually get the team to play a more sustainable style
- The crew thinks Toronto could be better than people expect, but they’re not universally sold.
Boston Bruins
- RA and the crew were more optimistic about Boston than many preseason projections.
- Jeremy Swayman sounded confident and relaxed after a strong summer and a new contract situation behind him.
- Boston’s strengths:
- David Pastrňák
- Charlie McAvoy
- a strong goalie in Swayman
- a solid defensive group
- young players getting chances to grow
- The biggest issue is whether they have enough offensive upside to stay ahead of the crowded playoff race.
- Boston was viewed as a likely bubble team, but not a dead one.
Tampa Bay Lightning
- Bucigross and the crew remained high on Tampa.
- Even with some aging on the back end, the Lightning still have:
- Nikita Kucherov
- Brayden Point
- Anthony Cirelli
- Victor Hedman
- Andrei Vasilevskiy
- The team is viewed as too talented and too battle-tested to ignore.
- Their recent first-round exits are concerning, but the regular-season quality is still there.
Florida Panthers
- The Panthers were described as a heavy, punishing, playoff-ready machine.
- The crew loves:
- Aleksander Barkov
- Matthew Tkachuk
- Sam Bennett
- Sam Reinhart
- a rugged, high-end blue line
- Even if the goaltending isn’t perfect, Florida was viewed as one of the league’s scariest teams.
- Their style is built to wear opponents down over a seven-game series.
Buffalo Sabres
- Buffalo was treated as one of the most interesting teams in the division.
- The crew liked the young talent and the overall upward trajectory, but warned against a step back.
- Big factors:
- goaltending
- center depth
- how the younger core develops
- Noah Östlund’s new long-term extension was highlighted as an important investment in the future.
- Buffalo was seen as a legitimate playoff threat if the goaltending and middle-of-the-ice play hold up.
Detroit Red Wings
- Detroit drew the harshest criticism.
- The consensus was that they may be headed for another rough year.
- Main concerns:
- no true superstar forward
- uncertainty in net
- lack of identity
- too many questions for a team trying to break out
- The stripping of Dylan Larkin’s captaincy came up as a sign that the situation is unsettled.
- Several of the guys penciled Detroit near the bottom of the division.
Around the League
A few other notable NHL storylines came up briefly:
- Mark Stone signed a two-year extension with Vegas, and the crew viewed it as a smart move given how valuable he is when healthy.
- Quinn Hughes made it clear he is in no rush to sign an extension, which only fueled more offseason speculation.
- Bo Horvat was named captain of the Islanders, which the guys generally saw as a logical choice.
Key Takeaways
- The Atlantic Division is viewed as brutally deep and difficult to project.
- Florida and Tampa Bay remain the class of the division.
- Montreal and Buffalo are rising and could become real problems.
- Boston and Toronto are in the fight for the final playoff spots.
- Ottawa is the biggest swing team: capable of surprising, but just as capable of falling short.
- Detroit is the most questionable team in the group.
Recommendation of the Week
Band of Brothers
RA’s classic recommendation was Band of Brothers, which he called one of the greatest miniseries ever made. He highlighted it as both a landmark war drama and a powerful tribute to the Greatest Generation.