Original subtitles

[seagulls cawing]

[birds tweeting]

[blender whirring]

[Crosby] It's just nice being out here. It's a little quieter, and...

and you get a lot of nature.

[laughs]

Hey.

[chuckles]

Leave the door open, and he'll come right in.

[man] Got a little puck-shooting range out there too.

Yeah. That's real goalie gear on it.

So try to get them to take up a little bit more space.

They're not getting any smaller, so I got to--

The shooter tutor's got to get bigger, I guess.

[dramatic music playing]

It's beautiful here.

It's just a great spot to come and just recharge a bit.

And then when it's time to go back to camp and get ready,

I'm also ready for that.

[music continues]

[O'Brien] Part of the job as a trainer to push an athlete to the line, right?

When Sid's under a lot of physical exertion,

you can't see it on his face, right?

Where most athletes, you can see it.

-[Crosby] You guys can't see it? -[laughs]

[man] You're working out kind of looking at all these pictures of guys

hoisting the Cup.

What's the reason behind it?

I always put the winning captain up.

-[O'Brien] That's the tradition? -That's who goes up there.

Yeah, like, when we lost in '08,

yeah, I just wanted that as a reminder.

So I started doing that.

Kept putting them up, and leave the empty one there

hoping that, uh...

that it's ours.

[announcer 1] Sidney Crosby with an incredible backdoor pass.

[Blackburn] Sidney Crosby made his NHL debut as an 18-year-old.

[announcer 2] One of the great centermen of all time.

Now, 20 years later, he's amongst the elite of the elite.

[announcer 3] And he passes Mario Lemieux

for the most assists by a Pittsburgh Penguin.

[Blackburn] A pillar of a generation.

[announcer 4] Ovechkin shoots...

[Blackburn] ...that changed the sport.

[announcer 5] Anže Kopitar is the hero!

[Blackburn] But that generation is on its final lap.

[announcer 6] And royalty reigns again in the NHL!

It's been over a decade since Anže Kopitar won his second Stanley Cup.

But as his hunger remains...

time is starting to run out.

[Subban] These guys are old now. They're old.

Like, I'm old, so I know they're old.

[Blackburn] Sidney Crosby and Anže Kopitar came into the NHL together.

-[man] Sidney Crosby. -[Blackburn] Same draft.

[announcer 7] Anže Kopitar!

[Blackburn] Same agent. Guys like this, they're hockey gods.

For the next generation, it's already here.

[announcer 8] What a goal! Quinton Byfield!

Right now, it still stings that we're not in the playoffs.

I'm always gonna be a competitive person. I don't really know any different.

[Blackburn] How do legends grapple with mortality?

Sidney's really thinking about what's best for him in his career.

[Blackburn] Should they hold on as tight as they can?

[Kopitar] I'd want to win a Stanley Cup.

That's what still drives me to play.

[player 1] Go, go, go! Go, go!

-[player 2] Yeah! -Fuck yes!

[Blackburn] Or should they just let go?

You got to go to him. You got to go to him.

[broadcaster] There's no way that Crosby can be happy playing out his final days

on a rebuilding Penguins team.

[Blackburn] This final chapter...

[announcer] What needs to change for L.A. this time around?

[Blackburn] ...is their last chance...

[crowd cheers]

...to cement their immortality.

[dramatic music playing]

[crowd cheering]

[arena announcer] Welcome back to Montreal. Mario Lemieux!

[crowd cheers]

Canada's captain, Sidney Crosby.

[crowd cheering]

[reporter] If you look at the parallels between you and Mario,

obviously there are so many in your careers,

including everything to do with Pittsburgh,

but even with Canada, do you think about that kind of thing?

[Crosby] To be part of that ovation that he received

was really special and something I'll always remember.

I don't think about that a whole lot.

[announcer] Crosby for the goal, and across.

And they score! Crosby to MacKinnon.

[Crosby] I think about an unbelievable opportunity

to play for Team Canada with a lot of guys

that I've been waiting to play with for a while,

and it hasn't happened.

And to still be playing still.

It's not an easy league.

[announcer] Crosby, defensive...

They score!

He's obviously somebody that has just done everything in this game.

To see him work for the next couple days,

it's a real treat for everyone here on this team.

[Redmond] I will argue with anyone.

Sidney Crosby today, at 37 years old,

is the best all-around player in the NHL.

[reporter] How do you compare the intensity

to something you've seen in your career?

I mean, the speed,

uh, the intensity, it's right up there, you know, with playoff hockey,

It's a lot of fun to be a part of that.

But we haven't seen Crosby in a truly high-stakes game

in a long time.

[Blackburn] The Penguins made the playoffs 16 straight years of his career.

They won three Stanley Cups, so he became accustomed to this lifestyle.

[Crosby] There's nothing better than playing in the playoffs.

You crave that atmosphere, that environment,

and the opportunity to win the Stanley Cup.

[Blackburn] But the Penguins are struggling

to get back to the playoffs.

[announcer] Definitely some uncharted territory with the Penguins.

No playoff hockey for the first time in 17 years.

[Crosby] It was just such a struggle for us to find consistency.

This was a new situation for us.

Sid, you end up back post.

[Blackburn] At the 4 Nations Face-Off,

Crosby gets to play with some unbelievable players,

including his best friend Nate,

and it led to a lot of speculation and rumors

that maybe that experience would open him up to the possibility

of being traded away from the Penguins,

so that he could have that experience in the NHL again.

Crown Royal Player of the Game now...

Thought you could have had three.

Couple more steps, you could have had three.

But it was big, kid. You were fucking awesome.

[applause]

And you can pick a partner.

I got to go 87.

-[all] Aw! -[laughs]

A little cocktail.

[indistinct chatter]

[crowd cheering]

[Redmond] Two years ago, most people would say

there's no way he's not a Penguin for life.

[crowd cheers]

[announcer] And it's over. Canada wins.

[Redmond] But when 4 Nations happened,

I think the perception around Crosby shifted.

[arena announcer] Captain Sidney Crosby!

[Redmond] Because that experience

awoke what it feels like to be a part of those big-time games.

[all whooping and cheering]

Hi, guys. Come on in. Come on in.

Ooh-wee.

Lots of red carpet.

-Hi. Hello. -[reporter] How are you?

-Good, how are you? -Looking forward to today?

Yeah, I think it's gonna be great.

Obviously, for a great cause, and a lot of heavy hitters around.

So, uh, it should be very fun.

[Kopitar] This is my 19th season. It's, uh, been a fun ride.

You know, to come here,

make a name for yourself and then stick for this long.

It's-- It's pretty special.

Anže Kopitar, he's just a quality human and a guy that the L.A. Kings

and the L.A. community have been very lucky to have.

[dramatic music playing]

[announcer] Kopitar in, dekes.

Scores!

[Kopitar] Not in the wildest dreams

did I ever think that I'm gonna make it to the NHL

when I was a little kid.

[Blackburn] Kopitar grew up a kid in Slovenia,

a country with seven ice rinks in it,

and he finds a way to become an icon.

[Kopitar] Go, go, go, go!

I moved to Sweden when I was 16 for a couple of years

to develop a little more, and then you get drafted, and then...

-[all cheering] -Kopi!

...and all of a sudden, that dream is within reach.

[Bissonnette] I mean, he's got it all, man.

200-foot game, one of the best defensive forwards

we've ever seen.

And two Stanley Cups.

[announcer] The Kings have won their second Stanley Cup

in three years.

Whoo!

[indistinct chatter]

[reporter] Are you rooting for any team in particular?

I'm accepting bribes.

Whoever wants me on their side, that's fine.

Steve, Anže Kopitar.

-Nice to meet you. -How you doing?

-Doing well. Good to meet you. -Yeah? All right.

How was the-- How was the game?

-Really bad. -Yeah?

[both laugh]

-[Kopitar] Oh, that's okay. -[Carell] It'll be fine.

[woman] Oh, her day's made.

Yeah, I guess Kopitar is a star in Hollywood.

-Thank you. -[woman] Thank you so much.

I got you to laugh that one game... after I did the Buddy the Elf thing.

And the next game you looked at me and just, like shook your head.

[Kopitar laughing] Oh, no. Trust me...

Because you guys are always so concentrated.

No. I can see everything.

I know, of course.

I have to entertain myself.

Of course.

[laughs] That's good.

He is the...

heart and soul of the team.

Don't let him hear that.

I don't know if he gets enough credit

for the durability of playing that long,

and he's still operating at such a high level.

[Blackburn] When you think about Mount Rushmore, L.A. Kings,

Anže Kopitar is in that list, no question.

[Redmond] He's been one of the most consistent performers,

not only on that team, but across the league.

[arena announcer] This is more than just a game tonight.

This is to thank all the first responders.

And for those who have lost their homes or been affected by fires,

we are here for you.

[crowd cheers]

We're about to kick off our ceremonial puck drop.

-Hey! -[all laugh]

[Bissonnette] Guys like Kopitar feel indebted to their organization.

So probably one of the last things on his list

would be passing that torch on to a guy like Quinton Byfield

and hoping that Quinton one day reaches his level of play as well.

[Nicole] When do we wake up Quinton?

Good morning. How are you?

[Byfield] You know, my mom and my dad didn't play hockey.

Nobody in my family played hockey.

And, you know, they didn't know much about it.

So growing up, for me,

it was the family kind of grew the game together

and experienced that together.

[Nicole] We taught Quinton how to skate when he was like two and a half.

And it was very funny because the first time he skated,

I put him on the ice.

And usually I know, like with Chloe, you know how you have to...

You're killing yourself because they're dragging on your arm.

He just went.

-[Chloe] Overachiever? -[Nicole] Yeah.

[Hildegard] Just keep up the good work

so I can phone your mother. every time you score.

[laughs]

[dramatic music playing]

[camera shutters click]

[Blackburn] Being drafted second overall, you're expected to be a star,

and you're expected to be a star pretty quickly.

And Quinton Byfield, it took some time.

[Bissonnette] When he came in, he was very raw

and still getting used to the size of his body,

and from a mental standpoint, learning the game at the pro level.

[announcer 1] Byfield hit hard in the corner, staggers back to his feet.

-And he's having trouble. -[announcer 2] Yeah.

Aye, aye, aye.

[Blackburn] There's a lot of pressure on Byfield to be next man up

because, you know, once Kopitar is gone, who is the guy in L.A.?

And Byfield was drafted to be that guy.

And it's just whether he can take the final step

to really solidify himself as a true franchise player.

[Byfield] I think just coming in, you know, I was pretty nervous.

And, you know, just growing up I'd watch Kopi all the time.

You know, just how good their team was at that time.

Just coming in, each game I was kind of, you know, a little nervous.

Didn't know what to do. And he was someone I looked up to.

You know, he was always telling me, make your plays, and he'll get open.

So that meant a lot for me.

You know, that just almost, you know, allowed me to come into myself,

and, you know, I'll be more comfortable with my game and play a lot better.

[announcer] From downtown Los Angeles,

the Golden Knights and the Los Angeles Kings.

[crowd cheering]

[Nurse] The relationship between Quinton and Kopitar is a special one.

As Kopitar kind of comes into the final few years of his career

and Quinton really emerging as a leader on this team.

A little bit of a passing of the torch.

Quinton's performance is gonna be vital to their success.

[player] Go, go!

[announcer] Kings on a power play to Byfield.

Shoots... scores!

Deflected by Moore.

You know, there's no secret that, you know, my time will come eventually.

And, you know, I got nothing but good things to say about Quinton.

[player] Hey, I need a shift here, come on.

Yeah!

[announcer] Byfield under a little heat.

Keeps it in. Back-hander down low.

Foegele scores!

-[horns blows] -[crowd cheers]

[Kopitar] Hey, good work.

It was a good fucking shift, though.

I see him as a future leader and a future staple of this organization.

[announcer] Quinton Byfield, four assists tonight.

Now ten assists in his last six games.

-[crowd cheers] -[horn blows]

[player] That's it, boys. Fucking nice, Foege. That's it, Q.

[player] Good job.

[indistinct chatter]

[man] What keeps you motivated at this stage of your career?

Uh, I think winning.

.You know, when you've played this long, winning is what continues to push you.

At this point, you know, in my career,

seeing guys that you've played with move on, not playing anymore,

and seeing guys that you've played against,

now all of a sudden you're playing against their sons.

That's part of the game. That's how it works.

But I still love playing,

and I'm gonna see how far that takes me.

You know, I laugh when I see old games on TV

because I see myself come out of the picture

and then I'm like, "Oh, I must go change."

And then I don't, and I'm back up in the play.

And I'm like, "I think I'm changing on that play now."

"I think the shifts are maybe a little shorter."

But I'm always gonna be a competitive person.

And that's just something that's in you. It's a trait.

You got to go to him. You got to go to him.

I don't really know any different.

[grunts]

It's kind of been that way for a long time.

Crosby would do anything to win.

He's at this crossroads now,

with Pittsburgh being out of playoffs the last few years,

and it's got to be eating him alive.

[Blackburn] It's only March,

but it's another lost season for the Penguins.

They're last place in their division.

It would take a miracle for them

not to miss the playoffs for a third straight year.

You know, we'd much rather be getting ready for a playoff series.

That's the truth. But...

you just have to come in here and try to make the best of the situation.

And I think that's what guys are doing. They're trying to go and still practice.

You know, we'd like to finish on a-- On a good note here.

I think that's important for us.

[man] So you're just moving your body, not the puck.

I like that.

I just want to keep working on that.

[Bissonnette] As a hockey fan,

I would love to see him get a chance to win another Stanley Cup

because I feel like we're being robbed

when we don't see Sidney Crosby play playoff hockey.

[Redmond] Would he ever leave the Pittsburgh Penguins

to try to win one more?

I think Sidney Crosby has earned the right

to try to chase whatever he wants to chase.

[seagulls squawking]

[Brisson] Right now with the trade deadline,

we're ready for everything.

It's like free agency.

The prior ten days up to today,

we've had so many conversations with our players and their families.

And 80% or 90% of the players

that we're talking to will not be traded.

So you have to be ready.

This curse being thrown at you all the time.

Pat Brisson is basically the NHL's Scott Boras or Jerry Maguire,

or whatever you want to say.

The superpower agent, that's him.

And he just so happens to represent Sidney Crosby and Anže Kopitar.

Last couple of weeks,

we have a list of our players

in preparation for the trade deadline and free agency in the draft.

The interesting question, and I don't mind talking about it,

is obviously the status of Sidney Crosby.

You know, people say, "Hey, is Sidney gonna get traded?"

Teams want to know if there's a possibility.

Can I get that number one center?

Because we all want him in the playoffs.

[broadcaster 1] The Pittsburgh media would like this to quiet down,

but it's hard for us to not talk about it

because there's no way that Crosby can be happy playing out his final days

on a rebuilding Penguins team, can he?

[broadcaster 2] In Pittsburgh, you're going into the down cycle.

They've had an incredible 15 years. They went to four Stanley Cup finals.

They won three of them. They have been electric.

[broadcaster 3] How long, realistically,

will it take to turn this ship around, at least for a playoff spot? Seriously.

[broadcaster 4] I would be like, "Get me out of here."

Let me see. How far are we?

[Brisson] When you've played a thousand game in this league,

and you've won two or three championships, and you're a superstar,

in Sidney's case, it must be hard at times

to see the light at the end of the tunnel

when you know that you're not gonna make the playoffs.

That's hard,

to get ready every night and go out and play

and perform for 60 minutes.

Hey, Joe.

-Hi, Jen. -[woman] Hi, Pat.

It's just a big-- A big trade just happened.

It's difficult. Um...

You know, I think when-- When you're losing and,

you know, you're not sure kind of, you know, where things are gonna end up.

And you hear all the rumors and, you know,

there's obviously thoughts that run through your head, but...

yeah, I think that...

I wouldn't say it was close, no.

[broadcaster 1] Sidney Crosby is committing to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

[broadcaster 2] Crosby settled on Pittsburgh. He wants to stay there.

Presumably, he'll end his career there.

[broadcaster 3] It does say a lot about Sid.

[Crosby] I do take so much pride in playing for our team

and being part of the organization.

The people there have been so great to me. The team's been great year after year.

I've got amazing memories.

When you talk about losing, or you hear players say losing sucks,

I mean, I think everyone probably immediately thinks it's losing games.

But I think it's everything that comes with it.

A lot of turnover. So that's always difficult.

That's your... That's your family.

I mean, that's... You're together every single day.

And there's real emotions that come with all that movement.

[Brisson] Yes, he's loyal,

but at the same time, he's extremely competitive.

It's not an easy decision for him.

And we-- Every year, we want to see him playing spring hockey.

That's the bottom line.

And hopefully for him and the Penguins, it's the last year they miss the playoffs.

[dramatic music playing]

[broadcaster 1] The Minnesota Wild host the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Sidney Crosby and the Penguins have been struggling big-time.

They've lost four straight entering today.

[broadcaster 2] The headline today,

Marc-André Fleury faces his former teammates in Pittsburgh

for what could be the final time.

[Blackburn] Marc-André Fleury is retiring this year

feeling pretty good about his career.

Sidney Crosby and Marc-André Fleury are forever entwined

because of how they came up with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

And I think, like, if you were to imagine a buddy cop movie,

you would see those two because Fleury is this fun-loving guy.

[Fleury] Get offside. Get on your side.

[laughs]

[Blackburn] Crosby is the guy who takes his job super seriously,

is a little bit more stoic.

And then the places that they're at late in their careers

could not be more different.

Fleury is a backup goaltender on a team pushing for the playoffs.

[Fleury] Oh, you fucker.

[man] What's it been like shifting to being more of a backup?

Yeah, obviously it's more fun to play than sitting on the bench, right?

Whoo!

Every time the media talk to me, they ask if I was gonna retire.

And I got tired of it.

But I'm still happy to be around.

Happy that I'm still, you know, part of the team.

And just spend more time with my kids.

[Crosby] His stick's not even in the fucking white.

Fuck.

[Blackburn] And then Sidney Crosby is the best player on his team,

still one of the very best players in the world.

[announcer] Crosby winds, fires. Gobbled up...

[Crosby groans]

...by Fleury.

[Blackburn] That flame is still burning hot,

and he's still intense as hell.

[announcer] Throws it down. Malkin, a tip.

And then he scores on the rebound!

Evgeni Malkin against his old buddy.

[player] Oh, my God.

[coach] Go, go, go.

[Redmond] Ultimately, this is about legacy for Sidney Crosby.

[announcer] And a penalty coming up here to the Penguins.

-[Crosby] Jesus! -Slash.

[Crosby] He grabbed my fucking stick!

[Redmond] To stay with an organization through a rebuild,

whatever you want to call it and win again,

that's the harder path.

[man] What is there left to prove for you?

Um...

If I have the opportunity to still compete in the best league in the world,

then I want to be able to do that.

That's my passion.

That's why I do what I do, is to try to win,

and I definitely want that to be here.

Hopefully, the team believes that I'm gonna be someone

who's dependable in that area.

[announcer] Erik Karlsson over the attacking line.

Wristing one. Stick save. Right back in front.

They score!

Punched in by Sidney Crosby.

[player 1] Dude!

-[player 2] I told you! -[all] Yeah!

[Fleury] Oh, my God.

I shouldn't be-- Fuck this!

Fuck!

And Sid's goal was just-- Oh, God.

I definitely didn't want them to score.

[laughs]

I feel like he's always, like, so relentless, you know,

in his effort to get a goal.

But it shows how serious he is,

and how much he loves the game, and how much he wants to win games.

[announcer] It's gonna be all over here in Saint Paul

as the Penguins snap the four-game losing streak.

All the guys want to shake Flower's hand.

[Crosby] Just really happy for him that he was able to play at a high level

the way he is.

To see the respect he got from other teams and recognition there.

[reporter] You went with the change up on your first goal on Fleury.

Yeah, to get one there in the last game against him,

I will remind him of that many times.

He still talks about the junior goal he scored on me.

So, like...

I'm not getting away from that one.

From the corner.

-[laughing] -How are you, buddy?

I heard, I heard you chirping me from the corner.

I couldn't believe it.

From the corner, man.

Did you see that fucking puck go... like this and then...

-He tipped it. -He tipped it too.

[Malkin] There he is. How you doing, buddy?

My friend, I'm sorry.

Oh!

You too, man. Like, you too.

I feel bad.

I was like, before the game, no way this guy's gonna score a goal.

And then like, obviously, you two have to.

[Malkin] I'm good, buddy. I'm good, yourself?

[Crosby] Yeah, you know...

Hey, hey, no media. No Amazon.

-[all laugh] -No Amazon.

Never give me discount.

[laughs]

You grow up together in the league.

And, uh, that's pretty special, especially with so much turnover now.

[indistinct chatter]

When he walked away, he could be content with how it was.

I mean, I don't think everybody, um...

doesn't necessarily work that way.

It's really been perfect in that way.

And sometimes you don't get that luxury. Sometimes, it's kind of made for you.

[Blackburn] Even with the Pens struggling, Crosby refuses to slow down.

At his current pace, he'll average a point per game for the 20th season,

breaking one of Wayne Gretzky's most untouchable records.

And the player that Crosby has been compared to for his entire career,

Alexander Ovechkin,

is taking aim at another page in the Great One's record book.

[broadcaster] Alex Ovechkin is knocking on the door.

Just one goal away from surpassing Wayne Gretzky's

career goals record.

[Bettman] We're on our way from the airport

to see the Capitals play the Islanders,

and we'll find out whether or not the Great Eight chase

finishes up this afternoon.

This is a chase that captures the imagination.

It's a record that people never thought would be broken.

Hello.

[Crosby] I think to score that much that consistently,

you've got to have more than a big shot.

You name it, you know, he's found ways to score goals.

And it's special.

[Gretzky] The great thing about our game is the people who are in it.

We all learn from our mentors.

And so I wouldn't have felt right not being here.

I'm so proud of what I accomplished in my career.

And it's hard.

And I'm so happy for Alex. This is incredible for the game.

-[both grunt] -Check-check.

I'm not quite what he was because, like, he still got 40 goals this year.

I got nine my last year.

My last game, I said-- You want to know something really cool?

My dad took me to my first game,

I'm going to drive with my dad to my last game.

So, we're in the car. After the game, my wife says to me,

"How was the drive?"

I go, "One of the worst drives of my life."

She goes, "You were with your dad, what are you talking about?"

I go, "The whole way there, he kept hanging on the lesson,

'You know, you can play one more year.'"

I said, "Dad, I got nine goals this year. That used to be a good weekend."

[laughs]

[announcer] Alex Ovechkin has scored 41 goals this season,

894 in his illustrious career.

Ovechkin on the ice. Deflection!

Saved by Sorokin.

-[Gretzky] Oh, he tipped that. -Yes, he did.

[Gretzky] He almost scored. He tipped that.

[announcer] Definite vibes whenever Ovechkin is around the puck

in the offensive zone.

[suspenseful music playing]

[announcer] Here is Ovechkin.

[crowd cheers]

He's a pure goal scorer.

That what he is, obviously, breaking the record this year.

And, you know, I personally never thought it could happen.

[Gretzky] They say records are made to be broken,

but I'm not sure who's gonna get more goals than that.

Alex, I said I'd be the first guy to shake your hand

when you broke the record.

Congratulations.

[crowd cheering]

[birds tweeting]

[Kopitar] All right, here we go.

You guys excited for playoffs to start too?

-[Jakob] Is this...? -Yeah?

Okay. Are you guys gonna come to playoff games?

-[Neža] Of course. Why not? -Yeah? Okay.

All I want for my little two is just to have fun, really, you know?

It's, uh-- They've-- Enjoying hockey and figure skating.

Where do you want the skates to be tied?

You want me to do it?

[Ines speaking foreign language]

[Neža] Mommy.

[Kopitar] I hope they do it and keep enjoying, and having fun.

-Good? -Yeah.

-Huh? -Yeah.

All right.

-[Ines] Hey, go on in there. -Okay.

[Kopitar] You know, when I do get a chance on a day off like today,

you know, I'll come here and watch.

And, uh, for me, it's just the progress that they make.

Pull straight through, and then in.

-Okay. -Okay?

[Kopitar] I remember we went to Vegas last year.

That was my first time watching her live, and, uh, my heart was pounding

probably more than any Game 7's.

in any Stanley Cup Final games that I've played.

That's better. Good.

-Yeah! -I like that one.

[Kopitar] You know, for me, compete, perform, playing games,

that's like an everyday job to me.

But then watch your kids play,

it's a completely different story and a lot more nerve-racking.

[Ines] Are you nervous when your sister skates?

-[Jakob] Yeah. -[Ines] Why are you nervous?

Because I want her to win.

It's like me. I want to win.

[suspenseful music playing]

[announcer] Welcome to Los Angeles.

Game 1, the Edmonton Oilers and the L.A. Kings.

[fans] Go, Kings, go!

[Kopitar] I think this is what's so amazing about the sport of hockey, really.

You punch your way into the playoffs, and anything can happen.

There's 16 teams that have a very good chance of winning.

[announcer] The fourth consecutive year,

the Oilers and the Kings have met in the first round.

L.A. looking to upend the Oilers for the first time.

[Bissonnette] This is gonna be four times in a row now.

And Edmonton's got their number.

As far as L.A., the frustration is rising,

and they need to get off to a hot start at home.

[announcer] Doughty shoots.

Save. Rebound, Byfield.

Shoots, scores!

[crowd cheering]

And the Kings survive Game 1.

[Redmond] Can they actually beat the Edmonton Oilers,

and can they slay the beasts that keep sending them home early?

[crowd cheering]

[Byfield] I think it's fun, you know, the little rivalry that we got going.

But, you know, it's our time to finally win this.

[announcer] Here's Byfield to the net!

Oh, he scores!

He got in tight and went upstairs.

[horns blowing]

[Kopitar] This team, I think, has got it.

You know, it excites me that now we have some experience too.

[announcer] Fiala waits. Waits.

Back across, they score!

Kopitar!

-[horn blowing] -[crowd cheering]

Well, the L.A. Kings use their home-ice advantage to the fullest.

They will take a 2-nothing series lead with them to Edmonton.

[horns blowing]

[Kopitar] The first two games were good.

The pain that we've gone through the last couple of years

motivated the team more so this year than any other year.

But to take the next step to win a series in the playoffs is hard.

It usually comes down to one face-off, a blocked shot,

the little play along the boards.

It's as simple as that.

[Hiller] Now we go have our best 20.

We got the game plan. Guys are fucking skating.

Everybody's working. Now we have our best.

Come on, baby. Come on.

[player] Best, hardest fucking 20 of the night, huh?

Come on.

Fucking smart.

Make plays.

[man] Drew, you're next.

[announcer] 3-2 Kings, and off the draw.

Under a minute to play in the third period.

Anderson got clobbered.

[Byfield] There's 40 seconds left in the game.

[announcer] Puck picked up by the Kings. Byfield...

[Byfield] But I didn't get the puck out.

[announcer] Oh, he had the chance, and he waited too long.

Now it's Walman, looking for McDavid.

Chips it on. Bouchard...

Draisaitl loads up.

Bouchard fires. Scores!

[crowd cheers]

[Byfield] You know, it's just a little thing that turned into a massive thing.

[announcer] 28.4 to go, and we're tied!

Byfield elects to try to make the move.

He wanted to get it out.

Did not get to clear.

Comes back to haunt you, one time shot.

All right, let's go, boys.

[announcer] And there you go. We'll have overtime.

And L.A. will look to shrug off the disappointment.

[Doughty] It's gonna be a better team right off the bat.

We were better all fucking game.

Just do what we did in those first two fucking periods,

we're winning this fucking game.

Come on.

Someone here is a fucking hero.

We do it fucking together. Whatever it takes. Come on.

[Kopitar] Let's go fucking play.

[player] Kopi's going!

[announcer] Through the goal line, Leon Draisaitl.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is there.

Passed down low, redirect.

They kicked the rebound. Score!

Draisaitl!

[crowd cheering]

And this series is tied up at two.

[reporter] Jim, how do you change your approach in the third period

to better close out games?

How do I change it?

[scoffs]

Next question, please.

Q chips that one out. Bouchard makes a good play.

We're not even talking about this. So...

How about that?

[Byfield] There's a lot of hard things that happen

that you want a do-over on.

You're trying to do your best, and it doesn't always go your way.

You kind of just have to live with it.

[Kopitar] If you look at that play itself, yes, he didn't get the puck out,

but us as a whole, we didn't get the job done.

And that's the bottom line.

[indistinct chatter]

Oh, maybe-- Maybe that's why I cut it too, right?

I'm assuming?

That's like a good one Mississippi, two Mississippi.

And what, are you just gonna stop because you're in there?

Are you gonna wake up, or no? Start talking. Fuck.

I'm mute. I'm mute today, man.

I am.

Uh...

[Byfield] Honestly, after a loss, it's...

You know, everybody's kind of down for a little bit.

So it's good to watch the games with each other.

Kind of brings us back together and gets ready for tomorrow.

[Kopitar] You know, I've been doing this for quite a while.

It's probably new for some of the young guys, obviously, coming in here.

But I think at this point, it's just kind of like a way of life, really.

You know what you need to do in order to get ready for the games,

because that's the ultimate goal, is trying to win games.

[dramatic music playing]

[announcer] Here we go in Game 6.

Los Angeles trying to force a Game 7.

Extra skaters on.

Six on five, Kings down by two.

[man] Don't force the fucking thing. Work it around the outside.

[announcer] Moore. Walman swats at it.

Puck settles.

Final minute. Doughty, a drive.

-Scores! -[Kuemper] Woo-hoo!

[announcer] Kopitar might have got a piece of that.

And it's a one-goal game with 53 seconds to go in the third.

[Hiller] We are going to the motherfucking net.

And that's going either from here or from here,

and we're all crashing that bitch.

[dramatic music playing]

[announcer] Forty seconds to go.

Six on five.

Kings looking for a much-needed equalizer.

Quinton Byfield, puck possession.

Toward the net. It's loose in front.

Pickard kicks it out on Kopitar.

Ten seconds to go.

Doughty hammers one up ice.

Blocked by Brown.

Brown scores!

[crowd cheering]

And for a fourth straight year, the Oilers take down the Kings

in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

[Kopitar] Great fucking season, buddy.

You know, everybody's sick and tired of losing in the first round.

It's a tough pill to swallow.

We didn't do the job.

Great year, buddy.

-Good luck the rest of the way. -Thank you. Appreciate it.

You did great, buddy. You keep getting better.

[Byfield] I couldn't believe the season was over.

It just didn't almost feel real.

At some points, it was just...

You felt like you had more hockey to play, you had more to give.

And we just weren't ready for that.

[Kopitar] This one hurts a little more.

It's frustrating winning the first three games,

and then just not able to, you know, to close games out.

And it cost us in the end.

[reporter] As a captain, you've been through so much with this team.

-Just what did you say to the guys? -[Kopitar] I didn't say anything yet.

I'm sure we'll get together at some point in the next few days,

and we'll talk about stuff and, uh...

Yeah, I didn't-- Didn't say a whole lot tonight.

[reporter] Thanks, Anže.

[traffic ambience]

[Crosby] You know, what I do now is a little bit different

than what I did ten years ago, so I probably appreciate

what I was doing ten years ago.

It's fun, though. It's fun to get after it in the summer.

[O'Brien] Lots of things change over the years.

It's my job to sort of feel out the art of the gas and the brake.

Probably one of the characteristics that defines Sid

is the ability to respond well to a challenge.

So the harder things get, the more adversity rolls in,

I think the more response you see.

And it's a nice problem to have

when you have to pull an athlete back once in a while.

Definitely the model that every player is trying to build after

in terms of how to rise to the occasion and how to get the most out of yourself.

The intensity always shines through.

Is that the same at 37 as it was at 18?

I don't know, he's probably better to ask, but...

It's just trying to gain what you can in the offseason.

It's an opportunity to build and get better,

and it's only one way to do it.

[indistinct shouting]

[player] Yeah!

That'll be on fucking Amazon!

[man] Do you want to win a Stanley Cup again?

I do. I mean, that's...

That's the goal. I mean, that's what you-- That's what you play for, and...

you know, it's something that seems so far away,

regardless of who you are.

You know, if you're a team who's maybe, you know, at the bottom of the league.

And that might seem far away too, but...

um, you know, regardless of your perspective

or how you view it,

that's what you play for.

And that's what still motivates me to this day for sure.

I think the biggest thing is just finding a passion for something.

I don't know if I'll ever find a passion quite the same as hockey.

[Kopitar] I mean, being an NHL player,

sometimes we get lost in just the wins and the losses.

But there's only 700 of us right now that get to live that dream.

So that's something that I'm trying to do,

is enjoy the moment and enjoy the present.

[Byfield] All that growing up kind of slowly just building,

kept working and, you know, kept trying to be a better player.

I'll be losing some good balls here.

I think that's what I just want to keep doing in the NHL as well.

Like, you know, with the guidance of Kopi,

it was a big building step for me this year,

and I just want to continue with that growth and to be more of a pro.

That was a good putt too.

[Crosby] Competitiveness is something that's in me,

so I think I'm always gonna have that.

Winning is probably the biggest motivating factor.

You know, when you've played this long,

you know, there's always gonna be challenges.

But I think the aspect of winning is what, you know, continues to push you.

[Kopitar] So this is the island in the middle of the lake,

and people that get married in town,

tradition is the groom has to carry the bride

right from the bottom to the top of the stairs.

There's actually 99 steps.

[Ines] I couldn't even carry you.

[Neža] Haha.

[Kopitar] There's a church on here.

So, you know, for the, I guess, newlyweds,

they'll go and they can ring the bell, make a wish.

You know, for me it was actually pretty special

because me and Ines came here just before the 2012 season.

[bell clanging]

[giggles]

I'm pretty sure everybody knows what my wish was.

[crowd cheering]

Whoo!

But taking the next step in the playoffs is hard.

I mean, winning in the playoffs is hard,

unless you've been to the very top

[announcer] And the Stanley Cup Final 2025 is underway.

[Kopitar] But I don't think anybody realizes how hard it is to get there.

[rock music playing]