Original subtitles

[Hughes] What's up? How's it going?

-See your sign outside? -I did, yeah.

-[both laugh] -Yeah, I did.

Let's do two pumpkin seeds. I like those.

-[man] Good luck in the playoffs. -[Hughes] Thank you.

-Congratulations on the win yesterday. -Thank you.

-Appreciate that. -Can I take a picture?

[Hughes] Yeah. What's up, man?

-[man] Can I take a photo quickly? -[Hughes] Yeah.

Thank you so much. It's so nice meeting you.

Yeah, nice to meet you too.

-Thank you. Appreciate it. -Thank you.

-[Hughes] Hockey fans, or no? -Uh, sometimes.

-[Hughes] Sometimes? Depends? -[laughs]

What's it depend on?

-Uh, winning. -[Hughes] Winning?

[all laugh]

So you're a hockey fan this year, but you weren't the last four years?

-Yeah. -Exactly.

Fair enough. I don't blame you.

Maybe get your uncle to take you to a playoff game

-Yeah. -[man laughs]

-[Hughes] How does my hair look? -[producer] Your hair looks great.

-You wouldn't lie to me, right? -[woman] Never.

[producer] Now talk to us about being named a captain.

It's hard to kind of put it into a couple of sentences.

I mean...

[Redmond] Being a captain in the NHL is a huge honor.

The biggest honor that you can have.

[player] Good or bad, we fucking regroup.

[Bissonnette] You're the leader of a group of men,

and you're trying to set the example and the standard

day in and day out in this league.

I mean, that's one of the best honors.

[crowd cheering]

[Nurse] With all of the flowers that come with having the "C" on your chest

also come a lot of flames, I would say.

[player 1] I don't have an answer for it. I just know what I'm doing isn't working.

Individually, I'm not there.

[player 2] I didn't play well. You gotta play better.

It starts with me.

[Blackburn] Being a captain in the NHL,

you've got many different personality styles.

You've got many players of different skill wearing the "C."

It's not really a one-size-fits-all kind of thing.

Go!

[announcer 1] Hughesy's massive. This guy's ridiculous.

So smooth, man.

[announcer 2] Here's Hronek to Hughes. He scores!

Quinn Hughes is a young captain.

[announcer] To win the game! Scores!

[Blackburn] At 24 years old,

Quinn Hughes is one of the youngest active captains in the entire NHL.

I do think that it is a daunting task to put on someone so young.

[Hughes] Yeah! Yeah!

[Blackburn] I think you've got to give Quinn Hughes some time

to prove who he is as a leader.

[Hughes] I have a mic on or I'd be going fucking crazy.

I'll call for it.

Brock! Brock!

[Subban] People overthink the captaincy all the time.

[player] Yeah!

Right now, I'm trying to win a hockey game.

I want Quinn Hughes leading my team.

[announcer] Hughes shoots, he scores!

[Hughes] Hey, that's how we play. Now we're gonna roll.

This whole thing about being a good guy and that.

No, no, no, no. I want my best players to be the leaders.

As long as he's not insane, put the "C" on his jersey.

[Bissonnette] Troo-troo! The Trouba train.

[announcer] Trouba-- Oh! Big hit!

[Bissonnette] I wouldn't say he's the best player on the team,

but he's just this iron fist back there.

[announcer] Trouba-- Oh!

What a hit by Trouba.

[Bissonnette] He'll bring the pain, the physicality.

[Subban] He can be a lightning rod for controversy sometimes

because he plays on the edge.

But that's the game. You know, winners play on the edge.

[Trouba] A "C" anywhere is special,

but I think a "C" on the New York Rangers is a whole nother level.

What a fucking shift.

Just fucking crisp.

Captaincy, it is all the time, but it's also your job.

It's your work...

[player] Go! Go! Go!

...so it's more about bringing your personal best

of what you do all the time,

because it could all change in the blink of an eye.

[Nurse] Injuries are hard.

One seemingly nothing play,

all of a sudden, the trajectory of your career

can be completely different.

[broadcaster] Sometimes an inadvertent skate will get you,

and he's a big loss for the Colorado Avalanche.

Not a good look, having your captain limping down the hallway like that.

Gabe Landeskog is the ultimate team player.

He makes the sacrifices

that it takes to be successful.

[Landeskog] On him!

[Blackburn] Gabe Landeskog's identity is the leader

and the captain of the Colorado Avalanche.

So not being able to take on that role in an active way on the ice,

that creates somewhat of an identity crisis.

Your life's just sort of flipped upside down.

[crowd cheering]

A lot of emotional days, not really knowing,

am I ever gonna get to play again?

[Blackburn] Trouba in New York, Quinn Hughes in Vancouver,

Gabe Landeskog in Colorado.

Three teams that have Cup aspirations.

Being a captain has more weight and expectations to it.

Every game means a little bit more. Every moment means a little bit more.

[rock music playing]

Gabe Landeskog. He is the ultimate captain.

[announcer] Landeskog shoots and scores!

Gabe Landeskog with a hat trick!

He's that captain who will stand up and fight somebody if he has to.

[announcer] And now, Landeskog wants to go.

Here we go.

Landeskog's gonna go toe to toe with Ekholm, a couple of rights!

[Redmond] He is like the soul of the Colorado Avalanche.

To not have him is devastating.

[producer] All right, uh, Gabe...

[producer] How old were you when you were named captain?

[Landeskog] Nineteen at the time.

[announcer] Landeskog dips away--

-Scores! -[crowd cheering]

[horn blowing]

[Landeskog] I remember thinking, "This isn't real."

You're playing with guys who have played 10, 15 years in NHL.

And now, next thing you know, you're asked to wear the "C."

[Hughes] My dad was in the room

when they interviewed Gabriel Landeskog his draft year,

and all the guys on the Leafs were saying

that he came in like a man at 18, and how impressive it was.

[producer] When was the last time that you played meaningful hockey?

June 26, 2022.

When we hoisted the Stanley Cup.

[announcer] The Avalanche are 2022 Stanley Cup champions!

[producer] You're hoisting the Cup. You're on the top of the mountain.

[Landeskog] Yeah.

[producer] You haven't played since. What's that been like for you?

It has been a challenge in just about every facet...

kind of my life.

You just really miss the game.

[dramatic music playing]

[no audible dialogue]

Well, it started in 2020.

Cale got tripped up. He fell.

His skate came up and sliced me right across the outside of my quad.

[dramatic music playing]

Originally, we didn't think there was that much damage,

but it turned out it had lacerated a part of my quad muscle.

It was just getting worse and worse throughout that '21-'22 season,

and was able to play through the playoffs.

And then after that, the damage was too much to...

to do anything about other than doing a cartilage transplant surgery.

[Blackburn] Gabe Landeskog, he was willing to put aside his future in the NHL,

possibly never playing again, to come back early

and help that group on a Stanley Cup run.

We did it! You're the best captain in the world!

[Blackburn] Avs are a team definitely capable of winning a Stanley Cup,

but it's gonna be tough without Gabe.

And I think that that loss was a big reason why,

a year later,

they went from Stanley Cup champions to first round exits.

You can see the rink from here. It's just a really nice.

I do think it's really important to watch hockey

and, like, know the league and see what's going on.

[Tocchet] Picking a captain, yeah, there's risks.

But for me with Quinn, he's a hockey nerd.

Probably watches hockey 24/7.

And he wants to be the best.

And he's striving for that every day he comes out to the rink.

So you kind of wrap that in and you go,

"Man, this is our guy."

All right, I'm gonna chef up.

I went full health freak mode this year.

Not only the performance on the ice

but, you know, how you take care of yourself off the ice.

And I had to grow and mature and learn, and I'm always gonna lead by example.

Being the captain of the team, I was obviously very honored.

But it also comes with a new sort of pressure.

Like, if we lost this year, it was gonna be because

we didn't have great leadership.

So for me, I was like, really, really motivated.

I wanted to have a big time year and lead by example

with how my game is on the ice, but I knew that it would be really tough.

Vancouver is hockey, hockey, hockey.

Like, it is a little bit difficult because it's a Canadian market

and, you know, everyone kind of knows what's up.

I am more on the quiet side, so my leadership is growing.

I think at the start of the year, I didn't want to come in and say,

like, "I'm the captain now, I'm the loudest voice in the room.

Whatever I say goes."

But as the season has gone on, I feel like I'm learning

when I can be speaking my mind in the room.

Probably read 20 to 25 books this year

just because I felt at the start of the year

that with becoming the captain, and it just got a lot for me and...

Like I just wanted to get off my phone.

[Tocchet] It's a learning thing. I know there's moments

where he said to me, "When do I go in

when you leave and shut the room and tell the players it's not good enough?"

I mean, I can help him, but I think it'll just come to him.

And I think throughout the year, we've kind of let him figure that out.

You know, you don't want to miss this.

[announcer commentating through the TV]

[funky music playing]

All right.

♪ So welcome, everybody To the new world order ♪

♪ Just keep the outsiders from mobbing up the border ♪

♪ For the ones that gonna stay ♪

♪ Twenty-one questions That's only two directions ♪

[laughs]

That's all right.

I try to be the guy who's thoughtful and creative,

and also the guy who loves physicality and hockey.

And so kind of combining them to...

to make art.

♪ Tell me, what's your name? What's going on? ♪

There are current artists who use their body

in lots of different ways to make marks on the canvas.

But his is pretty unique.

And it's also authentic to who he is.

It's not my dream to wake up in the morning

and paint my friend's body.

[laughing]

I don't lead the same way Quinn Hughes Ieads.

Um, but you gotta find your way that works for you.

I'm not a big points guy, but, like, there's other things.

The physicality, the shot blocking.

[announcer] Good sliding play by Trouba.

[Trouba] Coaching the team.

Come low. One-timer. Bumper in, bumper in.

Those things that maybe aren't as sexy to the fans' eyes, or whatever it may be.

If I'm doing that, like, you...

I expect you to do that as well.

And that kind of trickles through a team of an attitude.

I try to angle it, keep my feet on that.

And, like, go up to the right.

Yeah.

There is an art to a beautiful open-ice hit.

And Jacob Trouba has found himself time and time again

delivering massive, punishing open-ice hits.

[rock music playing]

[announcer] Oh! Big hit.

Choo-choo! That's why they call him the Trouba train.

[announcer] Oh! And he didn't see the Trouba train coming.

Jacob's a captain who's established himself in New York

and kind of taken that city by storm with his physical play.

[announcer] Take-away by MacKinnon.

He gets knocked down by Trouba.

Landeskog is challenging Trouba.

[Landeskog] Being a captain is not about winning or losing the fight.

It's just about being there, for your guys.

[grunting]

[announcer] Those are two strong men.

You watch me play hockey and you think I'm a bad guy?

Like, I have no control over that.

I'm just doing my job.

[announcer 1] Oh! Blasted.

[announcer 2] And Jacob Trouba, I mean, he is like an old-time player.

[Hughes] I call my dad before every game.

He usually gives us a 40-second little pump-up.

[phone line ringing]

What's up, Dad?

How you doing bud?

Good, how are you doing?

♪ Oh, you're hyped up Yes, I'm getting hyped up ♪

♪ Rise up, loud and clear Turn my mic up ♪

Listen, attack the game. Keep hitting the net.

Make your teammates better, that's all.

[Hughes] All right, sounds good man. Talk to you after. Love you. Bye.

♪ You'd better get ready 'Cause soon the time's up ♪

[Bissonnette] I couldn't imagine being given the "C" at 24 years old,

especially with an organization that's dealt with a little bit of turmoil.

[Blackburn] Vancouver was kind of a rudderless ship for a year or two.

People were questioning what the direction was.

But Rick Tocchet got that job,

and seemingly turned them around very quickly.

He sort of unlocked that next level for the Vancouver Canucks.

[Tocchet] Real quick, let's be grateful for this opportunity.

We win this fucking game today, we lock it down, we win the division.

You guys worked your ass off for this. You guys deserve this.

Let's fucking knock the door down tonight.

[announcer] Two games remaining before the stakes get ratcheted up.

But there's still plenty for these Canucks to play for.

Hughes, wake the fuck these guys up!

Hey, I need a pick. Pick.

[Blackburn] Quinn Hughes is not the prototype of a number one defenseman.

He's a bit undersized.

[announcer] Slap shot squeezes through and is saved.

Kicked out by Quinn Hughes.

But I don't think the sample size is big enough yet

to cast judgment on who Quinn Hughes is as a leader.

[Hughes] I'll call for it.

Yeah! Yeah!

You think I should've passed it to you?

[Landeskog] As a captain, Quinn's obviously a very dynamic defenseman

who carries the play.

The one thing I would say is that you can't expect

anything from others unless you're ready to do it yourself.

It's important to be that person for the team to look up to

and be able to follow.

Go!

[announcer] Vancouver, 3-0 lead.

Miller driving.

Scores!

[player shouting]

[announcer] And for the first time in 11 years,

the Vancouver Canucks are division champions.

This is for you. Nice to meet you.

[Blackburn] Hughes was instrumental in leading them

to their first playoff berth in three years.

But the postseason, it's a different beast.

I think there are a lot of questions about how Hughes

and the rest of the Vancouver Canucks will handle their first taste

of playoff hockey in a while.

[Trouba] Being a dad and a father is a full-time, lifelong duty.

So when things aren't going well, or whatever it may be at the rink,

like, all that for sure stays at the rink,

and you come home, and that's your priority,

to be a father and do everything you can for him.

It gives you something that kind of-- Your mind is somewhere else completely.

I'll get my bottle while I do this.

What's up, buddy?

When I'm with him or giving him a bottle or whatever,

you're spending time with your son.

You're not worried about anything else but that.

[crying]

Oh, he's pissed.

-You're mad at him? -You want the bottle?

Life isn't only about winning and sports.

[whining]

Come on. We're on camera, man.

Come on. Come on. One time.

-You legend. -That's a good man!

Good job!

Yeah. Dad of the year.

[boy laughs]

Hey, so, Luke, you know how we've been watching a lot of hockey lately?

Yeah.

What team is your favorite?

Um... Colorado Avalanche.

Colorado Avalanche.

-You're-- -My favorite is the Penguins.

[Landeskog] What?

Daddy...

[Landeskog] That's gonna be controversial.

You know, there's so much travel with our job, and...

And I love everything about my job,

but I've gotten to experience things with them this year

that I definitely would have missed.

[laughs]

You're just around on a consistent basis that you're normally not.

All right, nice job. It looks good.

-[drill whirring] -Oh...

All right, so all done.

Nice job.

I actually made it up that this big scar I got on my leg

was a shark attack.

And my son was like, "What'd you do with the shark?"

And I was like, "I smacked him right in the nose."

But one of the reasons I wanted to have kids young

was to be able to still be playing and having them around.

It just kind of fuels you to get better.

I'm gonna throw you over the fence.

The hardest part is not being in the battle with the guys,

you know, because when you are...

then your voice kind of carries something, right?

But if you're not there,

I'm not saying it doesn't carry anything, but it's...

Well, a little bit it's like, well, what do you know?

You know what I mean? Like, if you haven't been a part of it.

And as a group, you're always fine-tuning the team's game.

Whoa.

Flamingo is in the water.

All right.

You know, your knees not cooperating,

or you have a setback, and you come home,

you take them to the park, and life's pretty good, so...

-[children giggling] -What'd you do?

The last game I played was two years ago,

and I was playing in the Stanley Cup.

If it gets to that point this season,

it's gonna have to take a lot for me not to suit up and go out and play.

I don't want to get you too wet.

♪ I love New York ♪

♪ I said I love New York ♪

Growing up in Michigan, it was like a suburb of Detroit.

And then Winnipeg.

And then coming here was kind of an eye-opening experience.

New York sports are a different beast.

The energy, the people, the attitude of the city.

Everybody here wants to win, and that's what's expected.

Now, I love it.

I can't imagine really living anywhere else right now.

♪ I love New York ♪

I think the captaincy is...

It is all the time, but it's also your job.

It's always been something that's a big responsibility,

especially here in New York, maybe more than other places.

But it's something that I wanted,

and it's something I don't take for granted.

[Blackburn] The Presidents' Trophy goes to the team

that has the most points during the regular season.

[Nurse] Winning the Presidents' Trophy,

that is one of the hardest trophies to win.

And to be really the standard over 82 games

is insanely impressive.

["Bars in the Kitchen" by BeeLo Loco and Yung Face playing ]

[announcer] Roslovic scores!

[player] Attaboy, Jack!

[crowd cheering]

[announcer] That's the way to get it started.

Get something to the net. Get something to the net.

[announcer] The Rangers need to put pressure on here.

[player] Go, go!

[announcer] Shot by Trouba. Oh! Save by Korpisalo!

[Trouba] Oh, that's such shit.

[announcer] Goodrow on to take the face-off.

[referee] Let's step quicker here, guys.

[players shout]

[Trouba] Stay! Stay! Just go, just go!

[announcer] Two on one. Kreider, Fox.

Scores!

[crowd cheering]

And it's 2-nothing Rangers.

Batherson moves in.

[coach] Lay down!

[announcer] Shot deflected by Schneider.

[player] Just beautiful.

Just a beautiful laydown to us. Beautiful.

I almost pooped my pants.

[player] No pooping of the pants.

[announcer] The Rangers closing in

on the Presidents' trophy.

[player shouts]

Smejkal with the puck, and Trouba stayed with him.

-[grunts] -Trouba on the ice.

Trouba, pass off the glass. Feeds Panarin.

[Trouba] Up, up, up! Yeah!

[announcer] Scores!

[crowd cheering]

[Trouba] Can't say I hated that pass.

[announcer] The New York Rangers win the Presidents Trophy.

They're number one in the NHL...

in the regular season.

[Trouba] Good feed, Gus. Good game.

You are the top team in the regular season.

No one can take that from you,

and you've proven that you can be the best team in the league.

[Blackburn] The team that wins the Presidents' Trophy

doesn't always end up with the Stanley Cup.

They usually don't.

It does ramp up the pressure.

[reporter] So, what does tonight's accomplishment mean to you?

I feel more comfortable with pants on, so give me a sec.

[reporter] Take your time.

[broadcaster] Welcome inside Ball Arena

for the biggest game of the regular season.

The Avs and the Jets are on a collision course

to meet in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

And today, home ice advantage is on the line.

-[announcer] Score! -[player] No! Fuck!

[announcer] And the Winnipeg Jets have blown it wide open

here in the first period.

They get a 3-0 lead.

[Subban] Not having Gabe is definitely an element that's missing from this team,

and they need him back.

The leadership, to me, that's how you win the Stanley Cup.

[announcers talking on TV]

[Landeskog] You ultimately want to be there so you can lead by example and by...

Just physically, it's not allowing me to do that right now.

Yeah, it's hard.

[announcer] Back to MacKinnon it goes.

Remember, no Gabe Landeskog.

I can only imagine what he's going through the last two years.

He's a big voice in our room. You know, he's always talking.

And we all miss him.

It can be a little quiet when he's not in the room during games, intermissions.

Missing our captain is really hard.

[man] Three, two, one. Time.

[weighs clanking]

[Blackburn] You've been monitoring Landeskog

for honestly years at this point,

and it seems like he's coming close to being able to come back.

He seems like the perfect solution to that team.

[Hughes] How was a scene out here last night?

Our fans, like I told you,

because it hasn't happened in a decade,

they're just ravenous about this.

-[man] Whoo! -[Hughes] What's up?

Just wanna say I appreciate you and everything you do.

[Hughes] Yeah, thanks.

[MacEwen] When does your brother go to the Worlds?

[Hughes] Four days, maybe? But yeah, it sucks.

Like, not gonna be able to see him for another five weeks, at least.

I got two brothers that are on the Devils.

I'm the oldest.

Jack's 23.

[announcer] Jack Hughes swooping in. Sharp angle! Score!

[Hughes] And Luke's 20.

The nicest part about playing in the NHL

is that I can get to go through this with the two of them

and get their opinions on things, and have them as sounding boards,

and I'm a sounding board for them as well.

I don't think I could be the captain in the Canadian market at a young age

if I didn't have a really great support system

not only with my brothers, both my parents as well.

[Ellen] Quinn, we've been out since 10:00 a.m.

I know. I woke up at 11.

-Oh, really? -Yeah.

[Jim] It's a hard league, and to make the playoffs is a big feat.

And so Ellen and I figured we'd come into Nashville

and catch a couple of hockey games and support the team.

My brothers and my family, they're, you know, my best friends.

And the way we were brought up and raised,

we have a really good aspect on how to deal with different situations

and the pressure of playing in the NHL.

[Jim] Quinn was following their team around last year.

-[Ellen] Right. -All pissed off.

And now it's their turn to reciprocate and watch the Canucks.

[Hughes] A little smaller guys.

So I would say we really had to learn the game

and think of it as a, you know, a cerebral way,

and how to survive in the NHL as well.

And I think we've done a really good job at that.

And I think family has a lot to do with that.

-Does it fit you? -[Ellen] Dad wants to put my jacket on.

-[laughs] -It's a girl's jacket, honey.

Walk around with this bull's-eye on?

[Hughes] It doesn't look too small on you though.

[Jim] Are you gonna wear this tomorrow night?

I'm gonna wear it loud and proud tomorrow for you, bud.

[announcer] Bridgestone Arena in Nashville

for Game 6, with the Canucks one win away

from advancing to take on the Edmonton Oilers.

Pressure is high, stakes are high.

♪ Here we go ♪

♪ Here we go ♪

♪ Don't you know that action, boy Here we go ♪

[Nurse] You hear the rumblings.

Candidly, you can't avoid it.

And that makes you want to prove those haters and those doubters wrong.

♪ And we ain't laying down now Here we go ♪

[Hughes] Let's not give these guys shit.

[announcer] And we are underway in Game number 6.

Canucks leading the series three games to two.

Boeser on the near side, lets it go to the point, Zadorov.

-To the net! Stopped by Saros. -[whistle blows]

We broke it out five times.

Like what the fuck is going on? They can't fucking make a play on the blue line?

[announcer 1] Hronek. Down to Miller.

Leaves for Quinn Hughes. Here's some room. Hughes centers.

Boeser to the crease!

[announcer 2] How about this chance?

Boeser in tight, slid it across for Quinn Hughes,

who had the open net but not the angle to put it home.

[Hughes] Fuck. Sorry, I gotta make a better play.

-[player] Come on! -[announcer 2] Game 6 has turned

into a staring contest here in Nashville.

Who will blink first? Nobody can figure out a way to score.

We got two lefties.

If I wheel the net, you might be able to hit me at the penalty box.

I'm going that side, alright?

[Tocchet] For him to be captain,

and the pressure of leading a team

that's never made the playoffs in a lot of years.

I mean, he's put a lot of pressure on himself.

I'm going to you, you're going to Petey, and then go.

Hey! Hey, Petey!

[Tocchet] And I think that it's helped this team.

[announcer 1] Puck behind the net.

And they score!

[players] Yeah!

Yeah! Yeah!

Whoo!

[announcer 1] The Vancouver Canucks shut out Nashville in Game 6,

and they win the series!

♪ We're here to win it ♪

♪ We're back in it Ain't no pretending ♪

[Hughes] It's a great accomplishment because I don't think

a lot of people had our team where we are right now,

and I think we persevered and played really good hockey

over the course of this series, and I think we deserve the moment.

We deserve to be here.

[Blackburn] Now, suddenly, Quinn is at the center of one of the NHL's best teams.

So I think they proved a lot of doubters, myself included, wrong.

[Pettersson] He always wanted to be the best player, and I think now,

when he is the captain,

a shift within him happened.

It's good to see.

[indistinct chatter]

I still haven't gotten over that Axel's here

and now the playoffs are here.

This is his second game, right?

-I brought him to another one. -[Glasser] You did? And he was good?

Yeah, but now that he's older, he's like more alert, and he gets fussier.

He was just like a potato before. He was a sleepy potato.

-He's like three months old. -[Geschwer] Two weeks later.

-[laughs] Yeah! -I know, but they change so much.

He was literally a sleeping potato before.

[Geschwer] You completely changed this girl's life.

I would put on a hockey game and she would be like...

-"Shut that off." -Well, I loved--

[Geschwer] It's a violent game.

-[Kelly] You called it violent? -She called it violent...

-He's putting words-- I'm not sure. -He gets so much shit for his hits.

[laughs]

I mean, people think about you when they think about hits.

Like, that's just the nature of it.

That just scares me. I'm like, "You have a kid now."

[Trouba] For my style of leadership,

the physicality part is something I've always loved.

I've always loved playing hockey as a kid,

and physicality's been a part of the game.

And if an injury happens, that's part of being a captain.

But having a son...

life isn't only about hockey.

There's something there that's more important now.

You're gonna live your life.

Sports also have positive sides to it.

I try to separate myself,

but I'll get to see your first playoff game.

What you always dreamed of.

[Trouba] Sure is.

[crowd cheering]

[announcer] The Stanley Cup playoffs continue from Madison Square Garden,

with Game 1 of this first round Eastern Conference matchup

between the Washington Capitals and the New York Rangers.

Pick it up! Just go, just go!

[announcer] And they score!

Jimmy Vesey!

[Blackburn] The Rangers are pushing, and it's...

They've got all the pieces that you kind of look for,

and the Washington Capitals basically puked their way into the playoffs.

[player] Hard! Hard! Go!

[announcer] Milano gets knocked down by Trouba.

[player] Come on, good shift here, guys.

[Blackburn] So for the Rangers to walk the Capitals

as easily as they did,

it's an expected result, but you have to give them credit for getting it done.

[announcer] Throttled pretty good by Trouba.

[Trouba] I felt like everyone kind of had a little bit of a chip on their shoulder,

more than years prior.

[announcer] Rangers on the board already.

Snap shot. They score!

[Trouba] The goal is obviously win the Stanley Cup every year.

Going into the season, we felt like we had a team that wanted to take that next step

and give ourselves a chance to win.

[announcer] The Rangers' sweep is a wrap.

[Landeskog] It's hard watching playoff games, man, it's like...

you know when you're-- You're not able to...

to make an impact, you're not able to really make a difference at all.

And I think that's what makes it so hard watching.

Like, I talked to a lot of the other guys that aren't playing.

We're like a very invested hockey parent.

[chuckles] Like, you're just so into every single play...

and we're looking at each other like, "Why are we so nervous?"

But you just don't have an impact. You can't control the game at all.

But when you're playing, you're not nervous at all

because you're focused on your next shift.

You're into it, you know?

[producer] You're... you're almost reduced to a fan.

Oh, yeah.

And, uh, I'm not good at being a fan.

[laughs]

[all cheering]

[announcer 1] This is Game number 6.

The Dallas Stars.

The Colorado Avalanche. Welcome to the Mile High City.

[announcer 2] The Avs playing for another day,

and the Stars trying to wrap up this series.

[Blackburn] Avs are capable of a Cup run,

and the longer that it goes, you obviously kind of increase your chances

of him being able to return and get back on the ice.

So those wins mean a lot.

[announcer] Here we go.

[crowd cheering]

[Landeskog] My team playing without me has naturally

forced everybody out of their comfort zones a little bit,

and you have to take on a bigger role or speak up when things are needed to.

[player] Smell blood, Mac! Smell blood!

[announcer] Picked up here by Nathan MacKinnon.

[player] Yeah! Yeah!

[announcer] He scores!

-[horn blowing] -[crowd cheering]

First time in this series Colorado has scored first.

He scores!

And they just timed it perfectly.

[announcer] And nothing has been decided

after 60 minutes.

Okay, another really good, hard-fought period, eh?

Getting up and down the ice.

Lots of entries, we're getting in and out of our zone.

We're looking for one good fucking opportunity here, boys.

Let's go work for it. You fucking keep going.

-Do what you're doing. Let's go to work. -[applause]

-[player 1] Come on, man. -[player 2] Our game now. Our game.

[announcer] One-one as we head to overtime.

[Landeskog] Nate's going to score the OT goal. Not too worried.

[announcer] Colorado wants a Game 7 in big D on Sunday.

[player] Oh, this is it! I got that feeling!

[announcer] Manson.

Right up the gut.

Now played by MacKinnon in front!

-[announcer 1] What a stop. -[announcer 2] Incredible.

[player] Oh, no, no, no, no!

[crowd cheering]

[announcer 1] Dallas looking to march on to the West final.

He'll take it in, in front.

It's available. Puck forward. Loose...

And they score!

Boom! Yeah!

Whoo-hoo!

Let's fucking go!

[announcer 1] The Dallas stars are on their way

to the Western Conference final.

[Landeskog] That's all she wrote.

It's really it. There's nothing I can say

after they just had their hearts broken

that's gonna make them feel much better

or that's gonna be, you know, any type of moral victories and whatnot.

Ultimately, I need to take care of myself to be able to help this team whatsoever.

[Blackburn] You could see the Avs leaving it all out there.

But the second-round exit means that Gabe Landeskog

has to push his return to next year.

[dramatic music playing]

[train horn blowing]

[announcer] 77-degree evening in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The Stanley Cup playoffs, Game 6.

Hurricanes, Rangers.

Rangers won the first three games of this series.

Hurricanes have taken the last two.

[player] Come on, guys. One win today.

[Blackburn] When I think of the Rangers,

I think sometimes they have like an upper hand

on a lot of other American markets because it is New York.

And it hasn't led to a Stanley Cup for the Rangers in a while.

But it does feel like maybe they're on the precipice of getting there.

[announcer] Late first period down to 1:30.

[intense music playing]

Score!

What a pass.

Now Svechnikov.

Svechnikov towards the net.

Score!

Jarvis!

Two-nothing Hurricanes.

A power play goal!

[crowd cheering]

And he scores!

[players shouting]

[player 1] Shoot the fucking puck!

[Trouba] Come on, guys. Now or never.

[announcer] They got a big hill to climb here in this third period.

Trailing the Hurricanes 3 to 1

[Trouba] Get off it! Get off it! He's got it!

[announcer] Shot off the boards by Trouba.

[Trouba] Come on! Come on! Come on!

Just go! Just go!

[announcer] Kreider scores!

[all cheer]

[Trouba] Let's go.

My appreciation for Troubs

is him developing and tweaking his game

to fit what the New York Rangers needed.

That's why he's a great captain for the New York Rangers.

[announcer] There's Trocheck. Back out. Shot by Panarin...

Score!

[crowd cheering]

Shot by Trouba. Deflects wide.

[Trouba] Let's move!

[player] Hold, hold!

[announcer] They score!

[cheering]

The New York Rangers advance to the Eastern Conference final.

[Trouba] There's a finite amount of next years for every player.

That's been something that's...

The older you get-- People go, "Oh, there's next year."

Like, eventually, there's not gonna be a next year.

I think that's the part that kind of heightens the...

The expectation and the drive and the wanting to do a little bit more.

That's part of being a captain.

[announcer] Tonight, an all-Canadian Game 7

in the delirious den of the Rogers Arena.

[Blackburn] You get past that first round, you put up one hell of a fight.

And then your prize on the other end is the Edmonton Oilers.

It's a matchup that you don't want.

[announcer 1] The last Canadian teams standing.

[announcer 2] Quinn Hughes still looking for his first goal of this postseason.

[Hughes] Let's go! Confidence, boys. Confidence!

Petey! Watch this guy.

[announcer] Back to Kulak, across for Ceci.

Loads it up-- Scores!

Cody Ceci!

Bouchard...

Scores!

[player 1] It's all right, don't worry. It's all right. Stay with it here.

[player 2] I'm going down the wall. All you guys go to the net.

[announcer 2] Quinn Hughes has pretty much played this entire period, hasn't he?

[announcer 1] Bouchard fires wide. Rebound...

And Edmonton has a three-goal lead.

[Hughes] Fuck!

[announcer 2] Hughes unable to get anything going offensively.

[Hughes] Even when things aren't going great,

it's really important to not get too high or low.

And I promised myself when I became captain,

I'd try to do a really good job at that.

But at the end of the day, the most important part is, you know,

what you're doing on the ice and performing.

-We don't have to win the game right now. -[player] Yeah.

[Hughes] We don't have to win the game right now, okay?

[crowd cheers]

[announcer 1] Canucks on the board!

[announcer 2] Buckle your seat belt now.

[Hughes] Hey, I need you really high,

High, so I can pass to you.

[announcer] Lindholm wins the face-off.

Here's Hughes.

Scores!

And Vancouver are a shot away.

[player] Hey, let's go net.

Shot? Okay.

[announcer 1] Last call here for Vancouver.

Loose! A shot blocked!

The Edmonton Oilers are headed to Dallas

for the Western Conference final!

[somber music playing]

[Hughes] Hey, should we do a stick salute?

[player] Yeah, a salute.

[Hughes] Salute.

[crowd cheers]

It was disappointing to end the way we ended.

But in all seriousness, it was a tremendous year

for our team and the city.

We made some huge steps and progress that we can build on.

Um, I know I have for sure.

[Blackburn] I think this year's really important for Quinn Hughes.

He proved this year that he can lead a team.

[reporter] How much better will you guys be next year

because of what you went through with these two series?

[Hughes] Hopefully a lot better.

It's the first playoff run for a lot of us,

and we can look to this and keep going.

[Subban] The leadership that he brings, he never gets too high, never too low.

He elevated his game definitely to star status.

[radio host] Chris MacFarland is set to give

his end-of-the-year press conference.

Gabe Landeskog is gonna be by his side.

Anything to worry about?

[radio host 2] I would not be shocked if this is--

I tried my best. Let's be realistic here.

I don't think I can do this.

[Landeskog] Feels like I'm in a completely different phase than...

I thought-- I wish that I was at.

You have to kind of re...

rethink everything, and I just don't want to do that again.

[dramatic music playing]

[indistinct chatter]

[man] And just before we start, um, big news.

-Gabe's not retiring. -[reporters laugh]

[applause]

I would hope at your retirement press conference,

-you'd wear something a little better. -Yeah, I think I'd dress up.

[reporter] When do you think you'll be able to play again?

Between... When's training camp?

[MacFarland] September. Mid-September.

Mid-September and the start of April.

I feel pretty good about it.

[laughter]

[reporter] What drives you at this point?

I think ultimately, you know, my family, right?

Like, I got two young kids. They're three and four now.

And I just can't wait to be back out there, and, uh...

And then come give my family big hugs after the game.

It'd be pretty special.

["Spotless" by Zach Bryan playing]

Go, Daddy, go! Go, Daddy, go!

Go, Daddy!

Look how fast he's going.

As tough as it's been, I mean, it's gonna be pretty damn cool

to be there with the guys and play in the playoffs again,

skate out on that ice,

or look back at this journey with the kids when they're older,

and that's strengthened.

Everything has gotten stronger and, you know,

I think that's what adversity will do to you.

♪ My mother is a saint And told me if I wait ♪

♪ Everything meant to be will stay ♪

It's always been a huge honor to wear a "C" on my chest.

And there's never been a day where I pull that jersey over my head

and I'm not grateful for it.

♪ I ain't spotless, neither is you ♪

♪ For once in my life I'm gonna see it through ♪

♪ If you want spotless I'll always lose ♪

♪ I don't want love, lover I want the truth ♪

Being a captain of a team,

I have more experience, more confidence in who I am as a person.

-Don't air that. -[man chuckles]

[Blackburn] Quinn is kind of like a quiet guy.

So going from that guy to being the leader of a team,

a leader of men, I really do believe that he took a massive step this season.

You want to drive, Jack?

-Let me drive. -Get your reps in.

[Hughes] The moment you think you're a really good player

is the moment that you're gonna fall off the face of the earth.

So for me,

it's having the wherewithal to continue to grow

and become a better person and a better leader as well.

♪ I ain't spotless, neither is you ♪

♪ For once in my life I'm gonna see it through ♪

[Trouba] Being a dad or captain or leaders in a different situation,

my mindset is, "Take the risk, take the chance, bet on yourself."

And if you don't make it,

you can live your whole life knowing you took that shot

and you gave yourself the best opportunity to do what you wanted to do.

And I can live with that.

♪ I can't stop this ♪

♪ Neither can you ♪

♪ For once in my life I'm bound to see it through ♪

♪ If you want spotless I'll always lose ♪

What are you guys doing?

[laughs]

Come here.

Good sweaty kiss.

Daddy, why do you have shoulder pads?

I got shoulder pads on since I'm playing.

Smack it.

Nice job.

[upbeat music throughout]