Senators resurgence discussed on 'NHL Unscripted' podcast

A discussion about the resurgence of the Ottawa Senators, what the future holds for Matt Rempe of the New York Rangers, the goaltending situation of the San Jose Sharks, and a visit with Brian Slagel, who is the founder and CEO of Metal Blade Records, it’s all featured on this week’s episode of the “NHL Unscripted with Virk and Demers” podcast presented by iHeartPodcasts.

Slagel, a massive hockey fan as well as one of the biggest names in heavy metal music, joins co-hosts Adnan Virk and Jason Demers this week. Slagel discusses meeting Lars Ulrich and giving Metallica its first big break, as well as the legendary story of when he brought Jaromir Jagr and the band together for an unforgettable night.

The conversation with Slagel also covers why Alec Martinez's double-overtime goal for the Los Angeles Kings in Game 5 of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final is one of his favorite memories, in the process rubbing salt into the wound still carried by Demers, who was a defenseman for the Sharks that season. The Kings eliminated the Sharks in the first round after losing the first three games.

Demers and Virk then turned their attention to this season and what is happening right now.

Each host admitted his error in dismissing the Senators, who have won eight of their past 10 games. They also acknowledged the driving force behind that success, goalie Linus Ullmark, who is 7-0-0 with a 1.08 goals-against average, .963 save percentage (209 saves on 217 shots), and two shutouts in eight games during that stretch.

Speaking of goalies, the duo also talked about Yaroslav Askarov, whose wait to take over the No. 1 role with San Jose may not last much longer. Askarov, who was acquired in a trade with the Nashville Predators on Aug. 23, is 1-1-2 with a 2.75 GAA and .909 save percentage in four starts with the Sharks.

Demers is not as keen on Rempe, who is serving an eight-game suspension for his hit on Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen. He wondered what the future holds for the fan favorite on Broadway.

What’s the best thing for players to do during the holiday break? Demers said Cabo San Lucas may not be the best destination and shared his nightmarish adventure there.

The “NHL Unscripted with Virk and Demers” podcast presented by iHeartPodcasts is free and listeners can subscribe on all podcast platforms. It is also available on NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts and the NHL app.