Fifth Liners: Recent Episodes
Welcome To Your Karlsson Years
From armchair literary juggernauts to armchair hockey commentators, this blog is designed to spread the word: my friends and I have opinions about hockey.
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 45
After a relaxing off-season and summer break, Luke and James return relaxed and rested to look back on the playoffs, look forward to the season, and generally complain about how Steve Staios is putting them out of a job.
Luke, Varada, and James lick their wounds after Ottawa's 3-2 OT loss in Game 2. What's your WTYKY Sign? Are you a Luke moon with a Varada rising, or perhaps a James sun? Sound off in the comments!
On the day of Game 1 of Ottawa's first round playoff series against Toronto, Chet Sellers returns to bless the WTYKY Voice Mailbox.
The Sens played their first playoff game since 2017 last night! It...did not go well, and Luke, James, and Conrad have some notes...
WTYKY Voicemails - Episode 1
Have you ever wished that the WTYKY Podcast was more like listening to voice messages that we all send to each other in our secret WTYKY group chat? If so, then today is your lucky day. Listening to WTYKY Voicemails, an unedited and uncensored podcast-like product, is like being out on the town having the time of your life with a bunch of friends. And guess what, we're all just out of frame, laughing too.
WTYKY Voicemails will continue for as long as the Ottawa Senators remain in the 2025 playoffs, and that's not a promise, it's a threat.
https://welcometoyourkarlssonyears.com/2025/04/07/wtyky-podcast-episode-44/
With the Senators all-but-guaranteed to clinch a playoff spot, Luke and James return to assess the Ottawa's new players, the somewhat new players, the somewhat new coach, and the potential to face a very old and familiar playoff opponent. Then, the Zoom call is hacked, audio quality goes down the terlet, and things get even weirder than usual. No refunds!
You can listen to this episode's elite hackers/special guests Elite Sens Brain wherever good Sens podcasts are sold.
https://welcometoyourkarlssonyears.com/2025/02/04/wtyky-podcast-episode-43/
After a longer-than-intended hiatus, James and Luke step back into the Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Recording Studio to answer the following questions:
- The Ottawa Senators are in a playoff spot: what do we do with our hands?
- Can you have too many good goalies? (Spoiler: No)
- Should opposing fans have rights? (Also no)
- Should Spartacat be executed with or without a trial?
And more*!
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- No refunds
WTYKY Podcast - Episode 42: "You're Fking Out, I'm Fking In" - Kenny PowersAfter a long and eventful summer, Luke and James return to discuss who's in and who's out going into the 2024-25 NHL Season. Bonus topics include:
- The Ottawa Senators reach an agreement with the NCC…again
- Golf: Is it Good?
- Do 4th lines and bottom pairings really matter?
- Should you go bowling with Michael Andlauer?
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 40
This past weekend Luke and James stepped back into the Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Zoom Recording Studio and this is the result. Topics include:
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Steve Staios sure ain't Pierre Dorion
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Looking ahead to the off-season
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Was this the worst season ever?
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WTYKY buries another podcaster
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James works out some stuff about the Alexandre Daigle documentary. Honestly Luke didn't have much to do with this part, he just cleared the lane and let James cook.
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And much, much* more
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- A bit
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 39
Before the Sens turned the season completely around by beating the powerhouse (not really) Flyers and Habs, James and Luke took to the mics to yell at each other a bit.
Topics include how everything sucks, and how yelling at the players can be good because they suck. James also talks at length about how it's time to trade a D-man. Look, you either are on board with this episode or you're not.
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 38
James and Luke are back with a Christmas Family Pack sized episode to recap the last 4 months, including:
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Did our Bet69 sponsorship deal with Shane Pinto get him into trouble?
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Is Dominik Kubalik a wasteman or a victim of Dark Magik?
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Vladimir Tarasenko
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Are the goalies good? Can goalies be good? What are goalies?
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Fire DJ? Sure, why not!
And finally, we put James on the stand for his most daunting task yet: defending the tenure of Pierre Dorion.
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 37
Luke and James catch up on a long summer's worth of news including:
- Jake Sanderson's shiny new long-term contract
- Vladimir Tarasenko signing in Ottawa as a free agent
- Joonas Korpisalo's new lifetime contract
- The troubling lack of cap space for Shane Pinto
- DJ Smith is good, actually
- Horny Claude Giroux videos
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 32
Luke and James are here to drink beers and remember some guys, and we’ve got lots of beers and lots of guys.
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 31After a long absence, Luke and James step back into the Robillard Hearing Centre Studio to discuss a smorgasbord of Sens news that is Actually Good. Topics of discussion include:
– Alex DeBrincat
– Claude Giroux
– Alex Kovalev (???)
– Josh Norris
– And More!
2021 NHL Entry Draft Chat with Brad Allen
James and Luke welcome back returning champion Brad Allen to answer questions about the upcoming NHL entry draft. Questions like:* How are last year’s draftees going? * Is it completely ridiculous to take Jesper Wallstedt at 10th overall when Sebastian Cossa is right there? * Who has the edge between Cole Sillinger, Chaz Lucius, and Kent Johnson? * Who are some potential RD options at 10? * Who are this year’s darkhorses that could still be available in the 2nd and 3rd rounds?
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 27 - Talking Craigs: Stop Making Sens
In this episode, James and Luke talk to former Ottawa Senators Social Media Guru and current producer for The Wally and Methot Show, Craig Medaglia. You either know what this is or you don't.
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 26
After a long and conspicuous absence, James and Luke are back in the booth to talk anything and everything from the last three months in the Sens Sphere. Topics include:
- How are you feeling?
- Sens Sickos
- It Was 5-1
- Stützle: He's good, folks!
- Do the Sens need a captain?
- Regrettably, goaltending.
- Release the Stone of Chlapik!
- Attach the Stone of Dzingel!
WTYKY Podcast Episode 25It's the WTYKY Podcast's 25th Podcast Milestone! We've bee producing these at a solid 4-5-episodes-a-year clip, and we saved up all of the best stuff for this occasion. This episode includes how we finally forced the team to adopt the logo and jersey we've been demanding for literally years and the results of the most important draft in franchise history. Luke Peristy, James, and Varada are here to get you through the pandemic with the Ottawa Senators Podcast three out of 10 physicians agree has a 14 percent chance of enhancing antibodies under very specific conditions.
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 24.5
In the second part of WTYKY's Draft Podcast Extravaganza, Luke and James talk to Hockey Prospect's Brad Allen about:
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Lucas Raymond vs. Jack Quinn vs. Seth Jarvis
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Why Tristen Robins and Ridly Grieg got moved up his list
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Why Jamie Drysdale moved down his list
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Who should Ottawa swing for the fences with in the 2nd round
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Zayde Wisdom!!!
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 24
James and Luke are back with HockeyProspect.com’s Brad Allen to discuss next week’s NHL draft and the players that YOUR Ottawa Senators could be taking. How much should you be panicking? We will tell you! Worried? You will be! Topics in this episode include:
– Quinton Byfield: How much seasoning does he need?
– Should the Senators take Yaroslav Askarov 3rd overall or 5th overall?
– Why do scouts love Jake Sanderson?
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 23
In this episode, James and Luke interview Brad Allen of hockeyprospect.com about the 1st round of the upcoming draft. Discussions include:- Tim Stuetzle vs. Quinton Byfield
- Marco Rossi vs. Jack Quinn
- How good is Alexis Lafreniere really?
- Possible spicy first round picks
- Possible bland and mild first round picks
- Brady Tkachuk
- Yaroslav Askarov
- How big is this draft for Ottawa really?
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 22In this episode, James and Luke discuss trade deadline madness, Bobby Ryan's return to the lineup, and more!
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 21
In this episode, James, Varada and extra special guest Chet Sellers discuss:* The Ottawa Senators suck the life energy from the San Jose Sharks, Emperor Palpatine style! * The Sens have many players of varying quality on expiring contracts and we share the latest on where we think they might land based on what we're hearing from our extensive network of well-connected insiders! * Some much-needed Borowiecki love after having spent hours on previous podcasts using him as an example of why the Senators are stupid! * The 2020 NHL draft: the most consequential moment in modern franchise history!
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 20In this episode:
- Anthony Duclair: He keeps kicking ass, so we gotta keep talking about him.
- Colin White: Kause 5 Koncern?
- Belleville Senators: They're good now!
- The World Juniors: We just hope both teams have fun.
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 19
In this episode: Luke and James discuss having hope again, ask what’s going on with Bobby Ryan, decide whether they could trade Jean-Gabriel Pageau for the good of the rebuild, congratulate Nick Paul on finally finishing his development, consider the plight of Erik Brannstrom, check in on the Sharks’ first round pick, and read some journalism about how Mike Babcock should be fired.
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 18
In which @Luke_H_Peristy and Varada confirm that hockey is a hobby that they share and the Senators are the team they watch most often. They also confirm via analysis that re-signing Chabot was good because he, as a player, is good. We also re-litigate the Zibanejad trade (preview: who cares?) and agree that when the Ottawa Senators went to the conference finals slapped.
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 16
Luke and Varada talk about a few Sens and Sens-adjacent issues, like Phaneuf's recent buy-out, Chris Wideman's eternal regret, and Erik Karlsson's potential return, before talking about the Raptors and basketball for a much longer amount of time.
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 15
It's the first night of the NHL playoffs, and the day after the draft lottery. It's time for us to check in with our feelings and decide, once and for all, if Brady Tkachuk is our Supervisor. (He is.) We also talk about the New Jersey Devils, Carolina Hurricanes, Brian Gibbons and Alex Ovechkin, who are roughly as good as one another, Logan Brown's dad, and tailgating at a Lions game.
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 13
This episode features special guest Poppy Fitzgerald of the amazing and indispensable This Amelnykan Life podcast. In addition to a discussion about their work (seriously, just fuggin subscribe) we talk about Gritty and Spartacat both being Libras, Melnyk's bizarre statements about spending to the cap, the impending doom of Stone and Duchene at the trade deadline, and something about an Australian reality TV show that I refuse to Google to learn more about.
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 12
In this episode of the podcast, Luke and James speak about the Belleville Senators Experience, and whether the Sens’s Rookies can bring feeling back to their cold dead heart. Eugene Melnyk barely even comes up!
WTYKY Podcast: Episode 11
James and Varada talk about the young season, say the word "spiritual" several times, are haunted by the invincible Cody Ceci and fall in love with Brady Tkachuk's wonderful jerk face.
WTYKY Podcast: Episode Armaggedon
Well, it's happened. The Ottawa Senators have traded the best player in franchise history and hollowed out the soul of the team for years to come. James, Varada and Luke Peristy react with cooler heads than anyone might have thought.
WTYKY Podcast: Episode Nine
In this latest episode of the WTYKY podcast, James and Varada discuss the meaning of Ottawa's fourth overall selection in the 2018 NHL draft, management's decision to bring back the entire coaching staff after a disastrous season, and also my new zine, Hockey Brunch (www.hockeybrunch.com). Music by the Hives.
WTYKY Episode Eight Point Five
A shortie this time around, featuring only Varada. It's like you're experimenting with the kid's meal at McDonald's. Enjoy.
WTYKY Podcast: Episode Eight: The price of life in blood magic is death
In this episode, James and Varada welcome very special guests Chet Sellers and Luke Peristy of the Chet Sellers and Luke Peristy Podcast, and we collectively struggle to find anything to talk about because so little is going on in the world of the Ottawa Senators other than the slow-motion destruction of the very thing we all love so dearly.
WTYKY Podcast: Episode Seven
Varada and James catch up about the inevitable degradation of their shared hobby, the Ottawa Senators, a team in apparently steep decline.
WTYKY podcast: Episode Six
Varada and James catch up. It's been a minute.
Music by Sun O)))))).