Steve and I doing it again, just shooting the breeze.
We catch up on Round 2 in episode 4 of Armchair Hockey’s podcast – talking Sens-Pens, Rangers-Bruins (4:51), the Leafs’ collapse (6:52), Kings-Sharks (10:10), Blackhawks-Wings (12:42), reffing controversies (20:54), Canucks and Caps (23:48) and hockey business (38:55).
Here it is, episode 3!
Had troubles uploading last night but here it is!
Includes discussions about Pens-Isles rivalry, P.K. Subban’s fit with the Habs and a Canucks post-mortem and their future plans.
Enjoy!
Steve and I had so much fun doing the first one and we’ve gotten some good feedback, so here it is, episode 2!
Guaranteed to be better than Attack of the Clones.
We talk about a potential Sharks sweep and the joyless 2013 Canucks (0:30), the clean Gryba hit and P.K. Subban’s hot temper (17:40) and the delay of game non-call on Alzner that cost the Rangers a powerplay (29:45).
Click to listen to Armchair Hockey Podcast Episode 2! Enjoy.
So, once in a while, Steve and I will shoot the breeze and talk some puck. We decided to record for your listening pleasure. In the podcast, we go through every single series in the playoffs, make our predictions and, of course, make fun of Leafs Nation.
Apologies for the low sound levels and the lack of massaging to the sound. We wanted to get this up before the playoffs start so you have something to keep you busy while you wait.
It’s a long podcast, but click on the link and check out the time stamps listed below to skip to the series you want to listen to.
Cheers!
The most exciting part of the year is here. The season was abridged, but the playoffs won’t be. Two full months of playoff hockey. Glorious.
So many story lines, so many things to go over. Can the Isles make the Pens sweat a little? How healthy will the Blues or Kings be after their series? Can the Red Wings pull off an upset over the second-ranked Ducks? Is this the Canucks’ last chance? Can a re-vitalized Ovechkin get the Caps over the hump?
Without further ado, here’s the quick and dirty for all eight playoff match-ups in the the 2013 NHL Playoffs.
1 Chicago Blackhawks vs. 8 Minnesota Wild
The Blackhawks were probably hoping for Columbus because no team wants to deal with Zach Parise in the playoffs. Parise had eight goals to lead the Devils last year and it was pretty clear Parise was the Devils’ MVP.
Despite the addition of Parise, who scored 18 goals this year, Minnesota has been starving on offense all season. Dany Heatley’s out for the season after getting shoulder surgery, Jason Pominville is questionable for game one, meaning their best goal scorer right now is Devin Setoguchi. Ohhh, scary.
1) With Marc-Andre Fluery and Kris Letang already on the shelf, the Pittsburgh Penguins suffered another major blow this week. Sidney Crosby was forced out of action after taking a puck to the face. It was later revealed that he will out indefinitely with a broken jaw. The only positive in this situation is that the Penguins have built up a huge lead atop the Atlantic Division (16 points). However their #1 seed will likely be surrendered to the Montreal Canadiens. After a 1-2 week they hold a tenuous 3 point lead over the surging Habs. Continue reading »
1) Obviously this was a big week for trades in the NHL. But I was still surprised at how little was made of the Jay Bouwmeester move. St. Louis acquired the minute munching defenceman for a conditional 1st round pick (if the Blues miss the playoffs it becomes a 4th round pick this year and a 1st round pick next year) and two middling prospects. Bouwmeester has taken a lot of heat for his play in Calgary, but to be fair most of that is directed at his monstrous cap hit. On any team in the league he has the skill set to be a solid top pairing defenceman and should help secure a playoff birth for the Blues. In my mind, this was the most underrated pick up of the week. Continue reading »
1) What a week for the Pittsburgh Penguins. They went 4-0, extending their current winning streak to 15 games, made three significant trades, and suffered a slew of injuries. Douglas Murray and Brenden Morrow add good depth options to round out the bottom of the roster while Jarome Iginla should give a huge boost to an already stacked offence. The best thing about these trades is that Ray Shero did not have to part with a single roster player. However, it was not all good news for the Penguins. Both Paul Martin and Kris Letang will be on the shelf for a long time with injury while Marc-Andre Fleury and Sidney Crosby were forced out of action as well. There is no timetable for either Fleury or Crosby’s return, but given the Penguins recent success there is no reason to rush them back. Continue reading »
1) It only took 3 years, but the Calgary Flames have finally started a rebuild. My first reaction to the Jarome Iginla trade was, “wow, Dallas got more for Morrow than the Flames got for Iginla.” While this is (arguably) true, for once I cannot fault the hapless Jay Feaster. By all accounts the Boston Bruins tabled a stronger offer for the Flames’ captain, but at the end of the day Iginla had his sights set on Pittsburgh. I sincerely hope he gets his championship. Jarome Iginla is one of the best players of his generation and a class act. Continue reading »
1) What a season Nazem Kadri is putting together for the Toronto Maple Leafs. It wasn’t so long ago that Kadri was the team’s scapegoat, but now he is their saviour. The Maple Leafs went 2-0-1 this week thanks in large part to Kadri’s 7 points in those 3 games played. Kadri is 8th in league scoring and showing the results of an offseason of dedicated training and focus. Consequently, the Leafs are comfortably within the Eastern Conference playoff picture and could see second round action if they can hold onto their 6th place seed. Continue reading »