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).
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) 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) 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) The Vancouver Canucks were in dire straights last week, having lost their seat atop the Northwest Division for what seemed like the first time in about 4 seasons. But then Cory Schneider came to the rescue, posting 3 straight wins while allowing only 3 goals against. The Canucks still havn’t reclaimed their spot atop the division, but are now tied with the Minnesota Wild in points. They aren’t out of the woods yet, but the Canucks can look forward to a relatively easy schedule down the stretch. Only 5 of their remaining 17 games are against teams currently sitting in the top 8. Continue reading »
1) The Columbus Blue Jackets are one of the hottest teams in the league right now. (Wow, I don’t think I have every said, written, or thought that before.) Anchored by the ever improving Sergei Bobrovsky, the Blue Jackets went 2-0-2 this week, and now have points in 10 straight games. The 24 year old Bobrovsky is 9-6-5 this season and sports a spectacular .932 SV% and 2.00 GAA. Because of his play, the Jackets sit 2 points out of 8th in the West and are looking to capitalize on the slumping Sharks and Canucks to move into the playoff picture. Continue reading »
1) The Sharks only went 1-2 this week, but I was still really impressed with the play of Joe Thornton. He put up 3 points and showed a lot of leadership in the process. The Sharks have been in a tailspin ever since starting the season 7-0, but Thornton is doing his best to rally the troops. Last week he dropped the gloves with Jonathan Toews, this week it was Jamie Benn’s turn. These kind of fights can swing momentum and set an example for the disheartened players on the bench. (As opposed to the side show fights between players who have no business playing pro hockey.) The Sharks are too talented for this slump to continue much longer. Continue reading »
1) The Ducks kept rolling this week thanks in large part entirely because of 30 year old “rookie” Viktor Fasth. Fasth has won his first 8 NHL starts and has all but stolen Jonas Hiller’s job. It isn’t exactly fair to say the Ducks resurgence this year is all due to Fasth, but his .933 SV% and 1.78 GAA sure doesn’t hurt. Keep an eye on this guy. In a shortened season a goaltender this hot will make a significant difference in playoff seeding. Continue reading »