Episode 0092: Jones and the Sharks, Goalie Equipment, NHL Standings, Head Coach Firings, Julien and Sturm, Lehner a Steal, Thornton 1500, Krejci, Twitter Poll and More!

Its Veterans’ Day! Thank you to all those who have served in the various branches of military and Coast Guard who protect our borders and shores!  It is because of you that we can do what we do.

At the open, we talk about players around the NHL that are either over or under-performing.  Some are obvious, but there are some that would be a surprise.  Players such as Sidney Crosby, who is having a decent season, is 40^thin scoring this season.  For him, that would certainly be considered under-performance.  On the other side, someone such as Patrice Bergeron, who is number one in scoring at this point, would be seriously over-performing.  He has the talent to be ranked where he is, but it certainly isn’t something he has done before.

Mike starts us off on the subject of goaltending.  Martin Jones of San Jose has come out talking about the changes to the padding that is worn by those in the position.  He stated that there are some goalies that have more bruising than in years past, but it isn’t why his numbers have taken a dip.

We also get into a discussion of the San Jose Sharks and why they appear to be struggling.  They are still second in their division, and still in a playoff spot, but it is obvious that the off-season changes, among other things, have the Sharks off their game.

Delve deeper we say at the Forecheck, and we do just that with an in-depth look at the standings. Upside down and inside out are two apt descriptions of the NHL standings at this point in the season.  Teams that are normally playoff contenders are currently on the outside looking in, such as the Capitals and Penguins.  Teams that were expected to struggle mightily are in, such as the Canucks.  What is to make of all this…even we don’t have the answer.

The league has seen its first two head coach firings in L.A. and Chicago.  Stevens may not have been a surprise, but Quenneville is a bit of a shock. The positive in all this…Marco Sturm is now an assistant coach in the NHL.  He has shown that he has the chops as a head coach on the international scene and he will now be on the inside, hopefully with a chance to be a head coach in the NHL.

There are a few steals this season, but the steal of the year may just be Robin Lehner of the Islanders. We have said this before, but he is proving us right as he shows what he can do with a respectable defense in front of him.

The Two Man Forecheck want to congratulate a future hall of famer, Joe Thornton, on playing in his 1500^thregular season game.  He has played through some injury plagued seasons and continues to shine when on the ice.  His passing is second to none, and his induction to the hall is almost certain.

Ottawa players have apologized for comments made during a recent Uber ride.  They were unknowingly recorded, and their comments were made available to the press.  If anyone has never complained about their boss, please let us know. Everyone vents, these guys were just doing the same thing.  Let it go.

Finally, David Krejci is getting a moratorium on Mike complaining about his play.  This season he is a point per game player and he has been consistent.

Don’t forget our new Twitter poll question and above all…enjoy the show!