Two Man Forecheck

Episode 0213: ESPN Is Back!; Sabres Top to Bottom; Bin Gets Extended; Meet The Minotaurs; Hall to B's Tweet and More!

This week it may seem that we have focused on one franchise in particular but that would be wrong.  Many things have happened this week, and the NHL is celebrating a brand new television deal with the four letter network.  ESPN will be the primary carrier of games for the next 7 years to the tune of 2.8 Billion dollars.  Jordan Binnington signed his own deal, a 6 year 36 million dollar extension with the Blues.  Buffalo is suffering a myriad of issues, Eichel is out, Skinner is not scoring, the Pegulas own the team and I could go on but you should listen.  Mike introduces us to his new franchise...the Minotaurs!  Taken from the Sabres and Press, following current cap space he puts together a team that could potentially be top 10 in the NHL.  Finally, back to Buffalo, we talk about a tweet from Ian McLaren asking the B's to get Taylor Hall.  So much this week you have to listen!  Enjoy the Show!

Episode 0212: Wilson Suspended; Sabres Open for Business; Acciari Hat Trick; Ward Fired, Sutter Hired; Torts Vote of Confidence; Add One and More!

First off, our condolences to Wayne Gretzky and the Gretzky family on the passing of his father, Walter.

We start off this week with some surprises and then move on to the suspension of Tom Wilson who got seven games for his hit on Brandon Carlo.  We talk about other hits that should have received some attention but didn't and mention Larry Brooks article in The Post.  Buffalo appears to be open for business, and the GM, Kevyn Adams has stated that he is unhappy with the direction the franchise is headed.  Could there be moves made?  Another team that needs to be blown up, the Nashville Predators, have lost 4 players to injury since Tuesday the 2nd of March.  It would appear the doctors in Nashville are helping the team tank.  Noel Acciari got his 3rd hat trick since the 19-20 season, putting him fourth on a list behind Pastrnak, Ovechkin and McDavid.  Geoff Ward was fired, after a win, and replaced by Darryl Sutter.  John Tortorella was given the dreaded vote of confidence by his GM and we bring back Add One.  A packed show to be sure so give us a listen, tell us what you think and Enjoy the Show!

Episode 0211: Canes Making Moves, Julien Fired, Kraken HC Choices, B's Add Tinordi, Grizz Skating, Zegras With Anaheim, Babcock Coaching and More!

On this the last day of February we delve into some moves and rumblings around the league.  To start with, the Carolina Hurricanes have moved on from Ryan Dzingel, acquiring Galchenyuk and Paquette.  They turned over Galchenyuk to Toronto and in the process saved about 1.8 million on the cap.  Claude Julien has been fired by the Canadiens.  The unanswered question is why.  And the second question is who replaces him.  We discuss the head coaching position in Seattle and talk about the odds placed on the candidates.  The Bruins have added Jarred Tinordi, defenseman from Nashville who was placed on waivers.  Grzcelyk is back on skates but not yet ready for games.  Trevor Zegras has finally joined the Anaheim Ducks and his laid back demeanor is a breath of fresh air.  Finally, Babcock is back coaching but not in a venue you would expect.  He will be coaching the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.  Lots of content so give a listen and tell us what you think.  Enjoy the Show!

Episode 0210: LakeTahoe; Lankinen for Calder, Vezina; 2019 Draft; Jack Adams Award; Coyotes Off Ice Issues; Waiver Wire, UFA Spotlight and More!

This week we have an action packed episode so lets dive right in.  We start with a brief discussion of Lake Tahoe and other possible outdoor venues.  The fist story is Kevin Lankinen, goalie for the Blackhawks.  At this stage, should he be considered for the Calder Trophy?  Even better, the Calder and the Vezina Trophy? We even throw in Hart consideration for fun. We briefly touch on the 2019 draft and whether it is a flop or not.  The Jack Adams Award should go to one of two candidates and at this point there is no one else in consideration.  We touch on Montreal's lack of homegrown talent, most of their current roster is made up of acquisitions.  The second large story is Arizona.  A former employee calls it a dumpster fire and other colorful language.  We break down the egregious behaviors and whether the NHL should step in.  Finally we talk about Adam Henrique and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and their availability.  A full show to be sure so give us a listen, send us your feedback and Enjoy the Show!

Episode 0209: Sullivan Fired; Canucks Owner Supports Green & Benning; NHL at the Quarter Poll; Draft Lottery Changes Coming and More!

This week we hit the quarter poll of the NHL season.  With most teams around 14 games we delve into the standings and what that might mean for the remainder of the regular season.  We also identify some surprises uncovered along the way.  First, we talk about Sullivan being fired...that's Steve Sullivan, assistant GM for the Arizona Coyotes.  He has been let go but no other details were given and no replacement will be named.  The owner of the Vancouver Canucks has given the dreaded kiss of death to the head coach, Travis Green and GM Jim Benning after the team's recent struggles.  Should both of these men be looking for new employment soon? We break down the league as it hits the first turn for this season and finally we talk about and break down the issues with the draft lottery.  Pierre LeBrun has reported on The Athletic that the NHL could potentially be looking at changes to how it works.  And Mike enthralls us with his plan for the draft lottery and, in a really outside the box thought, suggests that teams could be allowed to trade ping pong balls. Definitely worth a listen this week and we would love to hear your suggestions as well!  Enjoy the show!

Episode 0208: NWHL Suspends Play; Mrs. Jones Issues Correction; Paul Maurice Post Game; Clifton Fight; Pens Struggles; Rangers Biggest Surprises; Dallas a Surprise? And More!

Lots to break down this week as we are about 10 games into the season.  The NWHL was supposed to have their Isobel Cup semifinal and final games televised on NBCSN suspended play the day before they were set to air.  Seth Jones' mom (@AmyJones_03) issued a correction on Twitter regarding Seth taking figure skating lessons...give her a follow, its worth the price of admission.  Paul Maurice defends Blake Wheeler to the press after a game, and its laced with some interesting language. Been taking lessons from Torts we think.  Connor Clifton got into a fight and it wasn't fun for Nicolas Aube-Kubel.  He play has made it easier for Cassidy to allow Grzelcyk to recuperate in Boston.  We discuss the Penguins struggles this season and if there is a fix.  We talk about the top line for the B's and introduce a new name for them (Thanks Mike!).  We break down the 5 biggest surprises for the New York Rangers and one is a player that we both liked from the start.  Trent Frederic dropped the gloves with Tom Wilson of the Caps and appeared to have won the fight.  He talked about it afterward and we have some fun with it.  Finally we discuss whether we have seen the real Dallas Stars yet and whether the Panthers are for real as well as talk about the many milestones on the horizon for the league.  An action packed episode to be sure so give us a listen and tell us how you feel.  Enjoy the Show!

Episode 0207: NWHL on Television, Rutherford Resigns, Ovechkin Tied For Seventh, Twitter Poll: Kevan Miller, Rask Elite?, Wahlstrom Gets His First and More!

By now most teams have played 8 or 9 games so we start to discuss particulars around the league.  Starting off though, we talk about the NWHL.  They will be televising the Isobel Cup, the women's championship on NBCSN the weekend of the 4th and 5th of February.  Jim Rutherford has announced his resignation from the Penguins.  He hasn't retired but is done with the franchise.  We also talk about deals that may have been made or not, and how that affected his decision.  Ovi has caught and tied Mike Gartner for seventh on the goal scoring list all time.  We break down the possibility of him catching Gretzky.  We floated a twitter poll regarding extending Kevan Miller and when.  As always, we discuss the goaltending in Boston, and this week it revolves around Rask and whether he is elite.  And finally we talk about Oliver Wahlstrom and his first NHL goal.  Lots to discuss and comment on so please let us know what you are thinking.  Enjoy the Show!

Episode 0206: PLD Traded, NBCSN Shutting Down, Josh Manson Injured Among Others, Montreal Surging, Pastrnak In/Bjork or Kase Out?, Bobby Ryan Flying and More!

Now a little over a week into the season and the Stars have finally played a game as well as the dust finally starting to settle around the league.  Pierre-Luc Dubois has been traded to the Winnipeg Jets for Laine and Roslovic.  We also discuss his interview with Ron McLean of Hockey Night in Canada where he doesn't appear to tell us much but says enough for us to break it down.  NBC is shutting down the sports network NBCSN reportedly at the end of the year.  What does this mean for the NHL as their contract expires?  Games should appear on USA Network but will it be enough to keep the NHL interested? Montreal is surging in the North Division and currently holds the top spot.  Who to get the credit...Claude Julien or Marc Bergevin?  The answer might surprise you.  A tweet was sent out indicating that when David Pastrnak returns, either Anders Bjork or Ondrej Kase will be gone.  We discuss who it will be and why.  Finally, we talk about a resurgent Bobby Ryan for the Red Wings.  He is a point per game guy this season with his one year, prove it to me contract.  Lots to digest here so give a listen, send us your comments and Enjoy the Show!

Episode 0205: O'Ree's Number Retired, Dubois Wants Out of Columbus, B's D Not Respected, 2015 Draft Gaffs, McQuaid Retires, 2021 Predictions, Forsberg Goal Video and More!

Finally...Hockey is back!  After the first couple games of the year we have seen some trends emerge.  The one constant is the Two Man Forecheck.  This week we talk about Willie O'Ree's number being retired in Boston.  Clearly much deserved.  Pierre-Luc Dubois wants out of Columbus, as reported by his head coach, John Tortorella.  Where will he be heading and when?  The Bruins goaltenders have been dealing with being run into by the opposing team, a clear disrespect for the B's defense.  Would this happen if they had kept Chara?  What about the rest of the D core?  Kevan Miller has been the physical stalwart of the group.  Ty Anderson of 98.5 writes about the 2015 draft and how it will haunt the Bruins and continues to do so.  Adam McQuaid has officially announced his retirement from hockey.  Drafted by the Blue Jackets, he played his last game for them after spending the bulk of his career with the Bruins.  We break down some predictions from the staff at The Athletic and finish up with a video from Filip Forsberg.  The link is below.  So enjoy the hockey, tell us how you feel about the return, and Enjoy the Show!

https://streamable.com/98z6xy

 

Episode 0204: Backes on Waivers?; Perry, Dunn, Strome, Vatanen and Barzal Sign; Crawford Retires; Our Playoff Picks; B's Youth Exceeding Expectations and More!

The new NHL season is just a short 3 days away.  With that we clear up some of the stories we missed over the holiday period.  To start with, David Backes may be placed on waivers by the Ducks.  It would be the second time in the last couple years and is most likely a cap move.  Corey Perry (Montreal), Vince Dunn (St. Louis), Dylan Strome (Chicago), Sami Vatanen (New Jersey) and Mathew Barzal (Islanders) have all signed contracts.  There are others but clearly the big name is Barzal.  A team friendly deal to be sure, he signed for 3 years at 21 million.  Perry will be a boost to Julien's Canadiens team as well.  Corey Crawford has decided to hang up the skates after 10 years with Chicago.  After signing with the Devils, he decided that he didn't have any more to give to the game of hockey.  We delve into the new season with vigor and make our picks for the 4 teams from each division to make the playoffs.  While most teams overlap our lists, there are a few surprises.  Finally, there are some young players making hay at Bruins training camp.  We break down the players and discuss how the defense will look in the new season.  All that and a frank conversation regarding the Chicago Blackhawks. Give us a listen, tell us what you think, dive into the new season and Enjoy the Show!