Two Man Forecheck

Episode 0153: Gallant Fired, Kovi Reinvigorated, The Calder Race, Kassian Suspended, Backes Waived, Krejci Out, Ovi Top 10, Over/Under and More!

We are fast approaching the All-Star Break and will start seeing bye weeks in the NHL, but some other goings on have taken place in the past week.  Gerard Gallant has been fired by the Vegas Golden Knights, who have hired Peter DeBoer as their new head coach.  Ilya Kovalchuk has been reinvigorated in Montreal, amassing 8 points in 8 games since his arrival.  The Calder Race is heating up, and for those of you who believe it is Cale Makar’s to lose, there is a new name to add to the list…Elvis Merzlikins.  Zach Kassian has received a two-game suspension for his behavior against Matthew Tkachuk recently.  David Backes has been waived by the Bruins and cleared to Providence.  Karson Kuhlman has returned and had himself a multipoint game.  Krejci is out with a perceived lower back injury.  Ovechkin has cracked the top 10 in goals scored all time and Tuukka Rask has played 500 games in the NHL.  Finally, we have brought back one of our favorite segments…Over/Under.  A big show to be sure so give us a listen, vote in our Twitter Poll (link below) give us your feedback and…Enjoy the Show!

 

https://twitter.com/pucksage/status/1218945411219623936

Episode 0152: Hynes Hired in Nashville, Krug Contract?, Kassian Loses It, Our Schedule, NWHL All Star Game, Williams Back in Carolina, Toffoli Rumors, Predictions and More!

January is in full effect mode, but news is getting thin.  With this in mind, we present you with another glorious episode of the Two Man Forecheck.  John Hynes has been hired as new head coach of Nashville with the firing of Peter Laviolette.  Strange move that elicits some thoughts from Mike and I.  Torey Krug is in need of a new contract in Boston, but will he get what he deserves there or will he be moved?  Zach Kassian laid a beating on Matthew Tkachuk after a legal hit.  Why did he do this?  Player Safety is now involved.  We discuss our schedule in the near future which involves a trip to the Bean Pot tournament and an ECHL experience.  The NWHL is having their All Star weekend in Boston at the Warrior Ice Arena and you can watch the game from the penalty box!  Justin Williams has returned to the NHL and Carolina.  What should the expectations be for the Hurricanes with him back in the fold?  Tyler Toffoli is rumored to be heading to the Bruins at the deadline.  Why are they waiting?  Is he the answer?  Finally, ESPN has published 31 predictions for the NHL second half of the season.  Most are outside the lines, but there are a couple that bear some thought.  Give us a listen, share your opinions and Enjoy the Show!

Episode 0151: B's Issues, Burke/Larkin Comments, Tortorella Gold, NHL Surprises, Scandella Dealt, Sharks 2 Problems, 3 Things We'd Like to See

The Holidays are over but the hockey continues.  This week we delve deep into the Bruins issues this season including the unbalanced lines and lack of scoring depth.  Should they have some kind of shake up and what is the fallout from Marchand's All Star snub.  Brian Burke has something to say to Dylan Larkin after the latter has stated that fans should not vote for him because he would rather have the time off from the All Star break.  John Tortorella has had some famous rants in the past, and he made one recently that most fans should agree with.  Jake Guentzel is hurt and may not return at all this season.  Marco Scandella has been traded to the Canadiens but that isn't the only move made by the Habs as they have also signed Ilya Kovalchuk.  We talk about Draisaitl's hit/elbow on Torey Krug.  We also give our surprises for the first half of the season and three things we would both like to see happen in the future.  Lots of content to listen to and comment on, so give us a listen, let us know what you think and Enjoy the Show!  Happy New Year all!

Episode 0150: Halak 50 Shutouts, B's and 'Hawks Injury Bugs, Brent Seabrook, Top 100 List, Top 5 Under the Radar, Beauvillier Tweeting and More!

The Holidays are in full swing and so are we at the Two Man Forecheck.  Today we talk about…

Jaroslav Halak now has 50 shutouts in his career, third most among active goaltenders.

The injury bug has hit the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks pretty hard.  Brent Seabrook in particular is looking at a long recovery period after surgeries are expected on both hips and his shoulder.

We break down the top 100 players of the decade list from ESPN and Greg Wyshynski.  Here is the link:  https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/28325227/the-top-100-nhl-players-decade

We also break down the top 5 Under The Radar players as written by Adam Gretz.  Again, here is the link:  https://nhl.nbcsports.com/2019/12/20/nhl-philadelphia-flyers-ivan-provorov-teuvo-teravainen-great-nhl-performances/

Finally we have a little fun with Anthony Beauvillier tweeting Anna Kendrick and predict the winner of the Winter Classic. 

Thank you for another great year and we will be back in 2020.  Enjoy the Show!

Episode 0149: Ron Francis, Kevan Miller Done?, Kovalchuk Out in L.A., Rakell to Boston?, Hall to Arizona, McAvoy Not Scoring, B's Coaching Change? and So Much More!

The Christmas holiday is right around the corner but the hockey season continues on (with a brief break around the holiday).  This week the Forecheckers discuss Ron Francis, GM of the new Seattle franchise, and his role in the physical abuse scandal that saw Bill Peters resign as head coach of the Flames.  We talk about the active games leaders and Chara’s place in it with Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau.  Kovalchuk has been waived and terminated in L.A., but is there a place for him in the NHL?  With Hall traded, which we also break down, should the Bruins focus on Rickard Rakell?  Charlie McAvoy has still not scored this season, should there be concern, and what of the Bruins d-man Kevan Miller…is he done?  Should the Bruins also consider a coaching change considering the current show of form with the team?  You’d be surprised.  Give us a listen, definitely tell us what you think and…Enjoy the Show! 

 

Happy Holidays to everyone from the Two Man Forecheck!

Episode 0148: Housely in Arizona, DeBoer Out in SJ, Montgomery Out in Dallas, Where Will Hall Land?, Tocchet For the Adams, Blashill on Slow Burn, Lindblom Diagnosis, Twitter Poll and So Much More!

This week the Forecheckers appear to be focusing on the coaches around the league.  There have been 3 coaches relieved of duties and this week we touch on both Peter DeBoer of San Jose and Jim Montgomery of the Dallas Stars.  We open with a brief discussion on Phil Housely and his Coyotes defense.  We break things up by talking about the potential trade of Taylor Hall and where he is likely to land, with a lenthy discussion around Ottawa being a potential landing zone for the winger.  We give some much needed love to Rick Tocchet for the Jack Adams and talk about why Jeff Blashill (Red Wings) isn’t on a hot seat.  We wish much good fortune and a speedy recovery to Oskar Lindblom of the Flyers after being diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma and close the show with last week’s Twitter Poll results.  Here is the link for this week’s poll: 

 

https://twitter.com/pucksage/status/1206267462708277256

 

Give us a listen, send us your feedback and…Enjoy the Show!

Episode 0147: The Crazy Standings, John Hynes Fired, Carlson Best D-Man, Halak Reaches 500, Twitter Poll Results, Goldobin Sent Down, Pontus Aberg Back in NHL and More!

First week of December and we have seen yet another coaching change.  The Devils have relieved John Hynes of coaching duties and named assistant head coach Alain Nasreddine interim head coach.  But was this the right move for the team?  We discuss.  The open revolves around the standings and the flying Arizona Coyotes.  We also talk about head coaches that are still in their positions and should they be changed out.  John Carlson has matched a feat only accomplished by 3 other defensemen, two of which went on to receive the Norris that season.  Is he the best defenseman in the league?  Should he get a Norris this season?  Let us know.  Jaroslav Halak played in his 500th game this past week, earning a shutout in the process.  Is he the best backup in the league?  Could he be a starter anywhere else?  We believe so, but what is your opinion?  We break down the Twitter poll from last week and break down whether Nikolay Goldobin is worthy of being in the NHL.  Finally, we mention Pontus Aberg’s return to the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Lots to discuss and feast on, let us know what you think and…Enjoy the Show

The New Twitter Poll:  https://twitter.com/pucksage/status/1203740533727907840

 

Episode 0146: Bill Peters, B's Playing Down to Competition, Coyle & Wagner Extensions, Mailbag, Hall Trade Rumors, Brad 600, Twitter Poll and More!

Thanksgiving in America has come and gone, but hockey presses on.  This week we have seen a blight on the hockey landscape with the resignation of Bill Peters as head coach of the Calgary Flames.  His alleged actions in the past have left both of us at the Two Man Forecheck at a loss for words that can be spoken during the podcast but we push forward and try to express our opinions.  The Bruins have been playing down to their competition as of late, who is to blame for the lack of motivation on the team?  Charlie Coyle and Chris Wagner, two homegrown Massachusetts boys have been given extensions and both seem reasonable.  We dive into the Forecheck mailbag and answer a couple questions regarding Heinen’s return and Taylor Hall’s trade rumors, the latter of which we break down where he should really go.  Brad Marchand hit the 600 point plateau and blew past it, where does he fit on the all time Bruins list?  We discuss last week’s Twitter poll about which team you would rebuild at this time, the Rangers being your choice, but do we agree?  Finally, we wish to extend our deepest condolences to the Fleury family for the loss of Marc Andre’s father this week on Wednesday.  There is much to think about and express an opinion on this week, so let us know how you feel, vote in the current Twitter Poll (below is the link), and Enjoy the Show!

 

https://twitter.com/pucksage/status/1201199524661932032

Episode 0145: Babcock Out, The Wild...Tweak or Tear Down, McAvoy Offensive Woes, What's Up With the Press, Bortuzzo Hit, Dallas a Surprise, Head Coach Firings, Twitter Poll and More!

Mike Babcock is the first head coach to be fired, who's got next?  Is it entirely his fault?  Should Kyle Dubas share in the blame?  The Minnesota Wild couldn't win against the Bruins, are they fixable or should they be torn down and built back up?  Charlie McAvoy has no goals 23 games into the season.  Are we expecting too much of him or is he just underperforming?  The Predators are nowhere near a playoff spot at this time.  What is wrong with Nashville?  Should they consider a coaching change or personnel changes?  The goaltending has not been up to snuff so far this season.  Robert Bortuzzo hit Viktor Arvidsson and was given an in-game penalty but should he get a call from the Office of Player Safety?  Dallas is 13-1-1 in their last 15 games and may be the hottest team in the league that no one is paying attention to at this time.  Could they be one of the most balanced teams in the NHL?  Is Ottawa worth building up as they are currently constituted?  Plenty to discuss this week so give us a listen and share your opinions with us, but as always...Enjoy the Show!

 

Twitter Poll This Week:

https://twitter.com/pucksage/status/1198675544289796103

 

 

 

Episode 0144: The Injury Bug, Craig Anderson, Pacific Division Comparison, Pens Talking Trade, T.J. Oshie for HOF, Twitter Poll, The No. 72 and More!

Another week and more hijinks from the Two Man Forecheck.  The injury bug has hit the NHL hard at this point in the season, with many big names on the shelf.  Craig Anderson is the best bad team goaltender in the league, no question, but his worth goes deeper when you look at his career, as we did.  The Pacific Division is nowhere near what we expected, with the Oilers, 'Yotes and Canucks at the top so we compared the division to where it was at this time last season.  The Pens appear to be positioning themselves to trade one of their back up goaltenders to the Maple Leafs, but are they making the right move?  T.J. Oshie is a great shootout performer, but is it enough to get him over the hump and into the hall of fame?  We break down last week's twitter poll, talk about Bobby Lou's number retirement and finally mention the deal that gave Bobrovsky the 72 off Frank Vatrano's back.  All this and a new Twitter Poll...here is the link:

https://twitter.com/pucksage/status/1196110918113005569

So listen, vote, give us some feedback and...Enjoy the Show!