Two Man Forecheck

Episode 0100: Rick Nash Retires, New H.C. Effectiveness, Brind'Amour Report Card, Rookies Get a Pass, Rask Milestone, DeSmith Extension, Giordano an All-Star?, Torts Aftermath, Twitter Poll and More!

Its show 100!  Can you believe it’s been that long?  We are excited to have been around this long and hope to be around for at least another hundred episodes.  Thank you to all that have given us a chance.

We start with a discussion regarding the head coaches that have taken over this season and how much of an impact they have had on their respective teams.  Here we also focus in on Rod Brind’Amour, coach of the Hurricanes and how he is faring in Carolina.

Moving on to the rookies, we pose the question:  Are the other rookies getting a free pass on their performance since Petterson is performing so well?  If you look at the numbers, we would have to say yes.  The only one really close is Colin White and he is 16 points behind.

Tuukka Rask is one win away from becoming the all-time winningest goaltender in Bruins history.  But a dive into the numbers reflects that he needs to be thanking a stout, solid defensive team in front of him to get to this historic milestone.

The Penguins have given Casey DeSmith a 3-year extension.  Again, we have a question.  Is this the start of a new regime in Pittsburgh or just an extension for a reliable backup?  It appears that this is a new start looking at Matt Murray’s durability, but the money suggests it’s just a backup getting paid.

Mark Giordano is having a phenomenal season, but he wasn’t voted into the all-star game.  Clearly this is a result of where he plays and the number of offensive players on his team getting all the attention.  Diving into his numbers, he certainly deserves to be there, but his age and the number of minutes he plays per game suggest that he may not be missing much, and a rest could do him some good.

Rick Nash has been an intriguing player during his career.  His number should certainly be in the rafters in Columbus, but his time with the Rangers (and very briefly with the Bruins) show that he could have done more.  The hardest numbers to accept are his playoff results.  Nash has called it a career after suffering a concussion last March for which he is still dealing with the lingering symptoms nine months later.  We certainly wish him a full recovery and hope that he becomes symptom free.

We talked last week about John Tortorella returning to form and complaining about “part time players” on his squad.  Since his outburst, the Blue Jackets have gone 2-1 while facing Tampa Bay, Washington and Nashville.  Message received?  We think so.

Finally, we reveal the Twitter poll results from last week and it appears that 40 percent of the voters were correct in choosing Winnipeg as the second-place team in their division to move into first.

It has been a great ride to 100 and we hope that there are many more milestones for the Two Man Forecheck to hit before we call it a career.  Thanks for listening, please send us your feedback and…Enjoy the Show!

Episode 0099: Torts Is Back, Vegas' Rough Start, Underrated Players, Oilers Acquire D-Men, Blues/Bruins Talk Schenn, Vasili Podkolzin, Hamilton On Trade Block, Twitter Poll and More!

After missing our first week in almost two years due to technical issues, the Forecheckers are back. We sincerely hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season and enjoyed the Winter Classic.

We lead off the show talking about the return of John Tortorella.  No, he hasn’t gone anywhere, but the persona, the passion that he has shown in the past is back.  We all know how much he loves the press, but when he gets grumpy and starts complaining about the lack of effort or that he has too many passengers, that is when his true feelings show.  Those are the times where we can really believe that he feels the team he is coaching can go far in the playoffs.

We talk about the resurgence of the Vegas Golden Knights.  At the beginning of the season they did not look all that good, and there were a multitude of reasons why that would be the case.  One reason not considered by many would be the amount of away games the team had. 22 of the first 37 games were on the road.  With Schmidt returning from suspension and Fleury holding the net, they have gotten back on track offensively and have now seen their free agent signing return from injury.

Chris brings up a couple of underrated (in his opinion) players around the league.  Cam Atkinson and Rasmus Ristolainen have shown their talent level, yet somehow aren’t considered to be at the top of their positions.

Oilers and ‘Hawks make a trade.  Oilers acquire Manning who injured McDavid last season.  Not only do we discuss the deal, but this leads into a deeper conversation regarding who runs the team, who has the power and whether the boss should ask the employee about moves that are made.

Jimmy Murphy has written that the St. Louis Blues are open for business and one particular deal percolating is between the Bruins and Blues for Brayden Schenn.  There was no mention of who the players are that will be involved, but he does mention that the discussions are “deep”.

We take a quick look at Russian draft prospect Vasili Podkolzin.  At RW he would be a target, we believe, for the Bruins, however he will most likely be going well before Boston takes the podium.  One mock draft has him going 4^thoverall to…St. Louis!

Dougie Hamilton appears to be on the trade block.  How is it that this talented defenseman can’t seem to stick long term at one organization? We try to figure it out.

All this and the Twitter Poll results from last week, as well as an open in which we talk about the World Juniors.  Let us know what you think and enjoy the show!

Episode 0098: Houston Franchise?, Rangers Sale Value, Crawford & Kruger Concussions, Vezina For Halak, New Flyers, Lundqvist Slowing Down, B's Player Milestones, The Panthers, Twitter Poll and More!

We are fast approaching the end of the calendar year 2018 but there is still some business to take care of here at the Two Man Forecheck. 

The Forecheckers start of episode 98 with a brief discussion on the return of Shea Weber.  Mike teases us with the thoughts of some “behind the scenes” goings on.  We are also looking to do a mailbag show so please send us your feedback at: 

thosetwo@twomanforecheck.com.

This week’s holiday extravaganza starts out with a frank discussion regarding the possible sale of the Arizona Coyotes which could take place before the end of the regular season. The sale of the team could spark a possible move of the franchise and a possible location to land would be Houston, Texas. Tilman Fertitta, Houston Rockets owner, has expressed interest in the ‘Yotes in the past.

On a much less possible note, James Dolan, owner of the New York Rangers, has stated that if someone wanted to purchase the team, the discussion would start at around 2 billion dollars.  He is doing his due diligence, but that is where it stops at this point.

The Chicago Blackhawks have had two players suffer concussions on the same night, Marcus Kruger and Corey Crawford.  While neither situation is to be taken lightheartedly, Crawford’s may be the more serious. Having suffered a season ending concussion last year at this time, Corey may find himself out for another extended period of time.  Could this be the end of a career?

Sticking with the goaltending position, I would like to pose this question to everyone…can a “backup” goaltender win the Vezina trophy?  Jaroslav Halak has taken his new-found opportunity with the Boston Bruins and made the best of it.  He currently leads the NHL in save percentage at .930 and is second in GAA at 2.19.  He has started more games than Tuukka Rask and has not been beaten at home this season.  So, you tell us, is he a candidate for the award at this point in the season?  Let us know. In fact, the Forecheck Twitter poll this week also focuses on the award.

We veer sideways for a moment and discuss the new members of the Flyers.  The new GM, Chuck Fletcher has fired Dave Hakstol and replaced him with interim head coach Scott Gordon.

Back to goalies and the slow decline of Henrik Lundqvist.  His numbers have been dipping for the past few seasons and we are trying to figure out if this is a Rangers issue or a Lundqvist issue.

The Boston Bruins have seen some milestones past this week.  Krug, Backes, Bergeron and Krejci have set some marks of their own.  The fact that 3 of these players have done this with the same team says something about the players and the organization.  Congrats to all!

Last week’s Twitter poll asked who among the Kings would you like to see on your team.  Fifty percent of you said Tyler Toffoli, while 30 percent said Jake Muzzin, 20 percent Jeff Carter and no one wanted either of the back up goaltenders.  How do you feel about this?  We have stated here that Muzzin may be the most desired member of the Kings at the trade deadline.

Finally, the Florida Panthers have three players that are currently better than a point per game.  Huberdeau, Dadonov and Barkov are excelling this season for a franchise that is struggling overall.  Could one of these players have a new home at the deadline?  Is this team another that should be blown up?

Thank you all for giving us a little of your precious time, we wish everyone the happiest of holidays and a Merry Christmas!  Enjoy the show!

Episode 0097: Ovechkin Keeps Scoring, Berglund Suspended, US Development Players Vlasic and Knight, Tobias Bjornfot, Kings Explosion, Lucic/Krug Rumors, Charlie Coyle, Twitter Poll and More!

We are now a week and a half until the holiday that is Christmas and the standings are as convoluted as we’ve seen all season.  Some teams have fallen back to where we expected however there are still those that are punching above their weight class.  The Sabres are still in third in the Atlantic and some of the other matchups are just as interesting as we discuss in the open.

One man who has been on a tear recently is Alex Ovechkin.  He is currently leading in goal scoring and still top 10 in the overall points race. We talk about the 33-year-old and where his ceiling is and how long he will stick around in the NHL.

The Twitter Poll for last week revolved around the return of William Nylander.  We wanted to know how many points he would have by the new year.  A full 69 percent of the you said between 1 and 5, with another 23 percent choosing 6 to 11.  So far, he has a couple points but there are a few games remaining for Toronto before New Year’s.

Patrick Berglund has been suspended by the Buffalo Sabres indefinitely.  What we don’t know are the particulars around his not reporting to the team.  A more important question however is whether the Sabres will really miss him.

We look forward to a couple of Americans that are draft eligible this year, and the state of the US development team they play for.  Alex Vlasic and Spencer Knight will be available.  Also available will be Swede Tobias Bjornfot.  A 6 foot, almost 200-pound defenseman with the complete package (as reported by some scouts), Tobias could be a nice late first round or early second round pick.

We turn our focus to the Los Angeles Kings.  Another team that has fallen on difficult times this season, we talk about the possibility of this team being blown up, but unlike the Flyers or Blues, we have difficulty deciding where to start with the Kings.  The no movement clauses and high salaries for the players that would bring back the largest returns make them difficult to move.  Where would you start?  Let us know.

We talk about ridiculous rumors involving the Bruins and Oilers after a visit by B’s GM Don Sweeney to an Oilers/Flames game.  Rumors involve Lucic returning and Krug heading west, but seriously, there really isn’t a deal to be made between these two teams.

Finally, Charlie Coyle, a Massachusetts native, is still with his draft team, the Minnesota Wild. Could the Bruins use a Charlie Coyle this season?  We posit a theory that supports his move back to Boston.

The holidays fast approach, as does the new year.  With that, so does our 100^thepisode.  We thank all of you for giving us a listen and a chance.  As always, let us know what you think and what we should talk about, and enjoy the show!

Episode 0096: Geoff Ward, Seattle Expansion, The All-Star Game, Bettman and the Next Commissioner, Andrew Hammond, Twitter Poll and Much More!!

Now in December and the season continues to come into focus…we’re kidding…it’s still as muddled as it was a month ago.  The Forecheckers continue to attempt to make heads and tails about what is going on this season, with not much luck, but we press on.

We start out with a discussion regarding Geoff Ward.  The assistant coach for the Calgary Flames has been successful running the power play units for both his current team and his prior one, the New Jersey Devils.  We were wondering when he would be behind the bench in a head coaching capacity.  We talk about potential landing spots and Chris even mentions another Bruins coaching alum, Doug Houda who we also believed at some point would be a head coach.  With the Red Wings, Houda has their penalty killers 3^rdin the NHL, his specialty. 

Seattle has finally been approved and Mike still insists on calling it number 32.  We discuss team names and General Manager possibilities along with other things Seattle.  By the way, the Seattle 32 is a better name than Seattle Totems.

We started the next topic last week, but it has been steeping all this time and we finally opened it up. The All-Star Ballot, players that are included and voting are all up for grabs.  Who makes the ballot, why aren’t all players included?  We go over every aspect.  Let us know how you feel about the All-Star Game and voting.  Give us your feedback.

The Twitter Poll related to this topic, and 57% said that the All-Star game wasn’t important to you at all, so that by itself may be the statement.

The Two Man Forecheck not only discusses current events, but we are also forward looking and thinking! In that vein, we discuss the next Commissioner of the NHL.  Bettman has been in the role for 25 years, we take a look at who’s next…and when that might be along with some issues that person may face.

Finally, we briefly take a look at Ty Anderson’s (98.5 The Sports Hub) piece regarding where the Bruins are at. It’s a good read especially for Bruins fans…here’s the link…

https://985thesportshub.com/2018/12/07/anderson-what-are-bruins-even-doing-here/

Let us know how you feel and how we are doing.  The 100^thshow fast approaches so if you have any ideas on how to celebrate send us those suggestions as well, but most importantly…Enjoy the Show!

Episode 0095: Nylander Signs, Sabres Surge, Nifty's Number, Philly In Flux, The Next Kablooie, Paille's Assailant Charged, No. 32 Coming, Bowen Byram, Love for Krejci and More!!

It’s December 2^ndand the William Nylander Opus is over!  He has signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs for 6 years, 41.77 million dollars. The shock here…only that it took so long to get where they could have been at the beginning of the season. Mike believes that there is or was something else going on behind the scenes (an injury, perhaps) and Chris tends to agree.

Buffalo is the surprise story of the NHL thus far, and there appears no slowing down for the surging Sabres.

The Boston Bruins retired Rick “Nifty” Middleton’s number 16 this past week.  It was a nice ceremony, not at all over the top.  Master of Ceremonies Andy Brickley was eloquent and a delight to listen to for the service.  Rick Middleton was a fan favorite and showed off moves that even now are crowd stunners.

The Twitter Poll last week focused on the rookies and whether anyone could possibly catch Elias Petterson.  The winner, with 56 percent, was no one or someone other than the players listed. At this point in time we tend to agree with the 56.

We discuss the possible career ending hit on Daniel Paille by Thomas Larkin.  The hit took place two years ago and Paille has not played since. The Swedish prosecutor, Joakim Johansson, has charged Larkin with assault for the blindside hit which may have ended Paille’s career.

The Flyers are still in flux after having fired their GM, Ron Hextall.  There has been no replacement hired, and president Paul Holmgren has stated that he will leave the fate of the head coach up to the next GM. The issue here is that the team needs a complete overhaul and we discuss the moves that need to be made.

Are the Forecheckers in the prognostication business?  No, but there are plenty of teams that need extensive work, the worst of the bunch being the St. Louis Blues.  Give a listen and share your opinions as Mike and Chris talk about the possibilities of moving most of the roster to other teams.

Seattle is looking like a lock to be, as Mike puts it, number 32.  They have sold 30,000 season ticket deposits and have passed all the hurdles up to now.  On Tuesday, they face the final hurdle, a vote to approve the city as the next NHL franchise.

Bowen Byram’s dad, Shawn, played 5 games in the NHL.  It is a record that he would be happy to see Bowen break someday.  Bowen is eligible for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.  We will keep an eye on Bowen and report on his progress at a future time.  Good Luck Bowen!

Finally, Mike may be having a change of heart regarding David Krejci.  He still states that the B’s should have traded him after the Stanley Cup win, but Mike has also stated that this may be his most impressive season to date.  We discuss why as we wrap another episode of the Two Man Forecheck.  As always…give us a listen, share your opinions with us and enjoy the show!

Episode 0094: Coaching Carousel, Torts vs. Boucher, Phaneuf 1000, Philly Explosion, Roussel Bites and NHL Cannibalism, Laine and Atkinson, Oates to L.A. Add One and More!

We at Two Man Forecheck hope that everyone had a warm, fun-filled Thanksgiving this past Thursday! We are thankful that all of you give us the opportunity to entertain you, even if just for a little while.  That said, here is another week of mirth and mayhem to enjoy. 

Something else, a stocking stuffer of sorts, to enjoy is the discussion we have regarding Tortorella vs. Boucher if both coaches were to face off in the playoffs! Its hidden somewhere in the show.

Opening we actually wax positive regarding the officials at last night’s Bruins game.  We didn’t say that officiating is better, just that they managed to make a correct call by getting together and discussing the issue before making the wrong one.

The Forecheck Twitter Poll for last week was prescient in that one of the coaches on the list was terminated, but it was incorrect in that we didn’t add Todd McLellan.

We have decided that Philly needs to blow up their team and trade off the pieces.  Their goaltending woes have continued since Hextall left the net.

Antoine Roussel has been fined for biting.  This isn’t the first time we have seen the cannibalistic side of the NHL and we discuss prior offenses and even gift props to the one player that admitted he did it.

The November that Patrik Laine is having was capped off Saturday night when he scored 5 goals on 5 shots. The conversation that follows may lead to some disagreement among friends as Chris posits the theory that Cam Atkinson is having a better month with seven straight games with a goal scored. What do you think?

We converse about Adam Oates inclusion by the L.A. Kings.  He will be going as a consultant to hopefully improve the offense and increase scoring.

We close out the show with one of our favorite segments…ADD ONE is back!!

All this and so much more to discover.  Let us know what you think and enjoy the show!

Episode 0093: Pens' Tailspin, Habs Surprising Rise, Julien's Biggest Fan, Schmidt's Return, Marchand Gun-shy?, Topsy Turvy Standings, Injury Epidemic, Twitter Poll and More!

Hello all and welcome to Thanksgiving week around the NHL.  We at the Two Man Forecheck would like to wish all of you a very happy Thanksgiving to you and your families.

The open for this week’s show brings another discussion of the topsy-turvy standings in the National Hockey League.  At this point who would have said that the Penguins were basement in the East?  Who would have guessed that the Kings were basement in the NHL?  Or who among you would have put the Golden Knights, the NHL Stanley Cup runners up at second to last in the league?

This opens up the discussion to injuries around the league and how some teams are decimated by injuries, the Bruins, Canucks and Stars to name but a few.  At this point we focus on one team…

The Pittsburgh Penguins are typically a perennial playoff team.  This season they are hurting in the standings and, at first look, don’t have an obvious reason as to why.  The team itself has not been completely done in by injury, and back up netminder Casey DeSmith has shown that he has the chops to play in the league.  The defense may still be the Achilles heel of this team and we delve into possible deals that they could make to better the current squad. Would you tweak the current team or trash it and start anew?

The Golden Knights are seeing the return of their number one defenseman, Nate Schmidt.  Back from suspension, he should give Vegas a needed boost, and possibly help out some of the current blueliners, most notably Shea Theodore.

The Oilers and Rangers have made a trade that at first glance doesn’t appear to be a win for either team.  Ryan Strome will be heading to New York while Ryan Spooner will be heading north to Edmonton. Both players are close in age and statistics, so this deal may just be a new start for both men.  There were other deals, Tanner Pearson to the Pens for Carl Hagelin (to L.A.).  Again, this looks to be a new start for both.

The Canadiens are sitting in the second wild card spot and Claude Julien’s biggest fan should be Marc Bergevin. The play of the team has taken some of the focus off the GM and placed it where it should be…the surprising success of the team.

Brad Marchand appears to be shooting less this season and the stats bear this out.  He is currently one shot less per game and appears to be rushing his shots when he does take them.  We believe that he could possibly be gun shy due to the physical pounding he takes and the lack of calls he receives from the officials when pounded. Here we branch off momentarily to talk about the officials, but we digress…

Finally, we talk about last week’s twitter poll results.  Which teams would climb into a top 3 position in their division by New Year’s?   Vegas and Colorado have 11% of the votes, Pittsburgh has 33% and finally, Buffalo has 45% of the votes.  So far Buffalo is there.

Everyone enjoy the holiday and of course…enjoy the show!

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!

Episode 0091: NHL Officiating Woes, Bruins Scoring Woes, Cassidy's Brewing Controversy, Rinne's Birthday Present, Kassian Wants Out, NHL/MGM Deal, Our Twitter Poll and More!

Halloween has come and gone. The NHL has given us both the tricks and the treats this season.  One of those treats has been watching Jaroslav Halak in net for the Bruins.  Another has been recording the Two Man Forecheck. So, without further ado, here is yet another episode for your listening pleasure.

We start with last week’s Twitter Poll.  It was the second highest vote total to date.  With 46 percent of the votes, Edmonton wins the poll.  How does everyone feel about this outcome?

Mike tackles the issue of officiating in the NHL.  After last night’s Bruins game, a 1-0 shut out by the Nashville Predators, there were some officiating issues that cropped up during the game.  A call that was truly sold by Colton Sissons and a missed call against David Pastrnak.  The solution: less officials for non-division games and a constant review/evaluation for those officials that are struggling according to Mike.  Any thoughts?

Is Bruce Cassidy to blame for the goaltending controversy brewing in Boston?  He has admitted that they start the season with a plan for how the team utilizes the netminders.  It would appear as though the brass may have some input here as well, with the amount of money they are spending on Tuukka Rask.  The problem, and it is a good one, is that the backup is playing well enough to keep Tuukka on the bench for the foreseeable future.  Halak has the best save percentage of any ‘tender in the NHL with 5 or more starts.  This could get more convoluted before it straightens out.

The Bruins have other pressing issues, namely the inability of lines 2 through 4 putting the puck in the net.  Again, Mike has an opinion here.  The issue is one word…Transition.  The Bruins need some kind of shake up, whether internal or via trade.  Is there an issue here?  How can the Bruins solve it?  Let us know.

We at the Two Man Forecheck wish Pekka Rinne a happy birthday, but not the way the Predators front office did when they offered him a 2-year extension worth 10 million dollars. Our guess is that the only one attending the party that wasn’t happy was Juuse Saros, the heir apparent in net for Nashville.

Zac Kassian wants out of Edmonton, and the brass has told him that he is more than welcome to find a suitor for the Oilers to trade with.  Honestly, the Oilers have bigger fish to fry than whether Kassian is happy with his current team or finds himself another home.

Finally, the NHL and MGM have signed a deal of undisclosed value to sell data to the casino giant to use in setting betting lines for NHL games.  Gambling in states, however, is still a state by state issue so there will be more to come before this takes off.

Let us know what you think and as always…enjoy the show!