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This is the home of the Two Man ForeCheck: The Hockey Podcast you deserve. What is it about: Hockey Hockey Hockey With occasional splashes of hockey. More specifically we focus on the NHL, major events, NCAA hockey, and all the things that happen on the ice and in the front office.
Episodes
Tuesday Jul 03, 2018
Tuesday Jul 03, 2018
The Free Agent silly season has begun. John Tavares has gone home, Paul Stastny has gone to Vegas, and quality, top line defensemen are hard to come by.
We start with the big signing…Tavares to Toronto. But was this the best move or the move that Toronto should have made? The Forecheckers have an opinion on this, and Maple Leaf fans might not agree with us.
We talk about the signings for the Boston Bruins…John Moore and Jaroslav Halak. Halak can be good, really good, but can also be really bad. If he wraps his head around the backup role, then this may be a good fit. John Moore becomes the 8thdefenseman on the squad…who is the odd man out?
We throw in a little 1996 draft talk as both Chara and Matt Cullen are the only remaining members from that draft to still be playing in the league.
St. Louis has defined insanity by bringing back David Perron for a third go-round, and may possibly have paid a huge price for Ryan O’Reilly but is this all going to work out for them?
Finally, we delve into Bruins Development Camp and highlight a few players that stood out to us. Who were your favorites?
As always, please tell us how you feel about what is happening during the silly season and we will be sure to talk about it!
Until next time…keep listening and enjoy!
Sunday Jun 24, 2018
Sunday Jun 24, 2018
Welcome everyone! The Awards and the NHL Draft have taken place and we at the Two Man Forecheck are ready to give you an opinion. We will start the show with a 35-year-old heading back to the NHL, that’s right, Kovi’s back! Ilya Kovalchuk has signed with the L.A. Kings for 3 years, 6.25 million per year. Is he a good fit there? We believe it is.
The NHL Awards were fairly predictable, and if Mike is to be believed, not at all exciting to watch. The Norris Trophy was somewhat exciting as Victor Hedman won the award, but the variety of the vote getters was vast.
Darryl Sutter has stated that he is retired and is happy with going back to his farm, but the Forecheckers don’t necessarily agree. We feel that he will be back sometime in the next 2 to 3 years.
Marc Bergevin, much maligned GM for the Montreal Canadiens has made some splashes, appearing to be willing to trade some top players such as Max Pacioretty and Carey Price. Is he just making a splash or will one of these players be on the move?
Wayne Simmonds is another player who could have a new address in the NHL. Where should he land? Boston may be a nice fit, but what do you think?
Craig Button has made some comments regarding the Russian named at the start of the show, stating that he is “average”. Is there a Russian dislike here, or some other bias against a player that appears to still have the ability to put the puck in the net? Along with this, will Rick Nash return to Boston or is he ready to hang up his skates? At 34 he has had his share of concussions throughout his career and may not want to return.
The big trade on draft day took place between the Flames and Hurricanes, but who won the deal? We posit a theory that the Flames may come out on top.
Finally, we close with all things draft related. What trends emerged? Who had a good and/or bad draft. What players were surprise picks? Let us know your feelings on the NHL draft.
As always, let us know what you think. We will return late Sunday, as it is the first day of free agency and we will surely have an opinion on how everything shakes out. Keep listening and let us know how you feel!
Wednesday Jun 20, 2018
Wednesday Jun 20, 2018
This week in hockey brings us the awards and the NHL draft. We delve into the latter later in the show, but we open with the Max Domi for Alex Galchenyuk trade. For Chris, the trade doesn’t make much sense, but Mike takes a more open approach to the deal.
Mike Hoffman and his fiancée made a splash this week, Mike with two trades in a matter of hours and his fiancée with her pending cyber bullying allegations. But could this be a win for the Panthers, the final stop on the Hoffman ride…we think so.
Matt Grzelcyk signed a two-year deal with the Bruins. Both Mike and Chris believe that the deal is good for both parties, but how do you feel?
Oliver Ekman Larsson has a verbal agreement in place with the Coyotes for 8 years and 64 million dollars. This sets the bar for players like Drew Doughty and Erik Karlsson.
Barry Trotz has won the Stanley Cup, what is he going to do now? No, not Disney World, but he has resigned his position. Where will he end up? Are the Islanders a possibility. The Two Man Forecheck have an opinion.
Finally, we reach the prospects. Mike and Chris have picked some possible mid round picks that could surface.
Alex Ovechkin and Ted Leonsis visited the oldest minority youth hockey program at Fort Dupont. He truly looks like he is enjoying himself and the kids appear to have had quite the fun-filled day!
Artemi Panarin has stated that he will not consider signing an extension with the Blue Jackets this season, his last with the organization on his current contract. Hildymac at St. Louis Game Time on SB Nation thinks this is an opportunity for Panarin to play with his good buddy, Vladimir Tarasenko, but how would that work out. Who could the Blues possibly part with to acquire the breadman’s talents. We discuss.
Last up are some way too early power rankings for next season. Tampa Bay comes in at number one, but should they? Who do you think is the number one team in the NHL?
Lots to talk about, so let us know what you think. We’d enjoy your comments and questions so give us a listen and join in!
Sunday Jun 10, 2018
Sunday Jun 10, 2018
Before we get started with the show, the Two Man Forecheck want to send our prayers and heart-felt condolences to the family and friends of Johnny “Pie” McKenzie. He passed away last night (June 8th, 2018) after being confined to his bed for some time. Johnny was a much liked and respected member of the Big, Bad Bruins teams of the 1970’s.
We tackle the upcoming cap issues for the Toronto Maple Leafs and some possible player moves that could take place there. Will Connor Carrick accept a lower contract as part of a “bridge” deal? Could Leo Komarov be on the chopping block and is that a good Idea for the Leafs?
Which Eastern Conference team of this year’s playoffs needs the most improvement? Philly is the consensus pick, but Chris posits another theory.
Which GM is likely to be entertaining his last draft with his current team? Again, there are numerous picks, but Mike has some interesting opinions here.
Barry Trotz has just won the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals, but he is a free agent. Will he be staying with the current team or could he be on the move? The Forecheckers have a heated discussion, managing to avoid, ever so slightly, going to blows over his possible move to the New York Islanders. Where do you think he will end up?
The Islanders have also replaced their GM and head coach, moving on from Garth Snow and Doug Weight. Will Lou Lamoriello have better success on the island? Will John Tavares stay?
The Canadiens have many picks in this upcoming draft. Could one of them be a center to help out Max Pacioretty? Jesperi Kotkaniemi is a 6’2” 190 lb. center who hopes that, if the Habs go in that direction, that he is the pick. We discuss at length a prospect that could make his NHL home in the Bell Centre.
Alexander Khokhlachev was drafted by the Bruins in the 2ndround of the 2011 draft. His offensive skills are apparent, but maturity may have been an issue. He has been in the KHL since the 2015-16 season, but it’s possible he could be returning to the NHL. He is still under contract with the Boston Bruins, could they use his skills as part of the depth scoring they need to get further in the playoffs?
Finally, Nikita Bespalov, Koko’s teammate in Russia, is a goaltender with good numbers for his past seven seasons. At 30 years old, could he still get a look from some NHL teams?
We present a lot of questions and possible solutions this week, but we look for your opinions as well, so let us know what you think…and enjoy the show!
Friday Jun 08, 2018
Friday Jun 08, 2018
The Finals are over! Washington has won the Stanley Cup and Alexander Ovechkin has hoisted the Conn Smythe. Now it all comes down to the talking and we at Two Man Forecheck are willing to do so. For your listening pleasure we identify our 3 Stars of the series, as well as a little commentary and counterpoint on the enjoyment and officiating of the Stanley Cup Final.
Enjoy this supplemental and be sure to come back on Sunday when we get back to the business of talking everything hockey!
So let us know what you think of our 3 stars, give us your list and we will certainly bring it up during the next edition!
Thanks for listening!
Sunday Jun 03, 2018
Sunday Jun 03, 2018
The Stanley Cup Final is in full swing! Three games played with 2 more guaranteed and a possible 2 after that (we should be so lucky) mean that someone is getting close to hoisting the hardware. The Forecheckers start the show with a quick discussion/recap of games one through three, with the Caps currently having a 1game lead.
The discussion moves to the Conn Smythe trophy with many possible winners emerging.
At this point we focus on the Boston Bruins and their possibility of re-signing Rick Nash. Would he take a pay cut to stay in Boston? Spoiler alert…its very doubtful. Jimmy Murphy has tweeted out that the Bruins would be interested if he would accept a 3.5 to 4.5 million dollar salary.
Torey Krug tweeted out about Draymond Green being a player that other teams hate but if he is on your team you love him. Then he ties it to a teammate who is not named. Can you guess?
The Chicago Steel have lost their GM, to the team they beat in the first round of their playoffs. The Muskegon Lumberjacks have hired Ryan Bennett and lost John Vanbiesbrouck, who has moved on to be assistant executive director of Hockey Operations for USA Hockey.
Urho Vaakanainen was the Bruins first round pick last year, and his teammates in Finland are raving about his talent. Could he take a spot with the big club in Boston? We discuss possible landing spots for the prospect.
Join in, give us a listen and let us know what you think! We will return next week or sooner depending on the outcome of the Final.
Sunday May 27, 2018
Sunday May 27, 2018
The Forecheck is back again! We are on the eve of the Stanley Cup final, about 32 hours away and its anyone’s guess who will carry the trophy around the ice. We’re here to break it all down and give our opinions so don’t be shy and share yours with us.
We start out with an in-depth breakdown of the teams by position…Who has the advantage at each spot. The goalies will play a big part (no surprise there) as they are both Vezina winners and have playoff experience. Washington may have an advantage defensively, but the forwards are tougher to gauge.
Mike and Chris also identify those players who need to step up their game and who need to be superstars to be successful.
There are topics to discuss: The Edmonton Oilers have gone on a shopping spree hiring three assistant coaches, there will be more people behind the bench next season than players on it at this point, but should Todd McLellan keep one eye on his back while watching the results on the ice?
There are a few players in major juniors and the CHL that should be getting more attention than they have been, a couple being Olivier Galipeau and Jordan Kooy. We speak of their potential impact.
Speaking of impact, the Flyers may have their impact goalie in Carter Hart. He has won goalie of the year award for the second time, the first time this has happened in the CHL. He should be starting in the NHL in the next couple years.
The Two Man Forecheck has made their predictions for the Final, and it should surprise no one that we have picked opposite of each other. Give us your picks for who will hoist Lord Stanley’s hardware.
For fun we talk about the odds of Vegas winning the Stanley Cup, and how they have gone from long shot to favorites. Also, Vegas has banned the use of capital letters for the duration of the Final and some casinos have bought into the fun!
Finally, we talk about Timmy Sulock. Someone has stolen his wheelchair van and there is a GoFundMe set up to raise money for him to purchase a new one. The link is here:
https://www.gofundme.com/timmys-van-fund
So, enjoy the Final, and let us know what you think. We will be sure to comment on all aspects and comments, and we will answer any and all questions that you have so keep in touch with us and thanks for listening!
Sunday May 20, 2018
Sunday May 20, 2018
IIHF World Championships are over. No North American Team has won gold. The Americans finished in 3rd, with the Swedes and Swiss taking the top two spots respectively. What happened to the North Americans? Do the Europeans have a winning game plan or is it just the size of the rink? We discuss at length.
Bob McKenzie has tweeted out that everyone on the ‘Canes is available except Sebastian Aho, but are any players worth looking at right now? The Forecheckers bandy about a few names that might fit the bill. Steve Conroy thinks that the Bruins should make a play for Noah Hanifin, but is it realistic? Again, we have an opinion.
CapFriendly has reported that there are 9 teams that received an overage exception this season, which means that they will lose that money towards next season’s cap. The problem…3 of the top 5 highest amounts belong to teams that didn’t come close to the playoffs. Who is to blame? Mike and Chris have fun with the blame game.
Aivis Kalnins is reporting on Twitter that the Kings might be interested in bringing back Slava Voynov, but should this be there biggest concern? Maybe some scoring punch is in order.
The Vegas Knights have won the West! But they have also been doing some trolling. Drew Doughty made a comment which appeared on the ice at T-Mobile arena prior to their last home game. Worth a look and a laugh.
We update Seattle, but there isn’t much to update. Mike still insists on not saying that they will have the next franchise.
We talk about Ryan Reaves and his importance to the Knights and his potential future.
The Shreveport MudBugs and the Fargo Force have won their respective championship cups! Congrats from the Two Man Forecheck to both of these teams and thank you for growing hockey in places that we wouldn’t expect to see the game being played.
Joel Bouchard has been named head coach of the Laval Rocket, AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens. Congrats to him and much luck in his new position.
Development and other camp dates are starting to be announced. We will mention them as we learn about them.
Finally, the Memorial Cup is under way, and it appears to be an offensive production if the first game is any indication. Good luck to the four participants!
Let us know what you think, any questions you may have, and if there is anything in particular you would like to hear! Enjoy the show!
Tuesday May 15, 2018
Tuesday May 15, 2018
The Two Man Forecheck are back at it after a Mothers’ day off. Tonight we stretched our legs a bit and discussed topics to get you thinking. For starters…who is the number one defenseman for the Vegas Golden Knights? We posit a theory.
The Maple Leafs have themselves a new, young GM, Kyle Dubas. An in-house hire of sorts, but is he going to have the power necessary to do the job or will he be a sock puppet for Shanahan and Babcock?
The Hurricanes hired a new head coach…someone they know, Rod Brind’Amour. What is with Carolina bringing back the old band? Will Rod be able to run things with an owner who likes to stick his nose in?
Kempny was fined for his hit on Paquette, and we are all right with that.
Jim Matheson tweeted out that a lot of teams appear to be interested in Jeff Skinner so we discuss where he could land and how difficult it might be.
Ian McLaren has written an article discussing how the Bruins want Brad Marchand’s game to speak for him and that he needs to cut out the antics and be a leader. But we here at the Forecheck believe that if he were to change his game, it could have resonating effects on the rest of the team.
We finish with a discussion of how the final four teams in the playoffs are built. Not so much to beat one team, but to beat all the other teams.
Give us a listen, tell us what you think. Send us your feedback and enjoy the show!
Friday May 11, 2018
Friday May 11, 2018
Another Playoff Supplemental show coming your way! On the night of the Eastern Conference Finals, Mike and Chris get together to discuss the semi-finals and other topics.
We start with a mailbag question from Mark Brooks regarding the officiating in the NHL and how to fix it. He offers a suggestion of another official in the press box or above, we offer our fixes.
We briefly discuss the ouster of the Nashville Predators from the playoffs before diving into the meat of the show…the Eastern and Western Conference finals. The East on paper could be a blowout, but neither of us believe that. The West is a series that the two of us would like to see continue until the end of August.
We finish with our predictions for the two Stanley Cup finalists, and we both have picked an upset.
Join us for this special show, and by all means, let us know how you feel.
By the way, give a read to Brad Marchand’s story in the Players’ Tribune. Here’s the link…
https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/brad-marchand-built-for-boston-bruins
Happy Mothers’ Day to all the mothers out there and have a great day! We will be back the beginning of next week.