Point Shot

It's #NHL Draft Lottery season and the Vancouver #Canucks held onto their 15th overall pick in the 2022 draft. Point Shot Hockey is back for episode 41 and Bill Huan and Joshua Griffith are back to break down what happened with the lottery balls. This is not a joke, the New Jersey Devils once again will draft in the very top after moving up to the 2nd overall pick. The other big winners from the draft were the teams that didn't lose.

We chat about what the Canucks should do with the 15th overall pick. Is it time to trade or is it time to look toward the future? We both think the future is key despite the players not being the best in this year's #NHLDraftLottery. 

The Norris and Vezina nominations are in and we discuss what it really means to have a top defenceman or goaltender. Does it lead to playoff success? It didn't for the Nashville Predators and it is not looking good for the New Yrok Rangers. This moves on perfectly to the NHL Playoff series and who is in trouble. Can the Calgary Flames show they are the team they were in the regular season? Can Sidney Crosby push the Pens past the Rangers? We also chat about if Crosby is the Tom Brady of the NHL? How many people have written him off over the years? Could he win another championship?

Also, the Toronto Maple Leafs take game 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning and I react a bit more positively this week. Then we wrap up around the rest of the NHL and much more on this week's episode!

Huge shoutout to our amazing sponsor High Stick Vodka, make sure to check out your local liquor stores to find their great products just in time for the NHL Postseason! #NHL #NHLPLayoffs #StanleyCupPlayoffs #Area51Sports

Point Shot Hockey is back for episode 40 as Joshua Griffith and Bill Huan break down the end of the Vancouver Canucks season. We chat about the media availability with the players, including the situation with Brock Boeser answering a very personal question from the media. How do we feel the role of media is and where is that line between asking hockey and personal questions.

It seems to be "Just The Two of Us" as Patrik Allvin and Jim Rutherford met with the media and held nothing back. Including chastising their coach's zone exits, playing to the kids by talking about walking away from any "Whack" contracts for JT Miller, and a strong commitment to the message they sent when they were first introduced to the Canucks. Bill and Joshua discuss how they feel about the cutthroat approach and what it could mean in the future for the Canucks.

Joshua is rejoined by Sean, Malcolm, and Bill to firstly have Malcolm announce the impending arrival of a baby girl(!) before jumping into the swirling rumours regarding Brock Boeser, JT Miller, and others. How much of this is posturing and how much of what is said is genuine intentions going forward? 

As the Canucks have started to show familiar and subpar tendencies in their game, even under Bruce Boudreau, the roundtable covers what those flaws are and how they need to be addressed with the trade deadline and offseason. 

Joshua set the over/under for Canucks trade deadline deals at 2.5. Sean, Malcolm, and Bill take the over and Joshua the contrarian takes the under but everyone agrees that's a good line. Would you take the over or under?

With the Canadian Women's Hockey Olympic Gold, we touch on Marie-Phillip Poulin's clutch-ness, Canada's dominance at the tournament, and the vast interest in the final game. Women's hockey needs this kind of stage and even more of them as their game rightly deserves better investment and opportunity to grow. The interest is clearly there and strong. 

It was a Caroline Frolic takeover on Episode 38 of Point Shot Hockey as Joshua Griffith co-hosted. What better way to bring on the new era of qualified Women taking over the Vancouver Canucks Front Office than having a qualified Woman take over and explain how having Cammi Granato in an Assistant General Manager role really sets, and breaks the limits for anyone growing up who wants to work in hockey! We also discuss the hiring of Emilie Castonguay and Rachel Doerrie and the impact they can have on the Canucks both on and off the ice.

Then Caroline and Joshua talk about the vision Jim Rutherford has set up in his short time with the Vancouver Canucks. Why does he keep holding his word and why good things could be coming to Vancouver in the future? We also talk about the landscape of women in the sports industry and how Caroline got started in the business.

We briefly switch over to a little bit of Blue Jays talk before getting back on track and finishing up with some fun sports moments for Joshua and Caroline. 

Make sure to check out Episode 38 and all the other great shows on the Area 51 Sports Network. Brought to you by the Great folks at High Stick Vodka!

Joshua, Sean, and Bill roundtable during the NHL All Star festivities to talk about the ASG weekend and how the Skills Competition went the night prior (Zegras...my GOODNESS!) and how the NHL could better market the All Star Game or make it more interesting to watch. Could it be better with the draft format back? More alumni? More guests? A Rising Stars format to run alongside it like the NBA does? 

Then with the announcement that the World Cup of Hockey could return for 2024, the crew discuss how that format could look and whether that makes up for the Olympics or whether it could be better. Sean pitches his dream tournament concept of a Champions League of Hockey where the champions of respective leagues throughout International Hockey face off in a tournament to decide what team is the World's best. Could a team from the KHL or a Euro league upset the NHL champions?

Plenty of love for the Olympic Women's hockey being played out right now at Beijing 2022, Canada again flexing as a powerhouse led by Marie-Philip Poulin and young guns like Sarah Fillier. Can anyone compete with Canada and the USA?

As the March 21st NHL trade deadline slowly approaches, Sean and Joshua talk about the emergence of Conor Garland rumours and what that could mean for the Vancouver Canucks' plans for the future. Prepare for fireworks!

Joshua, Sean, and Bill are joined by The Athletic: Pittsburgh's Jesse Marshall to give Canucks fans a preview of the front office members that were pilfered. Jim Rutherford, Patrik Allvin, and Derek Clancy. What to expect and what they did in Pittsburgh over their lengthy tenures.

We also talk to Jesse about the surging Penguins, Tristan Jarry, and whether Canucks' back up goalie Jaroslav Halak would be a perfect in Pittsburgh at the deadline if he would waive his NMC. 

The Point Shot crew then round tables to discuss JT Miller's hat trick, trade value and the idea behind trading him now.

Joshua and Sean are joined by long-time Vancouver broadcaster, Scott Rintoul, as he launches his newest venture Toul Kit Content where he will expand beyond the world of sports (also still plenty of sports talk, he assures) within the online world. Plenty of Canucks discussion with the hiring of Rachel Doerrie in an analytics role, the direction of the front office construction under Jim Rutherford, what the ideal arrangements are, Canucks recent road trip and how they are making out in Boudreau's referenced 8 game stretch and whether this is a playoff team or not. 

Then we jump into some Edmonton Oilers discussion after a testy exchange between Jim Matheson and Leon Draisaitl, the slide that they are on, and a quick look around the Pacific Division that provides more questions than answers at the halfway mark of the season.

Joshua also asks Scott about his football career (we feel it's fair to call it a career as well, Scott) and how he got into broadcasting before getting into what the aforementioned Toul Kit Content will be.

Joshua, Sean, and Bill walk through a week without Canucks hockey while looking ahead at the grueling road trip through the southern US. A strong start with Bruce Boudreau faces a huge test ahead but we discuss what could be realistic expectations for what this team is. 

Time for you to join in the fun and Be A GM with us! You sent us Canucks trade proposals and we discuss them before giving one of our own. Keep the trade proposals coming! Trade ideas featured the Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers, LA Kings, and Dallas Stars.

Also a welcome back episode for Bill of the Yukon! 

Joshua and Sean are joined by The Athletic's Minnesota Wild beat reporter Michael Russo after his interview with new Canucks bench boss Bruce Boudreau on his podcast: Straight From the Source.

Michael shares funny stories about Boudreau and also discusses what he and new President of Hockey Ops, Jim Rutherford, will bring to Vancouver. The Wild put their 8 game winning streak to the test in LA, how Dean Evason leads, Russo's Red Fisher Award, Sports Illustrated Kids' Rising Stars book, and LAX shuttles all covered!

Canucks fans are at a complete loss just like poor Sharon who was victimized by burning a Marie Callender's pumpkin pie. After another loss to Pittsburgh on home ice that was broadcasted on Hockey Night in Canada, the boo-birds came out, Fire Benning chants rained down, and a jersey flew out onto the ice. Change is inevitable and sorely needed as the Canucks continue to seek out and find new lows at an alarming rate.

But it's all Marie Callender's fault! (ok maybe it's Francesco who is playing the Great and Powerful Oz)

Malcolm, Joshua, and Sean dissect the predicament and when changes need to happen. Malcolm also obliges Francesco's request and disses him.