Second Look Hockey

David Leo, Cristian Ceniti and Alex Mandarino analyze each first round series of the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs! The trio discuss marquee matchups, X-factors, and project who will shoulder the blame for teams that fail to advance to the second round!

On today's episode of the Second Look Hockey podcast, Dave and Cristian talk through where they were when Alex Ovechkin broke the NHL goal record against the New York Islanders.Has fans flocked to Pearson International Airport in Toronto this past week to catch a glimpse of their young Russian phenom Ivan Demidov, ahead of his potential debut before the start of the playoffs. While a whole set of game ready prospects are also ready to make their NHL debuts heading into the last week of the regular season, the guys discuss who might have the greatest impact on their team including Alexander Nikishin with the Carolina Hurricanes and Zeev Buium on the Minnesota Wild!Gabriel Landeskog also made a triumphant return to professional hockey after missing the last two full seasons due to injury, as he returned to play with the AHL's Colorado Eagles ahead of the Avs quest for another Stanley Cup.Stay tuned to the Second Look channel as we get closer to the playoffs to hear our full previews on the upcoming 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.Don't forget to like & subscribe for more content!!!

Welcome to the first ever Second Look Hockey Awards! Dave, Cristian, and producer Alex (Mando) prepared a list of prestigious, unique, and admittedly niche awards as the NHL regular season turns the corner to the final lap. The trio offer a nominee for each category and state their case for the crowning achievement, before unanimously selecting a winner. The list of awards include:

1) Quote Of The Year (18:26)

2) Shaquille O'Neal "I Owe You An Apology, I Wasn't Familiar With Your Game" Award (25:47)

3) Most Entertaining Storyline Award (35:56)

4) Alex Barkov Memorial Trophy (48:56)

5) Best Midseason Chess Move Award (59:29)

6) M-V-PTO Award (1:08:02)

7) Brandon Pirri Memorial Trophy (1:12:50)

8) Most 4th-Lining 4th-Liner To Ever 4th-Line Award (1:17:51)

9) 2nd Wind Award (1:28:11)

10) Golden Shin Guard Award (1:37:41)

PSA: This episode was filmed before Alex Ovechkin scored his record-breaking 895th goal on Sunday. Congratulations Ovi!

David Leo and Cristian Ceniti begin the show discussing the return of Blue Jays baseball in Toronto. Then, they react to coach John Tortorella being relieved of his duties by the Philadelphia Flyers. The duo break down his tenure in Philly, statements from the team and media, and question whether Torts will call it quits for good in the NHL. Later on, Dave and Cristian touch on Jakob Chychrun, who signed an 8-year, $72-million extension with the Washington Capitals this week. Lastly, Dave and Cristian review the NHL standings and debate which teams will occupy the 16 playoff spots come the regular season's end.

Dave & Cristian open with some non-hockey talk, recapping the F1 Chinese Grand Prix before teeing up the Concacaf Nation's League bronze medal match. The two then dive into the NHL GM meetings taking place this past week, sharing their thoughts on updating the on-ice review process (8:26), an opportunity for expansion in Houston (11:35), and whether the player pool is big enough to sustain two extra NHL franchises (26:50). The duo discuss Garry Bettman's lack of interest in changing the playoff format (31:20) and what future All-Star Games look like (37:33) before producer Mando recaps his opinions on the GM meeting topics (47:38). Dave and Cristian wrap things up with weighing in on the Washington Capitals' monstrous success this season (55:48), and Devils coach Sheldon Keefe calling out one of his defencemen (1:11:30).

David Leo and Cristian Ceniti begin this week’s episode of the Second Look Hockey Podcast sharing their thoughts on the Toronto Maple Leafs lacklustre showings against the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators. They discuss worrying trends and a lack of scoring from deadline additions in the Matthews era before producer Alex Mandarino poses a question – how should the Leafs deploy their goaltending duo of Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll down the stretch? Then, Dave and Cristian react to Sam Bennett and the Panthers re-engaging extension talks and the likelihood of him hitting free agency. Afterwards, the duo dissects Connor Bedard’s busy week racking up PIMs as he received ten minute misconducts in back-to-back games. They debate whether his reputation with referees is well earned and what it will take to get back on their good side. Dave and Cristian close the show with some thoughts on Alex Ovechkin’s continued chase of Wayne Gretzky’s goal record including what the most storybook ending to his career would look like.

Dave and Cristian start the episode off by discussing the latest news involving the Leafs' asking Mitch Marner to waive his no-move clause for a possible trade for Mikko Rantanen (4:03). The two deep dive into how this may affect offseason negotiations with the star forward, and how Toronto's offseason salary cap projections will look (18:49). Later, the crew chats the trade that saw Rantanen shipped to Dallas (30:31), as well as the Leafs' deadline additions in Scott Laughton (51:59) and Brandon Carlo (54:52). Later, Dave and Cristian weigh in on the additional trades across the league this past Friday, including Brad Marchand's shocking move to Florida (58:58), and the Ottawa Senators bolstering their lineup (1:13:24).

David Leo and Cristian Ceniti are joined by Second Look Sports show's Justin Arenburg to recap WWE's Elimination Chamber in Toronto over the weekend (1:25), before diving into the three major trades in the NHL throughout Saturday. The trio dissect Seth Jones' move to Florida and how he fits on a formidable blue line (9:28), the price Colorado paid to bring in Ryan Lindgren (25:07), and Gus Nyquist's return to Minnesota (31:07). Later, Dave and Cristian highlight some of the big names on the trade boards ahead of the March 7th deadline, and predict if they will be on the move or not (36:53). Finally, producer Alex Mandarino joins to touch on which teams will be the most active on Friday (59:52), and which assets with the Leafs part with in order to make a playoff run (1:10:24).

Another week, another episode of the Second Look Hockey Podcast! Dave Leo and Cristian Ceniti are back to weigh in on Canada’s 3-2 (OT) victory against USA in the 4 Nations Final. They discuss the hype going into the game, Jordan Binnington’s heroics, and Connor McDavid’s overtime clincher. Later, the duo discusses the momentum behind the NHL coming out of this tournament. Can the league take advantage of record ratings, a lacklustre NBA All-Star event and MLB’s split with ESPN to increase hockey’s popularity? Dave and Cristian wrap up their 4 Nations thoughts by analyzing the injury fallout before taking a brief look ahead to the 2026 Olympic rosters with some ‘way too early’ takes. Afterwards, the conversation shifts back to the NHL, where rumours of Mikko Rantanen being offered a ‘nine-figure’ deal have surfaced. Will the Carolina Hurricanes be able to extend the recently acquired star forward ahead of the trade deadline? Meanwhile, Seth Jones has requested a trade out of Chicago, but will contenders be interested in the Blackhawks blueliner? Dave and Cristian discuss.

David Leo, Cristian Ceniti, and producer Alex Mandarino waste no time diving head first into Saturday night's main event: Canada v. USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off. The crew break down the incredible atmosphere inside the Bell Centre in Montreal, before discussing the wild start that saw three separate fights, leading to the best twenty minutes of hockey in a long time. The trio weigh in on the absence of Cale Makar's effect on the defensive core, how Jordan Binnington held up in goal, and the US team shutting down the red and white forward group. The guys finish off with the game MVP from both teams, how the overall tournament compares to NBA All-Star Weekend, and a look at the announcement of a World Cup of Hockey in 2028.