Spits & Suds Podcast

Host Gavin Spittle welcomes NHL Insider Sean Shapiro back from Sweden for a jam-packed episode of Spits and Suds! Sean shares stories from his trip abroad, including a Gordie Howe hat trick and breaks down how European hockey atmospheres put NHL arenas to shame. On the ice, the guys analyze the Dallas Stars' league-leading defensive metrics, how Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley are anchoring the blue line in Esa Lindell's absence, and Jake Oettinger’s early case for the Vezina Trophy. Plus, a look ahead to the Winnipeg Jets matchup, PWHL jersey designs, bringing back the Winter Classic sweater, and a tribute to the late Ron Duguay.

Connor Hrabchak from Winnipeg Sports Talk joins host Gavin Spittle to preview the upcoming Stars and Jets game this Thursday. Connor discusses the importance of this game for the Jets. They had a hot start to the season and now they’re not scoring, Josh Morrissey is out, they’ve lost 4 of their last 5 and the questions for Connor Hellebuyck continue to grow. It’s been 6 months since Hellebuyck made a trade request and the Jets have not been able to find a trade partner. Hrabchak says he doesn’t see Hellebuyck playing another game for the Jets and if he stays, they will pay him not to play. He says the key for the Stars to shut down Winnipeg is limiting the Jets' top line. 

Three in a row for the Dallas Stars! Host Gavin Spittle recaps a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory that snapped the Boston Bruins' five-game win streak. Gavin breaks down Mikko Rantanen’s incredible hat-trick performance, another brilliant night in net for Jake Oettinger, the lockdown effort on the penalty kill, and the great defense from both teams in the third period.

Total domination in Chicago! The Stars march into United Center, shut down the Blackhawks 4-0, and keep the home crowd quiet all night. Gavin Spittle breaks down a monster game from Arttu Hyry (2 goals, 9/14 faceoffs), Jere Lehtinen’s key role in finding him, and the lockdown defensive effort that secured the shutout.

Senior Dallas Stars Staff Writer Mike Heika joins host Gavin Spittle to discuss the addition of veteran David Perron and how his game mirrors Jamie Benn, along with injury updates on Oscar Back, Roope Hintz, and Wyatt Johnston. Mike also breaks down Casey DeSmith’s game-day focus, the Stars' shift toward a more aggressive offensive push from Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley, the grueling Central Division playoff race, and why the NHL’s multi-game city scheduling works.

The Stars secure two points with a 3-2 shootout victory over the Colorado Avalanche! Host Gavin Spittle breaks down the win, starting with the two crucial first-period Avalanche goals that were overturned on video review. Plus, Gavin highlights Arttu Hyry's impressive play since his call-up from Texas and wraps up the show by reading tweets from the Sudsies.

Recapping the Stars 3-2 loss to Colorado on Tuesday night. Host Gavin Spittle reiterates that one of the biggest worries heading into this season was the loss of skilled players and where the depth scoring would come from? Gavin recaps the game and discusses what the Stars need to do better for round 2 against Colorado Wednesday night. He wraps up by reading tweets from the listeners.

Robert Tiffin of NHL.com and StarsThoughts.com joins Host Gavin Spittle after Monday’s practice. Robert and Gavin start with the Matt Duchene injury news. Joel Kiviranta and Radek Faksa are both expected to return Tuesday. Gavin and Robert explain zone exits. Jake Oettinger earned the NHL 2nd Star of the Week. 

David Castillo from Stars Stack joins host Gavin Spittle to talk about the Stars defensive pairings and if they would switch any of them around. Through 4 games, Tyler Seguin, Justin Hryckowian and Arttu Hyry all have not recorded a point yet. Gavin asks David who has impressed him the most for the Stars so far this season and who needs to do more. The guys dig into David’s article on Stars Stack: “A deep dive into a small sample. Is Dallas who we think they are?” 

Host Gavin Spittle attended Thursday night's Cowboys game and believes Dallas Stars fans will love the upcoming Stadium Series game against the Vegas Golden Knights at AT&T Stadium in February. Joined by NHL insider Sean Shapiro, the two discussed how many Golden Knights fans might make the trip to Dallas for the event. Gavin and Sean recapped the Stars 4–0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, highlighting the strong play of Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, and Mikko Rantanen. Gavin pointed to the blue line's impressive performance across Dallas’s back-to-back shutout wins. Sean reinforced their defensive dominance, noting that while the team has allowed only 6 goals in 4 games, 2 of those were empty-netters. The guys wrap by going around the NHL.