This week's episode arrives as Covid once again flexes its muscles and the NHL schedule is buckling.  The boys keep it light for your listening pleasure, touching on a long list of topics and events - the Spezza suspension, a Lightfoot entry to encourage aggressive play on the penalty kill, a re-evaluation of the President's Trophy, the Zegras/Milano connection, the surprising arrival of Kristians Rubens and a chat about the great William Nylander and his odd fitting helmet.  All this and more await your hungry ears, eager for distraction from news of new lockdown protocols and cancelled events.  Also - don't miss some bonus material which plays over the show's coda - a new wrinkle for the 5-Hole.  

Here's wishing you, our listeners, the best for the holidays.  Stay safe and keep the faith - this too, shall pass.

The 5-Hole Boys discuss the current Leaf hot streak - what's different about it from past seasons and can the term Juggernaut be applied to the squad.  But the discussion wanders... just where did Mitch Marner grow up, is Nate MacKinnon deserving of the criticism he's received for mistreating his teammates in the name of competition, how do the Blue and White spend their time at the Tavares family cottage and who will Canada's Olympic Ice Hockey entry have in net if the NHL sends their players and make it a best-on-best competition.    

In this edition of the 5-Hole topics include how Mrazek's injury creates a perpetually tenuous goaltending situation for the Blue and White, the new Reilly contract and the ongoing woes of Jake Muzzin.  We also discuss the Eichel trade and how the Golden Knights are transforming into a top-heavy outfit along the same lines as Toronto.  The boys also comment on some of the players in the Leaf media landscape and test themselves against the expertise of one of those players - the bombastic Steve Dangle.

The 5-Hole Pod rings in the 21/22 NHL season with an examination of the climate in Leafland.  Has early optimisim turned to concern and is that change warranted - are the Leafs what they are on paper or what they appear to be on the ice?  What will it take this year for management to retain their jobs.  On balance, are the Leafs a better team than the one that collapsed last year to the lowly Habs.  And what do Jack Campbell and Lou Francheschetti have in common? All these issues and more are discussed in this - lucky Episode 13.

The 5-Hole looks back at the Stanley Cup Final.  The boys chat about Tampa's cap manipulation, and look forward to a Leafian future with few dollars to spend and many holes to fill.  Are the Leafs about to enter a period of decline before their ascent reaches the top of the mountain?  Opinions are split.

At long last - The Stanley Cup Final.  Our friends at the 5-Hole talk about how we got here, explore simmering resentments on who made it and what to expect in this ultimate series to decide who will sip from Lord Stanley's great chalice.  In addition, the Wayne Simmonds signing is reviewed and the boys explore its implications for the future of the home town Leafs.  

These special playoff editions have each been rendered bit-free, in order to deliver a review packed with relevance and chock full of timely candor.   

The semi-finals are next on the NHL playoff agenda and the inexplicably unstoppable Habitants are about to face their toughest opponent - the Las Vegas Golden Knights.  Meanwhile Lou's scrappy New York Islanders are heading to Tampa to play the defending champions, the league's most complete team named for a weather event.  The boys of the 5-Hole Pod are here to set us up for these penultimate series while continuing their reflections on the state of the Leafs, the arrogance of their management and the very narrow path forward.

In the wake of the latest and greatest playoff collapse of their beloved Blue and White, the boys at The 5-Hole attempt to pull themselves from the depths of their collective despair long enough to review what went wrong and what it might mean for the Leafs moving forward.  Because they are professionals, they also take a shot at predicting the winners of the next playoff round, but quickly bail when it becomes obvious to all concerned that they are just going through the motions.  They can't even summon up enough energy to do a "bit".  In the words of KC, it's really the episode they never wanted to record.

It's The 5-Hole Playoff Preview 2021.  The boys finally get around to some hard-hitting hockey journalism - well not really.  But there is an attempt made to stick to the script for once - kind of.  Besides an around-the-league review of matchups and a take on each, the boys in the hole provide us with a glimpse into a day in the life of Leaf Consultant Cliff Fletcher, examine more of Lou's Rules and open the 5-Hole mailbag to engage with you, the listening audience.  

The 5-Hole Podcast would like to acknowledge an inaccuracy in their review of western division playoff match-ups.  At the time of the recording session it was looking like Knights/Blues, Avs/Wild but as fate would have it, that alignment has since changed.  This development shouldn't take away from the insight flowing forth albeit on a hypothetical set of series that will never take place.  As King Conko puts it - "if you're looking for accuracy and relevance, you're listening to the wrong podcast, that ain't our bailiwick." 

Things are heating up in the North.  Our friends at the 5-Hole Pod take a deep dive into Kyle Dubas's trade deadline acquisitions, examining their potential contributions to a deep Leaf Cup Run.  Included in this analysis is a somewhat sentimental look at who might be losing their spot in the Leaf lineup when the playoffs roll around.  And don't miss another new segment - Leaf Legends By The Numbers and another installment of Where Are They Now - this time the subject is multiple Stanley Cup Champion Mark Messier.  Yes, Captain Mark seems to be a 5-Hole Pod favourite - but who can blame them.