Two Man Forecheck

New Episode here at the start of the Conference Finals.  We talk about playoff goaltending and some surprises.  The Colorado Avalanche future endeavors.  Are the Penguins fixable?  The IIHF Championships have started and may have some influence on the top of the draft this year.  The Ottawa Senators are looking for a new head coach...and the choices are...interesting is the best way to put it.  The women are boycotting, saying that they can't support themselves on their hockey salaries.  There is so much more to it as we discuss.  Twitter poll responses and should Tuukka be considered for the award.  All this and so much more...Enjoy the Show!

We start the show at full speed (no soft open today) discussing the apparent firing of Phil Housley in Buffalo.  We move on to the Columbus/Boston series and discuss games 4 and 5.  We delve into the death threats received by Jake DeBrusk during and after the first round against Toronto.  Mike and Chris pick two playoff UFA's that they would consider signing and two they would not.  We talk about two recent Bruins signings and finish with the Twitter Poll results from the last week.  Look for the latest Twitter Poll (it may involve the Conn Smythe) and Enjoy the Show!

We have seen the start of the second round of the playoffs at this point, and we discuss the matchup between the Bruins and the Blue Jackets.  The NHL has sent an apology to the Vegas Golden Knights for the penalty call on Cody Eakins and have suspended Dan O'Halloran from officiating any second round playoff games.  Mike Babcock has once again lost to the Bruins in the first round and there are some rumblings that he should be replaced as head coach of the Maple Leafs.  We delve into our Twitter Poll results for who deserves to win the Selke Award.  Finally, we begin the discussion for the Conn Smythe Award with an article by Robert Duff of SportsBettingDime.com.  You might be shocked at some of the potential winners.  All this and so much more!  Enjoy the Show!

This week we are deep into the first round, some top seeds have been eliminated and the playoff picture is still murky.  We delve into some disappointments and surprises so far, as well as what to expect.  We have two head coaches with new teams and a new GM in Detroit.  We discuss some franchises and their 20 plus year droughts.  The Selke nominees are in and they are interesting to say the least.  Who is the best playoff defense pair?  We break them down.  Are the Jets the biggest disappointment?  Were there too many distractions for Tampa Bay?  Finally, Claude Julien is vindicated.  All this and a Twitter Poll to boot!  Enjoy the Show!!

The Playoffs are just as topsy turvy as the regular season appeared to go.  St. Louis and Columbus are both ahead two games to none in their respective series.

Columbus has shown dominance for 5 of the 6 periods they have played against Tampa Bay.

The Boston/Toronto series has been heating up for the last two seasons.  Kadri and DeBrusk both being physical.  Kadri heading to the Office of Player Safety.

Cale Makar wins the Hobey Baker Award, but UMass falls short against Minnesota-Duluth.

Is this the end of the line for the Pens Malkin, Crosby and Letting?

Chris makes his first round predictions (with a little help from the games already played).

Welcome to the 112th episode of the worlds best podcast done by two guys named Chris and Mike. This week Twitter Poll, playoff predictions, Selke and Calder talk, Decline of Kessel and Malkin, Bloody Monday to come and more.

The latest episode of the Two Man Forecheck spans all levels of hockey.  We start in the open with a breakdown of the NCAA regional round held in New Hampshire this weekend.   While the four teams the Forecheck watched on Friday were entertaining, they were also eye opening from the standpoint of talent in the college ranks.  We were witness to a team that struggled to get the puck out of their own zone, as well as a team that put up a stoic fight even while losing one of their top talented players early in the second period.  That plus a chance meeting with the ESPN crew after the games made for a fun day.

We branch from here to the number of college players who have finished their respective seasons and immediately signed their entry level contracts.  No fewer than 10 players from BU and BC have moved on from their current squads, leaving their respective schools to search for new talent.

The Winnipeg Jets have been a strong team for the last couple years, but, as reported by Andrew Berkshire of the Winnipeg Free Press, they are a leaky ship this season.  Using many advanced metrics, he explains how this team may not be as good as they appear to be playing.  Missing a couple key components would be one reason.

The Bruins have arguably the best line in hockey this season, with Pastrnak, Marchand and Bergeron all averaging better than a point per game.  We break down the line and compare them to other top lines in the NHL.

Jon Cooper, head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, has signed an extension to remain with the organization for years to come.  While not shocking, he is the longest tenured coach in the NHL, having been with the Bolts for the last 6 years.  We unpack his time with the team and discuss just how difficult his job may or may not be while leading his squad.

The Masterton Award is given to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.  This year’s nominees have, for the most part, one thing in common…age.  Most of the players are 30 plus years of age.  There are a few around 27, but for the most part, teams seem to have nominated their oldest player.

Peter Hassett of RMNB feels that the Capitals may have a team to fear this season in the playoffs…the Carolina Hurricanes.  Even though the Caps have won all four games this season and 15 of the last 20 matchups, the stats he proposes bear out that the Canes have a chance.  Discuss amongst yourselves…and with us!

Finally, we reveal the results of our Twitter poll.  Barry Trotz wins with 50 percent of the votes, but some feel (namely Mike) that it will be someone else.

As advertised, we span many topics this week so give us a listen and send us all your feedback, but most of all…Enjoy the show!

Zdeno Chara has inked another one-year extension with the Bruins.  We discuss the benefits of having one of the best defensemen in the NHL back for another year.

Tampa Bay and Boston have the two best points records this season.  Is this a product of how much better they are than the rest of the league or is the rest of the league just average or worse?  As we discuss, it becomes clear that we disagree on which is the correct choice, but they aren’t the only two choices.  We would love to hear what you think.

Toronto is no stranger to controversy when it comes to their hockey team, and Mike Babcock may have inadvertently brought up another touchy subject when he discussed the depth of his team with the media.  Of course this led the media to write that there may be a rift between Babcock and Dubas. Chris feels that this is much ado about nothing but there could be something behind the scenes.  Where do you land?

There is a street hockey game that takes place on Chestnut Street in Salem, MA every year.  The story is that this game has taken place for over 40 years!  The participants travel from over an hour away, the ages range from the early 20s to mid 60s, and the whole community gets behind it.  A feel-good story to be sure and one that puts the love of hockey on display for all to see.

At this point we delve into our main topic…the Jack Adams award for best coach in the NHL.  As Mike and Chris have known each other for a number of years, their lists are almost identical.  The one difference is between Barry Trotz and Bill Peters.  This is also the topic of our Twitter poll this week, so we would love to hear your thoughts on who should get the award.

Finally, in our new segment, we talk about who will retire first.  This week’s subjects, two players from the vaunted 2003 draft, Marc Andre Fleury and Corey Perry.  Here Mike and Chris agree as to who it will be.  To find out which player, you’ll have to listen and let us know your feelings.

Short and to the point, but no less enjoyable.  Give us a listen and enjoy the show!

Another week heading into the stretch run for the NHL playoffs and we at the Two Man Forecheck have you covered.  We open mentioning the draft lottery, which has been moved up to April 9ththis year.  The particulars remain the same from last year so Ottawa, as it stands, have an 18.5 percent chance at the number one pick, which isn’t theirs to make.

We delve into the key injuries to some of the playoff teams and who could have the biggest impact upon their return.

Now for the main topic of the show; a schedule breakdown of the playoff bubble teams (4 from the east, 5 from the west).  The teams we expect to make it into the postseason, and which will be watching from home.

From here we focus on Arizona and Carolina, two teams who are currently in the postseason, and appear to be doing all they can to stay there.

We talk about the Blue Jackets current cap situation.  While it isn’t as dire as the issues Toronto may experience, they have some that need to be addressed.  Number one on the list is goaltending as none of their goalies is signed past this year. They also need to figure out what to do with the breadman, Artemi Panarin.

Finally, we break down the possibility that the Boston Bruins are legitimate Stanley Cup winners this year.  While sitting currently in second, they would be up against the Maple Leafs, but a bigger wall to climb would be the Lightning.  As we discuss, that might be easier for the B’s as they match up well against Tampa Bay.

Give us a listen, tell us what you think, and as always…Enjoy the Show!

This week’s episode is large and varied.  We talk about everything from Junior Hockey to goaltenders from the late 80’s.  But we start with the most important of topics…listener feedback.

MMarchand1978 wrote to us regarding the comparison we made last week between Jaroslav Halak and Tuukka Rask.  We thank you for the comments and addressed them right at the start.  Yes, Halak did go through a 3-week spell of mediocrity however he has since pulled out of it and now both goalies are playing well. The issue is that when Rask went through his start of the season mediocrity, it was Halak that kept the net clean.  We go into detail in the show.

Mike Sullivan has won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins as head coach.  The team is currently hanging on to the first wild card spot in the east.  If the team misses out on the playoffs, does Mike lose his job?  We believe that there is a bit of cache earned on Mike’s part that he would get into next season before being relieved.

Did Columbus do too much at the deadline?  They have been middle of the road at best since then.  Duchene has one goal, Dzingel has none.  Why get another goaltender?  Did they address any of the actual issues in the locker room?  Quick consensus answer from the Forecheckers is Yes, they did too much, but tell us what you think.

We break down the playoff matchups as they would be “if the playoffs started today”, and some of them may not be as entertaining as you may think.  Hockey-wise some are fun to watch, but the networks may not be happy about the viewership.

Has your boss given you a vote of confidence?  Do you believe him or her?  If you are a head coach in the NHL, you might not want to do so.  We discuss past coaches who have been given a vote of confidence and were fired shortly thereafter.

Anze Kopitar was named captain of the Kings in 2016, now there is chatter about him being relieved of the captaincy.  Should he lose the “C”?  When should they make the move?  We discuss at length and invite you to give your opinions on the matter.

The Humboldt Broncos suffered a crushing setback last year with the bus crash that affected so many lives, but they are back.  This season, 11 months after the devastating events that left so many injured, they are in the playoffs in their league.  We also talk about some of the players who have moved on to other things including a couple players who still play competitively in sled hockey.

We briefly touch on Kucherov’s run to finish as the top point getter in the league and where he stands in hockey history as well as who should sit when Pastrnak returns from his injury.

A packed show to be sure, with plenty of opportunity to give us your feedback. Please let us know what is on your mind about these or any other topics and…Enjoy the Show!