Puck Podcast – October 1, 2011

October 1, 2011 Doug Stolhand Podcasts 17

This week on the Puck Podcast we've got news on Drew Doughty's new contract with the Kings, the worst kept secret in hockey, suspensions to a variety of players, an injury that has many calling for a rule change, a racist is found and an alleged homophobic slur goes unpunished. All that plus our playoff and Stanley Cup predictions and a whole lot more.

MP3 File

About Doug Stolhand 27106 Articles
Doug Stolhand is one of the co-founders and co-hosts of the Puck Podcast and has been a member of the NHL media since the show's inception in 2006.

17 Comments

  2. Glad you enjoyed it, Higgs. Thanks for supporting the show and for sticking around long enough to figure out you had the right show.

    Doug

  3. First, great use of “All By Myself.” However, I have to comment on the Simmonds/Avery issue and what you said about it. While Simmonds can be seen allegedly saying the slur to Avery, no audio exists as evidence. The NHL does not employ lip-readers, so potentially all that exists is Avery’s word and an open for interpretation video of the incident. What’s interesting though is that audio DOES exist of another incident in that game. Sean Avery was caught on camera by the Philadelphia feed threatening to “kill” Claude Giroux.
    I understand that what Simmonds allegedly uttered can be very offensive if it’s taken literally. However, I don’t think Avery was being insulted because of his views on gay marriage or his sexuality. He was being insulted because he had recently turtled from a potential fight with Simmonds. Simmonds wasn’t committing a hate crime, he was just using poor taste in insulting an opponent. What Avery said could otherwise be construed as assault if it was taken outside the context of a sport. Thus, my point is that what is said on the ice must be kept on the ice, free from league punishment, because if the league begins scrutinizing some words and punishing certain players while ignoring other incidents (like “I’m going to kill Giroux”) then it opens itself up to a world of hypocrisy.

    Thanks for reading this and thanks for the awesome podcast, it keeps me going through the workday.

    And here is the video link to Avery threatening Giroux:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-rGud48R5E

  4. Loved the show this week. Here are my Puck Podcast Picks for the week:

    1. Pittsburgh over Vancouver
    2. Los Angeles over Buffalo
    3. Washington over Tampa Bay
    4. Minnesota over Ottawa
    5. Nashville over Phoenix

  5. Excellent job doing the show solo! Also, thanks for including us non-facebook users in the Pick ‘Em contest. My picks are as follows:

    Penguins
    Kings
    Lightning
    Wild
    Predators

  6. Just started listening to the show last week and enjoyed both weeks! I find myself looking forward to the next week’s episode all week! I love getting a “west side” perspective on the NHL, especially the insight into the Kings/Ducks and the rest of the Pacific division.

    I’ve lived in Detroit for the last 15 years but am a diehard Leafs fan being born in TO. (I’ll wait for the snickering to stop…) But it’s nice to hear from professionals who have a different point of view living in California. LOVE your thoughts about pumping the NHL on talk radio (although that may have been on last week’s show). I despise the NBA and so the fact that they’re locked out, hockey has an amazing opportunity that may never come again to win over thousands of bored sports fans 🙂

    Looking forward to your future shows!

  7. Thanks to all of you for listening to the show and for the kind words. I’m happy to include all of the Puck Podcast listeners in the Puck Podcast Picks contest and I’m glad you guys have taken part.

    As a reminder to anyone else that wants to enter here are the games we will be picking:

    Puck Podcast Picks – Week One (October 6 – October 13)
    Oct. 6th – Penguins vs. Canucks
    Oct. 8th – Sabres vs. Kings
    Oct. 10th – Lightning vs. Capitals
    Oct. 11th – Wild vs. Senators
    Oct. 13th – Coyotes vs. Predators

    To play along with the rest of us simply post who you think will win each of those games as a comment in this thread and you’ll be entered. Steve Anderson will post a link here for you to see everyone’s picks and to get live updates throughout the week as to how you are doing.

    Mark Paul – glad you found the show and that you’ve enjoyed it. This is going to be a great year for us NHL fans that hate the NBA, that’s for sure. Now that you’ve found the show please spread the word!

  8. I’m in the Contest this year

    Here’s my picks for this week.

    10/6: Canucks

    10/8: Kings

    10/10: Capitals

    10/11: Wild

    10/13: Predators

  10. Great job this week Doug. Yeah yeah yeah LA to win the cup, Yeah yeah yeah Anaheim has a terrific season and is once again a contender.
    We get it. 😛

    Here’s my picks.

    1. Pittsburgh
    2. Buffalo
    3. Tampa Bay
    4. Minnesota
    5. Nashville

  11. Puck Podcast Picks – Week One (October 6 – October 13)
    Oct. 6th – Penguins
    Oct. 8th – Kings
    Oct. 10th – Capitals
    Oct. 11th – Wild
    Oct. 13th – Predators

  12. Puck Podcast Picks – Week One (October 6 – October 13)
    Oct. 6th – Canucks
    Oct. 8th – Sabres
    Oct. 10th – Capitals
    Oct. 11th – Wild
    Oct. 13th – Predators

  15. 2011-2012 NHL FINAL STANDINGS

    EASTERN CONFERENCE
    1) WASHINGTON CAPITALS
    2) BOSTON BRUINS
    3) PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
    4) PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
    5) TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
    6) BUFFALO SABRES
    7) MONTREAL CANADIENS
    8) NEW YORK RANGERS

    Boring, eh? Same old, same old in the East. I think the Southeast teams have not come far enough to really challenge the Caps and they will ride a weak division, and T. Vokoun, to the #1 seed in the East yet again. They may seem bored until the start of the “second season,” as they have NOTHING to prove until the playoffs start, but they are just too good and in too weak a division not to pile up the wins. Boston is still loaded and I don’t think anyone can match them in their division. They obviously have the best goaltending tandem in the league at the start of the season and they will be able to use that balance to great effect throughout the long trek. The Atlantic is going to be tough, but I think the grand experiment in Philly works just enough for them to eek out a division title over a Pens team that could easily outmatch them if they can get and stay healthy. Tampa plays a great system that should allow them to also feast on the “SouthLeast” division enough to get them into fourth (and I think they will get a goalie before it’s all said and done). Buffalo is feeding off positive vibes and the best goalie in the league (not named T. Thomas) to secure the 5 spot. Montreal and New York have enough balance to secure the last two spots, with great goaltending, decent offense and defense and good enough special teams. If anything is a “wild card” (besides the brand new roster in Philly) in the top eight, it is the health of Crosby and Malkin- making the Pens a serious Cup favorite if they can get 70-75 games in- and the Rangers’ new chemistry between Richards, Gaborik and Callahan on their PP; they can score bunches if that works. The only real dark horse I see stealing a spot is Carolina. They have top tier goaltending, a decent first line and top two D pairings and a power play that can score at a better clip than last season. Also, I think New Jersey COULD battle for a spot if they realize that the point of a hockey game is to score more goals than the other team. A full season from a motivated Parise has to help, right? Panthers and Islanders could play spoiler with their intriguing teams, especially a Florida team that received an even bigger overhaul than the Flyers. Toronto, Ottawa and Winnipeg are going to be battling for that #1 overall pick all year. I don’t buy the Leafs’ offense at all, and their D is a mess considering the talent they have there. Winnipeg, once upon a time in Atlanta, started off great, and then saw a freefall the like of which only Colorado could identify with (amazing to think the Thrashers led the DIVISION for a considerable enough time at one point!). And I think while the community is beyond passionate for the return of hockey, the players may not really want to be in Winnipeg; I see Jumbo Jet Buff demanding a trade- or playing his way into one- before the deadline hits. Ottawa? Yeah, no.

    WESTERN CONFERENCE
    1) VANCOUVER CANUCKS
    2) DETROIT RED WINGS
    3) SAN JOSE SHARKS
    4) LA KINGS
    5) CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
    6) NASHVILLE PREDATORS
    7) ANAHEIM DUCKS
    8) MINNESOTA WILD

    The Canucks are very much in the same boat as the Caps in the East. They are in a division that will not challenge them , and they have a great goalie and loaded everywhere. And, like Washington, they could not care less about the regular season, as they have to wait until mid-April to really prove themselves again. With Edmonton, Colorado and Calgary not being all that great this year, they are going to stock up on wins with division play to take the #1 overall seed again. Detroit is loaded, as they always seem to be, have the most veteran talent at the top skating positions, a great coach and the seemingly mystical ability to find talent where no one else does. Age and therefore injury could always rear their ugly heads, but we say that every season and they continue to sit atop their division more seasons than not. I am not going to bet against them taking the division until the maladies we all say should be affecting them actually do. The Central will be tough, but not as tough as the Pacific, so I think they will finish just ahead of the Sharks for the #2 seed. The Sharks and Kings will battle it out for the Pacific crown right down to the wire, I think, with San Jose’s experience edging out the new kids in the end. I think the Sharks have the best top six forwards in the West, the addition of Burns on the blue line is huge and Niemi- once healthy- is going to be a beast. Like Vancouver and Washington, San Jose could not give a rat’s ### about the October through April, but their division should be interesting enough to keep them focused. The Kings will be better… I think? I really do not buy what seemingly everyone else is saying about this team. They took a step BACKWARDS last year, finishing a seed behind where they finished in 10-11 and looked lost at times in the playoffs, blowing a HUGE lead against the Sharks in a game. Quick is a great physical goaltender, but his mental makeup is questionable to me (remember the game where he spent as much time completing passes to the Wild forwards as he did his own?) and I cannot fathom why the coaching staff has not chained him to the posts. I don’t like their wingers AT ALL: Williams still has a horrible injury track record, Penner is hit or miss (but a contract year could help), Gagne is a step (or six) slower, and their highly touted prospects- Loktionov, Moeller and Clifford- are either not what anyone said they would be, or injury prone. And, remember, they lost 23 goals in Ryan Smyth. I cannot see a winger on this team approaching 30 goals, much less two. They have a great D, if Doughty didn’t spend his lockout on the couch eating Pringles and playing Gears Of War 3; dude is not known for his physical conditioning. BUT, they have enough for fourth, and could just as easily steal the division from the Sharks. Chicago is a fascinating team to me. They could challenge San Jose’s top six forwards, and have one of the two best players in the West in Toews (Datsyuk being number one). If Brunette can regain a step and play like he did in Colorado, that offense may be unstoppable. Great D, and a good to great goalie in Crawford (can he play every game like he played game seven in round one?) and I think they will be contenders again this year or next. Nashville is always solid, always finds a way to win, and is the best coached team in the NHL, period. The discipline that team exhibits to stick to what works and not try and do anything that doesn’t is amazing. They know who they are and they don’t care if you don’t like it. Best D in the league, maybe, and motivated to prove something this year. And Rinne and Lindback make the best tandem in the West, with Pekka being a Vezina candidate this season, I predict. They may play the most boring hockey on the planet, but the W’s count just the same. The Ducks’ chances are predicated on Hiller’s health, but this season they start off with a capable backup in Dan Ellis. They have the best pure top line in hockey, but I do not know if Perry can repeat his performance and continue his upward trajectory as he has for every season he has been in the league. He will still be great; a step back is not going to make him any less than a top ten player league wide. Can The Immortal Selanne get another 30+ goals for their second line/PP? I would say “no,” but I said that last year, and I watched him drop a hat trick on the Avs in Anaheim, soooooo…. The D is solid, and that is saying something considering we all thought they would be dead last in every defensive statistical category at the start of last year. Fowler is a beast, and the steal of his draft year. I think Minnesota will be (obviously) much improved this season… Or they will flame out in spectacular fashion. They finally have someone who (should) score goals on two lines in Heatley and Setoguchi. They have a good “no-name” D, even if losing Burns will make them play differently. And Backstrom could be the best technically sound goalie in the West, when he plays consistently. Having Harding return to back him up will help. I think they squeak into the playoffs over the St. Louis Blues; maybe even on the final day of the season, like Chicago and Dallas last season. St. Louis has to have a better season with Perron, Oshie and McDonald healthy again. Plus a full season from Stewart should help their offense (I say SHOULD because I followed him in Colorado and dude is inconsistent as all get out). They added some vets to help out with their sporadic play, and their defense didn’t miss a beat once Johnson was traded. Pietrangelo, Colaiacovo and Shattenkirk not only have the most letters of any three D men in the league, but they may be the most underrated, too. Colorado will be better… well, how could they be worse? They won’t contend for a playoff spot, but I think they will finish somewhere between 9 and 11 this year. Mueller and Quincey are back from season stealing injuries, Craig Anderson and his “I give up” attitude are in Ottawa and Matt Duchene will be looking to cash in on his RFA deal. If Jones and Stastny can stay on the ice instead of the trainer’s table, I think the Avs are going to ruin some teams’ playoff hopes. Calgary had a nice second half, but they just do not seem to have any idea who they are or what they want to be. If they are smart, and they are more than 15 wins out of a playoff spot come Feb, they should rape a contending team for Iginla. EVERYONE needs to have career type years for this team to contend, and I do not see that happening. Kiprusoff can no longer bail out a team that has a middling defense (especially with Regehr gone) and an underperforming offense. There is no reason to believe that the Flames will just “pick up where they left off” after their late season run. Columbus could be better, but I would not put any money on it. Who knows what Steve Mason you will get? Oh, wait, I do. One good season, plus two REALLY bad ones, equals crap in the crease! Nice pick-ups in Carter and Prospal, but they are not enough to get them into even the top ten in the West, much less the top eight. If Wisniewski is the answer on defense, I think you are asking the wrong question. Dallas and Phoenix will take huge tumbles in a brutal division. I do not believe either of their goaltending tandems will hold up in the long run. Dallas will be better than some fear, but not to the point of making a playoff berth. I think they will fit into that 9 to 11 slot that the Avs will as well. Phoenix is in trouble. Just as no one saw them making the playoffs for two seasons, I don’t think anyone will see how bad they could be. They are diminished in every category and will struggle. See you in Las Vegas once that arena is finished on the Strip! Edmonton will not have the number one overall pick for the third season in a row. Because the Senators are THAT bad.

  17. Crud 🙁 I’m a little late on my picks but hopefully I can throw the last three into the pool.

    PITT @ VAN – N/A
    LA vs BUFF – N/A
    WASH over TB
    MINN over OTT
    NASH over PHX

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