Puck Podcast – April 11th, 2009

This week we breakdown who’s in and who’s out of the NHL playoffs with a recap of how each team clinched their spot and a look ahead at who they might play in the first round. We also talk with Nashville Predators play-by-play voice Pete Weber about their season, we discuss a contract extension for Cory Clouston, an NHL referee heading into retirement and Eddie’s Day in the Life plus a whole lot more.

MP3 File

 

Here’s some video of some of the things we talk about in this weeks show:

Don Koharski’s infamous incident with Jim Schoenfeld:


 

Keith Ballard’s hit on Evgeni Malkin & Sidney Crosby’s response:

 

Highlights of a chippy game between the Canadiens and Bruins:

 

Mike Ribiero’s sensational shootout goal:

 

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.

25 Comments

  1. Awesome Show Doug & Eddie.

    Special thanks for the video of the Koharski/Schoenfeld incident. It always makes me proud to admit I’m a fat donut-chomping pig but can still contribute to NHL history!

    Plus, don’t we all secretly love off-ice hockey drama?

  2. I know I’m gonna sound like a whiny Detroit fan here, but what was up with that penalty shot call awarded to Byfuglien? Wow. I’ve seen players get tripped and run into during breakaways and fall down who don’t get a penalty shot. But Kronwall’s stick touches Byfuglien’s stick – Byfuglien gets TWO shots on net, and a penalty shot? With less than 30 seconds left in a game? Bad call. Nothing on the line, but bad call.

  3. If, by the many circumstances that could occur here on the final day of the regular season, the St. Louis Blues capture the 6th seed in the West, does that constitute the greatest post All Star turnaround in NHL history? From 15th to 6th? I know I cannot think of a greater standing change in that amount of time, but I’m no historian.

    And, sorry guys, but Andy Murray is a LOCK for the Jack Adams Trophy. I’m sure Vega$ would be giving u better than even odds on it. You know, if anyone in Vega$ cared about hockey…

  4. Kris: Yet I’m sure we’ll be seeing a team there in the near future… You know, before seeing another one in Canada.

    Sorry guys, had to go there, as I go there every chance I get. I think my greatest passion in the world is to see another team in Southen Ontario, and I have to take any opportunity I can to swat at any other potential market, until the NHL can get it right.

  5. Adam, I totally agree with you. In the interest of GROWING the game, I think teams need to be placed where fans- you know, Bettman, those people who ALREADY LIKE HOCKEY- are already in place to support a team. There us WAY too much to do in Vega$ already; the novelty would wear off within the first season and the NHL would be left with yet another empty building and corporate sponserships running away from the club. Force feeding the product where no one will want or support a team is a terrible idea. There are fans in Atlanta, Florida and Carolina. And I think a team COULD succeed in Vega$ with time, but with financial fall outs in Phoenix and the near empty buildings in non contending teams (Atlanta, Colorado), I think the NHL needs go somewhere that success would be nearly instanteous.

    Although, truth be told, the last thing I think the league needs is yet ANOTHER team…

  6. Hey guys, you mentioned a post by a Blues supporter on the PodCast last week (I think) calling for the head of Andy Murray as he’s not playing the players that people in St Louis want to see. Let me say as a Blues supporter not in St Louis (not even in the US or Canada) he can kiss my butt, I’d much rather see a team playing well and winning then see a team playing the “fan favorites”.

    Murray’s methods of coaching and who he puts on the ice may not be agreed to by everyone, but he is working in St Louis and under his leadership the team looks like it’s going to have a very bright future.

  7. Hey guys,

    Just to clear up the Ballard/Crosby incident. Crosby was given 2 extra minutes for unsportsmanlike, not 2 minutes for instigating. Had he gotten an instigating penalty he would have been gone from the game. He definitely did not instigate because Ballard dropped his gloves first. I personally think that Crosby went in to defend Malkin but didn’t intend on fighting. I think the call was right (maybe the unsportsmanlike call could have been changed to a crosscheck or roughing).

    Also….. the science of the hip check is pretty straight forward. The defenseman uses his hip to plant below the center of gravity of the oncoming player. Thus the oncoming player’s momentum causes him to rotate over the player in a flipping motion. Brian Rafalski perfected the hip check along side Scott Stevens and Keith Ballard is awesome at it. It’s a lost art of the game so it’s great to see guys like Ballard still use it and use it effectively.

  8. The hip-check and the wraparound are THE lost arts of the NHL. Of course, it’s no surprise concerning the hip check; where is it’s place in the No Hitting League?

    As mentioned in the cast, Crosby SHOULD have recieved an instigator because he went after a player who made A PERFECTLY LEGALLY HIT! Ballard’s hit was straight out of a textbook. Malcontentkin went flying because he left his feet of his own power; making the hit look worse than it was. Then, of course, instead of the game continuing with the consequences of the hit, the contest COMPLETELY stops as Crosby pretends to fight. This is why so few people hit anymore. Because every smidgen of contact requires a bull$#!t macho response from half of the opposing players on the ice, a good hit does nothing for your team anymore. If you hit someone as your team rushes the zone? Play stops. If you hit a player coming out of his defensive zone and take the man off the puck and create a turnover? Play stops.

    We keep talking about this “respect for the players” mentality lost in today’s game, but should the players not have some respect for the game??

  9. Bryan McCabe was pretty good with the hipcheck too… I think it’s frowned upon in the hockey world though, because of the risk of injury. There’s some potential for a leg injury with it, and the legs seem to be more off-limits than heads today.

  10. I will comment more on this later but (and I realize Crosby isn’t an enforcer) part of the job of the enforcer is to discourage players from placing potential injurious hits on your star players. You can take a run a Gaborik but if you do you know that the next time you hit the ice so does Boogaard. You want a person/team being a bit apprehensive when it comes to face-planting the people that determine if you do or do not make it into the playoffs.

    Also I don’t see this, “taking hitting out of hockey” stuff that people are talking about. I think that people just watch highlight reals or something. I think the NHL is as hard hitting as it ever was. If we are talking about the Colby Armstrong types hits from two years back where he would leave his feet to drive his shoulder into someone’s head – yah those type hits needed to go.

  11. Kris, it wasn’t from the all-star break, but last season Washington made history just to get into the playoffs, becoming the first team in NHL history to go from 14th or 15th in the conference at midseason to 3rd. Of course they were 3rd because the won their division.

  12. It stinks being a Stars Fan right now, for only the 3rd time in the teams 15 years that they have missed the playoffs. Wedesnday night is going to feel so weird becuase of the teams playoff sucess in it’s short history. So my next team i’m going to follow is the Columbus Blue Jackets because they have Rick Nash and I want him to see some great games in the post season and also I would like to see Ken Hitchcock do well in a new situation being the coach of the team making it’s playoff debut. Good luck Blue Jackets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  13. Tanner – it looks like The Stars should have hung onto Avery afterall… And it’s too bad Columbus had to get matched up with Detroit in the first round. Better start lining up another team to support for the 2nd round… maybe Calgary??

    Kris – glad to see the Blues get the 6th spot. Very impressive.

  14. Tanner – I’m right there with you in cheering for the Blue Jackets, not because I dislike the Wings but because they’ve been my “mistress” team (as Eddie and Doug would say) for some time now. They’re not loaded with talent but they usually put in a lot of hard work, which is the one thing that could take them past Detroit. Go BJ’s!

    Eddie and Doug – Are you guys going to do a special “playoff preview” before Wednesday? Your analysis, keys to success and predictions for each series are always fun to hear.

  15. Dave,
    That Miami/BU game was amazing. I was cheering so hard for Miami (had to go for the underdog). The way the game ended was heartbreaking and thrilling at the same time.

    Tanner,
    It sucks being a Kings fan too. I know they are rebuilding and look to have a pretty bright future but no playoffs since 1991 for Kings fans. (sigh)

    Nate,
    I’m looking forward to the Ducks/Sharks series too. Even though I don’t like either team. Should be a fun series.

    Mark in Hockeytown,
    Just remember the words of Tim Thomas “He who laughs last, laughs best” or something like that. GO JACKETS!

  16. Eddie: We know you don’t care for the Wings, join the club!

    I am secretly (not anymore) concerned after the slide the Wings have taken the past month, no doubt. I think, however, they will get it together and finish off the BJs in 6—it will take that long for them to get serious and realize the playoffs have started. On paper, you can’t even bet this one, it’s too easy, but the playoffs are about will, not skill, we’ll see!

    I’m just happy that either the MIGHTY Ducks or the Sharks will be gone, can’t stand either team. Doug, however, should be in Nirvana over that one.

  17. Eddie – you nailed it… “heartbreaking and thrilling at the same time.” I was pulling for the underdog, too.

    As for the Wings, Mark was right – Osgood is the chosen one… for now. But my call is, if the BJ’s take it to 6, Conklin will get the call before this series is over. Nothing against Columbus at all, but Detroit doesn’t have a prayer if they don’t quickly get back into the form they lost a few months ago… and I think home ice will work against them in this first round – delaying their wake-up call.

  18. Completely agree with Dave in Wichita. The Wings take things more seriously in opposing rinks and home ice has not worked well. Don’t know if or when you see Conklin but let’s hope we don’t, it won’t be a good sign.

    Looking forward to Boston/Montreal very much!

  19. Although I usually go for the underdog, too, Avalanche prospect Kevin Shattenkirk plays for BU and I needed SOMETHING to go right for someone attached to this club. Best final minute I’ve seen in forever.

    Speaking of bad things happening to Avs associates, Francois (sp?) Giguire got his @$$ canned today. Guess the idea of forcing a defensive minded, stay and play plodding puck handling team to go “up tempo” and getting the coach who got a banged up team into the playoffs and thru the first round on a railroad car straight outta Dodge didn’t work out so well, did it? And thanks for trading the first round pick in a deep draft for a 900 year old defensemen who will play a combined 82 games over two and a half seasons at $1 billion…

    (Of course, I don’t know if they beat the Wild in the first round without him, soooo…)

    Avs fans: practice saying “welcome back” in French. Can u say Lacroix and… Roy?

    (And no, I have not drank the Kool-Aid. I know hiring Patrick Roy as a head coach could be the dumbest move ever for this club…)

  20. Hey Eddie and Doug,
    Just wondering if you guys were gonna do a playoff preview show.

    Thanks

  21. I think the Wings will take it in 7. It will be interesting though. Columbus did beat the Wings last month 8-2 at the Joe.

    Sharks/Ducks will definitely be a physical series.
    Habs/Bruins is always a fun time.
    Philly/Pittsburgh will also be a great series.
    Flames/Blackhawks is another series I’ll be watching.

    I love the playoffs!

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