Puck Podcast – August 30th, 2008

This week we preview the Northeast Division and talk with Canadiens color analyst and four-time Stanley Cup Champion Murray Wilson about Montreal’s chances to repeat as Division Champions. We also talk about Joe Sakic’s decision to return to the Avalanche, Stu Barnes move behind the bench, Mats Sundin’s return to Toronto, whether or not the Canadiens should retire Patrick Roy’s number and we’ll talk to some listeners and answer their questions. All that and a whole lot more.

MP3 File

Canadiens - Youppi

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.

7 Comments

  1. The new KHL Season got underway yestraday, here’s the results of the KHL’s opening day.

    Amur Khabarovsk 2 Dianmo Riga 4
    Metallurg Novokuznetsk 4 Dianmo Minsk 5 (OT)
    Vityaz Chekhov 3 HC MVD Balashikha 4
    Spartak Moscow 6 Atlant Mytischy 5 (OT)
    Salavat Yulaev Ufa 4 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 1

  2. Hot damn, the puck’s gonna drop soon! Thanks guys for continuing to provide great hockey analysis in the offseason.

    And Montreal should be scary this year, esp with Laraque crackin skulls.

  3. Laraque is a good fighter but not a good enforcer. He will throw down with the other team’s big guys but doesn’t do much against people taking liberties with star players. He is more of a boxer than an enforcer. So expect him to throw down with people like Brashear and not much else.

  4. Laraque’s presence alone is enough to deter the opposition from taking too many liberties with star players, but thanks for trying to enighten me. And it’s the “enforcer’s” job to go with the other guy’s heavyweight, not the smaller runts like the Ruutu’s and Avery’s. This is hockey man, at some point everyone has to stand for himself.

    I like the look of the Habs this year. If they’re anything like last year (before their wheels came off) I expect more fast, finesse hockey from these guys. The addition of Laraque may make only create a small difference in their game but it’s a difference they sorely needed. Philly intimidated them and consequently pushed them out of the playoffs. Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

  5. The top enforcer in the NHL right now is Boogaard and I am not saying that because I live in the Twin Cities. When he hits the ice it doesn’t matter if you are big, small, fat, skinny, or a star player you know that you have to toe the line or he will make you pay.

    I am a Pens fan and I watch every game of theirs last year, why I am not a Wild fan is a long story, and honestly Ryan Malone did a better job of enforcing last year than Laraque. You are right though with GL on your team it does make players think twice about doing something stupid.

  6. I’m not arguing about who’s the “top enforcer” of the NHL (Laraque, haha). I was just trying to say that Laraque brings an element that the Habs sorely needed. With him in the lineup I expect to see the rest of the team playing a little bigger than they actually are. Add that swagger to a team that’s already fast and skilled and the opposition’s likely to have problems at some point. That’s a good thing. There’s the way things are and the way things should be. Players like Laraque and Boogaard are the way things are, that’s why they get paid to intimidate people.

    PS – The Sharks are crap! The Sharks are crap! (just trying to break the jinx)

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