Puck Podcast – April 17, 2010

On this week’s show we’ll talk about the Bruins making history on one penalty kill, a one punch knockout in Atlanta and a one game playoff between the Rangers and Flyers as well as an amazing start to the Stanley Cup playoffs. We’ve also got news on a couple of coaches being fired and the NHL draft lottery and much more including an interview with Sporting News Hockey reporter Craig Custance.

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.

9 Comments

  1. As a San Jose Sharks fan I’m begging you guys to ridicule Dan Boyle to no end after that beautiful game winner!

    By all that is holy… we’re cursed.

  2. Great show as always fellas. 🙂

    Completeley agree with you, the playoff games have been awesome.
    The most interesting matchup imo is the goalie duel between Pekka Rinne & Antti Niemi, both in playoffs for the first time and playing great. Rinne is a pretty big guy but fast anyway, Niemi on the other hand was doubted all season but shows excellence in goal up to this point.

    And like you said, the DET-PHX series is awesome, Phoenix showing great defensive skills and great goaltending. In Detroit Zetterberg and Filppula have been tremendous.

    About the apparent problems that Sharks are having, IF Colorado takes them out they really should make some roster changes for next season. Get rid of players like Blake, Huskins, Malhotra, Ortmeyer and maybe even Marleau and Nabokov. Maybe a coaching change too?

  3. juuso – Getting rid of Blake, Huskins and Marleau I can agree with, but not Malhotra or Ortmeyer. They’re a couple of the very few players on the Sharks who know how to work hard. They are not the problem.

    And I also agree with Eddie and Doug… outstanding post season sofar, a hockey fan’s dream come true. Go Yotes!

  4. Nate – Maybe you are right about the work ethic of those two guys. But looking at the Sharks roster their 3rd and 4th lines don’t look as good as other teams.

    Possible free-agents Sharks should consider IF they die in the first round again: Latendresse, Niittymäki, James Neal (RFA)(unlikely), Dan Hamhuis, Afinogenov, Paul Martin.

  5. If the Avs manage to oust the Sharks in the first round- and it is looking more and more like the Hockey Gods are behind this as well- the first step is getting rid of Nabakov. MAYBE Turco could come in and a fresh start could revitalize him, but they would still only get two good years out of him, TOPS. I don’t know where you go after that. Vokoun? Be nice to see him on a team that doesn’t give up an average of 294 shots a game. I think Nitti is a big gamble, too. Markstrom is coming to Fla, but I think they have signed Clemmensen through next season and I think he will get the starts as they continue to groom Jacob on his way to taking over the team in 11-12, so I do not think he is going anywhere. It is going to be another interesting off season there IF this happens. With the coach just getting hired a short time ago, I do not see them firing him. But, if they fail this year, do not make significant changes and then somehow start out slow next season, expect the house to be cleaned.

    Interesting to note that “Blake, Huskins, Malhotra, Ortmeyer” seem to be the types of guys that management has been trying to bring IN over the past few seasons. And if you dump Rob Blake, who takes the “C”?

    And they really cannot do anything to that top line as it was SO dominant in the regular season. Sure, 2/3 of the line has failed in the playoffs, but I think you have to give the full line more than one series once the addition has been made. Heatley HAS been to a Cup Final playing on a severely dominant line before, so there is some history there.

  6. jusso and Kris – Good points. I think all Sharks fans would agree that our 3rd and 4th lines are not as deep as the limited media coverage likes to portray, but there are a few keepers there. Also, with Marleau and Nabby approaching UFA status, there’s no telling what Doug Wilson will do, especially considering that both of them still seem incapapble of elevating their game in the post season. Hell, SJ fans aren’t even sure that DW will be around much longer either. The Sharks may only be down 2-1 in this first round series against a young Avs team, but… well, there’s still nothing but failure and disappointment for Sharks fans to look back on and there’s no reason to believe it will suddenly get better. Guess we’ll all find out sooner or later.

    Eddie – Awesome to see your Kings turn this series around, hopefully they keep up the good work. I think they will.

  7. I personally don’t think Nabakov is the problem in SJ. In fact I think outside of a few bad games over the years (and maybe a bad series in there) he’s been pretty good. I think the problem lies more with invisible offensive players who don’t step up in the post-season (Marleau). I think Thorton has been pretty good this series even though he doesn’t have a ton of points. He sets others up and if they don’t finish he won’t get those points.

    As an Avs fan I will be the first to agree that SJ has dominated much of this series and lucky bounces and great goaltending for Colorado are the difference in the series right now. It could easily be 3-0 Sharks and this series is far from over.

    One thing interesting that I’ll quote a blogger from elsewhere (and I didn’t double check the stats I’ll admit) is the SV% of the goalies that have “got hot” and knocked out the Sharks over the last 4 seasons (plus the Avs this season). It’d be hard for any goalie to match those numbers year after year. (Oddly enough 3 of those 4 teams were beat in the next round of the playoffs…)

    2006: Dwayne Roloson, Edmonton Oilers
    163 saves, 175 shots – 93.14%

    2007: Dominik Hasek, Detroit Red Wings
    135 saves, 144 shots – 93.75%

    2008: Marty Turco, Dallas Stars
    175 saves, 186 shots – 94.08%

    2009: Jonas Hiller, Anaheim Ducks
    220 saves, 230 shots – 95.65%

    2010: Craig Anderson, Colorado Avalanche
    122 saves, 129 shots – 94.57%

    (That’s a collective .943 SV%…)

  8. A few stats I’ll add myself after a quick check…

    2006: Edmonton Oilers
    12 GF, 19 GA in 6 games including 1 3OT game

    2007: Detroit Red Wings
    9 GF, 13 GA in 6 games including 1 OT game

    2008: Dallas Stars
    11 GF, 15 GA in 6 games including 3 OT games and 1 4OT game

    2009: Anaheim Ducks
    10 GF, 18 GA in 6 games including 1 OT game

    2010: Colorado Avalanche
    7 GF, 8 GA in 3 games including 2 OT games (6 GF in one game)

    The Sharks don’t give up a ton of goals, 2.7 a game, when they lose a series … the offense just disappears scoring under 2 goals per game. Now if that is the offense disappearing or running into hot goalies is debateable…

  9. Dear Nashville fans: It’s nice to see you competing for a change, but how about cooling the “Goalie! Goalie! You Suck!” chant until you A – find a number one that lasts more than a year or B – gets you out of the first round?

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