Ryan Kennedy and Michael Traikos look around the NHL and beyond in The Hockey News Pre-Game Show.
To open this episode, Ryan and Michael turn to the Pittsburgh Penguins who have played well as of late. They discuss whether the Pens could make the playoffs and just how good Crosby can be along the way. Then it’s over to the Rangers and Devils just days after their opening draw line braw. Who was involved in this old-school style hockey fight and was it okay? The guys then shift to an examination of the league’s failures — teams that either greatly underperformed or were just bad overall — and which teams are on the fringe.
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is given annually to the player who displays the best sportsmanship, dedication to the game, preservation of the game and more. The nominees are out for this years award and Ryan and Michael talk about their favorite stories from this years nominees. Then over to Toronto where Guys discuss Mitch Marner’s situation with the media.
After a quick break, Ryan and Michael are joined by a special guest, Blue Jackets Team-site editor Jason Newland joins the show to discuss topics like why the Blue Jackets aren’t playing their young stars, and whether or not Rick Nash will be the team’s next GM. Then as always, the show closes with some rapid fire questions about topics from around the world of hockey.
Check out the full episode and show description below.
Looking for a specific segment? Stay tuned to THN.com’s “Shows” section on the homepage for individual posts during the week
– The Penguins have gone from all but out of the playoff race to climbing into a wild-card spot after Saturday’s win. What is going on in Pittsburgh?
– Could Sidney Crosby make a late-season push for the Hart Trophy?
– The Rangers and Devils had a line brawl on Wednesday and the hockey world can’t stop talking about it.
– Was Peter Laviolette right to be mad at Travis Green?
– For many teams, the playoffs are out of the picture, but who among those teams can be defined as a true failure?
– The nominees are out for the Masterton Trophy and as always the stories of the nominees are incredible.
– The guys discuss their professional hockey pet peeves.
– Does Toronto’s Mitch Marner have to do a better job at tuning out the media?
– Why are the young players in Columbus not getting minutes, especially in the case of Adam Fantilli?
– Will Rick Nash be the next GM of the Blue Jackets?
– What is the Blue Jackets’ plan going into the off-season?
– Who will have a bigger impact: Colin Graf in San Jose, or Jacob Quillian in Toronto?
– What is happening with Russian and Belarusian players being made available to be picked in the CHL import draft?
-The Coyotes have released renderings of a purposed land development, but will it actually happen?
– What is the consensus on the Newfoundland Growlers ceasing operations and being booted from the ECHL?
– With Canada and the U.S.A the clear one and two in the world of women’s hockey, who is the third-best country?
Subscribe to the audio version (The Hockey News Podcast) on your preferred platform.
News Summary:
- Pre-Game Show: Can the Penguins Make the Playoffs? Plus Rangers Devils Line Brawl, Columbus Blue Jackets and More
- Check all news and articles from the latest NHL updates.