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[Hidden Content] Seattle will begin a season ticket drive in its effort to become an NHL expansion team. "Starting on March 1 at 10 a.m., you will be able to make your deposit for season tickets," Mayor Jenny Durkan wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. The ownership group applied to the NHL for an expansion team on Feb. 13. "The timetable in terms of filing an expansion application, doing a season ticket drive, is largely up to them," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Jan. 27. "We can respond to the extent that we're getting the information on a timely basis, whatever that timetable is, so we can go through the processes that we have to." The group, led by Jerry Bruckheimer, a Hollywood producer, and David Bonderman, a private equity CEO, was authorized Dec. 7 to file an application for expansion by the NHL Board of Governors. It paid a $10 million application fee, Sportsnet reported. "OVG has submitted to the NHL the formal application papers required to pursue an expansion franchise for Seattle," group CEO Tim Leiweke said in a statement this month, according to USA Today. "We are excited for the next steps in the process and our continued partnership with the City of Seattle." The cost of the team would be $650 million, and Commissioner Bettman said during 2018 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend last month that the NHL is looking at only Seattle for possible expansion. The earliest the team could begin playing is the 2020-21 NHL season, when it is expected renovations of KeyArena would be complete. Las Vegas started its season ticket drive Feb. 10, 2015. It was awarded an NHL team June 22, 2016 at a cost of $500 million, and the Vegas Golden Knights are playing their inaugural season. Seattle Kraken would be a great name for an NHL team in Seattle.
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THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 33 Suckerpunch, Unsigned RFA’s, and Preseason Standouts Brad Burud and Blake Friars prep for the start of the NHL season by discussing preseason standouts. Lots of great young talented showcased in the preseason, and some will be taking roster spots. Domi suckerpunched Ekblad – the reaction and the results of this stupid hockey play. With 10 days until the start of the season Toronto Maple Leafs forward and RFA is still unsigned. Will he be signed? We will give you our opinions. PODCAST -
THE DEBATE Hockey Podcast - 20 Preseason Questions
InsideEdge posted a blog entry in Inside Edge Hockey News
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 32 20 Preseason Questions Brad Burud and Blake Friars discuss the monster Erik Karlsson trade, Robin Lehner Mental Health struggles, and Humboldt closure. Then they dive into 20 preseason quesions. Who is this years biggest bust? Who is the biggest rivalry? How many Canadian teams will make the playoffs? The questions keep coming… PODCAST -
HI there, with the new NHL season around the corner I decided to write a piece on the Sens upcoming season and why they have no room for error. If you have the time to give it a read it would be greatly appreciated. [Hidden Content]
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THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 29 NHL Draft Shuffle, Flames/Canes Trade and Top Targets Debate 1 |NHL Draft – Winners and Losers Debate 2 |Flames/Canes Blockbuster Trade Debate 3 |NHL Free-Agents and Trade Targets Its NHL Draft time and Brad Burud and Blake Friars breakdown the winners and losers, and what players moved up and what players fell in the draft. The Calgary Flames and the Carolina Hurricanes hooked up on a blockbuster trade. Who won this deal, and why did this deal go down? NHL free agency is coming quick. Where will players sign and who is on the trade block? PODCAST
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The Instigator |Episode 14 Draft Lottery a Missed Opportunity
InsideEdge posted a blog entry in Inside Edge Hockey News
The Instigator |Episode 14 Draft Lottery a Missed Opportunity I really like the NHL Draft Lottery process, but I have a huge problem with how it was presented to the public this year. This is a made for television opportunity that the NHL wasted. So what should they have done, and how could they capitalize on this opportunity? Give a listen! PODCAST -
The Instigator |Episode 13 High Scoring = Boring Hockey
InsideEdge posted a blog entry in Inside Edge Hockey News
The Instigator |Episode 13 High Scoring = Boring Hockey The Stanley Cup Playoffs are off and running and goal scoring is at break neck pace. Is this good for the game? Does it make for more exciting games? Or does it make for really, really boring hockey? Fans have been screaming for more goals for years and years. Well you got that in round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and it just happened to be the worst first round for entertainment in years. PODCAST -
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 26 Off to Round 2 of Stanley Cup Playoffs and Draft Lottery Debate 1 |Draft Lottery System Debate 2 |Eastern Conference Divisional Finals Debate 3 |Western Conference Divisional Finals It is off to round two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Brad Burud and Blake Friars breakdown all four series. The good, the bad and the crazy. Then on to the NHL Draft Lottery. They discuss the system and the winners and losers, and most importantly debate if the Buffalo Sabres can take advantage of the number one draft pick. PODCAST
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THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 25 Stanley Cup Round One Disappointment and NHL Coaches Shuffle Debate 1 |NHL Coaches Shuffle Debate 2 |Western Conference Round One Recap and Round Two Preview Debate 3 |Eastern Conference Round One Recap and Round Two Preview Brad Burud and Blake Friars debate the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Was it what we expected, was it as exciting as usual or was it a flop. They also breakdown the recent coaching changes as Bill Peters is out of Carolina and is now in Calgary. Also openings in NY Rangers, Dallas and Carolina, who will fill these spots? PODCAST
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Just want to say that I am glad to see the GM's going outside the old-boy network of coaches and getting these guys from the College Ranks and the minors to coach their teams. It's about time the NHL GM's stop recycling these NHL coaches who spend five years on a team, get fired and get hired the following week. The gravy days are over for these guys and this is going to be the norm going forward.
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THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 24 Stanley Cup Incidents and 2-0 Series Leads Debate 1 |Stanley Cup incidents – We review five incidents that took place in week one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs Debate 2 |Eastern Conference Series Recap Debate 3 |Western Conference Series Recap Brad Burud and Blake Friars are all fired up about week one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They review five questionable incidents, a few of which resulted in suspensions. They also run down each first round series and breakdown who has been good and who has not been good. They also discuss the amount of series that got off to a 2-0 start. PODCAST
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Canucks Legends Retire and Humboldt Broncos Tragedy
InsideEdge posted a blog entry in Inside Edge Hockey News
INSIDE EDGE HOCKEY NEWS – RADIO SHOW | EPISODE 8 Canucks Legends Retire and Humboldt Broncos Tragedy Brad Burud is joined with guest Blake Friars to discuss Vancouver Canucks legends Daniel and Henrik Sedin. The Sedins announced their retirement two weeks prior to the end of the regular season, and the final games were very exciting and the tribute was amazing. We also discuss the horrific tragedy that the Humboldt Broncos suffered. Sixteen members of the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team lost their lives in a horrible bus accident. We discuss the hockey communities response and support. LISTEN - PODCAST -
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 23 2018 Stanley Cup Preview and Predictions Debate 1 |2017-2018 Regular Season Prediction Recap Debate 2 |2018 Western Conference Stanley Cup Playoff Preview/Predictions Debate 3 |2018 Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Playoff Preview/Predictions Brad Burud and Blake Friars are pumped and ready to get the Stanley Cup Playoffs underway. First off we review the NHL regular season and discuss our predictions from opening night. We nailed some and we look like fools on some other picks. Then we dive into the Western Conference and Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Playoff matchups. We breakdown and argue each matchup, and most importantly tell you who will win and why. PODCAST - LISTEN
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In this post, I would like to talk about the Sedin brothers who are amazing players that play in Vancouver. The Sedin brothers are from Sweden, and they are fantastic players who are one of the best players in the NHL. All the years they played in Vancouver and reached a lot of achievements with the team. Which the highlight was in 2010 when the reached to the Stanley Cup and lost to Boston in seven games. I think that they have great skills and also modesty which in my opinion, is a significant quality that all the great players have. Also, they have this great strive to be the best players on the ice and to improve their game. I believe that they have fantastic orientation in the offensive zone and also in the defensive zone, they are excellent. I think that they are complete players and the best players that came out from Sweden which is becoming one of the best teams along with Canada, Russia, and the USA. I admire in them the devotion and dedication to the game and the success of the team. Also, their entire career was in Vancouver which is admirable, and you can rarely see this in the NHL. Also, they are leading in the scoring on the team in almost all of their career besides a couple of seasons. They are the best players in the team, and they are franchise players and also they said in interviews that they love to play in Vancouver and to think of retiring in Vancouver. I was glad to hear that because I believe that they are fantastic players who will be in the Hall of Fame and they did a lot for Vancouver, and they are the face of Vancouver. In my opinion, they are the best duo that there is in the NHL and because they are brothers and played all the career together, they have amazing chemistry. They know how each other plays and they know how to find each other on the ice which translates to a lot of goals and scoring opportunities. I see a lot of times that in the offensive zone they generate scoring opportunities from nothing because they know where each other is on the ice at every second. In conclusion, I think that they are incredible players and one of best duos that played this game. I believe that they have an amazing career and when they retire, they will rightfully go into the Hall of Fame. They don't have a lot of seasons to play, and Vancouver should start the rebuilding process now. I believe that the Sedin would be great mentors for the young players and the team will only benefit from this.
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The Instigator |Episode 11 GOAL! Are you Kidding Me!
InsideEdge posted a blog entry in Inside Edge Hockey News
The Instigator |Episode 11 GOAL! Are you Kidding Me! Cam Ward allowed one of the weirdest goals ever last week. The puck was rung around the boards by Arizona Coyotes Alex Goligoski. Ward exited his net to stop the puck. The puck stuck in his skate, and Ward (not knowing where the puck was) slid to the front of the net in order to defend his foot slid into the net. The whistle sounded and the officials counted it as a good goal. I have a big problem with this one counting. LISTEN PODCAST -
So, for the past several seasons teams that have not been playoff contenders and had the possibility of getting the first overall pick would lighten up ( Nice way of saying "Tank") so they could get the first pick in the draft. Then the NHL noting the problem decided to institute a lottery system for the five worst teams to deter that way of thinking. When that didn't work the way they thought, the NHL decided to put weights on the picks to make it harder for these teams to get the first pick. But,that still didn't work because even though they weighed the chances of picking first, the teams would still slow down with the hope of getting the first pick. This was troubling to the NHL hierarchy because poor performance means poor gate receipts and the league wasn't having it and had to figure out a way to stop that way of thinking and .....They Did This past week during the board of governors meetings, the Owners and GM's decided to change the lottery weight system to discourage non playoff teams from tanking. So, here is what the did; The way it is setup now the five teams with the least amount of points have a weighted chance of 43.4% (Combined) of getting the first overall pick While the other ten teams out of the playoffs have a 56.6% chance of getting the #1. What this means is even though an NHL team is one of the five lowest teams in the rankings, there is no guarantee these teams will get the first overall pick. So right now teams like Buffalo and Arizona have a slimmer chance of getting the #1 than say The New York Teams of Calergy. This is a smart move by the B.O.G's because it forces the teams to try and present a better product even if they are not playoff contenders. Great Job. NHL!!
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THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 22 Hart Trophy Race, Burning ELC Contracts, and In or Out of Playoffs? Debate 1 | The race for the Hart Trophy. Debate 2 | Should teams burn a year on an entry level contract by having players play games after their college season ends. Debate 3 | In or Out? The Playoff Race is on. Brad Burud and Blake Friars discuss the race for the Hart Trophy. Is McDavid the leader or does another player deserve it. Should teams burn up a year of players entry level contracts this late in the year? Or, should they save that player and contract year by waiting until next season. The NHL regular season is coming to an end. Who will be in and who will be out of the playoffs? LISTEN PODCAST
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3/25/2018 - Nashville Predators @ Winnipeg Jets
belowthegoalline posted a blog entry in Below the Goal Line
Thank you for reading! Please visit Below the Goal Line for more exclusive hockey coverage! NHL Game Updates: Philadelphia Flyers @ Pittsburgh Penguins, The Penguins win a 5-4 game in overtime. The Flyers sit six points ahead of the Florida Panthers for a playoff spot, so if they keep getting points, they will make the playoffs. Vancouver Canucks @ Dallas Stars, The Dallas Stars, who I tried to fix on Sunday afternoon, are in a free fall. This time, the Stars lose 4-1 on home ice to the lowly Vancouver Canucks. Boston Bruins @ Minnesota Wild, Both of these teams will be in the playoffs, but the Minnesota Wild still need to punch their ticket. Getting an overtime points helps for the Wild, but Boston gets the extra point for the win, and the Bruins now sit just two behind Tampa Bay for the Atlantic Division lead. Anaheim Ducks @ Edmonton Oilers, Connor McDavid did not get the memo that the Oilers stink this year. He has a goal and two assists, strengthening his point total on the year to 99. The Ducks, however, pick up two big points in overtime to move them into third place in the Pacific. Nashville Predators v Winnipeg Jets: I'm not sure if they NHL schedule makers knew that the Nashville Predators and the Winnipeg Jets would be fighting it out this late in the regular season for the top spot in the Central Division, but the schedule has given us some great hockey lately. The two have clashed twice since the trade deadline (February 26th), and meet again tonight to argue over who will play a Wild Card team instead of the third-place team in the division. When these two teams get together, they play fast and physical. The Jets looked like the more aggressive team with the body registered 29 hits in the game. Both teams looked like they didn't like each other, and those feelings of resentment will only get strong if they meet in the playoffs. This was another high-flying, high scoring affair. The Predators would score twice in the opening frame with a 4-on-4 goal by Roman Josi and a powerplay goal by Kyle Turris. Jets rookie Kyle Connor would score his 29th of the season on the powerplay 3:47 into the second period. This goal ties Connor with Vacouver's Brock Boeser for the rookie scoring lead. Ryan Ellis would make it 3-1 for the Predators three minutes later. Ellis has eight goals and 26 points in 37 games since returning to the lineup after missing the first half of the season due to injury. The Jets tie to the game at 13:53 of the second after goals by Dustin Byfuglien and Bryan Little. That tie would only last a couple of minutes because Predators forward Viktor Arvidsson would score his 28th of the season to make it 4-3 after two periods. Blake Wheeler made it 4-4 just 0:59 into the third period. The Jets captain now has 85 points on the season, a career high. No one would score during the rest of regulation, and neither team could get it done in the overtime period. The Jets looked like the hungrier, faster team during that stretch, and looked like they could overwhelm Nashville for a game winner. But in the end, the game went to a shootout, where Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck stopped all three Nashville shooters for the victory. Mark Scheifele beats Predators goalie Juuse Saros for the win. With the win, the Winnpeg Jets qualified for the playoffs. They sit five points behind the Preadators in the Central Division, and will likely play the third-place team in the division to open the playoffs. Right now, that team would be the Minnesota Wild. I think the Winnipeg Jets are a team to watch this season. If the Pittsburgh Penguins can win two straight Stanley Cups by playing a faster run-and-gun game, the Jets could use the same strategy to try to replicate the feat. I don't know that the Jets have that playoff experience needed to close out four playoff series, but they certainly have the ingredients to score with anyone in the league. Thanks for joining us. Please subscribe for email updates of future posts on the right side of the page (or after the entire article on your mobile devices). Don't forget to check us out on Twitter and Facebook! -
3/24/2018 - Tampa Bay Lightning @ New Jersey Devils
belowthegoalline posted a blog entry in Below the Goal Line
Don't forget to check out this article and the rest of the publications from Below the Goal Line! NHL Game Updates: Vegas Golden Knights @ Colorado Avalanche, With a win, the Golden Knights would capture a playoff berth. It was Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog who would deny them of that with his lone shootout goal. In a potential first round playoff match-up, Colorado was victorious in this one 2-1 (SO). Calgary Flames @ San Jose Sharks, The ice-cold Calgary Flames lose 5-1 to the red-hot San Jose Sharks. Evander Kane has 12 points in 12 games since joining the Sharks, who have now won seven in a row. Detroit Red Wings @ Toronto Maple Leafs, If you didn't see the magic of William Nylander and Auston Matthews, you should here. It was Nazem Kadri who scored at 12:34 of the third to provide the difference in a 4-3 win for the Leafs. Washington Capitals @ Montreal Canadiens, Caps center Nicklas Backstrom had four assists to help Washington to a 6-2 lead early in the third period. The Habs would get two back, but could not complete the comeback. Washington wins 6-4. Carolina Hurricanes @ Ottawa Senators, The problem for the 'Canes is the teams in front of them keep winning. Sitting nine points out of a playoff spot, they need to almost win out, and get a lot of help against the New Jersey Devils and Florida Panthers. They took care of the first part of that formula by winning 5-2 tonight. Arizona Coyotes @ Florida Panthers, Devils fans were excited when the Coyotes jumped out to the 2-0 lead through two periods. Florida would roar back with four in the third to win 4-2. Florida still sits three points back of New Jersey (see below), but still hold two games in hand over the Devils. Chicago Blackhawks @ New York Islanders, The Islanders are officially eliminated from the playoff race thanks to a 3-1 loss to Chicago. All eyes turn to the John Tavares sweepstakes now. Buffalo Sabres @ New York Rangers, The Rangers win a game between two non-playoff teams 5-1. St. Louis Blues @ Columbus Blue Jackets, The Blues continue to push for the playoffs after playing some poor hockey near the trade deadline. I wrote the Blues off earlier, but Jake Allen has been solid since then, winning 2-1 again tonight. The Blues jump back into the final Wild Card spot in the West. Nashville Predators @ Minnesota Wild, The flat Predators have already secured a playoff spot. The Wild inch closer to doing the same with the 4-1 win. Los Angeles Kings @ Edmonton Oilers, Connor McDavid scored twice to improve to 96 points this season, taking over the scoring lead from Nikita Kucherov of the Lightning. His second of the game, the 38th of his campaign, pushed the Oilers over the Kings, who fell out of a Wild Card spot with the loss. Tampa Bay Lightning v New Jersey Devils: Assuming the New Jersey Devils get a little bit of help keeping the Florida Panthers down, this was a possible first-round playoff preview against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Devils sit in the final Wild Card position in the Eastern Conference, while the Lightning look like the top team in the East. Unfortunately for the Devils, they will need a little bit of help to stave off the Panthers, who sit three points behind for their playoff spot. Florida also has two games in hand over the Devils, so without any help, the Panthers could pass the Devils by simply winning those two extra games left to play. All the Devils can do is gather points for themselves. Lately, it has been goalie Keith Kinkaid that has been picking up the wins for New Jersey. He was excellent again in this one, stopping 35 of 36 shots. Kinkaid kept the Lightning off the board through the first two periods, but goals by rookie Nico Hischier and Kyle Palmieri propelled Kinkaid and the Devils to the 2-1 win. The Lightning, who have already clinched a playoff spot, played a decent game, but were unable to solve Kinkaid until it was too late. Tampa Bay has been criticized for their lack-luster play lately, were strong in this one. Devils rookie Nico Hischier gives New Jersey the lead in the first when he taps in a rebound of a shot from the point. Kyle Palmieri makes it 2-0 at 10:59 of the second when skates into the slot and fires a puck past the Lightning goaltender. Andrei Vasilevskiy is that Tampa Bay goaltender. He has had a strong year, leading the NHL in wins with 42. Vasilevskiy was strong in this game, turning aside 31 and keeping the Lightning in the game. It was Tampa's high-flying offense that failed to show up in this one. Although they had a lot of chances and shots, the Lightning could only muster one goal, an Ondrej Palat tally in the third period. The Devils, who have now won two in a row, pick up the two points from the visiting Lightning in this one. They are now just two points behind the Philadelphia Flyers for the first Wild Card spot. Thanks for joining us. Please subscribe for email updates of future posts on the right side of the page (or after the entire article on your mobile devices). Don't forget to check us out on Twitter and Facebook! -
Thanks for reading! Please visit Below the Goal Line for more hockey coverage! A lot has been said lately about the current NHL playoff format. There has been a lot of negative sentiment over the structure we use now, and I want to give you my spin on it as we approach the playoffs. Don't forget to check out my Eastern Conference and Western Conference playoff previews. A third team, the Boston Bruins, qualified last night for the 2018 postseason. For simplicity, I don't think the NHL wants to change the playoff format this summer, and then change it again in a few years when the NHL expands to Seattle. I would imagine that we are sticking with the current playoff system until we have 32 teams, and the divisions are re-aligned. Personally, I don't have a big issue with the current playoff format. I think that if you want to win a Stanley Cup, you are going to have to go through good teams. If you play those good teams in the first two rounds as opposed to the Conference Finals or Stanley Cup Final, you still have to win 16 games to capture the ultimate prize. My preference, however, would be to return the playoff format should to the 1 vs. 8 first-round match-up format we had before the Thrashers moved to Winnipeg. I think the best teams in the regular season should be rewarded with the lower teams among qualifying teams in first-round match-ups. No matter what, the playoffs are not going to expand. We are staying with a 16-team playoff, and that will give eight playoff spots to each conference. There will be nothing good about saying the top 16 teams in the NHL make the playoffs If that were the case, why do we even have divisions or conferences? Everyone should be in the same conference and play every team twice a year in that scenario to make things even. I also don't agree with the notion that we throw away the conference thing and just go #1 record vs 16 record, #2 vs. #15, and so on. The travel would be exhausted for everyone involved. Keep the conferences separate, with the winners still meeting in the Stanley Cup Final. Personally, I am in favor of the four-team divisions (would give us eight divisions, four in each conference). If you missed that article, you can check it out here. I think you then give each division winner a playoff spot, and then four Wild Card spots make up the rest of the eight teams per conference. This system would reward good teams with a strong division leader, as they can still make the playoffs. You also aren't forcing "bad" teams into playoff spots like you do now. You force a team to win a division, or be a top team in the rest of its conference to make the playoffs, instead of giving away playoff spots to average teams in weak divisions. So, how do you seed your playoffs in this scenario? The division winners get home-ice advantage in the first round. I know we could see a case where the second-best team in Division A (metaphorical teams here) is better than the best team in Division C, but there has to be some reason you even have division. If you don't want to reward division winners, then let's just have one big Western Conference. Then, you give the best division winner the lowest Wild Card team. Reward the best team in the conference with the worst playoff team from that conference. Second best division winner gets the second lowest Wild Card team, and so on. It would look a little something like this: Division A winner vs. Wild Card #4 (Wild Card team with worst record) Division B winner vs. Wild Card #3 Division C winner vs. Wild Card #2 Division D winner vs. Wild Card #1 (Wild Card team with best record) After the first round, you go back to highest seed remaining plays lowest seed remaining. This would eliminate the unwanted second round match-ups of a really good team playing a really good team. This is the best case scenario in my mind, as everyone is treated fairly. There would be a better mix of teams in the playoffs, and we would get to see those playoff series between the "better teams" later in the playoffs, which it seems is the driving force for this whole conversation. Let's say we stick with the four division format for a minute. The current playoff systems would have to be altered for people to get what they want, even though I'm okay the way it is right now. I think you need to eliminate the mini brackets the NHL has created with the true playoff bracket. To counter this, the NHL should go back to the old format where the team with the best record that advances to the second round of the playoffs should face the team with the worst record that also advances. At the end of the day, someone who misses the playoffs will think they deserve to be in the playoffs every year. Every season, 15 teams (soon to be 16) don't make the playoffs. I think you could make a case for a different playoff system every year to fit your favorite team in the playoffs. This is what I would do to make things a little bit more balanced for the entirety of the NHL.
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THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 21 Rule Controversy, Serious Cup Contenders, and Playoff Format Debate 1 | Offsides/Goalie Interference solutions – General Managers Meetings. Debate 2 |Serious Stanley Cup Contenders Debate 3 |NHL Stanley Cup Playoff formats – What system do you like? Brad Burud and Blake Friars discuss offside controversy, and goalie interference. Who are the serious Stanley Cup contenders and what playoff format do you think is the best. It is the push for the playoffs and action in the NHL is heating up on and off the ice. Also a new segment to the show, 3 Questions. Brad fires three questions at Blake. High sticking, NHL problems, and billboards headline the questions. PODCAST
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Nathan MacKinnon collected his fourth weekly NHL three-star honors this afternoon after posting six goals and two assists in four games for the Colorado Avalanche. MacKinnon’s eight points were one off of leader Alex Pietrangelo’s nine points. But as he’s been doing all season, MacKinnon has done a fantastic job collecting primary points. He scored six goals and added one primary assist to lead the league last week with seven primary points. For those that are unaware or may need a reminder, a primary point in hockey is the total goals and ‘first assist’ that a player collects. The NHL officially started tracking secondary assists in 1935-36 and any player that collects a secondary assist receives one point just like the primary assist-getter and the goal scorer. Heading into the final 10 games on the Avs’ schedule, Nathan MacKinnon has produced just 17 secondary assists this season. His primary point totals equate to 38 goals, 34 ‘first assists,’ and 72 primary points in 64 GP. Since 2007-08 the list of players that have produced over 1.00 Primary P/GP is very small. In fact, it includes only five names (MacKinnon being the sixth) over and over again. Let’s take a look: Alex Ovechkin 2007-08 101 Primary Points 82 GP 1.23 Primary P/GP Evgeni Malkin 2011-12 96 Primary Points 75 GP 1.28 Primary P/GP Alex Ovechkin 2008-09 88 Primary Points 79 GP 1.11 Primary P/GP Alex Ovechkin 2009-10 87 Primary Points 72 GP 1.21 Primary P/GP Sidney Crosby 2009-10 87 Primary Points 81 GP 1.07 Primary P/GP Patrick Kane 2015-16 87 Primary Points 82 GP 1.06 Primary P/GP Steve Stamkos 2011-12 85 Primary Points 82 GP 1.04 Primary P/GP Evgeni Malkin 2007-08 85 Primary Points 82 GP 1.04 Primary P/GP Sidney Crosby 2008-09 84 Primary Points 77 GP 1.09 Primary P/GP Evgeni Malkin 2008-09 82 Primary Points 82 GP 1.00 Primary P/GP Nathan MacKinnon 2017-18 * 72 Primary Points 64 GP 1.13 Primary P/GP Sidney Crosby 2007-08 57 Primary Points 53 GP 1.08 Primary P/GP Patrick Kane 2013 47 Primary Points 47 GP 1.00 Primary P/GP Sidney Crosby 2013 43 Primary Points 36 GP 1.19 Primary P/GP (Evgeni Malkin currently has 67 primary points in 68 GP this season). Alex Ovechkin has been the king of producing productive primary point seasons during his illustrious NHL career. It goes without mentioning that his 601 goals are all accounted as primary points. But since 2008 Ovechkin has produced 412 assists of which 246 were ‘first assists.’ Ovechkin leads the way with the highest scoring primary point season in the NHL since 2007-08. That year, Ovechkin recorded 101 primary points in 82 GP, highlighted by a career-high 65 goals. His primary P/GP production checked in at a whopping 1.23. But this is actually not the most productive number since that year. In 2011-12, Evgeni Malkin led the league with 109 points in just 75 GP. Of those 109, Malkin scored 50 goals and recorded the first assist 46 times to total 96 primary points in 75 GP. This produced a 1.28 primary P/GP pace. While MacKinnon still has an opportunity to continue to rack up points and climb up the board, it’s hard to imagine he adds 23 primary points over the last 10 games of the season to eclipse Malkin’s 1.28 primary P/GP pace from six years ago. Impressively, the only other seasons better than MacKinnon’s current 1.13 primary P/GP are a 1.21 pace from Ovechkin in 2009-10 (87 primary points in 72 GP) and Sidney Crosby’s injury-plagued 43 primary points in 36 GP season during the already shortened lockout year. MacKinnon’s 72 primary points in 64 GP is the fifth most productive primary point season since 2007-08 with only future hall-of-famers Ovechkin, Malkin and Crosby producing better seasons. What makes his production this season all the more impressive is the fact that he not only has the lone >1.00 primary P/GP pace this season, but last year’s leader Connor McDavid produced just 74 primary points in 82 GP. In fact, since the 2013 lockout, the only other player to produce over 1.00 primary P/GP is Patrick Kane in 2015-16. In each of the other seasons (2013-14, 2014-15, 2016-17) the leading primary point producer was unable to eclipse that mark. The leaders of those seasons are listed below: Sidney Crosby 2013-14 70 Primary Points 80 GP 0.88 Primary P/GP Tyler Seguin 2013-14 70 Primary Points 80 GP 0.88 Primary P/GP Alex Ovechkin 2014-15 73 Primary Points 81 GP 0.90 Primary P/GP Connor McDavid 2016-17 74 Primary Points 82 GP 0.90 Primary P/GP It’s quite obvious at this point that MacKinnon has turned heads all season with his offensive production. He’s almost single handedly leading the Avs back to the playoffs. While he has received support from his linemates Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog along with high-scoring offensive defenseman Tyson Barrie, MacKinnon’s primary point production leads the Avs by a wide margin. Rantanen comes in at second place with 51 primary points in 71 GP while Landeskog and Barrie are yet to reach 40 primary points. There has been a lot of talks surrounding MacKinnon and the Hart Trophy all season long. Whether or not he wins it is still up in the air. But one thing is for certain about the young 22-year-old centerman. Highlighted by his two goals and one primary assist yesterday against the Red Wings, MacKinnon has been at the forefront of almost every major Avalanche goal this season. And with 10 GP before the end of the regular-season, he has a chance to reach primary point numbers the league hasn’t seen from anyone outside of the big three that have dominated the NHL in the shootout era. (All stats from naturalstattrick.com and nhl.com. All photos from avalanche.nhl.com) CLICK HERE to continue reading! -
INSIDE EDGE HOCKEY NEWS – RADIO SHOW | EPISODE 7 Flames Fallout, New Taylor Hall, and Season Ticket Drives The Inside Edge Hockey News Brad Burud discusses the struggles this year in Calgary. Will the Flames make big off-season moves if they fail to make the playoffs. Why is Taylor Hall thriving in New Jersey? How would Regina do with a season ticket drive? PODCAST LISTEN
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THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 20 Carolina Chaos, NHL Player Poll, and No Playoff Surge Debate 1 | Carolina removes Ron Francis at General Manager Debate 2 | NHL Player Poll – Who are the players favorites Debate 3 | What teams are playing themselves out of the playoffs. Brad Burud and Blake Friars are ready to debate. What is going on in Carolina and will the removal of Ron Francis change this team dynamic. Who do the players think is the best. Analysis on the recent NHL players poll. Teams are stumbling down the playoff stretch, who will find themselves on the outside of the Stanley Cup Playoffs? PODCAST - LISTEN
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The Instigator |Episode 10 Bench Doors Closed In the wake of young superstar Brock Boeser going down with an injury he suffered as he crashed into an open bench door. We ask the question, should there be a rule implemented that only allows bench doors to be open during stoppages in play? LISTEN NOW
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