NHL Round 1 Surprises, MVPs, Coaching Job Openings And More
The Hockey News Big Show is here to not only discuss the closing stages of the first round but some of the other biggest topics in the NHL.
Here’s what Michael Traikos, Ryan Kennedy and Katie Gaus discussed in this episode:
0:47: Game 6 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators is Thursday night. Are the Leafs still "fine," or could they blow another series lead again?
3:30: How much pressure is on the Maple Leafs in Game 6, and do you expect any lineup changes?
6:06: Even if the Maple Leafs do win the series, have they changed your mind about them being a "contender?"
9:30: The Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals will meet in the second round. Thoughts on this series?
13:28: In Game 5 between the Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights, there was a league review for a kicking motion, which gave Vegas time to watch the goal, and when it was determined there was no kick, Vegas challenged for offside, and the goal was overturned. Many online comments suggest that this is ruining hockey. Do you agree?
16:43: Most surprising series so far?
20:11: First-round MVP candidates so far?
22:07: Player that's been the biggest surprise in the first round, for good or bad reasons?
25:19: The NHL’s coaching carousel is spinning like crazy, with so many open jobs. Where do we see Rick Tocchet and Mike Sullivan landing? Could more coaches lose their jobs?
29:15: The NHL’s Hart Trophy finalists are Leon Draisaitl, Connor Hellebuyck and Nikita Kucherov. Thoughts on no Nathan Mackinnon? Who will win it?
33:16: Taylor Hall signed a three-year contract extension worth $3.167 million annually. Do we like it?
34:25: Utah Hockey Club’s YouTube channel briefly showed "@UtahMammoth" as the handle... sounds like this is it? Yay or nay?
36:58: Who do you want to see win the NHL draft lottery? Who actually wins it?
39:59: Patrik Laine enters the final year of his contract next season. Do the Habs re-sign him over the summer?
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42:10
Bruce Boudreau Talks NHL Playoffs, Canucks' Hughes And Ovechkin
We have a special guest for a special playoff edition of The Hockey News Big Show.
Longtime NHL coach Bruce Boudreau joins Ryan Kennedy and Michael Traikos to discuss what's going on in the Stanley Cup playoffs, what's happening with the non-playoff squads and some of Boudreau's stories, including his time with the Vancouver Canucks.
Here's what they discussed in this episode:
0:00: Which goaltender should start for the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 versus the Los Angeles Kings?
8:14: Has Matthew Knies’ play unlocked a new level of offense for the Toronto Maple Leafs on the power play?
14:58: Have the Washington Capitals proven to be a true Stanley Cup contender?
20:19: With their roster now fully healthy, do the Florida Panthers have the scariest offense in the East?
24:49: Are the Winnipeg Jets proving they don’t need Connor Hellebuyck to play at a top-tier level to be a Stanley Cup contender?
28:36: Breaking down Gabriel Landeskog’s return to the Colorado Avalanche's lineup.
33:50: After signing an extension with the New York Rangers, what should Chris Drury’s off-season plan be?
39:15: Who should take home the Jack Adams Award this year?
41:01: Will Alex Ovechkin retire from hockey before the age of 50?
43:30: Who’s the best goal-scorer that Boudreau ever played with and against?
45:03: Which first-round series is most likely to have an upset?
47:34: Should Jim Rutherford have discussed Quinn Hughes’ contract talks publicly?
49:27: Updated Stanley Cup picks
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51:43
Your Guide To The 2025 NHL Playoffs
The Hockey News Big Show is here to preview the first round of the NHL’s 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Here’s what Michael Traikos, Ryan Kennedy and Steve Warne discussed in this episode:
0:57: Will the Battle of Ontario have over or under three fights in this series?
3:01: Do the Ottawa Senators hope they can suck the Toronto Maple Leafs into playing a physical style of game?
3:55: What will playoff Brady Tkachuk look like?
5:45: Who will be the Maple Leafs’ X-factor for them?
7:40: How much of a load will Jake Sanderson face against Toronto's top line?
8:55: Predictions for the Leafs and Sens series
10:34: Do the youngsters in Montreal have enough in them to run the table against the Washington Capitals?
13:59: Prediction for the Canadiens and Capitals series
15:18: In the Battle of Florida, Vasilevskiy and Bobrosky have both been known to turn it on in the playoffs. Will this series turn into a goalie duel?
17:21: Will the physical aspect of Florida match up to the skill of Tampa?
18:45 Predictions for the Panthers and Lightning series
21:04: Predictions for the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils series
21:49: Are there any similarities you see between this year's St. Louis Blues team and the 2019 team that won the Cup?
24:21: Does Jordan Binnington have the edge over Connor Hellebuyck?
25:34: Prediction for the Jets and Blues series
26:43: How do injuries affect the Dallas Stars?
28:52: Will Mikko Rantanen be the X-factor for Dallas while facing his old team?
30:39: How do you see this series between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Minnesota Wild shaking out?
32:13: Are there any similarities you see between this year's Vegas team and the team that won the Cup?
33:38: Predictions for the Knights and Wild
34:02: Are injuries still a big issue for the Edmonton Oilers?
35:03: How will the goaltending matchup look between the Oilers and Los Angeles Kings?
37:08: Predictions for the Kings and Oilers series
37:20: Who do you see in the Stanley Cup final?
40:06: Which player will lead the playoffs in scoring?
41:14: Since the 2014-15 season, only three of the Stanley Cup winners have been from the Western Conference. Will this year's winner be coming from the East or West?
42:16: Which team will go on a Cinderella run?
43:44: Who is an unlikely playoff hero?
44:36: Which Cup "favorite" will go out earliest?
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46:40
This Is Canada’s Best Chance At Ending The Stanley Cup Drought In Years
The Hockey News Big Show is back to discuss some of the biggest NHL and hockey topics.
Here’s what Katie Gaus, Michael Traikos and Ryan Kennedy discussed in this episode:
3:01: The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars are locked in for a first-round matchup. Here’s what to expect and the series prediction.
7:48: The Winnipeg Jets clinched the Presidents' Trophy as the regular-season champions. Since 1986, only eight of the 37 Presidents' Trophy winners have won the Stanley Cup. Do you believe in the curse?
11:01: What has impressed you most about Winnipeg's season, and more importantly, can they continue it in the playoffs?
13:55: For the first time in NHL history, the Bruins, Penguins and Rangers have all missed the playoffs. Which team will make it back into the playoffs? What moves do they need to make to get there?
17:14: This year's Stanley Cup playoffs could likely feature five of the seven Canadian teams. It would be the first time five Canadian teams have made it since 2017. Is this the year since 1993 we see the Stanley Cup brought back to Canada?
21:08: Which team has a better chance of winning the Cup between Toronto and Winnipeg?
21:59: We've got a few new faces making it into the playoffs this year. Which player who has never been in the playoffs are you most excited to see get their first taste of playoff hockey?
24:12: Which player is a bigger loss for their team heading into the playoffs: Mattias Ekholm for the Oilers or Oliver Bjorkstrand for the Lightning?
28:07: Reports out of Boston indicate that no changes are expected in the Bruins’ front office, so it looks like Don Sweeney and Cam Neely are here to stay. Is this good or bad for Boston? Could we see any other team making changes at the top and firing a GM?
32:19: Ivan Demidov had an impressive NHL debut, with one goal and one assist. Could he be the next Guy Lafleur?
34:52: Logan Couture is not expected to continue his NHL playing career. He played 15 years, all for the San Jose Sharks. Where does he rank among all-time Sharks greats?
36:37: The NHLPA Player Poll was released today – 630 players were asked to name the league's most complete player. Sidney Crosby finished slightly ahead of Aleksander Barkov. Agree or disagree?
39:29: What’s your favorite NHL Stanley Cup playoff tradition?
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42:20
What Is Canucks' Brock Boeser's Future?
We’re nearly one week away from the NHL playoffs, and The Hockey News Big Show is here to discuss some of the biggest topics.
Here’s what Katie Gaus, Michael Traikos and guest co-host Steve Warne discussed in this episode:
1:03: We have our first Stanley Cup playoff series officially locked in. The Carolina Hurricanes will host the New Jersey Devils. What will we see in this series?
3:31: Will the Hurricanes and Devils have high-scoring battles?
4:56: Predicting the winner of the Hurricanes-Devils series
6:30: The Minnesota Wild got Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek back from injury. How do their returns change Minnesota’s playoff outlook?
10:13: The Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers are once again almost a lock to battle it out in the first round. This would be the fourth-straight year they meet in Round 1. How could this time be different?
13:00: Steve updates his top eight Stanley Cup contenders list.
14:40: Micheal explains his changes to his Cup contenders list and why.
16:59: How does a team balance resting players and making sure they are ready to go for Game 1 of the playoffs?
19:26: What should we know about Ivan Demidov and his game as he joins the Montreal Canadiens? What kind of boost could this give Montreal?
23:34: Brock Boeser said it’s unlikely he’ll re-sign with the Vancouver Canucks. Where could he end up?
26:20: Should Boeser be worried about looking for a higher salary or getting more trem?
28:10: Which team likely to miss the playoffs this year will take an even bigger step backward next season?
31:00: In their rookie seasons, Connor Bedard had 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games, while Macklin Celebrini has 24 goals and 62 points in 66 games and counting. Who would you take?
33:46: The Philadelphia Flyers have won four of five games since firing John Tortorella. Michkov has eight points in five games, and Foerster has seven points, with both getting more ice time. In hindsight, did the Flyers make the right decision to fire their coach with less than a month left?
36:49: Patrick Roy put in 21-year-old AHL goalie Tristan Lennox with the team down 6-1, then pulled him after allowing a goal on two shots in the 9-2 loss. Did this bother you? Is Roy on thin ice after this move?
40:25: The NCAA national championship game is Saturday. Who is your pick to win between Western Michigan and Boston University?
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On Tuesdays and Fridays, we'll have in-depth analysis and lively discussion about everything happening in the NHL. Whether it’s trade rumors, player development or season predictions, it has expert takes and fresh perspectives on every episode.
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