From the Cheap Seats

**Disclaimer** This episode was recorded prior to the public release of the results of the investigation into the Chicago Blackhawks that revealed horrifying accounts of sexual abuse and manipulation, as well as negligence on the part of several members of the Blackhawks organization. We will be addressing this situation in full on a later episode. In our first ever game of the week episode, in which we highlight two teams with newsworthy storylines that are facing off against each other, we deep dive into the Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Chicago Blackhawks. Both teams come from big cities with passionate fans and overwhelming media attention. Both teams have also had rocky and unsuccessful starts to the season. So what exactly is going wrong, and how can they right the ship? Adam and Matt give their thoughts and predict the winner of what will be a massive game for the outcome of either teams' season.  Enjoy! 

A division containing both last year's champion the Tampa Bay Lightning and the league's last place team the Buffalo Sabres. This division is characterized by that spread in talent, as the top of this division will battle for the presidents' trophy, while the bottom will be in the hunt for Shane Wright at next year's draft. But there are still lots of questions to anseer...How will Montreal fare after their run to the cup? Will Boston or Toronto stumble after failing to fulfill expectations last season? How high will the Florida Panthers fly? Can the Ottawa  Senators and Detroit Red Wings steal wins from their playoff counterparts? We discuss all this and give our predictions for the Atlantic Division in the 2021-22 NHL season. Enjoy! 

Some consider it the best division in hockey, but who will come out on top? The Penguins and Capitals have dominated, but with injuries and age catching up to them how will they fare? Will the Hurricanes maintain elite play without some key players? What kind of growth will we see from the young teams, the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils? Throw in the dominant New York Islanders, the hard to beat Columbus Blue Jackets, and the unpredictable Philadelphia Flyers and this is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing divisions to watch. We give our thoughts and predictions and try to answer some of the most burning questions for this incredibly exciting division. Enjoy! 

Matt and Adam return with From the Cheap Seats for the new NHL season! After a long summer of rest, the boys are excited for what is shaping up to be an incredible year of hockey. We recap the late summer moves and recent stories heading into the season, including the latest on Jack Eichel, Carolina's offer sheet, COVID storylines, trades, signings, and more...AND stay tuned in the coming days for our divisional previews covering our thoughts/predictions on where teams from the across the NHL will finish. You won't want to miss it. 

Chaos. That's what has been happening around the NHL this week with the number of trades being made, players being cut, and draft picks being made. It's also what's going on with us in this episode, as we recorded with some friends present and maybe more than one beer of the week. It's a lot of fun, especially with everything there was to talk about this week...Enjoy! 

The 32nd NHL franchise is about to add their first ever players in Wednesday's expansion draft. Some major decisions need to be made as the Kraken look to ice a competitive team while also taking advantage of the cap situation they can set themselves up with. Do they take veterans like Tarasenko and Price? Or young guns like Vince Dunn and Kiefer Bellows? Or even reclamation projects like Max Domi or Ryan Johansen? Listen to our predictions and stay tuned for later this week when we review the final roster. We also cover all the news and moves that led up to today's draft. Enjoy!(Expansion predictions come in around the 50 minute mark) 

The Tampa Bay Lightning are officially the 2021 Stanley Cup Champions! What looked all but finalized finally came to an end when Ross Colton and Andrei Vasilevsky led the Lightning past Montreal in a 1-0 game 5 victory. We discuss their run to the finals, how they stack up against the best teams in the salary cap era, Kucherov's drunken post game presser, the shenanigans from the parade, and what comes next for this team. Enjoy! (This episode was split in two and part 2 which covers news from around the league as the offseason ramps up will be out tomorrow!)

This weird and unique NHL season is coming to a close, but while the on ice action may be coming to a halt, the off season is just beginning. Some big name players like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Joel Eriksen Ek have signed long term, Buffalo and Arizona named new head coaches, and the Los Angeles Kings pick up Viktor Arvidsson for what looks to be a bargain. We talk about the recent activity from around the league as well as analysis from the Stanley Cup Finals between the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning. Enjoy! (and stay tuned for our full breakdown of the Finals coming in the next few days)

The Stanley Cup Finals are FINALLY here! The Montreal Canadiens are taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning in what we think will be a much more competitive series than some have suggested. We give our thoughts on coverage from Tampa's game one victory as well how we think the series will play out. On top of our predictions we take a look back at our original playoff brackets, and of course we have beer. Enjoy! 

Game Seven from Tampa Bay as the Islanders and Lightning look set to face off. With the winner facing Montreal in the final we cover the final stages of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. We also start to look ahead as some offseason moves are beginning to be made, both on the ice and behind the bench as Seattle name Dave Hakstol the first coach in franchise history. Lots of stupid chatter and some great beers. Enjoy! 

Matt and Adam are finally in person to record! The first ever live recording of From the Cheap Seats had plenty of stupid jokes, good laughs, hockey insight (at least we think so), and of course many many many beers. We cover the NHL semifinals, both the Islanders vs. Lightning and the Golden Knights vs. Canadiens, as well as who we see as the early Conn Smythe favorites for the four remaining teams. Price or Fleury? Pageau or Point? That and so much more from around the league as Gallant lands with the NYR, Brad Larsen is promoted for the CBJ, and where could Hamilton end up? Grab your own beer of the week and enjoy! 

Fans are finally back in full capacity across the league and they are bringing the HEAT. Boston, Vegas, Colorado, and Nassau, Long Island...electricity in all the buildings as intensity ramps up and the stakes continue to rise. Who will ultimately come out on top? We cover all four remaining series and some additional stories from around the league (Buffalo wins the draft lottery, Canada claims the World Championship, and more league awards finalists are named.)  Enjoy! 

What, oh what does Toronto do now? Their first playoff series win since 2004 seemed all but inevitable when they went up 3 games to 1. But another massive disappointment was waiting around the corner for the Maple Leafs as the Montreal Canadiens skated back to a game 7 win and a date with the Winnipeg Jets in the second round. We give our thoughts and what went wrong and how they can break their playoff curse. That and coverage from the finales of the first round and the early second round excitement in a jam packed episode. Enjoy! 

Dominos have started to fall as the first round series are coming to a close. Mcdavid and the Oilers dropped three straight in OT to get swept by the Winnipeg Jets, the Bruins made quick work of the Capitals, and the Avalanche bounced the Blues. We cover each series from around the league and nominate some winners and losers from the playoffs so far. Enjoy! 

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are FINALLY here! The battle of Florida has kicked off to a fast paced start, Minnesota and Vegas engaged in two tight, low scoring games, the Canadian teams are finally kicking things off, and Boston take Washington to three straight overtimes. So many storylines to follow so we have you covered. We watch all the games and keep you up to date with all everything going on as the playoffs kick off. Enjoy!

Boy did that Tom Wilson incident against the New York Rangers blow up in the story of the season. The incident led to hundreds of minutes of penalties, hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, a suspension, two lost jobs, and so much more. Mixed in with the chaos was one of the most heartwarming moments of the year as TJ Oshie scored a hatrick in the first game back since the passing of his father, "coach". All this plus Mcdavid reaces 100, TNT and ESPN hire their first few broadcasters, and the playoff matchups are shaping up. Enjoy! - Beers of the Week (3:05) - Tom Wilson vs. The New York Rangers vs. The NHL (6:22)- Other Big Stories (34:15)    - Mcdavid 100 points    - TNT and ESPN hire Ferraro, Eddie O, Boucher, Kenny Albert   - Playoff picture provides interesting matchups    - Tortorella and Tochet stepping away - Game of the Week (51:25)    - Recap of Stars vs. Blachawks   - Next week TBD, will be playoff dependent - Winners and Losers (55:10) 

In the final two weeks of the NHL season there are still a couple of playoff spots up for grabs. Who finishes where and how does that influence what might happen when the postseason starts? Matt and Adam dive into these questions and recap what the playoff picture will look like. The guys also get into who will win some of the biggest awards from this season. Fox or Makar for Norris? Fleury or Vasilevsky for Vezina? And Mcdavid runs away with the Hart... 

There's little structure in today's episode as Matt and Adam rifle through a packed week of information from around the National Hockey League. Mcdavid continues to dominate, Caufield and Knight make their NHL debuts, and "Ryan O'Reilly is a hockey player". Finally, TNT and ESPN are taking over broadcasting starting next season, what on air talent could they attract to run the games? 

Lots of non-hockey back and forth to start the episode, but it's all worth a listen as Adam and I laugh our way through some hilarious personal stories and news from the rest of the sports world. We carried that fun into this week's hockey talk which covered the Canucks controversial return to play, an outstanding game of the week (where we were introduced to the "Big Russian Bear" Andrei Svechnikov), and Ovechkin's interesting bench behavior. Enjoy! Non-hockey chatter (00:30)Super League short lifeDigital Refrigerators Adam’s New Jersey new jersey (Thanks Dom, Corey, etc!)Beers of the Week (21:31)Big Stories from around the NHL (25:30) Vancouver Canucks return to play Milestone Moments (Marleau, Lucic, Backstrom)Lowry ExtensionGame of the Week (33:53) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Carolina Hurricanes Recap Edmonton Oilers vs. Montreal Canadiens PreviewWinners and Losers of the Week (41:43)David Rittich tapes his padsRangers dominate DevilsOvechkin does what on the bench? So much more 

Jack Edwards delivered another wonderful metaphor this week, describing the Bruins as being on top of a cornice, with the ground about to fall out from under them. This was the case for players around the league as trade deadline week saw many of them step off the cornice into more favorable team situations, and others had the snow fall out from under them and join teams at the bottom of the mountain. Among these players were Jakub Vrana, Sam Bennet, Anthony Mantha, Taylor Hall, and so many more. We highlight the biggest moves made and give our thoughts. Enjoy! - Beers of the Week - Trade Deadline Recap - Game of the Week     - Recap of LA Kings vs. Arizona Coyotes     - Preview of Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Carolina Hurricanes - Winners/Losers from around the NHL 

Who are this year's sellers? Buyers? And what players are going where? We give our thoughts on this week's upcoming trade deadline as teams prepare for what will be one of the most unique final stretch of all time. Palmieiri, Hall, Savard, Zajac, Rakkel, Reinhart, and more are all part of out extensive look. Enjoy! - Beers of the Week (5:48)- Big Stories from around the NHL (8:08)     - Vancouver Canucks get COVID - Trade Deadline Coverage (16:33)- Game of the Week     - Toronto Maple Leads vs. Winnipeg Jets Recap     - Arizona Coyotes vs. Los Angeles Kings Preview -Winners and Loser of the Week (1:05:00)

It's a longer one, but it may be the best episode yet. Packed with news about Tim Peel and refereeing in the NHL, the Boston Pride winning the Isobel Cup, a questionable Mcdavid hit, Gostibehere on waivers, and even Michael Strahan getting rid of the gap in his teeth. Come for the Jack Edwards commentary, stay for new coaching strategy we've invented for too many men on the ice and everything in between. Enjoy! - Beers of the Week - Jack Edwards and Bruins/Devils Talk - Big Stories from around the NHL     - Tim Peel Hot Mic     - Questionable Hits from Mcdavid, Marchand, Wilson    - Trades/Wavers     - NWHL, College Hockey- Game of the Week     - Detroit Red Wings vs. Nashville Predators Recap     - Toronto Maple Leads vs. Winnipeg Jets Preview - Winners/Losers of the week 

For the sake of Buffalo fans, whose team finally fired coach Ralph Krueger, we take a look into the future of some franchises who we see as potential contenders three years from now. We also dive into an incredible night for Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegras who each notched their first career goals in our game of the week. Throw in some hilarious winners and losers and it was a great episode recorded from new locations in Colorado and New Jersey. Enjoy!(P.S. apologies for the late upload, life got in the way, but hopefully you all still enjoy!) - Beers of the Week (5:00)   - Ascension    - Fiddlehead- Big Stories (8:00)   - Buffalo fires Ralph Krueger - Top 3 teams that will become contenders three years from now (21:30) - Game of the Week (43:23)    - Anaheim Ducks vs. Arizona Coyotes Recap    - Nashville Predators vs. Detroit Red Wings Preview - Winners/Losers of the Week: (51:00)

An action packed episode that features a brand new segment in which we discuss some of the changes we'd love to see made in the NHL.  Scheduling changes?  A new all star game format?  That plus coverage from around the league with big stories that included Alex Ovechkin's scoring record and Jordan Binnington's new contract make up a must listen show.  Enjoy!- Beers of the Week    - Zombie Dust    - Becky Likes the Smell - Top Stories from Around the NHL    - Alex Ovechkin pass Esposito    - Binnington signs on long term with the Blues    - Maple Leafs Deadline Day Plans - Top 3s (New segment)    - What are the top 3 changes we'd like to see made in the NHL - Game of the Week    - Montreal Canadiens vs. Calgary Flames (Recap)    - Arizona Coyotes vs. Anaheim Ducks (Preview) - Winners and Losers    - Dean Evanson, Stephen A. Smith, Anti Raanta, and so much more Don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave a review! We love hearing from you. 

We're just about halfway through the NHL season so we decided to take a look around the league on the latest stories from all 31 teams. We mix overall updates with the latest news and stories that include a goal of the season candidate from Matt Barzal, Calgary's hiring of Darryl Sutter, and the surprise play of the Chicago Blackhawks. Enjoy! - 90 Seconds or less on every team from around the league - Beers of the week (1:06) - Cerveza Dorada - Cloud Candy

It's been ANOTHER disastrous season in Buffalo. Jeff Skinner is being healthy scratched, Eichel is having a down year, Hall isn't putting the puck in the net. The fans, who have been waiting over ten years to see playoff hockey again, are beginning to lose interest and care for the team. Pundits and media sources around the league are even starting to take notice, highlighting how bad the effort it is on a nightly basis from a team that based on talent should be so much better. So what can the team do? Matt and Adam gives their thoughts, then move on to discuss everything from Binnington's temper tantrum to Patrick Kane's 400th. Enjoy! - Beers of the Week (1:26) - Jersey Devil, Cricket Hill Brewery - Two Hearted Ale, Bell's Brewery- Big Stories from around the NHL (7:17) - Claude Julian fired in Montreal - The Buffalo Sabres - Game of the Week (36:01) - Panthers vs. Stars Recap - Blues vs. Sharks Preview - Winners/Losers (44:00)

The big focus this week were the outdoor games played in Lake Tahoe between the Avalanche and the Golden Knights plus the Bruins and the Flyers. However, the outdoor games weren’t the only spectacle, as stars like Matthews, Mcdavid, Kane, and Crosby all shined in a wonderful week for the NHL. Enjoy! - Beers (6:30)- - Citra Dreams - Sierra Nevada Hazy IPA - Lake Tahoe (Game of the Week)(8:14) - - BOS vs. PHI - COL vs. VGK -FLA vs DAL (Next week) - Big Storylines from NHL (40:20)- - Winners/Losers of the Week (50:05)- (PS apologies for the small audio issue for the first 6 minutes- computer issue! Don't hate us!)

Mismanagement was the theme of the week as horror stories from big companies in the North and South took over the news. Matt and Adam discuss how Bell Media Company and the Arizona Coyotes found themselves in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Then, we dive into some of the funnier stories from around the NHL, including Rask's stroll to the bench, massive roster turnover, new management for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the upcoming games in Lake Tahoe. (and so much more) Enjoy! - Beers of the Week (3:13)- Big Stories from around the NHL (5:35) - Bell Firings - Katie Streng article in the Athletic on the Coyotes - Roster Turnover (waivers, trades, Seattle) - The Rebound (following up on stories from past episodes) (32:42) - New COVID Protocols - Fans coming back - Penguins Front Office - Patrick Laine - Winners/Losers of the Week (53:36)

The first star of this week in the NHL is the...bench?! Yup. Between John Tortorella's insistence on continuing to bench his star players and the NHL's new COVID protocols which have removed the glass from behind the teams' benches (but not in the penalty box, for some reason), it was a big week for the ole wooden plank. Special Bonus: Matt learns about red beer and HIPAA. Enjoy! - Beers of the Week (0:16)- Big Stories from around the NHL (11:26) - Covid postponements and new protocols - The disastrous Vancouver Canucks - Featured Games of the Week (34:03) - Carolina Hurricanes vs. Columbus Blue Jackets - Washington Capitlas vs. Pittsburgh Penguins - Winners/Losers of the Week (46:25) Like and Subscribe to the show if you're enjoying, and don't forget to leave us a review!

The New York Rangers placed defenseman Tony Deangelo on waivers last week after a series of maturity and performance issues. It was made clear he's played his last game for the blue shirts, so what happens to him next? Matt and Adam give their thoughts then dive into other stories from all around the NHL. (Oh, and there's plenty of pasta discussed. - Beers of the Week: 5:33- Big Story of the Week (Tony Deangelo): 8:27- "Shooting Gallery" (Quick stories and takes from around the league): 20:00- "Rumor Mill": 40:13- Featured Games (Avalanche vs. Wild, Blue Jackets vs. Hurricanes): 50:49- Winners/Loser of the Week: 58:55Enjoy!

This episode takes you from the week's major trade between the Winnipeg Jets and the Columbus Blue Jackets to stories about taking a tennis ball to the stones. It's wild and wacky, and a lot of fun. As always, leave a review and don't forget to subscribe! Enjoy! - Beers of the week (3:33) - Big Storylines from around the NHL (8:47) - PL Dubois - Laine Swap - Chayka Punishment - Capitals Covid Situation - Featured Hockey Games of the week (38:00) - Recap of VAN vs. OTT - Preview of COL vs. MIN -Winners/Losers of the week (55:50)

Matt and Adam discuss a wild first week in the NHL that included a big goal(s) for Keith Yandle, grumpy leafs fans, and an adorable interview with Yegor Sharangovich. New segments are introduced, but most importantly we discuss how much we'd love feedback from the fans about what we can do to keep the show as engaging and entertaining as possible. Enjoy! - Call to action for fan recommendations (2:55)- Beers of the week (4:43)- Big stories (7:35)- Game of the week Recap/Preview (24:10)- Winners/Loser of the week (39:46)

In the first ever, marathon length episode we dive into our expectations for the 2020-21 NHL season. We discuss season previews for all 31 teams, give our picks for the NHL awards, highlight our top 10 storylines to look out for, and end off by crowning our picks for the Stanley Cup. (Oh, and many beers were had) Enjoy! - (12:42) MassMutual East Division Preview- (40:08) West Division Preview - (51:44) Central Division Preview - (1:01:51) North Division Preview- (1:12:33) Playoff  Bracket Predictions- (1:36:42) Preseason Award Predictions- (2:14:09) 10 Bold Predictions for the 20/21 NHL Season