Episode 79: Stanley Cup Playoffs Preview, Part 2

Jon Press from Japers Rink joins the show to discuss how the Capitals were victimized by the NHL's ongoing search for rivalries, and whether this is the best team they've assembled in Washington while Ovechkin has been there. Then Thomas Drance joins us from sunny Florida to help pinpoint the distinct points in the season in which the Panthers improved their play, and try to figure out why there was such a big divide between talent and results for the New York Islanders. Here’s a quick rundown of the topics covered: 0:35 Capitals drawing a tough opponent 2:43 Washington's second half malaise 10:01 Evgeny Kuznetsov's emergence 12:15 The playoff elephant in the room 19:52 Intriguing Panthers and Islanders storylines 21:39 The back-to-back effect 23:06 In-season personnel adjustments 27:03 Islanders underwhelming season 29:42 How much is coaching to blame? --------- Every episode of this podcast is available on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher and can also be streamed from our website. Make sure to not only subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new shows as they’re released, but also take a minute to leave a glowing review. Thanks for listening!