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‘Who will hoist the cup?’ NHL.com proudly asks as it promotes it’s TV service. Well Uncle Gary, I hope for your sake it’s the St. Louis Blues because who really cares about a Sharks-Bruins final? Aside from Sharks and Bruins fans. Obviously. This post-season has been dominated by two talking points. Firstly the officiating, which has been discussed and critiqued ad-nauseum. Secondly, the giant-killing comedy of the Carolina Hurricanes. Embed from Getty Images They took the reigning champions Washington to a game-seven decider then blew away the Islanders in a clean sweep to reach the Eastern Conference final. Alas it wasn’t to be. The StormRead More →

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With the 2nd round of the NHL playoffs upon us, it’s time for Carl and Nick to dive into what was and what will be. In Game 7 of the Vegas Golden Knights and the San Jose Sharks a questionable 5 minute major was called. Was that the reason the Knights lost? Looking ahead, with both series tied in the Western Conference, what can be expected? Can the Avalanche continue to keep pace with the star laden Sharks? Why should Nick watch the Stars and the Blues? We are joined by Sam Blazer of 1st Ohio Battery as we discuss the season that has been, and willRead More →

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The Carolina Hurricanes might just be the most fun team in the NHL right now. Their polarising post-game celebrations have been both lauded and lambasted in equal measure. The formerly-relevant pundit Don Cherry said “these guys to me are jerks” during his Coach’s Corner segment. A statement that Hurricanes and their fans have embraced. Wait, was he talking about us? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/9WWZxnGgO6 — Carolina Hurricanes (@NHLCanes) February 17, 2019 The Canes’ antics divided Carl, Joel and Nick in episode #219 but fans are united. Cherry’s comments are being immortalised, but not for the reasons that he imagined. The fun police did not turn up atRead More →

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Valentine’s Day has passed, so what better way to mend a broken heart than by seeing one of your favourite players shipped out of town…With the NHL Trade Deadline fast approaching, one of the bigger names likely to be moved is pending UFA, Philadelphia Flyer’s veteran winger Wayne Simmonds. Embed from Getty Images Depending on your roster he’d likely slot in on the second or third line and would provide teams a reliable presence, a proven playoff contributor (21pts in 42 gms) with a physical edge to his game belying his size. So, who among the possible playoff bound would most likely be in needRead More →

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With the NHL All Star weekend upon us, it’s fitting to look back and think of the All Star games that we watched growing up. With so many great players being in the games of yesteryear, we here at The 4th Line Podcast endeavoured to find the best All Star that a particular team had. The criteria: Which player had the best collection of years with that team? Sure, Wayne Gretzky was the best player to ever play on the St. Louis Blues, but with only 18 games with the team, he’s not their All Time All Star. So, without further ado…… Calgary Flames JaromeRead More →

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“Quiet Ice is a phrase used to characterize a sliver of playing surface goal-scorers love to find because it’s unguarded by opposing players and can be used to rip off a good, quick shot. It is not, as some had understandably assumed, a reference to any place where Sean Avery isn’t.” (Source, the Hockey News) In the new spirit of NHL gambling, I’m calling this the “over and under” — but instead, the over and underrated. We’re questioning some of the reputed best in the game and shining the light on some who are lurking in the quiet ice throughout the Metro. So, lace upRead More →

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People are getting all kerfuffled over the Carolina Hurricanes’ unique twist on post-game fan appreciation tributes. ESPN, which doesn’t even cover hockey so’s you’d notice, deemed this story important enough to commission a piece by Greg Wyshynski titled, “Inside the Hurricanes’ wild new postgame celebration,” as if it was a carefully orchestrated campaign of a President’s Cup-winner, rather than a quirky bit of fun at the end of a nothing game. I have to assume ESPN’s hockey editor — if there ever were such a person — had their tongue firmly in cheek when slapping this title on because pretending there was any “inside” toRead More →

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Rejoice, Caniacs everywhere: we are fast, we are physical, and we are competitive on the ice this year! The Canes started off the season against 3 Metropolitan division rivals, and took 5 out of 6 possible points, going 2-0-1 to start the year. But there’s something even more important to note about this team full of scrappy veterans and young prospects- they have a great time together on the ice, and it shows when watching. Embed from Getty Images Sebastian Aho is the best player on this team, and he’s going to have to continue to make strides at the center position in order forRead More →

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It’s time to do some season previews! The 4th Line Hockey Podcast #199 – The NHL Eastern Conference Preview First though, the Philadelphia Flyers debut their new mascot: Gritty. And he is terrifying. Max Domi was suspended for the pre-season for his punch on Aaron Ekblad. Was it enough? (It never is) This week the Eastern conference is previewed, looking at things such as: Which of the terrible teams in the Atlantic division will be the most terrible? Which of the good, not great teams in the Metro division will be the most good, not great? Who is the favorite to win the division? AndRead More →

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The tilt of the Earth’s axis slowly moving away from the sun can only mean one thing; fall will soon be here and we can all rejoice at the impending return of the NHL. Here at 4th Line Towers we can’t wait to watch some proper hockey again. This year we’re approaching our previews in a different way; the word count for each team’s preview has been dictated by the number of points that team scored last season. To further mix things up, we’ve divvied up the teams between our writers. Let the Metropolitan division preview begin! Our other previews are: Central Division 2018/19 Preview PacificRead More →