The 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs are underway which means the Last Word on Hockey Show was back on the MAD Radio Network. Your host Jim Biringer from lastwordonhockey.com was back alongside Coach Jay and March Weiss. The boys break down the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs including the Toronto Maple Leafs vs Montreal Canadiens, the Battle of Florida, and the New York Islanders vs Pittsburgh Penguins. Plus so much more.
The Last Word on Hockey Show: Toronto Maple Leafs vs Montreal Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Montreal Canadiens
Jim welcomes everyone back to the show and the boys discuss the meeting between the Maple Leafs and Canadiens. Coach Jay points out how Jack Campbell is playing well for the Maple Leafs and the goals he gave in Game 1 were not his fault. But the team was rattled after the John Tavares injury. The boys wish nothing but the best to Tavares after the injury. Jim feels Maple Leafs will come out stronger and the big boys of Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner will be involved. And boy did they show up. Marc still believes in Montreal, but they need to change things up and all agree Cole Caufield should have been playing from the start.
New York Islanders vs Pittsburgh Penguins
The series between the Islanders and Penguins is an interesting one. Jim brings up the coaching decision to sit Ilya Sorokin after Game 1. Coach Jay is also puzzled by this decision, but now that the series is even and Sorokin has played so well. It is his net to lose as Semyon Varlamov has struggled. Marc agrees with Jim that the stars have not shown up for either team in this series. It is the depth scoring that has been caring the load.
Battle of Florida
Another big series the boys look at is the Battle of Florida between the Lightning and Panthers. This is nasty series between these two in-state rivals. The Lightning are a much different team as Jim notes when they are healthy. And boy are they healthy with Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Ryan McDonagh back. Coach Jay notes there is a goalie issue with the Panthers as neither Chris Driedger nor Sergei Bobrovsky has played well. So he says why not start Spencer Knight? What do they have to lose. As they said the Champs are the Champs for a reason until someone beats them.
In addition to those series, the boys look at how home ice and the crowd is playing a factor in the Hurricanes-Predators Series. Why nobody wanted to play the Boston Bruins entering the playoffs. How it is destined for Vegas-Colorado to meet in the second round plus so much more.
Enjoy!
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