VFMS Podcast: October 19, 2010 (Click To Download)

Hey there, Puck-Nuts! The latest episode (Oct 19) of the VFMS Podcast is up for your listening pleasure! Whether you joined us live and need a second fix, or you’re just seeking out our witty banter (read: Matt taunting Jen once again) for the first listen, there are several means to meet your needs:

- Download directly from the VFMS Homepage on BlogTalkRadio (or stream the show if you’re afraid of commitment)

- Skip all of that needless clicking and head over to iTunes to download and/or subscribe directly.

- Subscribe directly on iTunes.

- Go to iTunes directly subscribe.

- All of the last three above.

- If all else fails, panic and ice the puck…

Matt and Jen look at the Dallas Stars and the Atlanta Thrashers start to the season. We also welcome in Richard Loat from CanucksHockeyBlog.com to talk about Manny Malhotra, Roberto Luongo, and some serious expectations in Vancouver… And as usual, we’ll mix whatever NHL stories are making the rounds across the hockey blogosphere.

Here are some links to go along with this week’s podcast:

Helene Elliott’s NHL Rankings have the Stars at the #2 spot and Kings at #5

“Malhotra outstanding in the circle” from the Vancouver Province

Our guest Richard Loat wrote about Keith Ballard, his durability, and his brand new hip: “Working Out The Kinks”

Pacific on Pacific violence. I won’t lie, I absolutely condone this type of behavior…

Daryl Reaugh urges Stars fans to drop DISH. Literally.

Mike Heika dropping the Stars knowledge on fans… because the man knows what he’s talking about.

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Tune in next week on Tuesday, October 26th at 7pm PST/10pm EST and join us for some interactive fun in the chatroom! Chatroom opens 10 minutes prior to our opening faceoff…

As always, you can find me on Twitter at @ViewFromMySeats and my co-host Jennifer Shaw at @gimmeapuck.

VFMS Podcast: October 13, 2010 (Click To Download)

Hey there, Puck-Nuts! The latest episode (Oct 13) of the VFMS Podcast is up for your listening pleasure! Whether you joined us live and need a second fix, or you’re just seeking out our witty banter (read: Matt taunting Jen once again) for the first listen, there are several means to meet your needs:

- Download directly from the VFMS Homepage on BlogTalkRadio (or stream the show if you’re afraid of commitment)

- Skip all of that needless clicking and head over to iTunes to download and/or subscribe directly.

- Subscribe directly on iTunes.

- Go to iTunes directly subscribe.

- All of the last three above.

- If all else fails, panic and ice the puck…

Matt and Jen look at the start of the Los Angeles Kings season, highly-touted rookie defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, James Wisniewski’s “action,” and the Fox/DISH Network dispute…

Here are some links to go along with this week’s podcast:

“DISH Network says Fox Networks to Blame For Service Drop” from Five For Howling

Our article earlier this week breaking down Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Gann Matsuda gives us a look at the Los Angeles Kings problems with secondary scoring.

The obligatory link to James Wisniewski giving a visual demonstration of what hockey players talk about between whistles.

And finally, Mike Ribeiro showing us his version of “Thug Life.” Oh, and the wife.

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Tune in next week on Tuesday, October 19th at 7pm PST/10pm EST and join us for some interactive fun in the chatroom! Chatroom opens 10 minutes prior to our opening faceoff…

As always, you can find me on Twitter at @ViewFromMySeats and my co-host Jennifer Shaw at @gimmeapuck.

VFMS Podcast: October 5, 2010 (Click To Download)

Hey there, Puck-Nuts! The latest episode (Oct 5) of the VFMS Podcast is up for your listening pleasure! Whether you joined us live and need a second fix, or you’re just seeking out our witty banter (read: Matt taunting Jen once again) for the first listen, there are several means to meet your needs:

- Download directly from the VFMS Homepage on BlogTalkRadio (or stream the show if you’re afraid of commitment)

- Skip all of that needless clicking and head over to iTunes to download and/or subscribe directly.

- Subscribe directly on iTunes.

- Go to iTunes directly subscribe.

- All of the last three above.

- If all else fails, panic and ice the puck…

This week, Matt and Jen break down the Anaheim Ducks, the challenges Antti Niemi will face with the San Jose Sharks, and take a look at the Michael Cammalleri 1-game suspension to start the 2010-11 NHL season.

Here are some links to go along with this week’s podcast:

Down Goes Brown’s Western Conference Preview in which we agree with the Columbus Blue Jackets’ breakdown.

Our Pacific Division Blogger Roundtable where Battle of California’s Earl Sleek drops this nugget of gold: “Also, (the Ducks) should have about eight fewer players going to the Olympics this year; that’s a good thing.”

The title of the article is “Ducks’ Defense Using Criticism As Motivation.” If that’s the case, then they probably got a healthy dose of motivation in this week’s episode.

Video of Michael Cammalleri’s stick exploits. And the predictable fall-out.

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Tune in next week on Monday, October 11th at 7pm PST/10pm EST and join us for some interactive fun in the chatroom! Chatroom opens 10 minutes prior to our opening faceoff…

As always, you can find me on Twitter at @ViewFromMySeats and my co-host Jennifer Shaw at @gimmeapuck.

VFMS Podcast: March 31, 2010 (Click To Download)

The March 31th episode of the VFMS Podcast is up for your listening pleasure. There are a few different ways to listen. You can either stream the show directly from your computer to your ears at BlogTalkRadio. If you’re into downloading or subscribing to podcasts for your iPod, all you have to do is click the handy iTunes link once you get to the show’s page. And if you want to download it, you can do that too. Of course, you can also bypass the site all together and go straight to iTunes.
If you like what you hear, Vote and Comment over on iTunes!

Not all of the teams in the NHL are exactly sprinting towards the finish line. The Kings recent 4-game losing streak has some Kings fans wondering if this is just the next trick from an organization that has routinely ripped the heart out of its collective fanbase. They are 7 points into a playoff spot with 6 games to go—but what will they do even if/when they get to the playoffs? Here are some links that accompany our spotlight team in the Pacific Division this week: The Los Angeles Kings.

The Kings rank #1 in The Hockey News’ handicapped Drafting Report Card for the second year in a row. (LAKings.com)

Things like this serve as a reminder of why Matt Greene is important to the Kings and their locker room chemistry. I’m a sucker for sarcasm. (LA Kings Insider)

It’s been a while since the Kings have made the playoffs. Here’s a reminder to Kings fans of what it looks like when things go tragically wrong in the playoffs. (The Royal Half)

Part of the struggles during the recent 4-game losing streak? Penalty killing. (Life In Hockeywood)

Part of the struggles during the recent 4-game losing streak? Power play. Specifically, 2-man advantages. (LA Kings Insider)

If you want to know what’s been going on in the rest of the Pacific this week, we have you covered as well…

As usual, here is James Mirtle and his “Playoff Push” that breaks down the record each team probably needs to have down the stretch to make the playoffs. (The Globe and Mail)

Before the Sharks recent 4-game winning streak, Jonathan Willis already saw the turnaround. The Sharks Struggles and How They Might Help. (Hockey or Die)

We all keep talking about how great the Coyotes have been this season. But here’s a look at Dave Tippett, his system, and some trends that might follow him from Dallas to the desert. (Defending Big D)

How good are the Sharks in the faceoff circle? Good. We’re talking historically good. (Behind the Net)

Joe Thornton’s lower body injury is minor. And he was sooo close to 400 consecutive games. (The Grinder NHL Blog)

Are the Coyotes as good as their record shows? We say yes—statistics may disagree though. (Behind the Net)

Who would be the players to step up and help lead their respective teams in the playoffs? How do Dustin Brown and Martin Hanzal sound? (From The Rink)

Looks like Ducks fans are excited about prospect Nick Bonino. Whatever gets you going at this time of year. (Anaheim Calling)

Mike Heika starts to turn his attention to the NHL Draft and the Stars’ need for a defenseman. (Dallas Morning News)

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As the season winds down and teams are gradually eliminated, it’s time to look at some of the teams that were huge disappointments this season.

We took a look earlier this week at the Calgary Flames and their disappointing season. Who is to blame for missing the playoffs? (The Blame Game: Calgary Flames)

Am I the only one who is surprised by the decline of the St. Louis Blues this season? I thought they would take the next step this season. (Frozen Notes)

Even if Philadelphia makes the playoffs this season, the Chris Pronger acquisition wasn’t about “just making the playoffs.” It sounds like the Flyers have learned that they might need a long-term answer in net. (Phila.Bright)

The Rangers have been less than spectacular this season—could leadership have been the problem? (Scotty Hockey)

With the truculent acquisitions on the blueline, the Maple Leafs were supposed to take huge strides forward this season. Well, we CAN guarantee that they won’t draft as high as they did last year. (Pension Plan Puppets)

We’ll be back at it next week (Tuesday, April 6th) at 8:00 PST as the NHL teams head down the stretch. Next week we’ll be taking a look at the Phoenix Coyotes and discussing what the hell happened this season. We probably won’t be objective—after all, someone needs to balance out the ridiculousness coming out of Canada.

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As always, you can find me on Twitter at @ViewFromMySeats and my co-host Jennifer Shaw at @gimmeapuck.

Blog Talk Radio: Episode Link
Blog Talk Radio: Main Podcast Link
Direct iTunes Link
You can check out previous podcasts here.

VFMS Podcast: March 16, 2010 (Click To Download)

The March 16th episode of the VFMS Podcast is up for your listening pleasure. There are a few different ways to listen. You can either stream the show directly from your computer to your ears at BlogTalkRadio. If you’re into downloading or subscribing to podcasts for your iPod, all you have to do is click the handy iTunes link once you get to the show’s page. And if you want to download it, you can do that too. Of course, you can also bypass the site all together and go straight to iTunes.
If you like what you hear, Vote and Comment over on iTunes!

As the NHL teams sprint towards the end of the regular season, we take time out to look at the best team in the Pacific Division: The San Jose Sharks. All year they’ve been at or near the top of the standings—yet everyone has been waiting for the playoffs to be able to truly judge this team. Will it be another exit that comes too soon, or will the Sharks finally break through and make a deep run into the playoffs?  We talk about why this year will be different—and why it might not be.

The Sharks players actually admitted that the effort level wasn’t here against Anaheim. I wonder if they’d be willing to admit the same thing for the last week. (Working the Corners)

Video of Joe Pavelski’s great goal and another take on the crazy 8-5 win over the Predators. (The Chum Bucket)

“For us to have success, we have to have everybody on board for the first 40 minutes, not just the last 15.” –Todd McLellan

A great look at how the Sharks have started out slow and what the repercussions are for giving up the first goal. Did you know the Sharks have a 77.4% winning percentage when they score the first goal? (Fear The Fin)

If you want to know what’s been going on in the rest of the Pacific this week, we have you covered as well…

Again, James Mirtle has his “Playoff Push” that breaks down the record each team probably needs to have down the stretch to make the playoffs. (The Globe and Mail)

Kings fans got a possible glimpse of the future when Jonathan Bernier was called up because Jonathan Quick’s wife decided to have a baby during the season. He ended up playing (not backing up) in his one game with the big club. But should he have started over backup Eric Ersberg? (Kingscast)

Is it a good thing for the Ducks to miss the playoffs? (Ducks and Pucks)

Just because the Coyotes are playing some great hockey, doesn’t mean that the sale is going smoothly. (Hip Shot Blog)

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The Alex Ovechkin and Steve Downie Hits

Ovechkin’s hit on Brian Campbell

Ryan Hackett weighs in for us on “Oy-Vey-Chkin’s” hit on Campbell.

And Brian Campbell is out for the rest of the regular season. He’s scheduled to be back in 7-8 weeks. (Second City Hockey)

Alex Ovechkin’s official statement regarding his suspension (Japers Rink)

Steve Downie was not suspended for this questionable hit on Sidney Crosby. His wallet is $1000 lighter, though. For the record, Downie makes about $4,300 per day.

Not even Lightning blogs were trying to defend the hit. (The Hockey Bay)

This gives us a better perspective of how weak Steve Downie’s fine was. Seriously, if that’s the response—just don’t fine him at all. It’s a bit insulting. (Pensburgh)

We’ll be back at it next week (Tuesday, March 23rd) at 8:00 PST as the NHL teams head down the stretch. Next week we’ll be taking a look at the Anaheim Ducks and discussing what the hell happened this season. We’ll be as nice as we can to a 13th place team…

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As always, you can find me on Twitter at @ViewFromMySeats and my co-host Jennifer Shaw at @gimmeapuck.

Blog Talk Radio: Episode Link
Blog Talk Radio: Main Podcast Link
Direct iTunes Link
You can check out previous podcasts here.