Episode 81: Habsworld Podcast Episode 81

The Montreal Canadiens are back in the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1993! Host Norm Szcyrek was joined by Co-hosts Josh Coulter, Jonathan Rebelo, Paul MacLeod and Connor MacLeod to talk about this series and much more. This podcast was recorded the evening of June 27, 2021. This is a breakdown of the topics we discussed. First Period (0:00 - 18:08) - Introductions - Habs Trivia - Predictions for the Cups finals against Tampa Bay - Habs "blood" rituals in the post season - Referee Chris Lee's terrible officiating, how it was a handicap to the Habs, but his many mistakes have left him off the scheduled referees in the Cup finals - Habs have had some breaks in the first three series, where key players have been injured or suspended (John Tavares, Mark Schiefele, Chandler Stephenson) - Reflections on the Vegas series - Cole Caufield clutch goals against Vegas Second Period (18:09 - 45:52) - The importance of Joel Edmundson; kudos to Vegas Pietrangelo in the playoffs - Joel Armia's positive test Sunday and possible lineup change with Jake Evans returning - Coach Ducharme's Covid positive and assistant coach stepping up as the temporary interim head coach - Analyzing the Tampa Bay defence - Ex-Hab Max Pacioretty's play and more reflections on the Habs-Vegas series - Could Nikita Kucherov's health be a factor - Can Phillip Danault's line keep the Tampa top line in check? Third Period (45:53 - 1:04:17) - Habs players superstitions and our own Habs playoff superstitions - Marc Bergevin nominated as the GM of the year; did he deserve it and was it fair to announce this award half way through the playoffs - Patrick Roy and Mario Tremblay buried the hatchet during a RDS May special; could this have broken a Habs "curse" and help explain the Habs playoff success? - Clutch performances by Phil Danault and Artturi Lehknonn - Around the NHL: former Hab associate coach hired by the Calgary Flames; coach Gerard Gallant hired by the New York Rangers; coach Dave Hackstal hired by the Seattle Krakken; ex-Hab PK Subban hired by ESPN as a hockey analyst