Tag: John Tortorella

NHL podcast with Len Shapiro Fri Mar 28, 2025: Pens Sid the Kid sets point per game record for most seasons; Sens Ullmark 31 saves edges Red Wings 4-3; plus more NHL news

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Pittsburgh Penguins Sid Crosby (87) prepares to face off against the Buffalo Sabres at Key Bank Center in Buffalo on Thu Mar 27, 2025. (AP News photo)

NHL podcast with Len Shapiro Fri Mar 28, 2025

#1 Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins broke former NHL great Wayne Gretzky’s record for having the most seasons (20) averaging at least a point per game. In spite of the record breaking performance the Penguins lost to the Buffalo Sabres 7-3 at Key Bank Center on Thursday.

 #2  Linus Ullmark saved 31 shots for the Ottawa Senators and the Senators were able to stop the Detroit offense for a 4-3 win at Little Caesars Pizza Arena on Thursday. Ullmark said after the game that the Senators played a lot of good minutes and the Wings were a desperate team but the Sens responded well.

#3 Tampa Bay Lightning Nikita Kucherov scored a goal and had three assists, Bolts goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy threw a 8-0 shutout against the Utah Hockey Club at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay on Thursday, Vasilevskiy stopped 25 shots. It was the sixth shutout of the season for Vasilevskiy and his 40th of his NHL career.

#4 The Philadelphia Flyers Brad Shaw picked up his first win as Flyers head coach against the Montreal Canadiens 6-4 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Thursday. Shaw who was an assistant coach was promoted to head coach after the Flyers fired head coach John Tortorella on Thursday. The Flyers were on a six game losing streak when Tortorella was fired. Was Torts mainly fired because the Flyers just couldn’t get on track or was he fired because he lost the dressing room?

#5 Minnesota Wild’s Matt Boldy scored a goal and had an assist as the Wild overcame the visiting Washington Capitals in a comeback on Thursday night at the Xcel Energy Center. With just 8.5 seconds left in the second period Boldy would score what would be the game winner putting the Wild on top 3-2 for the eventual 4-2 win.

The Caps Alexander Ovechkin didn’t score a goal and still remains six goals behind Wayne Gretzky for 894 career goals record.

Len Shapiro does the NHL podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: Rangers lose 8 of last 10 drop game to Blackhawks; Blackwood joins Aves for Georgiev to Sharks; plus more news

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The Seattle Kraken Oliver Bjorkstrand (22) scored on the New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick (32) in the second period at Madison Square Garden in New York on Mon Dec 8, 2024 (AP News photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong:

#1 The New York Rangers are trying to figure out what has gone wrong with their hockey club. The Rangers had best record last season but now have lost eight of their last ten games. After two games after trading defenseman Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks the Rangers lost both of those games which included a home loss to one of the worst teams in the NHL the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1.

#2 The Colorado Avalanche acquired goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood from the San Jose Sharks on Monday. The Aves also picked up Giovani Smith from the Sharks in exchange for goaltender Alexander Georgiev and rookie forward Nikolai Kovalenko.

#3 The Chicago Blackhawks have put goaltender Petr Mrazek on injured reserve with left groin injury on Sunday. Mrazek was replaced by goaltender Arvid Soderblom in the first period in Saturday’s game. The Blackhawks lost to the Winnipeg Jets 4-2 loss. Hawks continue to struggle just to get a win and losing Mrazek in the first period

#4 Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella had some criticism after their game after the Flyers loss to the Boston Bruins in overtime 4-3 at TD Waterhouse in Boston on Saturday. The Flyers were hit for two tripping penalties in the third period and one of the tripping penalties led to a goal against. That led Tortorella to said in the post game conference that he doesn’t teach his team to dive but maybe he should team them to dive.

#5 Washington Capitals Tom Wilson who scored two goals Saturday night against the Montreal Canadiens got hit with a puck in the left cheek and came back later in the first period. The Caps rallied to beat the Canadiens for a 4-2 win on Wilson’s two goals. Wilson said it felt like his face was falling off but got looked at by the trainer and got back in the game to pick up two goals.

Jessica Kwong does Headline Sports at http://www.sportsradioservice.com every other Wednesday night

NHL podcast with Len Shapiro: Stadium Series gets TV ratings boost from outdoor games; Canes Andersen is on the way back from blood clotting; plus more news

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TV ratings were up 21% at the Met Life East Rutherford in the NHL Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series on Sat Feb 17 with the Philadelphia Flyers vs. the New Jersey Devils and on Sun Feb 18 New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders (AP News photo)

On the NHL podcast with Len:

#1 Len, the NHL Stadium Series with the Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils on Sat 17th and the New York Rangers and New York Islanders Sun 18th were big hits at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford. Both games combined for 150,000 fans and the TV rating were up 21% from last season’s Stadium Series. ABC TV had 1.37 million viewers and 449,000 in the 18-49 demographic.

#2 Len talk about the Toronto Maple Leafs Austin Matthews he’s been unstoppable on Wednesday night he scored his 50th and 51st goals of the season in 54 games. Matthews also has 24 assists and a total of 75 points. San Ramon’s very own Matthews was born in your neck of the woods Contra Costa County.

#3 The Chicago Blackhawks Connor Bedard is a big fan of the Detroit Red Wings Patrick Kane for the first time this season. Bedard who will face Kane who has won the Stanley Cup three times and looks at it as a challenge and an honor to face one of the best former Blackhawks in history. Face off between the two teams at the United Center in Chicago is Sunday at 6:00pm ET/3:00pm PT.

#4 The Philadelphia Flyers after winning three straight games dropped their next two one to the Toronto Maple Leafs and the second to the New Jersey Devils. Flyers head coach John Tortorella was barking at his players during the Monday morning skate “not enough” and said he wanted “more from everybody” and it looked like it worked as the Flyers who took on the Blackhawks on Wednesday night and played a much tighter game and getting the win 3-1.

#5 The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Edmonton Oilers have expressed interest in a possible trade for the San Jose Sharks center Luke Kunin and defenseman Mario Ferraro. Ferraro is in the third year of his four year $13 million contract and Kunin is under team control and would be a restricted free agent after this season. The Sharks would get a first rounder from either club.

Join Len Shapiro for the NHL podcast Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NHL podcast with Len Shapiro: Gauthier leaves Flyers, coach called him a cancer, fans sent him death threats; Blackhawks Bedard out 6-8 wks; plus more news

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Former Philadelphia Flyer Cutter Gauthier received death threats from Flyer fans and head coach John Tortorella said he was a cancer was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks for Jamie Drysdale and a second round draft pick on Wed Jan 10, 2024 (Getty image)

On the NHL podcast with Len Shapiro:

#1 Two questions Len how surprised were you that Cutter Gauthier (goat-chee-a) wanted out of Philadelphia. Gauthier was reportedly was not happy in pre season camp. Gauthier is going to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a second round pick. A source said that head coach John Tortorella and other team leaders felt he was a cancer in the dressing room. Cutter was soured on the team and there is not much surprise that he and Tortorella were not happy with each other. Tortolrella can have a salty personality and Gauthier was not happy with his style of coaching. Gauthier had also received death threats from fans according to one story.

#2 The Chicago Blackhawks took a big hit when they learned that their No.1 pick Connor Bedard will be out for six to eight weeks with a fractured jaw. Bedard was injured when he took a hit by New Jersey Devils defenseman Brandan Smith on Jan 5th Bedard skated into the offensive zone and was holding his mouth. Bedard was leading the Hawks and all NHL rookies with 33 points.

#3 The Boston Bruins lost their goaltender Linus Ullmark when he suffered a lower body injury at 2:40 of overtime in a 4-3 loss to the Arizona Coyotes at Mullet Arena in Tempe last Tuesday. Ullmark stretched out on a shot by the Coyotes forward Logan Cooley which went over the crossbar. It would appear that Ullmark suffered a pull. He had saved 32 shots before the injury. His back up Jeremy Swayman allowed a goal on the first shot he faced.

#4 The Flyers Jamie Drysdale didn’t waste anytime getting to work after joining the Flyers from Anaheim in the Gauthier exchange. Drysdale had an assist in setting up the tying goal and the Flyers went onto defeat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in a shootout. On the other hand the Habs goaltender Cayden Primeau stopped 37 shots.

#5 The Dallas Stars Nils Lundkvist scored a goal and an assist. The contest wasn’t even close on Wednesday night at the Stars took no prisoners in their 7-2 blasting of the Minnesota Wild. It was the Wild’s Jesper Wallstedt’s NHL debut at the American Airline Center in Dallas. Wallstedt faced 34 shots and allowed seven goals.

Join Len Shapiro for the NHL podcast Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com