Brad MarchandThe NBA’s impact on the Florida Panthers and why they are one win away from eliminating the Tampa Bay Lightning and advancing to the Stanley Cup Playoffs are among the list of topics covered in this week’s episode of “NHL @TheRink” podcast presented by SKIP.
NHL.com Senior Editor Amalie Benjamin joins co-hosts Dan Rosen and Shawn P. Roarke from Florida, where she covers the Panthers and Lightning in the first round of the Eastern Conference.
Benjamin, who is based in Boston and covered Marchand’s entire career with the Boston Bruins, offers a unique perspective on why the 36-year-old forward was so good for Florida, especially in the first round against Tampa Bay.
She also delves into the struggles of the Lightning’s top players, particularly the lack of offense they received up front. Nikita Koucherov except for his three assists in Game 3, the only game Tampa Bay won in the series.
The belief of the Panthers, goaltender of the Lightning Andrei VasilevskyThe team’s struggles and the obvious frustration shown by Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper were also topics discussed by Benjamin, Rosen and Roarke during the interview.
Plus, Benjamin talks about the Bruins’ surprising failures this season and whether Mike Sullivan, newly free agent coach after parting ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, would be a good fit in Boston.
Before the interview with Benjamin, Rosen and Roarke focus their conversation more on the Western Conference playoff side, talking about the forward. Kirill KaprizovThe impact on the Minnesota Wild, center Jack EichelVegas’ struggles with the Vegas Golden Knights and the showdowns in the series between the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers.
Following the conversation with Benjamin, the co-hosts offer their thoughts on what’s best for Sullivan if he chooses to coach in the NHL next season before returning to the playoffs, touching on Connor Hellebuyck’s struggles in goal for the Winnipeg Jets and the return of Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog.
THE “NHL @TheRink” The podcast presented by SKIP is free and listeners can subscribe on all podcast platforms. It is also available on NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts and the NHL app.
