{"id":81365,"date":"2020-07-25T11:54:16","date_gmt":"2020-07-25T15:54:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/?p=81365"},"modified":"2020-07-30T18:27:10","modified_gmt":"2020-07-30T22:27:10","slug":"throwing-haymakers-podcast-western-qualifier-predictions-seattle-kraken","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2020\/07\/25\/throwing-haymakers-podcast-western-qualifier-predictions-seattle-kraken\/","title":{"rendered":"Throwing Haymakers Podcast – Western Conference Qualifier Predictions, Seattle Kraken"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Throwing Haymakers Podcast is a new venture by Last Word on Hockey writers\u00a0Mathieu Sheridan<\/a>,\u00a0Brandon Higley-Blair<\/a>, and\u00a0Josh Erickson<\/a>. Discussing everything from playoffs to podcasts, Throwing Haymakers provides a fresh, new view on the current state of hockey.<\/em><\/p>\n

Throwing Haymakers Podcast: Episode 2<\/h2>\n

LISTEN TO PODCAST HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

For Episode 2, Brandon, Josh, and Mat break down how the Western Conference play-in teams stack up against each other. They also react to the much-anticipated name and jersey reveal of the NHL Seattle franchise.<\/p>\n

Predictions were scattered all across the board this week. The Western Conference sees some extremely tight matchups. The defensive duel between the Arizona Coyotes<\/a> and Nashville Predators<\/a> is sure to be a tight series, while opinions were split in the Calgary Flames<\/a>\/Winnipeg Jets<\/a> matchup as well. The crew also breaks down why ‘bland’ isn’t a bad thing in the case of the Minnesota Wild<\/a>, and why the Chicago Blackhawks<\/a> might have more of an upset chance than you think.<\/p>\n

Mat’s, Brandon’s, and Josh’s round-robin picks were scattered as well. The St. Louis Blues<\/a> appear primed to make another deep run towards the Stanley Cup and could retain their top spot in the conference. The lethal trio of\u00a0Gabriel Landeskog<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Nathan MacKinnon<\/a><\/strong>, and\u00a0Mikko Rantanen<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>could propel the Colorado Avalanche<\/a> to a first-place finish. The Vegas Golden Knights<\/a>‘ incredible top-six and acquisition of goalie\u00a0Robin Lehner<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>could pit them as the no. 1 seed.<\/p>\n

The crew also reacted to the announcement of the Seattle Kraken moniker<\/a>. The Pacific Northwest’s newest professional sports team had a lot of buzz this week, and deservedly so. The Kraken will enter the league in 2021 as the team tries to replicate the early success of the Golden Knights just a few years ago.<\/p>\n

Tune in next Saturday for more hockey talk with the cast of Throwing Haymakers.<\/p>\n

Main Photo:<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>