Team USA, considered the favorites to win the men's tournament at the Olympics, dominated the conversation in the first Olympic edition of the 'NHL @TheRink' podcast. Dan Rosen and Shawn P. Roarke, the co-hosts, discussed their reasons for predicting Team USA's gold medal win and highlighted the stiffest competition, excluding Team Canada. According to them, Team Czechia and Team Switzerland are no pushovers either.
During the 45-minute podcast, they delved into the initial depth charts for the United States and Canada, based on the line rushes witnessed during practice. They also discussed the starting lineups of Tom Wilson and Macklin Celebrini alongside Connor McDavid, and the placement of Jack Hughes on the fourth line for the U.S. team.
The discussion then shifted to goaltending, a crucial aspect of the tournament. They questioned whether Canada has the goalie to win gold, reminiscent of Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, and Carey Price. They also pondered if the U.S. is best set up at that position and whether Czechia or Sweden rivals the U.S. in goaltending.
The 'NHL @TheRink' podcast is available for free and can be accessed on all podcast platforms. Listeners can also find it on NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts and the NHL app, providing a comprehensive overview of the Olympic tournament, which began with two games on Wednesday and continues with a four-game day schedule on Thursday.
