Tri-State Hockey Podcast · The Nation Network

Episode 26: Milan Games RoundTable

·48 min·3 clips

Jack Hughes has averaged 11:45 per game and still looks like Team USA’s best forward.

Johnny Lazarus is joined by Arthur Staple and Mike Rupp. They open on the tournament and the tri-state players involved. Team USA and Team Canada are both 3-0. The panel says there is not much negative to say about the Devils, Islanders, and Rangers representatives. Andre Palat gets a shoutout for Czechia. Mika Zabandja and Jesper Bratt come up for Sweden. Simon Nemec is mentioned for Slovakia. Timo Mayer and Jacob Markstrom are also named in the conversation. The group even jokes about Sweden having a chance to beat the United States. Jack Hughes is framed as one of Team USA's best forwards. The discussion then shifts to how that fits with the rest of the roster. JT Miller and Vinny Trocek become the main talking point. The panel revisits why some people questioned their Olympic selection. Mike Sullivan is defended for making their role clear. Miller and Trocek are credited with doing exactly what they were brought to do. Faceoffs and penalty killing are treated as the real test. The United States' penalty kill is noted as perfect in the tournament. That leads into a broader argument about what actually wins gold. Jason Robertson and Cole Caulfield are floated as names who might have made more sense. The conversation ends by suggesting Kyle Connor and Clayton Keller are the stronger targets for criticism, not Miller or Trocek.

As heard by us

Role fit, penalty killing, and roster decisions give this one its clearest thread.

Tri-State Hockey keeps its focus on the Devils, Islanders, and Rangers around the Olympics conversation, then narrows in on the Team USA role-player debate with JT Miller and Vinny Trocek.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want the real roster argument behind Team USA, not the medal-table gloss.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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