Checking From Behind

The New York Islanders have officially made a coaching change, and the New Jersey Devils have fired GM Tom Fitzgerald — two massive front‑office shakeups that could reshape both franchises. We open the episode breaking down what these moves mean, why they happened, and how they impact the playoff race. Then we’re joined by Shawn De Paz from the What Chaos podcast to talk all things Buffalo Sabres....

The Buffalo Sabres have officially clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2011, and we open the episode breaking down what this moment means for the franchise, the fanbase, and the Eastern Conference picture. From there, we dive into the chaotic Eastern Conference wild card race and evaluate which teams are surging — and which ones are collapsing — with just two weeks left in the NHL reg...

In this episode, we break down the Eastern Conference and Western Conference playoff races and highlight the biggest games shaping the standings. Then we dive into the Vegas Golden Knights firing Bruce Cassidy and making the shocking decision to hire John Tortorella. From there, we shift to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who fired GM Brad Treliving in another chaotic move from the franchise. We also dis...

In this episode, we break down a massive night in the NHL — starting with Connor McDavid making more history, becoming one of the fastest players ever to hit 400 goals and 1,200 points. We also cover the latest injury news, with Thomas Chabot expected to miss 4–8 weeks after undergoing surgery. From there, we dive into a heated conversation about the NHL’s controversial loser point and what the le...

The NHL playoff race is heating up and chaos is taking over both conferences. We break down the Eastern Conference Wild Card race and which teams are fighting for their playoff lives. The Ottawa Senators have been one of the hottest teams in the entire NHL lately — but can they keep it up? Then we dive into the Detroit Red Wings, who are in serious danger of missing the playoffs for the 10th strai...

The NHL has a serious accountability problem — and the GMs are fed up. In this episode of Checking From Behind, we break down everything that went down at the NHL GM meetings, where tensions boiled over around goaltender interference and player safety. GMs are frustrated, Bettman is on the defensive, and players are being left unprotected. We then dive into the AJ Greer hit on Connor Zary and ask...

Leon Draisaitl is expected to miss the rest of the regular season — and the Edmonton Oilers' playoff spot is suddenly in serious jeopardy. We break down exactly what this means for Connor McDavid and the Oilers down the stretch. But first, the Buffalo Sabres have DONE IT — tying atop the Eastern Conference in one of the biggest stories in the NHL right now. We also get into the World Cup of Hockey...

The Toronto Maple Leafs are FALLING APART. Auston Matthews tore his MCL on a leg-to-leg hit from Radko Gudas — and not a single Maple Leaf did anything about it. We break down the Gudas hit, the pathetic team response, and whether it is finally time to fire Brad Treliving and Craig Berube before this franchise wastes another year. Then we reveal our full Top 10 NHL Power Rankings post-Olympic brea...

The Buffalo Sabres are ON FIRE. We break down their incredible 8-game winning streak, their improbable rise from last place in December to 1st place in the Atlantic Division, and what it means for their first playoff appearance in 14 years. Then we give our full post-NHL Trade Deadline playoff predictions — who wins the East, who wins the West, and can the Sabres make a deep run? We close out the...

In this episode, we break down the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline — the biggest moves, the biggest surprises, and the teams that came out as winners and losers. We dive into the trades that shocked us, the ones that made perfect sense, and how each move shapes the playoff race New episodes drop every Sunday & Thursday @ 7 PM EST Stay locked in for the hottest takes, bold predictions, and real talk fr...

In this episode, we break down the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline with an updated look at our full NHL trade board. We highlight the players most likely to be moved, which teams should be buyers, which teams should be sellers, and which clubs should hold as the market shifts. We wrap up with a quick look at the Buffalo Sabres and the strong run of games they’re putting together New episodes drop every Su...

Zach opens the episode with breaking news out of Pittsburgh as Sidney Crosby is ruled out a minimum of four weeks and the Penguins swing a major trade for Samuel Girard from the Colorado Avalanche. Then, Jess Amato joins the show for a deep dive into the explosive growth of women’s hockey — from the rise of the PWHL to the role models, media coverage, and cultural momentum pushing the sport forwar...

In this episode we discuss the US men's hockey team defeating Canada in an OT thriller to win the gold medal at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics New episodes drop every Sunday & Thursday @ 7 PM EST Stay locked in for the hottest takes, bold predictions, and real talk from around the NHL. Follow Us on Social Media: TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@checkfrombehindpod?lang=en Instagram | https://ww...

In this episode, we break down both 2026 Olympic Hockey Semifinals — Canada vs Finland and USA vs Slovakia — and how each matchup set the stage for the final. Then we dive into our full USA vs Canada Gold Medal Game Preview, looking at key players, storylines, and what each team needs to do to win. Who takes home Olympic gold on Sunday? New episodes drop every Sunday & Thursday @ 7 PM EST Stay...

In this episode, we break down the Women’s Hockey Gold Medal Game between Team USA and Team Canada at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics. Can the United States complete a perfect undefeated run, or will Canada deliver the ultimate spoiler on the biggest stage? We then shift to the Men’s Olympic Hockey Quarterfinals, where chaos took over the bracket as three of the four games went to overtime. We reca...

Zach flies solo in this episode as he recaps the Men’s Olympic Hockey Preliminary Round, breaking down the biggest surprises, disappointments, and how the knockout bracket is shaping up. He highlights Slovakia’s surge, medal contenders, and who could take home Olympic gold. Then he shifts to the Women’s Tournament, where Team USA continues its dominant run, racking up shutouts and outscoring oppon...

In this episode, we kick things off with the excitement building around the start of Men’s Olympic Hockey. We break down our full 2026 Olympic Hockey preview, including roster thoughts, matchup expectations, and our predictions for who takes home the gold. From there, we shift to the NHL standings heading into the break, looking at where every team sits and whether we could see any major movement...

In this episode, we break down the LA Kings trading for Artemi Panarin and immediately signing him to a two‑year extension. We also cover the Devils acquiring Nick Bjugstad, the incredible Stadium Series game on Sunday night, and how the Tampa Bay Lightning have been the NHL’s best team over the last 20+ games. After that, we dive into the situation in Philadelphia involving Rick Tocchet and Matve...

We break down a massive day of NHL news, starting with Patrick Kane passing Mike Modano to become the highest‑scoring American‑born player in league history. We also dive into Rasmus Dahlin’s frustration with the huge number of Canadiens fans in Buffalo, the upcoming Stadium Series matchup in Tampa Bay, and Linus Ullmark’s return to the Ottawa Senators. From there, we look at the Columbus Blue Jac...

In this episode, we break down a massive week of NHL news and rumors. The New York Islanders pull off two trades, the Colorado Avalanche lock up Sam Malinski with a new extension, and the Detroit Red Wings re‑sign Ben Chiarot. We dive into whether Artemi Panarin has played his final game as a New York Ranger, the William Nylander controversy fueling the Toronto Maple Leafs’ struggles, and why the...

Dive into today’s NHL Rumor Mill as we break down Mitch Marner’s return to Toronto. To wrap things up, we take a full look around the NHL standings, highlighting which teams are heating up and which ones are struggling to keep pace. If you’re following NHL rumors, trade news, and league trends, this episode has everything you need. New episodes drop every Sunday & Thursday @ 7 PM EST Stay lock...

In this episode, we break down the Buffalo Sabres signing Josh Doan to a massive long‑term extension and what it means for the team’s future. We also dive into two major NHL trades from the week — the Calgary Flames moving Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights and the Vancouver Canucks sending Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks. From there, we react to Jackson LaCombe replacing Seth Jon...

In today’s episode, we break down the latest NHL news starting with the Rasmus Andersson trade talks that are heating up as multiple contenders circle the Flames’ top defenseman. We then dive into the New York Rangers’ plan to retool and reshape their roster over the next few years. Finally, we take a look at two of the league’s hottest teams — the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning —...

In today’s episode, we break down the 2026 NHL Draft coming to Buffalo before diving into the Columbus Blue Jackets’ head‑coaching change. We roll into our midseason Rookie Report with updates on the league’s top first‑year players, then examine the New York Rangers’ recent collapse and what’s driving their downturn. To wrap things up, we go around the league and discuss the latest NHL trade rumor...

In this episode, Elodie joins the show as we break down one of the biggest surprises of the season — the Pittsburgh Penguins — and look at which other NHL teams are overperforming or underperforming. We then dive into Team Canada’s projected Olympic roster and debate the toughest decisions. After that, we take a full look around the league standings and wrap things up with our midseason playoff pr...