Friends and Rivals Podcast

It's FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 130 and we've got a special delivery for you! The white hot Penguins blast their way through a challenging week of hockey. The Rangers and Devils suffer a plethora of injuries. The Islanders keep stacking up points. We discuss the Sharks' above average goaltending and put out a hit on Sebastian Aho (all of them...just to be safe). You don't have to b...

It's FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 129 and we're having a SCARY good time! We know that this is a hockey podcast, but first we had to take a minute to celebrate the Jets DISMANTLING the lowly Giants this past weekend. It was one of the most lopsided victories in league history to be sure. Is Zach Wilson the GOAT? We simply have to acknowledge that might be the case. Over in the NHL, Penguins...

It's FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 128 and we've got a frozen frenzy on our hands! Every NHL team was in action on Tuesday but we'll catch you up on the Penguins getting an early start on heading south for the winter, the Islanders keeping up with the Hugheses, the Rangers playing lights-out in Seattle and the Devils going a whole week without a loss. Then we examine the starts by some ot...

It's FREINDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 127 and join us for Coffey Tawk. You know, no big whoop. The Devils are struggling to get their game going full throttle. The Islanders powerplay is looking sharp and they never go offside. The Rangers have an uneven start and always go offside. The Penguins shake off an opening nightmare to go 2-1 in the first week. I'd pay you to listen, but all I have are...

It's FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 126 and let the games begin! the Penguins jump into action at home against the Blackhawks and some rookie that apparently some people want to see. But will he win the Art Ross? Actually, what the hell IS the Art Ross anyway? The Islanders jump in without Ross Johnson but with Julien Gauthier. The Rangers plan to give former #1 pick Alexis Lafreniere his big chan...

It's FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 125 and is it getting hot in here, or is it almost Halloween? The Penguins waive goodbye and then hello again to Ty Smith. The Isles beat the Rangers thanks in part to Alexis Lafreniere's defensive hustle, and then go down to the Devils who are flying high at a preseason 5-0. We have a killer trivia question and some sexy stories about extremely friendly gho...

It's FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 124 and we are pleased to meet you! The Rangers preseason picks up where they left off, the Penguins hide their camera rolls as they play a doubleheader with the Blue Jackets, the Islanders prep for Preseason game 1 under a shroud of mystery, and the Devils score in bunches to get their preseason started. For this week's top 5, get ready to HATE as we talk a...

It's FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 123 and we're DEFINITELY OFF THE RAILS! Or Something. It's the FIRST EPISODE OF SEASON 4!!! Why are there two screens on my laptop right now? Anyhoo...we are back and we're going to update you on the NHL offseason! The Penguins got their man Erik Karlsson AND reduced their cap hit through some kind of weird voodoo. The Isles are trying Barzal at ever...

It's the FINAL EPISODE OF FRIENDS AND RIVALS! (Don't panic. We just mean for this season. We'll be back in September.) What's been going on in free agency and why did it take us so long to talk about it? The Islanders trade away a long time franchise icon and re-sign some of their guys. The Penguins replace their goalie with their goalie and start hoarding former Devils and Maple L...

It's FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 121 and it is vitally important to the survival of the planet that you listen to this episode! We discuss...things...such important things...so important that Mr Boogastad and Mrs Galchenuk are waiting in the wings to provide their expert feedback! We tell you about all the NHL Award Winners which were sprinkled into the Country Music Show on TNT Monday night. W...

It's FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 120 and a lot happened in the 24 hours since our last episode. The Golden Knights thrashed the Florida Panthers once more to win the Stanley Cup. The Rangers FINALLY named a head coach and even introduced him 6 days later. The Devils signed Jesper Bratt and are just lucky that he doesn't wear a number in the 80s. We discuss our nominees for the Hockey Hall o...

It's FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 119 and so much for writing our headline a week ahead in anticipation. The Rangers are dragging out this announcement longer than The Spaghetti Incident. What will we see with the naked eye first: a new Rangers coach or Halley's Comet? It's been so long since the Rangers had a head coach that back then, Luis Castillo could still catch a pop fly. The last...

It' FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 118 and I'd wager that the Golden Knights are up 2-0 in their series. Tom and Bill picked the Golden Knights to win; what do Nick and Steve have to say about their precious beloved Panthers? On this episode we talk about our top 5 NHL players who played for teams other than the ones we root for, and we discuss if scoring with a high stick is even a "thing...

It's FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 117 and the Golden Knights just got finished whooping on the Dallas Stars in Game 6 and are heading to their golden showers. Who do you got in the Panthers / Golden Knights matchup? For the pending free agents, are they worth what they are expected to get? We talk about our top 5 hockey...or in Nick's case just any sport...memorabilia items. We tell you a su...

It's FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 116! The season is winding down and all of our teams are out...so whatcha want to talk about? The GM search for the Penguins continues and it should set up the dominoes falling, but is Mike Sullivan going anywhere? We talk about our top 5 hockey moments, and then we get philosophical. What would you do on a guys-only trip with lots of vodka and dirty jokes? It c...

It's FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 115 and the Devils run came to an abrupt and rather one-sided end, but what does the future hold for this young and talented team? Which RFAs will surely return and which could be on the move? The Rangers come up with a wild conspiracy that could land them a multiple-time Stanley Cup winning coach, but why would the Penguins be motivated to be that stupid? The N...

It's FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISOE 114 and we would like to welcome Connor Bedard to The Windy City! Please watch out for gunfire on the South Side. In March, enjoy the green river. Head over to Millenium Park to see the giant chrome bike helmet, and have a hot dog at an afternoon game over at Wrigley Field. Bedard is guaranteed to be the top athlete to play in the city since Al Bundy scored 4 tou...

It's FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 113 and who knew after almost 2 decades that the Devils fans' favorite chant would finally be relevant? Since the NHL is OVER for us we change our podcast focus to the New York Knicks! OK not really. But where did the Islanders and Rangers go wrong, and how did the Devils right the ship after going down 2-0? And the Jacob Trouba debate rages on! Is Trouba a...

It's FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 112 and this playoff thing is an absolute breeze when your team isn't playing. This is stress free for the Penguins fans! But the Islanders are on the brink of elimination, the Rangers and Devils will at the very least play in each building one more time, and the Tampa Lightning are punching their ticket for Destination: Irrelevant!  But how did this Jeckyll...

It's EPISODE 111 OF FRIENDS AND RIVALS and our dark horse in the 2023 playoffs is...is...is...THE NASHVILLE PREDATORS! Talk about a dark horse: no one even knows they made it besides Nick. Billy eulogizes the Penguins' season and the end of their 16 year playoff run, so, what's next? The Islanders begin their round 1 series against the Hurricanes, and the Devils and Rangers get ready t...

It's FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 110 and all of the NHL playoff matchups are set! In the eastern conference you got the Bruins against the Islanders Panthers Penguins or Sabres, the Maple Leafs and Lightning, the Hurricanes against the Rangers Panthers Islanders Penguins or Sabres, the Devils against the Rangers Panthers Islanders Penguins or Sabres, and the Rangers against the Devils or Hurric...

It's FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 109 and if you've got the time, we've got the portable toilets! There's four games left. The Devils and Rangers have clinched but the Islanders and Penguins are probably not going to know for sure about their playoff futures until the final horn of the final game. But at least all of their players exist. We talk about the inconsistencies and double s...

It's EPISODE 108 OF FRIENDS AND RIVALS and I wish I knew what my own headline meant! We jump right in with our coverage on the only NCAA Tournament that matters - HOCKEY and the road to the Frozen Four! Then like sands through the hourglass, so our the final days of our 2022-23 NHL season. The ups and downs for each of our teams are robust, and it feels like every game leads us to another clif...

It's FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 107 and if you're like me, you've been waiting for YEARS now for someone to get the trivia question correct in under 37 minutes! SPOILER ALERT it might happen in this episode! We get into some math lessons, say goodbye to the fading Penguins, and get set to watch the Isles, Devils, and high flying Rangers make their playoff push. We discuss one of the le...

It's FRIENDS AND RIVALS EPISODE 106 and you can WIN amazing prizes! We talk about cartoon hockey, the Rangers waking up, the Devils closing in on 1st place, and the Penguins and Islanders fighting for their wild card lives. We take you out to the brawl-game during our trivia segment and name another random depth forward during Nick's game show! More than half of all Ritas and Rogers agree,...