The 5-Hole Podcast Bill Moges, G Francis, King Conko

Where did these guys come from? Obviously the extended absence from "rubbing one out" as they say in the podcast game (and other exercises) left our friends from the 5-Hole with lots to say and only an hour to say it. A summary of the Leafs' end-of-season, from the standpoint of heartbroken fans was not on the agenda. Instead what we have here is more of a look back on the typical, the usual, the expected, and the sad. I'm moving to Vegas.

Here come the Stanley Cup Playoffs and this is our Playoff Preview Pod. Amongst the many possible topics, the 5-Hole tackles the potential impact of Joseph Woll and Matthew Knies, two players who have recently inserted themselves into the playoff roster and have tantalized with their potential. Of course we at the 5-Hole speculate on Leaf roster structure and of course we provide our predictions for the Leafs/Lightening series. But where else can you go for comparisons of Joseph Woll to Ken Dryden circa 1971 and his Conn Smythe win backstopping the Canadians to an unexpected Cup that year. Where else in a playoff preview pod can you enjoy a tribute to the sport of curling. Topics perhaps unexpected and ill-advised, nonetheless they are tackled here, for your listening pleasure. And for some - disappointment. But hey, it'll kill an hour.

The 5-Hole returns to the studio with a rich and varied slate. What's happening with Michael Bunting, is he losing his position of favour in the eyes of coach Keefe and a Leaf organization which will certainly need to give him a big raise in the off-season if they wish to retain him. Which NHL destinations would the boys in the pod place on their personal limited no-trade list? What does the banning of fighting in the QMJHL portend for major junior hockey in Canada and how did those old-timey NHL teams get their crazy nicknames. The 5-Hole also questions the way game has always been called in the war-zone known as the front-of-the-net. As always - thanks for listening!

Remember back in episode 32 part 1, we explained why episode 32 was split into two parts? To recap - we had been so prolific in a recent in-person sit-down that we had over two hours of material and that warranted a two-parter. Well, we were wrong. And this episode is not really an episode after all. Nonetheless, we have released it for the curious and because we said we would. We'll be back next week with the usual 5-Hole for your listening pleasure.

For the first time in 5-Hole history the boys have actually assembled under one roof.   We review the Leafs new additions now that they've had some time to make themselves feel at-home in the Leaf uniform.  We also discuss Auston and his off-year - is he returning to form as a nagging hand injury affecting his shot and puck handling may finally be a thing of the past?  Also - some quick takes on celebrities attending Leaf games, Leaf player pain thresholds and how they compare to Robert Svehla's and what NHL uniforms can Patrick Kane see himself wearing as he ponders his future.

Apologies for the quality of the voice record, it is distinctly Lo-Fi. 

This week the boys from the 5-Hole do their best to contain their excitement for recent Leaf acquisitions in prep for the playoffs.  Probably the biggest development is King Conko's about-face on the performance of Kyle Dubas, Leaf GM (like you'd be reading this if you didn't know that).  Wistfully we reflect on past Leaf failures to get the job done, and we all join listener Stover Lymph (mailbag contributor) in asking his very simple question - "Is this it?"