David Staples
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Podcast by David Staples
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · June 2026
Cult of Hockey podcast gives Oilers fans detailed game judgment, from shot quality and coverage mistakes to roster and playoff questions.
Cult of Hockey podcast belongs in the Sports beat as close-range Oilers talk. David Staples of the Edmonton Journal, joined in the sampled episodes by Kurt Levens, works through Edmonton results, Team Canada games, roster choices, and the defensive reads that decide a night.
You want Oilers therapy with Grade A shots, referee grievances, and lineup receipts.
Press play if you want
Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A blunt postgame autopsy that ties the Oilers' familiar mistakes to the numbers underneath them.
The Oilers' 5-2 loss to Tampa Bay reads like a familiar story, and the numbers support that view: 16 grade-A shots apiece, with Tampa holding a 10-7 edge in five-alarm looks.
A brisk Oilers and Olympics conversation built around roster fit, cap space, and trade possibilities.
The Cult of Hockey podcast moves from Oilers coaching pressure to trade talk and then into Olympic hockey, which gives the episode a packed, opinionated feel.
A blowout that turns into a real argument about numbers, goaltending, and what comes next.
The Cult of Hockey podcast takes Canada's 10-2 win over France and treats it like a hockey argument, not a scoreboard check. Mark Stone gets an early nod, the shot-quality gap gets some numbers behind it, and the first 20 minutes come off as the part that mattered most.
A blunt postgame read that keeps coming back to starts, goaltending, and one costly mistake.
The segment stays on practical hockey reasons: slow starts, puck management, and goaltending. Staples and Levens give New Jersey, and Jake Allen, credit for the steadier night, while still leaving room for the Oilers to feel they were probably goalied late.
A blunt Oilers postgame breakdown with real game receipts and roster texture.
The Cult of Hockey podcast takes an Oilers win over Ottawa and keeps the focus on why it still felt tighter than the result should have been. The discussion moves cleanly from early defensive mistakes to the late push, then into lineup talk, roster housekeeping, and the kind of…
A blunt postgame look at one overtime win and the playoff warning it hints at.
Edmonton's 4-3 overtime win in Vegas is the headline, but the episode spends most of its time on how the Oilers actually got through the night.
A blunt Oilers postgame that tracks the 3-0 hole, the comeback, and the Ekholm penalty debate.
This Oilers postgame stays glued to the action. It moves through the brutal opening, the 3-0 Sharks lead, and the overtime turn that changes the feel of the night.
A 4-2 Vegas win, with the real value in the defense-first argument underneath.
The Cult of Hockey crew uses a 4-2 win over Vegas to make a direct case for what better Oilers defense looks like. The talk stays on shot-quality numbers, sets the game against a stretch of poor defensive habits, and pays attention to the reads and recoveries that changed the…
Flyers wins, losses, and reality checks.
Daily Canucks panic with receipts.
Buffalo hockey, argued daily.
David Staples and Noel Renske focus on an Oilers loss to the Flames while arguing that Edmonton is now 28-30 after 58 games and heading into the break two games below .500.
David Staples and Kurt Levens analyze the Edmonton Oilers' thrilling 6-5 overtime win over the Washington Capitals, focusing on Evan Bouchard's historic six-point performance and defensive excellence.
The Oilers come out flat against New Jersey and spend most of the night chasing the game.
The Cult of Hockey opens on Edmonton's 4-2 win over Vegas as a real defensive step forward.
The podcast opens on Edmonton's 5-4 win over Ottawa and immediately treats it like another classic Oilers problem game.
The Cult of Hockey podcast starts with Edmonton's 5-4 loss to San Jose and does not pretend it was a clean night.
David Staples and Kurt Levens break down Edmonton's 5-4 win over Ottawa.
Canada handles Czechia with authority.
David Staples and Kurt Levens open with a hot read on Edmonton's loss to Toronto.
The Oilers spend half the night digging out of a hole.
David Staples and Kurt Levens open with the Oilers' three straight losses before the Olympic break.
The Cult of Hockey podcast opens on Edmonton's 5-2 loss to Tampa Bay.
The podcast opens in a hurry.
The Cult of Hockey podcast on Edmonton’s 3-1 win over Nashville centers on a penalty kill that went 4-for-4 and held the Predators to one truly dangerous slot chance.
David Staples and Kurt Levins frame the 2-1 Canada loss to the United States as a game Canada played well enough to win, with David pointing to 30 grade-A chances for Canada against 14 for the U.S.
The Cult of Hockey podcast on the Oilers’ 4-0 loss to the Florida Panthers centers on why Edmonton again lost a game it needed, with David Staples and Kurt Leavins tying the result to familiar defensive mistakes and Florida’s heavier style.
The Cult of Hockey podcast on "Oilers fail pressure test, thumped by the wicked Wild" opens with a 7-3 loss to Minnesota and a detailed split between grade-A shots, which the hosts say favored Edmonton 24-15.
David Staples and Kurt Levens open by revisiting Edmonton's habit of winning in Vegas.
The Cult of Hockey podcast breaks down Edmonton’s 4-3 win over Colorado as a "statement game," with David Staples and Kurt Levins arguing that the Oilers’ top players beat the NHL-best Avalanche.
The Cult of Hockey podcast focuses on Edmonton's 5-3 win over the San Jose Sharks, with David Staples and Kevin McCurdy framing it as a big statement without Leon Dreisaitl.
David Staples and Kurt Lovins open with Kurt on battery power and lantern light, then pivot to Edmonton's 5-2 win over the Utah Mammoth and a 4-2 lead held through the third period.
David Staples and Kurt Levens analyze the Edmonton Oilers' 7-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks, praising the offensive outburst but criticizing defensive lapses and goaltending reliance.
The Cult of Hockey podcast breaks down Edmonton’s 8-1 win over the LA Kings, with David Staples and Kurt Levens centering the night on Conor McDavid’s ninth 100-point season and Leon Draisaitl’s four-point performance.
Canada crushes France 10-2.
The Cult of Hockey podcast on Edmonton’s 6-5 loss to Anaheim centers on a third-period collapse after a 4-2 lead and a game the hosts call “the most depressing game of the season.” David Staples and Kurt Levens single out Matt Savoie’s first NHL three-point night, including his 10th goal, as one of the few positives.
The Cult of Hockey podcast covers Edmonton’s 3-2 overtime loss to the St.
The Cult of Hockey podcast on the Edmonton Oilers’ 6-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes centers on Zach Hyman’s two goals, Darnell Nurse’s deflection numbers, and Jake Walman’s costly stick sequence on the 4-2 goal.
David Staples and Kurt Levens open by apologizing for an echo problem from the previous episode, then move into Canada’s win over Finland and the looming matchup with the United States.
The Cult of Hockey podcast on Edmonton’s 7-2 loss to the Dallas Stars centers on a long postgame argument over defensive breakdowns, Tristan Jari’s night, and whether Darnell Nurse or Jason Dickinson owned specific goals against.
David Staples and Kurt Levens analyze the Edmonton Oilers' 6-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, focusing on mental errors by star players like Connor McDavid and Leon Dreisaitl, leadership questions, and goaltending controversies, while also touching on historical NHL records and personal anecdotes.
David Staples and Kurt Levens discuss the Edmonton Oilers' 1-0 loss to the LA Kings, analyzing goalie performances and scoring chances.
David Staples and Kurt Levens discuss the Edmonton Oilers' turnaround and coach Chris Knobloch's performance under pressure.
David Staples and Kurt Levins analyze the Edmonton Oilers' defensive improvement and a recent 3-0 win against the Seattle Kraken.
David Staples and Kurt Levens analyze the Edmonton Oilers' 4-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks, focusing on strong penalty kill and team defense.
David Staples and Kurt Leavins discuss the Edmonton Oilers' dominant 5-0 win over the St.
David Staples and Kurt Leavins discuss hockey memories and the Edmonton Oilers.
David Staples and Kurt Levens discuss the Edmonton Oilers' recent win in the Battle of Alberta, mixed with holiday banter.
David Staples and Kurt Levins discuss the Edmonton Oilers' 9-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, analyzing the team's struggles and fan reaction.
David Staples and Kurt Lovins discuss the Edmonton Oilers' 4-3 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks, analyzing the team's performance and the challenges of a long road trip.
David Staples and Kurt Levens discuss the Edmonton Oilers' start to the season and a recent win against the Rangers, analyzing key plays and player performances.