Damian Cristodero said that if the stars aligned yesterday, the Lightning could clinch a playoff spot for the first time in four years. What needed to happen, besides the Lightning beating the Senators, was that the Hurricanes needed to lose in regulation to the Caps. Well the win for us happened, but the Hurricanes kept their playoffs hopes alive with a win over Washington. Now the Lightning look for the two points next game to clinch a playoff spot against the Pens on Thursday night.

Your links for this week after the jump...

Lightning links:

• An interview with Nate "the Alaskan Assassin" Thompson on the Lightning website
• Even though Boucher is only a few years older than some of his players, he's been able to make the transition to be their leader pretty seamlessly. Also some quotes from Simon Gagne on his future next season (Ottawa Citizen)
• Steve Yzerman was 'pleased' with how the coaches handled the recent struggles of the Lightning (St. Petersburg Times)
• According to an isport.cz, via letsgopens.com, Tampa tried to sign Robert Lang but it doesn't sound he like was offered enough money to make him want to move his family to Tampa. You can read the condensed version over on this Bolt Prospects discussion board
• Steven Stamkos is named as the new face of Garnier Fructis shampoo (via LHB)
  
• Copper and Blue compares Lecavalier's contract to Briere's and asks: which player's contract is worse going forward?
• For the ladies: a pretty fabulous photo of Lecavalier's winning smile from the IndyCar Grand Prix this past weekend (Herald Sun)

Links from around the NHL:

• On Monday night, Todd Bertuzzi gets ejected from the game for an elbow to the head of Ryan Johnson (Puck Daddy) but is not suspended (Red Wings)
  
• TJ Oshie was absent from a Blues practice that according to St. Louis Coach Davis Payne was an "unexcused absence" (St. Louis Today)
• Stephane Da Costa, a NCAA player whose team just lost in the playoffs, is now a sought after free agent who was scouted by at least 20 teams (Elliotte Friedman in CBC)
• Manny Malhotra underwent a successful eye surgery yesterday to repair damage cause by taking a puck to the face on March 16th (The Province)
• "Hockey players are idiots" said Douglas Murray on players not wearing protective gear like Kevlar sleeves or socks until after they get hurt. Jason Demers learned his lesson the hard way after getting his wrist sliced that required 12 stitches to close up the laceration. He now wears cut resistant sleeves to protect his wrists
• ESPN's Scott Burnside's 5 things on playoff predictions and that the NHL is pulling back in the number of Premiere Games next season
• Pierre Lebrun's weekend wrap on ESPN which is basically HNIC's hotstove in word form
• Elliotte Friedman's 30 thoughts this week is on how Friedman would like to see the NHL reward NHL journeymen with an award at their annual awards show
  
• Burgundy of Stayclassy.net argues that web savvy hockey fans aren't always a good thing
  
• On the Forecheck with a post on Carrie Underwood, country music and what it means to be a Nashvillian
  
• Via Puck Daddy, a blogger named Doug McKenzie wrote that hockey fans should turn down the snob factor to new fans as it's really not helping grow the sport. Have to agree with McKenzie on this, and think that the same can be said sometimes for fans of teams in 'hockey markets' and how they talk about fans in non-traditional hockey markets

   

• Pass it to Bulis has 20 reason why NHL scoring leader Daniel Sedin is bad at penalty shots
  
• Dany Heatley asked for a signed stick of Paul Bisonette to add to his collection (NHL.com)
  
• A look at the difference between college hockey and pro hockey and what happens after college for the six BU seniors that won the National Championship game in 2009 (Inside Hockey)
• Awesome story on the Florida Killer Bee's team that has its youngest players in their early 20's, but half of their team is over 50 (St. Petersburg Times)