The Detroit Red Wings pushed the series with San Jose to 7 games last night with a 3-1 win, so at least there will be some hockey to watch while we wait for the ECF to start on Saturday. Here are some links to keep you busy while we wait:

Your Lightning links:

• Simon Gagne says he is ready to go for Game 1 (Lightning Strikes)
• Rest vs. rust, is having nine days off good or bad for the Lightning and Bruins (Globe and Mail)
• Don't Trade Vinny goes through the pros and cons of facing the Bruins in the ECF
• The Days of Y'Orr compiles the top 5 situations in which Guy Boucher got his 'scar of awesomeness'
• The other day Boucher called Thomas "an enigma", the Montreal Gazette asks the boys what it will take to solve him

The rest of your links after the jump...

• Elliotte Friedman's 30 Thoughts: did you know that Tampa beat San Jose to the Eric Brewer in the trade?
• Is Boucher deflecting focus onto Tim Thomas for the ECF or is Thomas going to be the game-changer in the series? (Lightning Hockey Blog)
• The Boston Herald has a story on how without even speaking to Thomas, Roloson changed his life
• The USA Today profiles the Lightning third line. Boucher on Moore "During the year when our top guys weren't scoring in the shootout, (Moore would) be on the bench looking at me with his big eyes saying, 'You send me.' He wants the pressure,"
• The Globe and Mail states the obvious here: Yzerman has produced a dangerous team
  
• And if you haven't read this from last week by Bruce Arthur, it's on Guy Boucher and his love for learning. Really good read
• A St. Petersburg Times writer, Ben Montgomery jumps on the All In bandwagon. He asks if the players look like pears when not wearing pads? And what is a Bruin? To answer him, a Bruin is an old term for a brown bear
• How a Lightning fan outwitted his home owners association over a Bolts sign (Puck Daddy)
• Sean Bergenheim is flourishing in this playoff run (Washington Post)
• Damien Cristodero's news and notes about the Lightning. The other day Boucher walked across the logo in the locker room but his response when this folly was pointed out? "It's the old one." (St. Petersburg Times)
• Islanders fans are as stunned as we were with Bergenheim and his production in the playoffs (HockeyBuzz.com)
• Even though he has ties to the Bruins organization, Phil Esposito is cheering for Tampa (FS Florida)
• Not that it can happen now, but would a Lightning v. Preds final be good or bad for business? (SBN)
• The Lightning are drawing comparisons to the 2004 Stanley Cup winning team (AP via TSN)

Your links from around the NHL:

• The Canucks won 2-1 Monday night over the Predators advancing to the Western Conference Final, but the Predators fought a hard battle (On the Forecheck)
• Glendale approves $25 million to cover the losses of a 2011-2012 season to keep the Coyotes in Glendale (Puck Daddy)
• The Ontario teachers pension plan acquires TD Bank's 13.46% stake of the MLSE (Globe and Mail)
  
• Boston.com looks at the people that are jumping on the Bruins bandwagon in order for them to meet girls or give them a topic to chat about with their boss
• A bandwagon hockey fan guide to the Boston Bruins (Wicked Good Sports)
• Sean Avery appeared in a video spot to endorse gay marriage (Puck Daddy)
  
• An NHL agent stirs up some controversy with some tweets he made in response to Sean Avery's support for gay marriage (Globe and Mail)
  
• Are the Edmonton Oilers moving to Winnipeg or Quebec City? David Staples of the Edmonton Journal wonders how serious is this threat
• James Mirtle interviews Brian Levine on why as a scientist, he is looking at former hockey players brains (Globe and Mail)

Video of the week: Kesler splits the Nashville offense on a powerplay and scores