Quick Strikes for Saturday, November 15

• Well, hello there winning Syracuse Crunch! They defeated the Hershey Bears last night. They’re back to involved in their division. [Bolt Prospects]
• Tonight’s Lightning opponent, the New York Islanders, played the Florida Panthers last night. They needed the shootout to get the victory. Their fift-in-a-row. [Lighthouse Hockey]
• The NHL is fighting to keep blackouts. I know you’re just thrilled about that. It makes no sense, but since when have sports ever made sense? [TSN]
• Movie review for Red Army is favorable. It’s a new documentary on what happened to the Soviet Union hockey program after the debacle – from their perspective – at Lake Placid in 1980. If you’re a Detroit Red Wings fan, you may recognize a number of people in this. [New York Times]
• Sean McIndoe eulogizes the role of enforcers in the NHL. Please note that fighting isn’t gone; just the dedicated role of hockey goon is. Perhaps that’s a fine distinction for most people, but it’s still a distinction, nonetheless. [Grantland]
• Puck Daddy’s fearless leader, Greg Wyshynski, asks the good people what hockey word ought to be banned? My vote was for “compete level”. Seriously, is it so hard to say “competitiveness” that you have to dumb it down to “compete level”? [Puck Daddy]
• More than you probably ever wanted to know about air hockey. (Warning Vancouver Canucks fans: there’s a picture of Mark Messier at the top.) [CBS Sports]
• Hey, you remember the All-Star Game, right? That thing that they do at the end of January that stars try to bail out on so they can get those 5-6 days off in the middle of the season? You know, that thing they usually do during non-Olympics years? Honda is sponsoring it this year, and the Columbus Blue Jackets are the hosts. [NHL.com]
• The NHL’s taking the easy road for more money? You don’t say. Next thing you’ll be telling us that the sky is actually blue. (It’s not; it’s really grey. By they way, did I ever mention I grew up near Seattle…?) [Arctic Ice Hockey]
• They name 12 goalies that are doing great in the NHL this season, but no mention of Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop. I don’t know if I can take this list seriously. But if the criteria is “having a career season” then maybe it’s okay. Just this once. So far. [USA Today]

The Lightning have worn three alternate uniforms in franchise history. Which is your favorite?