The Lightning begin a five-game homestead tonight beginning with the Canadiens. To say these games are important is an understatement. [Tampa Bay Times]
The Canadiens will be mixing up the lines to see what works. [Montreal Gazette]
Tampa Bay Times photographer Dirk Shadd shares the story behind the re-creation of The Beatles’ Abbey Road album cover that featured Ben Bishop, Tyler Johnson, Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman, in a gallery of Shadd’s favorite images he captured. [Tampa Bay Times]
With so many regulars out of the lineup, Jonathan Drouin has had a December to remember. [The Hockey Writers]
Your captain, our GM.
Lexi LaFleur Brown shuts down Twitter again.
— Stephanie (@myregularface) December 28, 2016
⚡️”Are you worried?” “Nah, I ain’t worried.” ⚡️ https://t.co/ra2jbFztTo
— Lexi LaFleur Brown (@lexilafleur) December 28, 2016
The Game
Bruce Boudreau remembers longtime Kings employee John Wolf, who died Monday from cancer. Wolf is the one who changed Boudreau’s schedule on 9/11 that kept Boudreau from one of the planes that crashed in the World Trade Center. [Star Tribune]
The Blues have a giant hole down the middle of their lineup, “so Hitchcock keeps shuffling his forwards to create a smoke-and-mirrors effect. He puts centers on the wing and he plays wings at center. He moves third- and fourth-liners up and he moves first- and second-liners down.” Excuse us if this sounds pretty familiar. [Post-Dispatch]
The Stanley Cup and some old friends got a tour of the new Red Wings arena, which is in the process of being built, in case you couldn’t tell by the image.
Thank you @DetroitRedWings for having us back! #97Reunion #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/q3G3oY7MO9
— Joe Kocur (@kocurfoundation) December 27, 2016
Down Goes Brown’s 10 ways of a goaltender’s reaction after letting in a goal, like the teammate stare-down or the corner skate. [Sportsnet]
Rangers goaltender Antti Raanta spend the holiday break walking his dog — a lot — as his wife is expecting their first child in January. [New York Post]
Pierre-Édouard Bellemare of the Flyers’ five New Year’s resolutions. [NHLPA]
Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand: The odd couple that works for the Bruins. For instance, Marchand likes to hunt and Bergeron would rather retreat to the lake. Bergeron is beloved while Marchand… isn’t quite. [The Boston Globe]
WJC
Lightning prospects played a big part in Team Canada’s 5-0 win over Slovakia. Connor Ingram pitched the shoutout (though he made a whopping six saves), and Taylor Radish and Anthony Cirelli both had a goal. [Habs Eyes on the Prize]
Mitchell Stephens didn’t play in the third, however.
Per @HC_WJC, Mitchell Stephens (lower body) being held out of 3rd period for precautionary reasons
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) December 28, 2016
Oh heeeey.
RAD. 🙂 #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/m7HOnoM1dm
— Team Canada Men (@HC_Men) December 28, 2016
The prime minister has spoken.
Great start to the #WorldJuniors last night for the @HC_Men! We’re all behind you, let’s get that gold back. https://t.co/EEeZ8cRsU0
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) December 27, 2016
