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Quick Strikes: Tom Wilson learned his lesson so well he did it again

I had to dial back from the headline I wanted to write.

The Headline

This Tom Wilson classic came last night in the second period of a game between the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals. A Devils call-up named Brett Seney was on the ice, and had just finished playing the puck when Wilson skated up behind him, shifted his trajectory for maximum impact on the player’s blind side, and:

Luckily (or dangerously) Seney returned for the third period of the game, so he purportedly passed concussion protocol, but seriously. It’s been eight games since Wilson returned from suspension. Eight games.

What should the league do now? Please feel free to discuss in comments, or simply fill in this bingo card:

The Bolts

The best article from yesterday was undoubtedly Ryan Stimson’s systems breakdown of how the Tampa Bay Lightning managed to defeat the Buffalo Sabres. He’s writing about it as a learning experience for his team, the Sabres, but the video of each play and his description of it is invaluable to those who enjoy the choreography of the game.

Stimson: A deep dig into the film and statistical details from the Sabres’ streak-ending loss in Tampa [The Athletic, paid content]

While the top half of the Sabres lineup acquitted themselves against a top team in the league, their lack of depth was exposed and the Sabres were soundly beaten despite the flattering score line. Tampa got the benefit of several penalty calls, but when you don’t have the puck, it’s difficult to draw penalties. This was a measuring stick and while you don’t want to overanalyze one game, Tampa Bay is in another class than the Sabres right now.

And here’s what we wrote yesterday (which is also the bulk of non-recap news, lol):

Tampa Bay Lightning defender Ryan McDonagh is officially day to day with an upper body injury [Raw Charge]

As of yet, NHL Player Safety has not weighed in on the hit and with it being this late in the day, it seems unlikely they will. That’s somewhat surprising considering how reckless the hit was. McDonagh wasn’t involved in the play when Eichel checked him from behind and sent the defender face first into the boards. While the question of whether the hit was worthy of a suspension is up for debate, it seemed to be worth a fine at the least.

Trade rumors connect the Tampa Bay Lightning and Los Angeles Kings: What deals make sense? [Raw Charge]

So, if they really are scouting each other for a trade, and it’s not a completely innocent coincidence that the scouts have been there, what are the Lightning conceivably looking at from the Kings? To tell you the truth, I’m having a darn hard time coming up with anything that makes sense. There’s a handful of reasons for that.

Sweater Series: The number 29 [Raw Charge]

The Sweater Series moves on with another popular uniform number. Unlike some of the more recent numbers, 29 is still in rotation today as it is being worn, at least on some nights, by a current player on the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Prospects

The guy that Allovimo affectionately refers to as “Honey Badger” got some love from Buffalo News yesterday.

Canisius College product Cory Conacher making most of return to Syracuse Crunch [Buffalo News]

The Lightning, of course, expect Conacher to help mentor their prospects. But he is more than a veteran presence. Right now, he’s the AHL’s most lethal scoring threat. He has compiled a whopping 22 points in the last nine contests.

Fighting for a cure [OSB]

As the Solar Bears prepare for tomorrow’s first-ever Alzheimer’s Awareness Night, presented by Bioclinica Research and sponsored by Brown Builders Supply, the evening takes on a personal meaning for Gogol. His grandmother, Marion Ruth Gogol, passed away in 2016 after battling Alzheimer’s disease for over a decade. She’s not far from his mind.

“She battled hard and she fought it for about 11 years,” Gogol said. “I’d go see her in Kelowna, where I was fortunate enough to play junior hockey, so I got to see her a lot more than some of my other family members.”

The Game

Banter Book Review: “Odd Man Rush” by Bill Keenan [BSB]

Keenan’s memoir, published in 2016, has received a lot of praise as an exceptionally funny hockey book. It seems like every third or fourth review on Amazon.com references the movie Slapshot. Make no mistake, this is a funny book, but Keenan also has a gift for writing from a place of vulnerability. He will surprise you when he shares the tempest of emotions he went through as a result of the injuries that threatened to derail his fragile dream.

Behind the Glass: Spooner hits the century mark [The Ice Garden]

Miye D’Oench told Corey Masisak of The Athletic that this will be her last season playing NWHL hockey. After this season she has plans to go to law school. After Sunday’s game, D’Oench told The Ice Garden that she thinks the Riveters’ impressive record with her in the lineup is “dumb luck” and nothing more. With that being said, the Riveters haven’t lost a regular season or playoff game with D’Oench in the lineup since March 17, 2017.

And by the way, today’s WILLIAM NYLANDER HAS TO SIGN OR ELSE day. Please enjoy the steaming hot takes from the rest of the internet, and pray for the souls of all the reasonable Leafs fans out there.

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