The Bolts
The Tampa Bay Lightning will be selecting 14th overall at the NHL entry draft. What caliber of player is usually selected in the middle of the first round? “Breaking down the last 25 years of picks (because hockey didn’t exist before the Lightning entered the league) does show a few interesting trends. If Mr. Yzerman does decide to show up for the first night of the draft and use his pick, what can he expect with the 14th pick?” [Raw Charge]
Reminder: Victor Hedman is very good at hockey.
Hedman’s 34 primary assists ranked him 5th in the league…not just among defencemen.
Only trailed McDavid, Getzlaf, Kane & Zetterberg.— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) May 28, 2017
Best of the Bolts: Elite Eight. “Voting for the Lightning and Tampa Bay Regions in the Best of the Bolts’ Elite Eight starts at noon on Friday, May 26 and ends at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 30. You can vote as many times as you’d like for your favorite play in each matchup.” [Tampa Bay Lightning]
Let’s see what the guys were up to on social media yesterday.
Alex Killorn and Andrej Sustr are really enjoying the Monaco Grand Prix, apparently from the comfort of a very expensive-looking Airbnb.
Meanwhile Tyler Johnson is catching up with some family back at home in Spokane, Washington.
The Prospects
Calder Cup Finals: Syracuse Crunch vs Grand Rapid Griffins
ICYMI: The Syracuse Crunch are Eastern Conference Champions. “Deafening chants of ‘We want the cup’ echoed thunderously through the Onondaga County War Memorial Arena after a series clinching win by the Syracuse Crunch against the Providence Bruins on Saturday night. The emphatic win sets up a chance at redemption in the Calder Cup Finals. The boys in blue will take on the same Grand Rapids Griffins team that stunned them four years ago.” [Raw Charge]
A few people have asked me how to watch the game. There doesn’t appear to be any national broadcasts planned, but I have good news! You can watch the entire series from the comfort of your own home – FOR FREE!
I signed up yesterday, so I’ll walk you through the steps (just in case!)
- Go to AHL Live on a laptop or desktop computer
- Select “Sign Up” (or “Sign In” if you already have an account)
- Enter your information
- Select “Playoff All-Access”
- Enter the promo code “FINALS17” (Skip the billing information section)
- Submit and you’re done! Enjoy supporting our boys as they fight for the Calder Cup
Memorial Cup Final: Erie Otters lose 4-3 to the Windsor Spitfires
Three Lightning prospects went into last night’s game hoping to win the ultimate prize in junior hockey – the Memorial Cup. They fell one goal short of that achievement. Erik Cernak, Anthony Cirelli, and Taylor Raddysh are still OHL Champions, but their junior hockey careers did not end in the glory that they had hoped.
“Now, in this small moment of their lives, it all feels as if it wasn’t worth it, as if it’s all one big failure. It wasn’t. They’ll realize this. They will look back on this game as one of the closest and hardest they’ve played. They’ll remember those teammates, remember those games and those terrible blonde dye jobs. For now though, they hurt, more than this game has made them hurt before.” [Raw Charge]
Raddysh was awarded the Ed Chynoweth Trophy for leading scorer and Cirelli was awarded the George Parsons Trophy for most sportsmanlike player. It’s possible that Cernak, Cirelli, and Raddysh will join the Syracuse Crunch as they vie for a Calder Cup next week.
Introducing 2017 #MCMemorialCup Award Winners including Strome, DiPietro, Raddysh and Cirelli. pic.twitter.com/y1w2LxuUWp
— CanadianHockeyLeague (@CHLHockey) May 29, 2017
The Game
“The highly anticipated ESPN ‘E:60’ profile of Nashville Predators star P.K. Subban dropped on Sunday morning, and delivered a solid look at his life, career and controversy. It was highly anticipated thanks to some choice quotes that were circulated earlier in the week, such as Subban saying: ‘I still have no idea why I’m not a Montreal Canadien, and quite frankly, I really don’t care.’” [Puck Daddy]
Oh, and it featured retired NHL All-Star John Scott dropping this criticism of P.K. early on in the profile:
“I don’t like him. I think on the ice, he’s a piece of garbage. Perceived as like a hot shot, [that] this guy thinks he’s better than everybody”
Nashville’s motley crew of centers attempts miracle against Crosby and Malkin. “Colton Sissons used to ride busses as a Milwaukee Admiral in the AHL. When he made it to the NHL, he spent his nights pondering how he’d make an energetic splash in the lineup as a third- or fourth-line grinder. Now he’ll lie in bed, staring at the ceiling, picturing himself taking draws against Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final. Whoa.” [The Hockey News]
Mike Fisher of the Nashville Predators can sing national anthem, if necessary. “Defenseman Yannick Weber said, ‘Mike Fisher; he’s got a lot of help from home. He’s got a great voice. You underestimate him. His wife [country music star Carrie Underwood] is a good singer, but he can go too. He must be the best one on the team.” [NHL]
