Lots of links this week, so let’s just get to it…
Your Lightning links:
- Guy Boucher assumes that Crosby is playing until he hears otherwise “To me, he’s playing, period,” Lightning coach Guy Boucher told reporters in Tampa. “But we can’t say if he’s not (playing), they don’t have a great team. They’re a great team. With him, they’re an amazing team. (TSN)
- The Penguins are trying to get their fans to “white out” their home games again. How well will the Pens fans follow directions when the shirts aren’t free this year? (The Pensblog)
- Scott Burnside of ESPN breaks down the Pens-Lightning matchup. He predicts the Pens in seven
- The Sporting News previews the matchup and Sean Getille predicts the Pens in six
- I laughed so hard when I read this: Tocchet’s take on the playoff series in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He says things like “The guy who stirs the drink, obviously, is Martin St. Louis“. Say what?
The rest of your links after the jump…
- They’re a couple years older, but Marty and Vinny are back to being in the hunt in the playoffs. From the Canadian Press: “We’ve earned our way back to this,” St. Louis said on Monday. “It’s a longtime coming. I think we’re ready.”
- Vincent Lecavalier was named as one of the NHL’s three stars in the final week of the regular season. As he should be after the week he’s had
- The Lightning’s official Twitter account linked this photo of the playoff shirts. HUNT IT NOW. I feel like this may be more appropriate for the Sharks, but maybe this will grow on me?
- Lightning Hockey Blog interviews the Puck Huffers to get to know our Pens blogger enemy
- Warning: I am linking to Fox News here, but someone there wrote a post on why the Lightning will win the cup
- Teddy Purcell makes Die by the Blade’s list of top 10 secondary scorers
- TSN on former Bolt Mathieu Darch and his willingness to pay the price to stay in the NHL (TSN)
- Nolan interviews Randall Maggs on Frozen Sheets Hockey, author of Night Work: The Terry Sawchuk Poems. Part 2 is here
- Meet new Lightning blog: The Electric Blue Hockey Test written by frequent commenter Mike Gallimore
- Our own Matt Amos is growing a playoff beard, here is what he looks like after one week. This photo may help his #DTVdatewatch
- Lightning assistant coach, Wayne Fleming has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. He underwent a procedure for it and Yzerman said Fleming is “up and around” and “feeling really good”. Best wishes for a speedy recovery (St. Petersburg Times)
Your links from around the NHL:
- Coaching changes: Todd Richards was fired as head coach of the Minnesota Wild (TSN), Jacques Lemaire retired as New Jersey Devils coach (NHL), the Panthers fired Peter Deboer (NHL), Cory Clouston is fired in Ottawa (Ottawa Citizen)
- The Premiere 2011 teams (teams starting their season in Europe next season) have been announced by the NHL: Kings, Ducks, Rangers and Sabres
- Down Goes Brown has playoff etiquette for hockey fans. A must read before interacting with hockey fans of other teams
- Down Goes Brown previews the first round matchups in the Eastern Conference
- Want to enter a playoff fantasy hockey game? Rinktology is your answer for just 10 bucks
- Without Crosby this season, Jordan Staal has really been thriving in his new role with the Pens (Puck Daddy)
- Via Puck Daddy, a video of a Pittsburgh Penguins fan’s man cave. Is this dedication or does he just need a life?
- Is this the year for the Vancouver Canucks? Bruce Arthur of the National Post says this year sounds like it could be
- Comedian Norm Macdonald debuted a new show on the Comedy Network last week called the “Sports Show with Norm Macdonald” which hopes to be to sports what the Daily Show with Jon Stewart did for politics (NY Times)
- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is currently topping the NHL Central Scouting of North American skaters (TSN)
Your video of the week:
Via The Pensblog, Plum high school with an oustanding video. I want to hate it, but the kids do a great job on it
