Here are your Puck Headlines: A glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.
• Our Round 3 previews will run on Saturday, along with picks.
• Some notes from Capitals breakdown day: Alexander Ovechkin(notes) played through a groin injury suffered in Game 4 against the Rangers, and also had a bum wrist. Alexander Semin(notes) played with a badly sprained thumb. Mike Green(notes) had a shoulder injury that GM George McPhee said he didn't believe would require surgery. McPhee said Michael Nylander(notes) won't be bought out. Jose Theodore(notes) said he would not request a trade.
• The Chicago Blackhawks lost their first four games against the Detroit Red Wings this season, and then took the last two. Is that enough for confidence? Or will Chicago be fueled by their fans' obvious and intense disdain for Detroit? Coach Quenneville: "You could tell when fans were chanting after our last game about Detroit it's something that's definitely in place." This series has so much potential. But we're back in our pre-Pens/Caps "pleasedon'tsuck ... pleasedon'tsuck" mode. [Tribune]
• Steve Schrader of the Freep is worried about the Scotty Bowman factor: "What's he going to pull? Make them play at Wrigley again? Or what deep, dark secrets does he know about any Wings weaknesses?" [Freep]
• Hey, here's a stunner: Teemu Selanne(notes) and Scott Niedermayer(notes) are non-committal as far as playing in the NHL next season. Niedermayer promises a decision will be "quick." OK then. [Ducks Blog]
Sports
• Bangin Panger has a tribute to the shirtless, dancing Boston Bruins kid that we've seen throughout their playoff run. In last night's live blog, he was second to the bizarre "We Want It" chant for comedic fodder. [Bangin Panger]
• Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas(notes) discusses the game-winning goal he gave up to Scott Walker(notes). If there's one regret in not seeing the Bruins advance, it's not seeing what Tim Thomas would have done if Sidney Crosby(notes) crowded his crease like he did Varlamov's. [Globe]
• Speaking of Timmy, two words of advice for future interaction with Pierre McGuire: Restraining order. [HHR]
• Great breakdown of the Cardiac Canes' Game 7 win over the Boston Bruins, including a shoutout to those few, proud remaining fans of the Whale. [Canes Country]
• We ran a eulogy of the Bruins earlier today. Kevin Paul Dupont's in the Boston Globe is quite good: "Like so many years, but. It could have been far better. They could have been contenders. They lost their step in the long layoff following the Montreal series, and from there they lost their way." Which is kind way of saying they took Carolina lightly, which they did. [Globe]
• MVP tournament proves more Red Wings fans read USA Today than Washington Capitals fans. [USA Today]
• Viktor Kozlov(notes) of the Washington Capitals headed to the KHL? GM George McPhee didn't exactly say he was coming back to DC during today's getaway day. [Japers]
• Damien Cox looks at Jim Balsillie and manifest destiny: "Bringing another NHL team to southern Ontario, he'll tell you, is a mission born of social and economic justice, a vision he is pursuing with evangelical zeal on behalf of all Canadians. Then again, he figures if he'd successfully bought the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2007, he probably would have just left them in Pennsylvania." [Toronto Star]
• Ah, the subtle difference between the Red Wings and the San Jose Sharks, according to GM Doug Wilson: "The mental part of the game, Detroit is ahead of us right now. You can see that in Game 7 tonight - their mental toughness." [Mercury News]
• The great Earl Sleek sums up he feeling for Anaheim Ducks fans after Game 7 against the Detroit Red Wings. [Battle of California]
• Steve Zipay of Newsday: "According to unconfirmed information, the club forward NHL New York Rangers' Nikolai Zherdev(notes) soon could move to one of the top clubs of Continental hockey league." Hey, another enigmatic Russian winger leaving for the greener offensive pastures of the KHL. Go figure. [Newsday]
• GM Mike Gillis of the Vancouver Canucks expects the Sedins back, expects Luongo back and is happy with his coach. No word on his adult beverage of choice. [Vancouver Sun]
• Brent Sutter said his lack of a public committal to the New Jersey Devils for next season is not an indication that he'll be leaving the team. [Star Ledger]
• Get your Mario Lemieux "Pittsburgh is Hockeytahn" T-shirts. [Penguins]
• Having sex with underage girls is probably something you keep off the old résumé. [TBB]
• Finally, via Kuklas Korner, breaking down the game-winning goal from Dan Cleary against the Anaheim Ducks with Ron MacLean and Don Cherry, along with various other aspects of the game.
