Monday's news: Has the NCAA gone mad?

by Dirk Hoag on May 17, 2010 8:16 AM EDT

Let's get your week started off with a proper helping of hockey news - after the jump, we've got two wonderfully appropriate articles presented back-to-back. First, the NCAA is considering a rule change that will make the game more dangerous for hockey players, and secondly, we get the scoop on just how brutal the game can be at the NHL level...

Yesterday In The Playoffs

Chicago 2, San Jose 1: Each team surpassed the 40-shot mark as Antti Niemi out-dueled Evgeni Nabokov for the opening win. This tips the home-ice advantage in favor of the Blackhawks.

Philadelphia 6, Montreal 0: Jaroslav Halak got pulled as the Flyers routed Montreal in Game One of the East final. When the best thing you can take out of a game is "the lame effort came about in the first game of the series and not later," you know it was a bad night.

Predators News

Predator prospect Nick Oliver to return to Fargo Force next season - Nashville Predators Examiner
The Preds' 4th-round pick will put off college hockey for a year and continue with his USHL team. Chief Amateur Scout Jeff Kealty says that he'd rather see Oliver play a key role for Fargo than ride the bench at St. Cloud State, but I have to believe this is a bit of setback. Nashville is very well-stocked with forwards coming up through the system, however, so they can be patient here.

Pekka Rinne earns shutout for Finland - predators.nhl.com
Peks hasn't gotten much action at the World Championships, but backstopped his team to a 2-0 victory over Belarus.

Around the NHL

I Can't Believe It's Science - Western College Hockey Blog
The NCAA is actually considering relaxing the requirement for full face masks and allowing players to just go with half-shields. SB Nation's college hockey blog tears apart this stupendously idiotic idea in a number of different ways.

A sport with teeth - The Globe and Mail
James Mirtle looks at the gruesome injuries hockey players suffer on a routine basis. The NCAA should review this before furthering the idiotic proposal to weaken their full face-shield requirement.

Making, Taking and Breaking Heart of a City -- NBA FanHouse
Local writer & sports talk radio host Clay Travis (of 104.5's "3 Hour Lunch") looks at great sports figures who made an impact on the city that they left, with a hockey hero landing atop his list. Are we slowly but surely converting Clay into a hockey fan?

The Habs and Chance : Tom Benjamin's NHL Blog :: CanucksCorner.com
Is Montreal's good luck (and make no mistake, a good portion of their success this spring can be attributed to luck) a positive thing for the NHL?

Lindsay Lohan throws drink at Jessica Stam and tries to get Rangers Aaron Voros and Sean Avery tossed from 1Oak - NYPOST.com
Lindsay Lohan starts a fight in a New York club with two hockey players and a model... entertaining stuff.

Trade Malkin? Trade Rossi. - PensBurgh
Disappointment in Pittsburgh brings the crazies out of the woodwork.

In 5-on-5 Penalties Drawn to Taken, New Jersey Devils Around Average over Last 3 Seasons - In Lou We Trust
John Fischer compares team performance since 2007-8 with regards to penalties. For the Preds, they've been relatively disciplined two out of those three seasons.

Lowetide: I Have Seen the Future of the Edmonton Oilers and his name is Taylor Hall
Forget the stats, Lowetide has seen the light.

Tampa Bay Lightning and Stephane Veilleux settle differences without a grievance | Lightning Strikes
Like I said when Allan Walsh first brought this up publicly, there was no way Tampa would reasonably get out of paying for Veilleux's shoulder surgery.

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Comments

Clay Travis and Gretzky

It’s a little disingenuous to say that Gretzky ‘left’ Edmonton when he was traded. In Clay’s list he actually uses the word ‘abandon’ when referring to Gretzky leaving the Oilers. How is Gretzky abandoning Edmonton? It’s not like he asked for the trade.

by Predaceous on May 17, 2010 1:38 PM EDT reply actions

Gretzky wasn’t a bystander in the process, however. He had already established a relationship with Bruce McNall, the Kings owner at the time, and was in the loop leading up to the deal.

More fun than a stick to the face!
On the Forecheck is SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators.

by Dirk Hoag on May 17, 2010 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Lindsay Lohan..

… had an opportunity to throw a drink at Sean Avery, and instead, throws a drink on the girl sitting at the table with he and Voros….. hmmm, maybe she missed? Isn’t it a penalty to throw your drink at someone? oh, wait…. I forgot, apparently, it isn’t :)

"Looks like Ellis used a pork chop to comb his hair after his haircut" (Tweet from Jordin Tootoo) Go Preds! (and Bruins)

by hockeydekefreak on May 17, 2010 5:02 PM EDT reply actions