(Today’s game preview will come a little later than usual, as we’re hoping to get some information from practice and post-practice media availability. Stay tuned this early afternoon!)
Central Division News & Notes
Central Shakeup: Winnipeg trades Laine, Roslovic to Columbus for Dubois | On the Forecheck
So that, uh, happened.
Canadian government will decide quarantine length for Jets’ Dubois | Sportsnet.ca
Speaking of quarantines and that Jets-Jackets trade, the weirdest thing to me is that Columbus local Jack Roslevic, included with Patrik Laine in the Jets’ end of the trade, may not have to quarantine because he wasn’t traveling. Sure, he wasn’t traveling, but was he interacting with the same people as the Blue Jackets players and staff were? No way. Meanwhile, the Jets are trying to get Pierre-Luc Dubois on a private plane so he might only have to quarantine for one week instead of two.
Does…does the NHL…has anyone explained to the NHL how catching an airborne virus works?
Lightning Round: John Tortorella always makes things worse | Raw Charge
We’re probably going to hate having Dubois in the Classic Central (this article was written before the trade), but that’s for next year. In the meantime, a concise and searing takedown of Tortorella vs. his own team.
Game 6 recap: Teamwork makes the dream work | The Cannon
Tortorella and Laine really seems like a match made in hell, but the Jackets had fourteen current players register a point in the curbstomping(?) of the Lightning that followed the trade.
2021 NWHL Season News & Notes
Whitecaps-Six is at noon Central, followed by Riveters-Whale at three and Beauts-Pride at six. All three games will be streaming on Twitch.
Women’s bubble hockey: NWHL season will be a 2-week sprint | ProHockeyTalk
The (interim) commissioner of the NWHL weighs in on the high-profile, ultra-compressed season, as do some of the players.
2021 NWHL Season: And so it begins… | The Ice Garden
TIG’s Mike Murphy goes over the storylines of the first day of the NWHL season. I’m sure there is or will be a new story over at TIG about today’s matchups.
NWHL Day 1 Takeaways: Riveters, Whale, Whitecaps ahead early | Sportsnet.ca
I unfortunately had to miss yesterday’s games (Saturdays are my busiest day of the week and I rarely even manage to squeeze in the hockey it’s my job to cover, let alone hockey I’m just watching for fun), but Marisa Ingemi’s recap covers the scores, the stars, and today’s matchups.
The OTF staff is pretty much split between the Boston Pride (awesome-looking gold uniforms, history of success, etc.) and the Connecticut Whale (Jr. Preds coach Allie Lacombe signed with them last year, sharp uniform design, tragic underdog narrative). Who’s your pick?
Other News & Notes
Interest growing in moving NHL Draft date back, exploring new format | Sportsnet.ca
“the circumstances brought on by the pandemic […] a tournament to showcase some of the 2021 draft’s prospects for prospective NHL clubs.”
Oh. No. I see, in fact, nobody has told the NHL how transmission of airborne viruses work. Cool. Cool cool cool cool.
Bruins offense shows signs of life but has a long way to go | ProHockeyTalk
“It took 267:38 for the Bruins to score five on five, dating back to August 2020.” Gee. Gosh.
Brad Marchand says Capitals didn’t show respect when they broke protocol: ‘It’s pretty simple to follow the rules’ | RMNB
1. Brad Marchand is right.
2. Brad Marchand became a meme a few years ago for repeatedly licking his opponents during a playoff run.
2a. I guess this is what you call “seeking an expert opinion.”
3. As both Nastya Ovechkina and Nicklas Backstrom have pointed out with varying degrees of sarcasm, it is a little strange that maskless interactions in game are fine but maskless interactions out-of-game are not. I get that the NHL had to draw a line somewhere if they were determined to carry on with the season, but…seriously, the NHL doesn’t understand how this works.
4. Live your life so that Brad Marchand never has to condescendingly, yet accurately, tell you you screwed up.
First Nations artist designs new goalie mask for Canucks’ Holtby | Vancouver Is Awesome
A couple of days old, but still a great story about Stz’uminus artist Luke Marston and his collaboration with Braden Holtby and Swedish goalie gear artist David Gunnarsson. Uh, if you like heartwarming Braden Holtby stories (I do) don’t look up the Habs-Canucks score from last night.