Recap: Nashville Predators 1, Carolina Hurricanes 3: Could’ve gone worse | On the Forecheck
Although my intention was to watch the game last night since my usual Saturday commitment got rescheduled, I wasn’t feeling well and accidentally slept through most of it—which sounds like it’s about what the Preds (except Saros) did too. Eamon has the recap and analysis right here for you.
Panthers beat Lightning to move into second in Central | Sportsnet.ca
So, between the Preds loss, the Stars win, the Blackhawks win, and the Lightning dropping into third, this was a bad night for the Preds. (I still think that if they do make the playoffs, getting Tampa Bay in the first round is their best hope for advancing–we’ve seen what a bad matchup Carolina is for them, and Joel Quenneville is still, uh, good.)
Report: NHL jerseys could have ads on them by the 2022-23 season | RMNB
*smashes the “Dislike” button*
Also, Gary Bettman, just over a month ago: “[Helmet stickers] doesn’t necessarily mean we’re on a slippery slope”–every time Bettman speaks, I am reminded of the concept of negative credibility: of someone who is so unreliable, or so intentionally mendacious, that them saying something makes you automatically more likely to believe the opposite is true.
Canucks’ Green opens up about battle with COVID-19, return to the ice | Sportsnet.ca
I’m so glad the Vancouver Canucks got their extension. The schedule is still absurd, but the extension is so much better than nothing.
Three Avs games postponed; North Division schedule update | ProHockeyTalk
The fact that the Avs have been tearing up the league like this while having multiple covid incidents is…frankly terrifying from a sports perspective. Best wishes to the players affected, of course.
Bob Corkum abruptly steps down as U.S. women’s hockey coach | ESPN
I read Corkum’s initial comment, “I was not comfortable with the protocols,” and thought, oh no! Does the USWNT have the same problems that the NWHL ran into in Lake Placid where they’re not being able to fund a bubble and players are therefore at higher-than-necessary risk?
Then I kept reading the article and found out that Corkum has been ranting on LinkedIn(!) about businesses requiring masks and Justin Trudeau trying to fund vaccines for Canadians, so I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that Corkum wasn’t worried about a (potential) lack of full bubble for his players.
Joel Johnson named interim head coach of National Team | The Ice Garden
Michelle of TIG sums up what the coaching change means for the USWNT.
Buffalo Sabres’ Kyle Okposo out for season after being hit in face by puck | ESPN
The puck was shot by his teammate Matt Irwin. Unfortunate for them both.
Sabres officially miss playoffs for 10th consecutive season | ProHockeyTalk
It’s been a long, painful decade in Buffalo. I wonder if Sabres fans have gotten to the point of wishing nobody had ever heard of Connor McDavid yet.
A Directory of Women’s Hockey Projects from Big Data Cup 2021 | The Ice Garden
If you like analytics, there’s a lot to dig into here.
Patrick Marleau ties Gordie Howe’s all-time NHL games played record | Sportsnet.ca
This is jaw-droppingly impressive and all, but the sentence “Marleau has made 1,595 appearances with the San Jose Sharks, 164 with the Toronto Maple Leafs and an additional eight as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins.” is for whatever reason extremely funny to me.
Coyotes pay tribute to Leighton Accardo with Ring of Honor induction | ProHockeyTalk
“In a moving ceremony, the Coyotes paid tribute to Leighton Accardo with a Ring of Honor induction. Accardo passed away at age nine in November.”
TIG Roundtable: Our NWHL awards | The Ice Garden
The staff of The Ice Garden talks about the women who impressed this spring.
2021 NHL Entry Draft: April Ranking | On the Forecheck
In case you missed it, Eric picks out his top 32 players in the upcoming draft.