Top Line: Darryl Sutter on the farm; crazy goal celebration; more links

Author:
Allan Muir
Publish date:
Aug 24, 2014

An annotated guide to a quiet morning's must-read hockey stories:

• Veteran columnist Bill Plaschke makes the trek to the family farm and finally meets the real Darryl Sutter, a man who returns home to Viking, Alberta every year an unchanged man.

• You've seen better shootout goals, but you've never seen a crazier celebration than this.

• One fan is undertaking the most labor intensive advanced stats project in hockey history. Unlike a lot of the numbers that get tossed around, the data Corey Sznajder is mining is undeniably insightful. And you can help the cause.

• Buffalo coach Ted Nolan wants to win every night. Buffalo GM Tim Murray is looking to the long-term future, which means short-term failure is preferable if it helps the Sabres land Connor McDavid. Bucky Gleason wonders how the two can co-exist with clashing agendas this season.

• Fully recovered from the concussion suffered at Team Canada's junior nats training camp this summer, top pick Aaron Ekblad is ready to prove he can help the Florida Panthers this season.

• A pair of veteran defensemen will have their attentions divided this season as they attempt to restore their old junior team to relevance.

• The transition from junior hockey to the NHL is a whole lot easier when someone in your family can show you the way.

• Speaking of bloodlines, this son of a former 50-goal scorer is a darkhorse candidate to crack the blueline in Edmonton this season.

• There are a lot more questions than answers as the Edmonton Oilers slide uncomfortably under NHL.com's 30-in-30 spotlight. Goaltending, second and third-line center and the fate of Nail Yakupov are all up in the air as the team gets closer to training camp.

• Five days after a settlement in the Todd Bertuzzi-Steve Moore lawsuit was first reported, we've yet to hear any confirmation of an agreement from Moore or his lawyers. Steve Simmons won't believe one exists until the plaintiffs in the case make themselves heard. He also points out in his Sunday notes column that not everyone is convinced new Toronto assistant GM Kyle Dubas is the genius the stat geeks says he is.

• Is this the reason for the last-minute decision of teams in Colorado and Arizona to fold their franchises in the Central Hockey League? Makes sense...