Top Line: Cup final Game 2 prep; Jet Kane's homophobic slur; more links
Bruins rookie defenseman Torey Krug is eager to atone for his costly Game 1 gaffe. (Robin Alam/Icon SMI)
An annotated guide to this morning's must-read hockey stories:
• That Game 1 marathon is already forgotten, at least according to what the players were saying during Thursday's press conferences. The focus now is on Game 2.
• "It really was a great hockey game," said Boston coach Claude Julien, but now it's time for the Bruins to turn the page.
• The versatility to play the game any way they need to is Chicago's trump card as the series moves on.
• Our own Stu Hackel looks at some things the Hawks and the Bruins could try to do in Game 2.
• He was too much for the Bruins to handle in Game 1. Turns out that Andrew Shaw is a handful in the locker room as well. There are plenty of stories like this one out there today, and they offer some insight into what appears to be a colorful kid. What you won't find is a piece where Shaw talks about himself. For some inexplicable reason, he wasn't made available to the media the day after scoring the goal that ended the fifth-longest Cup final game in history. Can you imagine that happening in any other sport? Just another solid effort from the NHL.
• Maybe they've got a little William H. Macy in them. How else to explain Chicago's ability to cool off hockey's hottest goalies?
• If Nathan Horton isn't ready to go in Game 2, his absence leaves a big hole in Boston's forward lines. If I'm Julien, I go big and insert Carl Soderberg in the lineup. It's time for the NHL to meet The Yeti.
• Torey Krug knows he screwed up with that horrific Game 1 giveaway. He's itching for the chance to atone for his mistake on Saturday night.
• Here's a good news tweet for Bruins fans.
• Need more proof that history sometimes smiles on the Bruins?
• Is Kaspars Daugavins the new Glen Wesley? Ask Cam Neely, a survivor of two crushing 3-OT losses.
• The current President of the United States has famously never attended a hockey game in Washington, but someone who might succeed him is an avowed Blackhawks fan.
• Here's another reminder that while Evander Kane may be an incredible hockey talent, he's still a dumb kid who has a lot to learn.
• No, really. These could be the final days of the Phoenix Coyotes. With an NHL Board of Governors meeting set for June 27, it appears that the City of Glendale is down to its final two weeks to commit to supporting hockey or to boarding up Jobing.com Arena.
• That deadline works out well for UFA-to-be Mike Smith. There's no chance that he re-signs with the team before that date, but knowing the fate of the franchise could open a window for a new deal before July 5 if the Coyotes stay put.
• Who needs a flashy Las Vegas production when you can stream your annual award winners online? The NHL will reveal who takes home the hardware starting tonight and concluding tomorrow before Game 2.
• They like us! They really like us! America finally gave hockey a chance on Wednesday night, leading to the best ratings for a Cup Final game since 1997.
• Red Wings GM Ken Holland says as many as 10 members of the Grand Rapids Griffins could eventually see time in the NHL. That's a stout graduation rate ... and a good explanation why the Griffs are one win away from capturing the Calder Cup.
• Here's the take from Pittsburgh on Evgeni Malkin's new deal, and the potential for it leading to Kris Letang being traded.
• Now that Malkin has cashed in, who's next to rake in the big contract?
• It might be the Sedin Twins, but they're still waiting to hear from the Canucks.
• Tragic story out of Norway where Dallas prospect Scott Winkler was found dead. The 23-year-old just graduated from Colorado College last month. Our condolences to the family and the Stars organization.
• Enforcer Colton Orrtook a pay cut to sign a two-year deal with the Maple Leafs.
• The Lightning dipped into the Swiss talent pool on Thursday, signing national team member Reto Suri to a one-year deal. The 24-year-old forward has a decent pair of mitts and will get a look for a top-six role with the Bolts.
• How crazy is this: A former 40-goal scorer in the NHL is now working as a caddy on the PGA Tour.
• Sunshine, early bird specials and now this. If season tickets going for seven bucks a game don't convince you to winter in Florida, I don't know what will.
• Jonathan Willis wonders if new GM Craig MacTavish will purge the Oilers' roster of its underperforming bottom-six forwards. MacT promised bold. This would be bold.