Top Line: Senators upset with P.K. Subban; Leafs shopping Nazem Kadri?

Author:
amuir29
Publish date:
Jan 18, 2014

P.K. Subban's (76) exuberant celebration irritated Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson. (Andre Ringuette/Getty Images)

By Allan Muir

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

• Craig Anderson was whining about P.K. Subban's celebration after the exuberant defender beat him for the winning goal in OT Thursday night. Yes, by all means, let's take the joy out of the game, Craig. Next.

• Yes, Nazem Kadri is struggling to live up to the high expectations built on last season's success, but there's no logical reason why the Maple Leafs should trade him.

• Pretty decent game between the Blackhawks and Ducks last night, eh?

• Roy MacGregor uncovers the background behind Canada's most beloved short story, "The Hockey Sweater," and how it came to be written. Just a fantastic piece.

• Turn off the TV in the background, set your phone to mute and settle in for Katie Baker's long-form piece on Ilya Kovalchuk's return to Russia. It might challenge those suffering from short attention spans, but it's well worth the effort.

• Just a cool photo of Carey Price:

• Ron MacLean sits down for a round of 20 Questions about Don Cherry, saving lives and his role in Sochi. This piece is another reminder that he just might be the most gracious man in hockey.

• We're one week out from an event that could top the magic of the Winter Classic: the Stadium Series match-up between the Kings and Ducks at Dodger Stadium. Hey, even the unflappable Darryl Sutter is getting excited about this one!

• Here's a backyard rink so amazing that it acquired something you probably haven't seen before: a major corporate sponsor.

• Not to sound all Old Man Muir here, but do fans really want this? Is the experience of being at a live NHL game not engaging enough anymore?

• One more argument for mandatory use of cut-resistant socks: The awful injury last night in the OHL where Flyers' prospect Anthony Stolarz was cut on the leg by a skate. If you're bothered by the sight of blood, don't watch. The good news: he tweeted from the hospital that he was alright and would be in action again soon.

• So this is what hockey sounds like.

• Just 18 days into 2014 and it's already time to say "Wait until next year" in Vancouver. The Canucks aren't a bad team, but they're several players short of competing against the best teams in a very top-heavy conference.

• Mike Russo considers the hard-knock life of Jason Zucker, who has yo-yoed between the AHL and NHL five times already this season.

• Is Martin Brodeur costing the Devils a shot at the playoffs?

• Dear Hockey Gods: Please make sure this technology does not catch on with the producers at NBCSN or CBC or Rogers. Or if you can't do that, please make sure my remote is handy so that I can change the channel before I become nauseous. Amen.