Top Line: Patrick Kane is good at hockey; Penguins stumble; more links
By Allan Muir
An annotated guide to this morning's must-read hockey stories:
• Patrick Kane made like Mickey Rooney last night and decided to put on a show. It was pretty good.
• You can't fault the effort from the Minnesota Wild last night, but they can't match up to the Hawks in one key area.
• The forwards said it was the defense. The blueline tipped its cap to the offense. Hey, everybody chipped in to power the Rangers to a Game 1 win in Pittsburgh. Well, except for the power play...
• Dejan Kovacevic (and the rest of the hockey world) saw one game last night. The Pittsburgh Penguins apparently saw another. Maybe it just takes a lot to embarrass these guys.
• Thomas Vanek called himself out for his Game 1 effort against the Bruins, and promised he'll be better today in Game 2.
• Here's an excellent piece, as you'd expect, from Roy MacGregor on the timeless rivalry between Boston and Montreal. But how great is it that he can lead off with fresh quotes from 96-year-old Milt Schmidt? The hockey world doesn't realize how lucky it is that this guy is still spinning yarns from the good ol' days.
• The beauty of Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban isn’t the color of his brown skin, but the thickness of it.
• The Freeway Series gets underway tonight in SoCal. Here's a look at the keys to winning the series for the Kings and the Ducks.
• This series will feature two very different coaching styles: Gabby vs. Crabby.
• Florida GM Dale Tallon said Friday that he's actively shopping the first-overall pick in this year's draft. When you have as many needs as the Panthers, you have to explore your options when an asset like this drops in your lap.
• It's clear what went wrong for the Colorado Avalanche. The problem, writes Adrian Dater, is how to address it.
• One key member of Philadelphia's front office will be back next season...but another is free to go.
• Team Canada's Jason Garrisonis blogging from the World Hockey Championships in Belarus. And he seems to be easily startled.