Dan’s Daily Links: Not Enough Beer, the Coyotes to Houston?

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ and every other team’s road to the Stanley Cup appears it will again go through Tampa Bay. Marc-Andre Fleury is refusing to lose, or be scored upon. It’s WJC quarterfinal day for Team USA and Arizona has received the kiss of death–a written vote of confidence to keep the Coyotes in Arizona.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are good. Like, really, really good. Their defensive pairs are three deep with talented puck-moving defenseman and rookie defenseman Erik Cernak is just beginning to make an impact. Their lines are four deep with players fulfilling their roles to score or not be scored upon. They were unbeaten in December. (USA Today)

Cernak has been “too good.” (Tampa Bay Times)

Marc-Andre Fleury just posted his sixth shutout and Brandon Pirri, who was just recalled from the AHL, is red-hot. Pirri, who once had a 20-goal, two-assist season with Florida, is forcing his way back into the NHL (LV Journal)

The Winter Classic at Notre Dame ran out of beer and food. I guess Notre Dame football fans abstain from the holy water. But they didn’t expect hockey fans to drink? (CBS Sports)

The Ottawa Senators and scoring winger Mark Stone are about to get serious at the negotiating table. (Ottawa Citizen)

Despite Ottawa’s upheaval, the team has been surprisingly competitive, engaged and has even played some offense. Guy Boucher is loosening up…or has realized he likes NHL paychecks.

The Arizona Coyotes are headed to Houston. It’s now almost guaranteed. The CEO published a public letter re-affirming the organization’s commitment to staying in Arizona. Ba-bye! (ABC 15)

The AZ owner is trying to sell his majority share. Sorry, sir. I didn’t win the Billion dollar Power Ball, or I would have taken them off your hands and the team would be sitting comfortably elsewhere already.

Don’t forget to write 2019 on your checks. And…it’s 2019. Who writes checks?