Dan’s Daily: Russia Threatens Hasek; Chasing Boeser; Sullivan Heat

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — If Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas is correct and the team is in danger of or suffering from stagnation and complacency, should not coach Mike Sullivan feel some heat? We skipped social media canon and got to the heart of the matter. Dave Molinari and I went head-to-head on defenseman Matt Grzelcyk’s future, and I have detailed coverage and analysis of the Penguins prospects in what was for most their first playoff game.

Elsewhere, the former Russian president crossed a serious line and threatened Dominik Hasek in very mobster terms. The Vancouver Canucks are waving goodbye to Brock Boeser, but keeping the door open even as they look to replace him. The Rangers made the inexplicable move to extend GM Chris Drury despite his coaching carousel.

For all of my travel mishaps, inconveniences, and Mr. Bean-worth disasters, let me tell you about a great day.

Yes, there seem to be permanent residents beside me at my motel in Wilkes-Barre. They hang out outside my door, and people come by to chat, and it’s as annoying as that popcorn kernel stuck in your teeth. But Wednesday, the sun shone without a cloud in the sky, and I had the best lunch at — wait for it — IHOP. Eggs, french toast, a piece of sausage, a piece of bacon for $6.

And for some reason, this made me comfortably happy. I went back to the motel, and the block party was gone. And Star Wars, the original trilogy, was on TV. And then I found a salad for $1.00 at Walmart. Perfect pregame dinner. Of course, there wasn’t a lot of competition for the salads at Wally World, but that was my gain.

I’m pretty sure the Matrix is having technical difficulties, so it’s running a backup program. After 82 NHL games, last night made 83 straight Penguins organization games, but the low-pressure environment combined with genuinely enjoying covering these kids made for a good day.

And then I came out to the parking lot to find a two-foot crack in my windshield. You thought the Universe would let my happiness go unchecked?

To the hockey…

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Matt Grzelcyzk. Re-sign him or let him walk? The Penguins have some time to decide, but Molinari and I stepped into the ring for the first PHN Debate of the offseason. Who’s right, who’s wrong? Take a look at the Penguins’ analysis.

All righty. Here we go. As I assumed, part of the interwebs people took what I wrote and fit it to their narrative, and other people felt emboldened by it. I used the scalpel instead of a hatchet, but based on Dubas’s comments Monday, necessarily, there should be heat on Mike Sullivan.

PHN+: For our subscribers, from Wilkes-Barre. It was a seminal moment with some bruising lessons for the top Penguins prospects. For most, it was their first AHL playoff game, and for others, it was their first real playoff game (Tristan Broz made his professional debut in Game 1 last year. It wasn’t ideal). So, who is ready for the NHL? Here are the important details and what we saw from the Penguins’ prospects.

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Steelers Now: Are the Steelers and Dallas Cowboys working a heavyweight trade? More than a few eyebrows were raised by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’s comments. Is a Steelers trade incoming?

Remember Aaron Rodgers? You know, the mercurial quarterback spurned by the Jets, who just wants to be loved, who visited the Steelers’ facility in a mid-size rental, and is a frequent guest on the Pat McAfee show? You know, the QB who knows what an ayahuasca trip feels like and is the subject of coach Mike Tomlin’s sideline flirting? Yeah, reports suggest the Steelers haven’t heard from Aaron Rodgers in a week.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: Taking a look at the farm, the boys are watching a potential ace develop. Here’s the latest on the top Pirates prospects.

NHL Rumors, News, & National Hockey Now

Detroit Hockey Now: Way over the line, but that’s this world, eh? Bad actors have realized there are no repercussions. Dmitry Medvedev did his best Tony Soprano and threatened an ardent Russia critic. He’d better be careful about going for a beer in unfamiliar places… Unreal. Here’s the ominous threat to the greatest goalie ever, Dominik Hasek.

The Province: Brock Boeser is headed out the door in Vancouver, but the Canucks aren’t closing it behind him. Maybe. If he gets snookered on the free agent market, he’s welcome back, but both sides are looking for upgrades.

Forever Blueshirts: I think the headline pretty well says it: Drury Signed to Extension After Trainwreck Season. Ha. Yep, here’s the New York Rangers news.

Philly Hockey Now: The Penguins will have some competition when they go shopping for centers this offseason. One of their biggest rivals will, in fact, be one of their biggest rivals. Here are three names to watch for the Philadelphia Flyers.

NYI Hockey Now: It’s a whirlwind right now on Long Island. Lou Lam got canned. Now the radio guys were broomed. If I saw the owners walking down the hallway, I’d duck into the nearest office (I actually did that often on Fridays when I was a young pup in radio at what became iHeart Media, which had nearly weekly bloody Fridays). Back to the focus–our Russ Macias has some inside dirt, who will replace Lamoriello for the New York Islanders?

No joke, I would hear the booming voice of the VP around the corner or down the hallway, and if I didn’t have a computer screen to stare at to look busy, I’d hide anywhere I could! It worked. Of course, I had no idea the enemy of my career was not at work, but I digress.

So, here’s why the Islanders fired Lou Lamoriello, and what Elliotte Friedman expects next for the Islanders.

On the ice…

Montreal Hockey Now: The Habs peppered the Capitals in the third period. They deserved better, but that doesn’t really count for anything. Here’s the full monty–Washington goalie Logan Thompson was brilliant, and the Capitals survived for a 2-0 series lead over the Montreal Canadiens.

NHL.com: I warned you about the LA Kings. I’ll do so again. They will be the toughest out in the Western Conference. Right now, they’re taking it to the Edmonton Oilers, and it doesn’t look like a competitive series.

Colorado Hockey Now: Dallas also squeaked by Colorado in OT. However, for the rest of us, the big news was the three-year-in-the-making comeback that finally happened. Hello, Gabriel Landeskog!