Dan’s Daily: Toronto Euphoria; Trade Rumors; Questioning Penguins Coach

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — We ran the gamut of Pittsburgh Penguins coverage, from a troubling polarity in the Penguins organization to one prospect getting terrible news, while we asked deep questions of a future Penguins cornerstone in an interesting article for our subscribers. Elsewhere in the Daily, Toronto fans are delirious after another Maple Leafs win. The Boston Bruins and Utah Hockey Club are chumming the trade waters, and Sportsnet has offseason questions for all 16 teams watching Round One.

Oh, and the city of Montreal has done the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen in some time.

Today is my hell day for this AHL trip. The Penguins play in Allentown, so I’m getting my windshield fixed in Wilkes-Barre (the mystery crack is out of control), then heading to Allentown and coffee shop surfing until game time. I don’t know if I’ll sleep tonight in Allentown, Wilkes-Barre, Pittsburgh, or at some truck stop on my way to one of the aforementioned. We’ll see what goes down, and I’ll figure it out from there.

We’ve come this far, and I want to see this story to the end. I’m genuinely pulling for the Wilkes guys to force Game 3 because they deserve it. All of our WBS coverage, player analysis, and insider nuggets are exclusive for subscribers. I’d love it if you joined this party. If you’re on the fence, use the code Dan10 and save $10. Click here.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Tanner Howe’s season ends the way it began–with an injury. Except that this injury could have long-term consequences, as one of his knees is being rebuilt. Here’s the full story on the Team Canada winger and Penguins prospect.

Howe can turn pro next season.

An observation has been pinging about this noggin for a few weeks, as of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. The stunning disparity between Penguins rookies Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen and the rest of the team was stark. So, here’s what it says, and is one of Kyle Dubas’s strategies an intelligent gambit, but ill-timed? It’s in the Penguins blog.

I really liked that Penguins blog. I think it had some real and unique analysis that might stick with you. Read it if you haven’t.

PHN+: Owen Pickering towered over me as we spoke outside the Penguins locker room in Wilkes-Barre, Thursday. I pushed Owen for some deeper analysis of his game and situation. Well, at least a little bit. He’s developed a little swagger, too. For subscribers, here’s what he’s figured out and what he wants for his career. I loved his last answer. Pickering is a different kind of Penguins prospect.

NHL Rumors, News, & National Hockey Now

Boston Hockey Now: Everything is on the table. Ev-er-y-thing. Don Sweeney will remain the GM, but expect some real and sweeping changes. It’s about getting back to the playoffs immediately for the Boston Bruins.

If you think Boston will stink next year, too, that would be a great trade partner to acquire their 2026 first-round pick for a good veteran, eh? Just spitballin’.

Sportsnet: Big questions for each team not in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, including the Penguins. Sportsnet puts them all on the operating room table with some hard questions.

TSN: Overtime winner! The Ottawa Senators could have gotten back in the series, but the Toronto Maple Leafs netted the OT winner for a 3-0 series lead. Oh, Toronto is about to go Cup crazy, if they’re not already.

If you’re keeping close tabs on the trial of the five former Team Canada members accused of sexual assault, including Carter Hart, the trial resumes this morning.

I’m comfortable writing that I’d like to see justice be done, whether that’s an acquittal or throwing the book at them.

Philly Hockey Now: Oh boy. Rasmus Ristolainen went under the knife, and he’ll be out until the start of next season. Here’s the Philadelphia Flyers injury news.

NYI Hockey Now: My boy Russ is feeling it now. Russel Macias digs into what comes next for the Islanders–their offseason moves and next seasons roster, and this is just version 1.0. It’s a good read about the New York Islanders.

Florida Hockey Now: I didn’t like the hit, at all. Tampa Bay’s Brandon Hagel caught Florida’s Aleksander Barkov on the chin and Barkov left the game in the third period of Florida’s 2-0 win. That could be really bad news for the Florida Panthers.

Vegas Hockey Now: Sound the alarm bells. The very good VGK now look like the very mediocre VGK. The Minnesota Wild and especially Karill Kaprizov are laying the lumber to them. Kaprizov looks like he’s becoming one of those shortlist Hart Trophy contenders before our very eyes. And Vegas? The Vegas Golden Knights are in trouble.

And since I’ve laid out real and genuine analysis and questioned the Penguins organization this week, it seems I’ve had every sort of insane opinion thrown my way. Now, a little about me. I insist on some measure of accuracy. Even if someone compliments me, I have to correct them. And when someone throws something so totally insane as to have come from an outhouse on the dark side of the moon, I have no reactions but to be sarcastic and mock them.

Two people tweeted at me to claim they knew in 2017 that Mike Sullivan should be fired. 2017?! Remember the good old days when a crank started spouting off you could just move barstools or all of his friends would tell him to knock it off?

No such checks and balances of rational thought exist anymore.