Dan’s Daily: Rangers Fallout, Tkachuk Shines, Former Penguins Spotlight

The Daily is all over the map today. Joe Pavelski scored four goals in the Dallas Stars’ comeback, but they lost in OT as the Seattle Kraken magic mystery tour continues. Mathew Tkachuk is a wrecking ball for the Florida Panthers, who beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1. We broke down how the Vegas Golden Knights can stop the Connor McDavid Oilers, NHL trade chatter popped up around the vanquished New York Rangers, a former Pittsburgh Penguins exec is getting some love in hockey circles as a possible GM, and we had a good old-fashioned chat with Phil Kessel in Vegas.

Greetings from Las Vegas, where I paid $8 for a Pure Leaf Tea?! But I paid only $15 for an off-menu steak dinner (you must ask for it at Ellis Island). Living in two time zones is tough — I’m getting up at 4 a.m. to write these.

Did you notice the National Hockey Now announcements yesterday? Jared Serre, formerly of WestVirginiaSportsNow.com, is taking over Washington Hockey Now, and we launched Chicago Hockey Now with Nate Brown. Two more announcements today!

Oh, we’re GROWING.

Pittsburgh Penguins / Steelers, Pirates (Sports Now Group!)

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: A source tipped us off to a name rising in industry circles. He makes an interesting candidate for GM — none other than former Pittsburgh Penguins director of player personnel Derek Clancey.

PHN+: I don’t want to overplay it, but Kessel seemed different, at peace or at ease, even as he fidgeted and never stopped moving. He could be a three-time Stanley Cup champion. Check it out if you like Phil Kessel.

Subscribe to PHN+, and you get a free subscription to Pittsburgh Baseball Now and Steelers Now. And here’s a $10 coupon code, too: 10off. Click here.

Steelers Now:

Nice choice — Joey Porter Jr. will wear No. 24 to honor Ike Taylor.

Shocked? The latest business venture from Antonio Brown is marred by controversy.

Follow the Steelers mini-camp tryout tracker.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now:

From John Perrotto — OK, here we go. The surprising Pittsburgh Pirates face the measuring stick.

Tres Gonzalez did it all in his debut. Follow the Pirates prospects watch.

We’re all the same group — Pittsburgh Hockey Now, Pittsburgh Baseball Now, and Steelers Now. Follow along. Your support is much appreciated (and pretty much necessary for us to keep growing).

NHL Trade Rumors, Stanley Cup Playoffs, & National Hockey Now:

Florida Hockey Now: Kings of the Road. Florida swiped Game 1 from Toronto. Matthew Tkachuk was a wrecking ball, and the Florida Panthers are a force.

Boston Hockey Now: Linus Ullmark was toying with the media, but not in a cute way. It came off as immature (and a few folks in Boston noticed). Was Ullmark injured or not? Boston Bruins fallout.

Vegas Hockey Now: Round Two breakdown — The three keys to beating the Edmonton Oilers for the Vegas Golden Knights.

NY Post: Larry Brooks stirred the NHL trade rumors. Will Alex Lafreniere be back with the Rangers after another mediocre season? Whose heads should roll after a Round One loss with a stacked roster?

Lafreniere is a little miscast in Gerard Gallant’s system. Put him on a straight-ahead speed team like New Jersey or the Penguins and watch him flourish. (Yes, I know the Penguins lack the speed they need).

NHL.com: Joe Pavelski scored four goals as Dallas erased a two-goal, third-period deficit, but Seattle has a little magic in this playoff run, and Yanni Gourde won it.

Washington Hockey How: The debut of Jared Serre. So what happens next? No coach, some prospects on the way, and aged veterans. The state of the Washington Capitals.

Chicago Hockey Now: Nate Brown (a real pro’s pro) — A sendoff for the Chicago Blackhawks and Jonathan Toews.