Dan’s Daily: USA Hobbled; Crosby Heroics; Penguins Trade Questions

The Daily’s are getting a little tougher because all of the external news centers on the Four Nations Face-Off. Team USA lost to Sweden 2-1 Monday in what should have been an inconsequential game, but the injuries are piling up ahead of Thursday’s grand finale rematch against Team Canada. Sidney Crosby did more Crosby things to save Team Canada’s bacon. The Pittsburgh Penguins will return to practice today but the Q&A had a different sort of questions plus some Penguins trade talk. Nationally, the usual suspects who produce noteworthy speculation and reports on the NHL trade chatter are otherwise immersed in the tournament, but we have some local links on teams changing direction from buyer to seller.

I have no stories today. No travel excursions. I just have a mountain of laundry and cleaning that I really should tackle. If anyone knows how to get a coffee stain off of a merino wool sweater, I’m all ears.

I watched the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary special last night. It was just unbelievably good, but I wondered why there was not even a reference to Dana Carvey, who was probably the best character actor/impressionist who had ever passed through there. The same could be said for a handful of cornerstones. I saw Chevy Chase in the background of the ending credits, and it would have been nice to see him open the Weekend Update. For those who appreciate history and nostalgia (I discovered the original cast in about 1988 when late at night Nickelodeon would play cut-down 30-minute episodes from the original seasons at 10 p.m., and I was never the same), the recorded sketch with Lorraine Newman and Pete Davidson was brilliant.

They should have done a little more for Gilda, Belushi, and Farley, too. But the show was funny.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The reader Q&A. I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get more on the prospects, but I suppose when I put the call out on X, I’m hitting a different type of crowd. I will knock out a podcast Tuesday morning about my Wilkes-Barre week. The Q&A had some critiques of Fenway Sports Group and questions on the prospects, but more on what comes next and the Penguins’ trade possibilities.

Team Canada beat Team Finland to punch their ticket to the Final of the Four Nations Face-Off. Canada head coach Jon Cooper delivered some steep praise for Sidney Crosby.

TSN: The Finns scored three third-period goals and were charging in the final minutes. Team Canada nursed a one-goal lead until Crosby made a big hit, creating a loose puck, and iced the game with an empty netter. Just another day at the office for Crosby as he again flashed the difference between a great player like Connor McDavid and a legend.

NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now

Sportsnet: Sweden beat Team USA 2-1, but it matters not for either team. What did matter were a few new injuries to the already battered USA squad. Here’s what we know heading into Thursday’s rematch with Canada.

The Boston Globe broke the story. Charlie McAvoy (Penguins coach Mike Sullivan’s son-in-law) was admitted to the hospital Monday after the game with an upper-body injury.

Yikes. As of 8 a.m., I do not see any further updates.

Montreal Gazette: Canadiens trade winds shifting? After a brutal stretch with just one win in the weeks leading to the Four Nations break, opinion is changing, and we could see the Montreal Canadiens shift from tepid buyers to hard sellers at the NHL trade deadline in a couple of weeks.

NYI Hockey Now: There’s plenty of trade chatter about the Toronto Maple Leafs waiting patiently for the New York Islanders to trade Brock Nelson. However, Russ Macias has a different Canadian city in mind as the best fit for Nelson. I hope Brock has an extra-thick parka because here’s why the Winnipeg Jets are the right Islanders trade partner.

Vegas Hockey Now: The VGK are the lurkers in the West. They may have shot their shot at the trade deadline last season, but it’s also paying dividends this season. Hannah Kirkell dropped some knowledge on readers with her first Vegas mailbag. From trades to expectations in the desert, here’s the Vegas Golden Knights chatter.

Colorado Hockey Now: Simple question, complex answer. How aggressive should the Colorado Avalanche be before the NHL trade deadline?