Dan’s Daily: The Shocking Rangers, Offseason Penguins Needs

Well, color me shocked. The New York Rangers, who were down 3-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins (and should have been bounced), and 2-0 to the Carolina Hurricanes (but owned the rest of the series), are now galloping toward the Stanley Cup Final after winning the first two games of the Eastern Conference Final. The Hurricanes will try to re-sign Vincent Trocheck and Nino Niederreiter, Carey Price will try to play next season, and Dave Molinari looked at one of the Penguins’ offseason needs.

I must admit, I was surprised Dave omitted one name that I would have included, but he also unearthed one name I never thought of that makes great sense. It’s interesting to have a colleague who can do the same things I’ve been doing for several years. New perspectives!

The name I would have included was Zach Aston-Reese.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: One of the main reasons the Rangers got past the Penguins was special teams. The Penguins PK was lost at sea. There are some free agents who could help, from Tyler Bozak to Nate Thompson–take a look. Offseason needs, Pittsburgh Penguins.

Game 3 of the WCF is tonight, and DraftKings offers a $150 payout for a $5 bet. If you can’t enjoy watching that series, hockey isn’t for you! Get the latest DraftKings promo.

NHL Playoffs, News & National Hockey Now:

NHL.com: The city of Tempe voted to allow the Arizona Coyotes and a developer to negotiate. Yipee! Crack open the Diet Shasta. It’s a party up in here! The sides can negotiate!

Sarcasm too much? The NHL needs to end that debacle posthaste. Imagine any NFL or NBA team playing in a small college spot? At least MLB tried to grow the game by putting the Expos in Puerto Rico, but that lasted only one season, not several. It’s yet another reminder to hockey fans that we’re small potatoes.

Carolina hopes to re-sign Trocheck and Niederreiter. Hopes, anyway…

Sportsnet: The New York Rangers won Game 2 at MSG and lead the series, 2-0. The Rangers’ best players are outdueling the Tampa Bay Lightning’s best players.

Montreal: Carey Price wants to play next season, but IF he can is a big question. Lots going on here–he won the Masterton Trophy on Friday, and the Canadiens are still up in the air. Montreal Canadiens news.

Boston: Oh boy, the Bruins’ blue line is decimated. A third defenseman will miss a chunk of next season due to offseason surgery. Charlie McAvoy is the latest and is out six months. Boston Bruins issues.

Colorado: The Avs are also up 2-0 in the WCF. Hockey Now has a pair of reporters in Edmonton as the Avalanche can all but end the series with a win. The Colorado Avalanche are ready.