Dan’s Daily: Brawl in New York; Crosby Getting Hart Love

WASHINGTON D.C.  — Canada is noticing their captain drag his NHL team back into the playoff race. The Pittsburgh Penguins are back in the playoff race, and Sidney Crosby has dragged them into the race. After a torrid pace, Crosby is again getting Hart Trophy talk from the national outlets. Has the pressure or fear of missing the playoffs finally revealed the Penguins’ true colors? Sportsnet rolled through the playoff odds for the five-team battle royal. The NHL trade rumors could include Mitch Marner this summer, and it was old-time hockey in New York when the Rangers and Devils dropped the gloves 5v5 for a line brawl at the opening faceoff.

And John Tortorella tells the public, “We’re here. Face it.”

I’ve rather enjoyed seeing Penguins fans almost happy for a day or two. After months of a misery contest in which each opinion had to be more negative than the last, the Penguins finally generated some positive interest.

Of course, that only made the most obstinate among us crankier. If you’d like to know a secret, the more stubborn some people get, the harder I laugh. It provides me a pretty good platform to unwind some never-ending narratives but also amuse myself on Twitter. Hey, it helps to have some fun in this job.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Better late than never? Pushed to the brink, the Penguins finally pushed back. Are we seeing the Penguins’ character?

TSN Video: Sidney Crosby has 15 points in six games. Perhaps kicking and screaming, he’s dragged his team back into the playoff race. Now, TSN is throwing Crosby back into the Hart Trophy conversation.

I doubt I’ll get a vote, but Crosby would be in my top five and make the top three if the Penguins make the playoffs.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: The Pirates have started 5-0 before. They lost on Wednesday, but John Perrotto tells the story of what happened to the other Pittsburgh Pirates teams that started 5-0.

Mitch Keller was shaky, and the Pirates lost. Darn, there goes 162-0. Here’s the Pirates recap.

NHL Trade Talk, News & National Hockey Now

New Jersey Hockey Now: Wow. Matt Rempe and Kurtis MacDermid had a date to drop the gloves, but the rest of the Devils and Rangers felt left out, so we had a line brawl at the opening faceoff! Check out the New Jersey Devils’ throwdown.

Philly Hockey Now: John Tortorella delivered a fiery reply to his last fiery presser. Things are getting tense and a bit turbulent for the Philadelphia Flyers.

NHL.com: What about Mitch Marner and NHL trade rumors? He’ll be due for a new contract beginning July 1. Can the Maple Leafs continue to be so top-heavy, or should they consider a trade?

The Athletic ($): Sam Reinhart. Fifty-goal season. Unrestricted free agent. Can the Florida Panthers afford him? What comes next?

Sportsnet: It wasn’t a line brawl, by Tanner Jeannot and Ryan Reaves squared off in a heavyweight bought.

And Sportsnet has a compilation of models for the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Penguins. Red Wings. islanders. Flyers, Capitals. Who makes the playoffs?