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Dan’s Daily: MacKinnon Wants Crosby Drunk at Cup Party, Crosby Tied to Avs Cup

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Pittsburgh Penguins, Jack Johnosn, Sidney Crosby, Stanley Cup

The Colorado Avalanche are Stanley Cup champions. Maligned former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson hoisted the Stanley Cup as part of the Avalanche victory. And there were several Sidney Crosby ties to the Avalanche win, including Nathan MacKinnon’s hotel room number. Mackinnon also wants Crosby to be the drunkest guy at the Stanley Cup party in Cole Harbour. The list of Hall of Fame eligible players has some sure things and a backlog of snubs. And should any Penguins player beyond Crosby be untouchable?

Not going to lie, it was fun to watch the Cup presentation. There were some people who made sport of tearing down Jack Johnson in Pittsburgh. It was as ugly as it was exaggerated. He got to lift the Cup on Sunday night. He was an asset to the Avalanche defense. Jack was a tough interview here in Pittsburgh. When the crowd would gather, he would lean back and could be a little dismissive. I always understood. He didn’t know who was coming at him. I think I established fairness and got a couple of scoops. I was happy to see him get that Cup.

Take nothing away from the Tampa Bay Lightning, they won two Stanley Cups. Neither should carry an asterisk. An extremely infection virus dominated our world for two years, and they overcame unique challenges that no other Cup team will ever have to face. Different not less than the Penguins’ Cups.

Sidney Crosby is tied to the Avalanche Cup in a few ways:

First, MacKinnon has been speaking with Crosby between games.

Crosby and Johnson are buddies back to their brawling baseball days at St. Mary Shattuck.

MacKinnon drew optimism from his Tampa Bay hotel room, #1787, “It seemed like fate.”  –Yep, he sounds as crazy as Sid.

And this delicious nugget. Drink up, Sid:

Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, Pirates

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: We are 17 days and counting to the start of the free-agent frenzy. We’re 10 days from what could be a wild NHL draft. So, besides Sidney Crosby, are any Pittsburgh Penguins untouchable?

Dave Molinari has a fun piece coming this morning. It was suggested by a reader, Logan. What happened to all of those draft picks the Penguins have traded, going back to spending a first-rounder for Marian Hossa? Check back at 11 a.m.

SteelersNow.com: Alex Highsmith — with training camp a month away — got hitched this weekend. Pittsburgh Steelers news.

PHN will officially take over the Steelers and Pirates coverage on July 1. Do me a favor, besides The Athletic, tell me your favorite Steelers coverage. It’s an awkward media space; lots of team-affiliated coverage, a couple of big blogs that steal everyone’s work but spit it out faster, and a couple of newspapers. Tell me–who are the trusted peeps in print? I’d like to know the type and location of the content you read.

NHL News & National Hockey Now:

Colorado Hockey Now: Stanley Cup Champs!

Terry Frei, who has covered the Avalanche for a long time, writes–this is THE best Colorado Avalanche team.

Adrian Dater has his observations, thoughts, and exclamations! Avalanche win.

Vancouver Hockey Now: The Hockey Hall of Fame could have a big Canucks flavor. Sedin twins. Roberto Luongo. Vancouver Canucks coverage.

Boston: The Bruins extended GM Don Sweeney, finally. Boston Bruins news.

Detroit Hockey Now: ESPN picked a crowded date to drop the documentary about the bloody rivalry between the Red Wings and Avalanche in the 1990s. Adrian Dater wrote a book about it. For those of you who weren’t around, it was a rivalry unlike anything in the modern era. It was tougher than the 1980s Battle of Alberta. The two best teams in hockey, over the course of a handful of years, each won Stanley Cups. It was a war. Detroit Red Wings film.