Dan’s Daily: Crosby’s Wild End to 2nd; More Drama for Coyotes Arena

It was a well-played game from start to finish, in almost all phases of the game. Yet the Pittsburgh Penguins needed a tying goal in the third period and never got the go-ahead goal in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Pittsburgh Hockey Now has a full analysis from the barn just outside the path of totality, including Sidney Crosby’s wild end to the second period. Elsewhere in the Daily, there was a little drama between teammates in Edmonton as Corey Perry and Evander Kane had a dustup, there’s more drama in Arizona where the mayor of the land bordering the possible new Coyotes arena is publicly blasting their plans as “amateur,” and TSN has a lot more on Crosby.

I think I’ve found a new hotel in Toronto. Fifteen-minute walk to the arena. Entertainment downstairs. Clean and comfy (but very small) rooms. I hate to give out my little gems because it seems they jump in price, but I enjoyed my couple of days at The Rex in Toronto. I definitely wouldn’t stay here if you travel with a companion, nor if you’re accustomed to a Marriott level of amenities, but … I am not. If you’re a single traveler who likes simplicity, this is a good spot, and the jazz/blues club downstairs is pretty good, too.

I do hate the drive back. Traffic out of Toronto is always a pain.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Let’s begin with our Q&A. Why isn’t Valtteri Puustinen higher in the lineup? Where will Crosby finish in the Hart Trophy race, and now that the Penguins are back in the playoff race, would they regret the Jake Guentzel trade? We got some pretty good Penguins questions.

PHN+: I worked the locker room for a couple of days with a simple question, “I know you guys always believed you were in it, but when did you KNOW you were truly back in the playoff fight?” I got some good answers, and no one dodged it. The Penguins locker room feature.

Part of the headline, “Winning is Good,” was a Lars Eller wisecrack, but it looked pretty good in print. Use code Dan10 to save 10 bucks on PHN+. If you think we do good work, hop on board and go ad-free.

The Penguins fell in overtime. Here’s Dave Molinari’s Penguins recap.

The Penguins’ grades were positive. So, why wasn’t the result? Oh, I got into that, but I’m not sure you want the answer. If you dare — the Penguins report card.

Twitter was howling when coach Mike Sullivan started Eller in overtime. There was a simple explanation for it. Crosby joked about his wild ending to the second period, in which he was hurt on three consecutive shifts. Also, Alex Nedeljkovic had an interesting postgame reaction. He heaped praise on the team as he took a lot of blame. He doesn’t hide his emotions. Get the story and raw video in the Penguins’ room.

PHN Video: Crosby force, bad skates, and bad luck. The postgame video and Q&A from the arena after the Penguins’ loss.

NHL Rumors, News & National Hockey Now

TSN Video: I hope you can see this—our buddy Josh Yohe appeared on TSN to discuss Sidney Crosby and his focus.

Chris Johnston did the same to discuss Auston Matthews’s pursuit of 70 goals and what the playoffs mean to Crosby.

Apologies if either video is unviewable to the American audience. I’m still in Toronto this morning.

Spector’s Hockey: You know, this stuff is getting a little silly. Larry Brooks at the New York Post wrote there is trepidation that Crosby will stick around and raised the rumors that Crosby could be traded this summer, also naming the usual suspects.

Sportsnet: More drama in the Coyotes saga. The Coyotes’ hopeful arena plan borders Scottsdale, but there’s no infrastructure between Highway 101 and the proposed arena site. It would need to be built straight through Scottsdale. The mayor blasted the “amateur developer” Coyotes owner. Yeah, Scottsdale is against it.

This should be Gary Bettman’s iceberg. Move ’em up, head ’em out.

Philly Hockey Now: It was a poorly kept secret in hockey circles, but no one could say anything. The 2018 Team Canada scandal hung like a black cloud. The Flyers finally admitted they figured at some point this season they would be without Carter Hart.

I’m not sure anyone knew if the charges would be filed. I think defense attorneys are already starting to exploit that part of the situation.

NHL.com: Here’s THE game tonight for the Penguins and everyone else fighting for a playoff spot. Capitals vs. Red Wings. The Capitals will control their destiny if they win.