Opinion Links for week of April 15 to 21, 2018 | Headlinehockey.com

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OPINION

MARK SPECTOR: Jets fans ready for deep playoff run after Wild blowout (Sportsnet)
FRANK SERAVALLI: Jets crush Wild; win first series for Winnipeg in 31 years (TSN)
GREG WYSHYNSKI: NHL Department of Player Safety must stay consistent (ESPN)
ROY MacGREGOR: If smelling salts don’t enhance performance, NHLers would be the last to know (Globe & Mail)
DAVID SHOALTS: Nazem Kadri owes Maple Leafs a big-time performance in Game 5 in Boston (Globe & Mail)
CATHAL KELLY: The Leafs need to stop competing against themselves (Globe & Mail)
BRETT CYRGALIS: There's an inevitable sadness to these Stanley Cup playoffs (New York Post)
RON COOK: Penguins get exactly what they deserve -- an unwanted trip back to Philadelphia (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
ROSIE DiMANNO: Kadri’s return might be ‘energy boost’ desperate Leafs need (Toronto Star)
JOE REXRODE: Predators' big plans of advancing swiped at the last moment by Colorado (The Tennessean)
TED WYMAN: Jets fans finally get to celebrate, 31 years after last series win (Winnipeg Sun)
BOB FORD: Flyers picked bad year to stink in the playoffs (Philadelphia Inquirer)
LUKE DeCOCK: After four fruitless seasons, Bill Peters' exit the best for him and Hurricanes both (Raleigh News & Observer)
STEVE SIMMONS: Playoff disappointment risks changing trajectory (Toronto Sun)
KEVIN GORMAN: Penguins must find way to finish off Flyers (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
LARRY BROOKS: Team USA gig won’t hurt coach’s strong Rangers candidacy (New York Post)
ED WILLES: Dahlen's dream year gets him closer to Canucks' master plan (Vancouver Province)
JOE REXRODE: Predators hope to keep 'Hamburglar' from stealing one for Avalanche (The Tennessean)
TIM COWLISHAW: What the NBA, NHL playoffs say about the Mavs and Stars' paths back to postseason contention (Dallas Morning News)
PAUL WIECEK: We've got hope and heck of a team heading into second round (Winnipeg Free Press)
TOM JONES: Why Game 5 is crucial to the Lightning (Tampa Bay Times)
BRUCE ARTHUR: American ingenuity goes both ways in Leafs-Bruins showdown (Toronto Star)
DON BRENNAN: Hobbled Couturier scores late winning goal as Flyers extend Penguins (Ottawa Sun)
ROB ROSSI: Flyers still need a lot to go right to beat Penguins (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
MARCUS HAYES: Flyers' young team grow up in Game 5 win over Penguins (Philadelphia Daily News)
DAMIEN COX: First-round series has been a net loss for Leafs (Toronto Star)
BRENDAN KELLY: Habs' rebuild needs to start at the top, not the bottom (Montreal Gazette)
JOHN VOGL: If not Robin Lehner, then who? (Buffalo News)

KEN CAMPBELL: Matthews has been a non-factor for Maple Leafs, but he needs to step up now (The Hockey News)
RYAN KENNEDY: Ageless Zdeno Chara still making an impact for Boston (The Hockey News)
CHRIS JOHNSTON: Bergeron-less Bruins push Maple Leafs to brink of elimination (Sportsnet)
FRANK SERAVALLI: Laine closes out his teens as NHL’s youngest top scorer in 30 years (TSN)
ALEX PREWITT: The NHL Penalty Box Is a Small Glass Case Made for Oddities (Si.com)
MARK SPECTOR: Paul Maurice view injuries as just part of Jets’ unique story (Sportsnet)
KEVIN ALLEN: Braden Holtby's strong return from benching has helped Capitals even series (USA Today)
ROSIE DiMANNO: Things go south for Leafs in the blink of an eye (Toronto Star)
TIM BENZ: What Penguins have learned about Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
STEVE SIMMONS: Was Game 4 the final ACC act for Bozak and JVR? (Toronto Sun)
BRUCE ARTHUR: Leafs leave no margin for error (Toronto Star)
JASON BOTCHFORD: Canucks' need for 'speed and skill' gets recycled (Vancouver Province)
MICHAEL ARACE: Series road map holds true to form (Columbus Dispatch)
ROSIE DiMANNO: Leafs’ Kapanen breaks away on his own (Toronto Star)
SCOTT CAMPBELL: Jets blue-line blues notwithstanding, Wild's best likely not enough (Winnipeg Free Press)
BRUCE GARRIOCH: Can The Hamburglar help extend the Avs' season? (Ottawa Sun)
JOE STARKEY: Mario and Sid — two of a kind and yet so different (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
DAN SHAUGHNESSY: Brad Marchand adds to his list of big-game moments (Boston Globe)
STEVE SIMMONS: The night the Leafs let their season slipped away (Toronto Sun)
BEN KUZMA: Agent says Hutton has 'fire in his eyes,' will prove people wrong (Vancouver Province)
SAM DONNELLON: Is the NHL doing enough to prevent concussions? Eric Lindros, others don't think so (Philadelphia Daily News)
JOE REXRODE: Predators, 8-year-old with cancer have lasting effects on each other (The Tennessean)
PAUL GACKLE: How Vegas further complicates Joe Thornton’s return to Sharks lineup (San Jose Mercury News)
JEFF GORDON: Trade for Tavares? Reunite with Stastny? Muscle up with Maroon? Gordo reveals 8 offseason story lines for Blues fans to follow (St. Louis Post Dispatch)
TOM JONES: NHL makes right call in not suspending Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Times)
ERIC FRANCIS: Flames have their pick of good coaches — and yes, there is a Sutter (Calgary Sun)
HELENE ELLIOTT: To become contenders again, Kings and Ducks have to get up to speed with rest of the NHL (Los Angeles Times)
RON KANTOWSKI: Golden Knights fan travels from Australia to see her favorite team (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

KEN CAMPBELL: Morrisey's hit on Staal highlights NHL's acceptance of casual cross-checking (The Hockey News)
MATT LARKIN: The case for each Vezina trophy finalist -- and a few snubs (The Hockey News)
BRIAN COSTELLO: Bill Peters has the inside track in Calgary, but there's a lot of local blood to consider (The Hockey News)
JARED CLINTON: 'Playoff Fleury' no more? Golden Knights goaltender the driving force behind series sweep (The Hockey News)
MARK SPECTOR: Morrissey punishment too late to help Wild vs. Jets (Sportsnet)
GREG WYSHYNSKI: Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner living to answer Maple Leafs' prayers (ESPN)
IAIN MacINTYRE: Doughty at heart of Kings’ challenging off-season decisions (Sportsnet)
HELENE ELLIOTT: For Ducks, getting swept should be a wake-up call (Los Angeles Times)
ED GRANEY: Knights’ George McPhee talks softly, carries big expectations (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
MIKE SIELSKI: The Flyers' goalies aren't the answer, but they're not the real problem, either (Philadelphia Inquirer)
TIM BENZ: Crosby, Malkin turning in among their best playoff performances (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
MICHAEL ARACE: Turns out, John Tortorella is perfect match as Blue Jackets coach (Columbus Dispatch)
JOE REXRODE: Jarnkrok returns to the lineup, and he's been missed (The Tennessean)
JASON BOTCHFORD: Baertschi could be traded for Canucks' rebuilding blocks (Vancouver Province)
BRUCE ARTHUR: Leafs’ Mitch Marner knows where to do his talking (Toronto Star)
PATRICK REUSSE: Wheeler's journey leads from Gophers star to Jets center of attention (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
MARK KISZLA: Hey, Saint Patrick. It’s a sin you missed how Avs refused to quit in 3-2 loss against Nashville. (Denver Post)
STEVE POPPER: Devils learning what it takes in playoffs (NorthJersey.com)
SAM DONNELLON: Undermanned and underwhelming, Flyers go quietly in the night (Philadelphia Daily News)
BEN KUZMA: Roster a puzzle for Canucks — too many wings, a few prayers (Vancouver Province)
LARRY BROOKS: Rangers owner reveals what he wants in the next coach (New York Post)
STU COWAN: Canadiens likely to start next season without Paul Byron (Montreal Gazette)
ROSIE DiMANNO: The wait is over, and the weight is off, for Leafs’ Auston Matthews (Toronto Star)
DERON SNYDER: D.C. sports fans feast on calendar loaded with local trifecta (Washington Times)
BRUCE GARRIOCH: Guy Boucher plays waiting game while coaching carousel turns (Ottawa Sun)
ED WILLES: Dynamos of the desert, Sin City's Knights have been sir-real (Vancouver Province)
KEVIN GORMAN: Where Penguins' stars shine, Flyers' go silent (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
TOM JONES: How Tampa Bay worked its way to a 3-1 series lead (Tampa Bay Times)
JOE REXRODE: Predators have Avalanche on the verge of elimination (The Tennessean)
JOHN SHIPLEY: Wild missing more than their high-priced veterans (St. Paul Pioneer Press)
STEVE SIMMONS: Leafs need Andersen to be great in Game 4 (Toronto Sun)
DAN SHAUGHNESSY: Cam Neely is enjoying the ride Bruins have taken him on this season (Boston Globe)
ERIC FRANCIS: Here are the top candidates to become the Flames next coach (Calgary Sun)

BRIAN COSTELLO: Gulutzan and assistants pay the price for disastrous season in Calgary (The Hockey News)
JARED CLINTON: Hall, MacKinnon continue move into NHL's upper echelon with post-season play (The Hockey News)
KEN CAMPBELL: Maple Leafs' growth on display in crucial game 3 victory over Bruins (The Hockey News)
JARED CLINTON: We may have underestimated the Sharks potential as Stanley Cup contenders (The Hockey News)
MARK SPECTOR: Connor Hellebuyck comes up with 'textbook' bounce back game for Jets (Sportsnet)
FRANK SERAVALLI: Hellebuyck tames the Wild, calms surging Jets (TSN)
ALEX PREWITT: Enter the Sin Bin: What It's Like to Be Sent to 'Adult Timeout' in the NHL (Si.com)
SHI DIVIDI: Why the Stanley Cup gets names removed every 13 years (Sportsnet)
IAIN MacINTYRE: Golden Knights improbable season is no figment of imagination (Sportsnet)
GREG WYSHYNSKI: Inside Taylor Hall's transformation -- and what's next (ESPN)
CATHAL KELLY: The NHL needs players like Brad Marchand, even if it won’t admit it (Globe & Mail)
KEVIN ALLEN: Golden Knights complete sweep of Kings, and they look poised for even greater things (USA Today)
HELENE ELLIOTT: Ducks in a rush for answers while facing elimination in Game 4 against the Sharks (Los Angeles Times)
MARK MADDEN: Patric Hornqvist's injury will be hard to surmount (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
JOE REXRODE: Preds were awful, but let's not get carried away (The Tennessean)
JOHN SHIPLEY: Zach Parise injury strains credulity for team, and fans, accustomed to disappointment (St. Paul Pioneer Press)
MARK WHICKER: Ducks to appear on Golf Channel, although they don’t resemble a Titleist (Los Angeles Daily News)
PAUL FRIESEN: Jets wrestling with 'slowness' disease (Winnipeg Sun)
ED GRANEY: Golden Knights ride play of Marc-Andre Fleury to sweep of Kings (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
ERIC FRANCIS: Players' role in Gulutzan firing has Brad Treliving looking for veteran (Calgary Sun)
BRETT CYRGALIS: Taylor Hall answering will-to-win question and playing like an MVP (New York Post)
CHIP SCOGGINS: Game 4 turns nasty between Wild and Jets (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
BEN KUZMA: Baertschi, Granlund thrown lifeline to shore up their games (Vancouver Province)
STU COWAN: Firing Rocket coach Sylvain Lefebvre was the right move (Montreal Gazette)
STEVE SIMMONS: Leafs' Marleau still scoring playoff goals and passing legends (Toronto Sun)
JOE REXRODE: Subban says of MacKinnon hit: 'I'd do it again next game' (The Tennessean)
JOSE De JESUS ORTIZ: Armstrong vocal in support of Jake Allen (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
PAUL WIECEK: Morrissey, Jets get away with one (Winnipeg Free Press)
RON COOK: Time for Phil Kessel to step up for Penguins (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
MICHAEL ARACE: Even in defeat, Blue Jackets were still tough to beat (Columbus Dispatch)
BRIAN MURPHY: No answer from the Wild, and now, no chance (St. Paul Pioneer Press)
TOM JONES: Stow the fists and play grown-up hockey in Game 4 (Tampa Bay Times)
MIKE SIELSKI: Dave Hakstol only now starting to show the short-term thinking Flyers need in playoffs (Philadelphia Inquirer)
ROB ROSSI: Hoping to see Eddie Olczyk back in his element (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
MARK KISZLA: Nathan MacKinnon and Avs expose Nashville as great pretenders in quest for Stanley Cup (Denver Post)
KEVIN PAUL DUPONT: Eight thoughts and observations following the Bruins’ Game 3 loss (Boston Globe)

KEN CAMPBELL: Hey Drew Doughty stop treating the Stanley Cup playoffs like they're the federal league (The Hockey News)
JARED CLINTON: Kovalchuk officially eligible to become an NHL free agent, so where will he land? (The Hockey News)
RYAN KENNEDY: Washington needs Braden Holtby more than ever (The Hockey News)
GARE JOYCE: Maple Leafs find antidote for Bruins’ powerful top line in Game 3 (Sportsnet)
CHRIS JOHNSTON: Matthews, Nylander give Maple Leafs exactly what they needed in Game 3 (Sportsnet)
ALEX PREWITT: For NHL Teams and Players, iPads Have Become an Important Part of the Game (Si.com)
IAIN MacINTYRE: Panthers castoffs coming up golden as Knights have dominated Kings (Sportsnet)
MARK SPECTOR: Jets’ Hellebuyck preparing to bounce back in his own way (Sportsnet)
LARRY BROOKS: The Rangers' other trade chip found hockey heaven (New York Post)
TOM JONES: Devil in the details, Lightning (Tampa Bay Times)
BRUCE ARTHUR: Leafs back to themselves in Game 3 win (Toronto Star)
CHIP SCOGGINS: Wild's Seeler brings youthful fire to blue line (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
HELENE ELLIOTT: Ducks get obliterated in Game 3 loss in San Jose (Los Angeles Times)
DAN SHAUGHNESSY: Desperation of Leafs and their fans sounds all too familiar (Boston Globe)
STEVE SIMMONS: It's all very personal for Leafs' Auston Matthews (Toronto Sun)
MARK KISZLA: Kiszla: Nathan MacKinnon and Avs expose Nashville as great pretenders in quest for Stanley Cup (Denver Post)
PAUL WIECEK: Battle-tested coach needs to keep Jets on right track (Winnipeg Free Press)
LARRY BROOKS: Behind the coaching hire that took the Rangers back to glory (New York Post)
ROSIE DiMANNO: Leafs came out with a Freddie and a fury and left with a Game 3 victory (Toronto Star)
ERIC FRANCIS: Broncos beauty making Canadian history (Calgary Sun)
NEIL GREENBERG: Penalties are a problem for Capitals, but a different stat could signal disaster (Washington Post)
BRIAN MURPHY: Blowout victory doesn’t change fact that Wild are up against it (St. Paul Pioneer Press)
DON BRENNAN: Tremendous response to Senators survey that is anything but 'stupid' (Ottawa Sun)
BEN KUZMA: Short-term veteran centre could help Canucks' prospects long-term (Vancouver Province)
JOE REXRODE: Game 3 was a disaster; it's time to see real Preds (The Tennessean)
MARK WHICKER: Whicker: Kings hoping to prolong this sudden hate affair with Vegas (Los Angeles Daily News)
STEVE SIMMONS: Moving Plekanec into Kadri's spot against Bergeron line a stroke of genius (Toronto Sun)
ED GRANEY: Tomas Tatar’s response to scratch defines Golden Knights success (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
ROSIE DiMANNO: Hyman brings blue-collar work ethic from silver spoon background (Toronto Star)
PAUL FRIESEN: Jets wrestling with 'slowness' disease (Winnipeg Sun)
DAMIEN COX: Golden Knights show regular season was no fluke (Toronto Star)
MIKE SIELSKI: Hard truth is that Flyers aren't ready to compete with Penguins and may not be for a while (Philadelphia Inquirer)
LUKE DeCOCK: After scoreboard fiasco, honeymoon is over for new Hurricanes owner (Raleigh News & Observer)
MIKE HEIKA: What is Ken Hitchcock's legacy with the Stars? It can be traced back to 1996, found with him still today (Dallas Morning News)
BARRY ROZNER: Chicago Blackhawks' Toews searching for answers (Chicago Daily Herald)

IAIN MacINTYRE: Kings turn up physicality but Golden Knights still prevail (Sportsnet)
CHRIS JOHNSTON: Matthews must rise above chaos, find next level to keep Leafs afloat (Sportsnet)
ALEX PREWITT: Capitals Suffer Another Overtime Loss, This Time a Slow Bleed (Si.com)
MARK SPECTOR: Wild desperation an inevitable obstacle on Jets’ path to second round (Sportsnet)
DAVID SHOALTS: To save the sinking Maple Leafs ship, Babcock needs to put some personal beliefs aside (Globe & Mail)
MICHAEL TRAIKOS: The Maple Leafs are down 2-0, but still trending in the right direction (National Post)
TED WYMAN: Jets just didn’t look the same in Game 3 after travel chaos on Saturday (Winnipeg Sun)
BRIAN MURPHY: Wild’s Devan Dubnyk steps up, makes it a series again (St. Paul Pioneer Press)
KEVIN GORMAN: Penguins prove their superiority with win (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
MIKE SIELSKI: Sidney Crosby once again leaves the Flyers and their fans all wet (Philadelphia Inquirer)
KEN WARREN: Team that selects Dahlin won't be assured of title down the road (Ottawa Citizen)
PAUL WIECEK: Wild's bitter win over Winnipeg Jets makes for a better rivalry (Winnipeg Free Press)
JACK TODD: Marc Bergevin shows how not to take responsibility for poor performance (Montreal Gazette)
BRUCE ARTHUR: Leafs better go big or they’re going home (Toronto Star)
MARK WHICKER: Knights shove Kings closer to the other side of midnight (Los Angeles Daily News)
ED GRANEY: Golden Knights fans who travel to LA get their money’s worth (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
RON COOK: Matt Murray quickly is on his way to being one of the great NHL postseason goaltenders (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
DON BRENNAN: Penguins take series lead with major contribution from one of their lesser lights (Ottawa Sun)
BARRY SVRLUGA: If the Capitals don’t get smarter, it soon will be too late for them to learn their lesson (Washington Post)
STEVE SIMMONS: Still time for lost Leafs to salvage some pride (Toronto Sun)
STU COWAN: Rocket's shining star Chris Terry wins AHL scoring title (Montreal Gazette)
SAM DONNELLON: Penguins making Flyers pay for their imperfections (Philadelphia Daily News)
TIM BENZ: Series too erratic to pronounce Flyers' doom (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
CHIP SCOGGINS: Wild's response in Game 3 just as pivotal as the result (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
MICHAEL ARACE: Blue Jackets’ Sergei Bobrovsky arrives as a playoff goalie (Columbus Dispatch)
ROSIE DiMANNO: Stunned Leafs still have what it takes to rebound against Bruins (Toronto Star)
MARK WHICKER: Knights are having no trouble with the big dance (Los Angeles Daily News)
PAUL GACKLE: Why Sharks fans can start planning their trip to Vegas (or L.A.) (San Jose Mercury News)
MARTIN FENNELLY: Time for the Lightning to do what Cup contenders do (Tampa Bay Times)
JOE REXRODE: Nate dogged: Predators know MacKinnon is Colorado's only hope (The Tennessean)
BUCKY GLEASON: Enough already with dark clouds hanging over Buffalo sports (Buffalo News)

CHRIS JOHNSTON: Leafs shoot selves in foot in redemption shot against Bruins (Sportsnet)
MARK SPECTOR: Big, physical hockey as important as ever in Stanley Cup Playoffs (Sportsnet)
IAIN MacINTYRE: Vegas’ James Neal feels at his best for playoffs: ‘It’s perfect timing’ (Sportsnet)
JOE RERODE: Avalanche hang, but Predators prevail — and officials dominate — in Game 2 (The Tennessean)
GENE COLLIER: Puck explains why it just wouldn't go in for Crosby in Game 2 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
ANDREW GROSS: What you need to know about the Islanders-John Tavares situation (New York Newsday)
TARA SULLIVAN: After Game 2 romp, it’s not too early to talk Stanley Cup (Boston Globe)
MARK KISZLA: The Avalanche’s sad playoff song: Star Nathan MacKinnon looks so lonesome he could cry (Denver Post)
STEVE SIMMONS: Kadri is not the only no-show for Leafs in disastrous defeat (Toronto Sun)
JOHN VOGL: The curious case of Ryan O'Reilly (Buffalo News)
MARK WHICKER: Ducks fall short of the goal in home defeat (Los Angeles Daily News)
ED GRANEY: Golden Knights relied on their fitness for 2-0 series lead (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
RON COOK: Can't wait for renewal of rivalry between Sidney Crosby and Flyers fans (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
BRUCE ARTHUR: Lost Leafs need to embrace the future to survive (Toronto Star)
KEVIN PAUL DUPONT: Al Iafrate’s advice? ‘Stay in school and get the degree, man’ (Boston Globe)
CHIP SCOGGINS: Wild needs to show some fight, but not the chippy kind (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
PAUL FRIESEN: Jets need killer instinct, now (Winnipeg Sun)
KEN WARREN: Where did the fans go and how do they win them back? (Ottawa Citizen)
STEVE SIMMONS: Without Nazem Kadri, judging these playoff Leafs impossible (Toronto Sun)
MIKE HARRINGTON: Chiarelli is wasting McDavid and somehow surviving as Oilers GM (Buffalo News)
LARRY BROOKS: Scott Stevens is just the leader the Rangers need (New York Post)
TOM JONES: Worried about how the Lightning closed Game 2? Read this (Tampa Bay Times)
STEVE CONROY: Bruins quash any thought of letdown, destroy Leafs (Boston Herald)
MARK KISZLA: Nuggets or Avs? Does Josh Kroenke love one team best? He spills the beans on a ski lift. (Denver Post)
STEVE SIMMONS: The scorecard after two games: Bergeron line 20 points, Auston Matthews zero (Toronto Sun)
MARK MADDEN: Penguins' fate lies in hands of power play (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
JASON BOTCHFORD: Boeser's rapid rise featured defining, magical moments (Vancouver Province)
MARK WHICKER: Down 2-0, can the Ducks conjure up another comeback? (Los Angeles Daily News)
RON KANTOWSKI: Knights’ Game 1 playoff win was monumental but not a first in Las Vegas (Las Vegas Review-Journal)