Opinion Links for week of April 30 to May 6, 2023 | Headlinehockey.com

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OPINION

ADAM PROTEAU: New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers and P.K. Subban (The Hockey News)
LYLE RICHARDSON: Cap Constraints Could Force the Avalanche Into a Cost-Cutting Trade (The Hockey News)
ERIC ENGELS: Hurricanes' Kotkaniemi comes up clutch to put Devils on the ropes in Round 2 series (Sportsnet)
BOB McKENZIE: Plenty of intrigue after Bedard in McKenzie's Lottery Edition ranking (TSN)
ROY MacGREGOR: Edmonton Oiler Leon Draisaitl’s star is shining bright during the playoffs (Globe & Mail)
CATHAL KELLY: After dropping two to the Panthers, the Maple Leafs’ defeatist tone starts at the top (Globe & Mail)
STEVE POLITI: Devils must match Hurricanes’ grit or they won’t win a game this series (NJ.com)
LARRY STONE: Kraken fans, there’s no shame in jumping on the ‘bandwagon’ (Seattle Times)
BRUCE ARTHUR: Being Connor Bedard: the inside story of how a family raised a once-in-a-generation hockey phenom (Toronto Star)
JIM MATHESON: Six takeaways from last night's 6-4 Oilers loss to Vegas (Edmonton Sun)
STU COWAN: Is Connor Bedard worth a blockbuster trade? (Montreal Gazette)
LUKE DeCOCK: Hurricanes beating Devils like a bad team in November. This doesn’t happen in the playoffs (Raleigh News & Observer)
STEVE SIMMONS: Game 3 is everything for the Maple Leafs. Lose it and it's bye bye time (Toronto Sun)
ED GRANEY: Knights’ Cassidy: Oilers adjust to us, not other way around (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
ANDREW GROSS: What is Isles' future? Difficult to tell amid silence (New York Newsday)
JACK TODD: If only Patrice Bergeron had been a Canadien (Montreal Gazette)
ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI: Will the real Edmonton Oilers please stand up (Edmonton Sun)
DAVE FESCHUK: The Leafs don’t have time to wait for Sergei Bobrovsky to spring a leak (Toronto Star)
COLIN STEPHENSON: Drury must deal with Gallant's fate, cap issues (New York Newsday)
MAC ENGEL: Dallas Stars would be well served to erect a statue of their greatest player (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
LUKE DeCOCK: Dinner at Burnsie’s: How meals at veteran player’s house make young Canes feel at home (Raleigh News & Observer)

AVRY LEWIS-MacDOUGALL: Oilers' Depth Outmatched in Game 1 Loss to the Golden Knights (The Hockey News)
IAN KENNEDY: Growing the Game: PHF Foundation Award, Iran's IIHF Women’s Debut and More (The Hockey News)
LYLE RICHARDSON: Could the Boston Bruins Make a Surprise Cost-Cutting Trade? (The Hockey News)
MARK SPECTOR: ‘Wearing people down’: Why Oilers are targeting Knights’ Stone (Sportsnet)
CATHAL KELLY: Maple Leafs-related anxiety never went away – it was just delayed a while (Globe & Mail)
GREG COTE: Nobody’s underdog: Florida Panthers’ 3-2 win in Toronto for 2-0 lead a statement & declaration (Miami Herald)
JIM MATHESON: Petr Klima, dead at age 58, was a free spirit on the ice (Edmonton Sun)
STEVE SIMMONS: Maple Leafs' season on the brink after Game 2 loss to Florida (Toronto Sun)
TIM COWLISHAW: Stars re-energize their strength in numbers in Game 2 to pull even with upstart Kraken (Dallas Morning News)
STEVE POLITI: In Luke Hughes, Devils have a game-changer. It’s time to use him (NJ.com)
BRUCE GARRIOCH: There's lots of racetrack left before the Ottawa Senators are sold (Ottawa Sun)
DAVE HYDE: Florida Panthers are up 2-0 on Toronto and suddenly the talk of hockey (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI: Edmonton Oilers won't be this bad in Game 2 will they? (Edmonton Sun)
BRUCE ARTHUR: The Maple Leafs still haven’t figured out the pesky Panthers — and time is running out (Toronto Star)
JEFF GORDON: Rangers, Bruins face busy offseason after playoff failture (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
LUKE DeCOCK: As Hurricanes open series with resounding win, Jordan Staal leads way: ‘It’s what he does’ (Raleigh News & Observer)
LARRY BROOKS: Rangers' silence — not media — driving speculation about coaching change (New York Post)

ADAM PROTEAU: Calgary Flames Give a Clear Slate to a New GM After Firing Sutter (The Hockey News)
TONY FERRARI: Matthew Knies is a Gift to the Toronto Maple Leafs (The Hockey News)
LYLE RICHARDSON: What Changes Could Be In Store for the New York Rangers? (The Hockey News)
MICHAEL TRAIKOS: Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk Punishes Opponents with a Matured Game (The Hockey News)
MARK SPECTOR: Still In Vacation Mode: Oilers outclassed by Golden Knights in Game 1 (Sportsnet)
ERIC ENGELS: Hurricanes' dominant Game 1 win shows gap with Devils could be larger than expected (Sportsnet)
CATHAL KELLY: The NHL stiffed Canada with extended break in Maple Leafs, Panthers series before Game 3 (Globe & Mail)
MIKE HARRINGTON: Former Sabre Brandon Montour blossoms under glare of Florida's playoff run (Buffalo News)
STEVE SIMMONS: Can the Maple Leafs stop Matthew Tkachuk, or even slow him down?? (Toronto Sun)
LUKE DeCOCK: As Hurricanes open series with resounding win, Jordan Staal leads way: ‘It’s what he does’ (Raleigh News & Observer)
DAVE HYDE: Panthers’ magic continues, Heat battle in two-for-Tuesday drama (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
TIM BENZ: Fans agitated over too much early Pirates hype, too much heat on Mike Sullivan, too many dirty NHL hits (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
STU COWAN: The Flames could use another Martin St. Louis as head coach (Montreal Gazette)
STEVE CONROY: Brad Marchand has all the qualities of a captain (Boston Herald)
MIKE McINTYRE: Chevy has a lot of work to do (Winnipeg Free Press)
NICK KYPREOS: The Maple Leafs can reach the conference finals. But they’ll need to solve the Matthew Tkachuk problem (Toronto Star)
STEVE POLITI: Wake up, Devils. The Hurricanes are too good for that sleepy Game 1 effort (NJ.com)
LUKE DeCOCK: Ex-Hurricane Erik Haula doesn’t see self as ‘a villain,’ but he has assumed that role (Raleigh News & Observer)
DAVE FESCHUK: William Nylander’s underlying numbers impress, but those numbers might be lying (Toronto Star)
RICK BELL: Sutter firing and whiny Flames players, many fans peeved off (Calgary Sun)
ED GRANEY: Rest does Knights well in Game 1 victory over Oilers (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
MARK MADDEN: Seeing former Penguins succeed in playoffs puts spotlight on Ron Hextall's mistakes (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
LARRY BROOKS: 'Almost disappointing and depressing': If only Rangers had the real Patrick Kane (New York Post)

LYLE RICHARDSON: Bolstering Their Offense Could Be the Islanders' Off-Season Priority (The Hockey News)
MARK SPECTOR: Oilers up against different kind of foe in disciplined Golden Knights (Sportsnet)
SCOTT STINSON: The NHL's Random Outcome Generator strikes again (National Post)
CATHAL KELLY: On a team stacked with stars, Maple Leafs’ Knies quickly becoming a fan favourite (Globe & Mail)
CATHAL KELLY: A Maple Leafs, Oilers series would be the best Stanley Cup final in recent memory (Globe & Mail)
SCOTT STINSON: Jacob Trouba's massive hit was probably clean, which is a problem (National Post)
STEVE SIMMONS: Sleepy Maple Leafs not sharp enough in Game 1 loss to Panthers (Toronto Sun)
JEFF GORDON: Playoff upsets underscore how quickly NHL fortunes can rise and fall (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
MARK CANNIZZARO: Devils enter Round 2 a different team after dismissing Rangers (New York Post)
TIM COWLISHAW: Stars need more heroes to step up with Superman Joe Pavelski after Game 1 loss to Kraken (Dallas Morning News)
TIM BENZ: NHL dealing with fallout from wild Round 1 upsets (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
STU COWAN: Montreal's Mitch Garber enjoying ride with Seattle Kraken (Montreal Gazette)
MIKE HARRINGTON: After years of toil, former Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe finally gets playoff chance (Buffalo News)
BRUCE ARTHUR: Those Panthers that pounced on the Maple Leafs in Game 1? They don’t look like underdogs (Toronto Star)
LARRY BROOKS: Who is likely to pay price for Rangers' failure (New York Post)
KEVIN PAUL DUPONT: Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark acknowledges playoff loss to Panthers is ‘one of those things that’s going to haunt me’ (Boston Globe)
BRUCE GARRIOCH: D.J. Smith heading overseas to try to bring back gold with Canada (Ottawa Sun)
RICK BELL: Sutter pushed out by snowflake hockey players — gimme a break! (Calgary Sun)
JOHN ROMANO: Lightning are still contenders, but don’t look as scary to rest of NHL (Tampa Bay Times)
MAC ENGEL: Stars squander historic night by Joe Pavelski and are in legit trouble with Kraken (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
JIM MATHESON: Should Oilers use two top forwards together, or apart? (Edmonton Sun)
LUKE DeCOCK: Why the Hurricanes wouldn’t be what they are today without the New Jersey Devils (Raleigh News & Observer)
STEVE POLITI: Brutal hit on Devils’ Timo Meier shows how far NHL still must go to protect its players (NJ.com)
ED GRANEY: Connor McDavid comparisons unfair to Knights’ Jack Eichel (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
NEIL BEST: Sad ending to a once-promising NY hockey postseason (New York Newsday)
CARLOS MONARREZ: Bruins upset reveals error in Yzerman's thoughts on playoff contenders (Detroit Free Press)
GREG COTE: Playoffs times 2: Panthers keep silencing doubters; Heat in good shape despite loss sans Butler (Miami Herald)

ADAM PROTEAU: The Dallas Stars Should Not Be Underestimated in the 2023 Playoffs (The Hockey News)
IAN KENNEDY: Why Did the BCHL Leave Hockey Canada? (The Hockey News)
RACHEL DOERRIE: How the Maple Leafs Used Tampa’s Playoff Playbook to Beat Them (The Hockey News)
LYLE RICHARDSON: Big Changes Could Be In Store for the Winnipeg Jets (The Hockey News)
ERIC FRANCIS: Darryl Sutter's management of people was his ultimate undoing (Sportsnet)
MARK SPECTOR: Oilers' Leon Draisaitl quickly becoming NHL's most clutch playoff performer (Sportsnet)
SALIM VALJI: Sutter out as Flames head coach (TSN)
SALIM VALJI: Alberta election could have major ramifications for Flames arena deal (TSN)
MATT CALKINS: Kraken’s improbable playoff success was 15 years in the making (Seattle Times)
DAVE HYDE: How the Panthers pulled off the unimaginable (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
LARRY BROOKS: There will be consequences for Rangers' failure as star takes blame (New York Post)
JACK TODD: Bruins got 65 wins for nothing (Montreal Gazette)
JIM MATHESON: Brossoit, Skinner have taken similar paths to Oilers-Knights playoff series (Edmonton Sun)
MARK CANNIZZARO: Devils 'had the most fun' as Rangers' massive expectations shatter (New York Post)
MAC ENGEL: Why, oh why, are Dallas Stars fans ‘punished’ with these late playoff games? (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
STEVE SIMMONS: Dare I say this - this soon - the Leafs can win the Stanley Cup! (Toronto Sun)
DAN SHAUGHNESSY: As awful as the Bruins loss was, it’s not the worst sports calamity we have endured (Boston Globe)
MIKE HARRINGTON: Bruins and Lightning go belly up in the playoffs, and Sabres' gap in Atlantic keeps shrinking (Buffalo News)
NEIL BEST: With so much star power KO'd, NHL needed Rangers to advance (New York Newsday)
WES GILBERTSON: After players piped up, Flames fire Sutter as head coach (Calgary Sun)
DAMIEN COX: The Maple Leafs used to be a chaotic franchise. It was more interesting but stability works (Toronto Star)
STU COWAN: Thrill of victory and agony of defeat make sports great (Montreal Gazette)
LUKE DeCOCK: Is Hurricanes’ luck finally turning? Sunday’s NHL Game 7 shockers are a positive sign (Raleigh News & Observer)
STEVE POLITI: ‘We want more’: Devils prove the Stanley Cup is within reach in outclassing Rangers (NJ.com)
STEVE CONROY: Coaching decisions come into question after epic failure (Boston Herald)
NEIL BEST: Rangers run off the ice; what's in store for next season? (New York Newsday)
DAVE FESCHUK: Leafs go from flame-outs to Stanley Cup favourites just like that. The game has changed (Toronto Star)
JIM SOUHAN: Fans get it wrong judging Wild, Kaprizov vs. Wolves, Towns (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
GREG COTE: Miami Heat, Florida Panthers turn doubt to belief like magic, take fans on unexpected ride (Miami Herald)
SEAN KEELER: Avs fans, could we please skip Valeri Nichushkin, Nazem Kadri revisionist history? (Denver Post)
KEVIN PAUL DUPONT: In very un-Bruin-like fashion, their undoing this time was largely the defense (Boston Globe)
MARK CANNIZZARO: Devils center steps up while enduring complicated family situation: 'Eats at me' (New York Post)

RACHEL DOERRIE: New York Metro Rivalries in the NHL Playoffs Are Huge for Hockey (The Hockey News)
ADAM PROTEAU: Whats next for the Tampa Bay Lightning? (The Hockey News)
AVRY-LEWIS MacDOUGALL: How the Edmonton Oilers Eliminated the Los Angeles Kings (The Hockey News)
ROY MacGREGOR: Canada needs a Stanley Cup – even if you can’t stand the Leafs (Globe & Mail)
CATHAL KELLY: Raging Rick Bowness pulls no punches after Winnipeg’s playoff elimination (Globe & Mail)
KEVIN PAUL DUPONT: The Bruins enter an offseason of lament after this disquieting first-round collapse to the Panthers (Boston Globe)
LARRY STONE: After missed chance to clinch at home, Kraken brace for first Game 7 (Seattle Times)
MIKE McINTYRE: Jets expect different result by doing same thing again and again (Winnipeg Free Press)
LARRY BROOKS: Vincent Trocheck, Rangers know winning formula it will take to claim Game 7 (New York Post)
DAVE FESCHUK: ‘An unbelievable series.’ The Leafs needed the best of Morgan Rielly to beat the Lightning — and got it (Toronto Star)
MARK KISZLA: One-hit wonders? The Avalanche championship dynasty crumbles less than a year after hoisting the Stanley Cup. (Denver Post)
MIKE HARRINGTON: Sabres prospects come through as Amerks force decisive Game 5 against Syracuse (Buffalo News)
BRUCE ARTHUR: Kyle Dubas was right. The Leafs can win with his blueprint. No hard feelings (Toronto Star)
ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI: There is some serious fight in these Edmonton Oilers (Edmonton Sun)
HELENE ELLIOTT: ‘Pissed off’ Kings must improve in key areas to break Oilers’ playoff stranglehold (Los Angeles Times)
STEVE SIMMONS: Firing Kyle Dubas and Sheldon Keefe? Not anymore (Toronto Sun)
MARK CANNIZZARO: Devils trust their 'mood' will help them oust Rangers in Game 7 (New York Post)
CHRIS JOHNSTON: Behind the scenes from the Maple Leafs series-clinching Game 6 win over the Lightning (Toronto Star)
TARA SULLIVAN: Game 7 was a heartbreaking loss in more ways than one because it might have been Patrice Bergeron’s last game as a Bruin (Boston Globe)
TIM BENZ: National outlet gives Steelers highest NFL draft grade; flying prank mocks Penguins' ownership in England (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
DAMIEN COX: Leafs will face surprising Panthers in next round. Bye bye Bruins (Toronto Star)
PAUL FRIESEN: Fudging, fidgeting and ultimately failing in the church of Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff (Winnipeg Sun)
TIM BENZ: Steelers’ draft 'filled need, after need’; Penguins' GM search off to slow start (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

ADAM PROTEAU: What's Happened to the Bruins Ahead of Game 7 vs. the Panthers? (The Hockey News)
RYAN KENNEDY: Tampa Bay Laughs at Your Andrei Vasilevskiy Doubts (The Hockey News)
MARK SPECTOR: Depth scoring, Skinner's resilience guides Oilers to series win over Kings in Game 6 (Sportsnet)
CATHAL KELLY: Now that the Leafs have shrugged off their history, it’s time to see how far they can go (Globe & Mail)
JOHN ROMANO: It’s been an incredible run, but now future is uncertain for Lightning (Tampa Bay Times)
KEVIN PAUL DUPONT: NHL players may cross the line with trash talk during games, but are network ‘hot mics’ really to blame? (Boston Globe)
HELENE ELLIOTT: Kings’ season of promise ends in a repeat of playoff loss to Oilers (Los Angeles Times)
STEVE SIMMONS: It's too hard to have a dynasty in the salary-capped NHL (Toronto Sun)
PAUL FRIESEN: Jets show thin skin in dispute with coach Bowness (Winnipeg Sun)
MARK CANNIZZARO: Why Rangers-Devils Game 7 result is so hard to predict (New York Post)
DAVE HYDE: Panthers in Game 7 in Boston, Heat in Game 1 in New York — buckle up for a Sunday like no other (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
KEVIN PAUL DUPONT: Will the Bruins rise to the challenge of Game 7 against the Panthers, or fold and likely signal the end of Patrice Bergeron’s career? (Boston Globe)
MIKE HARRINGTON: With cap problems looming next season, Bruins have major issue trying to salvage Game 7 (Buffalo News)
BRUCE ARTHUR: The Leafs of Matthews, Marner, Tavares, Nylander and Rielly won a playoff series. Maybe this really is their year (Toronto Star)
BRUCE GARRIOCH: Billon dollar bid for Senators puts Reynolds and Remington Group in driver's seat (Ottawa Sun)
LARRY BROOKS: Rangers display necessary urgency and grit in do-or-die win (New York Post)
TIM COWLISHAW: Stars aren’t the best in the West, yet, but path to Stanley Cup is coming into focus (Dallas Morning News)
STEVE POLITI: For Devils, Game 7 is the chance for a forever moment against Rangers (NJ.com)
LUKE DeCOCK: Who is the Hurricanes goalie to start Round 2? It’s a question without a wrong answer (Raleigh News & Observer)
NEIL BEST: It's been ages since last Rangers-Isles playoff series (New York Newsday)