Opinion Links for week of May 5 to 11, 2024 | Headlinehockey.com

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OPINION

KEN CAMPBELL: Hey, Utah's NHL Club and PWHL Teams – Pick. A. Name. (The Hockey News)
ADAM PROTEAU: Oilers' Skinner and Defense Must Step Up Before Canucks Get Their No. 1 Goalie Back (The Hockey News)
ADAM PROTEAU: Why the Maple Leafs' Brain Trust Seems Ready to Make Major Moves (The Hockey News)
MICHAEL TRAIKOS: John Tavares Shows Why He Was the Right Choice As Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs (The Hockey News)
LYLE RICHARDSON: Could Brock Nelson, Anthony Cirelli and Nikolaj Ehlers Hit This Summer's Trade Block? (The Hockey News)
MARK SPECTOR: 'Unreal' Oilers stars McDavid, Draisaitl simply too much for Canucks (Sportsnet)
IAIN MacINTYRE: Canucks too timid down stretch of costly defeat: 'Made it very easy on them' (Sportsnet)
GREG WHYSHYNSKI: Vincent Trocheck is Rangers' do-it-all hero in 2024 playoffs (ESPN)
CATHAL KELLY: The Maple Leafs need big changes, not empty words from MLSE CEO Keith Pelley (Globe & Mail)
MARK CANNIZZARO: Igor Shesterkin has been Rangers' biggest difference-maker (New York Post)
ROSIE DiMANNO: The Maple Leafs talk about change, but it’s still just talk about change (Toronto Star)
MIKE HARRINGTON: Game 5 loss a major missed opportunity for Amerks – and for Sabres prospects (Buffalo News)
TARA SULLIVAN: The burning question after Game 3′s debacle: Where did the Bruins’ best players go? (Boston Globe)
COLIN STEPHENSON: Shesterkin the reason the Rangers are up 3-0 vs. Hurricanes (New York Newsday)
STEVE SIMMONS: It's same old, same old bafflegab for Brendan Shanahan's Maple Leafs (Toronto Sun)
MAC ENGEL: Stars even series with Avalanche, hit road to Colorado tied 1-1 (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
DAVE HYDE: Panthers put hurting on Bruins in every way with 6-2 win in Game 3 (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
KEVIN PAUL DUPONT: These Bruins again can’t seem to handle the Florida heat (Boston Globe)
TIM COWLISHAW: Jamie Benn’s physicality unraveled the Stars last postseason. This year, it’s set a tone (Dallas Morning News)
DAVE FESCHUK: Brendan Shanahan’s patience with the Maple Leafs has run out. It’s about time (Toronto Star)
LARRY BROOKS: Rangers playoff star Vincent Trocheck haunting Hurricanes after free-agency flub (New York Post)
LUKE DeCOCK: If Canes have the ‘high-end stuff’ to beat good teams in playoffs, it’s time to prove it (Raleigh News & Observer)
TOM MAYENKNECHT: New York City NHL, NBA teams are on top of the sports world right now (Vancouver Province)

ADAM PROTEAU: Why is the NHL's Coaching Carousel Spinning Like Never Before? (The Hockey News)
MICHAEL TRAIKOS: What’s Really Going On With Oilers' Leon Drasaitl? (The Hockey News)
LYLE RICHARDSON: Trade Speculation Continues About Toronto Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner (The Hockey News)
IAIN MacINTYRE: Canucks finding 'a lot of different ways to win' early in playoffs (Sportsnet)
MARK SPECTOR: Oilers confident they can respond after Game 1 collapse (Sportsnet)
ERIC FRANCIS: Tkachuk and Marchand: How NHL unicorns have evolved (Sportsnet)
CATHAL KELLY: The Leafs have ousted Sheldon Keefe. Who will be next to land The Greatest Job In Hockey™? (Globe & Mail)
DAVE HYDE: Wham! Panthers drop Bruins, Tkachuk drops Pastrnak and series is lit (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
LARRY BROOKS: Rangers coach deserves praise for Filip Chytil lineup gamble (New York Post)
DAVE FESCHUK: Sheldon Keefe had to go, sure, but how has Brendan Shanahan survived as Maple Leafs president? (Toronto Star)
DAN SHAUGHNESSY: Celtics-Knicks and Bruins-Rangers? The Boston-New York playoff duels would be good times, and other thoughts. (Boston Globe)
MARK CANNIZZARO: Emerging Ranger living up to early expectations right before our eyes (New York Post)
ROSIE DiMANNO: Sheldon Keefe the latest in a long line of coaches who ‘didn’t get it done’ for Maple Leafs. At least he wasn’t an arse (Toronto Star)
BRUCE GARRIOCH: New coach Travis Green will have time to right the Senators' ship (Ottawa Sun)
SEAN KEELER: O, Captain! Avalanche needs leader to deliver message to Stars goon Jamie Benn that Gabe Landeskog can’t (Denver Post)
STEVE SIMMONS: Joel Quenneville should be coaching choice for Maple Leafs (Toronto Sun)
LUKE DeCOCK: Backs against the wall, Hurricanes can’t talk their way around how they got there (Raleigh News & Observer)

KEN CAMPBELL: Should the NHL Suspend Rangers' Jacob Trouba for Intent After Missed Hit on Hurricanes' Necas? (The Hockey News)
LYLE RICHARDSON: What Could the Off-Season Hold for the Kings and Predators? (The Hockey News)
MARK SPECTOR: Oilers must embrace playoff journey after frantic fold job in Game 1 (Sportsnet)
IAIN MacINTYRE: 'It's character': Canucks quiet disbelievers with resilient Game 1 win (Sportsnet)
CATHAL KELLY: It’s obvious what people want from MLSE — change (Globe & Mail)
KEVIN PAUL DUPONT: Bruins lost their discipline and defensive structure, and other observations from Game 2 loss to Panthers (Boston Globe)
LARRY BROOKS: Rangers aren't afraid to get down and dirty -- even with Matt Rempe on bench (New York Post)
SEAN KEELER: Dallas Stars dared Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev to beat them. So he did. (Denver Post)
NICK KYPREOS: Time for Leafs to move on from Marner and Tavares. Other NHL teams will (and already have) come calling (Toronto Star)
MAC ENGEL: After blowing game 1 to Colorado, the Stars officially have a Joe Pavelski problem (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
NEIL BEST: Special teams may lead Rangers to special season (New York Newsday)
GREG COTE: ‘End of world’ to new life: Florida Panthers crush Boston 6-1 in statement win to even series (Miami Herald)
TARA SULLIVAN: Bruins and Panthers have become fierce rivals, and the gloves are off in mayhem of Game 2 (Boston Globe)
NIIGAAN SINCLAIR: Thanks, Bones; you made a great night for my family even better (Winnipeg Free Press)
MARK MADDEN: Penguins should be window shopping for grit, edge during Stanley Cup playoffs (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

KEN CAMPBELL: Auston Matthews' Hart Snub Proves There's No Toronto or Eastern Conference Bias (The Hockey News)
JACOB STOLLER: How Avalanche's Casey (Couldn't Do a Pull-Up) Mittelstadt Is Learning To Play With An Edge (The Hockey News)
LYLE RICHARDSON: Can the Vegas Golden Knights Afford Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson? (The Hockey News)
ERIC ENGELS: Canadiens well-positioned to address needs with fifth-overall pick (Sportsnet)
ERIC FRANCIS: Flames' draft intrigue grows with Tij Iginla's surge in rankings (Sportsnet)
IAIN MacINTYRE: Canucks' defensive stoutness to face another stiff test vs. high-flying Oilers (Sportsnet)
MARK SPECTOR: A pro's pro: Oilers' Janmark proving his worth during playoff run (Sportsnet)
ED GRANEY: Knights should do what’s best and re-sign Marchessault (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
MIKE SIELSKI: One reason Tobias Harris was such a letdown for the Sixers, Flyers wait for Matvei Michkov, and other notes (Philadelphia Inquirer)
TIM COWLISHAW: Pete DeBoer’s Stars have proven they can rally, but Game 1 loss sure had some bad signs (Dallas Morning News)
NEIL BEST: Shesterkin saves Rangers with big night in net (New York Newsday)
GENTRY ESTES: Barry Trotz's Nashville Predators need more to get free of NHL's 'mushy middle' (The Tennessean)
JEFF GORDON: Bannister proved he was the right man to guide the Blues through a tough process (St. Louis Post Dispatch)
STEVE SIMMONS: Leafs never have been on verge of winning anything during the Brendan Shanahan years (Toronto Sun)
LARRY BROOKS: Rangers’ Broadway Five remain best show in town (New York Post)
PAUL FRIESEN: Jets' Bowness a straight shooter to the end (Winnipeg Sun)
TARA SULLIVAN: Oh baby, what a whirlwind 24 hours it was for the Bruins’ Brandon Carlo (Boston Globe)
BRUCE GARRIOCH: Senators' new head coach, Travis Green, will be 'firm, but fair' with players (Ottawa Sun)
BRUCE ARTHUR: The Maple Leafs might try to trade Mitch Marner. But there’s no Kawhi deal out there (Toronto Star)
LUKE DeCOCK: Hurricanes return home with questions instead of wins after letting Rangers off the hook (Raleigh News & Observer)
MARK CANNIZZARO: Rangers’ first real taste of 2024 playoff adversity ends with a win (New York Post)
MAC ENGEL: The scariest part to the Dallas Stars’ epic Game 1 collapse to Colorado (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
DIETER KURTENBACH: Sharks add No. 1 pick, hope with Bay Area-tied Celebrini likely on the way (San Jose Mercury News)
DAVE HYDE: Where was the Florida Panthers’ fundamental and frugal defense in Game 1? (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

KEN CAMPBELL: Canucks and Oilers Series Should Be Closer Than People Think (The Hockey News)
MICHAEL TRAIKOS: Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner Reflects on Time in Toronto: 'We're Looked Upon As Gods Here' (The Hockey News)
JACOB STOLLER: Winnipeg Jets Coach Rick Bowness Retires: Who Could Replace Him? (The Hockey News)
LYLE RICHARDSON: A Summer of Big Changes Could Be In Store For The Toronto Maple Leafs (The Hockey News)
MARK SPECTOR: Cheers to the boobirds: Oilers' Skinner can't wait to be heckled in Vancouver (Sportsnet)
IAIN MacINTYRE: Canucks' Silovs an unexpected frontman for all-Canadian series with Oilers (Sportsnet)
KEVIN PAUL DUPONT: The Bruins delivered a stunning second period, and other observations from a Game 1 victory (Boston Globe)
DAVE FESCHUK: The Maple Leafs’ exit interviews are the punchlines to a running joke, eight years old and counting (Toronto Star)
MOLLIE WALKER: Rangers’ stars keep shining in quest to erase last year’s flop (New York Post)
DIETER KURTENBACH: Macklin Celebrini can bring the Sharks back from the dead. I’ve seen it happen before (San Jose Mercury News)
LUKE DeCOCK: Rest as a weapon: Why the Hurricanes have abandoned one of hockey’s oldest traditions (Raleigh News & Observer)
ROSIE DiMANNO: Mitch Marner has become the Maple Leafs’ fallen idol, just not with his teammates (Toronto Star)
SEAN KEELER: Avalanche’s Mikko Rantanen is mad. Yo, Dallas Stars? In Colorado, last thing you want to do is make a Moose mad. (Denver Post)
BRUCE GARRIOCH: Travis Green emerges as top choice for next Senators coach (Ottawa Sun)
NEIL BEST: Shesterkin, Sorokin and the brotherhood of goalies (New York Newsday)
TARA SULLIVAN: Freed of the ghosts of playoffs past, the Bruins played like a team possessed in Game 1 against the Panthers (Boston Globe)
TIM BENZ: Blaming assistant coaches won't fix Pittsburgh's plodding sports teams (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

KEN CAMPBELL: Bruins Steal the Leafs' Lunch Money Again – And It All Started with Bobby Orr in Early ’60s (The Hockey News)
MICHAEL TRAIKOS: Trade Marner? Fire the Coach? Here are Some Moves That The Maple Leafs Can Actually Make This Summer (The Hockey News)
IAIN MacINTYRE: Canucks' Silovs an unexpected frontman for all-Canadian series with Oilers (Sportsnet)
MARK SPECTOR: Forget the past: Oilers, Canucks series all about the here and now (Sportsnet)
TIM BENZ: 'Sully has got to go. I'm tired of saying, 'He's a great coach, but ...' (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
MARK CANNIZZARO: Rangers star’s vintage night shows facing old team isn’t just another game (New York Post)
LUKE DeCOCK: Hurricanes-Rangers playoff series is a generational grudge match for the Drury family (Raleigh News & Observer)
MAC ENGEL: Dallas Stars avoid their worst loss in more than 20 years and exorcise a Las Vegas demon (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
STEVE SIMMONS: The case for — and against — Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe (Toronto Sun)
DAVE HYDE: Buckle up for emotional Florida Panthers series with Boston (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
NEIL BEST: 5 down, 11 to go for Rangers (New York Newsday)
ED GRANEY: What is Jonathan Marchessault’s future with Knights? (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
ROSIE DiMANNO: Break up the Maple Leafs? Not so fast, and not because of pressure to “do something” (Toronto Star)
LUKE DeCOCK: For Hurricanes, so much has changed since 2022, but not disadvantage on special teams (Raleigh News & Observer)
LARRY BROOKS: Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad making NHL playoffs his personal playground (New York Post)
KEVIN PAUL DUPONT: The Bruins’ survival, the Maple Leafs’ heartbreak, and other final thoughts from an absurd first-round series (Boston Globe)
TIM COWLISHAW: The Stars survived Vegas, but they’ll need much more from their stars to reach their goal (Dallas Morning News)
TIM BENZ: Ex-Penguin Jordan Staal finalist for Selke Trophy; 2 former Pirates pitchers lighting up the NL (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

ADAM PROTEAU: Budding Leafs Star Knies' Round 1 Heroics Making Him Fixture in Team's Present and Future (The Hockey News)
KEN CAMPBELL: Hey Boston Bruins, You Play to Win the Game (The Hockey News)
MARK CANNIZZARO: It’s easy to take this indispensable Ranger for granted (New York Post)
MARK MADDEN: Todd Reirden had to be Penguins' sacrificial lamb, but will things change with power play? (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
ADAM HILL: After goalie switch, I’m done questioning Knights coach (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
KEVIN PAUL DUPONT: Simple formula and David Pastrnak’s heroics score Bruins a series victory in overtime, and other Game 7 observations (Boston Globe)
DAVE FESCHUK: It’s beyond clear that this Maple Leafs team isn’t built for the playoffs (Toronto Star)
LARRY BROOKS: Islanders, Lou Lamoriello must sacrifice key pieces to adapt to modern NHL (New York Post)
JIM ALEXANDER: Kings apparently will keep GM Rob Blake, but at what cost? (Los Angeles Daily News)
TARA SULLIVAN: David Pastrnak answered coach Jim Montgomery’s challenge, and saved the Bruins’ season in the process (Boston Globe)
LUKE DeCOCK: How the Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup-winning coach, captain became winner-take-all rivals (Raleigh News & Observer)
BRUCE ARTHUR: The Maple Leafs are broken. One moment makes that crystal clear (Toronto Star)
ED GRANEY: Knights goalie never lost confidence in himself (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
KEVIN PAUL DUPONT: Game 7 fate all about Jim Montgomery’s Bruins taking the game right to the Maple Leafs’ net (Boston Globe)
TIM COWLISHAW: What to expect in stress-inducing Game 7 between Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights (Dallas Morning News)
LARRY BROOKS: Rangers bring many weapons into heavyweight clash with Hurricanes (New York Post)
ANDREW GROSS: Gross: Isles have Roy's tough training camp to look forward to (New York Newsday)
MIKE HARRINGTON: If not them, who do the Sabres want to see win the Macklin Celebrini lottery? (Buffalo News)