No. 1 Star: Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks

Like he's done for most of the series, Kesler was right in the middle of a Canucks win. The gritty centerman assisted on both Vancouver goals as the Canucks shut the door on the Nashville Predators with a 2-1 series-clinching win. Vancouver scored 1:43 apart in the first period to grab a 2-0 lead with things starting off because of Kesler's work around the Nashville net:

No. 2 Star: Mason Raymond, Vancouver Canucks

Raymond scored the opening goal for the Canucks, his first of the playoffs, and along with Kesler led the team in power play time on-ice at 2:19.

No. 3 Star: Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks

Luongo bounced back after a tough opening round series against Chicago by stopping 153 of 194 shots faced for a .933 save-percentage in the six games. He made 23 saves tonight.

Honorable mention: The Canucks won 38 of 76 draws boosted by Kesler's 18-11 record in Game 6 ... Five of the six games were decided by one goal ... David Legwand's sixth goal of the playoffs and fourth in four games was the only goal for Nashville ... Referee Steve Kozari put himself in great position to determine that Legwand's shot had indeed crossed the goal line before having to go to video review to confirm ... Joel Ward assisted on Legwand's goal and finished with points in 10 of the Predators' 12 games ... Dan Hamhuis sacrificed the body against his old team on a last-second slapper from Shea Weber to help preserve the win:

Did you know? Vancouver last reached the Western Conference final in 1994 before falling to the New York Rangers in seven games during the Stanley Cup.

Dishonorable mention: Nashville's power play woes hindered them going 0-for-5 tonight and 1-for-21 in the series.

Conn Smythe Watch: 1. Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks; 3. Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins; 4. Ryane Clowe, San Jose Sharks; 5. Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins; 6. Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings; 7. Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks; 8. Sean Bergenheim, Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Dwayne Roloson, Tampa Bay Lightning.

Last week, we presented a gallery of Beer League team names and sweaters that were inspired by the legendary Hat Trick Swayzes of Maryland. That gallery inspired even more readers to send in their favorite teams, such as Kevin Burgundy of Stay Classy with this flexible number:

From Kevin Burgundy:

Behold! Another terrific beer league hockey jersey. While the team name "Victorious Secret" leaves a little to be desired (let's be honest, we can't all be the Hat Trick Swayzes), the sweet logo and elegant colors make this jersey a win. Also note the tie-down, which was a heavily contested decision among the team.

Overall, a pretty sharp beer league jersey (with matching socks too!).  One of the pictures is a hanging jersey. The other is me, Kevin Burgundy, after winning our Facility Championships.

Hockey Dads, it's time to ask yourselves: Am I doing enough to keep my son off the pole (jersey)?

Since our last gallery, something rather interesting happened. The Dayton Gems, a CHL team in Ohio, was so inspired by the Beer League love that it's decided to do a Beer League Night next season. Send in your jersey photos to jerseys@daytongems.net, as the winning design's team (after a fan vote) will be invited to Dayton to watch the Gems play a game in those sweaters and have a chance to play themselves between periods.

Now, please indulge in another round of inventive, humorous and boundary-pushing jerseys from Beer Leagues around North America in Puck Daddy's Salute To Awesome Beer League Teams, Vol. 2 …

Here … we … go.

From reader Mike Thompson:

This team was organized by the goalie and he got to pick the jersey colors and name. He also got an artist friend to mock up the logo for the jersey maker.  The D3 championship practically leaped into our laps!

Honorary captain: Ken Klee.

From reader Mat DePasquale:

I am an esteemed member of the Tighty Whities.  Yes, that's underwear on our jerseys.  When we started our league, all of the teams were given colors until we could get sponsors.  We ended up with white and after a season with no sponsor, decided we wanted cool jerseys anyhow.  So, we thought of names to go with 'white' and this is what we came up with.

Actually, the AHL logo designer for the Manitoba Moose did our logo for us.  Note the uber cool Gretzky-era Kings style. The kids in the area love it. I can't keep Tighty Whities beanie hats in stock.

Mat also adds: "I think Tiger Woods sort of ripped our logo off.  I'm considering legal action."

Cody offers this sweater:

We are the "Fighting Moose Knuckles" in Denver, Colorado.  We are a combo of guys from Alaska, California, Toronto, Texas and Minnesota. We used Gemini Athletics in Minn. to make the jerseys who took the 2005 Univ. of Alaska Anchorage jerseys, and we dropped off the rack for the jersey logo because nothing is scarier than a female moose! Enjoy!

Ah, but here's the thing: There are slightly fewer guys named Pierre in Quebec than there are teams named the Moose Knuckles in Beer League hockey …

From reader Rory:

We started a roller hockey (now ice) team about 6 years ago in North Jersey called the Moose Knuckles. We took the name from one of the teams in Dodgeball because it was the lesser-known brother of the Camel Toe at the time.

Even though you can probably find Moose Knuckles in every beer league in North America due to the wild popularity of the term, I bet none of them have home jerseys quite like us (although I'm willing to be shown otherwise...maybe have a Best Moose Knuckle contest).

Really, there's only one way to settle this: Knuckles vs. Knuckles in thumb wrestling.

From reader Brian Tighe:

I play on a beer league team out of the Ice Vault in Wayne, NJ that has a name and jersey set that rivals the Hat Trick Swayzes.

The Short Bus All-Stars.

The name was originally thought up for a beer pong tournament back in college.  Afterward, a bunch of us who played on the college team together started a roller hockey team (later moving to ice, thank god) and adopted the SBAS name, as well as having a logo and pimp-ass jerseys made up.

To paraphrase Homer J. Simpson: Ah, beer pong. The cause of and the solution to all of life's problems.

Here is Bill from Raleigh:

I enjoyed reading Vol. 1 of this series and I will admit you currently had the #1 team name and logo (Hat Trick Swayze's) … until now.

Let me introduce you to the Beer Goggles of Raleigh, NC.

We formed this team a few years ago and thanks to an awesome custom-designed logo, we have the best jerseys in North Carolina, bar none.

As Captain, my job is to figure whose turn it is to bring the beer.  Seriously.  It's so important, we gracefully found a new home for an ex-teammate who forgot the beer a few times.

Our ages range from the late-20's to the mid-60's, and when not sharing cold ones in the parking lot (before and after the game), we actually have notched a few championships along the way.

However, the thing that distinguishes the Beer Goggles from the 2nd place contenders in your list is Networking.  We have 'Beer Goggles' stickers that are strategically located across the globe.  From the RBC Arena in N.C. where the Carolina Hurricanes play, we've stickered casinos in Las Vegas to street signs in Milan, Italy and as far away as Cape Point, South Africa.  We've documented our progress on Youtube. Our team has a simple saying - BG4L.  Beer Goggles for Life!

We don't know, these jerseys don't look all that great. (glug glug glug belch) On second thought, we want to take them home.

From reader Jeffrey Moore … well, yeah:

The Gozinya Beavers began our ascent, or some might argue descent, into the annals of Beer League hockey lore a little more than ten years ago.  Originally conceived by a group of guys who took part in weekly roller hockey parking lot games, our team name is equal parts sophomoric humor and unabashed brilliance, as I've never seen it copied once (maybe that should tell me something).  Even though we've been around so long, we've kept our core group of seven or eight guys together, an achievement about as impressive as how quickly we can finish off a case of beer after a game.

Ironically, our team's performance has improved with age.  When we started out, we were thin, spry 20-somethings, winning only on extremely rare occasions.  Now, with the majority of our team well into our 30s, slightly overweight and (most of us) sporting year-round playoff beards, we win about as many as we lose, even making it to our Beer League finals two seasons in a row.

Despite our mostly mediocre play, we've achieved an almost cult-like status, at least in our own minds.  We've had a corner at the rink we play at renamed the "Gozinya Corner," due to our strong commitment to sticking around following our games and drinking as many beers as we can.  And we've also managed to get a sign bearing our team name on a Detroit Red Wings' TV broadcast during a Red Wings-Stars regular season game, which resulted in me being thrown out of my front row seat in the second period by unimpressed Joe Louis Arena security, slightly puzzled as to what exactly a Gozinya Beaver was.

After numerous fights, hundreds of goals scored (and surrendered), and thousands upon thousands of cans of beer drunk, the bonds of our friendship have been solidified to the point that we now think of each other as brothers, extremely proud to be the Gozinya Beavers.

Amen.

More stellar word play from Alberta, via "Gbevan" and others.

From reader Michael Baker, a prim and proper Beer League sweater:

The Lovely Hockey Finishing School.  We're a co-ed team made up of academics, activists, musicians, writers, and other kind folk playing in the Montreal Hockey Association of the Arts (part of a national network of divisions and teams which culminates in the annual Hockey Summit of the Arts each year in Toronto on Easter Weekend).

This was our first year in the league: we went 0-14 in the regular season but won the Beer Masterson Trophy for our sportsmanship (12 cases of beer) and the Where's the Beef? Award for our inclusive roster (a whole locally raised beef strip loin).  We went to the Summit and  surprised everyone, finishing as semi-finalists in our division and winning the Coming Out of Nowhere Award for best new team on and off the ice.  And we're tougher than you.

Indeed!

From reader Joey Graziano:

Thought I would throw our team in there…we are based out of Columbus, OH…our team is called the Whale Hunters…hope you enjoy

Oh, now that's just mean. That said, we'll remember the Whale.

Uh, incredible! From reader Ryan Connelly:

We're the Invaders. So we used the 80's Invaders for inspiration. After suggestions from the team, I designed and made all the jerseys for us.

Check out more on his blog and on Picasa.

And finally …

Via reader Chris White:

We couldn't outright name our team "Pink Tacos" because a team had just had to change their jerseys, seeing as they were the "Sexual Predators", so we went more subtle.  Los Tacos with pink jerseys, with a home and a sweet away jersey.  Included is a picture of me in it, which is a shameless attempt to get my face on the site.  Go Pens.

Chris also has issued a Beer League challenge to the Flying Seamen for a scrimmage.

This could get messy.

In his last 16 playoff games against the Detroit Red Wings, Patrick Marleau of the San Jose Sharks has just 2 goals and 2 assists. They all came in last postseason's 5-game elimination of the Wings. Which means Patrick Marleau has barely made a dent against Detroit otherwise.

He didn't tally a point in 2007 during a 6-game loss to Detroit, skating to a minus-5. This postseason, he's meekly limped to a minus-1 and zero points, getting abused by Pavel Datsyuk for the Game 5 game-winner and then getting called out by Jeremy Roenick on national television as being "gutless."

This is because, as Roenick told Working The Corners, he is not a Patrick Marleau admirer:

"This is totally on the record," he said. "I am not a Patrick Marleau fan. I'm not going to pretend to be. But I also will tell you that he is an incredible, incredible talent. I wish I had the talent he has. If I had the talent Patrick Marleau has, I wouldn't even know what I could have done. But I have my opinion of his determination and effort level, especially with the amount of money that he makes. I respect people's opinions, but I have one, too. I really feel that the San Jose Sharks, the fans, and Doug Wilson deserve a better effort than they have gotten on a lot of nights in this series. And I have the ability to say that. This is not an act. This is me speaking my mind. Patrick Marleau has a lot of fans. I just happen to be not one of them."

He does have a lot of fans, and they're all trying to soften the blow. Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News said "if Marleau's truly guilty of anything, it's that he is criminally not as good as Datsyuk." Pierre LeBrun of ESPN also doesn't buy the "gutless" claim:

Gutless? Don't think so. He wants to win. He's a good teammate. He gave up the "C" without rocking the boat and put the team's needs ahead of his.  At the end of the day, however, he's paid to score goals. And that needs to happen starting Tuesday night.

The fact is that it needs to.

CSN California reports that "Sharks' LW Ryane Clowe did not make the trip to Detroit and will not play in tonight's Game 6 due to an unspecified injury."

That's 13 points out of the lineup for the Sharks — Clowe is their leading playoff scorer — and a pivotal player off of what's been their best line.

Can Marleau be the one to step up and fill that offensive void?

Marleau addressed Roenick's comments yesterday, via Working The Corners:

"Someone told me about them this morning," Marleau said. "I can't control what people say. I have to focus on what I can control and that's what I'm going to do."

He then proceeded to say the same thing about five different ways. Marleau, who is scoreless in this series, did add that he feels like he's ready to break out of the scoring slump.  "I do feel points are going to come," he said. "I've been all around it, close to the net and getting some good chances. It's bound to happen."

Patrick Marleau has appeared in 18 playoff games in which the San Jose Sharks had an opportunity to eliminate an opponent. He's scored six goals, four assists and skated to a plus-1.

Which is fine, but not clutch.

That's pretty much the description for Marleau in the playoffs, isn't it? There are series in which his lack of production is glaring, such as in this one against the Red Wings and back in 2007 against the same opponent. But he's usually lingering near the top or middle of the score sheet at the end of the playoffs for the Sharks, providing offense that no one can really recall happening during any postseason game.

Since 2004, Marleau has appeared in 33 games in the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs. He has 10 goals, 8 assists for 18 points.

Which is fine, but not clutch.

As his coach told the Mercury News ahead of Game 6:

"He needs to be better," said Sharks coach Todd McLellan, who declined to specifically address Roenick's condemnation of Marleau. "It's as simple as that. We need him to be better offensively and defensively. But he's one individual. There are others on that line. There's a D-pair on the ice. There's a goaltender. There are a number of people who have to pick up their play."

The "he's just one guy" ass-coverage has been happening for years with Marleau. And the knives in the media have never been as sharp for him as they have when, say, Joe Thornton wouldn't perform.He's a nice guy. He doesn't duck the press. There's almost a sense of piling on when he's slammed as a scapegoat.

It's hard to think of any way in which Patrick Marleau could be more motivated for tonight's game — pointless in a series that's slipping away, seeing a leading scorer go down, called out lightly by his coach and harshly by an ex-teammate.

Fine isn't good enough tonight for Marleau. He needs to be clutch, especially with Clowe out.

And if that happens, Roenick will have a difficult time with postgame commentary while he eats his words. That's what's on the line for Patrick Marleau on Tuesday night, along with what's on the line for his team.

"He's a very special case. A very special head case. It sounds to me it's very self-serving." - Denis Potvin, XM Radio's Hockey Tuesday Morning, on Sean Avery's endorsement of legalized same-sex marriage.

As you can see, everyone has his or her opinion on this issue. And some opinions are that we haven't shared enough of yours.

On Monday night, a reader named Joye emailed us to ask why the comments on the Sean Avery gay marriage endorsement story and the Uptown Sports' response to that endorsement story were turned off. Joye felt this was the wrong decision, and in fact felt it made us look homophobic:

Silencing discussion completely is a different thing, and that choice silences advocates, bigots, and loons alike. No differentiation between being a loon and being reasonable in debate. No one wins, and nothing gets worked out on what is currently the largest blog in the hockey blogosphere.

We respect that opinion, of course. Truth be told, the comments were open on the Avery blog initially and they quickly got out of hand. As they did on blogs about Brendan Burke. As they did on the Kevin Smith marries two gay Los Angeles Kings fan post.

If you read the blog, you know we try to keep politics out of it as much as possible. Sometimes, Sean Avery weighs in on gay marriage or Sarah Palin drops the first puck and there's no avoiding it. But while we aren't hesitant to cover weighty topics, the last thing we want is to have the comments on a story turn into a cesspool of crude debate, personal attacks and unmitigated vitriol. Unless it's about the shootout.

So the comments on this post will begin in the open position, and we'll see where the conversation goes. The decision to close them ultimately comes from above; if things are civil, perhaps the heat stays off.

Meanwhile, in lieu of previous comment sections, we put the call out on Twitter and Facebook for readers to offer their takes on Avery, Todd Reynolds and their feelings on same-sex marriage. The responses have been varied and thoughtful, and we'd like to present some of them here.

(Note: This is a long-ass post. If you're using a mobile device, please be aware of that.)

These are most of the comments we received but not all. We did print all of the anti-gay marriage emails we were sent. Both of them.

From Jeremy:

So I don't usually write in or comment on other people's blogs, but I felt compelled to say something after Todd Reynolds of Uptown Hockey decided to Tweet his mind on the gay marriage issue.

I'm a gay hockey fan. I don't expect any attention or sympathy because of that. I just want to be left the hell alone about my private life and enjoy the game like anyone else, you understand?

But increasingly, for better and for worse, queer issues are colliding with the sport. First Brendan Burke (I still get a lump in my stomach when I think of his story), and now Sean Avery and Todd Reynolds.

It's hard to bring myself to comment on this, it really is. I try to cover my ears whenever gay marriage gets thrown into the 24-hour news blender, and all the crazies come out of the woodwork to declare how gays are sub-human.

So let me use a hockey metaphor to soften the blow: Todd Reynolds acted like the same gutless twerp that Avery is on the ice. Yeah, that's right. Brownie points to Avery for saying something I agree with, but that doesn't mean I have to respect him as a player.

Reynolds pulled an Avery in that he went for a nerve, went for something that he knew was going to stir up [stuff]... and used his organization's brand name as a shield. Sure, I suppose he came out about it after the initial firestorm (or maybe he was outed?), but I feel that was more out of damage control than anything.

I'd rather, instead of doing his whole "I hate no one! I'm not a bigot!" song and dance, Reynolds had said, "That's right, everyone. I'm sick of these queers thinking they're good enough to marry each other."

We'll see how this all plays out, of course. The majority of people, even the ones righteously Tweeting their outrage tonight, will probably forget this dust-up ever happened. Just don't forget: some of us have to live this [stuff] every day.

From John McCarroll:

The whole fiasco with Sean Avery and Uptown Hockey is an interesting one. To put my personal opinion out there, I disagree with Todd Reynolds, but I respect his right to have his own opinions and to say what he feels.  His mistake, however, has nothing to do with his personal opinions on this subject.

Had Mr. Reynolds been "@toddreynolds", none of this would have blown up to the size that it was.  Reynolds, though, used a business-focused account which, at the time of the tweet, made no mention of Reynolds - but did mention Carlo Colaiacovo, Mike Fisher, Chris Neil, and Cody McCormick.  This has since been changed to remove Colaiacovo and add that it is Todd Reynolds tweeting. Still, this doesn't excuse what Reynolds should have learned when he got his B.Sc. in Communication Studies when playing NCAA hockey - don't use your business as a vehicle for your personal beliefs.  It's idiotic and does nothing to help his brand.  All it does it polarize those who are listening and, potentially, cause a rift with your clients.

Do I think Todd Reynolds is a bigot? Absolutely. Do I dislike him, having never met the man? You bet.  Do I think he should be unable to say the things that he wants to? Absolutely not. What I think he did, however, was make an absolutely boneheaded business decision. Luckily for him, it's Daddy's company and he's unlikely to be fired. It's unfortunate he didn't learn anything with his Communication degree - those who took the classes as more than a buffer to play college sports actually learn something about how to communicate.

From John Powell:

Un-nerved by the cavalier attitude of allowing gay marriage. Marriage is a religious institute, that celebrates life...no life can come from a gay marriage. If they want to live together, so be it...but it SHOULD NOT be honored as "marriage".

Avery is a punk. He should stay out of issues. I hate it when "celebs" get into issues - on either side - If you want to address the issues, get into politics.

From Cecillia Lopena:

Personally, I am not in favor of gay marriage.

However, given Avery's reputation, I respect him for taking a stand. Reynolds is also entitled to his opinion but he got it wrong in the way he handled himself. His first tweet sounded like a personal attack on Avery rather than stating his stand. He also should know better that this could put his clients in an awkward position.

I admire both for taking a stand but Reynolds did it in a reckless manner.

From Laura (The Active Stick):

Sean Avery took a big risk when he voiced his support for gay marriage so publicly. I think we have to remember that enough players and locker-rooms are still pretty backward, and he's likely to have a hard time when he goes back to work in the fall (not that he wasn't a target before).

I choose to look at it as a sign that our favourite sport and its athletes are evolving and becoming more open-minded and educated, especially given that we're talking about Sean 'sloppy seconds' Avery here.

On the other hand, Uptown Hockey's actions were quite nauseating. Todd Reynolds could have kept his odious opinion to himself or used a personal account, but instead chose to use the agency's official Twitter account to come out with an opinion nobody asked for on something somebody else's client did, that doesn't even necessarily represent his employees' or clients' views.

The more people in hockey act like it's okay to discriminate against LGBT people, the longer it's going to take for a gay hockey player to feel safe in his own workplace. Todd Reynolds is helping nobody, least of all his clients.

I also find it interesting that he chose to voice his opinion after Sean Avery weighed in on the issue.

Where was he when Brendan Burke came out publicly or when Brian Burke said the Toronto Maple Leafs would be accepting of gay players or staff and marched in the parade? I guess it's different when it's somebody you may need to have a business relationship with.

Via Tim:

I have a couple of different issues with Thompson's tweeting.

Firstly, If he had said what he did about any other group of people, it would be universally condemned. Imagine something to the effect of: "I don't hate black people, I just think marriage should be between two white people." or "I don't hate baseball fans, I just don't think they should be allowed to get married." How are these any different from what he said? And unfortunately, that first one is an argument that was not uncommon from those opposed to interracial marriage in the past.

On a less despicable, more stupid note, why would he use his business Twitter to espouse his own personal opinions? Regardless of who thinks what about them, I have a hard time imagining that issuing statements taking a side on controversial issues is a good way to really get more business. I'd think that most athletes would rather distance themselves from the issue in order to maximize their fanbase. Am I wrong?

The guy is an idiot and a bigot. Hiding behind the "sanctity of marriage" is a cop-out, and using your business to profess your personal beliefs is dumb no matter what your crappy opinions are. Boy that idiot gets me steamed.

From A. King:

As a current front-office employ of an NHL franchise I agree with your take on Sean Avery and his stance on marriage equality and its importance to hockey and pro sports in general.  I rarely agree with his antics on the ice and the way he plays, I whole-heartedly appreciate his stance and give him all the credit in the world for speaking his mind in a very narrow-minded industry and sport.

As someone who works in ticket sales, I recently put together our teams first LGBT Night (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender)…I'm sure you knew what LGBT means, but I was incredibly surprised at the number of people in my own office who didn't.  I myself am not gay, however I fully support gay rights and the right to marriage equality.

Via Kat Hasenauer Cornetta:

I did a piece last night looking at the demographics of NHL fans, and how they pretty strongly align with the demographics of gay marriage supporters. It's pretty statistically heavy, but the statistics are quite strong to suggest that NHL fans are more likely than other professional sports fans to be gay marriage supporters.

Thus, any hockey business that peddles anything to fans (to which player agents do, given endorsement deals and licensing agreements), is doing a giant disservice to themselves by publicly taking an anti-gay marriage stance.

From Will in Alexandria:

1) It's great to hear players like Sean Avery and Paul Bissonnette weighing in - they have a very high visibility and using it to advance a cause like equal rights for gays is a good thing in my book.

2) The agency had every right to say what it said - that doesn't make it any less misguided. I can understand a player wanting to be represented by someone who does the best job of representing their financial interests, but I would have serious reservations about my representative shooting his mouth off via his business and potentially damaging my reputation/brand through association.

3) While I'm thrilled like guys like Sopel, Avery, and Bissonnette are willing to openly support gay rights, it makes me really sad that it is huge news any time a single athlete does this. It says some pretty nasty stuff about the culture of professional sports and the omnipresent homophobia in the sports community.

From AJ Manderichio:

As we've already seen, people are lining up on either side of the Sean Avery supporting gay marriage debate. Some will go against him because of moral beliefs or because he's Sean Avery and people hate him. Others will back him up completely. And even though I'm a huge Devils fan and hate Avery will every fiber of my body, I think he deserves full credit for stepping out and supporting the cause.

For too long, we've watched athletes stifle their opinions and beliefs. They provide stock answers to almost every single question. When have you actually heard an athlete speak openly about a subject, especially a hot-button issue like same-sex marriage? Publicists and agents are so scared of the opinions ruining image that they advise them not to speak out. When an athlete does finally pipe up, it makes everyone stop and listen. Sometimes they're ridiculous and off base (Rashard Mendenhall) or simply supporting a cause, but it deviates from the social standards set for them. We expect our athletes to play hard and win games. Sharing personal opinions isn't something some want to hear.

Avery has provided his opinion time and time again. It hasn't been on a hot button social issue, unless you consider Elisha Cuthbert's choice in hockey players. But you can tell Avery thought this decision out. He understood the risks, yet chose to support the cause. That's commendable, because too often athletes spout off without knowing what they're saying. Avery's opinion is actually formed with the basis of personal experience and some knowledge of the situation. For once, an athlete spoke up and sounded educated in their opinion.

As I said before, I hate Avery the hockey player. But he impressed me with his endorsement of gay marriage. Not only did he stand up and discuss a hot button issue, he understood what he was saying. He knows some of the ins and outs of the debate and thought out his opinion. It's refreshing to see an athlete take a responsible approach to an issue and publicly make their stance known. It's tough to praise him, but Avery deserves credit for stepping up and taking a stand on the issue.

From Charlie Vidal:

Note: I am a New York Rangers fan, so these sentiments are despite my bias against Avery for sucking at hockey.

Hockey locker room cans be very insular. As "HBO 24/7" taught us, most players have the sense of humor of a 14 year old raised by sailors. Unfortunately, the insular nature of the hockey world causes players to fear the unknown, and condemn things simply because they are different.

Sean Avery is one of the more cultured players in the NHL, and it is refreshing to see a player bring his own experiences into the hockey world as a way of trying to chip away at its prejudices. I have no doubt that this is a sincere reflection of what Avery believes, based upon his experiences in the fashion world and New York's nightlife scene. I also, unfortunately, have no doubt that a fan base will use this to taunt Avery next season.

I would say it will be Capitals fans, but at least 14 year olds remember things prior to 2008.

From Chemmy:

Kudos to Avery if his sentiment is sincere. I just can't shake the feeling that this is something he's doing to continue to be controversial. His comments about "sloppy seconds" didn't scream "respectful of others", his history doesn't scream "tolerant of people who are different"; remember in LA he apparently spent a lot of time making fun of Dustin Brown's lisp despite other players in the room telling him it wasn't funny.

Bottom line? If I was a gay NHLer I sure as hell wouldn't let Sean Avery find out about it.

From Julia O'Donoghue:

It should go without saying that both Sean Avery and Todd Reynolds have a right to say whatever they want to say publicly...though Todd Reynolds' decision to make his statement through his company's twitter feed seems like a bad business move. (Having said that, I am sure some people will be throw him business because of the comments.) If he worked for me, I would fire him...not because I happen to support gay marriage and he doesn't...but because it is totally inappropriate to use his company's twitter account to express his personal opinion on this type of issue.

On Avery, I know people don't like to see professional athletes expressing their personal opinions on such issues. There is part of me that understands that sentiment. Certainly statements like this can become sideshows. But (and I recognize this is a tired argument) professional athletes are people too...and they are entitled to be politically active just like the rest of us. Avery's stance on gay marriage certainly doesn't present a "conflict of interest" with regards to his job playing ice hockey. School teachers, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and gas station clerks attend rallies and volunteer for political campaigns. Why not NHL players? (It should be noted that Avery seems to have launched this ad after the Rangers exited the playoffs...don't know if that was on purpose...but this is his personal time...He didn't launch this ad during the season...when frankly..it might have gotten much more publicity.)

Also, let's not act like the topic of sexual orientation and sports is just any old subject. I, for one, would have paid a lot less attention to Avery making a statement about abortion, gun rights or the War In Iraq. A professional athlete coming out in support of gay marriage carries more weight than his opinion on any other sort of social or political issue. Let's face it...People perceive the Republican caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives to be a friendlier place for a gay man than a professional sports team's locker room.

Though not part of the commercial, Avery's statement about standing by any gay hockey player in the locker room is the most poignant and important thing he has done to promote gay rights so far. With those words, Avery implied that there was nothing to fear about getting half naked and putting on his equipment next to another player who is gay.

The thought that a gay person might be "checking you out" in the locker room seems to be a big fear among male athletes in particular...even those who aren't, what I consider homophobic. I happen to think this whole "locker room scenario" is one of the reasons professional and semi-professional athletes have such a hard time coming out of the closet. (For that matter, I think it is also why there are concerns in the military ranks.) After all, what other job requires a person to take off his clothes in front of his coworkers on a regular basis? It is one thing to announce to the guy sitting in the office cube next to you that you are a man attracted to other men. It is quite another to make such a proclamation ...and then ask that coworker to take off his clothes in front of you day after day.

Finally, I do want to say that, in general, I am pretty proud of the way the NHL and greater hockey community has handled questions about sexuality and homophobia. We have a long way to go...but the Stanley Cup appeared in a Gay Pride Parade last year! Show me another professional sports community in North America that is so close to being comfortable with homosexuality.

Show me another sport with a superstar like Brian Burke...who not only publicly embraced his gay son on live television...but chose to honor him by becoming a gay rights advocate after his death. (Will we see someone of his stature from the NBA, NFL or MLB marching in their hometown gay pride parade?)

Again...it is a good time to be homo-loving hockey fan...The NHL may have a long way to go...but they seem to be well ahead their peers in the professional sports arena.

From BD Gallof:

Via Kevin:

I'm a 27 year old straight male.  I have no family members who are gay.  I have no close friends who are gay (a few friends on Facebook, but that doesn't really count).  I'm apathetic when it comes to religion - whatever you believe is cool, but don't pressure or try to shove your beliefs down my throat.  So, why do I care so strongly about this issue?

In the 2004 election, I was a student at Michigan State University (Home of the 3 time NCAA Ice Hockey National Champions - GO GREEN).  Election night, with the headliner being Bush vs Kerry, the under card in Michigan was the proposal to make marriage between a man and a woman in the Michigan Constitution.  A friend of mine on the dorm floor, who I would end up going to some MSU games with, was gay.  When the results of the election were final, and the proposal passed, I've never seen a guy so devastated.  Even though the people on the other side claim "We're no bigots, it's just not right", etc., he felt like he was worthless, all because people wanted to protect us from marrying a horse or some crap.  His words, not mine.  Mine would be stronger.

I had always been pro-gay rights before this election.  Basically, if you read Bourne's column that inspired Brendan Burke, that how I felt, growing up as a hockey player.  I used words I'm not proud of and will still occasionally slip and get mad at myself.  Hockey culture, man.  Playing in beer leagues and hearing this all the time, sadly, it happens.  I'm getting better, but have a long way to go for perfection.

Even though I cannot stand Sean Avery, (and as a Wings fan, glad he no longer plays for my team) I can't help but have a huge respect for him off the ice.  I know he's going to take tons of crap for it, but hopefully he has the stones to not back down.  More importantly, I hope it inspires a big name player to join him.  I read that Henrik Zetterberg has privately preached tolerance.  If he went public with his message about tolerance and respect in hockey, it would carry way more weight than that D-bag Avery.

From Eric Kollig:

I work in politics for a living. There are times to debate policy, but frankly, but in my opinion, Twitter is not the best medium to do so for a number of reasons. The character limit is obviously stifling, but it can quickly turn into a shouting match with four letter words as the currency or the comments section on Huffingtonpost.com or Redstate.com. There are just better ways and times to discuss public policy.

But seeing these misguided -- I'll define misguided in a second -- tweets simply moved me to say something. It's not just that I don't agree with this (I don't at all), but it's that this is the wrong medium and invites too much discord. It's misguided in that sense. There are times and places. Twitter is not it. Make a video like Avery did. Write an op-ed in your newspaper. Start a blog. And plus, as you've touched upon, whose bright idea was it to tweet from the agency's official Twitter feed? Yikes. Talk about putting your clients, the people who make your money, in a bad spot.

And doubling down on it by comparing same sex marriage to bestiality as he recently did? That's just Neanderthalian.

Via Julian Sanchez:

To be clear at the outset: Uptown Hockey is free to think whatever backwards thoughts they want. If they want to think Obama's Kenyan, the Earth is flat, or that denying rights to people based on their sexuality isn't intolerant that's their pregorative. Of course, we're more than free to tell them we think that their beliefs are stupid or intolerant. What I found a little distasteful is that despite the usual prattle about the sanctity of marriage, Uptown uses a Wealth Management company with a divorce specialist. Todd Reynolds' interview with Bruce Arthur was bad enough as he trotted out the well-worn persecution act with his pleas of "I'm not a bigot or intolerant! People calling me that are intolerant" but then his father Don followed that up with the paint-by-numbers trope that gay marriage would lead to marriage between humans and animals. It's like Intolerance Bingo.

Nowhere in his discussion did either Reynolds mention what would be the actual impact on marriage. Professional athletes and their proclivities do more than enough to besmirch any 'sanctity' that marriage might have today. Two men or two women marrying aren't going to cause straight couples to divorce. Looking at divorce statistics suggests that they are doing well enough at that on their own. Rather, it would open the ideal of the institution of marriage - a committed, monogamous relationship - to a group of people that don't seek to destroy it but to honour it. My God, what horror.

From Karen McCullough:

Sean Avery's on ice antics may drive us all up the wall, but I have a hell of a lot of respect for the man that he is.  He's a man who stands up for what he believes in and refuses to apologize for it and it's something I'd like to see more players have the guts to do.  We saw some guys, like the always incorrigible Paul Bissonnette, do that yesterday.  I hope that we will see more players speaking out and I hope that we see a mass exodus of players from Uptown Hockey.  As Lambert said yesterday, this is a culture that we need to change and players taking a stand is an important step in the process.

Todd Reynolds is entitled to his opinions, no matter how 'misguided' they may be.  Sharing those unpopular opinions on a corporate account which presumably exists for the purposes of representing professional athletes is not only a bad business practice, it's ethically & morally dubious.  He has dragged his clients into the middle of a controversy of his own making and that is unfair and unprofessional.  Again, I sincerely hope that all of the NHL players currently with Uptown are seeking new representation today, not only because it is the right thing to do, but also because it is the smart thing.  How can you possibly trust someone who makes such poor decisions?

Finally, I have to say that even though this whole thing started with an expression of prejudice, the immediate, massive outpouring of support from journalists, fans, reps and players was a beautiful thing.  I have never been prouder to be part of the hockey community.

BEST. SPORT. EVER.

Via Lisa Ingall:

This is just "my opinion": Mike Fisher needs to find a new agent, because Todd Reynolds is AN ASS and just embarrassed his company and his clients.

The arguments being used against gay marriage today are the very same arguments that were used against interracial marriage fifty years ago.  Their time is over.  Society is growing up.  Even a plurality of Virginians (Virginians - the same people who resoundingly rejected gay marriage only five years ago!!) now believe gay marriage should be legal, according to a Washington Post article this morning.

I'm not a fan of Sean Avery and his antics, but kudos to him for speaking up for civil rights on this issue in particular, as a professional athlete. I only wish more would.  (Looking at you, Fisherwood!!) :)

From Monica McAlister

The NHL has taken so many strides within the last few years for trying to take as much homophobic rhetoric out of the game as possible. The Stanley Cup even made its first appearance in a gay rights parade thanks to Brent Sopel and the Chicago Blackhawks.

The world is changing.

The only argument I have heard for why gay marriage should not be allowed are religious reasons and at least here in the United States we have a separation of church and state so that our government can not force their religious beliefs onto the people.

Everyone has the right to their own opinion; but sometimes we need to look at the reasons we have that opinion and look outside of ourselves as to how we come across.

I respect both Sean Avery and Uptown Sports for having their own opinions; however, I feel the way Uptown went about voicing theirs was wrong. They have the right do disagree or be in what they claim is the 'silent majority' but ones rights end when they encroach upon someone else's rights; and their attack on Sean Avery did just that.

I hope that years from now, when my children are grown, they will be baffled by the thought of same sex marriage/unity being in question just as we look upon the fact that women's rights once were.

And finally, Greg McCluskey of Halifax has the last word:

My opinion on the whole ordeal: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Truer words, sir. Visit Puck Buddys and Oil On Whyte for more. Thanks for reading and please, keep it civil in the comments.

It's a Tuesday edition of Puck Daddy Radio, and we're chatting about the following and much more:

• Special Guest Star: Dennis Seidenberg, defenseman for the Boston Bruins, joins us to talk about the Eastern Conference Finals, Zdeno Chara and the Flyers' demise.

• The Detroit Red Wings' Game 6 against the San Jose Sharks.

• The Vancouver Canucks close out the Nashville Predators.

• Our thoughts on the Uptown Sports gay marriage controversy involving Sean Avery

• Question of the day: Should NHL players make their political views public?

• Puck Previews.

Email your thoughts to puckdaddyradio@thescore.com.

Puck Daddy Radio is on Monday through Friday, from 1-2 p.m. ET/10-11 a.m. PT on The Score Radio Sirius Channel 158. Featuring Wyshynski and Rob Pizzo, it's your show: Calls, tweets, special guests and a ton of hockey goodness every day.

The call in number is 1-888-942-7326 (1-888-9-HARDCORE). We'll also be reading emails to puckdaddyradio@thescore.com and tweets that you send to @wyshynski and @robpizzo.

We're all about interaction here; call in, email, tweet ... we'll discuss whatever you'd like. Listen here:

Much like the woman in the opening scene of "Austin Powers 2," the Detroit Red Wings simply refuse to die, despite the amount of times the San Jose Sharks have appeared to have them down and out. The games have been exciting and close (total series score: 14-13); with all five contests being decided by one goal, I think it's safe to say that we're in for another tight battle between two evenly matched teams in Game 6.

Teams play differently in close games — obviously not as tight as when they're protecting a lead, not as loose as when they're chasing. Everything has to be just right, so your team can limit opportunities and quickly transition for a few of your own. No two coaches are the same, but the majority I've played for emphasized similar theories about the best ways to play in those situations.

As you watch Game 6 of the Sharks/Red Wings series, here are some things to look for when it gets close.

(Cue the blowout after that jinx, hey?)

Defensive Zone

A defenseman's job is pretty similar in most situations, but that's not exactly the case for wingers. When things get close, they actually need to be paying attention, which can be like trying to get a puppy to focus while it studies for the SAT. Hey look, something shiny!

In this situation, most coaches prefer the wingers to play less tight on the defenseman they're covering, so they can collapse down in front of the net if things break down in coverage there.

When they're collapsed lower they can also help their defenseman stop anyone from walking the puck from half-wall to the middle of the ice. It's why in close games it feels like every chance comes off some slap shot from the point — you'd rather see the puck moved up there and try to get in the shooting lane than have a guy take the puck directly to a danger zone — thus, you sag. (Montreal has done this expertly the past couple playoff seasons).

The centerman can play his defensive role as usual, but the emphasis for him is on low support in transition — as in, if the defenseman makes a quality first pass to the winger, that center needs to be lower than his winger so he can either make a direct pass or opt for a chip-and-support play (if you're losing, a center has more leeway to jump up early, as do the defensemen).

If Joe Thornton gets ahead of Patrick Marleau on a play like this, and Marleau turns the puck over, suddenly they're outnumbered with the puck heading the wrong way — rarely a recommended defensive plan.

Offensive Zone

The high forward in the offensive zone will need to be Willie-Nelson-with-a-gigantic-bong-level high (quite), as the last thing you want to do is give up an odd-man rush in a close game. You just never know when one of those crazy d-men is going to pinch unnecessarily.

A trailing team will tend to activate the high forward more — you'll see more three-man cycles, more east/west play behind the net, and more traffic. In this case, the high forward's offensive job is to find the soft area on the strong side so he can get off a quick shot while both low forwards head to the net for traffic and rebounds.

Neutral Zone

As the clock ticks by and the game still hangs in the balance, teams are generally more content to pass up an even-numbered rush chance (risking a turnover) and settle for getting the puck 200 feet from their own net, out of harm's way. Because of that, you have to take away the easy tipped-puck dump-ins.

Those dumps consist of a defenseman snapping the puck at a stationary forward who simply tries to get a touch on the puck to void the icing, while the other two forwards can head in to start the forecheck, leaving the flat-footed forward to be the high guy.

Well, that's just too easy to allow.

Knowing that forwards are less likely to physically stop the puck and attempt a rush in this situation, defenseman are asked to be more active on jumping that forward, hoping to jam him, causing a turnover and allowing your team to transition to offense. In turn, there needs to be a hinge with the other defenseman and the forward coming back to ensure you still have defensive numbers if something goes horribly wrong on the pinch, as it occasionally does.

Aggressive neutral zone play can create opportunities as quickly as it takes them away, you just have to be able to count on your forwards to provide that safety valve, especially late in games.

***

Experience is so valuable in close games because it takes patience to stick to a system in a frenzied building, with the pressure on. Things can fall apart pretty quickly as soon as one guy decides to play rover.

Detroit has enough experience to fill the Joe, and the Sharks have been amassing a decent amount of their own over the past couple seasons. It's why things are likely to be tight in this series night in, night out.

All you're looking for is that breakdown so you can pounce. With two smart teams and two quality coaches, those moments should be few and far between Tuesday night.

Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• No offense to Philadelphia Flyers captain Mike Richards, but taking to Twitter to criticize a beat writer probably isn't going to shake the "moody" label. [@MRichie18]

• Crossing Broad has the whole Richards vs. writer thing covered. [Crossing Broad]

• From Elliotte Friedman: "If I was Paul Holmgren, I'd ask Mike Richards if he wanted to drop the "C" for an "A" because the interaction between Richards and the Philly media is painful to watch. Richards takes the questions very personally and everyone might be better off if he did it less often and simply concentrated on playing. This move happened years ago with Eric Desjardins and Keith Primeau and it can happen again with Richards and Chris Pronger." [CBC Sports]

• Woo-hoo! The NHL conference finals schedules are out! The Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning begin on Saturday, May 14. The Vancouver Canucks will take on either the Detroit Red Wings or San Jose Sharks on Sunday, May 15. [NHL]

• The NHL supports the NFL in its battle with the players, to the surprise of no one. [PFT]

• Tuesday night's the night for the big vote in Glendale as the city will decide whether to subsidize the Coyotes for another season with a $25 million payment to the NHL, to buy more time for the ownership issues to be settled. Via Phoenix Business Journal, it's expected to approve it. [TSN]

• Remember Ice Edge, the group that was going to buy the Phoenix Coyotes and then try and play some home games up in Saskatoon? They're officially out of the ownership picture with potential buyer Matthew Hulsizer. [AZ Central]

• Atlanta Thrashers fans would love to know what the hell their team is up to, moving ahead with ticket promotions for next season while making noise about an uncertain future in the market. [Examiner]

• Why the hype about the Thrashers' relocation is just that: "About the only thing cemented here are the Spirits' status as the biggest pity-partier throwers in the city." [Bird Watchers Anonymous]

• On Mike Modano replacing Johan Franzen in Game 6, and how the San Jose Sharks will adjust without Ryane Clowe in the lineup. [Working The Corners]

• Mirtle looks at whether the Tampa Bay Lightning are blessed or cursed with the amount of rest they're getting between series. [Globe & Mail]

• The elimination of the Nashville Predators means the Mike Fisher trade has been finalized for the Ottawa Senators. The Senators will receive the 21st overall pick in the 2011 draft as well as a third-round pick in the 2012 draft and the rights to a rusty spittoon. [Silver Sevens]

• Why Kevin Bieksa of the Vancouver Canucks needs to join, and his top-20 quotes. [Pass It To Bulis]

• "Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano will be joined by hundreds of local business, community and labor leaders on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. in announcing a major Economic Development and Job Creation Plan to build a world-class sports-entertainment destination center.  After months of intense media speculation, the County Executive will also announce plans to pursue the construction of an Indian gaming casino." Arena deal, ahoy? [Islanders]

• The Pittsburgh Penguins will hold their first Girls Hockey Camp June 23-25 at Ice Castle in Castle Shannon. Please do not share this information with Max Talbot. [Penguins]

• Sad news from the Minnesota Wild, as the brother of Clayton Stoner died in an accident. [Hockey Wilderness]

• The Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame is accepting nominations. Can you Smehlik who we're voting for, like, 10,000 times? [Sabres]

• A triple overtime Game 7 sounds like a heart attack that should have happened. [Winnipeg Free Press]

• Flyers GM Paul Holmgren's final thoughts on the season. [Broad Street Hockey]

• Finally, via Sunaya, we're not sure if this Finnish hockey ad ever made it into Puck Headlines before. But even if it did … it's just awesome:

Last June's No. 2 overall pick Tyler Seguin has not seen the ice for the Boston Bruins since their season-ending game against the New Jersey Devils on April 10. Since then, instead of tossing on a black and gold jersey, he's waited for his chance while watching all 11 of Boston's playoff games from the press box as it marched to its first Eastern Conference final since 1992.

When Patrice Bergeron left Game 4 against the Philadelphia Flyers with what was later diagnosed as a "mild" concussion, opportunity knocked and Seguin will finally get his chance to contribute to the Bruins' playoff run.

Seguin was on the right wing Tuesday morning alongside Rich Peverley and Michael Ryder as Chris Kelly was bumped up into Bergeron's spot on the second line.

While he's watched a lot of hockey of late, Seguin has also participated in the Bruins' pregame skates in order to learn how to be prepared for the playoffs as he told CSN New England's Joe Haggerty:

"You don't know what's going to happen to [Bergeron] . . . It's a hard mental and emotional state to a get a grasp on, but it was an unfortunate bounce that happens in the game of hockey. It was my job to stay physically and mentally ready, and I've been able to do it. I've been working hard and trying to keep as sharp as I can. Over the last week I've been feeling as good as I have in a long time."

Bergeron is still dealing with the concussion, but he was at TD Garden on Tuesday morning and according to Bruins head coach Claude Julien, he's doing "better."

Seguin won't be expected to contribute at the level Bergeron was before the injury, but playing the best hockey of his rookie year over the final month of the regular season should give him enough confidence to be an asset for the Bruins. There's no timetable for Bergeron's return, and given that it was his third career concussion he suffered, Seguin will likely get an extended opportunity to help make a difference in his absence.

For 40 minutes of Game 5, the best player on the ice for the Detroit Red Wings at the San Jose Sharks wasn't Datsyuk or Zetterberg or Lidstrom or any of the other prominent names on the back of a Winged Wheel jersey. It was Jimmy Howard, the guy between the pipes, the guy few pegged as Detroit's most important player as the teams reach Game 6 of their Western Conference semifinal.

He made 15 saves in the first period of Game 5, and then another 13 in the second. Howard wasn't just keeping his team in the game — he was at times single-handedly keeping them alive in the playoffs, a human defibrillator in pads and a mask.

Finally, in the third period, the charge reached the Wings' heart, Detroit took over and took the game, closing the Sharks' series lead to 3-2. Via MLive.com, they credited Howard for the inspiration:

"[Sunday] was another example of the way he's been able to give us a chance," defenseman Brad Stuart said. "That's all you can ask for from a goalie. That's what you need this time of year, a guy that kind of holds you in there sometimes when you're not on top of your game as a team."

Howard has allowed three or fewer goals in eight of nine games. His playoff statistics (2.59 goals-against average, .922 save percentage) show much more consistency than he had in the regular season (2.79 GAA, .908 save percentage).

"Howie was big for us, especially the first two periods," Nicklas Lidstrom said. "He kept us in the game. I thought we rallied around him in the third period."

Will they rally around him one more time to force a Game 7?

Where Howard's been essential in this series is on the penalty kill; and hockey cliché mandates that we mention the goalie is always the most important player on the PK, despite the blocked and altered shots from the Wings' killers.

The Sharks scored four goals on the man advantage in their three victories; in their two losses, they've been shut out on the power play. Howard made eight saves in Game 5 on four times short-handed; he made three in Game 4 as the Sharks had two power plays.

It's a series of one-goal games. Another shutout on the power play, and the Sharks could be looking at Game 7. If that's the case, then it means Jimmy Howard bested them a third time and moved to 5-1 in elimination games.

The Red Wings are still in this series because they've refused to (a) give up or (b) get flustered by their deficit. Howard's been a symbol of that unflappable demeanor, even down 0-2 and getting ice in his face every shift. Remember SnowGate, when Howard said:

"They're just trying to get under my skin. I don't care. They can come in and pitchfork me all they want. They can do whatever they want. They're not going to take me off my game."

Four games later, they still haven't; and Red Wings fans are treating him like a hockey deity.

Eighteen shots in the first period. Fourteen in the second. Pucks off posts, just missing wide, hitting defensemen's sticks, getting swallowed up in desperation saves by Antti Niemi.

The Detroit Red Wings entered Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals as they did Game 5 and Game 4 — playing for their lives. Only this time they came out and kicked the San Jose Sharks' collective ass for 40 minutes at the Joe … with nothing to show for it.

Logan Couture's goal at 3:54 of the third, just inching over the goal line, seemed to point this game towards your classic "one team is dramatically outplayed yet wins by happenstance" scenario. But that's not where it ended up, thanks to big plays by the Red Wings and lapses by the Sharks.

"You score that goal, you thought it might be enough. But it wasn't," said Sharks captain Joe Thornton.

Detroit wins, 3-1. The series stands at 3-3. Game 7, and the Wings' chance to be the fourth team in NHL history to rally from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series, is Thursday night back in San Jose. Who ya got?

On the Wings' game-tying goal, the Sharks were outhustled and out of position:

No one picked up Niklas Kronwall on the change. He was either Dany Heatley's or Logan Couture's guy, and he was given a free shot from the point. Meanwhile, Henrik Zetterberg made a superb deflection to duck the puck under Niemi's glove to tie it 1-1.

The game-winner … well, it's been that kind of postseason for Pavel Datsyuk:

Valtteri Filppula dished to Datsyuk and then made a beeline for the net. The problem for San Jose was that both Couture and Pavelski were protecting against the pass, Dany Heatley was watching he blue line, and Jason Demers was caught up in the gravity of Planet Holmstrom. Datsyuk made the kind of pass that would be arduous for others but that he makes look perfunctory, and Filppula had the layup for the 2-1 lead and the eventual game-winner.

After that, the Wings were flying, breaking up chances and protecting Jimmy Howard. San Jose was given a late power play on a holding call by Justin Abdelkader, and it was a scrambling mess. Again, the Sharks were pathetic with the man advantage, going 0-for-4 with 5 shots.

Again, they lose what amounts to a 1-goal game.

"We didn't play very good. The score should've been 5-1 or 6-1. Nemo gave us a chance to steal one and we let him down. So we're gonna have to move on from this. And we've got one way to save our season, to continue to play," said Couture. "I know no one in this room that wants to end their season next game. So we better fight a lot harder than we did tonight."

Dany Heatley? One shot, two misses and a minus-2 despite an assist. Joe Thornton? Some decent moments, but 3 shots, 2 misses and a minus-1. Patrick "Gutless" Marleau? Zero points, one shot, one shot blocked and one miss. He couldn't have been more invisible if he were wearing a magic cloak from Hogwarts. This after being called out by everyone from his coach to Jeremy Roenick. Embarrassing doesn't cut it.

Why mention the Big 3? Because with Ryane Clowe out, they needed something from them in Game 6. They got nothing. And now there's a Game 7.

Is their confidence shaken?

"Just ask Detroit, they lost three in a row and their confidence wasn't frayed," said Thornton. "We're a confident group, still. You work 82 games to get home ice in these Game 7's. Now we just have to make it work.''

The momentum, the confidence, the determination … it's all on the side of the Winged Wheel at this point. The Sharks knew after losing Game 4 in Detroit they just needed to win one of three. That's still the case. But the margin for error is gone.

I've been saying for weeks that these Sharks are different. That they're made of sterner stuff than the disappointments of postseasons past. Yet they can't hold a lead in the third period. They can't hold a lead in a semifinal series. They can't score on the power play. They just ... can't.

It's a one-game series. And the smart money is on the Red Wings, as inconceivable as this scenario is.

Doesn't this just sum it up?

With additional reporting by Nicholas Cotsonika from Detroit.

Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings is a four-time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy, given annually in the NHL to "the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability."

The following move from the Wings' Game 6 win against the San Jose Sharks wasn't exactly "gentlemanly" of Datsyuk, as his skate gets wedged in Thornton's "how-do-you-do." Although that might depend on how one feels about Joe Thornton:

No penalty on the play, despite Thornton getting crotchety. And no word on whether Datsyuk has any formal training as a mohel.

(Ed. Note: It's come to my attention that over-reactive Wings fans some readers feel this post was something more than a goof on a funny highlight. It's not. Lighten up.)

No. 1 Star: Valtteri Filppula, Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings center scored the game-winning goal at 12:32 of the third period on a pretty feed from Pavel Datsyuk and had the secondary assist on Henrik Zetterberg's tying goal in Detroit's 3-1 Game 6 victory against the San Jose Sharks to force a Game 7 on Thursday night.

No. 2 Star: Antti Niemi, San Jose Sharks

The Sharks keeper got some help from his defense — and, in the case of a Dan Cleary shot, his goal post — but he also made 42 saves in the Game 6 loss, including 32 in the first two periods.

No. 3 Star: Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit star scored his 14th point of the playoffs with a cross-ice pass to Filppula for the game-winning goal. He was a plus-2 in 19:25 of ice time, and excelled at both ends of the rink.

Honorable mention: Henrik Zetterberg and Darren Helm had the other Wings' goals. Zetterberg was a plus-2 … Logan Couture scored the Sharks' lone goal. … Jimmy Howard made 24 saves.

Did you know? According to STATS LLC, four NHL teams have rallied from a 3-0 deficit but lost a seventh game. (AP)

Dishonorable mention: After being called "gutless" by Jeremy Roenick on VERSUS, Patrick Marleau responded with zero points, one shot, one shot blocked and one miss. … Jason Demers, Dany Heatley and Marc-Edouard Vlasic were all a minus-2. … While both teams were 0-for-4 on the power play, the Sharks have now gone three games (all losses) without a power-play goal. …

Conn Smythe Watch: 1. Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks; 2. Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings; 3. Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning; 4. Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins; 5. Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins; 6. Ryane Clowe, San Jose Sharks; 7. Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks; 8. Sean Bergenheim, Tampa Bay Lightning; 9 Vinny Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning; 10 Dwayne Roloson, Tampa Bay Lightning.

There were fans who made pleas in their Phoenix Coyotes sweaters for the team to stay in Glendale. There were representatives from the National Hockey League, which is trying to sell the team, and the Goldwater Institute, which is working to block the sale. There were even citizens that argued for public ownership of the franchise like with the Green Bay Packers.

Oh, and a guy who compared Glendale's steadfast desire to keep the money-losing Coyotes from leaving to raising skunks. He was there too.

They all had their say, and then the Glendale City Council did, as it approved another $25 million to cover the Coyotes' financial losses for the 2011-12 NHL season by a 5-2 vote on Tuesday night.

Another year in the desert, with extra time purchased to find a new owner. Another option for Winnipeg taken off the table, at least for the time being.

From the Phoenix Business Journal:

The city move could be challenged in court.  Glendale City Councilwoman Joyce Clark voted for the measure but also said she felt the city's $100 million bond deal to help Chicago investment executive Matthew Hulsizer was dead and would never happen.

The new $25 million allows the Coyotes to stay in Arizona another season and more time to work out a deal with an owner who will keep the team in Glendale. Hulsizer's camp has said they are still interested in buying the Coyotes but feel Glendale may be moving towards again trying to find a new buyer. There have been indications that Glendale and the NHL will make yet another run at trying to get Chicago Bulls and White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf by the team.

The ownership issue was separate from the vote taken on Tuesday night, as supporters of the measure like Mayor Elaine Scruggs declared on multiple occasions that the $25 million wasn't a subsidy but rather part of a "management agreement" with the NHL to run Jobing.com Arena.

Here's some off-the-laptop video of two Coyotes fans a Goldwater lawyer at the meeting, to better get a sense of the proceedings:

Check out Howlin' Hockey for more on the deal.

Comments at the meeting was equal parts optimism, exasperation and anger. There was a sense that Coyotes could be saved. Yet there was also a sense this was delaying the inevitable. Will the team still be in Glendale in 2013?

There might not be another player more qualified to speak on the concussion issue in the NHL than Eric Lindros because (a) he had six from 1998-2000, then two more before his retirement and (b) because, in most cases, he was a living illustration of "what not to do." Unless putting your head down and trying to skate through Scott Stevens is actually a principle of player safety.

Lindros spoke with the Toronto Sun this week about how NHL rule changes since the lockout have created conditions in which head injuries happen with frequency.

From the Sun:

"The game has changed; the rules have changed," the Big E said Monday night from Toronto just before heading out to play the game he loves so much.

"They did away with the red line (for the two-line offside pass), so the rate of speed through the neutral zone is much higher. Defencemen can't help their partners by slowing opponents down between the blue line and the top of the circle and goalies can't play the puck behind the goal line outside that (trapezoid) area."

This isn't a revolutionary thought, but it's an ironic one coming from Lindros. Here's a player who posted some of the best offensive numbers of the "dead puck" era in the NHL, fighting through the trap during the 1990s. The rule changes were intended to, and in many ways succeeded in, undermining those defensive systems and opening up the game. More exciting hockey, yet more injurious hockey — it's trade-off and the NHL's toughest moral quandary these days, because there's no question hockey is more popular now than when Lindros was captaining the Legion of Doom.

Of course, the one constant between the eras is that there are always players willing to target an opponent's head in any situation. Lindros, on today's head-hunters:

"There are a handful of players in the league who fall into that category in a large way and Matt Cooke is one of them," Lindros said. "And you know what the unfortunate part is? When the time comes for him to be a free agent, some general manager will sign him and pay him more than someone who kills penalties or plays on the power play because of his -- I can't really find another word for it -- trashy style of play."

The former Quebec Nordiques Philadelphia Flyers star said NHL VP Colin Campbell has a tough gig but also a political one, as "certain teams get taken care of differently than others, no question." So Lindros is in favor of a three-person independent panel for suspensions, which is an idea we also support.

In the end, the NHL can only do so much. It comes down to player responsibility. And whether Lindros would ever admit it or not, that goes for the concussers and the concussed.

Stick-tap Pro Hockey Talk. And yes, that is Eric Lindros as a New York Rangers alternate captain, standing with Chloe Sevigny as she holds a golf putter.

(Ed. Note: As the Stanley Cup Playoffs continue, we're bound to lose some friends along the journey. We've asked for these losers, gone but not forgotten, to be eulogized by the people who knew the teams best: The fans who hated them the most. Here are Arthur and Jen from the Anaheim Ducks blog Anaheim Calling, fondly recalling the 2010-11 Nashville Predators. Again, this was not written by us. Also: This is a roast and you will be offended by it, so don't take it so seriously.)

By Anaheim Calling

ARTHUR

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life...

Unfortunately, that goal has eluded Pekka Rinne and Shea Weber the Nashville Predators. Woops. I hear they prefer to be called the 'Smashville' Predators, and I offer my sincerest congratulations to Kindergartener Bubba Joe Bob Pritchard III for his winning submission in the team-nicknaming contest.

At this point, you may be wondering why it falls upon Jen and me, Ducks fans, to write this eulogy.

Well, until recently, it was assumed that a postseason draw against the Predators was the equivalent of a first-round bye, wherein one lucky team was granted free passage into the semifinals after playing some charity exhibition games in the South, where hockey was gaining a fad following (along with flossing and indoor bathrooms). The Predators' five straight first round exits, with a record of 8-20, certainly sounds like an AHL vs. NHL exhibition series, almost a tradition at that point.

This year, Anaheim played the requisite charity games, but was shocked SHOCKED to discover that the rules had changed, and Nashville, er, Smashville, was granted NHL status.

Also, and let's be honest here, no one wants to write the Predators eulogy. It is, at best, a research expedition into the mere existence of a professional hockey team in Tennessee, like "Ghost Hunters" on ice.

But we're happy to do it, and to be third on Wyshynski's list behind the two ECHL bloggers who turned him down, thus dodging the jury duty that is writing about the Nashville Predators' season.

And it was a great season.

Yes, the Predators made it to the second round for the first time — and I hear Barry Trotz' neck grew three sizes that day — but, more importantly, the team executed a blockbuster deal to acquire Carrie Underwood's husband.

His name? Who cares?!?! It's Carrie Underwood's husband!

You know how hard it is to book her for the National Anthem? Not surprisingly, Nashville General Manager David Poile received a nomination for GM of The Year for his acquisition of Underwood.

However, I've heard rumblings that further acquisitions of the husbands of Country Music stars have proven difficult, and the team will, in the future, attempt to marry its players to established recording artists, instead. Taylor Swift is currently in talks to wed Shea Weber, and Martin Erat has agreed to principal terms for a polyamorous union between himself, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban.

Just give Poile next year's award, now!

Will a slew of Country Music stars ensure the team sees the second round again?

Probably not, but they'll get plenty of use out of that stage area in their arena.

... well, we've reached that uncomfortable part of the eulogy, where it becomes painfully obvious that I didn't know this guy all that well. I mean, it's a hockey team in Nashville. How closely did you expect me to follow them? How much material did you expect me to have on the Jamaican bobsled team of the NHL?

Jen has family in the South, so I'm going to throw it to Jen. She probably has some insight into the Predators' season.

JEN

Nope.

Because the Predators are boring. They're the kind of team usually on the wrong end of a Sportscenter highlight. By the way, the FBI has replaced bin Laden on the Most Wanted list with David Legwand's dignity.

Sure. I'm a little bitter that Anaheim was knocked out of the playoffs by a franchise that hadn't won a first-round series in their existence. (For those of you keeping score at home, it took the then-Mighty Ducks only FOUR YEARS after their inception to get out of the first round.) With the way the Preds were celebrating, you'd think they'd just won The Cup, not achieved something that should be the goal of EVERY team in the playoffs — getting out of the first round.

Oh, how pundits around the league were celebrating the success of this "non-traditional hockey market" and how expansion is finally paying off. WOW! An area that HAS SNOW actually succeeding in a sport that takes place on ice?! What's next?? A team in Southern California, with sun 360 days a year, winning The Stanley Cup?

A girl can dream, but then again, Orange County will soon be known for its machine-like ability to create the next great hockey player.

While my spirit was somewhat shattered after the first round, and I cursed everything that came out of the state of Tennessee (yes, even you Dollywood; which I've been to ... twice!), I did watch the second round. It would only be right that after my team was beaten. I cheered hardily for the Canucks to destroy every glimmer of hope that pulsed through the veins of Trash...er...Smashville.

I got my wish, but little did I know it would come after the WORST show of a sense of humor displayed by a franchise in the history of sports.

What were the Preds most afraid of? It wasn't Sedin One and Sedin Two, or the Vezina-esque play of Luongo (first round, notwithstanding).

It was two green guys in spandex suits.

Yeah, you heard me — TWO GROWN MEN IN SPANDEX SUITS. The last time I was intimidated by grown men in spandex, it was summer break and my mom made me and my brothers go to her Jazzercize class with her, because our babysitter was sick.

The fact that someone (ALLEGEDLY) in the Predators' organization was paid their salary to file a complaint with the league over the Green Men and what they hadn't done yet, is laughable.

Oh Nashville, we hardly knew ye. Another year where you sneak into the playoffs, and thank goodness the Canucks beat you.

Last thing this League needs is a Nashville vs. anyone in the Stanley Cup Final. I take pride in the fact that the Ducks were the lowest rated SCF series. I don't want to be beaten by Nashville there, too.

This was written by Arthur and Jen of Anaheim Calling. We can't stress this enough.

The Boston Bruins don't have the same history with the Tampa Bay Lightning as they did in their previous rounds of blood feuds in the Eastern Conference. Storylines, and mutual animosity, will develop as their conference championship series goes longer.

But for now, is there a better plotline than the Battle of the Aged Netminders?

Dwayne Roloson is 41, with a graying playoff beard and scraggily hair, looking at times like a vagrant who wandered into an NHL locker room. He's played for six teams over 566 regular-season games since 1996. The Lightning traded for him on Jan. 2. He's been their backbone ever since.

Tim Thomas is 37, with a thick handlebar mustache that's been connected to a playoff beard, looking like a retired Irish prizefighter. His only NHL team is the Boston Bruins, for whom he's played 319 regular-season games since 2002-03; but he's kicked around the bushes (Birmingham Bulls! Detroit Vipers! AIK Solna!) since 1997-98. You know the story: Vezina Trophy in 2009, benched in 2010, probable Vezina Trophy in 2011.

Roloson leads the NHL in playoff goals-against average with 2.01; Thomas is second at 2.03. Roloson leads the NHL in playoff save percentage with .941; Thomas is second at .937.

Selling a playoff series on a goaltending matchup is taboo in NHL 2.0, because the casual sports fan doesn't appreciate great defense when it's offense that gets their fists pumping.

But Thomas vs. Roloson will determine the Eastern Conference representative in the Stanley Cup Finals. And it could be a stellar duel ... especially since they're both disciples of the Dominator.

For years, there were two types of goaltenders in the NHL: Dominik Hasek and everyone else.

He represented the keeper you loved to watch: The save-at-all-costs, unorthodox netminder who would flop around like the fish at the end of the Faith No More video but, inexplicably, also shut out his opponents quite efficiently.

Thomas and Roloson share that bloodline. They're not positionally sound robo-goalies whose posture would inspire a line of instructive DVDs for young keepers. ("Timmy and Rollie's 'So You Wanna Be a Goalie!'") They're instinctive, and that traces back to Hasek.

From the Globe and Mail:

Normally, there is more recovery time between games in the playoffs and Roloson's handful of tough outings since joining the Lightning have generally occurred when the work load piled up, about the only concession he's made thus far to the numbers on his birth certificate.  But Roloson also had a pretty good role model for learning to play into his dotage - Dominik Hasek, for whom he backed up way back in the 1990s with the Buffalo Sabres, when he landed after his original NHL team, the Calgary Flames, let him go.

From Big Bad Blog, Thomas on Hasek:

"I certainly watched him when I was in college and was trying to pick things up off of him," he said. "I didn't try to emulate my style after him. I still have my own style. But I didn't see some of the things that he does that I thought I could apply to my game and probably over the years it became part of my game too.

"I'll be honest, Dominik Hasek was a hero of mine back when I was in college. A guy who played unconventional and had a ton of success. And even at college age I was already labeled as somebody with my style that I couldn't do it at the next level. And so he was an inspiration. Actually, still seeing him, knowing that he's playing, he won the Czech League, not this year, but the season before… I'm still impressed with what he's been able to accomplish."

There's also an interesting, though indirect, connection between the keepers in college. CSNNE's Joe Haggerty, in an excellent piece about the rise of Thomas and Roloson through the hockey ranks, writes that they were nearly teammates at UMass-Lowell, where Thomas thought about playing but where Roloson was an established starter.

From Haggerty:

"I don't believe I've ever had a conversation with him," Thomas said of Roloson. "But he actually had an impact on my life.

"My choice was down to Michigan Tech and Lowell when I was choosing a college. The University of Vermont didn't come into the picture until really late. I'd never even been east of Buffalo before at that point in my life. Roloson was an All-American as a junior for Lowell, and he was coming back for his senior year.

"[Bruce] Crowder was the coach, and he was upfront with me that if I went there I'd be red-shirted, or I'd play in maybe three games or something as a freshman. So I decided not to go to UMass-Lowell all those years ago because of Dwayne Roloson. That really changed everything else that has happened in my life since then."

So now that these two cagey vets are battling for the right to play for the Stanley Cup, who has the advantage? NHL Network's Kevin Weekes broke it down like this:

In watching Roloson against the Washington Capitals, two things were clear: He seems to get stronger as the games goes on, which is impressive for a geezer; and that he's their best penalty killer, for a team that's killing at a 94.4 percent clip, having given up three goals on 54 chances (and at least one of them 5-on-3).

In watching Thomas against the Philadelphia Flyers and the Montreal Canadiens, you can see why he was chatted up (and received our vote) as a Hart candidate: He's a closer. The Bruins have allowed six third-period goals in 11 games; compare that to Tampa (nine in 11) or Vancouver (11 in 13) or San Jose (12 in 12). And Boston's 5-0 when leading after the first period, too.

This is going to be a brutal physical series, a chess match between over-thinking coaches and a challenge between very good special teams (Tampa) and somewhat inept ones (Boston).

But for us, it's all about the combined 78 years on this rock between the two goalies, and which one can lead his team to within four victories of the Grail.

It's a Wednesday edition of Puck Daddy Radio, and we're chatting about the following and much more:

• Special Guest Star: Craig Custance of The Sporting News joins us to break down the Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks, as well as to give a little insight in the fate of the Atlanta Thrashers.

• The Detroit Red Wings force Game 7 against the San Jose Sharks.

• Glendale votes to pay $25 million for another year of the Phoenix Coyotes; what now for Winnipeg?

• Question of the day: After last night's decision by Glendale, predict the fate of the Coyotes?

• Puck Previews.

Email your thoughts to puckdaddyradio@thescore.com.

Puck Daddy Radio is on Monday through Friday, from 1-2 p.m. ET/10-11 a.m. PT on The Score Radio Sirius Channel 158. Featuring Wyshynski and Rob Pizzo, it's your show: Calls, tweets, special guests and a ton of hockey goodness every day.

The call in number is 1-888-942-7326 (1-888-9-HARDCORE). We'll also be reading emails to puckdaddyradio@thescore.com and tweets that you send to @wyshynski and @robpizzo.

We're all about interaction here; call in, email, tweet ... we'll discuss whatever you'd like. Listen here:

Will the Detroit Red Wings complete their epic rally against the San Jose Sharks? Who advances from the East between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins? Which coaches will be hired? Who are the biggest playoff busts?

Please join us beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT today for our weekly chat that includes a revolving door of panelists like Lyle "Spector" Richardson of Fox Sports; David "Dave" Pagnotta of The Fourth Period Magazine; as well as your friendly neighborhood knuckleheads from Yahoo! Sports, Puck Daddy and Buzzing The Net.

You bring the funny; we bring the abrupt changes in tone and Hamburger Women. That's how it works.

UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- The New York Islanders' lease at Nassau Coliseum doesn't end until 2015, but there's been concern about the franchise's future for some time now. And for all that worry and for all of Islanders owner Charles Wang's attempts to put together a deal to satisfy everyone involved in approving an arena concept, it will all come down to a county-wide vote on Aug. 1.

On Wednesday morning -- inside a Nassau Coliseum packed with politicians, local business and union leaders, and hundreds of union workers and Islanders fans -- Wang, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray and Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano announced a $400 million plan for a new arena project that would also include a minor league baseball stadium on the grounds of nearby Mitchel Field Athletic Complex.

Over 3,300 construction jobs would be created, which brought the union workers in attendance to their feet numerous times with chants of "Build it now!" The plan would also see a Shinnecock Indian Nation casino, formerly proposed to be on the site of the Coliseum as part of a different plan, moved to Belmont Park race track.

The new arena would hold 17,500 for hockey, 1,250 more than the Coliseum's current capacity.

The bond referendum will be voted on by Nassau County residents on Aug. 1 and if approved, the deal would run through 2045 with construction on the project beginning in 2012 right next to the Coliseum. Revenues generated by the new complex would help pay off the $400 million total that's to be divided with $350 million going towards the arena and $50 million towards the minor league stadium.

Newsday (sub. required) broke down the voting process that will take place before and after the Aug. 1 date:

A simple majority of the 19-member county legislature would first vote to decide whether to put the referendum on the ballot. If the plan is approved by voters in August, the legislature would vote again, requiring 13 votes to approve the bonding.

If the referendum passes, the county would begin a request for proposals process to bid out the construction of a new Coliseum, a project that could begin next spring and finish before the 2015-16 hockey season, Wang and Mangano said.

At least one Islander has been through this kind of drama before, and he said the players have to do their part in this renaissance.

Defenseman Mark Eaton was a Pittsburgh Penguin when that franchise was in the same holding pattern about its future as the Islanders are now. He was there when the Kansas City rumors were non-stop and he was there when Mario Lemieux walked out onto the Mellon Arena ice in March of 2007 to announce a new arena deal to keep the team in Pittsburgh.

To him, the players have to do their part to help support the excitement around the plan to help re-energize the fanbase again.

"It's more important for us to put the product on the ice and to give the fans something to be excited about," said Eaton. "I think the second half of this year fans have got good reason to be excited and then throw this news on top of it, I think the fans of the Islanders should be really excited right now. This is for them. They deserve it. They've stood behind this team for a long time."

When the puck drops next October on the 2011-12 NHL season, Islanders fans will know where the future of the franchise lies. After a promising second half of the season and the anticipation of the Aug. 1 vote, Wang and GM Garth Snow have the opportunity to continue the good vibes by having a successful off-season in the free-agency market, beginning with Calder Trophy nominee Michael Grabner, who's due a new contract.

If the vote happens to fail, it's not the final nail in the coffin for the Islanders keeping their home on Long Island ... but the lid will be just about shut.

Meanwhile, doors of opportunity will swing open in other cities that yearn to have their own NHL teams, forcing Wang to seriously begin exploring his options after stating numerous times he's committed to keeping the team here.

Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• Patrick Kane … never change. JT Utah of 25Stanley.com has all the details of the Chicago Blackhawks star sporting a shiner (which he may have gotten at the end of the Vancouver Canucks series) and his liaison with a "PR semi-pro, social media junkie, senior at University of Illinois, shopping addict" (since deleted Twitpic account) who photographed him sleeping and then snapped a photo of his Southwest Airlines boarding pass to Buffalo. We want to believe Kane's having a laugh and staged all of this to goof on those living vicariously through him. But then we remembered he's Patrick Kane. Party on, brother. [25Stanley, via Deadspin]

• Milan Hejduk signs a one-year deal to remain with the Colorado Avalanche. Perhaps this is why: "The Czech Republic native reached the 20-goal mark for the 11th consecutive season, tying Joe Sakic's franchise record." [Avs]

• In praise of Ryan Kesler's series against the Nashville Predators, one of the best playoff performances in Vancouver Canucks' playoff history. [Nucks Misconduct]

• Cripes: "An NHL source told The Dispatch on Tuesday that the Columbus Blue Jackets' losses in 2010-11 will be approximately $25 million, a dramatic increase from the $14 million the club lost in the previous two seasons." Wow, the Mike Commodore contract is something, huh? [Dispatch]

• From The Cannon: "It's also worth noting that despite these losses, and an estimated $80 million in losses over the life of the Franchise, they've yet to ask the City of Columbus to underwrite one red cent, even though they could easily point to the losses from the arena, or point up how much they bring into the city's economic picture, preferring to take care of their own business themselves." Dang, Phoenix, you got served. [The Cannon]

• Niklas Kronwall believes the Detroit Red Wings will have Johan Franzen in Game 7. [Detroit News]

• Jaromir Jagr pulls out a hat trick to eliminate the U.S. in IIHF worlds. [NHL.com]

• There's been lots of talk about Jaromir Jagr and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday. Ray Shero is at Worlds to talk to him. This initial Canadian Press report has been linked all over. Somehow this line has escaped people: "Pittsburgh's interest in reconnecting with Jagr is purely about ensuring his long-term legacy with the team rather trying to bring him back to North America as a player." He wants Jagr to appear at a golf tournament. [THN]

• A benches-clearing brawl at midnight in a beer league game compelled someone to call 911 in Jersey. Police didn't make any arrests, but rather punished several participants by giving them Devils season tickets. (Hi-yo!) [Staten Island Advance]

• Bruce Dowbiggin explores the limits of free speech as they relate to the Sean Avery/gay marriage backlash. [Globe & Mail]

• Good piece by Craig Custance on how this stance by Avery isn't surprising to anyone paying attention. [Sporting News]

• An open letter to Gary Bettman from an Atlanta Thrashers fan: "With a population of over 5 million in our metro area, Atlanta is more than 7 TIMES THE SIZE of the largest Canadian city in line to receive an NHL team. If every person in the Quebec City metropolitan area bought a single ticket to a single game each season, they would not have 41 sellouts in an 18,000 seat arena. On the other hand, if only 14% of Atlanta's population each bought one ticket to one game each season, we would sell out every game in that same arena." [Blueland Chronicle]

• Great blow-by-blow of the Glendale City Council meeting. Can't believe they didn't give any love to the Skunk Man. [Illegal Curve]

• Ken Campbell on the Phoenix Coyotes' staying in Glendale: "The impact will be felt around the league because now the prime candidate to move becomes the Atlanta Thrashers. It's believed the Thrashers will be much easier to move and will be far less onerous for the NHL to part with than the Coyotes are. There are those who run in ownership circles who are convinced that with the Coyotes out of the picture, at least temporarily, the Thrashers will now move to Winnipeg this offseason. A team moving from the Eastern Conference to the Western Conference will, in turn, pave the way for the Detroit Red Wings to move to the East where they belong." [THN]

• Here is Alex Ovechkin, giving maximum effort in trying to grab something that's clearly out of reach. [RMNB]

• Really solid piece on Tampa Bay Lightning coach Guy Boucher. [SI]

• What does the Tyler Ennis report card look like for the Buffalo Sabres? [Die By The Blade]

• Why NHL enforcers are "gross liabilities" and endangering themselves. [Houses of the Hockey]

• Chris Pronger leads the list of Philadelphia Flyers players headed under the knife. [Philly.com]

• Los Angeles Kings fan Rudy Kelly is really confused as to whether to root for the Sharks or the Wings in Game 7. [Battle of Cali]

• Evaluating the evaluation of Dean Lombardi. [Jewels From The Crown]

• From Intent To Blow: "In what many are calling the most befuddling personality changes in history, mild-mannered New York Rangers' forward Sean Avery has overnight become a polarizing figure to fans of the NHL." [ITB]

• Finally, Ted Williams Head presents the Kevin Bieksa cameo on "Shots" by LMFAO and Lil Jon.