At the IIHF world championships on Sunday, Finland won the gold medal, defeated its arch rival Sweden with a five-goal third period to win that gold medal, and captured the first world title for the hockey nation since 1995, having lost in the finals four times since then.

As you can imagine, there was a bit of cathartic revelry in the streets of Helsinki after this championship win, as thousands of fans crammed the public squares, climbed on cars, climbed on light poles, sang victory songs … and got naked in a giant fountain. Which is a reasonable response to beating Sweden for gold, we think.

From Helsingin Sanomat:

By 1 a.m. on Monday morning, both the Esplanades in downtown Helsinki were packed with jubilant hockey fans, such that the earlier rally of cars hooting their horns and with flags waving from the windows was no longer possible.

The nude statue of Havis Amanda in the Market Square was decorously draped with a Finnish team jersey, and a crowd estimated in the tens of thousands had congregated around the statue in high spirits, some of them stripping down to their underwear and jumping into the chilly water of the fountains.

Concerns of shrinkage have no place in a euphoric hockey celebration! Here's the scene from the Finnish capital:

There are many, many other videos from the celebration on YouTube, including some from Sannathrocks and a great clip from inside the party on the streets (some images are NSFW).

MYV3 has a large gallery of party photos and game shots. The image up top is from photographer Aarre Kanapeura, who writes:

There are some hilarious pictures of the humble and shy people of Finland gone crazy after Finland beat the crap out of our biggest rivals Sweden. Naked people all around, fist bumps for everyone!

Visit Aarre Kanapeura's gallery here, but WARNING on some NSFW images of nudity.

Is there any greater expression of hockey's incredible emotional power than 2,000 guys named Teemu dancing with their suomi's out? We don't believe so.

In Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, it was pretty clear what the Boston Bruins were lacking.

Like a defensive leader who could calm the team down during that three-goals-in-85-seconds flurry in the first period. Like a faceoff ace who could cut into the Bolts' 61 percent advantage on the draw. Like a scorer who could lead a rally; or, heavens to Neely, actually produce something on the power play.

So, basically, they lacked Patrice Bergeron; and the 5-2 defeat is an indication that they desperately missed him.

The good news is that it appears Bergeron is making strides to get back into the lineup. The bad news is that he's working back from (another) concussion, an injury that's both fickle and tricky when it comes to rehabilitation.

As much as they need Bergeron back, the Bruins are being cautious.

From Big Bad Blog on WEEI, an update on Monday's Bruins practice, which Bergeron took part in:

In a sign that he may be ready to return for Game 2 Tuesday night against the Lightning, Patrice Bergeron  returned to full practice Monday morning with the rest of the Bruins. Bergeron has missed the last week — including Boston's 5-2 loss in Game 1 of the Eastern finals against Tampa Bay Saturday night — with a mild concussion, suffered when he was hit by Philadelphia's Claude Giroux on May 6.

Bergeron was one of four forwards wearing a white sweater, joining first-liners David Krejci, Nathan Horton and Milan Lucic.

Joe Haggerty reports that Bergeron was skating as "an extra" before hopping onto a line with Rich Peverley and Brad Marchand.

From NESN, more on the practice:

Also of note at practice on Monday was that rookie Tyler Seguin was also involved in power-play drills. Seguin scored in his playoff debut Saturday night but finished the night with just 9:38 of ice time. If Julien decides to insert Seguin into the power play, he could add the speed and scoring touch that's currently missing from the unit, which has gone 2-for-41 this postseason.

It's a move that, frankly, is overdue for a unit that's been a total bust this postseason.

Back to Bergeron. Were this 1991, the coaches would have told him to "shake the cobwebs" and lace them up for Game 2, which is why ex-players are donating their brains to science in 2011 about as often as we donate an old jacket to a charity clothing drive.

It's a different, healthier, more responsible NHL … which as the Boston Herald notes, makes Bergeron's comeback tricky:

On one hand, the Bruins badly want Bergeron back. But even if he says he's fine and wants to play — and knowing the intensely competitive Bergeron, it's hard to believe that isn't already the case — and the doctors say he's 100 percent healthy, there has to be a nagging fear in the back of the mind: Everyone thought Savard was OK to play, too.  This may be a case where even 100 percent isn't good enough.

"Whether it's regular season or playoffs, our organization, even before they tightened up the rules on (concussions), there was no way we would ever do that to a player," said Julien, meaning rush him back.

"That's too important to his personal lifestyle and the life he's going to lead after hockey. That will always come before the game. It's unfortunate, but that's the way it should be. We believe in that. We're going to continue to enforce that."

Bergeron's return could mean a potential reunion with Brad Marchand and Mark Recchi, allowing Chris Kelly to drop back to playing with Peverley and Michael Ryder. It certainly would mean better fortunes for the Bruins in the faceoff circle, where Bergeron was winning at a 64.2 percent clip.

And that's the difference between Marty, Vinny, Stamkos and Bergenheim (!) controlling the puck and the Bruins keeping it away from them.

Saint Bergeron image via Days of Y'Orr.

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

• Special Guest Star Part 1: CBC Sports' Elliotte Friedman talking conference finals and Winnipeg relocation scuttlebutt.

• Special Guest Star Part 2: Author Ross Bernstein ("The Code") remembering the late Derek Boogaard, with whom he was working on a new project.

• Breaking down Game 1 between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning, as well as between the Vancouver Canucks and the San Jose Sharks.

• Question of the day: Before hearing about Boogaard, when was the last time you were shocked about off-ice news?

• 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:

On Friday, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that "It is unclear this morning if the Thrashers have been granted  permission by the NHL to begin negotiations with True North Sports and Entertainment, the entity that would purchase the franchise and move it to Winnipeg, or if those talks have already begun."

On Monday, Vivlamore offered clarity: The two sides are in negotiations on the sale of the Atlanta Thrashers to True North, and the relocation of the struggling franchise to Winnipeg.

From the AJC:

A deal has not been completed and it is also not known how long the two sides have been negotiating. However, the fact that talks are on-going negotiations could mean the Thrashers would relocate to Manitoba perhaps as soon as next season.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, reach via e-mail, said there was "nothing I'm prepared to say at this point." A True North Sports and Entertainment spokesperson had no comment.

Technically, NHL owners do not have to seek league approval to sell a franchise. However they would have to get permission to negotiate with a party interested in relocation. Once an agreement in principle has been reached, the NHL's Board of Govenors would be asked to judge the acceptability of the new ownership.

The Winnipeg Free Press has received a "no comment" from True North.

Previously, the AJC wondered if other NHL owners would block the relocation because if the Phoenix Coyotes were to move next offseason, they'd net "upwards of $170 million from True North [and] all of that money could go to repay the owners." The Thrashers would bring in substantially less.

Jeff Schultz of the AJC presents a few scenarios through which the Thrashers would stay in Atlanta, including:

3.) [Gary] Bettman effectively stalls and gives the Atlanta franchise a one-year stay of execution, telling [Thrashers' part-owner Bruce] Levenson and the Spirit that the franchise can't be moved for next season. It's not believed the Atlanta Spirit could just walk away from the hockey team and throw the keys to the league. So it's not certain what would happen if Bettman disallowed a move right now and the Spirit resisted.

As you can see from Schultz's piece, the options are running short -- as is the time.

Finally, for the Thrashers perspective on relocation, check out Jason Kirk's piece on SB Nation Atlanta called "To Understand The Thrashers Relocation Story, First Understand Atlanta."

UPDATE: From the Winnipeg Free Press: "The Winnipeg Free Press has learned the NHL is working on two schedule drafts: one including Winnipeg and the other including Atlanta."

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.

We don't often do this, but please use the comments section to CAPTION THIS PHOTO.

• New York Rangers fans are designing a memorial patch for Derek Boogaard. [NY Rangers Blog]

• The great Tom Benjamin on Game 1 between the San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks: "Joe Thornton played well and Logan Couture had a moment or two, but most of the Sharks were ineffective. If Ryan Clowe and Dany Heatley don't get a lot better this series won't be as close as we all expect." [Canucks Corner]

• No word from the Boston Bruins on Patrice Bergeron's availability for Game 2.  [Bruins Blog]

• On the Tampa Bay Lightning's "no retaliation policy": "That is, if it is obvious the Bruins (who play physically, especially at home, in the hopes of goading opponents into penalties) are going to be a man down, do not get sucked in to any pushing, shoving or fighting that might mitigate the power play." [Lightning Strikes]

• With today's news about the Atlanta Thrashers and Winnipeg, Atlanta fans are rallying support to keep them in the ATL. [Thrasher Backer]

• Darren Dreger on the Thrashers to Winnipeg: "Regardless - as painful as the wait was leading up to Glendale's decision to pay to keep the Coyotes for another season - moving the Thrashers to Winnipeg is also going to take some time and quite possibly could drag through the remainder of the playoffs." [TSN]

• Obviously, if the Thrashers move, the next skate to drop will be realignment. Here's a take on the Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings and Nashville Predators, and which team could be headed back East should Atlanta leave: "One could make a case that the conferences are more about time zones than pure geography. For Columbus and Detroit, being the two Eastern Time Zone clubs in the Western Conference means playing 30-plus road games out of time zone, including eight games that are three time zones away. That makes for lots of 10:30 starts, which can be difficult for non-vampires. Nashville, in the Central Time Zone, never plays a road game that starts after 9:30 p.m. local time." [Puck-Rakers]

• Here's a long article looking at the Thrash, the Coyotes, Winnipeg and Columbus Blue Jackets realignment to the East. [The Cannon]

• The other skate to drop? A team name. And Chris Creamer of Sports Logos has the scoop on that: He's been told they'll be the Manitoba Moose. "True North has spent considerable time and money promoting the Moose brand, switching away from that would be like essentially flushing money down the toilet." [Sports Logos]

• This Battle of California Fun With Anagrams preview for Sharks/Canucks is genius. [BoC]

• Roberto Luongo blames is terrible turnover last night on a broken stick. OK then. [The Province]

• What if Patrice Bergeron doesn't come back for the Boston Bruins? [Y! Contributor Network]

• Lowetide on Tom Gilbert of the Edmonton Oilers: "Tom Gilbert has developed into a fine NHL defenseman. He's overexposed on this team and it's easy to poke holes in his game, but it's also clear that he is a capable player with miles of track ahead in his NHL career." [Lowetide]

• Mike Fisher goes under the knife, is upset about not being able to eat beforehand. [On The Forecheck]

• Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team will hold a memorial service for RBC Center Building Superintendent Donnie MacMillan on Tuesday, May 24, at 7 p.m. [Hurricanes]

• Mike Sundheim on Donny Mac's passing: "I'm pretty sure you could put 10 RBC Center/Hurricanes employees in a room, and we could collectively tell story after story about Donnie Mac for days." [Hurricanes]

• Alex Ovechkin arrives back in Moscow with Ilya Kovalchuk and a plush toilet seat he carries wherever he goes. [Alex Ovetjkin]

• The good news for Alex Ovechkin at the IIHF world championships is that it makes his Olympic performance seem absolutely Herculean by comparison. [Houses Of The Hockey]

• The Washington Capitals have announced today that they will host an Owner's Corner with founder, chairman, majority owner and chief executive officer of Monumental Sports Ted Leonsis on Thursday, May 19, at 1 p.m. exclusively on www.WashingtonCaps.com.

• Darren Eliot on Ryan Kesler and Joe Thornton butting heads in the finals: "All that's left for both Kesler and Thornton now is the ultimate winning. That the pair is squaring off in the Western Conference Final just makes for greater theater, especially given their respective teams' histories of bitter playoff disappointment. [SI]

• Jay Feaster is acting no more! The Calgary Flames are announcing him as the new GM. [TSN]

• And for his first trick, he makes Curtis Glencross a Flame for the next four years at $10.2 million and with a no-movement clause. [Herald]

• T.J. Foster of the Oil Kings is leaving to fight the Slave Lake fires. [Buzzing The Net]

• A few facts about counterfeit San Jose Sharks merch. Hint: His name isn't really Devin Chattahoochee. [Sharks]

• Puck Daddy favorite Emily Hall presents a rollicking San Jose Sharks playoff anthem … 20 years as a Sharks fan. That's a lot of teal and disappointment.

For the first time in franchise history, the Nashville Predators made the Stanley Cup Playoff semifinals before losing to the Vancouver Canucks. In that series, as he had been during the regular season, goalie Pekka Rinne was their MVP, giving the kind of performances that have earned him a trip to Las Vegas as a finalist for the Vezina Trophy.

I spoke with Rinne recently about the Predators' playoff run; facing Ryan Kesler; Rinne's incredible saves in the postseason; his Vezina nomination; the future of Shea Weber and Alex Radulov in Nashville; Carrie Underwood and Nicole Kidman; the toughest player to defend against in the NHL; as well as what he's driving, what he's watching and what he's drinking. Enjoy!

Q. They say the playoffs breed hate. Do you hate the Anaheim Ducks and the Vancouver Canucks now?

RINNE: I don't think you could say we now hate either one of them. I think "hate" is a pretty strong word. For sure, you don't like them when you play against them, you want to beat them. But I wouldn't say I hate either one of those teams.

What was the mood like inside of the Predators' locker room after the elimination loss to the Canucks ?

There was a feeling of huge disappointed. I don't think anyone in the media believed that we could win that series. But unlike the media, we truly believed we could take on those guys and beat them. We thought we had a real chance. And that's how it was for us. Every game was a one-goal game for most of the time. They were all close. I can honestly say we gave our best. No point of saying what could have been, what would have been. We gave our best.

And after that loss there was a feeling of total emptiness. You play a very long season and then it's tough to realize that this is it. It's a pretty empty feeling.

As a player, does the lack of experience playing deep in the playoffs play a part? Or you don't really think about it?

You get a lot hungrier the further you go in the playoffs. It's the best part of the season and you just want to keep going stronger. But I think the lack of experience played its part. We are a young team, and we can use any bit of experience we can get. But it's amazing how small the difference is between teams in the playoffs.

What are your thoughts on your duel with Roberto Luongo? Did you get a chance to talk to him after the series was over?

Not a lot. Just a little bit. I just wished him good luck. He said the same thing. Nothing too special. He played really well, and it was fun for me to play against him. I think it was a good matchup for us against Vancouver.

Who was the most dangerous player to play against on Vancouver?

I think the whole Kesler line was going really well for them, they played really good. So, if I have to pick just one line, it's definitely the Kesler line. Especially the last three games. I think in a couple of games Kesler was the real difference maker.

Would he be your pick for the Conn Smythe if the Canucks make it all the way?

I think it's too early to say as the second round just ended. There is still a lot of hockey to be played for the team that will eventually win the Cup. And I am sure it is only going to get harder and harder. But if Kesler keeps going like he has been, I am sure he will be one of the top candidates for the award.

Which one of your teammates surprised you the most?

I think all of our young guys. Guys like Nick Spaling, Matt Halischuk, Blake Geoffrion — they really elevated their game. Cody Franson too. And obviously Joel Ward had a great second round. As did David Legwand. But this is how our team is. Throughout the season we always had someone stepping up. We don't really have that one line that scores goals. We have to expect all four lines to chip in. We have all our guys working really hard every night and come through the a couple of important goals. I am really, really proud of our young guys.

You made some pretty good saves too in the playoffs. What did it feel like to make that save on Teemu Selanne in Round 1, stopping your legendary countryman?

Ha! It's always fun to make a big save. But to do it against a guy like him…  At that moment you don't really think about it. But after the game you get a chance to look back and think "Oh, that was Selanne?"  But it was a big save because we ended up winning that game and it was a good start for us, for our playoffs.

What was a better save: That one against Selanne, or the one against Kevin Bieksa in overtime of Game 2 against the Canucks?

The Bieksa save made a bigger impact because it was in overtime. Had he scored we would have been 2-0 in the series, so because that save had a bigger impact, I'd have to say it was a better save.

Some players watch their highlights on YouTube. Do you do the same?

No, no. Usually I watch certain footage the day after the game. I can't call them highlights, I just watch the video to see what my mistakes were, what I have to improve on before the next game. Or see what I did right and what I should continue doing. Stuff like that.

Tell us honestly, what do you think of Shea Weber's playoff beard?

His playoff beard? [laughing]  It was pretty massive, man!  He let it grow for a couple of months. He started before the playoffs. But it was pretty cool!  He had a big beard, and he is a big dude. He is definitely a guy who can pull it off to have a beard like that.

He is a restricted free agent this summer. How important is it for the Nashville Predators that he stays?

It is crucial. It's as simple as that. He is our captain, our top player. It's crucial not only for us, players, but for the entire organization. To be able to keep him would obviously be huge. Huge. I think everybody knows that. I am sure there will be a lot of competition for him. There are a lot of teams who would like to have him, for sure. But so do we. I am sure we'll do everything to keep him.

You live in Nashville, the country music capital. You have a lot of stars coming to your games like Carrie Underwood, Nicole Kidman. Is this anything players are aware of or care about or noticed?

No, not really. A lot of times we wouldn't even know about it until after the game. Most of the time someone in the locker room would say such and such was at the game. You don't really notice those things during the game, don't pay attention to it. But it's pretty cool. I am sure it's cool for the fans, too, to know that stars come to hockey games and are into hockey. It's very cool.

You play in the Western Conference. You play against Eastern teams as well. Is it fair to say that the Western Conference is a lot stronger than the Eastern?

Hmm, it's a tough question. We don't play a lot against Eastern teams. We usually only face them once. It's very rare that we face the same team twice in a season. The hockey they play is a little different. I think Eastern hockey is a little bit more like trading chances, a little bit more open. And in the West it's so tight. There is no big difference between teams in the West. The Western Conference was very even this season. The Eastern Conference is even too, but Western teams are very close to being on the same level. There are teams that can create a gap in the standings between themselves and the rest, but there are just a couple of teams that can really do that.

Playing in this tight conference you were nominated for the Vezina Trophy. What do you think your chances are?  Or is this Tim Thomas' trophy?

We'll see. It's GMs who vote in that. But it is going to be very interesting to see, because Tim Thomas is from the East and Roberto Luongo and I are from the West. Obviously, the kind of season Tim Thomas had was unbelievable. His numbers are ridiculous. But I am happy to have been nominated. I am excited about going to Las Vegas, I am really looking forward to that, to having a good time. I am just honored to have been nominated.

A certain talk comes up every offseason regarding the Nashville Predators and Alexander Radulov. But this season there is a real expectation that Radulov may indeed come back to the NHL. You played with him a little bit. If he comes back, what do you think the reaction will be in the locker room?  Will players forgive him?

We, players, never speak about this topic. I think everyone has put it behind. He made his choice at the time and he has been playing [in the KHL] for the last three years. It's been a long time, and it's all in the past now. We have put it behind us. It is going to be interesting. No one thinks about that at the moment. But there is no doubt he is a great, great player. He would definitely make our team better. There aren't that many players on the current team who played with him. For the younger guys and for other guys he will be just like a new player. There are absolutely no hard feelings. If he comes, he will make the Predators a better team.

Growing up, who was your inspiration when you decided to become a goalie?

It was such a big deal when the Finnish National team won the World Championships in 1995 with Jarmo Myllys in goal. At the time he was probably everybody's favorite player in Finland. Including me. When I got a little bit older I started following other goalies, like Miikka Kiprusoff. But actually, for me the guy who made the biggest impact, who was the biggest influence on me was my cousin. My cousin is five years older than me and he was a goalie growing up. He only played junior hockey, but he was the guy I always looked up to. I always thought it was so cool that he was a goalie and I thought to myself 'I want to become a goalie some day.'

As a goalie, do you have any special routines you do before games?

I do have some routines, but I don't really have any superstitions. My habits became my routines like taking naps at exactly the same time, having pregame meals at exactly the same time on game days, eating pretty much exactly the same thing on game days. I put my gear on in exactly the same order. But nothing crazy. What would be the weirdest one?  I have to have the same drinks during the game. I have to drink a little bit of coffee in between periods. Yeah, I don't really have anything that crazy. And even if I do, I won't say.

Who is the toughest player you played against in the NHL?

When Sidney Crosby was healthy, he was so dynamic, so dominant on the ice. When we played them here in Nashville, I think we lost in overtime, he scored a couple of goals against me. I think he was the best player in the NHL before he got hurt. You can say that he is a model of a playmaker, a model of a passer, but he can shoot the puck. He has a good shot. He is a really smart player, he is so hard to read. But we play those guys so rarely.

Of the guys we play a lot, I have to say that Pavel Datsyuk is the best one. I have always been a huge fan of his, I think he is just an amazing player. I am telling you, I have to cross my fingers when I am playing against him. He does so much on the ice. He was great in the series against the Sharks even though he was hurt. The level he is constantly playing at is unbelievable. His moves, his tricks are so unbelievable and he made them in the playoffs. He is a fun player to watch.

You have lived in Nashville for so long. Are you a country music fan now?

It's kind of growing on me. Growing up we never really had country music in Finland. But now I am kind of a big country music fan now. I have been to a few concerts, and it's music I like nowadays. Zac Brown Band is probably my favorites. I like them a lot.

What are you driving these days?

I have an Audi S5. It's a pretty fast car. But I don't really drive that much because I live really close to our practice rink.

What is the last good movie or a TV show you saw?

When my friends came over from Finland they brought over a couple of Finnish movies I had fun watching. Until then I hadn't really seen any movies or TV shows. I rarely go to movies. But I do follow a couple of shows like "Prison Break" or "Entourage."

Are you a part of the social network?

I have a Facebook page that I run together with my sports agency. So, stop by. And there is a lot of information on my official page at www.pekkarinne.com.

And finally, what is your adult beverage of choice?

I am more of a beer guy. I also enjoy wine with dinner. But when I relax, I go for beer. I am a big fan of wheat beer, German beers. Paulaner is my favorite beer. I think it's great beer.

In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Vancouver Canucks, the San Jose Sharks blew a third-period lead and lost.

It was the third time in their last four playoff games they've done this; in Game 7 against the Detroit Red Wings, they gained and lost a 2-goal lead in 1:46 of the third period, but hung to eliminate Detroit.

So in the small sample size of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, this is what qualifies as a trend. San Jose Sharks Coach Todd McLellan was asked about it after Monday's off-day practice in Vancouver and … well, it doesn't seem like he's sounding any alarms:

"You know, I guess we're talking about giving up leads.  But when you look back throughout our playoff run, now 14 games in, we have given up some leads, but we've also had to come back from behind in 4-0 scenarios, 3-0 scenarios on the road where we showed a ton of resiliency.

"We can look at the negative or bad, which we obviously have to improve.  I thought last night they were flat out better than we were in the third period.  They scored the goals, earned the power-plays.  In the other series where we were able to come back, we did the exact same thing against our opponent.

"A lot of times it's managing the puck, putting it in the right area, so you feel good about your game, and not all your energy is wasted in the defensive zone.  We did that last night.  In past games when we've been able to come back, we've done that to our opponent."

So he's taking away some positives from last night. What about the players? Logan Couture addressed the third-period problems and whether they're becoming an issue:

"I don't think so. Someone said it last night, that we've blown a couple of third-period leads. I hadn't even thought of that until that was said.  I mean, I don't even think we changed the style of play.  We just turned pucks over.  We looked at some video this morning.  We had so many turnovers in the third period.  Can't do that against that type of team.  They're too good."

The Sharks have given up 15 goals in the third period and have scored 11. They are 4-2 when leading after two periods; Tampa Bay is 7-0 while the Vancouver Canucks are 6-1, for comparison's sake.

Maybe it's about puck possession. Maybe it's about turnovers. Maybe the Sharks are lumbering where they should be quick in the third period. Whatever the case, the Canucks are too good to let back in games during the final 20 minutes as the Sharks continue to allow opponents to do so.

You may remember Pasi Nurminen from his three-season stint (2001-04) as a goalie with the Atlanta Thrashers. But from this day forward, Pasi Nurminen will be known as the Finland goalie coach who fell off the stairs while deplaning and slammed head-first into his team's IIHF world championship trophy:

So it's this network's contention that his noggin actually dented the trophy. Which. Is. Awesome.  Here's the side view:

Welcome to YouTube infamy, sir.

Here's a hastily translated take from KSML.fi:

Lions' goalie coach Pasi Nurminen's descent from an airplane red carpet attracted perhaps the most attention and laughter.

As soon as stairs and hard tuuletusten after Nurminen legs betrayed over and the man fell directly on the red carpet was on top of World Cup trophy. Nurminen aircraft at Helsinki-Vantaa airport, escorted out of the coach Petri Matikainen.

San Jose Sharks goalie Antti Niemi saw the video of his countryman and told the Vancouver Sun:

[Niemi] had a good chuckle of the video in which a very happy Finnish goalie coach Pasi Nurminen face-planted on the tarmac after arriving home from Slovakia.

"It's been 16 years since the last time Finland won so I think they are going to take the most party out of it that they can," Niemi explained.

From what we saw in Helsinki after they won the gold to what we saw at the airport … we really need to party with the Finns.

Stick-tap to Mark Spector of Sportsnet.

On Monday's episode of Puck Daddy Radio, author Ross Bernstein ("The Code"; "Slap Shot Original") spoke about a book project he worked on with the late Derek Boogaard called "Meet The Boogey Man: Fighting My Way To the Top."

"Unfortunately, the book died with Derek," he said of Boogaard, the 28-year-old Minnesota Wild and New York Rangers enforcer who was found dead at on Friday in his Minneapolis apartment.

The interview runs about eight minutes and includes plenty of reflections on Boogaard's career, life and legacy. It also offers a rather chilling glimpse into Boogaard's multiple concussions as a fighter, and how they affected him.

From Bernstein:

"I remember one day last summer — and I never really told this story before — I was playing in a golf tournament and I got a call from him. And he said, 'Come get me.'

"I said, 'Well, I'm playing golf.'

"He said, 'I need you to come get me.'

"I said, 'Well, where are you?'

"He said, 'I don't know.' It turned out he was at a big home improvement store.

"It's amazing what these guys go through, and the pounding they take. … I don't know what the ultimate cause is going to be [in his death]. I'm hoping for the best. But I know it really took a toll on him."

Puck Daddy Radio is heard every weekday at 1 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT on The Score Sirius 158.

Walk around any city with an NHL playoff team, especially one as puck-mad as Montreal, and you'll see businesses displaying signs and slogans in support of the local hockey heroes.

It's what Fadl Issa, owner of Lebanese fast food Basha Restaurant on Drummond and Ste-Catherine, thought he was doing in placing a large banner on the side of his building — featuring a mustached man slicing shawarma while wearing a Montreal Canadiens jersey.

But the NHL thinks that enthusiasm is actually trademark infringement, and has demanded Issa pay $89,000 for his use of the Habs' logo and "Go Habs Go" slogan.

From CTV Montreal:

Issa quickly received a letter from an NHL lawyer telling him he was violating league copyrights and to remove the banner. At first, he simply painted over the Canadiens logo on the shawarma slicer's jersey, but another letter quickly followed in January telling Issa that "Go Habs Go" also represents a trademark.

So Issa painted over the message at the bottom of the banner, before finally deciding in March to simply take the banner down. Then, he received a letter from the NHL demanding $89,000, or $1,000 for every day the banner was up.

According to the Canadian Press, Issa pled his case to NHL lawyer Francois Larose, claiming that other merchants have used Canadiens signs and slogans. Instead, he was hit with the bill.

Is the NHL right or wrong here?

This isn't the first case in which the NHL has gone after a Canadian-based business for using team logos and slogans. In early May, Kingsway Honda in Vancouver was ordered to remove a Vancouver Canucks logo and a "Go Canucks Go" sign from its window. Which was odd, because Honda is the official car company of the NHL ...

The dealership refused to take down the entire display, removing the logo and a few letters so it read "GO 'Nucks GO" instead, which appeared to resolve the issue.

Issa removed his banner … but he told the CP he's not paying the NHL's fine.

"I said, 'Wow, to do publicity for the Canadiens costs you $89,000.' That's crazy, that's unbelievable," he said. "We cannot afford this kind of money and we're not going to pay it."

Blogger Alan Wexelblat sees this as the NHL "suing one of its biggest fans." He writes for Copyfight, a site that covers inequities in copyright law and enforcement, and opined:

Presumably, the NHL would like to do everything in its power to discourage enthusiastic fans because that strategy worked so well for the RIAA.

In anticipation of receiving my own cease-and-desist letter I will keep this entry devoid of any pictures of hockey, fans, jerseys, logos, or slogans that the NHL might think of as its Precious.

An argument can be made that if there is an official sponsorship relationship with a competing local business, then the trademark enforcement is valid — if one car dealership is paying to get its name on the boards at the rink, it shouldn't have the dealership down the road using logos to "support the team" (i.e. promote its product on the sly).

That doesn't seem to be the case in Montreal, unless there's an Official Shawarma of the NHL we haven't heard about.

Is there a difference between protecting trademarks from being used, say, on unofficially licensed knockoff products and protecting them when local businesses use them as Basha did? We'd say yes.

Does the Basha banner or the car dealership sign confuse the consumer into thinking the local team has endorsed that business? We'd say no.

The NHL and the Canadiens have every right to protect their brands; but in the end, does it hurt the brand more to be this seemingly petty about protecting it?

Image via Global News.

On Monday, Dan Boyle of the San Jose Sharks made some accusations about the Vancouver Canucks' heads "going back like they're being shot with a gun" in order to draw penalties.

Ah, but this wasn't the first (nor the last) time we're heard someone complaining about diving and/or embellishment in the 2010-11 NHL season.

Where does Boyle's complaint rank in our Top 10 Whines About Embellishment/Diving in the 2010-11 NHL Season?

Glad you asked.

10. Barry Trotz on the Vancouver Canucks

The Nashville Predators coach was angered over two plays in their Game 3 loss to the Canucks: a phantom high stick by Jerred Smithson that caused Roberto Luongo to dramatically recoil, and Ryan Kesler's stick-hold-turned-hooking-call against Shea Weber that led to the overtime game-winner.

Said Trotz:

"That's gamesmanship, and I understand that. It's also a little bit putting the referee in a tough spot. We have the best referees. If you're going to make them look bad, I don't think that's needed in the game."

Working the refs didn't work: Vancouver had three power plays to the Preds's two in Game 4.

9. Hockey Media on Alex Ovechkin

In a Jan. 24 game against the New York Rangers, the Washington Capitals star dramatically embellished at center ice, earning a diving call:

This prompted CSN Washington to put together the clip above and AOL FanHouse to wade into the murky waters of the Sidney/Ovi debate:

This isn't meant as an indictment of Ovechkin, who is a great talent and a great ambassador for the game. Instead, hopefully it causes some who support Ovechkin "over" Crosby to simmer down a bit.

Good luck with that.

8. Brad Marchand on the Montreal Canadiens

In March, the Bruins rookie was holding court with the media in the game following the 182-penalty-minute affair between Boston and Montreal. And he told them he wasn't really pleased with how the Habs would talk a big game but then embellish a call:

"They like to get in and shoot their mouths off and then when you hit them they'll dive down and fall easy," Bruins forward Brad Marchand told reporters after Tuesday's morning skate. "They get a lot of shots behind the play, and then they play it off like when we run them they didn't do anything to deserve it. That's the kind of team they are, they're pretty good at it."

Of course, no one remembered that trash talk after what occurred later that night.

7. Bruce Boudreau on Steven Stamkos

When he wasn't disparaging the good name of Madison Square Garden, Washington Capitals Coach Bruce Boudreau was going after Tampa Bay Lightning star Steven Stamkos and teammates for embellishment. From March:

"We don't like the way they dive every two seconds and they lead the league in power play attempts because they've got guys like [Steve] Downie -- even though he might not be playing tonight -- who if I was a referee I would never make a call on him ever because he dives every two seconds," Boudreau continued. "[Steven] Stamkos, dives every two seconds. You start to get a hatred on for guys like that. So, it will be interesting."

Also interesting: The Lightning needed only four games to end Boudreau's season.

6. Jack Edwards on Roman Hamrlik

In Game 3 between the Bruins and Montreal, NESN play by play man Jack Edwards was calling the frantic final minutes when Canadiens defenseman Roman Hamrlik attempted to draw a penalty.

Jack was having none of that, and actually bellowed "GET UP!" over the air:

An instant classic from one of the NHL's greatest homer announcers. Although we're saddened that he couldn't find a way to reference the Battle of Bunker Hill or another great moment in Revolutionary War history here.

5. Dan Boyle on the Vancouver Canucks

After a Game 1 loss created a slew of questions about the San Jose Sharks, defenseman and alternate captain Dan Boyle did what any veteran leader should do at a time of adversity: Change the conversation to the Canucks diving like the Hawkmen from "Flash Gordon."

From Sportsnet:

"Their heads are going back like they're being shot with a gun," he said of the reaction by Canucks players when they're met with a body check. "Hopefully the refs see it, most of the time. They got one right in the end at least, though unfortunately I had to go with him."

"Well, they're getting away with it, and it's working for them. So, if it's working why are you going to change it?" he asked. "We just hope the referees watch tape like we do, and they see some of the things other people have seen. There were a few questionable calls, that's for sure. Hopefully the referees pick it up more often than not."

"So Dan, about blowing those third period …"

"DIIIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVE!"

4. Mike Richards on the Pittsburgh Penguins

Last October, media relations guru and Philadelphia Flyers captain Mike Richards claimed it's difficult to play the Penguins because "they're gonna be falling down pretty easy," and that Penguins defenseman Ben Lovejoy allegedly took an "easy" fall on a slashing call assessed to Richards during the game.

Of course, those claims of embellishment took a backseat to the match Richards tried to make between Sidney Crosby and Dan Carcillo.

3. David Krejci on P.K. Subban

In April, the Boston Bruins center voiced his displeasure with Montreal Canadiens rookie P.K. Subban after the defenseman drew a hooking call in the first period of a 2-0 loss. From NESN:

"I barely touched him," Krejci said, according to WEEI.com, adding that he felt he was hooked later in the game when he had the puck, but it went uncalled.

Krejci was careful to speak too freely on his thoughts about Subban, but he did make one thing clear. "I don't like him," Krejci said of Subban, according to WEEI. "I'm not going to say what I think about him, but I don't like him. I think he didn't have to go down that easily."

A Bruin with outright loathing of a Montreal player? How odd.

2. Bob Murray on the Nashville Predators

The Anaheim Ducks GM unleashed one of the most memorable rants on diving during their opening round game against the Predators … in which he openly wondered if his team needed to start diving themselves.

From Ducks Blog:

While he made clear that he was not pleased with the Ducks' effort Sunday in their 4-3 Game 3 loss, Murray is disturbed by the Predators' maneuvers to gain power plays and said that "it's becoming soccer."

"It's become a tactic," he told the Register, speaking at the team's hotel. "I've watched enough. First things first. We have to have less passengers. We have too many passengers right now. But when you're playing a game and [there's] a constant stream to the penalty box because these guys are diving left and right … we have to start diving.

"I'd never thought I'd say this to my hockey team. We've got to start diving because it's working. It is working. They're getting power plays because of the diving. I can go through the list of players. You already know who they are. You've seen them. It's ridiculous."

"How do you hook a guy in this game and fall forward?" Murray asked aloud. "The penalty is a hook and the guy falls forward. When you get hooked, you don't fall forward. You go back. It's just ridiculous. But our guys are going to start doing it. That's what I'm telling them. It's working."

In the end, the Predators stayed on their skates long enough to advance to the semifinals.

And finally …

1. Colin Campbell on Marc Savard

The accusation wasn't made in 2010-11, but it came to light in Nov. 2010, which is good enough for us. NHL VP Colin Campbell, in the emails exposed by blogger Tyler Dellow, had the following rant to NHL director of officiating Stephen Walkom in 2007:

A bend in the road is a dead end if you round the corner and Dean Warren is standing there. Your answer re: his high stick calls and the score of the game were horse [bleep]. The 3rd call on [player] was while they were down 5 on 4 and on a def zone face off vs that little fake artist [player] I had him in [city] biggest faker going. And Warren fell for it when he grabbed his face on a face off. Your supposed to see the act, not call the embellishing act. Dean Warren has to go with [referee] There must be a way to get rid of this guy. Is there a way we can tract (sic) and total minors called by referees this year. We could then get the minors they call per game. ... or with 2 [referees on the ice] it is impossible? Warren and [referee] out of [club's] games. Give them to [referees].

The "biggest faker going" was later revealed as Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins.

It's one thing to have an opposing player or coach call you out for alleged embellishment.

But a League executive? That's deserving of No. 1 on this list. No fakin'.

As we wrote on Monday, many of the Boston Bruins' deficiencies in their Game 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning are assets that Patrice Bergeron brings to the ice: defensive competence, special teams play and above all else faceoff prowess.

His return from a "mild" concussion in Game 2 would be an undeniable boost for Bruins.

Question is: Will he return?

Bruins Blog said early Tuesday morning that he won't:

A source close to Patrice Bergeron told the Globe's Kevin Dupont that the center will not play tonight. Bergeron has skated the last three days. He participated in practice yesterday. Bergeron is expected to skate this morning. However, Bergeron has yet to take hard contact, which indicates he has not been cleared for game action. Bergeron could return later in the series.

But after Bruins practice on Tuesday, the "no" became a "maybe" according to Coach Claude Julien. From the post-practice media scrum:

Q.  Any update on Patrice and Lucic not skating this morning?  Looked like he took a puck yesterday.  Their availability for tonight?
COACH JULIEN:  As far as Bergeron was concerned, I think if he's in you're going to see him in the warm-up tonight.  And Lucic, no issues there at all.

Q.  If I can ask a follow-up.  Do you know whether he'll be in the lineup, and if you do know, is it a competitive advantage not to say this morning?
COACH JULIEN:  No comments.  Good try.

Q.  Can we go back to the Bergeron thing?  I'm just not sure...
COACH JULIEN:  No.  I think we need to move on to other things here.  I've got nothing else to say about Bergeron right now.  If we want to talk about the game, I'm open to that.  If not, I think we're done.

So when asked if there was a competitive advantage to keeping Bergeron's status a mystery, Julien answered "no comment," which is more refined than banging together two cymbals like a windup chimp scream "YES YES YES."

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

• Special Guest Star Part 1: Ken Campbell of The Hockey News on the Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg and the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

• What will the Winnipeg team be called if the Thrashers relocate there?

• Breaking down Game 2 between the Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

• The San Jose Sharks' Dan Boyle plays the diving card against the Canucks.

• Question of the day: Are diving and embellishing part of the game or an embarrassment?

• 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:

"Development" is the vague term we use to describe how hockey players move from potential to prospect to pro, and there's no perfect road to get from A to B to C. The Boston Bruins, in a popular move, opted to keep budding star Tyler Seguin up with the big club this year (despite occasional struggles), and we're still a long way from knowing if that was the right call or not.

In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the kid got into his first NHL playoff game, and in under 10 minutes of ice time, he managed a dazzler of a goal before complimenting that with an assist.

Most Boston fans are now officially frothing at the mouth in excitement -- even the local media want to see more of him.They want him on the power play. They're ready for him to take over the series for them.

But pull in the reins, B's fans.

The kid's not ready to be relied upon just yet.

As an improving player trying to keep up in a League you can't yet dominate, there's nothing you need less than added pressure and excess minutes. Heightened expectations can lead to corner-cutting bad habits as you do whatever you cannot to let people down, and you know it's good old-fashioned stats that they'll use to judge your success. Further still, extra minutes (especially after not playing in awhile) can wear you down, making you more susceptible to injury.

Bruins' coach Claude Julien seems to have a perfect pulse on Seguin's development, correctly connecting the dots between the pace at which they want him to improve with how the Philadelphia Flyers has brought along James vanRiemsdyk. For the B's trying to turn their prospect into a pro, Game 1 couldn't have gone much better — but that hardly means it's time to throw him to the wolves.

The taste of confidence that must've come with his big goal allows him to feel a part of the playoff run as a contributor, not just a hanger-on. And that's ideal to keep his head in the game while he's on the bench, where you want him to do a good chunk of his learning. It's good for him to feel that atmosphere, the energy, and to see the level of play he's expected to someday rise above if he ever wants to be a guy who can take over a playoff game.

Great players in the NHL (or any league) create the pace, which is something entirely different than keeping up to it, something you can see Seguin doggedly trying to do every shift (and I don't mean the speed of the skating — I mean the quickness with which you need to make reads, passes, and all that other good stuff). He can keep up physically, but when you're spending the bulk of your ice time working to keep up mentally, it can become a bit overwhelming.

Not that the level of play is remotely comparable, but I remember playing Minnesota-Duluth during my very first WCHA game and losing 8-2 (I was something like minus-4) — the next night, the rout was back on once again, and I was struggling to keep up, wondering if I'd ever be good enough to compete in that conference.

Yet as a scholarship guy, they kept giving me minutes, and all I managed to do with them was dig myself deeper and deeper into a mental hole. I needed to play, yes, but I needed some time to watch and learn, too.

If you're unable to live up to expectations — as I was that first season — it's easy to give yourself completely unproductive mental floggings, and the B's don't need Seguin starting down that path after getting off to such a great start in his first playoff game.

Julien wisely managed to keep him away from the Tampa Bay Lightning's best defensive pairing — his goal was dynamite, but Marc-Andre Bergeron and Mike Lundin aren't exactly the stingiest defensemen left in playoffs at this point.

It's best for him — for now — to have the chance to blow up guys like that until he gets where they want him to be. Another summer of training is going to make a world of difference.

When the Bruins have injuries, as they inevitably will throughout the rest of playoffs, Tyler Seguin can be a quality depth player with some offensive flair, which nicely compliments the rest of the B's gritty forwards. He can give them valuable minutes, further his development, and help propel his team towards the Stanley Cup Finals.

The last thing the kid needs is to be looked at as the Knight in Shining Armor who needs to swoop in and win Boston a Stanley Cup.

They haven't done that all year, and have no reason to start after just a single loss. Julien's too savvy to change courses with him now, and that's the way it needs to stay, regardless of how this series plays out.

I know we're all a little excited after Seguin's great playoff debut, and with good cause — the kid can play.

But pull back the reins a little. He's not ready to be play savior quite yet.

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.

• Paul Martin, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal attend a screening of "Trophy Wife" during the 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival aboard the Jettee Albert Edouard yacht. Please, no one tell Dr. Mark Recchi that Crosby may have visited a movie theater. Then again, we have no idea if he's still suffering from concussion effects because he's on vacation. Meanwhile, Ms. Sigler was also photographed with Max Talbot's fashion glasses. [Steel City Sports Fan]

• Is this really the end of the Atlanta Thrashers? [Bird Watchers Anonymous]

• Regarding the NHL's return to Winnipeg and the potential for relocation, Craig Custance writes: "This situation is far from settled, but multiple sources told Sporting News that the most likely scenario right now would be to keep Winnipeg in the Southeast for one season and then restructure the divisions in 2012. That would allow the situation in Arizona to play out, since Glendale, by authorizing a $25 million fund meant to cover the NHL-owned Coyotes' operating losses, has signed on to keep the team around for at least one more year." [Sporting News]

• Bruce Arthur explains the delicate emotions in Winnipeg, which has done this dance before. [National Post]

• Relocation's ripple effect for hockey in the Southeast. Interesting read. [United States of Hockey]

• ESPN Boston reports no Patrice Bergeron for the Boston Bruins in Game 2. Team still calls it a gametime decision. [ESPN Boston]

• If Tomas Kaberle continues to be a liability? Well, there's always Steve Kampfer! [Big Bad Blog]

• Boston Bruins legend Phil Esposito "could give one damn about Boston," and that "Tampa Bay is my home. The Lightning are like my child. I gave birth to it. It took everything I had physically and probably mentally." [Boston.com, via Kukla's Korner]

• Manny Malhotra's skating in full gear for the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. [Expletive's] getting real, yo. [The White Towel]

• The Sports Pickle examines the phenom that is the young goalie without a five-hole. "He struggled to skate, what with the webbed crotch," said Chenault's father, Rene, whose family carries the rare webbed crotch gene. "It's hard to take long strides. But then he went into the goal and it was magic." [Pickle]

• Why Jaromir Jagr should be wary of returning to Pittsburgh Penguins. And not just because it's a fairly significant distance from Atlantic City. [Sports Haze]

• This is why you read Elliotte Friedman: "If Brent Sutter hadn't survived in Calgary, would Lou Lamoriello have contacted him about going back to New Jersey? Not certain Sutter would want to go back, but guessing there would be a feeler." [CBC Sports]

• In case you missed it, the Carolina Hurricanes announced that Paul Maurice would remain as head coach next season and that Ron Francis would return to the front office. [N&O]

• The Shark Tank announces some increased security measures for San Jose Sharks home games in the finals. "Only small purses and baby bags will be permitted in HP Pavilion." Great, now where are we going to stash our metal briefcase full of bomb making materials? [Sharks]

• If you've not gotten your fill of Bourne Tuesday, here's his take on the death of Derek Boogaard and how he reexamined his coverage because of it: "When I read that Derek Boogaard died — and very possibly due to something that could be related to mental issues (I won't get too into that whole thing since we don't know anything yet, it's just one of the possibilities that made me take a look in the mirror) — I realized it's very likely that I never once typed, or said a nice word about the guy." [Bourne]

• The Top 10 saves of the second round of the playoffs. [HOTH]

• Has anyone seen a "Dany Heatley" in these playoffs? Besides when he unleashed an untimely elbow in the third period of Game 1? [RLD]

• Maggie the Monkey ain't got nuthin' on Jimmy the Bookie Cat.

• The Alaska Aces are having a pretty remarkable run at the Kelly Cup in the ECHL. "The Aces have not lost a game since April 1, they have not lost consecutive games since February 2 and 4 at Victoria, and in their last 38 games they have gone a ridiculous 33-4-1. [Anchorage Daily News, via McCart13]

• Not exactly sunny news about Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Pavel Kubina and his "upper body injury," from Guy Boucher: "He's not with us. He's not even here, so the update is not very good." [Lightning Strikes]

• "Sunrise Sports & Entertainment announced today the Florida Panthers Summer Blueprint Tour, a new program that will bring fans and new business prospects face-to-face with Cats GM Dale Tallon or other personalities and executives during a variety of local events including luncheons, golf outings, rink appearances, public park visits, and more." [Panthers]

• Columbus Blue Jackets blog makes its pitch for Jason Spezza of the Ottawa Senators. [The Cannon]

• Foreclosures and the NHL, Vol. 1: TMZ reports that Luc Robitaille and his wife stopped paying the mortgage on their Santa Monica, Calif., home, and that the bank has filed foreclosure documents asking for "remaining balance of $957,245.85 -- along with late charges and other stuff." Yes, "other stuff." [TMZ]

• Foreclosures and the NHL, Vol. 2: The Carolina Hurricanes practice facility has been foreclosed and could be shuttered next month. [News and Observer]

• The Puck Buddys note that the Washington Capitals are holding "Red Rocker" tryouts in July, and have a problem with the reaction to the last time a man made the squad. [Puck Buddys, Strong Language Warning]

• Finally, via the Kurtenblog, the Stanley Cup of Beer Bongs. Now, would it be a jinx for a player to drink from that before winning one? [Kurtenblog]

The Philadelphia Flyers' season came to an end 11 days ago and that's how long it's taken for the NHL to announce a suspension for Dan Carcillo.

Carcillo has been banned from the first two games of the 2011-12 regular season after conduct towards the officials between periods of Game 4 against the Boston Bruins.

From the NHL:

National  Hockey  League  Senior  Vice President of Hockey Operations Mike Murphy reached the decision following a hearing into the matter on May 13.  The hearing was conducted pursuant to article 18.1 (on-ice discipline) and  18.2  (off-ice discipline) of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, NHL By-Law  17 and Article 6 of the NHL Constitution as a result of an incident outside  of  the  officials'  locker  room following the first period and a verbal confrontation with linesman Brian Murphy at the players' bench prior to the start of the second period.

"Between  the  first and second period, while off ice and outside the officials'  locker  room,  Mr.  Carcillo engaged in aggressive behavior and inappropriate  conduct  directed at the officials," said Murphy. "While Mr. Carcillo acknowledged in the hearing that he regrets his actions outside of the officials' room, there can be no defense for his conduct.

"I  also  reviewed  the  verbal  confrontation  between  Carcillo and linesman  Brian  Murphy  at  the  players'  bench prior to the start of the second  period  and  have  determined that, while the verbal abuse may have been worthy of a penalty, there is no evidence that Carcillo's action merit supplemental discipline," concluded Murphy.

Carcillo will serve the two-game suspension as either a member of the Flyers or a new team given his restricted free agent status this summer. He was called for cross-checking penalties in the first and second periods of Game 4, with the first resulting in a Boston power-play goal en route to its 5-1 series-clinching win.

Of course, one could put on the tinfoil hat and believe that the suspension could really be for Carcillo's infamous tweet from last Friday night (NSFW unless you work in the porn industry or have a really laid back boss). Considering the James Wisniewski suspension and social media talk at the GMs meetings this year, it'll be interesting to see how the NHL handles players using social media over the next couple of years.

But while the timing of the suspension announcement seems odd, the NHL was in no rush to deliver a decision with the Flyers' season coming to an end that night.

Is it hockey blasphemy to bestow the "Grind Line" label to a collection of three players who aren't wearing the Winged Wheel?

Perhaps. But what about when that trio is constructed by a Detroit Red Wings legend?

The fact is that Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman put the pieces in place for the most productive depth line in the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs; and Sean Bergenheim, Dominic Moore and Steve Downie have provided the same sort of postseason heart as the Maltby/Draper/McCarty troika would for champions of Red Wings' past.

He got Bergenheim last summer for one year and $700,000; he's responded with a playoff-leading eight goals. He got Dominic Moore for two years and $2.2 million; he has nine points in the playoffs. Downie was a carryover from the previous regime, but Yzerman locked him up for two years and $3.7 million last summer; he has 10 assists and is a plus-9, playing both with the grinders and up with the Vinnys and Martys of the world during the playoffs.

But beyond their offensive production are their minutes: Moore is averaging 18:41 per game, fourth among Lightning forwards. He and Bergenheim are the second unit on the best penalty kill still playing in the postseason.

From Y! Sports columnist Nick Cotsonika's piece on Yzerman, the GM compares Grind Lines before the Lightning and Boston Bruins play Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday night:

"The players that I played with in Detroit, they were all extremely competitive guys," Yzerman said. "Your third- and fourth-line players all have to chip in and contribute. … You look through the course of a playoff, the injuries that you suffer, guys that play 10 minutes a game might be playing 15 minutes a game, and guys that play 15 might be playing 20, and that's been the case for our club. The more depth you have, the stronger players you have, you're going to need them, and that's how you advance."

But there's also something intangible about a line like this. From the Tampa Tribune, coach Guy Boucher:

"It's important for the Bergenheims and the Moores and the Downies to understand that the hustling, their reliability defensively, their first-on-puck and the way they battle and bulldoze around the net is key to our team," Lightning coach Guy Boucher said, "not just because they score goals, but mostly because they inspire the rest of the team also.''

As Red Wings GM Ken Holland once said about the Grind Line: "If you're going to win come playoff time, you need skill, you need character, but you also need people who are willing to go to the trenches and do the dirty work."

Yzerman's version of the Grind Line encompasses all of that. It's been a revelation.

The hesitation to buy into Tyler Seguin was understandable. One game. One admittedly spectacular goal. One stirring debut for in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Boston Bruins, but it could have been a one-hit wonder.

Some didn't want to chastise Claude Julien's decision to scratch the kid like a rash for 12 games, allowing his power play to fumble and bumble while Seguin's playmaking hands sat idle.

Some declared "the kid's not ready to be relied upon just yet." Some playfully referred to those desirous to see the 19-year-old in the lineup as "Seguinistas."

In Game 2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Seguin proved the doubters wrong and rewarded his true believers. Four points and a plus-3 in 13:31 of ice time in the Bruins' chaotic 6-5 win over the Bolts to even the series.

His four points in a period tied an NHL rookie playoff record. He now has six points in his first two playoff games, which ties the debut totals for Jean Beliveau and Dale Hawerchuk, one point behind Barry Pederson's 1982 record of seven.

He said he found his confidence in his first playoff game. In his second playoff game, he found the defining moment of his young NHL career.

At 48 seconds into the second period, on his fifth shift of the game, Seguin tied it 2-2:

The Bruins get a turnover from the Lightning "Grind Line," and Michael Ryder sent a pass to Seguin between the defenders. Victor Hedman lunged for him and couldn't knock the puck away, earning a delayed penalty. Randy Jones was flat-out beaten. Dwayne Roloson was the last line of defense, and only he knows why he was schooled by the kid.

At 6:30, after David Krejci scored at 2:24 to give Boston the lead, Seguin made it 4-2:

Adam McQuaid gets this play going, springing the 2-on-1, but check out the way Seguin helps set it up giving Nathan Horton space and then motoring into the zone. The pass came early, as If Horton wanted to give the gunslinger his shot. Clark dove like a shortstop trying to stop a speeding grounder; Seguin roofed it for his second of the game.

Later, with Vinny Lecavalier in the box for hooking, Tomas Kaberle fed Seguin for the one-timer. His shot was deflected by Michael Ryder off Roloson; Ryder collected the rebound and cashed it in … with Clark standing there, helpless. That made it 5-3 at 16:16 of the third.

It was around this time when the "Ty-ler Se-guin!" chants were audible around the Garden. But the kid wasn't done.

With less than a minute in the second, Seguin came rocketing off the bench to break up a St. Louis outlet pass. After making a play to keep the puck alive in the offensive zone, Seguin found himself with the puck on the boards and his back to the play.

So he did what any 19-year-old in his second Stanley Cup Playoff game would do, which is to send a blind backhand pass to the slot.

It found Chris Kelly, whose soft shot was saved by Roloson, but Ryder was there for the rebound goal. Again, with Clark standing there, helpless. The Bruins had a 6-3 lead.

That was the goal that chased Roloson, the backbone of the Lightning for 12 postseaon games, the guy with the eight-game winning streak, the guy who hadn't given up six goals since Feb. 17.

A four-point night for the rookie; and after Tim Thomas had some third-period heroics, a victory for the Bruins.

It was a different Seguin than Bruins fans had seen in the pros. He called it a "learning curve"; but the fact is that he played with a ferocity and dominance he hadn't shown in the NHL. Hell, the guy even looks like a different person now (Playoff Seguin on left):

Was he motivated by Julien's decision to keep him out of the series?

"I tried to take everything in and learn as much as I can," he said. "Whenever I face adversity, I try to take a negative and turn it into a positive."

Seguin wears No. 19 in honor of Steve Yzerman, the GM of the Lightning, but didn't meet his idol until two years ago. Yzerman was scouting for the Detroit Red Wings and Seguin was a 17-year-old NHL prospect.

"I wanted to get on my knees and ask for an autograph," Seguin told OilersNation, "but I tried to stay humble and be as professional as I could."

Yzerman may not ask for his autograph. But in his 13 minutes on the ice in Game 2, Seguin humbled his idol's team.

With the Boston Bruins leading 6-4 in the third period of Game 2 in the Eastern Conference finals, Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman nearly scored a goal, the puck sliding across the goal line.

Then Dominic Moore did score one … right off of Tim Thomas' head, man.

Thomas could be heard over VERSUS airwaves exclaiming, "No whistle with the helmet?!" He went to the bench with blood over his left eye after the collision in front.

Did he know the puck went off his noggin? Thomas said after the game: "I haven't seen the replay. I've been told that the puck went off my head.  But I didn't even realize it.  At that point I was trying to find it, I think."

So was it the right call by the refs to keep the play going with the Bruins goalie sans lid?

The rule in question can be found in "Section 9.5 - Protective Equipment" of the NHL rulebook:

Bruins coach Claude Julien said after the 6-5 victory that the refs got this one correct:

"They gave me the right explanation.  You're supposed to blow the whistle when the goalie's mask comes off.  But if they're in the scoring position, the referee has the discretion to let it go.  And they felt they were in the scoring position.  And then so they didn't blow the whistle.

"So for me it was understanding it, because when you look back at the replay, the helmet's off for a while, and I was hoping that they would have blown it earlier, but it was the right call."

Thomas made six saves after this odd goal, preserving the victory in what Tampa coach Guy Boucher called a "pond hockey" game — an appropriate description for any contest involving a goal scored off a keeper's face, we think.

No. 1 Star: Tyler Seguin, Boston Bruins

It was a history-making performance for the Bruins rookie in only his second Stanley Cup Playoff game. Seguin scored 2 goals and assisted on two others in a 4-point second period, powering Boston to a wild 6-5 Game 2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

No. 2 Star: Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins

It wasn't an easy night for Thomas, who gave up five goals and had a puck allegedly bounce off his face in the third period. But he made some huge stops throughout Game 2, including 13 saves in the third period, to secure the win for Boston and deadlock the series at 1-1.

No. 3 Star: Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay captain had a 4-point night in the loss, scoring a power-play goal in the second period and assisting on goals by Adam Hall, Martin St. Louis and Dominic Moore.

Honorable mention: Michael Ryder had two goals and an assist, his first goals since Game 4 against the Canadiens. … Huzzah! The Bruins scored two power-play goals after scoring two in their first 41 chances of the postseason, and Tomas Kaberle (!) had assists on both. … Steven Stamkos scored his fifth of the playoffs, while Marty St. Louis scored his seventh; both players assisted on Lecavalier's goal, while Stamkos had another assist for a 3-point night. … Finally, this passing play that resulted in a David Krejci goal was a thing of beauty:

Did you know? Patriots coach Bill Belichick waved and smiled to the crowd when shown on the video screen beside girlfriend Linda Holliday. (AP)

Dishonorable mention: Dwayne Roloson was pulled after giving up six goals on 27 shots in 40 minutes, the first time he had given up over three goals in a playoff game this season. … Johnny Boychuk was a minus-3. … Ryan Malone had three minor penalties for the Bolts.

Conn Smythe Watch: 1. Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canuck; 2. Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning; 3. Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins; 4. Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks; 5. Sean Bergenheim, Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Dwayne Roloson, Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Ryane Clowe, San Jose Sharks; 8. Devin Setoguchi, San Jose Sharks; 9. Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks; 10. Nathan Horton, Boston Bruins.