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.
• Zdeno Chara and Andrew Ference get their Jack and Rose on. You know, if the Boston Bruins end up blowing this lead, the Titanic jokes have now written themselves. Also, had Chara actually been on the ocean liner that fateful night, he puts the boat back to together and seals the hull with his heat vision. Which we assume he has. [Instagram, via Ritch Duncan]
• James van Riemsdyk practices (yea!), Nicklas Grossmann is injured (boo!). [CSN Philly]
• Zac Rinaldo won't be suspended for taking liberties with Zbynek Michalek of the Penguins in Game 4. He will, presumably, earn a few new female fans for these cell phone shots (somewhat NSFW) that surfaced on the Web. Don't worry — he doesn't go the full Tlusty. [Busted Coverage]
• Rinaldo on his hit: "I don't regret doing it. I play with my emotions," Rinaldo said. "I don't think I put my team down. It was already 9-3 when I went out there. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I was really frustrated that we were getting blown out of the water, so I took matters into my own hands." [Philly.com]
• Five reasons why Flyers fans should be confident right now, and five reasons why it's all gone to hell. [Broad Street Hockey]
• The St. Louis Blues expect to have their same lineup again for Game 4, but the San Jose Sharks are slotting in Michal Handzus and Brad Winchester for the first time in the playoffs. [CSN Bay Area]
• Dustin Byfuglien's boating while intoxicated charge will be decided by a jury in July, as his lawyer can't work out a settlement. Suggested headline: "BOATS AND WOES." [Winnipeg Free Press]
• The Syracuse Crunch announced Thursday that Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney has proclaimed that Eastern Standard time zone (EST) will now be known as Crunch Time (CT), in honor of the club's return to the Calder Cup Playoffs on Friday, April 20, 2012. [Syracuse Crunch]
• Emanuel Kuvakos, 56, was arrested Tuesday night and charged with three counts of misdemeanor harassment by electronic means after he sent harassing emails to Chicago Blackhawks CEO John McDonough, claiming that he stole his ideas to win a championship. McDonough reportedly denied the accusations, saying "No, wait, actually the Brian Campbell and Cristobal Huet contracts were totally this guy's idea…" [Chicago Tribune]
• Kevin Delury doesn't like what he heard from New York Rangers Coach John Tortorella Thursday: "Not sure how Torts can sit there with a straight face and say they played a pretty good game last night. What aspect of their dormant offense could he have been happy about? Yes, I know that both Sens wins were in OT and could have easily gone the Rangers way, but that should make Blueshirts fans that much more upset because if they were playing even half as well as they did all season the Rangers could have easily swept Ottawa out of the playoffs already." [NYR Blog]
• Daniel Alfredsson is working out, but there's been no change in his status. [QMI]
• Joel Quenneville said there's no change in Marian Hossa's condition: "Spoke to him yesterday and he's feeling the same as the last two days. I'm not going to go any further with it than where we are today." [Blackhawks]
• Adam Proteau on "You Can Play." [THN]
• Wayne Gretzky on the aggression in this year's playoffs: "It was just sort of honest, hard, rough-nosed hockey, and it's changed — there's no question — the players are bigger and faster and stronger today than they were when we played, and obviously there's a lot at stake playing for a Stanley Cup, and emotions are definitely really high and subsequently you're going to have issues. I think the league is trying to do their best to curtail all the unnecessary stuff in between whistles and things that are going on behind the play. And you know what? The bottom line is you got to win the hockey game. That's where it hurts the most, not cross-checking the guy in the face. It's winning the hockey game that hurts players the most." [Sports Radio Interviews]
• Mike Babcock believes the Detroit Red Wings haven't been outplayed despite being down 3-1 to the Nashville Predators. [Malik Report]
• The Devils and Panthers have a ratings blockbuster … but there's a reason for it. [Puck The Media]
• Scott Clemmensen, 5-0 in his career against his former team, starts Game 4 against the Devils. [On Frozen Pond]
• What will the Boston Bruins do with Nicklas Backstrom out? Pretty much the same stuff they did in Game 3. [Capitals Insider]
• The Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets will face off in the Baltimore Hockey Classic in September, an event famous for being the only time NHL players are surrounded by more crabs than a night at the Roxy. [Jackets]
• Dave Shoalts on trading Roberto Luongo: "The Toronto Maple Leafs are also in the conversation since GM Brian Burke is always watching whenever a prominent player is up for grabs. There is a poisonous relationship between Burke and his right-hand man Dave Nonis, who are both former Canucks GMs, and the current Vancouver boss, Mike Gillis, thanks to hard feelings about how Nonis was fired by the Canucks." [Globe & Mail]
• Karen M. on the way the Chicago Blackhawks came off after the Raffi Torres hit: "In a week where we've seen a lot of childish behavior from captains, coaches, reporters, fans, etc. I've never been more proud of my team, my coach and my captain. Do I want to win this series? Damn right I do. Last year the Seabrook hit was a rallying point for the Blackhawks and hopefully this one will be as well. But you know what? I'll take losing with dignity if it comes down to it." [Not Another Hockey Blog]
• Finally, via The 700 Level and Hot Clicks, a drunk Flyers fan vs. a mechanical bull.