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.
• So the Phoenix Coyotes begin their postseason tonight against the Detroit Red Wings with this hanging over their heads: FAN 590 hosts Nick Kypreos and Doug MacLean claimed they heard last night from different sources that the deal with Glendale was "all but dead" and that the Coyotes will relocate to Winnipeg next season. Y! Sports' Nick Cotsonika received the following from NHL VP Bill Daly: "NHL dep commish Bill Daly said it was 'totally untrue' that league has decided to move Coyotes to WPG after playoffs, as one report said." In any event, maybe the TSN Jets-o-Meter need to move more in line with the JetsOwner.com Jets-o-Meter (inset). [FAN 590, and more Daly denial]
• John Shannon, also of Sportsnet: "As per Kypreos/MacLean, was told today that Hulsizer's deal in Phx was 'like a terminal patient.'" [@JSportsnet]
• Sen. John McCain wants a mediator to get involved in this, saying he's "very concerned." [KTAR]
• Meanwhile, on the TSN/Sportsnet front, it appears someone won the race for the tsnradio1050.com URL in Toronto … and it wasn't TSN.
• Chris Pronger is likely out for Game 1 of the Philadelphia Flyers' series vs. Buffalo, but Mike Richards simply missed practice because of a head cold. [CSN Philly]
• George Malik is all over the surprise scratch of Mike Modano by the Detroit Red Wings today. [Malik]
• Check out what Lambert and our boy Chemmy are doing for charity. Yes, that's me in the middle. No, I don't imagine I was sober at that point in the Puck Daddy NYC Party. [eBay]
• Breaking down the Tampa Bay Lightning vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins: " I don't expect Crosby, who has an upper-body injury (concussion), to play in this series or any other series this playoff season, though Lightning coach Guy Boucher isn't counting him out, to the media or his team, which is very smart gamesmanship for a first-time Stanley Cup playoffs coach. Keep them frosty, know what I mean?" [Bolts Report]
• Very nice story about Sidney Crosby's impact off the ice, and another reminder that NHL players are just quality individuals. [Morning Journal]
• John Tortorella is asked about his suspension the last time the Capitals and Rangers met in the Stanley Cup Final, and gives the expected answer. [Capitals Insider]
• "John Tavares has committed to participate in the 2011 IIHF World Championships to be held from April 29th to May 15th in Bratislava and Košice, Slovakia." [Islanders]
• You'll be seeing more of Doughnuts against the San Jose Sharks. [LA Kings Insider]
• Fantastic take by Mike Heika on why Marc Crawford was turfed by the Dallas Stars: "Joe Nieuwendyk honestly believes that Marc Crawford has done a ton of good things, but it became very clear that the players didn't respond to his style of coaching in very big games this season. So, then, the question begins if that was a short-term deal or a long-term deal? If it can't be fixed, then it was best to just make a hard decision and move forward in a different direction. Nieuwendyk decided this one couldn't be fixed." [Dallas Stars Blog]
• From the Dept. of Uh-Oh, Brad Richards on re-signing with the Dallas Stars: "There's been a little chatter, but it's always come back to if I am going to sign and there's no ownership, I am still kind of hesitant. … And there may not be ownership by the time I have to make a decision." [ESPN Dallas]
• The Kurtenbloggers break down the Vancouver Canucks vs. the Chicago Blackhawks match up. [KB]
• The 20 burning questions about the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and yet none involve the words "Habs fans" and "effigy." [THN]
Very nice look at the Anaheim Ducks vs. the Nashville Predators. [On the Forecheck]
• Why having a higher seed may not mean everything in the Stanley Cup playoffs. [NHL]
• As if things weren't intense enough between the Blackhawks and Canucks, now we have a mullet fight. [Deadspin]
• Speaking of Patrick Kane, a great bit by Ian Walker on the divisive Chicago Blackhawks star. [Sun]
• Finally, Gary Bettman has a lot of balls.