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.
• Germany shocks Russia at the IIHF World Championships, 2-0, having gone 32 games at Worlds without a win against them. Among the Russians on that squad: Ilya Kovalchuk. Boy, when it rains ... [Y! Sports]
• Sidney Crosby tells reporters that he suffered a concussion symptom-related setback in his comeback, but that he's optimistic about playing next season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Frustrating news, to be sure. [Post Gazette]
• NHL.com selling Stamkos as a surrogate for Sidney in battle with Alex Ovechkin. [NHL.com]
• Tampa Bay Lightning Coach Guy Boucher on the Washington Capitals: "I know that if they lose this, for them it's a huge failure." [Capitals Insider]
• In praise of the Detroit Red Wings grinders, including the soon-to-be-40 Kris Draper. [NY Times]
• Mark Purdy makes his pick: "In the first round against L.A., the Sharks could also give up a four-goal lead and still come from behind to win. Against the Red Wings in a series of No-Houdini Hockey, that will not work. It'll be the Sharks in seven. But with a very nervous rabbit inside the hat." [Mercury News]
• Jesse Spector on Sean Avery's season with the New York Rangers: "If Avery is back with the Rangers next season — Tortorella said on breakup day, 'I don't know where it sits with Sean' — he has to be himself, because this season, he wasn't, and while he still trod a regular path to the penalty box, he did not validate those sin bin sessions with contributions on the ice." [NYDN]
• Recapping the Buffalo Sabres press conference today, including Lindy Ruff's contract extension for multiple years. [Die By The Blade]
• Tom Gaglardi is in talks to buy the Dallas Stars. GM Joe Nieuwendyk is in a holding pattern. Brad Richards goes UFA on July 1. The waiting is the hardest part. [Dallas Morning News]
• Your next Dallas Stars head coach: Kirk Muller, according to Pat Hickey. "Gauthier ducked a question about assistant coach Kirk Muller, but he'll be moving to the Dallas Stars. His appointment as head coach is on hold while the team awaits a new group of owners" [Gazette, via Defending Big D]
• Extortion? Check. Hookers? Check. An unnamed employee of an American hockey team at the heart of the scandal? Check. [Calgary Herald]
• Spector on the Montreal Canadiens and what could be wholesale changes for their blue line. [THN]
• Scott Gomez: "I feel I have let my teammates down." Not-so-much his accountant. [QMI]
• Wondering what happened to Patrick Kane this season? He said he returned from an ankle injury too soon in December. [Chicago Tribune]
• Steven Ovadia on the Philadelphia Flyers: "Last year, the Flyers often felt like a playoff team that couldn't be stopped, Chicago Blackhawks excluded. One round into the playoffs, and once again winning in spite of serious goaltending issues, the Flyers have that unstoppable vibe once again. And this time, there are no Blackhawks around to stop them." [Puck Update]
• Peter Laviolette on Chris Pronger for Round 2: "It was pretty darn good and having him back out there was just…he calms things down. He makes little plays. He agitates a little bit and irritates a little bit. He helps on the power play and does so many good things for us to get him back in there. He's only going to get stronger now as time moves on." [Sports Radio Interviews]
• We're in awe of this, and secretly wish it was Jyrki Lumme.
• How Barry Trotz's Round 1 victory with the Nashville Predators changed his reputation for the better. [Kennedy]
• "Police in Saskatoon confirm that a man accused of an on-ice assault in an adult hockey game is a 15-year veteran of the force." Ouch. [CTV]
• A nearly line-for-line rebuttal of Blades of Teal's Los Angeles Kings Eulogy. [Jewels From The Crown]
• How a stockbroker can better enjoy the Stanley Cup Playoffs. [Benzinga]
• NHL stars attend the Royal Wedding in Photoshop form. [Houses Of The Hockey]
• Finally, this was the scene after Game 7 against the Blackhawks in Vancouver. Not the Olympics post-gold medal, but same sort of vibe:
Canucks 2011 Cup Run from Kenan Hafi on Vimeo.