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've often said the Stanley Cup Playoffs are like a religious experience. Check out some great coverage of the Nashville Predators returning home to happy fans and interviews on the tarmac via Preds On The Glass. [Preds On The Glass]
• Chris Higgins is hurt but expects to play in Game 6 for Vancouver. Jerred Smithson will be back for the Preds. Also, Vancouver is shaking up their D pairings. [Vancouver Sun]
• How did the Predators take Game 5 against the Vancouver Canucks and score four goals in the process? From the Kurtenblog: "The Preds can't reinvent themselves and start playing firewagon hockey; that'd be like showing up to a drag race in a Dodge Stratus. What they can do, though, is be more daring in trying to take the puck away from Vancouver." [KB]
• When Mike Fisher met the Green Men and their fake Carrie Underwood. [Slam Sports]
• Does the Patrice Bergeron injury mean curtains for the Boston Bruins in the conference finals? Stanley Cup of Chowder's not buying it: "During the regular season, the Bruins were 44 goals better than the Tampa Bay Lightning. If Bergeron misses the entire series, it will make Boston's job somewhat harder, but they remain a better team by a fairly good margin." [SCOC]
• Chris Pronger of the Philadelphia Flyers will soon learn if he'll need a fourth surgery in 10 months, this time on his back. Talk about the goalies all you want — that absence is the primary reason the Flyers went out in four to Boston. [NHL.com]
• Great piece by Scott Hockey that shows New York Rangers winger Sean Avery's activism and off-ice work in the community goes far beyond his advocacy for marriage equality. [Scotty Hockey]
• Jay "Hockey Sucks" Mohr returns to host the 2011 NHL Awards in Las Vegas. Canned quote: "I am really excited to return to Las Vegas for the 2011 NHL Awards in June. I had a great time hosting the event last year and look forward to celebrating this season's top hockey performances -- and the chance to poke a little fun, too." [NHL]
• Hey, remember our gallery of Beer League jerseys (a second edition of which will run this week)? Well, the CHL Dayton Gems were so inspired by it that they've decided to hold a Beer League Night next season. "At the end of voting, the Gems will then invite the team with the winning jersey design to Dayton to watch the Gems play in the replica jerseys. The winning team will also be playing against the Megacity Hockey Club during the first intermission." [Gems]
• Is Joel Ward a star in the making or a flash in the pan? [PHT]
• "Nikolai Khabibulin is no longer a good goaltender. He hasn't been for quite some time, but his performance last season was truly abominable." So Copper & Blue spells out what the repercussions would be if the Edmonton Oilers opted for The Bulin Buyout. [Copper & Blue]
• Mirtle dives into the issue of embellishment in the playoffs. [Globe & Mail]
• After Jeremy Roenick's "gutless" slam on Patrick Marleau, a San Jose Sharks blog looks back at Roenick's tenure in teal: "If one thing is clear from the anger and frustration Roenick displayed in his comments last night it is this-- Jeremy Roenick doesn't just care about his broadcasting career. He cares a great deal about his legacy and reputation as one of the greatest American born hockey players to ever play the game. A legacy that unfortunately lives on without a Stanley Cup. And a legacy that now includes one more city where he set fire to at least a few more bridges after he had left town." [Fear The Fin]
• "History Will Be Made" by the Detroit Red Wings in Game 5. Still don't believe a 2-goal deficit in the third period means an "incredible" comeback, but whatevs.
• How banged up was Mike Richards during the Philadelphia Flyers' postseason? Wrist surgery is expected. [700 Level]
• Ouch from Panaccio: "How embarrassing that David Krejci's line with Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton single-handedly outscored the entire Flyers roster in the series with eight goals, 11 assists for 19 points." [CSN Philly]
• The U.S. was upset by already-eliminated Switzerland, 5-3, at the IIHF world championships, and will now face defending champion Czech Republic in the quarterfinals after finishing fourth in Group F. In a related story, Patrick Kane, Phil Kessel, Jonathan Quick, Keith Yandle, Brandon Dubinsky, Erik Johnson, Ron Hainsey, Matt Niskanen and Alex Goligoski all had a bacon cheeseburger this weekend. [Y! Sports]
• On Doug Gilmour drafting Tie Domi's son. [Buzzing The Net]
• Finally, this gal's little bro almost pulls off the perfect Jack Edwards … but c'mon, not a single reference to the Revolutionary War?