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It's a Thursday edition of Marek vs. Wyshynski beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, and we're talking about the following and more:

Special Guest Stars: Sportsnet’s Gene Principe joins MvsW live from Chicago to talk about the Cup Final and the Oilers’ personnel changes

• Breaking down the Chicago Blackhawks' win in Game 1 over the Boston Bruins.

• The Evgeni Malkin contract and its ripples.

• The Vancouver Canucks' coaching vacancy.

• TV ratings

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Getty ImagesHey, remember Andrei Kostitsyn?

The last time we saw AK-46 in the NHL was May 7, 2012, as a member of the Nashville Predators in a playoff game against the Phoenix Coyotes. That was the same postseason in which he infamously broke curfew with Alexander Radulov.

As the NHL lockout began, Kostitsyn decided to take his talents to the KHL as an unrestricted free agent. He signed with Traktor Chelyabinsk, and that’s where he’s staying – inking a one-year deal to remain in the KHL next season.

From Belta:

Andrei Kostitsyn has signed a new contact with HC Traktor Chelyabinsk with which he reached the 2012/2013 Gagarin Cup final. Though the contract has not yet been officially registered in the KHL, the deal has been settled and no changes are expected, Yevgeny Tsybuk is quoted as saying to the Russian media. The details of the new one-year contract have not been revealed.

In the latest championship (the regular season and the playoff) Andrei Kostitsyn made 67 outings in the HC Traktor Chelyabinsk colors earning 31 (16+15) points. He also collected 92 penalty minutes and had the plus-minus ratio of +17

Andrei Kostitsyn, 28, could return to the National Hockey League (NHL) in which his younger brother plays. HC Florida Panthers was interested in signing the former Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators player.

We’re not sure if the Panthers’ interest in Andrei Kostitsyn is recent or a reference to last season’s training camp invitation. But there might have been interest in him had he decided to head back to the NHL.

One more note from that article: Kostitsyn missed some practices and was “was excluded from the Belarusian national team prior to the 2014 Sochi Olympics qualification.” Never chance, AK-46.

s/t Linda Sparks for the tip

Getty ImagesThe NHL entered the 2013 Stanley Cup Final knowing that the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins were going to be a ratings smash in the U.S., based on the strength of the local viewership numbers and the attention this Original Six battle was getting nationally.

So how big was Game 1? Here’s Paulsen of Sports Media Watch with the great news for hockey:

Game 1 of the Bruins/Blackhawks NHL Stanley Cup Final earned a 4.8 overnight rating on NBC Wednesday night, up 100% from Kings/Devils Game 1 last year (2.4), and up 50% from Bruins/Canucks Game 1 in 2011 (3.2).

The 4.8 is the highest overnight for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final since Red Wings/Flyers on FOX in 1997 (5.1), and the third-highest Game 1 overnight since the final returned to broadcast television in 1995. Only Panthers/Avalanche Game 1 in 1996 (5.2) and the aforementioned Red Wings/Flyers game earned better numbers.

It was also the highest-rated non-clinching Stanley Cup Final game since Game 5 of the 2000 Final between the Dallas Stars and the New Jersey Devils (5.3), whom you’ll recall repelled audiences with their defensive style and killed interest in the NHL. File that under “hockey myths.”

Interesting, locally in Chicago, that Game 1 vs. Boston was up 49 percent over Game 1 vs. the Philadelphia Flyers in 2011. Is that the Blackhawks’ bandwagon expanding exponentially, or the NHL’s?

Meanwhile, the man behind the NHL’s success on NBC has had enough with anonymous critics of the divisive man inside the glass, Pierre McGuire.

Sam Flood, the executive producer for NBC’s fantastic coverage of the NHL, recently spoke with Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated about the Stanley Cup Final, and was asked about McGuire being a “polarizing” broadcaster.

Said Flood:

"I consider Pierre to be the gold standard, the position of being inside the glass was created because of Pierre. His skill set is uniquely suited to telling stories on air. His knowledge of the game and background

Getty ImagesLet’s get the big question out of the way first, as Evgeni Malkin commits to the Pittsburgh Penguins for eight additional seasons at $76 million, beginning in 2015 and running through 2022:

Is he making more money than Sidney Crosby?

The answer is “no,” technically, because as Rob Rossi points out Crosby is making $10.6 million on average in the first nine years of his 12-year, $104-milion contract signed last year.

So while Malkin’s $9.5 million cap hit annually eclipses that of Crosby ($8.7 million), technically Crosby’s is still the richer deal during the run of Malkin’s contract, before his salary dips to $3 million when he retires UH WE MEAN when it’s 2023.

C’mon, Ray Shero isn’t about to engage in that level of boat-rocking.

Getty ImagesThe morning after every Stanley Cup Final game, Puck Daddy takes an expanded look at the race for playoff MVP.

1. David Krejci, Boston Bruins

With two assists in the Bruins’ Game 1 loss in Chicago, Krejci now leads the playoffs with 23 points in 17 games. He’s the heart of the HuLK Line (Horton, Lucic, Krejci), which apparently is now a thing. Factor in his OT goal from earlier in the playoffs, and he remains the top pick for MVP -- if the Bruins win. Otherwise ...

2. Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks

Crawford was flawless in the three overtimes of Game 1, making 29 saves in the extra sessions. His GAA sits at 1.73, and his save percentage has crept up to .936. He wasn’t perfect, but he answered a lot of critics on Wednesday night.

3. Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins

Rask gave up four goals in Game 1, but it’s hard to fault him on any of them – especially the two deflection goals that tied and won the game. He has a 1.78 GAA and an NHL best .942 save percentage.

Getty ImagesNo. 1 Star: Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks

He wasn’t perfect throughout the game – the Bruins’ second goal was on him – but he was flawless in overtime, where he made 29 saves in the three extra periods. If he didn’t outplay the much-heralded Tuukka Rask, he came close. Chicago took Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, 4-3.

No. 2 Star: Andrew Shaw, Chicago Blackhawks

Shaw’s deflection goal at 12:08 of the third overtime gave Chicago the Game 1 victory. He also added the primary helper on Dave Bolland’s key third-period goal, forcing a turnover, and got under the skin of Zdeno Chara.

No. 3 Star: Milan Lucic, Boston Bruins

Lucic scored two goals for the Bruins and added an assist in Patrice Bergeron’s power-play goal in a losing effort.

Honorable mention: Brandon Saad scored his first of the playoffs in the second period. … Johnny Oduya’s goal off the skate of Andrew Ference tied the game at 12:14 of the third. … Rask made 59 saves.

Conn Smythe Watch: 1. David Krejci, Boston

Getty ImagesThe Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins battled for 112 grueling minutes in the fifth-longest Stanley Cup Final game in NHL history, until an Andrew Shaw deflection goal at 12:08 of triple overtime handed Game 1 to the home team, 4-3.

The game-winner came after the Blackhawks successfully pinched in the offensive zone, with the puck ending up on defenseman Michal Rozsival’s stick at the top of the zone. He shoveled the puck toward the Bruins goal, and it deflected off of a screening Dave Bolland in the slot. The puck then pinballed off the knee of forward Andrew Shaw and in behind goalie Tuukka Rask, setting off a raucous celebration inside United Center.

“It’s what we needed to do,” said Shaw. “We knew it wasn’t going to be pretty at this point.”

It wasn’t, and it wasn’t going to be. The Blackhawks and Bruins played the kind of game many expected: brutal and tough, with players earning every inch of ice against their opponents.

Outside of United Center on Wednesday night, there was torrential rain, severe storms and tornadoes spotted roughly 30 miles away from Chicago. Inside of United Center, there was controlled chaos.

Andrew Shaw’s deflection goal at 12:08 of triple overtime ended one of the longest games in Stanley Cup Final history, as the Chicago Blackhawks took Game 1 against the Boston Bruins, 4-3.

He was exhausted and elated. And, well, he’s Andrew Shaw. These things considered, it’s no wonder the Blackhawks forward let an F-Bomb slip in his postgame chat with Pierre McGuire on NBC. Warning: NSFW for strong language. Obviously.

Shaw’s full quote:

“It’s what we needed to do. Get guys going to the net. We knew it wasn’t going to be pretty at this point. It was a great shot, a great set up, f---kin’, it was unbelievable. All the guys, we deserved this. It was a great battle for us.”

After the game, Shaw told ESPN Chicago:

"Slip of the tongue. I think I made up a word in there too. I was never good at English."

Thus continues a rather odd tradition of players in the Stanley Cup Final dropping the ole F-bomb with Mr. McGuire. Please recall both Dustin Brown and Jonathan Quick doing it after the Los Angeles Kings won the Cup last season.

What can we say … Pierre brings out the best in his interviews.