Matt Cooke visits Ottawa; Blackhawks try for Presidents’ Trophy (Puck Previews)
Here are your Puck Previews: Spotlighting the key games in NHL action, news and views as well as general frivolity. Make sure to stop back here for the nightly Three Stars when the games are finished.
Ladies...
Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins at Ottawa Senators, 7:30 p.m. ET. Matt Cooke plays in Ottawa where there still are bitter feelings toward him after Erik Karlsson's February injury. Grudges aside, the Senators have yet to lock up a playoff spot and two points could secure their hopes of playing beyond next weekend. Tomas Vokoun will be in net for Pittsburgh as Marc-Andre Fleury and his wife prepare to welcome their first child. Kris Letang is out with food poisoning. Guillaume Latendresse is in for the Senators.
Preview: Phoenix Coyotes at Detroit Red Wings, 7:30 p.m. ET. The Coyotes still have hopes of making the playoffs, but with four games to go and five points out of the No. 8 seed, those hopes are slim. Detroit is in a similar boat and their chances are quickly fading. With Columbus' win over San Jose Sunday night, the Red Wings are three points behind the No. 8 spot with four to go. Not helping is the fact that they've only won one of their last six games.
Preview: Chicago Blackhawks at Vancouver Canucks, 10 p.m. ET. They're comfortably in the playoffs and have already sewn up the Western Conference's No. 1 seed, but on Monday night the Blackhawks can also add a trophy to their mantle. A win over the Canucks, coupled with a Penguins loss in regulation to the Senators would give Chicago their first Presidents' Trophy since the 1990-91 season. The Canucks have something on the line, too, as a point will give them the Northwest Division title.
Check out previews and updated scores for all of today's games on the Y! Sports NHL scores and scheds page. For tonight's starting goalies, check out Goalie Post.
Evening Reading
• Here's today's Marek Vs. Wyshynski podcast featuring Tyson Nash of Fox Sports Arizona.
• Neil Greenberg on why Alex Ovechkin isn't quite Hart Trophy worthy just yet. [Washington Post]
• "Police said two men were arguing about the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers around 11:08 and when the woman interjected her opinion, one of the men punched her in the eye." [Centre Daily Times]
Puck Daddy Reader Comment of the Day: Joseph on buying out Ilya Bryzgalov:
"Laviolette can certainly coach a contending team. Bryzgalov can certainly backstop a contending team. But why a GM would put a goaltender who had his best years in a defense-first system under a coach who employs a run-and-gun style is just beyond me.
Either buy Bryz out, or go get a coach who can maximize the asset that's sucking up $51M in cap space over nine years. Holmgren is an idiot."
Bold Prediction: Matt Cooke doesn't drop the gloves and later scores the overtime goal as the Pens win 4-3.
