Sharks coach talks biting; Bruins, Leafs argue about cheating (Puck Headlines)

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.

• Watching a hockey game with Tom Hanks and Brian Williams must be just about the greatest.

• Todd McLellan brings the heat on the Canucks’ embellishment chatter: “If we go back to look at the series, we've been called cheaters after Game 1, we've been called embellishing Canadians after Game 3. If the series goes any deeper, we may even be accused of biting eventually." [Mercury News]

• Tyler Bozak on faceoffs vs. the Boston Bruins: “Thought maybe they were cheating a little bit. So I tried to cheat. Your timing can be off by half a second. You’re going to have an off night. You’re not going to get away with mistakes in the circle with off-timing with the guys they have. I cheat, too. We all cheat. They were just cheating better.” [Toronto Star]

• Claude Julien on accusations from the Leafs and their coach about faceoff cheating: “It is what it is. Guys getting kicked out, not getting kicked out. When you lobby for something, it’s because you’re looking for a bit of a break the next game. That’s what Randy’s doing right now. He’s lobbying for some breaks on the faceoffs.” [Bruins Blog]

• New dad Duncan Keith will play in Game 4. He and his wife had a boy. Alas, he will not grow up to be the first female NHL referee. [Between The Circles]

• Four ways to get Marc-Andre Fleury back on track. [Penguins]

• Will Eric Gryba be a marked man in Game 4? "I'm sure guys are going to look for an opportunity to take a run at me. But it's nothing I haven't dealt with before," said Gryba. [CBC]

• Jesse Spector on covering John Tortorella: “People ask, and I tell them the truth: I love it. Tortorella is a challenge for a reporter: if you don't ask him the right questions, you're not going to get a quote worth using. Would it be easier if he filled a recorder with pearls of wisdom? Sure, but I enjoy the challenge, and I also enjoy the fact that Tortorella doesn't bother with overwrought coach-speak and BS. Plus, the fact that he's a challenging interview subject makes it that much more satisfying when things go right and he delivers a headline-grabbing line. The payoff is there, but Tortorella also plays much tighter defense in the playoffs.” [SN]

• Was Alex Ovechkin tired on the Rangers’ game-winning goal? “I think that I didn’t do a good enough job getting him in his rhythm, probably because of penalties,” said Adam Oates. [NYDN]

• Jason Pominville is a game-time decision for the Minnesota Wild. [ESPN Chicago]

• Claude Julien on the Toronto Stronger sign: "Boston Strong is about something that struck our city, not our team. Maybe it's a little sensitive for the Boston people. Those kind of things happen in playoffs. Unfortunately the best and sometimes the worst comes out of the passion of our game." [THN]

• Sarah Connors on the sign controversy: “I don't hate Leafs fans; I don't hate Toronto. I don't even hate the misguided idiot who brought that sign to the game, because how could he understand the feelings he incurred with his actions? What I hate is that sports-hate was warped into hatred for this city, warped and injected into a space that was supposed to be our safe escape from the reality of all this. I hate that our expression of love and gratitude for our first responders, our doctors and people who got us through the tragedy of the marathon bombing, was changed into a heartless sports slogan, a way for a few idiots to put us -- not our team, not our coaches, not our players, but us -- in the dirt.” [Stanley Cup of Chowder]

• The Puck Stops Here believes David Krejci of the Boston Bruins is your Conn Smythe leader, and the comments are hilarious. [TPSH]

• Here’s George Malik’s take on that abortion of a Red Wings column. [Malik]

• Cool post in the playoff experience from a New York Islanders fan: “There's a palpable sense of triumph in the air when the puck crosses the line and the red light goes on. And that triumph you feel in the moment - when the win or loss is yet to be determined and you're living in that very second - that triumph is why I love sports. Everything you brought to the game with you, your work woes, your home life, your financial burdens, everything disappears when that red light goes on and the total stranger in the seat next to you reaches over for a hug. We live in that millisecond. We revel in it. It may be someone else's accomplishments but aren't those accomplishments ours to be shared after years of being stalwart fans? We've triumphed, too, just by virtue of sticking around.” [the Classical, via Wayne from Tuskeegee]

• Finally, we have no idea what this is about. Just watch:

VENICE GOALIE PROMO from DEAR PM on Vimeo.