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Good morning one and all,
Game 3 is tonight and first up some news and notes on the Pens and how they plan to re-group after game 2 loss.
I actually lost sleep over this one last night. I know Maatta struggled since his last injury comeback. But if Mike Sullivan honestly opts to play Lovejoy, Cole and Schultz (the latter two as a pairing no less) while Maatta and Pouliot sit in the press box, it will be both a short-term (as in a half-dozen pucks in the net) as well as a longer-term issue IMO. [Trib]
I'm so perturbed about that I can't think about anything else. Oh wait I can. Jeff Zatkoff is still in goal. How's that for your nightmare scenario? [PPG]
What did I say about Ryan McDonagh and everyone said no way? He practiced yesterday and today he's seeking medical clearance to return for game 3 tonight. [SI]
The Flyers-Caps game last night was supposed to be a feel-good thing but ended up ugly, ugly, ugly. Anatomy of a meltdown. [CBS Sports]
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare will have a disciplinary hearing for this horrendous boarding of Dmitry Orlov. [YouTube]
Brooks Orpik had his bell rung by Ryan White, had to be helped off the ice, and didn't return. [Yahoo Sports]
Meanwhile, the Caps PP cleaned up with FIVE goals. They are now I think up to 50% on the PP in the playoffs. [CBC]
Minnesota Wild have mounted a good comeback to take game 3 from the Stars. [Minnesota Star-Tribune]
Likewise the Kings pulled of an OT win to cut the series deficit to 2-1. There was at least one very confused fan in the stands. Know what: if you opt to invest time and money on playoff hockey, would be nice to figure it out. Just sayin'. [Puck Daddy]
That's it, that's all I got. I can't even talk about non-playoff-related stuff right now, like should we eliminate offensive zone faceoffs or not.