SBNation.com User Blog: Kelly Hinkle

Wednesday Morning Fly By: Lappy is IRON MAN.

Kelly Hinkle — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:16:23 -0000

*Ten things to take away from Monday's game three heading into tonight's game four. (Backhand Shelf)

*Another excellent takeaway from game three was the latest pregame montage from HNIC, this one featuring the great Neil Young.

*Servalli asks whether or not the Flyers overpaid Mark Streit. (Philly.com)

*Meltzer speculates on where Streit will fit into the Flyers' game going forward. (Hockeybuzz)

*Bobby Ryan rumors are still happening and will continue to happen until Bobby Ryan is a Flyer and/or the endtimes, whichever comes first. (CSN Philly)

*As Bryzgalov buyout rumors persist, BSH reader PursuitOfLappyness tries to determine just how many games their goaltender cost the Flyers. (BSH)

*If the Flyers are really going after Bernier, they'll have some competition in the Islanders. (CBS New York)

*Former Flyer and current Director of Player Development/awesome human being Ian Laperriere is preparing to take on the Iron Man Triathalon. (Flyers)

*An interesting infographic that shows how the Blackhawks and Bruins spent their cap space to build teams that win. (Backhand Shelf)

*Despite their success, the Blackhawks franchise is losing money. (Chicago Business)

*The Ottawa Senators' arena will now be called "Canadian Tire Centre". (TSN)

*We know that the Rangers have selected Alain Vigneault to be their next head coach. DGB has some insight into how they picked him. (Down Goes Brown)

*A Bruins fan made an entire suit out of rally towels. It is incredible. (Puck Daddy)

*Late edition: Meltzer on the flurry of trade rumors coming at Flyers fans during "silly season". (Hockeybuzz)

*Pierre LeBrun is reporting that the buyout of Danny Briere is official. (ESPN)

Tuesday Morning Fly By: Ladies & gentlemen, Paul Holmgren.

Kelly Hinkle — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:50:56 -0000

*Well, the Bruins carried that OT win momentum right into game three and we all got a break from marathon hockey. Full game coverage here.

*Paul Holmgren went out and got us a defenseman. Reactions seem to range from "lol Flyers" to "glad we avoided that mess" to "oh ok, well that's...a contract." I'm starting to think that Homer is under the impression that NTCs are compulsory, though. Someone should tell him they aren't.

*Meltzer muses on the Flyers' possible goalie options should a Bryzgalov amnesty happen. (Hockeybuzz)

*Looking back on Bruno Gervais' 2013 season. (Flyers Faithful)

*Our friends over at Defending Big D speculate on what it might cost for them to land Brayden Schenn or Sean Couturier. (DBD)

*A very thorough introduction to the NHL draft. (HEotP)

*The SB Nation hockey family have begun their 2013 Mock Draft, and the Avs fans have started things off in an interesting way by taking Nathan MacKinnon over Seth Jones.

*Sidney Crosby seems to think Zdeno Chara was intentionally going after his broken jaw during a scrum. Seems unlikely. (CBS Boston)

*BSH reader PierceC has put together a very intensive four-part series on defining the performance of NHL lines using advanced stats. It's worth a read. (Parts one, two, three, and four)

*Bernie Parent on the importance of having a laugh. (Philly.com)

*We may not have had the pleasure of an NHL Awards show this year, but that didn't stop the Battle of California from judging the fashion choices of this year's winners. Hilarity ensues. (BoC)

Monday Morning Fly By: Bob? Bob! Bob.

Kelly Hinkle — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 00:17:25 -0000

*Another awesome overtime thriller on Friday night. Boston has the momentum heading into tonight's game at the Garden. Should be a good one.

*In the event that game three turns into another marathon, these 25 stages of playoff OT hockey should get you through. (Grantland)

*The NHL Awards were given out Friday/Saturday night. The Flyers, of course, went home empty handed. Bob won the Vezina. Oof. Full list of winners here.

*Bobrovsky's win sparked some familiar discussion about the Flyers' front office. (Philly.com)

*Thankfully, Homer has begun discussions to extend Claude Giroux's contract. (NBC Sports)

*Meltzer on how the Flyers lost out on Joacim Eriksson. (Hockeybuzz)

*The league's puck-over-the-glass rule is not one of its most popular; but Hockey Wilderness makes a case for why it should stay. (HW)

*Kurt put together an excellent piece on the upside of the 2013 goalie market. (BSH)

*Eric T. continues his look at the importance of factoring regression into analysis. (BSH)

*It looks like former Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault will take over in New York. (Blueshirt Banter)

*If the deal to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix falls through, their new home could be in Seattle. (SB Nation)

*On the finer points of goalie drafting and development. (Hockeybuzz)

*Jaromir Jagr continues to be a delight. You'd never guess who his favorite hockey player was while he was growing up. (Stanley Cup of Chowder)

*Finally, a (long) list of every synonym Doc Emrick used for "pass" during game one of the Finals. My personal favorite? "Squibbed it." (Deadspin)

*The Flyers have published another batch of their best photos from this past season. (Flyers)

Friday Morning Fly By: Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but it always regresses to the mean.

Kelly Hinkle — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 01:21:04 -0000

*A friendly reminder that Claude Giroux is going to get paid next year, with insight into how much and why. (BSH)

*Wednesday night's Game 1 drew the best ratings for an NHL game since 1997. (SB Nation)

*The Blackhawks' Andrew Shaw just happened to be mic'd up when he scored the game winner in the third OT and his celebration was just as great as you want it to be. (NHL)

*The folks over at Arctic Ice Hockey are conducting a mock draft and have made it to pick #11. (AIH)

*A look at the players the Flyers could likely acquire through all seven rounds of the draft. (CSN Philly)

*Meltzer speculates on what the Flyers next move on defense might be. (Hockeybuzz)

*Eric T. explains "regression to the mean" and why it's important to apply it to hockey analytics. (BSH)

*A former Flyer has found new success as a caddy for Ernie Els as he competes in the US Open. (Flyers)

*Flyers Faithful play a rousing game of armchair GM. (FF)

*Why the Finals matchup of the Bruins and Blackhawks proves that bigger isn't always better when it comes to NHL rosters. (Backhand Shelf)

*Remember, the NHL will hand out this year's awards prior to the start of Game 2 on Saturday night. (NHL)

*A Messier-Leetch coaching team could happen in NYC. (SB Nation)

*Our friends at Pension Plan Puppets use attack time data to show that the Leafs weren't as close to beating the Bruins as their long-suffering fans thought they were. (PPP)

Thursday Morning Fly By: Now with actual Flyers-related news!

Kelly Hinkle — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 00:10:57 -0000

*The Flyers made a trade! Now let's see what people have to say about it:

*Meltzer on the acqusition, as well as some good stuff on Brayden Schenn's potential. (Hockeybuzz)

*ASF with the Streit talk. Streit talk! (Flyers)

*Travis on why this trade is not a long-term solution. (BSH)

*Bob MacKenzie seems to think this trade confirms the fates of Briere and Bryz. (Puck Daddy)

*A look at the trade from the Islanders' perspective. (Lighthouse Hockey)

*Oh hey, there was a hockey game last night. And it was a good one.

*This makes a pretty good case for rooting against Boston. (BSH)

*Eric T. tries to help an economist fix a regression model that has Kent Huskins as the NHL's #2 defenseman. (NHL Numbers)

*A very thorough look at Mark Streit's advanced stats. (LHH)

*The Art Institute of Chicago makes a pretty large showing of support for their Blackhawks. (Backhand Shelf)

*A few suggested coaching adjustments Laviolette may consider. (Flyers Faithful)

*Last night, Jaromir Jagr played his first Stanley Cup Finals game in 21 years. (Philly.com)

*Gary Bettman delivered his State of the League address yesterday. (SB Nation)

*A really interesting look at a week with the North Korean hockey team. (Deadspin)

*And finally, a gallery of Gary Bettman with various playoff beards photoshopped onto his face. Bettman with Toews-face looks kinda like President Lincoln... (Puck Daddy)

Wednesday Morning Fly By: Game day! Let's celebrate with podcasts and various & sundry previews.

Kelly Hinkle — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 00:25:03 -0000

*Meet the Blackhawks! And then meet the Bruins later today. (SB Nation)

*Travis introduces new division-mates, the Columbus Blue Jackets, to Flyers nation via a podcast chat with The Cannon.

*Speaking of the BJs, their talks with Bob are still ongoing. (BlueJackets Extra)

*A podcast preview of the Stanley Cup Final. (NHL Numbers)

*A podcast covering a number of non-Stanley Cup Final-related topics including Big Buff's tradeability. (Backhand Shelf)

*The Stanley Cup Final previews continue, this time from Down Goes Brown.

*Which team has the better special teams going into the final? (Puck Daddy)

*Winnipeg's Evander Kane went on a Twitter rant in defense of Chad ~~Ochocinco~~ Johnson's courtroom misbehavior. (Arctic Ice Hockey)

*On Cooter's development and future potential. (Hockeybuzz)

*Shots and save percentages going into the Final. (TSN)

*St. Louis didn't sell out all of their playoff games. Ouch. (Hockey Attendance)

*NHL Logo Power Rankings. The Flyers do pretty well, of course. (SportsNet)

*The Islanders' new home, the Barclays Center, seems....not ideal for hockey. (Islanders Point Blank)

*Here's the first official trailer for NHL14. (Puck Daddy)

*The Flyers are hosting a Draft Party at Xfinity Live on June 30. Sounds fun. (Flyers)

Tuesday Morning Fly By: So many rumors. Hooray!

Kelly Hinkle — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 00:38:26 -0000

*The bookies say the Blackhawks will win this thing. (SB Nation)

*Revisiting the Keith Yandle thing. The price is too high on this one, methinks. (BSH)

*Meltzer has some thoughts on Yandle and also throws Byfuglien into the mix. (Hockeybuzz)

*The Flyers could stand to improve their faceoff numbers from last year. (Flyers Faithful)

*Possible Flyers draftee Hunter Shinkaruk's comparables. (The Copper & Blue)

*This Bruins-Blackhawks final is the first Original Six Cup Final since 1979. (CSN Philly)

*A twitter leak has revealed P.K. Subban as the winner of this year's Norris Trophy. Allegedly. (HEotP)

*How the Blackhawks and Bruins were built to be winning franchises. (CBC)

*There is still no deal in place to send NHL players to Sochi next year. (Sportsnet)

*The Rangers are looking at Lindy Ruff as a possible replacement for John Tortorella. (NBCSports)

*And the Dallas Stars are reportedly interested in Torts. (SB Nation)

*If you like your hockey with narratives, TSN has a few ideas for you. (TSN)

*The art of a deflection, with input from several NHL players/coaches. (Sporting News)

*DGB asks how disappointing your team's playoff run was this year. Answer? Not as disappointing as the Flyers, McIndoe. (Grantland)

Monday Morning Fly By: And then there were two.

Kelly Hinkle — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 01:02:51 -0000

*And with this weekend's wins for the Blackhawks and Bruins, we're down to two! Finals start Wednesday.

*The Flyer can likely fill out their forward ranks without looking outside of their own house. (BSH)

*CSN asks what four faces you'd put on your Flyers' Mount Rushmore. (CSN Philly)

*The big stories here in Flyers country this weekend were the Bryz buyout rumors and the Bernier-to-Philly rumors. BSH weighs in on both. So does Bill Meltzer.

*The Kings and Pens learned that being physical isn't enough. (SB Nation)

*Ken Hitchock has been named Assistant Coach for Team Canada at the Sochi games. Mike Babcock will be back as Head Coach.

*Meltzer on the Flyers' rookies and the Phantoms who might be ready to make the jump up the NHL. (Hockeybuzz)

*Every now and again, Mike Milbury makes perfect sense. (Puck Daddy)

*We all know Jaromir Jagr is a machine. But is it possible that he's overdoing it? (Backhand Shelf)

*Claude Giroux has been chosen as the best-ever #22 pick in the NHL Dream Draft. (NHL.com)

*The 2013 Trial on the Isle has been set for July 10. (Flyers)

*And finally, the Flyers have published some very cool photos from this shortened season. Enjoy.

Friday Morning Fly By: Friday! Let's hope the brooms come out tonight.

Kelly Hinkle — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 00:16:29 -0000

*Another excellent game last night in LA. These conference finals have been really entertaining thus far.

*Kimmo Timonen speaks to ASF about his future in the NHL. (Flyers)

*Looks like Sergei Gonchar is heading to the KHL. (Puck Daddy)

*The HNIC pre-game montage makers at CBC are genius.

*Steve Ott argues that players will become looser with their stick play (twss) now that visors are mandatory. (Buffalo Hockeybeat)

*Friedman's 30 Thoughts, including a warning about the Flyers to those with RFA defensemen. (CBC)

*Meltzer also weighs in on the Flyers and RFAs. (Hockeybuzz)

*Some speculation about the Flyers' off-season game plan. (TSN)

*Four recurring problems for Peter Laviolette's Flyers team. (The 700 Level)

*Jaromir Jagr: plays 4.5 periods of playoff hockey, then skates the ice with a weighted vest on. Superhuman. (Boston Herald)

*The Oilers are looking to part ways with Ales Hemsky and Shawn Horcoff. (SB Nation)

*A visual history of the Pens-Bruins rivalry. (Grantlan d)

*The AHL Calder Cup Final begins this weekend; you can watch the action online for free. (TheAHL.com)

*An interesting look at how hard it is for NHLers to maintain weight during the season. "Ridiculous article," says Dustin Byfuglien. (Senators Extra)

*Who is winning the playoff beard race? Jagr. The answer is Jagr. (Puck Daddy)

*The full text of new CBA in its entirety is now available! Click here if you like reading lots of legalese and/or 540-page documents.

Thursday Morning Fly By: Ahh, playoff overtime. Nothing better.

Kelly Hinkle — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 00:05:43 -0000

*What a well-played hockey game between two evenly matched teams. An equally fine effort put forth by both sides.

*The Boston Bruins' typically stay-at-home defense has been an offensive force during these playoffs. (SCoC)

*Duncan Keith has been Shanabanned for one game for sticking Jeff Carter in the face. He seemed genuinely sorry about it though.

*Kerry Fraser weighs in on the "intent" of Keith's infraction. (TSN)

*Looks like a Flyers-Pens game at Beaver Stadium just might happen. (Philly.com)

*Slewfooting seems to happen way more often than it should, and usually without penalty. (Backhand Shelf)

*Welcome back to Philly, Niitty. (Flyers)

*Meltzer compares Shinkaruk and Max Domi since they'll likely be available when the Flyers pick at 11. He also weighs in on the Mark Streit conversation. (Hockeybuzz)

*Ever wonder what Oskars Bartulis has been up to? (Flyers Faithful)

*On how the Flyers came to be called the Flyers. (Flyers)

*A day in the life of a backup goaltender on a playoff team. (Battle of California)

*DGB's brief history of the Conference Finals. (DownGoesBrown)

*Sports Illustrated with a couple of awesome cover shots to accompany a story about how great the NHL postseason is. (SI.com)

*The Preds fans mush "The Red Wedding" and sports fandom together. Eh why not? (On the Forecheck)

Wednesday Morning Fly By: Way to keep it interesting, Kings.

Kelly Hinkle — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 00:57:09 -0000

*Good game in LA last night. The Kings maintained their at-home winning streak and now we've got a series.

*Mark Streit will hit the open market this summer; could he be an option for the Flyers? (BSH)

*ASF goes inside the Flyers' pre-draft meetings. (Flyers)

*Possible compliance buyouts, Eastern Conference edition. (NHL Numbers)

*Reviewing Sean Couturier's season. (Flyers Faithful)

*CSN on who they consider to be the top-10 defensemen available in this year's draft. (CSN Philly)

*Meltzer on a couple of European goaltenders that may be on the Flyers' radar, as well as two draft re-entry defensemen who may be an option in the later rounds of the draft. (Hockeybuzz)

*The Blue Jackets have indicated that they'll match any offer sheet that may come in for Sergei Bobrovsky, but should they? (Puck Daddy)

*The NHL Competition Committee has recommended some new rules for the league, including grandfathered mandatory visors. (TSN)

*The Dallas Stars, who debuted a new logo yesterday, will retire Mike Modano's #9. (NHL.com)

*On the burden a player carries after his ordinary action causes an unforgettable injury. (Grantland)

*Turns out that firing an NHL head coach has little effect on a team's performance. Sorry, Rangers fans. (On the Forecheck)

Tuesday Morning Fly By: #PutInVokoun!

Kelly Hinkle — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 02:22:12 -0000

*First it was LOLkoun. Then LOLFleury. All the lols! It was fantastic.

*Looks like the Blackhawks won the Antti Raanta sweepstakes. That may be the coolest hockey name since Anze Kopitar. (SB Nation)

*The Great One will not be coaching the Rangers. (Blueshirt Banter)

*Could Raffl displace Read, Schenn, or Cooter? (Flyers Faithful)

*Boyes or Antropov? Meltzer says maybe. (Hockeybuzz)

*Here's a Bruins fan embarrassing himself. (Puck Daddy)

*Calder Trophy predictions. (On the Forecheck)

*Seth Jones draft comparables. (Copper & Blue)

*Should the NHL widen the ice surface? (CBS Sports)

*Everyone hates John Tortorella. (Backhand Shelf)

*Wise words from Bernie Parent. He remains the most interesting man in the world. (Philly.com)

*Twitter enthusiast and occasional hockey player Paul Bissonnette used his internet powers for good to help a tourist. (Fox)

*Actor Tim Robbins' weekend pickup hockey game has been dismantled by the man. (Puck Daddy)

*And finally, children's television is creepy. Even the Stanley Cup can't remedy that. (CBC)

Monday Morning Fly By: In which there is a lot of goalie news.

Kelly Hinkle — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 00:11:35 -0000

*Good weekend of hockey. Pens lost, Blackhawks played back-to-back 'cause of The Stones and killed it both nights. Good stuff.

*Panaccio with a piece on Anthony Stolarz. It's almost as good as it was when Anthony SanFilippo wrote it a month ago.

*ASF speaks to Stolarz about his experience in the NHL Combine. (Flyers)

*The Flyers signed a European forward. (BSH)

*Luongo trade rumors are heating up; apparently the Isles are interested. (SB Nation)

*Tim Thomas and his handlebar mustache may attempt a comeback next season. (NBC Sports)

*Meltzer looks at the pros and cons of resigning Simon Gagne, as well as the Flyers' chance to sign a goalie from the Swedish Elite League.

*The Swedes made a big impression at the Scouting Combine. (The Hockey Guys)

*NHL.com pros run a mock draft. (Flyers)

*Compliance buyout candidates in the West. (NHL Numbers)

*Absolute genius Nate Silver looks at why Canada can't seem to win the Stanley Cup. (NY Times)

Friday Morning Fly By: In which there is very little actual hockey news.

Kelly Hinkle — Fri, 31 May 2013 00:42:18 -0000

*No hockey 'til Saturday! Boooo(-urns)!

*The Flyers have signed a defenseman out of the Q (or maybe not?). (BSH)

*The folks at CSN with their Conference Final predictions. (CSN Philly)

*A look back at Wayne Simmonds' season. (Flyers Faithful)

*Scott Laughton reflects on his experience in the NHL Scouting Combine. (Flyers)

*Rumor has it Mark Messier may be in the running for the recently vacated head coaching position in NYC... (Puck Daddy)

*..or it could end up being one of these seven dudes. (NHL.com)

*Meltzer on the Flyers signing a forward from Austria called Michael Raffl, as well as his usual MeltzerGenius on the risk of drafting a defenseman in round one. (Hockeybuzz)

*A bar in Pittsburgh is banning Sam Adams during the series with Boston. Ha. (SCoC)

*The NHL is standing behind Steven Walkom, but Kerry Fraser isn't on board with his call. (TSN)

*And finally, the secret to the Blackhawks' come-from-behind success is revealed. (Puck Daddy)

Thursday Morning Fly By: And now there are four.

Kelly Hinkle — Wed, 29 May 2013 23:34:13 -0000

*Hell of a game in Chicago last night.

*Big news yesterday was Torts getting canned. (SB Nation)

*Former Rangers Marion Gaborik and Sean Avery seemed pleased about the news.

*Tom "Silky Smooth Hands of Gold" Sestito has been resigned by the Canucks. Good for him. (Nucks Misconduct)

*Allegedly, Patrick Roy is taking offers for the #1 overall pick. (SB Nation)

*Meltzer on the power forwards available in this year's draft. (Hockeybuzz)

*ASF on what goes on at the NHL Scouting Combine in Toronto. (Flyers)

*A look at potential draftee Frederik Gauthier. (Flyers Faithful)

*Conference Finals will start this weekend, here's a look at the preliminary schedule. (SB Nation)

*The relationship between the ice time of top-six forwards and shooting percentage. (Pension Plan Puppets)

*A guy wore a GoPro camera to the Kings' game seven. It's kinda fun.

*And finally, David Beckham and his adorable daughter on the Kiss Cam at the Kings game. For the ladies! (Hello)

Wednesday Morning Fly By: Congrats, Kings.

Kelly Hinkle — Wed, 29 May 2013 01:55:22 -0000

*Congrats to the L.A. Kings, who moved on last night. Round two wraps up with tonight's game seven in Chicago.

*Even if the Penguins are succeeding, it's still fun to LOL at Marc-Andre Fleury. (PensBurgh)

*Ten players who have seen their stock go up and down during these playoffs. (Grantland)

*The Liberty Bell Games, showcasing elite high school hockey talent, return to Philly. (Flyers)

*Meltzer reports on a possible international signing for the Flyers. (Hockeybuzz)

*The St. Louis Blues may be considering new uniforms. (Icethetics)

*The penalty shot in game six of the Hawks-Wings series seems to be a bit controversial...(Puck Daddy)

*...but Kerry Fraser says it was legit. (TSN)

*Could King Henry leave NYC? (SB Nation)

*Lots of talented forwards in this year's draft. (CSN Philly)

*On playing through injuries in the postseason. (Backhand Shelf)

*CUTE PUPPIES! That love hockey! (Puck Daddy)

Tuesday Morning Fly By: Another game seven, hooray!

Kelly Hinkle — Tue, 28 May 2013 00:20:44 -0000

*The Blackhawks turned it on in the third to force a game seven. And who doesn't love a game seven?

*Daniel Alfredsson knows how to party. (Backhand Shelf)

*The NHL14 cover vote has come down to Bob vs. Martin Brodeur's moonface. Easy choice. (Puck Daddy)

The art of building an NHL roster. (BSH)

*Meltzer on the Flyers' options should they want to change their draft position. (Hockeybuzz)

*The Flyers ask you to vote on the play of the year. (Flyers)

*A trade rumor involving the Flyers and a goaltender. That's different. (Flyers Faithful)

*After his powerhouse performance in the Memorial Cup final, one can't help but wonder if Nathan MacKinnon has stolen the #1 spot from Seth Jones. (CBC)

*The Carolina Hurricanes are slowly revealing their new jersey. Doesn't look earth-shatteringly different so far. (Icethetics)

*Unfortunate news on Marc Staal and his injured eye. (SB Nation)

*The trash talking has already begun in the Bruins-Pens series. God I hope the Bruins just destroy them. (NHL.com)

Monday Morning Fly By: Happy Memorial Day, hockey fans.

Kelly Hinkle — Mon, 27 May 2013 01:31:03 -0000

*Busy weekend. The Senators failed humanity, the Bruins have moved on, and the Hawks stayed alive.

*What to expect from Scott Hartnell going forward. (BSH)

*Reportedly, the NHL has reached an agreement on the sale of the Coyotes. (TSN)

*ASF on ten possible options for the Flyers' 11th place draft pick. (Flyers)

*Meltzer on top defensive picks and the t op-20 all -time Flyers homegrown defensemen.

*The Dallas Stars' AHL affiliate unveiled their new jerseys. They're much better than the Dallas Stars logo that leaked this weekend.

*Vezina predictions. (On The Forecheck)

*Speaking of Vezina candidates, Bob is being courted by the KHL. (Puck Daddy)

*There will be no NHL awards show this year. (SB Nation)

*An incredibly cool interactive visualization of draft years past. (Stanley Cup of Chowder)

*A third grader combines hockey and math in the most genius of ways. (Puck Daddy)

Friday Morning Fly By: No brooms for the Broons.

Kelly Hinkle — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:14:53 -0000

*The Rangers hold off the sweep, and Bruins fans everywhere get a little nervous about 3-0 series leads. A glorious amount of hockey last night!

*So we really are saying goodbye to little Danny Briere. I, for one, will miss his fist pump. (BSH)

*Eric Wellwood is starting his long road back after his horrifying injury. (Philly.com)

*There are few things better in this world than a big, fluffy, ginger hockey beard. (Puck Daddy)

*It's official: Patrick Roy is the new head coach of the Avalanche. (SB Nation)

*Meltzer takes a look at the Flyers' history of second round draft picks. (Hockeybuzz)

*The Avs fans study NHL defensemen drafted in the top ten in the last decade. (Mile High Hockey)

*The Blue Jackets have yet to make any progress in contract talks with Bob. (Dispatch)

*Daniel Alfredsson dropped some hard reality on his team via the media. (Puck Daddy)

*Both the Dallas Stars and the Carolina Hurricanes will unveil new jerseys June 4. (Icethetics)

*DGB with the ten greatest moments from this, the least-loved round of the NHL playoffs. (Grantland)

Thursday Morning Fly By: You had ONE THING to do, Senators!

Kelly Hinkle — Thu, 23 May 2013 00:19:26 -0000

*Do you think Pierre gets sulky when he has to work Rangers games instead of Pens games? I bet he does. Last night's action!

*BSH user GagneFan4Life would like you to know that there are spots available in the BSH NHL13 League for PS3.

*Reviewing Scott Hartnell's 2013 season. (Flyers Faithful)

*SLOW DOWN, JAKUB. (BSH)

*A hilarious list of things more effective than the Rangers power play. (Blueshirt Banter)

*Meltzer's talkin' 'bout prospects. (Hockeybuzz)

*ASF on Matt Read's time representing Canada at the Worlds. (Flyers)

*The Canucks fired their whole coaching staff. (Nucks Misconduct)

*On the heels of Glenn Healy's assessment of Pavel Datsyuk's talent, TSN put together a list of the ten best Datsyuk dangles. (Winging It in Motown)

*How's about Hunter Shinkaruk in a Flyers sweater on draft day? (Flyers Faithful)

*Here's one for the ladies: the most stylish men in hockey. (Sharp)

*This Canucks superfan spent a year as a Florida Panthers season ticket holder. Hilarity ensued. (Cave Mag)

Wednesday Morning Fly By: Are the Rangers even TRYING anymore?

Kelly Hinkle — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:08:45 -0000

*I know we've decided the Bruins are better equipped to beat the Penguins but rooting for them is difficult. Lucky for them the Rangers have rolled over. Hockeytimes recaps!

*Analyzing Cooter's offensive game. (BSH)

*Reviewing Zac Rinaldo's season. (Flyers Faithful)

*Glenn Healy: "Pavel Datsyuk may not be naturally gifted..." Hockey fans: "LOL WHAT" (Puck Daddy)

*Meltzer with some excellence on Hartnell's pretty terrible 2013 season. (Hockeybuzz)

*A little more on Gus from ASF. (Flyers)

*Rumor has it that the great Patrick Roy will be the next coach of the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs make no official comment.

*Martin Brodeur's smug round face will be joining the Hockey Night in Canada team. Here's hoping he borrows some of Cherry's fancy suits. (CBC)

*Top 50 NHL trade value rankings. (Angus Certified)

*(Addition by Eric T.) The Kings told TSN that Corsi was their biggest concern last night. (NHL Numbers)

*Pens beat writers complaining about Iginla's point-per-game playoff performance because it's happening on the left-wing. Because why not. (TribLive)

Tuesday Morning Fly By: Needs more hockey.

Kelly Hinkle — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:30:40 -0000

*These nights with only one game are boring. Wings fans with the recap of last night's action.

*Eric T. on shooting percentage and shot rates. (BSH)

*Even non-sports fans think +/- is a stupid stat. (Flyers Faithful)

*The AHL president isn't happy with NBC's never mentioning his league. (SCoC)

*Don Cherry thinks NHLers are nuts to play in the Worlds. Don Cherry calling people nuts: lol. (CBC)

*A look at possible draftee Anthony Mantha. (Flyers Faithful)

*Hating the Penguins leads to all kinds of good things, like excellent tips for waitresses. (Puck Daddy)

*Here's Jagr, at 8PM, practicing alone on the ice. There's a reason he's superhuman. (Twitter)

*Evgeni Malkin stares into your soul, inspires nightmares. (SB Nation)

*This video, of mic'd NHLers, is fantastic. HBO's 24/7 should be on uh...24/7. (Backhand Shelf)

Monday Morning Fly By: Goldstafsson!

Kelly Hinkle — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:09:07 -0000

*I've decided that boycotting Pens games is what's best for my mental health. (And for the Sens too, I guess. /superstitions) Hooray for recaps!

*Erik Gustafsson won gold! And he was a huge part of the win, not to mention his team's success throughout the tourney. (IIHF)

*Meltzer wraps up the Worlds. (Hockeybuzz)

*Anthony SanFilippo on the Flyers' best-player-available draft strategy. (Flyers.com)

*Reviewing the worst of this past season. (Flyers Faithful)

*The Memorial Cup has begun, with some Flyers prospects playing major roles. (Flyers.com)

*Speaking of the Memorial Cup, this bit of awkward helped kick things off. (Backhand Shelf)

*Alternative NHL Awards. (On the Forecheck)

*How size affects (or doesn't) injuries. (HEotP)

*The Baby Pens & Bruins brawl in the AHL playoffs. (Puck Daddy)

*The Maple Leafs broke the heart of the coolest astronaut since Buzz. (TSN)

Friday Morning Fly By: This Rags-Broons series is gonna be a good one.

Kelly Hinkle — Fri, 17 May 2013 01:58:45 -0000

*Great game in Boston last night. All the game stuff!

*So why can't the Flyers grow top defensemen at home? Spoiler alert: Panaccio doesn't know. (CSN Philly)

*Claude Giroux, showing people how it's done. (Philly.com)

*Turns out Ovechkin's lackluster performance may have been due to injury. (Puck Daddy)

*The fine folks at Anaheim Calling wonder if the Ducks should trade Bobby Ryan to the Devils. Let me help you with that: NO PLEASE. NO. (AC)

*Let's check in on ex-Flyers that are still playing hockey. (Flyers Faithful)

*A lot of empty seats during Boston's incredible comeback against the Maple Leafs last week. That's not how it's supposed to happen. (Raw Charge)

*Meltzer on Briere, Worlds QFs. (Hockeybuzz)

*Thankfully, Toronto's Mark Fraser suffered no permanent damage as a result of his skull fracture. (SB Nation)

*I know we don't want to give this the dignity of discussion, but this is the story in this town right now. These people with the pitchforks out for Bryz? ENOUGH.

Thursday Morning Fly By: Wednesday evening snoozefest.

Kelly Hinkle — Wed, 15 May 2013 23:43:42 -0000

*Compared to the excitement of the last two weeks last night was an absolute snoozefest. Chicago-Detroit, the one and only game, recapped by our friends at Second City Hockey.

*Tavares is beating Simmer in the NHL14 vote, so go vote for the Wayne Train 1 or 400 times. (NHL)

*The Flyers may be able to find some goalie depth in this year's draft. (Flyers Faithful)

*Ilya Bryzgalov, I want to sit and chat with you. (Puck Daddy)

*The NHL has announced that the Rangers will play not one but two games at Yankee Stadium, one against the Islanders and one against the Devils. (Blueshirt Banter)

*Meltzer previews the second round. (Hockeybuzz)

*UFA Mike Ribeiro says he values stability over money, so he'll probably stay with the Caps. (Puck Daddy)

*Raffi Torres laid a questionable hit on Jarret Stoll the other night. (JFtC)

*Kerry Fraser on whether or not Torres deserves a suspension. (TSN)

*The Selke finalists have been announced. (Puck Daddy)

*More wise words from the one and only Bernie. (Philly.com)

*Happy Birthday to DG and Hintzy!

Wednesday Morning Fly By: Man, Pens games are tedious.

Kelly Hinkle — Wed, 15 May 2013 00:03:02 -0000

*Round two hath commenced! Or the semifinals, if you will.

*Here's a handy schedule for the full round...

*...as well as a day-by-day TV guide.

*Second round predictions from CSN, SanFilippo, and Puck Daddy.

*Looking back on Jakub Voracek's excellent year. (Flyers Faithful)

*An update on Marc-Andre Bourdon's recovery. (Flyers)

*So...would you rather be the Flyers or the Leafs right now? (BSH)

*Masterson Trophy nominees. (SB Nation)

*Team Russia just got better and/or inexplicably lazier. (TSN)

*Meltzer on defensive prospect Mark Alt. (Hockeybuzz)

*A Maple Leafs fan is selling his slightly used television, if you're interested. (Reddit)

Tuesday Morning Fly By: On to the second, where we all become Sens fans.

Kelly Hinkle — Tue, 14 May 2013 00:05:29 -0000

*The first round wrapped up last night with two awesome game sevens. That Bruins-Leafs game was either incredible or awful depending on your perspective, but it sure was good hockey.

*Round two begins tonight with two games. (SB Nation)

*DGB runs down the best and the worst of the first round. (Grantland)

*Simmer beat Malkin's ugly face off of NHL14; now, he takes on ~~MVP~~Tavares. (BSH)

*It's still fun to laugh at Marc-Andre Fleury. (Puck Daddy)

*Now that the Ducks are out, it may be time to say goodbye to the incredible Teemu Selanne. (SB Nation)

*A Catholic nun who loves hockey and talks trash on twitter. That's fantastic. (TSN)

*P.K. Subban will join Team Canada now that the Habs are done. (HEotP)

*Meltzer on the world's and the prospects in the playoffs. (Hockeybuzz)

*The owner of the Senators joins the rest of us in hating Penguins fans. (Backhand Shelf)

*This brawl from a Russian youth league is the craziest thing I've seen since Neil Little went flying into a sea of Ottawa Senators jerseys. (Puck Daddy)

Monday Morning Fly By: Game sevens for everyone!

Kelly Hinkle — Mon, 13 May 2013 00:17:55 -0000

*So much hockey! I hope every series from here forward goes seven games.

*Pittsburgh's evil empire may have squeaked into the second round, but at least we all still get to laugh heartily at Marc-Andre Fleury. (SB Nation)

*Hopefully all of the mothers among you had a lovely Mother's Day. Much like this woman who went into labor during the Blackhawks game and refused to leave until the game was over. Respect. (WGNTV)

*The NHL does not have a conspiracy against your team. Allegedly. (Puck Daddy)

*Here's a super-constructive exercise in which a team made up of a bunch of former Flyers players is compared to the current roster. (Philly.com)

*Wayne Simmonds had a goal in Canada's win over Jakub Voracek and his Czech Republic. (CSN Philly)

*Looks like Powerhouse Defenseman Oliver Lauridsen™ was injured Saturday. (Hockeybuzz)

*Andrej Meszaros on his recovery. (Flyers)

*Looking back on Claude Giroux's season. (Flyers Faithful)

*Derek Boogaard's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the NHL, citing their responsibility for the injuries he suffered during his career. (TSN)

*They're bringing back the World Cup of Hockey! This is awesome news. (Puck Daddy)

Friday Morning Fly By: Really wanted to use "LOLkoun" here. Ugh. MontreLOL will have to do.

Kelly Hinkle — Fri, 10 May 2013 00:54:41 -0000

*Yay Sens. Boo Pens. At least one of the preferable teams won.

*Unbelievably, the French beat the Russians at the Worlds. Bryz didn't play. (IIHF)

*Bryzgalov did give an incredibly candid interview to the Russian media, in which he once again proves he's better than the tools writing about him in this town. (Puck Daddy)

*Luke Schenn was better than most of us expected in his first year with the team. (BSH)

*Garth Snow has done a pretty admirable job with the Islanders considering how tightly his owners hold onto the purse strings. (Backhand Shelf)

*Meltzer with his usual genius. (Hockeybuzz)

*The Leafs fans look at the Norris candidates by the numbers. (PPP)

*Flyers' President Peter Luuko was honored for his fundraising efforts. (Flyers)

*Seth Jones will make history if he's picked first on June 30. (Philly.com)

*Do your part to make sure Evgeni Malkin's face isn't scaring young children at video game stores nationwide. (BSH)

*And uh....oh boy, St. Louis. Ooooooh boy. (Deadspin)

Thursday Morning Fly By: For Once It’s Not Us With The Goalie Drama

Kelly Hinkle — Thu, 09 May 2013 01:52:48 -0000

*Good hockey last night. There's something refreshing about watching the playoffs with no emotional investment. Besides the seething hatred for the Pens, of course.

*The Pens, who are starting Vokoun tonight. HA. (SB Nation)

*Team USA beat the Finns in their own house. (CSN Philly)

*Phantoms goalie Cal Heeter is enjoying his time at the Worlds. (Flyers)

*Looking back on Kimmo Timonen's year. (Flyers Faithful)

*Meltzer with some great stuff on Terry Murray and player development. (Hockeybuzz)

*NHL Equivalency for the draft's top 30 prospects. (NHL Numbers)

*The Stars front office wants to play a game at Cowboys Stadium. Let's just play ALL the games outside! (Star-Telegram)

*Shanny can stop illegal hits, right? (Backhand Shelf)

*Marc-Andre Fleury is awful, and it'll never stop being fun. (SB Nation)

*LOL Fleury. (Sportspickle)

*When I read this, it made me smile. Hopefully you too. (SB Nation)