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TAMPA, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Penguins ran into a buzzsaw Thursday, but they also hastened their defeat. The postgame locker room had a shellshocked feel and we’ve got full coverage and analysis on a loss that felt a bit more significant than the average one-off loss. PHN+ also talked with Sidney Crosby about the playoff chase and delved into Dan Muse playing coy with the goaltending situation even though his actions belie his words.
Elsewhere in the Daily, hot streaks and cold streaks are changing the Eastern Conference playoff picture. A young upstart is racing toward the top of the East and a young upstart is chasing down a spot in the West, and there could be some big names asking out of Toronto, depending on how deep the rebuild goes.
This race is going to come down to the last game, isn’t it? I’m going to St. Louis, but I’d very much love to cancel that flight and save $535 for playoff travel. Not gonna happen, is it?
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: After losses, Penguins fans never read the game recap, though if you didn’t see the game, here is the Penguins recap.
Now let’s get into the locker room reaction and postgame analysis. Erik Karlsson dropped a couple of quotes and he did not hold back. There was a common theme among the reactions, but also we detailed why and what happened that rattled the Penguins.
PHN+: Thursday morning, we talked with Sidney Crosby and analyzed Dan Muse’s move toward choosing a No. 1 goalie, even though he steadfastly denied it. For our PHN+ subscribers, Crosby had some thoughts on what makes this Penguins team different.
NHL Rumors, News, & National Hockey Now
The Athletic ($): A retool, sure. But a Toronto Maple Leafs rebuild? William Nylander said he wants to be in Toronto and would be part of a retool, but if the new GM wants to rebuild, that probably isn’t for him. He might not be the only big name who says no.
NHL.com: The Columbus Blue Jackets are sliding. They lost to the Carolina Hurricanes Thurday and they are winless in five games. Coach Rick Bowness let them know it hasn’t been good enough.
Ottawa Citizen: The Ottawa Senators powered past the Buffalo Sabres, who had a chance to clinch their first playoff spot in 13 years. In fact, the win put Ottawa in a playoff spot.
Detroit Hockey Now: But I’m not dead yet. A loss Thursday would have been devastating for the Detroit Red Wings. Instead, they hurt the Philadelphia Flyers chances with a big win.
Here’s the Red Wings side. And if you want to enjoy some Philly pain, here is the Philadelphia Flyers side.
San Jose Hockey Now: Too young to know they shouldn’t be this good. The young team led by Macklin Celebrini is back in a playoff spot. With their big win over Toronto, the San Jose Sharks made waves.
Montreal Hockey Now: The Habs are back? Seven straight wins at this time of the year are making a statement, and the Montreal Canadiens are keeping up the pressure in the East.
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