Welcome to the PHT Morning Skate, a collection of links from around the hockey world. Have a link you want to submit? Email us at phtblog@nbcsports.com.
• NBC Universal announced that they’ll be airing 2,400 hours of Olympic programming this winter. (NBC Sports)
• There have been trade rumors surrounding Pens defenseman Ian Cole, but head coach Mike Sullivan denied them flat out. (Pittsburgh Tribune)
• The “Century Line” of Scottie Upshall, Chris Thorburn and Kyle Brodziak is getting the job done for the St. Louis Blues this season. (Post-Dispatch)
• The Blue Jackets are having terrific season so far and it’s unlikely to go south because they have an incredible netminder and an impressive group of defensemen. (Dark Blue Jacket)
• Tampa is facing some real adversity for the first time this season, and head coach Jon Cooper doesn’t seem to mind it at all. (Tampa Times)
• It’s no secret that scoring is up in the NHL this season, so ESPN looks at seven reasons why teams are finding the net with a little more regularity. (ESPN)
• Linemates Alex Kerfoot, Tyson Jost and J.T. Compher are living together. They’re hoping that their chemistry off the ice translates into success on the it. (BSNDenver.com)
• The acquisition of Matt Duchene was supposed to help propel the Senators. Instead, it hasn’t really helped at all. Of course, Duchene isn’t the problem. Special teams, goaltending, and lineup decisions haven’t been great. (Senshot.com)
• The Rangers came into the season with question marks down the middle, but Kevin Hayes has answered the bell in a big way. (Fanragsports.com)
• It looks like Jakob Chychrun is closing in on a return to the Coyotes lineup. Yesterday, they sent him to the minors for a conditioning stint. (Fiveforhowling.com)
• Looking for an introduction to advanced stats? Anaheimcalling.com has what you’re looking for and they’ll also tell you who the best Ducks player in each category is. (Anaheimcalling.com)
• Heading into last night’s action, the Jets were the second best team in the West. Are they really that good? (Scottywazz.com)
• Fun Fact: One of Team USA hockey player Meghan Duggan’s inspirations was a special cereal box. (Sports Illustrated)
• Marc Staal seems to be passing the eye test this season, but his advanced stats suggest that he’s still struggling in 2017-18. (Blueshirtbanter.com)
• Scott Gomez paved the way for a lot of Hispanic hockey players around the world. Now, there are a number of NHL superstars with Hispanic roots. (Color of Hockey)
• Taylor Crosby, who is Sidney’s younger sister, is a goalie at St. Cloud State. She isn’t sure what the future holds for her, but she keeps a pretty open mind. (New York Times)
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Joey Alfieri is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @joeyalfieri.