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PHT Morning Skate: Eastern Conference team needs; Ovechkin’s interesting bye week

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John Tavares' two goals and Thomas Greiss' 52 saves sparked the Islanders to a 5-4 overtime win against the Canadiens in Montreal.

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.

• Up top, check out the highlights from the Islanders’ big overtime win over the Canadiens.

• TSN’s Frank Seravalli breaks down each Eastern Conference team’s needs. Some need help for their playoff push, while others need to maximize their lottery odds. (TSN.ca)

• Alex Ovechkin has been keeping busy during the Capitals bye week. He fed seagulls and lied down on a bed at Bed Bath and Beyond. (Russian Machine Never Breaks)

• The Chicago Blackhawks are dealing with an identity crisis and they need to straighten it out right away. (Blackhawk Up)

• Here are four positives from the first half of the season for the Toronto Maple Leafs. (Editor in Leaf)

• Former Blues owner Mike Shanahan passed away at the age of 78. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

• The Buffalo Sabres haven’t had a lot of things go their way this season, but Casey Mittelstadt’s performance at the World Junior Championship was positive enough. (Associated Press)

• Claude Julien will head to Boston for the first time since being fired last February. It should be an interesting. “I’m looking forward to it, but I’ll also be happy when it’s over.” (NHL.com)

• With Semyon Varlamov on the shelf for the next two weeks, the Avs don’t need to trade for a goalie because Jonathan Bernier is rolling. (Denver Post)

• Even the most hardcore of Ducks fans realizes that the NHL got it right when they Andrew Cogliano a two-game suspension. (Anaheim Calling)

• The Predators’ schedule sets up pretty well between now and the end of the regular season. (Predlines)

• Wild captain Mikko Koivu hasn’t been as productive as he was last year, but that doesn’t mean he’s having a bad season. (Hockey Wilderness)

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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.