Welcome to the PHT Morning Skate, a collection of links from the NHL and around the hockey world. Have a link you want to submit? Email us at phtblog@nbcsports.
• Thousands of hockey fans lined up outside Bell Centre to pay respects to Guy Lafleur. The Hockey Hall of Famer, who passed away on April 22, will lie in state for a second day on Monday. [Montreal Gazette]
• Alex Ovechkin looks like he’ll be good to go for Game 1 Tuesday night against the Panthers. [Washington Hockey Now]
• Frederik Andersen has been ruled out for tonight’s Game 1 for the Hurricanes as they get started against the Bruins. When asked if Antti Raanta will get the start, head coach Rod Brind’Amour would only say, “Maybe, we’ll see.” [NHL.com]
• In other injured goalie news, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan does not expect to have Tristan Jarry or Jason Zucker for “the first couple of games” of their series against the Rangers, which begins Tuesday. [Tribune Review]
• Things have really changed in Vegas: “In that first season, everyone, and I mean everyone, was singing from the same page of the lyric sheet. From the players and coaches to hockey ops to marketing to ticketing to in-arena production, it truly felt like a family more than an organization. Since, we’ve seen massive turnover across the entire organization, and that family-like atmosphere appears to have gone away with it.” [Sin Bin Vegas]
Gudas on playoff beards:
— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) May 1, 2022
“Some guys are going to have a tougher time. Maybe I’ll trim something off and give them something.” pic.twitter.com/L4N88lAIni
• It’s quite wonderful to watch Cale Makar in the way he excels at both ends of the ice. [FiveThirtyEight]
• On Carey Price’s future: “Without improvement to the injury he had surgically repaired but didn’t recover sufficiently from to appear in more than five of 82 games this past season, the soon-to-be 35-year-old goaltender said the prospect of being an NHL starter again next season would be impossible. Yes, Price has four years remaining on a contract that counts annually for $10.5 million on the salary cap, and he said on Saturday he intends on doing everything possible to fulfill that obligation. But he prepared for his final game of the season on Friday knowing it could be the last one of his career.” [Sportsnet]
• What the Predators need to do in order to upset the Avalanche in the First Round. [A to Z Nashville]
• Looking at the future for the Red Wings now that GM Steve Yzerman has decided to not bring back Jeff Blashill. [PHT]
• The U.S. men’s team fell to Sweden in Sunday’s gold medal game of the IIHF U-18 World Championship. [USA Hockey]
• Malcolm Subban on his stirring rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Friday’s Sabres finale: “It was awesome. I was, like, so nervous before. Like, I couldn’t even eat lunch. Oh yeah, I was so nervous.” [Buffalo Hockey Beat]
• Senators goalie Matt Murray won’t be going to the Worlds as he’s focused on getting healthy after experiencing post-concussion syndrome. [Ottawa Sun]
• The case for expanding the Stanley Cup Playoffs to 26 teams. [Pass it to Bulis]
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.