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.
• How have the Capitals fared in Game 6’s over the years? They face elimination Friday night against the Panthers. [Japers’ Rink]
• Jacob Trouba will not face discipline for his Game 5 hit on Sidney Crosby. [PHT]
• “Knowing what we know now about head trauma and the life-altering effects it can cause, the question needs to be asked: Is the risk worth the reward? Placing the burden on players to calculate the odds of an injury in a fraction of a second is unfair and unreasonable. The truth is, the only way to ensure fewer head injuries would be to eliminate open-ice hits altogether. Of course, that would completely change the way the sport is played. And as someone who loves the game — including the physicality of it — that’s a difficult sell.” [LoHud]
• Late leads and the power play have hampered the Stars all season long. [Dallas Morning News]
• Auston Matthews firing up the troops for Saturday’s Game 7 vs. the Lightning: “What’s in the past is in the past man, we can’t change that now. It’s about this next game and going out there with a purpose, and with details, and just competing for 60 minutes or whatever it takes. We just gotta put our balls on the line and go for it.” [The Leafs Nation]
• What happens with the Wild from here on out? It’s not pretty. [Zone Coverage]
[NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 2022 First Round schedule, TV info]
No caption needed. #GoalieGoal @ThunderbirdsAHL | #SPRvsWBS pic.twitter.com/OzvnqrrbRO
— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) May 13, 2022
• Why the Predators need to make a change at general manager. [A to Z Sports Nashville]
• The case for Rick Tocchet as next head coach of the Flyers. [NBC Sports Philadelphia]
• If Patrik Allvin can trade Oliver Ekman-Larsson, what kind of return could the Canucks get? [Canucks Army]
• PHF’s Metropolitan Riveters offseason moves clouded by Digit Murphy hire. [The Ice Garden]
• Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid and Igor Shesterkin are your 2021-22 Hart Trophy finalists. [PHT]
• Top NHL prospect Shane Wright on the July NHL draft: “I think that based on all the work this past year and in my past as well, I think that I deserve to be the first overall pick. I deserve to have that honor and I believe that I am the best player in this draft and believe that I should be taken first overall.” [NHL.com]
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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.