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Alex Ovechkin’s incredible GIF; another LA hockey media fail (Puck Headlines)

Greg Wyshynski

Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• Foul. In every sense. [Kelly Chase, via Deadspin]

• France beat Russia in worlds. France. FRANCE! [IIHF]

• Dave Bolland of the Chicago Blackhawks with the quote of the day: “Asked if he could put a percentage on how close he is, Bolland said, ‘I don’t know about the percentage but I’m halfway there.’” [CSN Chicago]

• Tomas Vokoun on Marc-Andre Fleury: “Some of those goals were tough breaks,” Vokoun said. “He looked good. He wasn’t guessing. He wasn’t getting beat on straight shots. Some were deflections. It’s almost like he’s getting there earlier than he’s supposed to. It’s actually hurting him more. I told him I thought he looked good. Sometimes that happens.” [Penguins]

• The Sabres clean house in the coaching ranks. [Dave Davis]

• The EA Sports NHL 14 cover vote continues, and Broad Street Hockey believes you should support Wayne Simmonds over Evgeni Malkin. [BSH]

• Bob Cole of CBC on whether he’s anti-Hab: "I'm an anti-Hab?" Cole asked. "Am I really? I suppose I take that as a compliment. They're crazy. I can tell you that right now. That's nuts. I've been through the Edmonton years, and I loved it, and the Islanders years, and that was great. And then Boston with Bobby (Orr) and the rest of them. The Canadiens, The Toronto Maple Leafs. Detroit with Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio. They came down and visited Newfoundland and we went fishing together. Are you kidding? There's no way I can favour one team. I do the games. And I get excited. I love it.” [Gazette]

• Adam Proteau on the tradition of Gary Bettman handing out the Cup: “Other than sending him out for the press conference to announce the 2014 Winter Classic, the league has kept Bettman hidden from public view in the wake of the lockout. That didn’t happen by accident and keeping him on the sidelines for the Cup ceremony is a necessary extension of that strategy. Here’s hoping egos and the thin justification that is “tradition” don’t play a role in ending it.” [THN]

• If you’ve not seen it, the hockey GIF of the playoffs, as Alex Ovechkin’s lousy back-check gets turned into a stellar Xbox joke. [HF Boards]

• How Dave Lozo would handle NHL Awards voting: “The best I’ve got is using the Masterton Trophy system as a model. Let every group of local journalists nominate a Hart, Calder, Norris, etc. candidate at season’s end. Open the voting to everyone for one week at the end of the regular season. Let all the voters get an extended opportunity to ruminate on the candidates, delve a little deeper. With 14 teams done for the season, that’s 14 groups of writers who will have more time to examine candidates. It doesn’t mean people will make better decisions, but it would create an opportunity for better decisions.” [Backhand Shelf]

• The glory of Bryan Murray GIFs. [6th Sens]
Spector on the Anaheim Ducks and the Detroit Red Wings: “They came under the radar, and even this series has been played in some anonymity, while the big market teams like Toronto, Los Angeles, Boston, New York and Chicago steal the spotlight. But Anaheim looks good, and now they are a win away from turning a fine regular season into a playoff run of at least two rounds.” [Sportsnet]

• Capitals cult hero Tom Wilson could make debut in Game 5. [Capitals Insider]

• Rick Nash needs more puck luck. [NHL.com]

• Where is the Wild’s scoring? [Hockey Wilderness]

• The Sidney Crosby vs. John Tavares MVP debate. [Bleacher Report]

• The Islanders get a radio upgrade. [Isles]

• Finally, Rob Fukuzaki of ABC in Los Angeles attempts to say Alex Pietrangelo. He fails. [The Mouth]