Penguins, Caps get dirty; Boudreau sensed firing (Puck Headlines)

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. Have a link you want to submit? Email us at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com.

• The cat has to be photoshopped right? (San Jose Sharks)

• The second-round playoff series between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins has been marred by dirty plays. [ESPN]

• Why Penguins goaltender Matt Murray isn’t a “hot goalie.” The Penguins are up 2-1 on the Caps currently. [Washington Post]

• The Penguins should keep starter Marc-Andre Fleury on the bench in favor of Murray. Fleury has been out the entire playoffs because of concussion symptoms.  [Post-Gazette]

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• What was the narrative of Game 3 between the Capitals and Penguins? Pittsburgh won the game 3-2.  (Japers’ Rink)

• Former Anaheim Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau “always had the sense” he would get fired if his team didn’t win a Stanley Cup this year. [Orange County Register]

• The Nashville Predators need some luck in Game 3, and a win against the San Jose Sharks. San Jose is currently up 2-0 on Nashville. [Tennessean]

• Live camera of the cat that ran across the ice in Game 1 between the Sharks and Predators at SAP Center. [Maddie’s Fund]

• Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic appears to be OK after taking a Shea Weber slapshot to the head in Game 2 of their second-round series against Nashville. [CSN Bay Area]

• The Sharks’ power play has been dominant this playoff. In their second-round series against Nashville, they’ve converted on 3 of 5 opportunities. [Blades of Teal]

• The New York Islanders have no plans to rush goaltender Jaroslav Halak back from a lower body injury or use him as a backup in their series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Halak hasn’t played in nearly two months.  [Newsday]

• The Dallas Stars are a balanced hockey team and essentially have three first lines. Their third line with Antoine Roussel, Radek Faksa and Ales Hemsky has been solid in their second-round series against the St. Louis Blues. [Blackout Dallas]

• Can the Stars continue to go deep in the playoffs if they continue to flip-flop their goaltenders? A lot of the Stars’ success is built on their two-goalie system with Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi. [Dallas Morning News]

• The Blues penalty kill has been perfect so far against the Stars’ powerful power play. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]

• The stature of Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman has grown these playoffs. Hedman has excelled without defense partner Anton Stralman who has been out all postseason. [Tampa Bay Times]

• Bob Hartley made some questionable choices at times as Calgary Flames coach. Hartley was fired Monday morning. [Matchsticks and Gasoline]

• Buffalo Sabres forward Jack Eichel was snubbed in the Calder Trophy voting. Eichel was not one of the finalists released by the NHL on Monday. The award is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. [WYRK]

• How will the Arizona Coyotes attack the draft this year? The team will pick seventh and currently doesn’t have a general manager. [Today’s Slapshot]

•  Amanda Kessel hopes that playing for the NWHL’s New York Riveters will better her chances of returning to the Olympics with the U.S. Women's National Team. [Sports Illustrated]

• The Florida Panthers signed Swedish free agent defenseman Linus Hultström.  [Sportsnet]

• André Tourigny, a former NHL assistant coach, has signed a five-year contract with the Halifax Mooseheads. [CBC via Yahoo]

• An offseason fantasy outlook for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets. [Dobber Hockey]

• The Sioux Falls Stampede selected Grand Rapids (Minn.) High School forward Gavin Hain with the first overall pick in the 2016 USHL Phase I Draft on Monday. [Sioux Falls Argus Leader]

• Go behind the scenes with Vancouver Canucks president Trevor Linden at the NHL Draft Lottery.

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