Tippett talks Game 2; Torres hearing; Dale Hunter Hockey debate (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.

• All of this has happened before, and will happen again. (via reader Jon Ward)

• Dave Tippett on the keys to Game 2: "First and foremost, if you're not willing to jump in and win a few more one-on-one battles, then the tactical stuff you might as well throw out the window." [AZ Central]

• Alex Semin on Dale Hunter Hockey: "The whole year it was up-and-down, we win a game, we lose a game. By the time we got to playoffs, the team finally understood how to play the game he wanted, defense first, no mistakes, blocking shots, all five guys together. But during the regular season, intensity is not the same as in the playoffs. In postseason, every goal is worth its weight in gold." [Russian Machine]

• What on earth did Alex Ovechkin mean about jealousy in the Capitals' locker room? [Puck Drunk Love]

• Larry Robinson will not be heading to Montreal: "Devils assistant coach and 2000 Cup-winning head coach Larry Robinson vehemently ripped a report suggesting he is interested in joining the new Montreal regime, saying that comments attributed to an agent, whom he called a friend, were five years old and that there has been no such contact or interest." [NY Post]

• Raffi Torres will watch Gary Bettman deny his appeal on Thursday. [Sportsnet]

• Oh, it only the Coyotes had moved to Winnipeg; then it would be the Jets making this run in the Western Conference. [QMI]

• Elliotte Friedman, on Dale Hunter Hockey: "This is where I strongly disagree with statistical analysis, which mocked Hunter's system as being terrible for puck possession and, therefore, determined he was coaching a style that allowed opponents to control the game. This is one where numbers don't tell anything close to the real story. They played hard, they played together and I would've liked to see how things evolved over the offseason. If it's decided that the team must go in a different direction, there are going to be some very unhappy players. It's a delicate balance for McPhee." [CBC]

• Really insightful piece from Dave Shoalts with Scotty Bowman, who talks about how we arrived at this moment of blocked shots and collapsing defense in the NHL. [Globe & Mail]

• Bourne on shot-blocking: "We let the players shoot through screens, pump-fake to drop defenders and create chances, and pass it around the guys trying to get in front of it. You know, like in hockey, where you try to score by figuring out what your opponent is doing, then out-thinking him." [Backhand Shelf]

• Hockey would be so much more exciting without those pesky defensemen. [Raw Charge]

• After watching Marc Savard's career end and Nathan Horton suffer multiple concussions, Cam Neely wants the equipment studied in the NHL. [Bruins Blog]

• Sergei Kostitsyn would like to remain with the Nashville Predators on a multi-year basis. [Insider Smashville, via On The Forecheck]

• Daniel Alfredsson on eventually becoming a coach: "I think I'd be both. I don't see myself coaching too soon. I think it takes even more time at the rink than it does as a player to prepare! (chuckles) Right now, I don't think I'm ready for that. But I like the strategic aspect of the game. I think I read the game really well. I try to talk to our coaches about things I'd like to see at times. I'm interested in how the coaches think. I like that part of it. So I think I'd be a bit of both types. I think I can also challenge guys and motivate them in different ways." [Senators]

• Fare thee well, Tomas Vokoun. [Caps Insider]

• Joe Thornton would like Todd McLellan back. [CSN Bay Area]

• The Cody Hodgson deal and a question of character. [THW]

• Matt Wagner on Todd Richards: "This move isn't just about a foundation move with the current players. It's also providing the scouting staff a better idea of what systems will be in place for next season, and helps rank and target the right players to fit that style. It helps the franchise take another step towards forming an identity, and much like the signing of Vinny Prospal to an extension, it's a move that puts people who want to win in Columbus in positions of respect and authority." [The Cannon]

• Rudy Kelly envisions Shane Doan's arrival in heaven. [Battle of Cali]

• Finally, here's one of the most anthropological looks at the playoff beard we've come across:

A Beard By Any Other Name from Anam Siddiq on Vimeo.