Here are all the links from around the hockey world, and what I’m reading while ready for a night with New England Patriots Monday Night Football and Bruins/Canadiens at the Bell Centre. What an embarrassment of riches.
*Wayne Gretzky takes another step in a life of legendary status and makes a cameo for the Simpsons along with other heroes of winter.
*PHT writer Joey Alfieri has the details of Jonathan Toews hoping for an imminent return after missing a growing length of time with an upper body injury.
*So the Columbus Blue Jackets are now worthy of some fancy stats boy praise rather than the good, old-fashioned skepticism or scorn they were getting a few weeks ago, and all because Ryan Lambert says so. I think I’ll wait to see how the movie ends before deciding.
*Old friend Carl Soderberg is seeing diminished minutes with Colorado just a couple of years after getting that big deal from the Avs.
*Johnny Gaudreau is scorching hot since returning from injury, and is part of a Calgary Flames group that’s rising to the top of the Pacific Division.
*A cool story with young Philadelphia area goalie that was welcomed in by the Chicago Blackhawks after they needed him in a pinch at the Wells Fargo Center.
Boston Bruins
*A Montreal columnist says that Alex Radulov has paid off for the Canadiens, and chastises those that have wondered about his makeup. I really think you may want to wait until you’ve seen an entire year of the Radulov experience before making any final determinations on this because there’s just way too much of a past history.
*For something completely different: Stranger Things was nominated for a couple of Golden Globe awards, and the kids are understandably pumped.