PHT’s Morning Skate takes a look around the world of hockey to see what’s happening and what we’ll be talking about around the NHL world and beyond.
Pittsburgh was perfect against the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum during the regular season, but Penguins coach Dan Bylsma warned that beating the Islanders at home will be an entirely different story in the playoffs. “It’s going to be loud and it’s going to be a pretty crazy building,” Bylsma predicted. (Newsday)
21-year-old rookie Vladimir Tarasenko remains upbeat despite being a healthy scratch for the St. Louis Blues’ first three playoff contests. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
James Neal (lower body) only joined the Pittsburgh Penguins’ practice for a few minutes on Saturday. (Penguins.nhl.com)
Roberto Luongo praised Brent Burns’ efforts in the San Jose Sharks’ game-winning goal on Friday. Luongo and his Vancouver Canucks are now down 2-0 in the first-round series. (CSN Bay Area)
Speaking of the Vancouver-San Jose series, Sharks coach Todd McLellan wants to make sure his team doesn’t lose their sense of urgency. He knows Vancouver is more than capable of battling back. (San Jose Mercury News)
Minnesota Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom (lower body) practice with the Wild on Saturday. He’s questionable for today’s game. (Wild.nhl.com)
Ottawa Senators defenseman Eric Gryba maintains that he delievered a “shoulder-to-shoulder body check” on Montreal’s Lars Eller. Gryba is “disappointed” with his two-game suspension. (Ottawa Citizen)
Highlights from the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 4-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Saturday:
