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.
• As Adam Burish promises "a war" in Game 4 tonight between the Chicago Blackhawks and Calgary Flames, it may have been his trash-talking that helped ignite the passion of Flames star Jarome Iginla, who played "on the edge" in the team's Game 3 win. [CBC Sports]
• Meanwhile, the Calgary Herald offers a great moment in hockey journalism by publishing anonymously written fan posts on a Blackhawks message board as evidence that the Flames are about to equal the Red Wings for Chicago puckhead hate. No clarification on how many of these pundits cited are under the age of 12. [Calgary Herald]
• Some advice for Montreal Canadiens fans on the night of what could be the end of their season: Don't boo the anthem, don't boo the Habs and if you're going to burn a cop car, make sure you have at least 10 inches of booze-soaked rag sticking out of the bottle before you light it. (That last one is our own personal advice.) [Eyes on the Prize]
• Gary Bettman battles with Mickey Redmond about the Detroit Red Wings' creative contracts and cheap penalties in the playoffs. From George James Malik: "Bettman would have blushed if he wasn't wearing so much of it already." [Snapshots; and Johan Franzen responds as well.]
• Looking at cutting some goalies slack in the face of interference calls, and whether or not Carey Price deserves some for his second straight postseason of "growing pains." We'll have you know that DiCaprio was nominated for an Oscar after two seasons of "Growing Pains." [THN]
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• New York Rangers captain Chris Drury is ready to play in tonight's Game 4 against the Washington Capitals. [NHL]
• If you've got an extra $2438.80 under the sofa cushion, there tickets available for the Garden tonight. [5 Hole]
• Meanwhile, Alexander Ovechkin speaks about hulking defenseman John Erskine not retaliating when Sean Avery punched him in Game 3: "It was a pretty tough decision not to kill him." [Capitals Insider]
• Great column from the Vancouver Sun about Alex Burrows's journey from a player with "a lion's heart but hands of stone" to one of the vital pieces on a Vancouver Canucks team that's already in the second round of the playoffs. [Vancouver Sun]
• The KB offers a report card for Game 4 of the Canucks' sweep. We agree: An 'F' for ThunderStix! [Kurtenblog]
• When the Navy needs innovation, where else would it turn but hockey? Introducing the aircraft carrier Zamboni. [EurekAlert]
• For the first time in ECHL history, the League will have two Game Sevens on the same night -- including the Puck Daddy-approved Las Vegas Wranglers. Head-em up, move'em out! [ECHL]
• Leahy pointed us over to this NHL.com headline FAIL. What was Matt Cooke going to do? Radulov his way to the KHL during the first year of his contract?
• Danny Briere says that the Philadelphia Flyers could easily have a 3-1 lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins right now. Which would certainly be keen for the Flyers, since they're 0-for-12 in franchise history when down 3-1. Oops. [Philly.com]
• If you're a fan of another sport primarily, you're probably not reading the jump on a hockey headlines column. But in care you are, here's a reminder why your postseason sucks and ours rules. Nanny nanny boo boo. [OC Register]
• A saucy Carrie Milbank interview, including a photo of her double-fisting. Beer. [Gunaxin]
• It wasn't Patrick Marleau that sunk Anaheim last night. 'Twas penalties that killed the Ducks. [LA Times]
• Finally, mucho kudos to Douglas Murray of the San Jose Sharks and George Parros of the Ducks for giving fight fans a little playoff goodness:
