Top Line: Sabres rumble, Capitals stumble, more links

By Allan Muir

A guide to this morning’s must-read hockey stories:

• That’s how you settle a score. Enforcer John Scott ragdolled Shawn Thornton, and red-hot Thomas Vanek rang up five points as the Buffalo Sabres whipped the “brain-dead” Bruins, 7-4.

• Another night, another parade to the penalty box for the bumbling Washington Capitals. Giving up 40 shots probably didn’t help, either as the Leafs came back for a 3-2 win.

• They’re not just talking about Ryan Kesler in Vancouver. They’re still on about Nail Yakupov’s goal celebration and the need to help players learn to celebrate responsibly.

• The Canucks still don’t have a timetable for Kesler’s return. They won’t really know what they are — or what they need — until he skates.

• Logan Couture shows support for the San Francisco 49ers with the first-known display of Kaepernicking on ice. Oh, and the San Jose Sharks are now 7-0.

• Paul Stastny’s early minus-3 was forgiven after a pair of late goals led the Avs to a surprising 6-3 win over the Flames that left Adrian Dater a little loopy.

• Evgeni Malkin said he’s having trouble adjusting to smaller NHL rinks but he managed just fine on Thursday night, netting the winner in Pittsburgh’s 3-0 win over the New York Rangers.

• Goals are like bananas because they come in bunches. That’s the wit and wisdom of Tampay Bay coach Guy Boucher.

• Another day another missed deadline in the root canal that is the Phoenix Coyotes story.

• More than a year after former Canucks’ enforcer Rick Rypien killed himself, his brother is at the forefront of a month-long initiative by Canada’s NHL teams to raise mental health awareness.

• The Predators and Kings went eight rounds deep into the shootout before Nashville finally pulled it out.