Sidney Crosby has been unstoppable for the Penguins despite the Senators boasting an elite defense. (AP)

By Allan Muir

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

• With the series hanging in the balance, the Senators should get a boost from the return of Jason Spezza. Just keep in mind, Sens fans, that the guy hasn’t played in almost four months. Adrenalin might get him through the first game. After that, he might be just a guy with no legs for this pace.

• The Penguins boast the star power and the experience to take control of this series. But don’t give up on the pesky Sens just yet.

• No, wait … go ahead and give up.

• Toronto talked about it, but Pittsburgh made it happen. Awesome.

• Brendan Smith was the goat in the Game 1 loss to Chicago. Here’s what he did with the goat horns in Game 2.

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Toronto’s Phil Kessel (right) scored the winning goal against his former club in Game 6. (Graig Abel/Getty Images)

By Allan Muir

It wasn’t the best night for Toronto’s Nazem Kadri in the face-off circle. Forced into a greater role by the last-minute scratch of top center Tyler Bozak, Kadri lost 13 of his 16 draws.

But all anyone will remember is that he won the one that mattered. And he did it by beating the best in the game.

With the draw deep in the Boston zone after an icing call, Kadri smoked Patrice Bergeron. Seconds later, the puck was on the stick of Phil Kessel, who fired it past Tuukka Rask at 8:59 of the third. The goal held up as the game winner as the Maple Leafs beat the Bruins, 2-1, and sent the series back to Boston for Game 7 Monday night.

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Boston’s Jaromir Jagr still has the talent that once made him one of the NHL’s most dominant players. (Getty Images)

By Sarah Kwak

For the first time in nine years, the city of Toronto, which many have long considered to be the epicenter of the hockey universe, renewed a long-lost tradition: hockey in May. Inside the Air Canada Centre, every high-priced seat was filled for the national anthems, which, according to Toronto natives, is an unusual sight. And it was a balmy 68 degrees in Maple Leaf Square, where thousands of fans — all decked in blue and white — stood for hours just to watch hockey on a humongous screen. Confetti dropped from the sky and television crews set up on-site sets. Now that’s some passion.

Though the visiting Boston Bruins spoiled the homecoming, defeating the Maple Leafs, 5-2, in Game 3 of their opening-round series, it’s still nice to welcome Toronto back to the playoffs. We’re happy to have you back, Leafs.

As for the game itself, here are some observations:

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Given up for dead a month into the season, Adam Oates’ Capitals are plenty alive. (Chuck Myers/MCT via Getty Images)

By Allan Muir

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

• Congrats to the Capitals, who won a thriller over the Jets to clinch the Southeast title for the fifth time in six seasons.

• While the rest of the league was content to write Washington off early on, coach Adam Oates never stopped believing in the team. He still looks like a dark horse for the Adams, but he fully deserves to be in the mix.

• The Jets aren’t quite good enough yet, but the future looks bright in Winnipeg.

• So they backed in. Big deal. The Islanders are in the playoffs for the first time since 2007!

• Two players who shouldn’t expect a postseason call-up to Long Island: Rick DiPietro and Nino Niederreiter.

• This season hasn’t provided Buffalo with much to brag about, but at least the Sabres can say they snapped a pair of lengthy Penguins winning streaks in Pittsburgh.

• The Pens could have Paul Martin and James Neal back in the lineup before the regular season ends. But Sidney Crosby…?

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It took him a while to get going, but Alex Ovechkin is white hot these days. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)

By Allan Muir

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

• It’s just like old times for Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. Both are back in league-leading positions after Sunday’s win over the Lightning.

• Here’s more on that Dodger Stadium outdoor game I wrote about yesterday. The Kings are now talking openly about their desire for a game against the Ducks. They’re looking at a Jan. 25, 2014 date for their chance to host outdoor hockey in Southern California. Hint to boss: If you need anyone to cover this one…

• The Ottawa Senators have dropped the first three stops of a seven-game road trip and Tim Wharnsby notes a common theme. He also touches on the revival of the Caps and Jaromir Jagr’s hardcore practice habits.

• Their play over the past two games suggests the Dallas Stars might be a better team without Jagr in their lineup. I’ll have more on this later today.

• Sunday’s win over the Predators earned the Blackhawks the first ticket to the 2013 Western Conference playoffs.

• Patrick Kane is right. It’s tough not to get emotional about this moment from yesterday’s Hawks/Preds game.

• Buffalo’s young players have 10 games to prove they can step up and fill the leadership void in the Sabres’ dressing room.

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Minus a few teeth, but otherwise fine after taking a puck to the jaw, Sidney Crosby hung out with his teammates. (Photo by Gene J. Puskar/AP)

By Allan Muir

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

• Sidney Crosby is out of the hospital and on his way to recovery. He stopped by the Pens’ practice on Thursday where Coach Dan Bylsma was hoping the time on ice would help acclimate the team’s new players to Pittsburgh’s system.

• New details emerged on the Roberto Luongo-to-the-Leafs trade talk…and they ain’t pretty…

• Zack Kassian is back with the Canucks after being sent to the AHL for a behavior timeout. So, apparently hanging out at the bars with your buds is frowned on when you’re supposed to be rehabbing a back injury.

• Ben Bishop was dazzling in his debut with the Lightning, stopping 45 shots for his second career shutout. That sound you hear emanating from up north is thousands of Senators fans, gently rocking themselves and repeating, “Robin Lehner is the future….Robin Lehner is the future…”

• Jaromir Jagr gave the Bruins the net presence they needed in his Boston debut.

• No one knows why there’s a WWE belt hanging in Marian Gaborik’s locker, but no one was asking after his stellar debut with the Blue Jackets. The 4-1 win was Columbus’ first regulation victory in Nashville in seven years.

• New center Derek Roy displayed immediate chemistry with Chris Higgins, helping the Canucks romp over the Oilers.

• Joffrey Lupul is 50/50 to practice today after being demolished early in Toronto’s Thursday night loss to Philly.

• Montreal GM Marc Bergevin took some heat for a quiet trade deadline, but he’d already made his big deal when he acquired Michael Ryder. The streaky winger kept up his sizzling pace, scoring two more Thursday night to power the Habs over the Jets. That’s s nine goals in 11 games for the sniper.

• With the season lost in Calgary, they’re starting to cheer for losses with all eyes on the draft.

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By Allan Muir

Say this about Jaromir Jagr: He knows how to make a first impression.

For the second time this season, the Hall of Fame-bound winger debuted with a new club. And for the second time, he’s provided all the offense his team needed.

Jagr’s first as a Boston Bruin won’t rank among the classics of his 680 (and counting) career tallies, as linemate Brade Marchand’s pass into the slot bounced off his skate and through the legs of Martin Brodeur. But as Boston announcer Jack Edwards noted, “They don’t ask how pretty, they just ask, ‘How many?’” Thanks to a sterling performance from Tuukka Rask, it stood as the game winner as the Bruins skated off with a 1-0 win over the Devils.

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With the Isles in the playoff picture, captain Mark Streit will likely stick around. (Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images)

By Allan Muir

A abbreviated trade deadline day guide to this morning’s must-read hockey stories:

• A big splash at the trade deadline is no guarantee of playoff success.

• Could Calgary GM Jay Feaster have another deal up his sleeve before the deadline?

• Who might be on the trade block in Edmonton?

• The Islanders are for real! With another impressive win on Tuesday night, they now own the seventh spot in the East.

• With that long-awaited chance at the postseason within their grasp, don’t look for the Isles to trade captain Mark Streit, even if they can’t get his contract extended before the deadline.

• History extended an invitation to the Penguins. The Pens chose to wash their hair. Or something. Clearly they weren’t interested in competing against the Sabres hard enough to extend their 15-game winning streak.

• The Dallas Stars are a mess right now. And that’s exactly what they need to be.

• Does the arrival of Jaromir Jagr put the Bruins back on target for the Stanley Cup? Probably not if Patrice Bergeron’s injury is serious.

• They’re asking the same question in Vancouver about the acquisition of Derek Roy.

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Jaromir Jagr is not your classic banging Bruins winger, but if he can juice Boston’s power play, he’ll be a good add. (Photo by Mark Humphrey/AP)

By Allan Muir

The deal

The Boston Bruins acquired winger Jaromir Jagr from the Dallas Stars in exchange for prospects Lane MacDermid and Cody Payne and a conditional draft pick.

Bruins skinny

There will be a lot of talk about his remarkable career when this deal is discussed, but the Bruins didn’t trade for the 1996 Jagr. They got the 2013 model — far from a superstar, but still a solid contributor at age 41. He had 14 goals and 26 points in 34 games with a low-rent Dallas offense, generating most of his chances with hard work down low, something coach Claude Julien says the B’s have gotten away from lately. What’s most intriguing about him is that, despite his considerable size, he’s not a typical banging Boston winger…and that’s not a bad thing. Given his familiarity with top center David Krejci, he could replace Nathan Horton on that unit and give it a very different (and tougher to defend) look 5-on-5. But where the B’s really need him to shine is on their 24th-ranked power play. Jagr’s a left-handed shot but plays off the right boards, which changes the angle of attack from what was a predominantly left-side assault.

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Trading veteran Jaromir Jagr is part of the Stars’ plan to get younger. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

By Allan Muir

Midway through the second period of last night’s 4-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, a message appeared on the video board teasing a look at the new jerseys the Dallas Stars will be wearing in 2013-14. The news generated a buzz through the crowd of 9,000 or so diehards who’d been beaten into silence by another error-filled performance from the Stars.

The third period comes around, and finally, the big reveal. A curtain parts and out comes some idiot in a horse-head mask wearing the much-despised mooterus jersey from a decade ago.

Ha ha! April Fool’s! It’s a joke! Get it?

You know, if this had been a playoff team, or even one that was taking care of business instead of getting blown out at home for the third time in a week, maybe this bit works. Instead, the ill-conceived gag served to perfectly encapsulate the 2013 Dallas Stars: Tease something big, then spectacularly under-deliver.

The Stars, well, new owner Tom Gagliardi, made the mistake last summer of believing a couple of 40-somethings like Jaromir Jagr and Ray Whitney would push this close-but-no-cigar squad back into the playoffs.

It hasn’t worked. There have been bright spots in this roller coaster season–a 2-0 win in Los Angeles two weeks ago comes to mind–but there have been too many passionless efforts like the one last night. And so, with the team on the verge of making it five consecutive years without a sniff of the postseason, the Stars surely realize it is time to start the fire sale.

MUIR: Stars trade Roy to Vancouver | Jagr to Boston

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