Puck Headlines: Chicago blows chance; Coyotes ticket disaster

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.

• Just a note that we will in fact be chatting live at 1 p.m. EST with Spector and Dave about rumors, scuttlebutt, innuendo and the playoffs. Join us, won't you?

• So the big theme that's emerged from last night's Detroit Red Wings' win over the Chicago Blackhawks is that the Hawks took their best shot and blew it. [Between the Circles]

• Unless, of course, you believe that a return to the friendly confines of the United Center mean that the Blackhawks can still make a series out of this. In which case you'd be Brian Campbell(notes): "We'll be fine ... There's no let-up in this team." [NHL]

• From the Chicago blog Second City Hockey: "Not to be 'that guy', but the calls seemed to be tilted in the Wings favor. There were a couple of times the Hawks broke in against flat-footed defenders reaching with nary a call, yet somehow Dave Bolland(notes) got called for a phantom hook/trip/whatever-the [expletive]." There have probably been worse calls in the postseason, but calling a hooking penalty on a guy who didn't actually use his stick to hook anyone has to be, what, Top 5? [SCH]

• Say, did you know Marian Hossa(notes) left the Penguins for the Red Wings? Not that we're getting ahead of ourselves or anything. [Province]

• Uh, did Darren McCarty(notes) try to sell the 2004 President's Trophy on eBay? [eBay, H/T Matt Murray]

• The NHL and Phoenix Coyotes "owner" Jerry Moyes are attempting to hash things out with a mediator by the end of the month. But if the relocation aspect of the Coyotes court case will be settled on June 22, "the lateness of that date all but means Balsillie and Hamilton are out for next season." [Toronto Sun]

• Meanwhile, the Phoenix Coyotes are finding it a tad difficult to sell tickets for next season with a team facing Chapter 11 and potential relocation: "It was recited in court that since that time, the team had sold only $20,000 in tickets for next season compared to $1.5-million leading up to that time." Incidentally, we're rather tired of reading Canadian writers who disparage the 500 Coyotes fans that rallied to save the franchise. The team's in bankruptcy and is an inch away from being moved to Canada; as these ticket sales would indicate, the fan base has been kicked in the stones by all of this. It's less apathy than stunned disbelief. [Globe & Mail]

• An absolutely terrific column by the Kurtenblog about how attendance issues happen all over the hockey world, and not just in the Southwestern U.S. [KB]

• You know times are tough for the Coyotes when even the Columbus Blue Jackets writers want to see they move to Canada. [Dispatch, H/T Mirtle]

• To the surprise of absolutely no one, Patrick Roy now says that he hasn't received any "concrete offers" but now admits that he's had discussions with the Colorado Avalanche. [Sun Media]

• Since that Bylsma fellow seems to be doing OK for himself in the NHL, Todd Reirden has been named head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League. [Penguins]

• Japers takes a look at the Erik Cole(notes) interference call in Game 1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins and wonders where that call was during a critical moment in Game 7 of the Washington Capitals vs. Philadelphia Flyers series in 2008. [Japers' Rink]

• Justin Bourne with another killer blog for The Hockey News, this time on young players and their playoff peach fuzz: "Patrick Kane? Ol' Geno Malkin? These guys have faces smoother than Matthew McConaughey on Xanax." [THN]

• Stathead blog of the day: Please to be welcoming Sacrifice the Body to the blogosphere, and its in-depth analysis of home ice advantage. [Sacrifice the Body]

• Assessing the good and the bad when it comes to Pavol Demitra(notes) on the Vancouver Canucks. [Nucks Misconduct]

• Vyacheslav Bykov will not be the Montreal Canadiens next coach. Wait, what the hell? [Gazette]

• The blog Mayhew Mayhem found the Whalers mascot Puck the Whale in its basket of chicken and fries. Clearly, this is a sign that the Coyotes are moving to Hartford. [Mayhew Mayhem, H/T UniWatch]

• Why the New York Rangers and Jay Bouwmeester(notes) got together like Sean Avery(notes) and fashion glasses. [Blueshirts Banter]

• Rich Hammond with an epic takedown of TSN's Darren Dreger and his report that Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jack Johnson(notes) could be KHL-bound: "I have no intention of challenging Dreger on his story, but note that the blog post is very carefully written with words such as 'interest,' 'it is believed,' and 'possibility.' If you take all those letters and rearrange them, you can probably come up with the phrase, ‘No chance in hell.'" [Inside the Kings, and a follow-up]

• The big debate: Steven Stamkos(notes) of the Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Drew Doughty(notes) of the Kings. [Heated Skates]

• Honestly, who needs to actually read the story with a headline like this: "Americans Name Cheeseman New Athletic Therapist." ... "Whaddya got there son? Strained groin? Let me get my smoked Gouda." [WHL]

• Finally, Dmitry noticed this thread on the HF Boards, and true to form it's degenerating into a string of homophobic nonsense. Anyhoo, Evgeni Malkin(notes) apparently took in a Britney Spears concert. Boy don't try to front. We know just just what you are.