Here are all the links from around the hockey world, and what I’m reading, while ready for some NFL playoff football.
*PHT writer James O’Brien says that Auston Matthews is red-hot, and that the Maple Leafs sure look like a playoff team right now. That’s what the Bruins are afraid of.
*There has been patience in Tampa Bay with the Lightning, but it sounds like that is starting to run out as the Lightning remain stuck in neutral.
*Taylor Hall admits it’s going to be weird facing his former Edmonton Oilers teammates when they come to New Jersey to face the Devils.
*The Seth Jones deal has paid off handsomely for the Columbus Blue Jackets as they’ve built a rock-solid winning roster that’s now paying dividends.
*With the Colorado Avalanche languishing at the bottom of the NHL, the trade rumors are really starting to swirl for the Avs.
*A NHL buyout can be a traumatic thing for a player, but things have worked out very well for Antoine Vermette with the Anaheim Ducks.
Boston Bruins
*Evgeni Malkin is quietly having a magnificent season for the Pittsburgh Penguins while Sidney Crosby gets most of the attention.
*For something completely different: a cool story about the much-hyped reshoots for Rogue One, and what they ended up adding to the movie.