from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

- Sometimes the deadline deals that seem unimportant at the time turn out big in the playoffs. The Bruin trades for Charlie Coyle and Marcus Johansson have been significant for Boston.

- Can’t remember the NHL having such a great group of young, mobile, team-changing defenceman, age 21-and-under: Cale Makar, Rasmus Dahlin, Samuel Girard, Miro Heiskanen, Charlie McAvoy, and Zach Werenski to name a few.

- As usual, Dave Hodge makes more sense than almost anyone. His solution for goalie interference is rather simple: It’s either a penalty or a goal. If you don’t call a penalty, the goal stands … And I hate, repeat hate, repeat hate again, the offside challenge in hockey. What the rule was intended to do and what it has turned out to be are two completely different things.

- If someone had told you in September that Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney would lead Carolina to the Eastern Conference final, you would have a) laughed; b) said it was impossible; c) offered to bet money against it; d) not cared enough to listen.

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