Thunderstruck

Okay, last night's loss to the Lightning would have been almost comical, if it were not such a microcosm of the Bruins season in general.

• From the merely clumsy to the ridiculous... Adam McQuaid stumbled, costing a breakaway goal, Steven Stamkos converted on a penalty shot, and Zdeno Chara was inexplicably called for embellishment.[TheBostonGlobe]


• Waivers and trades may have frayed some nerves- here are five notes from the loss.[WEEI]


• "So, that was ugly." Postgame, Chara elaborated on the pressures of trade deadline day. Loui Eriksson seemed stressed, appearing genuine in his stated wish to stay in Boston.[Hockebuzz]


• Don Sweeney is between a rock and a hard place at trade deadline. Are the Bruins looking to develop a "generational gap?" What are Sweeney's impressions of the trade market so far? Read all about it...[Bruins.NHL] ...or listen here. (Video, 11:43)[Bruins.NHL]


• Much depends upon the trade market, the Bruins may not be able to get precisely what they need in exchange for Eriksson at the moment. Other players including Brad Marchand will be due for contracts and raises next season.[TheBostonGlobe]


• The Bruins are stuck in a very sour pickle- trade or no trade? Kirk Luedeke mulls the options, and then adds a postscript after last evening's loss at TD Garden.[ScoutingPost]


• Counterpoint: D.J. Bean tackles many of the same questions, including which teams are said to be in the hunt, and what personnel adjustments will be made to fill the gap left by a possible Eriksson trade. As a bonus, Bean slips in some music critique.[WEEI]


• Zac Rinaldo joined Max Talbot on waivers after the win over the Hurricanes, and the Bruins remain in the hunt for a defenseman.[BruinsDaily]


• Whispers are getting louder about the Bruins' interest in acquiring Dan Hamhuis from Vancouver.[NESN]


• Meanwhile, in Providence... the PBruins fell to the Sound Tigers 3-1 on Saturday night.[ProvidenceJournal]


• They followed up with a 3-2 win against the Wilkes-Barre Penguin s yesterday, as Zane McIntyre saved 23 of 25 shots.[ProvidenceBruins]

Elsewhere around the rink:

• Keep track of all the rumors and done deals on trade deadline day RIGHT HERE![SBNation]


• Teams should decide on how aggressive to be at trade deadline based on whether their current rosters are a flaming tire fire, in the sweet spot, or aging out.[Sportsnet]


• The Panthers are capping their surprising season by loading up for the playoffs.[TSN]


• A Grand Forks, ND man bought a Zamboni and put it to good use at home. His neighbors are the beneficiaries.[GrandForksHerald]


• It was the Red Wings for the win over the Avalanche at the Stadium Series game on Saturday...[PuckDaddy]...and if you missed it, a young fan shaded Jeremy Roenick HARD. (With video, and 'tude)[NHL.NBCSports]


• Aw, lighten up, Francis. NHL Trade Deadline is bloated performance art- James Duthie explains.[NationalPost]


• It appears statistically that there is a bit of a zebra effect preventing any team from racking up sequential power play opportunities.[TSN]


• Take a look at recent Stanley Cup winners and the effects of last-minute trades in their playoff runs.[NationalPost]


• Meet Tom Poraszka over at GeneralFanager, whose site is the heir apparent to the sorely missed CapGeek.[TorontoSun]


• One small town in New Brunswick held the "world pond hockey championship" over the weekend.[TheGlobeAndMail]


• Disabled before reaching the age of 41, a former enforcer who never made it beyond the junior and minor league level is fighting for his life in unrelenting pain. (With video)[TheGlobeAndMail]