Spoonful of Sugar

The Bruins dropped the Sabres in the shootout last night.

• It was Ryan Spooner and Brad Marchand (with yet another short-handed goal) that sparked the Bruins offense.[TheBostonGlobe]


• Have a look at Spooner's goal as well as the Marchand shorty, which showcases the crafy inventiveness for which Marchand is famous. (With video)[MassLive]


• The game was a bit of a departure from recent collapses in the third period. Take five... observations from the game, including that the Bruins power play has gone into hibernation.[WEEI]


• Kirk Luedeke expounds on why the Dennis Wideman suspension had to happen, and what was apparently at stake for the Bruins in the matter. He minces no words on the significance of the loss to Toronto on Tuesday. He further explains why the Bruins, at present, should avoid being pressured into a roster move for its own sake.[ScoutingPost]


• Marchand has become a relied-upon team leader, and not only in goal production.[Boston.com]


• Will the Bruins movement away fron the "Big, Bad Bruins" style cost Cam Neely his job in the end?[BostonSportsDesk]

Elsewhere around the rink:

• Why does the league pay so much more attention to diving incidents than their vaunted NHL concussion protocol?[TheHockeyNews]


• Now a former NHL referee (and player) has joined the NHL concussion lawsuit, describing his situation as "pretty bleak" and hoping to protect his family's future.[TheHockeyNews]


• The Vancouver Canucks training staff received a very nice thank you from Daniel Sedin after the All-Star Game.[BarDown]


• Did the Bettman learn anything from the John Scott debacle, or will owners' interests always trump those of players and fans?[SportsIllustrated]


• Let's talk about NHL TV and the league's rollout of that replacement to GameCenter...[Deadspin]


• ...and how angry and frustrated paying customers of the service were with the new product and how it was (not) delivered.[PuckDaddy]


• The Habs have come up with a new gala spectacular ceremony to celebrate the remarkable beginning of their now foundering season, complete with all the majesty and symbolism we've come to expect from a team so focused on their bygone glory days. NO, REALLY![LighthouseHockey]


• The 1975-76 Brown University hockey team is reuniting to remember a very special season the culminated in a trip to the Final Four in Denver.[ProvidenceJournal]


• Remember Donald Brashear's pitch for startup funding to produce an affordable hockey stick? BINGO! He got it![TheColorOfHockey]