• This is a crime against humanity. [JerseyFouls]

• IIHF president René Fasel is ‘encouraged’ by the pressure NHL players have put on the league to participate in the 2018 Olympics, but they still have a long way to go. [Inside the Games]

• The Tampa Bay Lightning’s season was called dead many moons ago. Yet the team hasn’t received that message. [Tampa Bay Times]

• Nikita Kucherov has taken the Lightning on his back and carried them for a massive turnaround. [Raw Charge]

• Making a case for publicly publishing protected player lists ahead of the NHL expansion draft. The GMs are leaning towards keeping them private. [ESPN]

• “I didn’t know my face was caved in, but I knew it wasn’t good,” writes Kris Draper of the brawl in Game 6 versus the Colorado Avalanche. BEST LEDE EVER? [The Players’ Tribune]

• Top 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award are announced. [Hobey Baker]

• One of the nominees, Zach Aston-Reese, inked a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Player development coach Bill Guerin talks about the signing. [Penguins]

• After eight years at University of Nebraska-Omaha, head coach Dean Blais has stepped down, just two days after he suggested he’d return. [College Hockey News]

• “Please, Panthers, don’t turn Aaron Ekblad into Eric Lindros.” [The Hockey News]

• Time for the Dallas Stars’ brass to accept responsibility in the sudden rebuild they had a part in creating. [Dallas Morning News]

• The New York Islanders’ three goaltender plan has exploded in Garth Snow’s face. [Eyes on Isles]

• How the Bruins are quietly becoming contenders in the Eastern Conference. [NBC Sports]

• However, if the Boston Bruins don’t make the playoffs it won’t be for lack of effort from Brad Marchand. [Boston Sports Desk]

• Why Oscar Klefbom and other disciplined defensemen like him deserve more praise than they receive. [Sportsnet]

• Fancy stats look at Erik Karlsson being on pace to join the NHL greats. [TSN]

• Craig Anderson is truly ‘making lemonade out of lemons’ this season. [FanRag Sports]

• Fantasy hockey: Jack Eichel and other surging players in the final stretch of the season. [Dobber]

• Rookie defender Courtney Burke is the New York Riveters ‘Big Weapon’ on the blueline. [FanRag Sports]

• Complete your bracket of 64 of the top hockey tweets in the past few years. There are many ‘cringe worthy’ favorites in each region. [The Bloggers’ Tribune]

• Finally, Tyler Myers missed time at the beginning of the year when his son, Tristan, was born five weeks early and very ill. It was a life changing event for the entire Myers family. [Robert Söderlind]