News: Marian Hossa missed Monday's Game 3 with an upper body injury, Tracey Myers of CSNChicago.com reports.
Analysis: It was believed that Marian Hossa was hurt in warmups, but coach Joel Quenneville said the 34-year-old came into the pregame skate a game-time decision. While Quenneville also said that he's hopeful Hossa will be able to play in Game 4, he added that the team will take a day-to-day approach.
News: Logan Couture agreed to a contract extension with the Sharks on Monday, CSN's Brodie Brazil reports.
Analysis: While the length and the value of Logan Couture's extension have not yet been disclosed, the 24-year-old center has reportedly re-upped with San Jose. It certainly makes sense that the Sharks would want to keep Couture around, considering he led the team with 21 goals during the regular season did so again in the playoff with five.
News: Ben Smith will see his first NHL action since April 27 as he suited up on Monday in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Analysis: Ben Smith skate for the Blackhawks on April 27 in the last regular season game against the Blue. He gets the call after Marian Hossa was a late scratch with undetermined injury. It will be his first appearance in a NHL playoff game since the 2010-11 season and he did well with three goals in seven games, all against the Canucks. The 24-year-old forward posted a career-high 47 points for Rockford of the AHL.
News: Bryan Bickell is going to go back to the basics or in journalism parlance KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) to re-energize his offense for Game 3 on Monday against the Bruins in the Stanley Cup finals, ESPN Chicago reports.
Analysis: Bryan Bickell had been a terror in the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs until the first two games of the Stanley Cup finals where he has no points and only two shots on goal against the Bruins. He registered five goals, four assists and 24 shots on goal during an eight-game span from the final three games of the Western Conference semifinals against the Detroit Red Wings through all five games of the Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Kings.
News: Mark Streit has signed a four-year deal with the Flyers, TSN's Darren Dreger reports.
Analysis: The Islanders recently traded Mark Streit's rights to Philadelphia for Shane Harper and a fourth-round pick. The Flyers didn't waste much time signing the veteran puck-moving blueliner, who recorded six goals and 27 points in 48 regular-season games for the Islanders this past season.
News: Brandon Bollig will be a healthy scratch for Monday's Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals, NHL.com's Dan Rosen reports.
Analysis: Brandon Bollig will be replaced on the Blackhawks' fourth line by Viktor Stalberg, who was a healthy scratch in the first two games of the series. The move is expected to be made in an effort to bolster the team's offensive production. Bollig has a minus-1 rating in just over 23 minutes of action in the two Stanley Cup thus far.
News: Viktor Stalberg is in line to play on a line with Marcus Kruger and Michael Frolik in Monday's Game 3 against the Bruins, Tracey Myers of CSNChicago.com reports.
Analysis: Viktor Stalberg has just three assists in 15 playoff games to date, but he brings more speed and offensive upside to the table than Brandon Bollig, who he is slated to replace in Monday's lineup.
News: Joe Piskula signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Predators on Monday, NHL.com reports.
Analysis: Joe Piskula would earn $135,000 at the AHL level and $550,000 at the NHL level under the terms of the deal. The defenseman registered 14 points in 69 games last year with the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals and Abbotsford Heat.
News: Cris Nilstorp has signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Stars, the team's official site reports.
Analysis: Cris Nilstorp will continue to provide the Stars with goaltending depth behind Kari Lehtonen, with RFA Richard Bachman presumably in the mix as well. In five appearances with the Stars this past season, the 29-year-old Nilstorp recorded a 1-3-1 record with a .897 save percentage and a 3.09 GAA.
News: Kirill Petrov has been guaranteed a roster spot by the Islanders, according to the Islanders Point Blank.
Analysis: The spot has apparently been guaranteed if Kirill Petrov reports to the team once his KHL contract runs out in the summer of 2014. Petrov has always been an intriguing player with top-end skills but has hardly lit up in the KHL with 49 points in 99 games.
