PK Subban, prognosticator and puck-moving defenseman, said the following before game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final:

"There's no question," Subban told CSN on Thursday. "We're going to win the next game, and then we'll move forward."

The moral of the story is obviously that the Habs suck.

Leafs News

Toronto Maple Leafs Podcast: Free agency, trade targets and internal needs | TOTT
"In this Toronto Maple Leafs episode of the ToT-cast, we discuss the Leafs free agency outlook, trade targets, internal needs and more."

4 Maple Leafs Vegas Fans Should Know | THW
Eyes are on Fehr, Leipsic, Leivo, and Marincin.

Leafs talk with big Steelheads defenceman Hague | Toronto Sun
"In case there was any doubt which team Nic Hague’s mother wants to see him drafted by, she has kept the baby blue and white sweater he wore as a 1-year-old."

Toronto Maple Leafs GM: ‘I would not be surprised if we did not have a captain next year’ | Hornby
"The urge to sew a ‘C’ on Auston Matthews — or the sweater of another Maple Leaf — will have to wait at least another season." Darn.

Let me South-splain for a moment

Y’all probably have heard a lot about Nashville and the goings on there what with Catfish Guy becoming a local celebrity and the Smashville car and all. I’m here to tell you that Florida is still definitely crazier than Tennessee, so I feel like I’m qualified to Southsplain to y’all.

(By the way, Nashville mayor Megan Barry presented Catfish Guy with a proclamation that June 5th is Predator Pride day, with the whole town encouraged to wear their hockey jerseys. So he became the highest-profile representative of all Nashville fans — interesting end to that story, right? Nashville’s Steve Dangle, but with a catfish down his pants!)

[1] Why so much support for the team in this non-traditional market?

Well, first, hockey is fun and it simply took winning a lot to make it relevant for a non-traditional market.

But second, If Carrie Underwood likes this sport, you better fall in line. She’s gonna get all her friends to come, including Keith Urban and Billie Rae Cyrus, and if you don’t join her you’re clearly missing out on a burgeoning cultural phenomena. Nashville is nothing if not hipster, and Carrie is the queen of the alt-country hip.

Look, even Taste of Country dot com is reporting on the Preds right now.

[2] Catfish????1?

Ugh, Tennessee, why: ‘One stadium worker tasked with cleaning them up said, “They are so gross. They're huge, they're heavy, they stink, and they leave this slimy trail on the ice. But, hey, if it's good for the team, I guess we can deal with it.”’ Ugh ugh ugh.

Blame Detroit. But honestly, I get it. People do weirder shit for SEC football all the time, and doing weird things for sports really lends itself to the small but growing petri dish that is hockey fandom in the South.

Here is another charming local custom, undoubtedly inspired by the Habs’ fans chanting the name of the opposing goalie when they’re winning.

Fried catfish, on the other hand, is delicious, and when you next visit Nashville, go to Arnold’s Country Kitchen and have some.

[3] What is up with that car, y’all.

Dukes of Hazard was filmed in Marietta, Georgia, which is about a four-hour drive south of Nashville. Just so you know. So there’s a longstanding Southern tradition of enjoying the view as someone wrecks a Dodge Charger. So yeah, why not buy a car for people to stand on and demolish? It’s kind of a southern tradition.

It’s becoming clear that buying tickets to help smash a car painted with the away logo is the new dunking booth. Especially when former NFL football coaches are doing it. Despite the fact that this is redneck AF, please know that the proceeds are all going to a pediatric cancer charity. But yes, smashing cars with a sledgehammer is pretty much the definition of redneck — if you enjoy such things, I googled a youtube playlist for you.

ENJOY GAME 4 Y’ALL!

From The Branches