While some of the Toronto Maple Leafs are undoubtedly lying on a beach somewhere wearing not nearly enough sunscreen (I worry!), several of them are currently in Denmark competing at the World Championships. Kasperi Kapanen and the Finnish team have spent the tournament so far beating up their opponents (their lowest-scoring game was a 7-0 defeat of Norway, and they hung eight goals on both Korea and Latvia). Denmark had the home crowd behind them, and Freddie Andersen, which turned out to be enough.

It’s quite the upset for the home team, and Finland had to settle for only two goals in their defeat.

ICYMI

Women’s Hockey Wednesday: Para ice hockey players deserve respect - Pension Plan Puppets
Good news and goodbyes from the past fortnight.

A new generation of Marlies are learning on the fly in the AHL playoffs - Pension Plan Puppets
A 2-1 win on the road sweeps the Crunch out of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

News from Russia: Is Igor Ozhiganov signing with the Maple Leafs or not? - Pension Plan Puppets
Dan Milstein, agent to many Russians, did an interview where he dished on former, current and maybe a future member of the Maple Leafs.

Stuff We Didn’t Write

Sharks send Vlasic, Hansen, Boedker to IIHF World Championships - Fear The Fin
Vlasic, Boedker, and Hansen have all packed their bags for Copenhagen.

Maple Leafs' McElhinney talks pressures of playing in Toronto - Sportsnet.ca
Both of Toronto's goalies are representing their countries at the world championship, though Curtis McElhinney was surprised to get the call from Canada.

Bruins' Brad Marchand admits he went too far with licking incident - Sportsnet.ca
Brad Marchand did more than just clean out his locker during Wednesday's Boston Bruins media availability on Wednesday — he also came clean about his latest antics that earned him the ire of many around the league.

The Capitals could exploit the Lightning’s biggest statistical weakness - The Washington Post
Tampa Bay's penalty kill ranked 27th in the NHL during the regular season, with Coach Jon Cooper calling it a “sore subject” in February.

Rutherford: Kessel played thru injuries all year - Article - TSN
Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford said Wednesday forward  dealt with injuries throughout the regular season, despite playing in all 82 games.

Here are all the injuries the Boston Bruins dealt with during the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs | masslive.com
As is the tradition at the end of every grueling NHL season, the Bruins took time to discuss the various injuries that they dealt with during the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Marlies captain Ben Smith knows all about the performing arts | Toronto Sun
One opponent Marlies captain Ben Smith will never have to conquer is stage fright.

Who Owns the Best Smile in Franchise History? - On the Forecheck
We’ve long been the folks pushing the idea that this club is very handsome. It’s been our gimmick for many years now. There’s no reason to be uptight about it; these players have to take great care...

Carolina Hurricanes: Don Waddell general manager | News & Observer
Don Waddell, Carolina Hurricanes hockey's new general manager, was working as a scout for the Pittsburgh Penguins four years ago when he received a call from former Canes owner Pete Karmanos. The NHL's Canes organization introduced Waddell as its new GM on Wednesday, May 9, 2018.

Flyers prospect Lyon makes 94 saves in longest game in AHL history
Philadelphia Flyers prospect Alex Lyon made 94 saves on Wednesday to help Lehigh Valley win the longest game in American Hockey League history. [The winner of this series plays the Marlies next.]

We’ve got NHL hockey tonight, with Game 7 between the Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators at 8pm ET. Please select your rooting interest in the poll below.

Who are you cheering for in tonight’s Game 7?

Winnipeg Jets. I want to give Laine’s playoff beard more time to metamorphose into its true form.81
Nashville Predators. They’re not Canadian, so their smug fans at least come from a distance.107
Chaos.66
From The Branches