Morning Chirps: Hurricanes even up Final, Babcock saga continues

Is there any way we can extend the Stanley Cup Final to a best-of-13 series? We have been treated to two teams with a ton of heart who just keep coming at you until the final horn. We’ve got plenty of tidbits in today’s Morning Chirps.

Blackhawks Chirps

• Connor Bedard will sign a new contract this summer, and I went over the pros and cons of a long-term deal and a bridge contract.

• It’s starting to sound like Alex Tuch and the Buffalo Sabres are far apart on a new contract, and Jordan Manning thinks he’s the guy for the Blackhawks to pursue this summer.

• Frank Nova and I spoke to Joe Yerdon, who covers the Sabres, about Tuch and what he saw at the NHL Draft Combine.

• Speaking of the Draft Combine, Jay Zawaski and I heard from Anthony Donati about what he learned in Buffalo.

• Scott Powers had his annual interview with Roman Kantserov, but it was a bit different this time around as he’s now signed and ready to make the jump to the NHL.

• On this date in 2015, the Blackhawks evened the Stanley Cup Final at two wins apiece with a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jonathan Toews and Alex Killorn got the scoring started by trading goals in the middle frame. Brandon Saad’s eighth goal of the playoffs early in the third period proved to be the game-winner. Corey Crawford stopped 24 of the 25 shots he faced to earn the win.

• Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call, June 10: Brent Sutter, Kip Miller, and Jiri Sekac.

NHL Chirps

• For the fourth straight game in the Stanley Cup Final, a team jumped out to a 2-0 lead. It was the Carolina Hurricanes' turn in Game 4, and while they couldn’t hold a pair of two-goal leads, they evened the series with a 5-3 win. This was the first game of the Final that wasn’t a one-goal game. The ageless wonder, Jordan Staal, was the hero with a pair of goals, including the game-winner from his stomach. He became the first player since Mike Bossy in 1982 to score a goal in the first four games of a Stanley Cup Final, and the oldest player to ever do it. Brandon Bussi wasn’t spectacular in his first playoff start, but he did just enough to earn the win. With all the talk about this being a defensive series, this is the first Stanley Cup Final ever to have both teams score at least three goals in each of the first four games.

• Michael McCarron is staying with the Minnesota Wild after signing a new six-year, $19.8 million contract. While I thought McCarron would be a good fit for the Blackhawks, giving a 31-year-old fourth-line center a six-year deal with a full no-movement clause is a choice.

• The Mike Babcock saga had some new chapters added to it on Tuesday. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reported that Babcock has already met with Oilers players, including Connor McDavid, and they gave their full support to the front office to make the hire. Pierre LeBrun then said that the NHLPA wants a full investigation into Babcock’s dismissal in Columbus before they sign off on a hiring. The league is waiting for the Oilers to request said investigation. I wonder if, with all the negative reaction to the news, the Oilers are hoping to get bailed out by the league.

• This is shaping up to be a crazy offseason following Dylan Larkin's trade request. Elliotte Friedman says we might be just getting started. He told the FAN Hockey Show that he doesn’t think it’s the last trade request we’ll see this summer. Stay tuned!

• NHL Birthday Roll Call, June 10: Dennis O’Brien, Mike Eaves, Brian Benning, Chad Johnson, and Kieffer Bellows.

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