Daily Cupcakes: December 18th, 2017

Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche Notebook: Kerfoot nears return. [BSN Denver]

Erik Johnson suspended two games for boarding Namestnikov. [Sportsnet]

Avalanche’s “Hero Homecoming” grants three kids a Jedi surprise on Star Wars night. Navy chief Bill Doyle returned home from a year-long deployment in Africa, the sixth such deployment of his military career. [Denver Post]

The Rest of the Game

‘A unique Canadian problem’: Goalie rental apps connect teams with netminders
What began as texting service for Montreal goalies 7 years ago now includes players across Canada. [CBC]

NHL concussion battle isn’t ahead by a century. Montreal’s Harry Hyland scored five times against Toronto — and suffered the NHL’s first recorded concussion — in the league’s first game 100 years ago. Accounts of head injuries from pro hockey’s early days, and attempts to improve player safety, sound quite familiar today. [The Star]

Senators freeze out Canadiens 3-0 in bitterly cold NHL 100 Classic. From the faceoffs to the play on the boards to the defensive structure, Ottawa owned the game, clearly adapting to the elements better than Montreal. [National Post]

Mario’s “Five Goals, Five Ways” named Greatest Moment in NHL History. [NHL]