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Tuesday, 24 May 2011 01:53

Written by Seth Rorabaugh

Penguins

-Contract talks with unrestricted free agents Pascal Dupuis and Mike Rupp (above) have begun. (PG+).

-Do yourself a favor and read this wonderful but sad story about athletes and how they deal with concussions after they retire by The Buffalo News' Bucky Gleason. The story focuses primarily on former Penguins forward Matthew Barnaby.

-Happy 50th birthday to former Penguins forward Alain Lemieux. A free agent signing midway through the 1986-87 season, Lemieux appeared in one game for the Penguins that season and did not score a point. He was released the following offseason. Combined with his younger brother Mario's 1,723 points, the Lemieuxs hold the franchise record for points by a brother tandem with 1,723. Alain also played for the Pittsburgh Phantoms of the Roller Hockey International league during the franchise's only season in 1994.

Playoff Stuff

Bruins - Lightning

-Tim Thomas made 33 saves for the Bruins in a 3-1 win against the Lightning in Game 5. The victory gives Boston a 3-2 series lead.

-Save of the Night: Thomas on Tampa Bay's Steve Downie:

-Goal of the Night: Check out this slick pass by Boston's Patrice Bergeron to set up Brad Marchand for a goal:

-Boston's Nathan Horton absolutely buried a one-timer for his game-tying goal:

-Thomas being good people:

-Bright times for Thomas:

-Boston's Tomas Kaberle and Tampa Bay's Blair Jones had issues:

-Marchand being popular:

-Big, honking banner times in Boston:

-Cool Photo of the Night: Boston's Adam McQuaid dumping a puck down ice:

-"It was unbelievable. It turned the whole game around." - Bergeron on Thomas' save.

-Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk left the game in the third period after having his head slammed into the boards off a hit by Downie. Bruins coach Claude Julien labeled him as "fine."

-Lightning coach Guy Boucher made a surprising move by starting Mike Smith instead of Dwayne Roloson in net.

Canucks - Sharks

-Sharks captain Joe Thornton (right) is expected to play in tonight's game 5 despite a suspected shoulder injury which he suffered in Game 4.

-Canucks defenseman Christian Ehrhoff (suspected shoulder) is still day to day.

Non-Playoff Stuff

Atlantic Division

-Islanders captain Doug Weight is expected to announce his retirement Thursday.

-"Maybe I need to take about five or ten minutes to calm myself and gather my thoughts and then go in there and choose my words wiser. Sometimes you try to joke around or say things that get blown up. You’ve got to realize that everything you say can be taken the wrong way and you have to be careful." - Flyers captain Mike Richards on his relatioship with the Philadelphia media.

Southeast Division

-The last potential owner willing to keep the Thrashers in Atlanta is “probably, but not completely” out of the picture according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

-Thrashers forward and former Penguin Chris Thorburn ripped the Thrashers' owners for how they've handled the team.

Central Division

-Red Wings defenseman Brian Rafalski (right) is expected to anounce his retirement Wednesday.

Pacific Division

-The Kings signed forward Linden Vey and goaltender Jean-Francois Berube, both fourth-round picks in 2009, to three-year entry-level contracts.

Patrick Division

-Former Predators/Panthers defenseman Ville Koistinen has joined Ilves of the SM-liiga in Finland.

(Photos: Rupp-Christian Petersen/Getty Images; Lightning/Bruins-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images, Charles Krupa/Associated Press; and Elsa/Getty Images; Thornton-Harry How/Getty Images; Rafalski-Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

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