Top Line: Duncan Keith, Tyler Seguin speak first, think later; more links

Tyler Seguin apologized for a homophobic tweet, but could face further discipline. (Michael Tureski/Icon SMI) ByAllan Muir An annotated guide to this morning's

Tyler Seguin apologized for a homophobic tweet, but could face further discipline. (Michael Tureski/Icon SMI)

ByAllan Muir

An annotated guide to this morning's must-read hockey stories:

• A couple of the NHL's biggest stars stirred up controversy last night with some poorly chosen words. In Vancouver, Duncan Keith took a swipe at a female reporter's credibility in a postgame interview. Earlier, Tyler Seguin threw down a casually homophobic slur on Twitter. While he deleted the tweet and apologized, he'll probably have to answer for it in some fashion. It'll be very interesting to see what action the league/PA take in the wake of the NHL's recent partnership with the You Can Play Project.

• Everyone understands that ticket prices go up for the playoffs, but the Maple Leafs are really putting the screws to their long-suffering fans.

• Unlikely heroes powered the Winnipeg Jets to a huge win over the Sabres, setting up tonight's battle against the Capitals with the Southeast division lead on the line.

• Here's the view from Washington.

• The Canucks played their best game of the season to prevent the hated Blackhawks from clinching the Presidents' Trophy last night. If that's the level of play they can bring to the postseason, they'll be a very tough out.

• The Corrado family is living the dream now that Frank "Don't call me Frankie or Francesco" has made his NHL debut for Vancouver.

• The Wings got three goals from their struggling power play to help keep their playoff hopes alive. The 4-0 win over Phoenix moved Detroit to within one point of eighth place.

• Mike Babcock says rookie Danny DeKeyser is making Detroit a faster team. That's not just a homer opinion, either. A pro scout told me this weekend that the Wings are more effective in transition since DeKeyser arrived last month.

• John Tortorella plans to ride Henrik Lundqvist hard down the stretch because, really, what other choice does he have? With three games left to protect a tenuous grasp on a playoff spot, now's not the time to trot out Marty Biron.

• Even with seven regulars out of the lineup, the Pens had enough firepower to knock off Ottawa for their seventh straight win. I'm guessing we finally can stop talking about Sid as an MVP candidate, right?

• Wait, so all that pregame talk about ignoring Matt Cooke was nothing more than a crudely constructed ruse? Pshaw, you say!

• If anything, the pursuit of Cooke early on distracted Ottawa from focusing on what it needed most: two points.

• Cooke even managed to get Don Brennan off his game after questioning the Ottawa Sun reporter's manhood. You can't make this stuff up.

• Here's a shocker: Folks in The Triangle are finding out that Alex Semin is something of an enigma. Hey, as long as he's producing like this, I'd cut him some slack on the low-key personality thing.

• Hall of Famer Ken Dryden is using his celebrity to spark brain injury discussion and research. He'd like to talk to Sidney Crosby and other post-concussion NHLers to find out how they adapt their games to survive and thrive after being hurt.

• I couldn't help but think of this memorable line from Emmitt Smith while reading Terry Jones' love letter to Taylor Hall.

• The only other time that Anaheim earned a Pacific division title was back in 2007, the year the Ducks went on to capture the Cup. Will winning it this year propel them down the same path?

• With the division clinched, expect to see less of Ducks veteran Teemu Selanne.

• Nick Bjugstad is still looking for his first NHL point, but his first eight games with the Panthers have revealed why he's a big part of their future.

• There aren't many better places in the league to watch a game than Nashville, where the team's devoted fans are staying true to the bitter end of this disappointing season.

• San Jose GM Doug Wilson likes the way his team looks after his trade deadline gerrymandering. Can't blame him. The Sharks are clearly a quicker team that spends more time with the puck. They could be a handful in the playoffs.

• Logan Couture is earning a spot among San Jose's leadership group with his strong two-way play.

• They're reliving some great tournament moments at the Memorial Cup website. This one offers up a moment of horror and spectacle from a former first overall pick.

announced her retirement on Monday.