Here are your Evening Puck Headlines and Previews: A glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.
• Eleven games on tap this evening. Head here for all the previews, as we'll hit some key ones here in the headlines.
Preview: Washington Capitals at Boston Bruins (7 p.m. EST; TV: VS). The Caps enter this one 10 points in back of the first-place Bruins, but have beaten Boston twice already this season. Your Alexander Ovechkin spy report of the day: "Funny scene at the Montreal airport yesterday. I was filling out my customs form just as The Rock Star arrived to fly commercial. He was immediately mobbed at check-in by about 10-12 males asking for autographs, snapping pics with their cell phones, etc. He accommodated appropriately and moved on. Was surprised he was flying commercial. Kinda figured Leonsis would have make other arrangements for him."
• Patrice Bergeron makes his return for the Bruins, and scheduled to play with Blake Wheeler and David Krejci. [Bruins Blog]
The "Brian Burke" Twitter account. [Twitter, H/T Curl]
Preview: Detroit Red Wings at Columbus Blue Jackets (7 p.m. EST; TV: FSOH, FSD). So with all of our various debates today over the quasi-suspensions of Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom, what happens if the Wings win this game 8-0? Is all forgiven?
Sports
• Fox Mulder Chris Osgood feels the NHL has it out for the Detroit Red Wings because they show commercials in which the Penguins are scoring on him. Yup, you never see the Wings hoisting the Stanley Cup ... it's all images of Pittsburgh not touching the Prince of Wales trophy. [Pensblog]
• Matt Cooke has been suspended for two games for a blow to the head of Scott Walker of the Carolina Hurricanes. If he had been voted in, would the all-star game count as "one?" Better question: Is a suspension a legitimate reason for a player to skip out on the all-star game without then being given a one-game fake suspension the next game? And would the fake suspension then count towards the total from the real suspension? Bettman, would have you done!? [AP]
• When asked by a Czech reporter what keeps him in Pittsburgh the most, Petr Sykora answered simply "Malkin." That's not actually Czech for anonymous sex, is it? [Empty Netters]
• All due respect to Ilya Kovalchuk, but he really should snow job the local reporters in Atlanta with modesty about his role in getting Ovechkin and Malkin to patch things up. [AJC]
• How would you like to open up the newspaper and see yourself referred to as "Unwanted goaltender Martin Gerber?" [CP]
• Former Toronto Maple Leafs captain Rick Vaive doesn't want to get rid of fighting; he just wants to get rid of goons. What are the chances he's yet to share this epiphany with former Buffalo Sabres teammate Rob Ray? [Globe & Mail]
• NCAA Frozen Four bracketology. [The College Hockey Blog]
Preview: San Jose Sharks at Colorado Avalanche (9 p.m. EST; TV: CSBA, ALT). Obscured by the truckload of hype for Claude Lemieux's first game in Denver as a Shark is the fact that defenseman Dan Boyle was injured in the all-star game. No wonder the Red Wings stayed away -- non-contact exhibition hockey can evidently hurt ya. Rob Blake returns tonight for San Jose.
Preview: Philadelphia Flyers at Florida Panthers (7:30 p.m. EST; TV: CSP, FSFL). It's officially surgery time for Rostislav Olesz. Philly returns from the all-star break with one thing on its mind: trying their best to avoid that 10-game losing streak they went through in February of last season. Well, that and the fact that they're now in the Philly sports spotlight until pitchers and catchers.
Preview: Anaheim Ducks at Phoenix Coyotes (9 p.m. EST; TV: FSPT, FSAZ). Honestly, we had one of those "the hell?!" moments when we saw the Coyotes were not only fifth in the West but are 16-6-2 at home. Teemu Selanne could be back in the lineup on Wednesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks back in Anaheim.
• Mike Sillinger is done for the season with the New York Islanders; future links in the "Two Degrees of Mike Sillinger" chain postponed. [AP]
• The Dallas Stars send the unicorn at the circus down to the AHL. Luckily, he was on our fantasy team, too. Yippee! [Stars]
• New York Rangers place winger Dan Fritsche. Turns out it was "the Zherdev trade" after all. [Puck-rakers]
• Finally and speaking of the Rangers, here's Kris King fighting Rod Buskas of the Los Angeles Kings in that fabled outdoor game at in the Casaer's Palace parking lot in Las Vegas.