Here are your Evening Puck Headlines: A glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.
Preview: Edmonton Oilers at Calgary Flames (9 p.m. EDT; TV: RSW). Hey, it's the official Battle of Alberta drinking game! Take a swig when "Kipper gives up a ten foot rebound" or "Stortini hugs somebody" or "Keenan grimaces and tosses an ice chip in his mouth."
Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at New York Rangers (7 p.m. EDT; TV: RSN, MSG). Rangers fans will no doubt miss the homecoming of one Ryan Hollweg tonight, as he serves yet another suspension. Steve Valiquette will be between the irons for the Rangers, and it looks like Nigel Dawes and Dan Fritsche are in for Lauri Korpikoski and Petr Prucha. Meanwhile, Matt Stajan will attempt to emerge from the doghouse in his return to the Leafs' lineup.
• Finally, the Stanley Cup is coming back to ... Paducah, Kentucky? [FEAT]
• "A few years ago, Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin were the best of comrades back in Mother Russia. Now? Nyet." And yes, the columnist also makes a reference to vodka, too. [Beaver County Times]
Preview: Nashville Predators at Columbus Blue Jackets (7 p.m. EDT; TV: FSS, FSOH). The Predators have won 15 of the last 16 battles between these two teams, but the ante may be upped tonight: Please recall when a fan blogger asked coach Ken Hitchcock about finally beating the Preds, his response was, "Yes, we will kick their ass." Game on!
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Preview: Phoenix Coyotes at Ottawa Senators (7 p.m. EDT; TV: RSN, FSAZ). Huzzah! Daniel Alfredsson will allegedly try and give it a go tonight, but the final decision won't be made until warm-ups. Meanwhile, with Daniel Carcillo suspended, and the game in Ottawa, we may have ourselves a fun night courtesy of former Sens brawler, Brian McGrattan.
• Rather interesting news from Nashville Predators part-owner David Freeman today regarding the share owned by "Boots" Del Biaggio. "In the best-case scenario, the Del Biaggio position will be eliminated ... In a worst-case scenario, we will buy him or anyone else out in three years." [Nashville Post, via Forechecker]
• Those wacky Canucks are wearing bracelets on road trips that measure "circadian rhythms, which are regular mental and physical changes, driven by light and darkness and other factors, that occur over a 24-hour period." What's next, mood rings. Hippies. [National Post]
Preview: Vancouver Canucks at Buffalo Sabres (7:30 p.m. EDT; TV: RSW, MSG). The Kyle Wellwood Era in Vancouver appears over before it even began. On the Buffalo end: "The statistics at this point has the Sabres lined up to go 82-0 this season, and with Connolly being injured every game."
Preview: San Jose Sharks at Anaheim Ducks (10 p.m. EDT; TV: CSBA, KDOC). So either the San Jose Sharks' preposterously hot start or the Ducks' preposterously awful start with continue or end tonight. How's that for a preview, eh? Bottom line is that the Ducks need the goal-less Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry to snap to it. By the way: Is this the first instance of John Tavares's name being mentioned in coverage of the Ducks? Has it really gotten that bad?
Preview: Carolina Hurricanes at Los Angeles Kings (10:30 p.m. EDT; TV: FSS, FSW). These two teams meet once every hundred years, and no Jack Johnson to make things interesting? The Hurricanes are going to give 2008 draft pick Zach Boychuk his first NHL game tonight, while Tuomo Ruutu is doubtful, according to Bubba.
• Kings defenseman Matt Greene gets a five-year extension. [Kings]
• Finally, a look at how TSN shot its spiffy new opening using rotoscoping. They like young, Canadian talent. At least now that Sundin's out of the league.
