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Ryan Lambert | December 21, 2009

 

Hello, this is a feature that will run through the entire season and aims to recap the weekend’s events and boils those events down to one admittedly superficial fact or stupid opinion about each team. Feel free to complain about it.

Oh boy, Christmas has come early for me again this year.

On Saturday night, Johnny Boychuk(notes) knocked the ever-living crap out of Matt Stajan(notes), on his 26th birthday no less and soooooo: It’s another hit legality debate! Yayyyyyy!

Stajan was obviously cut open, but he was stitched up and returned to the game within a few minutes. No harm, no foul … except on Alexei Ponikarovsky(notes), who picked up a penalty for roughing on the ensuing dust-up.

Obviously this play was like the Batsignal for all the clowns who (a) don’t understand hockey and (b) want this to become a gallant and honorable sport in which no one is ever put in a position where they could be injured.

So here comes the hilarious part, in which, thanks to of the amount of coverage this "headshots" debate has gotten this year, those that would have these hits outlawed and the offending players pilloried have now taken a new approach: Act like you don’t know what you think.

(Coming Up: Detroit’s done with the Hossa stuff; Tomas Fleischmann(notes) is as good as Alex Semin, while Ryan Kesler(notes) is no Geno Malkin; the Habs meet the Basterds; the Wild go shopping; and Alex Ovechkin(notes) adds another beauty to the highlight reel.)

"Is This the Type of Hit the NHL Should Be Eliminating?" screams the headline on Adam Gretz’s FanHouse post from Sunday morning. "Boychuk check on Stajan expected to be reviewed," says Mike Zeiserberg’s article for Sun Media.

The problem is, of course, that the League is unlikely to review the hit since no one was hurt, no penalties were assessed and there’s absolutely nothing to review. Both of these articles — which go so far out of their way to say that they of course do not advocate that hitting be taken out of the game so as to convince you that the idiotic things they say next aren’t that idiotic — would have you believe differently.

Zeiserberg’s article ever so generously concedes that Stajan had his head down and the hit wasn’t late. "After that, well, the jury is out."

Out on what, exactly? Boychuk’s elbow was down and only hit Stajan’s head because Stajan’s head, again, was down at elbow level. So what’s the problem? Was Boychuk supposed to let Stajan fly past him to create a 2-on-none situation for Tuukka Rask(notes)?

Well, Wilson and Stajan thought Boychuk might have left his feet (they’re wrong, of course), so there’s all the evidence you need that the League should investigate Boychuk for his obviously premeditated attack on poor, defenseless little Matty Stajan, who probably saw the hit coming but took it anyway to spring Phil Kessel(notes) in alone on Rask. Any contact Boychuk made with Stajan’s head is entirely Stajan’s fault.

The best part, though, is that because Gretz needed to reinforce an asinine point, he did what everyone who has an indefensible stance eventually does: Resort to alarmism and the use of worst-case scenarios to illustrate his weak point. To wit: "…And this past week’s bombshell that former player Reggie Fleming had suffered significant brain damage at the time of his death … is only going to keep that debate going full steam ahead."

See guys, we can’t let these hits be legal because Matt Stajan is going to DIE some day!

Kudos. That’s audacity.

But Gretz asks, "At the risk being called a ‘granola cruncher’ by Mike Milbury for ‘wussifying the game,’ is this the type of hit the NHL should be working to avoid?"

Yes, of course it is Adam. Clean, open-ice hits need to result in penalties, suspensions and hearings before an international tribunal. That makes sense.

Claude Julien had the best take on the matter in his postgame presser:

"We are going to have to be careful about making accusations to guys who make open ice hits. We are going to have to be careful how we look at those. If every open ice hit is going to (ignite controversy), we might as well play no contact hockey."

I get the feeling some people would be cool with that.

What We Learned

Anaheim Ducks: Jonas Hiller(notes) probably wishes the League would go back to making division opponents eight times a year since his numbers against Phoenix are, well, ridiculous. He’s 8-0-2 in his career against the Coyotes with a 1.67/.953 line in their last three games.

Atlanta Thrashers: Kari Lehtonen(notes) is actually skating again. This weekend was the first time he’d done so since having two back surgeries in the offseason.

Boston Bruins: Apart from the one big hit, Boston was just awful on Saturday in Toronto. Part of that was injuries (Andrew Ference(notes) played over 28 minutes!) but most of it was a regular garden-variety crap game.

Buffalo Sabres: Ryan Miller(notes) on Olympic expectations, Vezina nominations and generally being the best goalie on the planet right now: "C’mon," he said, last week, rolling his eyes. "It’s like, 25 games into the season."

Calgary Flames: Know who had a great game for the first time this month on Saturday? Jarome Iginla(notes). Know who didn’t have a great game? Everyone else.

Carolina Hurricanes: While Bryan Rodney getting re-assigned to Albany is pretty much only news by the strictest of definitions; that at least means it’s likely either Tim Gleason(notes) or Niclas Wallin(notes) are good to go against the Rangers tonight. It’s more likely to be Gleason, though, so that’s something.

Chicago Blackhawks: Patrick Kane(notes) was left to pick up equipment after practice on Saturday because he lost in the team’s practice shootout. If I were Danny Bylsma, I’d be drafting a lawsuit against the Blackhawks as we speak.

Colorado Avalanche: No one sentence I read this week has made me laugh more than Jibblescribbits saying, "The Avs recently took their yearly trip to the Children’s Hospital in order to torment some sick little kids."

Columbus Blue Jackets: The Blue Jackets’ new plan for who pulls goaltending duty on a given night? "You win and you’re in." No joke. So what happens if they keep losing? (By the way, good job Puck Rakers for dumping the "you have to register to read" policy from last week.)

Dallas Stars: Play of the game on Saturday wasn’t one of Karlis Skrastins’(notes) two goals, or some kind of big stop by Marty Turco(notes). It was, instead, a blocked shot by Brenden Morrow(notes) on the PK inside of a minute to go. What you choose to believe about a team whose best play was a blocked shot… On a lazy slashing penalty… That happened on the opposite end of the ice from its own goal… By your star player… While up a goal on Detroit… Inside of two minutes left… That’s up to you.

Detroit Red Wings: Sorry, everyone in Chicago, the Red Wings won’t indulge your "You guys hate Hossa, right?" questions.

Edmonton Oilers: The Oilers have, not surprisingly, been the Grinch to all Edmonton fans’ Christmas season. "Speaking of Deslauriers, he’s gone from sitting for months between starts last season to making 111 straight appearances with Nikolai Khabibulin(notes) waiting for Santa to deliver a new spine. Anybody have a plan?" Outstanding.

Florida Panthers: Well Detroit fans, looks like I almost owe you an apology: it’s actually Florida that has the worst fans in the league.

Los Angeles Kings: The Kings are about to sign Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds overage defenseman Jacob Muzzin, who had NHL scouts lined up around the block earlier this season. Great get for the Kings here.

Minnesota Wild: The best thing about all the Wild’s equipment burning up was that Nick Schultz(notes) went into a Play it Again Sports in Ottawa and bought a new set of shoulder pads. That rules.

Montreal Canadiens: Snow on the East Coast kept the Habs in Long Island a bit longer than they wanted. But they got to watch "Inglourious Basterds," which is my favorite movie of the year so far, so it wasn’t all bad.

Nashville Predators: After missing Saturday’s game against the Flames, Jason Arnott(notes) is still questionable for tomorrow’s game in Vancouver. If he doesn’t go then, he’s going to play on Boxing Day for sure.

New Jersey Devils: Rod Pelley(notes) scored Saturday. Kind of a big deal. It was his first NHL goal since Nov. 23, 2007. Another guy that scored in that game: Dean McAmmond(notes). Twice.

New York Islanders: Official attendance on the Island because of the snow: Just 6,000. And, as Chris Botta points out, more than half of them were supporting Les Habitants.

New York Rangers: Hey, Matt Gilroy(notes) got recalled in a hurry. I wonder who the slowest guy on the Hurricanes is, and if he’s going to blow Gilroy’s doors off en route to an overtime winner tonight. Oh, here’s some bad news: Wade Redden(notes) is probably going to play tonight. 

Ottawa Senators: Big 22-save performance by Brodeur in a 4-1 win by the.. Senators? Oh, Mike Brodeur(notes). Okay I get it now.

Philadelphia Flyers: "This is about making the playoffs. This is about the Philadelphia Flyers playing a brand of hockey that you can be proud of. And I don’t know how anyone could possibly be proud after the first, two periods. It’s completely unacceptable." Fun quiz: Which game is Peter Laviolette talking about?

Phoenix Coyotes: Watch out for Phoenix in the next few weeks. Three points out of a tie for first in the Pacific, which crazily puts it just seventh in the West, but has the benefit of playing six of its next seven games in Glendale. The Coyotes are 12-5-0 there this year.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Brooks Orpik(notes) is not cool with the NHL changing the names of its various trophies (nor should he be). Sid Crosby on the other hand? "I don’t think you can go wrong either way, to be honest with you. If they are to rename them, you’re talking about trophies being named after Mario and Gretzky. How can you argue with that? They are, arguably, the best players ever to play." Weak, Sid. Weak. He’d change his tune if his landlord wasn’t one of the guys that’d be on the new trophies.

San Jose Sharks: How many times has Jamie McGinn(notes) been recalled this season? A hundred? Isn’t THIS circumventing the salary cap (or at least operating in violation of its spirit) just as much as some stupidly long-term contract?

St. Louis Blues: Larry Pleau’s working the phones like an operator on the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon, but the Blues are probably not going to make a trade any time soon.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Lukas Krajicek(notes) is done with the Lightning for sure. Says GM Brian Lawton: He "won’t be on re-entry (waivers) under any circumstances." Cold-blooded.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Jonas Gustavsson(notes) wasn’t tested much by a punchless Bruins side, but a first NHL shutout is a first NHL shutout, isn’t it? Good work by the kid.

Vancouver Canucks: Know who the Vancouver media loves is Ryan Kesler. You can tell because they write sentences like this in reference to Kesler potentially being one of the best second-line centers in the league: "After Friday’s game, Sidney Crosby(notes) and Evgeni Malkin(notes) — easily hockey’s best one-two punch at centre — had combined for 77 points. Henrik Sedin(notes) and Kesler had 75." Of course Malkin missed six games and Crosby one. And Ryan Kesler also is not anywhere in the same stratosphere as either Crosby or Malkin. That too.

Washington Capitals: Would you believe Tomas Fleischmann has as many goals as Alex Semin? Because it’s true. And, unlike Ryan "Malkin" Kesler, he’s actually played fewer games than Semin.

Play of the Weekend

This is why Alex Ovechkin is Alex Ovechkin.

Great use of speed and ability to recognize opportunities, and then he buries a rebound that’s still sizzling from some ridiculous angle on his off wing. This kid’s okay.

Gold Star Award

Andrei Markov(notes) played his first game since Oct. 1 on Saturday. And scored twice. That’s pretty awesome. So awesome, in fact, that I will ignore that the goals came against the Islanders.

Minus of the Weekend

Brent Sutter, what are you doin’ to me, dogsie?

The Flames have lost three of their last four and have just three wins in December. Teams they’ve beaten: San Jose, Atlanta and Los Angeles. Teams to which they’ve lost: Phoenix, L.A., Minnesota (in OT), Colorado, St. Louis, Nashville. Showing up to play well even against the crap teams? That’d be nice.

Perfect HFBoards trade proposal of the week

There are a lot of ways you can win PHFBTPOTW (I gotta get a better acronym), and calling Lubomir Visnovsky(notes) a "world-class defender" sure is one of them. Well done to you, user "Smooth Skating!"

To EDM:

Andy Sutton(notes)

Brendan Witt(notes)

To NYI:

Shawn Horcoff(notes)

Lubomir Visnovsky

New york gets a world class defender in Visnovsky and a veteran center that can take take some of the pressure off the kids.

Signoff

Don’t call it that.

Ryan Lambert publishes hockey awesomeness pretty much every day over at The Two-Line Pass. Check it out, why don’t you? Or you can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter if you so desire.

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Tags: Adam, Adam Gretz, Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin, Andrei Markov, Andrew Ference, Atlanta, Atlanta Thrashers, back surgeries, Boston, Boston Bruins, Boxing Day, Brent Sutter, Brian Lawton, Brooks Orpik, Bryan Rodney, Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago, Chicago Blackhawks, Children's Hospital, Chris Botta, Christmas, Claude Julien, Colorado, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Danny Bylsma, Dean McAmmond, Detroit, Detroit Red Wings, East Coast, Edmonton, Edmonton Oilers, Evgeni Malkin, Florida, Florida Panthers, Geno Malkin, goalie, head, Henrik Sedin, hockey, Inglourious Basterds, Jacob Muzzin, Jamie McGinn, Jarome Iginla, Jason Arnott, Johnny Boychuk, Jonas Gustavsson, Jonas Hiller, Kari Lehtonen, Karlis Skrastins, Larry Pleau, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Kings, Lukas Krajicek, Marie Greyhounds, Marty Turco, Matt Gilroy, Matt Stajan, Matty Stajan, media loves, Mike Brodeur, Mike Milbury, Mike Zeiserberg, Minnesota, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, New York, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, nhl, Nick Schultz, Niclas Wallin, Nikolai Khabibulin, Olympic, Ottawa, Ottawa Senators, Patrick Kane, Peter Laviolette, Phil Kessel, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, player, Reggie Fleming, Rod Pelley, Ryan "Malkin" Kesler, Ryan Kesler, Ryan Lambert, Ryan Miller, San Jose, San Jose Sharks, Sid Crosby, Sidney Crosby, St. Louis, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, The Kings, Tim Gleason, Tomas Fleischmann, Toronto, Toronto Maple Leafs, Tuukka Rask, Twitter, Vancouver, Vancouver Canucks, Wade Redden, Washington Capitals, Wilson

Sean Leahy | December 19, 2009

No. 1 Star: Mason Raymond(notes), Vancouver Canucks

Raymond played the hero in Vancouver’s comeback victory over the Washington Capitals with two goals, including the winner with less than seven minutes to play in the third period. His goal late in the second period tied the game at two and his seventh power-play goal of the season was enough to get by the Capitals and put the Canucks one point behind Detroit for eighth in the Western Conference.

No. 2 Star: Jeff Halpern(notes), Tampa Bay Lightning

After being benched by head coach Rick Tocchet against Nashville earlier in the week, Halpern responded tonight with two goals, both in the third period, as the Lightning downed St. Louis 6-3. The veteran Halpern scored the eventual game-winner early in the third period before adding the insurance marker with just under nine minutes to play. The two-point night snaps a five-game pointless streak for Halpern.

No. 3 Star: Ryan Miller(notes), Buffalo Sabres

After getting no help from his offense in a 2-0 loss to Ottawa on Wednesday night, Miller and the Sabres rebounded with a decisive 5-2 win over Toronto. Continuing to make a play at the No. 1 starting job for the U.S. Olympic team, Miller stopped 40 Maple Leaf shots for his 20th win of the season and fourth win in five starts. 

Honorable mention: Congratulations are in order for Toronto Maple Leafs rookie forward Viktor Stalberg(notes), who scored his first career NHL goal against Ryan Miller and Vincent Lecavalier(notes) who, with two assists against St. Louis, hit the 700-point plateau for his career … Martin Brodeur(notes) passed Patrick Roy for the all-time games played record by taking part in his 1,030 NHL contest … Radek Dvorak(notes) and Rostislav Olesz(notes) scored goals 37-seconds apart in the third period and added two assists in Florida’s 6-3 win over the Carolina. Dvorak finished a plus-5 while Olesz was a plus-3. Jordon Leopold, who scored the opening goal for the Panthers, was a plus-4 … Steven Stamkos’(notes) goal early in the second period gave Tampa a 2-1 lead and his empty-net tally with 58 seconds to go sealed the deal against the Blues. Ryan Malone(notes) (two assists) and Martin St. Louis(notes) (goal, two assists) were both a plus-4 … Scoring the bookend goals of the game, David Krejci(notes) started the scoring and ended the regulation scoring in Chicago’s 5-4 shootout win over Boston. His goal with 2:43 to go in the third sent things to overtime before Jonathan Toews(notes) and Patrick Kane(notes) tallied in the shootout giving the Blackhawks the extra point. Chicago goaltender Antti Niemi(notes) wasn’t sharp, but didn’t allow a goal in the shootout to improve his record to 7-1-1 … Despite being knocked into the Canucks bench, Washington’s Brooks Laich(notes) earned a plus and an assist on Alex Semin’s goal in the first period:

Did you know?: Ottawa has now lost their last nine games against New Jersey dating back to October 2007. (AP)

Dishonorable mention: Senators defensemen Filip Kuba(notes) and rookie Erik Karlsson(notes) were both a minus-3 against the Devils. Karlsson has only been a plus-player in two out of his 20 games this season … Cam Ward(notes) was pulled before the third period after allowing five goals on 26 shots against Florida. Ward’s won just once in his last 15 starts … Vesa Toskala(notes) now has another blooper to replace Rob Davison’s 190-foot goal from almost two years ago. His poor handling of Toni Lydman’s(notes) shot in the second period against Buffalo opened the floodgates for the Sabres as they would score twice more in the following six minutes, giving them four for the period. Friday’s game was the fourth time in their last eight that the Maple Leafs have allowed five or more goals.

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Tags: Alex Semin, Antti Niemi, Blues, Brooks Laich, Cam Ward, Chicago, David Krejci, Detroit, Erik Karlsson, Filip Kuba, Florida, forward, Halpern, head coach, insurance marker, Jonathan Toews, Jordon Leopold, Martin Brodeur, Martin St. Louis, New Jersey, New Jersey Devils, nhl, Patrick Kane, Patrick Roy, Rick Tocchet, Rob Davison, Rostislav Olesz, Ryan Malone, Ryan Miller, Steven Stamkos, Toni Lydman, Toronto Maple Leafs, United States, Vesa Toskala, Viktor Stalberg, Vincent Lecavalier, Washington, Washington Capitals, Western Conference

Greg Wyshynski | December 19, 2009

Here are your Puck Previews: Spotlighting the key games in NHL action, news and views as well as general frivolity. Make sure to stop back here for the nightly Three Stars when the games are finished.

Preview: Boston Bruins at Chicago Blackhawks, 8:30 p.m. EST. Antti Niemi(notes) gets the call for Chicago as the Blackhawks seek their third consecutive shutout as the Bruins come to town. Tomas Kopecky(notes), a healthy scratch earlier this week, returns to the lineup; congrats to everyone who predicted he’d be a free-agent stiff. Meanwhile, Milan Lucic(notes) faces injury rehab as the clock ticks towards the Winter Classic at Fenway.

Preview: Tampa Bay Lightning at St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m. EST.  Should Andy Murray take a page from Rick Tocchet’s book and bench some of this veteran players to send a message? On second thought, better to stay away from Tocchet and book-making.

Preview: Washington Capitals at Vancouver Canucks, 10 p.m. EST. It’s always fun when Alex Ovechkn visits NHL cities that the Capitals rarely visit, because the coverage is so over the top. For example: "Russia’s Messier," by Mark Spector: "In fact, today’s 16-year-old likely finds Ovechkin more ‘awesome’ or ‘gnarly’ than Sidney Crosby(notes), who you would never see entering a visiting arena in ripped jeans and a Cookie Monster T-shirt, as Ovechkin did here Thursday." What about "rad" or "tubular," sir?

Check out previews and updated scores for all of today’s games (like the ones in progress) on the Y! Sports NHL scores and scheds page.

Evening Reading

• Check out Puck Daddy on Monday for a really cool new feature.

• Huge news for the Montreal Canadiens, as defenseman Andrei Markov(notes) will return against the New York Islanders on Saturday night. Their power play thanks him. [Faceoff]

• The Nashville Predators are challenging for the top of their division, but can the goal-scoring continue? [On The Forecheck]

• Nice work by Derek Zona, snagging an interview with Oklahoma City’s mayor about an AHL franchise coming to town, one that could be an Edmonton Oilers affiliate. From the interview: "One of the things to remember in Oklahoma City, when you’ve got hockey, you own the sport.  In basketball, we’ve got high school basketball, college basketball, all sorts of basketball going on.  If you’re doing this with hockey, it’s pretty much yours.  I think that helps the business model." [Copper & Blue]

• Allan Muir on whether we’ll see a team relocate or fold in the next five seasons: "I think you’d get better odds betting on Gary Bettman making an unannounced appearance during the pre-game ceremonies at the Winter Classic to sing ‘All The Single Ladies.’" [SI]

• More tough talk from John Tortorella. [NY Daily News]

• Finally, it’s yours truly vs. Steve Kouleas in our weekly segment on The Score, talking about whether the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to make the playoffs and other topics:

Puck Buddy Comment of the Day: We give it to Jon W for his comments on the Wild equipment fire:

Good thing no one was hurt. Unfortunately, I imagine the smell of burning hockey gear would be one of the worst smells imaginable.

Yucky.

Bold Prediction: Ovechkin scores two against the Canucks, but Vancouver wins the game.  

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Tags: Alex Ovechkn, Allan Muir, Andrei Markov, Andy Murray, Antti Niemi, basketball, Boston Bruins, Chicago, Derek Zona, Edmonton Oilers, hockey, John Tortorella, Mark Spector, mayor, Milan Lucic, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, New York Islanders, nhl, Oklahoma City, Reading, Rick Tocchet, Russia, Sidney Crosby, St. Louis Blues, Steve Kouleas, Tampa Bay Lightning, The Score, Tomas Kopecky, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals, Zona

Sean Leahy | December 17, 2009

No. 1 star, Tuomo Ruutu(notes), Carolina Hurricanes

Ruutu’s hat trick, capped off with an empty-net insurance marker with six seconds left,
led the way in Carolina’s 5-3 win over Dallas. After taking a commanding 3-0 lead through the opening 13 minutes, the Stars clawed back and cut the deficit to one in the second period. Ruutu’s second goal of the night gave Carolina some breathing room in the third period before he completed the trick at the end of the game.

No. 2 star, Brian Elliott(notes), Ottawa Senators

After the news of Jason Spezza’s(notes) injury added to Ottawa injury woes, Buffalo had the opportunity to grab an easy two points. Elliott thought otherwise making 22 saves and blanked the Sabres, winners of four in a row heading into Wednesday night’s game. It was Elliott’s 13th straight start filling in for an injured Pascal Leclaire(notes) and second shutout in his last four games.

No. 3 star, Cristobal Huet(notes), Chicago Blackhawks

Huet continued his stellar play this season by making 27 saves in 3-0 shutout of St. Louis. Now with 15 wins on the year, Huet and backup Antti Niemi(notes) have gone 141:21 without allowing a goal. The victory improved the Blackhawks NHL-best home record to 14-3-1 and gave the franchise their best start since 1982-83 through 32 game.

Honorable Mention: Martin Brodeur(notes) tied Patrick Roy’s all-time games played record at 1,029 and then beat Montreal 2-1 with 17 saves for his 578th career win. Patrik Elias(notes) netted the winner with 2:36 left in the third period. Ilkka Pikkarainen(notes) scored his first NHL goal to tie the game at one in the second period … Trent Hunter(notes) played in his 400th game as the Isles upended the rival New York Rangers 2-1. Dwayne Roloson(notes) made 25 saves for his 11th win … Despite three assists from Mike Ribeiro(notes), the Stars couldn’t overcome Carolina … Phoenix was a goal away from "making it seven" in Toronto with a 6-3 win over the Maple Leafs. Martin Hanzal(notes) and Keith Yandle(notes) assisted on three of the Coyotes’ goals while Petr Prucha(notes) potted two. The high-flying Coyotes are 7-1-1 in their last nine games … Florida’s Stephen Weiss(notes) continued his career season with a goal and an assist in a 4-3 win. Weiss now has seven points in four games. Michael Frolik’s(notes) winner with 1:21 left took the steam out of an Atlanta comeback … Jonas Hiller(notes) (28 saves) and Roberto Luongo(notes) (31 saves) put on a heckuva show in Vancouver as the Ducks edged the Canucks 3-2 on Saku Koivu’s(notes) last third period goal. Anaheim rookie Dan Sexton(notes) had two assists extending his points streak to four games. Ducks forward Mike Brown played in his 100th NHL game … Marian Hossa(notes) scored his fifth goal in ten games and Patrick Kane(notes) setup all three Chicago goals. Blackhawks fans filled the United Center for the franchise’s 68th consecutive sellout.

Did You Know?: Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan(notes) is one game away from 1,000 for his NHL career, all with the Winnipeg/Phoenix organization.

Dishonorable Mention: It was open season on Vesa Toskala(notes) as Phoenix scored four second period goals on 10 shots against Toronto … Despite Ottawa having five regulars out of the lineup, Buffalo couldn’t capitalize on six power-play chances as they were shutout … After last night’s David Koci(notes) hit on Mike Green(notes), Ottawa’s Jarkko Ruutu(notes) might face suspension after his hit to the head of Sabres forward Patrick Kaleta(notes) … We mentioned New Jersey’s Ilkka Pikkarainen scoring his first NHL goal tonight against Montreal. We’re not sure if Carey Price’s(notes) catching glove will be credited with an assist:

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Sean Leahy | December 16, 2009

Here are your 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.

-No Rumors Chat today as Wysh is on his way back from the left coast. We’ll talk trades, signings and girls with hamburgers as heads Thursday at 1 p.m. ET.

-Just a reminder about our "Create a Winter Classic Parade Float" contest. Deadline for submissions is Wednesday, Dec. 23 at noon EDT. E-mail contest entries (.jpgs preferred) to puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com.

-Day 1 of the Board of Governors meetings in Pebble Beach, California are in the books and the big topic of discussion was the Phoenix Coyotes as well as next season’s salary cap. [ESPN]

-The Florida Panthers will have to get Tomas Vokoun’s(notes) approval for a trade before they can deal their starting goaltender. [The Fourth Period]

-Hockey Canada announced its team this morning for the upcoming World Junior Championships. USA Hockey will announce its roster on December 23rd. [HC]

-Since calling out Don Cherry over the weekend, Dr. Charles Tator has received plenty of hate mail. [Globe & Mail]

-The city of Baltimore is set to announce plans for an 18,000-seat arena. Scotty Wazz throws a blanket on top of any future rumors of Baltimore becoming an NHL city. [SW]

-Providence Bruins defenseman Scott Fletcher was suspended by the AHL for one game for "puttin’ on the foil". During a fight against Kevin Westgarth(notes) of the Manchester Monarchs over the weekend, Fletcherhad tape on his hands, a no-no in the AHL. [NESN]

-If you’re a Flyers fan planning on attending the Winter Classic in Boston, here’s a handy survival guide. [Flyers Goal Scored By]

-Our good buddy Lyle "Spector" Richardson shoots down nine trade rumors currently floating out there that will not happen. [Spector's Hockey]

-As we touched on in the headlines yesterday, the St. Louis Blues honored Brett Hull last night after his Hockey Hall of Fame induction. During the ceremony, a fan shouted, "I hate Mike Keenan" and the Scottrade Center crowd responded with a big roar. Hull said afterwards that he and his former coach made up: "I always said this — I hated him as a coach but he’s a really good human being. We had a great talk." [BND]

-Will Blue Jackets head coach Ken Hitchcock have to tweak his system in order to change the results of his team? [The Hockey Writers]

Here’s noted Blackhawks fan Vince Vaughn at charity event hosted by Patrick Kane(notes) benefiting the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program, Dreams for Kids, and the NorthShore University HealthSystem, and various other charities. You’d think a guy who’s as big of a fan like "Double Down" Trent is would look a little happier meeting Bobby Hull, no? [NHL]

-Adam Burish(notes) as Ashton Kutcher? Joel Quenneville as Tim Gunn? That’s how Sarah Spain sees ‘em if Chicago sports celebrities were reality TV stars. [Chicago Now]

-Arguring why Matt Stajan(notes) of the Maple Leafs is a first line center. [Pension Plan Puppets]

-Apparently needing some more hands on deck, Dan Craig enlisted the hosts of "This Old House" to help build the Winter Classic rink at Fenway Park. [NHL]

-Down Goes Brown does some civic duty for NHL wives with his "Signs your hockey player husband might have sixteen mistresses" [DGB]

-Finally, this video’s a few days old, but here’s an impressive shootout move by Mississauga’s William Wallens against the Windsor Spitfires:

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Tags: Adam Burish, Ashton Kutcher, Baltimore, Blackhawks fan Vince Vaughn, Board of Governors, Bobby Hull, Boston, Brett Hull, California, Canada, Charles Tator, Chicago, coach, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dan Craig, Don Cherry, Fenway Park, Florida Panthers, head coach, hockey, Hockey Hall of Fame, Joel Quenneville, Ken Hitchcock, Kevin Westgarth, Lyle "Spector" Richardson, mainstream hockey media, Matt Stajan, Mike Keenan, nhl, Patrick Kane, Pebble Beach, Phoenix Coyotes, player, Scott Fletcher, Scottrade Center, Scotty Wazz, sports celebrities, St. Louis Blues, Tim Gunn, Tomas Vokoun, United States Marine Corps, William Wallens, Winter Classic rink

Greg Wyshynski | December 14, 2009

No. 1 Star: Marian Hossa(notes), Chicago Blackhawks

It was all Blackhawks in their 4-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, as Patrick Kane(notes), Ben Eager(notes), Hossa and Jonathan Toews(notes) scored goals. But this Hossa goal was the best of the night — and perhaps the year — as he snagged a high pass from Patrick Sharp(notes), put the puck down and slapped it out of the air past Antero Niittymaki(notes) (25 saves). Drop it like it’s hot, Marian:

No. 2 Star: Darcy Tucker(notes), Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche aggressor scored his first goal since Oct. 21 as Colorado took over sole possession of first place in the Northwest Division with a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames. In the second period, the puck deflected in air as Tucker was camped near the crease; he managed to get enough on it to knock it past Miikka Kiprusoff(notes) (32 saves) for the eventual game-winner.

No. 3 Star: Antti Niemi(notes), Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago backup made 18 saves for this third shutout in seven starts, as the Blackhawks played solid ‘D’ in front of their keeper.

Honorable mention: Niittymaki had one of the best saves of the year against the ‘Hawks. … Brent Seabrook(notes) had two assists for the Blackhawks. … Wojtek Wolski(notes) scored his 13th goal and had an assist for the Avs. … Rene Bourque(notes) had a goal and an assist for the Flames. … Craig Anderson(notes) made 19 saves for his 16th win, a new career best. … The Avs had 20 shots in the first period.

Did you know?: Jim Belushi, a "celebrity captain" during the team’s 75th anniversary season, dropped the ceremonial first puck before the Blackhawks game.

Dishonorable mention: The Lightning are in a tailspin, going 0-3-1 and 1-6-2 in their last 10. Said Coach Rick Tocchet: "When there’s pressure, it just seem like we cave in certain situations." … Andrej Meszaros(notes), Vincent Lecavalier(notes) and Alex Tanguay(notes) were all minus-3. … Finally, this is either a jeer for Matt Smaby(notes) for bloodying Patrick Kane on a trip near the boards or a cheer for continuing to build Kaner’s street cred with some fresh stitches. Chick dig scars:

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Eric Duhatschek | December 7, 2009

Idea to pair Chicago’s best hockey and football players together in spots doesn’t comply with NFL rules

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Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Chicago, football, hockey, National Football League, NFL

Sean Leahy | December 6, 2009

No. 1 Star: Marc Savard(notes), Boston Bruins

A night after getting pounded 5-1 by Montreal, the Bruins welcomed Phil Kessel(notes) back to TD Banknorth Garden and drubbed the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-2. Four days after signing a 7-year deal to stay in Beantown, Savard tallied a hat trick, scoring a goal in each period. Boston has now won three of its last four with a return engagement with the Maple Leafs next Thursday night in Boston.

No. 2 Star: Miikka Kiprusoff(notes), Calgary Flames

Sometimes goaltenders need to win games for their teams and that’s exactly what Kiprusoff did tonight for the Flames as they beat San Jose 2-1. Kiprusoff earned his 16th win of the year and made a number of outstanding saves including this save of the year candidate:

No. 3 Star: Erik Cole(notes), Carolina Hurricanes

Cole was the offensive force for the Hurricanes who defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-3 at RBC Center, ending their five-game losing streak in the process. Scoring twice in the second period and then the empty-net insurance goal with 14 seconds to play, Cole notched his sixth career hat trick and first multi-goal game since March. It won’t get easier for the ‘Canes who play Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Washington in their next three games, all on the road.

Honorable mention: Despite his team allowing five goals, Canucks defenseman Christian Ehrhoff(notes) ended up finishing a plus-three. Ray Whitney(notes) put home the opening goal for Carolina and assisted on two others, including the eventual game-winner. Aaron Ward(notes) notched his 100th career assist on Whitney’s goal … Ladislav Smid(notes) scored his first goal for Edmonton since April of 2007, a 151-game stretch … Two goals in the third period by Paul Kariya(notes) were almost enough for a St. Louis win in regulation until Los Angeles’ Alexander Frolov(notes) equalized with 34 seconds to play. The Blues would end up winning 5-4 in a shootout. Wayne Simmonds(notes) had two assists to extend his six-game points streak … Patrik Elias’(notes) pretty goal in the shootout saved New Jersey’s bacon in a 4-3 win over Detroit. Elias was so happy with his goal that he rushed out of the locker room after the game without talking to reporters … Tomas Vokoun(notes) returned tonight for the Florida Panthers and stopped 36 shots in a 2-1 shootout loss to Atlanta. Stephen Weiss(notes) now has six goals in his last four games. Johan Hedberg(notes) made 30 saves to improve his record to 7-2-0 … Washington spoiled Peter Laviolette’s debut behind the bench for Philadelphia with an 8-2 rout. Nicklas Backstrom(notes) had a goal and four assists. Mike Green(notes) scored twice and assisted on two others and Thomas Fleischmann tallied twice in the first period. The Capitals were 4-for-8 on the power play … Peter Budaj(notes) stopped 29 Columbus shots, including 15 in the third period to preserve a 3-2 Avalanche win. Wojtek Wolski(notes) scored the opening goal for the Avs and assisted on Chris Stewart’s(notes) game-winner … Facing his former team, Tuukka Rask(notes) made 31 saves and assisted on Mark Recchi’s(notes) goal in the third giving him more points on the night than 14 Toronto skaters. Boston’s Johnny Boychuk(notes) scored his first NHL goal. Bruins captain Zdeno Chara(notes) had a goal and an assist and finished a plus-four … Henrik Lundqvist(notes) made 36 saves, 19 in the final frame as the Rangers got past Buffalo 2-1 … Visiting Mellon Arena for the first time in a Chicago Blackhawks jersey, Marian Hossa(notes) scored a goal while Antti Niemi(notes) frustrated the Pittsburgh offense making 32 saves en route to a 2-1 win. Kris Versteeg(notes) put home the winner in overtime. Chicago was 44-for-74 on faceoffs … Mike Smith’s(notes) 30 saves and 2009 No. 2 overall pick Victor Hedman’s(notes) first goal in the NHL were more than enough for Tampa Bay to blank the Islanders 4-0. 

Did you know?: Minnesota has allowed
the first goal in eight of its last nine games, but the Wild are 6-2-1 during
that stretch. (AP)

Dishonorable mention: Colorado had some trouble in the faceoff dot winning just 15 of 54 draws against the Blue Jackets. The game ended in controversy as Jason Chimera(notes) thought he had tied the game for Columbus, but the puck was ruled to not have crossed between the posts … In his return to Boston, Phil Kessel was a minus-three … While being shut out by the Lightning, the Islanders had two goals waved off due to a hand pass and goaltender interference and their power play was powerless, missing on six opportunities  … Without Alexander Ovechkin, the Capitals chased Flyers goaltender Ray Emery(notes) after he allowed five goals on 17 shots. His replacement, Brian Boucher(notes) didn’t fare much better allowing three goals on 13 shots. What’s going to be talked about in the morning is Daniel Carcillo’s(notes) 29 penalty minutes on one play and his one punch knockout of Matt Bradley(notes):

Is that considered a sucker-punch? After the game, Carcillo said he saw Bradley drop his gloves, but Japers’ Rink has the proof that tells otherwise.

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Ryan Lambert | December 3, 2009

 

(No, the first decade of the 21st century doesn’t technically end until 2011. Save your bellyaching. But we’ve had nine NHL seasons and one stolen from us since 1999-2000, and Yahoo! Sports has decided it’s time to rank the best and worst of the last "decade." Enjoy, and snark freely in the comments. Today’s edition is written by "What We Learned" author Ryan Lambert.)

In the course of researching this list, I came to the realization that this would be a difficult one to cook up. There’s never been a decade like this, where half of it was full of insane contracts from three or four teams and the other half was … well I guess it was also full of insane contracts from three or four teams, but those were under the salary cap and were therefore even more insane.

(Like, for example: Eric Staal’s(notes) cap hit of $8.25 million for seven years. Players that make more than that: Alex Ovechkin(notes) at $9.358 until 2021, Sid Crosby at $8.7 million until 2013 and Evgeni Malkin(notes) at the same rate as Crosby until the following year. And that’s it.)

So no, I will not be listing things like Martin Lapointe(notes) getting $20 million for four years from the Bruins (and scoring 83 points in three years before getting run out of town on a rail). That was before the salary cap era; and regardless of how terrible the deal was, it was the Wild West and no one really had to care about spending ridiculous money on bad players because there was no punishment for it except on the ice. If you were a team with deep pockets like Rangers, you could spend a billion dollars on a team that didn’t make the playoffs as long as ownership didn’t mind paying it.

That’s why all the "best" contracts are post-cap, and only a few of the worst are pre-cap.

Here we go then: the five best and worst contracts this decade …

Part 1: The five worst

5. Dustin Penner(notes), Edmonton Oilers

Clearly, Kevin Lowe was looking to make a splash. He tried to sign Tom Vanek to an offer sheet of seven years, $50 million, and he would have gotten away with it too if it hadn’t been for those pesky Sabres matching the offer. So Lowe went out and did the next best thing: Signing Anaheim’s restricted free agent forward Dustin Penner to a five-year, $21.25 million deal.

What he probably didn’t realize was that Penner wasn’t that great. As the Oilers’ highest-paid forward (until Shawn Horcoff(notes) signed his ridiculous deal this offseason), he scored 84 points over two seasons. While he’s showing signs that he’s turning it around (15-15-30 through his first 27 games this year), this contract was a symbol of everything that could go wrong under the current CBA.

4. Brian Campbell(notes), Chicago Blackhawks

Back in the summer of 2008, the Chicago Blackhawks thought they were in desperate need of defensive help for some reason. Apparently having a top-three of Brent Seabrook(notes), Cam Barker(notes) and Duncan Keith(notes) wasn’t good enough for them. So they got more defensive help from… Brian Campbell?

Yeah, apparently they thought he was a great two-way defenseman that was worth about $58 million over eight years. No, I don’t know why. Granted, he scored 62 points in his contract year, playing for both Buffalo and San Jose, but he was still only a plus-8, and that’s after going plus-9 in 20 games with the Sharks. And let’s just say his postseason track record fit in perfectly with the rest of the boys in San Jose.

Granted Campbell, has put up pretty good offensive numbers in Chicago, but his salary (along with Brent Sopel’s)(notes) is the main reason the team stressed over its cap situation before signing Jonathan Toews(notes), Patrick Kane(notes) and Duncan Keith.

3. Wade Redden(notes), New York Rangers

Redden gets escorted out of Ottawa by a group of the local citizenry that had armed itself with torches and pitchforks. That’s fine. It happens. And he was, for a little while, one of the better defensemen in the league.

But after Redden came off a 6-32-38 season in 2007-08 (his worst since the ‘90s), the Rangers said, "Hey Wade, we want you on board." And Redden should’ve been happy with that. Big market, and he probably figured he’d get decent money.

He was wrong. He got obscene money.

His six-year, $39 million deal gives the Rangers a cap hit of $6.5 million through 2014. For a player that has, in his first 105 games in New York, produced four goals, 28 assists and has looked like a turnstile most nights. Don’t worry though, Ranger fans. Only four more years of that after this one!

2. Bobby Holik(notes), New York Rangers, then Atlanta Thrashers

Holik got ridiculous money to jump from the Devils to the Rangers in the summer of 2002. I mean, $9 million would have been a lot for anyone, let alone Holik who had a career high of 65 points.

But again, pre-lockout, who cares, right?

Well, the problem for the Rangers was that the contract obviously spilled into the new CBA, and even with the salary rollback they were paying Bobby "freaking" Holik $6.726 million when the salary cap was just — get this — $39 million. So they bought him out and then had to pay him another $3.5 million for not playing during the lockout. The Rangers were less than pleased with that, as you can imagine.

He then signed with the Thrashers for a nearly-as-ridiculous $12.75 million, and in return Atlanta got 96 points. It begs the question: Of how many NHL executives does Holik own compromising photos?

1. Alexei Yashin(notes), New York Islanders

You might be thinking that the DiPietro contract is the worst the Islanders gave out this decade, but you’re forgetting a contract so hilariously bad that even Glen Sather probably threw his back out laughing when he heard about it.

Ten years, $87.5 million. Biggest in league history. For a player widely regarded to be as lazy as he was talented, and twice as petulant as he was lazy (his holdouts with the Senators are legendary). Sure, he’d been phenomenal in Ottawa; 172 goals in the prior four seasons is a good amount. So maybe he is worth close to $9 million to a New York-based team with a sweet TV deal in the pre-cap world. But 10 years? The guy was 28 when he signed it.

To make matters worse, he was pretty awful on the Island. After potting that 172 in four years, he scored 119 over five with the Islanders (and a whopping five goals in four one-and-done playoff appearances). So the Islanders did the only prudent thing and bought him out.

And they say you can still find the ghost of that contract to this day: haunting the Islanders’ cap number to the tune of $3.235 million a year — still the third-highest cap hit on the team! — until 2015.

Part 2: The five best

(Keeping in mind these are all post-cap.)

5. Marc Savard(notes), Boston Bruins (x2)

Even before you figure the money on his new deal is ridiculously low commensurate to what he currently produces for the Bruins, you have to look at the contract he’s currently on.

In the summer of 2006, Zdeno Chara(notes) put pen to paper on a five-year, $37.5 million deal and 10 minutes later, Savard had agreed to a four-year deal worth $20 million. When he first signed, everyone said, "Oh that might be pretty good." After all, the previous year he had scored 97 alongside Ilya Kovalchuk(notes) in Atlanta and everyone was curious to see if he could replicate it in Boston. In fact, he did better. He put up 96 points that first year with the Bruins, and that was without the benefit of a guy like Kovalchuk anywhere near his line.

The next two years saw him drop off a little, to the tune of 40-126-166 in 156 games. Not bad for five million bucks. And now the Bruins have locked him up for another seven seasons, for lessthan he’s currently making. I’m starting to think Savard doesn’t understand the concept of money.

Where was this kind of negotiating skill when it came time to re-sign Milan Lucic(notes)?

4. Robyn Regehr(notes), Calgary Flames

A premium is often put on offensive production over defense, and for obvious reasons. Not allowing the other team to score just isn’t as fun because a blocked shot or a big hit will never be as sexy as a power play goal. And maybe that’s why Robyn Regehr, one of the meanest, toughest and best defensive defensemen in the league, started getting a little over $4 million for five years last summer.

Regehr, everyone’s favorite Brazilian NHLer, makes less against the cap per year than 31 other defensemen (many of whom only have defense in their name as a technicality). And the fact that he hasn’t been a minus player in the five seasons prior to this one despite his career high in points being just 26 tells you just how undervalued defense really is. This guy played in the Olympics!

How does he make less than Eric Brewer(notes)?

3. Ryan Getzlaf(notes) and Corey Perry(notes), Anaheim Ducks

You, the nice person reading this, are probably not a fan of the Anaheim Ducks. And therefore you probably loathe Getzlaf and Perry.

But if you are an Anaheim fan, then you know that for the price of just over 1.25 Eric Staals, your favorite team locked up two of the most underrated players in the league this summer as both signed five-year deals with a cap hit of $5.325 million each.

In return for their $10.65 million, the Ducks get two players around which they can build a franchise. Both do everything you could want a forward to do: agitate, control the boards, draw penalties, physically bully other teams and, of course, score. And score a lot. In the two seasons prior to their new contracts, Getzlaf and Perry combined for 110-189-299, and both had their names on the Stanley Cup as 21-year-olds.

That’s worth a hell of a lot more than what they get paid.

2. Zach Parise(notes), New Jersey Devils

Before the 2007-08 season, Parise was rewarded by Lou Lamoriello for his strong rookie and sophomore campaigns in which he totaled 94 points (including 31-31-62 as a 22-year-old) with a four-year deal worth a modest $13 million. Decent money for a slightly-better-than-decent player.

His 31-31-62 season was followed with a 32-33-65 season, which isn’t bad. But the big change was defensively. He went from scoring 62 and being a minus-3 to scoring 65 and being a plus-13. And then after that, Parise turned into a monster. The 2008-09 season saw Parise treat his opponents like Sherman treated Atlanta. A whopping 45 goals and 49 assists gave him 94 points and a plus-30(!).

This year, he has 15-15-30 in 24 games through Tuesday and he’s already a plus-19.

And he’s got another year on this deal after this one. That’s not even fair.

1. Tim Thomas(notes), Boston Bruins

One of the last pieces of business Mike O’Connell performed as general manager of the Bruins before he was catapulted out of town like Rex Banner was to sign an aging, then-kinda-1b goalie Tim Thomas to a three-year deal. The deal was kind of pricey for a backup but not crazy or anything. The next year Thomas put up pretty bad numbers in 66 games, 3.03/.905, as the Bruins struggled under Dave Lewis and gave time to five different goalies. But after that, oh boy.

Despite a lackluster offense and a defense that would simply not show up some nights (I vividly remember being in the Garden to cover an 8-2 beating at the hands of the Maple Leafs four days after they gave up 10 to Washington), Thomas put up an incredibly respectable 2.44/.921 and got the Bruins into the playoffs pretty much by himself.

Last year, he helped the Bruins come within a game of the President’s Trophy, secure the first seed in the East and had a goals-against of 2.10 and a save percentage of .933 and won the Vezina.

The cap hit for those three seasons: $1.1 million each. You might not find a bigger bargain in NHL history.

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Greg Wyshynski | December 2, 2009

Here are your 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.

• Attention Puck Buddies: Yahoo! Sports has its All-Decade package live, and it’s a really impressive collection of stories (back-pat). But there’s work to be done, so let’s roll: Hockey fans need to stuff the ballot box like Kyle Wellwood(notes) into a pair of hipster jeans for Team of the Decade, Athlete of the Decade, Story of the Decade (yeah, even if it’s the lockout) and Game of the Decade. We demand an NHL sweep of these polls, or at the very least something to prevent an NBA sweep. If it’s important enough to cause a ceasefire in the epic Puck Daddy/Abel To Yzerman quarrel, then it’s important enough to get that mouse a’clickin’. Do it.

• Florida Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun(notes) speaks about Keith Ballard’s(notes) baseball swing to his ear: "I actually feel sorry for him (Ballard). All I have is a cut ear and he has to see that highlight for the rest of his career." [Panthers Facebook]

• Keith Ballard on Keith Ballard’s baseball swing to Vokoun’s ear: "I saw it on tape, and it looks awful. The sad part is people see this, little kids see it, and they think maybe that’s the way professional guys act. It’s not something I’ve ever done, and it’s not something I’ll do again. I’m terribly sorry." [Sun Sentinel]

• Meanwhile, Craig Anderson(notes) makes his return to ogle the Florida Panthers ice girls tonight. [Litter Box Cats]

• Mirtle fires up the Rod Langway Award derby for best defensive defenseman and … wait, what the hell is Jay Bouwmeester(notes) doing up there? And is anyone else getting the feeling that the Norris Trophy is slowly becoming Chris Pronger’s(notes) to lose? [From The Rink]

• NHL.com has unveiled a Tweetmixx application that displays the tweets from hockey "insiders" on Twitter, including yours truly. It’s an interesting concept that will no doubt become more interesting when we manage to sneak images of animal genitalia onto NHL.com through Twitter. [NHL]

• Ted Leonsis confronts his franchise player, Alex Ovechkin(notes), after the star’s suspension for a knee-on-knee hit: "I believe if he changes and becomes a player that is managed by the media or fans or anyone else, he will put himself at risk." [Ted's Take]

• Forget the hat: This conspiracy theory by OFB that Ovechkin’s suspension and subsequent defiance is a PR scheme from IMG agents deserves some sort of magnificent tinfoil crown. [On Frozen Blog]

• Ovechkin wears the orange non-contact jersey while skating with the Washington Capitals at practice. [Capitals Insider]

• Elliotte Friedman on the whole "should Ovechkin change his style of play?" debate, bringing up an interesting point: Would Ovi’s current predicament be any different if his agent wasn’t also the woman who birthed him? [CBC Sports]

• Chipchura sighting in Anaheim. [Habs]

• Good stuff from Ryan Kennedy on the New York Rangers‘ reliance on young defenseman this season, which really is a risk when you’re playing John Tortorella "damn the torpedoes" style of hockey. [THN]

• The way things are going for the Rangers lately, Scotty Hockey probably captured Marian Gaborik’s(notes) play perfectly for Blueshirt fans. [Scotty Hockey]

• Jonathan Willis with an interesting look at last summer’s goaltending decisions, including this conclusion: "There were three established starters in the market this summer (Roloson, Biron and Khabibulin), and the difference between them over an entire season works out to 15 goals …" [Hockey or Die!]

• Now, the headline at the top of this Canucks/Devils preview Web page is "Cdn. Olympic Goaltenders square off in The Swamp." Because the middle of Newark is evidently akin to the everglades. [Sportsnet]

• Speaking of epic fails, we’re pretty sure Dany Heatley(notes) demanded a trade from this Center Ice description last summer. [Thanks to Puck Buddy Nick]

• Ryan "Guarantees a U.S. Olympic medal" Kesler talks about the Vancouver Canucks‘ Cup chances, his development as a player and the inspiration of Mike Modano(notes). [NHL.com]

• New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur(notes) becomes a sleeper agent programmed to undermine Canadian Olympic efforts a U.S. citizen. [Bergen Record]

• The Devils are celebrating their 1995 Cup win against the Detroit Red Wings this week. ATT: Jersey readers – There’s still time to win a limo ride to the game. [Devils]

• Looking at the cool, calm and collected Ryan Miller(notes) of the Buffalo Sabres. [Buffalo News]

• World juniors are fast approaching, and there are some familiar names on the U.S. roster. I was told that Yahoo! Canada is planning some special coverage of the event, which is cool news. Details to follow. [WCHB]

• Toronto Maple Leafs fans take a well-deserved victory lap around the bloodied carcass of the Montreal Canadiens. [Pension Plan Puppets]

• Finally, geek-gasm: Rivers Cuomo rocking a Blackhawks jersey at the Weezer show in Chicago last night. As if you needed further proof that he is the greatest man that ever lived.

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