Funny stuff, right? At least it was to Pittsburgh Penguins announcer Paul Steigerwald of Fox Sports Pittsburgh, who cracked one of the most awkward on-air jokes in recent memory last night during their game against the New Jersey Devils.

For the video-less, a quick transcript:

Bob Errey: "The Hobey Baker winner went down, real hard. Our Subway sandwich of the game."

Paul Steigerwald: "Not as hard as Hobey Baker went down, though. He went down in a plane crash."

Then there's some muttering and giggling; with Steigerwald apparently realizing that he wasn't at the Friar's Club, saying he wasn't trying to make light of "how he left us," while asking Errey not to "start" as the laughing begins.

As Adam Gretz points out, Baker was actually killed 91 years to the day of Steigerwald's comment. Who says he doesn't have comedic timing?

Now, we're nearing a century removed from the incident, so it's not exactly "too soon" for this punchline. We were ready to excuse it, actually ... until reader John Mozena hit us on Twitter with the following: "Hobey was friends w/ my grandfather, flew in WW1 together. I'm not a PC/sensitive guy but I thought it was classless."

OK, fair enough. This is getting enough play to the point where an on-air apology during the next Pens' broadcast is likely.

Stick-tap to the Pens Experience for the story.

No. 1 Star: Martin Brodeur(notes), New Jersey Devils

Brodeur set a new NHL record for career shutouts with 104, making 35 saves to blank the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-0. We covered the specifics of the record on Monday night; here's Brodeur on his shutout chase: "Usually, in the middle of the pack of my shutouts, I didn't really care about it too much ... I just played the game and tried to win the game. But, definitely when there's a lot at stake like that and you're going to come close to a record or surpassing a record, it definitely becomes a little more nerve-racking. I don't get nervous, but today I was a little nervous."

No. 2 Star: Marc-Andre Bergeron(notes), Montreal Canadiens

it's hard not to give the nod here to Jaroslav Halak(notes) for his incredible 47-save performance on 50 shots, a franchise-record for the Thrash. But the nod goes to Marc-Andre Bergeron, the Montreal defenseman who tied the Atlanta Thrashers late in the third and then won the game in overtime on a play that saw him suffer an injury by plowing into the goal post. Canadiens win, 4-3.

No. 3 Star: Scottie Upshall(notes), Phoenix Coyotes

Big night for the Coyotes forward, as he had a point on Phoenix's first three goals (1 goal, 2 assists) and then capped the scoring for his team in the third with a power-play goal. Phoenix defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets, 5-2, as Upshall has 12 goals on the season and five in December alone.

Honorable mention: Handy tip for the Toronto Maple Leafs, going forward -- try not to leave Derek Roy(notes) wide open in front of Jonas Gustavsson(notes) (27 saves) in overtime. Roy had the game-winner and Ryan Miller(notes) had 34 saves in the Buffalo Sabres' 3-2 win over the Leafs. ... Steven Stamkos(notes) scored his 21st while Ryan Malone(notes) had two power-play goals in the third period to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning over the New York Islanders, 4-2. Mike Smith(notes) had 36 saves; Dwayne Roloson(notes) had 24 but two absolute beauties. ...  Goals by Stephen Weiss(notes), Michael Frolik(notes) and Nathan Horton(notes) (2 goals) avenged fallen teammate David Booth(notes) by defeating Mike Richards(notes) and the spiraling Philadelphia Flyers, 4-1. ... Marian Gaborik(notes) scored his 25th goal and added an assist as the New York Rangers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes, 3-1. ... Tim Thomas(notes) made 29 saves for his fourth shutout of the season and 10th straight win against the Ottawa Senators, 2-0. ... Matt Hendricks's(notes) shorthanded goal ended up being the game-winner, as the Colorado Avalanche and Craig Anderson(notes) (28 saves) survived a Minnesota Wild rally in the third for a 4-3 win. ... Patrick Marleau(notes) scored two goals and Evgeni Nabokov(notes) made 36 saves in the San Jose Sharks' 4-2 win at the Dallas Stars. ... Jordan Staal(notes) took a puck to the face, was bloodied but returned for the Penguins. ... Alex Steen had a four-point night (1 goal, 3 assists) and Andy McDonald(notes) had two goals as the St. Louis Blues routed the Edmonton Oilers, 7-2. Yikes. Also, the Blues' power play (4-for-5) is no longer set to "suck."

Did you know?: Ric Flair sounded the siren in Carolina before the Rangers game. Woooo!

Dishonorable mention: Perhaps you don't fault rookie goalie Devan Dubnyk(notes) (19 saves) for the blowout loss to the Blues; Oilers Coach Pat Quinn sure doesn't: "He was kind of left out to hang by his teammates. We've been doing that all season." ... Marc-Andre Fleury(notes) was pulled after giving up four goals on 16 shots. ... The Flyers called a players-only meeting after their loss to the Panthers. A 2-8-1 record in December will do that. ... Brian Boucher(notes) injured his finger and was replaced by Michael Leighton(notes) (15 saves). ... Finally, this fight from the Blue Jackets/Coyotes game was all sorts of wrong: Jared Boll(notes) going after Radim Vrbata(notes) of all people after a goal, Martin Hanzal(notes) trying to answer the bell, and then Boll splitting him open with a few shots.

Having witnessed dozens of Martin Brodeur's(notes) NHL-record 104 career shutouts between the pipes for the New Jersey Devils, tonight's history-making blanking of the Pittsburgh Penguins was a perfect representation.

The Devils played a devastatingly efficient road game in front of him, scoring four goals and making all the right little plays to disrupt their opponents' attack. But just when you're about to hand the credit to the Devils' time-tested system, you see Brodeur with 35 saves on the night, having made more than a few difficult ones. You see a goalie who isn't riding the coattails of his teammates but providing their backbone.

It's the single most unappreciated aspect of the entire "Brodeur vs. the system" debate: That it takes an extraordinary talent to provide the foundation for that system to excel for, oh, 15 years. So while players and coaches and rules and eras have come and gone, Brodeur has been the constant in GM Lou Lamoriello's franchise-defining philosophy of fundamental defensive play. If you think someone like Curtis Joseph(notes) could have backstopped 104 shutouts by simply being a Devils goalie, you're either delusional or, more likely, a Rangers fan.

New Jersey's 4-0 win over the Penguins was typically workmanlike, but every shutout has its defining moments. The ones for Shutout No. 104 came when Sidney Crosby(notes) rifled a shot off the right post with 1 minute, 42 seconds left in the third period; followed one minute later by Brodeur's low glove save on Evgeni Malkin(notes), which he hoisted in the air with a flourish in a move his idol/contemporary Patrick Roy mastered.

Two of the best players in the world turned aside; one with a little luck, the other with faultless positioning. You need both to be a winning goalie, and Brodeur's had them since 1994.

It was his 104th shutout, an NHL record. His 580th career win, an NHL record. His 1,032nd career game, an NHL record. Argue there are more talented goalies. Argue that his era defined him rather than Brodeur having defined an era. Argue that it's all the trap or obstruction or Jacques Lemaire or Scotts Stevens and Niedermayer. What you can't argue is Brodeur's place in NHL history as goaltending royalty. Because this record cements it. The way generations heard Terry Sawchuk's name, they'll now hear Brodeur's.

Coming up, some stunning numbers regarding Marty's shutout record.

Great job by the NHL pulling together a stats pack about Brodeur's legacy.

Here are Brodeur's shutouts on a team-by-team basis; R.I.P. Winnipeg and the Whale:

So the San Jose Sharks, Nashville Predators and Edmonton Oilers escape his wrath, eh?

Here are Brodeur's shutouts by the score:

That's 21 shutouts by a score of 1-0 and 25 with the score 2-0. Most impressive.

Finally, Brodeur's shutouts by month and by season:

So that's 29 shutouts since the NHL changed its rules to make Brodeur less effective, including one year wiped out by injury.

Just another reason why his Hall of Fame plaque should be shaped like a trapezoid ...

The New Jersey Devils face the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight for the third time this season, having won the previous two meetings by a combined score of 8-2. Of course, this should mean absolutely nothing for Devils fans, as regular-season dominance preceding postseason depression is pretty much the norm in New Jersey; like seeing "Bon Jovi" on the club marquee and finding out its Jon's second-cousin Anthony playing RATT covers.

That said, tonight's game is between two of the three teams absolutely dominating the Eastern Conference right now: The Devils (first overall with games in-hand, 51 points), the Penguins (second in the division and fourth seed, 51 points) and the Washington Capitals (second in the East, 50 points). They're not just dominating the conference in the standings; they're literally dominating the conference, with the three best intra-conference records in the NHL:

1. Devils: 23-6-0 against the East
2. Penguins: 20-6-0
3. Capitals: 17-6-5

Only the Nashville Predators (17-9-2) have at least 17 wins against their own conference. 

With 45 points in 34 games, the Buffalo Sabres are right with the Top 3 in the standings, although their conference record (15-10-3) isn't as sterling. So if you place them a notch lower than the Devils, Penguins and Capitals ... well, then the Sabres are in a mix of 11 teams vying for five playoff spots. Or as we call them, "Everyone not named Carolina."

The final five are going to be determined by four factors, in descending order of importance: Injuries, goaltending, trades and Olympic fatigue.

If Marian Gaborik(notes) becomes Mr. Glass again, the New York Rangers are toast. If the Atlanta Thrashers' goaltending can't maintain its goals-against average (2.79) in case the fourth-best offense in the League (3.05 goals-for avg.) goes cold, they'll drop. Will the New York Islanders add significant pieces at the deadline with a ridiculous amount of cap space?

Two questions: Of the teams in the parity-filled group behind The Big Three, which ones do you sense will make the cut?

Also: Do you see either the Devils, Capitals or Penguins falling back to the pack if they dodge significant injuries? Will the Olympics affect them?

For that first question: The vibe right now is that the Atlantic Division isn't taking four to the playoffs again. The Northeast could, but more likely we'll see three from that division, three from the Atlantic and two from the Southeast.

For that second question: All three teams have played through injuries, and all three teams are playing with high levels of confidence and clutch play. Depending on how they react to the Olympic break and against the West, we could see further separation from the pack in 2010.

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.

• For the readers who complain that our female-eye-candy-to-male-beefcake ratio is unbalanced, we give you Alex Ovechkin(notes) from the Russian publication "Tatler." The back tattoos ... sheesh. More modeling on the AO blog. [Alex Ovetjkin via JP] 

• In case you were wondering: Normal week through Christmas Eve here at Puck Daddy, including Three Stars every night and our All-Decade packages on Tuesday and Thursday. There may be some sort of chat on Wednesday, but not our usual rumors one because of the roster freezes. Winter Classic float gallery on Tuesday; Christmas features our annual Puck Daddy tradition.

• Why the New York Rangers are a one-man team named "Marian Gaborik." Good stuff here, as Jeff Klein breaks down the percentage of team goals scored by an individual player. The Sidney Crosby(notes) numbers are eye-opening, both for his output and for the Pittsburgh Penguins' scoring depth. [Slap Shot]

• Previewing the New Jersey Devils/Pittsburgh Penguins showdown at Mellon tonight. [Fire & Ice]

• Now that a coach has been sacrificed and the Philadelphia Flyers are still playing awful hockey, GM Paul Holmgren's lack of aggressive roster moves is criticized by one Philly columnist: "This team needs a shakeup. The players are waiting for it. With that vote of confidence, the Flyers had as much jump on Saturday - against a team with an almost identical record in the Rangers - as a car battery left in the snow." [Philly.com]

• The Florida Panthers remember what Mike Richards(notes) did to David Booth(notes) earlier this season. They're in Philly tonight; Steve MacIntyre(notes) and Mike Duco(notes) are in the lineup. Old. Time. Hockey. [NBC Sports]

• The NHL continues its cutting edge upgrades of NHL.com with NHL VideoCenter, the League's new streaming video player. Among the features: "Three new channels of content  NHL Shootout Channel featuring all NHL game shootouts in their entirety; NHL Press Room featuring live coverage of press conferences and other breaking news; and NHL Library, which gives fans a selection of classic and archived videos." Wait, a channel dedicated to shootout highlights? We thought that was ESPN ...[NHL]

• The Dallas Stars place defenseman Mark Fistric(notes) on injured reserve with a head injury and recall defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy(notes). [Stars]

• Pension Plan Puppets reveals Brian Burke's diabolic plan to swipe the division from the Buffalo Sabres through Olympic fatigue. Insert evil cackling here. [PPP]

• Lambert covered the Matt Stajan(notes) "headshot" thing in What We Learned this morning, but the Toronto Maple Leafs forward had more to say about it after practice: "I think it should be the ref's discretion whether it is intent for the head. I think that one could be argued both ways. Yes, he hit my head, but I am not going to sit here and say that was his intent. ... But I know he was trying to hit me hard. I am kind of in the middle. You see hits like that all the time. At the end of the day I turned into him with my head down." [National Post and Globe & Mail]

• Your Three Stars for the last week (ending Dec. 20) in the NHL: Goaltender Cristobal Huet(notes) of the Chicago Blackhawks, goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury(notes) of the Pittsburgh Penguins and right wing Patric Hornqvist(notes) of the Nashville Predators. [NHL]

• How Dave Scatchard(notes) of the Nashville Predators has "been to hell and back," which is a really mean thing to say about Glendale. [NHL.com]

• Joerg Koch of AFP snaps this image: "Hundreds of people play ice hockey, ice skate or just walk on the frozen Nymphenburg canal in front of the Nymphenberg castle in the southern German city of Munich on December 20, 2009." Killer.

• The Falconer offers the latest in the Ilya Kovalchuk(notes) contract talks with the Atlanta Thrashers and discussed his value to the franchise. Is it down to Atlanta or the KHL? No entirely convinced of that. [Bird Watchers Anonymous]

• Great stuff from B.D. Gallof on the rumor that Charles Wang wants to sell the New York Islanders, in which he argues why the Isles won't move and takes local media to task for eating up bad information. [Hockey Independent]

• Jon Sim(notes) can draw a penalty. [Lighthouse Hockey]

• Malkin To The Kings reports the Edmonton Oilers are looking to move some pretty significant names, and David Staples believes him. [Cult of Hockey]

• Yeah, so the Barrie Colts are pretty sick: "The Colts, who haven't lost in two months, are four games removed from matching a Canadian Hockey League record of 25 straight wins previously set by the Kitchener Rangers in 1983-84 and the Quebec league's 1973-74 Sorel Eperviers, a now-defunct franchise." [Slam! Sports]

• George Malik on the quietly solid season for Todd Bertuzzi(notes) of the Detroit Red Wings. [Snapshots]

• Our pal Dany Heatley(notes) Speedwagon appeared on The 6th Sens podcast. [6th Sens]

• Finally, this team-up between Bloge Salming and Down Goes Brown is pretty much the greatest mega-powers moment since Hogan and Macho Man or, for argument's sake, Godzilla and Jet Jaguar. Here's the Toronto Maple Leafs' Christmas party at Chuck-E-Cheese, filled with gun violence and hockey insight and a killer Phil Kessel(notes) joke.

More, please.

 

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.

So the Brian Boucher(notes) call from last week has panned out about as nicely as Crystal Pepsi, but patience -- he'll still be the guy for the next six weeks and the Flyers can't continue to be a losing team for that long.

Can they? With Boucher now in as my third goaltender, I was able to swap Jose Theodore(notes) for Brad Boyes(notes) and address my need for goal scoring. Until the Flyers snap out of it, I'll continue to ride my other two horses and leave Boosh on the bench, though.

Injury replacement of the week: Dan Sexton(notes), Anaheim Ducks

I was going to stick him in this spot last week as a replacement recommendation for Teemu Selanne(notes), but goaltending is just so hard to come by in roto leagues if you don't get them early, so I had to roll with Boucher. Now that Joffrey Lupul(notes) is out as well, it's time to take a serious look at the 22-year-old Sexton.

Are you drunk?

Ah, beer. If I had a dollar for every ridiculous decision I've made at the draft table while under the influence, I would have enough to cover my entry fee. But I have looked closely at Sexton for the past week and I believe he's a safe call. At worst, he'll do what Andrew Ebbett(notes) did last spring (which was pretty damn good) covering for Selanne. At best, he'll turn into something helpful long-term. Don't be surprised if he gets as many as 17 goals and 29 points in the next 40 games. He has seven points in his last four.

The Keepers who are on fire...

Stephen Weiss(notes), Florida Panthers: Run the report generator over at DobberHockey's Frozen Pool and you'll discover that Weiss and linemate Nathan Horton(notes) are tied for third in NHL scoring over the past month. Weiss is on pace for 69 points, which would be a career high. He'll get there, too -- mark it.

Steve Sullivan(notes), Nashville Predators: That's more like it. After a crummy five points in 17 games to kick off the campaign, Sully has come on strong with 18 in his next 17. He's also a plus-9 in his last 10 contests. Now lining up with Jason Arnott(notes) and an equally hot Martin Erat(notes), Sullivan and the Preds are firing on all cylinders right now and I think he'll get to 65 points come April.

Alexander Semin(notes), Washington Capitals: This guy's streakier than a dirty windshield, but he's definitely "on" now. When he really finds his zone, and we've seen it before, he is one of the five most prolific producers in the NHL. In seven games since his return from a wrist injury he has 11 points.

Sergei Gonchar(notes), Pittsburgh Penguins: After 12 games off (wrist), Gonchar needed three games to get his timing back. If you remove those games from his stats he has 18 points in 19 games this year, which is where we expect a high-caliber offensive rearguard to be as Sidney Crosby(notes) and Evgeni Malkin(notes) creep towards their prime. With Gonch in the lineup, Crosby has 28 points in 21 games, while Malkin has 27 in 22. Now that the Penguin stars have matured, Gonchar has become close to a point-per-game blueliner.

The Sleepers who are on the wire...

Robert Nilsson(notes), Edmonton Oilers: If Kent Jr. could consistently play with any kind of intensity, he'd be almost as good as Kent Sr. However, that has been a problem for Nilsson. With Ales Hemsky(notes) out and Patrick O'Sullivan(notes) on the latest milk cartons, the Oilers need production from somewhere and Nilsson is now getting the ice time. The 24-year-old has points in five of his last six games playing with Shawn Horcoff(notes) and Ryan Stone(notes). He'll run hot and cold all season long, but currently he's pretty hot.

Ruslan Fedotenko(notes), Pittsburgh Penguins: He's another one of those guys who can't score to save his life for about three or four weeks and then suddenly everything seems to go in. After just a point in 12 games, he has three in his last two, which generally indicates a hot run of some sort. Snag him, ride him for two weeks, and then dump him.

Rob Schremp(notes), New York Islanders:  It's a bit of a long shot, but worth taking a flyer if you are in need of a depth forward with upside. 'Don't-call-me-Robbie' Schremp is showing some great chemistry with Jesse Joensuu(notes) and Trent Hunter(notes), as they had points in three straight games before being shutout Wednesday against the Rangers. As a member of a third line, even a productive one, the best-case scenario would be three points for every five games, but that's much better than Schremp's earlier zero-points-in-65 press-box-appearances pace. In many roto leagues, a winger who can give you three for every five is worth owning.

Ryan Shannon(notes), Ottawa Senators: If you thought Schremp was a long shot, you probably thought I dipped back into the beers with this one. But the Sens are without Jason Spezza(notes) and someone has to benefit from that. Mike Fisher(notes) is already performing as well as can be, so it won't be him. That leaves Shannon, a one-dimensional offensive talent who has performed in spurts, or Chris Kelly(notes), who had a very impressive hot streak back in 2006-07 when Spezza was hurt. The latter picked up an assist Wednesday, but I would wait another two or three games and see if one of them really steps forward. Then make your move.

In a slump, these boys are mired...

Brooks Laich(notes), Washington Capitals: With all the Capitals forwards back in the lineup, Laich is seeing his ice time dip, particularly on the power play. However, he has the Peverleyan ability to produce regardless of those things, but only when he's in the zone. Zero points in his last five games hints that he is far, far away from said zone. Bench him.

Steven Reinprecht(notes), Florida Panthers: Whenever you see a team's top scorers struggle, you often see the secondary scorers step up. Then when the big guns pick it up again, the secondary guys slip back to their normal role. Now that Frolik, Weiss and Horton are rolling, Reinprecht is back to being a 45- or 50-point player. He has just three in his last eight games. Drop him.

Dennis Wideman(notes), Boston Bruins: Wideman as a top-scoring defenseman just didn't feel right. Like George Clooney as Batman, it just felt all wrong. Too inconsistent to be co-running the top power play, Wideman's totals have been inflated over the last couple of seasons thanks to the Bruins not really having another option. Now they have Derek Morris(notes), who is seeing more PP time than Wideman. He'll pick up his game, but don't expect more than 35 points this year. Bench him.

Darryl Dobbs is the founder of dobberhockey.com, a fantasy hockey community with over a dozen columnists, a daily blog and in-depth fantasy player rankings. His always accurate opinions can also be found over at The Hockey News in their fantasy section.

 

(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.)

We know what you're thinking: Will there be a separate list for the trades Mike Milbury wasn't involved in?

Sure, the former New York Islanders GM appears multiple times on the following countdown of the most lopsided trades of the last decade. It's also not exactly a spoiler alert to say that Joe Thornton(notes) appears on the list, too. But in looking back at the biggest fleecings of the 2000s, there were some epically wrongheaded moves that don't ensure either Mad Mike or Jumbo Joe end up at the top spot.

In assessing these deals, we were looking at what was known about the players involved at the time; the motivations behind the trade; the impact on the respective teams and, in hindsight, the level of talent that actually changed hands.

For example, we were tempted to put the trade of Robert Lang(notes) to the Detroit Red Wings on this list because it resulted in the Washington Capitals getting Tomas Fleischmann(notes) and eventually drafting Mike Green(notes). But Lang had a couple of Lang-like years for Detroit while the Capitals found an all-star at the bottom of the first round. So it's not the complete whiff some that some of these other gems are.

Here are the 10 most lopsided trades of the last decade ...

10. Atlanta Thrashers trade Marian Hossa(notes) and Pascal Dupuis(notes) to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Angelo Esposito(notes), Colby Armstrong(notes), Erik Christensen(notes) and a first-round draft pick (Daulton Leveille). (Feb. 26, 2008)

There were plenty of questions about the Penguins giving too much here for a rental. Kevin Dupont, writing on NBC Sports, was weary of the deal:

They gave up a lot of equity, in terms of player talent, for what could be a very short-term rental. That's right, all of 127 days from acquiring Hossa, and giving up the likes of Angelo Esposito, Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen and a first-round draft pick, the Pens could see him walk out of town for good, and for little more than a handshake as he gets into the cab to take him to the airport.

Well, Hossa ended up doing just that ... but he also had 26 points in 20 playoff games to help the Penguins to the conference title. Dupuis is still thriving for Pittsburgh.

As for the Thrashers, they've seen Esposito bust with injuries, they traded Christensen and watched Armstrong become an offensive enigma. The pick, Daultan Leveille, is still playing for Michigan State.

9. Atlanta Thrashers trade Braydon Coburn(notes) to the Philadelphia Flyers for Alexei Zhitnik(notes). (Feb. 24, 2007)

Another masterpiece from Don Waddell, GM of the Thrashers. Coburn was a 21-year-old rugged defenseman who wasn't getting solid ice time. Zhitnik, 34, started the season on the Islanders, was traded to the Flyers and shipped to the Thrashers.

Coburn would soon develop into one of the league's best two-way defensemen, especially after being teamed with Kimmo Timonen(notes). Zhitnik was a mega-bust for Atlanta, tallying eight points in 65 games the following season before getting his contract bought out. He's now the captain for Dynamo Moscow in the KHL.

8. Buffalo Sabres trade Chris Gratton(notes) and a 2004 fourth-round pick (traded to Edmonton, who drafted Liam Reddox(notes)) to the Phoenix Coyotes for Danny Briere(notes) and a 2004 third-round pick (Andrej Sekera(notes)). (March 10, 2003)

Gratton's been passed around so much in his NHL career that he's eligible to be the punch line of a Sean Avery(notes) locker room joke.

In 2002-03, he had 44 points in 66 games for the Sabres before the Coyotes came calling; he had one point in 16 games for Phoenix after the trade, followed up 29 in 68 games the next season. He was eventually traded to the Colorado Avalanche in a deal for Keith Ballard(notes) and Derek Morris(notes); Colorado also acquired a pick that would become Paul Stastny(notes). Ouch.

Briere went on to become a 90-point player for the Sabres, albeit briefly.

7. Philadelphia Flyers traded Patrick Sharp(notes) and Eric Meloche(notes) to the Chicago Blackhawks for Matt Ellison(notes) and a 3rd round selection in 2006. (Dec. 5, 2006)

Now, this could have easily been the Blackhawks stealing Kris Versteeg(notes) from the Boston Bruins in exchange for Brandon Bochenski(notes) in 2007. But Flyers Goal Scored By ... offers compelling evidence that this is the bigger fleecing:

After two good seasons playing in Hockey East, Sharp turned pro and joined the Phantoms for what would have been his junior year in college. The next season he split time between the Flyers and Phantoms pretty evenly, and the during the lockout he helped the Phantoms win the Calder Cup with 21 points in 21 playoff games after a 53 point regular season. And then when Sharp finally looked ready for the big leagues Bobby Clarke made one of the bigger mistakes of his tenure and traded him away for a guy that is now in the KHL and a third round pick that we then traded to Montreal for two other picks, who turned out to be current Phantom Jonathan Matsumoto(notes) and busted goalie Jakub Kovar.

[...]

He's exactly the kind of guy you want sitting next to you on the bench, which is the type of guy the Flyers have traditionally tried to acquire, not tried to deal away for a Guns 'n Roses poster and half used phone card.

Especially when it's a poster for "Chinese Democracy."

6. New York Islanders trade Roberto Luongo(notes) and Olli Jokinen(notes) to the Florida Panthers for Mark Parrish(notes) and Oleg Kvasha. (June 24, 2000)

There are going to be people who believe this trade should be much, much lower on the list, and we get that. But bear with us.

Luongo was 20 years old and had played 24 games for the Islanders at the time of the trade, which is to say he wasn't ROBERTO LUONGO yet. Jokinen was 21, on this second NHL franchise and hadn't cracked 30 points yet. Trading both players were egregious errors in judgment that will haunt Mike Milbury's career as an NHL executive. But the real mistake was committing to Rick DiPietro in the draft when there was already a goalie many felt was a future star in the system.

But the reason this isn't closer to Numero Uno is that Parrish and Kvasha weren't exactly Matt Ellison-level busts for New York. Parrish became a 30-goal scorer during five productive seasons on the Island. Kvasha was a serviceable player for five seasons, too. In hindsight, it's ridiculously lopsided. But in context, it's not as bad as any of the top five.

5. Boston Bruins trade Joe Thornton to the San Jose Sharks for Marco Sturm(notes), Wayne Primeau(notes) and Brad Stuart(notes). (Dec. 1, 2005)

Like this trade, for example. Thornton was bitter after becoming a scapegoat for the team's disappointing play in 2005, traded to the Sharks after signing a contract extension with the Bruins. Nothing like anger as a motivator: He had 92 points in 58 games for the Sharks that season, winning the Hart Trophy and establishing himself as an elite center during his time in teal.

There's no question Sturm (27) and Stuart (26) were important pieces for the Sharks. But Bruins GM Mike O'Connell failed to get an impact player on the level of Thornton or a blue-chip prospect; settling for a bunch of complementary pieces at a lower cost.

In the interest of equal time, Eric McErlain's post on the post-Thronton Bruins; resurgence puts the real impact of this trade in a different light:

Consider for a moment that Thornton hadn't been traded. Without the deal, there's no free agent cash for Savard and Chara, and in the case of the latter, perhaps we should ask Boston goalie Thomas what sort of contribution the 6'9" Slovak defenseman makes to keeping the team's goals against per game the best in all of hockey (2.00).

Normally, I'm not a fan of trading a quarter for two dimes and a nickel, but you have to be impressed with how the franchise parlayed the return from the Thornton trade into a number of serviceable players. For starters, ex-Shark Marco Sturm is the same player he's always been, a steady two-way forward good for nearly 30 goals per season.

Fair points. But still a bum deal.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins trade Jaromir Jagr(notes) and Frantisek Kucera to the Washington Capitals for Kris Beech(notes), Michal Sivek, Ross Lupaschuk(notes) and future considerations. (July 11, 2001)

The hindsight on this one is interesting, as Jagr requested a trade from then-General Manager Craig Patrick for the betterment of the franchise, as he felt the team could use the salary they spared to sign other vital players like Alex Kovalev(notes). He also thought he was bluffing.

Patrick didn't, evidently.

But no matter how Jagr was traded, the return for arguably the biggest star in the League at that point was nothing short of putrid. Beech became a journeyman. Sivek played 38 games in the NHL; Lupaschuk played three.

Still, Craig Patrick remained high on these bums even after Jagr moved on to the Rangers. From the Post Gazette:

Beech -- "He'll have a good career ahead of him. ... He understands the game defensively a lot better than he did when he first turned pro."

Lupaschuk -- "I think he's doing fine. ... I like the way he's coming along. He's got a great skill level."

Sivek -- "His progress has been stunted a little bit, but we definitely see him as a prospect to play in the National Hockey League."

Not everyone who has followed the pro careers of Beech, Lupaschuk and Sivek shares Patrick's upbeat perspective. In Wilkes-Barre, the talk is of Beech's inconsistency, of the way Lupaschuk's offensive game has deteriorated while his defensive work remains suspect, of Sivek's lackluster work ethic.

Score one for the downbeat. Now, there will be some who believe the 2004 trade of Jagr for Anson Carter(notes) belongs here, too. But that was a cash dump that freed the Washington Capitals from Jagr's sullen mood and contract while helping the Rangers. From CBC Sports:

Speculation had New York and Washington close to completing a trade last July, then resuming talks in November. At the time, however, Jagr reportedly was reluctant to waive the $11 million US option year on his current contract.

Under the terms of this deal, the Capitals will pay $20 million of the $44 million remaining on Jagr's seven-year, $77-million contact. The Rangers will pay the rest.

Not nearly as lopsided a deal that the initial trade was, no matter Jagr's output in D.C.

3. New York Islanders trade Zdeno Chara(notes), Bill Muckalt and first-round pick in 2001 Draft (Jason Spezza(notes)) to the Ottawa Senators for Alexei Yashin(notes). (Nov. 9, 2001)

From CBC Sports:

Islanders GM Mike Milbury, meanwhile, has made a deal that could salvage his managerial reputation, which has been damaged by a series of ill-advised trades, in landing an elite impact player entering the prime of his career - or he could have saddled himself with a big headache while passing up on one of the best prospects to come out of Canada in some time.

If you guessed 'B', congratulations.

Senators fans had turned on Yashin after he demanded a trade and sought to renegotiate his contract after seemingly every season. The franchise no longer considered him a cornerstone. Chara was a hulking defenseman with raw talent. Spezza was as blue-chip a prospect as they come.

The Islanders? They decided to build around a player with undeniable offensive flourish (40 goals, 88 points in the season before the trade) but one whose attitude could rightfully be questioned. Then they gave him a contract that still counts against their cap while he toils in the KHL.

Forget the transfer of talent between the teams; the Islanders' misguided commitment to Yashin earns this a lofty place on the list.

2.  Calgary Flames trade Marc Savard(notes) to the Atlanta Thrashers for Ruslan Zainullin. (Nov. 15, 2002)

The placement of this trade on the list can be summed up in two words: "Ruslan Zainullin."

Forget that Savard became one of the best pivots in the NHL, collecting assists like frequent flier miles for the Thrashers and the Bruins. The fact is that the Flames moved a promising, NHL-level asset for a player originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning who never left Russia for the NHL. 

Granted, the Flames were in a tough spot because Savard had been feuding with Coach Greg Gilbert. Then again, Gilbert was fired two weeks after the trigger was pulled on this deal. Whoops.

1. Florida Panthers trade Roberto Luongo, Lukas Krajicek(notes) and a sixth-round pick (Sergei Shirokov(notes)) to the Vancouver Canucks for Alex Auld(notes), Bryan Allen(notes) and Todd Bertuzzi(notes). (June 24, 2006)

A trade made on the eve of the NHL Draft, it's the worst deal in the history of hockey.

That's not our assessment. That's what then-Florida Panthers GM Jacques Martin said about the trade in a 2007 radio interview, a claim he refused to back down from. Who are we to argue with that expertise?

Again, there were no illusions about the goaltender Roberto Luongo was at that time or the one that he would become. Just like there were none about the miles on Bertuzzi's body as a 30-year-old power forward, who ended up playing an astoundingly bad seven games for the Panthers as the centerpiece of this trade.

No contest: It's the most lopsided trade of the decade.

• Rumors chat at 1 p.m. Trades of the Decade later today; stupid flight delays messed with our production schedule.

• Look, Evgeni Malkin(notes) knows you want to see Canada vs. Russia for the gold. But you ignore Sweden at your own peril. [Russia Today]

• Gary Bettman and the BOG talk about those pesky long-term contracts at their Pebble Beach meetings, with Bettman saying that it's difficult to comment on an "ongoing investigation," adding: "When you get to the punch line and you know what the answer is, then there's something to talk about." We applaud his use of "punch line" to underscore what a joke this investigation is. [ESPN]

• Bettman continues to charm the pants off the Canadians who loathe him, following his love for Southern Ontario and Quebec City as future NHL homes with the pledge of a second Winter Classic featuring Canadian teams. [Chen; full Q&A with Bettman here]

• New slogan for the St. Louis Blues: "Consistently Inconsistent." Is the Andy Murray watch on or off? [Frozen Note]

• Philadelphia Flyers Coach Peter Laviolette has not asked Paul Holmgren for a trade to shake up the roster, but wouldn't hesitate to do so if the team is still tanking under his regime. [Philly.com]

• Are younger players tuning out Columbus Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock during their struggled? Better question: Are there actually Jackets fans who, as this story infers, want to strip Rick Nash(notes) of the 'C'? Seriously? Either way, Hitch has the backing of management, as the "Hitchcock style of hockey is the Blue Jackets style of hockey." [Columbus Dispatch]

• The search committee for the new NHLPA executive director: Ryan Getzlaf(notes) (Anaheim Ducks), Jamie Langenbrunner(notes) (New Jersey Devils), Brian Rafalski(notes) (Detroit Red Wings), Brian Rolston(notes) (New Jersey Devils) and Mathieu Schneider(notes) (Vancouver Canucks). Good to see at least one player under 25 on that list. Lots of Americans, too. Interesting. [NHLPA]

• Craig MacTavish becomes the first man in the history of time to defend the hockey prowess of David Koci(notes). And yes, we're including David Koci in that sample. [TSN, via Japers]

• Mike Green(notes) will look to play in the Washington Capitals' next game after that Koci hit. [Capitals Insider]

• If you're a Los Angeles Kings forward, Michal Handzus(notes) is your best friend. [LA Kings Insider]

• Scathing take on Darcy Hordichuk(notes) of the Vancouver Canucks and why he's basically worthless: "He's a role player, and his role is supposed to be an enforcer. If he's not enforcing we don't need him. He's not fighting, he's not hitting, and we don't need a floater." [Canucks Hockey Blog]

• Jason Spezza(notes) is out of the lineup for the Ottawa Senators, but their cap crunch is going to prevent them from replacing him. [Sun Media]

• More chatter about Ice Edge bringing a Phoenix Coyotes AHL franchise to Thunder Bay. We had a back and forth with Jeff Marek from HNIC on Twitter this morning, and we'll say this: If the Ice Edge group is putting the minor league team in Canada and urging fans in Saskatoon to convert to the Coyotes because they'll see a handful of home games ... well, good luck selling the Glendale locals that you're something more than Canadian carpetbaggers.  [Slam Sports]

• The San Jose Sharks anticipate that they'll probably open next season in "a Scandinavian country or western Europe" in the next wave of NHL international play. [Sharks]

• Advocating the return of The Wizard to the Blue Jackets. [The Cannon]

• From the desk of Yahoo! Sports' own Matt Romig comes what is, perhaps, the worst bobblehead doll of all-time. That's Jarome Iginla(notes)? Wow.

• Coolness: Video of Howie Morenz playing for the Montreal Canadiens in 1934. [Eyes On The Prize]

• Free Webcasts of WHL games later this month. Invite some friends over to watch the Everett Silvertips hosting the Tri-City Americans on your laptop. [WHL]

• The NAHL welcomes Dawson Creek to its ranks. Do they skate out to Paula Cole songs? [NAHL]

• Chris Stewart(notes) is one sophomore who isn't slumping this season, playing well for the Colorado Avalanche. [Mile High Hockey]

• Lede of the day: "There aren't many Blackhawks who are as picky about their equipment as defenseman Brian Campbell(notes)." [Chicago Tribune]

• Mark Stuart(notes) of the Boston Bruins suffered a broken sternum Monday night and will miss 4-6 weeks. Ouchy. [Bruins Blog]

• Cycle Like The Sedins puts together a list of hockey blogger feuds. There's a better chance that Rick DiPietro(notes) plays the next three seasons healthy than that site failing to receive an email from a "HockeyBuzz.com" address in the next three days ... [CLtS]

• Hockey Fights: You had us at Sergei Brylin(notes) vs. Chris Campoli(notes). [HockeyFights.com]

• The 10th image in this slideshow for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers is probably not a Pens fan telling Dan Carcillo he's No. 1. [Tribune Review, NSFW; stick tap to Puck Buddy Emily]

• Finally, and staying with the Penguins and Flyers, this Pittsburgh fan's inspired Max Talbot(notes) "shhhhhhh..." tribute may not actually be a Jersey Foul when used for game warm-up prop comedy. [Thanks to Puck Buddy Matt, who is actually the man with the sweater.]

Merchandising is huge business in sports. From t-shirts to hats to jerseys, fans want to show off their support for their team in as many ways as they can. When it comes to championship merchandise, that's when the wallets open up faster than a Dan Cloutier(notes) five-hole and bank accounts are dumped clean. Championships don't happen often for most teams, so when your team wins one, you've got remember it in as many items as possible.

Stanley Cup merchandise has evolved over the years from simple t-shirt and hat designs to technological pieces of art that bring in millions of dollars per year for the NHL and its teams. It's easy to see the evolution of championship merchandise by scouring eBay and that's what we did to find some vintage Cup goodies. Come along for the journey won't ye?

Thanks to stores like Lids and every single New York Yankee-loving rapper, hats have changed drastically over time and become more and more of an accessory for everyday fashion. Back in the late 1970's, the Pittsburgh Pirates helped make the painter's hat a cult-like fashion trend.

What consumers look for in a piece of merchandise that they want to plop their hard earned $25 for these days is something with a sleek look, good colors and more than 45 seconds of design work. Enter these two beauties:

Those mesh hats with the plain white front were much like the ones I sported during my Little League days. Obviously some designer in 1988 felt he could cash in by leaving off "Palumbo Liquors" or "Mangano Funeral Home" and instead promote the 1998 Cup final between the Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers.

On the right is a celebratory piece of New Jersey Devils history commemorating their second Stanley Cup title in 2000. Somehow this hat was approved by the NHL merchandise people as proven by the official hologram on the brim. Whoever designed the hat must have been a soccer fan as the shield-shaped logo and two stars surrounding the Devils logo signifying their second championship is a dead giveaway for a follower of footy.

Cereal boxes were a popular form of memorabilia that fans would love to collect as well. Companies such as Wheaties and Kellogg's would produce regional boxes that would fly off supermarket shelves and can still be found online today. (Is eating old cereal much like eating old baseball card gum?) Through well-placed connections, I was likely the only kid on Long Island eating the Pittsburgh Penguins edition of Wheaties in 1991.

Finally, t-shirts are probably the most popular item of the Stanley Cup merchandising bunch. They're simple, the players wear them on the ice during the celebrations and everyone loves t-shirts. Why else would some arenas be louder during the t-shirt toss than the entire game?

During the 1994 playoffs, trying to drum up some support for their first run at a Stanley Cup in their new city of Dallas, the Stars released these shirts hoping their fans would catch on to the wordplay used:

And yes, the eight stars were a necessity to get their point across.

Dallas would end up bailing out of the playoffs in the second round to Vancouver and not make it past the first round until 1998 when they began a three-year run that ended in two Finals appearances and one Cup.

That one Cup title gave us one of the great player caricature t-shirts to hit the market.

Big heads on little bodies! It's like NHL 3 on 3 Arcade on a t-shirt!

The Stars shirt only shows 17 players from the team, but if you ever wondered what Guy Carbonneau, Ed Belfour(notes) or Sergei Zubov(notes) look like in caricature form, it's all there.

Two years prior, the Philadelphia Flyers decided on the caricature look after they advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals and showed Dallas that you can fit more than 17 players on a t-shirt, even Pat Falloon!

While the Flyers were looking tough with their arms folded as they celebrated an Eastern Conference championship, the eventual Cup winners that year, the Detroit Red Wings, made their own caricature shirt with a very important edit.