It's a Tuesday edition of Marek vs. Wyshynski beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, and we're talking about the following and more:

Special Guest Stars: Kevin Weekes of CBC Hockey Night In Canada, NHL Network,Versus Overtime and MSG Hockey Night Live talks Marty Brodeur and race in hockey.

• In which Marek and Wysh discuss what makes an MVP an MVP.

• The final word on the Penguins' "captaincy" meeting.

• How does a player transcend a sport?

• Ryan Miller and the sullen postgame comments.

• Puck Headlines and Talking Points

Question of the Day:

Email your answers to puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or tweet them with the hashtag #MvsW to either @jeffmarek or @wyshynski.

Click here for the Sportsnet live stream or click the play button above! Click here to download podcasts from the show each day Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or Feedburner.

Patrik Elias recently played his 1,000th game in the NHL, all of them with the New Jersey Devils. That got Puck Daddy infographic ace Dan Gustafson of SixteenWins.com wondering about the rest of the players who logged 1,000 or more games with the same franchise. Here's how he broke it down:

Some interesting notes, via Sixteen Wins:

• 52% Are in the N.H.L Hall of Fame
• 13 Centers, 12 Defensemen, 1o Right Wings, 8 Left Wings and 1 Goalie
• Detroit has six players; Montreal and Toronto have 5 players each
• 24 Players have their number retired (or honoured (Maple Leafs)) by their club
• 7 Players are still active

Anything jump out at you?

(Dan will be working with Puck Daddy on creating some whimsical and informative NHL graphics throughout the season. If you have any requests, email us at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com. Visit Dan at Sixteen Wins and follow him on Twitter here.)

Previously on Puck Daddy

• Illustrated guide to USA vs. Canada in World Juniors
• Illustrated guide to the 2011 Ron Swanson NHL All-Star Team
• Illustrated guide to firing NHL coaches during the season
• Illustrated guide to NHL No. 11s on 11-11-11
• Illustrated guide to NHL realignment history
• Illustrated guide to Brendan Shanahan's NHL suspensions (so far)
• Illustrated guide to the Bruins' $156,679 Foxwoods bar tab

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.

• Mike Richards didn't. /rimshot [Getty]

• Kris Letang finally returns to practice for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who called off their secret meeting about finding a temporary long-haired Norris contender in his absence. [Penguins]

• No Ryane Clowe for the San Jose Sharks Tuesday night, as he's out with an upper body injury that coach Todd McLellan said "is related to when Minnesota's Justin Falk checked Clowe face-first into the boards on Jan. 10." [CSN Bay Area]

• From Elliotte Friedman's 30 Thoughts column, on the Buffalo Sabres: "Have the massive deals given out to Christian Ehrhoff and Ville Leino damaged the dressing room? Now, it's not like current Sabres haven't gotten paid. Ryan Miller, Jason Pominville and Derek Roy all got new contracts before Pegula took over. (And they matched Thomas Vanek's offer sheet.) But, over the years, several GMs have said it's a dangerous dance when you reward players from outside -- especially in a cap system." [CBC]

• Ouch No. 1 from Mike Harrington on the Sabres: "Jason Pominville said he was frustrated the team was playing better when the score was 5-0 than when it was 0-0. Naturally. It's easier to play when there's no pressure and when the opponent has its foot off the gas. Just no mental toughness." [Buffalo News]

• Ouch No. 2 from Nick Cotsonika on the Sabres: "This is not what Terry Pegula paid for." [Y! Sports]

• As Ryan Miller is taking a bunch of criticism this season for the Sabres' failures, it's Buffalo's own Patrick Kane to the rescue! "I still think the fans get on Miller a little bit too much back in Buffalo. He's definitely the guy there," Kane said. "He's not having the kind of season he wanted to and maybe things are getting caught up in everything back there. I think they can be a good team. They've got everything in place to do well. You want them to do well, especially being from there.  Not better than you're doing but at the same time, growing up there I know a lot of people who root for the Sabres. It's a city that deserves the team to do well." [Sabres Edge]

• Broad Street Hockey on Friedman's claim that the Philadelphia Flyers might be looking at another goaltender to solidify that position in addition to Bryzgalov and Bobrovsky. [BSH]

• There was much intrigue about the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup Tuesday as trade talk has reached "frenzied levels." [Mirtle]

• Down Goes Brown with the pros and cons of a Detroit Red Wings/Toronto Maple Leafs Winter Classic: "Con: David Steckel would be playing in a Winter Classic again, so enjoy that year off, Pavel Datsyuk." [DGB]

• Ty Conklin vs. Richard Bachman Tuesday night for the Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars. [Malik]

• OK, so maybe the Calgary Flames should be rebuilding. But Rory Boylen writes: "It's not as though the Flames are a horrible, unsalvageable, lottery-lock wreck. They're in the top-half of the league in goals-against average, largely because of netminder Miikka Kiprusoff, who's having one of the best seasons of his career. Goal scoring is Calgary's main concern, but it's not impossible to see them improving in that category with Jarome Iginla bouncing back from a slow start, Curtis Glencross finding chemistry with Olli Jokinen and now with Cammalleri eager to prove himself to Cowtown fans once more and primed for a resurgence." [THN]

• We spoke about this NESN MVP poll on Marek Vs. Wyshynski Tuesday, but it really is homerrific. Leading it with 45 percent of the vote as of Tuesday afternoon, Patrice Bergeron! [NESN]

• Good stuff from Ryan Porth on the Nashville Predators, who will be without Pekka Rinne and Ryan Suter against the Rangers: "This season, the Preds have made five comebacks in 17 instances when trailing after the second period, good for the highest percentage in the NHL through Monday's action. That's not counting other comeback wins when facing other deficits, whether it's late in the game or by two goals." [Smashville 24/7]

• The Columbus Blue Jackets have placed left wing R.J. Umberger on injured reserve, club Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Scott Howson announced Jan. 17. Umberger suffered an upper body injury at Anaheim on Jan. 8 and is listed as week-to-week. [Jackets]

• New Jersey Devils blog stares down the Zach Parise trade possibility and comes up with a wish list of the types of players the team could get back for him in a trade. [In Lou We Trust]

• We mentioned this hazing incident earlier in the week, but Prep Rally had much more about the cross-dressing players leading to fired coaches. [Prep Rally]

• Boy this was a strange one from Monday night: "Prominent player agent Ritch Winter blasts Renney for not playing young defencemen." Allan Walsh clearly needs a Tumblr. [Cult of Hockey]

• A stats-based look at Mike Green's injury recovery for the Washington Capitals from abdominal surgery. [Capitals Insider]

• Pizzo talks about when players have "earned the right" to do certain things. [Backhand Shelf]

• The Los Angeles Kings could use a guy like Matt Moulson. Well, again. [Jewels From The Crown]

• Finally, Dustin Penner might be a waste of money, but he's a damn funny waste of money. [LA Kings Insider]

Kevin Weekes, an analyst for CBC Sports and NHL Network, backed up Martin Brodeur with the New Jersey Devils from 2007-09. He also played 11 years in the NHL, so he knows a thing or two about a thing or two when it comes to the changing times of goalies in the League — both in equipment and rules.

Weekes appeared on Marek Vs. Wyshynski Radio on Tuesday, and offered a blunt assessment of Brodeur's struggles late in his career; citing the legendary netminder's inability to "adapt or die" in the NHL as a factor:

Weekes also talked about the butterfly style in the NHL, the changes in goalie training and — as part of a larger discussion on the podcast — getting young black athletes interested in hockey in the U.S.

Download the show on iTunes in the U.S. and in Canada. Click here to download podcast on Sportsnet.

If you're new around here, aside from hamburger women, we love -- no, adore -- minor league hockey and all the fabulous marketing geniuses behind some of the more out there promotions.

Adding to the growing list of fantastic ideas are the Central Hockey League's Texas Brahmas. This weekend they'll be facing off with Berry Conference rivals the Wichita Thunder and attempt to chip away at their first place lead. It sets up to be a potentially record-breaking evening and that has nothing to do with what might go down on the ice.

From the Brahmas:

"Friday night, the Brahmas, with help from their fans, will attempt to break three Guinness World Records - the longest air hockey marathon, the most simultaneous fist bumps and the longest conga line on ice.

"During the first intermission, fans in attendance will be encouraged to come onto the ice and help break the fist bump and conga line records. The contestants for the air hockey marathon have already been chosen, and the record-setting streak will begin Thursday and conclude at the Brahmas game Friday."

In case you were wondering, the Guinness record for most people in a conga line is 259 and most simultaneous fist bumps is 390. The Brahmas told us they've been averaging around 2,000 people a game this season, so setting new Guinness marks shouldn't be an issue for their fans this weekend.

As for the air hockey marathon, the record is 20 consecutive hours, and the Brahmas have two local high school students set up to break that mark, which, according to the team, Guinness has told them they need to hit 24 hours. The pair will begin Thursday and battle throughout the night.

The Brahmas told us that these three choices were agreed upon from a list of around 50. That must have been one fun meeting.

Had this been a minor league team from New Jersey, we imagine fist pumping would've made the cut instead of bumping.

Stick-tap to puck buddy Ryan L. (@kicksavetwenty) for the tip

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy

Vancouver Canucks center Ryan Kesler's had a struggle of it this season, with 12 goals and 19 assists through 41 games. Last season he had 23 goals at this point, cruising to a career-best 41 tallies after being liberated from his traditional role as the team's primary shutdown center.

But Ryan Kesler also has something that other players around the NHL crave when their performance turns underwhelming:

The benefit of the doubt.

He can slump without consequence where others -- like Roberto Luongo -- have their jobs threatened. His offseason hip surgery is attached to many criticisms as a footnote, as Kesler told the Vancouver Sun that "the first 10 or 15 games I just didn't have it, but I feel my game and skating is back to where it should be at."

He's a popular player and fits the ideal of what fans and media want to see from this team: Competitive fire, a drive to succeed and respect from the rest of the NHL's media (if not its players).

Witness the back and forth this week with Coach Alain Vigneault. The Canucks bench boss said Kesler "has to use the players around him a little bit more"; Kesler responded with bewilderment, followed by "I don't know what he means by that and if he wants to say that he can come to me and talk to me about it."

That's enough blood in the water to attract a school of media sharks … and yet the seas were calm.

It was called an "overblown media mess" and "much ado about nothing" in the Vancouver Province. Nucks Misconduct joked "Clearly Coach V has lost the room! No seriously, Rogers Arena is very big and sometimes he gets turned around." Legion of Blog turned it into a Top Gun parody.

He's Teflon, with criticisms that would stick to others gliding off of him. But as his performance, and that of his team, remain a few ticks below expectations, that could be changing.

While the coach/player molehill never became a mountain, Daniel Wagner of Pass It To Bulis (Note: Our own Harrison Mooney blogs there as well) believed that it was a "fair critique" and wrote:

In the past, Kesler has created his own space with his speed and ability to go through other players to get to the open ice. His 41 goals last season, however, have brought a little extra attention, which means that defencemen are coached on his tendencies and how to limit his strengths.

Where he would previously come flying over the blue line and unleash his wicked wristshot, defencemen are matching his speed into the zone and getting into his shooting lane more effectively, leading to his wristshots deflecting off shin pads and away from the dangerous areas of the ice.

What the Sedins do more effectively than pretty much any other player in the league is use the give-and-go to create space. Vigneault's comments indicate that this is what he wants to see from Kesler. He's not interested in Kesler getting more assists, as some people erroneously assume. Instead, he wants to see Kesler get more scoring chances by using his linemates to open up the ice.

The White Towel wrote of Kesler:

His shots are down and most troubling, so are his five-on-five chances and goals. His five even strength goals suggest he won't be within a high arching spiral of the 23 he had last year when the season is over.

Kesler essentially has two gears. One is punch clock Kesler. The hard blue collar worker without the results. The other, you can call vintage kes or beastmode, or whatever. What is, is the difference between the Canucks being a good team and them being a Cup team

This is just anecdotal but last year, it seemed we saw Kesler's high gear in maybe 3 out of 5 games. It was a breathtaking performance that had him in the Hart discussion at this point a year ago. Expecting him to play at that pace is unfair. But this year,  he's been closer to hitting a high level in about 1 out of 5 games.

Again, when the most stinging critique is that Ryan Kesler has the ability to hulk up and take over games at will but, instead, has to settle with being the hardest working player on the Canucks, we're not exactly talking about a player being tossed into a trash heap here.

But one man's working class hero is another man's overrated player. Kesler believes he's starting to come around offensively. If he doesn't, will the criticisms become less conditional and scathing?

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: Minnesota Wild at Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m. EST

The Wild haven't won a road game since December 10th. They're 0-7-2 in that span, their longest road losing streak in five years. Worse, Mikko Koivu is week-to-week with a shoulder injury. But the Flyers are playing their first game back from a road trip, and moreover, they've played 15 of 21 away from home of late. They could come out a little sluggish, and if they do, the Wild need to capitalize.

Preview: New York Islanders at Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. EST

The Capitals have won 7 of their last 9 and 7 straight at home to jump back into contention in the East. A win Tuesday night and they can jump from 7th to 3rd, reclaiming top spot in the Southeast Division. The key will be stopping John Tavares, who's on a 9-game point streak, with 16 points in that span.

Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m. EST

In the Battle of Ontario, the Leafs try to stop a Senators team that's 8-1-1 in their last 10. Toronto will look to get an added boost from the return of Tyler Bozak to the first line between Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul. James Reimer gets the start.

Preview: Los Angeles Kings at Vancouver Canucks, 10 p.m. EST

The Kings continue their bounceback under Daryl Sutter in Vancouver. Though it's the late game, expect it to be decided early. The Canucks had a 10-game streak of scoring the first goal snapped in their Sunday night loss to the Ducks, and will be looking to start a new one. The Kings will have a similar goal in mind. They're undefeated when leading after the first period.

Evening Reading

• Shocker: hockey gear stinks. Here's an article all about that. [Edmonton Journal]

• Cam Cole on the alarming possibility that Sidney Crosby is simply never the same player again. [Vancouver Sun]

• Here's another story about an alleged slur, this time in the OHL. If it wasn't clear from the Wayne Simmonds and Krys Barch incidents this season, the things players say on the ice matter now, whether you think they should or not. [Windsor Star]

• Bobby Holik on P.K. Subban. [Holik on Hockey]

• The Columbus Blue Jackets have placed concussed center R.J. Umberger on injured reserve. [PHT]

Puck Buddy comment of the Day: Nolan, on whether the NHL Forest Faces are a pass or a fail:

Pass: Just because a Detroit Red Wings forest face would make my drunken decision of which tree to urinate on much easier.

Hey-o!

Bold prediction: Kyle Turris gets Phaneuf'd in Toronto.

Injuries happen now and again during warmups, but what happened with Edmonton Oilers forward Taylor Hall tonight before their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets can only be described as freak.

After falling, Hall slid on the ice and took out Ladislav Smid. Right after that, Corey Potter tried to hurdle and avoid the pair, but his skate ended up making contact with Hall's head.

Here's our pal Jeff Marek narrating things:

Hall was cut over his left eye and stayed in the dressing room instead of going to a local hospital for stitches. According to Sportsnet's Mark Spector, a plastic surgeon was on site to take care of the stitches.

That pre-game mishap would be the end of Hall's night as he was later scratched.

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy

Here's an incredibly topical situation: seven minutes into the second period of Tuesday's tilt between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, Nick Foligno clipped Dion Phaneuf, getting low to duck a hit along the boards.

Phaneuf didn't like it; and while the referees assessed Foligno a two-minute minor for clipping, the Leafs captain opted to hold him accountable for it. Thus, a little over six minutes later, we got this exchange of blows (the clip is towards the end of the video).

Pretty standard fight, but there's a lot to talk about here.

First, any instance of clipping is now going to be followed by a discussion of supplemental discipline, so let's get into that: I don't expect it here. It was a pretty basic clip, but certainly not a malicious or predatory one, and with Dion Phaneuf barreling down on Foligno, I suspect claims of self-defense will carry a little more merit.

Second, is clipping on the rise or what? Prior to a couple weeks ago, it had become so rare that there were a number of people who had never even heard of it. It will be interesting to see if the penalty continues to be seen with a little more frequency, and if it does, if Sheriff Shanny will start dealing with it more harshly.

Third, you'll recall that, in Brian Burke's "shame on all of you, I had to waive Colton Orr" press conference, he expressed a concern that this was the first sign of the rat uprising. He described in detail a world in which the humans had been chased underground, and the free world had been taken over by a giant rodent named Ratigan that could only be stopped by a savvy mouse detective named Basil.

Some of that may not be true. Anyway.

For all that talk about rats taking over the game and there being no one to hold them accountable, Phaneuf sure dealt with this swiftly, no?

The Senators would go on to win the game, 3-2.

Pancakes are the best thing to happen to (a) breakfast and (b) Los Angeles Kings forward Dustin Penner.

Ever since he disclosed that he injured himself while eating a stack of "delicious pancakes" — unintentionally hilarious, given his notorious lack of conditioning — Penner has been a tremendously good sport about it. There was his "open letter" response to the story; his hilarious self-deprecating performance while interviewing his teammates; and now, the autograph above.

From reader Andrew Lam:

Just thought you might like to see what a box of Aunt Jemima's 'Just add water' box signed by Dustin Penner might look like. My friend Jenn (@whatsername10) got it signed when he was in Calgary Saturday before the game. He was a good sport about it and gave us a chuckle and a "that's nice" to go with it.

Pancake Power struck on Tuesday night at the Vancouver Canucks: Penner scored just his third of the season in the first period. Wonder what inspired him ...

Indeed, we are all members of the Immense Horde of Penner, as the IHOP members in Vancouver reminded us (via Kyle Levindofske).

With their 3-0 victory over the Nashville Predators, the New York Rangers moved to 62 points in 44 games, tops in the NHL.

If that's not surreal enough, how about this: James Dolan addressed the media after the game.

Some organizations like Washington, have ubiquitous owners. Some have frequently seen owners like Philadelphia and Chicago. James Dolan, on the other hand, hasn't spoken to the New York hockey press since the 2005-06 season.

And he didn't just stop and wave to the press — he called the Rangers "pretty close" to winning the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1994.

Coach John Tortorella's reaction to that observation?

"We just have to go about our business. I had my owner up here talking about a Stanley Cup, and that's a bunch of bull[crap]," said Torts after Dolan had vacated the room, to the laughing media.

Here's what James Dolan had to say about the New York Rangers during his brief but astonishing chat with the media (audio via Rangers Report Blog):

Q. What do you think of the way the team's playing? We haven't talked to you in a couple of years, and in that time the organization has really turned it around.

DOLAN: [Laughs] 'This is very spur of the moment. We were just in the coaches' office and I'll answer the question…

"The answer is that I'm very proud of the organization. I'm particularly proud of Mr. Sather, because all the way back to 2004 — when things weren't going so well and we had a lot of free agents in here — and we decided to basically redo the strategy, Glen and I made a pact. I actually gave him something, and I won't reveal what it is today, but I gave him something to seal the pact and I said you can't give it back to me until we win the Stanley Cup. And I think we're pretty close to be gettin' that thing back.

[Tortorella: "Easy [now] …"]

"To me, it's all about the system … it's about great coaching, but it's also about the farm system and the scouting system and the development and going with the kids and sticking with the philosophy even though at times it didn't look so good.

"So I'm proud of them. I'm very proud of the organization.

How much did you know about John when Glen came to you and said this is the guy?

"I don't think Glen wanted to tell me anything about John. [Laughter]"

And that was it. In true George Costanza fashion, he left on that high note.

It was good-natured, but the last thing Tortorella needs is to have the Big Boss Man making noise about a championship when the Rangers have thrived on being a blue-collar team that's exceeded expectations.

Wouldn't you love to know what item Dolan gave Sather as collateral for a Stanley Cup? Our guesses: Either jars of tears from Time Warner Cable subscribers or the remaining 30 years or the soul of Sam Rosen.

No. 1 Star: Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers

With no Ryan Suter and no Pekka Rinne, the Nashville Predators weren't quite themselves, falling 3-0 on goals by Dan Girardi, John Mitchell, and Ryan Callahan. That said, it might not have mattered on this night. Lundqvist was unbeatable, making 27 saves for his fourth shutout of the season.

No. 2 Star: Ilya Kovalchuk, New Jersey Devils

Kovalchuk scored twice in the Devils' 5-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets, once on a breakaway to open the scoring late in the first and again on the powerplay midway through the second. He's now scored 7 goals in his past 6 games -- good news for the Devils, who have also won 5 of 6 during that span. David Clarkson added a goal as well, on a pretty nifty toe drag:

No. 3 Star: P.A. Parenteau, New York Islanders

In the end, the Islanders didn't need either of his goals because the Capitals never scored and only mustered 17 shots, but Parenteau added two insurance markers -- one in the second, and another in the third -- as New York cruised to a 3-0 win over the Washington. Evgeni Nabokov picked up the shutout.

Honorable Mention: James Neal scored the shootout winner as the Pittsburgh Penguins knocked off the Carolina Hurricanes, 2-1. Evgeni Malkin also scored this pretty goal. Quick hands:

Cam Ward deserved better, after making 40 saves to keep the Hurricanes in it ... Derek Mackenzie scored the game-winner less than a minute into the third as the Columbus Blue Jackets rally from down two goals in their 4-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers ... Jaromir Jagr picked up two assists and Sean Couturier scored the game-winner shorthanded as the Philadelphia Flyers routed the Minnesota Wild 5-1 ... Craig Anderson made 37 saves, and Kyle Turris picked up an assist and a game-winner as the Ottawa Senators edged the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2. Matthew Lombardi went 8-for-8 on faceoffs ... The Tampa Bay Lightning got a goal and an assist from each of Ryan Malone and Dominic Moore en route to a to three-goal third period and a 5-3 win over the Boston Bruins ... The Detroit Red Wings got by the Dallas Stars 3-2 in a shootout. Jiri Hudler scored the 2-2 goal midway through the second, then added the shootout winner on that drag move that, clearly, they practice in Detroit:

... Mike Richards scored the shootout winner in the Los Angeles Kings' 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Dustin Penner had a great game, with eight hits and a goal ... After Torrey Mitchell scored the 1-1 goal midway through the third period, Brent Burns scored the shootout winner in the San Jose Sharks' 2-1 victory over the Calgary Flames.

Did you know? Claude Giroux, Brent Burns and Paul Martin both picked up their 200th career points Tuesday.

Dishonorable Mention: With a chance to take over top spot in the Southeast Division, the Capitals mustered only 17 shots versus the Islanders. A better performance might have been preferable.

There were three situations on Tuesday night involving National Hockey League goaltenders and poor, borderline terrible decisions by the on-ice officials.

Let's start in San Jose, where the Sharks were simply robbed of a game-winning overtime goal against the Calgary Flames through an indefensible call by the referees:

As the video shows, Tommy Wingels of the San Jose Sharks goes to the top the crease and jabs Miikka Kiprusoff in the pad with this stick. Olli Jokinen then shoves his own goaltender, knocking him off-balance. Justin Braun scored moments later … and the goal was waived off due to "goalie interference."

What a joke. The Hockey Gods gave the Sharks justice, as they won in the shootout.

Via CSN Bay Area, Sharks Coach Todd McLellan:

"First of all, they have a tough job to do. Let me start with the good stuff. After that, you have to make sure that if you're going to make that call you have to be 100 percent sure," McLellan said.

"What I don't understand is the positioning of it. The referee that's 85 or 90 feet away makes the call when one is only 15 feet away. Obviously, we can come in here and look at the replay and see that it was not the right call. They don't have that luxury."

It's a non-reviewable play, which is something we've lobbied against on this very blog for years. Reviewing every goalie interference play might be overkill. Giving coaches one challenge each game for B.S. calls like this — with the game on the line, no less — is the fair, equitable thing to do when good goals are being kept off the board.

(Of course, after the fumble decision in the Giants/Packers game, all bets are off; maybe the War Room would claim Wingels' stick caused the interference.)

Meanwhile, there was more malarkey for the Leafs and Penguins.

Here's the second goal by the Ottawa Senators in their win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kaspars Daugavins kicked the puck off Jason Spezza's stick and behind James Reimer:

As you can see, it was a rather easy goal for the Senators to score, what with Jason Spezza sitting on Reimer. A few seconds longer, and Reimer would have been legally obligated to ask him what he wanted for Christmas.

Said Reimer to NHL.com:

"I felt that on the first two goals I was interfered with and I didn't have a chance to make the save," said Reimer, who was playing his first game since Dec. 31. "That was the frustrating part."

Well, yeah.

Again, a coach's challenge might have made a difference here. So why don't we have one yet? Simple: For the most part, the power brokers in the NHL want to (a) allow for some bumping and jostling of goaltenders because (b) it can lead to more goals.

Goalie interference? Makes goals happen. Coaches' Challenge? Takes goals away. Not exactly rocket surgery here ...

Finally, from the Pittsburgh Penguins' game against the Carolina Hurricanes, this nonsense:

Cam Ward's mask breaks, and he decides to whip it off his noggin during play. The referees blow the play dead as Tyler Kennedy is preparing to fire on goal … which he does, sparking a scrum.

In fact, Ward should have been penalized. From the NHL Rule Book, Section 9.5:

When a goalkeeper has lost his helmet and/or face mask and his team has possession of the puck, the play shall be stopped immediately to allow the goalkeeper the opportunity to regain his helmet and/or face mask. When the opposing team has possession of the puck, play shall only be stopped if there is no immediate and impending scoring opportunity. This stoppage of play must be made by the Referee. When play is stopped because the goalkeeper has lost his helmet and/or face mask, the ensuing face-off shall take place at one of the defending team's end zone face-off spots.

When a goalkeeper deliberately removes his helmet and/or face mask in order to secure a stoppage of play, the Referee shall stop play as outlined above and in this case assess the goalkeeper a minor penalty for delaying the game. If the goalkeeper deliberately removes his helmet and/or face mask when the opposing team is on a breakaway, the Referee shall award a penalty shot to the non-offending team. If the goalkeeper deliberately removes his helmet and/or face mask during the course of a penalty shot or shootout attempt, the Referee shall award a goal to the non-offending team.

A similar situation happened with the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. In that case, the officials stopped play too. In this case, Kennedy was clearly in possession of the puck with an "immediate and impending scoring chance." And yet, the play was whistled dead.

So, in summary: What the [expletive] did James Reimer do to not get a call on Tuesday night? Be too young? Wear a Leaf? Fail to be an All-Star starter? Help us out here ...

As Puck Daddy reported last week, the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maples are on at the Big House at the University of Michigan for the 2013 Winter Classic.

Ansar Khan of MLive.com writes that the deal has been "finalized," marking the first time a Canadian team will compete in the NHL's U.S.-based outdoor hockey event — albeit one with no less than eight American players on the roster.

From MLive.com:

The Red Wings lobbied to have the game at Comerica Park, but the NHL couldn't pass up an opportunity to hold this annual outdoor spectacle at "The Big House," where it is expected to attract a record crowd in excess of 110,000.

To appease Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch, a rink will be constructed at Comerica Park. The home of the Detroit Tigers will host other events leading up to the Winter Classic, including the alumni game and possibly the Great Lakes Invitational.

Too late to flip-flop the venues for the alumni game and the Classic? Because that game could probably draw 200,000 fans based on the buzz …

So how did the world suddenly become safe for a Canadian team in the Winter Classic?

It's The Venue, Stupid

The modern, cookie-cutter stadia that housed the last two Winter Classics didn't exactly excite the casual fan — especially Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, which was an afterthought as a venue during the marketing of the 2012 Classic.

While The Big House has housed big hockey games before, it's a venue that's bound to attract casual viewers eager to see and hear over 110,000 fans react to an NHL game.

What was the League's most successful marketing campaign in recent years? "History Will Be Made."

The NHL and its television partners can sell that point hard for the 2013 Classic.

Geography and 110,000 Good Reasons

The problem with The Big House: How do you fill over 110,000 seats while (a) charging Winter Classic prices and (b) in an economically challenge market like Detroit?

By inviting the neighbo(u)rs over, of course.

Toronto fans will converge en masse for both the Classic and the alumni game, picking up every ticket that isn't sold to a Red Wings local. While Chicago and Buffalo are both within the same reasonable distance to Detroit, they've both had the pleasure of losing their outdoor hockey virginity.

This is the Maple Leafs' first time. And you're always nervously excited for your first time until those emotions are replaced with shame, embarrassment and disappointment.

It's Not About You On This One, NBC

'Twas a time when the Peacock could dictate terms for the Winter Classic, keeping out a Canadian team out of concern that losing the ratings from one of the two markets in the game would torpedo the overall viewership.

The numbers could take a hit, for sure: This isn't like the Stanley Cup Final, where all of New England helped make up the difference for a Canadian market being on the other side of the ratings equation.

But the ratings are immaterial for this game; and, frankly, they might be for subsequent Classics unless they perilously dip.

Via Puck The Media, the overnights for the Winter Classics on NBC:

2008, Pittsburgh vs. Buffalo, 1/1/08: 2.6
2009, Detroit vs. Chicago, 1/1/09: 2.9
2010, Philadelphia vs. Boston, 1/1/10: 2.6
2011, Washington vs. Pittsburgh, 1/1/11: 2.8
2012, NY Rangers vs. Philadelphia, 1/2/12: 2.4

With a little fluctuation here and there due to scheduling, the game has a dedicated following that's made it a tradition. If the ratings fall with Toronto in the game, so what? NBC can say it was due to a Canadian market, and then everyone forgets about it when the Capitals play the Blackhawks in D.C. on Jan. 1, 2014 (for argument's sake).

But the real reason the ratings don't matter on this one: We're talking about something that, in the end, is going to shatter revenue records for the NHL. The ticket sales, the suite sales, the merchandise sales … the final figures are going to eclipse the gross national product of a few Central American nations.

The NHL is going to be OK with ratings in the U.S. dipping to a 2.0 if it makes enough coin to fund the Coyotes for the next decade. Theoretically, of course.

Brian Burke on HBO 24/7

As we previously reported, regime change at HBO makes next season's "HBO 24/7: The Road To The NHL Winter Classic" an uncertainty. The League wants it. The producers want it. Does HBO?

But if it happened … well, Pension Plan Puppets said it best:

Brian Burke, in answering questions on Twitter, said that he would not allow the Maple Leafs to take part in a 24/7-type series unless the league mandated it. Given the way that fans have enjoyed the two series to date (PIT v WSH, NYR v. PHI) they would be dumb to not tell the Maple Leafs that it is a mandatory part of participation in the Winter Classic. Now, the real question is whether HBO will want to do a 24/7 starring a Canadian team. I think that the Leafs have enough high profile American ties in Brian Burke, Ron Wilson, Mike Komisarek, and Phil Kessel to get it done.

Which brings us to …

Canadian Appeasement

The fact that there are so many Americans currently on the Leafs — with perhaps more to come, oh hi Bobby Ryan — might help cure U.S. sports fan xenophobia.

But it's still a Canadian hockey team … and that's the point.

This venue and opponent were tailor-made for the Leafs, and hence a perfect spot to place a Canadian team in the Winter Classic. After five years, the heat was only going to increase on the NHL to allow a nord of da border team into the U.S. game, rather than hold another Heritage Classic.

Just don't tell Gary Bettman this is Canadian appeasement, because when they said that about the 2011 Heritage Classic he said:

BETTMAN: That's absurd. It's baseless. It's someone looking for something on a slow news day, looking for something to write or say, to be critical for no reason. The first outdoor game was the Heritage Classic in Edmonton, and the fact that we managed to pull off a very clever promotional idea and move it into the United States in an available time slot on New Year's Day has nothing to do with the importance of playing an outdoor game in Canada.

As we said in that post:

"Canadian teams whose home television markets won't contribute to NBC's ratings have no home in the Winter Classic (barring a one-shot appearance for the Canadians or Maple Leafs for some Original Six gimmick; we think there's a slim chance for that down the line)."

Slim is in, apparently.

Finally, Keep In Mind This Game May Never Happen

Donald Fehr is running the NHLPA. The players and owners just scuttled realignment in their first labor tussle.

The CBA negotiation could get ugly. Really ugly.

Hopefully the Toronto Maple Leafs Winter Classic doesn't go the way of the Glendale NHL All-Star Game.

But if it does … hey, sorry Canada, we did our best, blame the players, love, Gary …

The Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers are open for business; who makes a deal? Will the Tampa Bay Lightning opt for a goalie? Are you stoked for the 2013 Winter Classic?

Please join us beginning at NOON ET/9 a.m. PT today for our weekly chat that includes a revolving door of panelists like Lyle (Spector) Richardson of Spector's Hockey; David "Dave" Pagnotta of The Fourth Period Magazine; as well as your friendly neighborhood knuckleheads from Yahoo! Sports, Puck Daddy and Buzzing The Net.

You bring the funny; we bring the abrupt changes in tone and Hamburger Women. That's how it works:

On second thought, maybe the NHL All-Star Game captains need to be jovial ambassadors of the game who will give the 2012 event a sense of friendly competition and good-natured nostalgia; rather than inspiring bile-filled hatred for one of the two teams, one captained by an impersonal killjoy.

Which is why we have Team Daniel Alfredsson battling Team Zdeno Chara in Ottawa, instead of Team Dion Phaneuf (or, in our dreams, Team Phil Kessel).

From the NHL:

Two veteran and respected captains of their National Hockey League clubs, Daniel Alfredsson of the All-Star host Ottawa Senators and Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins, have been named team captains for the 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend in Ottawa, the National Hockey League Players' Association and the National Hockey League announced today.

The Captains were selected by their fellow NHL All-Stars and will lead the team selection process during the 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Player Fantasy DraftTM on Thursday, Jan. 26. As captains, Alfredsson and Chara also will set their team rosters for the 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills CompetitonTM on Saturday, Jan. 28, and wear the "C" during the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL® All-Star Game on Sunday, Jan. 29.

The NHL All-Star teams are now designated as Team Alfredsson and Team Chara. Team Alfredsson will wear the white Reebok NHL® All-Star jerseys, helmets and socks, with red trim throughout and red gloves and pants. Team Chara will wear the dark blue jerseys with royal blue trim, navy blue helmets, gloves and pants and navy blue socks.

Two alternate captains, one for each team, will be named later.

It's not as if naming a Boston Bruin doesn't carry its own unique charms. As James Duthie of TSN reported today:

"Milan Lucic (laughing) on Chara as All-Star captain —'I'm pretty sure there won't be any Canucks on Z's team.'"

And if Chara's alternate captains are Marian Hossa and Brian Elliott (or an injury-replacement Dany Heatley), they might as well skate out to the nWo theme.

We had heard the NHL preferred to make this a Battle of Ontario captain vs. captain event, and yet it's the Boston Bruins star and former Senator Chara who wears the 'C'.

So the inevitable question: Did last night's incident with Nick Foligno scare those involved off the Phaneuf vs. Alfie matchup?

Naturally, with a Boston Bruin in the captain's chair, the question of 2011 Last Pick Phil Kessel's draft position has been debated since the announcement. First off, we'd expect he'll be an alternate captain just to end the drama (as will Iginla — that's pretty much guaranteed, no?) But if he isn't, here's Zdeno Chara on last year's NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft:

"Somebody had to be last, but getting a car I don't think it's a big deal," said Chara. "It's part of the business: Somebody has to be first and somebody has to be last."

Here's Chara again today, speaking with CSNNE.com:

Chara and Kessel had their run-ins over No. 81's toughness and commitment to hard work while Phil the Thrill was in Boston, but the 6-foot-9 defenseman appeared to have no qualms taking him on his All-Star team. And if Kessel turns about to be the NHL All-Star game version of Mr. Irrelevant again, then he'll get another new car out of the deal.

"I don't know. We'll see how it goes. Somebody has to go last," said Chara with a smile on his face. "I don't know if they'll have a car for him or something else . . . we'll see how it goes."

Did anyone else just feel a chill?

So it's Team Alfredsson vs. Team Chara. OK, fine. We dig it. One request: Since Spezza and Chara are in the game, any chance for an Alexei Yashin cameo? Or making Mike Milbury special guest general manager?

It's a Wednesday edition of Marek vs. Wyshynski beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, and we're talking about the following and more:

Special Guest Stars: Darren Elliot of Sports Illustrated stops by to talk NHL and goaltending; Paul Kukla of Kukla's Korner stops by to talk about the hockey Internet, the Detroit Red Wings and the Winter Classic.

• Congrats to Marek on the birth of his son, Brody Quinn. He's calling in from the hospital. Seriously.

• Alfredsson and Chara are named All-Star Game captains.

• The hockey impact of the Stop Online Piracy Act.

• Goalie interference in the NHL.

• Puck Headlines and Talking Points

Question of the Day: Who do you want to see as the alternate captains for Teams Alfie and Chara?

Email your answers to puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or tweet them with the hashtag #MvsW to either @jeffmarek or @wyshynski.

Click here for the Sportsnet live stream or click the play button above! Click here to download podcasts from the show each day Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or Feedburner.

The hits category is something of a dubious one. Not only is what constitutes a hit highly subjective from arena to arena, but the league has only been keeping track of the statistic for less than a decade. Back in 2002-03, the Florida Panthers' Ivan Majesky, that destroyer of men, won the first hitting title with 147 collisions.

Then, perhaps feeling that any category that Ivan Majesky can win is a useless category, the NHL didn't even track hits the following year.

Post-lockout, however, the league became a little more dedicated and liberal in counting collisions. In 2008-09, Cal Clutterbuck set the single-season record in the category, registering 356 in his rookie campaign with the Minnesota Wild. There wasn't much fanfare, especially since the Wild's stat counters are known to be a little overeager.

But let's ignore that the record is based on wild subjectivity (pun) and that it's only three years old. It's a record, dammit, and it's in jeopardy of being broken by someone.

That someone is Matt Martin of the New York Islanders.

Martin has been the NHL's hits leader since November, and presently leads the league with 192. That's 20 more than Clutterbuck and 30 more than regular runner-up Dustin Brown.

He looks poised to dethrone Clutterbuck as hitting champion for the first time since the Wild winger came into the league, but more importantly, he's currently on pace for 358 hits, two more than the record.

Oh man, can he top it?

Don't think Martin is just running around making hits, by the way. He's developed into a real heart and soul guy for the Islanders. In addition to the frequency with which he steps into his opponents, he's also stepped into a third line role for New York.

He has put up 5 goals and 7 fighting majors this season and he looks poised to develop into one of those 10 goal, 10 fight guys that's so rare in the NHL.

But who cares about the special player he's becoming? He could break a record, you guys.

Sure, it's the league's least compelling record, but, you know, still.

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.

• Officials try to break up a fight between Colin Fraser and the mysterious, headless man.

• Since, as the self-appointed "Soul Ambassador" of this blog, I would never miss an opportunity to link to BET, I present to you their "This Day in Black History" entry for today. "On January 18, 1958, hockey player Willie O'Ree of the Boston Bruins becomes the first African-American to play in the National Hockey League in a game against the Montreal Canadiens." [BET]

• Speaking of milestones, on USA Hockey's 75th anniversary, remembering the Zamboni's introduction into the NHL. [USA Hockey]

• The number of people charged in the Vancouver riot has reached the "milestone" 100 number. Plans for an outdoor celebration have been canceled. [Toronto Sun]

• Paralyzed high school hockey player Jack Jablonski is now able to sit up in a special chair "that allows him to take in the world from a vertical position." [Twin Cities]

• Colby Armstrong talks about his concussion experience, and gives us insight into the baseline tests: "The first tests I passed in a while. It's like shapes and crazy stuff. I did good ... It was weird, I drew a picture of a naked lady, with my fingers." So, like, she had man-hands? Gross. [The Globe & Mail]

• Speaking of man-hands, Ed Jovanovski will undergo surgery after breaking his hand in a fight. He's expected to miss two months.  [Panthers]

• David Backes for Selke? [Leafs Nation]

• With Shane O'Brien returning, the Colorado Avalanche have placed Brandon Yip on waivers. [Denver Post]

• Is the Los Angeles Kings' winning record under Darryl Sutter misleading? [Pro Sports Blogging]

• Dan Robson on Gordie Howe and his famed hockey family. [Sportsnet]

• This girl is in love with Claude Giroux. [Buzz on Broad]

• In a week, a time capsule that Conn Smythe buried in 1931, four years after he bought the Toronto Maple Leafs, will be dug up. [Global Toronto]

• From the department of awesome questions: Is spitting the new biting? [Sportsnet]

• Wednesday's first line center for the injury-ravaged Minnesota Wild: Warren Peters. That's unfortunate. [PHT]

• Zdeno Chara on his All-Star Game captaincy: ""I'm not going to do too much research, but I'm going to do the best job I can to build the best possible team." That's an athlete's quote right there. [CSNNE]

• Nashville Predators' D Ryan Suter is still out with his mysterious upper-body injury that  isn't a concussion, so stop asking. The good news in all of this: Suter and Shea Weber have been injured at different times, giving David Poile the opportunity to see what his team will be like with one of them removed from the lineup. You know, just in case. [NHL]

• Helene Elliott talks to Rene Fasel, the president of the IIHF, on NHL players at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. [LA Times]

• Claude Julien after the Boston Bruins' loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. "We're just an ordinary hockey club right now." [NESN]

• A little over two weeks after Rene Bourque, then with the Calgary Flames, now with the Montreal Canadiens, elbowed Washington Capitals' centre Nicklas Backstrom in the jaw, the Capitals visit the Canadiens. While Randy Cunneyworth hopes there's nothing "residual," Russian Machine Never Breaks imagines a little more retribution. [RMNB]

There are varying degrees of acceptability when it comes to commemorating NHL achievement.

Stanley Cup Champions gear is practically mandatory if yours is the last team standing in the tournament, both to celebrate history and to rub it in your buddies' faces that, if only for a year, their teams were clearly inferior.

Conference champions gear? Not exactly required if you won the big prize. Not exactly a point of pride if you lost in the Finals, but it's still an impressive feat to be one of the last two teams playing that season — especially if it was an unexpected run. So, yes, let your conference champs freak flag fly.

Division champions gear? This exists for (a) fans who simply want to marinate in their team's annual success by buying up every piece of swag created and (b) fans who want to honor a singular achievement in their franchise's history (says the guy who owns a 1988 Devils Patrick Division Playoff Champions shirt).

But what about a regular-season achievement, like a President's Trophy or a regular-season conference championship? They make swag for it, because the NHL and Reebok never met a dime they wouldn't accept.

But have you ever seen a fans proudly wear it? Or actually buy it?

Many of these societal norms apply to the championship banners that hang inside an arena as well. Hence, the Washington Capitals were called out for their hubris on Tuesday: The Capitals hoisted two Eastern Conference regular-season champions banners and were ridiculed for it, because the playoffs haven't exactly been kind to Alex Ovechkin and the boys.

But they aren't alone.

Via Travis Hughes at SB Nation:

I can't think of any other teams that have similar banners of the top of my head, but I'm pretty sure he's accurate there. So while I won't say with certainty that no team in the league has similar banners, let's just quickly look at every other Eastern Conference Regular Season Champion from the last 10 years.

New Jersey? No. Boston? No. Ottawa? No. Tampa Bay? No visual evidence, but don't think so. Buffalo? No. Montreal? Hell no. And for the record, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh aren't on the list of stupid, either. At best, the Caps are in the same company as the Tampa Bay Lightning. Such a rich and storied franchise there (although they do happen to have one more Stanley Cup than Washington...)

Oh, what's that you say, the Detroit Red Wings have them too? And the San Jose Sharks? And the Dallas Stars? Suddenly the Capitals didn't seem that lamentable.

But that doesn't make the practice any more acceptable.

The regular-season in the NHL is, perhaps, the most meaningless of all the major professional sports in the U.S. It's a prelude to the final three weeks of the season, when everyone at the bottom of the playoff bubble bites, scratches and claws their way up the standings like rage zombies chasing a stay dog.

Making the playoffs is an achievement; winning the conference means you were just better at making the playoffs than 14 other teams.

So, with that, new rule: You can toss up a regular-season conference champions banner if you actually do something worth a damn in the ensuing postseason. Winning the Stanley Cup would be optimum, as you can hoist an entire collection of banners at one time; winning the conference championship might suffice.

But a regular-season conference champions banner, without postseason validation, commemorates one thing: Failure.