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.
• OK, maybe there are some subtle, unexpected benefits from the New York Islanders' new third jerseys. Hello, Ice Girls. [Islanders]
• Steve Yzerman vs. VERSUS? After the network was critical of the Tampa Bay Lightning's 1-3-1 system, Yzerman told the Tampa Tribune: "Versus is owned by Comcast, Comcast owns the Flyers, Keith Jones is a broadcaster with the Flyers and is hardly impartial,'' Yzerman said. "I think that anybody that looks at that objectively should be saying, "Did Tampa do the right thing or Did Philadelphia do the right thing'' and you can make an argument both ways." [Bolts Report]
• Interesting suggestion for getting Alex Ovechkin out of his slump: Playing him in shorthanded situations. [Alex Ovetjkin]
• Razor's heel turn on the goaltending community: "Today's goalies are protected from virtually any and every harm. It's like they are the toddler offspring of the most worrisome, helicoptering parents that have ever existed." [Razor With An Edge]
• RIP legendary Montreal Canadiens trainer Eddy Palchak, who passed away at 71 on Wednesday night. [Hockey Inside/Out]
• Brian Burke has donated a horse to the Toronto police department. We really wanted to make a thousand snide remarks here, but the horse is named after his late son Brendan, so consider tongues bitten. [Leafs]
• Were five games enough for Ryan Rupert after that nasty slash on Nick Cousins? [Buzzing The Net]
• Ryan Suter sounds rather optimistic about returning to the Nashville Predators. Your move, Shea. [Tennessean]
• The Dallas Stars are (sniff) breaking up (sob) the Jamie Benn/Loui Eriksson love connection, and it's Steve Ott that's the home-wrecker. [Defending Big D]
• Rick Nash is not available. Nor does he want to make himself available. [ESPN]
• Mike Smith vs. Bryzgalov, by the numbers. Interesting stuff from Travis Hair. [Five For Howling]
• The Phoenix Coyotes face Ilya Bryzgalov for the first time since he was traded to and signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. Said defenseman Derek Morris: "He's known for letting in bad goals, you know, so I think our mindset is going to be get the puck down behind the net and hopefully he comes out and plays a few because he doesn't like to do that." Yeeeowch. [Broad Street Hockey]
• The sexy confidence of Mike Smith. [AZ Central]
• A2Y on the Detroit Red Wings and the San Jose Sharks: "At some point tough men stand up for themselves and right the world again. If they don't, they may as well just give that extra cap money to the charity of their choice and hit the frigging links. Because you know San Jose's coming down the playoff pike again. Baby Jesus decreed it. Winning games like tonite are the first step toward rectifying the sickness of the last two Springs." [A2Y]
• "Flyers rookie defenseman Erik Gustafsson, who was plus-6 in his last game, underwent wrist surgery Thursday morning and will be sidelined for six weeks, GM Paul Holmgren said." [Philly.com]
• You'd figure Dave Grohl wouldn't be weird about the height thing having toured with Krist Novoselic, and yet he looks genuinely disturbed by Zdeno Chara. Maybe there's a stanchion in the corner or something. [Via the Bruins]
• Should the Boston Bruins nuke Tuukka? [Stanley Cup of Chowder]
• Brad Marchand on his many nicknames. [PHT]
• Five players who shoot a lot but don't score. [Backhand Shelf]
• Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula on the Penn State scandal: "This is not about covering your ass. Telling the truth now will go a long way towards getting everyone through this. If there's going to be a blind allegiance to anyone or anything here, it needs to be the university and to the truth...that's how we get to the bottom of what happened, that's how we get our image back." [TSN]
• The new Philadelphia Flyers Winter Classic player shirts confirm some aspects of the sweaters, including the "keystone" captaincy graphic, which we think it pretty cool. [Crossing Broad]
• Marc Staal has been cleared for light workouts for the New York Rangers. Does that mean Eric can start cutting into that minus-18 now? [NY Post]
• The Chicago Blackhawks have assigned forward Rostislav Olesz to the AHL. [Blackhawks]
• Central Scouting says Fail for Nail. [NHL]
• Proteau explores the romantic but unlikely NHL return to Hartford. [THN]
• Just a great story about the art of former Detroit Red Wings standout Vladimir Konstantinov. [Detroit News]
• Finally, some fine looking dusters from the Wichita Thunder: