Back by popular demand, 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.
Leahy mentioned this last night, but here's video of The Green Men weaponizing Naked Kesler.
Preview: St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche, 9 p.m. The Blues are 8-1-2 under Hitchcock. Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk make their triumphant return to Pepsi Center as members of the Blues. Erik Johnson, the other side of that infamous trade, is out with a sore groin that he suffered in a bag-skate for the Avs. Just another reason Joe Sacco is winning the Adams this year. Book it.
Preview: Detroit Red Wings at Buffalo Sabres, 7:30 p.m. Joe Finley is a hell of a story here, making his NHL debut with the Sabres after a long and controversial road from the Capitals to the Sabres' farm team to the NHL. The Red Wings are on a six-game winning streak and will attempt not to point and giggle at Ville Leino.
Preview: New Jersey Devils at Minnesota Wild, 8 p.m. Zach Parise will have over 30 friends and family in the stands for just his third game back in his home state. Pete DeBoer calls Parise the Devils' most honest player. Hopefully he lets them know when he's signing with the Wild next summer.
Preview: Philadelphia Flyers at Anaheim Ducks, 10 p.m. Bruce Boudreau's [expletive] debut against the [expletive] Flyers in which he puts [expletive] Bobby Ryan back on the [expletive] top line.
Check out previews and updated scores for all of today's games on the Y! Sports NHL scores and scheds page. For tonight's starting goalies, check out Left Wing Lock.
Puck Buddy Comment of the Day: TenHi on realignment:
I think geography is being overhyped. It's should weigh into consideration, but it shouldn't be the only one. If you have to hop on a plane, it's going to take you 3 hours to get anywhere. The teams have chartered planes now, so no lay-overs. And only a few teams are close enough to be able to drive to an away game.
Time zones are also a minor factor. Consider that their proposal has a home-and-home against every team in the league. That's a lot of games in other time zones than your own. It's not a good argument if the league is going to balance the schedule like they want. And they will, because every team wants to see the good teams and best players so they get sell-outs. Whether they move Detroit or not, the proposed schedule makes it look like they will travel just as much as they do now.
The real emphasis should be on the rivalries, and the playoffs. Divisions should be set up to improve the likelihood of rivalry matchups in the divisional playoffs. Geography and time zones should only be a starting point.
Yea, division playoffs!
Bold Prediction: The Blue Jackets make it two in a row.