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.
Ever the showman, Rick Neilsen of Cheap Trick waited until the climax of "Surrender" to have a stroke.
Preview: Boston Bruins at St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m. EST. One team is a physical, defense-minded group with great goaltending and few holes on their lineup. And the other team is the Boston Bruins. Andy Brickley's advice to the inconsistent Bruins: Loosen up on your sticks, boys.
Preview: Washington Capitals at Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m. EST. Washington has won six of seven against Ottawa to improve to 13-3-3 in the series since the start of 2007-08, according to STATS. Of course, they'll enter this one without Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, and with the fragile psyche of a team that had its lunch served at Carolina on Monday. Meanwhile: Other players whine; Zenon Konopka wines.
Preview: Los Angeles Kings at Colorado Avalanche, 9 p.m. EST. Thus begins the Steve Downie era in Denver, as he plays right wing on Ryan O'Reilly's line tonight. Said Joe Sacco: "We're excited (to) bring a player like Steve who adds some grit and some skill to our lineup." Said the Kings' defensemen: 'Well that makes one of us.' Los Angeles enters the game hoping they didn't use up their goals for the week against Phoenix last night.
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.
Evening Reading
• Jonathan Toews has been ruled out for Thursday's game against Dallas. Joel Quenneville on whether Toews is concussed: "We're upper-body and that's where we're at with it." [Sun Times]
• Sens GM Bryan Murray "won't part with pending unrestricted free agent defenceman Filip Kuba unless some GM makes a very enticing offer." [Citizen]
• San Jose GM Doug Wilson on the Rick Nash rumors: "We don't talk about other teams' players and any conversation I do have with a fellow GM would be kept in confidence… Historically, though, one of the most important things we do is make this a place that players do want to play and make it an attractive destination for players." [Working The Corners]
• An epic Twitter war over booing Ilya Bryzgalov. [Crossing Broad]
• The top 10 ironman streaks in the NHL. [THN]
• Asking on TSN Radio, Brian Burke says of the Leafs trading for a goalie: "I'm not sure we're not going to be in the market before we're done." [@Bruce_Arthur]
Puck Daddy Reader Comment of the Day: Licker on the Tuomo Ruutu contract:
29 other GMs just collectively said "WHAT???"
This is what gets professional athletes salaries all out of wack... This is going to be used as the comparison for every 2nd line winger with 60 point upside now.
Indeed.
Bold Prediction: Alex Semin scored twice without Ovi. Because Sasha cares.