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 … now it's art. According to Nashvillest, "a local prankster has decked out Musica in the finest XXXXXL Preds threads" prior to Game 2 between the Nashville Predators and the Anaheim Ducks. Ah, the glorious defacing of public art for the purposes of supporting your team. Witness the Eliot in the Morning "Red The Fed…eral Property" promotion in D.C. [Nashvillest]
• Perhaps the Anaheim Ducks should rethink the theme for their game programs. You know, considering their offensive output in Game 1. [Ducks Blog]
• New York Rangers coach John Tortorella on the return of Sean Avery to the lineup for Game 2: "I think at times when Sean is consistent with his play he can add some forecheck. I'll tell you right now Sean's going in tonight." [ESPN]
• Via James Duthie of TSN, the latest battle in the Tortorella/Larry Brooks wars. [@tsnJamesDuthie]
• Speaking of journalism, Tyler Dellow's take on the PHWA and the NHL Awards voting process is a must-read. As we've said before: Their standards and reasons for not allowing more bloggers into the association simply don't sync with where the medium is at in 2011. [mc79hockey]
• Expect more of coach Sidney Crosby for the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night. [Post-Gazette]
• Henrik Zetterberg has been ruled out of Game 2 for the Detroit Red Wings against the Phoenix Coyotes. [Red Wings]
• We'll have more on this in a bit, but please do check out Deadspin's story on a Detroit Red Wings fan getting a police citation for throwing an octopus on the ice during Game 1. Is there a city crackdown in effect? [Deadspin]
• This is probably a "Dark Knight Rises" spoiler, but honestly who cares? Christopher Nolan might be filming in Pittsburgh because they want to blow up the Igloo in the movie. Which obviously means the villain for "Batman 3" is Iceburgh and Jean-Claude Van Damme will be Robin. [Batman-News, via Brian Buckley]
• Handing out the grades to the 2010-11 Ottawa Senators. Spoiler: Everyone got an A-plus. [Cory Clouston Fashion Review]
• We simply can't get enough of photos in which Tanner Glass of the Vancouver Canucks is fighting bears. [Vancouver Sun]
• Why can't we live in the here-and-now about the Canucks and the Chicago Blackhawks? [Red Light District]
• The scariest players on the Blackhawks. How is the answer not John Scott, John Scott and John Scott? [Kurtenblog]
• Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and New York all have the chance to do the mystical "double title" thing in the NBA and NHL. [Slap Shots]
• The top unrestricted free agents in the NHL next summer. Brooks Laich gonna get paid? [USA Today]
• You do not mess with Joe Haggerty when he's about to go on the air. Especially if you're wearing a Montreal Canadiens jersey after a Boston Bruins loss. [Ted Williams' Head]
• Looking like Ray Emery for the Ducks in Game 2, his first playoff start since 2007. [Globe & Mail]
• More Bloge Salming/Houses of the Hockey goodness, this time starring Toronto Maple Leafs assistant GM Dave Nonis. [HOTH]
• The junior hockey schedule isn't doing teams any favors in the postseason. [Buzzing the Net]
• The ratings story, via the NHL: "In the U.S., VERSUS set a network record by averaging 534,328 viewers with their opening night triple-header, the best opening night in its six years of Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage and a 12 percent increase over last year. In Canada, CBC earned a 29 percent increase over last year by averaging 1.58 million viewers for its two opening night playoff broadcasts, highlighted by its coverage of Chicago-Vancouver, up a whopping 207 percent over the comparable game last year (Colorado-San Jose). TSN's telecast of New York-Washington delivered 664,000 viewers; good for a 38 percent gain compared to last year's opening playoff broadcast featuring two U.S. based teams (Philadelphia-New Jersey, 481,000 viewers)."
• Well, here's a crazy idea for the Boston Bruins: Actually getting some traffic in front of Carey Price. [NHL.com]
• For all of your Alpo Suhonen needs. [Toronto Star]
• To all: Y! Sports NHL page had a glitch Friday in which the Blackhawks were listed as being down 2-0 to Vancouver. Reason behind it: The service that sends us box scores sent us Game 1's result instead of Game 2's preview, so the whole thing got fracked up. But thanks to the hundreds of you that noticed ;)
• Finally, these lovely ladies present a San Jose Sharks' playoff anthem: "Black and Teal," which is sung to, you guessed it, "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine … oh, wait, "Black and Yellow"? Got it. Our mistake. Take it away, girls in their bedroom with a webcam; every time they shoot, they get it in, according to the lyrics (stick tap to Kit Perkins; PG-13 Language).