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
• The Red Wings are in Phoenix tonight, which can mean only one thing: Shane Doan is totally going to make out with Mila Kunis. Oh, wait, sorry: DoanFace watch is on! (via Dan Kukkonen)
• Officially, Zdeno Chara is a game-time decision for the Boston Bruins, but given his demeanor in practice Bruins Blog bets he plays in this critical Game 3 tonight vs. the Montreal Canadiens. Timmy Thomas gets the start. It is not Tuukka Time. Yet. [Bruins Blog and QMI]
• Darren Dreger on the NHL's decision not to suspend Raffi Torres for his hit in "Death Valley" on Brent Seabrook: "An important distinction for the NHL is the fact the puck was in the area of the hit last night and Torres stopped skating near the faceoff circle and cruised in before landing the hit." [TSN]
• Bruce Boudreau Distracts The Media From His Team's Game 3 Loss, Vol. 1: Boudreau today said that the NHL should look at the Marc Staal hit on Mike Green after Alex Ovechkin's goal that was so vicious that … Green was still able to go celebrate the goal and played the entire game. "Staal comes in, there's no puck, he takes his arm, he swings it at [Green's] head, but it's all forgotten because we score a goal to tie the game up. … But it shouldn't be forgotten and it wasn't the only time they targeted Mike's head. They targeted it a few times. That's what we want to get out of the game." [Capitals Insider]
• Bruce Boudreau Distracts The Media From His Team's Game 3 Loss, Vol. 2: On The Kirk McEwen and Mike O'Meara Show on 105.9 The Edge, Boudreau made his feelings about Madison Square Garden known. "Well, the one thing, its reputation is far better than the actual building," the coach said. "I mean, it's nothing. The locker rooms are horrible. The benches are horrible. There's no room for anything. But the reputation of being in Madison Square Garden is what makes it famous. Also, our building's a lot louder, too. So I mean, they can say what they want, but it's not that loud in there." [The Edge]
• Jonathan Toews thinks the Vancouver Canucks are counterfeit. [Pass It To Bulis]
• A study by the Canadian Medical Association finds that NHL players suffered 559 concussions from 1997-2004. "The highest concussion rate recorded was 7.7 per 100 players in the 2000-01 regular season, while the lowest was 4.6 in 1997-98. The last year covered by the statistics—2003-04—saw a rate of 4.9 per 100 players." [CP]
• Don Cherry, hockey pornographer: "Like any pornographer, Cherry removes the purity and substance from the act and renders it into a vulgar display that appeals to our primal instincts." [The Metropolitain]
• Mike Brophy of Sportsnet feels the top three Conn Smythe candidates are Pavel Datsyuk, Mike Fisher and … Alex Ovechkin? There's simply no way Ovechkin should be ahead of Carey Price for the Conn. [Sportsnet]
• On Dustin Penner, a.k.a. Lazybones on the Los Angeles Kings: "I think the mystery to Penner is a combination of many things. First of all, he can be a little lazy, or to be more specific; there are times when he lets the play come to him. Sometimes that's a good idea because then you aren't chasing yourself out of position. Sometimes it's bad and the lack of pressure gives the opposing team too much time and space." [Pro Sports Blogging]
• Why Bryan Murray should just go ahead and hire Bryan Murray to coach the Bryan Murrays, er, Ottawa Senators. [Senshot]
• GM Paul Holmgren denies that Chris Pronger suffered a second break in his hand, despite a report from NBC. Which is now merged with Comcast. Which owns the Flyers. Synergy! [Sun]
• The Buffalo Sabres drop Brad Boyes to the fourth line because he's been playing like one, and promote Rod Niedermayer to a line with Drew Stafford and Tyler Ennis. [Sabres Observer]
• No Sidney Crosby at the Pittsburgh Penguins skate before Game 3 in Tampa Bay. [NHL.com]
• We always like our Sean Avery devious, like when he breaks his stick on purpose to get his team a little extra time. He did the same thing during Fashion Week with an unprepared runway model and an 8-inch heel.
• Matt Barr, our hockey nerd, takes a look at times shut out in the regular season and how that translates in the postseason. [Kertwang.me]
• Don't look now, but New York Islanders prospect Kirill Kabanov is killin' it in juniors. [Buzzing The Net]
• The New Jersey Devils today signed goaltender Keith Kinkaid to an entry-level contract. The announcement was made by Devils' President/CEO/General Manager Lou Lamoriello. As per club policy, no further terms were disclosed. Kinkaid, 21, joins the Devils' organization after spending the past two seasons at Union College (ECAC). He appeared in 38 games overall this past season, posting a 25-10-3 mark with three shutouts and a 1.99 goals-against average. [Devils]
• Nicklas Lidstrom is up for the King Clancy Award. [Red Wings]
• The Puck Buddys have a story about two gay fans who helped get the Hershey Bears of the AHL to stand up against discriminatory slurs at games. [Puck Buddys, Strong Language Warning]
• Interesting take on the Torres hit. [Hammer's Bulldog Blog]
• More NHL.com pun-gasms. The Royal Half makes this observation: "Everytime NHL.com does a pun with Alexander Semin, it's always using his first name." [TRH]
• Finally, this should be a familiar conversation for any puckhead with a child of a certain age: