Puck Headlines: Sidney Crosby trains on Valabik's speed bag

Here are yourPuck Headlines: A glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• In the Pittsburgh Penguins' game against the Atlanta Thrashers last night, Sidney Crosby jumped into the middle of a melee and starting throwing blows. OK, make that low blows. If you want to see the shot he gave Boris Valabik, check out the 12-second mark of this video. Or watch this much more theatrical version by YouTuber "vancityhockey":

• Meanwhile, the Penguins sign Max Talbot to a two-year extension, which is really great news for Pittsburgh-based puck bunnies. And Ryan Whitney is beginning a conditioning assignment in the AHL. [Post-Gazette]

• Fun all-star game suggestion from Jason Kay of The Hockey News: Team Superstars vs. Team Exile. In other words, "heroes" versus villains like 'Sloppy' Sean Avery and 'Radioactive' Ray Emery. [THN]

• Lou Lamoriello puts a gag order on goalie Scott Clemmensen, making him unavailable to the media after blaming media access for a poor performance in Toronto. Rich Chere, veteran reporter, isn't pleased. [Puck the Media]

• If you haven't seen the Zamboni falling off the truck video we had on Three Stars last night, please to be checking it out on Leahy's site. [Going Five Hole]

• Big-time fun from Stanley Cup of Chowder: a game of "spot the Whale" as the Boston Bruins face the Carolina Hurricanes this weekend. [SCoC]

Maxim Afinogenov of the Buffalo Sabres can make fans swoon with pretty moves before failing to deliver anything substantial. It's official: He's the Pussycat Dolls of hockey. [Buffalo News]

• The media tries to get the trade winds a-blowin' for the Edmonton Oilers. [Edmonton Sun]

• Are travel restrictions coming for the NCAA hockey tournaments? "If approved as is, this means that, for the NCAA tournament, the committee would only be allowed to seed the top four teams in the bracket (i.e. the four No. 1 seeds). It would be able to do so regardless of geography (although current practice for hockey is to place them 'closest to home' anyway). Meanwhile, the remaining 12 teams would have to be placed in the closest geographical region possible, regardless of where it falls in the 5-16 Pairwise pecking order." [CHN]

• Japers and Ted Leonsis get into a tiff about the quality if ice at Verizon Center for Washington Capitals games. We'll say this: post-tiff between the two, it was cranked up to "arctic" at the arena last night. [Japers' Rink]

Mike York is back for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

• The Caps activate Jose Theodore and send Simeon Varlamov back to AHL affiliate Hershey after winning his first two NHL starts in net. [AP]

• After last night's 6-0 drubbing at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings, how are the San Jose Sharks' faithful responding? Mike Chen believes a heaping portion of humble pie from the Wings could really help in the long-run. "Last night was a lesson in humility, and the adversity that comes with it is hopefully a stepping stone on the way to better things." [Chen]

• Fear the Fin was rather upset that the Sharks didn't at least go down in a fight during the third period. [Fear the Fin]

• Meanwhile, there was an interesting story after the game for the Red Wings: Marian Hossa actually passed on being named the first star against the Sharks, in deference to the heroics of teammates like Pavel Datsyuk and Ty Conklin. Pretty cool. [Red Wings Corner]

• Finally, sometimes a picture's all you need:

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