Here are your Evening Puck Headlines and Previews: A glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.
• Yeah, so today happened. Due to that kookiness, we're postponing the Flickr'ing of the Create-a-Card contest until Tuesday, when it'll be up fo' realz. Thanks for the patience.
• The New York Rangers want John Tortorella to fulfill his NHL coaching destiny and come to MSG to yell at Larry Brooks take over the Rangers. Ah, but here's the thing: The Tampa Bay Lightning are holding things up because Torts is still under contract with the team, and the NHL is rumored to be getting involved in some mediation. [SILIVE]
• Let's say the new coach is, in fact, Tortorella. Dallas Stars Blog brings up an interesting point about former Star Sean Avery, now rehabbing his image with the AHL Hartford Wolfpack and almost certain to hit recall waivers before the trade deadline: Does Avery's future with the Rangers change with Torts behind the bench? Good question, because this was Tortorella's reaction to the "sloppy seconds" suspension: "He's embarrassed himself, he's embarrassed the organization, he's embarrassed the league and he's embarrassed his teammates, who have to look out for him. Send him home. He doesn't belong in the league." [Dallas Stars Blog]
• Wouldn't it be refreshing to hear someone just say, "Nice guy, but his line configurations were pretty much awful and his system choked the fun out of hockey?" Yeah, don't look to the Rangers for that. [NY Daily News]
• Ken Campbell of The Hockey News is in the "Blame Sather" camp: "But the fish rots from the head down and that's the case with the Rangers." True, but yuck. [THN]
SportsWrap
The top sports headlines of the day
• Memo to Mike Babcock, Andy Murray, Peter DeBoer and Joel Quenneville: You're all screwed next season. [More from The Fabulous Forum]
• Chris Cooley of the Redskins loves him some Alexander Ovechkin. Sidney Crosby? Not so much. [Chris Cooley]
• "Violence in hockey is a public health issue that should not be left to hockey leagues to police themselves, said Kevin Wamsley, associate dean of health sciences at the University of Western Ontario." Great ... if it's a public healthy issue, then soon we won't be able to fight inside bars and restaurants, either. [Edmonton Journal]
• Bruce "Malkin To The Kings" Garrioch writes that the Montreal Canadiens are "studying" the availability of Ryan Smyth of the Avs, whatever the hell that means. [Sun Media]
• Bryan Murray ducks a trading Jason Spezza question by saying "He's our No. 1 centre" and "I'm not going to get into specific names" for the trade deadline. [CP]
Preview: San Jose Sharks at Dallas Stars (8 p.m. EST; TV: VS, TSN2). The Sharks are looking for their seventh win in eight regular season visits to Dallas. Should the Dallas Stars expect Marty Turco to lead them to a playoff berth? [Defending Big D]
• The Anaheim Ducks are the latest team to freeze ticket prices for next season. [Ducks]
• Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller is wearing a brace on his ankle when he walks but said the swelling has gone down on it. Still, the Pat Lalime Era appears ready to begin for the Sabres. [NHL.com]
• Kurtis Foster is practicing, Andrew Brunette will be back in the lineup, but Owen Nolan has a cracked toe for the Minnesota Wild. Which we're guessing would be a "lower body injury." [Hockey Wilderness]
• Oh no! Jibblescribbits has us all figured out! Damn that "Brian Burke" Twitter [Jibblescribbits]
• Finally, Devin Setoguchi of the San Jose Sharks reveals the secret of his success, and it begins with his shuttlecock. [The Power Play]
