Here are your Morning 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.
• Before we get rolling, TSN's Darren Dreger breaks some news and adds some intrigue: The New York Islanders have "agreed in principle with the Los Angeles Kings to play an exhibition game in Kansas City in September." The same Kansas City that covets an NHL team. The same Islanders in arena development hell with Long Island. Dots connected by Dreger. [TSN]
• Thanks to all the readers who stopped by for a rollicking good live blog last night for the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins. Capitals Kremlin was one of those dedicated puckheads, and offered its very brief -- i.e. one-word -- take on the Caps' win. [Capitals Kremlin]
• The Pensblog was also in our chat, and provided its singular spin on the Penguins' 6-3 loss to the Capitals, and the fan reaction: "Your car is warming up, the parking lot is a bigger mess than an episode of Monk, it is cold as balls, and you don't know what the deal with Crosby is. Welcome to the real 2008-09 season. God help us all." [Pensblog]
• Over on the Capitals' side, JP has a great rundown of facts and figures from last night's game, including this candid take on a former Cap: "Matt Cooke is a clown. He was on the ice for the first four Caps goals and took a bad penalty defending a teammate who was hit cleanly. I don't miss him. You?" [Japers Rink]
• Steel City Sports Fan has a rundown of the Penguins' various injuries following the game. The Rob Scuderi play was rather gruesome. [Steel City]
• Sidney Crosby doesn't believe the injury he suffered last night is "too bad," but PensBurgh wants you to witness the video for yourself and make the call. [PensBurgh]
• Also on Crosby, some coverage of his game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Note to Penguins fans -- please read the name of the blog before clicking the link. [The Girl Who Hates Sidney Crosby]
• From Tony: "For all the hype, Malkin had a team-high 12 shots on goal, but was also a team-low -3." [The Confluence]
• Finally on the game, Steve Ovadia with the line of the night: "Does anyone else feel the Alex Ovechkin-Evgeni Malkin is either entirely faked or will end with one of them getting shot in Las Vegas?" [Puck Update]
• We don't know, Danny ... now the Flyers' jersey is just going to look like a kid playing "dress up." [Phantoms]
• Sad: "Jordan Mistelbacher, who spent parts of the past three seasons with the Everett Silvertips of the WHL, was found dead in his hometown of Winnipeg, Man., on Tuesday. He had just turned 19 on Jan. 11." [CP]
• Just as sad: "A northern Ontario community is in mourning after a teenage hockey player died following an on-ice collision." [Standard]
• John Tavares took a nasty hit in the Canadian Hockey League Top Prospects game in Oshawa last night; he didn't speak to the media after the game or return for closing ceremonies. [Slap Shot]
• The Tampa Bay Lightning recall Steve Downie from the AHL. That sound you just heard was Colin Campbell cracking his knuckles. [Lightning]
• Will the good karma from Roberto Luongo's return to the Vancouver Canucks cancel out the simmering Sundin scapegoating for the team's struggles? [CBC Sports]
• Based on fan support, are the Detroit Red Wings the Boston Red Sox of hockey? [Snapshots]
• When Wendel Clark speaks about fighting, we listen: "Look, I'm not going to say I'm against it. I played that way. I think it's part of the game at the pro level. What I am concerned about is the amount of fighting going on in minor hockey. There are only two levels where it is allowed and there are specific rules for it - the pros and junior. Yet at the bantam and midget levels, not just at AAA but AA and A too, the amount of fights are going up. It is not part of the game there. There are no rules. You fight, you're kicked out. Yet it's increasing. Who is condoning this for our kids? Coaches, parents, whoever it is, it has to stop." [Slam Media]
• H/T to Comcast SportsNet for the love. Not pictured: SportsCenter (!) also getting it right last night. [OFB]
• Finally, from Kukla's, Ben Eager feels this was a dirty hit by Drew Stafford of the Buffalo Sabres on Eager's Chicago Blackhawks' teammate Duncan Keith. You make the call!
