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.
• Scott Burnside of ESPN takes a stand against "the ranks of those caterwauling about the Detroit Red Wings' goaltending" by interviewing Chris Osgood about his quiet turnaround since his mini-vacation: Four wins in a row, and giving up three or less in each of them. Money quote: "I was kind of expecting to pick up where I left off last year against Pittsburgh ... In reality, that's just not going to happen because that was like a two-month zone. In that aspect, I put too much pressure on thinking I've got to be that guy throughout the whole year instead of just playing game by game and being me." [ESPN]
Preview: Detroit Red Wings at Calgary Flames (9 p.m. EST; TV: TSN, FSD). The Wings are looking for their sixth straight road win. Five Hole Fanatics thinks it's more and more likely that the Flames will face the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round, and they're not exactly pleased about it.
• Adam Proteau writes a very interesting remembrance of former New York Rangers goal-scorer Walt Poddubny, drawing a very insightful comparison to Randy the Ram in "The Wrestler." [THN]
• For those of you preparing to make the trek to Vegas for the NHL Awards, the tickets go on sale Tuesday. Someone be sure and buy Carey Price one, because that's the only way he's going. [NHL]
• Actor Kiefer Sutherland on the gap between "24" seasons because of the Writer's Strike: "If you take a look, television as a medium has lost 40 percent of its viewership. I was aware of the terrible ramifications from Major League Baseball after it went on strike. National Hockey League went on strike, and it was replaced by f--king poker, and poker did better. You can't find a hockey game now, so, yeah, I was terrified." Awesome. [SCI WIRE, via 2MA]
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• Perhaps the most insane and inspired idea we've come across this season: That the Pittsburgh Penguins should adopt the McDonald's "Give Me That Filet-o-Fish" song as their official jingle, because its debut and subsequent television run on Fox Sports Net is parallel to the Penguins' resurgence. Take that, Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz! [LCS Hockey]
Preview: New Jersey Devils at Philadelphia Flyers (7 p.m. EST; TV: VS, TSN). Versus preempted "The Art of the Tackle Box" for this? No Patrik Elias tonight for the Devils, as he's out with some lower body thing that Lamoriello's not telling the media about. Jersey has a chance to clinch a playoff spot; Philly can go up four points in the Penguins with two games still in hand with a win.
• Perpetual goalie of the future Al Montoya has been recalled by the Phoenix Coyotes. [Yotes]
• Rick Tocchet believes the Tampa Bay Lightning are out of shape and said "it could get ugly for you" if a player tries to arrive at camp in that condition. Which begs the question: What, exactly, could be uglier when you're a member of the 2008-09 Tampa Bay Lightning? [Lightning Strikes]
Speaking of out of shape, Kevin Kaduk of Big League Stew passes along this blog post that featured an unflattering screen grab of Wayne Gretzky at a baseball game. This is less about The Great One potentially putting on a few pounds, and more about the exciting news that Kyle Wellwood may still be "The Next One." [Slanch Report]
Preview: Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes (7:30 p.m. EST; TV: Center Ice). The most interesting game of the night no one without PPV can watch. Our buddy George Richards is doing the live blog thing. Meanwhile, the Buzz has NCAA Tournament hoops brackets for a few Hurricanes, including Erik Cole and Rod Brind'Amour.
• Making the case for Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green as a much better defensive player than he's given credit for being. So the Norris is, like, his, right? Does Lidstrom know? [Japers' Rink]
• The Top 10 Alexander Ovechkin goals of the season, a.k.a. Don Cherry just kicked something or someone. [Simply Sensational]
• Finally, we forgot to comment on Chicago Blackhawks forward Ben Eager's three-game suspension from the NHL for a really nasty little cheap shot behind the play against the Edmonton Oilers. Third Man In lays it on the line: "Whether fan or not, you really have to admit the Blackhawks have some questionable characters on this team. Eager and Adam Burish like to yap and stir it up, but aren't always interested in accepting an invitation to scrap. And Burish's punches on the ground as the linesmen are attempting to pull the combatants apart are annoying and flat out cheap."
