Monday 6 February 2012

Puck Previews: Oilers visit Maple Leafs; Red Wings go for Coyotes sweep

Here are your Puck Previews: Spotlighting the key games in NHL action, news and views as well as general frivolity. Make sure to stop back here for the nightly Three Stars when the games are finished.

• The Bruins made 550 Stanley Cup rings. Of course Blades would get one.

Preview: Edmonton Oilers at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. ET. Two of the NHL's 3 Stars of the Week faceoff as James Reimer will try and slow down the offensive force that is Sam Gagner. Reimer has recorded two straight shutouts, while Gagner has tallied 11 points in two games for the Oilers. Assistant coach Ralph Krueger will work the Oilers' bench tonight after head coach Tom Renney took a puck to the head in practice and needed stitches.

Preview: Detroit Red Wings at Phoenix Coyotes, 8 p.m. ET. After winning the first three meetings of the season the Red Wings will go for the series sweep. Including last year's postseason, Detroit has won seven in a row against the Coyotes. Joey MacDonald gets his first start of the year for the Red Wings as Jimmy Howard will miss the next two weeks with a broken finger.

Preview: Calgary Flames at Anaheim Ducks, 10 p.m. ET. As they try to end a 13-game road losing streak against the Ducks, the Flames will also try to give goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff his 300th NHL win in the process. According to the AP, Anaheim hasn't lost a regular season game at Honda Center to Calgary since Jan. 19, 2004. For you record keepers, Teemu Selanne is a goal away from tying Brendan Shanahan for 12th all-time, to which the Finnish Flash told the Orange County Register, "Hopefully I don't have to deal with that department very often. But I've know Shanny for years. He's a good buddy."

Evening Reading

• Terrible news: a 15-year old from hockey player Canada collapsed during a game on Sunday night after suffering cardiac arrest. He died upon arriving at hospital. [National Post]

• According to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, Tom Sestito of the Philadelphia Flyers will not be disciplined for grabbing the hair of New York Rangers forward Brandon Prust during a fight on Sunday. [NYP_Brooksie]

• Add Ralph Nader, yes that Ralph Nader, to the anti-fighting group. He wrote an open letter to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, which included, "Your league has created a department of player safety.  That's well and good.   But a quick question:  How can you continue to allow fighting, in which the primary target is the head of your opponent, and seriously make the argument that you're doing all you can to make player safety a priority?" [Denver Post]

• Finally, if you missed the great "Inside Hockey" piece with Jordin Tootoo and Brian McGrattan on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday, please do check it out. [CBC Sports]

Puck Buddy Comment of the Day: From AJ on Ken Campbell claiming Sam Gagner's eight-point night should've actually been seven:

"Is Ken Campbell Canada's answer to Skip Bayless? He will say anything to get attention. He'll probably want video on all of Gretzky's points to figure out which ones are legit and ask for the records to be adjusted."

No, AJ. Skip Bayless cannot be replicated. Not in any lab anywhere in the world. He's truly a one of a kind.

Bold prediction: The Sam Gagner gravy train comes to a stop. Zero points for Dave's kid.



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