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.
Preview: Winnipeg Jets at Montreal Canadiens, 7:30 p.m. ET. If the Habs are going to make any ground as they try to move up the Eastern Conference standings, they need to begin by winning at Bell Centre. Montreal has an NHL-low five wins at home and welcome a Winnipeg team that is just as poor on the road with five wins away from MTS Centre. Now that (hopefully) the Randy Cunneyworth/language debate has cooled, Montreal can focus on their six of next seven games at home, while the Jets have surged of late winning 10 of their previous 14 games.
Preview: San Jose Sharks at Anaheim Ducks, 10 p.m. ET. Jason Blake returns to the Ducks' lineup after missing 34 skates with a wrist injury. Despite the 18-point difference in the standings between the teams, Anaheim has had San Jose's number this year winning all three matchups so far -- all one-goal affairs -- and going back to last season have won five in a row against the Sharks. The Ducks are still struggling under new head coach Bruce Boudreau and are losers of seven of their last eight. The natives are getting restless and trade talks have begun from the media, with the starting point being captain Ryan Getzlaf.
Preview: Minnesota Wild at Vancouver Canucks, 10 p.m. ET. The Wild enter this game with one win in 10 games, but their injury list is getting shorter and shorter. Devin Setoguchi and Casey Wellman are expected to return to the lineup as Josh Harding gets the nod in goal. This has the potential to be a trap game for the Canucks with their Stanley Cup rematch against the Boston Bruins on Saturday, but their not looking past the Wild, whom they beat 4-0 last month. Roberto Luongo will be in net tonight and according to the AP he hasn't allowed a goal in his last 135:23 against Minnesota and has posted and 8-0-1 record with a 1.66 goals-against average and three shutouts against the Wild since the 2008-09 season.
Check out previews and updated scores for all of today's games on the Y! Sports NHL scores and scheds page. For tonight's starting goalies, check out Left Wing Lock.
Evening Reading
• New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella apologized today for his comments after the Winter Classic about the officiating in the third period, including the decision to award Danny Briere a penalty shot with 19.6 seconds remaining in the game. [Ranger Rants]
• Ildar Isangulov of Russia and Boone Jenner of Canada have been suspended one game for separate incidents in last night's World Junior semifinal. Isangulov laid a shoulder to the head of Jenner, who moments later speared the Russian forward on his way off the ice. [IIHF]
• In hopes of raising more than 20,000 British pounds for the charity Crimestoppers, an English man plans to run the 26.2 mile London Marathon in hockey gear. [Surrey Today] s/t Rhys Griffiths
• Here are your 2012 AHL All-Star Game rosters. No, Sean Avery did not make the cut. [AHL]
• Finally, episode 10 of Fake Henrik Zetterberg where our hero comes oh so close to, uh, scoring:
Puck Daddy Reader Comment of the Day:"John" on the Ovechkin spitting allegation:
"I was ready to believe this...then I watched the video. It doesn't seem like there is an opportunity to get a loogie in there, unless its delivered simultaneously with one of the shove/jabbing motions or whatever. The official is in there right away - seems bogus."
Bold Prediction: Anaheim's recent dominance of San Jose comes to an end as the Sharks shoot them down 4-1.
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