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.
• Youppi! showing the kids how it's done. [Getty]
Preview: New York Rangers at Buffalo Sabres, 7:30 p.m. ET. A night after losing in a shootout to the New Jersey Devils, Henrik Lundqvist gets the start tonight after keeping busy in Ottawa during All-Star Weekend. With last night's win over the Montreal Canadiens, the Sabres have won consecutive games for the first time since early November. Buffalo will be without Thomas Vanek who's expected to miss a week after suffering an upper-body injury on Tuesday night.
Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 p.m. ET. After last night's 4-1 come-from-behind victory, the Penguins enter tonight's tilt winners of their last eight. Toronto will see some lineup changes with John-Michael Liles and Colby Armstrong coming back from injury and James Reimer getting the start in goal. Nazem Kadri and Keith Aulie were demoted to the AHL to make room.
Preview: Dallas Stars at Anaheim Ducks, 10:30 p.m. ET. The Stars are getting healthier and get their captain, Brenden Morrow, back tonight against a Ducks team that's won nine of their last 11 games setting themselves up for a late-season push as they did a year ago. Jonas Hiller will be back in the net for Anaheim after allowing two goals or less in each of his last 10 starts.
Evening Reading
• TSN analyst Ray Ferraro was caught poking fun at both Dion Phaneuf and Paul Martin last night when his mic was on during a commercial break. The network came out today with an apology, as did Ferraro himself via Twitter to Toronto GM Brian Burke and Dion Phaneuf, but not Paul Martin, who remains "horrible". [National Post]
• Mark Spector on why Vancouver should deal Cory Schneider at the deadline: "The point is, Luongo is more than enough goaltender to win a Cup with. And no matter how poorly he played in Games 3, 4 and 6 at Boston last spring, the injury-plagued Canucks were steam-rolled by the bigger, stronger Bruins in those games. Fix that, and perhaps you fix the biggest leak." [Sportsnet]
• Why the New York Islanders in Brooklyn just won't work. [Sports Illustrated]
Puck Daddy Reader Comment of the Day: "That Guy" educates us today about Tomas Kopecky:
"Blackhawks fans, and now Panthers fans I'm sure, are very familiar with the Thomas Kopecky hat trick - whiff on a shot, fall down, and lose your helmet. A natural Kopecky hat trick is getting them all in one glorious play"
Bold prediction: The flip-flop of Southeast Division leaders will continue as the Panthers edge the Capitals 3-2.
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