Here are your 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.
• Via Joel Ward, this is Alex Ovechkin's NCAA bracket. As Dan Steinberg notes: "His elite eight appears to include Kentucky, Duke, St. Louis, Norfolk State, Syracuse, West Virginia, Alabama and Georgetown. He picked Alabama to advance to the title game, against Kentucky." But really, it's the circles and lines that does it … like he's playing the tambourine in Rock Band. [Sports Bog]
• Ovechkin appeared to be significantly injured during Washington Capitals practice today, but as Brad Pitt said in "Burn After Reading," appearances can be … deceptive. [Washington Times]
• Finally … Martin Havlat … HAS COME BACK TO THE SAN JOSE SHARKS. [Mercury News]
• Sidney Crosby will play the power-play point in his return to the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight. Said Dan Bylsma: "With Sidney Crosby down low, he's very good in that spot, but the power play doesn't go through that spot. It ends up there with a shot. James Neal is there right now and his power-play goals (14) speak for themselves in that situation. This allows the puck to go through Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby." Sounds like he's had a few months to think about this. [NHL.com]
• Sidney, Kris Letang, Paul Martin and "Community." A night of returns. [Pensblog]
• Jonathan Toews injury watch: The absence reaches its 12th game, as he won't play Friday against the Dallas Stars. [ESPN Chicago]
• Sam Fels wants to call a setback a setback when it comes to Toews: "What we do know is that best case, he probably won't start skating again until next week. If everything goes according to plan with no setbacks , which this is (you don't want a dog, which I'm), we probably don't see him before the 25th against Nashville. More likely? Probably a return for Game 1, wherever that might be." [Second City Hockey]
• Travis Zajac is skating with the New Jersey Devils again. Says BFF Zach Parise: "Last time, you could just tell something wasn't quite right. It just seems mentally he's in a better place now." [Fire & Ice]
• Good piece by Bruce Peter on what Alex Radulov means to the KHL: "The league is also aware that the best way to attract talent is to accomodate its players as much as possible... its a balance between serving their franchises' interests and serving the league as a whole. They are aware of the league's shortcomings, but they want at least want to provide a bit more of a free market system than the NHL currently offers its players. It's probably the KHL's biggest obstacle as a league to date given past history with players and their contracts with Russian clubs, but the area in which they have made the most progress." [Puck Worlds]
• On Radulov's return to the Nashville Predators: "Of all the variables of his impending return, team chemistry is one of the elements I'm not as worried about. I more worry about him not playing defense and being careless with the puck readjusting to the more physical nature of the North American game. Should he not be in bad positions, and take care of the puck… all will be well." [Predlines]
• Sunday marks the final time the Florida Panthers will wear their blue third jerseys, which are being discontinued after this season. [On Frozen Pond]
• Megalodon's SONA index to "rank NHL teams by the number of registered sex offenders that live within a 1.5 square mile radius of their arena" is pretty amazing. [BoC, via Deadspin]
• Bourne with the five non-sanctioned games players play to pass the time during the season. Lemon Boy wasn't what we thought it would be. Thankfully. [Backhand Shelf]
• The five typical consequences that arise after a massive hit by Niklas Kronwall. [Polished Pucks]
• Nikolai Kulemin will likely miss the rest of the season because of his finger; meanwhile, millions of fans will continue to give theirs to the 2011-12 Toronto Maple Leafs. [QMI]
• Here's Sidney Crosby's media scrum from Thursday at MSG.
• Apparently, the 2001 Finals weren't cleansing enough for Terry Frei and his yearning to even the score with New Jersey's Rockies-stealing politicians. [Denver Post, via Chris C.]
• Is playing Roman Hamrlik the key to getting the most out of Mike Green? [Japers]
• Daniel Alfredsson is your Masterton Trophy nominee from the Ottawa Senators, and he never even left the NHL for a Russian cash grab. [Senators]
• Corey Potter is the Edmonton Oilers' Masterton nominee, as he persevered after nearly slicing Taylor Hall's head in half during warmups that one time. [Oilers]
• Alex Tanguay on Brent Sutter's grinning celebration from the other night: "I wasn't convinced it actually was him." [Calgary Herald]
• Heartwarming story, this one, about a wedding at Nassau Coliseum during tonight's Flyers/Islanders game: "A degenerative bone disease won't keep Islanders superfan Weldon Malone from getting married in the home of his favorite team." [Isles]
• Quisp predicts the Western Conference bubble, through the prism of the Los Angeles Kings' playoff chances. [Jewels From The Crown]
• The Dallas Stars could really put away the Pacific Division with their upcoming 4-game homestand. [Defending Big D]
• Please continue to support Defending The Blue Line.
• Finally, here's Mike Murphy of the Charlotte Checkers rocking the goalie mask cam in practice. Good stuff:
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