For the record, I buy Brendan Shanahan’s explanation as for why Rick Nash of the New York Rangers wasn’t suspended for his hit on Tomas Kopecky.

But we imagine more than a few fans will appreciate the latest from “MAKAVELI”, the merry YouTube prankster and Vancouver Canucks loyalist that created the infamous “Emellishment City” for the Boston Bruins. Here’s “NHL Wheel of Justice”:

OK, the fake email was a bit hilarious.

Again, on the Nash hit: The head wasn’t targeted nor was it the principal point of contact. There wasn’t an injury. I’d have still given him a game because, frankly, it’s a hit they want out of the NHL. But I don’t see this as the insult to good judgment others do.

Getty ImagesWith the Tampa Bay Lightning sitting 14th in the Eastern Conference and having just won 4 times in their past 14 games, GM Steve Yzerman announced on Sunday morning that head coach Guy Boucher had been fired.

From the Lightning:

"Guy has poured his heart and soul into the Lightning organization for these past three years and we appreciate all the work he has done," said Yzerman upon making the announcement. "But ultimately I am not satisfied with the direction we are heading and I believe making a change today is in the best interest of our franchise."

Having lost the first two of a Canadian trip earlier this week, Boucher said he needed to "create urgency" heading into this weekend's games against the Ottawa Senators and Winnipeg Jets. The Lightning responded Saturday afternoon by allowing four first period goals in a 5-3 loss to the Senators. Yzerman had seen enough.

Things had not been heading in the right direction for the Lightning all season. Goaltender Anders Lindback, who Yzerman acquired from Nashville over the summer, hasn't played up to par. Injuries have plagued the lineup, as well, but unlike the Senators, the team and Boucher weren't able to find success in spite of them. Just look at their roster against the Senators and you'll find it was littered with rookies and players who have spent time in the AHL this season.

The team announced that Boucher's assistants, Martin Raymond and Dan Lacroix, will handle the coaching duties for Sunday's game in Winnipeg.

Beyond Sunday, who might Yzerman turn to for relief? Now that he's a free agent, Lindy Ruff will be linked to any open job, and he does have a tie to Yzerman through their Team Canada connection. If Yzerman decides to go the AHL route again, he can turn to Jon Cooper, who currently runs the Syracuse Crunch bench, Tampa's minor league affiliate. Given the number of Lightning players who have played for Cooper, it wouldn't be a surprise if Yzerman turns to him, at least for the short-term.

In his first year as head coach in 2010-11, Boucher helped Tampa make a 23-point improvement in the standings and led them to within a victory of playing for the Stanley Cup, before falling to the eventual champion Boston Bruins. The Lightning then finished last season with 19 less points and missed the playoffs.

With 17 games left in their season and only five points out of the eighth spot in the East, there is time for Yzerman to repair this, but will the results show a quick fix like with Boucher or have a lasting effect?

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy

Martin Brodeur's win was his 666th, which is fitting, because a) he plays for the Devils, and b) he's a beast.

No. 1 Star: Niklas Backstrom, Minnesota Wild

Backstrom made 33 saves for his first shutout of the season in Wild's 2-0 victory over the San Jose Sharks, their fifth consecutive victory. Ryan Suter added 2 assists in the win.

No. 2 Star: Thomas Vanek, Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres were outshot 39-18 by the Montreal Canadiens, but Vanek was the difference, scoring both goals as the club stole a 2-1 victory. Here's Vanek's game-winner, on which he shows some incredible presence of mind to finish off the tic-tac-toe play by taking this puck across the crease:

If you're looking for evidence that Artem Anisimov got hit in the head, I direct your attention to the stream of blood pouring from a cut next to his eye.

Richard Clune of the Nashville Predators received a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct for being on the other end of this collision, which occurred midway through the first period in the Predators' 5-2 walloping of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

There's no question it's a headshot. It may even be two. It's tough to tell from the replay, but the in-game announcers suggest that it was Clune's helmet that connected with Anisimov's face for the rare double headshot. Have a look for yourself:

If it's not Clune's head, it's his elbow or it's his forearm, and regardless of what part of his body it happens to be, the fact that it left Anisimov bleeding from the head is a bit of a smoking gun.

Working in Clune's favour: Anisimov wasn't hurt on the play (apart from the bleedy head). He remained in the game and even scored Columbus's second goal.

Working against Clune: it's a late hit, it's undoubtedly a high hit, and it may even be a leaping hit.

The angles we have available leave it somewhat inconclusive as to whether Clune left his feet to make contact. It looks as though he did, and he definitely elevated to Anisimov's head in a Lupul-esque fashion.

If the Department of Player Safety deems this one worthy of supplemental discipline, and I think they will, I'd expect to see a new angle on this collision, as well as a spotlight on Clune's skates in relation to the ice at the moment of impact.

Another day, another suspendable hit in the NHL. This time, it's Colby Robak of the Florida Panthers, who was thrown out of Saturday's game versus the New Jersey Devils after a dangerous crosscheck that sent Tim Sestito headlong into the end boards:

Stupid.

I could never say I'm 100% positive something is going to get a suspension, especially after Friday, when I went 0-for-2 on my Department of Player Safety predictions, but this one looks like a pretty surefire Shanaban to me. Robak received a five-minute major for crosschecking and a game misconduct for the hit, and he's very likely to get more.

(UPDATE: Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record reports that Robak will not be disciplined.)

It sounds like Sestito's okay. “It’s fortunate I don’t think Timmy’s too bad,” Bryce Salvador said after the game. “Those are the hits they’re trying to get out and it’s just fortunate nothing bad came of that because that’s scary.”

The replay at 1:04 makes it clear just how scary. Sestito is charging

The Nashville Predators came very close to losing both members of their top defensive pairing this summer, but after an offer sheet scare, they did manage to hold onto Shea Weber. Ryan Suter, on the other hand, jumped ship for Minnesota, and in so doing, broke up what was, at one time and for quite some time, the best defensive tandem in the game.

With Suter moving on, the hockey world turned from speculating over whether the Predators would be able to retain both to speculating over which of the two defenders would have the most success divorced from the other.

Through 30 games, it's been Suter.

He leads the NHL in time on ice, he's second in defensive scoring to Pittsburgh's Kris Letang with 24 points in 29 games, and as the Wild surge up in the standings, he's injected himself into the Norris trophy discussion.

But that's not to say we were wrong all this time, showering praise and Norris nominations on Weber while Suter played second fiddle in Nashville. Weber really was the standout on that pairing. Still, it seems clear now that he benefited greatly from having a Ryan Suter alongside him. Now he doesn't.

But Suter does.

Sorry, but is there a lighted tree in the corner of the living room and a jolly old man in a red suit sliding down the chimney with toys? Because it feels like Christmas morning …

The Jonathan Cheechoo Song is back!

As you know, Cheechoo is the Moose Factory, Ontario native who shocked the NHL with 56 goals in 2005-06 and then 37 more the following season with the San Jose Sharks. After that … well, he scored 40 NHL goals in the next three NHL seasons combined, and has been languishing in the American Hockey League ever since.

Whenever Cheechoo moves to a new team, his No. 1 fan Aaron Bell creates a new video for his tribute song to the journeyman hockey player, built around this unforgettable lyric:

"Train, train, Cheechoo train/
The [Insert Current Team Here] are gonna win this game/
CHEE-CHOO (oh yeah)/CHEE-CHOO"

The last version was “The Greatest Jonathan Cheechoo Song in the History of Ever”, featuring the Mayor of Awesometown (a.k.a. Peoria, Illinois).

Now, here’s the just-released “The New and Improved Even More Better Cheechoo Song (Oklahoma City)”, celebrating Cheechoo’s rather successful (21 points in 21 games) stint with the Oklahoma City Barons, the Edmonton Oilers’ affiliate.

AND. IT. RAWKS.

Now, please join us for a journey back through the Jonathan Cheechoo Song catalogue …

Getty ImagesNo. 1 Star: Justin Abdelkader, Detroit Red Wings

Abdelkader had a monster night in the Red Wings’ 5-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. He had a hat trick, with one goal in the first and two in the second, and assisted on Johan Franzen’s third-period goal for a 4-point night. It was his first career trick.

No. 2 Star: Nick Foligno, Columbus Blue Jackets

Foligno scored two goals in 51 seconds during the second period to give the Jackets a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, as Columbus pushed its franchise record points steak to 12 games with a 5-1 win over the Calgary Flames.

No. 3 Star: Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals

The Caps goalie made 30 saves as his team swept two games in Winnipeg, this time in a 6-1 rout. Alex Ovechkin had two goals.