Howard out 2-4 weeks; Schenn fined for cross-check; Jagr visits Penguins (Puck Headlines)
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 SB Nation and Reddit comes this Canadianized beer pong table: Alcohockey.
• It's Monster time in Detroit as Jimmy Howard will miss the next 2-4 weeks with an MCL sprain. Could this mean it's Jonas Gustavsson vs. the Maple Leafs on Jan. 1? Juicy. [MLive]
• Brayden Schenn has been fined a whopping $2,230.77 for cross-checking Kris Versteeg Wednesday night. That'll teach him! [NHL]
• Jamie Benn was snubbed from Team Canada's orientation camp. He's used it for motivation and increased his chances of ending up in Sochi. [ESPN]
• The Devils visit Pittsburgh for the last time this regular season Friday night. Could it be Jaromir Jagr's final time playing in front of Penguins fans? Possibly, which is why they should appreciate all he did for the franchise. [Tribune-Review]
• Brooks Orpik skated Friday morning with other injured Penguins before their morning skate. He's suffering from concussion symptoms. [PensBurgh]
• Cam Janssen on Orpik: "If Orpik would have just stepped up – all he had to do was grab and hold on, hold on to him – then everything would have quieted down. You stuck up for yourself. You knocked [Bruins forward Loui Eriksson] out. You stuck up for yourself. All of sudden it’s over. You fought. Boom." [Post-Gazette]
• He's spent this season doing television commentary, but Jamal Mayers has made it official that he's retiring after 14 NHL seasons. [NHLPA]
• A great read from Chris Peters on how Charlie Coyle's moment with a fan should remind us all about the good things in sports. [United States of Hockey]
• Why the Penguins' Stadium Series jerseys are the bench of the bunch so far. [Hockey by Design]
• Brian Burke didn't waste much time in making moves as interim GM of the Flames. Sven Baertschi has been sent down to the AHL. [Flames Nation]
• Ron MacLean on Alex Ovechkin's great season: "I don’t think he is as good. I’ll tell you what I think is a problem here. He’s minus-ten I think. He’s got nine assists. He’s not producing goals other than his own. Their team is not… they might miss the playoffs. You know, Steve Yzerman was a 60-goal guy. It was fun to watch, but it wasn’t winning hockey." OK then. [RMNB]
• Jonathan Drouin's presence at Canada's World Junior camp is questionable as he still deals the effects of a concussion. [Buzzing the Net]
• NHL players: terrible nicknamers. [Oil on Whyte]
• Is P.A. Parenteau a fantasy hockey stud or dud this season? [Dobber Hockey]
• The head coach of Canada's Olympic women's team resigned abruptly, hours before an exhibition game citing his feeling that there were doubts about his abilities. [CTV]
• "Just how bad are the Toronto Maple Leafs?" Regression's a helluva thing. [NHL Numbers]
• Pittsburgh Penguins as Harry Potter characters. James Neal is your Draco Malfoy. [The Pens Nation]
• "Scientists Believe Hockey Players May Communicate By Banging Sticks Against Boards." [The Onion]
• Finally, here's a behind-the-scenes look at the Bakersfield Condors and how they come up with their quirky marketing ideas:
