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Here are your Evening 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.

Preview: Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (7:30 p.m. EDT; TV: VS). In case you've forgotten why the Flyers didn't advance to the Stanley Cup finals, there's a eulogy you may want to read. The first edition of this season's Battle of Pennsylvania will have 100 percent fewer reference to R.J. Umberger and Ryan Malone both being from Pittsburgh, which makes The Pensblog happy. Petr Sykora's due back tonight for the Pens. Empty Netters has a preview of the Flyers. Over on Flyers Goal Scored By ..., this rivalry is summarized thusly: "We all know what happens when these two teams play each other. One team wins, one team loses, and both teams leave banged up and bloody."

Alexander Radulov writes in a letter that he wants to remain in the KHL and not return to the NHL or the Nashville Predators. Perhaps the KHL will remember this strongly-worded letter if it ever stops running away from arbitration like a frightened squirrel. [Tennessean]

• Speaking of the KHL, more Alexei Cherepanov remembrance, reaction and fallout from Mark Spector, Bob McKenzie and Dave Pollard. Official cause of death: "Chronic ischemia, a medical condition when not enough blood gets to the heart or other organs," and the lack of medical attention and technology to save him. 

Preview: Minnesota Wild at Atlanta Thrashers (7 p.m. EDT; TV: FSNO). Marian Gaborik has four goals in five games against the Thrashers, but we all know why this game is the most highly anticipated of the night: It's Todd White's first game against his old team from Minnesota. Adjust your schedules accordingly. Zach Bogosian is a healthy scratch.

• Def Leppard's Joe Elliott blames NHL for Stanley Cup goof, because he used a coffeemaker during practice. [Snapshots]

• It's going to be quite difficult for Tampa Bay Lightning No. 1 pick Steven Stamkos to win the Calder if he's averaging just 9:47 of ice time. Too bad he doesn't play defense. [Lightning Strikes]

Preview: Colorado Avalanche at Calgary Flames (9:30 p.m. EDT; TV: TSN). Two teams looking for their first win, and in Colorado's case its first point in the standings. Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper was in the Flames locker room today, allegedly giving the team a pep talk despite being slightly less powerful than Mike Keenan. Well, at least in Keenan's mind.

Ryan Hollweg has made one hell of an impression in Toronto, as the media has already lashed out at the Toronto Maple Leafs forward as being an "oaf on skates doesn't score goals, or set up plays, or generate a forecheck or even protect his teammates." [Orland Kurtenblog]

• Eric McErlain would like to expand the Alexander Ovechkin/Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin conversation to Alexander Semin. [Sporting Blog]

Mats Sundin is in Toronto! That's where the Leafs play! What does it all mean?! (We really don't miss the summer. At all.) [ESPN]

Preview: Columbus Blue Jackets at San Jose Sharks (10:30 p.m. EDT; TV: FSOH, CSBA).  The Sharks and newbie coach Todd McLellan are trying for the first 4-0 start in franchise history. Marcel Goc should make his first start tonight. Meanwhile, Chimera-Brassard-Voracek is a smokin' hot line for the Jackets.

• This hockey fan sign indicates of a level of planning that is just plain disturbing. [Waiting for Stanley]

• After losing Jochen Hecht (who just had surgery), Paul Gaustad and Tim Connolly to injury, the Buffalo Sabres are little thin up the middle. Wait, Tim Connolly? Injured? Get out. [Sabres]

• Uh, wasn't Brian Rolston supposed to make the New Jersey Devils power-play more gooder and stuff? [Fire & Ice]

Preview: Anaheim Ducks at Los Angeles Kings (10:30 p.m. EDT; TV: FSW).  Travis Moen should be available tonight for the Ducks, and there's even a chance Rob Niedermayer will be back from his injured foot. Meanwhile, Sean O'Donnell faces his former teammates and is brutally honest: "In a perfect world, I think every player would love to have a great game and have the other team scratch their head and say, 'Maybe we made a mistake.' It's not going to happen, but you just want to go out there and play as hard as you can."

• Finally, here's something we'll never see again:

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16 Comments

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  1. carl_vs_mastershake
    1. Posted by carl_vs_mastershake Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:18 pm EDT

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    Will everyone stop with the "Battle of" CA, PA, NY. It started as the Battle for Alberta, it should end there.
    Montreal Fans beat the Pens to Rocky last season but why niitty pick(I'm so clever I should work for yahoo). Niitymaki is in goal tonight and the Pens will fake a shot, Niity goes down puck gets passed cross ice and shot in behind him.
  2. Karina
    2. Posted by Karina Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:35 pm EDT

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    That photo needs a caption contest....
  3. Dr.Death
    3. Posted by Dr.Death Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:40 pm EDT

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    As far as the photo goes,all I can say is "Thank f'n god we'll never see that again!" Wait, Jeb is still breathing,right? Crap.....
  4. bleedorangenblack
    4. Posted by bleedorangenblack Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:09 pm EDT

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    Every one of the Flyers - Penguins games have been great hard fought old time hockey, and they do deserve to be called the battle of Pennsylvania. Now if the Flyers can break the Palin Pox, maybe we can win some, Thank Ed.
  5. mitchconnor
    5. Posted by mitchconnor Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:25 pm EDT

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    Yes, this is all Sarah Palin's fault. Actually it's more Ed Snider's fault for bringing her in here. Why would you knowingly bring such negative energy into the arena on opening night? It's supposed to be a time of celebration, not divisiveness. They can say "Well she's doing great things for hockey even if you don't agree with her politics" all they want; it doesn't make it right.
    I don't understand what Gagne meant when he said that he "saw some great stuff tonight" from the Flyers. What game was he watching? The Flyers are playing as well as Palin's Katie Couric interview right now. Awful.
  6. cm
    6. Posted by cm Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:33 pm EDT

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    Something we'll never see again? You mean Red Wings in the White House?
    Those are two sweaters I'll be happy to see retired!
  7. loilfan
    7. Posted by loilfan Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:55 pm EDT

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    I guess it makes sense that the rounded cup portion of the Stanley Cup would be upside, not being able to hold anything and the black flat part would be on top. 10 bucks he put the coffeemaker upside down too.
    Can anyone explain the #41 and # 43 reference?
    As for captions:
    Bush: 'Psst...what country is Detroit from?'
  8. cm
    8. Posted by cm Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:33 pm EDT

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    loilfan...I read 43 is for him, 43rd pres, and 41 was for the old man.
  9. J.S.
    9. Posted by J.S. Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:29 pm EDT

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    loilfan, if you don't know #41 was for Bush Sr. and #43 was for Bush version 2.0, then you probably shouldn't be cracking jokes about the current Commander-In-Chief's IQ.
    You fail.
  10. Hans Gruber
    10. Posted by Hans Gruber Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:58 pm EDT

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    When did the Rocky Statue become a muslum?
  11. sleza
    11. Posted by sleza Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:55 pm EDT

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    zetterberg looks like he wanna choke bush with that jersey... or then he is thinking about traditional swedish dishes
  12. Hans Gruber
    12. Posted by Hans Gruber Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:58 pm EDT

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    Is is possible that the cup weighs more than Hasek?
  13. GT
    13. Posted by GT Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:14 pm EDT

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    Is it too much to ask to have all the Sundin columns stop until he is SIGNED and actually playing a hockey game? Sundin is in the city where he owns a home? Wow, that is awesome news.
  14. books
    14. Posted by books Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:22 pm EDT

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    Are those penguin underoos on the crosby statute's head? It's not a cap and too small to be a shirt...
  15. ziggyny
    15. Posted by ziggyny Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:00 pm EDT

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    For the record, Jason S, many readers are not American and therefore have no reason to know what number your different presidents are. Trivia knowledge is not equivalent to IQ.
  16. Fact Finder
    16. Posted by Fact Finder Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:57 pm EDT

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    nor does politics belong in hockey. on another note, i was at the game involving the hollweg incident, if you can call it that. from my view, he definitely skated at andy with force, but the outcome resulting in a 5 minute major and game misconduct was over exagerated. the refs had it in for the leafs from the get go. they made very bad calls the whole night. the reason he got the game misconduct and eventual 3 game suspension is because they are trying to make an example of him...and he hit a teenager. anyone else would have received a 2 minute minor, though the league has cracked down on boarding calls and have handed out much stiffer penalties of recent. hitting from behind into the boards is not something i like at all, but he has been made a scape goat and it totally ruined the flow of the game and was the major reason the game even went to overtime.

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