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.

Preview: Buffalo Sabres at Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m. EST. One day after topping the Calgary Flames at home, the Sabres visit Philly in a game that can give them a true test of how good they really are. Ray Emery(notes) is expected to be in net for the Flyers after backstopping them to wins in their last five games. In that stretch Emery has posted a .954 save-percentage and 1.39 goals-against average. It should be quite the goaltending duel between Ryan Miller(notes) and Emery. 

Preview: San Jose Sharks at St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m. EST. Times are tough for the Blues and owner Dave Checketts let it be know that he's not happy: "All year long, we should compete for first or second in our division. This team is good enough and that's what we expect from them. I think everyone can expect that. And it's top to bottom ... everybody in the organization has to be on that page. It's time to win. We have everything we need to win. There's no excuse." They'll face a red hot Sharks team that is 8-0-2 in their last ten games. 

Preview: Vancouver Canucks at Colorado Avalanche, 10 p.m. EST. A losing streak is going to come to end as these two face each other for the third time already season (both shutouts). Milan Hejduk(notes) is expected to be back in the lineup for the Avs who are trying to avoid a three-game losing streak, which would be their longest of the season.

Check out the Y! Sports scores and schedule page for previews of the other three games tonight.

Evening Reading

-The Florida Panthers will announce new ownership on Monday that promise "We're going to be there with them, we're going to be crying with them, we're going to be laughing with them." With them, not at them. [Sun-Sentinel]

-Evgeni Malkin(notes) returns tonight for the Pittsburgh Penguins, but they lose Chris Kunitz(notes) for two weeks. [Tribune-Review]

-Superstitions on the Chicago Blackhawks include: boxing the team trainer, carrying a tennis ball, and a "4:30 chew".  [ESPN Chicago]

-Sure, Rick Nash's(notes) shootout winnerl last night wacky and fun, but Maxim Afinogenov(notes) showed us some vintage dangling against the Kings:

Puck Buddy Comment of the Day: "Hi, I'm Marty's sister in Law, and he will always be number one with me."

Bold Prediction: Anze Kopitar(notes) takes a stranglehold on the scoring lead with a three-point night. 

Related: Anze Kopitar, Evgeni Malkin, Chris Kunitz, Rick Nash, Ray Emery, Ryan Miller, Milan Hejduk, Maxim Afinogenov, Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks