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Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:25 pm EDT

Puck Previews: Havlat back in Chicago; Kovalchuk out month

By Greg Wyshynski

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: Minnesota Wild at Chicago Blackhawks, 8 p.m. EST. Your Versus game of the night (sorry, DirecTV customers). Naturally, there was only one place to go when trying to find out Martin Havlat's(notes) take on returning to Chicago for the first time in the regular season: His Twitter feed. Alas, as of 6 p.m., the last time he updated was on Oct. 20 with the message "Be there in 5 minutes." Oh well. The Blackhawks are reading to face Havlat, who had some success against them during their preseason action. Minnesota is trying to win its first road game of the season (0-7-0).

Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at Anaheim Ducks, 10 p.m. EST. How nervous are Ducks fans about this game? A winless Brian Burke/Ron Wilson team comes to town to face an Anaheim team with one win at home (1-4) and in the midst of a three-game losing streak? Oh, and it's Monster time, too, as Jonas Gustavsson(notes) gets to nod for Toronto.

Preview: Phoenix Coyotes at New York Rangers, 7 p.m. EST. The triumphant return of Petr Prucha(notes) to MSG!

Preview: New York Islanders at Montreal Canadiens, 7:30 p.m. EST. Mark Streit(notes) on leaving the Habs for the Islanders: "Sometimes you have to make a move to get the respect and that's what I did."

Evening Reading

• The Atlanta Thrashers lose star Ilya Kovalchuk(notes) for four weeks with a broken bone in the top of his right foot. As a coach, John Anderson is contractually obligated to say the following nonsense: "Even if Kovy scores five goals one game, if the other team scores six, it doesn't matter. We need to play like a team." [AJC]

• St. Louis Blues forward D.J. King(notes) is out for 8-10 weeks with a fractured and dislocated hand. [Blues]

• The 20 things you don't know about Steven Stamkos(notes). Well done, Tampa Bay Lightning. What's he most afraid of? "Goaltender Mike Smith's(notes) home cooking." [Lightning]

• For NHL Draft nuts, Western College Hockey Blog has some 2010 coverage today. [WCH]

• The New Jersey Devils are running contest where the winning Halloween costume gets either "a catered suite for up to 20 guests at a New Jersey Devils home game at the Prudential Center (game selected by the New Jersey Devils) or "Four (4) premium tickets for a Miley Cyrus concert at Prudential Center on Sunday, November 8th." Hmmm ... suite for the Panthers/Thrashers/Undesirable Western Conference opponent or Hannah Montana ... decisions, decisions. [Devils]

• The Pittsburgh Penguins all-decade team, a.k.a. a world in which Jaromir Jagr(notes) and Evgeni Malkin(notes) play together on the second line. Sick. [Pensburgh]

Puck Buddy Comment of the Day: From 4th and Long on the Peter Puck post today:

"Is it just me or does the guy who gets most of the penalties look a lot like Chris Pronger(notes)? In 1974, no less. Apparently, Peter Puck invented time travel!"

Is there anything Peter Puck can't do, really?

Bold Prediction: The Leafs get their first 'W' this evening. As in "win."

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21 Comments

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  1. Dru
    1. Posted by Dru Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:32 pm EDT

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    Sorry, the Leafs will get their first W as in trip to the "Wambulance"
  2. UGA Dawg
    2. Posted by UGA Dawg Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:49 pm EDT

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    John Anderson is right. He's not spewing nonsense. The Thrashers have to play better defense in order to win games. Ilya Kovalchuk has nine goals, but the team is damn lucky to have a winning record right now. I don't expect national NHL media folks to know (or care) a whole lot about the Thrashers and their problems, but Slava Kozlov, Todd White and Bryan Little all need to step up now. They haven't played well so far. If they play better while Kovalchuk is on the shelf, the team will be fine.
  3. MarkT
    3. Posted by MarkT Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:49 pm EDT

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    Streit is the man!
  4. lurdane22
    4. Posted by lurdane22 Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:12 pm EDT

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    Can we get Hannah in goal??
  5. Jay
    5. Posted by Jay Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:18 pm EDT

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    UGA Dawg, agreed. I'm excited to see how Evander Kane does with Top Six minutes going forward. He's a great young player.
  6. GD Maroon
    6. Posted by GD Maroon Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:21 pm EDT

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    No way the Leafs win tonight. Hiller is in place to secure the nets full time for the Ducks.
  7. Wyshynski
    7. Posted by Wyshynski Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:49 pm EDT

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    @ UGA Dawg --
    The nonsense part is about the usual coach-speak that comes when a team is devestated by an injury, as Atlanta is.
    But please, become yet another Thrashers fan who falls on his or her sword about how the rest of the world doesn't care about the Rhrashers.
  8. carl c
    8. Posted by carl c Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:50 pm EDT

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    Thrashers will be fine if defense will finally show up. We have plenty of talent to score goals. Just need to learn to stop goals !! and shots.
  9. Sara
    9. Posted by Sara Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:59 pm EDT

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    The Thrashers went 3-1 last year when they lost Kovy to injury in March, with the one loss to the Red Wings. Now 4 games isn't the 12 they'll face without him this year, but it's not like they haven't proven in the past they can in fact win without him. Especially given this team is deeper and overall better than the one last year.
    It won't necessarily be pretty but it isn't a guaranteed armageddon.
  10. Guy F
    10. Posted by Guy F Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:40 pm EDT

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    @ Sara : What I hope does NOT happen is that they throw too much at Kane too soon. He's 18, he should really be playing in Vancouver IMO. (okay, as a Giants fan, I'm biased, but still...)
    Case in point : In 2008 TWO defensemen were drafted in the first round out of Kelowna (Rockets, Western Hockey League) Luke Schenn went 5th overall, Tyler Myers went 12th. Myers was sent back to junior and improved his footspeed, gained confidence, grew another inch and took his club to the Memorial Cup Finals.
    This year, at 19 and after a spectacular season like that last year, Myers was prepared to make the jump. At this point he is the best rookie in the NHL. Luke Schenn was not sent back to junior last year and played in the NHL. He played for a losing, desperate organization (not calling the Thrashers that, but they are a playoff-bubble team). Schenn was put in a position he did not belong. He did play well last year but it was extremely draining, both physically and mentally, for an eighteen year-old. This year he is brutal and will most likely watch a few games from the press box. Rushing 18 year-olds is a HUGE mistake. Gilbert Brule was rushed by that moron Maclean in Columbus. It's taken Brule the better part of three years, and a change of scenery, to find his confidence and get his game back. Thankfully, he's playing well in Edmonton.
    Anyway, bummer about Kovy.
  11. Aaron
    11. Posted by Aaron Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:49 pm EDT

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    Well Wysh, if you want to go solely on the percentage of stories featuring Thrashers content that doesn't focus solely on Kovalchuk leaving or the team moving, then yea, a valid point could be made that the rest of the world doesn't care about the Thrashers.
    Excellent point on the coach speak, tho. What does that sentence even mean?
  12. Aaron
    12. Posted by Aaron Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:52 pm EDT

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    Guy F - Totally agreed about Kane. If he has to stay with Atlanta (which it looks to be the case), I'd rather see him continue with the third line minutes and someone like Stapleton come up from Chicago to take his place.
  13. duckfan
    13. Posted by duckfan Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:52 pm EDT

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    wow are u effin stupid ducks are cat leafs are mouse [profane]
  14. big audio
    14. Posted by big audio Mon Oct 26, 2009 9:19 pm EDT

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    I just heard Gaborik limped from the bench to the locker room. if he is hurt, the Rangers are in deep trouble.
  15. NYR34
    15. Posted by NYR34 Mon Oct 26, 2009 9:32 pm EDT

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    Gaborik left tonight's game in the third period with an undisclosed injury and did not return.
  16. NHL_SharksFinatic
    16. Posted by NHL_SharksFinatic Mon Oct 26, 2009 10:40 pm EDT

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    Actually, I believe Anderson's comments on Kovy are true. I was at Saturday night's game, and it took me a while to realize that Kovy wasn't out there (and Setoguchi too). However, they played some solid hockey during the second half of the game... if they can just pull of a complete effort, they'll be all set.
  17. NHL_SharksFinatic
    17. Posted by NHL_SharksFinatic Mon Oct 26, 2009 10:45 pm EDT

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    Seriously though, has anyone read those "20 Things" about Stamkos? Seriously though, Nordstrom's , dolphins and stars...
  18. Dan
    18. Posted by Dan Mon Oct 26, 2009 10:51 pm EDT

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    Stamkos has Two and a Half Men recorded on his TiVo because it reminds him of himself, Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St Louis.
  19. Bryan B
    19. Posted by Bryan B Tue Oct 27, 2009 12:16 am EDT

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    Greg,
    Will there be more Hockey Night on Y! games? Usually I'm stuck watching the same regional team or the four teams NBC/Versus like to spew over and over. Yahoo has been a refreshing breath of puck induced air.
    Thanks
  20. Tacks
    20. Posted by Tacks Tue Oct 27, 2009 12:27 am EDT

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    Wysh nice prediction but you forgot to add the footnote, Leafs get their first W tonight.*
    * With the refs giving them a two point layup as a result of going 6-for-10 on the powerplay including three 5-on-3 chances.
    Yeesh, that wasn't even a game, the ducks were only playing with 3 to 4 players.
  21. Panda God
    21. Posted by Panda God Tue Oct 27, 2009 2:11 am EDT

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    @ Tacks
    Sheesh, how specific do you want him to get? Who do you think he is, Sean Leahy?

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Greg Wyshynski

Puck Daddy is an NHL blog edited by Greg Wyshynski. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

Contributors:
Sean Leahy, Ross McKeon, Matt Romig, Dmitry Chesnokov, Ryan Lambert, Dobber, Scott Pianowski,

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