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.

• It's long been a secret dream of ours to have a Puck Daddy meme inspire a T-shirt that will eventually become a wonderful addition to your dust rag collection. So thank you, Nick Maggio, for bringing the David Backes/"Inglorious Basterds" post to its logical end with this incredible shirt available for $17.75 and just in time for huntin' Canadians at the Oh-lympics. Seriously, we want every St. Louis Blues fan within an inch of a TV camera at a home game rocking these duds; and proud patriots all over the U.S. of A to let'em know we're collectin' sticks ... Canadian sticks. [Zazzle, and again, we're just the inspiration, not the retailer; next up, Gloating Bruins Fan?]

Preview: Nashville Predators at Detroit Red Wings, 7:30 p.m. EST. The Preds lead the Wings by two points, and it's a pretty critical game for momentum in both cases: Detroit's lost three straight and Nashville's on a four-game skid. Among the disturbing trends for the Red Wings in their 1-3-3 stretch overall: Sloppy defense. FYI: We will have a fresh update of the Red Wings/Penguins NBC Drinking Game for Sunday; hopefully Detroit fans wouldn't see it as a necessity.

Preview: Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres, 7:30 p.m. Gain a Marc Savard(notes), lose a Marco Sturm(notes) for the Bruins, but that's just how it's been. Still, if anything is going to kick-start this moribund offense, it'll be their No. 1 pivot. No U.S. Olympic goaltending showdown, as Tuukka Rask(notes) is expected to face Ryan Miller(notes). Boo. Watch The Game Live Via Hockey Night on Y!

Preview: Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars, 8:30 p.m. The Stars are often mentioned as a team potentially in the Sheldon Souray(notes) Derby, as he'd fit rather perfectly on their blue line. Well, Adrian Dater has thought this thing through, and it's actually Colorado where Souray should go. Provided, you know, if he wants to. Adam Foote(notes) has been activated from the IR for the Avs.

Check out previews and updated scores for all of today's games (like the ones in progress) on the Y! Sports NHL scores and scheds page.

Evening Reading

• Where have you been all of our lives, Sean Avery(notes) Haiku generator? [Hockey and Bacon]

• Wonderful video in which Martin Brodeur(notes) shoots pucks at a reporter's head. [Wall Street Journal]

• Analyzing the budding goalie controversy for the Ottawa Senators between Pascal Leclaire(notes) and Brian Elliott(notes). [Off The Posts]

• Three-day College Hockey FanFest before the Frozen Four in Detroit? Yes please. [WCHB]

• More Hockey Weekend in America details. Did you wear your favorite jersey to work today? [Hockey Wilderness]

• David Booth(notes) could be back within the next week for the Florida Panthers. [Sun Sentinel]

• What all the teams in the NHL might be looking for potentially at the trade deadline maybe. [NHL]

• Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray speaks out about those Bobby Ryan(notes) trade rumors. Which ones? We have no idea either. Well, he's not being traded, so there. [ESPN]

• Finally, Jimmy Shapiro passes along the Bodog.com odds for the gold medal winner at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. So, 15-to-1 on Tomas Vokoun(notes)? Hmmm...

Canada 1/1
Russia  2/1
Sweden 11/2
USA  7/1
Czech Republic 15/1
Finland  16/1
Slovakia  40/1
Switzerland 125/1
Germany 400/1
Belarus  500/1
Latvia 500/1
Norway 500/1

Puck Buddy Comment of the Day: Regarding Ryan Miller's Olympic mask, Certified Assassin writes:

Uncle Sam reminds me of that episode from Southpark where Cartman, Kyle, Kenny, and Stan pretend they are anime ninjas with ninja weapons... "Let's fighting love!" and "Protect my balls!"

Probably not what they were going for with that one.

Bold Prediction: Calling it -- Steve Ott(notes) goal for Dallas.