No. 1 Star: Sidney Crosby(notes), Pittsburgh Penguins

One month to the day since his hat trick against the Montreal Canadiens, Crosby had good timing delivering his fourth career three-goal performance on free hat night at Mellon Arena. The Penguins captain added two assists for a five-point night as Pittsburgh the New York Rangers 8-3. Crosby is now tied for sixth in the scoring race with 30 points.

No. 2 Star: Johan Hedberg(notes), Atlanta Thrashers

"Moose" made 34 saves for his first shutout of the season in a 1-0 Thrashers victory. Atlanta entered the game on a 14-game losing streak against Philadelphia before Rich Peverley's(notes) 10th goal of the year put the Thrashers up for good. Hedberg has now won four of his five last starts and Atlanta is undefeated in their last three games. 

No. 3 Star: Eric Fehr(notes), Washington Capitals

Down a goal with under a minute to play and on the power play, Washington won a faceoff in the Montreal zone and Fehr knocked home a rebound to send the game into overtime. Nicklas Backstrom's(notes) goal in the shootout gave the Capitals a 4-3 win. Fehr ended the night with two goals giving him six on the year. He's currently half way to his single-season high of 12 goals which he reached last year.

Honorable mention: New Jersey kicked off the day with a 6-1 drubbing of the New York Islanders. Patrik Elias(notes) and Brian Rolston(notes) each contributed two goals and two assists. The Devils have now won their last six games at Prudential Center ...  With their net empty, the Ottawa Senators tied things with the Boston Bruins thanks to Milan Michalek's(notes) second goal of the game with 20 seconds remaining in the third period. Boston would eventually win in the shootout on Michael Ryder's(notes) goal ... Rich Peverley's 10th goal of the season was also his league-leading fifth game-winner ... Predators forward Martin Erat(notes) played in his 500th NHL game in Nashville's 4-1 win over the Florida Panthers. Dan Ellis(notes) stopped 23 shots for his first win in three weeks ... Continuing to push his name into consideration for a spot on the Canadian Olympic team, Tampa's Steven Stamkos(notes) scored his 17th goal of the season in a 4-3 overtime loss to Dallas. Stamkos now has seven points in his last four games ... With goals from seven different players and Ryan Kesler(notes) assisting on three of them, Vancouver took it to Edmonton early as the Canucks won 7-3. Colin MacDonald scored his first NHL goal for the Oilers in the second period ... Wayne Simmonds(notes) scored for the third straight game and Jack Johnson's(notes) goal in the shootout gave Los Angeles a 2-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Jon Quick(notes) made 32 saves in the win ... Buffalo Sabres rookie defenseman Tyler Myers(notes) chipped in three assists and vaulted himself into the top-10 among rookie scorers. Ryan Miller(notes) made 30 saves, including the stop of the night on Rod Brind'Amour(notes):

Did you know?: Heading into today, Edmonton led the NHL with 155 man-games lost to injury. (AP)

Dishonorable mention: Carolina extended their winless streak on the road to 0-10-3 and went 0-for-5 on the power play against Buffalo ... After Henrik Lundqvist(notes) allowed four of the five Lightning goals last night, New York Rangers netminder Stephen Valiquette(notes) took one for the team against the Penguins allowing all eight Pittsburgh goals on 33 shots. Rookie defenseman Michael Del Zotto(notes) finished a minus-five ... Matt Cooke(notes) caught Rangers rookie Artem Anisimov(notes) up high and after the game John Tortorella urged for changes to the NHL rulebook in regards to head shots ... After some pre-faceoff jostling, Atlanta's Colby Armstrong(notes) connected with James van Riemsdyk(notes) and then had to answer to Arron Asham(notes):

Things began on Wednesday night when Kaleta took a hit from Alex Ovechkin(notes) of the Washington Capitals in the third period and went face first into the boards at Verizon Center. Ovechkin was given a five-minute major for boarding, a 10-minute game misconduct and ejected from the game. (Strangely enough, Ovechkin's only other ejection also came against the Sabres after a late hit on Danny Briere(notes).) 

Capitals beat writer Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post reported today that the NHL spun its "Wheel of Justice" and it landed on "zero games" for Ovechkin. The only punishment doled out to him was the hefty $200 fine given to all players who receive game misconduct penalties.

This afternoon when the Sabres visited the Flyers, Kaleta handed out a controversial hit to Philadelphia rookie Jared Ross:

Kaleta was give a 5-minute major for boarding, a 10-minute misconduct and ejected from the game. Does he deserve supplemental discipline?

As we've said before, there's no sense guessing because predicting whether or not a hit warrants supplemental discipline from the NHL is a fool's game as we've seen time and time again. After watching the play numerous times, Kaleta isn't skating in at a high speed and the moment he commits to making the check, Ross' body is turned away from the boards. It's midway through Kaleta's check that Ross turns his body towards the boards, causing the ugliness of the hit which was very similar to the Michael Liambas hit on Ben Fanelli from the OHL a few weeks back. 

After the game, Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren wasn't calling for a suspension:

“It’s a little bit of a tactic now, where players will turn toward the boards and draw a penalty,” general manager Paul Holmgren said. “I don’t think Jared was trying to do that. But it’s certainly a dangerous area, and [the hit] is going to lead to a lot of discussion.”

Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff defended Kaleta's hit:

"[Ross] knew he was coming," Ruff said. "He took a quick look right before, and then he turned. The difference there is it was a young player called up, he knows he's going to get hit on a heavy forecheck, and at the last second you're asking our player to hit the brakes."

As Matt from The 700 Level wrote, a controversial hit from Kaleta, a player with a reputation, and an end result of Ross leaving the game injured has typically added up to a suspension from the NHL. Buffalo hosts Carolina tomorrow night so any decision would have to be made rather quickly.

Stick tap to DayWalk3r for the video

"Do you have a strange, pseudo-sexual devotion to a Russian professional athlete playing in your town or are you just happy to see me?"

Well, never let it be said the Capitals fans are ashamed to stand up and be counted, although clearly this "Rock the Red" thing has been taken to new heights. Perhaps the most surprising thing about these "Erection for Ovechkin" shirts is that they were available at Bleacher Shirts before Leonsis could trademark the term for his official team store ...

Alas, we were unable to locate any "Turgid for Turco" or "Engorged for Gorges" casual wear, but that isn't to say there aren't a ton of creative T-shirts floating around e-retailers onthe Web.

Here's a sampling of them in our unofficial Black Friday holiday hockey shirt buying guide, for the puckheads you love (or, of course, for yourself, you selfish jerk).

And here ... we ... go.

This Pavel Datsyuk shirt is perfect for the 100-point center in your life than can only get to 97. Cool design, with the faux Soviet propaganda look. Although the lack of the word "dangle" appearing anywhere on it is a Chris-Osgood-in-the-regular-season-sized letdown. [Café Press, $22]

There are a few Sean Avery "Avery Rules" tribute T-shirts out there, but this design is one of the most creative. Now you can wear the actual goalie interference rule that protects the Marty Brodeurs of the world from the pests. Finally, an Avery T-shirt that Gary Bettman can't swing the ban hammer to make disappear. Buy it now, or head to the sloppy secondhand store in a few years. [DecayNY, $21.99]

As the KB Store says: "Cam Neely. Great player, amazing actor. Does not like Ulf Samuelsson." We actually own one of these "Sea Bass" shirts, which are a tribute to Cam's incredible supporting role in "Dumb & Dumber." A much more subtle tribute than this shirt, although clearly not as gloriously red-necky. [Kurtentees, $24.99]

There was a mini-explosion of Patrick Kane gear after his incident with that cabbie forced him into court and into one of the most awkward Olympic apologies since Tonya Harding. But this 20-Cent baby jumper is not only adorable but offers hope that the Lil' Kaner will one day grow up to be four dimes, or maybe even three quarters. [Café Press, $12.50]

Throw this Milan Lucic shirt under a black jacket and it counts as formalwear at most Boston area fine dining establishments. Remember: They're not booing, they're Luuuuuuuching. [Zazzle, $21]

These shirts are available in plenty of e-retailer T-shirt shops, and for good reason: Few other shirts combine classic hockey iconography with tasteless juvenile humor ... which is to say that few shirts capture what makes hockey "hockey" as perfectly. Available in a vomit-inducing light green. [Café Press, $22]

One of our favorite hockey legends comes to life on this Buffalo Sabres ... er, "Katanas" shirt that celebrates the life of a player that never was. As the Sabres recalled on their Web site, Punch Imlach pulled a fast one back in the 1974 draft:

Bored, and exhausted with the tedium of looking at players that had a slim chance of ever making the roster, he decided to pull one of the more creative pranks in Sabres history. Sending a secretary to find some common Japanese names, Imlach soon came up with the imaginary Taro Tsujimoto of the Tokyo Katanas - literally translating to the Tokyo Sabres (Katana is a type of Japanese samurai sword).

Imlach 'fessed up near training camp that Taro didn't exist. This shirt is hockey fable bliss. [Twoeightnine, $25]

"It's not so much me as it is Roenick...he's good." This Jeremy Roenick shirt serves as a tribute both to his video game dominance but to his legacy in the movie "Swingers." So yeah, it's a conversation piece. Perfect for those occasions when you use the deke move to score 27 goals against someone who doesn't know how to control the goalie, making him throw the controller at a pile of empty beer cans. [Muse, $27]

This is obviously just a small sample of the hockey shirts floating out there. If you know of other clever ones, hit us at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or toss them into the comments below. We'll probably have another round of these closer to the Christmas.

The highly anticipated debut of Hossa was not a disappointment for the Blackhawks and their fans. A 7-2 rout of the San Jose Sharks included three consecutive shorthanded goals chasing Evgeni Nabokov(notes) after the second period. Hossa scored twice with one of his tallies coming shorthanded. It was the second time in the past week that Chicago has scored seven goals in a game. 

No. 2 star: Ondrej Pavelec(notes), Atlanta Thrashers

Thrashers fans are quickly forgetting about injured-goaltender Kari Lehtonen(notes) with every stunning performance by Pavelec. Stopping 40 Detroit shots, Pavelec blanked the Red Wings 2-0 for his seventh win of the season. It was the ninth time this season that Atlanta has allowed 35 or more shots with Pavelec in goal. Almost ruining the shutout was Henrik Zetterberg(notes) who came close to taking advantage of a Pavelec turnover before being robbed. 

No. 3 star: Semyon Varlamov(notes), Washington Capitals

The Capitals rookie came up big making 25 saves and posting his first career regular-season shutout in the NHL as Washington blanked Buffalo 2-0. Varlamov, who had lost his previous two starts in overtime, improved his record to 9-1-2. Washington remains tied with Pittsburgh atop the Eastern Conference standings with 34 points. 

Honorable Mention: Niklas Hagman's(notes) pair of goals and rookie Carl Gunnarsson's(notes) three helpers were key in Toronto's 4-3 win over Tampa Bay ... Sidney Crosby(notes) now has 23 points in 16 games against the Montreal Canadiens after scoring a goal and adding an assist in Pittsburgh's 3-1 win. Marc-Andre Fleury(notes) made 18 stops for his third straight win ... Jamie Langenbrunner(notes) set up Patrik Elias'(notes) first goal of the season, the game-winner, in the second period and added an insurance tally with the Senators net empty as New Jersey defeated Ottawa 3-1. Martin Brodeur(notes) stopped 24 shots for his 570th career NHL win. Props to Devils color analyst Sherry Ross who made history tonight becoming the first woman to do full play-by-play of a NHL game in English ... Slava Kozlov(notes) scored his fifth goal in six games against his former team, the Detroit Red Wings ... Jonathan Quick stopped 22 shots and Wayne Simmonds(notes) tallied a goal and an assist in Los Angeles' 3-1 win on the road in Edmonton ... Teemu Selanne's(notes) 12th goal of the season was originally the insurance marker for Anaheim until it turned into the game-winner when Carolina's Brandon Sutter(notes) cut the Ducks lead to one with :53 second left ... Duncan Keith(notes) assisted on three of Chicago's seven goals and finished a plus-four.

Did You Know?: Nashville is 12-0-0 when they score on the power play. (AP)

Dishonorable Mention: In a tight game with Philadelphia, the Islanders could only muster one shot in the third period and ended up losing 2-1 to the Flyers ... Dallas went an ugly 29-for-76 in the faceoff circle ... Joe Thornton(notes), Dany Heatley(notes) and Dan Boyle(notes) all finished minus-four. Not the kind of stat category you want to be a leader in ... A hot topic on American Thanksgiving will be Alex Ovechkin(notes) who scored the opening goal for Washington, but made bigger news for his hit on Patrick Kaleta(notes) that saw the reigning Rocket Richard winner given a 5-minute major for boarding and a 10-minute game misconduct. The question now becomes if Colin Campbell's "Wheel of Justice" will be spun and if so, where it will land:

Preview: Philadelphia Flyers at New York Islanders, 7 p.m. EST. Islanders goaltender Martin Biron(notes) will face his former team for the first time. In other goaltending news out of Long Island, Rick DiPietro(notes) participated in his first full practice after playing in just five games all of last season. The Flyer have won the last ten meetings between the two Atlantic Division teams and would like to continue the streak and end their current three-game slide. Danny Briere(notes) is currently serving a two-game suspension and will sit out tonight.

Preview: Montreal Canadiens at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7:30 p.m. EST. Montreal has seven points in their last four games, but their injury list has grown with the losses of Scott Gomez(notes) and Jaroslav Spacek(notes). Andrei Kostitsyn(notes) now joins the list as he's currently doubtful for tonight after blocking a shot last night against Columbus. Carey Price(notes) will make his seventh straight start for the Canadiens. Pittsburgh has won four of their last five and are currently tied with the Washington Capitals for tops in the Eastern Conference.

Preview: Chicago Blackhawks at San Jose Sharks, 10:30 p.m. EST. The two best teams in the Western Conference meet as Marian Hossa(notes) makes his triumphant debut for the Blackhawks. Chicago has won their last seven games including the first three of their six-game west coast road trip. Dan Boyle(notes) will be back for the Sharks after taking a shot to the skate over the weekend. 

Check out previews and updated scores for all of today's games on the Y! Sports NHL scores and scheds page.

Evening Reading

-It's time to play "Name that NHL arena" with the Nashville Predators will no longer call their home "Sommet Center". [On the Forecheck]

-James Murphy reports that Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas(notes) may be suffering from a broken hand. [NESN]

-The NHL's third star of the week, Mike Fisher(notes), will miss Ottawa's game tonight against New Jersey with an "upper-body injury". [Ottawa Citizen]

-Eric Staal(notes) is expected back for the Hurricanes tonight. [Canes Now]

-Not hockey related: A judge in Nova Scotia has ruled that the "Happy Gilmore" golf swing is illegal. Shooter McGavin's around the world applaud this decision. [CSM via Hockey Head]

-Joe Pelletier delves into the dark, sordid world of Wayne Gretzky endorsements. Pro Stars cereal > Cheerios. Everytime. [Greatest Hockey Legends]

-Edmonton's Patrick O'Sullivan(notes) on being criticized by Mike Milbury on Hockey Night in Canada: "I couldn't care less what Mike Milbury has to say. That's why he's on TV, right?" [Edmonton Journal]

Puck Buddy Comment of the Day: A suffering Kings fan, Nathan m. chimes in on our Jersey Fouls post this morning:

"Why wear the pretend devils win hat when they actually have won cups? As a kings fan, we need to pretend, but most of you have no excuse."

Bold Prediction: Hossa grabs two assists in his debut, but San Jose wins in the shootout.

• Turkey Day on Puck Daddy features Three Stars and the next all-decade ranking, and it's something Bettman bashers will enjoy. Happy Thanksgiving to all; we're obviously thankful that you give this silly blog your time and attention.

• A video update on the Minnesota Wild "movember" charity mustache growing stunt. Clutterbuck looks like a kid trying to buy beer with a Fake ID. [CBS, via Hockey Wilderness]

• The New York Times sets the scene for tonight's Chicago Blackhawks/San Jose Sharks smackdown on the left coast, as perhaps the hottest team in hockey is expected to have Marian Hossa(notes) ready to roll. The Sharks, meanwhile, haven't lost at home in regulation yet. Flip on Center Ice tonight while diagramming your Turkey Day eating game-plans. [Slap Shot]

• Nik Kronwall of the Detroit Red Wings calls Georges Laraque's(notes) hit on him "more of an accident." Wonder if he had any influence on the NHL's suspension duration? [Hockey Fights]

• TFP is reporting that the Kostitsyns are on the block for the Montreal Canadiens, and that Edmonton is a possibility with Andrew Cogliano(notes) coming back the other way. Are the Oilers better off looking for another kind of forward for that price? [Copper & Blue]

• Get Drunk on Hockey, Vol. 1: The Tampa Bay Lightning are offering a "$25 Tailgate - Unlimited Food, Beer, Wine and Soda" both pregame and postgame for their game tonight vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs. Oh, and there's a concert by Danko Jones afterwards, too. RAWK! [Lightning, stick tap DH Speedwagon]

• Miami Herald writer George Richards? Not a fan of the new Florida Panthers third jerseys, in a "who do we blame for this?" sort of way. [On Frozen Pond]

• On Thanksgiving Day, Boston Bruins defenseman Dennis Wideman(notes) will personally deliver $1,000 worth of pies to various homeless shelters throughout Boston. Kyle Wellwood(notes) last scene seen (Ed. Note: Hi, I'm a moron. Joke Fail) checking Expedia East Coast flight options, looking for Vietnam-era Army jacket at Goodwill. [Bruins]

• Get Drunk on Hockey, Vol. 2: The Texas Stars are offering $2 drafts and $1 hot dogs on college nights this week. [Stars]

• The Nashville Predators have some young assets to move. So if Bobby Ryan(notes) is actually on the block for the Anaheim Ducks, Section 303 wants David Poile on the bat-phone yesterday trying to deal for him. [Section 303]

• Rookie Niclas Bergfors(notes) caught fire and then went cold for the New Jersey Devils, so Jacques Lemaire is rolling him out with Travis Zajac(notes) and Zach Parise(notes) for a kick in the rump. [Star Ledger]

• Blue-chip defenseman and keeper of the Snoop mustache Karl Alzner(notes) is back with the Washington Capitals. [Capitals Insider]

• If he plays, we're betting dollars to donuts that Steve McIntyre gets into a fight tonight for the Florida Panthers against the New York Rangers. [Panthers]

• Speaking of the Rangers, 5-Hole presents what the Blueshirts are thankful for this holiday week. Sean Avery(notes) is looking into our souls. [5-Hole]

• Paul Kelly gets a new gig with College Hockey Inc., the new marketing arm of NCAA Division, where hopefully the people he represents won't fire him at 3 a.m. [Boston.com]

• "Martin Bartek of Haie celebrates after scoring his team's third goal during the Deutsche Eishockey Liga game between Koelner Haie and Frankfurt Lions at Lanxess Arena on November 22, 2009 in Cologne, Germany." Good to see European players are still willing to jump into the glass after the Swedish kid's mishap. [Getty Images]

• The Dallas Stars will honor Hall of Famer and ambassador of fun Brett Hull before tonight's game. [Dallas Stars Blog]

• Really interesting history piece by Dan Rusanowsky that gives the history of the "AHL shuttle" and what the great Eddie Shore has to do with it. [NHL]

• This Bloge Salming spoof takes a little while to get going, but once we get into the "$100,000 Pyramid" action with the Toronto Maple Leafs it's like a slice of fried gold. Ian 'Effin'" White for the win, Dick. [Bloge Salming]

• In praise of Jeff Deslauriers, and what the Edmonton Oilers need to do to support their young goalie. [THN]

• Scotty Bowman on the potential new arena for the Detroit Red Wings. [Snapshots]

• Eric Staal(notes) is activated off the IR. [Sportsnet]

• After flirting twice for ownership of the Canadiens, Montreal businessman Steve Stotland is now putting together a group to potentially buy the Phoenix Coyotes and keep the team in Glendale: "We're not in there for one year. We're committed. But the financial agreements have to be reasonable because the NHL doesn't want a local group to go through the same thing the last owner did." [Globe & Mail]

• On Frozen Blog with a long, interesting piece on Abe Pollin, the former Caps owner who died yesterday. [OFB]

• The Florida Everblades (ECHL) are holding a snow day on Dec. 5. Three words: Zamboni sleigh rides. [Everblades]

• Finally, Shawn Thronton's acting debut on this car dealership commercial makes Bruce Boudreau look like Brando. Or Max Talbot(notes) look like Meryl Streep. One of the two. [Hub Hockey]

Oh, how adorable: Like the cake topper at a St. Louis Blues Jersey Fouls wedding.

She'll no doubt look back on this sweater stunt fondly when she's had to explain for the 10,000th time that "Bride 20" isn't an indication of her age at the time of matrimony, or that she married a polygamist.

Look, we're not completely cold-hearted bastards here; maybe just slightly chilled, like a plastic bottle of Miller Lite at the arena. So we wonder if there is an acceptable, less-Foulish way to pull off commemorative wedding jerseys, because we don't want to begrudge two puckheads in love the chance to walk down the aisle in support of their favorite teams (and for true love, eternal bliss, yadda yadda yadda).

Does this happy couple pull it off? Is there another way to do it? Are Bride/Groom jerseys just a complete Fail and a harbinger of doom for the relationship?

If there can be a Star Wars wedding, there can be an NHL fan wedding, right? (Thanks to Puck Buddy Ryan M. for the photo.)

Meanwhile in the Windy City, this Chicago Blackhawks fan really broke the bank to update what we assume was either a Chris Chelios(notes) (in which case ... why?) or Lyle Odelein (in which case ... OK) jersey to a Brent Seabrook(notes) model. Materials alone are setting him back, what, two to three dollars?

That said, we respect his flawless artistry in using all capital letters.

Thanks to Roman for the image.

(Coming Up: A incredible New Jersey Devils Stanley Cup Hat Foul; a debatable T.J. Oshie(notes) Foul; the mascot jersey conundrum; Alfie's folly; religious freedom; Franken-T-Shirts; your Sidney Crosby(notes) Foul updates; and a Washington Capitals Foul that we're frankly tired of seeing stream into our inbox.)

And here ... we ... go.

Puck Buddy NYR34 caught this Montreal Canadiens Foul during a "Hockey Night in Canada" broadcast:

Just in case you didn't know how many cups the Habs have won in their history, this guy is glad to help you, good sir.

A Habs fan wallowing in legacy to ease the pain of reality, participating in "our banners are bigger than yours" posturing when the Canadiens haven't sniffed the Cup since 1993?

Huh ... that's so unlike them.

This is actually a tough one. Puck Buddy Jason D. explains this picture snapped at a St. Louis Blues game:

When I originally spotted this jersey from my place in line, I thought it was an Eric Brewer(notes) jersey, as I could only make out the No. 4 on the sleeve (Brewer is both our captain and number 4 on the team). It was only as I was leaving the line that I discovered it was, in fact, a TJ Oshie jersey with the captain's "C". Oshie is by far the overwhelming favorite among most Blues fans right now judging by the amount of 74 T-shirts and jerseys that can be seen on any given game night, so I suppose it's a deserved case of wishful thinking that someday he'll be our captain, and this guy wanted to get in on it early. That, or it was fairly cheap to add the C, so he just went with it.

Now, if this is a premature captain-ization, that's a Foul for sure, akin to ironing on a Stanley Cup patch before winning one.

But if it's a Protest Jersey through which he's calling for Oshie to be the team's captain ... that might be a Pass, though it's a slim margin. 

We've got a buddy who goes by the username "Hckyfght," and that was our first thought on this Los Angeles Kings Foul; like it's supposed to be "Hurry Nick" or something.

It didn't occur to us that Hrynyk is probably his last name, seeing as how there's actually a player in hockey with that moniker. Puck Buddy Eric C., master of the Staples Center Jersey Foul, opines:

I'm not sure what's worse here, that this guy put his name on a jersey with LA legend Luc Robitaille's #20, that he obviously sewed it on himself in what looks like Helvetica font, or that his name technically has no consonants. 

A little of column 'A', a little of column 'B' and a little from Column 'C' for good measure.

We firmly believe in freedom of religious expression here on Puck Daddy, and would have been inclined to Pass this because of that.

But we're fairly certain that neither Abraham, Isaac nor Jacob had any connection with the No. 69. Though we haven't polled our Jewish friends for clarification on that.

(Thanks to our good buddy Dave McBrayer of Carolina On Ice for sending over this Toronto Maple Leafs jersey.)

From Puck Buddy Chas D.:

I was at a Hershey Bears game a few weeks ago and this guy in front of me had on a replica jersey of the mascot, Coco the Bear. As you can tell, this guy is not very bear-like. Maybe there is something to be said for going with a jersey that will be around for a while as AHL players tend to come and go, but wearing a mascot sweater?

Interesting call, the Mascot Jersey Foul. Technically, the jersey the mascot wears is one created by the team that's worn on the ice, and it's unique to that mascot. So is it a Foul to wear one yourself?

Furthermore, as Chas points out: Players come and go in the AHL, but mascots aren't exactly called up as an emergency injury placement for an NHL team. They give a sense of permanence in a transitional League. So, based on that: Not a Foul?

Phoenix Coyotes fanatic "zyllyx" sends over one of the strangest shirt Fouls we've ever seen:

Not sure if this counts as a jersey foul since it's actually T-shirts. But what we have here is the "Gemini Foul," with a perfectly good Nordiques jersey shirt sewn Frankenstein-style to pieces of a cheap Phoenix Coyotes shirt (the budget version) at the Coyotes/Habs game on 11/12.

The hell? Is this some sort of puckhead political statement? Or a declaration that they only root for two teams: A defunct Canadian franchise and a franchise most of Canada thinks deserves to be defunct?

So confused.

Say, did you know Washington Capitals fans have rather strong feelings towards Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and that frequently those feelings manifest themselves in satirical signs and/or jersey nameplates?

From Puck Buddy Carly K.:

My twin sister and I were enjoying a few beverages at Bar Louie before the Caps/Columbus game last weekend when we noticed this jersey foul.  Our questions: 

1. If you're going to fork out the money for a Caps jersey, why taint it with any kind of reference to Crosby?

2 - Number 13?  Huh? 

1. A rampant inferiority complex.

2. Hockey voodoo.

(Ed. Note: We appreciate everyone who sends us this Capitals Foul [NSFW] on practically a weekly basis. We think it's hilarious; the suits thing it's non-publishable. So that's why we can only link to it here. Just an FYI.)

Meanwhile, at the Igloo ...

... Penguins fans are keeping things in perspective.

Honestly, beyond the obvious, this is an Epic Fail for a Penguins fan. Having been told at least several thousand times over the last 20 years that Mario is God, this jersey is blasphemous.

Thanks to our friends at The Pensblog, who are no doubt stunned we published this considering it's a Crosby image that's nowhere near a urinal.

In all of its blurry glory comes this Ottawa Senators Daniel Alfredsson(notes) Foul. It's pretty blatant and though undeniably thrifty based on a cost-per-letter basis. Puck Buddy Brad T. offers some more context:

Check out the rbk logo on the Alfie jersey, It's painted on over the ccm logo.

Hard to tell, but it would appear that Reebok logo is a tad large.

Finally ...

We need a ruling here.

Puck Buddy Jason K. explains:

OK, this isn't technically a Jersey Foul, but I figured this was the best place to get an official judgement.  I was at the Devils vs. Ducks game Nov. 11th and I snapped this pic (sorry for the bad quality, it was my cell phone).  It's a 2001 Devils Stanley Cup Champs hat.  At the time I didn't know if it was a rip-off or what would have been the official locker room hat if the Devils won Game 7 that year. When I got home I compared it to the Avs one, and it was the same thing, different logo.  Two questions. Where did he get that hat? And Foul or not?

This is completely nutty. Either he doctored a Colorado hat or he found a 2001 Devils Cup hat on some impoverished kid in Tanzania and swiped it.

We almost want to give this a pass for the sheer novelty of it. But having seen that New Jersey Devils series against the Colorado Avalanche ... this hat has no right to exist. At all. 

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: Columbus Blue Jackets at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m. Huge night in the NHL ... for anyone that has Blue Jackets or Canadiens players on their fantasy team. The lone contest on the schedule pits Carey Price(notes) (4-2-1 in his last seven) against Mathieu Garon(notes), starting in place of Steve Mason(notes), who was yanked against the Rangers last night. But the real intrigue is the return of Sergei Kostitsyn(notes), who went from suspended by the franchise to AHL exile to back to the big league. Watch The Game Live Via Hockey Night on Y!

Check out previews and updated scores for all of today's games (OK, "game") on the Y! Sports NHL scores and scheds page.

Evening Reading

• Danny Briere(notes) has been "suspended for two games, without pay, as a result of a late hit on an unsuspecting opponent -- Avalanche defenseman Scott Hannan(notes)" in the Philadelphia Flyers' game at Colorado last night. The Flyers seem surprisingly cool with it, being the Flyers and all. [Courier Post]

• Don Cherry on how he'll watch the CBC bio-pic about him that's premiering in 2010: "I'm going to be in the basement by myself, and I'll cry and laugh - I guess at the same time." A.K.A. how most of us watch Coach's Corner. [CP]

• Bettman on the passing of Abe Pollin, former Washington Capitals owner: "Abe Pollin always wanted the best for his teams, for the fans and for Washington -- and all of those passions combined to create the arena that revitalized the entire downtown community. He was a man of commitment and principle and we all will miss him. The National Hockey League family sends sincere condolences to his loved ones."

• Michael Farber looks at the state of he Minnesota Wild, and after reading it we're thinking they should go in the tank, count the ticket receipts and get themselves a top two pick. [SI]

• Western College Hockey Blog pwns the NY Times. [WCHB]

• The Falconer picks up the beat from a drum we've been banging for years: "My hunch is that the best 'hockey markets' are often markets that have witnessed the most post-season success." [Bird Watchers Anonymous]

• BD Gallof with some more opining on the Islanders' arena project. [Huffington Post]

• Life on the Olympic bubble for Mike Green(notes). Many burgers and beers will give their lives during the 2010 break if Green is snubbed. [CBC Sports]

• More coverage of Marian Hossa's(notes) long-awaited debut for the Chicago Blackhawks. Second City's nickname for Toews/Kane is "Daydream Nation," because that Sonic Youth album came out in 1988. Thank god Kane doesn't wear No. 90. [Second City Hockey]

Puck Buddy Comment of the Day: LT, bringing it strong on the women's hockey front on the mini-Phaneuf hit post --

"Weisenheimer is complaining about contact? Pot calling the kettle black. She is a dirty player and has no room to whine. But then again, that's what she and her team do best."

OH SNAP!

Bold Prediction: Mark it down -- a Kostitsyn scores tonight. Not A. Kostitsyn, necessarily, but one of them.

• OMG Jersey Fouls on Wednesday. Should be a chat 1 p.m. EST as well.

• When is Marian Hossa(notes) going to learn to stop answering questions about the teams he used to play for? To the Chicago Tribune, about the differences between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings: "The difference is this is one of the youngest groups of guys I've ever played with. It's lots of fun in the dressing room. It's a different crowd than it was in Detroit. It might be a little bit more mature there, but it's fun in the (Hawks') room." [Snapshots]

• The many questions about Marian Hossa finally joining the Blackhawks' lineup this week. [Paint It Blackhawks]

• Buccigross with a column on Brian Burke's son, who is gay. Very interesting, insightful stuff, though we might have structured it a bit differently. (The "imagine you are" device makes is a little clunky.) [ESPN]

• The New York Posts lists the most overrated teams in sports. There's one hockey entry. [NY Post]

• Ottawa Senators goalie Pascal Leclaire(notes) will be out for a month after an errant puck struck his cheekbone last night as he sat on the bench nursing another injury. That's, like, the stuff of gypsy curses right there. [Sportsnet]

• Terrific satirical post by View From My Seats on John Tavares's(notes) visit to Toronto last night: "The Globe and Mail piece waited until the 1st sentence of the 2nd paragraph before mentioning the name Wayne Gretzky. Don't feel special, they do this to every hotshot prospect that is a native of Ontario." [VFMS]

• Also recommended, as always: Down Goes Brown's reasons why Alex Ovechkin(notes) won't light up the Leafs this weekend: "Had heard a rumor that if the game went to a shootout, entire Leafs roster would embarrass themselves with a ridiculously demeaning attempt at rally caps." [DGB]

• Goaltender Vesa Toskala(notes) and center John Mitchell(notes) head to the IR. [CBC Sports]

• Mike Chen presents Fun With Google Image Search, including some sort of Cheechoo-related Care Bears photo we can't figure out. [Chen]

• The Detroit Red Wings talk about Georges Laraque's(notes) five-game suspension handed down yesterday, but aren't exactly asking for more than he received. [Freep]

• Good piece by Paul Kukla on the reality of Detroit Red Wings fans surroundings this season: "These are not the Detroit Red Wings of the recent past. These are not the Red Wings who could win a game on talent alone. These are not the Wings who, on an off night, could still pull out a victory." [NHL.com]

• Brian Burke has his shovel ready to bury Toronto Maple Leafs problem contracts in the minor leagues, and his temper might be getting shorter: "When we're struggling, the first casualty for me is sleep. I don't sleep when we're losing." Poor guy's got, what, seven weeks of insomnia at this point? [Toronto Sun]

• After months weeks a few hours, Denver Post Adrian Dater has decided to come back to Twitter. Fliiiip-fllllllop ... [All Things Avs]

• Check out Rich Hammond's coverage of  Brandon Segal(notes), a player that's bounced around like a pinball in his young NHL career. [Kings Insider]

• In praise of Don Waddell's glorious reclamation projects with the Atlanta Thrashers, like Rich Peverley(notes) Maxim Afinogenov(notes). [Hockey Writers]

• Razor has your hockey terminology refresher: "Chute puller - guy who feigns being injured when he's only hurt." [Razor With An Edge]

• In praise of everyone's favorite cheap shot artist, Matt Cooke(notes) of the Pittsburgh Penguins. [Pensbugh]

• A kinder, gentler Marc Crawford. [Puck Update]

• Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin(notes), Mike Knuble(notes), Tom Poti(notes) and Boyd Gordon(notes) were all missing from Washington Capitals practice today. [Capitals Insider]

• An interview with the lovely and talented and lovely Alyonka Larionov. Did we mention lovely? [Pens Universe]

• Finally, from YouTube: "Missouri State Ice Bears Hockey team buzz marketing event. Missouri State students walk the campus with a hockey stick over ten feet long."

 

(No, the first decade of the 21st century doesn't technically end until 2011. Save your bellyaching. But we've had nine NHL seasons and one stolen from us since 1999-2000, and Yahoo! Sports has decided it's time to rank the best and worst of the last "decade." Enjoy, and snark freely in the comments.)

How you choose to define, or quantify, the "best" player in the NHL over the last decade will determine your level of agreement with this ranking, which is sure to be one of our most controversial End of Decade lists.

Do you judge greatness based on flashy stats? Championship rings and playoff performance? Individual awards? Do you factor in intangibles like leadership or reputation?

We took everything into account for our Player of the Decade countdown, which focuses on NHL achievement rather than bringing international hockey into the equation. Every spot on the list is up for debate, but we feel as though these 10 players defined the 2000s for professional hockey. Keep in mind that the 2000s meant one set of rules, a work-stoppage, and then another set of rules.

Here are the 10 best players of the last decade ...

10. Jaromir Jagr(notes)

Before he left for the KHL in 2008, Jagr amassed 737 points in the decade, leading the NHL in assists (69) in 2000-01 and points in two seasons (1999-2001). He was the player-voted MVP in 2000 and 2006, and made four all-star teams.

The problem for Jagr is that his masterpiece came in the last season of the 1990s: That 127-point MVP campaign with the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the 2000s, he spent two fantastic years with the Pens before losing his smile with the Washington Capitals for two-and-a-half average seasons. He found his game again with the New York Rangers, posting stellar numbers despite playing in a defensive system.

But the previous decade was more memorable for Jagr. And not just because of the mullet.

9. Joe Thornton(notes)

With 794 points in the decade playing for the Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks, Thornton was a six-time all-star and the winner of both the Art Ross and Hart trophies in the 2005-06 season.

No, his 44 points in 59 playoff games wasn't impressive, and neither was the constantly underwhelming performance from his teams in the postseason. But Thornton was arguably the best assist man of the decade, leading the League three times in that category; and his 96-assist, 125-point MVP season remains of the decade's truly remarkable personal achievements.

8. Joe Sakic(notes)

Sakic only played 59 games in his last two seasons (curse you, demonic snow blower!) before retiring last summer for the Colorado Avalanche, which dragged down his stats significantly. He ended up with 650 points for the 2000s, although he never led the NHL in any major offensive category during the decade -- outside of plus/minus in 2000-01 (plus-45).

That 2000-01 season the best of Sakic's career: 54 goals, 118 points and both the Hart and the Pearson (and the Lady Byng ... can't forget about sportsmanship).

Why does he rank above Jagr and Thornton, who outscored him? Because neither of them played in a Stanley Cup final in the last decade, let alone led all playoff scorers 13 goals and 26 points as Sakic did in 2001. More importantly, neither of them earned the right to have their name on the Stanley Cup as Sakic did for the second time.

He was a star player and a formidable leader. Intangibles count ... as they do for this next dude, too.

7. Jarome Iginla(notes)

The Calgary Flames captain was a five-time all-star, a two-time NHL leader in goals (2001-02, 2003-04) and the Pearson winner for his 52-goal season of 2001-02. (He was famously jobbed out of the Hart in a controversy that forced a change in vote tabulation.) Overall, Iggy had 718 points in the 2000s.

He led all playoff scorers with 13 goals in the Flames' 2004 runner-up campaign for the Cup. He then captained the team to four consecutive playoff appearances after that loss. Inconsistency and questionable managerial decisions have undermined the Flames since that pre-lockout Cup run; but no one dare say any of that is Iginla's fault.

6. Scott Niedermayer(notes)

Niedermayer solidified his credentials as an all-time great defenseman with two Stanley Cups, one with the New Jersey Devils and the other with the Anaheim Ducks; and his clutch offense and shutdown defense earned him the Conn Smythe in 2007. He won his first and only Norris Trophy in 2003-04.

Niedermayer began the decade with many wondering what he could accomplish offensively if freed from the Devils' systematic defense. He sufficiently answered the question by scoring 216 points in four seasons with the Ducks after signing with Anaheim as a free agent in 2005. He had 415 points overall in the decade.

Also the unofficial winner of the best salt-and-pepper playoff beard award, for what that's worth.

5. Chris Pronger(notes)

Pronger ahead of Niedermayer? Absolutely.

He tallied 420 points despite being limited to five regular season games in 2002-03 due to an arthritic left wrist and a torn right ACL. Two of Pronger's achievements in the last decade are unmatched by Niedermayer or any other defenseman.

The first was his 1999-2000 season that saw Pronger finished with a career-best 62 points and a plus-52 to lead the NHL, winning both the Hart and the Norris trophies as a member of the St. Louis Blues.

The second was that Herculean effort in the 2006 postseason, as Pronger carried the Edmonton Oilers to within one victory of the Stanley Cup with an effort that had some calling for him to win the Conn Smythe in a losing effort. It was, without question, one of the most dominant postseason runs for any athlete in the NHL over the last decade, perhaps even two decades.

Should Pronger fall a few notches because of the weight of his baggage? Because he and his wife broke the hearts of Edmonton fans before claiming those fans burned his kid's crib? Because of the suspension history, including the Stampy the Elephant moment with Ryan Kesler(notes)?

It's legacy-tarnishing stuff, but not enough to overpower Pronger's unparalleled accomplishments on the ice.

4. Sidney Crosby(notes)

Yeah, we've arrived at this point in the countdown. And if Sidney's here, you know who's ranked ahead of him, sample size be damned for both of them.

Ignoring the Beatles/Stones, Luke/Han, Tastes Great/Less Filling dynamic between Crosby and Ovechkin is ignoring one of the great debates of the decade. Their placement on this list is a de facto "Player of NHL 2.0" contest, as they're the most dominant players of the post-lockout era.

The case for Sidney: 132 goals and 265 assists for 397 points in 290 games. He led the League in points in 2006-07 with 120 as a 19 year old, the year he won the Hart and the Pearson. He had 63 points in 49 playoff games, including that masterful 15-goal performance to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Stanley Cup last season; and while Ovechkin won the individual stats battle in their classic semifinal confrontation, Crosby has the series win and the Cup.

That means something, for sure; but it's not enough to overtake Ovechkin on the Player of the Decade countdown. Had Crosby remained healthy in 2007-08, when he was limited to 53 games, perhaps he overtakes Ovechkin's points lead and/or wins some more hardware to rival the Russian's trophy case. But that's projection and conjecture, when the reality is that Ovechkin's had the better decade and, thus, career so far.

3. Alex Ovechkin(notes)

The Washington Capitals winger entered this season with 219 goals, 201 assists and 420 points in 324 games.  No, he doesn't have a Stanley Cup; or even a conference title, of which Crosby has two. But he has nearly everything else.

Check out the Hockey-Reference.com honors and awards sections for Crosby and Ovechkin. Statistically, Ovi's accomplishments dwarf those of Sidney -- leading the League in goals twice and points once, while also leading the NHL in categories like power-play goals. His 2007-08 seasons was, in our estimation, the best of the decade for an individual player (non-goalie). 

It's also no contest when it comes to hardware: Ovechkin has doubled up Crosby in Hart trophies and Pearson awards, while famously winning the Calder in a rookie season that seemed predestined to be Crosby's time to shine.

There are other factors to consider: Crosby's defense, Ovechkin's physical game, the talent both players did or did not skate with at various times in their decade of dominance. But, overall, Ovechkin gets the nod; though this stats vs. prestige debate could very well define their rivalry by the end of their respective careers.

2. Martin Brodeur(notes)

At some point in the last decade, Brodeur began to receive proper credit for his historic numbers between the pipes for the New Jersey Devils. After coaching changes, system changes, rules changes and changes in the personnel in front of him, the fact remained that Brodeur posted some of the best stats of his career during the 2000s to go along with some incredible personal accolades.

His Devils captured two Stanley Cups in the decade, with Brodeur in consideration for the Conn Smythe in 2003 that eventually went to J.S. Giguere. He entered this season with 356 wins, although that total was aided by the advent of the shootout, where Marty excelled. Four of his five best save-percentage seasons occurred in the last 10 years; three of his five best seasons for goals-against average occurred in the same duration. He posted 65 shutouts in the last decade.

He won the Jennings Trophy twice and four Vezina Trophies, validating his status as one of the elite goalies of the last quarter century. Not bad for a fatso.

But not the Player of the Decade, either.

1. Nicklas Lidstrom(notes)

When asked for our all-decade team during the summer, we wrote the following about the Detroit Red Wings defenseman:

"When you've won so many Norris Trophies than you can play a game of Jenga with them, I'd say that warrants inclusion on this list."

Lidstrom's six Norris Trophies for best defenseman aren't an NHL record: Doug Harvey has seven and Bobby Orr has eight. But those players competed in a slightly smaller League, and Lidstrom's remained king of the mountain despite challenges from some stellar, Hall of Fame-potential defenseman, two of whom are on this list.

Simply put, he was the total package. An offensive player who tallied 574 points, his four best point-scoring seasons all coming in the 2000s. A defensive player who was a plus-232 for the decade, frequently logging more than 28 minutes a night for the Wings. A leader who won the Conn Smythe for the Wings' 2001-02 Stanley Cup champions, and who then captained a second Detroit team to the Cup in 2007-08. And he made it look frequently effortless.

We previously broke down the Lidstrom/Brodeur dynamic when The Sporting News named the defenseman as its player of the decade, a decision we obviously endorse. Looking back at our ranking here, what we said then still stands in the final analysis:

The best two players of the last 10 years were a defenseman and a goaltender, and that speaks volumes about which positions are underappreciated in the NHL, as well as the marketing challenges the League's faced in selling guys who keep pucks out of, rather than put them into, the net.

Brodeur and Lidstrom never received the marketing push of a Crosby or an Ovechkin; they'll have to just settle on being legendary performers at their given positions in the NHL.

 

No. 1 star: Dwayne Roloson(notes), New York Islanders

Usually, goalies who give up three goals aren't going to be the No. 1 star. But those goalies usually don't face 61 shots. In fact, Roloson's 58 saves in the Islanders' 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs are the most since Ron Tugnutt's 70-save game in March 1991, according to the AP. (Phil Kessel(notes) had 12 on his own.) Not bad for a 40-year-old. Josh Bailey(notes) had the game-winner in overtime, after the Leafs rallied from a 3-0 hole. 

No. 2 Star: Marian Gaborik(notes), New York Rangers

After the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets took a 2-0 lead, the Rangers used a John Tortorella timeout "just relax" chat and exploded for seven straight goals in a 7-4 victory. Gaborik had two goals (18 on the season) and two assists, including a beautiful helper on Sean Avery's(notes) second of the night. Also beautiful: Michael Del Zotto's(notes) Leetch-like solo effort for goal No. 3.

No. 3 Star: Patrice Bergeron(notes), Boston Bruins

Four goals for the Bruins, four assists for Bergeron, including two primary helpers on power-play goals by Mark Recchi(notes) and Blake Wheeler(notes). The Bruins won their third in a row, 4-2, at the St. Louis Blues.

Honorable mention: On another night, Jeff Deslauriers's shutout for the Edmonton Oilers (36 saves) makes the cut for the top three. Oilers win, 4-0, over the visiting Phoenix Coyotes. ... Mike Fisher's(notes) deflection of Chris Phillips'(notes) pass gave him his 10th goal of the season and the Ottawa Senators a 4-3 overtime win over the Washington Capitals. The Sens have won four in a row, rallying from a 3-1 deficit. ... Nathan Horton's(notes) errant stick earned him a minor penalty in overtime for the Florida Panthers, and Sidney Crosby(notes) cashed in a rebound off Evgeni Malkin's(notes) shot for 3-2 win for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Thomas Vokoun had 42 saves for the Panthers in their fancy new uniforms. ... Martin Erat(notes) scored two goals, including the game-winner, as the Nashville Predators won their sixth in a row with a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Pekka Rinne(notes) turned away 16 shots in the third. ... Jamie Benn(notes) and Brad Richards(notes) scored power-play goals and Marty Turco(notes) turned back 22 shots for a 2-0 Dallas Stars win over the Carolina Hurricanes. ... David Jones(notes) had two goals and Craig Anderson(notes) needed to make 17 saves in the third to preserve a 5-4 Colorado Avalanche victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Danny Briere(notes) had a four-point (2 goals, 2 assists) night for the Flyers. ... Jarome Iginla's(notes) goal with 18 seconds left tied the game, but the Anaheim Ducks won in the shootout on a Teemu Selanne(notes) goal, 3-2. Jean-Sebastien Giguere(notes) made 41 saves for his first win of the season. ... Finally, Brian McGrattan(notes) overcame his awful hair with a giant punch that knocked down George Parros(notes).

Did you know?: Corey Perry(notes) extended his point-scoring streak to 15 games with an assist against the Flames.

Dishonorable mention: Pascal Leclaire's(notes) tremendous good luck continued, as the injured Senators goalie was hit in the jaw by a deflected puck on the Ottawa bench, forcing him to the locker room. ... Rick Nash(notes) was a minus-4 with zero points for Columbus. ... After Steve Mason(notes) was pulled following four goals on 18 shots, the Rangers scored on their first two shots against Mathieu Garon(notes). ... Ray Emery(notes) was yanked by the Flyers after yielding four goals on 17 shots ... Finally, an odd scene in which Vesa Toskala(notes) appeared to ask out of the Leafs' game after giving up three goals on 15 shots turned out to be a groin injury that forced him out in favor of Jonas Gustavsson(notes). Who knew deafening boos could injure one's groin?

• Fancy pants! George Richards gives us a teaser of what the new Florida Panthers third jerseys will look like by showing us their spiffy new bottoms. The new duds are set to debut this evening. [On Frozen Pond]

• Georges Laraque(notes) had his hearing with the NHL this morning for his knee-on-knee hit with Niklas Kronwall(notes) that'll sideline the Detroit Red Wings defenseman for at least a month. According to TSN: "Because the meeting was still considered an in-person hearing by the NHL, the league can suspend Laraque five or more games if it so chooses." [TSN]

• Brian Burke appears willing to take veteran defenseman Brent Sopel's(notes) contract from the Chicago Blackhawks, provided the 'Hawks kick in a draft pick in the salary dump. Spector has more on Fadoo. [Globe & Mail and Toronto Sun]

• San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton(notes), Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price(notes) and Ottawa Senators center Mike Fisher(notes) have been named the NHL 'Three Stars' for the week ending Nov. 22. [NHL]

• Speaking of Fisher, he had an interesting chat with the Sun about his celebrity relationship with Carrie Underwood, ranging from marriage plans to Regis Philbin calling him a "good-looking brute." Which has to be somewhat life-fulfilling. [Sun Media]

• Making excuses for the Ottawa Senators' attendance issues this season. [Cornwall Standard]

• NHL Fan Association co-founder Jim Boone has asked Gary Bettman to resign in an open letter to The Hockey News, and for some reason it's getting some play today. It's sarcastic "go out on top" tone clashes with its occasional indictments of his tenure as commissioner, making it ineffective as a call to action. The logic behind the NHL becoming as chaotic at the top as the NHLPA for the sake of labor peace is lost on us. But hey, give it read; maybe you think it's the rhetorical right hook to the jaw that could be delivered three dozen ways based on Gary's fumbles. [THN]

• Preparing for the glories of "Uwe Krupp Night" at the Pepsi Center for the Colorado Avalanche. He played three seasons with that Avs; or nearly two more than that No. 77 hanging from the rafters. [All Things Avs]

• Mike Rathje(notes) and the humungous salary cap loophole Puck Stops Here believes the Philadelphia Flyers continue to exploit. [TPSH]

• Looking at Daniel Carcillo's(notes) first 40 games with the Flyers. After a rocky start, he's starting to come along. And no, we didn't go with "Rocky start" because of Philly. [The 700 Level]

• Markus Naslund(notes) on returning from retirement to help "save" Modo in Sweden: "They were in dead last place and they were struggling financially. It's just one of those things where both me and Peter felt that it was a good thing to do." [CP]

• Fun with stats: "Because of the vagaries of the NHL's OT/SO system, even though Montreal has played just as badly as Toronto, they're tied for 8th in the East with 23 points, while Toronto's in last place with 14 points." [Behind The Net]

• The Edmonton Oilers are falling into bad habits, and Pat Quinn is not a happy man: "You don't have to be a giant to play hard in this game and we had some guys that didn't work very hard. It's evident, they can all see it ... If we learned from that and say 'I'm going to make some changes,' then we have a chance. But we abandoned the game plan, we lay a game plan out and we go where they want. 'Breakouts?' We're too skilled to worry about getting in the right spots, 'I'll just take the puck around myself, and oops, by the way I turned it over.' It was an awful easy game for them (Blackhawks) to play tonight." [Sun Media]

• Jay Feaster gets p'wned. [Five Hole Fanatics]

• From the Images We Found While Searching for All-Decade Art Dept: "PHILADELPHIA - MAY 02: A fan of the take a ride on the Zamboni during the game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres in game six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2006 NHL playoffs on May 2, 2006 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Sabres defeated the Flyers 7-1 and advance to the Semifinals." A.K.A. the most outstanding duo for the Flyers since Lindros and LeClair. [Len Redkoles/Getty Images]

• Phoenix Coyotes Assistant General Manager Brad Treliving announced today that the Club has relieved Greg Ireland of his head coaching duties with the San Antonio Rampage, the Coyotes' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, effective immediately. [Coyotes]

• Should the Carolina Hurricanes move Eric Staal(notes) to the wing when he returns? And if so, will he call Jordan in Pittsburgh to learn about the effectiveness of guys named Staal playing out an unnatural position? [Canes Country]

• Bruce Boudreau isn't looking to use injuries as a crutch for the Washington Capitals' recent struggles. [Capitals Insider]

• Steve Begin(notes) of the Boston Bruins recalls the "freaking cold" that was the Heritage Classic in preparation for the 2010 Winter Classic at Fenway. [NHL]

• As he does so well, George Malik collects your NHLPA news and views from the weekend. [Snapshots]

• Crap-tastic news for Minnesota Wild fans: Brent Burns(notes) has another concussion. [Russo]

• Finally, a goal controversy from the NCAA ranks, as North Dakota's Brad Malone appeared to tie the game against Denver but the goal was waived off. Well not so much a controversy as a reminder that for all the "intent to blow" stuff from last weel, replay still serves a purpose. [WCHB]

 

No. 1 star: Stephane Robidas(notes), Dallas Stars

After Brian Rolston(notes) opened the scoring for the New Jersey Devils, it became the Robidas Show for the rest of the first period: Primary assists on goals by Warren Peters(notes) and Mike Ribeiro, and then a power-play goal of this own. Tom Wandell's(notes) goal in the third gave the Stars the lead again after a Devils' rally, and it was Robidas that finished off the scoring with his fifth of the season for a 5-3 Dallas victory. It was the defenseman's second career two-goal game and first four-point night.

No. 2 Star: Jarome Iginla(notes), Calgary Flames

Iggy now has 15 goals on the season, 11 coming in November, as his hat trick helped the Flames to a 5-2 victory at the Los Angeles Kings. As usual, Iginla's contributions to the win went beyond the score sheet, as Coach Brent Sutter said he was "just rock solid in a lot of areas."

No. 3 Star: David Perron(notes), St. Louis Blues

Perron's two third-period goals finished off the visiting New York Islanders, giving the Blues a 4-1 victory. But St. Louis's leading goal-scorer (9 goals) merits a star because of this stellar, between the legs move that's one of the best highlights of the season:

Honorable mention: Pavel Datsyuk(notes) had a goal, and he and Henrik Zetterberg(notes) scored in the shootout to give the Detroit Red Wings a 3-2 win at the Montreal Canadiens, spoiling a two-goal night from Michael Cammalleri(notes). ... Hell of a road trip for the Florida Panthers: Wins at Buffalo, Detroit and then Madison Square Garden on Saturday night with a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers. Tomas Vokoun(notes) made 32 saves; Marian Gaborik(notes) netted his 16th for the Rangers. ... Not sure what's the stranger sight: The Carolina Hurricanes nearly playing 60 minutes of good hockey in their 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, or Chad LaRose finally scoring his first of the season. ... Filip Kuba(notes) had a four-point night and the Ottawa Senators scored five consecutive goals in their 5-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres; one that came after starting goalie Pascal Leclaire(notes) left with a lower body injury after a second-period collision with Jochen Hecht(notes). ... After the Phoenix Coyotes may have gotten away with an off-sides call, defenseman Keith Yandle(notes) scored the game-winner in a 3-1 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Flyers. ... A 45-save effort from Steve Mason(notes) still couldn't earn the Columbus Blue Jackets two points against the Nashville Predators, as Mike Santorelli(notes) and David Legwand(notes) scored in the shootout for a 4-3 win in a divisional showdown. ... Jonathan Toews(notes) scored twice, Patrick Kane(notes) once in the Chicago Blackhawks' 5-2 win at the Edmonton Oilers. Dustin Penner(notes) scored his 13th in the loss. ... Joe Thornton(notes) followed his brilliant four-assist night on Friday with another assist and the game-winning goal past Jonas Hiller(notes) (33 saves) to give the San Jose Sharks a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Dany Heatley(notes) scored his 18th. ... Niklas Hagman(notes) scored in regulation and in the shootout, as Vesa Toskala(notes) stopped 31 shots in the Toronto Maple Leafs' 2-1 victory over the visiting Washington Capitals (despite Alex Ovechkin's(notes) 16th of the season). Must have been the rally caps:

Did you know?: Chicago coach Joel Quenneville moved past former Oilers coach Glen Sather into 14th place on the NHL's career wins list with 497 victories. (AP)

Dishonorable mention: Martin Skoula(notes) (2 goals) and the Pittsburgh Penguins were able to hold off an Atlanta Thrashers rally for a 3-2 win, but it was made easier when Ilya Kovalchuk(notes) was ejected for instigating a fight while wearing a visor at 6:52 of the third. It's either a dishonorable mention for Kovalchuck, for his ill-advised fight; or, as Coach John Anderson claims, it's a dishonorable mention to the officials for giving him the instigator when Matt Cooke(notes) was accused of sparking the incident. ... Yann Danis(notes) was yanked for the Devils in favor of Marty Brodeur. ... Georges Laraque's knee-on-knee hit was as dishonorable as they come. ... Blair Betts(notes) dislocated his shoulder again and will miss a month for the Flyers. ... Finally, no video yet, but Wade Belak's(notes) two-handed spear to Jared Boll's(notes) most sensitive of areas wasn't pretty.

 

(No, the first decade of the 21st century doesn't technically end until 2011. Save your bellyaching. But we've had nine NHL seasons and one stolen from us since 1999-2000, and Yahoo! Sports has decided it's time to rank the best and worst of the last "decade." Enjoy, and snark freely in the comments.)

Let's get this out of the way right off the top: This isn't a list of the best individual teams that didn't win a Stanley Cup.

This isn't a list that will feature the 2000-01 New Jersey Devils, 2001-02 Carolina Hurricanes, 2002-03 Anaheim Ducks, 2007-08 Pittsburgh Penguins or 2008-09 Detroit Red Wings -- those four teams (or franchises) got their rings this decade.

This list is about the franchises that have excelled this past decade, but for one reason or another came up short in their quest for a title. Listed here are President Trophy winners, conference champions and annual Cup contenders that couldn't finish the job. They hold the fan bases that had their high expectations dashed by a less than fruitful spring.

With that, our 10 best teams to never win a Stanley Cup this decade are ...

10. St. Louis Blues

It seems so long ago, but the Blues were one of the NHL's best teams at the turn of the century. A President's Trophy winning season in '99-00 ended in shock as the San Jose Sharks knocked out the Blues in seven games during the opening round. The Blues would make the playoffs the following four seasons before three years of hardships and major overhaul occurred which ended a playoff streak that had lasted since 1980. Playing in the Central Division alongside the Detroit Red Wings is never easy, which explains the four straight second-place finishes.

Now under new ownership and with John Davidson as team president, the Blues are stable in the front office and developing an on-ice product around youth.

9. Washington Capitals

While the basement days during the middle of this decade might be remembered more by fans, earlier in the decade the Caps were playoff guests two out of the three seasons after their Stanley Cup appearance in 1998. The Jaromir Jagr(notes) acquisition from Pittsburgh should have been a boost for the franchise (especially after the back of pucks sent to the Penguins in exchange), but the Czech native's poor attitude derailed the Caps after just one playoff appearance in his Washington tenure.

Like the lean years seen in Pittsburgh, Washington's tough times paid off in the long run as they were able to draft Alex Ovechkin(notes) and Mike Green(notes) among the rest of the current supporting cast that has brought the franchise back to "contender" status.

Four Southeast Division titles, five playoff appearances, but just once have they advanced past the first round (last season). With a solid core and budding young goaltender, there's good reason to believe that the dark days that haunted the franchise post-Jagr will not return for a long while.

8. Buffalo Sabres

Light in the playoff appearances (three), Buffalo was among the NHL elite for a two-season span in 2006 and 2007. President's Trophy winners in 2007, the Sabres have survived new ownership and the combination of Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff running things in a market that isn't known to be one of the "haves" when talking about economics in sports.

7. Calgary Flames

Times were tough for the Flames until Darryl Sutter was hired during the 2002-03 season as head coach and took over the GM responsibilities the following year. Sutter's big move was acquiring goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff(notes) from San Jose, which helped carry the team into the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals against Tampa Bay. Calgary eliminated three division champions en route to the Cup final that season.

The Flames haven't been able to get out of the second round since 2004 and are on their third coach since the 2006-07 season. Just one division title banner hands from the Pengrowth Saddledome rafters, but Sutter has transformed the team who had missed the playoffs seven years in a row up until the 2004 Cup.

6. Vancouver Canucks

It took the hiring of Marc Crawford to being the turnaround of a Canucks team that missed the playoffs three straight seasons heading into the 1999-00 season. The Stanley Cup winning coach with the 1996 Colorado Avalanche molded the franchise, along with Brian Burke's help, into annual contenders and playoff qualifiers. Gone was Pavel Bure, the team's star player and taking up the reigns in the scoring department were Markus Naslund(notes), Brendan Morrison(notes) and an emerging Todd Bertuzzi(notes) - before, you know, this happened.

The decade saw six playoff appearances for Vancouver with the Canucks only advancing out of the first round three times. Vancouver finished with five 100-point seasons, three Northwest Division titles and former GM Dave Nonis and current man-in-charge Mike Gillis have brought in Roberto Luongo(notes), signed the Sedin twins to long-term deals, drafted wisely and set the franchise up to be contenders in the future.

5. Dallas Stars

A year after winning the first Stanley Cup in franchise history, the Stars found themselves on the losing end of a heartbreaking series-winning goal by Jason Arnott(notes) as the New Jersey Devils won in 2000. Dallas followed up the loss with five more wins and four more points before getting knocked out by the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference semifinals.

Transition came during the 2001-02 season with Ken Hitchcock being replaced by Ron Wilson for the final 32 games of the season. It would be the first season since '95-96 that the Stars didn't win the division title or make the playoffs. Dave Tippett would take over behind the bench for the 2002-03 season and lead them to the playoffs over the next five seasons. 

4. Boston Bruins

Most notable about the Bruins regular-season success early in the decade was that it was followed by a first-round exit in the playoffs -- twice by the Montreal Canadiens. Boston was one of those NHL teams that failed to recognize how the "new" NHL was going to play in the post-lockout era. Youth was ignored and old, veteran players were relied upon to carry the Bruins.

Two months into the post-lockout NHL also spelt the end for the Joe Thornton(notes)-era in Boston as he was shipped to San Jose. The struggles Boston went through immediately after the trade paved the way for Tim Thomas(notes) to grab the No. 1 goaltending job. After two seasons at the bottom of the Northeast Division, Boston made their way back to the playoffs in 2008 and followed that up with a 116-point season, third best in franchise history. Even with obstacles in front of him, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli has managed to work around the salary cap and pull off shrewd moves to keep Boston competitive for the long-term.

3. Ottawa Senators

Filing for bankruptcy in the middle of the 2002-03 season didn't hamper the Senators from claiming the President's Trophy, but the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals would deny their run to the Stanley Cup. With the exception of last season, Ottawa has made the playoffs every season and won three division titles.

The Senators were well on their way to a possible Cup in 2006, but Dominik Hasek's(notes) injury at the Winter Olympics in Turin dashed any hopes as the Buffalo Sabres eliminated them in the second round. 

2. Philadelphia Flyers

Aside from one aberration of a season (2006-07), the Flyers have been in the "contender" category for almost the past two decades. Eight playoff appearances in nine seasons, two-time Eastern Conference finalists, three division titles, and five 100-point seasons. Safe to say, Philadelphia has been able to maintain their success this decade, but have yet to find their way back to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The torch that Eric Lindros(notes) carried into this decade was given to Simon Gagne(notes) for a brief period before Jeff Carter(notes) and captain Mike Richards(notes) ran with it. The "Broad Street Bullies" moniker hasn't left Philadelphia as evidence by the nightly physical play (and numerous suspensions over the years) inside Wachovia Center.

1. San Jose Sharks

Year after the year, the Sharks have been a popular pick to win the Cup. Having been loaded with talent throughout their roster, their shortcomings in April have undermined a decade of regular season success. Four division titles, a President's Trophy, four 100-point seasons and nine playoff appearances make the Sharks the best team to never win this decade.

Months after a disappointing first-round exit at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks, Sharks GM Doug Wilson went out and traded for Dany Heatley(notes) to add to the already dangerous arsenal.

That's been the consistent thing for San Jose, just when you think they're ready to take a step back, they reload and force their way into contender talk whenever predictions are being thrown around.

Not just because they were one game under .500 and near the bottom of the conference standings, but because their positive momentum was again anchored by bad injury news, as his linemate Brian Gionta's(notes) broken foot shelved him indefinitely.

"Much didn't have to be said tonight. It was a real good team, on the road," said Cammalleri, whose power-play goal in the third period gave the Habs a 3-2 win in D.C.

"Usually, it's the team that's the most banged up that sacrifices the most. The bumps and bruises feel good when you get a win."

There wasn't a chance to ask Cammalleri's linemates Scott Gomez(notes) and Travis Moen(notes) about that theory after the game; both were injured in the win, and are questionable for tonight's game against the Detroit Red Wings back in Montreal. So for a team that's shown signs of consistency recently, the roster shuffle could be on once again.

"I got used to it," said center Tomas Plekanec(notes), whose line with Andrei Kostitsyn(notes) and Max Pacioretty(notes) produced a goal and was arguably the best in the game. "For most of the season, I played with almost every single winger on our team. But obviously it would be better for us to have constant lines."

Especially when the top line looked as promising as it did for Montreal, albeit briefly.

The chatter had been that Glen Metropolit(notes), the feisty checking forward, was going to get an audition with Gomez and Cammalleri after Gionta's injury. But it was Moen who got the start with the top-liners, scoring a second-period goal to tie the game at 1-1 on an assist from Cammalleri.

"I thought Travis really helped the other two," said Coach Jacques Martin. "He gave them a good presence at the net. He's been having an excellent start for our team. Played well on every line I've put him on."

At 6-2 and 215 pounds, he's a more physical presence than Gionta, which gave the Montreal first line a different dynamic.

"Tonight what you saw right away was Travis get in on the forecheck and really create some turnovers for us," said Cammalleri. "It helps a lot for us, because our mentality is that we don't have to make a great play coming into the zone; we just have to get it in and let him do his thing. Create our chances from inside the zone, which is a much more consistent way to play hockey."

But again: Consistency can live or die on injuries, and the Canadiens have battled through a few, significant ones, especially on the blue line. Yet as much adversity as injuries create, they also create a sense of desperation and altered expectations, even when you're wearing a Montreal Canadiens sweater.

"It seems to me we're kind of scared ... well, scared isn't the right word. We respect other teams when they have a superstar like Ovechkin and score the most goals in the league so far," said Plekanec.

Carey Price(notes) (32 saves), who was outstanding late in the game while playing a stretch without his goalie stick, said being a wounded team against a first-place opponent changed their focus. "The thing about being an underdog is that expectations aren't as high," he said. "I guess it kind of takes the pressure off."

So like so many other teams in this injurious season of NHL hockey, the Canadiens will lick their wounds, count the bruises and see who shows up in the lineup for their next game.

Even if it means Cammalleri skates with some new faces.

"Who knows? It's part of hockey that lines change from practice to practice, game to game."

Period to period?

"Shift to shift," he said with a laugh. "So, you never know."

No. 1 Star: Dany Heatley(notes), San Jose Sharks

Coach Todd McLellan stacked his best players on the same line against the Philadelphia Flyers: Heatley, Joe Thornton(notes) and Patrick Marleau(notes). The result? A 6-3 win over the Flyers and a hat-trick for Heatley. His first goal was on a patient 2-in-1 with Thornton; so was his second goal, set up by Jumbo Joe (4 assists on the night) while shorthanded. He completed the hat trick with a power-play goal in the third. Heatley now has 17 goals on the season, best in the NHL.

No. 2 Star: Owen Nolan(notes), Minnesota Wild

Nolan scored the game-winning goal with just 67 seconds remaining on a quick shot in front of Marty Biron (26 saves) after an Eric Belanger(notes) pass. It was his second of the night, having opened the scoring in the first on another feed from Belanger. Good win for the Wild, rallying with two goals in the third for the 3-2 win over the visiting New York Islanders. 

No. 3 star: Scott Clemmensen(notes), Florida Panthers

The Panthers keeper stopped 39 of 40 shots, more than a few of them above average, in Florida's 2-1 overtime victory at the Detroit Red Wings. Bryan McCabe's(notes) second of the season 40 seconds into overtime was the difference, but it was Clemmensen that kept the Panthers in the game for only their second win ever at the Joe.

Honorable mention: Tomas Plekanec(notes) had a goal and an assist, and Carey Price(notes) (32 saves) was both lucky and good in the final few minutes, as the Montreal Canadiens scored a big road win, 3-2, over the Washington Capitals. ... Patrice Bergeron's(notes) seventh of the season, a redirection of a Zdeno Chara(notes) shot, gave the Boston Bruins a 2-1 victory in overtime at the Buffalo Sabres. Milan Lucic(notes) scored his first of the season earlier in the game. ... Christian Ehrhoff(notes) had two goals and Henrik Sedin's(notes) 13th was the eventual game-winner in the Vancouver Canucks' 5-2 win over the slumping Colorado Avalanche, who are now in a 1-4-1 slide. 

Did you know?: The Flyers are winless in San Jose since Nov. 15, 1999. (AP)

Dishonorable mention: Among the injuries this evening were Montreal's Scott Gomez(notes) and Travis Moen(notes); Washington's Tom Poti(notes); Buffalo's Drew Stafford(notes) (a lower-body injury that will keep him out against Ottawa on Saturday) and Cory Stillman(notes) of Florida, who was crunched by Brad Stuart(notes) and was helped off the ice. Said Coach Peter DeBoer: "Stillman's got a knee injury and is going to be out a while." ... Kent Huskins(notes) still found a way to be a minus-3 despite the Sharks scoring six goals. ... Finally, Shane Hnidy(notes) earned 17 minutes in penalties for this fight against Tim Jackman(notes) of the Islanders. It probably wasn't worth it:

• The Ari Gold Jersey Foul? Llllllllloyd! At least now he'll have something to wear when E rocks his Tavares jersey. [NHL]

• In Year 2 of a four-year contract and being the coach of Brian Burke's U.S. Olympic hockey team, Toronto Maple Leafs Coach Ron Wilson could be spared the axe despite presiding over the biggest disaster in the NHL this season; and, after last night's loss, the worst team in the League. [Sportsnet]

• The Vancouver Canucks are the latest team to fight allegations that they jumped the line for H1N1 vaccine. No word if they attempted to pass Kyle Wellwood(notes) off as pregnant to do so. [Fox Sports]

• Making the case for Ryan Wilson(notes) of the Colorado Avalanche to be suspended for his hit on Ethan Moreau(notes) of the Edmonton Oilers. The "driving upward into the hit" argument is a pretty good one. [Jibblescribbits]

• Meanwhile, James Neal's(notes) hit on Derek Dorsett(notes) of the Columbus Blue Jackets last night (hearing at noon EST) may earn the Dallas Stars winger a suspension; Brandon suggests it has everything to do with bad timing and the current media climate. [Defending Big D]

• How nice of Marty Havlat to wait until after his free-agent contract to begin getting injured again. [@russostrib]

• A rather mind-blowing blog about UFC replacing the NHL in some pubs on a Saturday night in Canada, and whether that speaks to the "de-masculinizing and feminizing" of hockey. Mike Milbury already has this article memorized. [Vancouver Observer]

• Really quality piece by Stu Hackel on Twitter and sports journalism today, looking at the Alan Walsh/Montreal Canadiens dust-up and the recent Dion Phaneuf(notes) screaming match tweet controversy. [Slap Shot]

• The Phoenix Coyotes lost $5 million in October alone, but the Globe & Mail offers some really fun financial news later in this story: "The court filings also revealed that the club had some unusual expenditures in October. It spent $3,500 on Hockey Hall of Fame 'induction tickets', $970 on the Boy Scouts of America 'scout night patches', and $332.67 on 'tattoos' from California Tattoos Inc. New head coach Dave Tippett, who took over after Wayne Gretzky quit, received $31,000 in October." Tattoos? [G&M]

• Looking at a potential Anaheim Ducks sell-off, and wondering if James Wisniewski(notes) and Joffrey Lupul(notes) will be part of the shopping spree. [Anaheim Calling]

• Really interesting editorial in the Ottawa Citizen about girls hockey, and it's current growth in Canada: "A new policy is expected to take effect next year that would reserve prime ice time for minor hockey and allocate it based on registration, not history. That means girls' associations would have equal access to that limited ice time, something that -- more than a century after the first women's game was played in this city -- is long overdue." [Ottawa Citizen]

• Why did Nikita Filatov(notes) go to Russia? Why, obviously as Ken Hitchcock's secret Trojan horse to shed more salary cap space, of course. [MYFO]

• A plethora of interesting numbers at the quarter pole for the NHL. [NHL.com]

• Can softer shoulder pads cut down on concussion-like injuries in the NHL? [Dreger]

• The notion of Finland as an Olympic dark horse is an interesting one. Miikka Kiprusoff(notes), Niklas Backstrom(notes) and Antero Niittymaki(notes) in a tournament format ... hmmmmm. [THN]

• "Cyclone spin kick. That's how we do this [expletive] in Sweden, yo." [Getty]

• For the first time, the Philadelphia Flyers and Philadelphia Sixers are teaming up on a ticket deal in which you get two tickets for each team for $100. (Note: When we visited Philly.com for the story, an auto-play ad for Tampax Pearl started blaring. Adjust speakers accordingly.) [Philly.com]

• Stephen Pepper looks at the various reclamation projects for the Washington Capitals while introducing the poetic headline: "Finding That Dahlen In the Rough." [Japers Rink]

• Inside the numbers for why the Ottawa Senators are seeing empty seats in their arena this season. [Off The Posts]

• Uh, awesome: Milwaukee- Milwaukee Admirals President Jon Greenberg announced today that the Dropkick Murphys will perform in a post-game concert, courtesy of Time Warner Cable and Miller Lite, on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010 following the team's 7:30 p.m. game versus the Chicago Wolves. [Admirals]

• Try as they might, the New Jersey Devils couldn't steal another point in the shootout against Nashville. [Fire & Ice]

• Shean Donovan(notes) may have suffered a season-ending injury for the Sens. [Sportsnet]

• Maxim Afinogenov(notes) has 17 points in 17 games for the Atlanta Thrashers. Buffalo just threw up a little. [Bird Watchers Anonymous]

• Did you know David Booth's(notes) offensive is ice cold right now? You know, what with him being concussed and not playing for the Panthers? Boy, that sure makes him streaky. (Kukla nails another one.) [KK]

• Finally, Erik Cole(notes) and Ian White(notes) both had fairly eventful nights for the Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs; check out this wicked hip check and a fight:

Of course, Cole and the Canes eventually had the last laugh. Well, those two and the officials.

That's the beauty of fantasy hockey --  throwing darts can often bring you better results than hours of studying statistics and depth charts.

Of course, I speak to last week's recommendation of considering Andrew Ebbett(notes) (since scratched) and dropping Matt Stajan(notes) (now back on Phil Kessel's(notes) line and doing just fine, thank you) and Radim Vrbata(notes) (let's not go there either). It's enough to drive a man to drink.  As Homer found out (to his dismay) in an early Simpsons episode spoofing fantasy sports -- "when you're right 52 percent of the time, you're wrong 48 percent of the time."

I strive for that 52 percent. With everything in life.

Injury replacement of the week: Andrei Kostitsyn(notes), Montreal Canadiens

Brian Gionta(notes) has a fractured bone in his left foot and the slumping A.K. has already scored a goal in his absence. Kostitsyn has had a hell of a time with things since early spring and fantasy owners have been jumping ship faster than figureheads at the NHLPA.

Are you drunk?

It's Thursday. You know the answer to that already. If there is ever a moment that you should show interest this season in the elder Kostitsyn, it is right now. Granted, six points in 21 games is as impressive as a Gary Bettman press conference, but he's a talented kid who will now get another chance to be a go-to guy.

The Keepers who are on fire...

Niklas Kronwall(notes), Detroit Red Wings: Kronwall's been improving his statistics every year and he has also proven (last season) that he can stay healthy for the full slate of games. He has seven points in his last four contests and has shown in the past that his hot streaks can go for as long as 25 games.

Brad Boyes(notes), St. Louis Blues: He'd been about as effective in the first six weeks as the Coyotes' PR department was back in July. Nothing gets fantasy owners back on a player's bandwagon faster than a four-point game, which Boyes had on the 10th. Sure, he may take a step back this year, but that step won't take him below the 60-point mark. The Blues' offense won't remain this horrible forever.

Steve Sullivan(notes), Nashville Predators:  Something clicks with Sully. You don't know when it will happen, but when it does it's pretty sweet. He has scored three goals in his last two games, which tops his total from the first 17 games. That sound you heard was "click". Now watch him go.

Bobby Ryan(notes), Anaheim Ducks:  There were a lot of poolies panicking over this guy. They couldn't understand how he could post nearly a point-per-game as a rookie and then stumble out of the gates with two points in nine games. Relax. He's not going to finish with a point-per-game as a sophomore and that thought should never have teased you in the first place. He's also not going to get 20 points - no "jinx" is that bad (unless he gets hurt, but I won't go there -- it may curse him). He'll finish in that 62-67 range. His 11 points in the last 10 games are just one of several hot runs he will have in 2009-10.

The Sleepers who are on the wire...

Frans Nielsen(notes), New York Islanders: The 25-year-old Dane has given the Isles some more secondary scoring. You'll never mistake him for Bryan Trottier, but Nielsen does have a bit of upside. He should set a career high of 40 or 45 points come April. Seeing as he has eight of his points (and plus-6) in the last 10 games, he's a good short-term option in a lot of fantasy formats

Anton Stralman(notes), Columbus Blue Jackets: Tons of potential, he just needs to be used properly.  And Ken Hitchcock is world renowned for using his young players properly, right Nikita? Actually, in Stralman's case, Hitch is doing a good job. He has 11 points in his last 15 games and eight of those points have come on the power play. Unless Stralman shows up at the rink wearing a Filatov mask, he'll continue to get the ice time and as such should be a lock for 42-plus points.

Brian Pothier(notes), Washington Capitals:  This is just a short-term suggestion, as Pothier has teased us before. Following up a 35-point season in Ottawa to go to a budding offensive powerhouse in Washington back when they didn't have another option for a quarterback ... and then stumbling to 28 points was as big a letdown as "Transformers 2." But he does have six points in his last six games and they came on the heels of a healthy scratch - which sometimes gives a player the kick in the ass they need.

Jimmy Howard(notes), Detroit Red Wings: Chris Osgood(notes) is hurt and Howard is getting all of the starts. More importantly - he's winning them. He is 3-1 in his last four and sports a 0.903 SP in that span. Not the greatest, but good enough to earn Mike Babcock's confidence. Goalies are always hard to get via the wire in roto leagues, so from that standpoint Howard is a great short-term option.

In a slump, these boys are mired...

Jason Spezza(notes), Ottawa Senators:  It's amazing how many clowns there are out there. The dummies who will jump on anyone for still having faith that Spezza can be a 100-point player, and they believe that without Dany Heatley(notes) he'll be lucky to get even 80 again. Both the peanut butter and the jam can be very good on their own, folks. He's only 26 and we haven't seen anywhere near the season that will be his career best yet. It won't be this year, obviously, but just remember that Vincent Lecavalier(notes) had a disappointing 75 points at the age of 26 - before exploding for 108 the next year. Ride it out.

Mikhail Grabovski(notes), Toronto Maple Leafs: It's another one of Grabby's cold streaks and when the Phil Kessel line is the only line scoring, it will probably be a couple of weeks before he gets back into the swing of things. Frustrating to own. Bench him.

Sergei Samsonov(notes), Carolina Hurricanes: The talent is there -- just watch him with the puck. But for whatever reason (perhaps his wrist never fully healed from back in 2003), he's not beating the goaltender and neither are the players that he dishes to. His ice time is dropping faster than your jaw did when I said Spezza will be a 100-point player. Drop him.

Joffrey Lupul(notes), Anaheim Ducks: One point in eight games makes a great-looking season look very bad in an awful hurry. Teemu Selanne(notes) gets in his last gasp of mediocre-to-decent numbers while Lupul, the understudy, waits in the wings. The two are often linemates, but they don't mesh at all - six of his nine points have come while playing on the top line with Corey Perry(notes) and Ryan Getzlaf(notes) even though he played twice as many shifts on the Selanne line. Next year he'll hit his prime and I still think he'll be a 70-point player.  Bench him.

Darryl Dobbs is the founder of dobberhockey.com, a fantasy hockey community with over a dozen columnists, a daily blog and in-depth fantasy player rankings. His always accurate opinions can also be found over at The Hockey News in their fantasy section.

• Why Team Russia should be considered the favorite heading into the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. On a somewhat related note, the Kurtenbloggers said during our radio interview last night that they would trade Team Canada's goaltending for Team USA's. We're in negotiations with the Obama administration and the Canadian consulate to make that happen (suckers!). [THN]

• Close to 14,000 fans overwhelmed security and police as Sidney Crosby(notes) carried the Olympic torch last night in Halifax. No word if Crosby got so caught up in the euphoria of the moment that he forgot to accept the torch being passed by another competitor, as is his tradition. [Halifax News Net]

• Update on ye olde Marc Savard(notes) contract negotiations: Contrary to "an Internet report," the signing isn't imminent and the total payout may not hit $39 million. That said, Dupont doesn't dispute the seven-year term. [Boston Globe]

• An anonymous NHL executive tells the Ottawa Sun that the less-than-capacity crowd for the Battle of Ontario against the Toronto Maple Leafs has "got to be most disturbing for ownership" of the Ottawa Senators. Still averaging 18,151 fans a game in a building that seats 19,153; in other words, around half the teams in the U.S. wish they had these problems. [Sun Media]

• Speaking of the Leafs, the big news today was that they've been unable "to lease an unspecified number of the facility's 152 luxury suites" at Air Canada Centre this season, leaving some to wonder if fans have grown weary of the pitiful product. Again, to clarify: The inability to sell out 152 luxury suites and having average attendance at 1,102 fans less than 19,000 capacity are what passes for attendance problems in Canada during this economy. [Globe & Mail]

• Elisha Cuthbert will be the grand marshal of the Grey Cup parade in Calgary. Wonder who the first choice was ... [Sportress of Blogitude]

• Another quarter-pole look at the Hart Trophy candidates, another complete whiff on including any goaltenders. Not to hate on a much-hated guy 'round here, but can someone please tell me what Chris Pronger(notes) has done in bringing the Philadelphia Flyers to 25 points in 18 games that Ryan Miller(notes) hasn't done in bringing the Buffalo Sabres to 25 points in 18 games, from an impact and leadership perspective? [NHL]

• Not exactly happy times for the Minnesota Wild, via Michael Russo: "Lectures from Richards, smashing sticks against glass, Brodziak chopped stick in half, Koivu threw stick four rows deep." Meanwhile, in New Jersey, the Devils just purchased Jacques Lemaire new slipper socks and sang "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow!" [@russostrib]

• Looking that the NHL teams gaining or losing steam since the opening 10 of the season. That Buffalo Sabres number is an interesting one. [Hockey or Die!]

• Setting the odds for the Chicago Blackhawks' trade bait in order to fit everyone under the cap upon re-signing Kane, Toews and Keith. Dustin Byfuglien's(notes) odds might be a little long; ditto Cam Barker(notes). And are we to assume Kris Versteeg(notes) is off the table? [FanHouse]

• Having finished reenacting the Jeff Daniels bathroom scene from "Dumb and Dumber," Milan Lucic(notes) is en route to Atlanta for the Boston Bruins game against the Thrashers. [Bruins Blog]

• Max Talbot(notes) and Sergei Gonchar(notes) are expected back for the Pittsburgh Penguins, which should offset the 10 other injuries they'll suffer before faceoff tonight. It's been that sort of week. [Post Gazette]

• A Peter Budaj(notes) backer admits that he needs to be better for the Colorado Avalanche, even as a backup. [Jibblescribbits]

• Vince Vaughn waits for someone to make someone else's head bleed during the Flyers/Kings game last night. [NHL]

• The Dallas Stars place left wing Fabian Brunnstrom(notes) on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, retroactive to Nov. 7. [Stars]

• The Washington Capitals recall 19-year-old blue-chip defenseman John Carlson(notes) from the AHL. [Capitals]

• The graphic on this Hurricanes/Leafs preview makes us laugh and gives us vertigo. [Sportsnet]

• Good stuff from Dirk Hoag about a potentially pivotal moment in international hockey: Russia's Kontinental Hockey League getting ready to admit its first Swedish club, Stockholm's AIK. As one blogger points out, Stockholm may be a more appealing destination for NHL players who wish to play in the KHL than some of the other locales. [On The Forecheck]

• DetroitHockey.net with a good look at the Wings getting jobbed last night by the ref; it declares: "This is the kind of play that gives credence to conspiracy theories." [DetroitHockey.net]

• In case you haven't see it, The Chief at Abel To Yzerman has decided that calling a segment of the Detroit Red Wings fan base "the tin-foil hat society" is, in fact, having a deeply-held bias against the Detroit Red Wings themselves. Which is, naturally, what the readership he's built on a foundation of indignation wants to hear. [A2Y]

• And because of this unpleasantness with outraged Wings fans, we're now providing fodder for the Hatfields against the McCoys. [Mile High Hockey]

• We wish Second City Hockey would tell us how they really feel about press coverage of Chicago Blackhawks President John McDonough in local media.. [SCH]

• Bettman bashers: Bloge Salming has a video for you. Some people just like to watch the world burn. Very strong language warning. [Bloge Salming]

Finally, Puck Buddy Evan M. sent over the note:

Saturday you wrote an article about a no goal called in the Leafs game, where the puck crossed the line but the goal was called off because the video wasn't conclusive. Pretty funny because the exact same thing happened to the Sharks in their game Sunday vs. the Blackhawks. Puck crossed, goal called off. And, they both happened vs. Chicago.

Take a gander; it's not clear cut, but it speaks to the need of something more than the instant replay we have no to clearly determine whether the puck was in or out. Last night's debacle in Detroit being the most egregious case.

 

(No, the first decade of the 21st century doesn't technically end until 2011. Save your bellyaching. But we've had nine NHL seasons and one stolen from us since 1999-2000, and Yahoo! Sports has decided it's time to rank the best and worst of the last "decade." Enjoy, and snark freely in the comments.)

You're going to disagree with this list.

It's not a prediction; it's a fact. Think about how many regular season, playoff, international, college, minor league and junior league games have been played in the last 10 years. Think about how many times you walked out of an arena during some random battle between two teams thinking, "That's the best hockey game I've ever seen." Think about the build-up, the storylines, the hype before now-classic (or, at the very least, near-classic) games, and how those contests lived up to them.

The 10 games we've selected here came from editorial debates, chats with fellow fans, some polling of the Twitter puckheads and our own recollections of classic games. We're confident they're all among the best for various reasons: Sometimes because of their context or legacy, and sometimes because they were just fantastically entertaining hockey games.

We imagine the comments will be filled with additions and suggestions, and that's how it should be with this list. Other rankings can be solidified statistically or through other analytical means; this one is a bit more subjective. We all have different frames of reference and criteria for great games; try telling a Team Canada fan that the Swedish gold medal above was a more rewarding game than the Canadians' in 2002.

With that, our 10 best games of the last decade are ...

10. Lightning thwart Calgary's Cup clincher (Stanley Cup Final; June 5, 2004)

Before 2004, the last time a team rallied from a 3-2 deficit in the Stanley Cup Finals was the Colorado Avalanche in 2001, when they finally gave Ray Bourque a ring and defeated the New Jersey Devils.

Before Game 6 in 2004, Bourque famously reached out to the Tampa Bay Lightning with advice on how to extend their series with the Calgary Flames, who held a 3-2 lead and had a chance to win the Cup on Canadian soil in Game 6.

Whatever he said, it worked, as the Bolts won on a Marty St. Louis goal in double overtime, 3-2, and eventually won the Cup in Game 7 at home. The teams traded scores in a four-goal second period; in the third, Martin Gelinas's "phantom goal" will forever live in playoff infamy. That controversy aside, it was a physical and entertaining game symbolic of the rest of this underrated series.

9. Toews nets shootout hat-trick in world juniors (World Junior Championships, Jan. 3, 2007)

A close game that eventually reached an unbelievable overtime followed by one of the most memorable shootouts in world junior hockey championship history.

The U.S. and Canada battled to a 1-1 tie in the 2007 tournament semifinals in Leksand, Sweden, with the late Luc Bourdon(notes) knotting the score at 12:09 of the third. In the 10-minute, 4-on-4 overtime, Carey Price(notes) stopped 12 American shots and the Canadians thwarted a 4-on-3 power play to force a shootout.

International rules allowed players to appear multiple times in the shootout, which ended up going 14 players deep between the rivals. Thus, Jonathan Toews(notes) and Peter Mueller(notes) had a fantastic duel, with Toews scoring on all three of his attempts and Price stopping Mueller to end the heart-pounding game. We're going to look back at this one fondly when some of these players are NHL superstars well into the next decade.

8. Chicago's historic comeback vs. Calgary (NHL Regular Season; Oct. 13, 2009)

How many fans left their seats to beat the traffic as the Chicago Blackhawks surrendered five goals in the first 11:43 of their game against the Calgary Flames this season? All they ended up missing was a six-goal comeback by the home team that tied an NHL record and set a Blackhawks' franchise record. Brent Seabrook(notes) won the game just 26 seconds into overtime, giving Chicago a 6-5 victory in perhaps the wildest regular season game in the decade. At least played indoors.

7. Double hat-tricks for Ovechkin, Crosby (Eastern Conference semifinals; May 4, 2009)

"Sick game. Sick goals by me and him."

That was Alex Ovechkin(notes) after the Washington Capitals' 4-3 win in Game 3 Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, which featured hat tricks from both Ovechkin and rival Sidney Crosby(notes) of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The notion that this showdown between the League's two greatest stars would meet expectations was hard to believe; that they'd blow them away with this mano-a-mano offensive duel was unfathomable. Ovechkin would break the game open by completing his hat trick in the third period; Crosby got his with a defiant goal late in the period.

It was like watching two ballers playing H-O-R-S-E on the playground, and one of the greatest superstar battles in recent memory -- even if the lingering memory is still Sidney complaining about there being too many hats on the ice.

6. Heritage Classic (NHL Regular Season; Nov. 22, 2003)

Obviously, the first regular season outdoor game in NHL history makes this list for the sheer spectacle of it all: The minus-22 degrees Fahrenheit temps with the wind chill; the legends game between Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens greats that looked like "Field of Dreams" if it had been filmed on an Alberta pond; and, of course, the aesthetics of 57,000 fans freezing their behinds off while Jose Theodore(notes) wore a toque over his mask.

Oh, and it was a pretty tight game, too. Richard Zednik(notes) scored the Habs' first and final goals, as Montreal won in the blustery elements by the score of 4-3. His second goal came 1:02 after Jarret Stoll(notes) cut the lead to 3-2.

The Cold War between Michigan State and Michigan in 2001 might have inspired this game; but its success was certainly a harbinger of the Winter Classic juggernaut we currently have on New Year's Day. As a total experience, the Heritage game was a classic.

5. Bruins, Canadiens trade leads in underdog upset (Eastern Conference quarterfinals; April 19, 2008)

The Montreal Canadiens were a 104-point regular season conference champion who entered this series with an 11-game winning streak against the Boston Bruins. The B's were a No. 8 seed that stumbled into the playoffs. The Habs held a 3-1 series lead until the Bruins smacked them, 5-1, at Bell Centre. Expectations were high that the Canadiens would dispatch their pesky rivals in Game 6; they were wrong.

In one of the most brutal, unpredictable playoff games of the decade, the Bruins erased four Montreal leads and scored four goals in the third period for a stunning 5-4 win in Boston. Marco Sturm(notes) scored the game-winner with 2:37 left in regulation. Montreal would go on to win the series, but this game remains an instant classic.

4. Canada defeats US women for gold (Winter Olympics; Feb. 21, 2002)

Yes, love for the ladies.

The context: It was a gold medal game in Salt Lake City, with the Canadian women seeking their first Olympic title (and the first for a Canadian hockey team in 50 years). The stakes, via CTV:

The Canadians had watched the U.S. skate off with gold in Nagano in 1998. Then after eight straight losses to the Americans leading up to the 2002 Games, the taunting was ripe at the Games.

Some U.S. women had scribbled on photos of Canadian players in the athletes' village, and the Canadians heard reports of insulting comments. Rumours fueled the Canadian fire - although they were later proven to be untrue - that the Americans were disrespecting the Canadian flag in the U.S. dressing room.

So yeah, there was some passion heading into this one. Truth be told, it was a fugly game: A penalty-laden affair that lacked flow thanks to a whistle-happy referee (an American, which only fueled Canadian ire). It was a slugfest, if the term can be applied to a fight-less form of puck.

That said, the Canadian women played through 12 penalties and gutted out what was a thrilling 3-2 victory over their bitter rivals. What this one lacked in artistry it made up for in contentious drama.

3. BU's dramatic comeback wins NCAA title (Frozen Four, April 12, 2009)

Any game that legendary Boston University hockey coach Jack Parker calls "the greatest comeback I've been involved in" merits consideration on the list, right?

Down two goals to Miami University with less than a minute left in the NCAA hockey championship game in Washington, D.C., Nick Bonino assisted on one goal and then scored the game-tying goal with 17 clicks left. The title-clinching goal came at 11:47 of overtime, and it was a soul-crusher for Miami: Colby Cohen's shot deflected off a sprawling Kevin Roeder on defense and then floated over the glove of goalie Cody Reichard.

BU won the game, 4-3, in overtime for an instant Frozen Four classic. It was a championship game, so that plays into it being here; which is to say that we offer no disrespect to Holy Cross's "miracle" against Minnesota in 2006, which is a strong honorable mention.

2. Sweden keeps gold from Fins (Winter Olympics; Feb. 25, 2006)

The 2002 gold medal game between Canada and the U.S. will no doubt be remembered more fondly, what with the buried loonie on American ice and the 50-year Canadian gold medal wait finally ending. But the 2006 gold medal game in Turin was simply a better hockey game, and played at the highest level by a galaxy of star players on Sweden and Finland.

The all-Nordic final wasn't exactly what fans had anticipated, but Russia took out Canada and Finland eliminated Russia, while Sweden knocked off Czech Republic. Finland was seeking its first Olympic gold; Sweden was looking to avenge the enormous upset to Belarus in 2002.

The classic battle had a combined 36 NHL players involved, and the game-winning goal was a Hall of Fame effort: Peter Forsberg(notes) won the faceoff, passed to Mats Sundin(notes), who then passed to Nicklas Lidstrom(notes) for the tally early in the third:

Henrik Lundqvist(notes) of the New York Rangers made the lead stand up with some stellar play in the third. No overtime, no last-second heroics. Just two incredible hockey teams playing on an elite level on the biggest stage.

1. Sykora calls his shot against Detroit (Stanley Cup Final; June 2, 2008)

There were longer overtime games. There were more meaningful victories. There were better individual efforts. But as a total package of entertainment, star power and clutch performances, no game better symbolized the post-lockout NHL than this 4-3 triple overtime victory by the Pittsburgh Penguins over eventual Stanley Cup champions the Detroit Red Wings in Game 5 at the Joe.

Goals by Pavel Datsyuk(notes) and Marian Hossa(notes). Moments of great defense, great offense and brutal physical play. Maxime Talbot's improbable goal with 34.3 seconds left in regulation that tied the game at 3-3. Marc-Andre Fleury(notes) stopping 24 Detroit shots in three overtime periods and 55 for the game. And then, at 9:57 of the third OT, Petr Sykora(notes) happened:

Helping to elevate this game to elite status? The fact that Sykora called his shot between periods.

If nothing else, this game helped turn the 2008 finals into thriller, which created plenty of buzz for the 2009 rematch that saw the Penguins take the Cup. But no matter who won this game, the drama and dynamics made it the best of the decade.

• The Los Angeles Kings will be without Ryan Smyth(notes) for up to a month with "an upper body injury," per Rich Hammond. Smyth is 10th in the NHL in points (23) and one of the primary reasons the Kings are fourth in the West right now. He played 77 games last season for Colorado, but the way he plays the game has had him miss some time in previous seasons.

With injury comes intrigue: Smyth's place on Anze Kopitar's(notes) line now goes to Alexander Frolov(notes), whom you may remember from such posts as "Kings send Frolov message with healthy scratch." He's played better since then, as Coach Terry Murray told Hammond:

"Look, I'm not going to take too much of the credit for taking him out of the lineup. The other part of it, he knows this is a huge year for him contractually as well. Everything that he does, number-wise, is going to be referred to whenever they get into negotiations. So it's very important that he bring his 'A' game every night."

Especially now with Smyth out.

• Small problem for the Montreal Canadiens: Brian Gionta(notes) broke his foot and is out indefinitely, according to RDS. Moving up to the top line in his place was Glen Metropolit(notes), joining Mike Cammalleri and Scott Gomez(notes). Metro's saying all the right things about this big opportunity. Lord knows the guy can shoot the puck.

• As we mentioned in the Puck Headlines, Jay McKee(notes) of the Pittsburgh Penguins is out 2-4 weeks with an infected finger, which is probably as gross as it sounds. (Though why it's a big deal is a mystery; Toronto's been playing with a bum Finger for the better part of two years.) Good news: Sergei Gonchar is about ready to return, and both Kris Letang(notes) and Brooks Oprik are back in practice.

• Finally, the Washington Capitals said that Alex Semin is fighting a sore wrist (MRI was negative), Jose Theodore(notes) could miss this weekend's games due to a personal matter and Quintin Laing(notes) had "metal plates put into his broken jaw during surgery last night" and could miss six weeks.

Metal plates into his broken jaw ... and how was your Tuesday night?

We all know it's been a goofed-up, topsy-turvy season. Star players have been injured. Good teams have gone bad, and teams that were previously thought to be bad have skated out of Calgary with a three-point lead in the Northwest Division last night.

That unpredictability has spilled over in the scoring race, as we take a check of the leaderboard just over a month-and-a-half into the season. How many of last year's Top 20 scorers are currently in the Top 20 this season?

Eight. Which is to say that there are 12 players defying expectations this season, like Mr. Kopitar.

First, a comparison between the leading scorers at the end of last regular season and the ones in the Top 20 as of this morning, with the brighter names on the left also hitting the list this season:

Some of the missing in action from one year to the next are understandable due to injury: Ilya Kovalchuk(notes) of the Atlanta Thrashers (11 games played), Marc Savard(notes) of the Boston Bruins (7 games), Daniel Sedin(notes) (4 games) and, of course, Evgeni Malkin(notes) of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who missed a few games but has 17 points in 14 appearances this season.

That accounts for most of the wounded; what about the rest?

Pavel Datsyuk(notes), Detroit Red Wings (16 points): A snail's-paced start (2 points in 5 games) has finally been shaken off, as Datsyuk now has 12 points in his last nine games. His goal-scoring (4 goals on the season) still needs to pick up, but he's gaining steam with 16 points.

Jarome Iginla(notes), Calgary Flames (17 points): See Datsyuk, Pavel. Four points in the opening eight games caused concern; he quieted them with 11 points in 8 games and now has 12 goals on the season, tying him for fourth in the NHL. Whether he returns to the leader board at the end of the season pretty much depends on Olli Jokinen's(notes) success; but then again, what in Calgary doesn't this season?

Jeff Carter(notes), Philadelphia Flyers (19 points): His 19 points in 17 games puts him right outside the Top 20. By this time last season, Carter had 11 goals on the way to a stunning 46 overall. He has seven right now. One change worth watching: Carter played with a lot with Joffrey Lupul(notes) last season, who left in the Pronger trade; this season, his primary winger man has been Danny Briere(notes).

Michael Cammalleri(notes), Montreal Canadiens (16 points): Again, not a bad start for him, with 16 points in 21 games for what's been a pretty underwhelming Habs team. In fact, he only had 15 points at this time last season. On a line with Scott Gomez(notes) and Brian Gionta(notes), it's not hard to imagine he's going to hit the leaderboard again.

Mike Richards(notes), Philadelphia Flyers (17 points): He has 17 points in 17 games, which puts him right around the 80-point pace he had last season. Now, it's fair to ask why he isn't putting up better numbers with the talent the Flyers have up front and with the best power play (27 percent conversion rate) in the NHL. But it's also fair to say that Simon Gagne's(notes) injury caused a little reshuffling of the forwards that left Richards playing with a few different combos so far. He's done enough offensively to keep the Flyers and Pierre McGuire smiling, though.

Martin St. Louis(notes), Tampa Bay Lightning (19 points): He's got 19 points in 18 games, and helped turn Steven Stamkos(notes) into a Top 20 scorer. He'll be fine.

Alexander Semin(notes), Washington Capitals (17 points): He has 17 points in 18 games, and has shown flashes of the offensive brilliance that landed him on the leaderboard last season. But he's been battling a wrist injury for the better part of two weeks, and it kept him out of the lineup against the New York Rangers last night. Something to watch.

Mike Ribiero, Dallas Stars (15 points): With 15 points in 19 games, Ribiero might not appear to be struggling; but seven of those points game in his first five games. He had 18 points at this juncture last season for a Dallas team that was sinking into the toilet. It's not panic time -- he's a streaky scorer. But with the Brad Richards(notes) line playing well, the Stars need a little more out of Jamie Benn(notes), Brenden Morrow(notes) and Ribeiro.

• • •

The bottom line: Nearly all of these guys are in the hunt again, even as some of their conditions have changed. Clearly, a healthy Kovalchuk or Malkin will get back into the Top 20 in no time. What'll be interesting is if some of the surprises this season -- Rich Peverely, Ryan Smyth(notes) and Dustin Penner(notes), for example -- can keep up their early-season paces.

As well as if we'll be talking about Marian Gaborik's(notes) actual points and goals in April, or what he would have scored had it not been for his injuries. So far, so good for him; the Rangers have to be pleased.

Bradley got the worst of it when trading wild right hands with New York Rangers forward Aaron Voros(notes) in a first-period fight. As he skated off the ice he appeared to ask a linesman, "is this mine?" while pointing at the blood cascading from above his left eye. The answer came in the affirmative, which didn't seem to faze the Washington right wing. That was his last act of the period, but after a little time in makeup he returned to make an impact, scoring the game-winner (video) in an eventual 4-2 win over the Blueshirts. Nice skill play by Bradley, who won a battle with Wade Redden(notes), then used his body to shield the puck from pursuing defenseman Matt Gilroy(notes) before snapping it past Henrik Lundqvist(notes) at 15:09 of the third.

No. 2 star: Carey Price(notes), Montreal Canadiens

Price actually bit on Matt Cullen's(notes) fake in the sixth round of the shootout, but a desperation pad save stopped the puck just short of the goal line, preserving a 3-2 Montreal victory. The knock on the Canadiens' third-year goalie has been that he plays just well enough to lose close games, but Tuesday he was at his best in pressure situations. Price made 13 third-period saves to allow Montreal to tie the score, survived a 7-1 Carolina advantage in shots in the overtime and then turned aside three do-or-die shots in the scoreless shootout before a Maxim Lapierre(notes) goal set the stage for the stop on Cullen.

No. 3 star: Mike Fisher(notes), Ottawa Senators

This one was a battle royale early, with six players earning fighting majors in the opening 11 ½ minutes. But the decisive blows were landed by Fisher. He snapped off a team-high four shots, beating Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Vesa Toskala(notes) for the game's first goal and supplying the game-winner late in the second period of a 3-2 Senators victory.

Honorable Mention: Alex Ovechkin's(notes) return after a five-week absence couple weeks off was no joke. He scored his 15th goal of the season on a second-period power-play. … No shortage of star power at the Garden on Tuesday. Marian Gaborik(notes) scored twice for the Rangers to keep pace with AO atop the league's scoring list with 15 goals. … Caps coach Bruce Boudreau notched his 100th career victory. … Toronto's Phil Kessel(notes) scored his fifth goal to extend his points streak to six games. … First NHL points: Washington's Jay Beagle(notes) (assist) and Toronto's Carl Gunnarsson(notes) (ditto). … Colorado's Ryan Wilson(notes) scored his first NHL goal, fittingly burning a Calgary team that traded him in March. … Joel Ward(notes) and David Legwand(notes) combined for six points (goal, two assists each) as the Predators beat San Jose.

Did You Know?: With man-advantage goals by Steve Sullivan(notes) and Joel Ward in a 4-3 victory, the Predators became the first team to score multiple power-play goals in a game against the Sharks this season.

Dishonorable Mention: The Rangers faced an early 21-11 shots deficit and finished with a season-low 20 pucks on net. … No knock on Michael Leighton(notes), but another injury to a goalie was the last thing Carolina needed. He left with a lower-body injury in the second period as the Hurricanes failed to register their first road win on their 10th try. … Speaking of winless streaks, Vesa Toskala (18 saves) dropped to 0-4-2 on the season.

Preview: Colorado Avalanche at Calgary Flames, 9:30 p.m. EST. At the end of October, seven points separated these two teams in the Northwest Division. Now, it's down to one. Curtis Glencross(notes) is back for the Flames, and playing with Jarome Iginla(notes) and Olli Jokinen(notes) on the top line. Watch The Game Live Via Hockey Night on Y!

Preview: Washington Capitals at New York Rangers, 7 p.m. EST. The assumed return of Ovechkin on Versus, despite the Caps star being annoyingly coy about his status earlier today. The question the Rangers need to start answering: Is "the recent 4-7-1 malaise might be more representative of this club than the 7-1 start?"

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

Evening Reading

• Update on the Patrick Kane(notes), Jonathan Toews(notes) and Duncan Keith(notes) contracts: Bob McKenzie reports that Kane and Toews are "believed to be getting five-year extensions, with each of them worth in excess of $6 million per year" and that "Keith's deal is said to be more complicated, perhaps as long as 13 years." Whoa. [TSN]

• All three players issue varying forms of "hey, what contract?" when asked about reports that the Chicago Blackhawks are about to sign all three pending free agents. [Sun Times]

• Meanwhile, if the Toews/Kane/Marian Hossa(notes) mega-line becomes a reality, Sarah Spain has its nickname ready: "The TKHo Line." [No Spain, No Gain]

• Rob Scuderi(notes) and Ryan Smyth(notes) are both still banged up for the Los Angeles Kings, with concern that Smyth could be out a bit with an upper body injury. [Kings Insider]

• Nice post on Dean Arsene(notes), who made his NHL debut for the Edmonton Oilers after a mere 109 ECHL games and 333 AHL contests. Perseverance, thy name is Arsene. [Bangin Panger]

• So what happens to Henrik Sedin(notes) when Daniel comes back? [Canucks Hockey Blog]

• Finally, the Pittsburgh Penguins have created a 30-minute Russian-language radio show devoted to Russian NHL fans that will air each week on the Penguins' new HD radio station (105.9 HD2). What's Russian for Baba Booey again? [Pens]

Puck Buddy Comment of the Day: Stanley Cup of Chowder on the Blackhawks contracts, via Twitter --

They offered Kane $5,999,998.80...but he demanded the extra $1.20

Bold Prediction: Carolina makes it two in a row with a win in Montreal.

• The blockbuster news of the morning is that the Chicago Blackhawks are close to signing Jonathan Toews(notes), Patrick Kane(notes) AND Duncan Keith(notes) to new deals, well ahead of restricted free agency for all three amigos. We covered the potential signings yesterday, and the mysteries remain: What will Kane and Toews be paid, and how long will Keith sign for when he could be unrestricted in 2011 with a one-year deal. [Tribune, Sun Times, and a witty Photoshop from Windy City Hockey]

• Kane. Toews. Hossa. On the same line. SICK. [ESPN Chicago, via Twitter]

• "Unless he's run over by a Zamboni or something goes awry at the Hair Cuttery, Alex Ovechkin(notes) returns to the ice tonight, when the Caps take on the New York Blueshirts." [NBC Washington]

• JP writes the book on Washington Capitals goalie Seymon Varlamov, and it's called "From Russia Without Glove(side.)" In other Caps goaltending news, Jose Theodore(notes) took leave from the team for personal reasons but Washington Post writer Tarik El-Bashir reports it should only be for one game. [Japers Rink]

• On Carey Price(notes): "At this time a year ago, Canadiens fans were firmly behind their franchise goalie - now they're on the cusp of eating him alive." [Canes Country]

• Math makes our brains hurt, but this piece by Behind The Net on the Toronto Maple Leafs' "percentage odds" of making the playoffs is a brilliant needle for the Toronto Star's hot-air balloon about the Leafs missing the cut. [Behind The Net]

• Attention Canes and Leafs Bruins fans: Top draft prospect Taylor Hall is now ranked No. 2 by Central Scouting for the OHL, behind Plymouth Whalers forward Tyler Seguin. [Hockey or Die]

• "Battle of the Blades" will have a second season on CBC with a new group of ex-hockey players; we demand more Proberts, less Richers. Interesting note that 40 percent of the audience for this show was male. Because no matter how many deny it, men love the idea that some meathead is going to drop a good-looking broad on her face. They don't watch NASCAR for the pit stops and they don't read lad mags for the articles. These are eternal truths. [Truth & Rumours]

• The National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) together raised more than $650,000 in support of Hockey Fights Cancer and other cancer-related organizations during October's Awareness Month. [NHL]

• Buddha uses our interview with the Florida Panthers' new co-managing partner as a jumping-off point for an interesting blog about "non-traditional" hockey markets and attracting fans. [Hockey Wilderness]

• The Colorado Avalanche recall forward Chris Durno(notes) from the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League. He led the Monsters with seven goals. [Avs]

• Hey, remember when Matt Duchene(notes) was kicking ass and looking like a Calder candidate? Yeah, not so much. [Frei]

• Peter Forsberg(notes) and Markus Naslund(notes) intend to play together on Modo for free. Ken Holland just spit out his coffee. [Nucks Misconduct]

• The Battle of Ontario is still the Battle of Ontario. [Sportsnet]

• CHICKEN WINGS UPDATE: There's an app for that. [Rovell]

• Weird Crap One Finds When Searching for All-Decade Photos, Vol. 1: Kelly Buchberger and a Los Angeles Kings fan, 2000. [Getty]

• Have the Anaheim Ducks tuned out Coach Randy Carlyle? Todd Marchant(notes): "Are people not listening to the coach? I don't see that at all. I've never seen that at all. I've never seen where players don't listen to the coach. ... For whatever reason, things just don't work out the way you want them to. They don't work out the way you draw them up." [Ducks Blog]

• The New Jersey Devils Travis Zajac(notes) on losing at the Philadelphia Flyers last night: "We knew we weren't going to win 41 on the road." No one likes a pessimist, sir. [Star-Ledger]

• Lowetide on a top Edmonton Oilers prospect: "I think Jordan Eberle(notes) may be approaching a level where we can begin to talk about him skipping Triple A and making the big club." [Lowetide]

• It's not our fight, but it is an interesting debate in Chicago whether or not to retire Jeremy Roenick's(notes) number with the Blackhawks. Didn't play long enough, never won a Cup vs. beloved player status. [Between The Circles]

• The ESPN doc on Gretzky will be shown on Wed. night on TSN. [TSN]

• Malik with a diagnosis for the current state of the Detroit Red Wings: "The blueprint thus far seems to emphasize a renewed commitment in terms of attention to detail, especially on defense, buying into the concept that, unlike last season, the team cannot simply float for forty or fifty minutes before exploding offensively, and that the supporting cast cannot assume that the now-absent point producers will get the scoring job (or preventing goals job) done for them, regardless of their age or experience." [Snapshots]

• We're big fans of Brandon Worley, and he's now the hockey blog overlord at SB Nation, taking over for Mirtle, who will soon be the best writer on the Leafs beat. And no doubt the tallest. Congrats to all. [Defending Big D]

• Tapeleg presents some easy ways to read copious amounts of hockey blogs. Speaking of which: Do any of you use mobile devices to read Puck Daddy? If so, does it display Ok? [Jerseys and Hockey Love]

• Finally, the Pittsburgh Penguins continue to lead the league in positive PR within their community. [The Confluence]

(No, the first decade of the 21st century doesn't technically end until 2011. Save your bellyaching. But we've had nine NHL seasons and one stolen from us since 1999-2000, and Yahoo! Sports has decided it's time to rank the best and worst of the last "decade." Enjoy, and snark freely in the comments.)

As we continue our rankings of the best and worst in the last decade, it's time to look back at the worst teams that the 2000s have produced.

Sixteen teams make the National Hockey League playoffs every spring. Fourteen start their summer vacation early. And of those 14, a handful place their hopes in a ping-pong ball, thinking that if it lands just right, their future fortunes may change. It's an annual rite and for some franchises, the pain of losing and putting a bad hockey product on the ice takes much longer than anticipated.

Some teams have excuses for poor seasons: injuries, declining production in players, and bad luck all play a part in making a bad hockey team.

While there have been a lot of good hockey teams this decade, there have also been a lot of bad ones.

With that, the 10 worst teams of the past decade are ...

10. 2000-01 Tampa Bay Lightning 24-47-6-5 (59 points, 29th in the NHL)

Three years before they won the Stanley Cup, the Tampa core of Vincent Lecavalier(notes), Brad Richards(notes) and Martin St. Louis(notes) began their first season together. It was a third-straight season of progress and the beginnings of a championship team. Midway through the season, head coach Steve Ludzik was fired and John Tortorella was brought in along with a new attitude to the team. Torts didn't bring about immediate change in the standings, but the seeds were planted, even after a stretch midseason where the Lightning managed just three wins in 21 games.

9. 2003-04 Chicago Blackhawks 20-43-11-8 (59 points, tied for 29th in NHL)

With the recent success of the Blackhawks, it seems so long since they were irrelevant and buried under the tight-fist of former owner Bill Wirtz. Highly touted rookie Tuomo Ruutu(notes) made his debut in Chicago in '03 and brought hope that the youth movement on GM Mike Smith's(notes) watch would eventually pay dividends. Ruutu had a successful rookie campaign with 44 points, but the lack of a consistent presence in net saw six goaltenders between the pipes during the season.

8. 2002-03 Carolina Hurricanes 22-43-11-6 (61 points, 30th in the NHL)

Things should have been rosy for the ‘Canes in coming off a Stanley Cup appearance and losing only Martin Gelinas(notes) as a regular from the lineup in the off-season. However, Arturs Irbe took a step back, winning just seven games after a 20-win season in '02 and there was a regular rotation of Carolina players coming in and out of the trainers' room. At one point, the Hurricanes went 1-12-0-3 in a 16 game stretch and lost both Rod Brind'Amour(notes) and Erik Cole(notes) to injury, derailing any hopes of a turnaround.

7. 2003-04 Washington Capitals 23-46-10-3 (59 points, tied for 29th in the NHL)

Deciding to go with youth was the goal for the Caps in '03-04. Jaromir Jagr(notes), Sergei Gonchar(notes), Robert Lang(notes) and Peter Bondra(notes) were some of the big money makers on the roster who were dealt away in order to let the kids play. At the end of the rainbow would eventually be Alexander Ovechkin and Mike Green(notes) as two of their three first-round picks in the 2004 NHL Draft. In goal, after three 30-win seasons, Olaf Kolzig(notes) won just 19 games as the talent that was once in front of him slowly disappeared.

6. 2005-06 St. Louis Blues 21-46-15 (57 points, 30th in NHL)

The year after the lockout was a funny one. Teams were dealing the effects of the salary cap floor and ceiling for the first team, and trying to mold their rosters around how the "new" NHL was going to be played. The new style of hockey that was brought on by the lockout was meant for younger, faster players, but the '05-06 Blues went veteran heavy. Eight of their ten leading scorers were over the age of 30, including 38-year old Scott Young and 35-year old Doug Weight(notes) who would be dealt later in the season to the eventually Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.

St. Louis' 25-year long playoff streak came to an end as a new era was ushered in as Dave Checketts bought the team from the Laurie family. Erik Johnson(notes) was the reward for the Blues' third-worst season in franchise history.

5. 2001-02 Columbus Blue Jackets 22-47-8-5 (57 points, 29th in the NHL)

Progress was hoped for in Columbus' second season in the NHL, but their poor showing was rewarded with selecting Rick Nash(notes) No. 1 overall the following June, so it wasn't all bad in the end. Ron Tugnutt and Marc Denis(notes) kept the net warm while '01 first-round pick Pascal Leclaire(notes) finished out his junior career. Led by younger versions of Ray Whitney(notes) and Mike Sillinger(notes) (only on his eighth team back then), the Blue Jackets started out of the gate very slow, winning just one game in their opening 13.

4. 2006-07 Philadelphia Flyers 22-48-12 (56 points, 30th in the NHL)

The summer of 2006 saw plenty of turnover for the Flyers, as they lost Keith Primeau, Kim Johnsson(notes), Michal Handzus(notes) and Eric Desjardins. New team captain Peter Forsberg(notes) was limited by that pesky foot and played just 40 games. Eight games into the season saw turnover in the management sector as GM Bobby Clarke resigned and head coach Ken Hitchcock was fired. The current head coach/GM battery of John Stevens and Paul Holmgren took over, but it wasn't enough to save the Flyers from their worst season in franchise history where they declined 45 points from the 2005-06 season.

3. 2003-04 Pittsburgh Penguins 23-47-8-4 (58 points, 30th in NHL)

Three key stats to point out: Rico Fata(notes) minus-46. Dick Tarnstrom(notes) minus-37. Mario Lemieux coming off a 91-point season: 10 games played. This Penguins team was dubbed the "X-Generation", but the Ramzi Abids, Matt Bradleys and Fatas would not see a long future in Pittsburgh and weren't the seeds that helped grow the franchise into a Stanley Cup winner. Before there was success, there were a bevy of bumps.

Most memorable about the '03-04 season, besides 2003 No. 1 overall pick Marc-Andre Fleury's(notes) NHL debut, was the 18-game losing streak the Penguins went on from Jan. 13 to Feb. 25. Half of those games saw Pittsburgh allow five goals or more.

Yeah, the defense was pretty bad. 

2. 2000-01 New York Islanders 21-51-7-3 (52 points, 30th in the NHL)

A busy summer in 2000 still haunts the Islanders to this day. First, the previous spring saw new owners Sanjay Kumar and Charles Wang of Computer Associates fame take over the team. Next, at the NHL Entry Draft, with the Islanders brass in love with Rick DiPietro(notes), general manager Mike Milbury decided to trade Roberto Luongo(notes) to the Florida Panthers and thus Mad Mike's legend grew. This season would also be young Zdeno Chara's(notes) last in an Islanders uniform, as he was shipped to Ottawa in a deal for Alexei Yashin(notes) at the 2001 Draft.

Islander fans saw eight losing streaks of three games or more, including separate eight and seven game streaks. They finished out of the playoffs for the seventh straight season and had twelve players finish in double digits as a minus.

1. 2001-02 Atlanta Thrashers 19-47-11-5 (54 points, 30th in the NHL)

There was a lot of promise on this Thrashers squad. Dany Heatley(notes) and Ilya Kovalchuk(notes) led the team in scoring as rookies, but the supporting cast couldn't find the back of the net often when the duo weren't on the ice. Like with all bad teams, goaltending was the key issue. Milan Hnilicka(notes) was "the man," but only could win 13 games in 60 appearances. He'd played in just 23 more games in the NHL. Of the 44 skaters who wore a Thrashers uniform, only two, Yuri Butsayev and Ben Simon(notes), recorded plus ratings. The power play was especially brutal finishing 29th in the NHL with a 12 percent success rate.

Falling behind was also a knock against Atlanta who was 1-26-5-1 when trailing after the first period and 0-38-5-2 when having to come from behind after two periods.

Heatley and Kovalchuk combined for 55 of the Thrashers' 187 goals. If either of those two were having an off night, might as well close the curtain.

• Puck Buddy Bart sent in this photo from the Toronto Maple Lefas Leafs game at Chicago. "I thought you might enjoy this picture of Leafs fans having spelling issues. Mr. 'F' threw up in his cup in third period and the whole crew was kicked out. Stay classy!" Obviously, it's hard to verify that last statement but, uh, yuck.

• Alex Goligoski(notes) is out 2-3 weeks with a lower body injury, joining Sergei Gonchar(notes), Kris Letang(notes) and Brooks Orpik(notes) in street clothes as the Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Anaheim Ducks. Sewickley, PA's own Nate Guenin(notes) is called up for reinforcement. No word if Ray Shero asked the Ducks about renting Ryan Whitney(notes) for the night. [Tribune-Review]

• Joe Sacco called Saturday's game against the Canucks a "must win," and they lost. For a 12-5-3 team that's second in the conference. Coaches make rookie mistakes, too. [All Things Avs]

• There's been a bit of an ownership switcheroo with the Florida Panthers; meet the former minority-now-majority owners at their 1:30 p.m. presser on the Panthers' Web site. [Panthers]

• Interesting Larry Brooks column on Sean Avery(notes) of the New York Rangers, or what Brooks calls A.I.N.O. (Avery In Name Only). "Avery has been playing on tiptoes, as if walking a tightrope. He has largely been a cipher, reluctant to engage opponents. Fact is, Avery has been playing as if afraid that one mistake would consign him to the bench." [NY Post]

• Detroit Red Wings left wing Henrik Zetterberg(notes), Atlanta Thrashers left wing Ilya Kovalchuk(notes) and Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller(notes) have been named the NHL 'Three Stars' for the week ending Nov. 15. [NHL]

• Alex Ovechkin(notes) is fully practicing with the Washington Capitals in anticipation of the team's national television game against the New York Rangers on Tuesday. Even more interesting: He's practicing on the power play in front of the net rather than on the point, with Mike Knuble(notes) out of the lineup. Must be a whole new world seeing slap shots whizzing by his head instead of being the whizzer. [Capitals Insider]

• In defense of the trap. Yes, the New Jersey Devils' soul-crushing, excitement-draining, popularity-dampening defensive system. From a Pittsburgh writer, no less. [Tribune-Review]

• The 12 reasons why The Pensblog dislikes Chris Bourque(notes). Until we see proper documentation, we're considering this 11 reasons and baseless speculation about Creed. [Pensblog]

• Dave "The Hammer" Schultz will enter the Philadelphia Flyers Hall of Fame this evening, and Broad Street Hockey pays him homage: "Dave Schultz may have only been a Flyer for four seasons, but those were four years that defined his career, his life, and an era of Philadelphia hockey." [Broad Street Hockey, and check out our own two-part interview with The Hammer from last year]

• Bobby Clarke believes Eric Lindros(notes) should be a Hall of Famer, which is either a sympathy vote or an attempt to justify trading Peter Forsberg(notes) and a Colorado Stanley Cup for him. [Philly.com]

• George James Malik with his usual sobering, insightful coverage of the latest NHLPA infighting. [Snapshots]

• Interesting column that argues for only one outdoor game in the NHL each season and only on Jan. 1, which misses the Canadian elephant in the room: When, exactly, will the NHL allow a team from north of the border into a television event in which Canadian ratings will not count towards U.S. Nielsen numbers? [Sportsnet]

• This Planet Hockey jersey has to be one of the most horrific things we've ever seen. It's like the lizard aliens from 'V' took over the Blue Jackets' logo. [eBay, thanks to Puck Buddy Jason]

• Lepore presents "Hockey in the Zeitgeist," a feature that seeks to explore hockey references in popular culture. Looking at his list, we're not sure where WWF's  The Goon fits in; all we know is that it better fit in. [Puck The Media]

• Andy Murray gives the St. Louis Blues some nap times. OK, technically it's time off, but we'll assume it was used to cuddling up with their wubbies. [Dispatch]

• Interesting perspective on the Allan Walsh/Montreal Canadiens Twitter flap from Jay Feaster, in the sense that it's a former GM examining the agent's outspoken online actions. [THN]

• Matt Cullen(notes) to the Blackhawks? [Canes Country]

• Spector has mucho trade talk on THN, including his take on the Cullen scuttlebutt. [THN]

• The Tampa Bay Lightning send down Ryan Craig(notes) and defenseman Matt Smaby(notes) to AHL Norfolk. [Lightning Strikes]

• Brent Burns(notes) has probably played himself off the Canadian Olympic team by being rather awful for the Minnesota Wild this season. What, exactly, happened to this guy? [Pucks Gone Wild]

• First-person essays on hockey road trips are money. Here's a New York Rangers fan's adventures in Ottawa. (In Kanata, to be accurate.) We're sure the noose went over well. [Blueshirt Banter]

• Finally, this ice-level fight between Tony Turgeon and Nate Baumbick from the Waterloo Black Hawks at Lincoln Stars game on Saturday offered an interesting view. [Hockey Fights]

Which was: "I thought they already were."

His answer perplexed me a little, because there's been such a rabid debate over drastic measures regarding hits to the head during this injurious season. We needed new rules, right? We needed new legislation to eliminate checks involving the head from NHL games; from making certain types of hits illegal to nearing a total ban of contact with an opponent's head.

Clark's matter-of-fact answer was a revelation about how some players feel regarding the potential head-shot rule: They're already illegal, but they're just unenforced.

It's a notion that aligns these players with characters like "Mad" Mike Milbury, who feels new rules about hits to the head are superfluous at best and preposterous at worst.

In a way, shocking as it is. Mike Milbury is right; and his concern speaks to an unspoken facet of the GMs' decision, which is whether we can trust the NHL to actually follow through on its own campaign to lessen dangerous hits to the head.

Glenn Healy, formerly of the NHLPA and now with CBC Sports, often cites that 76 percent of players were in favor of a rule against head shots. But how many of them believe, like Clark, that there are already rules in place to deal with them?

Charging, for example, can be called for any blindside hit that's currently being cited as evidence for the necessity of head-shot rules:

A minor or major penalty shall be imposed on a player or goalkeeper who skates or jumps into, or charges an opponent in any manner.

Charging shall mean the actions of a player or goalkeeper who, as a result of distance traveled, shall violently check an opponent in any manner. A "charge" may be the result of a check into the boards, into the goal frame or in open ice.

That's the point Mike Milbury was trying to make on Hockey Night In Canada this weekend, in between ham-fisted logic like "players have always had concussions, so why not today?" From HNIC:

"Yes, people cross the lines, and when they cross the lines they should be penalized. That's in the hands of [NHL VP] Colin Campbell ... if we think head shots have really come into play, give it to the guy who's already in charge of that stuff. The rules are already in place."

Again, there's no arguing with that opinion: The NHL rulebook has, in several places, rules against harmful physical play that could be applied to any head shot. Mike Richards(notes) on David Booth(notes) of the Florida Panthers? That's charging, by the letter of the law.

The problem, however, is that the law is too vaguely defined and NHL disciplinarians are too docile to define it.

That's what made the general managers' decision to stipulate hits to the head as illegal such a landmark decision for the NHL. It's a level of specificity that doesn't currently exist in the rulebook. Whether you believe this is a change for better or worse, clearly spelling out the conditions for that penalty is going to mean less interpretation for referees and League officials; interpretation that typically involves personal biases on what or isn't a "hockey play" determining the judgment.

Whether or not you believe a hitter is trying to make a play, if he makes contact with another player's head and the rule state that it's illegal, what's a ref going to do, right?

Yet there's still concern that a black-or-white definition of illegality for a hit to the head won't be enough to curb them. From William Houston of Truth and Rumours:

Not said by Milbury is that Campbell, the NHL's senior vice-president in charge of discipline, won't do anything. That's not a problem for Milbury, of course, because he describes himself as a "Neanderthal" who likes things just the way they are.

Still, he's correct when we says that for the most vicious of the head attacks we don't need the NHL general managers wringing their hands - and dragging their feet (apologies for the mixed metaphor) - over how to legislate new rules, as they did last week in Toronto.

Had Campbell adequately addressed the issue three years ago, we wouldn't have a problem today.

The GMs' decision to address the head shots was celebrated as positive, overdue progress for the NHL in protecting their players. But cutting through those vibes is the stone-cold reality from guys like Milbury and Houston: We're assuming the officials who haven't been whistling dangerous penalties for years, despite having the rulebook on their side, are going to begin doing so with a clear-cut rule on the books.

You know, just like hooking. Or slashing. Or diving. Because those are always so consistently enforced.

Perhaps that's why players like Chris Clark favor this head-shot rule in theory, but have their reservations about its effectiveness in reality:

"It's a good thing, but I don't know how they change the rule from what we already have. If it's a head shot and there an additional penalty, maybe," he said.

"But it comes down to the ref's discretion. Maybe they change the rule and call everything for the next month, and then lighten up. When they change rules, it's tough on us."

 

Hello, this is a feature that will run through the entire season and aims to recap the weekend's events and boils those events down to one admittedly superficial fact or stupid opinion about each team. Feel free to complain about it.

The Immaculate Reception. The Shot Heard 'Round the World. The Catch. The Hand of God. The Miracle on Ice.

All these pale in comparison with what must now be recognized as the greatest achievement in the history of human athletic competition: the Carolina Hurricanes actually winning a game.

Some might scoff. They might say the Hurricanes blew two separate three-goal leads to a team that is, in many ways, almost as bad as them (so bad that AHLer Robbie Earl(notes) was on the top line), played like garbage for the majority of the second half of the game and didn't do anything of note in OT except not lose, which, technically, isn't a bad strategy.

To those doubters -- nay, haters! -- I say pish-posh.

(Coming Up: Henrik Zetterberg(notes) dominates for the Red Wings; Thrashers' top line is better than yours; Sacco doesn't realize Avs have hit the wall; Maple Leafs humor; over-praising Stamkos; and Montreal somehow gives up 55 shots to Nashville, who somehow scores only two goals.)

That 14-game losing streak was merely a bump in the road for the Hurricanes, surely one of the five best teams in their division. Look at the stats for this unfortunate stretch: they forced overtime in four different games. Think bad teams like the Leafs can do something like that? They were only shut out twice.

Yeah, they allowed 54 goals in those 14 games, but you have to remember they were without Conn Smythe-winning goalie Cam Ward(notes) for two of those, so that number was bound to be inflated. And while you'd like to see the offense score more than 26 goals in the 14 games it took to snap this streak, you can't blame the Hurricanes too much. Eric Staal(notes), one of the best offensive players in the world, has missed the entire season with a case of the gout (at least I assume that's what happened, I haven't seen him in any games I've watched this season).

Anyway that's all behind us now. With this ultra-inspiring win over a high-quality opponent like the Minnesota Wild, the Carolina Hurricanes are on the fast-track to not only climbing up out of last place in the league and a lottery pick, but they're so close to getting it together and threatening for a playoff spot, since they're built for the long haul and not just the first quarter or so of the season. We've seen them go on that kind of season-defining, odds-defying run before.

Remember last year? They immediately went from being average to slightly-better-than-average when they hired Paul Maurice. They can do it again no problem once they fire him.

All they need is a little luck, a schedule full of nothing but games against lousy teams for the rest of the season, several huge free agent signings, a couple players to magically turn into superstars and for all their stars to get healthy for once.

Then the NHL will officially be on notice.

What We Learned

Anaheim Ducks: The Ducks trailed by just one goal through two periods, which is pretty good for them considering they played Detroit (their recent record against the Wings is fairly bad, you see). But then they gave up five goals in the third period, on just 12 shots, which is not so good.

Atlanta Thrashers: That Thrashers top line of Ilya Kovalchuk(notes) and Max Afinogenov centered by Nik Antropov(notes) is having a decent go of things. They've been together for three games and scored a combined 7-8-15, helping the Thrashers to two wins with five or more goals and three overall.

Boston Bruins: Great news for the Bruins that Savard is going to re-sign, but where do they think they're getting all this money against the cap? They're going to have to triple shift everybody because they're going to have nine players under contract, all of them making at least $4 million. Assuming Savard signs for the low-end of $6 million, the B's have something like $9 million in cap space (assuming the cap doesn't go down) with just 14 players under contract, with Blake Wheeler(notes), Mark Stuart(notes) and Vladimir Sobotka(notes) still RFAs. Good luck with that, Chiarelli.

Buffalo Sabres: Congrats to tiny little Tyler Ennis(notes), who scored a goal in his first ever NHL game, which his Sabres won over Philly.

Calgary Flames: The Calgary Herald's John Down on the Flames pasting the Leafs 5-2 Saturday night: "Where's the killer instinct?" Since when is 5-2, especially when you play like garbage, not an acceptably big scoring line for the second game of an all-road back-to-back? Did I have a stroke or something?

Carolina Hurricanes: It's cute that the Hurricanes thought Manny Legace's(notes) not being around the team for the breadth of this sad-sack streak was a positive. He got the go Friday night and promptly gave up four to the Islanders. Good work Manny!

Chicago Blackhawks: Just because the Blackhawks put Jeremy Roenick(notes) into their Hall of Fame doesn't mean they have to retire his number. That would just be silly. Ha ha ha ha. Wait, what?

Colorado Avalanche: Actual Joe Sacco quote after Saturday's ugly 8-2 loss to Vancouver: "No, I don't think we're hitting a wall. We've played a lot of good hockey up until that game. We've had some strong games, and tonight we just didn't have any energy and made mistakes, and it just ended up in the back of our net." Isn't that, like, the textbook definition of hitting a wall?

Columbus Blue Jackets: The good news is Mike Commodore's(notes) fatigue isn't due to anything wrong with his blood, the tests on which came back "pristine." The bad news is he's probably just out of shape after having the swine flu.

Dallas Stars: Mike Heika doesn't seem enamored of the Stars' play of late due to what he calls their lack of consistency. "Win one, lose one, win one, lose one," he says. Yeah, that sounds absolutely consistent. They consistently play well then play poorly. What's not to get?

Detroit Red Wings: Nice to see Ville Leino(notes) getting some credit despite having no points and being asked to do alarmingly little alongside Henrik Zetterberg and Danny Cleary(notes). "I just tell him, you know where I'm going to be and you know Z is going to have the puck," Cleary said, "so you've just got to find another spot on the ice where you can support Z and be in a position to shoot." Don't get in our way? Anyone could do that.

Edmonton Oilers: Fernando Pisani(notes) can't catch a break. He's been sent home again with ulcerative colitis, just days after he returned from a back injury.

Florida Panthers: David Booth(notes) still isn't ready to go, and in fact hasn't even begun skating yet, but Pete DeBoer did offer to let him go with the team to his hometown of Detroit.

Los Angeles Kings: Rob Scuderi(notes) will miss tonight's game at Florida with a lower body injury. 

Minnesota Wild: While we're congratulating people for their first NHL goals (boy there's been a lot of that going around lately), kudos are in order for John Scott(notes) and Robbie Earl, who scored their first goals: for Earl it was his first two: in the Wild's... loss to the Hurricanes. That's still weird to say.

Montreal Canadiens: All you need to know about Saturday's loss to Nashville -- final shots were 55-20 Preds. You can imagine how the rest played out.

Nashville Predators: Interesting bit of trivia -- the only Predator without a shot on goal in that game was Ryan Suter(notes) (in fact he didn't even attempt one). Steve Sullivan(notes), by contrast, had 11.

New Jersey Devils: Matt Halischuk(notes) and Tim Sestito(notes) each had an NHL first on the former's goal Saturday night. It was Halischuk's first goal and Sestito's first point. Halischuk, obviously, got to keep the puck.

New York Islanders: The Islanders have gone to overtime 10 times in 20 games this season. It's very likely that they'll shatter the 2006-07 Penguins' league record of 27. If they keep up the current pace, they will play about three full games' worth of OT.

New York Rangers: How PA Parenteau(notes), who scored the shootout winner against Ottawa, got a chance to try his hand at the NHL level: "Torts asked me if I was doing well in the minors in the shootout and I said, ‘I do pretty well, decent,' so he gave me a shot." So there ya go.

Ottawa Senators: It's okay that Alex Kovalev(notes) hasn't even begun to earn his two-year, $10 million contract because they don't get enough power plays to keep him motivated give him a chance to work his magic.

Philadelphia Flyers: Scapegoat for snapping the Flyers' six-game win streak -- Danny Briere(notes). Down a goal in the third period and on a power play, Briere retaliated to a crosscheck by high-sticking Chris Butler(notes) and getting a double minor. "It was just a reaction . . . but it's definitely not a penalty you want to take at that point," Briere said. New plan would be don't do it next time.

Phoenix Coyotes: Taking bets here, but does John McCain actually know anything about hockey or did he get these lines fed to him? He has a lot of very specific memories about the Coyotes. Hell, I barely remember Roenick's broken jaw myself.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Kind of a hollow overtime win, I'd think, when your team's No. 1 star is Patrice Bergeron's(notes) broken stick. Either that or Dennis Wideman(notes) and Matt Hunwick(notes) shouldn't have just stared at the puck Tim Thomas(notes) left for them behind the net.

Nice to come back and win, one supposes, but I'm not so sure you can count on wins like this presenting themselves on a nightly basis.

San Jose Sharks: Here's a weird stat for the Sharks prior to last night's game with Chicago -- the power play was fourth-best in the league at 24 percent, running at 32 percent on the road but just 10.3 percent at home.

St. Louis Blues: The reason the Blues aren't playing well is because Andy Murray is their coach hasn't gotten big stars like Keith Tkachuk(notes), Paul Kariya(notes) and David Backes(notes) playing the way they're capable of playing, which is to say not-terribly. Murray also gave David Perron(notes) a talking-to after a game earlier this week because he took a high-sticking penalty. That game was also the one in which Perron had a hat trick. Murray told him he was being selfish. True story.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Sentences like this are happens when general sports columnists write about a team they never cover and don't care about -- "He's still a teenager, but Steven Stamkos(notes) has already shown he could be a legend for the Lightning." Christ, let's let him get in a half-season of success before we start naming him the team's greatest player ever.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Okay I need to lie down.

Vancouver Canucks: Vancouver's best player lately has been ... wait for it ... Mason Raymond(notes). He had three points in the Canucks' 8-2 win over Colorado, bumping his total in the last eight games to 5-5-10. Where did that come from?

Washington Capitals: A look at the Caps' high-risk/high-reward style of hockey. Their 3.65 goals per game is the best in the league, and their 3.05 goals against per game is sixth-worst.

Play of the Weekend

Okay so this is by far the worst play of the weekend, but I had to put it somewhere: What in the hell was Olli Jokinen(notes) thinking picking a fight with anyone ever, let alone Francois freakin' Beauchemin.

Best part is Iginla skating over like, "What, uhh.. what's going on here Olli?"

Gold Star Award

Hank Zetterberg is on a little bit of a hot streak lately. His five-point game Saturday gives him 4-5-9 in his last three games. That'll play.

Minus of the Weekend

Okay I was pretty sure the Canadiens were bad this year. But how does anyone give up 55 shots to the Predators? The fact that they only scored two goals on 55 shots says a whole lot more about the quality of the Nashville attack than it does the Habs defense, which is embarrassingly bad.

Perfect HFBoards trade proposal of the week

User elicw10 has the perfect solution to "fix" the Senators' defense and give the Blackhawks some much-needed cap room.

Jack Skille(notes), Brian Campbell(notes) (7.1), Cam Barker(notes) (3.1 ish),1st

for

Anton Volchenkov(notes) (UFA), Alexei Kovalev (cheap buyou after season), Chris Kelly(notes) (cheap buyout)

Remember, he is fixing the Senators' D with Brian Campbell.

Signoff

I was once voted the worst audience participant Cirque Du Soleil ever had.

Ryan Lambert publishes hockey awesomeness pretty much every day over at The Two-Line Pass. Check it out, why don't you? Or you can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter if you so desire.

(No, the first decade of the 21st century doesn't technically end until 2011. Save your bellyaching. But we've had nine NHL seasons and one stolen from us since 1999-2000, and Yahoo! Sports has decided it's time to rank the best and worst of the last "decade." Enjoy, and snark freely in the comments.)

As we continue our rankings of the best in the last decade, it's time to look back at the best single-season performances from players in the 2000s.

We're going for the total stats picture, and not just one facet (goals, for example). Looking back at the last 10 years, there have been some awesome performances, but only a few that cracked the NHL record book in a significant way.

Some criteria to keep in mind: This is a regular-season list. History matters, as far as records and awards. So does context, when considering where that particular season falls in with a players' career. The differences between the NHL before and after the lockout should be kept in mind in a grain-of-salt way, although they're not a primary consideration here. Oh, and if your favorite forward isn't here, it's because we tried to make room for defensemen and goalies.

With that, the 10 best individual statistical seasons of the last decade are ...

10. Jaromir Jagr(notes), New York Rangers, 2005-06

When a player has 62 goals and 149 points in a season to his credit, Jagr's 2005-06 campaign probably won't get the credit it deserves. But 54 goals and 123 points on a defense-oriented Rangers team was remarkable. The problem: He didn't lead the League in any major offensive category, and only won the Pearson as the players' MVP. You'll find out why later.

9. Jarome Iginla(notes), Calgary Flames, 2001-02

Iggy's 52 goals are still a career-best, and he led the league in goals and points (96) in a season that also saw him win the Pearson. (Jose Theodore(notes) won the Hart for the Montreal Canadiens.) Iginla led the NHL in goals per game (0.63), goals created per game (0.49) and even-strength goals (35) in 82 games. Terrific season for a true star.

8. Peter Forsberg(notes), Colorado Avalanche, 2002-03

An absolutely dominant season from the Hart Trophy winner, as Forsberg led the NHL in points (106) and assists (77) while helping Milan Hejduk(notes) to the NHL lead in goals (50). Forsberg would finish with 29 goals on the season. The two money stats: Both Forsberg and Hejduk were an incredible plus-52 on the season, and Forsberg's 106 points in 75 games gave him a higher points-per-game average (1.41) than Mario Lemieux's (1.36), despite Mario's 91 points in 67 games.

7. Pavel Bure, Florida Panthers, 1999-2000

We mentioned Iginla's even-strength goals, and that's one of the most mind-blowing numbers in Bure's masterful 58-goal, 98-point season for the Panthers: He scored 45 goals playing 5-on-5 hockey, the highest total of the decade and 17th all-time in the NHL. Bure led the NHL in game-winning goals (14, and fourth all-time) as well as shots (360). He actually scored more goals (59) the following season, but his plus/minus fell from plus-25 to minus-2.

6. Nicklas Lidstrom(notes), Detroit Red Wings, 2005-06

At 35 years old, one of the best defensemen in NHL history posted 80 points in 80 games. He was a plus-25 and won the Norris Trophy (you know, as usual). In the context of his career, it'll likely be Lidstrom's greatest offensive season.

5. Mike Green(notes), Washington Capitals, 2008-09

Lidstrom has the context, but Green has the history. Green's NHL record for defensemen with goals in eight consecutive games grabbed headlines, but it's his 31 goals overall that was the outstanding achievement. He was the first NHL D-man to break 30 since Kevin Hatcher in 1993, scored 73 points in 68 games and was a plus-24. James Mirtle ran the numbers and calculated that Green had the second-best goal-scoring season for a defenseman in NHL history. Yet in true hockey fan fashion, all anyone remembers are his invisibility in the playoffs later that year and losing the Norris to Zdeno Chara(notes) ...

4. Joe Thornton(notes), Boston Bruins/San Jose Sharks, 2005-06

There's only one reason why Jagr's 2005-06 season isn't ranked higher, and his name is Joe Thornton. Splitting his season between the Boston Bruins and the San Jose Sharks thanks to that infamous trade, Thornton posted the highest point total of the decade (125) with a 96-assist season that ranks 16th in NHL history and 3rd for players not named Gretzky or Lemieux. He won the Art Ross and the Hart. Only downside: He helped Jonathan Cheechoo(notes) score 56 goals, a number that would eventually drive fantasy hockey owners into madness as the decade progressed.

3. Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins, 2000-01

The comeback year for Mario, and one of the most impressive offensive seasons in recent NHL history -- given the sample. Lemieux's 35 goals and 41 assists in 43 games gave him the NHL lead in goals per game (0.81), assists per game (0.95), points per game (1.77) and goals created per game (0.68). His points-per-game average was the highest of the decade and the best in the League since Jagr in1996.

If you want to project what this total might have been had he played 82 games, Mario's no doubt higher on your list. But we're going to deal with the real numbers here, and they landed him a Hart Trophy nomination in 2001 and at No. 3 on this list.

2. Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals, 2007-08

The highest NHL goal total since Mario's 69 in '96, Ovechkin's 65 goals and 112 points earned him the League lead in both categories and the Hart Trophy for MVP. He led the league in even-strength goals 43 AND power-play goals (22). In total, Ovechkin led the NHL in 11 different offensive categories in 2007-08. One assumes he's got a better offensive season still in him; but so far, his achievement as a 22-year-old (!) player is his masterpiece. 

In fact, it's the best performance of the decade. For a forward. Which brings us to ...

1. Martin Brodeur(notes), New Jersey Devils, 2006-07

Again, we have to consider context here. His goals-against average (2.18, third) didn't lead the League and wasn't among the best of the decade. But in the context of Brodeur's career, he posted the second-best save percentage (.922, third in NHL) while facing the most shots in his career (2,011 in 78 games, second in NHL).

In the context of NHL history, his 48 wins is the highest total for a goalie ever. His 12 shutouts led the NHL; and if you strip away all the names from the 1920s, it's third-highest total in League history behind Tony Esposito (15) and Dominik Hasek(notes) (13) for a single-season. He won the Vezina, though Sidney Crosby's(notes) 120-point season earned him the Hart.

Honestly, Brodeur and Ovechkin are neck and neck at the top of this list. If the argument is that Brodeur can't lead this list if he didn't lead the League in GAA and save percentage, that's a fair argument. But so is the fact that one of the best goalies in NHL history posted his most impressive statistic season at 34 years old, post-lockout and seeing more rubber than an interstate. And ask Roberto Luongo(notes) and Evgeni Nabokov(notes) how tough it is to reach 48 wins.

(Cue Devils homer accusations in 3...2...)

Preview: Minnesota Wild at Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. EST. The Caps are 3-1-0 without Alex Ovechkin(notes), and they'll be without him against the Wild, who are on a little 4-1-1 streak. With Josh Harding(notes) starting, we are deprived of the Battle of the Backstroms. Watch The Game Live Via Hockey Night on Y!

Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at Chicago Blackhawks, 8:30 p.m. EST. Vesa Toskala(notes) gets a start tonight, with Ron Wilson declaring: "He's not our backup goalie, he's the starting goalie tonight." But honestly: Why would you care about anything but Miss Illinois USA 2009 hitting her first hockey puck tonight?

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

Evening Reading

(Ed. Note: Some of you may have seen a post earlier on the Bernie Madoff auction and some hockey stuff. Turns out contrary to other reports, the hockey stuff falls outside of his auction lots. We've taken the post down. Apologies for the confusion.)

• Sad news: Mike Murphy(notes), the NHL's vice-president of operations and a former coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is battling Hodgkin's lymphoma. [Sportsnet]

• Hey, go figure: A Russian team isn't keen on Michael Nylander(notes) leaving in the middle of the season for yet another team. [Capitals Insider]

• T.J Oshie's father is blogging on St. Louis Game Time. Cool. [SLGT]

• Luc Robitaille's appearance on Jay Leno's show that no one watches. [Kings Insider]

• Remember: All-Decade fun continues this weekend.

• Custance on the deepest front offices in the NHL. [Sporting News]

Puck Buddy Comment of the Day: On the awful "Beanpot Trot" rap video, it's Andrew --

"Apparently white, catholic hockey players have no rhythm?"

Who knew?

Bold Prediction: Kovalchuk outscores Kopitar in Atlanta.

• Thanks to everyone who helped carry over the "Unpublished NHL Books" jokes from the Puck Daddy Rumors Chat to Twitter yesterday afternoon with hilarious results. Check out Jeff Marek of Hockey Night in Canada Radio and Jibblescribbits for some of the comedy gold. "Thinking Inside the Box" by Dale Hunter and "If I Did It" by Todd Bertuzzi(notes) are two of the best. 

• If Randy Carlyle needed a vote of confidence as the Anaheim Ducks struggle, GM Bob Murray emphatically gave him one: "There's going to be a lot of players going through the turnstiles going out the door before coaches go out the door here. And our players better get that through their thick skulls." [LA Times, halfway down]

• Peter Forsberg(notes) may skip the NHL and stay with Modo. [All Things Avs]

• That said, the Vancouver Canucks are happy to wait for the Return of Foppa. [Province]

• What's happened to Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Steve Mason(notes)? It would appear the  defense in front of him (or lack thereof) is as much to blame as any sophomore slump. [FanHouse]

• Jarome Iginla(notes) doesn't exactly back down from a brawl, which is one of the reasons he's Jarome Iginla. So it's interesting to see the Calgary Flames captain deny "the red-hot rumour making the rounds on the Internet, and amongst the Montreal media" that he challenged the Canadiens' bench to a fight. [Sun Media]

• If the NHL decides to end participation in the Winter Olympics, it'll be because of powerful voices like that of Lou Lamoriello: "Those are prime dates. The United States is coming off football (following the Super Bowl). We have an opportunity to keep the fans. That's when teams are really starting to go up or go down." [Fire & Ice]

• The Hockey News names Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger(notes) as the "nastiest and most intimidating" D-man in the League. More importantly: "He will be featured in an upcoming Pepsi Max advertisement with Mike Richards(notes) in Maxim magazine." Otherwise known as "the issue of Maxim Pierre McGuire has already pre-ordered." [Philly.com]

• Japers' Michael Nylander(notes) timeline shows two things: That this story has dragged on for what feels like a century and that the Washington Capitals will never sign another free agent to a contract like this again on George McPhee's watch. [Japers Rink]

• As if the Carolina Hurricanes didn't have enough problems this season, Bob from Canes Country writes that they're financially handcuffed thanks to the money being spent on management and players: "Looking at the grand scheme of things and the results so far this season, this might be one of the most over-paid, under-performing group of players in the league since the inception of the salary cap." [Canes Country]

• Your guide to picking at the Hurricanes' carcass this season. [Silver Sevens]

• THN editor Jason Kay sings the praises of Martin Brodeur(notes), and when you compare his consistency with that of other NHL peers it's difficult not to. [Hockey News]

• Gary Bettman and Bill Daly will meet with City of Glendale officials on Monday as the slow process of altering the Phoenix Coyotes' lease and finding a buyer gains steam. [CP]

• "No, seriously, what's it like? Does the air smell differently? Can you, like, see over mountains and stuff?" [Getty]

• It would appear that Semyon Varlamov(notes) will get the start for the Washington Capitals against the Minnesota Wild tonight, after winning in relief of Jose Theodore(notes) earlier in the week. Alex Ovechkin(notes), however, appears out again. [Capitals Insider]

• The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without Brooks Orpik(notes) for about two weeks. [TSN]

• BREAKING: The Toronto Maple Leafs don't get recognized in Chicago. [Cox]

• Do the constant line-change mind games on home ice wear down players, making it easier to play in the road instead? [Puck Update]

• How do you spell Vezina Trophy?  Josh spells it V-o-k-o-u-n. [Josh Q. Public]

• Totally agree with this: It's damn impressive Ilya Kovalchuk(notes) bounced back from injury that quickly. It's what leaders do. [Sports Climax]

• Part Two of OGA's "Maurice Richard and the Myth of 50 in 50," for you stat-heads. [OGA]

• Finally, Jack Edwards has no idea how underwhelming this fight was. Because he's Jack Edwards:

It's not strange to witness political summits in Washington, D.C., and there was another one on Wednesday night when NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and KHL President Alexander Medvedev discussed the complicated and often bitter relationship between the two professional leagues.

The duo and NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly also watched the Washington Capitals' game against the New York Islanders together.

I spoke with Bettman before and after the meeting, and with Medvedev after the meeting, which he had requested. The topics ranged from player transfer agreements to potential superstar defections to whether Alex Ovechkin(notes) and the Capitals will play in Russia against KHL clubs. Plus, an interesting conversation about Russians owning NHL teams.

First, here's Bettman prior to their meeting:

Q. How would you characterize the relationship between the KHL and the NHL?

BETTMAN: I think on a personal and professional level it's open and cordial. But we, for a variety of reasons, haven't been able to come to common ground on some fundamental issues.

How important is it to come to an agreement in light of player contract issues?

I think it starts with player contract issues. I think that if we're going to look forward and look for ways to cooperate, the KHL and the Russian Hockey Federation, from our standpoint, are going to need to respect our valid contracts. That's something to date hasn't happened, starting back to the Radulov contract.

Alexander Medvedev said it's a two way street, and there have been some contract [issues with] their players.

The KHL has alleged that repeatedly. In no instances the IIHF or the courts have found that to be the case. The fact is that we do respect contracts, and have done so consistently. And the KHL has not.

Mr. Medvedev also discussed owning an NHL team. Have you discussed it with him? He said he had expressed that interest to you, but he hasn't had a response from you.

He's never expressed that interest to me. I'd be interested to hear it directly.

How would you view a Russian [owning a team]?

I don't think a person's nationality, who seeks to be a perspective owner, is the issue. It's whether or not the person, when you do all the due diligence, see the financial resources, and the owners, because it's the owners' decision, determine whether or not the person would be a suitable partner. But it has nothing to do with country of origin.

KHL hasn't landed yet a superstar player. They obviously have their sight set on one. Do you see them as a competition for certain players, certainly Russian?

I think the best players in the world play and will continue to seek playing in the National Hockey League. We wish the KHL good luck. And I know they are going to work very hard to try and establish their league and bring it to the highest level that it can achieve. But the final analysis is that the best players will continue to play in the NHL.

You have mentioned that the IIHF hasn't found any wrongdoing when it comes to players with KHL contracts coming to the NHL, but the NHL is not part of the IIHF, and the KHL is. You can understand the Russians when they say that the IIHF's decisions are only binding on them and not the NHL. Do you see the transfer agreement being the issue just between the NHL and the KHL and maybe leave the IIHF out of it altogether?

I think it's an issue that goes to the respect of contracts. The KHL has acknowledged to us, for example, that the Radulov contract was valid. But nevertheless they allowed him to play. That's not something that we would do.

Now, here is what Medvedev had to say about his meeting with Bettman:

Q. You asked for the meeting with Gary Bettman yourself. How did it go?

MEDVEDEV: We already had a trip planned to North America on business. We decided to use this opportunity. I am very happy that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and his assistant Bill Daly accepted our proposal for a meeting. We had a very constructive meeting. Its main result, if you use political terms, is that we decided to, as they say in English, reset and upgrade our relationships and to try and bring them to a new level.

There will be a compact working group created for this purpose. It will analyze all of the problems that have been accumulated, and will try to identify possible solutions to the key questions. That includes transfer of players of different categories between the leagues. We also talked about tournaments involving national teams and clubs. I think that a certain progress in our relationships is now visible. There signs pointing to that, although I don't want to be overly optimistic.

When is the next round of these talks scheduled?

Let the experts work for a while and create a menu for us. And from it we will pick what will turn out to be acceptable for everyone.

Is it a reality now that the Washington Capitals, for example, will travel to Russia now and will have a series of games against KHL clubs?

We talked about this topic as well. This is because the owner of the Capitals Ted Leonsis is interested in such a trip. And Bettman's position is that if this progress in our relationships remains, nothing will be an obstacle for games between KHL and NHL clubs. I hope we will overcome our differences.

Salavat Yulaef's GM Oleg Gross in his interview to Sovetsky Sport said that his club had an opportunity to invite Sergei Kostitsyn(notes), but the club decided to decline it as it would harm the relationship between the NHL and the IIHF. Is this the result of a new policy by the KHL targeting friendship with the NHL?

We haven't changed out position. Our mutual opinion is that we should talk more and reach a compromise. As I mentioned, we should reset our relationship and take it to a new level.

I know that the day before the game against the Islanders, you met with the Russian Capitals...

Yes, we had a meeting and spoke with Ovechkin, Semin and Varlamov. And this is the result that you see [Varlamov was in goal playing well and Semin scored the fastest goal of his career]. I really liked the game. It was very lively.

Finally, here is Gary Bettman once again, with his reactions to the meeting:

Q. Could you tell me about your meeting with Mr. Medvedev - how it went and if you accomplished anything?

BETTMAN: It was good to see Mr. Medvedev again. We had a cordial, constructive meeting. And we're going to look to see if we can sort of re-set the dial and look for the ways to work together on matters of common interest.

Is there a timeline?

We didn't set a specific timeline.

After you find some common ground, would it be possible to see an NHL team, like the Capitals for example, in Russia?

Well, when people and organizations work together, I suppose anything is possible.

You asked earlier about Mr. Medvedev owning an NHL franchise. I misunderstood the question. There was a general expression of interest. But I thought you were referring to a specific franchise. There was never a discussion of a specific franchise. Their questioning and their expression of interest was a general one.

The Russian sniper didn't wait long to open the scoring at Verizon Center by scoring eight seconds into Washington's game against the New York Islanders.  Semin would later tie the game at three in the second period and then scored Washington's first goal in the shootout en route to the 5-4 win. Semin also led all players with 11 shots on goal.

No. 2 Star: Ryan Miller(notes), Buffalo Sabres

The possible No. 1 goaltender for the United States heading into the Vancouver Olympics stopped 28 Edmonton shots in a 3-1 win for the NHL's second-ranked defense. After Clarke MacArthur's(notes) game-misconduct for his hit on Liam Reddox(notes) of the Oilers, the Sabres managed to kill off a five-minute power play, allowing just two shots and blocking two others to preserve the victory. Miller recorded his 10th win of the season and lowered his league-leading goals-against average to 1.82.

No. 3 Star: Niklas Kronwall(notes), Detroit Red Wings

Kronwall made Columbus pay twice on the power play as the Red Wings rolled to a 9-1 win over the Blue Jackets. Making the most of its power-play opportunities, Detroit romped thanks to a pair from Kronwall to improve to 5-1-1 in its past seven games. The win was a measure of revenge against Columbus, which embarrassed the Red Wings 8-2 last season before Detroit swept the Blue Jackets in the opening round of the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Honorable Mention: Tuomo Ruutu(notes) supplied all the offense for Carolina with two goals in its 5-2 loss to Los Angeles ... Anze Kopitar's(notes) two assists increased his league-leading point total to 30, seven ahead of Alex Ovechkin(notes) ... Semyon Varlamov(notes) was fantastic in relief of Jose Theodore(notes), stopping 24 of 25 shots he faced in regulation and overtime and then 10 of 11 in the shootout ... Despite the shootout loss, Dwayne Roloson(notes) did his best to keep the Islanders in the game with Washington, ending up with 37 saves for the second straight game at Verizon Center ... Tim Connolly(notes) had a hand in two of Buffalo's three goals, including Steve Montador's(notes) game-winner in the second period ... Also netting two goals for the Red Wings was the "Afrogator" himself, Justin  Abdelkader. Detroit's rout also saw every skater end the game as a plus and Jimmy Howard(notes) record his second win of the season ... Ken Hitchcock would have liked to have seen a better performance out of his team as he coached his 1,000th game in the NHL ... Martin Brodeur(notes) allowed just one goal and made 31 saves in New Jersey's 3-1 win over the visiting Anaheim Ducks ... Jamie Langenbrunner(notes) played his 900th game in the win ... Colorado's Craig Anderson(notes) made 37 saves, including four in overtime, but couldn't stop Chicago's Patrick Sharp(notes) in the shootout as the Blackhawks prevailed 3-2. 

Did You Know?: The Oilers are now 1-7 when they fail to score first.

Dishonorable Mention: Columbus' Steve Mason(notes) had a forgettable night, letting in three goals in the game's first 7:32 before being pulled for Mathieu Garon(notes). Hitchcock decided to put the reigning Calder Trophy winner back in goal at the start of the second period and watched him allow five more goals ... Manny Legace(notes) made 26 saves in his debut for Carolina, but also allowed five goals to extend the Hurricanes' winless streak to 13 games ... Carolina's offense went missing during an 18-minute span when the 'Canes went without a shot on goal ... Jose Theodore was chased early by the Islanders, allowing three goals on five shots in the opening 6:54 of the first period ... When it comes to power plays, Anaheim (0-for-6) and Edmonton (1-for-7) wish they could have cashed in on some valuable time with the extra skater ... The Avalanche had no luck in the face-off dot, winning just 19 of 54 draws.

• Remember: Rumors Chat Thursday.

• Big news from the GM meetings today: There will be some sort of new NHL rule regarding hits to the head. A committee will be formed, a report will be given in March and the consensus is that there will be some sort of penalty for things like blindside hits to the head. Again, the vibe isn't that there will be the kind of outright "ban" that we've seen at other levels, although that's on the table. But there's going to be something added to the rulebooks. [Globe & Mail]

• Rich Chere of the Star Ledger talks with Anaheim Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer(notes) who tells him that a trade from Anaheim this season is "a possibility" and that he doesn't have a no-movement clause. Wonder where Nieds would be headed if the Ducks are still struggling in 2010. Say, where is his brother playing these days? [Newark Star Ledger]

• Elliotte Friedman has the latest on agent Allan Walsh's Twitter-promotion of client Jaroslav Halak(notes) and ruffling of Montreal feathers. Montreal Canadiens GM Bob Gainey thought Walsh's actions were a 'My dad is bigger than your dad,' kind of thing." Paging Dr. Freud. [CBC Sports]

• The city of Pittsburgh has its own cereal. Clearly, there's only one man worthy enough to grace the cover of the box: Max Talbot(notes), superstar. [Pensburgh]

• Neate Sager probably isn't going to make any friends with the Ottawa Senators (or in the Ottawa media) for this blistering dose of reality about the franchise's attendance issues and fan support this season: "Ottawa is like a city composed of insecure teenage girls. The analogy fits Toronto, too, except in T.O. the creature has sharper claws. If Toronto is the character Rachel McAdams played in Mean Girls, Ottawa is the one played by Lacey Chabert. Fitting in and doing whatever is popular at that moment is everything, because they know they can be cast out and won't be missed." It's a must-read. [Out Of Left Field, via On The Forecheck]

• It's Remembrance Day and Veteran's Day today, and Chemmy had an outstanding post on Pension Plan Puppets about Don Cherry's consistent commitment to the troops. Thank a vet today, will ya? [PPP]

• Darcy Tucker(notes) is due back for the Colorado Avalanche against the Chicago Blackhawks tonight. [CBC Sports]

• Michael Farber's annual list of underappreciated hockey people is always an interesting, random assortment. Among the folks making the cut this year: Pittsburgh Penguins broadcasters Paul Steigerwald and Bob Errey. [SI]

• Peter Forsberg(notes) and Chris Chelios(notes) were hot topics of conversation at the GM meetings, with the Phoenix Coyotes interested in bringing Cheli to the desert, where he will actually bring the average age of Arizona residents down we imagine. [Sun Media]

• Did you know the dude who played Rangers mascot Bobby Granger on MSG Network was a pro wrestler? [Indy Wrestling News]

• There's no surprising Lou Lamoriello. He knows all. [NorthJersey.com]

• Fabian Brunnstrom(notes) is out for a game after injuring his shoulder in practice. [ESPN Dallas]

• Mike Danton's father talks about what he expects from tonight's "untold story" interview on Sportsnet. [Sun Media]

• The Colorado Avalanche's third jersey will be officially unveiled on Thursday, and ... well, we'll reserve judgment on these until they're official. What you see above is a screen grab from Chris Creamer's logos site (via UniWatch) that leaks the Florida Panthers' third jersey logo and color. So ... Wild third jersey, take three? Chris from Icethetics wonders where the whiskers went. [Icethetics]

• Ken Campbell on a meeting between Gary Bettman and the KHL's president, and how relations between the leagues probably aren't getting any better in the near future. [THN]

• The Washington Capitals report that TMZ has discovered Alex Ovechkin(notes). We're about one tabloid click away from Perez Hilton drawing white dots on Ovi's face, aren't we? [Capitals]

• Every blog needs to do this: Stanley Cup of Chowder presents hidden gems from the Boston Bruins media guide. "Andrew Bodnarchuk's biggest fear/phobia is the "the feel of cotton balls." [SCOC]

• Mike Komisarek(notes) is still missing from Leafs practice. [Leafs]

• The Detroit Red Wings add a Spartan, claim Drew Miller(notes) off of waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning. [Lightning Strikes]

• Steve McIntyre was placed on entry waivers, with the aim of sending him to Rochester for the Florida Panthers. [On Frozen Pond]

• Finally, it was a four-fight card last night between the Vancouver Canucks and the St. Louis Blues. Here's Tanner Glass(notes) and Cam Janssen(notes) in a spirited affair. [Hockey Fights]

Remember: Jersey Fouls Wednesday. Rumors Chat Thursday. Rinse, repeat.

• Tantalizing Tweets from Bob McKenzie of TSN: The Panthers claim Steve MacIntyre(notes) from Edmonton on waivers; Drew Miller(notes) of the Tampa Bay Lightning is on waivers; Adam Mair(notes) inexplicably clears waivers; and Michael Nylander(notes) of the Washington Capitals appears closer than ever to bolting for Russia and helping to end the misery for both he and the Caps. [@TSNBobMcKenzie; update via Corey Masisak from the Washington Times: Caps don't expect anything certain today.]

• No slap shots, no wrist shots, but Alex Ovechkin(notes) reports he's practicing without pain. Unless, of course, he's joking. One can never be too sure, going forward. [Capitals Insider]

• Also on the injured Russian superstar front: Ilya Kovalchuk(notes) is practicing with the Atlanta Thrashers. [AJC, via Puck Buddy Stefan]

• The Minnesota Wild have their share of problems, and surprisingly one of them is named Martin Havlat(notes). From Hockey Wilderness: "Factored over an 80 game schedule (since that's the maximum number of games Havlat can play this year) Havlat is set to score almost six goals this year (5.71 and change). Points-wise, he's due to score 40 points. How does 5 goals and 35 assists sit with you when you're paying $5 million dollars for it?" Be sure to check a certain Twitter account for potential rebuttal. [Hockey Wilderness]

• It's official: Soon-to-be-former MLBPA executive Donald Fehr will advise the NHLPA on selecting new leadership. Thank goodness he never presided over a devastating strike in baseball. Wait, what? [THN]

• Nobody puts Giggy in a corner. Of the bench. [LA Daily News]

• Fun project from Daily Faceoff: Assembling teams of current players from each region of Canada, and deciding which all-star team is the best. Sidney Crosby(notes) would probably request a trade from the Maritimes if he saw this roster. [Daily Faceoff]

• Speaking of the Pittsburgh Penguins captain, our friends at The Pensblog have decided the best way to battle those who mock Crosby as being immature and unsportsmanlike is with a Photoshop expo of images featuring Sidney urinating on various people, places and things. (We naturally encourage the Puck Daddy artistic community to take part in this endeavor. It's already a fun one, based on the banner.) [Pensblog]

• William Houston on how Nick Kypreos landed one of the biggest interview "gets" in recent hockey journalism history: Mike Danton. [Truth & Rumours]

• Ville Koistinen(notes), Scott Clemmensen(notes) ... Florida Panthers Coach Pete DeBoer has the ill communication. [Litter Box Cats]

• Nice piece on Jacques Lemaire's quiet success with the New Jersey Devils this season ... but "abundance of talent?" Have they looked at the defense and the lines below No. 2 on this team? [Pioneer Press]

• The winds of change are starting to blow for the St. Louis Blues, as Andy Murray enters what one columnist feels could be a job-saving stretch. [Dispatch]

• The Rick Tocchet/Vincent Lecavalier(notes) philosophical showdown with the Tampa Bay Lightning: "I think that Tocchet is trying to force a round peg thru a square hole. That is, he's trying to force Lecavalier to become the player Tocchet wants him to be in order to fit into Tocchet's idealized style of hockey." [Raw Charge]

• Eric Duhatschek catches up with Wayne Gretzky at the Hall of Fame and The Great One is his usual gracious, respectful, non-controversial self; although he does say hockey isn't a part of his life right now, which is sad. [Globe & Mail]

• On Veterans Day, the Chicago Blackhawks join the ranks of NHL teams wearing special camouflage jerseys during warm-ups in order to later auction them off. Exempt from wearing camouflage: Tomas Kopecky(notes), who's already been invisible all season. [Blackhawks, via UniWatch]

• Roberto Luongo(notes) could be back tonight against the St. Louis Blues; Daniel Sedin(notes) is likely a game away from his return after a broken foot. Everything is progressing exactly as we have foreseen it. Our Stanley Cup prediction is mere months from coming to pass. MWAHAHAHAH! [Sun Media]

• Mirtle takes a gander at the number of European goalies that are playing prominent roles on their teams this season, and whether The Monster's journey to the NHL for the Toronto Maple Leafs will become the norm. [From The Rink]

• More about The Monster. [Sports and the City]

• "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" is coming to the Carolina Hurricanes game on Nov. 13. No word if General Grievous might be available in goal. [Hurricanes]

• Penner envy ... tee-hee. [CBC Sports]

• The Hartford Wolf Pack have suspended forward Tyler Arnason(notes) and put him on waivers after he signed a contract with Dinamo Riga overseas. Impossible as it may sound, flags in Denver as actually flying above full staff in remembrance. [Wolf Pack]

• Things the Kurtenbloggers thought they knew about Olympic hockey. [KB]

• Finally, the top 10 moments from last night's Hall of Fame inductees, via TSN and DayWalk3r:

Injured Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin(notes) was watching Saturday's game against the Florida Panthers with Mike Green(notes) (also injured) in one of the rooms of the Verizon Center the press box.

He later met with some young fans outside of the locker room to sign some autographs. That's when I got the chance to ask him a few questions about his "upper body injury" and his journey back from it.

Keep in mind Ovechkin didn't indicate if the following "diagnosis" was from team doctors or his own evaluation.

Q. You're in good mood. Are you getting better?

OVECHKIN: I am better. But I will miss 4-5 weeks.

Are you serious?

I actually plan on starting practice on the ice next week.

I know that you did skate already.

Yes, but after I did that the doctors told me not to do that yet. And not to have a stick in my hands.

How do you feel about this all?

I think that it shouldn't be rushed. November has just begun. I need to heal up 100 percent and then play. There is no need to risk right now.

What's it like to watch the Capitals from the sidelines?

Of course it's tough. I want to be in the game. But there is nothing I can do.

Not long ago the Russian National team coach called you. To wish you well?

Yes, Vyacheslav Bykov called to ask how things were. But actually our conversation was right before the game against Columbus when I got injured...

Really? Maybe Bykov shouldn't call you anymore?

It's just a coincidence. Let him call me more often! It's great to know that national team coaches follow you. Once again, I was included in the list of 50 candidates for the Olympics, and a big thanks for that.

I met your friends outside who came over from Moscow to visit you...

They thought they'd see me play. And they see me amongst the injured. So they will have no hockey, but just a vacation in America. It's not that bad too, don't you agree?

This interview also ran on SovSport.ru this afternoon.

The Sharks netminder was solid against the defending champions making 27 saves for his 49th career NHL shutout during a 5-0 San Jose victory. After facing just three shots in the first period, the Penguins tested Nabokov with 24 shots in the final two periods. Having taken a 4-0 lead early in the second period, Nabokov fought off a desperate Penguins team trying to break the shutout.

No. 2 star: Antero Niittymaki(notes), Tampa Bay Lightning

Another game, another solid effort by Niittymaki. His 36 saves silenced the Montreal crowd as the Lightning ended a four-game road trip with a 3-1 win. Niittymaki has now won two of his last three starts and lowered his goals-against average to 1.90 and improved his league-best save-percentage to .940.

No. 3 star: Mike Knuble(notes), Washington Capitals

No Alex Ovechkin(notes) or Mike Green(notes) didn't stop the Capitals offense from exploding for seven goals in a victory over the Florida Panthers with the 37-year old Knuble popping in two goals and adding two assists. Knuble's multi-goal game was the seventh time a Washington player has reached the feat so far this season. 

Honorable mention: Behind Dan Ellis'(notes) 27 saves and Cody Franson's(notes) second goal in the NHL, Nashville downed Los Angeles 3-1 ... Flyers rookie Mika Pyorala(notes) may not have scored his first goal of his young NHL career, but his tally in the shootout was enough to give Philadelphia a 2-1 win over St. Louis ... Jonas Gustavsson(notes) came up big in his third straight start by stopping 35 shots while Phil Kessel(notes) added his first goal in a Toronto jersey along with an assist as the Maple Leafs routed the Detroit Red Wings ... Along with Knuble's pair, Tomas Fleischmann(notes) fourth and fifth goals of the season ... Nigel Dawes(notes) had a hand in all three Calgary goals as the Flames upended the Rangers 3-1 ... In his first game since early October, Joe Pavelski(notes) potted his first goal of the season during San Jose's win over Pittsburgh ... Miikka Kiprusoff's(notes) 32 saves paced Calgary pasted the Rangers ... Despite two goals by Loui Eriksson(notes), Marek Zidlicky's(notes) goal near the end of the second period was the eventual game-winner as Minnesota got by Dallas 3-2 ... New Jersey extended their league-best road record to 8-0-0 ... Milestones on the night: Tim Connolly(notes) and Francois Bouillon playing in their 500th NHL games while Henrik Tallinder(notes) appeared in his 400th. Capitals rookie Mathieu Perreault(notes) scored his first career NHL goal. 

Did you know?: Craig Conroy(notes) is the only Calgary Flames forward without a goal through the team's first 15 games. (AP)

Dishonorable mention: Buffalo Sabres goaltender Jhonas Enroth(notes) didn't have a memory NHL debut allowing a goal on the first shot he saw and losing to Boston 4-2 ... Powerless power-play's tonight included Buffalo (0-for-7) and Detroit (0-for-5) ... Carolina extended their power-play drought to 0-for-30, while the Penguins are now 0-for-21 in their last four games ... Ottawa penalty-kill could have used an extra hand allowing all three goals on the in a 3-2 loss to New Jersey ... Finally, the struggling Carolina Hurricanes took another blow tonight when they lost goaltender Cam Ward(notes) after his thigh was lacerated by Rick Nash's(notes) skate:

(No, the first decade of the 21st century doesn't technically end until 2011. Save your bellyaching. But we've had nine NHL seasons and one stolen from us since 1999-2000, and Yahoo! Sports has decided it's time to rank the best and worst of the last "decade." Enjoy, and snark freely in the comments.)

Some of these all-decade lists are lighthearted, nostalgic compilations of the last 10 years of NHL hockey; and some of them are what you're about to read.

The NHL has seen some truly gruesome moments since 2000. Lives were threatened. Careers were shortened. Reputations were ruined. We wish something a little more whimsical like Matt Walker's mangled finger could have made this list. But it didn't. 

Keep in mind that some of these injuries are ranked based not only on their severity but their impact culturally on hockey. Also keep in mind that the last 10 years have featured so many grisly incidents that the injury commemorated in the photo above is not, in fact, No. 1 overall.

These video highlights have been everywhere for the last 10 years, but please keep in mind that many are distrubing and not for all audiences. Here are the Top 10 Most Brutal NHL Injuries of the Last Decade ...

10. Patrick Thoresen's(notes) Groin, 2008

"Potentially ruptured testicle" is going to earn a player a spot on this list in any decade, as the then-Philadelphia Flyers winger attempted to block a shot by Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green(notes) in the 2008 Eastern Conference quarterfinals and ... well, he took one for the team.

As you can see, it was insult to injury: In a controversial moment, the refs allowed play to continue on the Capitals' third-period power play, and Green scored the game-tying goal in a contest the Caps would eventually win (though they'd lose the series in seven).

Thoresen? Tests later showed that the worst fears wouldn't be realized. He was released from the hospital, returned to the series in Game 3 and would play 14 total games in the postseason. That's testicular fortitude.

(Honorable Mention: Nicklas Lidstrom's(notes) "nearly catastrophic" testicle injury in 2009.)

• • •

9. Steve Yzerman's Eye, 2004 

In Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals in 2004, the Detroit Red Wings Hall of Famer took a puck off the eye when teammate Mathieu Schneider's(notes) shot deflected off of Calgary Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff(notes). To see a star player go down like this was nothing short of horrific.

Yzerman required 4-and-a-half hours of surgery at a Detroit hospital "to repair a scratched cornea and broken bone just below his left eye." He missed the rest of the postseason and returned after the lockout wearing a face shield, which was absent when the injury occurred. Images of Stevie Y's crimson eye became propaganda for those who wanted visors mandatory in the NHL.

(Honorable Mention: Braydon Coburn's(notes) mangled face after taking a puck to the mug in the 2008 playoffs.)

• • •

8. Chris Clark's(notes) Mouth, 2006

The Washington Capitals captain had kept all his teeth intact through 373 NHL games until a puck struck his face in a Nov. 2006 game against Boston. (Being a hockey player, he naturally finished his shift.) The aftermath, from the Washington Post:

Two of his top teeth are gone. Braces hold three others in place. His palate, meantime, was repaired with the aid of cadaver bone and a screw, inserted during three hours of surgery Thursday morning.

Other than attempting to eat Matt Pettinger's(notes) brains after practice one day, Clark didn't suffer any strange side effects from the cadaver bone implant.

• • •

7. Kurtis Foster's(notes) Broken Leg, 2008

In March 2008, the Minnesota Wild defenseman was chasing down an icing in a race with San Jose Sharks' winger Torrey Mitchell(notes). Contact between the two was made, and in a flash Foster's season was over.

Foster's femur snapped in half and his patella cracked. Doctors worked to repair it for 10 hours. As Foster recalled in a harrowing interview with the Star Tribune:

Trying to beat out an icing, Foster was pushed from behind by Mitchell. "All I remember is my kneecap taking everything," Foster said. "Once I realized my head, neck and back were OK, I tried to move my leg and in my mind it was moving, but when I looked at my leg, it wasn't moving. So I knew something was really wrong."

He returned to the Wild on March 7, 2009, and signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning that summer. Like Yzerman's, the injury sparked intense debate about rules changes, this time for players racing to ice the puck.

• • •

6. Kevin Bieksa's(notes) Calf Muscle, 2007

The Vancouver Canucks defenseman missed 47 games after the skate of then-Nashville Predators forward Vernon Fiddler(notes) sliced into his leg and lacerated his calf muscles during a Nov. 2007 game.

Blood filled Bieska's sock in a gruesome scene, and his career was feared to be over. But he worked through a long, experimental rehab process to get back on the ice and be a productive player for the franchise.

(Honorable Mention: Teemu Selanne(notes) slicing his own leg with his skate and missing over a month in 2008; and Jamie Heward(notes) getting sliced on the face by Mike Modano's(notes) skate in 2006.)

• • •

5. Patrice Bergeron's(notes) Concussion, 2007 

Any number of concussions in the last 10 years could make this list (Eric Lindros's in 2000 at the hands of Scott Stevens, for example), but few combine the brutal nature of the injury and the controversy about the legality of hitting in the game better than Bergeron's. The bright young star for the Boston Bruins was driven into the end boards from behind by Randy Jones(notes) of the Philadelphia Flyers in Oct. 2007, suffering a broken nose and Grade III concussion.

Bergeron would miss the remainder of the season and make a long journey back from post-concussion syndrome. Jones, meanwhile, only received a two-game suspension from the NHL, as discipline czar Colin Campbell said that Jones delivered "a hard check to a player who was in a vulnerable position" but didn't intend to injure him.

The Bruins' faithful disagreed with the brevity of that suspension, which manifested itself in March 2009 when announcer Jack Edwards cackled manically about a borderline check on Jones during a Flyers/Bruins game.

• • •

4. Bryan Berard's(notes) Eye, 2000

One of the most career-altering injuries on the list. In March 2000, while a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Berard's right eye was clipped by the stick of then-Ottawa Senators winger Marian Hossa(notes). (Apologies for the poor video quality.)

The eye was slit on sclera, and there was fear he'd lose it along with this career. After several surgeries (and a tidy $6.5 million insurance settlement), Berard had 20/600 vision in his eye which was elevated to an NHL-required 20/400 with the use of a contact lens. He missed a full season, rehabbed for a comeback, and played the rest of the decade through back injuries and an embarrassing drug test failure.

• • •

3. Richard Zednik's(notes) Neck, 2008

The fact that this all-time ghastly scene isn't at No. 1 is a testament to the all-time ghastly scenes that ranked ahead of it. Because few hockey fans will forget the first time they witnessed the Florida Panthers' winger getting his throat slashed by the skate of teammate Olli Jokinen(notes) in Feb. 2008:

This video capture that flew around the Web said it all. The official diagnosis was a slashed carotid artery, and Zednik lost five pints of blood.

He was eventually discharged from the hospital, missed the rest of the 2007-08 season and returned the following year for the Panthers. Over 20,000 fans sent get-well messages to the Panthers' Web site for Zednik. Like other incidents on this list, it sparked a League-wide debate, this time regarding neck guards for NHL players.

• • •

2. Steve Moore's Neck, 2004

We're running our all-decade lists through the end of December. Sadly, this will not be the last time you see this tragic moment in NHL history mentioned as a low-point for the League.

It was March 8, 2004. The Vancouver Canucks were looking for vengeance after Colorado Avalanche forward Steve Moore checked captain Markus Naslund(notes) near the head in a previous game. One game had already passed between the teams, but this contest would find Todd Bertuzzi(notes) viciously attacking Moore from behind because ... well, the courts haven't determined that yet:

You know the aftermath: The sucker-punch fractured Moore's vertebrae, cut his face and gave him a concussion; his NHL career was finished. Bertuzzi, after tearfully apologizing, was suspended indefinitely by the NHL as the incident received coverage from ESPN to The Today Show. Bertuzzi ended up missing 20 games along with the locked-out NHL season. Visit CBC Sports for complete coverage of this landmark incident that's still being litigated in the courts.

• • •

1. Trent McCleary's Tracheotomy, 2000

Yes, it takes an emergency, life-saving tracheotomy to top this horrific list.

Trent McCleary was a center for the Montreal Canadiens. In Jan. 2000 against the Philadelphia Flyers, he went down to block a Chris Therien shot and took a puck to the throat.

According to Web MD:

McCleary very quickly got to his feet and skated toward the trainer. Because the puck had collapsed his windpipe he could not breathe. He was carried off the ice, and lost consciousness while in the tunnel. He easily could have died that night, but he was rushed to a hospital, and had an emergency tracheostomy within 10 minutes of leaving the arena. He remained in critical condition before being upgraded to stable condition on Feb. 1.

The injury cost McCleary his hockey career, after his air passage was 15 percent narrower than before.

Let's hope we don't see any of these reoccur in the next 10 years.

Puck Daddy's Best & Worst of the Decade lists will run on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday through the end of 2009. (Yes, that includes holidays; cynical appraisal never sleeps.)

 

No. 1 Star: Jonas Gustavsson(notes), Toronto Maple Leafs

Congratulations to the Leafs, who are now clearly the 29th-best team in the NHL after defeating fellow cellar-dweller the Carolina Hurricanes, 3-2, with a three-goal rally (video). Gustavsson was outstanding on several of his 34 saves, including 18 he made in the third period against a still-determined Canes team.

No. 2 star: Chris Stewart(notes), Colorado Avalanche

Another marathon shootout for the Avs and the Chicago Blackhawks, who went nine rounds earlier this season. This time, it was an eight-rounder; this time, Colorado skated away with the extra point, as Stewart's blast (video) beat Antti Niemi(notes) (19 saves) and Dustin Byfuglien's(notes) shot buzzed wide of Craig Anderson(notes) (29 saves) to give Colorado the 4-3 win and a 6-0 home record.

No. 3 star: Cory Schneider(notes), Vancouver Canucks

Had the Canucks defeated the Dallas Stars, Schneider would have been the hands-down No. 1 star; alas, the Stars won, 2-1, wasting a 45-save effort from the young netminder in his trading block audition sixth NHL start.

Honorable mention: Yann Danis(notes) made 23 saves against his old team, and Brian Rolston(notes) had the game-winner in the New Jersey Devils' 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders. ... The shorthanded Washington Capitals got a three-point night out of Brian Pothier(notes), two goals from Brendan Morrison(notes) and 28 saves from Jose Theodore(notes) for a 4-1 win at the Florida Panthers. ... Big night for the Philadelphia Flyers grunts, as Daniel Carcillo(notes) scored his first two goals of the season and Ian Laperriere(notes) had two helpers in their big 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. James van Riemsdyk's(notes) third of the season ended up being the game-winner. ... Brad Richards(notes) (6) and Brenden Morrow(notes) (7) provided the offense for the Stars' win over Vancouver. ... Patrik Elias(notes) played 16:01 and was a minus-1 with two shots in his first game back from injury for the Devils. ... Another great night for Colorado rookie Ryan O'Reilly(notes), as he collected some garbage in front of Antti Niemi for his first goal and then potted his own rebound on a breakaway for his second. He also led the Avs with six shots.

Did you know?: Bryan McCabe(notes) played in his 1,000th career NHL regular-season game, becoming the seventh Panthers player to reach that mark.

Dishonorable mention: The Hurricanes haven't scored on their last 25 power plays, which is one of the reasons they're now the worst team in the NHL. ... Cory Stillman(notes) and Steven Reinprecht(notes) were both a minus-3 for the Panthers; Chris Butler(notes) and Tyler Myers(notes) where minus-3 for the Sabres, although Myers scored a power-play goal. ... Mike Green(notes) and Jeff Schultz(notes) went down with injuries for the Capitals. ... Finally, in honor of Movember, David Clarkson(notes) gave Tim Jackman(notes) a mustache just 30 seconds into the Islanders/Devils game.

Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. EST. Both teams enter the game with seven points, so they're playing for last overall in the NHL. Jonas Gustavsson(notes) is in goal against the Staal-less Hurricanes. Chemmy on PPP said it: On Nov. 6, it's a must-win for Toronto.

Preview: Philadelphia Flyers at Buffalo Sabres, 7:30 p.m. EST. The flu has officially joined the Flyers lineup just in time to face the Sabres, who are 8-2-0 in their last 10. Interesting take in the Buffalo News about the Sabres on the draw, after dominating the Islanders by the ridiculous margin of 39-8. Watch The Game Live Via Hockey Night on Y! Sports.

Preview: Chicago Blackhawks at Colorado Avalanche, 9 p.m. EST. Second City Hockey isn't exactly high on beat writers calling out the Hawks after a rough game earlier this week. Matt Duchene(notes) was questionable but will play. Left Wing Lock is thinking Antti Niemi(notes) vs. Craig Anderson(notes) in the goalie battle. 

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

Evening Reading

• SI: "Next year's draft could very well go down as the deepest talent pool since 2003." Congrats, Bruins. [SI]

• Chris Neil's wicked hit on Victor Hedman(notes) of the Tampa Bay Lightning gave the rookie his first NHL concussion. (Will he remember his first time?) Hit was clean, by the way. [Lightning Strikes] 

• Interesting blog about how the Minnesota Wild's primary beat writer complained about how players deal with the media. [Hockey Wilderness]

• Really in-depth roundtable on Alexander Semin(notes) of the Washington Capitals, including whether to re-sign him after the season. [Japers Rink]

• Florida Panthers fans were ready for a major announcement about the team's ownership structure; instead, they got a partnership with Jet Blue. Surprise! [Litter Box Cats]

Puck Buddy Comment of the Day: Puck Buddy Anna on the Crosby urinal cakes post:

So...it would be more appropriate to chant, "Crosby is a great young player with lots of accomplishments but we dislike him because we're jealous and petty!"

That may be true, but "Crosby sucks" is more concise. See, it's an efficiency issue.

Bold Prediction: Elias scores in his return for the Devils.

The Royal Half reports that some enterprising Los Angeles Kings fan decided to once again turn the porcelain spotlight on Sidney Crosby(notes) during last night's 5-2 Kings victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins:

Allusion to diving? Check. Infant iconography? Check. We're always amazed at the level of intense thought that goes into something as frivolous as this; the notion that this guy and D.C.'s infamous propagator of "Pee-Pics" actually take the time to laminate their creations is as laudable as it is disturbing.

(This bicoastal work couldn't be from the same steady hand, could it? Jokes about diving and crying just seem beneath the comic genius that gave the world "I'm Thirsty" at a Washington Capitals home game.)

We're probably not alone in saying that Crosby's performance in the playoffs last season impressed the hell out of us, not only from a numbers perspective but with his toughness in going to the net. Despite that, the mold for mockery has been cast for NHL fans and old memes die hard; perhaps that's why some in the Pittsburgh media are calling for a rebranding of Crosby's nickname.

He may have been golden last night in LA, but he gave Penguins fans the silver last summer -- as The Royal Half was reminded after the Kings' win:

As we exited the Staples Center he said to us... "it's not like the Penguins aren't going to make the playoffs." And as we stood on a street corner with Pens fans, decked out in Penguin wear, a car drove by and said "Screw Pittsburgh!" When I repeated what the car had screamed out... one of the Pens fans looked at me and said "I couldn't hear him because our Stanley Cup rings are clogging my ears." I smiled at the dude and had the horrible pangs of jealousy fill my body. Goddamn I hope I can use that line one day.

Hey, stealing jokes from Patrick Roy isn't a sign of greatness. Finding Anze Kopitar's(notes) face circling a urinal drain ... now that's when you've arrived.

 

(No, the first decade of the 21st century doesn't technically end until 2011. Save your bellyaching. But we've had nine NHL seasons and one stolen from us since 1999-2000, and Yahoo! Sports has decided it's time to rank the best and worst of the last "decade." Enjoy, and snark freely in the comments.)

It's been an exciting and confusing 10 years for NHL fashion, and not just because hockey fans' Jersey Fouls have become the subject of academic discourse on blogs.

First, the NHL welcomed three expansion franchises with their own distinct looks: The Atlanta Thrashers (1999-2000), the Columbus Blue Jackets (2000-01) and the Minnesota Wild (2000-01). Two of those franchises are represented in the lists below.

In 2007, the Reebok EDGE Uniform System revolutionized the hockey sweater with a sleeker design, less water retention and more flexibility. They've continued to evolve, although not to the point where the hideous piping seen on jerseys like those of the Florida Panthers has been phased out.

The introduction of the RBK Edge sweaters caused a momentary interruption in the League's third jersey program, but it was back in full force later in the decade with a slew of "retro" and "heritage" jerseys. Among the best: The Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders dipping back into the 1980s; and the Winter Classic sweaters of the Penguins and the Blackhawks.

There were plenty of hits ... and while none of them reached the pinnacle of awful that was the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Wild Wing jersey from the 1990s, there were plenty of misses, too.

Here are the 5 Best, followed by the 5 Worst, NHL Jerseys of the Last Decade. Please suggest your own, or debate our picks, in the comments.

First, a disclaimer: The jerseys had to debut during the 2000s, and there was more weight given to reinvention than recollection. In other words, we were most interested in teams that went in bold new directions rather than ones that slapped a commemorative patch on a previously worn sweater - with one obvious exception.

The 5 Best NHL Jerseys of the 2000s are as follows:

5. Edmonton Oilers

Designed by "Spawn" creator, comic book artist and then-part-owner of the Oilers Todd McFarlane, these jerseys were like a modern remake of a classic film that dazzles critics but alienates some audiences. McFarlane's Web site explained his artistic vision in 2001, when the sweaters debuted:

Though the new logo is bold, dynamic and industrially modern, it's rooted in respect for the traditions of hockey's past. The new design's key element - the oil drop - is taken from the original Oilers logo. The five rivets encircling the oil drop represent the five Stanley Cups the team has won since its 1979 National Hockey League debut. The 10 gear teeth (five each on both the inner and outer rings) represent each of the Oilers' 10 team captains, who include such legends as Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier.

It was bold, and perhaps too bold: By the end of the decade, the Oilers had course-corrected back to the classic orange and blue of the 1980s championship teams as a third jersey. If anything, the color scheme was more impressive than McFarlane's logo design, which looked sharp but not necessarily iconic. 

4. Washington Capitals

Like the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier in the decade, the Washington Capitals upgraded a classic look after entering the 2000s with a pedestrian group of sweaters. The piping, the alternative logo and the colors all worked, helping to spark a "Rock The Red" campaign the fans embraced ... even if the white jerseys look ridiculously better than the home reds.

3. NHL All-Star Game Jerseys, 2003

These sweaters from the game held in Sunrise, Fla. are a reminder that simplicity is never a bad thing. The first all-star game since 1997 to feature the Eastern Conference vs. the Western Conference, the jerseys had some really sharp features: Numbers on the waistline; team logos and country of origin flags on the shoulders; and an NHL logo on the front that would resemble the "NHL 2.0" logo the League adopted after the lockout.

2. St. Louis Blues

For a franchise that once created a third jersey so wretched that Mike Keenan banned the team from wearing it, this 2008 model was widely celebrated as one of the most well-conceived and aesthetically pleasing alternate sweaters in recent NHL history. It incorporated the iconography of the St. Louis Gateway Arch while still prominently displaying the Blue Note logo. Solid stuff ... if not exactly original. Which brings us to:

1. Minnesota Wild

The Wild's initial jerseys were striking, especially the all-green look of their solid sweaters. But this third jersey that debuted in 2003-04 remains perhaps the most successful in League history in concept and execution. The colors are spot-on, the design is iconic and it was eventually adopted by the team as its home jersey later in the decade. Often imitated, never duplicated.

Speaking of never duplicated, let's home none of these ever are: The 5 Worst Jerseys of the 2000s.

5. Atlanta Thrashers

A random quilt-like patchwork surrounding a giant number where a logo should be, these 2008 third jerseys were quickly reviled by fans around the League. Our initial take stands:

The font on the front of the jersey is still pretty snappy, but its quirky design emphasizes the "T" and "R" while de-emphasizing the "H" in "Thrashers"; the result is a subtle and unfortunate optical trick that pushes the eye to see "Trashers."

Please keep in mind these maroon and gold jerseys debuted while Atlanta was attempting to establish "Blueland" as a marketing rallying cry for fans in their arena.

4. NHL All-Star Game, 2000-2001

An unbalanced, unsightly design whiff that looked like the template for a better jersey. The colors are OK, but it's a completely forgettable jersey for a game whose threads are made for collectors. Five-year-old Colorado Avalanche fan Brandon Barban, moments after this photo was taken: "Your jerseys suck. Oh, and nice hair, Sakic ..."

3. Buffalo Sabres

An angry cashew. Donald Trump's hair. A possessed chipmunk. The Sabres' 2006 decision to completely revamp their uniforms for the second time in 10 years was met with widespread anger, universal scorn and inexplicably high merchandise sales (go figure). Sabres fans continue to fight the good fight against the "Buffaslug," including the blog Sabres, Not Slugs that is "dedicated to eliminating one of the worst logos on professional sports."

2. Dallas Stars

When these third jerseys debuted in 2003, the Stars offered the following justification for the look:

"The new logo depicts a constellation of individual stars aligning to form an unstoppable force of nature, a charging bull. Get it? A constellation of stars aligning to form an unstoppable force? "

That celestial reasoning did nothing for most Stars fans, whose intense loathing the of jerseys was immediate.

But the reason they're the second-worst jersey of the last decade is simple: It's because at no point during the market research for this new sweater did the Stars realize their logo was a diagram of the female reproductive organs, from the uterus to the fallopian tubes. Needless to say, the fans did.

In Men's Vogue, Sean Avery(notes) labeled these as the worst hockey jerseys of all time. Let it never be said the man doesn't know his fashion. 

1. Montreal Canadiens

If you don't believe these are the worst jerseys of the last decade, you're either under the influence of hallucinogens or a professional barber.

Worn as part of the Habs' centennial celebration, these throwbacks to the 1912-1913 team from the National Hockey Association were reintroduced last season and the laughter was deafening. Based on the fan reaction, they should have put the words "Epic Fail" inside of the leaf on the front.

(Oh, and the Habs rocking a sweater with a Maple Leaf on the front is a fail, in and of itself.)

We offered a meek defense after their debut:

Sure, they look like men's beachwear from the 1800s. Yes, they less resemble a hockey sweater than something you'd lick in the Wonka factory. But forget, for a moment, that the Canadiens already have an iconic sweater they wear every game -- pretend this was the only jersey they skate out in. Isn't this look even a little bit awesome? Wouldn't this be just as iconic? Or is it better left in an era without the benefit of digital television?

The masses agreed with that last statement. In a decade when old looks became hip new ones for many teams, this monstrosity deserved to be buried in the past. 

Dishonorable Mention: The Nashville Predators' third jerseys and at least half of what the Vancouver Canucks wore in the last 10 years. Thanks to NHL Uniforms for the trips down memory lane.

Puck Daddy's Best & Worst of the Decade lists will run on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday through the end of 2009. (Yes, that includes holidays; cynical appraisal never sleeps.)

No. 1 Star: Jarome Iginla(notes), Calgary Flames

The Flames got some breaks against the Dallas Stars, and Iginla made the most of them. His first goal of the game came on a 3-on-1. His second goal, the OT game-winner, came after a borderline delay-of-game penalty on Loui Eriksson(notes), in which he cleared the puck over the glass while outside of the defensive zone. Iginla's blast on the power play beat Marty Turco(notes) (20 saves) for the overtime win, 3-2. He also had the primary assist on Daymond Langkow's(notes) game-tying goal at 19:11 of the third.

No. 2 star: Tomas Vokoun(notes), Florida Panthers

Vokoun weathered a 21-shot salute in the first period by a desperate Carolina Hurricanes team on the road, and ended up making 32 saves in shutting out the Canes, 3-0. Steven Reinprecht's(notes) ninth of the season was the game-winner.

No. 3 star: Ryan Miller(notes), Buffalo Sabres

Four days ago, the New York Islanders shut out the Sabres. Ryan Miller returned the favor with a confident 24-save performance, as Buffalo snapped the Islanders' 4-game winning streak with a 3-0 victory. Derek Roy's(notes) first goal of the season was the game-winner; Thomas Vanek(notes) and Paul Gaustad(notes) had the other tallies.

Honorable mention: Special stick tap for Curtis McElhinney(notes), as the little-used Flames backup was outstanding in goal (38 saves) in Calgary's win -- including stopping a Brenden Morrow(notes) penalty shot. ... Nicklas Bergfors(notes) scored a pair of power-play goals in the third period, at the New Jersey Devils defeated the Ovechkin-less Washington Capitals, 3-2. ... Milan Hejduk(notes) had a three-point night, including goals to open and close the scoring, in the Colorado Avalanche's 4-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes. Peter Budaj(notes) made 28 saves in his first start of the season. Colorado is undefeated (5-0) at home. ...Don't look now, but the San Jose Sharks have won eight of nine after Dan Boyle's(notes) shootout goal gave them a 3-2 SO win at the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joe Thornton(notes) and Dany Heatley(notes) had goals in regulation. Rick Nash(notes) scored his 10th for Columbus. ... Marty Biron stopped 36 of 39 shots in a losing effort for the Isles, and earned a roughing minor for going after Patrick Kaleta(notes). ... Steve Mason