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St. Louis shake-up?; Senators buy into Boucher (Puck Headlines)

Josh Cooper

Here are your Puck Headlines: A glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media. Have a link you want to submit? Email us at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com.

Jersey Foul
Jersey Foul

• Sweet n’ Salty in St. Louis. [Jersey Fouls]

• Is it time for a ‘shake-up’ with the struggling St. Louis Blues? The team just suffered a tough 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. St. Louis has lost three of its last four games and currently sits at 21-16-15. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]

• Ottawa Senators head coach Guy Boucher has his team believing in defense and thriving with this style. [Sportsnet]

• There’s a scene in the documentary about the making of the Vegas Golden Knights that appears to be staged or scripted. It has to do with the trademark drama surrounding the team name. [SinBin Vegas]

• Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello says his team is “a little ahead of where we might have thought we could (be)” in its rebuild. Toronto is on pace for 93 points after finishing with the NHL’s worst record last season. [CBC]

• The San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League — the Ducks’ primary farm team — have been making a strong impression since they were established in San Diego last season as part of the AHL’s new Pacific division. The San Diego Chargers’ move to Los Angeles could open the door for the Gulls to have more impact locally on the professional sports scene. [LA Times]

• Calgary Flames rookie Matthew Tkachuk has played exceptionally well so far this season, even if he hasn’t received the notoriety of some other youngsters around the NHL. [Flames from 80 feet]

• The Missouri Mavericks of the ECHL and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum announced a joint partnership to honor the 75th anniversary of the Kansas City Monarchs’ 1942 Negro League World Series championship. The festivities will take place on Feb. 17 and 18. [Missouri Mavericks]

• The absence of Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson could stretch until at least mid-February. Johnson suffered a broken fibula Dec. 3 it was originally believed he would be out six-to-eight weeks. [Denver Post]

• In the last few years a lot more attention has been spent on the frequency with which individual skaters take or draw penalties. It’s certainly a masked skill but an important one. Breaking down some of the best NHL players at drawing penalties. [TSN]

• The Maple Leafs could be good next year and the year after and they have a ton of cap space that will subsequently go away. Why not look for a big impact unresrticted and offer him an enormous amount of money for short term, and see if we can make this team a contender right now? [Pension Plan Puppets]

• Dave Ogrean will retire as executive director of USA Hockey on Aug. 1, 2017, but remain with the organization in an advisory capacity. A national search for a new executive director will begin immediately. Ogrean has served as executive director of USA Hockey since Aug. 1, 2005, and also held the position from 1993-99. He began his professional career with the organization as its director of public relations from 1978-80. [USA Hockey]

• The University of Denver men’s hockey team had to practice without their sticks Thursday in Kalamazoo. The team’s flight to Grand Rapids didn’t quite have enough room for all the gear so the group had to improvise when they hit the ice. [9News]

• How good is the Winnipeg Jets’ third-line trio of Shawn Matthias, Adam Lowry, and Joel Armia? [Jets Nation]

• The Columbus Blue Jackets decided to keep Joonas Korpisalo on the NHL roster over Anton Forsberg as backup to Sergei Bobrovsky. [Blue Jackets Extra]

• Want to see if you’re faster than Erik Haula? Now you’ll have that opportunity because the speedy Minnesota Wild center is part of the Science Museum of Minnesota’s latest exhibit, “Sportsology.” [Minneapolis Star Tribune]

• What were the NHL’s first “brands” in the league’s early years? [Hockey by Design]

• Halfway through the 2016-17 season, the Army Black Knights are on the short list of teams vying for an Atlantic Hockey title. How did head coach Brian Riley get his team playing this type of successful, winning hockey to get to his point? [College Hockey News]

• The upcoming Edmonton Oilers schedule looks favorable, which means you should pick up Patrick Maroon for your fantasy hockey team. [Dobber Hockey]

• The roster for the NWHL’s 2017 All-Star Game is complete. How will the skills competition break down between Team Kessel and Team Steadman? [The Ice Garden]

• Breaking down potential NCAA brackets for the men’s hockey tournament. Which team would currently slot where? [NCAA]

• Seth Jones speaks about his African-American heritage, race in hockey and growing up the son of NBA player Popeye Jones. [The Undefeated]

• There will likely be many laughs, and maybe some tears, from Martin St. Louis during Friday’s ceremony where the Tampa Bay Lightning will retire his No. 26. [Tampa Bay Times]

• Should Lightning fans still be upset with how St. Louis left the team? Is it appropriate to honor St. Louis before Vincent Lecavalier and Dave Andreychuk? Answering some tough questions in advance of his ceremony. [Raw Charge]

• The Carolina Hurricanes and Make-A-Wish Eastern North Carolina teamed up to create some special moments for 7-year-old cancer patient Chase Bass. [ABC11]

• Finally, Paul Byron and Jeff Petry take on one another in a game of Frisknock.

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