The NHL Evening Skate for Jan. 16

Heading into this evening’s action, here are the day’s top NHL storylines:

Montreal Canadiens forward Paul Byron handed three-game suspension

Montreal Canadiens forward Paul Byron has been suspended three games for a hit that injured Florida Panthers defenseman MacKenzie Weegar on Tuesday night. Byron was given a minor penalty for charging on a check that left Weegar in concussion protocol during the second period of Montreal’s 5-1 win over the visiting Panthers. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety discussed the suspension in a video. Here’s the explanation.

Flames expected to send Jarome Iginla’s No. 12 to rafters on March 2

It’s been off limits as is, but the Calgary Flames will officially make certain that no other player will wear No. 12 for the franchise when it announces Thursday that Jarome Iginla will have his digits retired in March. He is largely considered the greatest Flame of all time and is an obvious choice for a banner raising.

John Scott thankful to be alive after falling through ice on lake

Former NHL All-Star John Scott was able to fill an entire book with the wisdom he was able to absorb throughout his improbable 10-year run in professional hockey. But it wasn’t until a few years into post-retirement did he learn maybe his most important lesson of all: Don’t complete the first shovel on a frozen lake by yourself, man. Scott detailed a harrowing incident earlier this week.

Lamp-lighters

Capitals’ Matt Niskanen leaves broadcaster hanging, awkwardness ensues

A disgusting epidemic continues to spread throughout the NHL. It began with teammates missing the opportunity to give each other fist bumps earlier this season. Now, television broadcasters are being victimized by the ignorant and dehumanizing behavior of the best hockey players in the world. Frankly, it should be enough to make your stomach turn. The most recent instance of a serious missed connection took place during a pregame interview between Matt Niskanen of the Washington Capitals and NBC’s Rob Carlin, the host of pregame and postgame shows for broadcasts involving the team. [Watch here]

Rick Nash’s career falls short of Hall of Fame standard

Yahoo Sports NHL writers Justin Cuthbert and Nick Ashbourne discuss the career of Rick Nash after the former No. 1 pick announced his retirement due to complications with concussions. [Watch here]

Sabres provide another lesson in not getting ahead of yourself

After a team that always struck Ryan Lambert as being kind of mediocre and not a legit playoff contender racked up more than a fifth of the way to the usual playoff threshold (92-94 points) in the space of 20 days, it only got to mid-January sitting ninth in the East. Which, if you told him in October the Sabres would be there at the end of the year, he’d have figured that sounded about right.

‘Dinosaur’ defensemen like Orpik survive in NHL by adapting

When John Tortorella compares Brooks Orpik to a creature that went extinct 65 million years ago, he means it affectionately. Orpik, who helped the Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup last season and played his 1,000th NHL regular-season game Tuesday, is certainly a rarity. Big, rugged, defensive defensemen are going the way of prehistoric animals, mask-less goaltenders, helmet-less skaters and enforcers, except the ones like Orpik who have adapted to keep pace with the speed of modern hockey. [More]

Fantasy forecheck

Risers/Fallers: It’s good to skate next to Sid the Kid

This week’s article includes the “other” center in Pittsburgh, a Winnipeg blueliner stepping up, the new No. 1 netminder in Calgary and last year’s second overall pick scuffling in Carolina. [More]

Game of the night

Buffalo Sabres at Calgary Flames

The task doesn’t get any easier for the Buffalo Sabres. Amidst a free fall that’s seen them go from atop the league on Thanksgiving to outside a playoff spot, the Sabres are in desperate need of a reboot following their latest defeat. After a 7-2 loss at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night to kick off a Western Canada road swing, the Sabres (23-17-6) face the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. The Flames (30-13-4) currently sit atop the Western Conference, are riding a five-game winning streak and on a torrid 8-1-1 run. Oh yeah, not only are the Flames one of the league’s most prolific squads, they’re coming off a 7-1 throttling of the Arizona Coyotes on Sunday. [Full preview] [Follow on Yahoo Sports]

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