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. • We don't wanna say the Florida Panthers are straight up trollin' the New Jersey Devils, but here's an ad for their viewing party in which Stephen Weiss  … well, yeah. • Marian Hossa gives the Nathan Horton Inspirational Visit After a Concussion to the Chicago Blackhawks. [ ESPN Chicago ] • Congratulations to the people of Vancouver for not burning down their city after losing on home ice. [ AP] • Mirtle on the Pittsburgh Penguins' future, and specifically on Sidney Crosby: "The Pens had to adjust to life with Crosby again, and there were signs of problems in those ugly late season losses to the Senators and Islanders where they allowed 18 goals in the three games that they weren't quite ready for a team as good as Philadelphia." [ Globe & Mail ] • Mr. Plank looks at the construction of the San Jose Sharks, and how it led to their first-round ouster. [ Fear The Fin ] • Helene St. James wonders if it's time for the Detroit Red Wings to trade Johan Franzen: "Johan Franzen did not have a good series, scoring one goal in five games despite playing next to Pavel Datsyuk. Franzen has eight years remaining on his contract, but his salary cap hit is a reasonable $3.9 million and his actual salary over the last three years is a combined $4 million, which would be attractive to teams worried about reaching the NHL's minimum salary cap space requirement. But the Wings aren't necessarily going to look to trade him, because which Franzen would they be trading?" [ Freep ] • Great bit from the Canadian Press on the originals of a numerically-specific Ottawa Senators fan chat that honors Daniel Alfredsson. [ THN ] • No Jaroslav Halak in the first two games of the second round for the St. Louis Blues. [ BND ] • Why the second round of the playoffs in the Western Conference won't be a ratings disaster. [ Puck The Media ] • How big are the Stanley Cup Playoffs? According to SportsCenter, slightly bigger than offseason football! (Although now that the Saints were eavesdropping on opponents …) [ Deadspin ] • Spector on Roberto Luongo's future: Could the Lightning afford him, and could Brian Burke bury the hatchet to get him? [ THN ]

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We covered almost all of these incidents in our post on the Philadelphia Flyers' Game 3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, but this compendium of hits, fights and cheap shots from alander94 on YouTube really does bring home how [expletive] insane the nastiness was in this game: Sidney Crosby: For the last time, not a goody two-shoes. As was previously reported Monday, the NHL will have Arron Asham and James Neal answer for their actions in Monday hearings — Neal, in fact, will have two of them. Asham has been offered an in-person hearing Tuesday morning for his match penalty for cross-checking Brayden Schenn at 14:15 of the first period. Asham received a match penalty on the hit. Neal's hearings focus on the hit against Sean Couturier in the third period, as well as the charging penalty he received for a hit on Claude Giroux later in the period. Neal was not penalized on the Couturier hit. There are three themes coming out of this mess for the Penguins, heading into Game 4.

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No. 1 Star: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh rebounded from two straight losses to the New York Islanders with a 5-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Crosby continued racking up points with a goal and three assists to bring his season total to 29 points in 18 games. In the process, Crosby became the seventh youngest player in NHL history to surpass the 600-point mark. Steve Sullivan chipped in three points and Evgeni Malkin recorded two, bringing his goal total to 48 and points total to 102 on the season. Pascal Dupuis had two helpers to increase his NHL-best points streak to 13 games. No. 2 Star: Nikita Nikitin, Columbus Blue Jackets The Blue Jackets played spoiler on Friday denying the Florida Panthers a chance to move closer to the Southeast Division title with a 4-1 win. Nikitin scored twice and assisted on another and R.J.Umberger tallied two goals to send the Panthers to their sixth loss in their last eight road games. Allen York made 30 shots for his second straight win. No. 3 Star: Semyon Varlamov, Colorado Avalanche Making his seventh straight start, Varlamov snapped a four-game losing streak by with 38 saves backstopping the Avs to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames. Four different Avs scored to keep them in the mix for one of the bottom playoff spots in the Western Conference.

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No. 1 Star: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh rebounded from two straight losses to the New York Islanders with a 5-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Crosby continued racking up points with a goal and three assists to bring his … Continue reading ?

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BUFFALO, N.Y. - A swollen nose couldn't stop Sidney Crosby from enjoying a four-point night. And neither could Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres.

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BUFFALO, N.Y. - Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby became the NHL's seventh-youngest player to score his 600th career point.

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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 : Pittsburgh Penguins at Buffalo Sabres, 7:30 p.m. ET . The Sabres have not played against Sidney Crosby since Dec. 2010 and with the Penguins coming off two losses in a row to the New York Islanders, Buffalo will have their hands full as they try to gain a two-point lead over the Washington Capitals in their game in-hand tonight. After playing last night, there's a good chance that Brent Johnson will make his first start in 17 games for the Penguins. Ryan Miller, who has won five in a row and allowed six goals over that span, should get the call for the Sabres. Preview : Nashville Predators at Detroit Red Wings, 8 p.m. ET . It's looking more and more like these two teams will meet in the first round of the playoffs with the only question of who will have home ice advantage. Jimmy Howard returns to the Detroit net after missing four games with a groin injury. Kyle Quincey is slated to be scratched as Mike Babcock makes sure his defensemen each get some action heading into the postseason. Martin Erat, Jordin Tooto and Roman Josi are all expected back in the Predators' lineup. Preview : Colorado Avalanche at Calgary Flames, 9 p.m. ET . With four games left, the Flames aren't out of contention for a bottom-8 spot in the Western Conference, but time is running out quick. Wednesday's 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings was deflating and might have been the unofficial nail in their coffin. Semyon Varlamov should be in net for Colorado making his seventh straight start and looking to snap a four-game skid. Check out previews and updated scores for all of today's games on the Y! Sports NHL scores and scheds page . For tonight's starting goalies, check out Left Wing Lock. •  Today's Marek vs. Wyshynski podcast with John Shannon . Evening Reading • Here are your playoff clinching scenarios tonight for the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks. [ NHL.com ] • Good read on Paul Henderson and his battle with lymphocytic lymphoma chronic leukemia. [ Sportsnet ] • Jeff Carter left the Kings' morning skate today with his foot in a walking boot and handling crutches. [ LA Kings Insider ] • After taking a charge from Jason Chimera last night, Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid will miss their trip to New York this weekend and both games against the Islanders and Rangers with a swollen eye. [ CSN New England ] Puck Daddy Reader Comment of the Day: Via Steve Whyno : Dale Hunter on catcalls as a coach: "They called me fat" on Long Island. Bold Prediction: Jimmy Howard gives Detroit a 3-point lead over Nashville with a 2-0 shutout of the Predators.

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UNIONDALE, N.Y. - Sidney Crosby left briefly in the second period after being bloodied when he was struck in the face with the puck, and the suddenly slumping Pittsburgh Penguins fell again to the New York Islanders, 5-3 on Thursday night.

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UNIONDALE, N.Y. - Sidney Crosby left briefly in the second period after being bloodied when he was struck in the face with the puck, and the suddenly slumping Pittsburgh Penguins fell again to the New York Islanders, 5-3 on Thursday night.

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UNIONDALE, N.Y. - Sidney Crosby was bloodied after being struck in the face by a puck shot by New York Islanders defenceman Dylan Reese.

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