Monday, March 7, 2011

Puck Previews: Flames vs. Blackhawks; Parise cleared for skating

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: Calgary Flames at Chicago Blackhawks, 9 p.m. ET. The Blackhawks are looking for their sixth win in a row. The Flames are 15-3-6 in their last 24 games, and are coming off back-to-back shutouts against St. Louis. Calgary's a point ahead in the standings, with Chicago owning two games in hand. Writes Second City Hockey: "The Hawks will need to control the pace to take advantage of what could be a tired squad. The Hawks are also one of the few teams in the NHL playing quite as well as Calgary." Watch the Game Live Via Hockey Night on Y!

Preview: Tampa Bay Lightning at New Jersey Devils, 7 p.m. ET. The big news for the Devils today is that star winger Zach Parise received medical clearance to start skating lightly, with GM Lou Lamoriello saying it'll be three weeks minimum before Parise's anywhere near game shape. He's been out since Oct. 30 after having arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. The Devils have won 17 of 21, but lost to the Lightning on Friday.

Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. ET. Y! Sports' Nick Cotsonika covers "The Mystery of the Missing Penguin" in this in-depth column on Sidney Crosby's absence. Meanwhile, one of the reasons James Neal feels comfortable with the Penguins is because he watched them on HBO 24/7. Seriously.

Preview: Minnesota Wild at New York Islanders, 7 p.m. ET. As Michael Russo points out, there are more than a few storylines of interest here. It's Eric Nystrom playing in his dad's old house on Long Island. It's a battle between John Tavares and Cal Clutterbuck, junior linemates. And this one, too: "Pierre-Marc Bouchard's last game in the Coliseum in March 2009, he got a concussion, a pretty infamous one."

Preview: Detroit Red Wings at Anaheim Ducks, 10 p.m. ET. As expected, Dan Ellis has solidified the Ducks' goaltending position so it's no longer a liability with Jonas Hiller out. Said Randy Carlyle: "He's going to battle. I think that is what we're looking for. His compete level is very high." Meanwhile, the proud father of a newborn baby Mule is ready to rejoin Henrik Zetterberg and Todd Bertuzzi on the Wings' top line.

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.

Download or listen to today's episode of Puck Daddy Radio.

Aaliyah Katherine Heigl Lorri Bagley Leslie Bega Maria Sharapova

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