Here are your Morning 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.
• The Ottawa Senators announce captain Daniel Alfredsson will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and could miss a month. Ottawa reports a massive spike in computer monitors covered in morning coffee after the news hit. [Ottawa Citizen]
• Meanwhile, John Tortorella is already making waves as a TSN analyst, with Senators center Jason Spezza as the target. Telling him to "shut up and play," Torts added: "If Jason Spezza doesn't learn how to be a pro, (the Senators are) going nowhere. He can score. He's a helluva player." Lecavalier has already sent a sympathy card. [Sun Media]
• Take the Blackhawks bowling, take them bowling ... we might ante up the charity fee just to see what Adam Burish does after a gutter ball. [Third Man In]
• Five coaches on the hot seat this season. This is a lot like yesterday's list, save for Tom Renney of the New York Rangers and Peter Laviolette of the Carolina Hurricanes replacing Barry Melrose and Mike Keenan. Firing Laviolette just makes zero sense to us. [CBC Sports]
• Anaheim Ducks goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, on his team's penalties in last night's loss to the Sharks: "... We need to keep our mouths shut. We need to stop yapping at the referees. We need to stop blaming everybody else. We have to look in the mirror. We're the ones taking the penalties. It's not always a bad call." And yet the team didn't win the division last year because they're plane ride from London was so long ... [Ducks Blog]
• Great blow-by-blow recap of the Boston Bruins' 5-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche, from the Avs' perspective. In summary: "Okay I admit it, this might be another frustrating season, but if the Avs keep up the tempo it might not be lame." [Dog and Pony Show]
• Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold: "I think it's very fair to say we're a playoff team." [Pioneer Press]
Sports
• The Pittsburgh Penguins honor the late Badger Bob Johnson by adopting "A Great Day for Hockey" as their slogan for this season. Not sure if Badger Bob envisioned the Pittsburgh Penguin appearing to poop out the "A" in the new slogan logo, but it's still a snappy phrase. And it sure does beat the alternative: "Waaaaah, Hossa, Waaaaah." [Penguins]
• Predicting this year's AHL champions and award winners. Perhaps the first time the names Nolan Baumgartner and Eddie Shore have appeared in the same zip code. The AHL finals prediction: Hershey Bears vs. Manitoba Moose; their respective mayors will put up 20 pounds of chocolate versus 20 pounds of old Thomas Steen Jets sweaters. [THN]
• The Washington Capitals received some major league love from the Washington Times this week. Even the Redskins were jealous. For, like, a minute. [OFB]
• Finally, via the invaluable Barry Melrose Rocks, "William Shatner's Stunning Rendition of the Miracle On Ice." Yes indeed: TJ Hooker does Al Michaels. Now, if we can only get Leonard Nimoy to help Shatner recreate the entirety of Super Bowl XXXVI.
