Puck Headlines: Habs, Red Wings rule NHL All-Star ballot

Here are your Evening 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 NHL All-Star Game ballots were released today, and reaction is pouring in from around the League. The Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings each have six candidates for the all-star game, for which fans vote online. Snapshots is starting the "Write in Tomas Holmstrom" campaign. Mike Green, Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin are on the list for the Capitals. Buffalo fans are happy to have four on the ballot. The Ducks also have four players, but two of them are not Corey Perry and Teemu Selanne. And Tim Thomas is "clearly is the Rodney Dangerfield of NHL goalies."

• WWE Diva Kelly Kelly rocks a Tampa Bay Lightning sweater during a tag-team match. Vinny Lecavalier now the second best-looking person to ever wear a Bolts jersey. [The Power Play]

Preview: Anaheim Ducks at Los Angeles Kings (10:30 p.m. EST; TV: FSW, FSW). Patrick O'Sullivan is getting moved around the Kings lineup like that wedding gift you got but never asked for (c'mon, everyone has one). Meanwhile, have the Ducks and the Senators moved to the front of the Mats Sundin Derby?

Preview: Minnesota Wild at San Jose Sharks (10:30 p.m. EST; TV: FSNO, CSBA). The biggest test of the season for the Wild, as the Sharks attempt to start the season 7-0 at home. San Jose Coach Todd McLellan has a history with Wild players like Mikko Koivu and Brent Burns, and credits Minnesota with helping to shape his coaching philosophy.

• Attendance is down and the team is losing, but the Atlanta Thrashers co-owner says GM Don Waddell is safe.[Sporting News]

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• By far our favorite Devils blogger reaction to the Martin Brodeur injury: "We don't mean to alarm anyone, but is there anyone here who knows how to tend goal?" [Interchangeable Parts]

Preview: New York Islanders at New York Rangers (7 p.m. EST; TV: MSG). The Rangers try to turn the page on their third-period meltdown against the Leafs, and move Markus Naslund to a line wit Scott Gomez and Ryan Callahan. Meanwhile, the Islanders' aggressive style is impressing opposing coaches like Ken Hitchcock.

Preview: Washington Capitals at Ottawa Senators (7:30 p.m. EST; TV: CSN, RSN). Alexander Ovechkin returns for the Capitals tonight. Fun fact, via the Caps PR: "Washington has played on the same day of a U.S. Presidential election just once before: Nov. 3, 1992, when the Caps beat Chicago, 4-1, in a neutral-site game in Indianapolis while Bill Clinton was elected over George H.W. Bush." Wacky.

• The battle of the Capitals bobblehead dolls. Japers wants to know which one is more accurate. We like the Ovechkin one, because it looks like he ran into the Hall of Fame and just grabbed what he could from the awards room. [Japers' Rink]

• Jim Kelley offers a great notebook column, including this tidbit: "According to the NHL the 149 games played in October averaged 5.9 goals per game, a slight increase from the 5.7 of October 2007." [Sportsnet]

Preview: Nashville Predators at Vancouver Canucks (10 p.m. EST; TV: TSN). Well, what do you know: Martin Gelinas is off the scrap heap and playing for a Swiss team. The focus in Vancouver is on special teams; our focus is on the potential feistiness in this game. 

Preview: Carolina Hurricanes at Toronto Maple Leafs (7:30 p.m. EST; TV: TSN). It's Ian White's turn to take a spin in the lineup, as Ron Wilson keeps making things interesting game to game for the Leafs. Scott Walker is back in the lineup for the Canes. Oh, and Pension Plan Puppets is both getting traction for its war against the MSM and getting flack for disparaging Southern hockey markets. 

Cam Ward has a wicked cool new mask: DeNiro from "Cape Fear." [Hurricanes, via Kuklas]

Cory Stillman is out with a concussion for the Florida Panthers, and will miss the team's West Coast trip. [On Frozen Pond]

Preview: Phoenix Coyotes at Calgary Flames (10 p.m. EST; TV: FSAZ, RSW). Five Hole Fanatics is wondering if and when Matthew Lombardi and Robin Regher will be back in the lineup. Meanwhile, the Coyotes recently traded Drew Fata. Did you notice?

• Hockey scribe Larry Brooks is losing space in the New York Post, and will be publishing more on the Web. [FanHouse]

• Speaking of Larry: He reports that the NHLPA has filed suit against the NHL over international players. [NY Post]

• Finally ... hey, look, it's Patrick Kane talking about someone putting him over on Sidney Crosby in a recent interview.

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