Puck Headlines: Season to open in Finland, Sweden; sorry, Prague

Here are your Evening Puck Headlines and Previews: A glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• For previews of the 7 p.m. games, check out the Y! Sports scores and scheds page. Also, you can watch the Florida Panthers/Carolina Hurricanes tilt right here.

• George Richards of the Miami Herald breaks the news that the Florida Panthers and Chicago Blackhawks will play in Helsinki, Finland to open the 2009-10 season; he also reports that the Detroit Red Wings will be dragged kicking and screaming to Stockholm, Sweden to play the St. Louis Blues. OK, the half of the roster that isn't Swedish will kick and scream. [On Frozen Pond]

• Michael Farber presents his 2010 U.S. Olympic team roster. David Booth, Chris Drury and Brian Gionta on the third line ... what you got, Russia? [SI]

Preview: Minnesota Wild at Detroit Red Wings (7:30 p.m. EST; TV: FSNO, FSD). Two teams playing well enter this game. It's a battle of backup goalies, as Goalie Post reports the Wild are starting Josh Harding while the Wings are sending out Stanley Cup champion Chris Osgood.

Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at Tampa Bay Lightning (7:30 p.m. EST; TV: RSN, SUN). Pension Plan Puppets: "Tonight's a 'four point game' in the Hunt for Hedman." Meanwhile, waiting six weeks before telling your team about concussion-like symptoms probably not the smartest idea, Mike Smith.

Sports

Get today's sports news out of Los Angeles. Here's the latest on the Dodgers, Lakers, Angels, Kings, Galaxy, LAFC, USC, UCLA and more LA teams.

Weekend races called off at Santa Anita Park with spring storm in the forecast

Rays' Wander Franco placed on leave through June 1 as sexual abuse probe continues

Anaheim Ducks rookie Bobby Ryan presents a journal on the team's Web site. First line: "I'm having a blast." Last line: "The hardest food to give up? French fries." In between? Goofy photos. [Ducks]

• Ted Leonsis is wondering why no one wrote anything about the bad ice at MSG last night. Probably because it's a given fact, a societal norm and an undeniable truth that MSG has bad ice; and because no one on the Rangers' payroll decided to tell the media it was "disgusting" and an "embarrassment" like some people did. [Ted's Take]

Preview: St. Louis Blues at Nashville Predators (8 p.m. EST; TV: FSMW). The Blues are 2-7-4 in their last 13 games in Nashville. The Forechecker sees this as a chance to land a death-blow to the Blues' playoff hopes in the West. And yes, incredibly they do have playoff hopes.

Preview: Vancouver Canucks at Phoenix Coyotes (9 p.m. EST; TV: RSW, AZTV). Big day for the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL, which can plan on having Kyle Turris Nights for the foreseeable future. The Coyotes demoted the third overall pick in 2007 today, which is great news for anyone looking for an open seat in the Phoenix press box. Meanwhile, annoying-as-all-hell Alex Burrows will join Daniel and Henrik Sedin on the Canucks' top line. 

Tomas Plekanec has been suspended by the National Hockey League for two games for an incident involving Edmonton's Denis Grebeshkov. This had led to some quick line shuffling by the Habs. [CanWest]

Nikolai Khabibulin has had a history of groin issues while with the Chicago Blackhawks. Now he's day-to-day with a "lower body injury." Hmmmm .... [Sun Times]

Preview: Calgary Flames at Los Angeles Kings (10:30 p.m. EST; TV: RSW, FSW). The Kings return home after a successful East Coast swing to face the Flames. Jarome Iginla, meanwhile, has two goals in 2009. This would be a problem for Calgary, and Kent from Five Hole Fanatics tries to diagnose its cause. We're betting on either a brain cloud or a slight allergy to macadamia nuts.

New York Islanders center Doug Weight suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament against the Devils and is out for six weeks. That's going to affect his trade value, probably. [On the Islanders Beat]

• Really interesting stuff about the Islanders/Kansas City issue from Lighthouse Hockey. [LH]

• Finally, via The Hockey Writers, a classic ESPN hockey comedy featuring Brendan Shanahan and Sergei Fedorov. Back in the happy times, before poker ruined everything:

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