From contemplation to just plain giddiness ... thank you!

From last week's contemplation to this week's giddiness, John Buccigross is the gift that keeps on giving with the infinite reasons he's thankful for the sport played on ice.

Malkin: I'm learning … I'm trying to be better every game

After a disappointing finish to last season, Evgeni Malkin is proving he has no Cup finals hangover. Scott Burnside checks in with the league's best player of this season's first quarter.

DETROIT - MAY 23: Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins talks with the media next to Sergei Gonchar during Live at the Stanley Cup Final on May 23, 2008 at Cobo Hall in Detroit...

QOTW answers: Boston (surprise) and Dallas (bust) are on your early radar

Hockey is back in Boston, folks. The red-hot Bruins absolutely dominated talk in our latest Question of the Week, where I asked you puckheads to name ...

Quarterly report: Team-by-team grades

Most teams hit the quarter mark in the next week. Here's a breakdown of where teams stand as they make the first turn in what has been a wildly exciting and unpredictable start to the 2008-09 regular season.

Top Secret

Let Sidney Crosby be hockey's savior. Caps stealth star Alexander Ovechkin will settle for Rookie of the Year honors

Clearing out my files: Melrose, rankings, MVPs, wrist shots and more

Maybe it's the November stretch that has Bucci contemplating? Either way, he's clearing his mind with his take on a few lingering hockey issues.

Malkin and Semin the best fantasy options

Since the NHL came back from it's lockout/hiatus, we have been barraged with the Sidney Crosby versus Alex Ovechkin storyline. Which one is better? Wh...

Fantasy Forecaster: Belief in the Blackhawks

Tristan H. Cockcroft breaks down the weekly schedule, highlighting teams with the most games and the best and worst matchups.

Staal's hat trick, assist lift Penguins past Red Wings

Jordan Staal had a hat trick in the third period and set up Ruslan Fedotenko's winning goal with 1:11 in overtime, lifting the Penguins to a 7-6 comeback win over the Red Wings.

So they meet again: Pens, Wings face off for first time since Cup finals

...defensemen are still out," said Dupuis. "It won't hurt us to get Ryan Whitney and Sergei Gonchar back at some point. But our goaltending has been outstanding. Marc-Andre Fleury is playing really...

Penguins-Red Wings Preview

Penguins-Red Wings Preview

We're getting some vibes ... on all 30 NHL teams

Who better than John Buccigross to take the early pulse of this NHL season? He gives his vibes for all 30 teams.

5 Things: The new Zherdev, the old Penguins and the struggling Stars

Is this the real Nikolai Zherdev we're seeing in New York? Should we really be surprised by the Penguins' start? Are the Stars really this bad? It's part of the 5 Things we want to know heading into this week.

Point Shots: Searching for Sidney's mates

Jim Wilkie looks at the lineup shakeup in Pittsburgh and the contenders for the most coveted job in hockey: riding shotgun for Sidney Crosby