Tuesday's notes: Winter Classic Party Is Over, It's Back To Business

Now that another NHL Winter Classic is in the books, it's time for the NHL to get back to serious business - this week, many teams will hit the midway point of their season, and as the Trade Deadline looms eight weeks down the road, it's getting down to crunch time for many general managers around the league.

After the jump, we've got stories from the big day in Philadelphia, and a bit of a twist in the story of Kevin Klein's recent illness...

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Nashville Predators News

Klein plays big in return from illness that had him shrinking | Nashville City Paper
So now the story is changing? Back when Josh Cooper asked (about a week after he first caught it), we heard that Klein didn't lose any weight from his bout with the flu. In this morning's story, David Boclair is told that Kleiner lost 8-9 pounds.

The Next Blake Geoffrion Might Be Your Little Sister | The Hockey Writers
Jas puts the spotlight on girls hockey here in Nashville.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

2012 NHL Winter Classic, Rangers Vs. Flyers: Rangers Beat Flyers 3-2 In Remarkable Game - Blueshirt Banter
This one had it all - rookie Braydon Shenn scoring his first goal, a little taunting from Mike Rupp with his Jagr-like salute after scoring, a comeback by the Rangers from a 2-goal deficit, and a last-minute penalty shot save by Henrik Lundqvist to preserve the win for New York.

Injury ends Jagr's Classic experience in second period - NHL.com
Jaromir Jagr left the game with a leg injury, so we'll have to see whether that costs him any lost time this week.

Preds On The Glass: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman Addresses the Media After Classic Game
Buddy shares the commish's thoughts following the completion of the Winter Classic.

The Caesar’s Palace parking lot game | The Hockey Writers
Here's a look back to 20 years ago, when the Kings and Rangers played an outdoor exhibition game in Las Vegas.

Down Goes Brown: Inside Gary Bettman's New Year's Eve party
Party down with the Commissioner & DGB.

PDO Streaks and Season-Long Performance Spreads - Arctic Ice Hockey
A quick visual display of how at the team level, the combination of shooting & save percentage attenuates around this time of year into a fairly narrow range across the league. With a current PDO of 1005, the Preds sit close to the midrange, so luck doesn't appear to be playing too large a role in team results.

Morning Mashup: The PK Crisis " Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
In Toronto, frustration is growing over what continues to be a laughably awful penalty killing unit, which has ranked at the bottom of the league for several seasons.

High school hockey a hit at Fenway - BostonHerald.com
While the NHL was putting on the Winter Classic, in Boston they put a rink in Fenway Park for a high school hockey tournament.

Habs’ GM apologizes to fans upset new coach doesn’t speak French - The Globe and Mail
Right now, the Canadiens have a lot more important things to worry about than whether their interim coach speaks French. They have lost seven of their last eight games.

Canes Now - Skinner returns to practice | newsobserver.com blogs
It doesn't sound like he'll be ready for Saturday's game at Nashville, but Carolina Hurricanes star Jeff Skinner is making progress in his recovery from a concussion.

Monday's Daily Dosage - Tootoo, Josi, Iginla... - Fantasy Hockey Scouts
Roman Josi might make for a mid-season sleeper pick for your fantasy hockey team. I just added him to one of my squads, actually.

Glen Gulutzan: Win over Boston sets the template for the Stars going forward - The Dallas Morning News
With the Stars coming up next on the Preds' schedule (Thursday), it's worth keeping an eye on them this week, as they seek to build momentum after beating the Bruins.

IIHF WJC Recap: Russia Wins Thriller, Granlunds Lead Finland - Puck Worlds
Those Granlund brothers are tearing it up for Finland, while Russia moves on to a semifinal date with Canada, whom they beat in last year's final.

Video: Carcillo shoves Oilers’ Gilbert into boards; likely in trouble - Puck Daddy
Dan Carcillo can expect a hearing with Brendan Shanahan after this.

Sharks win 3-2 over rival Vancouver in shootout - Fear The Fin

They're talking about the importance of scoring three goals in San Jose, too. You know why? Because that "score three and you'll probably win" line applies across the league.

Avalanche at Kings Recap: Varlamov Rules Kings, Leads Avs To A 2-1 Shootout Win - Mile High Hockey
The Avalanche are one of the hotter teams in the league right now, having won seven of eight.

Senators come back again in 3-2 overtime win against the Devils - Silver Seven
Alfie did it again for Ottawa.