Clicks and Clippings: Game pucks, Headshots and Half-price pizza

Don't forget, after more than two weeks of winless hockey, today you can get half-price pizza delivered from PapaJohns.com using the discount code "CANIAC" .

After speculation all day on the consequences Andy Sutton would face for his egregious check on Alexei Ponikarovsky in last night's game, the word was handed down late today:

• Sutton Suspended Indefinitely - Edmonton Journal He’s been tagged as a repeat offender, he just finished serving a suspension for another dangerous hit, and this is the kind of situation where league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan is unlikely to take a lot of flack for a harsh sentence. The only question is exactly how many games Sutton is going to miss.

• Plus this: Twitter / @DarrenDreger: Sounds like Andy Sutton will waive right to in-person hearing. 1 of few with passion last night, but he'll earn a big susp for a bad hit.
• On Ovechkin's spear and Sutton's hit to the head - Kerry Fraser, TSN.ca ★★★★★ Thoughts from the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers last night. The retired NHL official addresses the actions of both Andy Sutton and Tim Gleason (toward the bottom).
• If you missed it: Video: Andy Sutton’s leaping headshot on Ponikarovsky - Puck Daddy ★★★★ EJ Hradek of NHL.com wondered if this hit would warrant "double digits" in a suspension for Sutton. It's hard to imagine something that didn't result in a player being helped off the ice resulting in 10 games or more, even for a repeat offender with the frequency of Sutton.

And much different and more refreshing storylines:

• Chip Alexander spoke with Mike Murphy yesterday after his first NHL appearance in Calgary the night before: Murphy makes history in debut - NewsObserver.com ★★★★★ Mike Murphy said he was up at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday to grab a flight, made two connections and got into Calgary in the early afternoon. He said he checked his cell phone after the game to find 68 Blackberry instant messages and another 30 texts. He said his Facebook message inbox on was full.
• Friday morning UPDATE: via @LukeDeCock Kirk Muller echoes Badger Bob - Eric Duhatschek, The Globe and Mail ★★★★ Carolina’s optimistic new head coach says ‘nobody has to be Superman’

After the jump, must-watch video from Jim Rutherford on NHL LIve earlier this hour, plus looks at the last game, the next game, Charlotte, prospects, and this whole realignment explained and evaluated.

This is must watch with Jim Rutherford talking about the challenges of changing coaches, why Kirk Muller, expectations for Eric Staal, where he goes from here, particularly in light of the new four-conference NHL: ★★★★★

Recaps and analyses from last night's "Dub"

• Game Analysis: Back-To-Backs At Calgary, At Edmonton - Cory Lavalette, Canes Country ★★★★ Game Analysis at Calgary, at Edmonton: Tomas Kaberle, Tim Gleason and Jamie McBain all make their mark in back-to-back games in Alberta.
• Canes give Muller first win as coach - Chip Alexander, Canes Now ★★★ For Kirk Muller, a victory. At last.
• Wild couple days ends with Muller's first win - Matt Karash, HockeyBuzz.com ★★★★ But just maybe [Muller] is on to something here. Take a team with some skill and speed and let them skate and play aggressive. A very similar transition ended extremely well for this franchise a few years back.
• Post game video with Bob Harwood and Kirk Muller - Fox Sports Carolinas gets 4 happy faces.☺☺☺☺

Postgame - the perspective from Edmonton

Just some excerpts, because it's been so long since the Canes won a game:

• Oil derrick blown away by Hurricane, 5-3 - Bruce McCurdy, Edmonton Journal My own observation was that Edmonton was fortunate to have only ceded five goals, heck, Jeff Skinner could have had that many all on his own if only he had brought his goal-scoring stick. The slippery teenage star left befuddled Oilers in his slipstream all night long. The Oil couldn’t handle Chad LaRose and Patrick Dwyer, let alone a talent like Jeff Skinner.
• Oilers struggling - Terry Jones, Edmonton Sun ★★★★ The slogan Edmonton fans adopted, when the Oilers managed to get out of the gate great this season, was more along the lines of "We don’t suck anymore." Well, hello. They’re back to sucking again.
• Still hoping to find a photo of this, but here's a nice lede in Oilers hand Muller first win - Edmonton Sun Kirk Muller can’t remember the last time he was awarded a game puck.
• This would be the argument explaining how Sutton earned a third star in last nights game: ’Canes blow through Oilers- Edmonton Sun Losing is one thing, but losing without passion or push back or energy is something else -something dangerous and familiar in Edmonton. When the momentum needed changing, they didn't have anyone who could do it — didn't seem to have anybody other than Andy Sutton (who laid out a handful of Canes), who tried.

Looking ahead

• Update on the Jets game: Mason to get call against Hurricanes- Winnipeg Sun The veteran netminder, Chris Mason, will be appearing in only his sixth appearance of the season, but he’s already posted two wins over the Hurricanes.

• Can Jets avoid letdown against Hurricanes? - Ken Wiebe, Jet Stream ★★★★ "They’ve played us tough," added Jets forward Kyle Wellwood. "Skinner has been their top guy and if (Eric) Staal gets going, they’re going to be a lot more dangerous. We’re just looking to stop their top guys and play a good team game."

• If you're on twitter and don't already follow Patrick Williams (@PWilliamNHL) add him for tomorrow. He promised me he'd be at the skate at MTS and would push the Canes coverage hard since the updates have been so slow in coming on this trip.

Charlotte updates

Prospects and the WJC

• Murphy puts concussion behind him, eyes spot on world junior team - thestar.com ★★★★ Ryan Murphy said the key to him making the team will be proving he can be "a risk-free player," who contributes offensively but not at the cost of defence.
• Austin Levi interview, Plymouth Whalers Weekly [Audio, 8 minutes] hear from D-prospect Austin Levi about his invitation to the Team USA WJC selection camp and what he thinks about a future in the NHL. Levi's spot starts at the 2 minute mark.
• 2012 U.S. WJC Camp: Goalies & Defensemen - Chris Peters, The United States of Hockey Chris has his usual great insight on what USA Hockey has in mind for both Justin Faulk and Austin Levi.

Realignment and the Neo-Patrick Diviference

• NHL overhaul shuffles Canes to new conference - NewsObserver.com An explanation.
• What Realignment Means for Canes - Michael Smith, Tracking the Storm ★★★★★ Another really in-depth explanation.
• Perspective from the Big Apple: NHL realignment amps up rivalries - ESPN New York ★★★

"Starz on the Horizon": In the "old" Atlantic Division, the Islanders seemed to have a monopoly on top-of-the-draft talent. No longer. The Canes will bring Jeff Skinner and dynamic D-men Justin Faulk and Ryan Murphy with them, while the Capitals could introduce their next high-profile Russian prospect, Evgeny Kuznetsov, as early as next season.

"Family Ties": Starting in 2012, all four Staal brothers will play in the same division -- if youngest brother Jared should get the call up to the Canes. In case you're wondering, there will be a 42 percent chance that a Staal brother will reach the NHL semifinals each year.

• In which I suggest that the modern economics of the Salary Cap may mitigate the Old Time Hockey Dynasty: Red Light District: Why salary cap makes realignment work But I’m not so sure that this is actually a case where history will be repeating itself. A very familiar principle guiding so much of what happens in today’s NHL didn't exist back in the 70s and 80s: The Salary Cap.