Puck Previews: Kovalchuk back for Devils; Blues look to avoid falling down 3-0

Here are your Puck Previews: Spotlighting the key games in NHL action, news and views as well as general frivolity. Make sure to stop back here for the nightly Three Stars when the games are finished.

• The Tampa Bay Lightning will be getting a new $5 million HD scoreboard next season that will "feature the largest high definition center-hung video displays in any U.S. or Canadian arena." The four-sided board will feature two displays measuring 28-feet high by 50-feet wide. Not quite Cowboys Stadium, but not far off. [Lightning]

Preview: Philadelphia Flyers at New Jersey Devils, 7:30 p.m. ET. (Series tied 1-1). Ilya Kovalchuk says he's playing tonight. Devils head coach Peter DeBoer says he'll be a game-time decision. (UPDATE: He's in) Despite the back injury, the indication was with Kovalchuk back, his role will not be limited. Who comes out of the lineup for New Jersey in place of Kovalchuk will also be a game-time decision. Despite losing out on home ice advantage after dropping Game 2, looking at the numbers, the Flyers shouldn't be worried about that.

Preview: St. Louis Blues at Los Angeles Kings, 10 p.m. ET. (Kings lead series 2-0). The Blues will get Alex Pietrangelo back in the lineup after missing Game 2 with an injury. According to Jeremy Rutherford of the Post-Dispatch, St. Louis allowed seven goals on their next 27 shots faced since their stud blueliner left the lineup. Despite the coming changes to the Blues' lineup, Darryl Sutter doesn't plan to alter his lineup to counteract a new-look St. Louis team.

Evening reading

• Phoenix Coyotes club president and COO Mike Nealy said a sale to keep the team in town is nearing completion. We've heard this many times already and it's getting close to decision time if you consider the time table with how the Coyotes and Atlanta Thrashers issues went down a year ago. [ESPN]

• If you don't live in Belarus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine, Finland of the U.S., you'll be able to watch every game of this year's IIHF World Championships via their YouTube page beginning tomorrow. [IIHF]

• Good breakdown by Bourne of Marian Gaborik's overtime winner last night. [Backhand Shelf]

• The Pennsylvania town that "Slap Shot" was based in is getting a hockey team now that the NAHL's Alaska Avalanche is moving to Johnstown. [MCall.com]

Puck Buddy Comment of the Day: Steveinthekt, last night, during Rangers-Caps:

Bold prediction: Philly bounces back with a 3-2 win and St. Louis gets back into the series with a win.