My take on Crosby being cleared for practice and Ray Shero’s announcement that he probably won’t play in the regular season and may not play in the postseason? Mind games. I say Sid plays at least two regular season games, perhaps as many as four. In the meantime, the opposition is psyched out right now. Or so the mind-game player hopes.

With two more last night, Nazem Kadri has five points in his last five games.

Dustin Jeffrey has some damage to his knee, but more evaluation is needed. He could be gone for awhile. Meanwhile, apparently Eric Tangradi and Mike Comrie are both ready to return, but haven’t squeezed back into the lineup yet. And it’s possible that Crosby will join the team on their upcoming two-game road trip.

My take on the changing injury landscape in the NHL, from over at The Hockey News.

I’m fighting to qualify for the playoffs in my one league, hanging by a thread and if there was one thing I desperately need (besides Crosby’s return) it was a Carey Price shutout. So for no ref or linesman to see that high stick on Hal Gill that cut him, and the goal counting – well, that was a heartbreaker. We’ve all been there, eh?

Chris Stewart has 17 points in 20 games for the Blues, which is 69 over a full year.

Sergei Samsonov has 11 points in 15 games for Florida.

It took Mike Fisher a few weeks but he finally arrived in Nashville. He must have walked. Anyway, he has scored three goals in his last two games, which gives him four in 22 games with the Preds.

Simon Gagne is really heating up this week. I had dropped him Friday, of course, but man he’s going nutty. In the last seven games that he has played, he has 12 points. He had 22 in 50 before that.

Mark Letestu was back in the lineup for the Pens last night and picked up an assist in 14 minutes of action.

Tyler Kennedy has 19 points in his last 25 games, obviously due to playing with the team’s current No.1 center (Staal).

The Rangers have signed college free agent winger Tommy Grant, who proceeded to notch two assists in his AHL debut for Hartford. Grant, 24, has decent size but needs to add some bulk. He had 32 points in 37 games for U. of Alaska-Anchorage.

Ovechkin and Arnott were both back in the lineup last night, which surprised me.

As of this morning, Zach Parise’s status for the game tonight remains uncertain.

Columbus signed their sixth round pick from 2007, goaltender Allen York to an ELC. York is coming off a stellar year of college hockey in which he posted 2.17 and 0.924 numbers. The 21-year-old will dwell in the minors for a couple of seasons for sure.

Ryan Malone is likely to return to action Thursday for TB.

Without Anze Kopitar, it was Trevor Lewis and Michal Handzus – not Stoll – who picked up the added ice time. For Lewis, it meant two assists – so there you have your last-minute center for the next week. Trevor Lewis should be a point-per-game guy for the final handful of contests as he gets the ice/PP time needed and has the adrenalin rush to carry it that long.

The Isles have re-signed Al Montoya for one year. He’ll backup DiPietro next season, which means he’ll be the starter.

Cory Emmerton has signed a three-year contract extension. It’s a two-way deal next year, but a one-way deal in the following two years. Emmerton is destined to be a third-liner, methinks.

Patrick Sharp is targeting the second last game of the season for his return. He hopes to skate this weekend.

Corey Crawford’s start last night was his 21st in a row.

Morrow scores a fluke:

Neil vs. Downie: