IP is over the quota
IP is over the quota

Just hours after Penn State students took to the streets of State College in the wake Joe Paterno’s ouster as head coach, Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne called for and was granted extra security for Saturday’s game at Beaver Stadium.

“We have visited with Penn State security and we understand they are enhancing their security efforts for Saturday’s game and are taking extra precautions to ensure that all players, coaches and fans are treated in a respectful way,” Osborne said in a statement released by the school. “We also appreciate that there is a student-led effort at Penn State to respectfully welcome Nebraska fans to Beaver Stadium and into the Big Ten Conference. We know that our fans will reciprocate and display good sportsmanship toward Penn State’s fans and players.”

Can you blame Nebraska for having concerns? Students took to the streets and became raucous – and in some cases violent – during their protests, which were shown nonstop on every major news channel, sports or otherwise.

Nebraska regent Tim Clare brought initial concerns to light after watching footage of Wednesday evening’s events in State College, which included students overturning a television news truck, bringing down light posts and hurling rocks. No injuries were reported and despite lots of damage and some pepper-sprayed students, the disturbance was adjourned peaceably.

Still, the actions of some students caused concern for Nebraska players, coaches and staff for what will be the first game in which Paterno has not coached in 61 years and 704 games.

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Graham Watson is on Facebook and Twitter: Follow her @Yahoo_Graham.

Related: Nebraska Cornhuskers, Penn State Nittany Lions, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Penn State Nittany Lions

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IP is over the quota
IP is over the quota

It was supposed to be Friday, right?

National media were starting to assemble in Pittsburgh, figuring all the evidence pointed to Sidney Crosby’s(notes) return for the Pittsburgh Penguins against the Dallas Stars, playing for the first time since Jan. 5.

There was the gap between games for Pittsburgh; Crosby playing on a line with Pascal Dupuis(notes) and Matt Cooke(notes) in practice; the Mark Letestu(notes) trade that was seen by some as additional salary and roster clearance for Sid (rightly or wrongly).

Alas, the wait continues: Penguins Coach Dan Bylsma said today that Crosby will not be activated for Pittsburgh’s game against the Stars on Friday at home nor for their road game at the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.

From the Penguins:

“Although we’ve given no timetable or date, I will confirm that Sidney is not playing in the next 2 games,” Bylsma said. “He had a good week of practice and is progressing, but he won’t be playing this weekend. We’re not keeping a secret. When he plays we’ll make sure we let you know.

Their next game after these two? Why, it’s Tuesday vs. the Colorado Avalanche. At home. On VERSUS And TSN2. Now, wouldn’t that be a treat for the NHL and its television partners.

(The following game, on Nov. 17, is at the Tampa Bay Lightning. Any chance a Mr. Victor Hedman will be healed up in time for that tilt?)

So Crosby Watch continues. It’s like we’re all camped out on his front lawn, waiting for him to emerge from his house and thank us all for the interest and support. Wait a second …

(Video via Benstonium)

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Related: Mark Letestu, Sidney Crosby, Pascal Dupuis, Matt Cooke, Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning

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Back by popular demand, 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.

Celebrate the Winnipeg Jets‘ first loss in team history with these stamps. [Brandon Sun]

Preview: Minnesota Wild at San Jose Sharks, 10:30 p.m. Homecoming night for Dany Heatley(notes) and Devin Setoguchi(notes), playing back in San Jose for the first time as members of the Wild. Brent Burns(notes) and Marty Havlat, meanwhile, face their old mates. Sharks Coach Todd McLellan: “[Players facing their old teams for the first time] sometimes have a tendency to get too wound up about it. I think of Burns and Setoguchi, when they arrived in Minnesota and San Jose, they were in diapers. They were that young,  they were underage players, the organizations were part of their family trees. And it’s hard to leave your first teams. It’s that emotional.” The Wild have won five in a row, posting two shutouts.

Preview: Edmonton Oilers at Boston Bruins, 7 p.m. Taylor vs. Tyler for the second time ever. Hall had the better rookie season. Seguin got to dance shirtless on a bar celebrating a Stanley Cup championship. We think we know who’s had it better, but the Edmonton Journal breaks it down more here.

Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m. The second game of the Ken Hitchcock Era, which produced a power-play goal and a shutout in the first game. Jaroslav Halak(notes) takes on Ben Scrivens(notes), who is again filling in for James Reimer(notes), whose mother feels he’s concussed. (Via Lou Korac, Ron Wilson was outraged about the Toronto Star speaking with Mama Reimer: “You call wives, parents … you don’t talk to the player? I don’t think that’s proper to be honest with you.”)

Preview: Chicago Blackhawks at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m. No Dave Bolland(notes) for the Blackhawks. The Jackets enter the game 2-11-1, and actually face a power play worse than theirs. Steve Mason(notes) gets the start; Mark Letestu(notes) skated as a wing on the No. 2 line with right wing Vinny Prospal(notes) and center Derick Brassard(notes).

Preview: Vancouver Canucks at Los Angeles Kings, 10:30 p.m. The Canucks are 2-2 on their six-game road trip. The Kings are coming off a win, but they’re still in a 1-3-2 funk. Trent Hunter’s(notes) back in for the Kings. No Alex Burrows, but Sami Salo(notes) should return to the lineup until his next injury.

Check out previews and updated scores for all of today’s games on the Y! Sports NHL scores and scheds page. For tonight’s starting goalies, check out Left Wing Lock.

Evening Reading

• Those Philadelphia Flyers Winter Classic jerseys we broke this morning? They’re legit. [Checking Line]

• PK Subban(notes) talks about hitting Sidney Crosby(notes). [Slam]

• Are the New Jersey Devils better off without Ilya Kovalchuk(notes)? [NJ.com]

• Ken Campbell opines on defensive systems. [THN]

• Good roundup on opinions about Bolts/Philly. [NHL.com]

• Jacques Lemaire goofs on VERSUS coverage of the Lightning/Flyers stalemate: “I laugh at it this because are we supposed to coach as we please the people who are announcing the games or make comments on the games? Is that a new style or what? Do we have to please Milbury when we coach? It’s the first time I hear of this.” [Lightning Strikes]

This feature from the Wild on a 90-year-old player is great, for Movember:

Puck Buddy Comment of the Day: David W. on Sid:

As a lifelong Pens fan I can honestly say enough of this. Everyone here in Pittsburgh has long since accepted the fact that Crosby will play when he plays. We don’t sit there tuning in to every game in the hopes he is cleared. We watch because we love hockey and love the Penguins. The media is, and always will be, the reason this story continues. Another Crosby story? How about a story about how the young kids out in Edmonton are defying expectations? How about Jhonas Enroth(notes) potentially stealing the #1 job away from Ryan Miller(notes) up in Buffalo. Enough of the guessing. Crosby comes back when he comes back. Focus on the players playing.

Hey, we did write about Miller/Enroth!

Bold Prediction: Carey Price(notes) shutout in Phoenix.

Related: Ben Scrivens, P.K. Subban, Jhonas Enroth, James Reimer, Steve Mason, Mark Letestu, Derick Brassard, Dave Bolland, Devin Setoguchi, Sidney Crosby, Carey Price, Jaroslav Halak, Brent Burns, Ilya Kovalchuk, Ryan Miller, Vinny Prospal, Sami Salo, Dany Heatley, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets

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