Stars, Ducks gets unfriendly; Crosby due; Backes in for Game 4? (Puck Headlines)

Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• More playoff ankle breakage. Here's Justin Braun turning Robyn Regehr inside-out. [Reddit]

• Ken Hitchcock on David Backes, who wasn't available for the pregame skate: “He’s not going to play unless he’s healthy. You never know. He could be skating in another rink. He could be somewhere else. You don’t know. There are a lot of other rinks here in Chicago. So he could be doing other things. But he’s not going into the lineup unless he’s a player. If he’s a player, the way he plays he’s going to have a huge impact on the series. If he skated somewhere else and is in fine-tuned conditioning, you’ll see him tonight.” So in other words, you'll see him tonight. [Sun Times]

• The Dallas Stars are failing to make friends with the Anaheim Ducks. Not cool, Dallas Stars. Not cool. [Defending Big D]

• Is the NHL's new playoff format... not terrible? I'm with McIndoe on this one. I like it. [Grantland]

• Sidney Crosby is probably going to score soon. The advanced stats suggest it. But also your brain could suggest it. [TribLive]

• Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson are both very good, but as it happens, when they're on the ice together, the Senators really aren't. [6th Sens]

• Jonathan Huberdeau is going to the Worlds. It may be exactly what he needs. [The Rat Trick]

• Gary Bettman says the Islanders are drawing interest on the sale market. [ESPN]

• Did Brad Marchand fake an injury to the wrong knee in Game 3? Nope. He actually hurt that knee. Occam's razor, you guys. [Big Bad Blog]

• Hartford businessman Arnold Chase on the rumour that he'd be buying the Islanders and bringing back The Whale: "“This rumor is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. With all due respect,  sports is the last thing on my mind. I have no idea who the Islanders are.” Aw. Be cool, Arnie. [CBS Local]

• It's a fantasy showdown! Alex Steen vs. Zach Parise. [Dobber Hockey]

• Drama in the WHL playoffs, as the Portland Winterhawks won in overtime to take a 2-1 series lead over the Kelowna Rockets. [Buzzing the Net]

• At a national hearing, The Minnesota State High School League will request that every state high school association enforce 5-minute major penalties for checking from behind and boarding. [Star Tribune]

• Reviewing the forward usage for the Winnipeg Jets in 2013-14. [Jets Nation]

• The Canucks were bad this year. So was their AHL team. Does that mean future badness? Not necessarily. But probably. [Canucks Army]

• On the expanding playoff role of the Blackhawks' Ben Smith. [Blackhawk Up]

• On the idiocy of the hockey code. [Mile High Hockey]

• Sony has acquired the rights to the Russian hockey documentary Red Army, which sounds awesome, and means we're likely going to be able to track it down. Here's the trailer. [Variety]

• Finally, Jordin Tootoo gives away his stick to a young boy. The young boy immediately begins plotting world domination.