News of the Day

A few things to note in today's news:

• Vinny Prospal skated today for the first time since his knee surgery.  This is good new for the Rangers, but I don't think we'll see him back in the lineup until next week (Tuesday at MSG vs. the Devils?).
• Andrew Gross reports that the Yankee Bowl is all but set for December 30th, 2010.  That's the bowl game set to feature the 3rd place Big East football team taking on the 7th place Big 12 team.  I think this is a big miscalculation on the part of the Yankees: they could have bit the bullet for a year on a bowl game that no one cares about (or even moved it earlier to December 20th or so) and have been all but guaranteed the Winter Classic.  Instead, they get a bowl game that no one cares about.  It seems like New York's last chance at the Winter Classic for 2010 is now CitiField.
• All reports out of Atlanta are that Chad Johnson is going to make his first NHL start tonight against the struggling Thrashers, who have lost 9 straight (3 after regulation).  In fact, the Thrashers haven't won a game in regulation since November 30th, and they're 4-11-3 since that game (including a shootout win at MSG).  Johnson was shaky in his first appearance with the Rangers, but who wasn't shaky in that horrid game against the Flyers?
• In case you missed it, Sean Avery's postgame interview (thanks @cathybytes) after his 4-point performance against his former club, which happens to also pay 1/2 of his salary (Thanks Brett Hull!).