Welcome to your Friday and/or game day edition of morning links, where we find the Hawks still sitting on the outside looking in after last night's action, getting no favors from our departed Thrash bretheren, the shockingly still-employed Bruce Boudreau and his Jersey Shore-loving group of dopes, or even the alleged Vancouver juggernaut. In any event, here's some breakfast meat to whet your appetite for tonight's tilt.

• Al Cimaglia puts a bow on Wednesday's game.
• Craig Custance says "poppycock" to all of your rampant "Mark Stuart to the Hawks" speculation.
• Jarkko Ruutu is now a Duck, because they didn't have enough Finns and/or dickwads already on that team. This actually makes Corey Perry look pleasant and agreeable by comparison.
  
• The Brian Murray Scorched Earth Inventory Reduction Sale continues, as Brian Elliott has been sent to Colorado for Park Ridge's finest (no, not Mike North), Craig Anderson. Perhaps an indication of the Avs realizing their trajectory, as well? 
• I don't know if this is the most sportsmanlike or the most uhhh...intimate  thing I've ever seen during a hockey game, but it's certainly something. 
• Having an octopus in your pants (even at this time of year) in Tampa is a guarantee to not get laid for the 6 months it takes to wash that smell off your crotch. Though, if you're pulling that kind of stunt you're a Scum fan, so octopi in the Jockeys is likely an improvement over the stench of what you caught from that hosebag in Windsor.
  
• The Ottawa Exodus figures to continue with Chris Phillips, but he'd be just fine with collecting a paycheck on a team headed nowhere. 
• Speaking of Eastern Conference defensemen with no desire to contribute to a winner, Tomas Kaberle is supposed to be traded for the 58th time to the Boston Bruins sometime soon. Or not. We'll see.
• ADDED: Bartl talks to a real live beat reporter who apparently doesn't think all bloggers are pantsless, sweaty, oddly-complected cretins not worth his time, Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch, and discusses tonight's game.