The Breakaway: Good to be home

* Saturday was a great day to be back home in Rhode Island. An old-time hockey game between the Bruins and the Flyers in the afternoon, followed by the Patriots’ latest win at night. Now, that is a winter doubleheader for a New England boy.

* Speaking of the Bruins win Saturday, check out Aaron Ward’s game-winning goal celebration. CTN thinks the defenseman might have been as surprised as anyone that his shot went in. Congrats to Ward, who just recently returned from injury.

* The Green Bay-Seattle football game produced some great visuals. But CTN still thinks that the NHL Winter Classic was even more pleasing on the eyes.

* The forecast for this weekend’s NFC Championship Game in Green Bay is 3 degrees. That’s cold, but still not as cold as the Heritage Classic Game a few years ago in Edmonton; a game CTN attended. Maybe the New York Giants should hit up the Montreal Canadiens for some cold-weather tips.

* CTN is also sure that Les Stroud, aka Survivorman, is available for some consultation. He certainly helped out NHL fans attending the NHL Winter Classic earlier this month.

* And, not for nothing, but what’s wrong with going to Mexico with Jessica Simpson for a little break? CTN would do it in a heartbeat – assuming he had permission from Mrs. CTN, of course. The Cowboys did not lose because Tony Romo was frolicking on a Mexican beach during the bye week, trust CTN on that one.

* CTN wasn’t exactly shocked, but still dismayed to see that former NHLer Jere Karalahti was picked up by police back in Finland to face drug charges. It’s not the first time Karalahti has faced such charges. Yet, CTN enjoyed the limited time spent with Karalahti during his time in North America. Like CTN, Karalahti is quite the headbanger.

* Speaking of headbanging, Rob Zombie has a new live CD out, Zombie Live that looks worthy of picking up as it includes tracks from his days as a metal pioneer with White Zombie. Thunder Kiss ‘65 live? Turn it up!

* Foppa update. It appears that Peter Forsberg has not given up his attempt to return to the NHL. Reports out of Sweden have him considering playing for the Swedish national team early next month. If that goes well, and his injured ankle holds up, he would look to join a contender for the playoff push. Good luck, my man!

* Congrats to Pierre Turgeon and Eric Desjardins being inducted into the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Hall of Fame. The ceremony takes place April 2.

* CTN feels more than a little sorry for Maple Leafs GM John Ferguson Jr. There has to be a better way, doesn’t there?

* Nice to see John Tavares has not missed a beast since returning from his gold-medal triumph in the Czech Republic. Tavares had a five-point game Sunday and has four goals and five assists in three appearances since the conclusion of the WJC.

* The loss of Dany Heatley in Ottawa for up to six weeks is a huge blow for the Senators. They can survive it, but it won’t be easy. Heatley is almost as important for his attitude as he is for his goal-scoring acumen.

* Robert Esche is tearing up the Russian League with Ak Bars Kazan. He must have been happy to see Curtis Joseph sign a new deal to return to the NHL this week. CTN predicts we have not seen the last of “Silent Bob” Esche in these parts.

* Mark Recchi scored the game-winning shootout goal against Pittsburgh this weekend in Atlanta’s 3-2 win. In the dictionary, the highlight of that play falls under the heading: Poetic Justice.

* Colton Yellow Horn, passed over in two NHL Entry Drafts, is tearing up the Western Hockey League. “The Brocket Rocket”, playing for Tri-City, has a league-leading 31 goals, in just 41 outings.

* Blues forward Mike Johnson is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. A dependable veteran, Johnson will be missed by rapidly improving St. Louis.

* Want some dark horses to watch in the YoungStars Game during next weekend’s All-Star festivities? In the East, it is defenseman Kris Letang, while Matt Niskanen could shine in the West. Both are elite-skating defenders that will eat up the open ice provided in a 3-on-3 format. You heard it here first.

* Toronto’s waiver claim of Dominic Moore this week will pay off in spades.

* Patrick Eaves returned to the Ottawa lineup this week after missing 24 games with a separated shoulder. Welcome back, Patrick!

* Maybe if the Capitals could play the Senators more often, they would be in better playoff position. A season sweep of the best team in the East? Unbelievable. Watch out for Alexander Semin now that he seems to be getting his legs back underneath him.

* Jose Theodore still plays in this League? Just kidding, there; but more than a few people left the former MVP for dead after his struggles in Colorado. Don’t look now, but it appears Jose is getting his groove back.

* Anybody see the recent melee between AK Bars Kazan and Traktor Chelyabinsk? It was a trip down memory lane, back to the battles between the big, bad Bruins and the Broad Street Bully Flyers that defined CTN’s childhood. It is must-see viewing for those that enjoy the rock-‘em, sock-‘em aspect of the game.

* By the way, in case you haven’t noticed, Manchester United is back atop the Premier League standings, right where it belongs.