On the Beat: Fans get to pick 3 stars for first time in NHL history, more economic chaos in the KHL, Rick Tocchet issues a warning to his players, Who is going to step up for Pens and replace Gonchar?

Word from the beat writers:

• With first place in the Southeast on the line in tonight’s contest against the Capitals, Thrashers head coach John  Anderson has tweeked the 2nd line.
• The Boston Bruins have called up forward Guillaume Lefebvre from Providence and he will be available for the game against the Flyers tonight.
• Buffalo’s Ryan Miller is one of the league’s top goalies right now and the Sabres are getting pretty even point distribution from its forwards.
  
• David Staples of the Edmonton Journal describes the current economic chaos in the KHL, with Lada Togliatti on the ropes.
• Some of the Red Wings have packed heavy (Draper) while others (Williams) have packed light for their 11-day, five-game road trip that begins today in Phoenix.
• The Florida Panthers are re-doing the team’s Den of Honor and are looking for suggestions for what the team can add to this feature.
• Terry Murray talked today about positioning players on the power play, particularly about having the Kings forwards on the point on the power play.
• Jaroslav Halak will be back in goal Thursday night for the Canadiens when they face the New York Islanders at the Bell Centre.
• A report has surfaced on TSN that a fight between Scott Gomez and Sergei Kostitsyn during the preseason was a motivating factor that contributed to the younger Kostitsyn being assigned to the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs.
• Devills coach Jacques Lemaire enjoys coaching at Madison Square Garden, but he’s glad he doesn’t have to play there.
  
• Islanders captain Doug Weight, who did not  feel well yesterday but played, did not make the trip because he’s still feeling under the weather.
• For the first time in NHL history, fans will have the opportunity to pick the 3 stars of the Flyers/Bruins game courtesy of Anthony Sanfilippo of the Delaware County Times who will be making the selection at tonight’s game.
• Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wonders who is going to step up for the Penguins and replace Sergei Gonchar.
• After 4 days of “extended training camp,” Tampa Bay Lightning coach Rick Tocchet issues a warning to the troops that he will shorten the bench is the players don’t pick things up.
• Damien Cox of the Toronto Star tries to find answers for Toronto Maple Leaf fans in his Thursday mail bag column.
  
• With Alexander Semin “touch and go” with an illness and Boyd Gordon out with a sore back, the Caps have recalled forwards Keith Aucoin and Alexandre Giroux from Hershey writes Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post.