On the Beat: Ryan Miller wants to talk head shots, Forsberg might just skip NHL to play for Modo, a Mario Lemieux statue, Ovechkin possible for Saturday night, are GMs interested in Fabian Brunnstrom?

Here is today’s word from the team beat writers:

• Center Saku Koivu did not practice and remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury, according to coach Randy Carlyle and is questionable for tonight.
• The Thrashers held an optional skate prior to tonight’s game against Los Angeles and star Ilya Kovalchuk chose not to participate.
• The Bruins find themselves in a mighty unusual and highly frustrating predicament as they have been doing everything right but struggling to get two points, even in games they deserve to win.
• Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller noticed “media-driven” issues dominated the conversations in June while he wanted to talk about real problems plaguing the players.
• Adrian Dater of the Denver Post wrote this morning that Peter Forsberg might skip a return to the NHL and just play for his Swedish Elite team, Modo instead this season.
  
• The only thing Blue Jackey Fredrik Modin knows for sure is he will be back at some point this season but right now, there is no timetable.
• Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News talks about the latest rumour to come from the GM meetings, which is interest in the Stars Fabian Brunnstrom.
• If Bob Gainey can, he had best to whatever he can to re-sign Tomas Plekanec writes Dave Stubbs of  the Montreal Gazette.
• The Devils continued their roll as they won their 9th game on the road in large part due to Travis Zajac and Zach Parise shutting down Sidney Crosby.
• Balanced scoring and the addition of hard-shooting defenseman Chris Pronger have bolstered the Flyers’ power play and made it the NHL’s most successful unit.
• In today’s Q & A with Penguins Hall of Fame writer Dave Molinari, he answers the question as to whether there are plans to unveil a Statue or Mario Lemieux outside the new Pittsburgh arena.
  
• San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan was more philosophical than disappointed as two-goal lead evaporates, and his team lost in a shootout.
• Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post writes that Alexander Ovechkin won’t play tonight, but coach Bruce Boudreau said there’s a “possibility” that he’ll suit up tomorrow in New Jersey.