Let's take a break from hypothetically blowing up our team, and plot the destruction of an adorably tiny, middle-aged man and his younger, shaggy-haired counterpart.

• In case you'd like to visit Sunday's dizzying bout between George Parros and the Florida Panthers' Krys Barch. [Puck Daddy]
• Parros was also on on the Marek vs. Wyshynski podcast yesterday. Listen and learn, folks. [Sportsnet.ca]
• The Anaheim Ducks Towel invades the BankAtlantic Center. [Anaheim Ducks Towel Invasions]
• The 2011-12 season is the 17th in which Teemu Selanne has scored 20 goals or more. He has also moved past Brendan Shanahan on the NHL all-time goal scoring list. [CBSSports.com]
• The Ducks vs. Steven Stamkos. (Did you all know that he's scored a goal against all 30 NHL teams? Makes sense, but hopefully, we can shut him down tonight). [OC Register]
• Jonas Hiller has been named the NHL's First Star for the week ending February 19th. [Anaheim Ducks]
• The Ducks have recalled defenseman Kyle Cumiskey from the Syracuse Crunch, and reassigned defenseman Nate Guenin to Syracuse. [Anaheim Ducks]
• Is Dustin Tokarski the Tampa Bay Lightning's goalie of the future? [Raw Charge]
• The Red Wings have waived goaltender Ty Conklin. [Winging It In Motown]
• Ellen Etchingham (a fabulous hockey writer - you should all read her blog A Theory of Ice, too) on bad hockey fans. [Backhand Shelf]

In other, non-magumbo upsetting news, the Ducks have acquired center Ryan O'Marra from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for defenseman Bryan Rodney.

• I'm no Magumbo Expert, but this Puck Daddy article seems like a pretty serious violation. [Puck Daddy]
• Another article about our recent success, written with an appropriate level of skepticism (see that, Wysh?). [CBSSports.com]
• The Philadelphia Flyers have acquired defenseman Nicklas Grossman from the Dallas Stars. He's a defensive defenseman, and I was hoping that he'd end up with us around the trade deadline. Oh well. [Broad Street Hockey]
• Where Teemu Selanne stands on the various all-time lists. [OC Register]
• Are the Wings after Teemu? [ESPN]
• The Anaheim Ducks Towel invades (invaded?) the Consol Energy Center. [Anaheim Ducks Towel Invasions]
• Tomorrow is "Try Hockey for Free Day" at Westminster Ice. Come one, come all! [OC Register]
• Mike Ribeiro scored a beautiful goal against the Flames in OT last night. To celebrate, he flopped around on the ice. [Backhand Shelf]
• Why Johnny Boychuk's contract isn't as terrible as you thought it was. [Stanley Cup of Chowder]
• Are we returning to the Dead Puck Era? [Nucks Misconduct] [Pension Plan Puppets] [Montreal Gazette] [Backhand Shelf]
• The Montreal Canadiens and the late Expos legend Gary Carter. [Habs Eyes on the Prize]

How can you dispute this? Etem has completely dominated juniors this year, and I think he deserves a shot at the NHL.

And Iiro Tarkki has been sent down to Syracuse (Jeff Deslauriers is back).

• Etem's currently leading the CHL in goals. [Times Colonist]
• Apparently, the Winnipeg Jets had been eyeing former Duck Maxime Macenauer since last summer. [Syracuse.com]
• Could Lubomir Visnovsky help the New Jersey Devils' blueline? [In Lou We Trust]
• Would the Ducks benefit from an adjustment to the NHL's points system (aka games that occur later in the season are more heavily weighted)? [CSN Bay Area]
• Why the Ducks will be on lockdown during the NHL trade deadline. [Rant Sports]
• SK's mom, Wayne Gretzky, and the Circus Trip. [Ducks and Pucks]
• Corey Perry is setting your fantasy team on fire. [Puck Daddy]
• The Anaheim Ducks Towel invades downtown Columbus. [Anaheim Ducks Towel Invasions]
• Ducks notes. [Anaheim Ducks]
• The perils of the PK. [Backhand Shelf]
• The pros and cons of trading Rick Nash. [The Cannon]

I used to think that the term 'circus trip' was a generic way of referring to a hockey team's long road trip. I have no idea why I believed that, because apparently, it's a Chicago-specific term (the Blackhawks and Bulls are forced to vacate the United Center when the circus/ice capades come to town).

Yet, the high-stakes nature of this road trip promises to turn it into a circus of sorts. We won by the skin of our teeth on Wednesday, and now, we can't afford to lose.

On to the links!

• How many points will the Ducks net on their 14 day road trip? It seems as though we'll have to get between 13 and 16 to remain in the playoff hunt. [OC Register]
• A closer look at the trip. [Anaheim Ducks]
• The other trip seen round the Pond, and the fortuitous overtime goal that followed. Was it the worst blown call of the season? [Puck Daddy]
• How the Ducks could lose Justin Schultz's rights. [Bucky's 5th Quarter]
• I don't know how this didn't make it into my Wednesday links, but Devante Smith-Pelly has been sent to the Syracuse Crunch on a conditioning loan. [Into The Boards]
• Emerson Etem is a goal per game player in the WHL. Impressive. [Calgary Sun]
• On Nick Bonino's unfortunate place in Beanpot (an annual college hockey tournament that involves all 4 Boston-area schools: Boston University, Boston College, Harvard, and Northeastern) history. [NESN.com]
• Bruce Boudreau on Francois Beauchemin: "There aren't too many guys I'd trade him for right now." [Canada.com]
• Could Lubomir Visnovsky potentially return to Edmonton? [Oilers Republic]
• Princeton doesn't matter, but it is an excellent source of NHL tough guys. [Fox Sports West]
• The Anaheim Ducks Towel invades the Rick Hansen statue at Rogers Arena. [Anaheim Ducks Towel Invasions]
• The trade deadline is approaching! (Everyone scream in unison). NHL.com discusses the needs and assets of every Pacific Division team. [NHL.com]
• Anaheim Arena Management and Mayor Tom Tait have officially broken ground on the Honda Center's Grand Terrace Project. The Terrace is the most extensive upgrade in the venue's history, and will include a new restaurant and an expanded team store. [Anaheim Ducks]
• Tim Thomas vs the media. Round 2? Or 3? I've really lost count. He has the right to not answer the media's questions, but he could also end the entire controversy that surrounds him by ceasing to post inflammatory comments on his public Facebook page. [ProHockeyTalk]
• Mile High Hockey discusses Paul Stastny's value. Should we be interested in him? Could we even afford him? [Mile High Hockey]

Quiet day at the Ponda Center yesterday (if you conveniently ignore the 15,000 schoolchildren that were there). Today we face Baby Skinner and the Canes.

• Luca Sbisa's game misconduct from Monday night was rescinded. [OC Register]
• Is Bruce Boudreau a Jack Adams candidate? [Backhand Shelf]
• From the Vault: An interview with Randy Carlyle of the Winnipeg Jets (I know he's not our coach anymore, but I love these old-time hockey relics). [nhl.me.uk]
• A humorous take on all the rampant trade speculation. [National Post]
• Everybody wants Teemu. [SNY Rangers Blog]
• How Luca Sbisa injured his face while cellphone biking. [ProHockeyTalk]
• Will NHL vet Antero Niittymaki help the struggling Syracuse Crunch? [Syracuse.com]
• Bobby Ryan was Puck Daddy's third star on Monday night. [Puck Daddy]
• The Anaheim Ducks Towel invades the Colosseum in Rome. [Anaheim Ducks Towel Invasions]
• Watch video of the Calgary Flames' Blair Jones slashing Teemu Selanne in the face. [CBS Sports]
• If the Edmonton Oilers want to replace GM Steve Tambellini, there are many options available. Surprisingly, Bob Murray is not one. [The Copper and Blue]
• Teemu, climbing up the record charts. [Anaheim Ducks]
• The Ducks hosted 15,000 elementary school children at Honda Center Tuesday. [Anaheim Ducks]
• Owen Nolan, former captain of the San Jose Sharks, retired yesterday. [Ed. Note: I believe Nolan gave Kariya his first major concussion, no?] [Fear the Fin]

Battle of the Bottom Feeders, Round 3. Hopefully it doesn't involve any Rick Nash chicanery. But more importantly, this is the time to regain our January momentum. A loss to the Blue Jackets would be completely demoralizing.

Make me proud, Ducks.

• Two Ducks-Jackets previews. [TSN] [Fox News]
• Wednesday's loss to the Stars was also Bobby Ryan's 300th game, and Corey Perry's 500th. It was also the first game in which the Ducks have failed to earn a point since January 4th. Maybe they decided to take the day off in celebration? Hopefully they'll be back tonight. [Puck Daddy]
• Emerson Etem made the Kootenay Advertiser's WHL Plays of the Week list. [Kootenay Advertiser]
• Devante Smith-Pelly is anxious to return to the Ducks' lineup. [OC Register]
• Scott Niedermayer has been named to the British Columbia Hockey Hall of Fame. [Canada.com]
• Are the Nashville Predators targeting Bobby Ryan? [On The Forecheck]
• Winning like Charlie Sheen. [Ducks and Pucks]
• The Anaheim Ducks Towel invades St. Mark's Campanile. [Anaheim Ducks Towel Invasions]
• Come to the Ducks Skills Competition tomorrow! [Anaheim Ducks]
• Another day, another Backhand Shelf podcast. [Backhand Shelf]
• Bruce Boudreau reflects on on our 'off night.' [Anaheim Ducks]
• The New York Rangers have traded Erik Christensen and a 7th round pick to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Casey Wellman. Christensen is largely regarded as a marginal player in the Rangers system. Wellman has played 41 NHL games, and was a big part of the Houston Aeros' (the Wild's AHL affiliate) run to the Calder Cup Finals last season (I went to every Western Conference Final/Calder Cup Final game in Houston, and was pretty impressed with his play).
• And finally, Kyle "Trade Bait" Palmieri and Mark Bell have been reassigned to Syracuse. [Anaheim Ducks]

Wait - did Andrew Cogliano seriously get a hat trick last night? I feel like I'm living in a bizarro parallel hockey universe.

• Are we ready for a second half surge? [Rant Sports]
• The people at Sportsnet.ca discuss the Teemu Selanne trade rumors. [Sportsnet.ca]
• New year, new Jonas Hiller. [Yardbarker]
• Puck Daddy's Harrison Mooney seems to think that we're too low in the standings to make the playoffs. Thoughts? [Puck Daddy]
• News flash: rest is good for older athletes! [OC Register]
• Lubomir Visnovsky and Jason Blake could both be on the trading block at the end of the season. [ESPN]
• Jeremy Rutherford seems to think that we might be interested in St. Louis Blues goalie Ben Bishop. [Twitter]
• The Ducks will host the 2nd annual Throw-Back Classic Adult Hockey Tournament over Presidents' Day Weekend (February 17th-20th). [Anaheim Ducks]
• The Ducks are also holding the All-Star Game Surprise Puck Sale (which includes an autographed Corey Perry All-Star jersey). [Anaheim Ducks]
• Jewels From The Crown discusses the playoff threshold in the West. [Jewels From The Crown]
• We're facing the Stars tomorrow. What are their expectations? [Defending Big D]
• The uselessness of real-time stats. [Backhand Shelf]
• From Hockey Wilderness' Brian Reynolds: Vote for Defending the Blue Line (a charity that George Parros supports). They have the chance to win a prize from President Obama. [Anaheim Calling]

All of your favorite (or second-favorite) players have congregated in Ottawa for a weekend of All-Star debauchery. It will all culminate in a game of shinny on Sunday, when Team Chara MVPerry will battle Team Alfredsson for...for...something? [Ed. Note: Dammit, Kristen. Now I have that stupid song in my head.]

On to the links!

• Speaking of All-Stars: Ducks Daily Blog names the our best players at the halfway point. [Ducks Daily Blog]
• Another wildly inappropriate and unsubstantiated trade rumor: Corey Perry to the Vancouver Canucks for Keith Ballard, Mason Raymond, and Cory Schneider. [The Province]
• Someone renting a luxury suite in the Honda Center accumulated over $100,000 in unpaid fees. The Ducks sued this person in an Orange County court, and won a judgment for the unpaid balance. [OC Weekly]
• Wildly inappropriate and unsubstantiated trade rumor number two: Jonas Hiller to the Buffalo Sabres for Ryan Miller. (A Fire Sale trade come true!) [Ottawa Sun]
• According to CSN Philly, Bob Murray and Bruce Boudreau are the NHL's 23rd best GM/Coach combo. Woohoo. [CSN Philly]
• The USC men's hockey team will hold their 2nd annual "CHOC Night and Teddy Bear Toss" at Anaheim Ice tomorrow. [Anaheim Ducks]
• Ducks Notes through January 25th. [Anaheim Ducks]
• As a fan of all things American and hockey-related, I feel obligated to link to Hockey Wilderness' ode to Minnesota hockey. [Hockey Wilderness]
• Chris Kunitz is the most underrated Anaheim Duck Pittsburgh Penguin. [PensBurgh]
• Rob Pizzo and Justin Bourne discuss the All-Star Fantasy Draft and the NHL 'beerability index' on the Backhand Shelf podcast. [Backhand Shelf]