Bodog Beat

Sidney Crosby returns to NHL action tonight in Tampa. (AP Images)

It'll be a big night on the ice this evening as two NHL superstars – Peter Forsberg and Sidney Crosby – make their returns to action.

In Colorado, Forsberg will play for the first time this season and his first time with the Avalanche since the 2004 playoffs. The Pepsi center will be raucous as "Foppa" returns to the scene of some of his most famous moments, including a Stanley Cup win in 1996.

The Avs are in desperate need of some good news, having learned that leading goal scorer Marek Svatos will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. Further raining on the parade is news that F Ryan Smyth will be sidelined for an indefinite amout of time after suffering a concussion on this hit from Jack Johnson (immortalized in YouTube lore, below):

In Tampa, Crosby is set to return to the Pittsburgh lineup after missing 21 games with an ankle sprain. Oddly enough, it was against the same Tampa squad – on Jan. 18th – that Crosby initially injured the ankle. He was leading the NHL in scoring at the time with 63 points and has since been surpassed by teammate Evgeni Malkin, who is making his own case for MVP honors.

Currently, the Avalance are listed as -150 home favorites on the moneyline, while the Canucks are at +130. In Tampa, the Lightning are +110 home underdogs while the Penguins are listed at -130.

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