The anticipation is over. And we are not talking UFC 116 Betting.

Less than two weeks ago, Boston Bruins’ center Marc Savard was taken off the ice on a stretcher late in the third period of a 2-1 loss in Pittsburgh, after being taken out with a blindside hit to the head by Penguins’ winger Matt Cooke.

Tonight the teams meet for the first time since the incident.

Savard doesn’t remember what happened on the play, or even in the period after suffering a grade two-concussion that has prematurely ended his season. The Bruins’ star pivot is an integral part of a team locked in a race for the postseason, currently holding the eighth and final playoff spot.

Cooke did not receive a suspension for the hit since according to the league it did not violate any existing rule. The decision was not received well by Boston players who felt that the repeat-offender should have received harsh punishment for succeeding in his attempt to injure the 32-year old.

Although the Bruins’ focus for tonight’s game, which could also be a potential first round playoff contest, will be the pursuit of two points in its quest to clinch a spot in this years postseason, the main storyline will be how the team reacts in the first game between the teams since the incident.

With Shawn Thornton, Steve Begin, and the massive Zdeno Chara all, willing combatants, the sports betting odds say Cooke will be called out.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will be on hand, a testament to the projected tensions.

This week’s NBA action saw the Boston Celtics drop another humbling defeat, this time to the Memphis Grizzlies - and at home, no less. The Celtics broke a four game winning streak with a loss on the road to Milwaukee on Tuesday night, then headed back to Boston to face the surging Grizzlies at home. The tired Celtics got picked apart by a more confident team in Memphis.

In NHL news, off the ice NHL GMs approved a so-called “blindside head-shot” ban at their recent annual meeting in Boca Raton. In their own words, “A lateral, back pressure or blindside hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principal point of contact is not permitted. A violation of the above will result in a minor or major penalty and shall be reviewed for possible supplemental discipline.” One can only salivate over just what exactly “supplemental discipline” is. In any event, this was an expected move that would make hits such as the Mike Richards-David Booth monstrosity illegal - next season, that is.

The Pacquiao-Clottey fight is the big combative sports news of the weekend, and while fans are still deprived of the Mayweather bout, Joshua Clottey is a shockingly tough individual, and while boxing odds list him as a prohibitive underdog, expect him to go the distance and possibly even steal a round or two from pac-man.

The NHL trade deadline has passed us by, and to be honest, nothing special happened. The best players were traded before the deadline, and the best available players weren’t moved, which left a bunch of role players to be traded. Exciting, huh? Well, at least there will be no major moves in the NHL odds.

Washington and surprisingly, Phoenix were the busy teams on deadline day, and the Capitals picked up Joe Corvo from Carolina to go on the power play with Mike Green. Milan Jurcina, Eric Belanger and Scott Walker also are headed to Washington, and with their upper-level players like Alex Ovchekin, Alex Semin and Nicklas Backstrom, they don’t really need any stars.

Phoenix, who everyone figured was out of the running after the offseason which almost saw them move to Canada, currently sit in fifth in the Western Conference and may be the biggest surprise of the season. Derek Morris returned to Phoenix from Boston, giving them a big body on the blue line to counter the forwards in San Jose, Chicago and Vancouver. They also acquired Wojtek Wolski from Colorado and Lee Stempniak from Toronto, giving them some more scoring punch. The most intriguing pickup may have been Matheiu Schneider, who has been in Vancouver’s minor-league system, and Schneider could had some championship experience to a young team. Schenider won the Stanley Cup with Montreal back in 1993, and the 40-year-old defenseman has played in 111 playoff games.

The trade deadline and Olympics run right into each other, and Pittsburgh are looking to shore up their team to make a run at back-to-back Stanley Cups. The Penguins made the best move of last year’s deadline, and they’re on the phone to grab another veteran winger to play alongside Sidney Crosby, fresh off his gold-medal winning goal in Vancouver.

The Penguins acquired Bill Guerin last year, and the 39-year-old notched 15 points in 24 games. This year’s target is Carolina’s Ray Whitney, the 37-year-old who is on the market due to the Hurricanes’ terrible season, and Whitney is third on the Hurricanes in points with 48, and he’s also a solid two-way player who is comfortable on the ice in any situation. Whitney scored 15 points in 24 points during Carolina’s 2006 run to the Stanley Cup, and he added 11 points in 18 playoff games last year. The Penguins have all the skill in the world in Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who won last year’s Conn Smythe Trophy, but it was Guerin who added grit and tenacity in the corners, and his veteran leadership surely rubbed off on Crosby, who played on the same line. Whitney would look good on a line with Malkin, who hasn’t been as dynamic as he was last year, and he could need a boost after a disappointing run in Vancouver. Los Angeles are the frontrunners for Whitney’s services, but don’t be surprised to see Whitney in the Igloo (as known as Mellon Arena) after Wednesday’s deadline.