A lot of NHL teams are making the most of the Stanley Cup intermission. The Blue Jackets hired Scott Arniel after getting turned down by Guy Boucher. Arniel is an AHL coach who was in the mix for the Oilers coaching job before it went to Pat Quinn. Boucher reportedly turned down the Columbus job [...]

Most hockey teams have two variables: players and coaching. If you have good players and a good coach, you’re most likely going to have a good team. It’s tougher to be successful with only good coaching or good players. But you also have to factor in the type of coach. Some coaches are very good, [...]

When a GM supports a coach, that’s usually the surest sign the coach is about to be fired. Down in Tampa, GM Brian Lawton is supporting coach Rick Tocchet, even as the team struggles to find consistency. One thing that’s forgotten about Tocchet is that he’s a new coach with an inexperienced coching staff. Rookie [...]

Last night was kind of interesting. There were 10 games played, with four shutouts. Goalies Steve Mason (CBJ), Ryan Miller (BUF), Ty Conklin (backup; STL), and Nik Backstrom (MIN) each kept the red light off behind them. So is this a sign defense is back in the NHL? Is the NHL reverting to its pre-lockout [...]

Jake Voracek of the Columbus Blue Jackets seems like an awesome guy. He’s got long 70s hair and a love of 80s music. Coach Ken Hitchcock says Voracek is on the verge of becoming an elite player, although when Hitchcock says that, I kind of wonder if he means Voracek is some kind of amazing [...]

The Flyers continue to take penalties like they’re water breaks. It’s something that made them the league’s most penalized team last season. It’s something that makes a long, grinding season even more difficult. And it’s something that will haunt the Flyers as long as they gravitate toward mean, thuggish players. Dan Carcillo has been taking [...]

It’s corn Friday. Sorry! Buccigross’ ‘Heatley will be a Shark’ call is just a big misunderstanding: he’s talking about an upcoming Ottawa production of WESTSIDE STORY. Also, don’t miss Jason Spezza as Maria. The Sabres released photos of the commemorative bricks from the Aud, which they’ll be selling. So the Sabres will hold onto bricks [...]

The various owners of the Columbus Blue Jackets are drafting teams made up of training camp players and having a tournament. Coach Ken Hitchcock is all over this as he says it will give him a better way to evaluate more players — players who might not even be on his radar. I’m not sure [...]

Sometimes, during the playoffs, it’s nice to check-in on what the losing teams are up to. For instance, Jim Kelley has a great piece reminding HabNation not to give up on goalie Carey Price after his brutal playoff performance. Kelley points out it takes a while for a great goalie to emerge and uses Roberto [...]

Wow. Poor Columbus. They’ve looked like a deer in headlights against Detroit. The only thing remotely working for the Blue Jackets is R.J. Umberger, who’s scored all of their playoff goals and two of their three points. Columbus goalie Steve Mason is having problems dealing with all of the Red Wing traffic in front of [...]