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 coaches and [...]

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 lockdown defensive [...]

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 back-checker.
The Blue [...]

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 from demolished [...]

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 how [...]

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 Luongo [...]

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 him [...]

So after settling down for a brief period in February, Dallas goalie Marty Turco seems to be regressing, getting pulled in the first period last night, his second hook in six starts. Unsurprisingly, Dallas lost to the Blues, tightening the Western Conference playoff race even more.
Dallas coach Dave Tippett told Bill Nichols before the game [...]

The youth movement is going well in Columbus, with lots of rookies stepping up to help the team.
Columbus isn’t a powerhouse, but they’re right on the playoff bubble. And people are noticing the team has something going on; attendance and TV ratings are up for the team.
The Blue Jackets have always relied on young players, [...]