I know the playoffs start this week, but that’s why it’s all the more important to think about the next coach of the Avs. Because once the playoffs start, no one is going to say the word Avalanche again for quite a while. Adrian Dater is hearing the next coach could be Patrick Roy. It [...]

What a crazy night last night. The Blues beat Detroit, the Blues on the second half of a back-to-back and the Wings coming off of three days of rest. The Blues are now in the playoffs. I don’t think anyone saw that coming a few weeks ago. The bottom of the Western Conference is crazy. [...]

Like a lot of people, I’m pretty ready for the playoffs to begin. Sometimes the NHL season seems artificially long, like a movie that needs to be trimmed another 15 minutes. You really see the length of the season in the way teams start strong, falter, and then regain their form. It’s almost like a [...]

First of all, I would like to formally apologize to the St. Louis Blues. Back in February, I teased Jeff Gordon for suggesting the Blues were heading toward a playoff position. This morning, the Blues are just two games out of a spot, helped by last night’s huge win over San Jose. Imagine if the [...]

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 [...]

Two fun facts to start today: The Blues have one first period goal in their last 11 games. But they’re also 7-3-1 during that stretch, so maybe that’s working for them. Flyers coach John Stevens enjoys baking. I had him pegged as a griller, not a baker. The baking thing comes up in Anthony J. [...]

Tom Renney cannot be long for New York. Let’s ignore yesterday’s blowout loss to the Flyers. Larry Brooks pretty much predicted the entire debacle before the game. NBC did a fine job of calling out the players while giving Renney a free pass. But Brooks brought up the many coaching issues that have contributed to [...]

Larry Brooks sure is a Sean Avery fan. He says Avery, expected to be assigned to the Rangers AHL affiliate today, can’t get to New York quickly enough. The Rangers failed to score in last night’s loss to the Devils. Brooks argues the team needs Avery to shake things up. Also, he says Avery will [...]

Some interesting notes out of New Jersey: Brendan spent last night’s loss to the Caps playing with John Madden and Brian Rolston. It represents a more prominent even-strength role for Shanahan, gives the Devils a strong third offensive line and isn’t a bad checking line, either. The Devils also traded defenseman Sheldon Brookbank to the [...]

I think the holidays stress everyone out — even athletes and coaches. People around the NHL seem a little tense. Over in St. Louis, coach Andy Murray called out players by name after a loss to the Bruins. And now, rather than apologizing or clarifying, Murray is bizarrely standing by his jerky behavior. All of [...]