by Rory Boylen - December 21, 2010 3:05 PM EST
Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin have all the flash, but Pavel Datsyuk's skill set and consistency make him the best from his native land.
Two seasons ago, four of the top six scorers in the NHL were Russian. Last season it was four of the top 19. So far this season, it’s four of the top 29.
by Rory Boylen - December 13, 2010 9:50 AM EST
The Islanders GM talks about firing Scott Gordon as coach, sending Josh Bailey to the American League and much more.
The Hockey News: What was the thought process behind letting Scott Gordon go when you did?
Garth Snow: We’re a team that’s rebuilding, we’re a team that has a great nucleus that’s going to help us in the near future – not only with players here, but we have prospects in Bridgeport, prospects in junior and in Europe and college hockey.
by Rory Boylen - December 7, 2010 1:30 PM EST
The post-Jacques Lemaire era in Minnesota was supposed to be filled with excitement, but it's been nothing but a downhill ride.
Sometimes you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.
When the Minnesota Wild and coach Jacques Lemaire parted ways after the 2008-09 season there was a sense the shutdown and trap style he’s so famous for would go by the wayside.
by Rory Boylen - November 30, 2010 12:35 PM EST
Two of the West's best, Detroit and San Jose have more in common than just their consistent dominance of the conference.
When the Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks faceoff Tuesday night (and again Dec. 6) it’ll be a battle of the behemoths – even if the Sharks haven’t found their groove quite yet.
by Rory Boylen - November 23, 2010 1:55 PM EST
Early on in its existence, the Florida franchise was filled with promise, but none of it ever came to be and the team is still searching for glory.
Once upon a time the Florida Panthers were a legitimate, stable franchise rooting itself as an overachieving underdog.
An expansion team along with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in 1993-94, Florida employed the legendary Roger Neilson as its first coach, while Craig Ramsay and Lindy Ruff served as his assistants.
by Rory Boylen - November 16, 2010 1:30 PM EST
The 26th pick overall in 2004, Cory Schneider's pro career got off to a rocky start, but was quickly reeled in by the current Columbus coach.
The 2004 draft – a.k.a. Alex Ovechkin’s year – was considered to be deep in goaltending talent. Al Montoya, Devan Dubnyk and Marek Schwarz were all highly regarded first-rounders who went before the No.
by Rory Boylen - November 9, 2010 2:45 PM EST
The New York Rangers have a reputation for throwing around money, but they have been responsible with bringing along prospects recently, too.
The New York Rangers have always been recognized as a team unafraid to toss money around in an attempt to improve the roster. In the pre-salary cap era, New York’s draft record was pretty shoddy: From Jeff Brown and Stefan Cherneski to Pavel Brendl and Hugh Jessiman, they struggled to draft successfully in the first round in the late-’90s and early into the 21st century.
by Rory Boylen - November 2, 2010 2:20 PM EDT
While players like Rick Nash and Steve Mason struggle, the Blue Jackets are still above .500 and have beaten some good teams.
How the heck are the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-4-0?
It’s early and the numbers should eventually work themselves out, but the team’s stats simply don’t support a winning record and a top-eight spot in the deeply competitive Western Conference.
by Rory Boylen - October 26, 2010 3:25 PM EDT
While every hit to the head or borderline shot is looked at endlessly on tape, the seriousness of hitting from behind is being forgotten.
“It’s equal to all situations that happen on the ice; you don’t make something more important or less important.” – NHL linesman Brad Lazarowich.
by Rory Boylen - October 19, 2010 4:05 PM EDT
The Vancouver Canucks upgraded parts of the roster in the summer and the work they did on the third forward unit will have the greatest impact on their fortunes.
With a Hart Trophy winner, his identical twin, a Selke finalist and a perennial Vezina candidate already in the lineup, the Vancouver Canucks’ main goal in the off-season was to bulk up a third line that on many nights was outworked and overmatched in 2009-10 – especially when they met the Chicago Blackhawks in the post-season.
by Rory Boylen - October 12, 2010 12:06 PM EDT
Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk talks about his unlikely fight with Anaheim's Corey Perry and what his plan was for the tussle.
Always expect the unexpected.
Even if you live by that motto, there was still no way of predicting a Corey Perry-Pavel Datsyuk fight in the third period Friday night with Detroit holding a 4-0 lead.
by Rory Boylen - October 5, 2010 1:30 PM EDT
While it may not always be easy to hear of your favorite team sending a prized prospect to the AHL, it's a good sign for the organization.
While final NHL roster decisions give you an idea of where each player stands in the organization, they also tell you just where the organization itself stands in the grand scheme of player, and team, development.
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"That hockey game will haunt me until the day I die…"
- Toronto's Joffrey Lupul reacting on Twitter to his team's meltdown loss in Game 7 to the Boston Bruins.
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