How the Last 13 Stanley Cup Champions Didn't Repeat, Part 4: Fan's Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 12:46:00 PDT)
In the past 13 years, all 13 Stanley Cup champions fell short of raising the Cup another consecutive time. The first part of my series looked at how the champions from 1999, 2000 and 2001 failed to repeat. Part two studied how the 2002, 2003 and 2004 champions missed the chance to win again. Last week, part three explained how the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 champions were undone the next year. Finally, this series ends by exploring the way the 2010, 2011 and 2012 champions went home early.

What We Learned: Embarrassing LA sports media moments while covering Kings playoff run (Puck Daddy)
(Mon, 21 May 2012 06:58:22 PDT)
Hello, this is a feature that will run through the entire season and aims to recap the weekend's events and boils those events down to one admittedly superficial fact or stupid opinion about each team. Feel free to complain about it. It's possibly the greatest bit of investigative journalism conducted since Woodward and Bernstein brought down Richard Nixon. This exemplary, collective effort of sleuth work is currently ongoing in Los Angeles, Calif., where an entire media market has unearthed the NHL's shocking secret: The city has a professional hockey team. Over the past week or so here at Puck Daddy, we've tried to document every startling discovery made by the intrepid Los Angeles media, like how to properly pronounce Anze Kopitar's name (it's hard because he's from Bosnia or something), the real name of this Drew Doughty character ( it's actually Brad !) and that hockey is in fact not played with a ball, but rather a little piece of rubber known as a "puck." That last one makes me pretty uncomfortable because of the word it rhymes with. ("Duck" — sorry, I just don't trust 'em; they have weird beaks). Just how villainous is this team, operating as a sort of sporting sleeper cell? They got all the way to the Western Conference Finals without one local noticing. That takes real criminal talent. And not only that, but, the NHL had the diabolical idea to hide it right under the Los Angelinos' noses, by having their home games played at the Staples Center. You know, where the Lakers play. Further, they named the team the Kings to intentionally confuse even the savviest media organization into thinking they are the NBA's Sacramento Kings. Astonishingly devious stuff. More twists and turns than the Da Vinci Code, which I've read three times just to make sure I understood it all. The best bit of this journalism on this pressing issue comes, of course, from the city's paper of record, the Los Angeles Times, winner of 44 Pulitzer Prizes since 1942, including three in 2012. It was for that towering beacon of journalistic excellence that columnist Chris Erskine successfully scruted several of the team and sport's most inscrutable mysteries . For instance, that thing I said earlier about the puck (again, yuck… oh and that's another gross word it rhymes with), I learned it from Erskine. Apparently they even freeze the thing. And that's a huge point of concern, because, "The hardest shots can reach 110 mph and tear flesh, crush bone, even kill you if you're not careful." Yikes, you guys! ( Coming Up: Rick Nash to Boston?; Tororella defends Prust; Ryan Suter faces his future; Evegni Malkin is having a pretty good season; why Lundqvist is King; why the Capitals can't win with Ovechkin; the Islanders know how to party; Canucks might keep Luongo; Ryan Miller on the CBA; Flames and Oilers coaching news; and are the Kings in trouble?)

Devils vs. Rangers in Game 2; top NHL free agents; top 10 playoff saves (Playoff Puck Previews) (Puck Daddy)
(Wed, 16 May 2012 15:02:43 PDT)
Back by popular demand, here are your Puck Previews: Spotlighting the key games in NHL action, news and views as well as general frivolity. Make sure to stop back here for the nightly Three Stars when the games are finished. Via Lockhart Steele on Twitter: "Guy wants to sell me these for $150 each. seeing Callahan lay out Deron Williams worth it? Thoughts?" Insert your shot-blocking and/or goaltending joke here. [ Deadspin , s/t @Tedislaw ] Eastern Conference Final Game 2 Preview: New Jersey Devils at New York Rangers, 8 p.m. ET. No lineup changes for the Rangers but the Devils could have a new look for Game 2: Coach Pete DeBoer reunited Zach Parise with Travis Zajac and Ilya Kovalchuk, and will have Patrik Elias skating with Petr Sykora and Dainius Zubrus. The Devils are going to try to find a way around the Rangers' shot blocking that doesn't involve maiming. By the way, that whole "keep Rangers fans out of the Rock" thing the Devils were doing? It's disappeared, and the team hasn't explained why. Check out previews and updated scores for all of today's games on the Y! Sports NHL scores and scheds page . For tonight's starting goalies, check out Left Wing Lock. Evening Reading • Listen to today's Marek Vs. Wyshynski here. • Adam Proteau presents the top 10 UFAs this summer. You know Nos. 1 and 2; did you know No. 3 was Dennis Wideman of the Washington Capitals? [ THN ]

Hanzal faces hearing; Winter Classic liquor news; Time to walk out on Tortorella? (Puck Headlines) (Puck Daddy)
(Wed, 16 May 2012 11:38:23 PDT)
Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media. •  And at right, we have a photo of Marc-Andre Fleury from 1997. [ Reddit Hockey ] • One man's journey from New York Rangers' fandom to New Jersey Devils' fandom. [ Star-Ledger ] • Martin Hanzal faces a hearing for boarding Dustin Brown. [ USA Today ] • Mike Smith's slash on Dustin Brown, however, is just impressive. The beauty is in the form! It's like the Mona Lisa of slashes! [ Backhand Shelf ] • Michael Farber, on John Tortorella's press conferences: "The question-and-answer sessions are hockey's version of Kabuki theater, elaborately stylized and weirdly dramatic." [ Sports Illustrated ] • You will likely enjoy this collection of John Tortorella's greatest hits. [ SI Red Light ] • Unless you're the media, who find Tortorella's walkouts more than a little frustrating. Is it time for the media to walk out on John Tortorella? [ Dean Brown ] • State lawmakers weigh the liquor license request for the Winter Classic in Detroit. [ Detroit News ] • Here's a cool study from some Finnish researchers on the effects and effectiveness of the various boards used in hockey arenas. "The results show that the maximum impact force of a body check against a support post was up to 70% higher than the maximum impact force of a similar body check against a protective shield. They also found that the posts were up to five times more rigid than a plastic shield. 'By replacing the widely used tempered glass with a plastic shield, the impact force on players being body-checked against the boards is considerably reduced,' said Professor Janne Avela and researcher Piritta Poutiainen." [ Cordis ] • This post on the 5 worst Chicago Blackhawks trades gets extra points for the hockey card graphics. [ The Hockey Writers ]

The 10 best Sports Illustrated Stanley Cup Playoff covers (Puck Daddy)
(Wed, 16 May 2012 07:05:06 PDT)
The National Hockey League has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated — either the main mag or on a commemorative issue — 114 times, according to the SI Vault archive. Sometimes, it was a quick mention on a cover story dedicated to Tiger Woods another sports story. Other times, hockey was given the spotlight. The Stanley Cup Playoffs have been featured around 35 times, including Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers on a striking cover from April 2012. While some weren't exactly iconic, they all had their charms. Here are the 10 best Sports Illustrated Stanley Cup Playoff covers.

Kings head home with 2-0 lead
(Tue, 15 May 2012 17:49:28 PDT)
Jonathan Quick made 24 saves for his second shutout of the postseason as the Los Angeles Kings blanked the Phoenix Coyotes 4-0 to take a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference playoff series.

Blackhawks agree to terms with F Flick (The Associated Press)
(Tue, 15 May 2012 12:33:32 PDT)
CHICAGO (AP) The Chicago Blackhawks and forward Rob Flick have agreed to terms on a three-year contract.

Kings-Coyotes Preview (The Associated Press)
(Tue, 15 May 2012 09:03:22 PDT)
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) The Phoenix Coyotes survived stretches of playing on their heels in the playoffs' first two rounds, absorbing everything the opponent threw at them before counterpunching with a winning goal.

Party on, Kaner: Patrick Kane’s public inebriation leads to consternation in sports media (Puck Daddy)
(Tue, 15 May 2012 06:59:11 PDT)
Patrick Kane is amusing when drunk, and not just because he inspires fantastic Photoshop contests. He's the kind of guy who parties with his buddies, wearing T-shirts that depicted a shirtless Kane partying in the back of a limo in Vancouver . The kind of 23-year-old whose reaction to the end of his season is to head to Madison, WI for a weekend of drunken debauchery . An NHL player whose drunken exploits, dalliances with women and occasional interactions with cab drivers have earned Kane his own department on Deadspin. He's also the guy who got stuck in a cherry-picker above the streets of Buffalo and partied with Jimmy Buffett and was absolutely sloshed at the Chicago Blackhawks' Cup parade, after he scored the game-winning OT goal to win it. We live vicariously through it, and laugh along when things get sitcom-ish -- remember the post-coital photos? Back in 2010, when the Blackhawks won, it was Kaner being Kaner, rehabilitating his reputation after cabbie incident. In 2012, after the Blackhawks were eliminated in the first round, the sports media want him to rehabilitate something else. Is it a puritanical or practical reaction? And by that we mean: Is Patrick Kane drinking himself out of Chicago? (Which, having visited the city on several occasions, is damn hard to do. Especially with the Wiener's Circle open so late for sobering up.)

Kings, Coyotes know a little bit makes a big difference heading into Game 2
(Mon, 14 May 2012 20:40:40 PDT)
Los Angeles was loose and laughing, while Phoenix was already grappling with a "must-win" desperation scenario early in the Western Conference final series.

Kings dominate opener of West final (The Associated Press)
(Mon, 14 May 2012 15:46:32 PDT)
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) The Phoenix Coyotes survived stretches of playing on their heels in the playoffs' first two rounds, absorbing everything the opponent threw at them before counterpunching with a winning goal.

Trade Patrick Kane; Rangers vs. Devils previews; Nickelback’s favorite hockey song (Puck Headlines) (Puck Daddy)
(Mon, 14 May 2012 13:07:23 PDT)
Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media. • Yeah, about that … • The latest Bovada odds on winning the Stanley Cup: Los Angeles Kings (7/5); New York Rangers (11/5); New Jersey Devils (10/3); Phoenix Coyotes (6/1). • Neither Game 7 of the conference finals will appear on NBC, but rather on NBC Sports Network. [ Puck The Media ] • Simon Gagne has been cleared for contact for the Los Angeles Kings, but won't begin practicing quite yet. [ LA Kings Insider ] • Who might coach the Washington Capitals now that Dale Hunter's out? How about Marc Crawford, Ron Wilson or Patrick Roy? [ NHL ] • Nikita Filatov will play in the KHL next season, which is probably the best thing for all parties. [ TSN ] • Here's Yahoo! Sports' own Nick Cotsonika on the Evolution of John Tortorella: "Tortorella's style has worked with the team because he has the right players, stays consistent and, yes, shows another side of himself behind closed doors." [ Y! Sports ] • It's only $900 to watch the Devils and Rangers at the Garden. Wow. [ NYT ] • Dater picks the Devils in six: "The Rangers have lived dangerously this spring, barely escaping their series against Ottawa and Washington. You can only do that for so long. The Devils have more offensive depth than those teams, and they like to forecheck. Brodeur has won four conference titles. Lundqvist? Zero." [ SI ] • Ken Campbell on how the Rangers' shot-blocking style is terrible for the NHL: "I think the New York Rangers are bad for hockey. And if we've learned anything about the NHL over the past century, it's that once one style of play garners some success, teams will be lined up to steal the blueprint." [ THN ] • Patrick Kane's drunken weekend in Madison has now become fodder for the Chicago media, urging for the Blackhawks to trade him. From Steve Rosenbloom: "Everyone at the Madhouse on Madison would have a reason for wanting to be rid of Kane. The reasons would be legit, too, more legit than Kane playing center. So, maybe the Hawks' silence isn't because they're hoping this goes away but because they're fighting to see who gets the honor of making the problem child go away." [ Tribune ]

It's all about winning for controversial Rangers coach John Tortorella
(Mon, 14 May 2012 10:47:56 PDT)
Tortorella often comes off as cantankerous and arrogant, but there's more to the New York Rangers coach than meets the eye.

What We Learned: What to make of this Washington Capitals season? (Puck Daddy)
(Mon, 14 May 2012 05:28:10 PDT)
Hello, this is a feature that will run through the entire season and aims to recap the weekend's events and boils those events down to one admittedly superficial fact or stupid opinion about each team. Feel free to complain about it. There's been a lot of talk about what this season has meant for the Washington Capitals in the hours leading up to, and then immediately following, their final game of the remarkably eventful 2011-12 season. Wysh had a pretty good recap of the reasons the Capitals felt this little run to a pair of one-goal Game 7s against the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds in the Eastern Conference — both having been heavy favorites — vindicated the Dale Hunter system of everyone playing defense and collapsing to within three inches of the crease, and it's perfectly reasonable for people to feel that way. Certainly, no one expected these Capitals to do much damage in the postseason given that they frittered away a division they were picked to dominate. But the thing that everyone seems to forget is that, again, they were picked to dominate the Southeast, be a superpower in the East and the League at large. If the team tuned out Bruce Boudreau, and it appears they did, then wasn't his replacement, whoever it happened to be, more or less expected to get this far? Therefore, it becomes a question about what changed, and really, what didn't. Let's not forget, Boudreau came in originally and let guys like Alex Semin, Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green have their run of the rink. Two-minute shifts? Sure! Goals aplenty? You bet. But in the end, what did it get them? Bounce-outs, and if you believe the talk, disappointing ones at that. So Boudreau changed the style, focusing more on defense, tethering Ovechkin and Co. to an extent, and … getting the same amount of success. Under each of the two clearly definable Boudreau regimes, the team lost in the conference quarter- and semi-finals. Which is of course notable because the latter is exactly how far Hunter got in his first chance at the tiller, despite doing everything in his power not to: like limiting Ovechkin to fewer than 20 minutes a night in every game in this series save for Saturday's Game 7 and the three-overtime Game 3, in which he played 35:14 — or, if you prefer 17:37 per three periods of play. This therefore vindicates Hunter only as far as it vindicated Boudreau; which, with a roster like this, and given the "choker" label being hung liberally on the former Caps coach this time last year. The philosophy changed radically under Hunter, and worked only as far as it did for Boudreau. Why? ( Coming Up: Team USA, international ass-kickers; getting stupid about Patrick Kane's drinking; Parise's future; Could Brad Stuart return to the Sharks?; Kevin Lowe says Ryan Murray is the top player in this year's draft class; Suter/Weber questions; Pancakes Penner's revenge; Bruins pumped for Dougie Hamilton; Alfredsson retirement watch; Leafs/Penguins trade?; Lundqvist is King; Alex Burrows runs and hugs a goalie; and Winnipeg Jets fans are burning Coyotes jerseys.)

Coyotes’ Tippett on Game 1 loss to Kings: ‘We got beat in every facet of the game’ (Puck Daddy)
(Sun, 13 May 2012 20:26:04 PDT)
For all the accolades Coach Dave Tippett's defense-oriented system receives, the Phoenix Coyotes give up a ton of shots. In the regular season, the number was 31.6 per game, which placed them 28th overall. In the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the number was 36.4 shots per game through 11 contests — inflated somewhat by their first-round overtime game against the Chicago Blackhawks, but hefty nonetheless. In their Game 1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference Final, the Coyotes surrendered 48 shots on goal. Tally up the blocked and missed shots, and the Kings pumped 90 pucks toward Phoenix goalie Mike Smith. No one has taken the fight to the Coyotes like this for 60 minutes in the playoffs, and no one has gotten under their skin like the Kings did, either. The margin was only two goals — a 4-2 victory — but the margin felt much wider. "We weren't close in that game. We got beat in every facet of the game," said Tippett. "I felt that our execution was so poor … the execution and the will to get things done are going to have to improve if we're going to have a chance in this series." [Related: Coyotes' Morris hits improbable shot from center ice ]

Puck Daddy’s 2012 Stanley Cup Playoff Conference Final Staff Prognostications (Puck Daddy)
(Sun, 13 May 2012 10:28:48 PDT)
In which your friends from Puck Daddy and Marek Vs. Wyshynski select the winners for Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Our terrible, terrible Cup picks are here. Greg Wyshynski, Editor Devils in 6 Coyotes in 6 The Rangers have played two grueling 7-game series after a grueling regular season that featured the "24/7" plus Winter Classic taxation. They've played, in the words of my radio partner Jeff Marek, a lot of "heavy hockey." They gutted out a victory against a Capitals team that believed the best defense was no offense, and now face a Devils team that's as offensive as they've had in the playoffs. Historically, the Rangers have handled the Devils in the postseason, and Henrik Lundqvist has been particularly difficult to solve for the Devils. But if New Jersey exhibits the same kind of offensive depth they had in previous rounds, and Marty Brodeur continues not to be a liability, the Devils will advance to the Stanley Cup Final in six games — 18 years after the Rangers prevented it from happening. The Coyotes will continue to be the story of the postseason, using Dave Tippett's system and Mike Smith's swagger between the pipes to eliminate the Kings in six. Jonathan Quick will be tested by Phoenix's underrated offense (2.64 GFA), and the Kings' power play problems will haunt them vs. the Coyotes. Watch out for Radim Vrbata, who had five goals in six games vs. the Kings. The Kings have been outstanding, no question. They've also had the benefit of playing two teams hit with significant injuries — Daniel Sedin, Alex Pietrangelo — at the wrong time. If the Coyotes can avoid the same misfortune, they advance to the Cup Final. Devils vs. Coyotes for the Stanley Cup. Yes, I may be picking this just to hear the collective heads of television executives, the NHL and the hockey media explode. Also because at this point, there's really no salvaging my prognostication record for 2012. Might as well go all-in.

Canada rout Kazakhstan to confirm group lead
(Sat, 12 May 2012 13:41:50 PDT)
Vacouver Olympic champions Canada maintained their world ice hockey championship preliminary group lead with an 8-0 thrashing of former Soviet republic Kazakhstan here on Saturday.

Is Troy Ward in line to be the next coach of the Calgary Flames? (Puck Daddy)
(Fri, 11 May 2012 12:01:07 PDT)
"You're the hardest team we've played all year," Dallas Eakins, the coach of the AHL's Toronto Marlies, told Abbotsford Heat head coach Troy Ward as the two men shook hands. The Marlies had just scored the overtime winner in Game 5 of the second round playoff series between the two clubs, eliminating the Heat, 4-1. It was a disappointing end to what was, arguably, the best season in the Heat's 3-year history. The Heat are the AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames, who boast a prospect pool that was ranked 26th in the NHL by Hockey's Future just two days ago . But, while they may not be stacked with prospects, as long as Ward is behind the bench, they'll be well-coached. The problem is, he may not be behind the bench for long. Eakins wasn't the only hockey mind to recognize how hard the Heat play; there are strong rumblings that Ward has done enough to make himself not just a candidate in the Calgary Flames' search for a new head coach, but the only publicly acknowledged candidate thus far.

Canada edge Swiss to regain top spot
(Wed, 09 May 2012 13:54:49 PDT)
Olympic champions Canada regained top spot in the Helsinki group of the world ice hockey championship here on Wednesday following a tight 3-2 win over Switzrland.

Joel Quenneville commits to the Indian, explains firing of Blackhawks assistant coach (Puck Daddy)
(Tue, 08 May 2012 18:31:38 PDT)
As we reported earlier on Tuesday night , the Chicago Blackhawks parted ways with assistant coach Mike Haviland in a somewhat shocking move - given that he was a popular coach and not the guy responsible for the team's inept power play. Between this decision and the rampant speculation that he would be leaving the Blackhawks for the Montreal Canadiens' coaching vacancy, Chicago Coach Joel Quenneville met with the media on a hastily called Tuesday night conference call to clear the air. Via the Sun-Times, Quenneville on his status: "Over the last days, there were some other things that were going on about here in Chicago and me being somewhere else, but first and foremost, I'm excited about being here in Chicago," Quenneville said during a conference call Tuesday. "I love the opportunity. I love the organization. I love where we're heading in the future. That's something I want to put to bed right from the outset." Quenneville revealed that GM Stan Bowman felt there was "dysfunction" in the Blackhawks' coaching staff, giving Quenneville a chance to tweak the personnel after the season. Rather than turfing his friend Mike Kitchen, an assistant coach in charge of the team's problematic power play, it was Haviland that was fired after nearly four years in the job.

Blackhawks fire assistant Haviland (The Associated Press)
(Tue, 08 May 2012 17:52:56 PDT)
CHICAGO (AP) Mike Haviland was fired Tuesday as an assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks after coach Joel Quenneville determined there was some ''dysfunction'' on the staff last season.

Flyers face elimination; Blackhawks fire Mike Haviland; Ryan Kesler out 6 months (Playoff Puck Previews) (Puck Daddy)
(Tue, 08 May 2012 15:43:21 PDT)
Back by popular demand, here are your Puck Previews: Spotlighting the key games in NHL action, news and views as well as general frivolity. Make sure to stop back here for the nightly Three Stars when the games are finished. Game 5 Preview: New Jersey Devils at Philadelphia Flyers, 7:30 p.m. The Devils lead the series, 3-1. The Flyers are without the suspended Claude Grioux but get defenseman Andrej Meszaros back. Jakub Voracek moves up to skate with Hartnell and Briere. For the Devils, discipline has been the key . Ryan Carter returns to the lineup after missing Game 4 with food poisoning. One theory, according to Carter: "Some people are thinking I got sick because there's some old food in my mustache." Check out previews and updated scores for all of today's games on the Y! Sports NHL scores and scheds page . For tonight's starting goalies, check out Left Wing Lock. Evening Reading • Listen to today's Marek Vs. Wyshynski here. • The Chicago Blackhawks make their coaching move … well, OK, assistant coaching move: "The Chicago Blackhawks announced today the team has relieved Assistant Coach Mike Haviland of his duties. Haviland spent four seasons as an Assistant Coach with the Blackhawks after being named to the coaching staff on July 23, 2008." So does Barry Smith get his office , too? [ Blackhawks ]