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.

Alain Vigneault signs extension with Vancouver Canucks because he’s excellent (Puck Daddy)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 12:30:14 PDT)
When Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis signed his contract extension earlier this month, the conversation turned to the future of coach Alain Vigneault. His return was never a guarantee, given the team's President's Trophy-to-first-round-exit performance and the fact that Vingeault has been on and off the hot seat since 2008. But Gillis gave him an endorsement: "He has done an excellent job and I don't know why you wouldn't want somebody back who has done an excellent job and has the results to show for it," said the GM. On Wednesday, the Canucks made a most excellent decision: Signing Vigneault, 51 to a contract extension. From the Canucks: "Alain has established himself as one of the premiere coaches in the National Hockey League," said Gillis. "He has demonstrated a commitment to winning that has led to back-to-back Presidents' Trophies and we are confident his dedication and hard work will continue to yield positive results. Alain has built a foundation of winning with this franchise and I feel he can continue to build on that foundation to achieve our ultimate goal." "I am pleased to be signing this extension to continue as the Head Coach of such an outstanding organization," said Vigneault. "I look forward to taking the next step with this franchise in bringing the Stanley Cup to Vancouver. I feel fortunate to be able to work with such a dedicated group of management, coaches and players in this great city I love." Vigneault had one more season left on his current deal. Had the Canucks severed ties with him, heavy speculation had him potentially returning to the Montreal Canadiens to fill that vacancy.

Canucks extend contract for coach Vigneault (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 12:03:08 PDT)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) The Vancouver Canucks have signed head coach Alain Vigneault to a contract extension.

Coyotes vs. the road warriors: Can Phoenix end LA Kings’ road domination? (Puck Daddy)
(Tue, 22 May 2012 13:38:44 PDT)
Down 3-1 in their series with the Los Angeles Kings and heading home for Game 5 on Tuesday night, the Phoenix Coyotes will have to accomplish something that hasn't been done since the final two games of the regular season: Giving the Kings consecutive losses. In staying alive in the series with a 2-0 win in Game 4, the Coyotes found a way to break through Los Angeles' relentless forecheck. They kept the Kings off the scoreboard for the first time since late March. Facing such a deficit in the series, the obvious "one game at a time" cliche has and will continue to be broken out by the Coyotes should they extend things. "We're in the same boat we were the other night," said Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett. "If we don't play well and we don't win, we go home."

Sabres sign defenseman Sulzer for one year (The Associated Press)
(Mon, 21 May 2012 14:38:26 PDT)
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) The Sabres on Monday signed Alexander Sulzer to a one-year contract, allowing the defenseman to avoid free agency this summer.

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?)

This Jonathan Quick sex joke is our favorite ad of 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs (PHOTO) (Puck Daddy)
(Sun, 20 May 2012 12:58:34 PDT)
You've got your stick in hand and all you want to do is score, but someone is denying you that moment of euphoria. Husbands of the world, the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues and the Phoenix Coyotes feel your frustration … and this display ad outside of Staples Center around LA Live during Game 4 of the Western Conference final is hilarious. Over the last two years, the Boston Bruins offered some hilarious (and hilariously offensive, to some parties) display advertisements. For example: "Never, Ever Date A Flyers Fan. Even If She Shaves Her Moustache." Whoever put this Jonathan Quick tribute up — the Los Angeles Kings? Reebok? Some mysterious goalie-loving benefactor? — is giving those Boston ads a run for comedic genius in playoff display advertising. Although, a word of advice for that frustrated husband: Try shooting from center ice. s/t @bloodyeyeballs, via @hockeydoc21 and @tonybova Related NHL news from Yahoo! Sports:

On brink of Stanley Cup Final, LA Kings not looking ahead (Puck Daddy)
(Sun, 20 May 2012 08:30:37 PDT)
The Staples Center in Los Angeles has been busy this weekend with six playoff games in four days between the Clippers, Kings and Lakers with Sunday featuring a day/night hockey/basketball doubleheader. And while arena workers change the surface from ice to a basketball court sometime Sunday afternoon, at the same time, there could be some celebrating going on in the home locker room. The Stanley Cup Final awaits the Kings with a win Sunday over the Phoenix Coyotes. It's been 19 years since they've been at this point in the postseason, but there are plenty of players on the roster that have played this late in a season before. Despite that experience, there will be nerves and likely some minds looking ahead before the puck drops on Game 4. "Everyone talks about getting to the Stanley Cup Final, but I can only speak really for myself, playing in that game tomorrow [Sunday] night is pretty fun, as well," said Kings captain Dustin Brown on Saturday. "It's one of the things where you gotta really enjoy the journey. We're one game away from the Cup Final. But it's one game we have to win." It's only human nature for Brown and his teammates to picture what a celebration might be like in front of the home crowd after another series sweep. And, in Brown's case, he may have taken a moment to ponder whether or not he touches the Clarence Campbell Bowl out of superstition. Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty, however, were a bit more cautious.

Kings beat Coyotes, edge closer to Cup finals
(Fri, 18 May 2012 00:03:12 PDT)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The giant-killing Los Angeles Kings extended their magical playoff run, moving to just one win from their first Stanley Cup finals appearance since 1993 with a 2-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday.

Unbeatable Kings fated for Stanley Cup final
(Thu, 17 May 2012 23:32:24 PDT)
Los Angeles continued its dominant roll with a Game 3 decision over Phoenix in the West final, moving within one win of a title shot and a chance at history.

Tom Renney out as coach of the Edmonton Oilers (The Associated Press)
(Thu, 17 May 2012 17:27:42 PDT)
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) Tom Renney is out as coach of the Edmonton Oilers.

Oilers will not renew coach Renney's contract
(Thu, 17 May 2012 15:41:37 PDT)
(Reuters) - The struggling Edmonton Oilers will not renew head coach Tom Renney's contract after two losing seasons, the National Hockey League (NHL) team said on Thursday.

Oilers coach Tom Renney will not return to team (The Associated Press)
(Thu, 17 May 2012 14:53:15 PDT)
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) The Edmonton Oilers are searching for a new coach after deciding to let Tom Renney go following two losing seasons.

Finns, Russia go through, Slovaks upset Canada
(Thu, 17 May 2012 14:23:16 PDT)
Holders Finland advanced to the semi-finals of the world ice hockey championships with a last-gasp winner against the United States on Thursday, but Olympic champions Canada were shocked by Slovakia.

Slovakia ousts Canada 4-3 at ice hockey worlds (The Associated Press)
(Thu, 17 May 2012 08:12:55 PDT)
HELSINKI (AP) San Jose Sharks' Michal Handzus gave Slovakia the winning goal in a 4-3 victory over Canada in the quarterfinals of the ice hockey world championships in Helsinki on Thursday.

NHL questions: Can the Rangers go all the way? (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 16 May 2012 00:08:55 PDT)
The NHL's conference finals opened over the weekend without some of the top teams and big stars that highlighted the regular season.

Playoff Puck Previews: Kings look for 7th straight road win in Game 2 vs. Coyotes (Puck Daddy)
(Tue, 15 May 2012 15:55:16 PDT)
"Beat LA" strikes me as a really unimaginative slogan. Was "Win the hockey match" taken? Preview: Los Angeles Kings at Phoenix Coyotes, 9 p.m. ET The Coyotes will attempt to do what no other team has done versus the Kings this postseason: win a game at home. The Kings have won 6 consecutive road games, just one off the NHL record held by the Blackhawks of 2010, the Islanders of 1980 and 1982, thew Devils of 1995, and the Avalanche of 1999. The Coyotes will have to pick their game up considerably to avoid a repeat of Game 1, where they were out-possessed handily and outshot 48-27. Do they have it in them? The key will be shutting down Dustin Brown and his linemates, something no one has been able to do thus far. If they can't, the Kings will tie that record.

Michel Therrien, Marc Crawford and the Montreal Canadiens’ coaching vacancy (Puck Daddy)
(Tue, 15 May 2012 11:00:13 PDT)
Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin has a few things on his plate this summer. He wants to re-up with PK Subban on a new deal. He has Carey Price headed to RFA status this summer, after making $5.5 million in his last deal. And, of course, he needs to hire a head coach. Bob McKenzie of TSN whet the appetite on Monday night by reporting that the Habs are "in the process of touching base with potential head coach candidates including Michel Therrien, Guy Carbonneau, Marc Crawford, Bob Hartley, etc." Michel Therrien (190 games as Habs coach, 2000-03) and Guy Carbonneau (230 games as Habs coach, 2006-09)? Canadiens fans like BK were lobbying for a complete break from the Gainey/Gauthier era: What the Habs need is electroshock therapy. That's why they also need a coach who didn't work with the ancien regime. So forget Alain Vigneault, Michel Therrien, and Guy Carbonneau. Yet two of the three could be candidates, and the third would be had the Vancouver Canucks cut him loose. Brian Stubits of Eye on Hockey thinks this is a symptom of the language requirements of the position: If you want proof that the ability to speak French is paramount to be coach of the Habs, look no further than the inclusion of Therrien. He has already done the Montreal thing once and was canned after 2 1/2 seasons. He then last 3 1/2 seasons in Pittsburgh. Yes, he did lead them to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2008, but he was fired midseason the next year when the team was struggling and was replaced by Dan Bylsma, who guided the Penguins to the championship. Carbonneau has earned an endorsement from Dave Stubbs of The Gazette, although a proposed reunion with Larry Robinson seems unlikely. The theory is that he's better prepared to handle the Montreal media circus than he was in the first go-round. Bob Hartley's an understandable candidate — veteran coach, with a Cup ring, although one imagines the Calgary Flames will come calling . But what about Marc Crawford?

Would New York Rangers vs. Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup Final fall short of ratings blockbuster? (Puck Daddy)
(Tue, 15 May 2012 09:12:09 PDT)
At the end of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, the Peacock had something to crow about. The 8.54 million viewers who tuned in to NBC for Game 7 between the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks gave the NHL its largest U.S. television audience for any game in 38 years. The series as a whole attracted an average of 4.6 million viewers per game on NBC and the then-VERSUS network, making it "the most-watched combined network/cable Stanley Cup involving a Canadian team ever." So there's that. It's completely, utterly getting ahead of ourselves to say that the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings will meet for the Stanley Cup in 2012, despite their emphatic Game 1 wins. But the tantalizing notion that the nation's No. 1 and No. 2 markets could battle on the NHL's biggest stage has some theorizing that the ratings could set records. But Steve Lepore of Puck The Media thinks it's time we all slow our roll on that theory in a post titled "New York and Los Angeles Are Not the Key to Record NHL Ratings, Even if Everyone Keeps Telling You It Is." Lepore's take: "Those two markets are just not at the right level to bring in record ratings at this point. It had better be a great series, or else it might be diehards only until at least Game 5."

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.)

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.

Phoenix Coyotes (3) vs. Los Angeles Kings (8): 10 things to know about the West final (Preview) (Puck Daddy)
(Sun, 13 May 2012 07:39:49 PDT)
The No. 3 seed Phoenix Coyotes and the No. 8 seed Los Angeles Kings will clash in the Western Conference Final beginning Sunday night in Phoenix. It will be the largest clash of coyotes and kings since Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad . Here are 10 items for your consideration about this matchup. 10. The Kings are killing Division champions The Phoenix Coyotes enter this series the reigning Pacific Division champions, and if the Kings' recent history is any indication, this could prove problematic. LA made short work of the Northwest Division champion Vancouver Canucks, knocking them off in 5 games. They followed that act by sweeping the Central Division champion St. Louis Blues. They eat Division champions for breakfast right now. 9. The Kings are money shorthanded LA has a +1 goal differential when shorthanded, having allowed three power play goals and scored four shorthanded goals in the postseason thus far. There's simply no margin for error against their forecheck on the penalty kill. They cause neutral zone turnovers, disrupt zone entries, and make it Hell for the oppponent to set up. That frustration tends to lead to sloppiness, and that sloppiness tends to lead to shorthanded opportunities. It's an endless cycle. Both the Blues and the Canucks fell victim to the Kings' fabulous penalty-killing. Will the Coyotes do the same?

Unlikely Final Four set battle for chance at Stanley Cup
(Sat, 12 May 2012 21:00:52 PDT)
(Reuters) - A wildly unpredictable Stanley Cup playoffs have been reduced to an unlikely Final Four with the eighth seeded Los Angeles Kings and the Phoenix Coyotes, a team in search of an owner meeting in the Western conference final. In the East, the New Jersey Devils, led by netminder Martin Brodeur will meet the New York Rangers, who completed the conference finals lineup with a Game Seven win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday. ...