Another NHL coach fired because his general manager completely blew it (Trending Topics) (Puck Daddy)
(Fri, 24 May 2013 06:47:39 PDT)
Trending Topics is a column that looks at the week in hockey, occasionally according to Twitter. If you're only going to comment to say how stupid Twitter is, why not just go have a good cry for the slow, sad death of your dear internet instead? Management positions in the National Hockey League, or any professional sport, boil down to a fairly complex relationship between tools and practitioners. For instance, an owner gives a general manager the tools of money with which to construct his team, and the surrounding personnel and authority to pursue those ends as he sees fit. Obviously, this takes place to varying degrees. Some owners, like Charles Wang, are stingy with money and overly involved in the day-to-day operations of the team he owns. That's his right, of course, since he's the one signing checks for everyone from the team president to the assistant equipment managers, but that doesn't make it easy for Garth Snow to do his job. At the other end of the spectrum, though, are larger-market teams, ones that draw crowds and generate significant revenues and for which the owners have little interest in telling the hockey people they're paying to run a hockey team what they should be doing in the running of it. It leads one to wonder why Wang, or any other meddlesome owner, doesn't just make himself the GM, cut out the middle man and save a million bucks a year. The point, though, is that from the above relationship springs another, similar one. Just as the GM can only do so much with the tools he's given by his owner, so too can the coach only do the best he can with the tools his boss gives him. This was the problem Alain Vigneault faced this year, and what ultimately led to his being fired despite the fact that he is far and away the best and most successful coach in franchise history by just about any metric.

Kings 3, Sharks 0 (The SportsXchange)
(Thu, 23 May 2013 22:40:36 PDT)
LOS ANGELES -- Anze Kopitar finally showed up for the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference semifinals.

Sharks, Kings dive into embellishment accusations, because it’s the thing to do now (Puck Daddy)
(Thu, 23 May 2013 14:01:32 PDT)
Back in Round 1, Kevin Bieksa of the Vancouver Canucks took a moment to suggest that the San Jose Sharks occasionally dabbled in embellishment . It was a fairly transparent bit of gamesmanship, and even moreso after he gave a second performance of the monologue, this time with props. It didn't work, either. Thereafter, the Canucks won zero games. But that didn't discourage San Jose Sharks' winger T.J. Galiardi from trying out the tactic himself. On Thursday, Galiardi had a few words to say about LA Kings' goaltender Jonathan Quick. He's Quick on the ice and quick to the ice, if you catch my meaning. From the Mercury News: "What kind of bugs me about him, I don't know if I should say it, but a little embellishment every now and then," Galiardi said before the team left for Los Angeles for Game 5 on Thursday at Staples Center. "You skate by and you don't even touch him or you barely even touch him and he's throwing his hands in the air. So that's one of those things. Galiardi is speaking, as you'd expect, from experience. He was sent to the box for goaltender interference in the second period of Game 4, and he was almost sent again for the same infraction before he could even get back to the bench. After the Sharks killed off his penalty, he chased Slava Voynov into the LA end on the San Jose's final zone clear, and as he skated by the goal, he clipped Quick's skate. The goaltender dropped. But, just like on the ice, the Kings stand up for their goaltender. It was Drew Doughty who rushed to Quick's defense this time around, and he took about the same approach to dismissing Galiardi's observations that the Sharks took in dismissing Kevin Bieksa's: no, you are.

Hurricanes to unveil new uniforms; Quick’s ‘embellishment’; Gordon Bombay ’30 for 30' (Puck Headlines) (Puck Daddy)
(Thu, 23 May 2013 11:46:55 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. • The Dallas Stars won't be the only ones revealing new jerseys on June 4. That same day the Carolina Hurricanes will unveil their new home and road looks. Their logo and colors will remain the same. [ Hurricanes ] • Meanwhile, the Texas Stars showed off their new jerseys on Thursday. Could these be a hint as to what the Dallas Stars' new look will be? In a word, no. [ Stars Inside Edge ] • As the Boston Bruins go for the sweep tonight, it appears as if they'll ice the same lineup from Game 3, meaning Dennis Seidenberg and Wade Redden will be spectators. Redden and Brad Richards in a press box together? Glen Sather must be proud. [ CSNNE ] • Remember Brian Boyle's giant family from 24/7 ? Well, residing from outside Boston, their custom-made t-shirts reveal who they're supporting in the series: “Bruins? Rangers? We’re rooting for Boyle.” [ Boston Globe ] • Jimmy Howard on how his nap went during Wednesday's full day off for the Detroit Red Wings: “It was great. I think I had a little dream, too, so it was a bonus.” [ Free Press ] • San Jose Sharks forward T.J. Galiardi on Jonathan Quick: "What kind of bugs me about him, I don't know if I should say it, but a little embellishment every now and then. You skate by and you don't even touch him or you barely even touch him and he's throwing his hands in the air. So that's one of those things." [ Mercury News ] • Vezina Trophy finalist and Columbus Blue Jackets netminder Sergei Bobrovsky is set to be a restricted free agent this summer. At the moment, there has been no progress in contract talks between both sides. What is he worth? And how soon until Paul Holmgren throws him an offer sheet to get him back? [ Columbus Dispatch ]

Once unbeatable, the pressure is on Blackhawks to prove their playoff pedigree
(Thu, 23 May 2013 10:16:53 PDT)
The Chicago Blackhawks began the 2013 NHL season with a 24-game point streak, but things can change quickly in the playoffs and suddenly the 'Hawks are on their heels against a determined Detroit Red Wings team.

Alain Vigneault fired for GM Mike Gillis' mistakes (The Hockey News)
(Thu, 23 May 2013 09:41:00 PDT)
Coaches are often fired before the GM who hired them, but the former Canucks coach wasn't dealt any favors by his boss.

Canucks fire Alain Vigneault as coach (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 22 May 2013 18:29:13 PDT)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- The Vancouver Canucks fired coach Alain Vigneault on Wednesday.

Vigneault ‘I hope to coach again’ in the NHL (NBC Sports)
(Wed, 22 May 2013 16:58:07 PDT)
He also wants to express his gratitude to the Vancouver Canucks.

NHL Roundup: Canucks fire Vigneault, Sutton retires (The SportsXchange)
(Wed, 22 May 2013 16:00:34 PDT)
The Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday fired head coach Alain Vigneault and assistant coaches Rick Bowness and Newell Brown, according to TVA's Louis Jean, reported ProHockeyTalk.com.

Head coach Vigneault sacked by Canucks
(Wed, 22 May 2013 15:50:35 PDT)
(Reuters) - The Vancouver Canucks fired head coach Alain Vigneault on Wednesday, along with assistants Rick Bowness and Newell Brown, following the National Hockey League team's first-round exit from the playoffs. The Canucks ended the regular season by winning the Northwest Division championship with a 26-15-7 record but were swept 4-0 by the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference quarter-finals. "Alain, Rick and Newell worked tirelessly to lead this team to great on-ice success," Canucks president and general manager Michael Gillis said in a statement. ...

NHL-Head coach Vigneault sacked by Canucks
(Wed, 22 May 2013 15:45:28 PDT)
* Canucks fire Vigneault after early playoff exit * Assistants Bowness and Brown also sent packing (Adds quotes, detail) May 22 (Reuters) - The Vancouver Canucks fired head coach Alain Vigneault on Wednesday, along with assistants Rick Bowness and Newell Brown, following the National Hockey League team's first-round exit from the playoffs. The Canucks ended the regular season by winning the Northwest Division championship with a 26-15-7 record but were swept 4-0 by the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference quarter-finals. ...

Canucks fire head coach Vigneault and two assistants (The SportsXchange)
(Wed, 22 May 2013 14:51:07 PDT)
The Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday fired head coach Alain Vigneault and assistant coaches Rick Bowness and Newell Brown, according to TVA's Louis Jean, reported ProHockeyTalk.com.

Alain Vigneault fired by Canucks; who takes over the coaching gig in Vancouver? (Puck Daddy)
(Wed, 22 May 2013 13:11:11 PDT)
Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis didn’t mince words during his postseason press conference, calling the team’s 2012-13 campaign a “terrible season” after their ouster at the hands of the San Jose Sharks in Round 1. "We’re going to have to reinvent ourselves and do things differently in order to be successful. The macro look at this team is that changes have to be made,” said Gillis. On Wednesday, changes were made: According to Louis Jean of TVA, head coach Alain Vigneault and assistant coaches Rick Bowness and Newell Brown were all fired by Gillis in a massive house cleaning for the franchise. It was later confirmed by the Canucks: “We have made the very difficult decision to relieve Alain Vigneault, Rick Bowness and Newell Brown of their coaching duties today,” said Canucks President and General Manager, Michael D. Gillis. “Alain, Rick and Newell worked tirelessly to lead this team to great on-ice success. I am personally grateful to each of them and their families for their commitment to the Canucks and the city of Vancouver and wish them continued success in future.” Vigneault coached the Canucks from 2006-2013, winning 313 games. He captured the Jack Adams in 2006-07, and coached Vancouver to the playoffs in six of those seasons, including that Stanley Cup Final loss to the Boston Bruins in seven games.

NHL’s most stylish men; Crosby vs. a mozza stick; ‘Fun’ Paul MacLean (Puck Headlines) (Puck Daddy)
(Wed, 22 May 2013 12:44:33 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. • Alex Ovechkin got his KHL medal for Dynamo Moscow's Gagarin Cup win. And you said he never wins anything. Wait, what's that? He left the team before they won? Well. Still. [ Dmitry Chesnokov ] • The NHL's most stylish men. Yes, Henrik Lundqvist is on the list. [ Sharp ] • Sidney Crosby was nearly killed by a mozza stick. [ Sportsnet ] • Nick Cotsonika on Paul MacLean's "fun" approach to coaching. [ Yahoo! ] • Meet Tim Thompson, the guy who makes CBC's awesome playoff hockey montages. [ National Post ] • Stephen Walkom, Game 3's referee, coached Mario Lemieux's daughter. Is this a conflict of interest? I highly doubt it. Have you ever coached a bunch of kids? By the end, you hate them all and you hate their parents for making them. Or maybe that was just my experience. [ Senshot ] • Speaking of officiating conspiracies, the New York Rangers' last penalty call at home came in Game 4 versus the Washington Capitals. [ CSNNE ] • Elliotte Friedman's 30 thoughts, which includes this wild notion: "Conspiracy Theory: Sharks GM Doug Wilson wasn't going to trade Dan Boyle at the April 3 deadline, but he wanted Boyle -- and his other veterans -- to think he might. There's been a lot written and said about Extreme Makeover: San Jose edition, but the more I look back at it, it's not just about increasing Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski's roles. He wanted Boyle and Joe Thornton, among others, to believe, 'If this doesn't work, I'm next.'" [ CBC ] • Cory Conacher comes out for the Senators in Game 4, and Mark Stone draws in. [ Senators Extra ]

What We Learned: Complaining about NHL officiating? Time to fine these sore losers (Puck Daddy)
(Mon, 20 May 2013 04:55:17 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. No one is ever going to be totally happy with the ways in which the NHL's referees or officials make their decisions. We can all agree on that. If there's a game in which neither team is whistled for a penalty, both will likely complain that the refs missed calls on the other. If there's a game in which both teams receive 10 power plays, both will complain that the referees were overly harsh in doling out discipline. No one is ever especially happy with calls that go in between those two extremes, either, because unless you win, you aren't happy. And sometimes, even when you do win, you aren't happy. It's tough to know what, exactly, brought all this to a head in these playoffs. Alex Ovechkin complaining about a league-wide conspiracy in Game 6 after the end of Game 7; Jonathan Toews stamping his feet when his team got clobbered on home ice by its archrival; Sidney Crosby saying the league needs to institute video review for puck-over-the-glass calls; Jonathan Quick abusing officials because the Kings gave the Sharks a two-man advantage in overtime. Doesn't it strike anyone as being a bit much? No one likes to lose in October, let alone in the second round of the playoffs, and you might even say that the refs have made a bit of a spectacle of themselves in the last few games. The best thing a ref can do, the old saying goes, is not be noticeable, and things have admittedly gotten a bit out of hand in some instances. But nonetheless, can you imagine the eye-rolling or outright mockery in Chicago if Henrik Zetterberg had said the same things Toews did after they got creamed in Game 1? Or the uproar if Ryan Callahan of the lionized New York Rangers had complained about a conspiracy to push the series longer? Or the furor if Joe Thornton had done what Quick did after the Sharks gave up a similar late-game 5-on-3 advantage that allowed the Kings to tie Game 1? What it boils down to is being a sore loser.

Sweden wins world hockey title (The Associated Press)
(Sun, 19 May 2013 15:59:11 PDT)
STOCKHOLM (AP) -- Sweden became the first home team to win the world hockey championships in 27 years, beating Switzerland 5-1 on Sunday for its ninth title.

Sharks break through against Kings (The SportsXchange)
(Sat, 18 May 2013 22:40:36 PDT)
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Logan Couture spent most of the second period in the locker room with an injury. But he made it back in time to save the San Jose Sharks' season.

Sharks 2, Kings 1 (OT) (The SportsXchange)
(Sat, 18 May 2013 21:20:25 PDT)
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Logan Couture's power-play goal at 1:29 of overtime gave the San Jose Sharks a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings in Game 3 on Saturday night at HP Pavilion.

Sharks fined $100,000 for GM's comments (The Associated Press)
(Sat, 18 May 2013 16:47:55 PDT)
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- The NHL fined the San Jose Sharks $100,000 on Saturday for general manager Doug Wilson's comments criticizing the league for forward Raffi Torres' suspension for the rest of the second round of the playoffs.

Swiss fairytale continues as they set up Sweden final
(Sat, 18 May 2013 14:25:23 PDT)
By Philip O'Connor STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Switzerland's fairytale run at the world ice hockey championships continued on Saturday when they reached the final thanks to a 3-0 victory over United States. They now face host nation Sweden who beat Finland 3-0, Loui Eriksson scoring twice. The Swiss, the only remaining unbeaten team, went ahead when Martin Pluss snapped up a loose puck and laid on a goal for the unmarked Nino Niederreiter. Julian Walker made it 2-0 with 10 minutes to go when he latched on to Simon Moser's defense-splitting pass before Reto Suri completed the scoring. ...

Ice hockey-Swiss fairytale continues as they set up Sweden final
(Sat, 18 May 2013 14:24:01 PDT)
* Swiss sink U.S. * Swedes beat Finns (Adds quotes) By Philip O'Connor STOCKHOLM, May 18 (Reuters) - Switzerland's fairytale run at the world ice hockey championships continued on Saturday when they reached the final thanks to a 3-0 victory over United States. They now face host nation Sweden who beat Finland 3-0, Loui Eriksson scoring twice. The Swiss, the only remaining unbeaten team, went ahead when Martin Pluss snapped up a loose puck and laid on a goal for the unmarked Nino Niederreiter. ...

Switzerland beats US, faces Sweden for world title (The Associated Press)
(Sat, 18 May 2013 14:09:56 PDT)
STOCKHOLM (AP) -- Reto Berra made 29 saves, and Nino Niederreiter, Julian Walker and Reto Suri scored to help Switzerland beat the United States 3-0 on Saturday in the world hockey semifinals.

Staal avoids surgery to repair damaged knee
(Sat, 18 May 2013 09:39:51 PDT)
(Reuters) - Carolina Hurricanes captain Eric Staal will not require surgery to repair knee ligament damage sustained while playing for Canada at the ice hockey world championships, the National Hockey League team said on Saturday. Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said on the team's website that a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test revealed a third-degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament and rehabilitation should last three months. It is expected Staal will be healthy and ready to start the 2013-14 season. ...

NHL-Staal avoids surgery to repair damaged knee
(Sat, 18 May 2013 09:30:23 PDT)
May 18 (Reuters) - Carolina Hurricanes captain Eric Staal will not require surgery to repair knee ligament damage sustained while playing for Canada at the ice hockey world championships, the National Hockey League team said on Saturday. Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said on the team's website that a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test revealed a third-degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament and rehabilitation should last three months. It is expected Staal will be healthy and ready to start the 2013-14 season. ...

Eric Staal won’t require surgery after nasty Alex Edler hit in Worlds (Puck Daddy)
(Sat, 18 May 2013 08:50:17 PDT)
Carolina Hurricanes fans can exhale, put down the whiskey bottle and look forward to training camp: Eric Staal isn’t going to miss significant time after the knee-on-knee hit from Alex Edler of the Vancouver Canucks during the Canada/Sweden IIHF World Championships game on Thursday. According to the Hurricanes, an MRI on Staal’s right knee “revealed a third-degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament (MCL). Surgery will not be required to repair the ligament, and Staal’s rehabilitation should last three months. It is expected that he will be healthy and ready to play to start the 2013-14 season.” To say it looked a lot worse would be an understatement . Staal needed to be helped from the ice after writhing in pain for a few minutes following the collision with Edler, the Team Sweden defenseman who was given a 5-minutes major and a game misconduct, and then was suspended for the rest of the tournament .

Swedish defenseman banned for hit on Canada's Staal
(Fri, 17 May 2013 11:58:20 PDT)
(Reuters) - Sweden's Alexander Edler was suspended for the rest of the ice hockey world championships on Friday for a knee-on-knee hit that injured Canada captain Eric Staal. Edler collided with Staal in the first period of Thursday's quarter-final in Stockholm, leaving the Canadian forward on the ice in visible pain and clutching his right knee. Staal, captain of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Carolina Hurricanes, was helped off the ice and did not return to the game, which Sweden went on to win 3-2 in a shootout. ...

Ice hockey-Swedish defenseman banned for hit on Canada's Staal
(Fri, 17 May 2013 11:07:29 PDT)
May 17 (Reuters) - Sweden's Alexander Edler was suspended for the rest of the ice hockey world championships on Friday for a knee-on-knee hit that injured Canada captain Eric Staal. Edler collided with Staal in the first period of Thursday's quarter-final in Stockholm, leaving the Canadian forward on the ice in visible pain and clutching his right knee. Staal, captain of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Carolina Hurricanes, was helped off the ice and did not return to the game, which Sweden went on to win 3-2 in a shootout. ...

Kings stun Sharks with late goals, go 2-0 up
(Thu, 16 May 2013 23:39:19 PDT)
By Mark Lamport-Stokes LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Stanley Cup champions Los Angeles fought back from a goal down with less than two minutes to play to stun the San Jose Sharks 4-3 in a frenzied finish to Game Two of their Western Conference semi-finals on Thursday. With the Kings on a five-on-three powerplay, captain Dustin Brown tied the score with a backhand shot at 18:17 in the third period to spark thunderous roars from a sellout crowd of 18,527 at Staples Center. ...

NHL-Kings stun Sharks with late goals, go 2-0 up
(Thu, 16 May 2013 23:35:09 PDT)
* Los Angeles take advantage of 5-on-3 powerplay * Score twice in 22 seconds to take 2-0 series lead (Adds quotes, detail) By Mark Lamport-Stokes LOS ANGELES, May 16 (Reuters) - Stanley Cup champions Los Angeles fought back from a goal down with less than two minutes to play to stun the San Jose Sharks 4-3 in a frenzied finish to Game Two of their Western Conference semi-finals on Thursday. With the Kings on a five-on-three powerplay, captain Dustin Brown tied the score with a backhand shot at 18:17 in the third period to spark thunderous roars from a sellout crowd of 18,527 at Staples Center. ...

Kings score 22 seconds apart in final minutes to steal Game 2 from Sharks (Puck Daddy)
(Thu, 16 May 2013 22:32:24 PDT)
The Los Angeles Kings won their sixth straight Thursday, shocking the San Jose Sharks with two goals 22 seconds apart -- in the final two minutes, no less -- to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 victory in Game 2. Right up until the last 120 seconds of this one, the story was the San Jose Sharks and their impressive comeback. After going down two goals early in the second, San Jose refused to quit, storming back taking their first lead of the night midway through the third. But then, 139 seconds from returning to San Jose with the series knotted at one, Marc-Edouard Vlasic turned a 5-on-4 penalty-kill situation into a 5-on-3 by putting the puck over the glass. It was inadvertent -- they always are with this stupid penalty -- but there was no arguing the infuriating rule, and Vlasic was forced to watch his team's fortunes turn on a dime from the penalty box. When he went in, the Sharks were up by a goal. He was released 58 seconds later, his team now down by a goal. All an incredulous, dismayed Vlasic could do was laugh.