Red Wings' third-period blues hurt in the standings

Central Division notebook: With 16 games remaining in the regular season, the Detroit Red Wings find themselves in an unfamiliar position: On the outside looking in. The boat has sailed on Detroit's chances for a ninth straight division title. What's more troubling for the Wings, however,...

Blake Benzel | News/Central | Thursday, March 11 2010

Sizing up the ‘Yotes deadline haul

Pacific Division notebook: You can just imagine the thought process in the Colorado Avalanche dressing room, the players wondering how they could have left Wojtek Wolski all alone on the ice, just a day after he left them in a trade to the Phoenix Coyotes. Yet there was Wolski on...

J.P. Hoornstra | News/Pacific | Tuesday, March 09 2010

Flames finally lighting the lamp

Northwest Division notebook: Calgary may have found some offensive confidence just in time for a playoff push. The Flames, who averaged 2.51 goals per game (27th in the NHL) entering Tuesday, combined for 10 goals in beating New Jersey and Minnesota, two of the better defensive teams in...

Mike Cook | News/Northwest | Tuesday, March 09 2010

That's the Pitts: Crosby booed by home 'fans'

Atlantic Division notebook: Sidney Crosby is used to being simultaneously loved and hated. Arguably the best hockey player on the planet, Crosby hears cat calls in 29 of 30 NHL arenas. The only city where he is beloved is Pittsburgh, for whom he plies his trade.    Following his...

Denis Gorman | News/Atlantic | Sunday, March 07 2010

Thomas gets second chance in net

Northeast Division notebook: Starting an NHL game for the first time since Feb. 2, Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas collected his first win on Thursday night since a shootout victory at San Jose on Jan. 14. The 3-2 victory against Toronto also ended the Bruins' 10-game home winless stretch....

Justin Rice | News/Northeast | Friday, March 05 2010

Hurricanes are wheeling, dealing – and contending

Southeast Division notebook: Some people might look at the Carolina Hurricanes’ flurry of trade deadline deals as a major housecleaning. The man who engineered the five moves, however, prefers to think of them as a down payment on the future. In the mean time, general manager Jim...

Brett Friedlander | News/Southeast | Friday, March 05 2010

Central balance of power remains the same

Central Division notebook: The trade deadline has come and gone, and it wouldn't be out of the realm of reason to say that the balance of power in the Central Division hasn't shifted much, if at all. There was much speculation leading up to Wednesday that big moves would be made within the...

Blake Benzel | News/Central | Thursday, March 04 2010

Wild ready for playoff push

Northwest Division notebook: Entering its five-game homestand before the Olympic Break, many members of the Minnesota Wild figured the team would need to get at least seven or eight points to stay in the playoff race.   Minnesota got six, and entered Tuesday in 13th place in the...

Mike Cook | News/Northwest | Tuesday, March 02 2010

Ducks' locker room is a five-ring circus

Pacific Division notebook: If NHL players are forbidden from playing in the 2014 Olympics, recent history indicates that the Anaheim Ducks will be affected more than any other team. Seven Anaheim players collected medals last weekend in Vancouver, the most in the league. That matched a...

J.P. Hoornstra | News/Pacific | Tuesday, March 02 2010

Oilers owner: Change is on the way

Northwest Division notebook: Expect the Edmonton Oilers to be very busy as the trade deadline approaches. The frustration of possibly the worst season is franchise history has the team owner saying that change is inevitable. "I've been an Oilers fan for a lot longer than I've owned the...

Mike Cook | News/Northwest | Tuesday, February 16 2010