Hockey coaches

Flyers' coach Stevens a quiet success

Philadelphia Inquirer (Free subscription) | yesterday

Late last season, the Flyers' play on the ice reflected the personality of their coach, John Stevens. They became unflappable.

Sharks beat Kings 3-1

San Fransisco Chronicle (Free subscription) | 10/06/2008

Todd McLellan's new system is taking a while for the San Jose Sharks to learn. The Sharks closed out their first preseason under McLellan with a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday night. San Jose scored less than a minute into the game and then...

Melrose Blasts Bolts' Offense After Second Loss

TBO > Sports (Free subscription) | 10/06/2008

The Lightning are 0-2 and Coach Barry Melrose is frustrated.

Caps Lose in Shootout to Bruins, 5-4

Capitals Insider (Free subscription) | 10/06/2008

The Caps wrapped up their best preseason since 1999 with a 5-4 shootout loss to the Bruins in Verizon Center that dropped them to 5-1-1. This was arguably Washington's most inconsistent game of the preseason, and coach Bruce Boudreau said Boston outworked the Caps. Chris Clark, Alex Ovechkin, Mike Green and Chris Bourque all scored even strength goals and 10 different players got on the scoresheet....

The Complete Heatley

Kukla's Korner (Free subscription) | 10/06/2008

from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN, [He was] blocking shots!” said an enthusiastic Sens coach Craig Hartsburg. And he went after Brooks Orpik when the Pittsburgh defenseman roughed up Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson at the end of the first period. And he yelled while on the bench to pump up his teammates when the game was still scoreless. Hockey fans, meet the new Dany Heatley. Not just a 50-goal man, but...

DETROIT 3, BUFFALO 0: Wings win exhibition finale but 'aren't quite ready' yet according to Babcock

Detroit Free Press (Free subscription) | 10/05/2008

Coach Mike Babcock said after the Detroit Red Wings' last dress rehearsal that they aren't quite ready for the regular season.

Boudreau Pregame

Capitals Insider (Free subscription) | 10/05/2008

Although it's the final preseason game, the Capitals continue to experiment with different line combinations - granted, today's mixing and matching is a partial product of Nicklas Backstrom being unavailable because of a cold, but Coach Bruce Boudreau is looking forward to see how Dave Steckel fares at left wing. "I always wanted to try Steckel on left wing," Boudreau said. "Semin and Fedorov are pretty...

Needed: More Rest For Brodeur

Kukla's Korner (Free subscription) | 10/05/2008

from Mike Celizic at NBC Sports, The Devils have a backup goalie. His name is Kevin Weekes. This year, coach Brent Sutter should use him. This isn’t a suggestion. It’s a mandate. If the Devils want all-world goalie Martin Brodeur to take them deep into the Stanley Cup playoffs, they can no longer write his name in the line-up every day for weeks and even months at a time. continued

Blake Going To The Net

Kukla's Korner (Free subscription) | 10/05/2008

from Paul Hunter of the Toronto Star, (Jason) Blake was not a stranger to new coach Ron Wilson. Wilson had coached him on U.S. national teams and knew the level at which he should be performing. Wilson also watched him on TV last season and it was a different Blake than the one he remembered. He spoke to the winger about it during camp. “The Jason Blake that I knew on national teams and when he was...

Eastern Conference team-by-team preview capsules

Covers.com (Free subscription) | 10/05/2008

Team-by-team capsules for the Eastern Conference, listed in 2007-08 season order of finish: ATLANTIC DIVISION PITTSBURGH PENGUINS LAST SEASON: 47-27-8, 102 points. Lost to Detroit 4-2 in Stanley Cup finals. COACH: Michel Therrien, 4th season,...

No Prucha In Prague?

Kukla's Korner (Free subscription) | 10/04/2008

from Larry Brooks of the NY Post, What in the world could coach Tom Renney be thinking? How on earth could he deny Prucha, who has been among the most energetic Rangers throughout training camp, a uniform in his homeland and hand one instead to Fredrik Sjostrom, Nigel Dawes or Aaron Voros, three players whose preseason work was lukewarm, at best? If No. 25 does not play today, and that certainly appeared...

• PRUCHA SNUB MAY MAR RANGERS OPENER - New York Post

Canadiens' Carbonneau gets extension

Arizona Republic (Free subscription) | 10/04/2008

Montreal Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau received a multiyear contract extension.

Personnel dilemmas abound

Boston Globe (Free subscription) | 10/04/2008

The Bruins play their next-to-last exhibition game this afternoon, with the Islanders on Causeway Street at 4 o'clock, and coach Claude Julien will continue to sort through his line combinations and defense pairings as he prepares for Thursday's season opener in Denver.

Canadiens extend Carbonneau's contract

Times of the Internet (Free subscription) | 10/04/2008

MADISON, Quebec, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Montreal Canadiens General Manager Bob Gainey announced Friday Coach Guy Carbonneau had been given a contract extension. Gainey did not disclose the length of the extension, but it will ensure Carbonneau will be with the Canadiens beyond the upcoming season. He had been about to enter the last year of a three-year contract. Carbonneau has posted an 89-59-16 record...

• Canadiens' Carbonneau gets contract extension - MSNBC.com: NHL

Rangers name Drury as new captain

Fox News (Free subscription) | 10/04/2008

Chris Drury became the New York Rangers' captain Friday, one night before the club opened the regular season in the Czech Republic. Drury, who served as co-captain of the Buffalo Sabres with Danny Briere before signing with the Rangers in 2007, got the nod from coach Tom Renney and general manager Glen Sather during a team dinner on Friday night. The Rangers start the new campaign in Prague with a...