Jets know they must win on road to stay alive
(Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:10:17 PST)
WINNIPEG - It's only a small road trip as road trips go — two games in three days — but the Winnipeg Jets know how important it is if they want to keep their NHL playoff hopes alive.

Panthers Team Report
(Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:40:23 PST)

Capitals coach Dale Hunter said it was OK to treat Tuesday's game against the Panthers as if it were a playoff game. Washington, playing at home, came into the night a point behind Florida in a tight race for the Southeast Division.

The Capitals definitely looked like a playoff team on Tuesday. For much of the night, the Panthers definitely did not.

Washington scored 13 seconds into the game, got a power-play goal from Alex Ovechkin and a short-handed one early in the second to blow by the Panthers 4-0. Florida threw up 42 shots at former goalie Tomas Vokoun, but for the second time this season, Vokoun pitched the shutout.

Afterward, Panthers general manager Dale Tallon was steaming and coach Kevin Dineen was late coming out.

NHL Capsules: Vancouver beats Nashville 4-3
(Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:30:52 PST)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Alex Edler scored in the sixth round of a shootout and Vancouver beat Nashville 4-3 for its fifth win in six games.

NHL Capsules
(Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:23:34 PST)
Mathieu Perreault scored with 13 seconds elapsed, Alex Ovechkin had two goals and the Washington Capitals beat the Florida Panthers 4-0 Tuesday night to take over first place in the Southeast Division. Former Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun stopped 42 shots in his fourth shutout of the season, the second against Florida.

Ovechkin scores 2, Caps cruise past Panthers
(Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:54:12 PST)
WASHINGTON - Playing with a sense of urgency usually attached to a playoff game, the Washington Capitals needed only 13 seconds to take the lead in their first-place showdown with the Florida Panthers.

Ovechkin nets 2, Caps cruise past Panthers 4-0
(Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:48:32 PST)
Playing with a sense of urgency usually attached to a playoff game, the Washington Capitals needed only 13 seconds to take the lead in their first-place showdown with the Florida Panthers. Thanks to a strong goaltending performance by Tomas Vokoun, that was all the offense Washington needed in a 4-0 victory Tuesday night.

Capitals’ Vokoun shuts out Panthers: ‘We don’t want to be a bubble team’
(Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:34:17 PST)
WASHINGTON, DC — Washington Capitals goalie Tomas Vokoun doesn't watch the standings. "I don't," he said. "For me it doesn't matter if I'm last or first, every game I do the same." Of course, there are those games for which … Continue reading ?

Snow building up: Isles sign Frans Nielsen to 4-year deal, avoid free agency
(Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:45:29 PST)
Frans Nielsen of the New York Islanders finished sixth in the Selke voting last season (even with the New York area boycott over the Chris Botta issue); a considerable distance behind the top 5, but the recognition was still there … Continue reading ?

Puck Previews: Capitals, Panthers in Southeast showdown; Winter Classic announcement day
(Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:27:39 PST)
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. As an NHL defenseman, … Continue reading ?

Puck Headlines: Canucks split Sedins; Ovechkin’s $4M house; Coyotes booster club folds
(Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:02:49 PST)
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. • Theo Fleury on "rocket skates"? Theo Fleury on "rocket skates." [Derek … Continue reading ?

Boylen: Four GMs given an unnecessarily hard time (TheHockeyNews.com)
(Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:15:00 PST)
Sometimes GMs are given a hard time even if they don't really deserve it and here are four examples.

Canucks coach Vigneault says you ‘keep your fingers crossed’ with ailing Higgins (The Vancouver Sun)
(Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:07:22 PST)
NASHVILLE — Chris Higgins' latest illness is the result of a reaction to medication the Vancouver Canucks winger had been prescribed to help battle recurring staph infections.

Howard Baldwin, ex-Whalers owner, offers critical look at ‘marginal’ NHL markets
(Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:39:37 PST)
Howard Baldwin founded the Hartford Whalers, helped create the San Jose Sharks, and produced "Mystery, Alaska" (yea!) and "Sound of Thunder" (bleech!) among other films. He's seen businesses that work, businesses that fail. He's seen, and done, it all — … Continue reading ?

Caps await word on Laich's left knee injury
(Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:09:57 PST)
ARLINGTON, Va. - The Washington Capitals awaited word Monday on the severity of Brooks Laich's left knee injury, a setback that comes at a crucial time in the team's hopes for a fifth straight Southeast Division title.

What We Learned: NHL could learn a thing or two from the Super Bowl
(Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:38:57 PST)
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 … Continue reading ?

Thomas' apolitical return: Bruins top Caps 4-1
(Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:09:18 PST)
WASHINGTON - Tim Thomas' return to the nation's capital was less political and more successful.

NHL Capsules: Another huge game for Gagne
(Sat, 04 Feb 2012 23:00:19 PST)
TAMPA, Fla. - Sam Gagner showed the top team in the NHL that his breakout game was no fluke.

Saturday’s Three Stars: Reimer, Vokoun post shutouts; St. Louis nets hat trick
(Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:12:19 PST)
No. 1 Star: James Reimer, Toronto Maple Leafs Two straight starts and two straight shutouts for the 23-year old Reimer. After blanking the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night, Reimer followed that up with a 49-save performance during a 5-0 win … Continue reading ?

St. Louis gets hat trick, Bolts beat Panthers
(Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:03:51 PST)
TAMPA, Fla. - Martin St. Louis had a memorable milestone game.

St. Louis gets hat trick as Lightning top Panthers
(Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:02:41 PST)
Martin St. Louis had a memorable milestone game. St. Louis scored three times in his 900th NHL game, Steven Stamkos added his league-leading 34th goal and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 6-3 on Saturday night. "Weird things happen sometimes in situations like that," St. Louis said.

Canucks steal shootout win in Denver (The Vancouver Sun)
(Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:14:37 PST)
The Vancouver Canucks keep finding ways to earn points, but they're not exactly doing it in style.

Friday’s Three Stars: Brassard wins it for Blue Jackets in overtime; Halak blanks Kings
(Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:02:57 PST)
Check out the very different reactions of the guy in the Canada jersey and the lady beside him. No. 1 Star: Derek Brassard, Columbus Blue Jackets The Blue Jackets accomplished a rare feat on Friday, at least for them. For … Continue reading ?

Bergenheim lifts Panthers over Jets 2-1
(Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:35:45 PST)
SUNRISE, Fla. - Florida's Kris Versteeg didn't feel well going into Friday's game. He felt much better afterward.

Puck Headlines: Jimmy Howard’s injury; top 50 players; drinking beer out of hockey skate (yuck)
(Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:04:27 PST)
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. • From reader Johnny Smyrl Jr.: "I saw the hockey stick coffee … Continue reading ?

Jets ready for big matchup with Panthers
(Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:25:17 PST)
For the second road game in a row, the Winnipeg Jets went the distance and emerged with two points. That hadn't happened in more than two months, so the ship is pointed in the right direction as the team sets off down the stretch of its inaugural season in Winnipeg.

Proteau: Apologies from 30 NHL teams (TheHockeyNews.com)
(Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:07:00 PST)
Every NHL team has something to be sorry for so Adam Proteau does it for them in this week's column.

Wednesday’s Three Stars: Lundqvist, Reimer post shutouts; Samuelsson’s far out goal
(Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:45:46 PST)
No. 1 Star: Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers King Henrik recorded his third shutout in five starts with a 34-save night during a 1-0 shootout win over the Buffalo Sabres. After a scoreless regulation and overtime, Marian Gaborik and Ryan … Continue reading ?

Samuelsson scores 2 goals as Panthers top Caps 4-2
(Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:13:45 PST)
The Washington Capitals have been struggling on the road, and the Florida Panthers took full advantage. Mikael Samuelsson had two goals and the Panthers beat the Capitals 4-2 on Wednesday night. Stephen Weiss and Shawn Matthias also scored for Florida, and Scott Clemmensen stopped 26 shots. Tomas Fleischmann had a pair of assists for the Panthers, who moved into first place in the Southeast Division...