Would Changing the Devils Team Captain Make Any Difference?
by Tom Stivali on Nov 19, 2010 10:36 AM EST
in Devils Issues, Views & Analysis
Email
PrintLike many fans, I have had issues with the leadership of Jamie Langenbrunner. From his post game quotes to his rift with Jacques Lemaire last year the question has to be asked: Is he the right leader for this team?
My personal answer would be no. Three straight first round exits for a team with lofty expectations year in and year out should be proof enough and the background noise he made last year with Lemaire should have had him stripped of the captaincy. When the Devils acquired Jason Arnott back in June, I assumed he might take over that role-as he did with the Nashville Predators or that the captaincy would be given back to Patrik Elias-and that Jamie would be a victim of the necessary changes that Lou Lamoriello said were coming. Well, we know how the rest of the summer played out and I won't bore you with the rehash.
Would it matter if Jamie had been traded or stripped of the captaincy? Would it motivate the other players or create any difference? This made me curious about the impact of a captain change on a hockey club. I looked at each NHL team since 2000 to see who had captain changes during the year to determine if a player being stripped of the ‘C' made any difference. After the jump I will list out all the changes that have occurred.
Let me first explain how I approached this. I looked for captain changes during the season either by trade or some other method and captain changes that occurred during the offseason only if the player who was captain still remained with the club. In other words, if a captain was traded in August, I wouldn't list it here. Further, if a team traded its captain at the trade deadline and didn't name an immediate successor I didn't note it. Finally, please note that some teams (Minnesota Wild, Buffalo Sabres) rotated captains during many of these seasons, so those changes were also omitted.
What did I find? A few things:
A captaincy change mid-year is rare. I have highlighted the instances of this in yellow in the chart above. In almost a decade-from what I was able to gather-only five captaincy changes occurred during a season. The Capitals and Hurricanes changes were based upon the logical succession planning with their star players. Luke Richardson stepped down for Columbus, and they played slightly better under Adam Foote, but still missed the playoffs. Desjardins resigning and Keith Primeau taking the captaincy could be deemed impactful if it happened if the Flyers were playing poorly. From what I was able to gather, Desjardins quit the captaincy after game 8 of that season (a 6-3 win) and the team was 3-2-3. Not exactly a dire time for the Flyers. The only interesting change out of that group was by the New Jersey Devils, which I will talk about further below. Plus, on all of those changes there is no evidence of positive playoff impact.
The other offseason changes, which are highlighted in blue, represent captaincy changes that occurred in the offseason and the player who lost the ‘C' still played for that club. The only change that could be deemed impactful was the change of Patrick Marleau to Rob Blake. San Jose was able to get to the conference finals with Blake, but it is hard to make the case that they did so because of the captaincy change. Anaheim actually changed captains twice in a two year span, primarily because of Scott Niedermayer's uncertainties about his future with the club at that time. Chris "Puck Stealing" Pronger both took the captaincy away and gave it back to Niedermayer.
After looking at this information I think it's pretty fair to say a captain change won't alter the team's play that much. So with or without Langenbrunner as captain, I don't think it will impact the Devils in any way.
That said, looking at how rare the mid-season captaincy change is I find it more astonishing that Lou Lamoriello let a rookie coach-Brent Sutter-take that responsibility away from a player who had been with the organization so long and accomplished so much. The Devils record before and after that change are similar so I don't see how Langenbrunner made a big difference. It's interesting that right now Elias seems to be the more productive and vocal player in the locker room. While I don't think it would have any impact, maybe it's time to right a wrong and give Elias the ‘C' back.
Are you surprised by the lack of captaincy changes? Think it's even worthwhile to discuss removing the ‘C' from Langenbrunner? Thanks for reading and sound off below!
34 comments
|
1 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I don’t think just looking at post-season success is the best measuring stick to judge what impact a change in captaincy may or may not have had.
Excluding the Flyers who changed their Captain after only 8 games (though they would still qualify), each of those teams increased their win percentage after the change.
- The Devils went from .556 to .564
- The Blue Jackets from .270 to .500
- The Canes from .292 to .618
- The Caps from .615 to .714
In the Devils and Capitals’ cases, they were already playing above .500 hockey and only got better, though probably for different reasons. Elias was freed of the responsibility and seemed (no stats to back up claim) to play with more focus and improved his play; Clark was traded and so the Caps theoretically improved an already good team with the exchange of players.
Columbus was a pretty marked turnaround, almost doubling their win percentage and going from winning roughly 1 in every 4 games to winning every other game, though they were still only an average team that wouldn’t have made the playoffs even if they played the whole season at the level they did after the change.
For Carolina, Brind’Amour was painfully inadequate as a player but was still receiving far more ice time than he should have (in part) because he was the Captain. Once the change was made to Staal, Brind’Amour was slowly phased out and the younger players were given more time to come together and start to figure out how to play in the NHL, leading to their run toward the end of the year.
After looking at this information I think it’s pretty fair to say a captain change won’t alter the team’s play that much. So with or without Langenbrunner as captain, I don’t think it will impact the Devils in any way.
It’s impossible to say how much of an effect the actual change had on the teams, but there is some evidence that teams actually play better after a change of Captaincy.
Good points as always.
You can use the regular season, and that’s fine. I wanted to focus on the playoffs because that’s where I thought you might see the most impact.
The two big regular season turnarounds were for non-playoff teams. Now if Columbus had or the Hurricanes have a deep playoff run even in the following season you can make the argument that the in-season change was more impactful. The Canes/Caps changes were expected and I think you can admit that the Canes issues weren’t due to Brind’Amour. The coach not realizing he was past his prime, perhaps.
It’s hard to measure if Elias was relieved as you say. I think you can make that case. Part of me wants to say that there was a coup with some of the players on that team but that would be highly speculative.
by Tom Stivali on Nov 19, 2010 12:00 PM EST up reply actions
I think using the regular season is a more accurate projection of the change, as, for instance, even though the Jackets vastly improved their play after the change, they still weren’t going to make the playoffs. The improvement is all relative, I guess.
The two big regular season turnarounds were for non-playoff teams.
Stands to reason, as they had the most room for improvement. Again, pinning down just how much of it was due to the change in Captain remains to be seen. There are lots of other factors that might have had impacts: players returning from injury, shifts in coaching philosophy, trades, call-ups overachieving, players breaking out of slumps, a realization that the pressure of making the post-season is off and players “playing loose”, easier schedule, etc.
Now if Columbus had or the Hurricanes have a deep playoff run even in the following season you can make the argument that the in-season change was more impactful.
Agreed, to a degree. As hard as it is to even quantify what impact the change had during the year, it’s probably even harder to show what impact it had the next year considering all of the other variables. The Jackets finished with one less point the next year and again missed the playoffs, and the Canes, while playing better than they were to start last year, aren’t even maintaining their .618 W%, never mind looking like they’re poised for a deep playoff run. Neither means that the change wasn’t a good choice at the time and didn’t have a positive impact, however.
I think you can admit that the Canes issues weren’t due to Brind’Amour. The coach not realizing he was past his prime, perhaps.
Absolutely, though I do think he was symbolic of what was wrong with the team and when they finally bit the bullet and demoted the old man, the team turned a corner. That and by reducing his ice time, they allowed for a better player to get more ice time.
Again, though, it could have been other things entirely. It might have been a wake-up call to the other players that no one is safe from being held accountable. Who can say?
It’s hard to measure if Elias was relieved as you say. I think you can make that case. Part of me wants to say that there was a coup with some of the players on that team but that would be highly speculative.
Agreed. My statement was entirely speculative also, as I have no evidence to support it. I’m going solely on the memory of a perception… so I could be way off. I think that you’re right though if you’re saying that the change to Langenbrunner helped more in that it was the removal of Elias as Captain than it was a testament to Jamie’s ability to lead.
Captaincy vs. leadership
In this instance I compare hockey to the military. In hockey there is a less extensive ranking system than in the military yet it exists nonetheless. Your captain and his alternates make up the commanders “in the field” while your coaches (generals) remain behind the lines and are the (supposed) brain trust of the overall operations. The military is very similar to this system…the main difference being the various other ranks below and above Captain that make up the command structure. My point being…like the military…just because you have an individual who is ranked higher than you does not make him a “leader”. He may be allowed and/or granted the ability and title to give orders and assume the role of leader…yet still may not seen as such. So as it pertains to the case of our NJ Devils squad this season…do we need a new “captain” or a new “leader”…or both? I will not pretend to know what goes on in the locker room/practice and ice between the players and coaches…let that be said. Jamie Langenbrunner is the captain…that is a fact…but is he the “leader”? I say no. I can’t lay the blame on him directly without knowing all the facts but there are various reasons both valid and non why he is or isn’t the true leader of this team. So if the team has a “leader” who is he? I think most people would look to Jason Arnott. (experience/team history/stature/ability to kill wild animals with his bare hands). So for instance if a majority of the team already looks to Arnott as a leader yet he lacks the “C” is that a detriment to the team as a whole? Perhaps. Would making him the captain allow the team to follow it’s “true” leader? Perhaps. Unfortunately we the fans are only on the outside looking in…and whether we like it or not…this all boils down to speculation and coffee talk. In closing…I believe the weakness of this team…(like most unstable structures)…is in it’s foundation…or the lack there of. Start from there and move forward…and when you get to the question of Captaincy it may already be answered for you.
"Look at my face. I came here to play a hockey game and look at my face." -Kris Draper
Once MacLean is out (next week?), perhaps all the captains should voluntarily resign their positions.
Why do I say that?
Because we need a wholesale starting-over, and with Langenbrunner and Parise injured and Elias already having served as a captain, I say why not start over? Mostly. Let the old captains help some newer blood take a leadership role.
With Langs and Parise injured, shifting the captaincy around will not be considered as fundamentally a mark of their performance as captaincy goes.
New captains I propose:
C – Dainus Zubrus (or Arnott)
A – Jason Arnott (or Zubrus)
A – Ilya Kovalchuk? (or, perhaps keep it with Patrik Elias)
A – Colin White
Alternatively, if Arnott takes the C, then Elias and Zubrus can each take an A.
Thus:
C – Jason Arnott
A – Dainius Zubrus
A – Patrik Elias
A – Colin White
In fact, I think I like the second set-up more. Kovy has enough stress placed on him for now. Let him keep his mind on his game and finding a role in the Devils organization. We need that.
Arnott as captain? No. He’s not going to be a part of this team next year.
If the Devils are going to strip the captaincy from Langenbrunner, then they should just have three A’s (give the third to White) until Parise comes back.
I’m sorry, but I just don’t see Zubrus or Arnott as any sort of long term (or short term) solution to this captaincy problem. The main point isn’t about giving the C to someone else, it’s about removing it from Langenbrunner.
DISCLAIMER: I do not believe removing the captaincy will accomplish anything, and I think too much is made about who actually wears the C. That’s just my take.
To your credit, Ron Wilson did say that a leader “shouldn’t need a letter” to be a leader. With that said, Wilson may be out a job soon, but point well taken.
"Potential means you ain't done it yet" - Bill Parcells
by DownGoesAvery on Nov 19, 2010 4:58 PM EST up reply actions
Why do you say that Arnott won't be part of the Devils next year?
I thought the Devils picked up his contract through the end of next season.
Or, alternatively, if we salvage this season and Arnott plays well, I can see him finishing with the Devils after a 1 yr stint as maybe a third-line center. Heck, who else would take him as a player at this stage in his career?
Thereafter, he will be a Devils alumni-cum-coach on special assignment.
No, just this season.
Go Devils
Go Jets
Like sports betting? Sign up with centsports and do it for free
Kovalchuk doesn’t need a letter. Management needs to remind him that he was brought in a piece to what they hoped would be a championship puzzle, not as THE puzzle, if that makes any sense. He may say the right things, but he’s not a captain. That’s just my feeling at this point.
"Potential means you ain't done it yet" - Bill Parcells
by DownGoesAvery on Nov 19, 2010 5:00 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, you make a good point.
Kovy doesn’t need the A. Let him play his role for now.
I think that’s what I was trying to get at when I said Kovy should focus on settling in.
But, to answer your question...
Do I think changing the captaincy will make a difference?
I don’t know. But, at this point we have to pull out all the stops and spare no emotional pangs or regret in shuffling this team.
What do we have to lose by reshuffling? Nothing.
Exactly
I happen to feel that Langenbrunner has lost his will to play hard at all anymore, but no matter what you think of him as captain we all agree that something needs to change. Coach and captain need to change, and team captain is far easier considering there doesn’t need to be a change of roster.
I was seriously surprised to see that Langenbrunner was still on the team this year, NTC or not, let alone still be captain. His leadership is non-existant, much like his production on the ice.
He’s still a strong player and a solid NJ Devil kind-of-guy, but as a leader and as a player it’s just now working anymore.
My hope is that in the off-season he’ll put on some weight and muscle. And, for me this is important: he should finish his career with the Devils. He only has so many years left to give, and he can give more for the NJDs than anybody else.
ive said it before, and ill say it again. i think the team needs to go with 4 alternates for the time being. elias, parise, zubrus, and white. if you look at production at least during the regular season, jamie has had his best years (69 points in 09 with a career high 29 goals, and 61 points in 2010 with a career high of 42 assists) in each of his full seasons as captain. patrik had a decent year (69 points in 2007) as captain, but with the a, he had his best year since the lockout (78 points in 77 games in 2009). i think if you look at it in terms of production its hard to make a case that langenbrunner should not be captain, but of course there are other issues involved as well.
even with parise (definite future captain of devils), and we needed a captaincy change, i think my leading choice would be colin white at least until the end of the season. He is a long time veteran devil and hes playing like a top 2 d0man for our team now.
then next year parise gets the C
but at this point, i think we should just continue playing and end up in the standings whenever its meant to be…on nhl.com they have us finishing 28th place for the draft, and Adam Larsson (best PMD available and future star) is ranked 3rd…plus he’s swedish and the devils are one of the best teams to train swedish players (urbom, josefson, tedenby, bergfors)
on nhl.com they have us finishing 28th place for the draft
This ranking was based on the current NHL rankings. They even disclaimed in that article that it is very likely the orders would change. I wouldn’t use this as any sort of indication of where the Devils will place at the end of the season (although it might be accurate).
In a word, yes. By the way, since when is Langenbrunner a left wing?
Anyway, the Devils’ current captain is not a leader. Patrik Elias was not a good captain, either, in my opinion. I would be fine with Arnott, not Zajac, not Zubrus, possibly Volchenkov, but not likely. Parise is the obvious choice, but that isn’t possible. Maybe, just maybe, Rod Pelley could be a good leader. Just a thought…
I think that would at least shake things up, and I didn’t like that MacLean told Langenbrunner in the off-season that he would remain captain. Langenbrunner won’t even be a Devil in a few months.
"Potential means you ain't done it yet" - Bill Parcells
I did exclude Colin White, and I apologize to him because he would not be a bad choice either.
"Potential means you ain't done it yet" - Bill Parcells
by DownGoesAvery on Nov 19, 2010 4:56 PM EST up reply actions
Preds blogger here, and had to add my quick 0.02: Jason Arnott deserves an alternate captaincy long before Ilya Kovalchuk, but you do not want to make him your captain, for various reasons.
Chris-This came from Dirk Hoag right after the trade. I assume you don’t agree?
Best of luck to Jason Arnott, though, who stepped into a leadership void in 2007 and led the Preds to an unexpected playoff berth in 2008. He was often criticized by local fans for a perceived lack of effort or leadership, but the one thing we’ve always heard about the Predators is that they have a solid locker room and a deep commitment to team play, which has to, in part, be credited to the team leadership.
I see a lot of advocates for Zubrus as captain (or alternate) above…. and I wonder just where he’s demonstrated he deserves a letter. And that question encompasses his entire career. I won’t pretend to have paid attention to all of Dainius’ previous stops, but I don’t recall that he’s ever worn a letter in his fifteen years of NHL service (give or take)…. and I suspect there has to be a reason in there somewhere. So what qualifies him to wear a letter now? What leadership has he demonstrated on this club?
Jason Arnott deserves an alternate captaincy long before Ilya Kovalchuk
That’s certainly debatable. I think Ilya Kovalchuk getting Parise’s “A” has nothing to do with the captaincy or leadership on the ice. More than anything else, I think it is simply a reflection of the investment this franchise has made in him going forward: he’s going to be here for a long time to come, so they’ve provided him a letter with the hopes that he’ll grow into it and demonstrate some leadership and stability. Considering all the other pressure on him, I don’t agree with this move at all, because I think it will simply compound the situation.
Most of us share the belief that Zach Parise is “captain-in-waiting” and will get the letter to that effect once Langenbrunner is gone. I don’t have an issue with that. What I would have an issue with is stripping Langenbrunner of the “C” and giving the captaincy (as opposed to a third “A”) to someone this season. It makes a mockery of the captaincy for it to be swapped around like that.
I’d prefer to give an “A” to Colin White and simply go with three alternates, if the decision is to be made that Jamie Langenbrunner should no longer be the captain. Of course, there’s the follow-up questions as to whether or not Jamie then needs to be traded, but that’s another article.
Excluding the Flyers who changed their Captain after only 8 games (though they would still qualify), each of those teams increased their win percentage after the change.
A very limited sample size, so I’m not sure you can draw such sweeping conclusions. It also begs another question: Did the new captain spark an improvement in play, or was the team so far off its form that it would happen anyhow? You often see a similar effect with in-season coaching changes…. but GMs will often hold off on pulling the trigger on firing a head coach until a point in the schedule appears that gives the new guy a chance to string together a couple of wins early. That doesn’t mean a coaching change doesn’t make a difference, but situations can be finagled a little bit to make it seem like more than it is.
To back up that last point, let me use the case of the 2003-2004 New Jersey Nets. They fired head coach Byron Scott on January 23rd, after a 5-game skid and 21-point loss in Miami (at the end of a tough road trip) dropped the two-time defending Conference champs to 21-20. Enter Lawrence Frank, and the team wins their next 11 games, eventually going 26-15 the rest of the regular season and losing in the 2nd round of the playoffs (in Game 7, on the road).
The numbers say the team played better for Frank (who would be fired in 2009 while the Nets were in the midst of an NBA record 0-18 start) …. but it was questioned later whether it was a genuine improvement, or a mirage based on the schedule (only three of the eleven wins would come against teams that finished above .500 that year).
I’m not saying that a change in captaincy won’t have an impact. Still, if the Devils changed captains right now, isn’t it almost certain that their record the rest of the season will be better than it is now?
I’ll answer that, because I raised the point above. Like it or not, I do not have a Billy Bean, sabermetric, corsi index, crooked spectacles on crookeder testicles answer to your question about Zubrus. This ain’t about science and Ivan Drago, for me. This is about some good ole Lithuanian heart.
Has Zubrus underperformed, or failed to meet expectations? Yes, but who on the Devils roster have not slipped a little?
Going into Zubrus 4th season with Big D, I still see tremendous heart from this beast of a man. And, he is definitely a beast at 6’5" and he throws the body around well. That physical committment to an energetic, scrappy, resilient form of hockey is what I like from Kovalchuk, Parise, Clarkson as well. I can’t explain it, but some guys just strike me as more physical and gritty and I see that in Zubrus’ core playing style.
Additionally, I think he is the perfect line-mate to spend several years communicating with Kovalchuk. But, this is not because of the Russian language or the KHL connections, though that helps my point. I think, again, it is because they have similar big-frame physiques and grittiness to their strong offensive play. These are guys who can push back, say, against the Chris Prongers of the world. I can’t speak to Vasunov or Tedenby doing that with them, so I don’t know what the best 3rd is for them.
In sum, I think Zubrus shows grit and toughness on the ice, pairs well with the finesse of the Euro style and the toughness of the North American style, is fluently bi- or tri-lingual – which is crucial (it’s conceivable that he speaks or understands Swedish or Ukranian, though I don’t believe he does), and will be spending several more years with the Devils organization. That is, perhaps they shouldn’t drop a “C” on a player who’s on his way out, as some believe Arnott and Langenbrunner to be.
by Alan Wright on Nov 20, 2010 2:01 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Zubrus, pt 2
Sorry, another point. I think that in his playing experience he knows a great deal about the Eastern Conference. Flyers. Canadiens. Sabres? Capitals.
How much have those teams, rosters, or systems changed? I don’t know. But, I believe he must have some residual understanding of their play.
by Alan Wright on Nov 20, 2010 2:14 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
A very limited sample size, so I’m not sure you can draw such sweeping conclusions.
Draw what “sweeping” conclusions… that their win percentage increased after the change? It’s a simple, observable fact.
If you’re implying I concluded that it was due to the change in captain, then you obviously missed the part where, in response to Tom’s statement:
After looking at this information I think it’s pretty fair to say a captain change won’t alter the team’s play that much. So with or without Langenbrunner as captain, I don’t think it will impact the Devils in any way.
I said:
It’s impossible to say how much of an effect the actual change had on the teams, but there is some evidence that teams actually play better after a change of Captaincy.
Not advocating a change. Not suggesting a change would mean the team is guaranteed to suddenly play better. No broad, “sweeping” conclusions. Just a simple counter-statement that there actually is some evidence that teams play better after a change if you look at the regular season results before and after the change.
. It also begs another question: Did the new captain spark an improvement in play, or was the team so far off its form that it would happen anyhow?
Did you bother even reading the rest of my post? I used to think you just had a reading comprehension problem, but now I’ve come to think you deliberately take people’s statements out of context just to give yourself something to rant about.
I neither advocated a change in Captaincy, nor did I suggest I thought it would, based on precedent, mean the Devils would suddenly play better. If you’d read the rest of my post and the following posts between Tom and I, you’d have seen that we actually discussed that.
Kovi shouldn’t have any letter on his sweater. I’m so sick of this guy already. He doesn’t fit in New Jersey. It seems he brought the losing attitude with him from Atlanta. I call it “the kovalchuck curse”. He’s got alot to prove to me before he’s officially part of my Devils.
One question, do we have our first round pick in this upcoming draft? Or did we lose that with all the kovalchuck crap as well? Cause if we didn’t than we should just call it a season and think about getting something back from all the prospect’s we lost cause of kovalckuck. What a waste!
Kovi shouldn’t have any letter on his sweater. I’m so sick of this guy already. He doesn’t fit in New Jersey. It seems he brought the losing attitude with him from Atlanta. I call it "the kovalchuck curse". He’s got alot to prove to me before he’s officially part of my Devils.
This was certainly a rational and provable statement.
One question, do we have our first round pick in this upcoming draft? Or did we lose that with all the kovalchuck crap as well? Cause if we didn’t than we should just call it a season and think about getting something back from all the prospect’s we lost cause of kovalckuck. What a waste!
The Devils who have a first. And why not look up what that trade was. The Devils traded one prospect (Patrice Cormier) and two picks – a first rounder that Atlanta sent to Chicago later on, and a second round pick that was replaced by Atlanta’s higher second round pick, used to draft Jon Merrill. So, “all the prospect’s we lost” were one actual prospect and one drafted player which is total wild card. And they weren’t lost – they were traded.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Nov 20, 2010 9:55 AM EST up reply actions
So they didn’t lose the first pick for this upcoming draft in the cercomvention penalty? If not that would be great cause if we remain where we are we will almost for sure get a high quality draft pick that could pretty much step in and play right away.
Last saturday Don Cherry was talking about a young defenceman playing in I believe the q.m.j.h.l. that might be one of the top picks. He showed some video of him. He was something else. He looked like a cross between Bobby Orr & Scott Neidermyer. Even though the Devils have alot of defencemen & it looks like Taormina could emerge into there top puck mover, they don’t really have anyone else. This guy would be perfect.
Did you happen to see that last Saturday John?
Last saturday Don Cherry was talking about a young defenceman playing in I believe the q.m.j.h.l. that might be one of the top picks. He showed some video of him. He was something else. He looked like a cross between Bobby Orr & Scott Neidermyer. Even though the Devils have alot of defencemen & it looks like Taormina could emerge into there top puck mover, they don’t really have anyone else. This guy would be perfect.
Did you happen to see that last Saturday John?
No. I don’t get Hockey Night in Canada.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Nov 20, 2010 6:52 PM EST up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on In Lou We Trust
Related FanShots on In Lou We Trust
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Latest Puck Daddy - NHL from Yahoo! Sports
- Thursday’s Three Stars: Kings win eighth straight; Kopitar’s sweet breakaway deke
- King leads Kings to super-meta Game 3 victory over the Coyotes
- Coyotes Coach Dave Tippett on embellishment: ‘The game is turning a little dishonest’ (VIDEO)
- No Hanzal, no Aucoin for Coyotes in Game 3 vs. Kings; Hal Gill, pylon (Playoff Puck Previews)
- Tom Renney’s contract not renewed by Edmonton Oilers; who might replace him?
Latest stories and headlines from NHL.com
- King, Quick lead LA Kings to brink of Cup final with 2-1 win over Coyotes in Game 3
- King, Quick lead Kings to brink of Cup final with 2-1 win over Coyotes in Game 3
- Milano takes over NHL's Twitter feed for Game 3
- Scrivens gets shutout as Marlies blank Barons 5-0 in Game 1 of AHL West final
- Kostka scores twice as Admirals rout IceCaps 6-1 in Eastern Conference opener
