The Bulletin Board keeps you abreast of the latest news
around the NHL Monday-Friday.
- Last night the NHL’s Board of Governors approved a new
four-conference realignment plan, motivated by the reintroduction of Winnipeg
to the league. The plan is designed to
limit travel, so the league will be primarily structured based on
geography. The Eastern and Western
Conferences will be irrelevant following this season. Instead, there will be four separate
conferences that are unnamed at this point.
The groupings are:
NY Rangers, NJ Devils, NY Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins,
Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes
Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators,
Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers
Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, L.A.
Kings, San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, Colorado Avalanche, Phoenix Coyotes
Winnipeg Jets, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, St.
Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars,
Minnesota Wild
In the seven-team conferences, each team will face each
other six times and will face every other team in the league twice each, once
at home and once away. In the eight-team
conferences each team will face each other five or six times a year on a
rotational basis. These teams will also
play every other team once home and once away.
Each conference will send its top four teams to the
playoffs. The first two rounds of the
playoffs will be held within each conference.
The biggest remaining mystery is how the playoffs will be handled after
the first two rounds, but that
will be decided at a later date. We’ll
have more later on BB on how realignment affects the Rangers.
- Jonathan Toews scored twice for Chicago, but the Blackhawks
fell to Phoenix in a shootout 4-3. In
the process, Toews took the NHL goal-scoring lead from Phil Kessel, who had
been the league leader since the third day of the season. Toews has 17 goals and 15 assists. Chicago goalie Corey Crawford was pulled
for the second time in three games after giving up three goals on 16 shots.
- Boston has established itself as the clear team to beat in
the NHL as the Bruins beat the Eastern Conference-leading Pittsburgh Penguins
3-1. The Bruins have won 14 of their
last 15 games.
- Ottawa scored three times in the final period to send the
stumbling Lightning to their fourth straight loss.
- Florida continued its surprising early season play, beating
Washington 5-4 behind three points from Stephen Weiss. The Panthers now lead the Capitals by seven
points in the Southeast Division. Will Florida’s
goaltending hold up?
- Pittsburgh defensemen Kris Letang and Zbynek Michalek both
have concussions.
- New York Islanders’ defenseman Andrew MacDonald is out
two-to-four weeks with a leg injury.
- Montreal defenseman Andrei Markov underwent another knee
surgery and will
be out four-to-six weeks.
- ESPN analyst and former NHLer Matthew Barnaby was fired
by the network last night after he was arrested for DWI. Barnaby was actually driving
without a front tire. He was also
arrested earlier this year on a domestic violence call.
- Brian Burke and Kevin Lowe had such a falling out that they
almost planned a fistfight in a barn, but Commissioner Gary Bettman said he
would suspend both men indefinitely if they went through with it. The two men have since reconciled.
- Burke and the Toronto media are
clashing.
- You absolutely must read this three-part
story on Derek Boogaard from the New York Times.
- There are 10 games on the schedule tonight. Detroit @ St. Louis will be on Versus at 7:30
p.m.
Past editions of the Bulletin Board:
9/21/11
- 2011 First-Round Draft Picks Shine In Preseason Action >
9/22/11
- Jody Shelley Delivers First Controversial Hit of 2011 Season >
9/23/11
- Shanahan Impresses As New NHL Disciplinarian >
9/26/11
– Sidney Crosby Participates In “Controlled Scrimmage” >
9/27/11
– Montreal Signs Chris Campoli >
9/28/11
– Top 2011 Draft Picks Shine In Preseason Action >
9/29/11
– Sestito Suspended Four Games For Hit On Deveaux >
9/30/11
– Kings Lock Doughty Up With Huge Deal >
10/3/11
– Former Rangers’ Prospects Grachev And Horak Make NHL Clubs >
10/4/11
– Steve Valiquette Is The New Goalie Coach At Quinnipiac University >
10/5/11
– Waiving Of Avery Could Wreak Havoc On The Stars’ Salary Cap Situation >
10/6/11
– Hockey Is Back >
10/7/11
– Jagr Picks Up Point #1,600 In Flyers’ Season-Opening Victory >
10/10/11
– Early Goalie Controversy In Washington? >
10/11/11
Prospal Scores Again For Columbus >
10/12/11
– Pittsburgh Rolling Without Crosby And Malkin >
10/13/11
– Sidney Crosby Cleared For Contact >
10/14/11
– Aaron Asham Is The Talk Of The League >
10/17/11
– Mark Messier Will Run The New York City Marathon >
10/18/11
– Colorado Wins Fifth-Straight Road Game, Leads Western Conference >
10/19/11
– New-look Flyers Off To Fast Start >
10/20/11
- Kessel Carrying The Leafs >
10/21/11
- Dale Weise Scores First NHL Goal >
10/24/11
– Vancouver Acquires David Booth >
10/25/11
- Jagr Scores First Two Goals Of The Season >
10/26/11
- Columbus Finally Wins >
10/27/11
– Montreal Fires Former Rangers’ Assistant Coach Perry Pearn >
10/28/11
– Philadelphia And Winnipeg Combine For 17 Goals!? >
10/31/11
- Edmonton And Ottawa Riding Surprising Hot Streaks >
11/1/11
– Chicago’s Stanley Cup Hangover Is In The Past >
11/2/11
- Ovechkin Benched >
11/3/11
– Brodeur Now Tied For Most Losses In NHL History >
11/4/11
- Predators Lock Up Pekka Rinne >
11/7/11
– Blues Fire Payne, Bring In Hitchcock >
11/8/11
– Boston Is Back >
11/9/11
– Blues Cruise In Hitchcock’s Return >
11/10/11
– Bizarre Scene In Tampa Bay >
11/11/11
– The Blue Jackets Are Awful >
11/14/11
– Milan Lucic Gives Ryan Miller A Concussion >
11/15/11
– Lucic Avoids Suspension For Hit On Miller >
11/16/11
– Malkin And Duchene Trade Beautiful Goals >
11/17/11
– Jhonas Enroth Finally Sputters >
11/18/11
– The Blues Are 4-0-1 Under Ken Hitchcock >
11/21/11
– Crosby Returns >
11/22/11
– The Sidney Crosby Show >
11/23/11
– Will Buffalo Seek Revenge On Milan Lucic? >
11/25/11
– Blake Comeau On Waivers >
11/28/11
– Washington Fires Boudreau, Carolina Axes Maurice >
11/29/11
– Vancouver’s Tough Decision In Goal >
11/30/11
– Hitchcock Rights The Ship In St. Louis >
12/1/11
– Ducks Fire Carlyle, Replace Him With Boudreau >
12/2/11
– Pittsburgh Tops Washington >
12/5/11
– Minnesota Is The Best Team In The League!? >
12/6/11 – Four-Conference
Realignment Plan Passes >
Click
here for our full 2011-2012 Season Archive >
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