NHL Western Conference News

As the Phoenix Coyotes head into yet another offseason with ownership uncertainty, they do so with a couple other key issues looming.

When teams reach the playoffs and then try to move on from round to round, they're usually only as good - or bad - as their head coach.

Joel Quenneville was selected as a Jack Adams Award finalist earlier this month for his part in helping the Chicago Blackhawks earn the Presidents' Trophy in one of the most remarkable regular-season performances we have seen in a long time.

When the Detroit Red Wings opened their Western Conference semifinal series against arguably their biggest rival, the Chicago Blackhawks, goalie Jimmy Howard played a terrible game.

The quirky-as-hell former goalie is coming back to the NHL to coach his former team, the Colorado Avalanche .

Winning a title for a veteran player that has never tasted that kind of success is a strong motivator for teams, especially ones that have captured a Stanley Cup recently and need a boost to get their hunger level up to where it was before they earned a championship ring.

The Edmonton Oilers once boasted two of the greatest centers in NHL history. These two individuals also played together on one of the finest teams ever assembled.

The team reached an agreement in principle Thursday with Roy to lead the Avs and also gave him the title of vice president of hockey operations.

The Boston Bruins will try to become the first team this postseason to reach the conference final stage, as they attempt to complete a sweep of the New York Rangers in Thursday's Game 4 at Madison Square Garden.

The San Jose Sharks evened up their Western Conference semifinals series against the Los Angeles Kings Tuesday, May 21.

We've seen some electric hockey so far in the postseason this year. From nail-biters to blowouts, there's been a little bit of something for everyone.

Hockey Night in Canada's Don Cherry says three good guys in Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault and assistants Rick Bowness and Newell Brown go down the drain for the poor performance of GM Mike Gillis.

Vancouver Canucks' head coach Alain Vigneault reacts on the bench near the end of the third period during the team's 5-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings during an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, B.C., on Saturday March 16, 2013.

DETROIT – Wander from one dressing room stall to another, fight your way through the scrum of TV cameras and microphones, and the answers all tend to sound the same.

As rival NHL franchises attempt to get their houses in order - especially in Colorado and Dallas where not making the playoffs met with management changes - it's now entering week three since Vancouver was swept aside in its Western Conference quarter-final series.

Through slightly more than three weeks of Stanley Cup playoff action, hockey fans have been treated to a multitude of thrilling performances.

Detroit Red Wings' goalie Jimmy Howard spits water during Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinal against the Chicago Blackhawks.Howard has won four of five games and is averaging two goals against and 34-plus saves - Photo by The Associated Press DETROIT - Jimmy Howard's cat-quick reflexes in net and easygoing nature out of it are big reasons ... (more)

For two and a half periods, the Toronto Marlies had done enough to keep their dreams of an American Hockey League Calder Cup alive while facing elimination against the Grand Rapids Griffins.

The Grand Rapids Griffins open the Western Conference finals Friday against Oklahoma City and a hockey team affected by the deadly tornado that carved through the outlying city and nearby suburb of Moore on Monday.

The Associated Press 5/21/13 Undated- The Boston Bruins and defending Stanley Cup champion L.A. Kings can take commanding leads in their respective NHL conference semifinal series tonight.