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As noted earlier, Tim Jackman is out. Per Chickendirt, this one is streamed on Yahoo.
The fraternity of NHL coaches has added one more AHL graduate today, with Davis Payne taking over the St. Louis Blues on an "interim" but actually job-audition basis for the rest of the season. In discussing the hiring, John Davidson (who did not say "oh baby") pointed to the number of recent AHL coaches who have had quick success at the NHL level. Among those: Pittsburgh, Ottawa and even Colorado (I say "even" because that team looked a long way away when Joe Sacco was hired. But 40 games later...)
Davidson did not mention the Panthers, nor tonight's combatants, Atlanta and the Islanders. That's not a surprise -- all three of these teams have a ways to go, even though I don't think there are too many faulting either Scott Gordon or John Anderson for where their respective squads are. But I do wonder, in three years with the benefit of hindsight, how will we judge Gordon, Anderson, Sacco, Peter DeBoer, Cory Clouston and now Davis Payne? What about Bruce Boudreau if the Caps don't win a Cup?
Like the players themselves, the NHL's coaching ranks are trending younger. The old fiery warhorses are being phased out. Everybody's doing the trendy thing, with coaches who presumably better relate to the young players that now drive this league. While coaching records are largely dependent on their rosters, in 2015 who will we see as the gems and duds of this era? Finding out is, I guess, why we watch the games.
Game Thread: Looks like I'm missing this one live, so have fun and simply: Let's Go Is-lan-ders.