Associated Press - April 1, 2007: NEW YORK -- Sean Avery had a nervous lunch with Brendan Shanahan hours before carrying the New York Rangers to the brink of a second straight playoff berth. Avery is much better at annoying than scoring, but he did a lot of both Sunday night in the Rangers' 7-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Associated Press - April 10, 2007: NEW YORK -- Chicago won the NHL draft lottery Tuesday, giving the Blackhawks a reason to celebrate after missing the playoffs for the eighth time in nine seasons The Blackhawks, who will pick first in the June draft, had the fifth worst record and only an 8.1 percent chance to come out on top in the lottery.

Associated Press - April 3, 2007: DALLAS -- The Dallas Stars' plans for an eighth Pacific Division title in the past 10 seasons took a hit courtesy of the St. Louis Blues. Glen Metropolit and Doug Weight scored in a 17-second span in the second period to help the Blues stop the Stars' four-game winning streak with a 4-2 victory on Monday night.

Associated Press - April 1, 2007: SUNRISE, Fla. -- Ray Whitney found a way to keep Carolina's playoff hopes alive while eliminating Florida from the postseason. Whitney's power-play goal 1:30 into overtime lifted the Hurricanes over the Panthers 4-3 on Sunday

Associated Press - April 7, 2007: SAN JOSE, Calif. -- When Joe Thornton ran Vancouver's Matt Cooke into the boards late in the third period, the San Jose Sharks' sizzling rivalry with the Canucks seemed perfectly primed for a first-round playoff sequel. Two late goals changed both clubs' postseason course, and it's a pity: After this bruising regular-season finale for San Jose, only a rematch could have been more exciting than a game that decided two division titles.

Associated Press - April 3, 2007: WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkin had a goal, Olie Kolzig made 27 saves and the Washington Capitals beat the Florida Panthers 1-0 on Tuesday night. The shutout was Kolzig's first since Feb. 15, 2004, during the Capitals' 4-0 win at Chicago.

Associated Press - April 1, 2007: SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The San Jose Sharks kept the heat on their playoff competition. The Sharks' 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday night moved them back into a tie with the Dallas Stars for the fifth place in the Western Conference. San Jose and the Stars each have 102 points. Anaheim leads both teams in the Pacific Division with 106.

Associated Press - April 12, 2007: DETROIT -- Detroit Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios set an NHL record Thursday by playing in the postseason for a 22nd time, facing Calgary in Game 1 of their first-round series. In his 23-season career, Chelios has been relegated to watching the playoffs only once. He has won two Stanley Cups.

Associated Press - April 10, 2007: NEW YORK -- Don Cherry is bringing his loud mouth and louder outfits south of the border. The outspoken former coach of the Boston Bruins, who has been a fixture on CBC's "Hockey Night In Canada' telecasts for more than 25 years, will make his U.S. broadcasting debut as part of NBC's Stanley Cup playoff telecasts, the network announced Tuesday.

Associated Press - April 11, 2007: GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Phoenix Coyotes cleaned out their front office Wednesday, firing general manager Mike Barnett and two other executives after the franchise's worst season since it moved from Winnipeg in 1996. Wayne Gretzky, who owns a share of the team and is its managing partner, will return for a third season as coach next fall. Gilman