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The Nashville Predators are ready to sleep in their own beds and skate on their own ice after being away from home for two weeks. ''I think everyone's looking at the standings and where you are at this point in the season,'' Predators center Mike Fisher said Wednesday. The Predators held the first wild-card berth with 83 points going into Wednesday night's games, giving Nashville an eight-point lead over Minnesota. Continue to Article

March 16, 2016 6:50:pm EST

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Offense in the NHL is not at crisis levels. NHL general managers for the most part like the flow of the game and the product in general. But there are still some issues with the game that need to be addressed. Teams have scored a total of 5.4 combined goals per-game this season, which is the lowest goals total since the NHL instituted rule changes after the 2004-05 season to increase scoring. [ Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey contest today ] In the past, there has been talk of increasing the size of the nets or changing the shape of the goalposts. That discussion has been tabled.  Currently the talk of the general managers has centered around goaltender equipment and how there needs to be streamlined pads. This will likely be instituted for next season.    Beyond goaltender’s pads, we talked to a few general managers at the league’s annual meetings at the Boca Raton Resort and Club and they gave their take on how to increase offense. Tim Murray, Buffalo Sabres “I think we have a good game but if we create a couple more goals that would be great. With the coach’s challenge, maybe when they’re 50/50 we just allow the goal and that’s our default position and if we allow the goal that will create more offense, but I’m pretty happy with the offensive part of it right now.” “I was a big proponent of changing the kicking rule so now we’re a lot more lenient of pucks going off skates, it has to be a soccer style kicking motion for it not to be (a goal), so I was on that committee and was a big proponent of that. If we could find something like that, it’s an issue in the press and we as managers would like to see a little more goals, no question." On not allowing icing to teams on the penalty kill   “There was complete interest. We’re totally interested. Blow it down, come back the other way and have a face-off. Our concern in our group was lengthening games. I think short term, it is. But I think then, you’re going to have more skill, guys flipping pucks as we see now in games. Maybe you’re not going to have that one-dimensional penalty killer anymore. Maybe you have to have more skill killing a penalty because you have less options. It’s going to change things. One decision has a ripple effect. So, we’ll see." On making a time limit for players in the trapezoid behind their goal net "I see guys standing there for five seconds while four other guys change. Then, he skates away from the puck, but it’s still sitting there and he changes. Then, by the time the new ‘D’ comes on, it’s 20 seconds and we’re still sitting there."   Chuck Fletcher, Minnesota Wild “Soccer goals … no, I think bigger nets, it’s probably an emotional reaction to the size of the goalie equipment. Kay Whitmore (with the NHL) is doing a great job and we’re on the right path but I do think the goaltending equipment needs to be readjusted and we’ve started that process. We’re making progress and I’m confident next year there will be some adjustments.” Ray Shero, New Jersey Devils “Goalie equipment. I was looking at a picture of Ken Dryden in the 1971-72 season, I said to one of the managers next to me, ‘look at how big the nets were back then.’ I mean, obviously they’re the same size but I really think the goalie equipment – to me I don’t see the need to make the nets bigger or anything like that. I really want to take a look at the goalie equipment and eventually, hopefully in my lifetime we’re going to see it because we talk about it every year and I wasn’t here last year and that was probably a good thing because I missed the conversation but we’re back at it again and the same thing so I look forward to the day, with safety, we can get the goalie equipment where it should be.” David Poile, Nashville Predators “I think we should stick with the goaltender equipment. It has been a process, we haven’t gotten there as quickly as I would hope we could and I would continue to work on that.”  Lou Lamoriello, Toronto Maple Leafs “I’ve seen some of the greatest games 2-1 and 1-0, so I may be the wrong person to talk about that. I think there are games that are 7-5 that I don’t think are enjoyable. As long as it’s good, hard competitive hockey, scoring is a subject that’s overworked and over talked about. We have to check the goaltending equipment and zero in on that, and I think that will help a lot.”  Doug Wilson, San Jose Sharks “I think the numbers don’t always dictate how the game is being played. I think most of us feel the game is in a pretty good place. I think the scoring opportunities, the ability for our players to show their skillset and talent is something we all want and I think the goaltending equipment is a part of that obviously. I think the style of play – you want to reward excellence and not cater to mediocrity. We want people to try and win games to try and score goals and create offense, but you also want the defenders to show their skillsets and I think we’re getting to a pretty good point. You look at 3-on-3. It’s pretty exciting. It’s probably working the way people wanted it with less games getting to shootouts, so that’s where we’re trying to get to.” “You take a look at the icing on the penalty kill. Why would you reward a team that’s penalized to do something they can’t do at any point of the game? We’ll discuss that tomorrow a little bit more. There’s all little things like that. You can’t take one suggestion out of context, you have to apply it to the whole thing, but I think our theme is we want to reward people who are trying to win games and make the game better and faster and dictate how games are played and personally I’m OK with that. Reward excellence, force people to get better and that’s a good thing.” Doug Armstrong, St. Louis Blues “Let’s clear up the goalies, which is 'Step 1.' There’s always unintended consequences to every decision. I think the games are exciting. I think if we’re not getting scoring chances that’s an issue. If we’re getting scoring chances and not enough goals, we’d all be nervous if the games weren’t having scoring chances. Sometimes the goalies are just better than the shooters, but if we can get the equipment to something everyone’s comfortable with, the goalies and the players, that’s the first step. “ Steve Yzerman, Tampa Bay Lightning “We just played the Boston Bruins and the game was 1-0 and they scored in overtime and I thought it was an excellent hockey game and there were chances at both ends of the rink. We have to continue to develop good players and then we’ll get more offense. We’ve been talking about these rule changes for year upon year upon year. Ultimately you get good players and encourage them to play with their skill.” “I think the next step would be to try to get a little more control over the goaltender’s equipment. If that fails to generate anything, maybe you talk about the nets, but I don’t see us going there yet.” MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY   - - - - - - - Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper         Continue to Article

March 15, 2016 7:06:pm EST

An independent arbitrator cut Dennis Wideman's suspension in half to 10 games Friday after concluding the Calgary Flames defenseman did not intend to injure a linesman when he knocked him to the ice during a game last month. In an 18-page ruling, arbitrator James Oldham wrote that he agreed with the NHL's decision to suspend Wideman for abusing an official. ''My fundamental disagreement with Commissioner Bettman's decision, is that, based on the totality of the evidence presented to me, I do not think that Wideman's behavior was animated by an intent to injure Henderson,'' Oldham wrote, citing testimony from NHL director of officiating Stephen Walkom among others in reaching his decision. Continue to Article

March 11, 2016 10:09:pm EST