Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien knows he almost didn't make it this far.
With a win over Chicago on Thursday, Julien tied Art Ross for the most regular-season wins as Bruins head coach with 387.
But despite winning a Stanley Cup in 2011, his job was believed to have been in jeopardy as recently as this past summer when general manager Don Sweeney took over from predecessor Peter Chiarelli.
And it wasn't the first time.
"The fact that I've avoided being fired for the last nine years here has helped me get that many wins," he said, according to Chris Mason of the Boston Herald.
One win away from setting the club record, Julien knows he's in rare air.
Julien on tying Art Ross: "The thing that comes to mind is 'humbling.' He's an icon, he's a legend."
CHICOUTIMI, Que. - Tristen Elie had a pair of goals in the first period and added three assists to lead the Gatineau Olympiques to an 8-2 rout of Chicoutimi Sagueneens on Thursday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action.
Vincent Milot-Oue...
Mike Babcock believes in the rebuild, but he hates losing. And the Toronto Maple Leafs are losing often.
The Minnesota Wild left Toronto with a 2-1 victory Thursday, and Babcock was infuriated with the officiating. The Wild had four power-play opportunities to Toronto's none, and both Minnesota goals were scored with the man advantage.
"I don't get it," Babcock said after the game, when asked about the disparity in power plays. "Makes no sense to me.
Toronto's lost four straight, eight of nine, and 11 of 13. This was the pain Babcock was talking about. He clearly doesn't need the officiating adding to it.
PHILADELPHIA - Taylor Hall, Nail Yakupov, Patrick Maroon and Lauri Korpikoski all scored, and Cam Talbot made 35 saves to lead Edmonton to its third straight victory, 4-0 over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night.
Talbot, in his ninth st...
The club won its eighth straight Thursday, with the Ottawa Senators the latest victim. The eight wins in a row tie a franchise record, set around this time of year in 2004.
Tampa Bay's run has come against teams it should be beating.
After a slow start to the season, the Lightning, last year's Stanley Cup finalists, have found their stride. There's a chance they end the night with the Eastern Conference's second-best goal differential (plus-27).
Tampa Bay has a good chance to make franchise history Saturday, when it hosts the Carolina Hurricanes. In fact, the run could go well into double digits. Here are the Lightning's next six opponents:
OTTAWA - Ben Bishop made 33 saves and Ondrej Palat scored the winner as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-1 Thursday night.
Cedric Paquette, Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos — into an empty net — also scored for Tampa (...
TORONTO - The Minnesota Wild scored two power-play goals to capture a much-needed 2-1 victory Thursday night in Toronto.
Mikael Granlund whistled the eventual game-winner over the left shoulder of Maple Leafs goaltender Garret Sparks on a thi...
The Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers renewed their rivalry Thursday, and if the two clubs meet in the playoffs, prepare to be entertained.
Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist was incensed after his captain Ryan McDonagh collided with him in the first period, as the all-world goaltender believed the defender was pushed into him. Lundqvist was so mad he tossed the net off its moorings on a Penguins rush.
After the game, a 4-1 Penguins win, Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was asked if he'd ever go full Lundqvist.
Lundqvist's night only got worse. He eventually left the contest with neck spasms, and McDonagh said post-game he wasn't pushed into Lundqvist, according to The Record's Andrew Gross. Incidental contact. And certainly now what Lundqvist wants to hear.
An eventful, emotional night for Henrik Lundqvist ended on the treatment table.
New York Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said after Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins that his star goalie did not come out for the third period because he was experiencing neck spasms from a collision with defender Ryan McDonagh.
"I don't think it's anything serious," Vigneault said.
Lundqvist, who threw his net off its pegs in frustration soon after the collision and in protest with the officials, chose not to address the media.
Mikkel Boedker endeared himself to the Avalanche faithful Thursday by taking a Tyson Barrie pass off his skate and promptly roofing the puck past a sprawling Roberto Luongo for his first goal since being acquired by Colorado prior to the trade deadline.
The goal was Boedker's 14th, with the previous 13 coming with Arizona.