In the Crease

Credit Avalanche netminder Patrick Roy for taking advantage of
the NHL's mandate to protect goaltenders. With referees regularly
calling interference on players initiating contact with the
opposing goalie, Roy was straying from his crease to play pucks
and, in the process, screening forecheckers. This allowed
Colorado defensemen to easily move the puck out of their zone.
Moreover, through the first four games of the Western Conference
finals against the Stars, Roy had also drawn two interference
penalties....

When Blues forward Ladislav Nagy was called to play for Slovakia
in the world championships last week, he had to refuse. The
reason? He had sent his equipment, including his skates, on a
boat back to his native country, and it wasn't scheduled to
arrive until next week....

Boston University won the recruiting war for Edina, Minn., high
school forward Justin Maiser. Scouts favorably compare Maiser's
style to that of Oilers star wing Bill Guerin's....

Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Doug MacLean whittled his
list of coaching candidates for the expansion team to Bill
Barber, who coaches the Flyers' farm team, the Philadelphia
Phantoms; former Flames coach Dave King, the Canadiens' director
of European pro scouting; former Edmonton coach Ron Low, who was
behind the bench for the IHL's Houston Aeros in 1999-2000; and
Kings assistant Dave Tippett....

Flyers G.M. Bob Clarke has shown class by having Philly's former
scouting director, Jerry Melnyk, travel with the team during the
playoffs. Melnyk, who retired three years ago, suffers from
leukemia. His last No. 1 draft choice was goalie Brian Boucher,
who has had a terrific postseason.