Hype for March 26, 2010

Pat Burns will be joined by Prime Minister Stephen Harper at a ceremony Friday where plans for a new arena named after the ailing former NHL coach are to be unveiled.

The event is to be held in Stanstead, Que, near the Quebec-Vermont border, where there the 56-year old rink at Stanstead College is to be replaced with a new building called the Pat Burns Arena.

The new facility is expected to be completed in 2011.

The teetering-on-the-brink New York Rangers were on the verge of a pointless night and somehow found a way to steal a win from the New Jersey Devils.

New York's playoff prospects were already a long shot before they kicked off a six-game trip Wednesday night that will ultimately determine if they reach the post-season. The Rangers shook off three one-goal deficits - the final one with 16.5 seconds remaining - and then edged the Devils in the shootout for a 4-3 victory.

Brian Gionta scored two goals and Montreal beat Florida 4-1 on Thursday night, but even in the Canadiens room after the game the mood was subdued due to what may have been another head injury to Panthers forward David Booth.

A wobbly Booth was taken to hospital after a check early in the second period at the Montreal blue-line by defenceman Jaroslav Spacek and, while a Panthers official said he appeared to be OK, it was a scary moment for a player who already missed 45 games this season with a serious concussion.

The St. Louis Blues have a pulse, albeit a faint one.

T.J. Oshie scored his first goal in 10 games, and B.J. Crombeen and Paul Kariya also scored in the St. Louis Blues' 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive.

Although Evgeni Nabokov gets visibly uncomfortable in the spotlight, the San Jose goalie allowed himself to enjoy it for a moment after his 50th career shutout.

Nabokov just hopes his fellow Sharks will keep taking the attention away from him over the next few weeks as they build toward a sixth straight playoff run.

Blindside hits to the head will no longer be tolerated in the NHL.

League disciplinarian Colin Campbell has been given the power to hand out supplemental discipline for hits on unsuspecting players where the primary point of contact is the head.

It was officially handed to him Thursday when the executive board of the NHL Players' Association announced that it supported the endorsement of the five player representatives on the competition committee. The league's board of governors had already granted its unanimous support.