from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet,

- One coach has a theory on the Ducks. They knew they were going to be judged solely on playoff performance, and thought they were good enough to coast and get there. “The problem,” that coach said, “is if you’re not physically or emotionally consistent, you’re going to get beat. And, if you’re behind mentally or in the standings, it's hard to catch-up.”

- One GM laughed at speculation that Marc Bergevin likes Wayne Simmonds because he went to Philadelphia in-person. (For the record, Bergevin said he was there for Team Canada.) “Do you think Marc Bergevin needs to go to Philadelphia to see that Wayne Simmonds is good? Everyone already knows that. Without going there.”

- In addition to their coaching and goaltender moves, San Jose made some cosmetic changes to the dressing room in an attempt to create a fresh atmosphere. The area itself was remodeled, and some new slogans were added. I used to think it was hooey, but I’ve come to understand the psychology. Brenden Dillon liked “Break the Line” — a fitting fishing motif asking the players to push through challenges. They’ve broken the line enough to stay in the race, second in the Pacific. Last season, the Sharks were minus-14 five-on-five, buoyed by the sixth-ranked power play. They lost 19 games where they outshot an opponent, fifth-worst in the NHL. This year, they are minus-10 five-on-five and the power play is down to 12th. Where they’ve made a huge difference is on the penalty kill, jumping from 25th to sixth. Coach Peter DeBoer’s Devils led the league when they went to the 2012 Final.

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