from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun,

- At some point, the buck may stop with coach Peter Laviolette, and there’s no shortage of talk he’s on the hot seat. The Preds were sent packing in the first round last spring by the Dallas Stars and haven’t been able to get any traction this season. Poile told The Zone in Nashville on Thursday he isn’t contemplating a coaching change “at this time.”

That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement.

- The belief is Buffalo GM Jason Botterill is starting to feel the heat because the Sabres are on the outside of the playoff picture looking in again and his next trade may be to add some forward depth. The Sabres scored a 3-2 victory over the Panthers at home Saturday and there’s plenty of concern about Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. He was pulled only 5:42 into the first period after allowing three goals on seven shots. Signed to a seven-year, $70-million deal in the summer, Bobrovsky, 31, has a 15-12-4 record with a 3.33 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage. He’s got to be more consistent.

more on each of the above plus other notes, including Matt Murray's future in Pittsburgh...