On the hot seat

Islanders coach Jack Capuano's seat is scorching hot. For a team that traded a boatload to pick up Thomas Vanek because its start wasn't good enough, the Islanders were winless in eight games overall before Saturday's game in Los Angeles and 0-8 on the road since Nov. 1.

Former Wild forwards Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Cal Clutterbuck have struggled. Bouchard was tied for sixth with nine points and a minus-8 in 27 games, and Clutterbuck was tied for 13th with five points.

If Capuano is fired, two candidates include former Islanders coach Peter Laviolette and former Hurricanes and Maple Leafs coach Paul Maurice.

Standard-setter

Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller said Henrik Lundqvist's seven-year, $59.5 million deal with the Rangers "sets the standards" for goalies and may look "like a pretty average price down the line" as the salary cap is expected to rise over the years.

Miller has met with new Sabres President Pat LaFontaine about the future but said, "I've heard a lot of talk over my time. It's about actions at this point. I'm not going to sit around and let promises get thrown around."