Sioux’s Blais takes on world from home front

The second time around won’t be less intense, but it will be more of a challenge for North Dakota coach Dean Blais. Blais has been tabbed by USA Hockey to guide the American team in the 2005 World Junior Championship, an assignment that comes 11 years after Blais held the post the first time. The difference this time is Team USA will be defending its first-ever gold medal. “We hope to excel,” Blais said. Not only will Blais have the pressure of coaching the defending champion, the tournament is being staged in his home of Grand Forks, N.D., and nearby Thief River Falls, Minn., Dec. 25, 2004, to Jan. 4, 2005. Blais will be trying to duplicate the efforts of another WCHA coach. Wisconsin’s Mike Eaves was behind the American bench for its gold medal…

Bruins aiming sky-high after strong regular season

The Bruins had big highs and deep lows this season. They could be entertaining and frustrating, sometimes in the same game. One element they were lacking in previous seasons was goaltending. But Felix Potvin and Andrew Raycroft solidified the position this season. Add the infusion of offense in Michael Nylander and Sergei Gonchar and the club was deeper than it had been in years. Instead of just being happy to make it to the playoffs, the Bruins wrapped up their campaign deter-mined to play into the late spring. MVP Joe Thornton, C. Thornton may not have had a career offensive year (73 points this season compared to 101 last year), but the Bruins still will go as far as he takes them. BEST DEFENSEMAN Nick Boynton. Boynton is punishing on the back line and…

2004 NHL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Remnants of offensive age set to make final goodbye

THE HOCKEY NEWS FROM THE EDITORS It began with Mark Messier’s on-ice parting bows to his adoring Madison Square Garden faithful, followed by a typically understated farewell from passing artist Adam Oates. The retirement announcements will probably continue in a trickle for the next few weeks until, at the conclusion of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the stream becomes a river until, if there is no deal on a new CBA by next fall, the flood-gates will open wide into an ocean that swallows up a generation. After these playoffs we may never again see Dave Andreychuk or Ron Francis, Igor Larionov or Chris Chelios. Perhaps Scott Stevens and Brett Hull and Ed Belfour and Steve Yzerman will call it a career. Mario Lemieux wants to play again, but a lockout would throw those plans…