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head coach: John Muckler

roster: C - Wayne Gretzky, Pat LaFontaine, Harry York, P.J. Stock. LW - Adam Graves, Kevin Stevens, Bill Berg, Darren Langdon, Bob Errey, Tim Sweeney, Daniel Goneau. RW - Niklas Sundstrom, Alexei Kovalev, Todd Harvey, Johan Lindbom, Shane Churla. D - Brian Leetch, Ulf Samuelsson, Jeff Beukeboom, Bruce Driver, Doug Lidster, Alexander Karpovstev, Eric Cairns, Jeff Finley, Geoff Smith. G - Mike Richter, Dan Cloutier.

injuries: It just doesn't matter...

transactions: Sent Jeff Brown, d, Maxim Galanov, d, Marc Savard, c, back to Hartford.

standings:

Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division   
Team           GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA   
z-New Jersey   82  48  23  11   107  225  166  
x-Philadelphia 82  42  29  11    95  242  193
x-Washington   82  40  30  12    92  219  202  
NY Islanders   82  30  41  11    71  212  225  
NY Rangers     82  25  39  18    68  197  231  
Florida        82  24  43  15    63  203  256 
Tampa Bay      82  17  55  10    44  151  269  

x - Clinched playoff spot
z - Clinched conference

game results:

4/07 Montreal        L 3-2
4/11 at Detroit      L 5-2
4/14 at Washington   L 3-1
4/15 NY Islanders    W 4-2
4/18 at Philadelphia W 2-1

team news:

by Alex Frias, NY Rangers Correspondent

Gone 'Till November: The Rangers headed into this weekend getting ready for the playoffs - next year's. With the Rangers' horrible season finally over, Brian Leetch has started thinking about next season. At the top of Leetch's list for what the Rangers need to do during the off-season is re-sign Mike Richter.

"Certainly goaltending, to get Mike done," Leetch told the New York Daily News, when asked what the Rangers need to do this summer.

"But I don't know what's going on there because I thought that should and would have been done now. I don't know what their plans are - if they have some plans if Mike doesn't get done. Certainly, I would hope they are thinking about something if they don't plan to sign him and not just wait and see."

The Rangers captain is sensing too much deja vu for comfort. Nine months ago his best friend, Mark Messier, left the Rangers for Vancouver via free agency. Leetch believes the Rangers forced Messier out, and now he is disturbed team president and general manger Neil Smith has not signed Richter to a new contract.

The relationship between Leetch and Smith is significant because the two-time Norris Trophy winner is entering the last year of his contract at $3.372 million. Leetch insisted he wants to remain a Ranger for his career, regardless of the Messier and Richter situations, but he has no desire to play the bulk of next season with a question mark next to his name.

Great Season for Great One: With his assist on Alexei Kovalev's first-period goal in the 2-1 victory over the Flyers, Wayne Gretzky captured his 16th assist title (three shared) with 67, equaling the mark of Pittsburgh's dynamo Jaromir Jagr.

"It's nice to do something like that, but to be honest I enjoyed last year, when I tied for the assist lead with Mario (Lemieux). Nothing against Jag, but I thought that was pretty special," said The Great One of his feat. "Last year it wasn't really talked about. I don't know where I'd rank (this season, individually). I probably surprised a lot of people with what I was able to do offensively. But (linemate) Alex (Kovalev) came into his own and he learned to use everyone on the ice."

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