_ _ _ _ | | ____ ___ | | ____ ___ | | ____ ___ | | ____ ___ | |/ _ / __| | |/ _ / __| | |/ _ / __| | |/ _ / __| | | (_ \__ \ | | (_ \__ \ | | (_ \__ \ | | (_ \__ \ |_|\____\___/ |_|\____\___/ |_|\____\___/ |_|\____\___/ GUIDE TO HOCKEY GUIDE TO HOCKEY GUIDE TO HOCKEY GUIDE TO HOCKEY ================================================================ Five Star - ELECTRONIC EDITION - * * * * * ================================================================ Issue 39 March 5, 1996 Uh, it's free ---------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- Los Angeles Loses Their King ---------------------------------------------------------------- by Matt Moore On February 27, the Wayne Gretzky saga ended as he was finally traded to the Blues. It marks the end of an era for hockey in California, and marked the turnover of hockey dominance in the southland from the Kings to the Ducks. Months, seemingly years, of rumors and speculation finally came to a head when Gretzky had a much publicized meeting with Kings governor Bob Sanderman and other Kings officials. Reportedly Gretzky was offered two things. Firstly, a 10-year contract that would have covered the rest of Gretzky's playing days and would have guaranteed a front office job for him after his retirement. Or if he wanted to go to a contender instead, the Kings had a trade with the Blues already done, just waiting for his word. After spending the afternoon thinking it over, Gretzky informed the Kings management that he did not want to remain with the club through its rebuilding process and that he would like to be traded. With that, the deal went through with the Blues. At the resulting news conference, Gretzky announced the deal, seemingly acting almost giddy with excitement, which was nothing like how he acted when he was traded to the Kings. He made sure to emphasize that money was not a consideration in his decision and that he thought that the Kings had treated him like a first-class organization. He just wanted a chance to go play for Mike Keenan and with Brett Hull, and that he wanted a chance to win the Stanley Cup one last time before he retired. And who could really blame him? He has done almost everything but win the Stanley Cup since coming from the Oilers. He was the driving force behind the expansion of hockey into the southern and western sections of the United States, helping the NHL to begin such franchises as the Ducks, Sharks, Panthers and Lightning; franchises that would only have been a dream ten years ago. Indirectly he is also responsible for the moving of Quebec and, soon to be, Winnipeg, into southern markets that many people would have thought as being impossible to support a major-league team. It somehow seems appropriate that in spite of the rumors, the trade did not occur until the Ducks had acquired Teemu Selanne to pair with Paul Kariya, almost as if there was a rule saying that there has to be a superstar in Southern California. This trade marked one of the last steps in the trashing of the Kings franchise by management, with the selling of all the good (and sometimes great) players for seemingly next to nothing. At least with this trade the Kings actually got young players who have the potential of being pretty good, which is refreshing in light of the Paul Coffey/Tomas Sandstrom/Luc Robitaille/Alex Zhitnik trades, where all they got were old, worn-out, has beens or never will be's. No wonder Gretzky wanted to go to the Blues, who at least can break the .500 barrier. The Kings got in return three players and two draft picks. The draft picks consist of a 1997 first-round pick and a fifth-round pick in 1996. The three players are Craig Johnson, Patrice Tardif, and Roman Vopat. Patrice Tardif is a 25-year old, 6-2, 202 lb. center who has three goals and no assists in 23 games this season, and was a third-round pick by the Blues in the 1990 draft. Craig Johnson is 23, 6-2, 197 lb. forward who has eight goals and seven assists in 49 games with the Blues this year. He played for the US Olympic team in 1994, getting four assists in eight games. He was a second-round pick in the 1990 draft. Roman Vopat is a 19-year-old center who is 6-3, 216 pounds. He is ineligible to play for the Kings this year and is currently playing for Moose Jaw in the Western Hockey League. He was a seventh-round pick in the 1994 draft. Vopat has the most potential of being a great player out of these three, and would be something that the Kings have never had: a big bruising center who can score, similar to Keith Primeau. The other two are considered in the 20-40 goal range, and should, hopefully, give the Kings more depth up front. The fan reaction to Gretzky's trade has been mixed at best. Most of the letters to such newspapers as the Los Angeles Times have been very harsh to say the least. Most stated something along the lines that the Kings management should have been traded or that season ticket holders were going to give up their seats. Remarkably, many of the people who had been hockey fans before Gretzky came to LA were in favor of the trade, or at least were not as harsh as many others. They seem to remember that hockey existed before Gretzky became a King, and, well, it will continue on without him. King fans were very lucky to have the honor of seeing the greatest player ever play in LA. Hopefully his departure will signal the beginning of another great era. --------------------------------------------------------------- GRETZKY MANIA HITS "GREAT"WAY CITY --------------------------------------------------------------- by Joe Ashkar From the moment the St. Louis Blues acquired Wayne Gretzky in a trade for Craig Johnson, Patrice Tardif, Roman Vopat and a couple of draft picks, hockey fans in St. Louis have been on cloud 99. Gretzky mania has hit St. Louis like crazy as the Great One now wears the Blue Note. Gretzky's arrival has created all kinds of hoopla in town. The Gretzky trade generated a lot of positive reaction among local hockey fans and earned high marks for the Kiel Center Partners. Fans voiced their approval and excitement over the local call-in radio shows. "We got the greatest player of all time for three unproven players, what a steal for the Blues!" one fan said. "Thumbs up to the Kiel Center Partners for approving this deal. After trading Shanahan and dumping Steve Duchesne's and Esa Tikkanen's salaries, I questioned their commitment to building a winning team but by acquiring the greatest player ever, they have regained my full support." Others are jumping back on the Keenan bandwagon by saying: "I was very unhappy when he traded Joseph, Shanahan and Laperriere but with Gretzky's acquisition, all is forgiven. . ." Some are being very realistic about how far Gretzky could take this team into the playoffs and others are dreaming of the Stanley Cup. "Gretzky will provide the Blues with a lot of leadership, experience and much needed scoring on offense. I don't think this team could beat the likes of Detroit and Colorado but he will definitely help go further into the playoffs," said Ron Wilkes from Columbia Missouri. Janet Wilson, who is an avid Blues fan and Keenan supporter was more outspoken. "Even before getting Gretzky, Keenan was building this team for the playoffs. Now with Gretzky, the Blues are definitely a contender, they have added the best playmaking center on the planet who will lead them to the coveted Stanley Cup." Since the trade announcement, people who haven't been interested in the Blues for quite some time are now rushing to buy tickets to watch the greatest player of all time work his magic at Kiel Center. Blues tickets have become quite impossible to get a hold of. All nine remaining home games are soldout and playoff packages are selling like crazy. Scalpers are charging over $300 per ticket for the home opener against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night, and more than double the ticket prices for any remaining home game. "I don't usually follow the Blues but I would love to go see Gretzky play in a Blues uniform. Unfortunately all the remaining games were soldout," said Rose Park, a business manager at Washington University. Chris Martin of Kirkwood was a little more fortunate. "I have tickets for the Florida game and I would not trade them for anything in the world," he said. For those who could not get tickets for the Florida game, they will be able to watch it on television. KLPR TV - Channel 11 in St. Louis - has added the Florida game to its list of Blues broadcasts in addition to a special pre-game show 15 minutes before game time. Local sporting goods stores are being flooded with orders for Blues Gretzky jerseys. Wherever you go, Gretzky jerseys have been soldout since the minute they were put on the shelves. The wait is now four to six weeks for an authentic Gretzky jersey and in the past five days, over 500 orders have been placed at each of the Authentic and Bluenote Sports shops. "Ever since he got traded to the Blues, people have been ordering Gretzky jerseys like crazy," said Chris Brennan, a sales associate at the Bluenote Authentics store. New fans are suddenly appearing out of nowhere, the Blues Internet Mailing List has seen its subscription rate increase from 1253 subscribers to an incredible 2811 users in just four days, that's a 124% increase. When Gretzky made his Blues debut on the road against the Vancouver Canucks, thousands of St. Louisans stayed up late Thursday night to see the historic moment in Blues history. The game was televised in St. Louis through KPLR TV with a 9:30 start time. Various bars and sports establishments around town offered a Gretzky-Special event where fans could go watch the game and enjoy dinner and drink specials to celebrate the event. The next morning, a caller on a local sports radio show said: "When I saw Gretzky appear on TV for the Vancouver game, I touched the TV screen and the arthritis in my shoulder was healed." The KPLR telecast of Gretzky's debut against Vancouver earned the best rating for a regular-season Blues game in six seasons, a 14.7 Nielsen rating (about 167,000 homes). The previous high was a 14.2 for Blues-Blackhawks game in March 1991. The new record is expected to fall Tuesday night when KPLR TV broadcasts Gretzky's home debut Tuesday night at Kiel Center. The game has a better starting time (7:35 loca time) and the TV station has had plenty of time to hype the game. This is a great time to be in St. Louis. First, the city gets the Footbal Rams from Los Angeles, the Baseball Cardinals followed by hiring Tony LaRussa from Oakland, then the Blues topped them all by getting the best hockey player of all time. What's next? The Los Angeles Clippers? ---------------------------------------------------------------- Wayne Gretzky: A Look Back ---------------------------------------------------------------- by Jim Iovino The attention that Wayne Gretzky is receiving from his trade to the St. Louis Blues is nothing new. Gretzky has been in the spotlight his entire life. He was famous in Canada before he was 10 years old. At the age of 6, he started to play in a hockey league with players four years older than he was. That didn't faze the Brantford, Ontario, native, though. He excelled even at a young age, and by the time he was 10, he scored 378 goals in one season in that very same league. It has always been said that Gretzky is two seconds ahead of everyone else on the ice. He owes that skill and the other accomplishments of his stellar career to his father, Walter Gretzky, who has been his coach and mentor throughout his life. Walt always told his son to "go where the puck's going, not where it's been." Wayne followed his dad's advice almost too well. His uncanny ability to always be in the right place at the right time is something looked upon with awe. The talented young Gretzky was followed by scouts throughout North America as he continued to rack up points. When he was just 17, Gretzky was offered a four-year, $875,000 contract to play for the Indianapolis Racers in the up-and-coming WHA, a strong rival to the NHL. However, after just eight games with the Racers, the team was in financial trouble and the owner sold his prize possession to Peter Pocklington and the Edmonton Oilers, another team in the WHA. While the NHL looked on, wondering how they could pry the youngster away from the WHA, Gretzky excelled at professional hockey. He scored 110 points in 80 games. That was just a sign of things to come. The next season, the NHL realized the WHA was indeed a formidable opponent, and quickly absorbed Edmonton and three other WHA franchises into their own league. With Gretzky now in the best league in the world, it was time to find out just how good he could be. Gretzky didn't disappoint in his first season in the NHL. The scrawny kid, whose jersey was oddly tucked into the side of his pants, displayed magical passing skills and a hockey sense that few had ever seen. He scored his first goal in the NHL on Oct. 14, 1979 against Glen Hanlon and the Vancouver Canucks. Gretzky dazzled crowds around the league his rookie year en route to scoring 137 points, tying him for the league lead with Marcel Dionne. Dionne won the Art Ross Trophy because he scored more goals, but Gretzky did capture the Hart and Lady Byng trophies. Another award that Gretzky failed to get was the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year. Ray Bourque won the award instead of Gretzky because the league said that since Gretzky played a year in the WHA, he wasn't considered a rookie. The next season Gretzky rocketed into the record books by breaking the single-season scoring and assist records. He recorded 164 points in 1980-81, surpassing the old mark of 152 set by Phil Esposito in 1970-71, and 109 assists, besting Bobby Orr's old record of 102 set in 1970-71. But it wasn't until his explosive 1981-82 season that Gretzky became known world-wide. In perhaps the best single-season performance of all time, Gretzky amassed 92 goals, 120 assists and 212 points, shattering all kinds of records, even ones he already owned. He scored 50 goals in the Oilers' first 39 games, a feat that few thought they would ever see accomplished. And Gretzky did all of this in his third season in the league. He was just 21 years old. Gretzky was showered with praise throughout North America and renegotiated a new contract with the Oilers worth $20 million over 15 years. He was given just about every kind of award possible. But there was one that still eluded him; the Stanley Cup. Until Gretzky held the Cup, he couldn't be considered as one of the best players in the league. His first good chance at winning the Cup came in the 1983 playoffs. However, the Oilers lost to the New York Islanders in four straight games, giving the Isles their fourth Cup in four years. The next season was a complete reversal as the Isles lost to the Oilers in the finals in five games. Wayne Gretzky finally got his hands on the Cup, and it would prove to be tough to take it away from him. The Oilers won Lord Stanley's Cup four out of the next five years, becoming the last true dynasty in the NHL. Had it not been for a fluke goal scored by Steve Smith on his own net, the Oilers might have won five in a row. The Oilers and Gretzky were on top of the world. Gretzky, Mark Messier, Grant Fuhr, and Jari Kurri had become the cream of the crop in the NHL, and they were all still in their prime. However, a damper was put on the team's final Cup win. A key ingredient was missing from their team -- Coffey. Paul Coffey, the prolific scoring defenseman of the Oiler dynasty, was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins early in the 1987-88 season because of contract problems. No one knew it at the time, but the minor crack in the impenatrable Oiler wall created with the departure of Coffey would soon turn into a gaping hole that was beyond repair. Just a few months after Gretzky and his teammates won their fourth Stanley Cup in front of their fans at Northlands Coliseum, the Great One found himself at a news conference that he never dreamed would be taking place. Gretzky, the most famous of all Canadian hockey players, who from 1981 to 1987 won the scoring title by an average of 73 points, who had more assists than the next leading scorer had points three times in his career, was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. At the time of the trade, Gretzky was the third-leading scorer in NHL history after playingjust nine seasons. Although he wouldn't say it, the reason owner Peter Pocklington traded Gretzky was because of money. Pocklington's other business ventures weren't doing as well as the Oilers were. He had investments in oil, meat packing, car dealerships, land development and trust companies, yet he wasn't making money. The Oilers were his only source of substantial income, and Gretzky was his biggest asset. An asset worth in upwards of $15 million. Right after the Oilers won the Cup in 1988, Pocklington started listening to offers for Gretzky. The two teams after him the most were the Vancouver Canucks and the Kings. One printed rumor said the Canucks had reportedly offered $15 million, forward Tony Tanti and four first-round draft picks. Upon his arrival in Vancouver, Gretzky would then receive 25 percent of the hockey club and become coach after he retired. Pocklington said the Canucks offered to buy Gretzky from him for $22.5 million in March of that year. He said Vancouver also offered three players and three draft picks, but the Canucks didn't have three players who could make his roster. In California, coin collector and owner of the Kings, Bruce McNall, was making his own pitch for the Great One. McNall was willing to give up to $20-25 million, two players and three first-round draft picks for Gretzky and two or three other players. Pocklington gave McNall permission to talk to Gretzky about a possible trade, and Gretzky told him that Marty McSorley would have to be part of the deal. And sure enough, just a short while later, a deal was consummated. Gretzky, McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski were traded to the Kings for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, three first-round picks and $15 million. McNall knew his team, and hockey in southern California in general, was struggling. A quick fix was in order, and he thought Gretzky was the man to do it. He envisioned Gretzky turning Los Angeles into a hockey town, and he was right. "I'm concerned with today," McNall said after the trade. "Let's not wait for the future." Gretzky paid immediate dividends upon his arrival. With his addition to the lineup, the Kings sold out their home opener the next season for the first time in the history of the team. More and more people started taking notice of ice hockey, such as film stars Goldie Hawn, Tom Cruise and Ronald Reagan. Attendance rose at the Great Western Forum from an average of 10,000 to a near capacity 16,000 people each game. And even though his production dipped slightly, Gretzky was still the glamour boy of the NHL. The Kings had their answer to the Lakers' "Showtime," and it all started with Gretzky. He scored on his first shot on goal with his new team and the new-look Kings finished second in their division for the first time since the 1980-81 season. The next year would be an unforgettable one for Gretzky. Not only did he lead the league in scoring for the ninth time in 11 seasons, he also became the all-time leading scorer in NHL history. And he did it in his old stomping grounds -- Edmonton. On Oct. 15, 1989, Gretzky and the Kings traveled to Northlands Coliseum to take on Mark Messier and the Oilers in front of 17,503 screaming fans. Gretzky needed just one point to tie Gordie Howe, his boyhood idol, in career points. He got it with an assist in the first period. However, it looked as if Gretzky wouldn't break the record in front of his former teammates. The Kings, down a goal with under a minute to go in the game, pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker. And the magic of Wayne Gretzky took over. With the play down in Oiler territory, the Kings' Steve Duchesne threw a pass across the ice which deflected off his teammate Dave Taylor's stick right in front of Gretzky. Gretzky pounced on the puck and backhanded it into the net past Bill Ranford, tying the game and giving him point No. 1851. To give the story an ironic twist, three of Gretzky's closest friends were on the ice trying to stop him when he scored; Jari Kurri, Kevin Lowe and Mark Messier. Gretzky finished off a tremendous night by scoring the winning goal in overtime for point No. 1852. Gretzky would go on to score many more points with the Kings, including his record-breaking 802nd goal, but the one thing he was determined to do never came about. He couldn't win the Stanley Cup for the people of Los Angeles. The closest he got was in 1993 when the Kings met the Montreal Canadiens in the finals. But because of Marty McSorley's illegal stick, Gretzky lost his chance to hold the Cup for a fifth time. The 1993 Cup final series was the last time Gretzky and the Kings made it to the playoffs. After making it to the postseason in each of his first 15 professional seasons, 1994 marked the first time the Great One wouldn't be in the playoffs. Gretzky missed the big dance again in 1995, further dampening his historic career. This season started out with optimism for both Gretzky and the Kings. With strong goaltending and a rejuvenated Gretzky, the Kings were once again a team to contend with. However, things fell apart quickly, and rumors of Gretzky's departure spread just as fast as the Kings dropped in the standings. The trade of Gretzky to the Blues adds yet another chapter to the life of the greatest player in the history of the game. Gretzky will get one more chance to win the Cup and finish his career on a positive note. A blue note, that is. World Domination Update IX --------------------------------------------------------------------------- by Zippy The Wonder Chimp Spring break has hit the main staff of LCS: Guide to Hockey. Because of the week long vacation the Web Extra has been unusually silent, but Issue 39 will go on. That's right, we've taken time out from our busy schedules of sleeping to bring you yet another action packed issue. The Web Extra may still lag behind for a few more days, but hopefully this issue will tide you over until we get back into full swing. CHAT FORUMS Six weeks ago our Chat Forums opened for business. Since that time many of our readers have contributed to discussions on current NHL events. The Chat Forum is very similar to a USENET newsgroup and in the next few months we will be modifying this Forum area with more features. If you have yet to give the new Forums a try, please check them out. In the near future we will also be opening our own Chat (IRC) server. This will let you talk live to our staff members, amongst yourselves and on special occasions with NHL Celebrities like John Cullen. If you recently stopped by the ol' Chat Forum, you may have noticed that the old messages are missing. No, the KBG didn't take them as hostages, it is simply the result of a tragic database error. So, let's get those threads going again. See you online. The Forum can be accessed at the following URL: http://www.canadas.net/sports/Sportif/chat/ WEB EXTRA: BURNS AND HENSLEY, OFF THE GOAL POST Allow Burns and Hensley to walk you through the latest in the NHL every week in their recurring column on LCS's Web Extra coverage. Burns and Hensley aren't bound by the cold hard facts of a story, or the forces of nature, in their attempts to enlighten you on the state of the NHL. So, let Burns and Hensley share their opinions and a bowl of Coco Puffs with you today. Be sure to read the latest NHL report from John Kreiser each week as he takes you behind the scenes of the NHL in order to provide you with an insiders view of current NHL events. A new column is posted weekly. Also remember to visit our Web Extra daily for the latest NHL news and weekly features. A new article is posted daily. We like to think of it as an issue between issues. http://www.canadas.net/sports/Sportif/extra.html QUESTIONS O' THE MONTH February: The February edition of the Questions O' The Month are almost over. Soon the tribute to one of the greatest shows of all times..."Perfect Strangers" will be retired and as it looks now, they will retire undefeated as nobody has answered the 10 multiple choice questions correctly. Only a few days are left, so give 'em a shot. If you are selected as the winner, you'll receive an offical LCS t-shirt. March: The March edition of the Questions O' The Month will be posted within the week. This round will focus on basic NHL trivia and events in order to give you, our valued readers, a chance at winning. While they will be NHL related, they still won't be easy, but all the answers will be able to be found somewhere on the LCS: Guide to Hockey Web Site. http://www.canadas.net/sports/Sportif/qom/question.html That wraps up yet another installment of the World Domination Report. Go now and enjoy the lastest edition of LCS. thanks, zippy the wonder chimp _____________________________________________________ CREDITS Michael Dell........................Editor-in-Chief Zippy the Wonder Chimp.................Computer Boy Jim Iovino.............................Ace Reporter Matthew Secosky....................The White Shadow Dan Hurwitz.............Force for Cultural Hegemony Burns and Hensley...............Featured Columnists JJ Silverstein.................Hockey Pool Help Guy Sandi Trudo...................Anaheim Correspondent Matt Brown.....................Boston Correspondent Valerie Hammerl...............Buffalo Correspondent Ryan Ferris...................Calgary Correspondent Dan Glovier...................Chicago Correspondent Jim Panenka....................Dallas Correspondent Brian Wishnow.................Detroit Correspondent Simon D. Lewis...............Edmonton Correspondent Eric A. Seiden................Florida Correspondent Steve Gallichio..............Hartford Correspondent Matt Moore................Los Angeles Correspondent Dan Piedra...................Montreal Correspondent David Strauss...............Islanders Correspondent Alex Frias....................Rangers Correspondent The Nosebleeders..............Ottawa Correspondents Andrew Monfried..........Philadelphia Correspondent Joe Ashkar..................St. Louis Correspondent Mark Spiegel.................San Jose Correspondent Troy Ely....................Tampa Bay Correspondent Brad Ross.....................Toronto Correspondent Carol Schram................Vancouver Correspondent Jason Sheehan..............Washington Correspondent Eric Legault.................Winnipeg Correspondent ---------------------------------------------------- LCS guide to hockey issue 39 March 1996. Email address: sportif@oak.westol.com Good ol' postal address: 632 Hempfield Street, Greensburg, PA 15601. Web Site: http://www.canadas.net/sports/sportif ------------------------------------------------------ The Original Hey, Hey, Hey...NEWS! ---------------------------------- by Zippy The Wonder Chimp * For three members of the staff of LCS, it's Spring Break time. That means one thing...we can catch up on sleep. However, we will take time out of our busy schedules to take a trip to the Civic Arena to catch the Pens/Senators game on March 7. If you happen to be in attendance of the game, why not stop by and say howdy to the staff of LCS. But here's the hard part, I don't know where we are sitting. So, send me e-mail if you want to find out. I'll try to let you know. If not, just look for the idiots who cheer at random for the Whale, John Cullen, and Bernie Nicholls. Now it's time for the Original Hey, Hey, Hey... NEWS!. Enjoy. * Police Blotter: - Ron Francis was suspended for two games without pay and fined $1,000 by the NHL as a result of checking Montreal Canadiens defenseman Vladimir Malakhov from behind in a contest on February 24. In the game, Francis was also given a minor penalty for the illegal check. - Toronto right wing, Tie Domi, was fined $1,000 for a high-sticking incident that occured on February 18. In the game, Domi high-sticked Detroit center Sergei Fedorov and received a minor penalty for his actions. At the time of the incident, it seemed Domi intended to deliver the shot to Fedorov's helmet, however, instant replay showed Domi's stick was redirected as a result of contact with the net. After a review of the tape, NHL vice president Brian Burke decided not to issue a suspension. * The Boston Bruins have some good news... and they have some bad news. First the good news. All-Star defenseman Al Iafrate is now skating with the team and participating shooting and passing drills. If all goes well, Iafrate may return to the Bruins line-up in the next two weeks. His return would be much welcomed by the Bruins, who are in danger of failing to make the playoffs this season. When he does return, it will be the first time he has laced up the skates for an NHL contest since the 1993-94 season. Now the bad news. Cam Neely has many of the Bruins recent games with a hip injury. The same hip that kept Neely on the shelf much of the time from 1991-1994. At the moment, Neely is not able to skate and is being checked by specialists to diagnose the latest injury. The Bruins were depending on Neely and his team-leading 26 goals to contribute in their attempts to earn a playoff berth this season. However, it is not currently known if Neely will be able to return from this current injury. In fact, if serious enough it may mark the end of the road for the former 50-goal scorer. * A heart condition has sidelined 27-year-veteran NHL linesman, Ron Finn. Finn, who is 55-years old, holds the NHL record for most games officiated. He has seen action in 1,980 regular season and 291 playoff games. No date has been set for him to return to the NHL. * The Panthers chances of staying in Florida are looking up after Broward County commissioners and the Panthers signed a letter of intent to play in a new arena. The new 20,000 seat Broward arena will cost $212 million and will be ready for play for the 1998-99 NHL season. Even with a new arena now promised, the Panthers current owner, H. Wayne Huizenga, is still attempting to sell the franchise. * When the Winnipeg Jets relocate to Phoenix next season, the team will be dropping the old "Jets" nickname. An initial list of new names for the team has now been reduced down to two, the Coyotes or the Scorpions. Current indications point towards the use of Coyotes, but no decision has been made as of yet. Jersey and logo designs were recently submitted to the league and the Scorpion logo has been the hands-down favorite, so the final decision may come any time soon. * Randy Sexton, former general manager of the Ottawa Senators, reached a settlement with the franchise over his severance package. Details were not released, but the package will be worth $400,000 to $500,000. * San Jose Sharks president and chief executive officer, Art Savage, decided to leave the team on February 26. Savage has held the position since the Sharks first NHL season in 1991-92. When asked about his reasons for walking away, Savage responded by stating he felt that he had met his goals of starting-up the franchise and could now leave knowing it had a bright future. To replace Savage, Greg Jamison, the Sharks executive vice president and chief operating officer, will take over his duties beginning March 15. -------------------------------------------------------------- Detroit Determined to Drink from Cup -------------------------------------------------------------- by Jim Iovino The Detroit Red Wings know that the regular season means nothing. After blowing away most of their competition in the regular season over the past three years and only making it to the Stanley Cup Finals once, the Wings learned that a team cannot win the Cup by what they accomplished during the regular season alone. That's why no loud roars were heard emanating from Joe Louis Arena when the Red Wings clinched a playoff birth last week. To the Wings, the regular season is just a tune-up for the "real" season, the playoffs. As the team gears up for this year's race to the Cup, which they haven't won since 1955, coach Scotty Bowman has had quite an easy time of it behind the bench. He hasn't had to do much tinkering. Once he effectively taught his talented group of players the system he wanted them to play, the rest has been a piece of cake. And what a system it is. The Red Wings are a team of many stars, yet one doesn't shine brighter than another. Sergei Fedorov is probably the biggest star on the squad (he is sponsored by Nike, you know), but he plays into Bowman's system just like everyone else. Actually, he might play the system too well. Fedorov's point production has fallen off his usual pace. He isn't up among the top echelon of scorers in the league like he usually is. But, Fedorov hasn't had to score as much as he used to. Neither has Keith Primeau, who's getting points at a slower pace than he did last season. The Red Wings have a more balanced offensive attack than they had in the past because scoring is coming from all places. One reason for the balanced attack is the re-emergence of captain Steve Yzerman. After playing through several injuries over the past two seasons, Stevie Y is back in true form. He recently eclipsed the 30-goal mark and is confidently skating with the puck like only he can. Another player who has come on strong is Igor Larionov. After floundering with the San Jose Sharks, Larionov was traded to the Wings and reunited with his Russian counterparts Fedorov, Slava Kozlov, Slava Fetisov and Vladimir Konstantinov to make up the Ov Line. Larionov is scoring at around a point-per-game pace since coming over to the Wings. Scoring is also coming from guys like Greg Johnson, Bob Errey, Doug Brown and, when he's healthy, Dino Ciccarelli. But unlike years past, offense is not winning games for the Wings this season. Defense has been the key. Detroit has allowed the fewest goals against in the league, 140. The next lowest team is the Wings' old nemesis, the New Jersey Devils, who have allowed 150. The Wings don't have the greatest defensive unit in the league, but what makes them so good is that they have a great defensive team. The forwards play just as much defense as the defensemen themselves. A good sign that the forwards care about defense is whether or not they go down to block shots. To throw one's body in front of a slap shot speeding at 100 m.p.h. takes guts and a willingness to sacrifice yourself in the name of defense. The Wings have done that. And when a shot gets through on the Wings' net, Chris Osgood and Mike Vernon are usually there to deflect it away. Osgood is having a tremendous year in Detroit. He leads the league in wins with 31 and is posting a stellar 2.18 goals-against average. Vernon, who was supposed to be the No. 1 man in net when the season started, has suffered through injuries. But he's still chalked up 14 wins and has a goals-against average under 2.50. Ironically, the biggest question mark about the defensively-superb Red Wings involves the defense itself. Marc Bergevin, Paul Coffey, Mike Ramsey and Bob Rouse are all over 30, and Fetisov is closing in on the big 4-0. As the season winds down, the defensive corps could start showing signs of fatigue. Nicklas Lidstrom and Konstantinov are the younger defenseman on the team, and their productivity will be depended on heavily when playoff time comes around. But if something happens to one of the defensemen along the way, look for the Wings to make a strong push for the Edmonton Oilers' Bryan Marchment. Whether the Red Wings acquire someone like Marchment or not, they still have an excellent chance at winning the Stanley Cup. After coming within one series of the prize last season, the players still remember the disappointment of playing so hard for so long, but still coming up short of their goal. With the memories of the last three seasons still in their heads, the Wings will be prepared more than ever to bring the Stanley Cup back to Detroit. For over 40 years, the Red Wings and their fans have asked the same question: "Is this our year?" And for over 40 years the answer has been "No." The playoffs can't come soon enough for the Wings. They have as good a chance as anyone to bring the Cup home this season. Anything less than that will not be tolerated. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Concussion Repercussions ----------------------------------------------------------------- by John Kreiser The New York Islanders lead the NHL in head cases. It's an honor they'd gladly live without. In this instance, however, being a head case has nothing to with flakiness. It's just that the Islanders are in the forefront of the NHL's increasing problem with concussions. Derek King, who had his bell rung and jaw broken on Sunday by Winnipeg's Dallas Drake, is the seventh Islander to go down with a head injury this season. Besides King, at least two - Brett Lindros and Dennis Vaske - are probably gone for the season; there are reports that Lindros, who's had a series of concussions in his brief career, may never play again. King's injury, while much more damaging, won't get the attention that the mild concussion suffered by Wayne Gretzky did. Gretzky was KO'd in the second period of his second game with the Blues when Kelly Buchberger hit him with either an extended arm or an elbow (depends on whose view you take), dropping The Great One like a stone and leaving him looking like he'd just been hit by a Zamboni. Buchberger, a former teammate, says it was a good hit; Blues coach Mike Keenan calls it a "cheap shot" and says he'll send a tape to the NHL's head disciplinarian, Brian Burke. A concussion is more than just a bad headache. It's a jarring injury to the brain and can cause loss of equilibrium, amnesia and loss of consciousness (King was down and out for so long that referee Stephen Walkom sent both teams to their locker rooms and tacked the final seconds of the first period onto the start of the second). More important, the effect of repeated concussions, even "mild" ones, can add up over the years; former New York Jets receiver Al Toon had to retire a few years ago after suffering a number of concussions and has said he still has days where he feels the effects. Though every NHL player except the Flyers' Craig MacTavish wears a helmet, Islanders equipment manager John Doolan isn't sold on their value as protective devices because of the way they fit and the amount of padding inside them. "I don't think it's the quality of the helmet so much as it's improper fitting," he says. "Look at the helmet Wayne Gretzky wears. You may as well put a Band-Aid on his scalp, because all it will do is prevent some cuts. "What the vendors supply to the players is mostly cosmetics. Most helmets have 5/8-inch thick liners; you could go to 3/4-inch and it wouldn't make a difference." Gretzky has always been known for wearing a helmet that carries very little padding. Until now, he's been lucky. Michel Goulet, another who wore lightly padded headgear, wasn't. Goulet, a likely Hall of Famer, never played again after sustaining a severe concussion while playing for Chicago in Montreal on March 16, 1994. Goulet lost his footing and slammed into the Forum's rigid boards, hitting his head and sustaining a third-degree concussion. His helmet offered him little if any help. "The Players Association and the league have to look at the equipment issue," says broadcaster and former NHL player John Davidson. "Some players take the padding out of their helmets so they fit more comfortably. The league has to monitor the latest equipment. I'm sure at the end of the year it will be a priority." Part of the problem is the market for helmets. Manufacturers don't get rich making helmets for NHL players - they make it in the general market. Making an expensive product that doesn't have mass appeal can cost a company dearly if it doesn't find a mass market. The NHL can't do much about accidents like Goulet's. Incidents like the one that has sidelined Vaske since Thanksgiving are another matter. Vaske was blasted into the boards by the Kings' Eric Lacroix, sustaining a sizeable cut and a severe concussion that may keep him out until next season. More than three months later, he still has bouts of nausea riding a stationary bike and can only skate briefly before getting lightheaded. What happened to Lacroix? He was ejected for checking from behind, suspended for five games - and went back to work. It doesn't quite seem fair. Vaske thinks evolution and the relaxing of the interference rules factor into the concussion equation more than equipment. "There's no need to question the equipment," he says. "Guys are bigger, faster and stronger; that has a lot to do with it. The league also took away the liberty of holding up a guy [by changing the interference rules]. It's a defenseman's nightmare. "The league also has to set some guidelines to say if you do this [hitting from behind], something specific will happen. There are too many inconsistencies." Whatever changes the league makes will come too late to help players like Vaske. If there's any good to come out of Gretzky's injury, it could be that more people will take the repercussions of concussions seriously. This is one issue on which the NHL and the Players Association owe it to everyone to work together and find some answers. --------------------------------------------------------------- Looking in From the Outside --------------------------------------------------------------- by Dan Hurwitz When the Wayne Gretzky and Phil Housley trades were plucked out of my grasp by other columnists this issue, and when that weasel, Iovino (who, incidentally, I beat up last year) grabbed the story on the league-leading Red Wings, I found myself caught with my hockey-writing pants down for this issue's monumentally fabulous idea. I shot blanks. Completely clueless. As bereft of good ideas as Alexandre Daigle is of points. As without a prayer as Martin Biron was in net against Mario Lemieux. As directionless as the Kings without Gretzky...do you get the point? So I went on a quest for an idea. Mike Milbury used to have some doosies, but when I approached him, he threw things at me, not the least of which was Darius Kasparaitis' hip. The Deuce's Bill Pidto was too busy working on his pronunciation of Jeff F reeeeeeeesen, so he had nothing I could use, and when I approached his partner, Barry Melrose, I found I had to talk him down from his contemplation of a haircut. Dig, Dan, dig. So dig I did. I called Nike, the NHL's newest marketing partners, but they were arranging for a bodyguard for Sergei Fedorov. It seems since they grabbed a very small group of players to start donning the tell-tale swoosh, Scott Stevens has broken his cheek, Jeremy Roenick is eating through a straw thanks to a broken jaw, and Cam Neely's hip has him contemplating retirement. So maybe I'd talk to the Blues, anyway, and figure out how the Gretzky trade is really impacting them. Unfortunately, they were hatching hair-brained schemes to increase the number of stars Gretzky could pass to by having Kelly Buchberger club the Great One in the head. The unstoppable Rangers? Well, approaching them was tough with the pile of bodies, most notably Mark Messier, Kevin Lowe and Pat Verbeek crowding their entrance. Another scoop then popped into my head. I thought I'd figure out what the next generation of superstars are really like by talking to the people who see them off the ice. Unfortunately, Jaromir Jagr's barber was unavailable. I thought I'd call the Winnipeg Arena to find out how the recent acquistions of Oleg Tverdovsky, Chad Kilger and Craig Muni would help them in the long run, but apparently nobody was in the building to answer the phone. Okay, Dan. Maybe some veteran broadcasters could lend a hand. So I called Buffalo's Rick Jeaneret to ask him who's having a great season, but he developed a stutter and couldn't get past Lalalalalalalalalafontaine. That's when it occurred to me: go back to hockey's roots. So I thought I'd do an expose on what happens in Ontario when one of the local teams wins. The cities of Toronto and Ottawa collectively shrugged and said, "I dunno." I got a similar response when I asked inside sources in Chicago what the Blackhawks' plan for beating Detroit in the playoffs was. Corey Schwab and Jon Casey had no pointers on how to win and keep a job in the NHL, and Dominik Hasek had no pointers on consistent technique. Man, this job is tougher than I thought! The brainstorm then hit. I'd call Marty McSorley for an inside scoop on toughness. Sadly, he was packing his bags and shopping around for cheap airfare to St. Louis. I wonder what that's all about. Lou Lamoriello wouldn't admit that Mario Lemieux would be arriving to fill the void left by Claude and Jocelyn. The Panthers had no advice on how to keep your head high when you're stuck on an expansion team. What was I to do? So I thought I'd go for my last chance: I'd break a scandal. I'm still working on this one, but I think the Capitals are actually just running broadcasts of the last ten years, only they superimposed new uniforms over the old stripey ones. How else can you explain year-in, year-out, finishing in the middle and going nowhere in the postseason? Really, folks, I'm at a loss. So if any of you have any suggestions for my next column, please send them to Quebec. I'm sure the Nordiques would be happy to forward them my way. ================================================================= TEAM REPORTS ================================================================= EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION ----------------------------------------------------------------- FLORIDA PANTHERS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Doug MacLean Roster: C - Stu Barnes, Brian Skrudland, Jesse Belanger, Rob Niedermayer. LW - Johan Garpenlov, Dave Lowry, Bill Lindsay, Mike Hough, Radek Dvorak. RW - Scott Mellanby, Jody Hull, Tom Fitzgerald. D - Magnus Svensson, Robert Svehla, Gord Murphy, Ed Jovanovski, Geoff Smith, Jason Woolley, Randy Moller, Paul Laus, Terry Carkner, Rhett Warrener. G - John Vanbiesbrouck, Mark Fitzpatrick. Injuries: Bill Lindsay, lw, 3 weeks with lacerated hand. TRANSACTIONS: Called up from the AHL's Carolina Monarchs Mike Casselman (LW) to take the place of Billy Lindsay. Casselman will wear number 7. Called up from the AHL's Carolina Monarchs, the AHL's leading scorer, Brad Smyth (RW). Smyth will wear number 19. The 22-year old Smyth is just in his third professional season, but currently leads the AHL in goals with 52 and is on pace to break the league record. Smyth attended the Panthers' 1993-94 training camp on an amateur tryout basis and earned a contract and a spot on the ECHL's Birmingham Bulls roster. Sent down to the AHL Monarchs Rhett Warrener (D). Entire team is reported to be traded to Broward County for a new arena Game Results: 2/21 at New Jersey W 4-1 2/24 Rangers L 4-0 2/25 at Buffalo L 6-1 2/29 Washington T 2-2 3/02 at Hartford L 7-1 TEAM NEWS by Eric A. Seiden "It's another hockey night in South Florida, and here come your Panthers!" yells the announcer. And it's a good thing because it's finally looking like there's a chance that there's more than this season's remaining games to hear that yell at the start of each game. The game-day yell is far more exciting than the latest Gretzky trade story. NHL AND CITY REACH AGREEMENT The NHL and the Broward County Commission have signed a letter of intent to build a new arena for the Panthers to occupy. This past Tuesday the full commission voted on the matter, and accepted the NHL's letter of intent. Within 30 days after that a formal lease will be signed. By summer of 1996 ground should be broken and occupancy will be for the 1999-2000 season, and possibly as early as the 98-99 season. The NHL feels it can and will find a buyer to purchase the Panthers once it has a favourable lease. The NHL has strongly indicated it prefers the Sunrise site (Sawgrass Mills area). Sunrise is a suburb west of the city of Fort Lauderdale. Fort Lauderdale is one of many communities that comprise Broward County. Miami, where the Panthers play now, is to the south in Dade County. Gary Bettman has indicated there is a close to 90% chance there "will be a hockey team in South Florida next year." When asked for a time frame, he said "quickly." Local news reported a likely buyer was either Sony Entertainment or George Steinbrenner. Mickey Arinson, owner of the Miami Heat (NBA), threw a spanner into the works by objecting to the $2,000,000 extra the Panthers would get over the Heat, despite the fact the sum represents a state kickback for a new sports franchise that the Panthers are eligible for and the Heat aren't (based on the date the team was founded). DEVILS VS PANTHERS The boxscore belied the 4-1 final score. This game was right out of the movie "Slapshot." Blood and guts all over the ice. Fights. Violence. Everything the NHL doesn't want to see in front of a TV audience. There was almost a full five-minute delay to remove Bill Lindsay's blood from the ice when a skate caught him between the fingers and severely lacerated them. He will miss almost a month as a result of this injury. Lindsay was the only Panther to dress for all of the 191 home games played to date. As Radek Dvorak entered the Devils zone, Mike Peluso (the Devils' own version of a Hanson Brother) hit him (this wasn't a check -- it was a hit). Peluso's stick wrapped around Dvorak and hit his own teammate Randy McKay in the face. McKay promptly dropped to the ice causing a high-sticking call against Dvorak! Peluso saw his teammate go down and thought Dvorak was the one who did it. Peluso then went after Dvorak who is small and slender unlike the burly Peluso. Lindsay jumped in to protect Dvorak which is when he sustained his injury. A double-minor was unjustly called on Dvorak. A game misconduct was called on Peluso, though the off-ice folks were appalled and thought he should have gotten more because on the way off the ice after his ejection, he attacked the Panthers bench. Coach MacLean was incensed and had harsh words for the referees. You could read those lips easily on the TV. The incredulous looks of the Panthers said it all about the ill-conceived penalties. The only saving grace was no third-man penalty for Lindsay, though the injury took him out of the game anyway making it a moot point. FORMER PANTHERS ON THE MOVE: Former Panthers David Nemirovsky is now playing for Sarina after refusing to play for the Ottawa 67s. Sarina is 3rd in the Ontario Hockey League. The Miami Herald reports he was kept on the Panthers for such a long time in order "to give him a chance to earn some NHL bucks -- his parents were quite poor and had no furniture in their home." One certainly hopes a player isn't kept on the roster solely for charity purposes. PANTHERS HIT A VERY BAD SPOT: After losing to the Rangers in the first two meetings of the season at the Miami Arena, the Panthers flew to Buffalo for the second game in a back-to-back series where they were again pounded mercilessly. These two self-destruct games were reminiscent of the latter half of the Avalanche game earlier this month were the Panthers were mugged in the locker room, and the Ottawa Senators came out wearing the Panthers' uniforms. Any game where the opposition tears you up in the first period, and you fail to answer the charges doesn't promise to be a fun evening for anyone concerned, except for perhaps the opponent. The slide continued against the Rangers, Buffalo, and Hartford; all were horrible losses in the slump that's become a protracted debacle. These three losses surround a tie to Washington which the Panthers should have won, but couldn't produce. It's not quite time to sing "The Dream is Over", but it is time for a reality check. MIAMI HERALD FIELD DAY: Miami Herald columnist tore the Panthers apart the day after the Disaster Downtown in a multiple column effort. The often humourless Dan Le Batard had some hysterically humorous comments on the debacle: * "It was 2-0 before the Rangers fans even had time to become obnoxious." * "Panther Goalie took his water bottle off it [the goal] and he started sucking. He went from defeat to drink incredibly rapidly. If he had been that quick before the goal, it never would have been scored." * "All those nausea inducing lets-go-rangers chants were enough to start a charming new tradition: Forget throwing rats on the ice. Panthers fans felt like throwing up on the ice." * "I would say something here about how appropriate it was someone named Leetch sucked the life out of Florida...." PANTHERS VS CAPITALS: The Panthers first penalty shot was taken in front of a paltry crowd of only 12,000 as Mike Hough's breakaway was interfered with in front of the net by the Capitals. Unfortunately Hough was unable to convert. Later in the game the Capitals were robbed of a goal by the video review judge leaving a 2-1 lead by the Panthers into the third period when Brian Skrudland was ejected for "checking from behind" even though Skrudland clearly made a clean check off to the side (a subsequent review by the NHL did not result in a suspension). This ejection led to Terry Carker making a serious error and Washington tying the game. The game went into OT and the tie was preserved, and once again the Panthers couldn't get the win. Carkner drew a penalty in overtime in his continued quest to cost the Panthers this game. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEW JERSEY DEVILS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Jacques Lemaire Roster: C - Neal Broten, Bob Carpenter, Brian Rolston, Bobby Holik, Sergei Brylin, Peter Sykora, Steve Sullivan. LW - Mike Peluso, Reid Simpson, Valeri Zelepukin. RW - Bill Guerin, John MacLean, Randy McKay, Stephane Richer, Steve Thomas. D - Scott Stevens, Phil Housley, Scott Niedermayer, Ken Daneyko, Chris McAlpine, Shawn Chambers, Jason Smith, Rickard Persson, Dan Kezcmer. G - Martin Brodeur, Corey Schwab. Injuries: Mike Peluso, lw (knee, indefinite); Bobby Holik, c (sprained ankle, day-to-day); Neal Broten, c (sprained ankle, day-to-day). Transactions: Traded Jocelyn Lemieux, lw, and defensemen Tommy Albelin and Cale Hulse to Calgary for defensemen Phil Housley and Dan Kezcmer. Recalled Steve Sullivan, c, from Albany (AHL). Game Results: 2/21 Florida L 4-1 2/23 Montreal W 6-5 2/24 at Washington W 2-1 3/01 NY Islanders W 6-2 3/02 at Ottawa W 4-1 3/04 at NY Rangers T 2-2 TEAM NEWS by Dan Hurwitz 1996 continues to be a terrific thing for the Devils. Forgetting for a moment that Boston, Tampa, Hartford, Buffalo, Washington and Montreal keep winning, meaning the race at the middle of the pack for playoff positioning is still tight, the Devils are kicking butt and taking names. With only three losses since the all-star break, the Devils continue to roll in such a way that typically expressionless head coach Jacques Lemaire has begun to smile behind the bench. After a pair of disappointing losses to the Flyers and Panthers which framed the previous issue of LCS, the Devils bounced back into their current five-game unbeaten streak. Their first test was a typical defensive battle with the Habs, which the Devils managed to survive, 6-5. In that game, John MacLean tied a career high with four assists and Steve Sullivan, a pipsqueeky 5'9", 150-pounder from Albany, scored his first NHL goal. Next up was yet another win against the Caps, in which MacLean scored for the first time in fourteen games. The Devils desperately hope to meet Washington in the playoffs. With four wins so far this season against the Eagle-chested warriors, such a series would likely feature a Devils bench armed with brooms. But all this stuff seems like ancient history, as though it was back in the day the Islanders could contend. Speaking of the fishstick boys, the Devils had five days off after the Caps game to prepare for the epic struggle. During that time, a minor little thing happened: the Devils' new leading scorer, Phil Housley, came over from Calgary, but more on that later. Even though the punchline has been spoiled, here goes this week's big riddle. When can a team smile big, bright, beautiful smiles when they trail 2-0? When they're playing the Islanders! Even though the Isles got on the board early with a pair of flukey goals, the Devils came back strong. With defense the watchword heading into the Isles contest, it was time for some explosive scoring. Fans with long memory spans may remember Stephane Richer's days as a scorer. On this night, Steph did his bit for nostalgia sake by getting the Devils on the board. If that wasn't wacky enough, Mike Peluso managed to get injured on the next big play of the game...and it wasn't a fight! Big Mike scored a beauty of a goal by firing a slap shot that beat Tommy Soderstrom on the far side. Unfortunately, Darius Kasparaitis was on the ice at the time and was half way to levelling big Mike before the shot was fired. Peluso's celebration was short- lived, as the hit injured his leg. Ironically enough, Peluso was the second member of the Crash Line injured that week, as Bobby Holik managed to get hurt playing ping pong during the layoff. The Devils managed to get a 3-2 lead when the Isles took a controversial late penalty. The hottest Devil, Brian Rolston, fired home a shot from the top of the right circle off a pass from Shawn Chambers. Housley also registered an assist, his second in his first game as a Devil. Islanders coach Mike Milbury was so miffed about the call which led to the goal, he threw a water bottle and a stick onto the ice and almost managed to pick up assistant coach Rick Bowness and throw him, too. It's a good thing he didn't, since Milbury himself was then ejected. Bowness pulled Soderstrom, hoping to cut the deficit, but Steve Thomas became the Devils' first 20-goal scorer this season by muscling the puck into the empty net. To add insult to injury, Denis Pederson, called up from Albany (AHL) to fill in for Holik, added a goal with 6.5 seconds left on the clock. From their date with the second worst team in the conference to an engagement with the worst, Ottawa, the Devils continued their strong weekend. The game was a rarity in that a weekend game between a Canadian team and the defending champs was not televised anywhere except in the video replay booth. Housley assisted on Sullivan's second goal in three games and Richer netted the game-winner, with another point going to Sullivan. Also of note was Reid Simpson's fight with Denis Vial. Filling in for Peluso, Simpson's brawl with the Ottawa defenseman was considered by Don Cherry "one of the best fights" he'd ever seen. Both rookies came back two days later with strong performances at Madison Square Garden. Sullivan had another goal-and-assist night while Simpson pounded Rangers tough guy Darren Langdon into submission. Unfortunately, the Rangers are a stronger team than the Isles or Senators, so the Devils had to settle for a tie. Of course, their defensive dominance of the conference leaders continued, with only an early power-play goal and a strange tally going in against Martin Brodeur. The strange one was his fault, however, as he played the puck into the forechecking Niklas Sundstrom, who fed it to Sergei Nemchinov for a goal which came eleven seconds after the Devils had tied the score, 1-1. Still, against the juggernaut Rangers this season, the Devils have only allowed three goals in three games and have walked away with four of six points (one win and two ties). * While the Devils couldn't buy a win on the road early in the season (the main reason for their early struggles), they are now 4-1-4 since the All-Star break. After setting an NHL record with 11 road playoff wins last season en route to the Cup, the Devils, who have little chance of gaining home-ice advantage in the playoffs at this stage, have to be happy with that stat. * Corey Schwab has recently applied for a job as a Maytag repairman, since he gets so little work. The Rangers game was Brodeur's 25th consecutive start. Lemaire's claim that Brodeur keeps playing because the Devils "need the points" doesn't give Corey much hope, either, since the Devils are in the middle of a five-point separation between fifth and tenth place in the playoff hunt. * While the power play is only moderately better than it has been all year lately, the penalty killing is fantastic. Over an 11-game span heading into the Islanders game, the Devils had killed off 34 of 36, or 94.4% of all power plays against them. Defensively, they continue to turn heads, having allowed two or fewer goals in 38 games this year. Even more impressive is that the opposition has registered fewer than 30 shots on goal in the past nineteen consecutive games. ANALYSIS OF HOUSLEY TRADE Frequent readers of the Devils team report in LCS: Guide to Hockey will know that I am very careful not to editorialize or write in the first person ever. The trade last week which brought Housley to the Devils has forced me to make an exception. So here is how I see this move shaping up. For starters, let me say that in only three games, Housley has made a convert out of me. Sure, he may not hit like Scott Stevens, but this guy is exciting to watch, and his defense is better than folks would give him credit for. With Brodeur solid behind him and defensive-minded Jason Smith paired with him, Housley's presense does not seem to be a major liability. Instantly the Devils' leading scorer, it is obvious what Housley brings to this team. While the power play hasn't quite had a chance to click with him yet, signs of greatness are already apparent. His tape-to-tape lead passes are breathtaking and any team with as much trouble scoring as New Jersey should love having Phil on their squad. Sure, he looks like the Great Gazoo from the Flintstones with his scrawny body and big round helmet, but that's forgiveable. It is sad that Tommy Albelin, easily one of hockey's best-kept secrets, had to go. Of course, in Calgary, he will remain one of hockey's best-kept secrets, but Devils fans will miss the steady defender. It is also sad that Jocelyn Lemieux, the second seldom-used, gritty left winger the Devils briefly had this season (remember Esa Tikkanen?) had to go so soon. And Cale Hulse, for his occasional defensive gaff, has some serious star potential in the Scott Stevens type of mold. Acquiring Housley and another defenseman, Dan Keczmer, in the same move, clearly pointed towards further tinkering with the defensive corps. Alarms instantly went off that the much-discussed Scott Niedermayer deal was in the works, with teams such as San Jose, Buffalo and a host of other interested in parting with some big names to get little Scotty. Don't hold your breath. Housley is an unrestricted free agent come season's end, so this may be a short-lived relationship he has in New Jersey. Also, it can be said that Housley's presense is the second phase in the education of Niedermayer. An offensively-gifted player when he was drafted third overall behind Eric Lindros and Pat Falloon, Niedermayer has learned defense from none other than Scott Stevens. Now that Nieders has mastered his own end, however, it looks like Housley will be showing him how to lead the rush the other way so he can step into the ranks of two-way greats like Ray Bourque and Brian Leetch. Already, Housley's partner Smith, another wunderkind on the blue line, has shown flashes of brilliance since the trade, and he's just supposed to be a stay-at-home. So here's to Lou Lamoriello for making the move that may launch the Devils back to their championship form of last season. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEW YORK ISLANDERS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Mike Milbury Roster: C - Alexander Semak, Travis Green, Bob Sweeney, Martin Straka. LW - Wendel Clark, Derek King, Todd Bertuzzi, Marty McInnis, Niclas Anderssen, Ken Belanger. RW - Patrick Flatley, Zigmund Palffy, Brett Lindros, Brad Dalgarno, Mick Vukota, Dan Plante. D - Mathieu Schneider, Darius Kasparaitis, Scott Lachance, Dennis Vaske, Richard Pilon, Chris Luongo, Brent Severyn, Bob Beers, Bryan McCabe, Milan Tichy. G - Eric Fichaud, Tommy Soderstrom. Injuries: No. 27 DEREK KING (LW), suffered (and boy, do we mean suffered) fractured jaw March 3, out for season. No. 21 DAN PLANTE (RW) suffered bone bruise of right knee, sidelined day-to-day. No. 24 BRENT SEVERYN (D) suffered sore back, sidelined day-to-day. No. 33 KEN BELANGER (LW) suffered concussion Feb. 12, sidelined indefinitely (placed on injured reserve Feb. 12). No. 33 MILAN TICHY (D) suffered lower back strain, sidelined indefinitely (placed on injured reserve Jan. 9). No. 12 MICK VUKOTA (RW) suffered fractured right thumb Dec. 23, sidelined three weeks (placed on injured reserve Dec. 23). No. 75 BRETT LINDROS (RW) suffered concussion Nov. 24, sidelined indefinitely (placed on injured reserve Nov. 24). No. 37 DENNIS VASKE (D) suffered concussion Nov. 22, sidelined indefinitely (placed on injured reserve Nov. 22). Transactions: None. Game Results: 02/22 W 5-3 at N.Y. Rangers 02/23 L 2-3 Tampa Bay (OT) 02/25 W 2-0 Edmonton 02/27 L 2-6 Detroit 02/29 L 1-5 at Detroit 03/01 L 2-6 at New Jersey 03/03 L 5-7 Winnipeg TEAM NEWS by David Strauss While other teams around the league are gearing up for the stretch run, and figuring out ways to improve themselves for the playoffs, the Isles are looking at things from the other perspective. They have a number of veterans who might bring some young talent from a team that thinks it's one or two players short of a serious Cup run. The most obvious, of course, is Wendel Clark. Clark, who was in 1992 officially declared a semi-deity by the Ontario provincial government (don't look it up, would I lie to you?), has had his name bandied about quite a lot in recent weeks, and the three teams interested the most appear to be Detroit, Chicago, and (surprise!) Toronto. The Toronto papers have continually hinted that Clark was headed back north above the border, but it appears the Leafs don't really have anyone the Isles want, or at least are not offering anyone the Isles want. A rumored deal involving Mats Sundin continues to hang around, although it seems such a deal would be more than a one-for-one swap. In Detroit, after Scotty Bowman's campfire chat with his young players, it's a bit questionable whether the Isles could pry any of the Wings' best prospects free, but Greg Johnson is apparently still a favorite of Mike Milbury, and could be headed to the Island in a Clark deal. The Wings have also expressed interest in longtime Isles captain Patrick Flatley. Flatley, the lone Islander who has ever played in the Cup finals with the team, expressed a wish to play at least three more seasons. With the development of younger players such as Dan Plante, however, it seems to be a question whether the Isles can continue to keep a roster spot for the captain when they need to turn a new page. Also rumored to be on the trading block is hard hitting defenseman Rich Pilon. Both Detroit and Pittsburgh inquired about the oft-injured blueliner. And the trade winds are also swirling around defensemen Matthieu Schneider and Scott Lachance, if not with any specific team in mind. One thing's for sure: you know the Isles season hasn't been a success when the biggest news with a month to go in the campaign is who won't be here after the deadline. Notes: * The Isles win at MSG on February 22 snapped the Rangers home unbeaten streak, and was the Isles' first win against the Blueshirts all season. Typically, the team dropped the next game, in OT to Tampa Bay, marking the 175th straight time (or so it seems) that the Islanders had put in a lousy performance in the game following a Rangers contest. * Derek King, another possible piece of trade bait, was lost for the season during the March 3rd game against the soon-to-be-Coyotes of Phoenix. King was moving laterally across the blue line after a pass to Zigmund Palffy when he was hit HARD by Winnipeg's Dallas Drake and suffered a concussion and fractured jaw. King lay motionless for several minutes before being helped from the ice. Isles commentators Stan Fischler and Eddie Westfall argued after the game, but my opinion is that the hit was legal. * ObZigmundPalffyHighlightOfTheWeek: Palffy had his first career hat trick, a dazzling effort in which all three goals were scored in the span of less than five minutes, against the Jets. Palffy became the 8th Islander in this decade to reach 30 goals and is quickly becoming one of the league's best young playmakers. The hat trick led to yet another ESPN Palffy reference: "You can't stop Zigmund Palffy, you can only home to contain him." ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEW YORK RANGERS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Colin Campbell Rosters: C - Mark Messier, Ray Ferraro, Sergei Nemchinov, Niklas Sundstrom, Ian Laperriere, Daniel Lacroix. LW - Adam Graves, Luc Robitaille, Sergio Momesso, Darren Langdon, Bill Berg. RW - Pat Verbeek, Alexei Kovalev, Joey Kocur. D - Brian Leetch, Ulf Samuelsson, Jeff Beukeboom, Bruce Driver, Kevin Lowe, Doug Lidster, Alexander Karpovstev, Mattias Norstrom. G - Mike Richter, Glenn Healy, Jamie Ram. Injuries: Mike Richter, G (aggreviated groin, 2-3 weeks); Kevin Lowe, D (pulled groin, 4 weeks); Pat Verbeek, RW (third-degree separated right shoulder, 4-6 weeks). Transactions: Jamie Ram, G, recalled from Binghamton (AHL). Traded Wayne Presley, RW, and Nick Kypreos, LW, to Toronto for Sergio Momesso and Bill Berg, LWs. Game Results: 2/22 Islanders L 5-3 2/24 at Florida W 4-0 2/27 Washington L 5-3 2/28 Boston L 3-1 3/01 Buffalo T 3-3 TEAM NEWS by Alex Frias The Rangers have been slumping lately, going 0-3-1 in their last four home games, after going 24 games undefeated at home, and 1-4-1 in their last six games overall. And to make it even worse, the injury bug has biten the team. Goaltender Mike Richter, was out six weeks with a groin injury, only to come back and re-injure it in the first period in his first game back against Pittsburgh. Veteran defensemen Kevin Lowe will miss the next four weeks, also suffering a groin injury. Captain Mark Messier has been day-to-day with a bruised right shoulder, with the team losing the two games Messier has missed. And right wing Pat Verbeek suffered a third-degree separated right shoulder that will keep him in the press box four to six weeks. This will be a big test for the team. There are many questions that still need to be answered before the Rangers can think of drinking from Lord Stanley's Cup. Will Alexei Kovalev use all his skills to benefit the Rangers, not the opponent? And will Luc Robitaille start to show why he's worth $2.5 million a season? Will Adam Graves respond to having the 'C' on his jersey and become the Graves of two years ago? Will Alexander Karpovstev and Mattias Norstrom continue to play solid defense in Lowe's place? Will Niklas Sundstrom continue to play good defense, while being more creative in the offensive zone? Once Richter comes back, will he be healthy or will the Rangers have to go out and get a veteran netminder the likes of Kelley Hrudey? * In reaction to their first real slump of the season, GM Neil Smith went out and acquired Sergio Momesso and Bill Berg from the Toronto Maple Leafs for Wayne Presley and Nick Kypreos. At 6-3, 215 pounds, Momesso, addresses the Rangers' lack of size up front which they'll need in a playoff series against the Devils and Flyers. Berg, 28, has appeared in only 23 games, as his season has been wracked with injuries. With the Rangers, Presley was really never more than a penalty killer. In 58 games, he had three goals and seven points. And while he wasn't signed in the off-season to be a goal scorer, he hasn't brought any grit to a checking line of Sergei Nemchinov and Niklas Sundstrom, which had a combined total of 99 penalty minutes. Enter Momesso. In 53 games, he only had seven goals and 15 points. However, Momesso had a hefty 112 penalty minutes to go along with those 15 points. And at age 30, Momesso is a clutch playoff performer, as the Rangers got a first-hand view of this two seasons ago in the Finals when Momesso was a Vancouver Canuck. * On Feb. 21, the Rangers' all-time home unbeaten streak was at 24 games. On Feb. 23, it was still 24 games, as the Rangers lost 5-3 to the Islanders the day before. So this 1995-96 team is tied with the 1970-71 Rangers for the longest home unbeaten streak at in franchise history and 7th longest in NHL history. * February the 24th was suppose to be the match for the top spot in the East between the Rangers and the Florida Panthers. One little problem, Florida overslept and forgot to show up for the game. After the home loss to the Islanders, the Rangers had something to prove in Miami. They got a quick 2-0 lead and never looked back as they took the game 4-0. They showed the Panthers how a No. 1 team should play. Don't worry Panther fans, you'll get another chance as the two teams play four more times in the remaining 20 games. I have one idea that might help. The next time the Rangers play at the Miami Arena, try to get some Panther fans in the stands. From the opening faceoff all I heard was "Let's Go Rangers!", and that certaintly didn't help the Panther players rebound after the Blueshirts got the quick 2-0 lead. ----------------------------------------------------------------- PHILADELPHIA FLYERS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Terry Murray Roster: C - Eric Lindros, Rod Brind'Amour, Joel Otto, Craig MacTavish, Anatoli Semenov. LW - John LeClair, Trent Klatt, Rob Dimaio, Shawn Antoski, Dan Quinn. RW - Mikael Renberg, Pat Falloon, Shjon Podein, Bob Corkum. D - Eric Desjardins, Kevin Haller, Petr Svoboda, Chris Therien, Karl Dykhuis, Dan Kordic. G - Ron Hextall, Garth Snow. Injuries: Joel Otto, c (sprained right knee, day-to-day); Russ Romaniuk, lw (broken jaw, out for season); Mikael Renberg, rw (strained abdomen, day-to-day); Patrik Juhlin, rw (strained hamstring, day-to-day) Transactions: Dominic Roussel, g, traded to Winnipeg for Tim Cheveldae, g, and 1996 3rd-round pick; Assigned Tim Cheveldae, g, to Hershey (AHL); Dan Kordic, d, recalled from Hershey (AHL); Yanick Dupre, rw, sent to Hershey. Game Results: 2/19 vs New Jersey W 4-1 2/22 vs Washington W 5-3 2/23 at Buffalo L 7-2 2/25 vs Chicago W 3-2 2/28 at Dallas T 4-4 3/01 at Ottawa W 3-2 3/03 at Washington L 3-0 TEAM NEWS by Andrew Monfried The Flyers really seemed to have things going for them when they beat New Jersey and Washington at home over President's weekend. It was the first time that they had won two games in a row since mid-December. Both games were tight physical playoff-like contests. More amazing was that they were wins in the division against New Jersey, who the Flyers had not beaten since last Spring, and Washington, a team that rises to the occasion in every game against the Flyers. Unfortunately, they proceded to hit a road bump called the Buffalo Sabres who knocked them off their high perch with a 7-2 thrashing at the Aud. Buffalo led only 3-2 after the 2nd period, but the team let in four goals in the third period. The Flyers rebounded for a 3-2 win over the Blackhawks at home two days later. If Flyers fans weren't confused at that point about the Flyers consistency, they managed only three out of six points on a road trip which took them to the Good (Washington), Bad (Dallas), and the Ugly (Ottawa). The Flyers have not played well at the USAir Arena this year. Maybe it is the bad ice, the over-priced food, the new uniforms, or the exorbitant parking, but the Caps finally have the Flyers number at home. The Flyers had not lost there since 1992 before this year. It was quite a home-ice advantage since the Flyers would bring a couple thousand fans to Landover and ususally be louder than the Caps' fans. On Sunday, that was not quite the case. The Flyers allowed one too many odd-man rushes as they were shut out for the second time this year 3-0. There was very little action on the power play. The Flyers had five odd-man advantages and only managed three shots on Jim Carey. Against Dallas, The Flyers came back from down 3-1 but could only manage a tie against the Stars. Anatoli Semenov had goaltender Andy Moog dead to rights in overtime but could not get off a shot. He had the puck just outside the crease one-on-one against Moog, but Moog managed to keep it out of the goal. The Flyers paid their first visit to the Corel Centre and mucked their way to a 3-2 win over the Nats. * Part of the Flyers problems has been the line combinations. The lines have still been off kilter for the last month. Right wing Mikael Renberg has missed the last 17 games with a strained abdomen and Head Coach Terry Murray has yet to find a consistent man on the wing next to Lindros and LeClair. Bob Corkum, Anatoli Semenov, and Rob Dimaio are all seeing time there. Murray even shifted Lindros to the wing and centered the line with Corkum for one game. Compounding this was the fact that some forwards were missing stretches on the disabled list. Left wing Russ Romaniuk stopped a shot with his face in the Buffalo game and is out for the year with a broken jaw. Corkum missed three games with a strained shoulder. Center Joel Otto missed six games with a strained right knee, played against Ottawa, and then reinjured it against the Caps. * The Flyers, despite it all, continue to march on. While they are not in the driver's seat yet for the playoff race, they are in Florida's rear-view mirror and are only an exit behind the Rangers. With the top teams beginning to struggle, the Flyers reeled off a 4-1-2 stretch to gain ground. Eric Lindros is still providing the offense. He is on his way to a 50-goal season and is the 2nd leading scorer behind Pittsburgh's Jaromir Jagr since the all-star break. Shjon Podein has also started to find the switch to the red light. He got two, including the game-winner, against Ottawa. It was the first time he had scored since mid-December. * Dominic Roussel had been wanting to get out of Hershey for the last two months, he finally clicked his ruby skates together and got sent to Winnipeg, which is a little farther north of Kansas. Philadelphia got goalie Tim Cheveldae and a 1996 third- round draft pick in return for a player who had not played since November 15 and was biding his time in Chocolate Town. While there, he was 4-4-3 with a 2.78 goals-against for an average Hershey team. He was 2-3-2 with a 2.89 GAA and a .876 save percentage for the Flyers this season. Roussel was in his 5th year with the orange and black, but had the backup job usurped by Garth Snow in Novemeber. Roussel had a 62-49-14 record and a 3.18 GAA in 139 regular-season games. Cheveldae appeared in 30 games for the Jets and compiled an 8-18-3 record with a 3.93 goals-against average and a save percentage of .883. Cheveldae, 28, was assigned to Hershey as the Flyers emergency goalie. Cheveldae has a 149-135-37 career record and 3.49 GAA in 338 regular-season games with Winnipeg and Detroit. * The Flyers had six days off between the Washington and Boston games. Instead of spending the off days in lovely Voorhees, N.J., the team continued their road trip by taking a little side-trip to Hilton Head, S.C. The fun and sun should allow Mikael Renberg's mysterious abdomen injury to heal. The team is optimistic he will play against the Bruins on March 9th. The Flyers could certainly use him since he is still 4th on the team in scoring depite missing the last 17 games. Another good thing for the Flyers is that after Boston, they play their next five games at home. Looking at the rest of the season, they only have four more tough games on the road at Rangers, Buffalo, Toronto, and Tampa to finish the season. ----------------------------------------------------------------- TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Terry Crisp Roster: C - Brian Bradley, Chris Gratton, John Cullen, Aaron Gavey. LW - Paul Ysebaert, Shawn Burr, Rob Zamuner, John Tucker, Jason Weimer, Rudy Poeschek. RW - Brian Bellows, Petr Klima, Alexander Selivanov, Mikael Andersson, Brantt Myhres. D - Roman Hamrlik, Bill Houlder, Cory Cross, Dave Shaw, Chris Lipuma, Enrico Ciccone, Michel Petit, Drew Bannister. G - Daren Puppa, Jeff Reese, Derek Wilkinson. Injuries: Paul Ysebaert, rw (torn groin muscle, indefinite); Michel Petit, d (hip flexor, 3-5 days); David Shaw, d (sprained knee, 3-5 days); Petr Klima, rw (separated shoulder, 7-10 days). Transactions: None. Game Results: 2/19 Dallas W 4-2 2/21 at Toronto W 3-2 OT 2/23 at NY Islanders W 3-2 OT 2/24 at Detroit L 2-0 2/28 at Los Angeles W 5-1 3/01 at San Jose W 7-3 3/03 at Anaheim T 2-2 TEAM NEWS by Troy Ely Okay, I promised you a few words on the future home of the men with Lightning Bolts on their pants -- the Ice Palace. The brochures I got use lots of snappy colors, and the suites are selling quite quickly, but I got the sense that I do not want to be a part of the construction crew. To me, it appears that there is a lot of major work left to be done before next season. Granted, there is a big concrete shell, that, given a vivid imagination, could be viewed as a hockey arena. However, there isn't even a roof on the building, and seeing as the local rainy season is almost upon us, well, I have my doubts. I was repeatedly assured that construction is right on schedule, and that crews are working around the clock in order to complete the building in time for the 1996-97 season. Physical structure aside, my biggest concern is parking. There is a small parking garage adjacent to the new complex; however, it only holds 1500 cars, and 600 of the spaces are already reserved for the adjoining hotel. That leaves 900 spaces for a building that seats 19,500 for hockey. There is also only one major expressway that exits near the building. All other routes send you through downtown Tampa and its many one-way streets. I forsee many late arrivals and early departures in the Ice Palace's future. There...I feel cleansed...now on to this season's events. LIGHTNING PLAYERS TURNED TO STONE AS THEY GAZED UPON THE HORROR THAT IS FEDOROV'S NIKE SKATES! Oops...how did last issue's headline get in there? Hold on...let me find a suitable entry for this issue. Hmmm...how about: FEAR OF LIGHTNING SENDS GRETZKY TO ST. LOUIS: "I'm sick of losing to them at home," admits Gretzky. Well maybe that is not the real reason Gretzky left, but hey, make up your own headline. After disposing of Mike Modano (no doubt cursed by his LCS P.O.W. honor) and the Dallas Stars, the Lightning left sunny Florida for a six-game road trip, hoping to mimic the recent road-trip success of Mr. Whale. Realistically, the Lightning needed to earn at least six points in order to remain in the thick of the playoff race. While such a long trip might seem ominous at first, any fear that the Lightning felt was eased by the sight of three games in California -- a state where the Lightning have never lost. But before Tampa Bay could be delivered to the promised land, they had to face the Leafs, Isles, and Red Wings. For some inexplicable reason, little Cory Dever, who, I am sure, aspires to play for the LCS-sponsored Ice Pimps some day, sat down with his father to watch the Lightning-Maple Leafs contest, and was rooting for the evil, vicious team from north of the border. When asked why he would root for a team with a leaf on their sweater, instead of the Johnny Cullen-led team with Lightning Bolts on their pants, little Cory replied, "my favorite player is on that team." A hush fell across the listening audience...little Cory's favorite player was evidently NOT Johnny Cullen, but in fact...Kirk Muller. Needless to say, Cory has been attending regular deprogramming sessions in an attempt to normalize his thought patterns. Alas, it appeared that little Cory would have the last laugh after all as he went to sleep with the Leafs in front of the Bolts 2-0 and the end of two periods. Little did he know that the Lightning were merely allowing the youngster to enjoy his moment, and sleep dreaming about a Toronto win. Once little Cory began his slumber, the Lightning of course, tied the game at two, and proceeded to win in overtime -- Yee-haw! And little Cory's father, the heartless bastard, took immense pleasure in informing his son of the outcome the next morning. And due to the ever-swirling karma that is the NHL scheduling department, the Lightning next visited Mr. Muller's former employers, the New York Islanders. The scenario appeared to give the advantage to the Fishtick Boys -- a spent Lightning team playing their second game in as many days, and an exuberant Islander team that had just broken the Rangers home-winning streak. A close game? Not unless you look at the score. The Bolts, again applying the Ely magic-win formula of 36 or more shots, kept pounding away, but found themselves again tied 2-2 at the end of regulation. Practice makes perfect, so the Lightning again scored in the extra session, and in doing so, won their fifth straight game, which equaled a franchise-best winning streak set earlier in the season. Of course, the Islander game was not broadcast on local television or cable. I am sure that this was arranged by the local DSS-retailer, who undoubtedly did brisk buisiness the next morning, as the following game, against Detroit, was also not broadcast. Okay, that's how last issue's headline got in there...You might as well insert it right here. After back-to-back overtime games, the Lightning visited the Joe, where the Red Wings had compiled a 24-2-2 record. The Lightning spent most of the game just trying to prevent Detroit from scoring, and for two periods, they did just that. Unfortunately, Detroit broke through early in the third, and hope of a Lightning win vanished. A late empty-net goal sealed the Bolts fate. The 2-0 loss ended the winning streak, but not the team's good spirits. Somehow, the Lightning manage to grab extra press due to Wayne Gretzky. He had his 1,000th game against the Lightning, played against his brother Brent, and now, the Lightning were the first opponent of the Kings after the trade. At least I knew that the game would get highlights on SportsCenter. Yawn...Lightning move to 8-0 all-time in California with a 5-1 win. Quick...name the last time a Lightning player netted a hat trick. Ponder...yes, it has been a long time. In fact, there have been four hat tricks in the history of the franchise, and all four came in the inaugural season. In one game, the total has vaulted to six. In a battle of first-rounders whose selections came over a decade apart, Jason Wiemer and Brian Bellows each scored three times against the Sharks in a 7-3 win at San Jose. While impressive on its own, the feat was made more so because Wiemer and Bellows play on the SAME line. The two, along with linemate Chris Gratton, were named as the three stars of the game. Right now, Wiemer is in Bettman's office begging for realignment. Let's see, that would be 9-0-0 in California, and it's off to face Team Teemu and the Mighty Ducks. Did someone feed in the negative of the Toronto tape? The Lightning appeared to have a 10th California win as they entered the third period ahead 2-0. Two quick Duck goals later, and the Lightning faced their third 2-2 overtime period. Luckily, the Toronto imagery ceased, and the Lightning left the Pond with a tie. Amazing how a 4-1-1 record will lift your spirits. The Lightning return to Tampa tied for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 19 games left to play. But not all is well for the men with Lightning Bolts on their pants. The man-advantage took a major blow when right wing Petr Klima was sidelined with a separated shoulder, which will keep him out for two to three weeks. And defenseman David Shaw, recovering from a knee injury, re-injured the knee when he tripped over a bedspread in his hotel room. In healthier news, captain Paul Ysebaert is rumored to see action soon, and Aaron Gavey is back with the team after recovering from his facial laceration. Did I say that the last major road trip would be important in the playoff picture? Well, forget about that for the moment. The Lightning, with 19 games remaining, find themselves battling with Washington, Montreal, and New Jersey for the bottom four seeds in the Eastern Conference. Of the remaining 19 games, 14 are against opponents with a winning record. Over half of the games (10) are against the four top teams in the division -- the Rangers, Panthers, Flyers, and Capitals. In 12 games against those teams this season, the Lightning have compiled an ominous 2-8-2 record. Needless to say, the Lightning need to have a significantly better record in the 10 future games in order to make the playoffs. In addition to the aforementioned 10, the Lightning must face both Pittsburgh and Chicago, as well as games against playoff-hopefuls New Jersey, Hartford, and Buffalo. If the Lightning are to make the playoffs this season, they will have to do it the old-fashioned way -- by earning it. With the Lightning this close this late in the season, look for rumors abound coming from the offices of Trader Phil, as he is likely to push for a late-season acquisition to keep the season alive. ----------------------------------------------------------------- WASHINGTON CAPITALS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Jim Schoenfeld Roster: C - Michal Pivonka, Dale Hunter, Jeff Nelson, Mike Eagles. LW - Joe Juneau, Steve Konowalchuk, Craig Berube, Andrew Brunette, Kevin Kaminski. RW - Keith Jones, Kelly Miller, Pat Peake. D - Calle Johansson, Sylvain Cote, Joe Reekie, Sergei Gonchar, Ken Klee, Jim Johnson. G -Jim Carey, Olie Kolzig. Injuries: Peter Bondra, RW, (strained left groin, day-to-day); Brendan Witt, D, (broken left wrist, out 3-5 weeks); Mark Tinordi, D, (mild concussion, day-to-day). Transactions: Olie Kolzig, G, recalled from Portland (AHL). Ron Tugnutt, G, assigned to Portland. Stewart Malgunas, D, recalled from Portland. Malgunas assigned to Portland. Andrew Brunette, LW, recalled from Portland. Stefan Ustorf, C, assigned to Portland on a conditioning assignment. Game Results: 2/22 at Philadelphia L 3-5 2/24 New Jersey L 2-1 2/27 at NY Rangers W 5-3 2/29 at Florida T 2-2 3/02 at Boston W 2-0 3/03 Philadelphia W 3-0 TEAM NEWS by Jason Sheehan Scrapes, bruises, breaks and strains are all part of what a hockey player knows he may encounter during his career. Unfortunately the Washington Capitals have seen a truck load of accidents occur lately. Injuries have plagued Washington for the last two weeks, but when their leading goal-scorer Peter Bondra went down, the Capitals amazingly put two-and-two together and played their best hockey of the season. Bondra strained his left groin in practice on February 21. He played the following night at Philadelphia, but the pain was simply too much as the Capitals' leading goal-scorer failed to work his magic. A beautiful pass by Joe Juneau in the second period presented Bondra with a breakaway, but he was unable to put goal number 38 past Flyers' goaltender Ron Hextall. Capitals' coach Jim Schoenfeld, knowing his top gun was hurting, replaced Keith Jones with enforcer Craig Berube on his first line, so Bondra would have a substantial amount of free space and would not encounter deadly checks from the likes of Eric Lindros or Kjell Samuelsson. However the experiment failed as the Capitals lost 5-3. Bondra played yet another game with his strained groin against the New Jersey Devils on February 24, but on that night he was unable to skate during the last 30 minutes of action. Consequently, Devils' goaltender Martin Brodeur (9-0-1 lifetime against Washington) continued his mastery against the Capitals as his team flustered Washington with the neutral zone trap, 2-1. The Devils scored two early first period goals and never looked back. * Injured defenseman Brendan Witt (broken left wrist) visited his doctor February 21 and the news was not good. Since the healing process is moving along slower than expected, Witt's doctor gave him a full arm cast. The Capitals are now without their promising young defenseman until at least early April. * With the Capitals plummeting toward the ninth spot in the Eastern Conference and without the services of Bondra, Witt and Mark Tinordi (concussion), things looked bleak before playing the New York Rangers in New York on February 27. As it turned out the Rangers lost a couple players in this contest to help even things up. Alexei Kovalev received a game misconduct and captain Mark Messier injured his shoulder in the first period. As a result the Capitals gained an early lead, but it did not last long. Sergei Nemchinov scored two late second-period goals to give the Rangers a seemingly insurmountable 3-2 lead. However Olie Kolzig, fresh off a successful stint in Portland, kept the game within reaching distance by making a few spectacular saves. Early in the third period, 1993's Canadian Hockey League Player of the Year, Pat Peake crushed the Rangers by winning a majority of offensive zone faceoffs. Due to his effort, Michal Pivonka scored a big goal to tie the game at 3-3. The Capitals did not stop there. Juneau took the horse by its reigns and led Washington's charge to victory by scoring the last two goals of the game. His game-winning goal was one that would later make "Brut Hockey Week's" top five goals of the week. Teammate Steve Konowalchuk sped down the ice with Juneau on a two-on-one break. Konowalchuk flipped an aerial pass toward the net and Juneau, being at the right place at the right time, batted the puck out of midair and past Glenn Healy. The graduate from R.P.I and drummer of the Offwings ended his night by scoring a short-handed goal as the Capitals surprised the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, 5-3. The win snapped a three-game losing streak and ended a longtime Rangers' streak. Before losing to the Capitals the Rangers record when leading after two periods of play, dating from April 4, 1993, was 85-0-6. Thanks to Washington, the Rangers now must add a one to the right margin. * Due to his stellar play, Kolzig received his second consecutive start in a rare February 29 leap year battle at Florida. He played yet another strong game and also stepped up to the challenge by stopping a Mike Hough penalty shot in the second period. Still, until the final 17 seconds of regulation, Andrew Brunette's first NHL goal was all the Capitals had on the scoreboard as they trailed, 2-1. With 17 seconds left and Kolzig on the bench for an extra attacker, captain Dale Hunter, standing directly in front of Panthers' goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck, collected a rebound from Konowalchuk's initial shot and tapped the puck past the goal line. The game ended at 2-2, as the tie was definitely a moral victory for the Capitals. The fans in Miami were not thrilled to say the least at the game's final outcome. Hunter's main role this season has been in keeping the opposition's top line off the scoreboard. Since the Capitals are only allowing an average of 2.7 goals a game, he has done his job well. Because of his gritty play, Schoenfeld is currently campaigning Hunter for the Selke Trophy, which is given "To the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game." Trying to keep stars such as Mario Lemieux, Messier and Eric Lindros off the scoreboard is impossible for most, but it is all part of the job description for Washington's 35-year-old captain. * The undermanned Capitals next took their act to Boston's FleetCenter for a March 2nd afternoon battle against the ninth place Bruins. The biggest star on that day gleamed at Washington goaltender and Massachusetts native Jim Carey. Carey and the Capitals blanked the out-of-synch Bruins, 2-0, behind goals from Berube and Juneau. For Berube, his first period goal and eventual game-winner was his first of the year. Berube's shot pinballed off Boston's Tim Sweeney and beat a confused Bill Ranford. It was not pretty, but one cannot expect a Berube goal to make the highlight reel. Juneau's third period insurance goal spelt doom for the Bruins. He raced down the left wing and fired a slap shot from the left face-off circle, which tweaked through Ranford's pads. * With the Capitals' trio still out of the lineup, the Philadelphia Flyers brought their act to the USAir Arena the next day and did not like what they found, as the Capitals won their fourth consecutive game, 3-0. Schoenfeld gave Carey his second consecutive start in as many days and was not disappointed. Philadelphia was presented with great opportunities early in the game, but could not beat the Capitals' 21-year-old phenom. When presented with scoring chances, the Flyers experienced rough sailing on the battered USAir Arena ice surface, as they often had the puck jump over their sticks. But the bad ice was to Washington's liking. Sergei Gonchar scored the game's first goal with less than one minute remaining in the first period by flipping a shot over a fallen Ron Hextall. Second-period goals from Juneau and enforcer Kevin "Killer" Kaminski, his first of the year and second of his NHL career, iced it for the Capitals. All that remained in doubt for the Capitals was whether or not Carey would get his second consecutive shutout and sixth of the season. He did and as a result the Capitals now trail Philadelphia in the standings by a slim six points. * Carey has not given up a goal in his last 174 minutes of play, which translates to almost three games. Seeing how far that impressive stat could possibly grow will be interesting. ================================================================ ================================================================= TEAM REPORTS ================================================================= WESTERN CONFERENCE CENTRAL DIVISION ----------------------------------------------------------------- CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Craig Hartsburg Roster: C - Jeremy Roenick, Bernie Nicholls, Denis Savard, Jeff Shantz, Brent Sutter. LW - Murray Craven, Bob Probert, Jim Cummins, Tony Horacek. RW - Joe Murphy, Tony Amonte, Eric Daze, Darin Kimble, Sergei Krivokrasov. D - Chris Chelios, Gary Suter, Steve Smith, Eric Weinrich, Cam Russell, Greg Smyth, Keith Carney, Roger Johansson, Ivan Droppa, Igor Ulanov, Brad Werenka. G - Ed Belfour, Jeff Hackett. Injuries: Krivokrasov, rw (knee, 1-2 weeks); Ed Belfour, g (weak back, day-to-day). Transactions: Recalled Jimmy Waite (goaltender) from Indianapolis Ice (IHL); Signed Jean-Yves Leroux (left wing) to a three-year contract. Game Results: 2/22 St Louis L 4-3 2/23 at Winnipeg L 1-0 2/25 at Philadelphia L 3-2 2/29 Colorado W 4-3 3/01 at Colorado L 5-3 3/03 Detroit L 6-2 TEAM NEWS by Dan Glovier * Ssshhhhh...listen...did you hear that? That was the sound of the Hawks' winning ways screeching to a halt. You'd think going 1-5 would be bad enough, but the way they lost these games makes the losses hurt even more. In the St. Louis game, they gave up a goal with less than a second to play to send it into overtime. Brian Noonan then finished the Hawks off in the extra period. Overtime proved to be a deadly mistress (I always wanted to use that line somewhere) again as the Jets used the extra time to their advantage to pick up the two points. The Flyers scored the game-winning goal with less than 22 seconds remaining in the game to pull out their victory. The Hawks were beating Colorado in their second meeting, but then the roof fell in. Against Detroit, they never had a roof to collapse. Blowing leads and losing in overtime is not the stuff that playoff contenders are made. One terrible trend that has been established this year is the Hawks' uncanny ability to give up goals late in the period. I wish I had the exact stat, but it's happened a whole bunch. Trust me. * This last stretch of games was supposed to be a measuring stick for the Hawks. They were coming off a fine streak of games where they went 20-4-4, and they were rolling over some teams. However, only three of these victories have come against teams with records of .500 or better. Add to this the fact that their record against the top teams in their conference (Colorado and Detroit) is 0-4-1, and you can see why some people are a bit suspicious of the playoff chances of the Hawks. With two games against Colorado, one against the tough Flyers, and one against Detroit (whom they haven't beaten at home since 10-23-93), the Hawks could see where they really stand... They went 1-3. You can read many things into this stat. The Hawks are basically locked into the third seed in the conference, so maybe motivation is a factor. Maybe the Hawks are a wily bunch of veterans who aren't showing their best hand until the playoffs. Once the postseason activities start...BAM!...out come the big guns. Maybe? Maybe not. A more plausible conclusion could be that the Hawks still need to raise their game to compete on the highest level. This could be accomplished by some individuals playing better, team play could improve, or the Hawks could make a move. Let's take a look at what some of the other teams in the conference have done. Colorado has traded for Patrick Roy, Claude Lemieux, Mike Keane, and Sandis Ozolinsh; Dallas traded for Joe Nieuwendyk; Detroit hasn't signed a Russian in a long time, so they were required by NHL by-laws to trade for Igor Larionov; and St. Louis has made 6,853 moves this year, including the acquisition of that Wayne Gretzky guy. With their recent play, and the movements made by other teams, it looks like the Hawks have to make a trade. One stumbling block: Hawk G.M. Bob Pulford. This is one patient dude. Heck, he took two years to trade for Adam Creighton. Look for another defenseman and/or a banging, physical winger to make their way to Chicago. * To add fuel to the trade fire, Joe Murphy hasn't scored a goal in a month. An entire month. And this wasn't one of those short February months. This was one them 29-day jobs that comes around only once every four years. Despite this, he continues to get power-play time, and the Hawks organization keep referring to his as someone who should be a 35-40 goal scorer. Someone should tell them that he's been in the league since the 86-87 season, and he has scored 30 or more goals only twice (35 and 31). For his career, he averages 26 goals over an 82-game schedule. For a team that does need to get more physical up front (something Joe Murphy does not provide), he seems like the odd-man out. * Jeff Hackett's been having a story book season, putting up better numbers than the incumbent grand poohbah of the pipes, Ed Belfour. Somehow, Coach Craig Hartsburg has been able to avoid a goaltending controversy. Last week, however, he finally admitted that he "has a situation" with the goaltender rotation. Ed Belfour, being the team guy that he is, decided to take his coach off the hot seat and re-injure his back. If he doesn't fully recover, the Hawks and their fans get to see what the real Jeff Hackett is made of. * Speaking of back injuries, how's that Steve Smith doing? Just fine, thank you. Even though he has made more comebacks than The Who did in the 1980's, this time it may be the real thing. He has played in the last seven games, and at times he has looked good, but he still needs to get into game shape. These last 17 games of the season should allow the veteran defenseman to get his timing back. If he lasts that long. With Steve Smith's return, everyone knew it would be either Igor Ulanov or Cam Russell who would have to sit. With his improved play of late, Igor Ulanov has secured that sixth spot on the blue line. * It seems like Brent Sutter's been in the league forever, playing solid two-way hockey. On the Hawks' last meeting with those Jets from Winnipeg, Brent Sutter played in his 1,000th NHL game. That's a lot of games. To put this in perspective, the great Pierre Larouche only played in 812 games, and the infamous Todd Bergen lasted a whole 14 games (but he scored 11 goals). Brent Sutter, we salute you! * The highly touted Twist/Probert rematch never materialized as that wacky Mike Keenan sat Tony Twist for the first two periods, and then Twist only saw limited duty in the third period. ----------------------------------------------------------------- DALLAS STARS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Ken Hitchcock Roster: C - Mike Modano, Joe Nieuwendyk, Benoit Hogue, Todd Harvey, Guy Carbonneau. LW - Greg Adams, Brent Gilchrist, Mike Donnelly, Mike Kennedy, Bill Huard, Brent Fedyk, Randy Wood. RW - Jere Lehtinen, Jamie Langenbrunner, Grant Marshall. D - Kevin Hatcher, Derian Hatcher, Darryl Sydor, Grant Ledyard, Craig Ludwig, Mike Lalor, Gord Donnelly, Richard Matvichuk. G - Andy Moog, Darcy Wakaluk, Allan Bester. Injuries: Bob Bassen, c (knee, indefinite). Transactions: Game Results: 2/22 Ottawa W 3-2 2/24 at Toronto W 3-2 2/25 at Hartford W 6-2 2/28 Philadelphia T 4-4 3/03 Toronto W 5-1 TEAM NEWS by Jim Panenka The reports of the Stars' death have been greatly exaggerated. This very column even hinted, well okay, it was more like shouted, that the Stars' season was over last issue. Well, everyone has to eat a little crow over Dallas' recent success. A quick tap-dancing act by a fickle reporter, you say? No way, hoser! The club's players absolutely changed this reporter's opinion during the complete 60-minute domination of the Maple Leafs on March 3. Granted, Toronto is suffering a major confidence slump and has been the whipping boy in the West, lately. But, it was the one and only time this season all the suited players formed a complete unit. That unit beat the opposition at about every aspect of the game. Toronto fans should be about livid by now, considering the Leafs' mistakes were broadcast nation-wide in Canada. Giving the Leafs six power-play chances was Dallas' only major mistake. Toronto was unable to convert all but one of those chances, and fell to six straight losses. The point is, Hitchcock saw equal effort from the whole squad Saturday, not just from the star players. Brent Gilchrist had two goals. Grant Marshall exploded with a career-high three assists. Greg Adams swished one in top-shelf. Richard Matvichuck finally scored a goal while playing up with the forwards. Craig Ludwig terrorized all that ventured near the pipes. Bill Huard officially took over for Shane Churla by fighting back Nick Kypreos. The Leafs tried to get back in it by roughing up the Stars, but Huard took over as "The Enforcer" and was equal to the challenge. Moog was absolutely brilliant once again with 27 saves, and he shut out Toronto up until the last three minutes of the third. The star players did their part as well. The first line of Hogue-Modano-Lehtinen kicked in four points. All three players had at least one point in the game. In 60 minutes, Dallas rose from 12th place to ninth in the West. The Stars are one game over .500 since the break (9-8-2), and have a five-game unbeaten streak. They are now only six points back from eigth-place Winnipeg. The team has used all the recent changes to their advantage and have joined together for a common goal. They are back in the playoff hunt. Of course, things can change quickly in this game. Other news: * Iron man Craig Ludwig played his 1000th NHL game on March 3. In a special pre-game ceremony, Ludwig and his family were awarded a vacation in Greece from the Stars' players. The club gave Ludwig a watch, and the NHL presented a crystal award. He is only the 110th player to achieve this goal, and joins teammate Guy Carbonneau as the second Stars player to reach the mark this season. Ludwig has been with the organization five years, and shows up for every game ready to play hard. * Mike Modano has kept his scoring explosion alive. He has posted an impressive 12 goals and 17 assists in the last 20 games. Yep, almost 30 points in 20 games. The season totals so far are 32 goals and 31 assists. A 50-goal season is not unreachable. * Benoit Hogue now has a 10-game scoring streak. He pitched in three goals, 11 assists since the streak began on Feb. 10. His season totals are 17 goals, 38 assists including the Toronto games. The Stars' first line now has two players capable of 60+ point seasons, which is on pace with some of the best in the NHL. Heck, it looks more like 80+ points before they are through. * The other member of the first line, Jere Lehtinen, has been named NHL Rookie of the Month, and the Stars' Player of the Month for February. He has scored four goals, 12 assists in 13 games during the month. His season record so far is five goals, 21 assists. This first line is a keeper, folks! * Greg Adams has had bad luck recently, with a slowed scoring pace and a couple of tough injuries. Adams suffered some sort of hand injury after a run-in with Toronto's Nick Kypreos on March 3. He has reportedly gone for X-rays, but no official report was released. * Another member of the Nieuwendyk-Adams-Fedyk line, Brent Fedyk, is ready to return from a leg injury. He is scheduled to play on Mar. 5 in Anaheim. * Grant Marshall capped a career-high three-assist night Mar. 3 with a spectacular pass to Brent Gilchrist. Marshall was on his stomach sliding on the ice behind the goal, but had the presence of mind to take a one-handed swipe at the puck to send it up the slot for the waiting Gilchrist. Gilchrist has also been scoring well, he ended up with two goals, and pressed in for a couple o' chances to get the hat trick. * Todd Harvey had four points in as many games for the K-Wings of the IHL. He is due to be returning back to the majors in the next couple o' games. ----------------------------------------------------------------- DETROIT RED WINGS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Scotty Bowman Roster: C - Sergei Fedorov, Steve Yzerman, Keith Primeau, Igor Larionov, Greg Johnson, Kris Draper. LW - Vyacheslav Kozlov, Martin Lapointe, Bob Errey, Stu Grimson, Tim Taylor. RW - Dino Ciccarelli, Doug Brown, Darren McCarty, Mathieu Dandenault. D - Paul Coffey, Nicklas Lidstrom, Bob Rouse, Vladimir Konstantinov, Mike Ramsey, Slava Fetisov, Marc Bergevin. G - Mike Vernon, Chris Osgood. Injuries: Kris Draper, c (sprained knee, day-to-day). Transactions: None Game Results: 2/19 Vancouver W 4-3 2/22 Toronto W 5-3 2/24 Tampa Bay W 2-0 2/27 at Islanders W 6-2 2/29 Islanders W 5-1 3/02 Vancouver L 3-2 3/03 at Chicago W 6-2 TEAM NEWS by Brian Wishnow * Injury update: Kris Draper remains sidelined with a sprained right knee. Under the supervision of team doctors and trainer John Wharton, Draper resumed skating last week. He is not yet ready for games, and is skating with a brace on the knee. Darren McCarty returned to the lineup this past weekend. His hand has a deep cut that goes down to the bone. Taking precautions, McCarty did not engage in any fights against Chicago. He almost went at it with Jeremy Roenick (Roenick was wary of his jaw) before linesman stepped in. Martin Lapointe, who seemed to secure a regular lineup spot recently, also suffered a knee sprain. He left midway through the game in which the New York Fishsticks visited Detroit. Lapointe's sprain was not nearly as serious as Draper's, and will miss little action. "X-Ray" Bob Errey has been banged up recently, but has not missed game action. At Long Island, Errey took a shot off the foot. X-Rays were negative. Sunday night at Chicago, Errey slid into the endboards after scoring a goal, and jolted his neck and back. He was able to skate off under his own power. X-Ray's taken within the United Center itself also came up negative. * Trade rumors once again have surfaced. Some began to question whether Detroit would attempt to bolster its lineup after division rival St. Louis acquired Wayne Gretzky. Would the Wings try to acquire defensive help? Los Angeles is cleaning house and becoming a younger team. Marty McSorley's name has been the most often mentioned defenseman possibly heading to Detroit. The other strong rumor involves the rugged Islander left wing, Wendel Clark. The past week provided a perfectly timed showcase for Clark. He did not, however, have much of an impact in either game. * Detroit's loss February 16 to St. Louis was the first occasion this season on which the Red Wings blew a lead heading into the third period and lost the game. One time in 36 chances (34-1-1). Just over two weeks later, Detroit led Vancouver before the third period began. The Canucks proceeded to win the game, 3-2. Detroit is now 37-2-2 when leading after two. Ironically, when Detroit played Vancouver Feb. 19, another unusual outcome took place. Detroit's record was 1-4-3 when trailing after one period of play. The Red Wings came back to defeat Vancouver 4-3 and up that mark to 2-4-3. * Sergei Fedorov is under contract to Nike to wear their uniquely designed skates for the remainder of the season. Or he was. The past week Fedorov has appeared in his normal black Graf skates. The contract has probably not changed. Sergei had been complaining about the lack of support in the skates from the beginning. They were probably sent back to Nike/Bauer/Canstar for revamping. The current stretch in the schedule contains no Nationally televised games on Fox until the end of March. * Edmonton's loss on Feb. 25 was a significant one to Detroit. They became the first team to clinch a playoff berth this season. Surprise, surprise. Detroit's victory over Chicago Sunday upped their record to 47-12-4 on the season. With 19 games left, the Wings have already equaled the Franchise record for victories in a season (47). Detroit can now aim for the League record of 60 victories, well within reach. * Chris can't lose. After his victory against the Islanders Feb. 29, Chris Osgood upped his record on the year to 31-5-3. His last loss was Jan. 8 vs. Winnipeg. He is 14-0-1 in his last 15 games. * The defense is getting the job done. With the league's #1 rated defense, one wouldn't expect Detroit's defensive corps to be offensively productive. Recently, however, Vladimir Konstantinov, Marc Bergevin (his first of the season), and Nicklas Lidstrom netted goals in the 6-2 win over Chicago. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ST. LOUIS BLUES ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Mike Keenan Roster: C - Wayne Gretzky, Dale Hawerchuk, Adam Creighton, Peter Zezel, Mike Hudson. LW - Geoff Courtnall, Shayne Corson, Basil McRae, Tony Twist, Greg Gilbert, Stephane Matteau. RW - Brett Hull, Brian Noonan, Rob Pearson, Dave Roberts. D - Al MacInnis, Dallas Eakins, Igor Kravchuk, Jay Wells, Murray Baron, Christer Olsson, Chris Pronger. G - Grant Fuhr, Jon Casey. Injuries: Geoff Courtnall, lw (Broken thumb, underwent surgery on 2/19, day-to-day), Greg Gilbert, lw (lower back strain, placed on the injured list on 11/25, indefinitely); Basil McRae, lw (strained shoulder, placed on the injured reserve on 11/9, indefinitely). Transactions: Acquired Wayne Gretzky, c, from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Craig Johnson, c, Patrice Tardif, rw, Roman Vopat, c, first round pick in 1997, and a 5th round pick in 1996. Assigned Christer Olsson, d, to Worcester (AHL), assigned Bruce Racine, g, to Peoria (IHL), recalled Ken Sutton, d, from Worcester (AHL), recalled Jon Casey, g, from Peoria (IHL), recalled Christer Olsson, d, from Worcester (AHL), assigned J.J. Daigneault, d, to Worcester (AHL), assigned Dallas Eakins, d, to Worcester (AHL) for conditioning. Game Results: 2/20 Ottawa L 1-7 2/22 at Chicago W 4-3 OT 2/24 Los Angeles T 2-2 2/29 at Vancouver T 2-2 3/01 at Edmonton W 4-3 TEAM NEWS by Joe Ashkar After months of rumors and weeks of negotiations, the Great One is now wearing the Blue Note. Wayne Gretzky has been traded to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for prospects Craig Johnson, Patrice Tardif, Roman Vopat, a first-round pick in 1997 and a fifth-round pick in this year's draft. Gretzky is the NHL's all-time leader in points, goals and assists. By contrast, Vopat, 19; Tardif, 25; and Johnson, 23, have combined for 42 points in 139 NHL games. Gretzky was ecstatic about joining the Blues, Mike Keenan and Brett Hull. "I look forward to a new start in St. Louis," Gretzky said. "I'm ecstatic about playing for Mike (Keenan), and obviously it will be nice to have Brett Hull on my right side." At the press conference following the trade, Blues captain Shayne Corson made a nice gesture by announcing he will hand off his captaincy to Wayne Gretzky. Hull later told Corson he could have his "A". Gretzky joined his new teammates in Vancouver the following morning in front of a media circus from all over North America. Over 2000 fans packed the Blues' practice facility in Vancouver to watch the Great One's first practice wearing the Blue Note. In his first game with his new team, Gretzky scored his first goal as a Blue on a breakaway setup by Brett Hull and Stephane Matteau. Gretzky's goal gave the Blues a 2-0 lead in the first period but Vancouver's Alexander Mogilny stole the spotlight from number 99 with his 50th and 51st goals of the season to give the Canucks a 2-2 tie with the Blues. The Blues traveled next to Edmonton, where Gretzky won four Stanley Cups with the dynasty Oilers. After starting out the game well and setting up Al MacInnis for a goal with his patented passing from behind the net, Gretzky was knocked unconscious and out of the game with a vicious blind-sided elbow from former teammate Kelly Buchberber. It was a scary moment for the Blues and the crowd at the Edmonton Coliseum. Gretzky layed motionless on the ice for over five minutes. He was later able to walk to the dressing room but never returned in the game. He has been diagnosed with a minor concussion and a severe headache. When asked if Gretzky would play when the Blues return home to play the Florida Panthers at Kiel Center, Keenan said "...I don't think so." Gretzky said he will be ready for his Blues debut at Kiel Center. "I'll be ready to play, I wouldn't miss it. I'm looking forward to it," he said. Gretzky's debut Tuesday night at Kiel Center is supposed to shatter the attendance record for a Blues Hockey game. The game immediately sold out after the trade announcement. Scalpers are selling tickets for the historic event for over $300. In the shadow of the Gretzky trade, the Blues have put together one of their best streaks of the season. They are 6-1-3 in their last 10 games as their only loss came during a letdown against the Ottawa Senators at Kiel Center. Ottawa also handed the Blues their last road loss which dates back to January 29th. Since then, the Blues have recorded an impressive 5-0-2 road record and only two losses in their last 14 games (7-2-5) away from Kiel Center. During that streak, the Blues recorded their first overtime win of the season against the much-hated Chicago Blackhawks in a dramatic fashion. The game was billed as the rematch between heavy-weights Tony Twist of St. Louis and Bob Probert of Chicago, and the Jeremy Roenick-Geoff Courtnall payback. Nothing ensued at the game as Twist and Probert stayed away from each other and Courtnall was not in the Blues lineup due to a broken thumb in his left hand. Great playoff-type hockey was displayed by both teams and both goaltenders dazzled the crowd with many stellar saves. After Chicago had taken a 1-0 lead early in the game, the Blues battled back with two quick goals to take a 2-1 lead. Chicago's Tony Amonte scored the next two goals to complete the hat trick - the first by a Blackhawks player at the United Center - and give Chicago a 3-2 lead. With time winding down and Fuhr pulled for an extra attacker, Rob Pearson tied the game 3-3 with 0.6 left in the game. Ex-Hawk Brian Noonan gave the Blues the victory when he tipped in a rebound past Eddie Belfour on a long shot by Al MacInnis. Blues Notes: ------------ * Geoff Courtnall is recovering very quickly from surgery to repair a fracture in his left thumb suffered against Winnipeg on 2/18 after a vicious slash by Dave Manson. Courtnall is skating with the team and listed as day-to-day. He could be playing as early as this upcoming weekend. * Goaltender Grant Fuhr has started all 63 Blues games this season while posting a solid 27-21-12 record with a 2.80 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage. * Brett Hull is closing in on the 500-goal mark. Hull has 477 goals and needs 23 goals in his last 21 games to reach the 500- goal milestone before the end of the regular season. With Wayne Gretzky centering the Golden One, this mark is not out of reach. * Chris continues to impress on the ice. It seems the Blues young defenseman is playing tougher and tougher as the season progresses. Pronger did not hesitate to immediately get in Trevor Linden's face when the Vancouver forward checked Hull hard into the boards. * Since acquiring Gretzky, Keenan has used 11 forwards and seven defensemen against Vancouver and Edmonton. Here's what the lines and pairings look like: Line 1: Shayne Corson - Wayne Gretzky - Brett Hull Line 2: Mike Hudson - Dale Hawerchuk - Rob Pearson Line 3: Stephane Matteau - Adam Creighton - Brian Noonan Line 4: Tony Twist - Peter Zezel - (Double shifter, usually Hull). On defense: Murray Baron - Al MacInnis Igor Kravchuk - Chris Pronger Christer Olsson/Jay Wells/Ken Sutton What others are saying about the Wayne Gretzky trade ---------------------------------------------------- * Stan Fischler, who was a guest caller on a local radio sports show in St. Louis, blasted the Blues and Keenan for trading for Gretzky claiming the Blues made one of the worst deals in league history. He said the following on the Great One: "Wayne Gretzky is a wimp, he is already overpaid and they are going to pay him more. Secondly, Wayne Gretzky is over the hill..." * Frank Brown, York Daily News: "Keenan made his team better. The Blues are by no means a great team, but you don't have to have a great team to win the Cup because you can loose 12 times in 28 games and still hoist the bowl over your head. What you have to do is have a team that is great at not losing, and the Blues have been pretty good at that." * Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times: "The Blues may not be deep enough to carry off the Stanley Cup this spring, but Keenan isn't done dealing. They have good goaltending, strong team defense and a dash of toughness, but a rugged defenseman and a scorer are still on Keenan's shopping list. Even if Keenan makes no other moves, he might get by." Players reactions ----------------- * Boston center Adam Oates: "It certainly makes the Blues a better hockey club, I think it will be a real positive for hockey having Hull and Gretzky on the same team" * Boston defenseman Ray Bourque: "When you think of Gretzky and Hull together you have to think they will have one of the most powerful scoring lines in the league." * Detroit defenseman Paul Coffey: "Him going to St. Louis isn't going to automatically give them the Stanley Cup. He and Hull have to score. We all knew it was going to happen. It makes St. Louis a better hockey club. It's good for the division and good for hockey." * Rangers defenseman Kevin Lowe: "I think this is what Wayne wanted, and he deserves to be happy. No one deserves it more than him. After what he has done for the league, he should get what he wants. Now it's over. There were rumors that he was going to everyone except the Soviet Red Army team." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Nick Beverley Roster: Forwards - (they all play centre and the wings it seems): Mats Sundin, Doug Gilmour, Mike Gartner, Dave Gagner, Dave Andreychuk, Kirk Muller, Mike Craig, Darby Hendrickson, Todd Warriner, Wayne Presley, Nick Kypreos, Tie Domi, Ken Baumgartner, Brandon Convery, Mark Kolesar. Defence - Larry Murphy, Kenny Jonsson, Todd Gill, Dave Ellet, Dimitri Yushkevich, Jamie Macoun, Rob Zettler, Matt Martin. Goaltenders - Felix Potvin, Don Beaupre. Injuries: Matt Martin, d (broken ankle, two weeks); Kenny Jonsson, d (shoulder, ready to play March 6); Dave Gagner, c (shoulder, ready to play March 6); Brandon Convery, c (broken thumb, four weeks); Mats Sundin, c (flu, day-to-day). Transactions: Called up Brandon Convery from St. John's (AHL). Sent Sergio Momesso and Bill Berg to the New York Rangers for Wayne Presley and Nick Kypreos. Game Results: 2/21 Tampa Bay L 3-2 OT 2/22 at Detroit L 5-3 2/24 Dallas L 3-2 2/28 at Winnipeg L 4-3 3/02 at Dallas L 5-1 3/03 at Colorado L 4-0 TEAM NEWS by Brad Ross Pick your favourite cliche: Desperate times require desperate measures; an end of an era... whatever your fancy, Maple Leafs head coach Pat Burns was fired late March 5 by president and GM Cliff Fletcher after enduring an eight-game losing streak and a 3-16-3 record over 22 games. The worst since the days of John Brophy back in 1986-88. Replacing Burns -- at least for now -- is Leafs director of player personnel and scouting, Nick Beverley. Beverley joined the Leafs organization one-and-a-half years ago after managing the Los Angeles Kings to the Stanley Cup finals in 1993. The 48- year-old Toronto native played 502 games in the NHL for six teams over 11 seasons, including a stint with the Colorado Rockies where he was teammates with Leafs assistant coach Mike Kitchen. Beverley has never coached at the NHL level. For the record Kitchen and assistant Rick Wamsley will remain with the Leafs. Burns' firing comes on the heels of what can only be described as a nightmare for a team that was supposed to make a serious run in the playoffs this year. As the Leafs began to falter after the all-star break, Fletcher made several moves, including the acquisition of hold-out Kirk Muller, Dave Gagner, Wayne Presley and Nick Kypreos. Yet the Buds continued their slide, losing eight straight after a 4-0 drubbing in Colorado March 3. The Leafs sit in eighth place in the Western Conference, just seven points up on the Kings and eight on the surging Dallas Stars. Throughout it all, Fletcher was steadfast in his support of Burns. Having never fired a coach in mid-season, Fletcher maintained he wasn't about to start. Burns was his man. It wasn't until Sunday's loss to the Avs that Fletcher refused to repeat those words, leaving himself an out, though Burns himself denied his firing late March 5, telling Toronto media he would "see them in the morning." Whether Burns quit quietly or was fired is, at the moment, a matter for speculation. Reports in the Toronto media say Burns left a message on the dressing room blackboard wishing his team luck under Beverley. Burns then departed for Montreal where he lives in the off-season. The question now is this: can Toronto turn things around? With a solid core of veterans this abysmal slump should never have happened. Now they have no one to blame but themselves if things don't improve. The Leafs have tried everything short of psychic palm readings to pull themselves up out of the depths that only seasoned nickel miners can relate to. They brought in a sports psychologist before a three-game road trip which saw them drop all three matches, including a horrendous third period choke in Winnipeg. Of course, Burns was the only one left to blame given that Fletcher wasn't about to be fired. He couldn t motivate his players, something that sits way up there in the job description of an NHL head coach. Fresh blood hasn't helped and now that Burns' has spilled, the 22nd coach in Maple Leafs history, a two- time coach-of-the-year recipient, and 158-game winner with the Buds is no more. * Burns' firing may have quelled any fervour that former Leafs captain Wendel Clark would soon be returning to Toronto. The New York Islanders have said they want either Sean Haggerty of the OHL or Swedish forward Fredrik Modin. No way says Fletcher. * Good news on the injury front. Kenny Jonsson is slated to play against the New Jersey Devils March 6 in Toronto, though he may only see spot duty on the power play. The young defenceman has been missed terribly since separating his shoulder Jan. 30 in Detroit when he was checked from behind by Sergei Fedorov. Also expected to return to action after missing two games is Dave Ganger, the best Leaf by far through this losing skid. Gagner sprained his left shoulder in a 4-3 loss to Winnipeg. * Brandon Convery, the Leafs' first-pick overall in 1992, played his first NHL game against Dallas March 2. His taste for the big leagues was short-lived as he suffered a broken thumb during the 5-1 loss. Convery was called up to replace Dave Gagner. ----------------------------------------------------------------- WINNIPEG JETS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Terry Simpson Roster: C - Alexei Zhamnov, Chad Kilger, Mike Eastwood, Mike Stapleton. LW - Keith Tkachuk, Darrin Shannon, Kris King, Dallas Drake. RW - Igor Korolev, Shane Doan, Ed Olczyk, Jim McKenzie, Denis Chasse. D - Teppo Numminen, Dave Manson, Norm Maciver, Jeff Finley, Craig Muni, Oleg Tverdovsky, Brent Thompson, Deron Quint. G - Nikolai Khabibulin, Dominic Roussel. Injuries: Darren Turcotte, c, suffered right thumb strain Feb. 13, sidelined one week (placed on injured reserve Feb. 13); Randy Gilhen, c, suffered torn knee cartilage Feb. 4, sidelined indefinitely ( placed on injured reserve Feb. 4); Shane Doan, rw, suffered back strain Feb. 23, sidelined day-to-day. Transactions: Recalled Brent Thompson, d, from Springfield (AHL). Recalled Deron Quint, d, from Springfield (AHL). Assigned Iain Fraser, lw, to Springfield (AHL). Traded Tim Cheveldae, g, to Philadelphia for Dominic Roussel, g. Game Results: 2/21 Vancouver L 5-3 2/23 Chicago W 1-0 2/26 Los Angeles W 4-3 2/28 Toronto W 4-3 3/01 at Hartford W 5-2 3/03 at Long Island W 7-5 TEAM NEWS by Eric Legault [please send all comments, criticisms, story tips, etc. to goombah@cyberspc.mb.ca. Your input is welcome] - The Jets, in an attempt to beef up the relief goaltender position, traded backup netminder Tim Cheveldae and a 1996 third-round draft pick to the Philadelphia Flyers on Feb. 27 for Dominic Roussel. The Flyers, however, put Cheveldae on waivers for 48 hours, intending to send him to Hershey of the AHL if he didn't get claimed (which he didn't). This left Cheveldae feeling disappointed and confused. "It sort of doesn't make any sense why Philadelphia would make the trade," he said. "If you get traded you hope you get traded to a better situation and I don't know if that's going to happen." The trade also had an impact on his teammates. "Everybody is disappointed," said Dallas Drake, who played with Cheveldae in Detroit and came with him to the Jets in exchange for Bob Essensa and Sergei Bautin in March of '94. "He was a character guy and a great goaltender." With Cheveldae's awkward and inconsistent play at the beginning of the season, Khabibulin was periodically called in to try to change the team fortunes, and he eventually landed the starter job, relegating Chevy to the sidelines. But there are no ill feelings between the two goalies, and Habby will miss his partner. "I was a little bit shocked, because I played with (Chevy) for two years," Khabibulin said. "I liked him." Roussel had a 2.89 GA with a .876 save percentage in nine starts (2-3-2, one shutout) with the Flyers, while Cheveldae posted a 3.93 GA, .883 record in 30 starts (8-18-3) with the Jets. - Eddie Olczyk continues to shine. Eddie O earned the first star in the Feb. 28 game vs. the Leafs, notching two goals and one assist. He also had three assists against the Kings on the 26th, one goal and one assist vs. Hartford on Mar. 1, and added two assists in Long Island Mar. 3, bringing his total to 3G and 7A in four games. Olczyk was scratched for three games in early February, but quickly regained his form and earned a spot on the top line alongside Keith Tkachuk and Alexei Zhamnov. "I enjoy the role (Simpson) has give me," said Eddie O. "He's giving me face-off assignments late in the game in our own zone and I enjoy that kind of stuff. That's what I want to do. I want to be an all-around player and contribute to get us into the playoffs. If we do that, then everybody is going to benefit from it." Thusly, Olczyk has earned my nomination as the LCS Jet Player of the Issue. Runner-up is Nikolai Khabibulin, who has simply been outstanding during the Jets current five-game winning streak. - After winning their first two games after the Selanne trade, the Jets dropped four straight between Feb. 13 and Feb. 21, including two losses to the Canucks. Yet the worst part about that streak was a dreadful goal-scoring drought; the team went 166 minutes and 29 seconds without a goal (eight periods), nearly eclipsing the old record of 167 minutes and change from the 82-83 season. Their last goal came in a 5-4 loss to Vancouver Feb. 13, and were then shut out by Pittsburgh and St. Louis. Mike Stapleton ended the drought with a marker 9:53 into the first frame of a game against Vancouver Feb. 21. - A couple of Jets regained their pride and earned some respect during Winnipeg's 4-3 victory against Los Angeles Feb. 26. Darrin Shannon scored just his third goal of the season and first since Oct. 27, and Chad Kilger scored his first goal as a Jet after playing seven games with the team since coming over from Anaheim. Kilger's goal slowed any momentum the King's might have generated, coming just 11 seconds after L.A. closed the gap to 2-1, and he hopes things are now beginning to go his way. "Even in Anaheim I was having a rough time," said Kilger, who now has seven goals. "I wasn't getting the opportunities there and now here I've been getting the opportunities, but I was getting a little frustrated waiting for (the first goal) to happen." Shannon's goal, meanwhile, was the game-winner and ended what was possibly the worst slump of his career. "No question," affirmed Shannon. "I'm not even going to sit here and think that it's over. It's only one goal and I just want to continue to work hard and stay in the lineup." And it seems that Coach Simpson has every intention of keeping him in the lineup. "(Shannon) has put together two good games for us and it look like he's getting back to his form," said Simpson. "He's going to be a big help for us down the stretch." - Terry Simpson waxed philosophical about the Jets inconsistent ways on Feb. 23. Tired of hearing about how his team is so 'talented', he surprised many with a refreshing analysis of the Jets' problems. It appears to him that a team of hard-workers rather than a team of supposed stars is the key to winning. "Look at the Boston Bruins," Simpson said at a press conference. "They've got Ray Bourque, Cam Neely, Adam Oates - they also have Bill Ranford in goal - yet nobody ever says the Bruins have a talented team. Instead, they have the identity of a hard-working team. I'd like to see us have the identity of a hard-working team." Well, the Jets do have some stars, though. Tkachuk, Zhamnov, Selan...uh, okay - no more big three; the terrible two? Add in, ah, Olczyk - okay, there ARE no more 'stars' on the Jets. "People keep mentioning the big three, everybody has a big three," added Simpson. "Some have a big five or a big eight." Makes sense, doesn't he? - With this issue, I announce the demise of Silly Facts. In its place will be Jet Notes 'n Facts, which will include silly facts (don't you worry!) as well as other notes and general commentaries. Also new will be recurring trivia questions. **Jet Notes 'n Facts** As of Mar. 4, the Jets have won five games in a row, their longest winning streak of the season. ...Jim McKenzie took his third fighting-related game misconduct of the season against St. Louis Feb. 18 and was suspended for the Feb. 21 game vs. Vancouver. ...Dave Manson escaped suspension by the league for a slash (more like love tap) against St. Louis forward Geoff Courtnall. Courtnall broke his thumb and will likely be out for six to eight weeks. ...There was only six icing calls in the Feb. 21 game against Vancouver (one in the 1st period, two in the second, and three in the third). Now THAT is definitely a silly fact. ...Craig Muni scored his first goal in nearly two years against the Canucks Feb. 21, ending a 107-game drought. ...Keith Tkachuk leads the Jets with 16 power-play goals this year. ...Nikolai Khabibulin stopped the second penalty shot of his career when he stoned Los Angeles' Kevin Stevens Feb. 26. ...The Jets longest winless streak of 30 games, (23L, 7T) set in 1980-81, is an NHL record. ...Eleven players have captained the Jets in 17 NHL seasons. ...Here's a breakdown of nationality amongst Jet players, for those of you who love this kind of thing (read: rabid Don Cherry supporters): Canadian, 15; American, 4; Russian, 3; Ukrainian, 1; German, 1; Finnish, 1. ...Also: average height: 6.01; average weight: 196.4; average age: 26.1. ...Since 1993, the Jets record is 68-106-23 (as of Mar. 3). ...The Jets record with Richard Trottier officiating is 2-7. **Trivia** Who are the only two Jets to score five goals in a game? Which Jet holds the team record for most goals scored by a rookie defenceman? Who scored the goal that broke the 82-83 goal-scoring drought? Submit answers to goombah@cyberspc.mb.ca. The winner will be the first submission with all three answers right. Winners receive a uuencoded Mike Lang (the television play-by-play man for the Penguins, a real gem) sound file (sorry, I don't have any Curt Keilback, unless you want Kelly Moore for some reason, and then we'll talk) and their name published (ooh!) in this very space in the next issue. On your mark, get set... **POLL!** The polls are now open! I want our dear readers to vote for their all-time (NHL *and* WHA) Winnipeg Jets Dream Team. Vote for one player per position. Possible candidates include (but don't hesitate to add any player not listed): Centre: Dale Hawerchuk, Alexei Zhamonv, Thomas Steen, Ulf Nilsson Left Wing: Bobby Hull, Keith Tkachuk, Morris Lukowich Right Wing: Teemu Selanne, Anders Hedberg, Paul McLean Defence: Randy Carlyle, Teppo Numminen, Lars-Erik Sjoberg, Phil Housley Goalie: Joe Daley, Bob Essensa, Pokey Reddick, Tim Cheveldae, Stephane Beauregard, Nikolai Khabibulin, Daniel Berthiaume. Send all ballots to goombah@cyberspc.mb.ca **Winnipeg Jets Line Combinations** vs. Pittsburgh (Feb. 16) Forwards: Tkachuk Zhamnov Doan Drake Kilger Korolev King Olczyk Stapleton McKenzie Frazier Chasse Defenceman: Manson Tverdosky Muni MacIver Finley Numminen vs. Vancouver (Feb. 21) Forwards: Stapleton King Fraser Zhamnov Olczyk Korolev Defenceman: McIver Numminen (sorry, that's all I recorded while listening to the game on the radio) vs. Chicago (Feb. 23) Forwards: Korolev Zhamnov Doan Olczyk Tkachuk Drake King Kilger Stapleton Shannon Eastwood McKenzie Defencemen: Manson Tverdovsky Numminen Finley Maciver Muni Power Play: Tkachuk Zhamnov Olczyk Tverdovsky McIver (or Numminen) Notes: Lately the top line has been Tkachuk, Zhamnov, and Olczyk. ================================================================ ================================================================= TEAM REPORTS ================================================================= EASTERN CONFERENCE NORTHEASTERN DIVISION ----------------------------------------------------------------- BOSTON BRUINS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Steve Kasper Roster: C - Adam Oates, Jozef Stumpel, Todd Elik, Ted Donato, Clayton Beddoes. LW - Shawn McEachern, Dave Reid, Steve Leach, Davis Payne. RW - Cam Neely, Rick Tocchet, Joey Mullen, Steve Heinze, Sandy Moger, Mark Potvin. D - Ray Bourque, Al Iafrate, Don Sweeney, Rick Zombo, Jon Rohloff, Kyle McLaren, Dean Chynoweth, Phil VonStefanelli. G - Bill Ranford, Craig Billington. Injuries: Al Iafrate, d (knee, 2 weeks); Cam Neely, rw (sore hip, day-to-day); Dave Reid, lw (broken finger, 2 weeks); Jozef Stumpel, c (fractured cheekbone, indefinite). Transactions: Recalled Todd Elik, c, from Providence (AHL). Game Results: 2/19 at Los Angeles T 3-3 2/21 at Anaheim L 4-3 OT 2/23 at Edmonton W 7-4 2/24 at Calgary W 2-1 2/27 Edmonton L 4-3 OT 2/28 at Rangers W 3-1 3/03 Washington L 2-0 TEAM NEWS by Matt Brown The Bruins wrapped up their west coast road trip on a high note, beating the Oilers and Flames to finish 4-2-1 on the seven- game swing. Not perfect, but enough to give their fans hope that a playoff spot was not out of the question. "Surely the Lightning will slump," say the Hub faithful, "And the Devils will self-destruct, and Washington will falter, and the Habs, they're not looking so good, either." Well, it's not happening. Conversely, in spite of beating the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, two dismal losses at home, to Edmonton and Washington, have squandered the Bruins' precious games-in-hand, the one advantage they had over playoff rivals, and now the Bruins trail Tampa Bay by five points and New Jersey by four points. All told, the points the Bruins have lost against Edmonton, Anaheim, Buffalo, and earlier in the year against the Islanders and Lightning, are all digging them a deeper hole at a time when other teams are starting to wake up and smell the playoffs. Instead, Boston is waking up to the possibility that for the first time in a generation, the hometown hockey team might be counted among the dregs of the NHL rather than the powers. The Bruins may be joining the NHL's Bottom Ten in April, and no one in Bruindom is very pleased. As punishment for 27 years of hubris, the hockey fates have apparently decreed that the fatal blows be stricken by those the Bruins have abandoned. Thusly, Bruins' fans have time and again seen critical goals scored by ex-Bruins. Most recently, Marius Czerkawski, now of the Oilers, nailed the Bruins in overtime in his first game against the Bs in Boston. Two nights later, Joe Juneau scored the insurance goal in the Caps win. Earlier in the year, David Shaw for Tampa Bay, Craig Janney for San Jose, Jamie Huscroft of Calgary, Gord Murphy of Florida, and Brian Smolinski of Pittsburgh all scored against their old team. In goal, Andy Moog of Dallas and Mike Bales of Ottawa have cost the Bruins points. Perhaps elevating the Bruins to the status of Greek tragedy is overstating the case a bit; that level of bitterness is usually reserved for Red Sox fans. * To add to the misery, there is a chance that beloved Bruin Cam Neely may have skated his last shift. Neely is sidelined with an arthritic hip -- a congenital condition irritated by the change in his skating motion resulting from his knee injuries. The actual problem is fluid in the joint with no where to go, and no way to drain it. Rest is the only treatment. The condition occurred last year, but it was not as severe, though it cost him several games. This year, it might cost him his career. Neely has said that he doesn't want to play the game unless he can play it his way, skating, hitting, and scoring. If he can come back at all, it may need to be an every other game thing, as his full schedule play this year seems to be a factor in the hip flare-ups. Indications are that he will rest two or more weeks, evaluate the hip. and give it one more try. * Also among the wounded is Jozef Stumpel, who took a high hard one off the cheek against the Oilers at home, and was feared to have a broken jaw. Sort of luckily, the injury was actually a broken cheekbone, which is less serious, but Stumpel is still out until the swelling goes down more. He also took some stitches near his ear, and Jozef is convinced that the damage would have been worse without the half-shield he wears on his helmet. * Another scare came when rookie defenseman Kyle McLaren slid to block a shot against the Rangers, and was struck on the arm. Kyle left the game, and doctors diagnosed a broken arm, putting Kyle out for the rest of the season. Kyle said that the doctors in New York were sure it was broken because when they touched the arm, Kyle hurled. Fortunately, the Bruins decided to send Kyle for a modern diagnosis rather than trust medieval medicine. Further tests showed that it was only a bone bruise, and McLaren didn't even miss a game. Kyle, only 18, has got to be considered the brightest hope of the Bruins organization, and his play has been far better than expected this year. His loss would have been devastating. * While we are touring the hospital, let's check Mr. Reid's chart. Dave Reid has been out with a broken finger, but he will be able to return in a couple of weeks, once he regains some range of motion in his finger. He will have a protective flexible cast when he does. With Neely and Reid out, the Bruins were without their two leading scorers, and Reid has been missed on the penalty kill. Given that, it is a wonder the team hasn't done worse. Generally, Bill Ranford in goal has been the compensating factor, keeping the Bruins in many games, and covering up for all but the most egregious lapses in backchecking (such as the Czerkawski overtime goal). * In the good news department, Al Iafrate has been practicing with the team, though mostly lighter workouts. His knees are showing no fluid buildup after workouts, which is a major positive sign. He is expected to play in mid-March, and his return could spark a late season run for the playoffs, if it isn't already too late. Al accompanied the team on the west coast trip, and was a major factor in keeping the team loose and breaking up some of the tension, according to Boston Globe reporter Nancy Marrapese, who quipped, "Just keep him away from the cockpit." Iafrate, whose wellness regimen apparently included kicking out a Boston shoe store front window after an "evening workout" at a local nightspot earlier this year, has always had a wild streak. Appropriately, after he paid for the window, Al bought a couple of pairs of cowboy boots from the proprietor. * Don Sweeney has been playing better of late. The Bruin's diminutive blueliner was hampered early in the season by a nagging shoulder injury that took some of the physical edge out of his play. Don always played bigger than his size. Combine that with his quickness, and last year he was one of the most underrated defensemen in the NHL. This year he has been less effective, and it shows up on all the Bruins' team stats, from penalty killing to power play to plus-minus. Don Sweeney is hardly the reason for the team's decline. A healthier Don Sweeney might have mitigated it. Now that he is playing on all cylinders, some of that spark that has characterized his play is back. Don drives to the net better than many Bruins' forwards. In fact, in the Washington game, the Bruins lost a goal when he was called for goalie obstruction for steamrolling poor Jim Carey. However, the replay clearly shows that Don was shoved from behind by a sprawling Cap player who also rolled, log-style, into the crease and took out the legs of another Bruin. But despite protests, the call was upheld, and for the second loss in a row the Bruins were the victim of a bad goalie obstruction penalty. Against Edmonton, Adam Oates was similarly shoved and brushed against Curtis Joseph, who went down as if he had taken a curare dart in the neck. This call cost the Bruins two goals, as Oates was tagged with an unsportsmanlike conduct for questioning referee Rob Shick's visual acuity after the Oilers scored on the first penalty. * Bruins' fans have reason to be distressed about the future of the team. The core players are aging or infirm, and aside from McLaren, the younger players are a middling bunch. Their brightest young faces, Brian Smolinski and Maruisz Czerkawski, are gone via trades. The Providence Bruins are AHL bottom feeders, just one point out of overall last place, so don't count on the farm to produce next year's crop. There is some promise among previous Bruins' draftees, such as Shaun Bates at Boston University, and Swedish defenseman Mattias Timmander, nicknamed "Robo-Ulf" by Mike Milbury when he was drafted. They still have a first rounder this year left over from the trade that sent Glen Wesley to Hartford, but there isn't much beyond that. Players who were promoted after a year in Providence, such as Sandy Moger and Clayton Beddoes, have shown flashes of competence, but have not been able to shine consistently. They seem destined to take over the "gentle pluggers" role from players like Steve Heinze and Ted Donato, working hard and persistently, but not the hitters or distractors most teams now prefer, and not much better than solid third-line players. What is missing is forwards with star potential, again. One problem is that the Bruin mentality can't deal with an offensive player who doesn't play defense, forgetting that Phil Esposito was never a finalist for the Selke Award. While players like Sergei Fedorov, Pavel Bure, Teemu Selanne, Paul Kariya, and Alexander Mogilny succeed as scorers rather than defenders, rarely seen mixing it up behind their own net, the Bruins shed the Dmitri Kvartalnov's and Joe Juneau's, label Mariusz Crerkawski as a floater (the ultimate Bruin insult), and in their system, a Kevin Stevens never gets on track. But wait. Scoring hasn't been a big problem this season, has it? Yes, in a funny sort of way. The Bruins have managed to score pretty well, but they have had to rely on their two-way players to contribute. Guys like Dave Reid and Ted Donato are having their best offensive years. However, the team is paying the price defensively. When average players gamble on offense, their defensive play suffers, and they get less results than an offensive star would. When you have a Mogilny, his presence on the ice constrains other teams, and he is less of a defensive liability because of the scoring threat he poses. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Dave Reid or Ted Donato, and opposing teams know that they can take more chances without being burned than the Bruins can. The result is that instead of a sniper who won't play defense, the Bruins have pluggers who can't score killer goals, and don't have the speed to get back on defense when they try to score and fail. The traditional solution to this dilemma is to get physical. Unfortunately, this Bruins team either doesn't have the bodies to hit, or lacks the resolve needed. Outside of Rick Tocchet, there isn't a feared hitter on the team, now that Neely is out. So game after game, the Bruins are either outskated by more talented teams, or outhit by tougher teams. In the Western Conference, this would be good enough for fourth place. In the tougher Eastern Conference, it may mean that Summer comes four weeks early. * The new FleetCenter is having a rough year also. Before the Edmonton game, the first home date after the road trip, emergency repairs were needed to make the place playable, as there were bare spots during the pregame skate. After the Washington game, Joe Juneau said that Boston now has the worst ice in the league. The place is not selling out for either hockey or basketball. Worse, if neither the Bruins and Celtics make the playoffs, not only will almost a million dollars per playoff game be lost in revenue, but luxury box tenants, who were sold their suites based on 14 playoff games, will get a major discount toward next year's seats in lieu of a refund. All of this adds up to a big headache for FleetCenter and Bruins' owner Jeremy Jacobs. * One would think the Bruins would try for one more big deal to push their way into the playoffs, but Harry Sinden says they are "all tapped out" on trades -- essentially admitting that they would have traded Neely if he were still tradeable. Harry seems to be copping a line from Princess Leia from Star Wars: "Help me, Al Iafrate, you're my only hope." Of course, Harry is going to arbitration with Al to contest whether the Bruins should even pay him for his latest rehab, claiming his injury wasn't hockey related. Is that any way to treat your only hope? ---------------------------------------------------------------- BUFFALO SABRES ---------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Ted Nolan Roster: C - Pat LaFontaine, Mike Peca, Derek Plante, Dave Hannan, Brian Holzinger. LW - Jason Dawe, Yuri Khmylev, Brad May, Randy Burridge, Michal Grosek, Robb Conn. RW - Matthew Barnaby, Rob Ray, Scott Pearson. D - Alexei Zhitnik, Garry Galley, Doug Houda, Charlie Huddy, Darryl Shannon, Mark Astley, Bob Boughner. G - Dominik Hasek, Andrei Trefilov. Injuries: Richard Smehlik, D (knee, out for season); Donald Audette, RW (knee, out for season); Jason Dawe, LW (cracked ribs, 2 weeks); Brad May, RW (broken arm, 1-2 weeks); Randy Burridge, LW (knee, day-to-day). Transactions: Recalled center Brian Holzinger and left wing Robb Conn from Rochester (AHL). Game Results: 2/21 Pittsburgh W 6-3 2/23 Philadelphia W 7-2 2/25 Florida W 6-1 2/28 at Ottawa W 3-2 OT 3/01 at NY Rangers T 3-3 3/03 Vancouver L 3-0 TEAM NEWS by Valerie Hammerl When you're hot, you're hot, but when you're not it shows. The Buffalo Sabres, given credit by few to go anywhere this season, assembled a 5-game unbeaten streak before having the Vancouver Canucks come to town and end it. The Sabres worked hard to establish their streak, playing a hard-hitting style and finally overcoming the two-goal limit that seemed to be their trademark. They did it against some of the toughest teams in the league, and in the process began to earn a little respect. An overtime win, a tie, and then a shutout loss marked the end of the streak. * Dominik Hasek stopped 55 of 58 shots on goal against the Rangers, enabling the Sabres to tie them in New York. It was a season record-high shot count for the Rangers. Hasek faced 40 shots against the Flyers a week earlier. * Injuries have begun to mount as a result of the hard-hitting style the Sabres are playing, but Brad May's injury came from his teammates. A puck hit May in the lower forearm in the first period of Friday's Rangers game, breaking his arm. He is wearing a soft cast and is expected back in 1 to 2 weeks. * A combination of hard play and injuries resulted in a poor performance against the visiting Canucks. Led by former Sabre Alexander Mogilny, who tallied a short-handed goal and an assist, the Canucks rolled over the Sabres and shut them out. The Sabres have a shot at revenge on March 6 when they head out to Vancouver for the rematch in the home-and-home series. * Pat LaFontaine was named the NHL Player of the Week last week. ----------------------------------------------------------------- HARTFORD WHALERS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Paul Maurice Roster: C - Andrew Cassels, Andrei Nikolishin, Jeff O'Neill, Mark Janssens. LW - Scott Daniels, Paul Ranheim, Brendan Shanahan, Geoff Sanderson. RW - Kelly Chase, Nelson Emerson, Kevin Dineen, Sami Kapanen, Robert Kron, Steve Rice. D - Jeff Brown, Adam Burt, Gerald Diduck, Glen Featherstone, Brian Glynn, Brad McCrimmon, Glen Wesley, G - Sean Burke, Jason Muzzatti. Injuries: RW Kevin Dineen, broken wrist (9 February), six - to - eight weeks. RW Nelson Emerson missed one game with concussion. C Jeff O'Neill missed four games with bruised shoulder. D Glen Featherstone missed three games with strained back. RW Robert Kron missed one game with sprained wrist. Transactions: 22Feb96: LW Kevin Smyth recalled from Springfield (AHL). 27Feb96: LW Kevin Smyth reassigned to Springfield. 01Mar96: C Steve Martins reassigned to Springfield. Game Results: 2/21 Montreal W 5-3 2/23 atPittsburgh L 5-4 2/25 Dallas L 6-2 2/28 Edmonton T 4-4 3/01 Winnipeg L 5-2 3/02 Florida W 7-1 TEAM NEWS by Steve Gallichio Paging Dr Jekyll. Paging Mr. Hyde. Meet Mr. Whale... If the Whalers do manage to eek out a playoff spot this season, it won't be done by the book, that's for sure. Just a few weeks ago, Hartford looked beached, staring at a double-digit deficit in the playoff race. Then came the new year new blood, and a 14-5-1 run to pull into a dead heat at the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff Lotto. How better to capitalize on a hot streak than a six-game homestand including games against four Western Conference teams that the Whale had beaten already this season? How better indeed. If only it were that simple for the Jekyll-and-Hyde Whalers. Coming off consecutive emotional home victories over Buffalo and Montreal, the Whale floundered about in a power-play skills competition loss to Pittsburgh (four goals, including each's 50th by Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr) before landing with a thud in a home loss to Dallas, one of the more uninspired and unphysical efforts for the Whale all season. Hartford managed a three-goal comeback to tie Edmonton, but followed that up with another klunker against a disciplined Winnipeg club in the final meeting between the two former WHA brothers-in-arms. Worst of all, the team was playing like a duplicate of the early-November form that saw them nearly drop off the radar screen. Shaky goaltending early. Uninspired. Unemotional. All before the arrival of the team's spiritual leader, Kevin Dineen, in late December. With Dineen on the shelf for a few more weeks with a broken wrist, it seemed that Kevin's magic carpet ride might have sprung a hole in the weave in his absence. The Whale woke up after the Winipeg game facing the dreaded Team Meeting (tm), which, of course, produced a 7-1 drubbing of a struggling Panther team that same night in a game that featured good back-to-basics skills by the Whalers. Will this new found drive hold up for a few more games? Will Kevin Dineen be back in time to finish the season? Will Brendan Shanahan get out-cheered by Wayne Gretzky in $t Louis next week? Will Steven Rice even get his head out of his ass this year? All these questions, and more, will probably not be answered in the next episode of As The Whale Turns... Next up, the Whale will finish the Western Conference portion of their schedule in the first week of March with home games against Detroit and Toronto before bringing favorite son Shanahan back to his old stomping grounds at the Kiel Center. Following that game, Hartford will play its final 17 games against Eastern Conference foes. The Whale had their chance to make it easy on themselves. They failed to grab it. Now, the hill only gets steeper. * Off the ice, the Whalers continue to sniff the waters of relocation, a constant theme over the past five years. Hartford projects to lose perhaps $20 million this season, easily breaking the $30M cumulative threshold set by CompuWare's purchase agreement two years ago to allow moving the team after four years. The city and state are in negotiations to determine exactly how far they can go in giving concessions to the club to stay, with the possibility of handing complete control of the Civic Center over to CompuWhale one card left to be dealt. If no financial consensus can be reached, it is also possible that the Connecticut Development Authority, broker of the sale to Peter Karmanos, Jim Rutherford, and Thomas Thewes, may let the Whalers out of their four-year commitment early in order to find a new more financially secure home. The latest in a string of hot rumours is Cincinnati. This column is the exclusive property of LCS; any reproduction, rebroadcast, or retransmission of the pictures, descriptions, or accounts of this column without the expressed written consent of Major League Baseball is prohibited. ----------------------------------------------------------------- MONTREAL CANADIENS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Mario Tremblay Roster: C - Pierre Turgeon, Saku Koivu, Brian Savage, Marc Bureau, Craig Conroy. LW - Vincent Damphousse, Martin Rucinsky, Benoit Brunet, Donald Brashear, Chris Murray, Scott Fraser. RW - Mark Recchi, Andrei Kovalenko, Turner Stevenson, Valeri Bure. D - Vladimir Malakhov, Stephane Quintal, Lyle Odelein, Patrice Brisebois, Peter Popovic, Rory Fitzpatrick, Craig Rivet, Robert Dirk, David Wilkie. G - Jocelyn Thibault, Pat Jablonski. Injuries: Benoit Brunet, rw (strained back, day-to-day); Brian Savage, lw (hip pointer, day-to-day). Transactions: Called up David Wilkie, d, and Scott Fraser, lw, from Fredericton (AHL). Assigned Marko Kiprusoff, d, to Fredericton (AHL). Game Results: 2/17 Calgary W 5-1 2/21 at Hartford L 5-3 2/23 at New Jersey L 6-5 2/24 Pittsburgh W 7-3 2/26 at San Jose L 7-4 2/28 at Anaheim L 5-2 3/02 at Los Angeles L 5-4 TEAM NEWS by Dan Piedra * With a rash of recent injuries to the Canadiens, several youngsters have been called up from Fredericton. Among them is defenceman David Wilkie and forward Scott Fraser. Marko Kiprusoff's return to the big team is over. He has been sent back to the Baby Habs. * Rather than letting things come to them, the Habs took it to the Calgary Flames en route to a convincing 5-1 win at the Forum on February 17. Not only were the Canadiens charged up for this one, but they played a physical game which opened up a host of opportunities. In the first period alone the Habs had enough opportunities to blow the game wide open and were it not for Trevor Kidd's performance, it may well have occurred that way. If the Habs are to have any long-term success, they will have to continue to play this style of hockey. * Apparently, Calgary tough-guy Sandy McCarthy skated past the Habs' bench early in the third period of the Calgary game and asked Montreal's Lyle Odelein, "Odie, will you fight me?" "Sure," replied Odelein, "next whistle." "Glad to hear it," said McCarthy, "because nobody else will." Following the fifth Canadiens' goal the two squared off. It was a true heavy-weight tussle which saw both guys spend a ton of energy. Following the fight McCarthy said to Odelein, "How are your lungs?" Odelein responded by tapping the Calgary tough guy on the arm and saying, "Good fight." Ah yes, nothing like a couple of good ol' boys going at it toe-to-toe. That's hockey! * Scott Fraser's recent call-up to the big team couldn't have worked out any better for him. An injury to Andrei Kovalenko opened up a spot for him alongside Mark Recchi and Pierre Turgeon. Although he spent much of the second period of the Calgary game watching from the bench, a situation caused by further line juggling when Brian Savage left the game with a hip pointer, the rookie left-winger played much of the third period along the big boys. It was in that period that Fraser scored his first NHL goal. After the game, Fraser was interviewed on national television for the first time. Fraser was the Canadiens' 193rd overall pick in the 1991 entry draft. Last year he scored 23 goals and 48 points in 65 games for the Baby Habs. This year he leads Fredericton with 33 goals in 49 games. Fredericton's coach and general manager Paulin Bordeleau has only great things to say about the youngster. * One has to check the game program now more than ever to figure out who's playing defence. A rash of injuries to key defensive personnel have forced the Habs to recall several rookies from their Fredericton farm team. The latest addition is David Wilkie who responded by scoring his first ever in the NHL in a 5-3 loss to the Hartford Whalers. Unfortunately, it was the defensive effort (or lack thereof) that caused the Canadiens to squander a 3-1 lead. The Whalers took advantage of an all-around poor defensive effort by the Habs in the third period to cap off their late-game heroics. Pat Jablonski started for Jocelyn Thibault who suffered a bruised hand earlier in practice. X-rays revealed that no bones had been broken, but nonetheless, TBO will sat out a couple of games. Jablonski, unfortunately fell victim to the dreaded five- hole. In the first two periods he made a series of spectacular saves, but then allowed a couple of what can only be called weak goals, which opened the door for the Whalers' comeback win. * The Canadiens currently hold the fifth-highest penalty total in the National Hockey League. In addition the Habs lead the League in number of fights. The reason: youth, youth, and more youth. Recent injuries and a desire by the Habs' management to let the boys from Fredericton show their stuff, have made the Canadiens a tough bunch. "We're a tougher team because we had to be tougher," said Mario Tremblay. The coach added, "Last year, this team missed the playoffs because they only won three games on the road. This season, we're playing .500 on the road and that's what we have to do to make the playoffs." * Anyone catch the name of the team wearing red, white, and blue which skunked the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-3 on February 24? The Habs? Get serious, really? In all seriousness, folks, it was the Habs doing their latest Jeckle and Hyde immitation. After dropping two straight on the road, the Canadiens returned to the confortable confines of the Forum where they continued their dominance over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Basically the boys came out and threw everything at the Penguins and as often happens, practically everything went in. Another big surprise was turned in by Jocelyn Thibault who started in goal after suffering a bruised hand which many felt would keep him out of action for up to a week. * The Canadiens lead the League in rookie goal scoring. As of the 25th, Les Boys had racked up 37 goals amongst their rookies. * The Jeckle and Hyde boys are at it again. After impressing fans with their convincing win against the Penguins, the Habs left town for a three-game road trip to the West Coast. Mario Tremblay had said that he expected his team top come out of it with at least four points. However, a funny thing happened. The Habs returned to their defence-less style of play giving up a myriad of shots and allowing opposition players to gobble up rebounds around the net. The end result would be two straight losses to San Jose and Anaheim. * A few days later, it was a different rink, same story. The Habs carried their circus act into the Great Western Forum where they hoped to salvage two points from what had already become a disappointing road-trip. However, the boys continued to play a lack-luster brand of hockey, showing little if any enthusiasm, playing as if asleep. Hence the 5-4 loss to the slumping Kings. Oops, so much for the four points, eh Mario! ----------------------------------------------------------------- OTTAWA SENATORS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Jacques Martin Roster: C - Radek Bonk, Alexei Yashin, Dave Archibald, Trent McCleary. LW - Randy Cunneyworth, Troy Mallette, Tom Chorske, Dennis Vial. RW - Rob Gaudreau, Scott Levins, Daniel Alfredsson, Antti Tormanen, Pavol Demitra, Pat Elynuik. D - Steve Duchesne, Janne Laukkanen, Jaroslav Modry, Sean Hill, Stanislav Neckar, Frank Musil, Chris Dahlquist. G - Damian Rhodes, Mike Bales. Injuries: Alexandre Daigle, c, (broken arm, out for season); Ted Drury, c, (wrist injury, out indefinitely); Kerry Huffman, d, (fractured left wrist, out indefinitely). Transactions: Sent Lance Pitlick, d, to PEI (AHL). Called up Pat Elynuik, rw, from Fort Wayne (IHL). Traded forward Dave McLlwain to Pittsburgh for 1996 eighth-round draft pick. Game Results: 2/20 at St. Louis W 7-1 2/22 at Dallas L 3-2 2/25 at Colorado L 4-2 2/28 Buffalo L 3-2 3/01 Philadelphia L 3-2 3/02 New Jersey L 4-1 TEAM NEWS by The Nosebleeders * The Senators continue to play well without seeing the results reflected in the standings. This period saw the Senators collect one win in six games; however, with the exception of the New Jersey game, the Sens have been extremely competitive. Three of their losses were by one goal. The team has also encountered some hot goaltending. The Sens fired 45 shots at Patrick Roy of Colorado and were robbed several times by Dominik Hasek of Buffalo. The Buffalo game was lost with 30 seconds left in overtime when the puck went in off defenceman Sean Hill's skate. * The Ottawa Palladium is now known as the Corel Centre. Corel Corporation, the second largest software company in the world, will pay a reported $26 million over 20 years for rights to the stadium name. It will certainly be awhile before fans stop calling the building "the Palladium". The name had a nice ring to it and the Senators had marketed it substantially. In taking over the stadium name, the software giant is NOT reported to be planning the following changes: o Nets to be know as InterNETS o Marshie's restuarant to be known as Floppies o Hard Rock Cafe to be known as Hard Drive Cafe o Tickets in to the game to be known as passwords * Ottawa started their road trip with a bang by defeating the St. Louis Blues 7-1. The Senators set five team records and tied two others. The team records set included fastest three goals (1 minute, 27 seconds), fastest four goals (3 minutes, 38 seconds), fastest five goals (18 minutes, 59 seconds), fastest six goals (21 minutes, 2 seconds), and largest margin of victory (6). The team tied their records of most goals scored (7) and most consecutive goals (6). * In the home game against Buffalo, Dennis Vial got involved with some fist-a-cuffs in the first period against Buffalo's Rob Ray. Vial, who is known for losing his jersey during fights, turned the tables and took off Ray's shirt! Dennis is a real fan favourite and never turns away from a fight. He proved this again to the fans against New Jersey when he fought both Randy McKay and Reid Simpson in the first period. * Rookie Daniel Alfredsson is once again playing with Alexei Yashin. The two were originally linemates when Yashin returned to the Senators after his holdout, however they found that they could not play together or anticipate each other's moves. Now that there has been time for both players to study each other, coach Martin has put them back together. Captain Randy Cunneyworth continues to be Yashin's other linemate. * With the trade deadline looming March 20th, General Manager Pierre Gauthier has said that "there will be no fire sale" of players. The team is expected to make numerous player changes before next fall as Gauthier builds his kind of team. As many as 15 Senators are playing out their options, which provides Gauthier with plenty of flexibility. However, he does not expect to make many moves before the trading deadline. Several teams are rumoured to be interested in Steve Duchesne, Sean Hill, and possibly Troy Mallette. ----------------------------------------------------------------- PITTSBURGH PENGUINS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Eddie Johnston Roster: C - Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis, Petr Nedved, Bryan Smolinski, Dave McLlwain, Chris Wells. LW - Markus Naslund, Dave Roche, Joe Dziedzic, Brad Lauer. RW - Jaromir Jagr, Tomas Sandstrom, Glen Murray, Ed Patterson. D - Sergei Zubov, Dmitri Mironov, Francois Leroux, Chris Joseph, Neil Wilkinson, Chris Tamer, Ian Moran, Stefan Bergkvist. G - Tom Barrasso, Ken Wregget. Injuries: Ron Francis, c (back, day-to-day); Tomas Sandstrom, rw (ankle surgery, two weeks); Ian Moran, d (bruised shoulder, day- to-day); Stefan Bergkvist, d (appendectomy, indefinite). Transactions: NHL suspended Ron Francis two games for checking from behind. Recalled Brad Lauer, lw, from Cleveland (IHL). Acquired Dave McLlwain, c, from Ottawa in exchange for an eighth- round draft choice. Assigned Richard Park, c, to Belleville (OHL). Game Results: 2/21 at Buffalo L 6-3 2/23 Hartford W 5-4 2/24 at Montreal L 7-3 2/27 at Vancouver W 7-4 2/29 at Calgary L 7-3 3/01 at Edmonton W 5-4 TEAM NEWS For a team that continues to lead their division by 13 points, the Pittsburgh Penguins are still having their share of problems. Perhaps the greatest of which is the club's recent performance on the road. Since last issue, the Penguins have dropped three of five games on the road, including two embarrassing losses to Montreal and Calgary. While Pittsburgh's overall record stands at an impressive 38-21-4, their mark on the road has dropped to a rather disappointing 14-15-4. While losing should never be rationalized, the real problem with the Pens on the road of late is how they are losing. They are simply being out-worked and seldom show any desire or even the slightest commitment to defense. Of course, one can't overlook the impact injuries have had on the Pens recently. The Pittsburgh defense has been hit extremely hard by injuries. The only defenseman to play the last stretch of games injury free has been Chris Joseph and even he missed a game to be with his wife while she gave birth. Sergei Zubov has been hampered by back spasms. Chris Tamer is playing with a broken jaw. Francois Leroux has been playing with an injured hand. Dmitri Mironov has been troubled by a sore knee and ankle. Neil Wilkinson has been trying to play through a bruised heel and a sore knee. Ian Moran has a bruised shoulder and only dressed in recent games just so he could serve penalties. And just when it looked like rookie Stefan Bergkvist was about to claim a spot on the blue line, he had to have an emergency appendectomy after playing in only two games and will be out indefinitely. The injuries also carry over to the offense as well. Tomas Sandstrom saw the first 50-goal season of his career go out the window when he underwent ankle surgery two weeks ago. The ankle has bothered him for the last few months and it was decided it would be best to have the surgery now in order to be ready for the playoffs. Sandstrom isn't expected to start skating until the end of next week. Meanwhile, Ron Francis has been suffering back pain recently and sat out the game in Edmonton on March 1. It was the first game Francis was eligible to return after the NHL suspended him two games for checking Vladimir Malakhov from behind in Pittsburgh's 7-3 loss to Montreal on Feb. 24. Despite the injuries, the Penguins have to find a way to improve their play on the road. If they are serious about making a run at the Cup, they have to be able to perform on the road. Especially if they fail to catch the Rangers for home ice in the Eastern Conference. The Pens currently have 80 points, three less than the first place Rangers. * Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr once again made history in the Feb. 23 game against Hartford at the Civic Arena. Both of them were tied with 48 goals each entering the game, but a few harpooned whales later, and both Mario and Jaromir were celebrating their 50th goals of the season in the 5-4 victory. Lemieux's 50th came a few minutes ahead of Jagr's in the third period. The two had a bottle of champagne riding on who would reach 50 first and once again Mario one-upped his younger buddy. It marked only the second time in NHL history that two teammates scored their 50th goals in the same game. Oddly enough, Lemieux was in on the first time as well. Back in 1992- 93 both Lemieux and Kevin Stevens hit 50 in a game against the Edmonton Oilers. For Lemieux it was the fifth time in his career he reached the 50-goal plateau in a season. While he achieved the mark in only 50 games played, it won't be officially recognized as 50/50 since he did not do it in his team's first 50 games. However, it was the third time in his career that Lemieux scored 50 in his first 50 games played. Meanwhile, Jagr reached the 50-goal milestone for the first time in his career, doing so in just 59 games. Along the way he also became the first-ever Czech-born player to score 50 goals in a season. The legendary, not to mention LCS Hall of Famer, Peter Stastny held the previous high for Czech scorers with 47 goals, set back in 1982-83. * Pittsburgh closed out the season series with the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 24 at the Forum by losing 7-3. Thankfully, the humiliating defeat was Pittsburgh's last visit to the Montreal Forum. The Canadiens will open up the new Molson Centre in a couple weeks and the Penguins couldn't be happier. Over the years the Forum has been less than friendly to the visiting Pens. Pittsburgh's all-time record at the Forum dropped to 4-53-7, including a 0-11-2 streak over the last thirteen games. One bright spot in the loss was that Mario Lemieux scored his 51st goal of the season. The goal was the 545th of Mario's amazing career and moved him ahead of Montreal's legendary Maurice Richard into 12th place on the all-time goal-scoring list. * That wacky scoring duo of Lemieux and Jagr were once again up to their old tricks against Vancouver on Feb. 27. After combining for seven of the eight Pittsburgh goals in the previous two games, Lemieux and Jagr once again each scored twice to pace the Penguins to the easy 7-3 win. Lemieux scored the first two goals for the Pens, including one that will go down in history as one of his all-time best. Mario took a lead pass from Markus Naslund at the Vancouver blue line and drove down the left-wing side of the slot towards Kirk McLean. The puck was bouncing and Lemieux did his best to settle it as he cruised in on goal with a Vancouver defender all over him. I honestly can't remember who the defenseman was that was draped all over Mario, but it doesn't matter. That's like asking who held the latter for Michelangelo when he painted the Sistine Chapel... who cares? Anyway, with the puck bouncing and with a defender all over him, Lemieux realized he wouldn't be able to cut to his forehand to shoot the puck since he was running out of room. So a mere mortal would simply try and slip a backhand shot on net. Well, not Mario... good ol' number 66 had another idea. Mario pushed the puck back between his legs, and with his stick still between his legs, he snapped a wrist shot ticketed for the top right corner. McLean was obviously stunned that Lemieux shot the puck the way he did, but still managed to make a valiant swipe at it with his catching glove. However, the puck glanced off McLean's arm and fell just over the goal line for Lemieux's 53rd of the season. Jagr held up his end by scoring his 53rd and 54th goals later in the game. Vancouver simply gave the Pens too much room to skate and Mario and Jaromir made them pay. * While in Vancouver Petr Nedved had to appear in court to plead "not guilty" to a sexual assault charge filed against him for an incident that allegedly took place back in 1994. A hearing is scheduled to take place in September. The Vancouver fans also made the trip a rough one for Nedved, who broke in with the Canucks back in 1990-91 only to hold out for more money and force a trade with St. Louis. Every time the young Czech center touched the puck he was greeted with a chorus of boos. However, Nedved responded like a champ and recorded a goal and two assists in the 7-3 Penguin victory. Nedved now has 30 goals and 67 points on the season and is fifth on the club in scoring. * The Penguins gutted out a tough road win over the Oilers in Edmonton on March 1. Despite Mario Lemieux sitting out the game to rest and Ron Francis missing the contest because of a bad back, the Pens still managed to hold on for a 5-4 victory. Sergei Zubov scored a goal and three assists and Jagr added a goal and two assists to lead the way. The Pens also got big goals from some unexpected sources. Brad Lauer, who was playing in his second game after being recalled from Cleveland, scored two goals, including the first of the game just 11 seconds after the opening faceoff. Rookie Chris Wells also chipped in his first-ever NHL goal. * During the game against Edmonton it was announced that the Penguins acquired center Dave McLlwain from the Ottawa Senators for an eighth-round draft choice. McLlwain had been playing for Pittsburgh's minor-league affiliate, the Cleveland Lumberjacks (IHL). The 29-year-old McLlwain broke into the league with Pittsburgh back in 1987-88. After splitting his first two seasons between the Pens and Muskegon, their minor-league club at the time, McLlwain was traded to Winnipeg in June of 1989 along with Randy Cunneyworth and Rick Tabaracci for Andrew McBain, Randy Gilhen, and Jim Kyte. He would later move on to Buffalo, the Islanders, Toronto, and finally the Senators. McLlwain should add some speed and experience to the Penguin lineup and he will give them more of a defensive presence up front. Hopefully he will be able to fill some of the void that still remains after the departure of defensive-minded checkers like Gilhen, Bob Errey, Phil Bourque, and Troy Loney. The addition of McLlwain, however, was bad news for Richard Park. The Penguins returned the 19-year-old center to his junior team, the Bellville Bulls of the OHL. Park recorded four goals and six assists this season while seeing spot duty with the Pens. * Markus Naslund was once again placed back on the top line with Lemieux by Coach Eddie Johnston. Naslund responded by scoring three goals in a five-game span. When he plays with Lemieux, Naslund is a force and it isn't just because of Mario. It was no coincidence that Lemieux's recent goal-scoring explosion coincided with Naslund playing on his left side. * Sadly, this is my last report as the Pittsburgh Penguin correspondent. Starting with next issue Ace Reporter Jim Iovino will be taking over the job. The move was made so I could spend more time concentrating on such trivial things as eating and sleeping. I'm sure Jim will do a swell job in my place and I hope I served you well as Penguin correspondent. Before I go, I'd like to leave you with this inpirational thought: A wise man once said, "You can lead a yak to water, but you can't teach him to make a silk purse from a pig-and-a-poke." I don't even know what that means... Take it easy. ================================================================= ================================================================== TEAM REPORTS ================================================================= WESTERN CONFERENCE PACIFIC DIVISION ----------------------------------------------------------------- ANAHEIM MIGHTY DUCKS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Ron Wilson Roster: C - Shaun Van Allen, Mike Sillinger, Steve Rucchin, Dave Sacco, J. F. Jomphe. LW - Paul Kariya, Joe Sacco, Todd Krygier, Garry Valk, Steve King, John Lilley, Jim Campbell. RW - Teemu Selanne, Valeri Karpov, Todd Ewen, Peter Douris, Jim Thompson, Alex Hicks. D - Milos Holan, Jason York, Dave Karpa, Bobby Dollas, Oleg Mikulchik, Randy Ladoucer, Fredrik Olausson, Don McSween. G - Guy Hebert, Mikhail Shtalenkov. Injuries: Milos Holan, d (preparing for bone marrow transplant, indefinite); Peter Douris, rw (strained groin, day-to-day). Transactions: None. Game Results: 2/17 at Los Angeles W 2-1 OT 2/21 Boston W 4-3 OT 2/23 at Calgary L 2-3 2/25 San Jose W 4-3 2/26 at Colorado L 2-3 OT 2/28 Montreal W 5-2 3/03 Tampa Bay T 2-2 TEAM NEWS by Sandi Trudo It's beginning to look like crunch time for the Ducks. As the season dwindles down towards the playoffs and the final month of the season, the Ducks (23-35-6, 52 points) currently find themselves without a playoff spot, but still within reach. Currently fifth in the Pacific Division, the Ducks are one point ahead of the Edmonton Oilers and one behind the Los Angeles Kings. That should make for exciting, hard-hitting style hockey when both teams visit the Pond later this month. The highlight for the Ducks over the past few weeks has been the play of newly acquired scoring machine, Teemu Selanne. Selanne automatically became the Ducks highest scorer when he joined the team. Paul Kariya had held the honor most of the season, but Selanne came aboard with numbers impressive enough to knock Kariya into second place. Selanne currently has 32 goals and 56 assists for 88 points in 61 games (6th overall in the NHL) and Kariya is at 37 goals and 41 assists for 78 points in 64 games (12th overall). The acquisition of Selanne could be a good thing for Kariya for a handful of reasons. Kariya, who seems to enjoy being the best, may push himself even harder than he already does. Not only will Selanne provide Kariya with a linemate that can keep up with his blazing speed, but it may also create some healthy competition between the pair in the scoring department. Plus, with another superstar type of player on the team, some of the intense pressure and limelight should be removed from Kariya's shoulders. McSween Continues Comeback Ducks defenseman, Don McSween, is slowly but surely continuing his lengthy comeback from severe nerve damage to his right hand/ wrist which was sliced during a game by a skate blade last season. At the time of his injury, it was believed McSween's injury could sideline or end his hockey career. However, after surgery and almost a year of rehabilitation, McSween was assigned to the farm team in Baltimore and is returning to hockey. "I went down there (Baltimore) with the idea that this might be it," said McSween. "I think I can be a player who can contribute. I went down there with a lot of questions, but with each shift I realized it's not over and I can still play." Surprisingly enough, his rehab and return to the game has progressed faster than expected and McSween has found himself back on the Ducks regular roster. The injury, which was described by general manager, Jack Ferreira, as the worst he has ever seen in hockey, happened January 21st, 1995. With five minutes remaining in a game against the Winnipeg Jets, McSween was cut by the skate blade of Keith Tkachuk. The cut was so severe that nine tendons and two nerves were cut and McSween, who lost an incredible amount of blood, had to be helped from the ice. Had a main artery been severed, the injury could have been fatal. "It's frustrating, but I have my wife and kids to go home to and that makes it easier," said McSween, putting his injury and fight to return to the game into perspective. He said he has regained 65-75% of the use/mobility 'of his wrist, 'depending on who you talk to.' Apparently the Ducks feel he has made significant progress and thus he was recently recalled from Baltimore. McSween was originally signed by the Ducks as a free agent two years (1994) ago after a standout season with the now defunct San Diego Gulls of the International Hockey League. He was the top defenseman for the Gulls in 1992-93, a season that saw the Gulls post an impressive 62-12-8 record and McSween finish the season with a mind-boggling +63. McSween's steady play around his own net earned him a regular, and well earned spot, in the Ducks regular rotation last season. His recovery and return to the line up could be just what the Ducks need to shore up the backline for a playoff run. Holan has Bone Marrow Transplant Mighty Ducks defenseman, Milos Holan, recently underwent a bone marrow transplant in which he received marrow from an unrelated donor at the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California. Holan will be a resident of the isolation ward for the next three to five week, in order to give the new bone marrow sufficient time to restore his immune system and to help avoid contracting any diseases, such as pneumonia. The procedure was overseen by its developer, Doctor Stephen J. Forman, director of the Department of Hematology/Bone Marrow Transplantation. According to Forman, there is chance that Holan can rejoin the Mighty Ducks in one year, provided that there are no complications and there is no recurrence of the leukemia. The type of leukemia that Holan is being treated for is called chronic granulocytic leukemia, a malignant disorder of the bone marrow. He was diagnosed during the Mighty Ducks training camp. Holan continued to play, because his condition was not considered life-threatening. A suitable donor was found on January 4. At that time, Holan was placed on the injured reserve list in order to prepare for the surgery. The preparation time for this surgery generally takes 4 to 6 weeks. I will continue to update Holan's condition as it changes. ----------------------------------------------------------------- CALGARY FLAMES ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Pierre Page Roster: C - Cory Stillman, Michael Nylander, German Titov, Dean Evason, Claude Lapointe, Corey Millen, Pat Conacher. LW - Gary Roberts, Mike Sullivan, Paul Kruse, Sheldon Kennedy, Jocelyn Lemieux. RW - Theo Fleury, Ronnie Stern, Sandy McCarthy, Ed Ward, Pavel Torgajev, D - Steve Chiasson, James Patrick, Zarley Zalapski, Kevin Dahl, Trent Yawney, Tommy Albelin. G - Trevor Kidd, Rick Tabaracci. Injuries: Ronnie Stern, lw (neck, one week); Claude Lapointe, c (groin, day-to-day). Transactions: Traded defensemen Phil Housley and Dan Keczmer to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Jocelyn Lemieux, lw, Cale Hulse, d, and Tommy Albelin, d. Sent Cale Hulse, d, to St. John (AHL). Centers Claude Lapointe, Dean Evason, and Pat Conacher all cleared waivers. Game Results: 2/20 San Jose W 5-3 2/23 Anaheim W 3-2 2/24 Boston L 2-1 2/29 Pittsburgh W 7-3 3/03 at San Jose W 5-1 TEAM NEWS by Ryan Ferris Housley Punches Out Phil Housley packed his bags and hopped onto the first train out of Cow Town last week shortly after he was traded by the Flames to the defending Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils in exchange for three players. Of course, this move comes as no surprise. Housley is destined to exercise the free-agent waters this summer, and the Flames had hinted that they would not be willing to pay Housley the kind of money that he is requesting. It is expected that "Phil of the Pheather-pass" will be looking for a contract paying in excess of $2-million US per season. Since he arrived in Calgary last season in the Al MacInnis trade, Housley and the Flames both knew the writing was on the wall. It has not been a secret that Phil was looking to play for an American based team, where he will now get more pennies when he takes his cheque to the bank and perhaps a better credit card Air Miles program. When informed via phone call by head coach Pierre Page that he may be hearing plenty of rumors about being dealt to another team, Phil replied knowingly, "Pierre, those aren't just rumors." Notably, Housley showed some professionalism during his situation, which seems to be the exception with higher-paid professional athletes these days, and he should be commended for doing so. There was no bickering in the media, and Housley contributed to the Flames until the day he was dealt. As a result, he was rewarded by the Flames by being traded to a contending team in New Jersey. There is a lesson here to be learned for other NHL teams and players. In return the Flames get two players that they feel can help them out right away. Jocelyn Lemieux is a feisty defensive forward, and Tommy Albelin is a decent veteran defenceman that was a regular on the blue line for the defensive-minded Devils. Both will likely fit well into Pierre's tight-checking style. The third man heading to the Flames gives consideration for the future. Cale Hulse, a native Calgarian, is an imposing figure (6'3", 215 pounds) and stands to be part of the next generation of Flames. For now, he'll be given time to gain experience in the minors. With the addition of Lemiuex, the Flames now have 26 forwards in camp and leaves them looking to reduce some of the excess. As a result, Claude Lapointe, Dean Evason and Pat Conacher were placed on waivers last week. All three went unclaimed by the other 25 NHL teams, leaving the Flames the option to demote them to the minors or buy out their contracts. Lapointe, Evason and Conacher are all first-year Flames and were acquired at various points this year to add some depth for a young Flames team. Now that some of the younger talent has matured, they have become expendable. Pavel Torgajev has been impressive since his last call-up two weeks ago. As well, Corey Stillman looks like he is turning out to be a decent second or third line center for the club. All told, the Flames continue to take steps towards making themselves a respectable and competitive hockey team. Their improving record is a reflection of the excellent job that the management team and coaching staff have been able to do to turn the season around. Since the Housley deal they are 2-0-0, and both Lemieux and Albelin have fit in nicely. It appears that this trade ended up as a rarity in today's NHL, and was completed without having to use the words 'disgruntled', 'holdout' 'brutal' or 'doghouse'. Who would'a thunk it possible? Tidbits... * Theoren Fleury continues to climb in the ranks of NHL scoring. Wingers German Titov and Gary Roberts have combined with Theo to construct what has become one of the most productive lines in the league since the all-star break. With four points versus Pittsburgh and another three against San Jose, Fleury now looks poised to crack the top ten with his 77 points. The line combined for nine points in their last game versus the Sharks. * Michael Nylander is walking a very fine line these days. During a recent practice in preparation for Sunday's game versus the Sharks, he pushed some of the wrong buttons and wound up in a brief shouting match with Page. Word has it that Page simply asked what Nylander's problem was, and Nylander replied "you!" The dispute is a carry-over from the decreased ice time that Nylander has received of late. He played only one shift in the third period versus the Penguins in what wound up begin a huge win for the team. He also did not dress for the next game against San Jose. Reports say that Nylander has requested the team to trade him. Page, who later stated that he overreacted and should have kept the dispute out of the eye of the media, has simple demands of Nylander. He is looking for Michael to provide more inspired play and to tighten up his defensive play. It is not known if Page simply forgot the fact that Nylander is a Swede, or if he has found a doctor that will be able to perform a frontal lobotomy on Nylander. With the number of veteran forwards that the Flames have these days that are pushing to get into the lineup and with the expected return of Ron Stern next week from a shoulder injury, Nylander finds himself in a poor bargaining position. While the team continues to win and find adequate scoring, he will likely continue to receive little or no ice time until either his attitude improves or he is traded. ----------------------------------------------------------------- COLORADO AVALANCHE ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Marc Crawford Roster: C - Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Mike Ricci, Troy Murray. LW - Valeri Kamensky, Chris Simon, Landon Wilson, Warren Rychel, Rene Corbet. RW - Claude Lemieux, Adam Deadmarsh, Scott Young, Mike Keane, Stephane Yelle, Paul Brousseau. D - Sandis Ozolinsh, Sylvain Lefebvre, Uwe Krupp, Craig Wolanin, Curtis Leschyshyn, Adam Foote, Alexei Gusarov, Jon Klemm. G - Patrick Roy, Stephane Fiset. Injuries: Uwe Krupp, d (torn ACL in left knee, indefinite); Jon Klemm, d (groin, day-to-day); Stephane Yelle, c (groin, day-to- day). Transactions: Sent Aaron Miller, d, to Cornwall (AHL). Game Results: 2/23 at Los Angeles W 6-2 2/25 Ottawa W 4-2 2/26 Anaheim W 3-2 2/29 at Chicago L 4-3 3/01 Chicago W 5-3 3/03 Toronto W 4-0 TEAM NEWS Colorado continued to bury opponents over the past two weeks, going 5-1-0 in its last six games. With the success of the past two weeks the Avalanche raised their record to 37-18-10. They've increased their lead over second-place Vancouver in the Pacific Division to 17 points and their 84 points is second most in the entire league, trailing only the front-running Detroit Red Wings. Colorado appears to be peaking in time for the stretch drive into the playoffs. * Peter Forsberg has reclaimed the team scoring lead from Joe Sakic. The two have been going back and forth all season, but Forsberg has once again jumped out to a four-point lead. Thanks to a red-hot scoring frenzy over the last few weeks, Forsberg finds himself third overall in the NHL scoring race with 25 goals and 97 points, trailing only Mario Lemieux (126) and Jaromir Jagr (122). Sakic has cooled down a bit recently and now sits in fifth place, one point behind Alexander Mogilny, with 40 goals and 93 points. Sakic recorded his 40th goal of the season on March 3 in the 4-0 win over Toronto. It marked the third time in his career Sakic reached the 40-goal plateau. His carrer high for goals is 48, which he set twice, once in 1990-91 and again in 1992-93. Valeri Kamensky has once again found his scoring touch playing alongside Forsberg. The Russian winger now has 30 goals and 69 points in 65 games, good for 22nd in league scoring. Kamensky scored his 30th goal of the season in the 4-3 loss to Chicago on Feb. 29. It's hard to believe, but it was the first time the ultra-talented Kamesky reached the 30-goal mark in his injury-plagued career. He scored 15 goals with the Nordiques in only 32 games during the 1992-93 season. He followed that up in 1993-94 by scoring 28 goals in 76 games. Kamensky's 69 points this season also surpasses his previous career high of 65 points in 1993-94. * Patrick Roy continues to shine between the pipes for the Avalanche. St. Patrick recorded his first shutout as a member of the Avalanche, and the 30th of his career, on March 3 against Toronto. It tied him with Chicago's Ed Belfour for the most shutouts among active goaltenders. Roy is now tied for 25th on the all-time list with Roger Crozier, Cesare Maniago, and Belfour. * The Avalanche went head-to-head with the Chicago Blackhawks this past week in what could be a preview of the Western Conference Finals. The two teams met in a home-and-home series on Feb. 28 and 29 to battle it out for the title of the second- best team in the West behind Detroit. The first game took place in Chicago and the Avalanche appeared to have things under control, leading 3-2 after two periods of play. However, the Hawks rebounded and took advantage of a Patrick Roy give-away to score two third-period goals and held on for the victory, 4-3. Roy was back in net the next night in Colorado. This time he didn't make any mistakes and played his usual strong game to lead the way. Mike Keane also scored a big third-period goal to down the Hawks, 5-3. Both games were extremely well played. A matchup between these two clubs in the playoffs would be a beauty. Colorado won the season series three games to one. ----------------------------------------------------------------- EDMONTON OILERS ---------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Ron Low Roster: C - Doug Weight, Jason Arnott, Todd Marchant, Ralph Intranuovo. LW - Zdeno Ciger, Scott Thornton, Dean McAmmond, Miroslav Satan, Kent Manderville, Ryan Smyth. RW - Mariusz Czerkawski, Mats Lindgren, Dave Oliver, Kelly Buchberger, Kirk Maltby, Louie DeBrusk, Glenn Anderson. D - Luke Richardson, Bryan Marchment, Jiri Slegr, Ian Herbers, Marc Laforge, Dean Kennedy, Boris Mironov, Brett Hauer, Jeff Norton, Donald Dufresne, Greg De Vries. G - Curtis Joseph, Fred Brathwaite. Injuries: Kirk Maltby, rw (scratched cornea, 6-8 weeks); Kent Manderville, lw (left wrist strain, indefinite, placed on injured reserve Feb. 18). Transactions: Recalled Jiri Slegr, d, and Ryan Smyth, lw, from Cape Breton (AHL). Game Results: 2/21 Los Angeles W 7-2 2/23 Boston L 7-4 2/25 at Islanders L 2-0 2/27 at Boston W 4-3 OT 2/28 at Hartford T 4-4 3/01 Pittsburgh L 5-4 3/03 St. Louis L 4-3 TEAM NEWS by Simon D. Lewis * Can't Get Out of First Gear - Starting with Pittsburgh on March 1, the Oilers had 20 games left in their season of discontent. The Penguins iced what was probably their weakest lineup of the year. All three of Francis, Sandstrom and Super Mario and their big goal total sat out. It looked like the Oilers were getting a gift to start their stretch drive. Just a few problems... the boys in blue didn't get it going until the third period; Zubov and Jagr turned up their games; scoring "sensation" Brad Lauer scored two, including one after only :11 of the first. For a team that has to win every night, the Oilers played like they had their sights set on that first draft pick in June. There was no flow, little commitment and, before they new it, they were down 3-0. To their credit, they managed to get back to within one marker in the third period. Too little, too late. Applicable cliche: You gotta show up for 60 minutes. * Arnie's Back - The Pittsburgh game also marked the unexpectedly early return of Jason Arnott from arthroscopic knee surgery. Arnie had a pretty fair outing, banging and crashing, potting a goal, and being his usual ornery self. He did let his infamous temper get the better of him. When he should have been looking for a goal in the third, he was sidetracked into tussling with Dmitri Mironov. Sometimes he just doesn't make the smart move. * Stop the Cliches - For a team that keeps saying that actions speak louder than words, there sure is a lot of steam coming out of the Oilers' dressing room. They all seem to reading from the same Bible o' Sports Cliches. Both the fans and the media are ready for 100 points in a season not 100 cliches. * Sell Outs - For the first time this year the Coliseum was sold out for three straight games (Boston, Pittsburgh and St. Louis). The Polish Prince, Mariusz Czerkawski, spoiled the return of Bill Ranford with his OT goal against the Bruins. With the Penguins and Mario coming in next, followed by St. Louis and the New Blue Great One, tickets were more scarce than goals by Oiler blueliners. Unfortunately, the fans missed out on Lemieux when he decided that his back needed some rest. Then, halfway through the second period in the Blues game, a well-placed elbow by Kelly Buchberger knocked Gretzky into the next time zone and out of the game. You could hear the St. Louis management's collective gasp all the way to Calgary. Wayne did have time for one of his patented assists from behind the net on an Al MacInnis goal. * Find a Way to Lose - Down 2-1 in the third against the Blues, Ciger and Arnott scored to give the Oil the lead. Then, in the space of :20 seconds, a give-away or two and Brett Hull and Igor Kravchuk popped in a couple. Applicable cliche: You gotta show up for 60 minutes. * Surfin' with Glenn and Kelly - GM Glenn Sather and Captain Kelly Buchberger took to the Web on Feb. 22 to chat with Oiler fans. Sather opened by joking that he was going to trade for Gretzky. The fans wanted to know about the mechanics of trading and how teams plan for the draft. One person wanted to know what the "real" story was on Oiler finances. Sather updated the season ticket story. The Oilers have sold 8,000 so far and need another 5,000 to qualify for the $5 million subsidy from the NHL. Afterwards, Buchberger said, "Now I understand why David Oliver spends five hours a day in cyberspace." * Quote of the Week - Some airhead sports dweeb in St. Louis asked the Great One, "Do you think it'll be tough playing in front of all of Janet's ex-boyfriends?" Yeah. Right! ----------------------------------------------------------------- LOS ANGELES KINGS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Larry Robinson Roster: C - Yanic Perreault, Robert Lang, Kevin Todd, Gary Shuchuk, Patrice Tardif. LW - Jari Kurri, Dimitri Khristich, Eric Lacroix, Vladimir Tysplakov, Barry Potomski, Kevin Stevens, Craig Johnson. RW - Vitali Yachmenev, Tony Granato, John Druce, Shane Churla. D - Rob Blake, Doug Zmolek, Marty McSorley, Philippe Boucher, Sean O'Donnell, Steve Finn, Rob Cowie, John Slaney. G - Byron Dafoe, Kelly Hrudey. Injuries: Rob Blake, d (knee, indefinite); Vladimir Tysplakov, lw (shoulder, out for season); Tony Granato, rw (head, out for season); Kevin Stevens, lw (bruises, day-to-day); Marty McSorley, d (more bruises, day-to-day). Transactions: Traded Wayne Gretzky, c, to St. Louis in exchange for Patrice Tardif, Craig Johnson, Roman Vopat, a 1996 fifth-round draft pick, and a 1997 first-round draft pick. Sent Aki Berg, d, to Phoenix (IHL). Game Results: 2/21 at Edmonton L 7-2 2/23 at Colorado L 6-2 2/24 at St. Louis T 2-2 2/26 at Winnipeg L 4-3 2/28 Tampa Bay L 5-1 3/02 Montreal W 5-4 TEAM NEWS by Matt Moore * Wayne Gretzky got traded, and that is all well and good, but by now everybody is sick and tired of hearing about it. So on to other subjects. The Kings are still thinking about doing even more trades, with older players being the victims. Marty McSorley is rumored to be heading to Detroit, who apparently would be happy to pick up his overblown contract in exchange for his size. I have not heard anything as to who or what the Kings might get in return. Jari Kurri is also possibly going out of town. The Rangers, Flyers, and the Canucks are the prime candidates. Kurri has stepped up his play recently, and shows signs of the former greatness. Who knows, maybe with Gretzky gone he will play like he did in the year that Gretzky missed half the season? He would be a great addition to a team that thinks that they might win it all this year and just need that extra player who can play both ways. Kurri is also being packaged together with McSorley and might go to the Red Wings. Kelly Hrudey is also being mentioned. Most of those rumors are probably just rumors, but the Rangers were (supposedly) interested following Mike Richter's first injury and might be again now that Richter has been re-injured. * March 2 also marked a rare occurrence - a win. What makes this even more rare was that Byron Dafoe won the game. He hadn't won a game since the beginning of January, and the Kings hadn't won a game in ten decisions. What makes the win against the Canadiens notable, however, was how the team played. Sure they gave up a lead and should have won easier, but for once the team actually showed some heart. When the Canadiens tied the game 4-4 late in the third period, the Kings actually fought back to win the game. In the past, they would have just barely held on for the tie or, more likely, they would have just let the opponent just steamroller over them to a win. But, this time, they actually showed more of a team chemistry, making more of the safe plays, which, hopefully will show the beginning of a run for the playoffs. I know that I shouldn't try and read too much into just one game, especially one against a team that struggles on the road, and especially after the trashing handed out by Tampa Bay, but I am a firm believer in addition by subtraction. Having Gretzky on the team created an age conflict between the younger players and the older, who were led by Gretzky. Maybe by removing some of the older players, it will allow the younger players to gain their own identity and play more of their own style. ----------------------------------------------------------------- SAN JOSE SHARKS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Interim Head Coach: Jim Wiley Roster: C - Jamie Baker, Craig Janney, Jeff Friesen, Dody Wood, Viktor Kozlov. LW - Ray Whitney, Kevin Miller, Chris Tancill, Ville Peltonen. RW - Ulf Dahlen, Dave Brown, Jeff Odgers, Shean Donovan, Ray Sheppard, Owen Nolan. D - Doug Bodger, Tom Pederson, Jim Kyte, Jayson More, Michal Sykora, Marcus Ragnarsson, Yves Racine. G - Chris Terreri, Wade Flaherty. Injuries: Arturs Irbe, g (sprained left knee, possibly back at the end of March); Doug Bodger, d (groin pull, day-to-day); Ray Whitney, lw (injured wrist, day-to-day); Jamie Baker, c (concussion, pulled rib muscle, day-to-day). Transactions: Recalled Ville Peltonen, lw, from and returned Andrei Nazarov, lw, and Alexei Yegorov,c/lw, to Kansas City (IHL). Game Results: 2/20 at Calgary L 5-3 2/23 at Vancouver L 3-1 2/25 at Anaheim L 4-3 2/26 Montreal W 7-4 3/01 Tampa Bay L 7-3 3/03 Calgary L 5-1 TEAM NEWS by Mark Spiegel * Sharks rookie Alexei Yegorov, called up from Kansas City to replace injured Ray Sheppard, provided a bit of sunshine in this othewise gloomy season. Yegorov, in only his sixth NHL game, scored a hat trick in the Sharks game against Calgary on February 20. Not only was it a hat trick, but in doing so Yegorov scored the 1000th goal in team history. Unfortunately, Yegorov's heroics weren't enough as the Sharks gave up a two-goal lead and eventually fell to the Flames 5-3. With the Sharks up 2-0 late in the first period, a defenseman got caught too far up ice allowing Gary Roberts to break in on Terreri for Calgary's first goal at 19:52 of the period. This failed to deflate the Sharks as they continued to battle the Flames into the third period. Even after a lucky bounce of the puck when a Gary Roberts shot, initially wide of the net, deflected in past Terreri off Doug Bodger. The Flames finally pulled away for good after getting their only power-play goal at 5:23 of the third. Viktor Kozlov had another strong game, getting an assist on each of Yegorov's goals. While Viktor is still recovering the speed he lost to last season's leg injury, he is growing more effective offensively. The more he shoots, the more his passing lanes open up. When all Viktor does is try to set-up teammates he gets too predictable for defenders and they often stop him. * Three nights later in Vancouver, the Sharks gave up the first goal, again due to a defenseman out of position up ice. This time Alex Mogilny left Doug Bodger spinning with a quick move near the boards. With the other defenseman up ice, Mogilny fed Esa Tikkanen at the goal mouth for a quick 1-0 lead. The Sharks allowed the Canucks to pretty much skate at will in the San Jose zone, hardly delivering any body checks. Flaherty came up fairly big, making several point-blank shot saves. Another defensive miscommunication resulted in the second Canucks goal, when Martin Gelinas scored on a breakaway just after coming out of the penalty box. Neither Sharks defenseman was playing back as the penalty expired and the Canucks happily exploited this with a quick pass up ice to Gelinas. The Sharks had their chance to get back into the game in the second period when they had both a four-minute and a 5-on-3 power play, but both attempts came up empty. Whatever spirit the Sharks had left was squelched just after the power-play attempts, when the Canucks stopped a two-on-zero breakaway. * The Sharks finished their road trip at Anaheim. In their previous game against the Ducks, Owen Nolan scored the first hat trick ever at the Pond during the Sharks rout of the Ducks. Who says Ducks have no memory? Less than four minutes into the first period, the Ducks' Todd Ewen got Nolan to drop the gloves and sit out for five minutes. This fight not only got Nolan off the ice, but precipitated several other fights, and over 60 minutes in penalties before the first period ended. With the Ducks offense nearly totally dependent upon Kariya and Selanne, one would think the Sharks would have shadowed both players, but they didn't. Allowed to nearly skate freely, Selanne went on to score the first Ducks hat trick ever to lead Anaheim past the Sharks 4-3. * The Sharks returned home, and finally ended their now seven- game winless streak, beating the visiting Montreal Canadiens, 7-4. The Sharks twice held two-goal leads that were overcome by the Canadiens power play. Each time the Sharks were tied, Owen Nolan responded with a goal to put the Sharks back in the lead. Before this game, Nolan had gone eleven games without scoring a goal. While it's clear Nolan will be *a* future leader of the Sharks, his on-again, off-again inconsistency seems to preclude him from being *the* team leader. Getting Nolan a linemate, whose constant work-ethic can regularly jump-start Owen, needs to be added to the Sharks list of off-season tasks. The game nearly ended with a highlight shown on just about every sports program in the country. With the Montreal netminder pulled, Sharks' goalie Chris Terreri launched a shot from the Sharks end that hit the post of the empty Canadiens' goal. Rookie Ville Peltonen scored his first every NHL goal by knocking in the rebound of the shot. If Terreri had scored he would have been only the third goalie to score a goal in an NHL game. * The Sharks followed the win over the Canadiens with games at home against Tampa Bay and Calgary. About the only positive thing that can be said is that at least nobody died. With several of the younger Sharks sent back down to Kansas City, these games were opportunities for several veterans to show that they wanted to be back next year. Most were no-shows. The Lightning came into town having never lost in San Jose, and left with their streak intact. Out-working the Sharks from the start, Tampa got hat tricks from Brian Bellows and Jason Weimer to skate to a 7-3 win that wasn't as close as the score indicates. Against the Flames, the Sharks made a game of it for the first period, ending it down by a goal, but tied in shots on the net. Theo Fleury gave the Flames the lead with a backhand that Chris Terreri should have stopped. Rick Tabarraci returned the favor shortly after the second period began, allowing Shean Donovan to put a puck in his five hole while Donovan was falling to the ice. After San Jose had tied the game, Calgary gradually outworked and even intimidated the Sharks to finally run away with a 5-1 win. Owen Nolan, who was suffering from flu-like symptoms, couldn't make it back out for the third period. This seemed to deflate the entire team's confidence as they allowed the Flames to score three more goals in the third period on only nine shots. * Goalie Arturs Irbe underwent exploratory arthroscopic surgery on the same knee he injured while on a conditioing stint with the Kansas City Blades. Irbe, concerned that his injured knee may be more severly damaged than diagnosed, requested the procedure. Team physician Dr. Arthur Ting performed the operation, scraping away some scar tissue and making some other unspecified repairs. Irbe may resume full-scale workouts next week and could be back in the lineup by the end of March. * Art Savage, team president, resigned from the Sharks on Tuesday. Savage, an accountant and financial advisor to team owner George Gund, had headed up the team since its inception. Concentrating mainly on the business aspects of the operation, Savage was most recently involved in the negotiations to bring the NBA's Warriors to San Jose Arena. Greg Jamison, currently team executive vice president, will move up into the president position. In his last game in the team's luxury box, Savage had former head coach Kevin Constantine as his guest. It may have been one last jab at team GM Dean Lombardi, who according to some sources, fired Constantine without consulting with or informing Savage. * The Sharks announced they have relieved Kansas City Blades associate coach Drew Remenda of his duties. Remenda, the sole coach remaining in the Sharks system from the team's first season, reportedly had differences of opinion on how the Blades should be coached. Remenda, and Blades head coach Vasily Tikhonov, had both started the year in San Jose, but were swapped for then Blades coaches Jim Wiley and Mark Kaufman by former head coach Constantine. Tikhonov remains the head coach in Kansas City. ----------------------------------------------------------------- VANCOUVER CANUCKS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Rick Ley Roster: C - Trevor Linden, Mike Ridley, Cliff Ronning, Esa Tikkanen, Jim Dowd. LW - Alexander Mogilny, Josef Beranek, Martin Gelinas, Alek Stojanov, Gino Odjick. RW - Pavel Bure, Russ Courtnall, Roman Oksiuta, Tim Hunter, Scott Walker. D - Jyrki Lumme, Frantisek Kucera, Dana Murzyn, Bret Hedican, Jassen Cullimore, Dave Babych, Leif Rohlin, Dean Malkoc, Adrian Aucoin. G - Kirk McLean, Corey Hirsch. Injuries: Pavel Bure, rw (torn ACL in right knee, out for season); Mike Ridley, c (back surgery, two weeks). Transactions: Jim Sandlak, lw, cleared waivers and assigned to Syracuse (AHL). Game Results: 2/19 at Detroit L 4-3 2/21 at Winnipeg W 5-3 2/23 San Jose W 3-1 2/27 Pittsburgh L 7-4 2/29 St. Louis T 2-2 3/02 at Detroit W 3-2 3/03 at Buffalo W 3-0 TEAM NEWS by Carol Schram For the first time this season, it's not a challenge to be a Canucks' fan. * The injury list is down to just two names. Mike Ridley's rehabilitation is going well and there is talk that he'll be back by mid to late March. Even better, on February 26th Pavel Bure skated for the first time since his knee surgery. He has been taking regular workouts ever since. Bure is not pushing himself, but he's clearly excited to be back on the ice and appears cautiously optimistic. Bure is scheduled to have an MRI this week to check the knee. Canucks' staff still insist that the target date for his return is next season and Bure is toeing the party line. From an outside point of view, however, it looks like Pavel could well be ready to go by playoff time or perhaps even a bit earlier. * Alex Mogilny is dazzling with player-of-the-month caliber performances. In February, official NHL honoree Peter Forsberg logged nine goals and 16 assists for 25 points. Mogilny recorded 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points. He had a personal eighteen-game point streak snapped March 2 against Detroit. The streak was unofficial because he sat out one game with a bruised knee after being checked into the boards by Edmonton's Bryan Marchment. Not only has Mogilny been scoring, his goals have been earning points for the team. On February 1 against St. Louis, the Canucks were down 2-1 with less than a minute to go when Mogilny slid one past Grant Fuhr. When that goal was disallowed because of a quick whistle, Mogilny scored again with 7.9 seconds to go to ensure his team took a point out of the Kiel Center. On February 9 against Edmonton, Mogilny took that hard check from Marchment in the first minute of play. He went on to finish the game, and with the Canucks down 2-1 in the third, scored the tying goal. Vancouver went on to win their first overtime game in nearly two years and take two points out of the Edmonton Coliseum. The severity of Marchment's check was only apparent when Mogilny sat out the team's next game to rest his knee. On February 29, all eyes were on Wayne Gretzky in his first game with the St. Louis Blues. Gretzky got a beautiful breakaway goal in the first period, but Mogilny stole some thunder by notching his 50th goal of the season midway through the second. Then, with the Canucks trailing 2-1 in the third, Mogilny worked his magic again and scored his 51st to tie the game, earn the team another well-deserved point, and get himself named first star. Mogilny is only the second Canuck after Pavel Bure to score 50 goals in a season, and he set a team record by hitting the mark in just 60 games played -- Bure's quickest was 63 games. Dave Babych sat out the St. Louis game with a slight hand injury, and Mogilny was given the "A" to wear for the first time -- an impressive achievement for a player dubbed a "quitter" and a "problem child" during his tenure in Buffalo. Despite his protestations that it was "just another game", all eyes were on Mogilny for his first appearance back in Buffalo -- a rare sellout at the Aud. Mogilny notched the game-winning goal in dramatic fashion, on a short-handed breakaway, with seconds to go in the first period. * The Canucks goaltending situation is probably the strongest it's been in team history. Kirk McLean is showing signs of his former greatness since returning from minor knee surgery. In five games played, McLean has gone 3-1-1 with a 2.56 goals against average and recorded his first shutout of the season March 3 against Buffalo. Corey Hirsch held down the fort admirably while McLean was sidelined, then was named first star in his first start since Captain Kirk's return as the Canucks came from behind on the road to beat Detroit 3-2. The debate continues about whether or not to move one of these talented netminders before the trading deadline, but this must be a sweet dilemma for Pat Quinn. He knows that if he doesn't make a move, his team will be well-covered in net come playoff time. Furthermore, the competition may help spur both goaltenders to even greater heights. * With their wins against Detroit and Buffalo, the Canucks have passed Chicago and are now tied with the Wings for the most points accumulated on the road this year. They have played more games, but a road record of 16-10-8 is certainly nothing to sneeze at. * On February 27th, Trevor Linden broke Don Lever's team Ironman record as he played in his 438th consecutive game in a Canucks uniform. Linden is the current NHL Ironman but is less than halfway to record-holder Doug Jarvis' 964 consecutive games. On the whole, the excitement about hockey in Vancouver has started to simmer. * Pavel Bure bought a new red Ferrari and has started skating again. * Mario Lemieux suited up here for the first time in four years as Pittsburgh played arguably their best game of the season and put on a 7-4 clinic in front of a sold out crowd. * Petr Nedved, wearing the "A" due to a suspension to Ron Francis, shone in his first game in Vancouver since leaving the Canucks after a bitter contract squabble two years ago. Nedved also made news as he dropped by a local courthouse to enter a "not guilty" plea in relation to a sexual assault charge from 1994. The case will be heard in September. * Wayne Gretzky arrived in town for his first game with St. Louis and suddenly both TSN and ESPN2 covered the game. The Canucks turned in a playoff-style performance and emerged with a point thanks to Alex Mogilny's heroics. * Last Thursday, more than 2,500 fans showed up at the Canucks' practice facility at 8-Rinks in Burnaby. They were treated to Pavel Bure skating with the Canucks, then Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr practicing with the Penguins, then Wayne Gretzky taking to the ice for the first time alongside Brett Hull. This is arguably the most concentrated hockey superstar quotient ever in this city. * The Canucks took it to the league-leading Detroit Red Wings, coming from behind in the third period and joining Ottawa and Winnipeg as the only teams to take two points out of the Joe this year. The next day, the team played its third solid game in a row and shut out the red-hot Sabres. On Wednesday, the Canucks have a chance to win three in a row for the first time this season as they face Buffalo again, this time at the Garage. Other News: * The influx of healthy bodies has meant a minor roster move. After picking up local hero Jim Sandlak as a free agent during the summer, the Canucks were forced to put him on waivers last week to stay at the 24-man limit. Sandlak cleared waivers but has not yet decided whether to report to Syracuse or to hang up his skates for good. * The jig may also be up for Roman Oksiuta. After starting the Pittsburgh game, he was benched early in the first period and made his displeasure known to coach Rick Ley the next day at practice. A shouting match apparently ensued and Oksiuta's nameplate was torn off his dressing room stall. By Thursday's game, the fences had apparently been mended, but Oksiuta remained a late scratch for that game and the next. He did make the lineup Sunday against Buffalo, moving back into his old spot along Mogilny and Ronning as Esa Tikkanen sat out to rest his knee. The line accounted for all three goals, and Oksiuta did record an assist. Nevertheless, this looks like the Jeff Brown situation all over again. It's likely that Oksiuta will get just enough ice time to keep him marketable at the trade deadline. With Dallas' recent success, it's unlikely that Bob Gainey would bite now on the Oksiuta-for-Kevin Hatcher deal that was rumored a couple of months back. Oksiuta got off to a great start with the Canucks this year, but has not responded well since being moved off the Ronning line when Esa Tikkanen arrived. * Vancouver's role in the Wayne Gretzky saga was only as the city in which he played his first game with his new team. Despite all the reasons why Gretzky and the Canucks could have been a good fit, apparently he just didn't want to play here. In particular, Wayne was looking for a team with a less rigorous travel schedule. Since it's clear now that this move is all about getting Wayne another Stanley Cup ring, it makes sense for Gretzky to join the other hired guns under Mike Keenan to see if a group of individuals can have better success than twenty-four guys playing as a team. The Canucks seem to be exhibiting some of the character that they'll need to make headway in the playoffs this year. Trevor Linden's strong leadership continues, and players like Tikkanen, Mogilny, and Martin Gelinas are showing that they have what it takes to go up against any player or any team in the league. The young defensive core has gelled with the return of Frank Kucera; Adrian Aucoin continues to post solid numbers and gain confidence, even going out of his way to hammer Gretzky into the boards during the St. Louis game. The Mogilny-Ronning-Tikkanen and Linden-Courtnall-Gelinas combinations can get the job done offensively most nights, and the ever-changing third and fourth lines are contributing more consistently -- Tim Hunter scored the game-winner against Winnipeg! There is also tremendous excitement at the boost that the depth chart will receive with the return of Ridley and/or Bure. The Canucks are looking stronger than they have all year -- on offense, on defense, in goal, and as a team. The freefall of the Toronto Maple Leafs is sweet to watch from the west coast as it appears that our team might just be peaking at the right time. ================================================================= NEXT ISSUE: Tuesday, March 19. LEAGUE LEADERS THROUGH MARCH 3, 1996 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1995-96 NHL Standings --------------------------------------------------------------------------- EASTERN CONFERENCE Northeast Division GP W L T GF GA Pts Home Road Pittsburgh 63 38 21 4 283 219 80 24-6-0 14-15-4 Montreal 64 30 27 7 210 203 67 16-8-5 14-19-2 Boston 62 27 27 8 211 214 62 16-12-3 11-15-5 Hartford 62 26 29 7 183 199 59 15-12-4 11-17-3 Buffalo 63 26 30 7 186 193 59 17-12-5 9-18-2 Ottawa 63 12 48 3 147 237 27 3-23-3 9-25-0 Atlantic Division GP W L T GF GA Pts Home Road NY Rangers 64 35 17 12 226 178 82 19-5-7 16-12-5 Florida 63 35 20 8 209 182 78 20-8-4 15-12-4 Philadelphia 63 32 19 12 216 172 76 20-7-4 12-12-8 Washington 64 31 25 8 181 167 70 18-9-3 13-16-5 New Jersey 62 29 25 8 164 150 66 20-12-1 9-13-7 Tampa Bay 63 29 25 9 194 199 66 16-11-4 13-14-5 NY Islanders 63 18 37 8 183 247 44 12-17-5 6-20-3 WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division GP W L T GF GA Pts Home Road X-Detroit 63 47 12 4 241 140 98 27-3-2 20-9-2 Chicago 65 33 21 11 219 175 77 17-10-4 16-11-7 St Louis 63 27 24 12 172 181 66 13-13-6 14-11-6 Winnipeg 62 28 30 4 215 220 60 17-12-3 11-18-1 Toronto 65 25 30 10 187 199 60 14-12-5 11-18-5 Dallas 63 20 31 12 186 216 52 12-15-8 8-16-4 Pacific Division GP W L T GF GA Pts Home Road Colorado 65 37 18 10 257 183 84 21-5-7 16-13-3 Vancouver 65 26 24 15 233 216 67 10-14-7 16-10-8 Calgary 64 25 28 11 191 193 61 15-13-5 10-15-6 Los Angeles 66 19 32 15 210 245 53 14-11-7 5-21-8 Anaheim 64 23 35 6 179 208 52 14-14-3 9-21-3 Edmonton 64 22 35 7 178 243 51 13-18-4 9-17-3 San Jose 64 14 44 6 197 279 34 9-18-3 5-26-3 X-clinched playoff berth. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1995-96 NHL League Leaders ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- NHL POINT LEADERS PLAYER TEAM GP G A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW GT S PCTG MARIO LEMIEUX PITTSBURGH 53 53 73 126 1 46 24 6 6 0 252 21.0 JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 63 55 67 122 23 70 19 1 10 1 332 16.6 PETER FORSBERG COLORADO 65 25 72 97 29 39 7 3 2 0 176 14.2 ALEXANDER MOGILNY VANCOUVER 62 52 42 94 20 12 9 5 6 3 248 21.0 JOE SAKIC COLORADO 65 40 53 93 12 38 16 4 7 1 268 14.9 RON FRANCIS PITTSBURGH 58 23 69 92 14 42 10 1 4 0 119 19.3 TEEMU SELANNE WPG-ANA 61 32 56 88 7 18 6 1 4 0 198 16.2 ERIC LINDROS PHILADELPHIA 56 41 46 87 14 123 14 0 4 0 212 19.3 MARK MESSIER NY RANGERS 62 41 45 86 30 97 12 1 5 1 202 20.3 DOUG WEIGHT EDMONTON 64 22 61 83 8- 64 8 0 2 1 171 12.9 WAYNE GRETZKY L.A-STL 64 16 67 83 6- 32 5 0 2 1 146 11.0 PAT VERBEEK NY RANGERS 62 38 40 78 29 123 15 0 5 2 239 15.9 PAUL KARIYA ANAHEIM 64 37 41 78 7 14 14 2 5 0 286 12.9 THEOREN FLEURY CALGARY 64 36 41 77 8 100 14 3 4 0 278 12.9 PIERRE TURGEON MONTREAL 62 30 45 75 13 32 14 1 4 0 226 13.3 SERGEI FEDOROV DETROIT 59 27 48 75 36 27 6 3 9 0 245 11.0 STEVE YZERMAN DETROIT 63 32 41 73 21 58 14 1 7 0 179 17.9 VINCENT DAMPHOUSSE MONTREAL 64 29 44 73 6 123 8 4 2 0 201 14.4 KEITH TKACHUK WINNIPEG 58 39 33 72 8 88 16 1 5 0 166 23.5 BRETT HULL ST LOUIS 55 35 36 71 7 28 12 5 6 0 272 12.9 TOMAS SANDSTROM PITTSBURGH 57 35 35 70 5 69 17 1 2 0 186 18.8 VALERI KAMENSKY COLORADO 64 30 39 69 16 67 13 1 4 0 178 16.9 ADAM OATES BOSTON 50 19 49 68 12 16 4 0 1 0 118 16.1 BRIAN LEETCH NY RANGERS 64 13 55 68 15 22 7 0 3 0 219 5.9 NHL GOAL SCORING LEADERS NHL ASSIST LEADERS PLAYER TEAM GP G PLAYER TEAM GP A JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 63 55 MARIO LEMIEUX PITTSBURGH 53 73 MARIO LEMIEUX PITTSBURGH 53 53 PETER FORSBERG COLORADO 65 72 ALEXANDER MOGILNY VANCOUVER 62 52 RON FRANCIS PITTSBURGH 58 69 ERIC LINDROS PHILADELPHIA 56 41 JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 63 67 MARK MESSIER NY RANGERS 62 41 WAYNE GRETZKY L.A-STL 64 67 JOE SAKIC COLORADO 65 40 DOUG WEIGHT EDMONTON 64 61 KEITH TKACHUK WINNIPEG 58 39 TEEMU SELANNE WPG-ANA 61 56 PAT VERBEEK NY RANGERS 62 38 BRIAN LEETCH NY RANGERS 64 55 PETER BONDRA WASHINGTON 49 37 JOE SAKIC COLORADO 65 53 PAUL KARIYA ANAHEIM 64 37 ROD BRIND'AMOUR PHILADELPHIA 63 50 THEOREN FLEURY CALGARY 64 36 ADAM OATES BOSTON 50 49 BRETT HULL ST LOUIS 55 35 SERGEI FEDOROV DETROIT 59 48 TOMAS SANDSTROM PITTSBURGH 57 35 BRIAN BRADLEY TAMPA BAY 60 48 BRENDAN SHANAHAN HARTFORD 54 33 MICHAL PIVONKA WASHINGTON 55 46 MIKE MODANO DALLAS 59 32 ERIC LINDROS PHILADELPHIA 56 46 TEEMU SELANNE WPG-ANA 61 32 CHRIS CHELIOS CHICAGO 65 46 JOHN LECLAIR PHILADELPHIA 63 32 STEVE YZERMAN DETROIT 63 32 NHL POWER PLAY GOAL LEADERS NHL SHORTHANDED GOAL LEADERS PLAYER TEAM GP PP PLAYER TEAM GP SH MARIO LEMIEUX PITTSBURGH 53 24 MARIO LEMIEUX PITTSBURGH 53 6 JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 63 19 MATS SUNDIN TORONTO 60 6 TOMAS SANDSTROM PITTSBURGH 57 17 BRETT HULL ST LOUIS 55 5 KEITH TKACHUK WINNIPEG 58 16 JAMIE BAKER SAN JOSE 61 5 JOE SAKIC COLORADO 65 16 ALEXANDER MOGILNY VANCOUVER 62 5 ED OLCZYK WINNIPEG 44 15 TOM FITZGERALD FLORIDA 63 5 PAT VERBEEK NY RANGERS 62 15 VINCENT DAMPHOUSSE MONTREAL 64 4 SCOTT MELLANBY FLORIDA 63 15 JEREMY ROENICK CHICAGO 64 4 JOE SAKIC COLORADO 65 4 NHL POWER PLAY ASSISTS LEADERS NHL SHORTHANDED ASSISTS LEADERS PLAYER TEAM GP PP PLAYER TEAM GP SH MARIO LEMIEUX PITTSBURGH 53 40 CHRIS CHELIOS CHICAGO 65 6 RON FRANCIS PITTSBURGH 58 36 STEVE YZERMAN DETROIT 63 4 WAYNE GRETZKY L.A-STL 64 33 RUSS COURTNALL VANCOUVER 64 4 TEEMU SELANNE WPG-ANA 61 32 PETER FORSBERG COLORADO 65 4 BRIAN LEETCH NY RANGERS 64 29 TOMAS SANDSTROM PITTSBURGH 57 3 BRIAN BRADLEY TAMPA BAY 60 28 JODY HULL FLORIDA 59 3 MATHIEU SCHNEIDER NY ISLANDERS 62 26 TODD KRYGIER ANAHEIM 59 3 ROMAN HAMRLIK TAMPA BAY 63 26 BRET HEDICAN VANCOUVER 60 3 DOUG WEIGHT EDMONTON 64 26 MARK MESSIER NY RANGERS 62 3 JOE SAKIC COLORADO 65 26 KEVIN MILLER SAN JOSE 62 3 PETER FORSBERG COLORADO 65 26 NICKLAS LIDSTROM DETROIT 63 3 GARY SUTER CHICAGO 65 25 KELLY BUCHBERGER EDMONTON 64 3 JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 63 24 GERMAN TITOV CALGARY 64 3 LARRY MURPHY TORONTO 65 24 GARY SUTER CHICAGO 65 3 NHL POWER PLAY POINTS LEADERS NHL SHORTHANDED POINTS LEADERS PLAYER TEAM GP PP PLAYER TEAM GP SH MARIO LEMIEUX PITTSBURGH 53 64 MARIO LEMIEUX PITTSBURGH 53 7 RON FRANCIS PITTSBURGH 58 46 ALEXANDER MOGILNY VANCOUVER 62 7 JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 63 43 RUSS COURTNALL VANCOUVER 64 7 JOE SAKIC COLORADO 65 42 PETER FORSBERG COLORADO 65 7 TEEMU SELANNE WPG-ANA 61 38 BRETT HULL ST LOUIS 55 6 WAYNE GRETZKY L.A-STL 64 38 MATS SUNDIN TORONTO 60 6 BRIAN LEETCH NY RANGERS 64 36 JEREMY ROENICK CHICAGO 64 6 BRIAN BRADLEY TAMPA BAY 60 35 CHRIS CHELIOS CHICAGO 65 6 ROMAN HAMRLIK TAMPA BAY 63 35 NHL GAME WINNING GOAL LEADERS PLAYER TEAM GP GW JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 63 10 SERGEI FEDOROV DETROIT 59 9 CLAUDE LEMIEUX COLORADO 63 8 STEVE YZERMAN DETROIT 63 7 VYACHESLAV KOZLOV DETROIT 63 7 JOE SAKIC COLORADO 65 7 NHL SCORING PERCENTAGE LEADERS (Minimum 62 shots) PLAYER TEAM GP G S PCTG KEITH TKACHUK WINNIPEG 58 39 166 23.5 ANDREI KOVALENKO COL-MTL 59 23 102 22.5 GREG JOHNSON DETROIT 54 18 83 21.7 MARIO LEMIEUX PITTSBURGH 53 53 252 21.0 ALEXANDER MOGILNY VANCOUVER 62 52 248 21.0 NHL SHOT LEADERS PLAYER TEAM GP S JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 63 332 RAY BOURQUE BOSTON 62 290 PAUL KARIYA ANAHEIM 64 286 THEOREN FLEURY CALGARY 64 278 BRETT HULL ST LOUIS 55 272 NHL PLUS/MINUS LEADERS PLAYER TEAM GP +/- VLAD. KONSTANTINOV DETROIT 63 42 SERGEI FEDOROV DETROIT 59 36 MARK MESSIER NY RANGERS 62 30 ALEXEI GUSAROV COLORADO 51 29 CURTIS LESCHYSHYN COLORADO 62 29 PAT VERBEEK NY RANGERS 62 29 PETER FORSBERG COLORADO 65 29 NHL HAT TRICKS (February 18, 1996 - March 3, 1996) 57. Peter Forsberg, COL vs EDM, Feb 19th, 2nd season, 2nd career. 58. Alexei Yashin, OTT at STL, Feb 20th, 1st season, 1st career. 59. Alexei Yegorov, SAN at CGY, Feb 20th, 1st season, 1st career. 60. Gary Roberts, CGY vs SAN, Feb 20th, 2nd season, 9th career. 61. Tony Amonte, CHI vs STL, Feb 22nd, 1st season, 2nd career. 62. Brendan Shanahan, HAR at PIT, Feb 23rd, 1st season, 8th career. 63. Pat Lafontaine, BUF vs FLA, Feb 25th, 1st season, 13th career. 64. Teemu Selanne, ANA vs SAN, Feb 25th, 2nd season, 8th career. 65. Gary Roberts, CGY vs PIT, Feb 29th, 3rd season, 10th career. 66. Brian Bellows, TAM at SAN, Mar 1st, 1st season, 9th career. 67. Jason Wiemer, TAM at SAN, Mar 1st, 1st season, 1st career. 68. Geoff Sanderson, HAR vs FLA, Mar 2nd, 2nd season, 5th career. 69. Vitali Yachmenev, LOS vs MON, Mar 2nd, 1st season, 1st career. 70. Zigmund Palffy, NYI vs WIN, Mar 3rd, 1st season, 1st career. [*]-four goals ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1995-96 NHL Defensemen Leaders ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLAYER TEAM GP G A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW GT S PCTG BRIAN LEETCH NY RANGERS 64 13 55 68 15 22 7 0 3 0 219 5.9 RAY BOURQUE BOSTON 62 18 42 60 16 40 8 2 2 1 290 6.2 CHRIS CHELIOS CHICAGO 65 13 46 59 18 108 7 0 3 0 186 7.0 GARY SUTER CHICAGO 65 17 40 57 6 66 9 2 3 0 201 8.5 PHIL HOUSLEY CGY-N.J 61 16 39 55 1- 22 6 0 1 0 156 10.3 NICKLAS LIDSTROM DETROIT 63 13 40 53 24 12 6 1 1 1 170 7.6 ROMAN HAMRLIK TAMPA BAY 63 11 41 52 17- 89 9 0 0 2 210 5.2 SERGEI ZUBOV PITTSBURGH 46 7 45 52 22 14 1 2 0 0 106 6.6 AL MACINNIS ST LOUIS 63 14 35 49 3 66 8 1 1 1 240 5.8 PAUL COFFEY DETROIT 59 7 41 48 14 56 1 0 0 0 167 4.2 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1995-96 NHL Rookie Leaders ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- NHL ROOKIE POINTS LEADERS PLAYER TEAM GP G A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW GT S PCTG DANIEL ALFREDSSON OTTAWA 63 20 27 47 18- 20 7 1 2 1 163 12.3 ERIC DAZE CHICAGO 63 28 16 44 16 12 2 0 2 0 135 20.7 VITALI YACHMENEV LOS ANGELES 65 19 25 44 1- 16 6 1 2 0 115 16.5 PETR SYKORA NEW JERSEY 50 17 21 38 9 32 7 0 2 0 95 17.9 SAKU KOIVU MONTREAL 64 16 21 37 4- 30 7 2 2 0 101 15.8 MARCUS RAGNARSSON SAN JOSE 54 8 26 34 25- 36 4 0 0 0 79 10.1 CORY STILLMAN CALGARY 60 14 17 31 2- 29 4 1 3 0 101 13.9 TODD BERTUZZI NY ISLANDERS 60 13 18 31 13- 46 3 0 1 0 90 14.4 VALERI BURE MONTREAL 59 16 13 29 7 22 2 0 0 1 99 16.2 RADEK DVORAK FLORIDA 60 13 13 26 5 18 0 0 4 0 104 12.5 JERE LEHTINEN DALLAS 50 5 21 26 2 16 0 0 0 0 105 4.8 NHL ROOKIE GOAL SCORING LEADERS NHL ROOKIE ASSIST LEADERS PLAYER TEAM GP G PLAYER TEAM GP A ERIC DAZE CHICAGO 63 28 DANIEL ALFREDSSON OTTAWA 63 27 DANIEL ALFREDSSON OTTAWA 63 20 MARCUS RAGNARSSON SAN JOSE 54 26 VITALI YACHMENEV LOS ANGELES 65 19 VITALI YACHMENEV LOS ANGELES 65 25 PETR SYKORA NEW JERSEY 50 17 JERE LEHTINEN DALLAS 50 21 VALERI BURE MONTREAL 59 16 PETR SYKORA NEW JERSEY 50 21 SAKU KOIVU MONTREAL 64 16 SAKU KOIVU MONTREAL 64 21 CORY STILLMAN CALGARY 60 14 TODD BERTUZZI NY ISLANDERS 60 18 TODD BERTUZZI NY ISLANDERS 60 13 CORY STILLMAN CALGARY 60 17 RADEK DVORAK FLORIDA 60 13 GRANT MARSHALL DALLAS 53 16 NIKLAS ANDERSSON NY ISLANDERS 29 11 ERIC DAZE CHICAGO 63 16 MIROSLAV SATAN EDMONTON 44 11 JEFF O'NEILL HARTFORD 47 15 SHEAN DONOVAN SAN JOSE 57 11 NHL ROOKIE POWER PLAY GOAL LEADERS NAME TEAM GP PP PETR SYKORA NEW JERSEY 50 7 DANIEL ALFREDSSON OTTAWA 63 7 SAKU KOIVU MONTREAL 64 7 VITALI YACHMENEV LOS ANGELES 65 6 MIROSLAV SATAN EDMONTON 44 4 MARCUS RAGNARSSON SAN JOSE 54 4 CORY STILLMAN CALGARY 60 4 NHL ROOKIE SHOT LEADERS PLAYER TEAM GP S DANIEL ALFREDSSON OTTAWA 63 163 ERIC DAZE CHICAGO 63 135 VITALI YACHMENEV LOS ANGELES 65 115 JERE LEHTINEN DALLAS 50 105 RADEK DVORAK FLORIDA 60 104 NHL ROOKIE SCORING PERCENTAGE LEADERS (Minimum 62 shots) NAME TEAM GP G S PCTG ERIC DAZE CHICAGO 63 28 135 20.7 PETR SYKORA NEW JERSEY 50 17 95 17.9 VITALI YACHMENEV LOS ANGELES 65 19 115 16.5 VALERI BURE MONTREAL 59 16 99 16.2 SAKU KOIVU MONTREAL 64 16 101 15.8 NHL ROOKIE PLUS/MINUS LEADERS PLAYER TEAM GP +/- ERIC DAZE CHICAGO 63 16 JON KLEMM COLORADO 45 11 ADRIAN AUCOIN VANCOUVER 37 10 MIKE WILSON BUFFALO 40 10 PETR SYKORA NEW JERSEY 50 9 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1995-96 NHL Goaltending Leaders ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- NHL GOALS AGAINST LEADERS (Minimum 19 games played) GOALTENDER TEAM GPI MINS GA AVG CHRIS OSGOOD DETROIT 39 2289 83 2.18 MARTIN BRODEUR NEW JERSEY 57 3286 126 2.30 JEFF HACKETT CHICAGO 30 1697 66 2.33 MIKE VERNON DETROIT 23 1342 53 2.37 RON HEXTALL PHILADELPHIA 40 2318 93 2.41 NHL WIN LEADERS GOALTENDER TEAM GPI MINS W L T CHRIS OSGOOD DETROIT 39 2289 31 5 3 PATRICK ROY MTL-COL 48 2827 27 19 2 JIM CAREY WASHINGTON 54 3034 27 18 6 GRANT FUHR ST LOUIS 63 3620 27 21 12 MARTIN BRODEUR NEW JERSEY 57 3286 26 22 8 NHL SHUTOUT LEADERS GOALTENDER TEAM GPI MINS SO W L T JIM CAREY WASHINGTON 54 3034 6 27 18 6 CHRIS OSGOOD DETROIT 39 2289 5 31 5 3 MARTIN BRODEUR NEW JERSEY 57 3286 5 26 22 8 JEFF HACKETT CHICAGO 30 1697 4 17 8 3 KEN WREGGET PITTSBURGH 32 1833 3 17 11 2 JOCELYN THIBAULT COL-MTL 35 1998 3 17 13 3 DAREN PUPPA TAMPA BAY 41 2283 3 21 11 6 SEAN BURKE HARTFORD 50 2789 3 21 22 5 NHL SAVE PERCENTAGE LEADERS GOALTENDER TEAM GPI MINS GA SA SPCTG W L T DOMINIK HASEK BUFFALO 48 2824 132 1633 .919 19 22 6 DAREN PUPPA TAMPA BAY 41 2283 97 1175 .917 21 11 6 JEFF HACKETT CHICAGO 30 1697 66 792 .917 17 8 3 MIKE RICHTER NY RANGERS 31 1797 79 921 .914 19 8 3 PATRICK ROY MTL-COL 48 2827 128 1474 .913 27 19 2 N. KHABIBULIN WINNIPEG 36 1952 98 1123 .913 19 12 1 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1995-96 NHL Player Statistics ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Guess what, they still are too big for us to include in the good ol' issue. But complete player statistics can be found every Monday on the LCS: Guide to Hockey web site. Head over to http://www.canadas.net/sports/Sportif/ and find these stats and more. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1995-96 NHL Goaltending Statistics ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- RNK NO. GOALTENDER GPI MINS AVG W L T EN SO GA SA SPCT G A PIM 31 *KEVIN HODSON 4 163 1.10 2 0 0 0 1 3 67 .955 0 0 0 1 30 CHRIS OSGOOD 39 2289 2.18 31 5 3 0 5 83 945 .912 0 1 2 4 29 MIKE VERNON 23 1342 2.37 14 7 1 1 2 53 542 .902 0 0 2 DET TOTALS 63 3803 2.21 47 12 4 1 8 140 1555 .910 35 *COREY SCHWAB 7 255 2.12 0 3 0 0 0 9 97 .907 0 0 31 2 30 MARTIN BRODEUR 57 3286 2.30 26 22 8 6 5 126 1416 .911 0 1 4 40 30 CHRIS TERRERI 4 210 2.57 3 0 0 0 0 9 92 .902 0 0 0 N.J TOTALS 62 3768 2.39 29 25 8 6 5 150 1611 .907 6 30 JIM CAREY 54 3034 2.45 27 18 6 2 6 124 1236 .900 0 1 4 19 37 OLAF KOLZIG 17 837 2.87 4 7 2 1 0 40 387 .897 0 0 2 WSH TOTALS 64 3891 2.58 31 25 8 3 6 167 1626 .897 29 JIM WAITE 1 31 .00 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 1.000 0 0 0 3 31 JEFF HACKETT 30 1697 2.33 17 8 3 0 4 66 792 .917 0 1 4 20 30 ED BELFOUR 38 2228 2.88 16 13 8 2 1 107 1044 .898 0 2 24 CHI TOTALS 65 3964 2.65 33 21 11 2 5 175 1846 .905 5 27 RON HEXTALL 40 2318 2.41 22 10 6 1 1 93 983 .905 0 1 20 37 DOMINIC ROUSSEL 9 456 2.89 2 3 2 0 1 22 178 .876 0 0 0 23 30 GARTH SNOW 20 1071 2.97 8 6 4 3 0 53 501 .894 0 0 12 PHI TOTALS 63 3856 2.68 32 19 12 4 2 172 1666 .897 34 *JAMIE RAM 1 27 .00 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 1.000 0 0 0 8 35 MIKE RICHTER 31 1797 2.64 19 8 3 2 2 79 921 .914 0 0 4 10 30 GLENN HEALY 36 2075 2.75 16 9 9 2 2 95 994 .904 0 1 8 NYR TOTALS 64 3905 2.73 35 17 12 4 4 178 1928 .908 9 33 PATRICK ROY 26 1566 2.53 15 10 1 2 1 66 807 .918 0 0 0 13 35 STEPHANE FISET 31 1824 2.80 19 4 7 2 1 85 854 .900 0 1 2 25 41 JOCELYN THIBAULT 10 558 3.01 3 4 2 0 0 28 222 .874 0 0 0 COL TOTALS 65 3958 2.77 37 18 10 4 2 183 1887 .903 11 31 GRANT FUHR 63 3620 2.80 27 21 12 1 2 169 1786 .905 0 1 6 29 BRUCE RACINE 10 212 2.83 0 3 0 0 0 10 94 .894 0 0 2 28 39 PAT JABLONSKI 1 8 7.50 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 .800 0 0 0 STL TOTALS 63 3843 2.83 27 24 12 1 2 181 1886 .904 14 34 J. VANBIESBROUCK 42 2314 2.83 20 13 6 1 1 109 1062 .897 0 1 6 16 30 MARK FITZPATRICK 29 1502 2.84 15 7 2 1 0 71 676 .895 0 0 12 FLA TOTALS 63 3829 2.85 35 20 8 2 1 182 1740 .895 17 37 TREVOR KIDD 39 2150 2.85 11 18 8 1 2 102 961 .894 0 2 4 26 31 RICK TABARACCI 32 1735 3.04 14 10 3 2 1 88 790 .889 0 1 6 CGY TOTALS 64 3900 2.97 25 28 11 3 3 193 1754 .890 12 39 DOMINIK HASEK 48 2824 2.80 19 22 6 3 2 132 1633 .919 0 1 6 30 ANDREI TREFILOV 11 545 3.08 4 4 1 0 0 28 342 .918 0 0 0 31 *STEVE SHIELDS 2 75 3.20 1 0 0 0 0 4 32 .875 0 0 2 1 JOHN BLUE 5 255 3.53 2 2 0 1 0 15 137 .891 0 0 0 00 *MARTIN BIRON 3 119 5.04 0 2 0 0 0 10 64 .844 0 0 0 BUF TOTALS 63 3831 3.02 26 30 7 4 2 193 2212 .913 15 1 DAMIAN RHODES 11 624 2.79 4 5 1 0 0 29 301 .904 0 0 0 21 29 FELIX POTVIN 54 3121 2.90 21 22 9 3 1 151 1635 .908 0 0 4 42 33 DON BEAUPRE 5 194 4.64 0 3 0 1 0 15 111 .865 0 0 2 TOR TOTALS 65 3956 3.02 25 30 10 4 1 199 2051 .903 7 93 DAREN PUPPA 41 2283 2.55 21 11 6 1 3 97 1175 .917 0 1 4 29 1 JEFF REESE 14 768 3.20 6 5 1 1 0 41 338 .879 0 0 0 30 J.C. BERGERON 12 595 4.24 2 6 2 2 0 42 250 .832 0 0 0 35 *DEREK WILKINSON 3 180 5.00 0 3 0 0 0 15 98 .847 0 0 2 T.B TOTALS 63 3838 3.11 29 25 9 4 3 199 1865 .893 9 33 PATRICK ROY 22 1260 2.95 12 9 1 0 1 62 667 .907 0 0 6 25 41 JOCELYN THIBAULT 25 1439 3.04 14 9 1 2 3 73 793 .908 0 0 0 28 39 PAT JABLONSKI 19 1061 3.11 4 8 5 3 0 55 575 .904 0 1 2 31 *PATRICK LABRECQUE 2 98 4.29 0 1 0 0 0 7 47 .851 0 0 2 37 *JOSE THEODORE 1 9 6.67 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 .500 0 0 0 MTL TOTALS 64 3885 3.14 30 27 7 5 4 203 2089 .903 29 *JASON MUZZATTI 15 685 2.80 3 4 2 2 0 32 362 .912 0 0 2 29 1 JEFF REESE 7 275 3.05 2 3 0 0 1 14 170 .918 0 0 0 31 1 SEAN BURKE 50 2789 3.23 21 22 5 1 3 150 1553 .903 0 6 14 HFD TOTALS 62 3766 3.17 26 29 7 3 4 199 2088 .905 27 35 M. SHTALENKOV 28 1541 3.11 7 15 3 2 0 80 768 .896 0 2 2 30 31 GUY HEBERT 42 2331 3.19 16 20 3 2 1 124 1297 .904 0 0 0 ANA TOTALS 64 3890 3.21 23 35 6 4 1 208 2069 .899 22 31 *COREY HIRSCH 31 1828 2.95 13 10 6 3 1 90 949 .905 0 1 2 33 1 KIRK MCLEAN 36 2141 3.33 13 14 9 4 1 119 1040 .886 0 2 6 VAN TOTALS 65 3983 3.25 26 24 15 7 2 216 1996 .892 18 35 ANDY MOOG 26 1465 2.87 9 10 5 4 1 70 718 .903 0 0 14 45 ALLAN BESTER 10 601 3.00 4 5 1 3 0 30 297 .899 0 0 2 31 *JORDAN WILLIS 1 19 3.16 0 1 0 0 0 1 14 .929 0 0 0 36 34 DARCY WAKALUK 28 1489 3.47 7 14 5 3 1 86 795 .892 0 0 6 30 EMMANUEL FERNANDE 5 249 4.58 0 1 1 0 0 19 121 .843 0 0 0 DAL TOTALS 63 3840 3.38 20 31 12 10 2 216 1955 .890 37 30 BILL RANFORD 21 1202 2.95 9 8 2 0 1 59 552 .893 0 1 0 39 *SCOTT BAILEY 11 571 3.26 5 1 2 0 0 31 264 .883 0 0 0 38 1 CRAIG BILLINGTON 25 1325 3.49 10 13 2 2 1 77 577 .867 0 0 2 31 BLAINE LACHER 12 671 3.93 3 5 2 1 0 44 284 .845 0 0 4 BOS TOTALS 62 3772 3.40 27 27 8 3 2 214 1680 .873 32 31 KEN WREGGET 32 1833 3.24 17 11 2 4 3 99 1027 .904 0 2 6 35 35 TOM BARRASSO 35 1963 3.42 21 10 2 4 2 112 1119 .900 0 2 12 PIT TOTALS 63 3808 3.45 38 21 4 8 5 219 2154 .898 37 DOMINIC ROUSSEL 1 40 .00 1 0 0 0 0 0 11 1.000 0 0 2 31 *SCOTT LANGKOW 1 6 .00 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1.000 0 0 0 24 35 N. KHABIBULIN 36 1952 3.01 19 12 1 3 2 98 1123 .913 0 0 8 44 29 TIM CHEVELDAE 30 1695 3.93 8 18 3 5 0 111 948 .883 0 0 0 37 TOM DRAPER 1 34 5.29 0 0 0 0 0 3 14 .786 0 0 0 WPG TOTALS 62 3741 3.53 28 30 4 8 2 220 2106 .896 1 *JAMIE STORR 5 262 2.75 3 1 0 0 0 12 147 .918 0 0 0 34 32 KELLY HRUDEY 29 1683 3.39 5 12 9 0 0 95 998 .905 0 0 4 43 31 *BYRON DAFOE 37 2085 3.91 11 19 6 2 1 136 1230 .889 0 0 4 L.A TOTALS 66 4046 3.63 19 32 15 2 1 245 2377 .897 15 1 DAMIAN RHODES 19 1115 2.85 4 13 2 1 0 53 554 .904 0 1 0 42 33 DON BEAUPRE 33 1770 3.73 6 23 0 9 1 110 892 .877 0 2 17 45 35 *MIKE BALES 17 900 4.20 2 12 1 1 0 63 498 .873 0 0 2 OTT TOTALS 63 3803 3.74 12 48 3 11 1 237 1955 .879 40 FRED BRATHWAITE 6 251 2.87 0 2 0 0 0 12 115 .896 0 0 2 39 31 CURTIS JOSEPH 20 1182 3.50 8 11 1 2 0 69 611 .887 0 0 4 37 30 BILL RANFORD 37 2015 3.81 13 18 5 2 1 128 1024 .875 0 1 2 1 *JOAQUIN GAGE 10 436 3.99 1 4 1 1 0 29 218 .867 0 0 4 EDM TOTALS 64 3893 3.75 22 35 7 5 1 243 1973 .877 1 *ERIC FICHAUD 8 447 3.62 4 4 0 1 0 27 226 .881 0 1 0 29 JAMIE MCLENNAN 13 636 3.68 3 9 1 1 0 39 342 .886 0 0 2 41 30 TOMMY SODERSTROM 42 2225 3.80 10 17 6 0 2 141 1162 .879 0 0 7 35 *TOMMY SALO 10 520 4.04 1 7 1 3 0 35 250 .860 0 0 0 NYI TOTALS 63 3840 3.86 18 37 8 5 2 247 1985 .876 40 30 CHRIS TERRERI 41 2243 3.64 12 26 1 10 0 136 1176 .884 0 5 4 32 ARTURS IRBE 13 620 4.84 1 7 4 0 0 50 333 .850 0 0 2 46 31 WADE FLAHERTY 21 988 5.04 1 11 1 0 0 83 582 .857 0 0 0 S.J TOTALS 64 3873 4.32 14 44 6 10 0 279 2101 .867 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------