_ _ _ _ | | ____ __ | | ____ ___ | | ____ ___ | | ____ ___ | |/ _ / __| | |/ _ / __| | |/ _ / __| | |/ _ / __| | | (_ \__ \ | | (_ \__ \ | | (_ \__ \ | | (_ \__ \ |_|\____\___/ |_|\____\___/ |_|\____\___/ |_|\____\___/ GUIDE TO HOCKEY GUIDE TO HOCKEY GUIDE TO HOCKEY GUIDE TO HOCKEY ================================================================ Five Star - ELECTRONIC EDITION - * * * * * ================================================================ Issue 86 Jan. - Feb. 9, 1998 560,000 bytes ---------------------------------------------------------------- Visit us on the web at http://www.lcshockey.com/ for all your hockey needs. Our web site provides daily news stories, stats, and more. To subscribe/unsubscribe from the LCS Hockey mailing list contact zippy@psu.edu You may access LCS Guide to Hockey on America Online at keyword "LCS Hockey". Our AOL coverage includes exclusive daily content not available on our website. ---------------------------------------------------------------- A TRIBUTE TO SWEDEN ---------------------------------------------------------------- by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief Welcome to our tribute to Sweden! Or should I say valkommen! A lot of people don't know this, but LCS: Guide to Hockey is huge over in Sweden. The Swedes love the LCS. And we love the Swedes. We're like rock stars over there. Zippy can't even walk down the street in Sweden without being mobbed by adoring fans. And Swedes can't walk in our neighborhood without us mobbing them. Why do we love Sweden so much? It's hard to say really. A true love for Sweden isn't acquired, it's something that's born deep in the marrow of one's bones. It would be easier to ask why the sky is blue or the rose's scent so sweet. We don't look for explanations. We only search for ways to express our admiration for the great Scandinavian country. The reason for the timing of our tribute, however, can be explained. With the 1998 Winter Olympics just around the corner, we at LCS would like to make a very important announcement. It gives us great pride to throw our support behind Sweden in the upcoming international hockey tournament. Yes, that's right! LCS is predicting Sweden to win the Gold Medal! Sweden's Olympic roster is a brick house. Leading the way is the great Peter Forsberg. He led the blue and yellow to Gold before, and he's primed and ready to do it again. While Forsberg is undoubtedly the best all-around player in the NHL, not far behind is Swedish teammate Daniel Alfredsson. The Ottawa winger teamed up with Forsberg at the World Cup to put on a ghetto clinic. The Olympics just offers them another stage on which to dominate. See that right there is more than enough to win Gold. But Sweden's got more to offer. Oh yes, they have more. How about Mats Sundin? The Big Swede will humiliate the competition with his graceful skating and effortless stickhandling. You want a pure sniper? Look no further than the rifleman, Mikael Renberg. It's almost not fair. I'd keep mentioning the never-ending stream of talent on offense, but it would just intimidate the other countries too much. It's probably best if we just moved on. But things are just as strong on defense, where Nicklas Lidstrom, Calle Johansson, and Ulf Samuelsson keep things under control. And there's no weakness in net with Tommy Soderstrom and Tommy Salo manning the pipes. There's been talk that Soderstrom wasn't going to play, but that's just wishful thinking on the competition's part. We have faith that the li'l fella will be there. Because you know what they say about Soderstrom? I believe it's something like, "He's the greatest goaltender ever." Yes, LCS loves itself some Sweden. And we're sure the boys will skate away with the Gold. But we have a feeling that some of you, our valued readers, don't share our respect. That's the true purpose of this tribute, to help spread the good word of Sweden and open the eyes of the blind among us. For Sweden is great. Sweden is good. Now go forth in peace, to love and to serve Sweden. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Sweden: What a Country! ---------------------------------------------------------------- By Jim Iovino What would a LCS Hockey Tribute to Sweden Issue be without a little old school learnin'? If there's one thing we here at LCS Hockey love, it's knowledge. As a matter of fact, knowledge ranks right up there with our most favorite things in the world. I think it rates right behind malt liquor, classic television, more malt liquor, the Hartford Whalers, Don Knotts, Arnold Jackson and more malt liquor. Oh yeah, and Brian Burke. Boy do we love ourselves some Brian Burke. Anyway, we all remember those lame-ass elementary school reports we had to write as children, don't we? Well, this is kind of like those reports, but since I'm not getting a grade on it I have taken the liberty to only include cool stuff that everyone should know about Sweden. Like what the name ABBA really means... First of all, a geography lesson. Did you know that Sweden is approximately the size of California? That's right, their whole damn country is the size of an American state! Cameroon is just about the same size as Sweden, too. That's odd. And Sweden has a population of about 8.8 million people. That's not a lot. Now, I didn't research this, but Los Angeles has got to be close to the eight billion mark by now. (On a side note, Oprah has just climbed above seven million.) Sweden is also one of the countries on earth located farthest from the Equator. And the capital of Sweden? None other than Stockholm. Sweden has been at war with its neighbor, Finland, for thousands of years. Originally a holy war fought during the Viking period over the right to use frozen waterways on the West Bank, today the two superpowers are still fighting and there seems to be no end to the Cold War in sight. Finland, which was a part of Sweden until 1809, is a surviving member of the old Communist regime. The country is controlled by a militant communist dictator named Mikko Makkala, who sees Finland as pure and the Swedes as a lesser breed of Scandinavians. It is Makkala's goal to put an end to the Swedish race, and he vows to use any means necessary to do so. For the past 40 years, Swedish rebellion groups and freedom fighters have given up their lives in an attempt to win back their ever-decreasing borders and put an end to the bloodshed once and for all. Norway, usually a country known for its isolationism, has joined Sweden in order to help defeat evil. Their efforts took a major setback 13 years ago when Finland dropped a small atomic bomb on the Swedish civilian town of Amal. Luckily, the bomb wasn't a direct hit on Amal. It veered off course and landed in the deep waters of Lake Vanern, saving thousands of lives. God bless you Sweden in your quest to win back your freedom from a most impossible enemy. Now on to the good stuff. Sure, Sweden only has 8.8 million people, but four of those people made up the disco group ABBA. Agnetha Faltskog, Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad survived the 70s and saw their songs become the anthem for many gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals and transvestites in the 90s. ABBA could be the most famous people to come out of Sweden, but there are many others who can't go unnoticed. When you think of cheesy 80s pop rock/techno crap, you just can't forget Ace of Base. Man, that one guy in the group that got really chunky freaks me out. I saw the sign, buddy, and it says your career is down the drain! And what about early 80s rockers, Roxette? They were glam rock at its best. Sweden's not just all about rock n' roll, however. The Swedes also know how to play tennis. Bjorn Borg was a wild and crazy Swede who kicked butt on the tennis circuit many years ago. Borg attempted to come out of retirement a few years back. He was still using his old wooden rackets and everything. Things were going well until a Finnish extremist nearly cost Borg his life during an attack at the Australian Open. The extremist, who was miffed that Borg knocked off Jari Varvio in straight sets, whacked Borg in the leg with crowbar. Borg was forced to hang up his rackets once again, this time for good. Other important Swedish heroes include Anders Celsius, whose centigrade thermometer bears his name and is now used in much of the world. Gustaf de Laval was a wonderful Swede who invented the cream separator, a milking machine and a steam turbine with a resilient axle. I have no idea what that means. Zippy's favorite Swede is Johan Petter Johansson, the man who invented the monkey wrench. And where would be today without the safety match? You can thank Swede Gustaf Erik Pasch for that every time you set fire to an abandoned warehouse. While you're at it, thank Carl Richard Nyberg for inventing the blowtorch. And who could forget Gideon Sundback? He is responsible for designing a well-functioning zipper. We all know how much fun it is to taunt the Amish with our zippers, don't we? Let's not forget some of the great export products to come out of Sweden. There are Volvo and Saab cars, IKEA furniture, Absolut Vodka and Ericsson telephones. Question: Does anyone really own a Saab? And If so, do they ever admit it? While inventors are great and all, nothing...I said nothing beats a Muppet. Sweden has their own very special Jim Henson character: the Swedish Chef. The Chef has entertained crowds for years with his zany cooking antics and mysterious semi-Swedish accent. His chocolate moose bit is an all-time favorite among many in the cooking community. So there you have it -- the best Sweden has to offer. Hopefully you've learned something new about Sweden. I know in researching this article, I was amazed to see how far the yellow and blue have come. From great inventors to heroic battles against the forces of evil, Sweden is a country all of us can be proud of. ---------------------------------------------------------------- World Factbook - Sweden ---------------------------------------------------------------- by LCS Hockey Source: The World Factbook is produced annually by the Central Intelligence Agency. 1996 statistics. Sweden MapLocation: 62 00 N, 15 00 E -- Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway FlagDescription: blue with a yellow cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) Geography Location: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway Geographic coordinates: 62 00 N, 15 00 E Map references: Europe Area: total area: 449,964 sq km land area: 410,928 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than California Land boundaries: total: 2,205 km border countries: Finland 586 km, Norway 1,619 km Coastline: 3,218 km Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: agreed boundaries or midlines territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: none Climate: temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north Terrain: mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m highest point: Kebnekaise 2,111 m Natural resources: zinc, iron ore, lead, copper, silver, timber, uranium, hydropower potential Land use: arable land: 7% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 2% forest and woodland: 64% other: 27% Irrigated land: 1,120 sq km (1989 est.) Environment: current issues: acid rain damaging soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea natural hazards: ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea Geographic note: strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas People Population: 8,900,954 (July 1996 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 19% (male 860,940; female 815,967) 15-64 years: 64% (male 2,884,687; female 2,794,593) 65 years and over: 17% (male 654,439; female 890,328) (July 1996 est.) Population growth rate: 0.56% (1996 est.) Birth rate: 11.55 births/1,000 population (1996 est.) Death rate: 11.43 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.) Net migration rate: 5.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.) Infant mortality rate: 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.06 years male: 75.62 years female: 80.63 years (1996 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.72 children born/woman (1996 est.) Nationality: noun: Swede(s) adjective: Swedish Ethnic divisions: white, Lapp (Sami), foreign-born or first-generation immigrants 12% (Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks) Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 94%, Roman Catholic 1.5%, Pentecostal 1%, other 3.5% (1987) Languages: Swedish note: small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.) total population: 99% male: NA% female: NA% Government Name of country: conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden conventional short form: Sweden local long form: Konungariket Sverige local short form: Sverige Data code: SW Type of government: constitutional monarchy Capital: Stockholm Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (lan, singular and plural); Alvsborgs Lan, Blekinge Lan, Gavleborgs Lan, Goteborgs och Bohus Lan, Gotlands Lan, Hallands Lan, Jamtlands Lan, Jonkopings Lan, Kalmar Lan, Kopparbergs Lan, Kristianstads Lan, Kronobergs Lan, Malmohus Lan, Norrbottens Lan, Orebro Lan, Ostergotlands Lan, Skaraborgs Lan, Sodermanlands Lan, Stockholms Lan, Uppsala Lan, Varmlands Lan, Vasterbottens Lan, Vasternorrlands Lan, Vastmanlands Lan Independence: 6 June 1523, Gustav VASA was elected king; 6 June 1809, a constitutional monarchy was established National holiday: Day of the Swedish Flag, 6 June Constitution: 1 January 1975 Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973) is a constitutional monarch; Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the King (born 14 July 1977) head of government: Prime Minister Goran PERSSON (since 21 March 1996) was elected by the Riksdag cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the prime minister Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Riksdag): elections last held 18 September 1994 (next to be held NA September 1998); results - Social Democrats 45.4%, Moderate Party (Conservatives) 22.3%, Center Party 7.7%, Liberals 7.2%, Left Party 6.2%, Greens 5.8%, Christian Democrats 4.1%, New Democracy Party 1.2%; seats - (349 total) Social Democrats 162, Moderate Party (Conservatives) 80, Center Party 27, Liberals 26, Left Party 22, Greens 18, Christian Democrats 14; note - the New Democracy Party did not receive a seat because parties require a minimum of 4.0% of votes for a seat in parliament Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Hogsta Domstolen), judges are appointed by the government (prime minister and cabinet) Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party, Goran PERSSON; Moderate Party (conservative), Carl BILDT; Liberal People's Party, Maria LEISSNER; Center Party, Olof JOHANSSON; Christian Democratic Party, Alf SVENSSON; New Democracy Party, Vivianne FRANZEN; Left Party (VP; Communist), Gudrun SCHYMAN; Communist Workers' Party, Rolf HAGEL; Green Party, no formal leader but party spokesperson is Briger SCHLAUG International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 6, G- 8, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OECD, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Carl Henrik Sihver LILJEGREN chancery: 1501 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 467-2600 FAX: [1] (202) 467-2699 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas L. SIEBERT embassy: Strandvagen 101, S-115 89 Stockholm mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [46] (8) 783 53 00 FAX: [46] (8) 661 19 64 Flag: blue with a yellow cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) Economy Economic overview: Aided by peace and neutrality during World War I through World War II, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force. Timber, hydropower, and iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy heavily oriented toward foreign trade. Privately-owned firms account for about 90% of industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for 50% of output and exports. In 1993, agriculture accounted for only 2% of GDP and 2% of the jobs. In recent years, however, this extraordinarily favorable picture has been clouded by budgetary difficulties, inflation, growing unemployment, and a gradual loss of competitiveness in international markets. In November 1992, Sweden broke its tie to the EC's ECU (European Currency Unit), and depreciation of the krona has boosted export competitiveness and helped lift Sweden out of its 1991-93 recession. To curb the budget deficit and bolster confidence in the economy, the government adopted an adjustment program in November 1994 that aims to eliminate the government budget deficit and to stabilize the debt to GDP ratio. Sweden has harmonized its economic policies with those of the EU, which it joined at the start of 1995. GDP: purchasing power parity - $177.3 billion (1995 est.) GDP real growth rate: 3.5% (1995 est.) GDP per capita: $20,100 (1995 est.) GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 2% industry: 27% services: 71% (1993) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.6% (1995) Labor force: 4.552 million (84% unionized, 1992) by occupation: community, social and personal services 38.3%, mining and manufacturing 21.2%, commerce, hotels, and restaurants 14.1%, banking, insurance 9.0%, communications 7.2%, construction 7.0%, agriculture, fishing, and forestry 3.2% (1991) Unemployment rate: 7.8% (December 1995) plus about 6% in training programs Budget: revenues: $109.4 billion expenditures: $146.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY95/96) Industries: iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles Industrial production growth rate: 11.7% (1994) Electricity: capacity: 34,560,000 kW production: 141 billion kWh consumption per capita: 14,891 kWh (1993) Agriculture: grains, sugar beets, potatoes; meat, milk Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics shipped via the former Soviet Republics and Baltic states for the European market Exports: $61.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: machinery, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products partners: EU 59.1% (Germany 13.2%, UK 10.2%, Denmark 6.9%, France 5.1%), Norway 8.1%, Finland 4.8%, US 8.0% (1994) Imports: $51.8 billion (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, foodstuffs, iron and steel, clothing partners: EU 62.6% (Germany 18.4%, UK 9.5%, Denmark 6.6%, France 5.5%), Finland 6.3%, Norway 6.1%, US 8.5% (1994) External debt: $66.5 billion (1994) Economic aid: donor: ODA, $1.769 billion (1993) Currency: 1 Swedish krona (SKr) = 100 oere Exchange rates: Swedish kronor (SKr) per US$1 - 6.7240 (January 1996), 7.1333 (1995), 7.7160 (1994), 7.7834 (1993), 5.8238 (1992), 6.0475 (1991) Fiscal year: 1 January - 31 December (Sweden changed its fiscal year from 1 July - 30 June in 1995) Transportation Railways: total: 12,624 km (includes 953 km of privately-owned railways) standard gauge: 11,767 km 1.435-m gauge (7,320 km electrified and 1,152 km double track) other: 857 km NA-m gauge (1995) Highways: total: 135,859 km paved: 97,818 km (including 936 km of expressways) unpaved: 38,041 km (1991 est.) Waterways: 2,052 km navigable for small steamers and barges Pipelines: natural gas 84 km Ports: Gavle, Goteborg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Hudiksvall, Kalmar, Karlshamn, Malmo, Solvesborg, Stockholm, Sundsvall Merchant marine: total: 169 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,993,422 GRT/2,183,215 DWT ships by type: bulk 10, cargo 35, chemical tanker 24, combination ore/oil 1, liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 32, railcar carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 38, short-sea passenger 7, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 14 (1995 est.) Airports: total: 251 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 2 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 7 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 85 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 26 with paved runways under 914 m: 127 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 4 (1995 est.) Heliports: 1 (1995 est.) Communications Telephones: 7.41 million (1986 est.) Telephone system: excellent domestic and international facilities; automatic system domestic: coaxial and multiconductor cable carry most voice traffic; parallel microwave radio relay network carries some additional telephone channels international: 5 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway) Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 360 (mostly repeaters), shortwave 0 Radios: 7.272 million (1993 est.) Television broadcast stations: 880 (mostly repeaters) Televisions: 3.5 million Defense Branches: Swedish Army, Royal Swedish Navy, Swedish Air Force Manpower availability: males age 15-49: 2,133,816 males fit for military service: 1,867,031 males reach military age (19) annually: 51,357 (1996 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $5.8 billion, 2.5% of GDP (FY94/95) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Reunite LCS with a Swede ---------------------------------------------------------------- By Jim Iovino It's not every day that people meet Swedes. But when it happens, it is considered a special moment. Considering that there are only 8.8 million people living in Sweden, the staff of LCS Hockey feels lucky to have known at least one of them. Our encounter with a real live Swede occurred back in our days at Greensburg Salem Senior High School in Greensburg, Pa. During my junior year, (the rest of the staff's senior year), our high school was infiltrated by a Swede named Ola Jorup. Ola was part of an exchange program in 1993. Lord knows how he ended up in Greensburg, but his presence helped all of us learn how to hate Finland, and our ice hockey team certainly loved the skills he brought to the team. Ola, who never declared a true hatred for Finland in public, is from Djurgarden, Sweden, which is right in the middle of Stockholm. A tall, lanky fellow, Ola was a fluid skater, just like most Swedes, I guess. By Swedish standards, Ola wasn't an outstanding hockey player. He actually quit playing organized hockey for a while because he thought he wasn't any good. But by Western Pennsylvania standards, he was one of the area's best defensemen. He made the all- star team after the season. On the ice, Ola was known for his smooth skating. Off the ice, he was known for his wit. He talked kinda slow in English, but I don't blame him since it was his second language. It was always entertaining when Ola said words like Malmo (MAL-mo) and Calle Johansson (KAL-ee yo-HAAAN-son). The language barrier didn't stop him from telling some great stories about life in Sweden, however. He, although deep down we knew it was there. Ola's favorite subject was none other than Kent Nilsson. His eyes would always light up when he talked about "Mr. Magic". For those of you who don't know who Nilsson is, here's some background information. Nilsson played nine seasons in the NHL for four different teams between 1979-80 and 1994-95. He was a prolific scorer who totaled 686 points in 553 NHL games and won one Stanley Cup with Edmonton in 1987. Hockey analyst Al Strachan once said that Nilsson was the "greatest pure talent ever to play in Sweden." Nilsson is more famous in Sweden for his international play instead of his years in the NHL. Apparently Nilsson was a bad man when it came to playing against the world's best. Ola would always tell us about one great goal Nilsson scored against Finland (I think) that made him a national hero. Greensburg Salem only got to enjoy Ola for one year, because as soon as summer hit, Ola went back home. And that was the last we heard from Ola Jorup. Five years later, LCS is hoping that we'll be able to find Ola and find out what he's doing. That's where you, our valued European readers, come into play. You are our eyes and ears in Western Europe. If anyone can find Ola Jorup, we know you can. If you have any information on the whereabouts of Ola Jorup, or are personal friends of the lovable Swede, please e-mail us at sportif@westol.com. Here's the vital information you'll need for your mission, should you choose to accept it: Name: Ola Jorup Last known residence: Djurgarden, Sweden Height: about 6-foot-1 Age: 22 (or somewhere around there) Position: Defense Hair: Blonde Eyes: Blue Miscellaneous: We think his dad was really rich. His favorite hockey player is Kent Nilsson. (Picture on website) ---------------------------------------------------------------- SWEDISH RECIPES ---------------------------------------------------------------- by LCS Hockey Sweden is known for lots of things, including its fine cuisine. We searched the net and found some traditional Swedish recipes and gave them that subtle LCS Hockey touch.

Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients: * 1 pound ground beef * 1 pound ground pork * 4 tablespoons bread crumbs * 4 tablespoons cream or milk * 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion * 1 egg, beaten * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 1/4 teaspoon pepper * 1 bottle of Night Train Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 2. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Shape into small meatballs and arrange on a baking sheet. 3. Bake for 15 minutes. Makes about 40 swell meatballs. But you'll only be able to eat a few before passing out. That Night Train is a mean wine.

Sillsallad - Swedish Herring Salad

Ingredients: * 1 can (400-500 grams) pickled sliced beets * 250 grams boiled, refrigerated, peeled potatoes * 150 grams marinated herring filets * 1 apple * 1 small onion * 1/3 cup dill pickle * 1 bottle of Night Train Directions: 1. Drain the liquid from the pickled sliced beets, reserving the liquid. 2. Drain the liquid from 3/4 cup (or one jar, 6-8 oz. size) marinated, snack tidbits or wine-flavored herring filet pieces. 3. Cut (into 1/4-inch cubes) the beets, herring, one medium sized tart apple (peeled), and potatoes (boiled and peeled, hot or cold) and mix them all together, while pouring in the Night Train. 4. Blend in 1/3 cup finely chopped dill pickle, one small (finely chopped) onion and the reserved beet liquid. 5. Put into a serving bowl or pack into a 4-cup mold. Cover and chill, at least over night or for as long as two days. This is good stuff. But you won't be able to eat much before you pass out. That Night Train is a mean wine.

Hasselbackspotatis - Hasselback Potatoes

Ingredients: * 12 medium-sized potatoes * 3 tbsp butter or margarine * 3 tbsp grated cheese * 1-2 tbsp dry bread crumbs * salt * 1 bottle of Night Train Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 2. Place the peeled potatoes in a wooden spoon and make vertical slices, 2-3 mm apart, about 3/4 of the way through the potatoes. The wooden spoon will protect the final 1/4 of the potatoes. 3. With the cut-side up, place the potatoes in a buttered baking dish. 4. Open bottle of Night Train and pour most of it over the potatoes, then sprinkle with salt. 5. Bake for 30 minutes, now and then basting the potatoes with the rest of the Night Train. 6. After 30 minutes, sprinkle with bread crumbs and, if desired, grated cheese. 7. Continue to bake for another 15 minutes. Damn, these potatoes are tasty. But you won't be able to eat too many before passing out. That Night Train is a mean wine.

Våfflor - Waffles

Ingredients: * 1 bottle Night Train (cold) * all-purpose flour (325 ml) * a pinch of salt * 400 ml heavy or whipping cream * melted butter Directions: 1. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the 325 ml of flour, 250 ml of the Night Train and the salt until you have a smooth mixture. 2. Whip the cream until it is firm and mix it carefully with the water-flour mixture. 3. Preheat a waffle iron (yes, unfortunately you do need a special iron; we have not been able to find a good substitute) and grease it lightly. 4. Pour 100 ml of the batter onto the waffle iron and cook until crisp and golden (approximately 2 minutes). Serve immediately together with whipped cream and a suitable fruit or berry jam. Some even like to sweeten the waffles with some granulated sugar. Although you wouldn't be able to eat too many before you pass out. That Night Train is a mean wine.

Glögg - Spicy Hot Red Wine

Ingredients: * one bottle of Night Train * half a cup vodka * 10 g whole cinnamon * 1.5 grams cloves (about 20 pieces) * a small piece of ginger * 2 g crushed cardamom seeds * the (dried) peels of half a bitter orange * 300 g (slightly more than a cup) sugar * one tablespoon vanilla sugar Directions: 1. Crush the cardamom and cinnamon, put all spices in a covered glass jar, add the vodka. Let stand for 24 hours. 2. Sieve the vodka, discard the spices. 4. Mix the Night Train and the spicy vodka in a pan, add vanilla and sugar. 5. Heat covered for a few minutes, but do not under any circumstances let the mixture boil. Serve sizzling hot. But you'll still eventually pass out. That Night Train is a mean wine. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Common Swedish Phrases ---------------------------------------------------------------- by LCS Hockey In case you, our valued readers, ever travel to Sweden, we've tried to piece together some common Swedish phrases using a Swedish-English dictionary. The syntax may not be the best, but the point should get across. Lang bor de Val! - Long live the Whale! Sicken det finns? - What it is? Han finns de action? - Where is the action? Har du sedd min kaslonger? - Have you seen my pants? Langa de vin. - Pass the wine. Jag var i Cleveland den vecka, officer. - I was in Cleveland that week, officer. Du ar a illa skona kvinnor. - You are a very beautiful woman. Skulle du lik att se de hem av a ensam, ensam man? - Would you like to see the home of a lonely, lonely man? Forlat, Jag tanke den var min ben. - Sorry, I thought that was my leg. Behagar skaffa ej slag mig om. - Please do not slap me again. Nej, nej, ej de paprika sprej! - No, no, not the pepper spray! Jasa Gud, min ogon! - Oh God, my eyes! ---------------------------------------------------------------- A WORD WITH THE KIDS ---------------------------------------------------------------- by LCS Hockey While planning our tribute to Sweden, we thought it would be a good idea to get the story directly from the source. So we contacted our friend Matti Merilaid of the Brannhallskolan school located in Nacka, Sweden, which is just outside of Stockholm. Last year, Matti's students, who range in age from 10-13, were working on a class project about pre-NHL hockey. When Matti wrote to us asking for some information to help their cause, we were more than happy to share the knowledge. So when we needed info on Sweden, we knew we could go to Matti and the kids. This is just a perfect example of the special rapport we have with the Swedish people. Which once again proves our theory, Swedes love the LCS. Anyway, Matti was kind enough to ask some of the youngsters at the school to write about their homeland. We would now like to share these writings with you, our valued readers. These wonderful kids, who are still learning English, did their best to share their thoughts on what it's like to live in Sweden. And we are eternally grateful for their kindness. Enjoy. "Hello! Here in Sweden we have no polarbears in our country. We have 25 landscapes. Our Capital is Stockholm. Sweden is a beautiful country. It's not so cold here but not so warm either. We live in a suburb to Stockholm. We have many museums here. We have landscapeanimals and landscapeflowers. Our landscapes are called: Dalsland, Blekinge, Bohuslan, Vastergotland, Halland, Skane, Smaland, Oland, Uppland, Norrbotten, Gotland, Gastrikland, Lappland, Ostergotland, Halsingland, Jamtland, Sodermanland, Medelpad, Harjedalen, Narke, Angermanland, Dalarna, Vastmanland, Vasterbotten, Varmland. That was the 25 landscapes. We have a very big cienam, called Cosmonova. They show films in omnimax size. Goodbye!" -- Sanna Bjurstrom, 12, and Hanna Sandberg, 12. "If you compare Sweden to USA you could easily say that USA have more 'life' than Sweden. Sweden is a very quiet country. I've been to USA myself and was chocked over that two countries could be so different to eachother. The food for example, USA have more junk food than Sweden, that's why the most people in USA are very fat, in Sweden the most people are tall and skinny. Buses, a very important thing here in Sweden. People go to work by bus, visit their friends by bus etc. The buses here are very comfortable. Sweden is very big with sports, hockey for example, my favourite team is Djurgardens I F. Other sports Sweden is good at is for example swimming. Sweden came on the second place last week in 100 m butterfly. It was a swim-WC compatition. Now it's snowing outside, I hate snow!" -- Roeida Alshagra, 12. "Sweden are a beuatiful country. You can swim on the summer and skiing on the vinter. In Sweden lives 9 millions, only in Stockholm lives 1 462 000 peoples. Swedens area is 450 000 km2. In Sweden we have a big mountain that's name are Kebnekaise. This winter we don't get so much snow so nearly everyone want snow now. Swedens ice-hockeyleauge are the best after NHL have I heard. I like to play hockey to. I playing ice-hockey in Aftonbladet cup. Thats a cup for all childrens." -- Viktor Lundbäck, 11. "Hi, my name is Alex I'm 12 years old. My idols is Wu Tang Clan and Cyppress Hill. I like football. Hello, my name is Linus. I'm 12 years old. My idols are Prodigy and Bloodhound Gang. I play hockey here in Sweden. My favourite team is AIK. Hello my name is Richard I'm 12 years old. My idols are Willie Smith and Coolio. I play football and hockey. I play football with Alex and hockey with Linus. Alex are a hip hoper. In Sweden we become more and more like Americans. We listen at your music (Willie Smith and Backstreet Boys for example). We watch your movies (Titanic) and we eating American food like hamburger and pan pizza." -- Alex Mugabe, 12, Linus Persson, 12, and Richard Lindstrom, 12. "In Sweden we have a zoo it's called 'Skansen', The zoo is in Stockholm wich is Swedens capital. In the zoo we have many wild animals. For example: bears, horses, foxes, monkeys and many more. The animals are inside fences. We can watch them. On the horses we can ride. Last year the bears had babys. They have it every year. The babys are so pretty. In a bassin we have seals.We can watch the seals on many floors. It's fun to be there. You can find a souvenirshop there. In the shop you can buy 'dala horses', keyrings, stickers, pens, sea shells, rubber animals and so on. In the zoo you can go in to the terrarium, there you can see snakes, spiders, crabbs, crocodiles they also have a nursery where you can see baby animals when they are born. Then you buy icecream and go home. If you want you can take the boat to Djurgarden or take the bus from central station. In winter here in Sweden it's rather cold. In Stockholm we don't have snow right now, but in Lappland in the north of Sweden they have a lot of snow (real winter). The last year we have snow. When we have snow all the kids go out and play, or rid snowracers, it's fun. many kids build snowcaves, snowlanterns and snowmen. We use to ski at Hammarbybacken, that's also fun. Some ski and some snowboard." -- Anna Olofsson, 13. "In Stockholm we have a tivoli we call it 'Grona Lund'. It's very fun too be there. Beside the tivoli we have a zoo we call it 'Skansen'. It's a lot of animals there. Many tourists visit Skansen and Grona Lund. I play football in a team Boo FF. In Stockholm we have 'Stockholm Soccer Cup', it's a fotball cup on grass. It's many country in it. 23th february we have sportholliday many people in Sweden go to the Swedish alps to ski or to snowboard." -- Elin Lindberg, 12. "Hello my name is Linus and I'm ten years old. We have no president we have a king we have a crownprinsess she is going to study in USA we have snow now we have a city-hall there we are giving out Nobelprice we have 25 landscapes in Sweden." -- Linus Eriksson, 10. "Hello! My name is Miretta Palmroth and I love Michael Jackson, I ride horses in Huddinge in south Sweden. It's very fun to ride. Today the 23 januari me and my class 6b are going to a ice house. There is very nice ice sculpturs in the ice house. The house is built of ice and snow. Everybody can go and watch in the house. We are a very small class, We are 11 students." -- Miretta Palmroth, 13. "We have a good hockeyteam whid name Djurgarden I F. Meny people in the school play football with Boo FF. We lives in Orminge one mils from Stockholm. We have thri letters more then USA: Å Ä Ö. We have a big mountain whid name Kebenikaise. The biggest sport in Sweden is football. We have a center ner by the school whid name Orminge centrum and a hospetale. We have a animal park in Stockholm whit name Skansen. This year is Stockholm kulturhuvudstad (don't know in English). Good by." -- Peter Sehlin, 12, Christian Bergius, 12, and David Granlund, 12. "Hello! In Stockholm we have a amusement park it called Grona Lund. There we have one roller coaster, lover tunnel. radio cars, goast tunnel and many more. When I go by a roller coaster I get butterflys in my stomach. In the lover tunnel you can see lover pairs and one crocodil and a few hobgoblins. You can ride radio cars. You should croquet with other cars. It's very funny to do that. When I go by a goast tunnel you can be scared. In the tunnel you can find animals and ghost that scare you crazy. They also have a flying carpet it's rotates round and round, the swinging is glories. You can buy som lottery tickets you can win soft animals. The animal can be very biggs. And later you going home and sleeping. Have nice day, buy, buy!" -- Camilla Ek, 13. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Why I Love My Swedish National Team Jersey ---------------------------------------------------------------- by Brad Kane, Carolina Correspondent It certainly gets a lot of strange looks. My jersey, that is. The one I got for Christmas about two years ago; a bright yellow and blue replica jersey of the Swedish national team. I've got a lot of hockey jerseys in my collection, but none quite like "Tre Kronor". I love it, I really do, just like I love most things related to Sweden -- the language, the snow, the big sweaters, the idea of a blond-haired, blue-eyed Swedish lass, heck, even the clogs. (OK, well, maybe it's really the fourth item on that list I really, really like.) But, there's always the jersey. It's a home model. Yellow, with blue shoulders and three blue crowns on the front -- hence the term "Tre Kronor", or "three crowns" for those of you not in the Swedish know. (No need to feel left out for not knowing that, though. There's only a select few that are truly up on their Swedish culture. Sadly, I am not one of them.) It's also got a lot of holes in it. It came like that. Tiny little holes that almost make it look like a practice jersey. After much thought, and some rather emotional and spirited debate with myself about this one (hey, I was pretty mad because I thought it WAS only a practice jersey), I've decided that the holes are there for a reason. In fact, I'd bet lots and lots of Swedish money (whatever it's called) that the holes are what make Swedish players skate so much better than mere North Americans do. Think about it -- more holes equals less wind resistance which means greater speed. A HA! Now you know. Peter Forsberg, I'm calling you out! My jersey pretty much goes where I go. That means it's been to some pretty exotic places. The convenience store right down the street, for one. Always gets a lot of weird looks there. Sort of makes it seem like the tub of butter that's been sitting in the back of the fridge down there for six months came alive and tried to buy a gallon of milk and a newspaper. It's also been to Florida and back. Yep, that's right. It saw more sun in one week that most Swedish folks see in a lifetime. I wore it to a Panthers-Avalanche game down there a few years back. Walking through the promenade at Miami Arena that's only slightly wider than the hallway in my house, I got accosted by a group of blond, smiling people that I assume were Swedish. Why? Well, they weren't speaking English, they seemed really excited and a few of them were pointing at my chest. After a few seconds I made the connection, and I moved around them as effortlessly as Mats Sundin on a breakaway. After avoiding what could have been an embarrassing setback for US-Sweden relations (hey, I don't know Swedish and trust me, you don't want me as an ambassador), I got accosted yet again. This time it was a drunk guy, which there seems to be a lot of in Miami Arena. His eyes lit up when he saw me. He slowly lifted his arm up and slowly extended his index finger in my general direction. (Hey, I did say he was drunk). I could feel it coming. That moment of recognition I've gotten so many times in the past, that moment when all the neurons connect and fire at once, that moment of true clarity that happens to people who've only ever watched hockey at the Olympics. Now, it was happening again. I closed my eyes in full anticipation of the blast... "Hey, isn't that Finland?" I stopped thinking about whatever I was thinking at the time (probably how good that girl in the group of Swedish folks looked), and started to shake my head. Slowly at first, then more rapidly. I shook. I trembled. I felt like vomiting. Finland? The hated enemy? The despised arch-rival? The country of reindeer-loving, funny-hat-wearing, Teemu Selanne lovers? How could he be so wrong? Even in a state of accelerated alcohol saturation, how could he be so tactless, so uncaring, so fast-and-loose with fact? The countries couldn't be any more different. I mean, come on, let's look at the tale of the tape: --Sweden is covered with snow nine months out of the year. Finland is covered with snow nine months out of the year. --Swedish people are predominately blond haired, blue eyed. Finnish people are predominately blond haired, blue eyed. --In Sweden, the main sports of choice are hockey and soccer. In Finland, the main sports of choice are hockey and soccer. --Swedish hockey players have great names like Hakan Loob and Per Djoos. Finnish hockey players have great names like Kari Takko and Jyrki Lumme. --The Swedish national team jersey is yellow and blue. The Finnish national team jersey is white and blue. There you have it. The two countries couldn't be any more different. He was clearly wrong, and after a brief explanation, I was on my way again. The jersey also brings me luck at my fantasy hockey league drafts. That's subjective of course, but I'd like to believe that it does. For some reason, though, every year I keep wanting to take Johan Garpenlov or Mikael Andersson with my first pick. That's a hard habit to break, and maybe one day soon I will... But you know what I like best about my jersey? It's the manufacturer's label on the back of the jersey near the waist. Where most jerseys say Starter or, God forbid, Nike, mine says neither. Nope, mine was made by Pro Joy. Pro Joy! What a happy, succinct, name for a company. You are pro, therefore you are joy! Or something silly like that...something really silly like that. Considering that I've never seen another person wearing a Pro Joy jersey, I'd like to think that I'm sorta, kinda cool, you know? I'm original, I'm hip, I'm now. It would be even better if the jersey had actually been made in Sweden. It wasn't, but it was made in a place that's almost as cool (uh, Canada). So, come February, when the Olympics are in full swing, guess where I'll be when Sweden takes to the ice? Um, asleep; the games won't be on until midnight EST. But, I'll wear my jersey to bed anyway. My dreams will be filled with the sights and sounds of Sweden running up the score on those poor, defenseless Finns, on the way to yet another gold medal. NOTE: The writer would like all readers to know that no Finnish people were harmed in the writing of this story. _____________________________________________________ CREDITS Michael Dell........................Editor-in-Chief Zippy the Wonder Chimp.................Computer Boy Jim Iovino.............................Ace Reporter Matthew Secosky............................Whatever Dan Hurwitz.............Force for Cultural Hegemony John Kreiser.....................Featured Columnist David A. Feete......................Featured Writer Alex Carswell.................Anaheim Correspondent Matt Brown.....................Boston Correspondent Joe Brunner...................Buffalo Correspondent Tony Wong.....................Calgary Correspondent Brad Kane....................Carolina Correspondent Dan Glovier...................Chicago Correspondent Greg D'Avis..................Colorado Correspondent Jim Panenka....................Dallas Correspondent Dino Cacciola.................Detroit Correspondent Simon D. Lewis...............Edmonton Correspondent Eric A. Seiden................Florida Correspondent Matt Moore................Los Angeles Correspondent Jacques Robert...............Montreal Correspondent Phil Aromando..............New Jersey Correspondent David Strauss...............Islanders Correspondent Alex Frias....................Rangers Correspondent The Nosebleeders..............Ottawa Correspondents Eric Meyer...............Philadelphia Correspondent Whoever.......................Phoenix Correspondent Joe Ashkar..................St. Louis Correspondent Al Swanson...................San Jose Correspondent Seth Lerman.................Tampa Bay Correspondent Jonah Sigel...................Toronto Correspondent Carol Schram................Vancouver Correspondent Jason Sheehan..............Washington Correspondent Tricia McMillan...................AHL Correspondent _____________________________________________________ LCS Guide to Hockey, Issue 86, January 27, 1998. Email address: sportif@oak.westol.com Good ol' postal address: 632 Hempfield Street, Greensburg, PA 15601. Web Site: http://www.lcshockey.com/ open 24 hours a day. AOL Keyword: "LCS" or "LCS Hockey", exclusive coverage. _____________________________________________________ ---------------------------------------------------------------- World Domination Report VIII, NO VII ---------------------------------------------------------------- by Zippy, Wonder Chimp STATE OF THE EMPIRE World Domination ain't easy, it takes time. Since we're impatient, the semi-brillant minds at LCS Hockey have decided to rally the troops and make a rejuvenated attempt at world domination. In the coming weeks, we will announce our plans to the world. Stay tuned for how you, our valued readers, can aid our noble mission. In the meantime, we'd like to give a shout out to Dom Giagnocavo, who recently turned 22. LCS Hockey on America Online We're still on America Online, however, our area is undergoing major renovations. It's all part of our doubled efforts for world domination. Check it out at keyword "LCS Hockey" to read exclusive semi-daily columns from the staff of LCS Hockey. Also try out the chat boards. LCS: Questions o' the Month The same questions have been online for months because, as usual, nobody can answer them. LCS Hockey Pool Third epoch has begun. What else is there to say? Updates every Wednesday. Coming Soon! New features, more excitement, and the Olympics. ---------------------------------------------------------------- CHIMP BYTES: GENERAL NHL NEWS AND NOTES ---------------------------------------------------------------- by Zippy, Wonder Chimp JAGR AGREES TO $48 MILLION, SIX-YEAR DEAL PITTSBURGH - Jaromir Jagr agreed to a new $48 million, six-year contract on January 27 that will make him the highest-paid player in the NHL. The long-awaited deal was announced at an 11 a.m. news conference in Pittsburgh. The 25-year-old is already under contract through the 1998-99 season in a deal that paid him roughly $5 million per season. The new six-year contract will go into affect after the 1998-99 season. During the first two years, Jagr will continue to earn $5 million per season. The last four years, however, will be worth an average of $9.5 million per season. In 2003-2004, the last year of the contract, Jagr will be collecting $10.4 million. I suspect that Jagr and the Pens management developed this back-loaded deal in order to sign Ron Francis, who will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Jagr would be the first to admit that center Ron Francis has played a vital role in his success. Keeping him in a Pens uniform for another 2-3 years would be in Jagr's, and the team's, best interests. Expect a 2-3 year deal worth $3-4 million a season offered to Francis at the end of the year. Following the announcement, Jagr commented on his new contract, ''I've never had that much (money) before. I don't know what I'm going to do. I'll give it to people who don't have any.'' That Jagr is a great guy. You know, LCS Hockey is looking for a Mr. Drummond... The Penguins also announced a reduction in most ticket prices for the 1998-99 season. This annoucement wasn't surprising given the fact the Pens have only sold out two home games this season. HAWKS RE-SIGN LW PROBERT Left wing Bob Probert, one of the National Hockey League's top enforcers who is out for the season with a torn rotator cuff, signed a three-year contract extension with the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday. Financial terms were undisclosed, but Probert will receive a raise from this season's $2 million salary. He also expressed hope that he might come back in time for the playoffs. WILLIE O'REE GIVEN NEW MISSION BY THE NHL In 1958 Willie O'Ree broke the color barrier in the NHL. Exactly 40 years later to the day, O'Ree is finally being being elevated to his rightful position as one of hockey's heroes. The tribute occured on Saturday between the periods of the NHL Heroes of Hockey game. The program also brought O'Ree onto the ice at G.M. Place to work with a group of young hockey players, helping them negotiate a series of drills. While celebrating O'Ree's past, the NHL also looked to his future as director of youth development for the NHL/USA Hockey Diversity Task Force. The non-profit Task Force was created to introduce children of diverse ethnic backgrounds to hockey. O'Ree began his NHL career with the Boston Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens at the Forum on January 18th, 1958. He played only one more game that season befpre returning for 43 games in 1960-61. For more than two decades O'Ree continued to play professional hockey, spending much of that time in the Western Hockey League with the Los Angeles Blades and San Diego Gulls. He currently works in the front offices of the Gulls organization. As many of you know, Willie O'Ree has been a hero of LCS Hockey for many years. In fact, the winner of our staff hockey pool is presented with a trophy dedicated to the NHL legend. Recently, we have been in contact with Willie O'Ree as we attempt to score an interview with the ground-breaking athlete. Negotiations are on-going, however, O'Ree has been kind enough to send the autographed picture displayed to the right. (see web site, http://www.lcshockey.com/) NHL ALL-STAR GAME SUMMARY NORTH AMERICA ALL-STARS 8, WORLD ALL-STARS 7 1ST 2ND 3RD FINAL --- --- --- ----- WORLD ALL-STARS 3 2 2 7 N AMERICA STARS 3 3 2 8 FIRST PERIOD -- SCORING: 1, World All-stars, Selanne 1 (Koivu), 0:53. 2, World All-stars, Jagr 1 (Bondra, Mironov), 2:15. 3, World All-stars, Selanne 2 (Lehtinen, Fetisov), 4:00. 4, N America Stars, LeClair 1 (Gretzky, Chelios), 4:13. 5, N America Stars, Tkachuk 1 (power play) (Fleury, Chelios), 10:50. 6, N America Stars, Niedermayer 1 (Sakic, Recchi), 18:25. PENALTIES: Fetisov, Wor (cross checking), 10:04. SECOND PERIOD -- SCORING: 7, N America Stars, Fleury 1 (Modano, Tkachuk), 1:53. 8, World All-stars, Selanne 3 (Lehtinen, Koivu), 7:11. 9, World All-stars, Kurri 1 (Koivu, Lehtinen), 12:36. 10, N America Stars, Lindros 1 (Chelios, Messier), 14:46. 11, N America Stars, Amonte 1 (Sakic, Bourque), 16:19. PENALTIES: Fleury, Nor (Obstr tripping), 18:48. THIRD PERIOD -- SCORING: 12, N America Stars, Tkachuk 2 (Modano, Fleury), 1:36. 13, N America Stars, Messier 1 (Gretzky), 4:00. 14, World All-stars, Kravchuk 1 (Sundin, Forsberg), 7:03. 15, World All-stars, Larionov 1 (Bure), 9:41. PENALTIES: Weight, Nor (tripping), 16:32. SHOTS ON GOAL 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL --- --- --- ----- WORLD ALL-STARS 7 11 11 29 N AMERICA STARS 13 17 13 43 POWER PLAY: Wor - 0 of 2, Nor - 1 of 1. GOALIES: World All-stars, Hasek (13 shots, 10 saves), Kolzig (start of 2nd, 17, 14), Khabibulin (start of 3rd, 13, 11; record: 0-1-0). N America Stars, Roy (7, 4), Belfour (start of 2nd, 11, 9), Brodeur (start of 3rd, 11, 9; record: 1-0-0). Referee: Stewart. Linesmen: Cvik, Heyer. A:18,422. BLUES' HULL EXPECTED BACK THURSDAY FROM BROKEN HAND The St. Louis Blues, mired in a seven-game winless streak, may get a needed dose of offense from right wing Brett Hull, who is scheduled to return against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night after missing 13 games with a broken left hand. SABRES PICK UP 1998-99 OPTION ON HASEK'S CONTRACT Dominik Hasek, the first goaltender in 35 years to win the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player, had his option picked up Thursday by the Buffalo Sabres for the 1998-99 season. Financial terms were not disclosed. FLAMES' ZALAPSKI ON THE TRADING BLOCK Flames defenseman Zarley Zalapski, who is being paid $1.6 million this season but is a minus-11 in 35 games, apparently is on his way out of Calgary. Zalapski, a 10-year veteran and former All-Star, has been a healthy scratch in several games recently and was left behind as the Flames embark on a two-game California road trip beginning Wednesday in Anaheim, Calif. Zalapski also has been asked not to practice with the team. EAGLESON TO SERVE 18 MONTHS IN CANADIAN PRISION Alan Eagleson, the founder of the National Hockey League Players Association, will serve 18 months in a Canadian prison after pleading guilty to three counts of fraud related to the sale of rink board advertising in Toronto. The 64-year-old Eagleson pled guilty to three counts of mail fraud in Boston on Tuesday. The United States allowed extradition to Canada via a plea bargain. Eagleson was taken to a Toronto city jail for processing and is expected to begin serving his sentence in a minimun security facility later this week. ISLANDERS REACH SETTLEMENT WITH BRETT LINDROS The New York Islanders announced a legal settlement Thursday with former forward Brett Lindros, who was forced to retire two years ago at age 20 due to a series of concussions. Financial terms of the settlement, called "unconditional" and "final" in a release by the team, were not disclosed. Various reports claimed the Islanders withheld portions of Lindros' salary because they felt he was not truthful about his medical history of past concussions. NHL FINES CANUCKS, SABRES $25,000 APIECE The NHL fined the Vancouver Canucks and the Buffalo Sabres $25,000 apiece Tuesday as a result of a series of multi-player brawls during their game in Buffalo, N.Y., on Jan. 15. In addition, Canucks coach Mike Keenan and Sabres coach Lindy Ruff were each fined $5,000. "The manner in which both teams conducted themselves in the third period goes beyond the level of what is acceptable in this league," NHL senior vice president and director of hockey operations Brian Burke said. "The coaches and management of both teams are held accountable for the actions of their players in such a situation." MINNESOTA EXPANSION TEAM GOES STUPID, ERR... WILD, WITH NICKNAME Minnesota's new National Hockey League franchise selected Wild as its nickname. The announcement was made during ceremonies at Aldrich Arena in Maplewood, Minn., where several thousand hockey fans joined former North Stars coach Glen Sonmor and defenseman Tom Reid. Also in attendance was NHL Senior Vice President and Director of Operations Brian Burke and recently retired Neal Broten, who entered the arena with the Stanley Cup and was flanked by youth hockey players wearing jerseys of all 26 NHL teams. The logo, also unveiled Thursday night, depicts the word Wild in an "organic, naturalist form." The team colors are iron range red, forest green, harvest gold and Minnesota wheat. Wild was chosen by fans in a straw poll. Given the result, a strong case could be made for never using a straw poll again.

1998 Central Scouting Mid Season Report

Vincent Lecavalier continues to lead the 1998 draft class. Here is a complete list of top prospects in the 1998 NHL draft. This years draft will be held in Buffalo.

North American Skaters:

1. Vincent Lacavalier C 6-4 180 Rimouski (QMJHL) 2. David Legwand C 6-2 175 Plymouth (OHL) 3. Michael Henrich RW 6-2 206 Barrie (OHL) 4. Mathieu Biron D 6-7 212 Shawingan (QMJHL) 5. Bryan Allan D 6-5 208 Oshawa (OHL) 6. Manny Malhotra C 6-2 210 Guelph (OHL) 7. Rico Fata C 5-11 202 London (OHL) 8. Ramzi Abid LW 6-2 195 Chicoutmi (QMJHL) 9. Martin Skoula D 6-2 195 Barrie (OHL) 10. Brad Stuart D 6-3 215 Regina (WHL) 11. Jiri Fischer D 6-5 175 Hull (QMJHL) 12. Robyn Regehr D 6-3 211 Kamloops (WHL) 13. Alex Tanguay C 6-0 180 Halifax (QMJHL) 14. Mike Van Ryn D 6-2 186 U. Michigan (CCHA) 15. Simon Gagne C 6-0 165 Quebec (QMJHL) 16. Eric Chouinard C 6-2 195 Quebec (QMJHL) 17. Scott Gomez C 5-10 180 Tri-Cities (WHL) 18. Jeff Heerema RW 6-1 171 Sarina (OHL) 19. Blair Betts C 6-2 183 Prince George (WHL) 20. Randy Copley RW 6-2 205 Cape Breton (QMJHL) 21. Kyle Rossiter D 6-2 200 Spokane (WHL) 22. Mark Bell C 6-3 186 Ottawa (OHL) 23. Stephen Peat D 6-3 205 Red Deer (WHL) 24. Michael Rupp LW 6-5 218 Erie (OHL) 25. John Erskine D 6-4 197 London (OHL) 26. Steve Moore C 6-2 190 Harvard (ECAC) 27. Brett Allan LW 6-4 184 Swift Current (WHL) 28. Andrew Peters LW 6-4 195 Oshawa (OHL) 29. Bobby Allan D 6-1 197 Boston College (HE) 30. Mike Riberto C 5-11 150 Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL) 31. Chris Dyment D 6-3 190 Reading (USHS) 32. Jon Cheechoo RW 6-0 205 Belleville (OHL) 33. Paul Manning D 6-4 193 Colorado College (WCHA) 34. Justin Papineau C 5-11 160 Belleville (OHL) 35. Jay Leach D 6-5 208 Providence (HE) 36. David Cameron C 6-2 180 Prince Albert (WHL) 37. Jeff Jillson D 6-2 200 Mt. St. Charles (USHS) 38. Doug Janik D 6-1 190 Select 17 (USA Hockey) 39. Chris Neilson C 6-2 185 Calgary (WHL) 40. Joe Dipenta D 6-3 200 Boston U. (HE) 41. Barrett Heisten LW 6-1 185 Select 17 (USA Hockey) 42. Pat O'Leary C 6-3 190 Armstrong (USHS) 43. Brent Gauvreau C 6-3 190 Oshawa (OHL) 44. Toby Peterson C 5-10 196 Colorado College (WCHA) 45. Mike Pandolfo LW 6-3 226 St Sebastains (USHS) 46. Justin Morrison RW 6-3 195 Colorado College (WCHA) 47. Jon Gagnon C 6-2 180 Cape Breton (QMJHL) 48. Mattias Trattnig C 6-1 208 Maine (HE) 49. Mike Fisher C 6-0 180 Sudbury (OHL) 50. Alex Henry D 6-6 216 London (OHL) 51. Norman Milley RW 5-11 185 Sudbury (OHL) 52. Garrett Prosofsky C 5-11 180 Saskatoon (WHL) 53. Allan Rourke D 6-1 214 Kitchner (OHL) 54. Jason Beckett D 6-3 203 Seattle (WHL) 55. Erik Cole LW 6-1 185 Clarkson (ECAC) 56. Edo Terglav RW 6-1 195 Baie-Comeau (QJMHL) 57. Pat Aufiero D 6-1 185 Select 17 (USA Hockey) 58. Tyler Bouck RW 6-1 185 Prince George (WHL) 59. Geoff Koch LW 6-1 190 Michigan (CCHA) 60. Krys Barch LW 6-1 195 London (OHL) 61. Maxim Linnik D 6-5 195 St. Thomas (WOJHL - tier II) 62. Chris Corrinet RW 6-3 215 Princeton (ECAC) 63. Kevin Holdridge D 6-3 202 Plymouth (OHL) 64. Todd Horung C 6-0 200 Portland (WHL) 65. Justin Hansen RW 6-2 193 Moose Jaw (WHL) 66. Michale Ryder C 6-0 170 Hull (QMJHL) 67. Chris Brennan D 6-2 180 Collingwood (tier II- Jr. A) 68. Martin Bertak LW 6-0 192 Rimouski (QMJHL) 69. Tyler Arnason C 5-11 185 Fargo-Moorehead (USHL) 70. Shawn Horcoff C 6-0 175 Michigan St. (CCHA) 71. Klye Clark RW 6-6 210 Select 17 (USA Hockey) 72. Matt Murley LW 6-0 185 Syracuse (MTJHL) 73. Jean-Philippe Morin D 6-1 188 Drummondville (QMJHL) 74. Cutris Rich D 6-4 200 Calgary (WHL) 75. Brad Twordik C 5-10 195 Brandon (WHL) 76. Liam McCarthy D 6-3 205 Harvard (ECAC) 77. Nanthan Forster D 6-1 191 Seattle (WHL) 78. Eric Laplante LW 6-0 185 Halifax (QMJHL) 79. Jesse Cooke D 6-5 205 Calgary (midgets) 80. Jeremy Goetzinger D 6-4 202 Prince Albert (WHL) 81. Rob Scuderi D 6-1 193 Boston College (HE)

North American Goaltenders

G1. Patrick Desochers 6-4 195 Sarina (OHL) G2. Mattieau Chouinard 6-1 200 Shawingan (QMJHL) G3. Phillipe Sauve 6-1 175 Rimouski (QMJHL) G4. Remi Bergeron 5-10 171 Chicoutmi (QMJHL) G5. Jomar Cruz 6-1 177 Brandon (WHL) G6. Fredrik Brindamour 5-11 175 Sherbrooke (QMJHL) G7. Jake McCracken 5-11 180 Sault St. Marie (OHL) G8. Jamie Hodson 6-1 180 Brandon (WHL) G9. Adam Huaser 6-0 185 Select 17 (USA Hockey) G10. Jason Labarbera 6-2 205 Portland (WHL) G11. Jonanthan Pelletier 5-11 165 Drummondville (QMJHL) G12. Dany Sabourin 6-2 165 Sherbrooke (QMJHL) G13. Josh Blackburn 6-0 185 Dubuque (USHL) G14. Chris Madden 6-0 177 Guelph (OHL) G15. Andrew Raycroft 6-0 150 Sudbury (OHL)

European Skaters

E1. Vitaly Vishnevsky D 6-0 183 Yaroslav (Russia) E2. Dimitri Kalinin D 6-2 198 Cheljabinsk (Russia) E3. Artem Chubarov C 6-1 189 Dynamo (Russia) E4. Milan Kraft C 6-2 178 Plzen (Czech Rep.) E5. Julien Vaucliar D 6-1 198 Luhano (Switzerland) E6. Anton But W 6-0 185 Yaroslav (Russia) E7. Adrian Wichser C 6-0 176 Kloten (Switzerland) E8. Petr Slobada D 6-1 178 Jihlave (Czech Rep.) E9. Maxim Krayev W 6-0 183 Yekaterinburg (Russia) E10. Josef Vasicek C 6-4 185 Slavia Praha (Czech Rep.) E11. Marc Reichert W 6-2 212 Davos (Switzerland) E12. Bjorn Christen W 6-0 183 Bern (Switzerland) E13. Sergei Kuznetisoc C 6-0 183 Yaroslav (Russia) E14. Ossi Vaananen D 6-2 196 Jokerit (Finland) E15. Niklas Hagman W 5-11 198 Helsinki (Finland) E16. David Jonsson D 6-1 187 Leksand (Sweden) E17. Tomek Valtonen W 6-1 191 Iives (Finland) E18. Christan Berglund W 5-11 180 Farjestead (Finland) E19. Miroslav Zalesak W 6-0 183 Nitra (Slovakia) E20. Gabriel Karlsson F 6-1 191 HV71 (Sweden) E21. Tomas Zizka W 6-1 198 Zin (Czech rep.) E22. Andrei Markov D 5-11 198 Chimik (Russia) E23. Alexander Ryazantsev D 5-11 198 Spartak (Russia) E24. Miiko Jokela D 6-1 207 Helsinki (Finland) E25. Lubomir Pistek W 6-2 187 Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) E26. Christan Backman D 6-1 180 Frolunda (Sweden) E27. Jari Vluhkola C 6-0 176 Karpat (Finland)

European Goaltenders

EG1. Zdenk Smid 5-11 172 Pizen (Czech Rep.) EG2. Alexei Volkov 6-1 185 Sovetov (Russia) EG3. Iija Bryzgalov 6-2 194 Togliatti (Russia) EG4. Niklas Backstrom 6-1 176 Helsinki (Finland) EG5. Mika Lehto 5-11 176 Assat (Finland) RECENT TRANSACTIONS: TUESDAY, JAN. 27 Calgary Flames: Recalled defenseman Rocky Thompson from Saint John of the American Hockey League. Dallas Stars: Claimed center Jarrod Skalde off waivers from the San Jose Sharks. Edmonton Oilers: Loaned defenseman Alexander Zhurik to the Belarus National Team. New York Islanders: Sent center Kip Miller to Utah of the International Hockey League and loaned right wing Dane Jackson to Rochester of the American Hockey League. Recalled right wing Dan Plante from Utah. Phoenix Coyotes: Sent defenseman Sean Gagnon to Springfield of the American Hockey League. Pittsburgh Penguins: Signed right wing Jaromir Jagr to a four-year contract extension through the 2002-03 season. Vancouver Canucks: Recalled defenseman Chad Allan and left wing Dave Roberts from Syracuse of the American Hockey League. Washington Capitals: Sent center Jan Bulis to Portland of the American Hockey League for conditioning purposes.
MONDAY, JAN. 26 Calgary Flames: Recalled defenseman Kevin Dahl from Chicago of the International Hockey League. New York Islanders: Recalled right wing Steve Webb from Kentucky of the American Hockey League.
SUNDAY, JAN. 25 No transactions reported.
SATURDAY, JAN. 24 Anaheim Mighty Ducks: Sent defenseman Pavel Trnka to Cincinnati of the American Hockey League. Montreal Canadiens: Recalled forward Terry Ryan from Fredericton of the American Hockey League.
FRIDAY, JAN. 23 St. Louis Blues: Recalled defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick from Worcester of the American Hockey League. Toronto Maple Leafs: Sent defenseman Per Gustafsson to St. John's of the American Hockey League.
THURSDAY, JAN. 22 Calgary Flames: Recalled center Hnat Domenichelli and left wing Todd Hlushko from Saint John of the American Hockey League. Chicago Blackhawks: Signed left wing Bob Probert to a three-year contract extension. Montreal Canadiens: Recalled defenseman Brett Clark from Fredericton of the American Hockey League. Tampa Bay Lightning: Claimed defenseman Jassen Cullimore off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 21 National Hockey League: Suspended Phoenix Coyotes right wing Rick Tocchet at least one game, pending a Jan. 22 hearing, for his hit on Edmonton's Ryan Smyth Jan. 20.
TUESDAY, JAN. 20 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim: Recalled center Matt Cullen from Cincinnati of the American Hockey League. Boston Bruins: Recalled defenseman Mattias Timander from Providence of the American Hockey League. Vancouver Canucks: Recalled center Lonny Bohonos and defenseman Bert Robertsson from Syracuse of the American Hockey League.
MONDAY, JAN. 19 Buffalo Sabres: Recalled left wing Vaclav Varada from Rochester of the American Hockey League. Calgary Flames: Recalled center Erik Andersson, goaltender Tyler Moss and right wing Eric Landry from Saint John of the American Hockey League. Dallas Stars: Placed defenseman Richard Matvichuk on injured reserve with a torn ACL. Activated right wing Todd Harvey from injured reserve. Recalled left wing Juha Lind from Michigan of the International Hockey League. Edmonton Oilers: Recalled defenseman Terran Sandwith from Hamilton of the American Hockey League. Florida Panthers: Loaned goaltender Todd MacDonald to Cincinnati of the International Hockey League. Montreal Canadiens: Sent defenseman Brett Clark to Fredericton of the American Hockey League. New York Islanders: Recalled defenseman Jason Strudwick from Kentucky of the American Hockey League and right wing Dane Jackson from Rochester of the AHL. New York Rangers: Recalled left wing P.J. Stock from Hartford of the American Hockey League. Phoenix Coyotes: Recalled goaltender Scott Langkow from Springfield of the American Hockey League. Tampa Bay Lightning: Recalled defenseman Mike McBain from Adirondack of the American Hockey League. Loaned defenseman David Shaw to Las Vegas of the International Hockey League.
SUNDAY, JAN. 18 No transactions reported.
SATURDAY, JAN. 17 Philadelphia Flyers: Traded center Vinny Prospal, right wing Pat Falloon and a 1998 second-round draft pick to the Ottawa Senators for right wing Alexandre Daigle. Washington Capitals: Agreed to a four-year contract with right wing Peter Bondra.
FRIDAY, JAN. 16 Colorado Avalanche: Sent right wing Christian Matte to Hershey of the American Hockey League. Florida Panthers: Acquired right wing Dino Ciccarelli and defenseman Jeff Norton from the Tampa Bay Lightning for goaltender Mark Fitzpatrick and right wing Jody Hull. Recalled goaltender Kevin Weekes from Fort Wayne of the International Hockey League. Los Angeles Kings: Released left wing Sean O'Brien. Phoenix Coyotes: Sent defensemen Sean Gagnon and Jason Doig to Springfield of the American Hockey League. Tampa Bay Lightning: Sent goaltender Derek Wilkinson to Cleveland of the International Hockey League.
THURSDAY, JAN. 15 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim: Sent center Bob Wren to Cincinnati of the American Hockey League. Buffalo Sabres: Picked up the option on goaltender Dominik Hasek's contract for the 1998-99 season. Calgary Flames: Sent centers Todd Hlushko and Eric Landry, right wing Erik Andersson and goaltender Tyler Moss to Saint John of the American Hockey League. Carolina Hurricanes: Sent left wing Bates Battaglia and goaltender Mike Fountain to New Haven of the American Hockey League. Dallas Stars: Sent left wings Juha Lind and Jamie Wright to Michigan of the International Hockey League. Montreal Canadiens: Acquired left wing Patrick Poulin, right wing Mick Vukota and defenseman Igor Ulanov from the Tampa Bay Lightning for right wing Stephane Richer, center Darcy Tucker and defenseman David Wilkie. New Jersey Devils: Sent left wing Jay Pandolfo and center Petr Sykora to Albany. New York Rangers: Sent defenseman Ronnie Sundin, left wing Sylvain Blouin and center P.J. Stock to Hartford of the American Hockey League. Phoenix Coyotes: Sent right wing Brad Isbister to Springfield of the American Hockey League. Pittsburgh Penguins: Loaned goaltender Peter Skudra to Kansas City of the International Hockey League.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 14 Detroit Red Wings: Sent defenseman Yan Golubovsky to Adirondack of the American Hockey League. Edmonton Oilers: Sent defenseman Sean Brown, center Scott Fraser and right wing Georges Laraque to Hamilton of the American Hockey League. New York Rangers: Recalled left wing Sylvain Blouin from Hartford of the American Hockey League. Claimed center Peter Ferraro off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins and assigned him to Hartford of the American Hockey League. Ottawa Senators: Loaned defenseman Radim Bicanek to Manitoba of the International Hockey League. Philadelphia Flyers: Sent right wing John Druce to Philadelphia of the American Hockey League. Toronto Maple Leafs: Recalled defenseman Daniil Markov from St. John's of the American Hockey League.
TUESDAY, JAN. 13 New York Islanders: Sent goaltender Eric Fichaud to Utah of the International Hockey League. Washington Capitals: Loaned goaltender Stephane Beauregard to Chicago of the International Hockey League. Activated goaltender Bill Ranford from injured reserve.
MONDAY, JAN. 12 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim: Recalled center Bob Wren from Cincinnati of the American Hockey League. Sent center Kevin Todd to Long Beach of the International Hockey League. Colorado Avalanche: Recalled right wing Christian Matte from Hershey of the American Hockey League. Vancouver Canucks: Recalled left wing Larry Courville from Syracuse of the American Hockey League. Sent defenseman Bert Robertsson to Syracuse and right wing Lonny Bohonos to Syracuse on a conditioning loan.
SUNDAY, JAN. 11 Los Angeles Kings: Recalled defenseman Jan Vopat from Utah of the International Hockey League. Phoenix Coyotes: Recalled goaltender Scott Langkow from Springfield of the American Hockey League.
SATURDAY, JAN. 10 Calgary Flames: Recalled goaltender Tyler Moss from Saint John of the American Hockey League.
FRIDAY, JAN. 9 Calgary Flames: Recalled forward Erik Andersson from Saint John of the American Hockey League. Carolina Hurricanes: Recalled goaltender Mike Fountain from New Haven of the American Hockey League. Sent goaltender Pat Jablonski to Cleveland of the International Hockey League. Edmonton Oilers: Acquired defenseman Bobby Dollas from the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for defenseman Drew Bannister. New Jersey Devils: Sent center Sergei Brylin to Albany of the American Hockey League for conditioning purposes. New York Rangers: Recalled defensemen Geoff Smith and Ronnie Sundin from Hartford of the American Hockey League. Pittsburgh Penguins: Sent right wing Robert Dome to Syracuse of the American Hockey League.
THURSDAY, JAN. 8 Chicago Blackhawks: Claimed center Jarrod Skalde off waivers from the San Jose Sharks. Florida Panthers: Signed defenseman Joey Tetarenko. Montreal Canadiens: Recalled goaltender Jose Theodore from Fredericton of the American Hockey League. New Jersey Devils: Re-signed right wing Randy McKay to a multi-year contract extension. Traded left wing Reid Simpson to the Chicago Blackhawks for a fourth-round draft pick in 1998 and future considerations. Ottawa Senators: Sent center Derek Armstrong to Hartford of the American Hockey League. Phoenix Coyotes: Sent center Chad Kilger to Springfield of the American Hockey League. St. Louis Blues: Sent right wing Chris Kenady and defenseman Libor Zabransky to Worcester of the American Hockey League.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 7 Calgary Flames: Sent center Jim Dowd to Saint John of the American Hockey League. Colorado Avalanche: Sent goaltender David Aebischer to Hershey of the American Hockey League. Detroit Red Wings: Re-signed right wing Doug Brown to a three-year contract. New Jersey Devils: Sent goaltender Rich Shulmistra and center Brendan Morrison to Albany of the American Hockey League; assigned defenseman Brad Bombardir to Albany for conditioning purposes. Vancouver Canucks: Sent left wing Dave Roberts to Syracuse of the American Hockey League.
TUESDAY, JAN. 6 Detroit Red Wings: Placed center Kris Draper on injured reserve. Recalled left wing Darryl Laplante from Adirondack of the American Hockey League. Edmonton Oilers: Claimed center Tony Hrkac off waivers from the Dallas Stars. Los Angeles Kings: Loaned goaltender Frederic Chabot to Houston of the International Hockey League. New Jersey Devils: Recalled center Sergei Brylin from Albany of the American Hockey League. Ottawa Senators: Recalled defenseman Radim Bicanek from Manitoba of the International Hockey League. San Jose Sharks: Sent Alexander Korolyuk to Kentucky of the American Hockey League. Washington Capitals: Recalled center Andrei Nikolishin from conditioning at Portland of the American Hockey League.
MONDAY, JAN. 5 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim: Sent center Matt Cullen and defenseman Mike Crowley to Cincinnati Ducks of the American Hockey League. Boston Bruins: Sent center Cameron Mann to Providence of the American Hockey League. Buffalo Sabres: Recalled goaltender Steve Shields from Rochester of the American Hockey League. Chicago Blackhawks: Recalled left wing Ryan Huska from Indianapolis of the International Hockey League. Dallas Stars: Activated center Joe Nieuwendyk from injured reserve. Edmonton Oilers: Sent left wings Joe Hulbig and Doug Friedman to Hamilton of the American Hockey League. Loaned goaltender Steve Passmore to San Antonio of the International Hockey League. New Jersey Devils: Recalled left wing Jay Pandolfo and center Sergei Brylin from Albany of the American Hockey League. San Jose Sharks: Signed free-agent defenseman Shawn Heins.
SUNDAY, JAN. 4 Los Angeles Kings: Recalled goaltender Frederic Chabot from Houston of the International Hockey League. New Jersey Devils: Acquired center Jason Arnott and defenseman Bryan Muir from the Edmonton Oilers for right wing Bill Guerin and left wing Valeri Zelepukin.
SATURDAY, JAN. 3 Carolina Hurricanes: Recalled left wing Bates Battaglia and goaltender Tripp Tracy from New Haven of the American Hockey League. Los Angeles Kings: Sent left wing Donald MacLean to Fredericton of the American Hockey League. St. Louis Blues: Signed left wing Michel Picard to an offer sheet.
FRIDAY, JAN. 2 Boston Bruins: Sent defenseman Mattias Timander to Providence of the American Hockey League. Carolina Hurricanes: Traded goaltender Sean Burke, defenseman Enrico Ciccone and left wing Geoff Sanderson to the Vancouver Canucks for goaltender Kirk McLean and left wing Martin Gelinas. Dallas Stars: Activated left wing Benoit Hogue from the injured reserve list; assigned left wing Jamie Wright to Michigan of the International Hockey League; recalled left wing Patrick Cote from Michigan and placed him on the injured reserve list. New Jersey Devils: Sent goaltender Peter Sidorkiewicz to Albany of the American Hockey League. Recalled center Brendan Morrison from Albany. New York Rangers: Recalled left wing P.J. Stock from Hartford of the American Hockey League. Toronto Maple Leafs: Acquired defenseman Jeff Brown from the Carolina Hurricanes for a conditional 1999 draft pick. Recalled center Jamie Baker from Chicago of the International Hockey League. Vancouver Canucks: Sent goaltender Corey Hirsch to Syracuse of the American Hockey League. Washington Capitals: Sent left wing Andrei Nikolishin to Portland of the American Hockey League for conditioning. Sent center Benoit Gratton to Portland.
THURSDAY, JAN. 1 Calgary Flames: Loaned right wing Jesper Mattsson to Malmo of the Swedish Elite League. Florida Panthers: Sent right wing David Nemirovsky to New Haven of the American Hockey League. New Jersey Devils: Placed goaltender Mike Dunham on the injured list. Recalled goaltender Richard Shulmistra from Albany of the American Hockey League. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Quick Olympic Preview ----------------------------------------------------------------- by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief Note: For daily Olympic coverage, visit LCS Hockey online. http://www.lcshockey.com/extra/1998/olympics/ Are you like us? Do ya... do ya got the Olympic Fever? Yes, the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, are just around the corner. While we anxiously await the results of the Biathlon, the whole ice hockey deal should be pretty cool, too. Now only if they'd let the players carry rifles... As everyone knows by now, this year is the first time players from the NHL have been allowed to compete in the global quest for spot metals, making this tournament perhaps the greatest in the history of the planet. Except, of course, for LCS' own Happy Birthday Baby Jesus Tournament, but that should really go without saying. While everyone is excited about the potentially great hockey, most are still sketchy on the details of the event itself. But that's why LCS is here, to help you, our valued readers. Hey, it's who we are, it's what we do. In order to free up its stars to compete in Nagano, the NHL will shut down for 17 days during February. The last day for NHL games before the Olympic break is Saturday, February 7, with all 26 teams set to take the ice. The schedule resumes on Wednesday, February 25. In between will be all the international hockey high jinks. There are 14 countries taking part in the competition. However, the details of who plays who can get kind of confusing, so pay attention. The competition begins with a preliminary round running from February 7-12. Eight countries will compete in the preliminary round. These countries aren't exactly hockey powerhouses, but they do all have sticks and matching uniforms so the Olympic committee said, "What the hell?" They've been divided into two groups of four: GROUP A Austria Italy Kazakhstan Slovakia GROUP B Belarus France Germany Japan Each team will play three games in a round-robin format with all the other teams in its group. Then the leaders of each group will advance to the second round while the remaining six teams go home with lovely parting gifts. It's the usual point system, two for a win and one for a tie. There are no shootouts in the round-robin stages of the tournament. If two teams finish tied for the top spot in points, the first tie-breaker is their head- to-head result. The second is goal differential. If the clubs remain tied, then the situation will be decided with a rollicking game of "Chutes and Ladders". The two teams that advance from the preliminary round are lucky enough to move on to the second round where they will compete with the big boys: Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. The teams are once again divided into two groups of four: GROUP A Canada Sweden United States Group A winner from preliminary round GROUP B Czech Republic Finland Russia Group B winner from preliminary round The second round gets underway February 13 and runs through February 16. The second verse is the same as the first. Each group plays a three-game round-robin to decide the seeding for the quarterfinal round. The quarterfinal round is when stuff gets serious. It's single elimination. The quarterfinal matchups are determined by how the teams finished in their respective groups. All the games will take place on February 18. The first place team in Group A (A1) will play the last place team in Group B (B4). The first place team in Group B will play the last place team in Group A. The second place team in Group A will play the third place team in Group B. And the second place team in Group B will play the third place team in Group A. The four teams that survive the quarterfinal will advance to the semifinals on February 20. The winner of the A1 vs B4 game will play the winner of the B2 vs A3 game. And the winner of the B1 vs A4 game will play the winner of the A2 vs B3 game. See how that works? A similar system was used on "Hee Haw" for the weekly hoe-downs. The two semifinal losers will play for the Bronze medal on February 21. The two winners will compete for the Gold on February 22. Because of the time difference involved, all the games are going to be played while most of North America is sleeping. The majority of games get underway between midnight and 6 AM EST. So if you want to follow the games live, take a nap. And because the games are played under International Ice Hockey Federation rules, there are some noticeable differences from the usual NHL fare. Here's a quick rundown of some of the most important changes: * The two rinks where all the games will be played are called Big Hat and Aqua Wing. Wasn't that a superhero team in the mid 70s? Anyway, both rinks are 13-and-a-half feet wider than the standard NHL pond. So that means more room to wheel. * There are also two more feet from the goal line to the backboards. Which means there's more room to orchestrate plays behind the cage. That should make Wayne Gretzky all giddy. * Icings get whistled as soon as the puck crosses the goal line. No touch-up is required. * If a player is seen to be in the crease, the ref could blow the whistle and call for a faceoff at neutral ice. The puck could be over in the corner somewhere, but if a guy gets in the crease a whistle could be blown. * Fighting isn't really appreciated by the international crowd. Two majors earns a guy an automatic game misconduct. And if a player is deemed to have instigated the fight, he receives a match penalty. That means he is removed from the current game and is automatically suspended from the next contest, as well. * During the semifinals and medal rounds, if a game ends in a tie the two teams will take a 15-minute intermission and then skate a 10-minute overtime session. Except in the gold medal game, where the two clubs would skate a 20-minute overtime period. If the game still isn't decided at the end of overtime, then it goes to a shootout. Each team chooses five shooters and the clubs alternate penalty shots, with the order decided by a coin flip, until one team builds an insurmountable lead. If things aren't decided after the first five shooters, the clubs select another five each. But this time it's sudden death and only lasts until a decisive goal is scored. If a player is in the penalty box at the end of overtime he is not eligible to take part in the shootout. So that's the schedule and the rules for the big Olympic tournament. Earlier in the issue we already said that Team Sweden will skate away with the Gold medal. But how will the rest of the team's do? Well, let's take a gander, starting with the eight clubs in the preliminary round. Austria: Thanks for coming. Have a safe trip home. Belarus: Um, I have no idea where Belarus is. It sounds kind of made up if you ask me. It would be just like those wacky Olympic committee folk to invent a country. Those guys are nutty... France: The red-and-white striped jerseys, black pants, and black berets make for an eye-pleasing uniform, but France doesn't have much of a chance in the tournament. Germany: With Olaf "The Berserker" Kolzig in net, Sergeant Schultz on defense, and Colonel Klink in the middle, the Germans should emerge from Group B and advance to the second round. Kolzig played out of his skull at the World Cup. He'll need a similar effort this time around. Here comes Olaf, he's a berserker... Italy: It'll be tough for the Italians to get out of Group A. Unless they make Slovakia a deal they can't refuse, the Italians will be goin' home early. Japan: Do you really have to ask? Kazakhstan: Okay, now I know this one's made up! Kazakhstan... that's a good one. Slovakia: The Slovaks are clearly the team to beat in Group A. Their offense is stacked with the likes of Peter Bondra, Ziggy Palffy, Jozef Stumpel, Richard Zednik, Pavol Demitra, and the Prince of Darkness himself, Miroslav Satan. The great Robert Svehla is also around to anchor the blue line. The only problem for the Slovaks is that the preliminary round starts on February 7, and all those guys will still have one game left on their NHL schedule. So if the NHL clubs don't cooperate and let the stars leave early, Slovakia could be in trouble until the reinforcements arrive. Slovakia and Germany should leave the pups on the porch behind and meet the big dogs in the second round. Here's a look at the tournament powers. Canada: With the memory of the US World Cup victory still turning stomachs, the Canadians will be mission men. Whether they have the players to get the mission accomplished is still open to debate. The Americans were clearly the better team at the World Cup. That forced Canada GM Bobby Clarke to make some changes in his lineup. He tried to build a better overall team, adding a grinder like Shayne Corson, a solid two-way center in Joe Nieuwendyk, and a defensive role player in Rob Zamuner. The forward ranks have a pretty good mix of talent, size, and role players, but the Canadians don't really have that much speed. That could be trouble on the big international rinks. And if Eric Lindros, Joe Sakic, and Paul Kariya fail to deliver the big goals, there could be some problems. While the offense is a bit questionable, Canada is rock solid on defense with Ray Bourque, Scott Stevens, Adam Foote, and Chris Pronger leading the way. The one man that could have Canada challenging Sweden for the Gold, though, is Patrick Roy. Never bet against St. Patrick in big games. Czech Republic: The Czechs are the wild card of the tournament. They don't have a team strong enough to compete for Gold, but they do have Jaromir Jagr and Dominik Hasek. If those two get hot, the Czechs could pull off a major upset along the way. Finland: Team Vowel is always a force. They play exceptional two-way hockey and they always skate as a cohesive unit. Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu will power the offense, while Jyrki Lumme, Teppo Numminen, and Janne Niinimaa will pace the defense. Finland's only real weakness is in net. Unfortunately, you can't be weak in net and win a medal. Looks like it'll be another fourth place finish for the Finns. Russia: The Russian hockey federation is still a mess. You know it's bad when guys are turning down invitations to play. The club is coming off an incredibly disorganized performance at the World Cup and there's not much hope they'll be able to right the ship. The roster is void of stars such as Sergei Fedorov, Alexander Mogilny, Vladimir Malakhov, and Nikolai Khabibulin, who all declined to play. It doesn't look good for the Russians. With some luck, they might be able to supplant Finland for fourth place. Sweden: Peter Forsberg, Daniel Alfredsson, Mats Sundin, Nicklas Lidstrom, Tommy Soderstrom... Gold medal. United States: The USA has it all. The Americans will once again be led on offense by the baddest of the bad, big John LeClair. He'll be joined by a superstar supporting cast that includes Brett Hull, Pat LaFontaine, Mike Modano, Keith Tkachuk, Tony Amonte, and Doug Weight. The blue line will be secured by Chris Chelios, Brian Leetch, and the Hatcher boys. USA's biggest worries could be in goal, where Mike Richter, John Vanbiesbrouck, and Guy Hebert have struggled for most of the season. Failing to select Tom Barrasso could come back to haunt the Americans. Overall, the US has the most talented group of forwards. Canada has the deepest defense and the living legend, Patrick Roy, in net. But neither one has real wizard yellow jerseys. Sweden will win the Gold, leaving the US and Canada to fight it out for Silver and Bronze. LCS will have more in-depth looks at the teams in our next issue, due out Tuesday, February 10. But it won't matter, we'll still pick Sweden. Yee-haw! Sweden! Yee-haw! ----------------------------------------------------------------- Team Finland Could Pose Threat to Sweden ----------------------------------------------------------------- by Gina Corallo, Correspondent 1998 Olympic Hockey will be the most exciting ever. The best players in the world will be representing their countries and going for the Gold. Of course we all think of LCS favorite Sweden, or maybe even Canada or the USA, grabbing that precious medal, however one team that could have a legitimate shot for the first time is Finland. In fact, Finland has never won an Olympic Gold medal. The closest they came was in 1994 in Lillehammer to catch the Bronze, and in 1988 at Calgary to win the Silver. Sweden, its archrival, is the defending World Champions, winning the gold in 1994. Finland would love to have a chance at that title. The question is - can they do it? Offensive Punch None other than Teemu Selanne will lead Team Finland. Selanne is having one of his best years in the NHL, being third in the league in scoring, and was MVP at the All-Star Game with a hat trick. He carried the Ducks on his shoulders in the absence of their captain Paul Kariya, as well as scoring goals at a rapid pace. He has explosive speed, great instincts, hard accurate shots, and is as a good playmaker as he is a finisher. Expect Selanne to be a leader for this team, and cause heartache for many goalies. One of the best young players today, Saku Koivu makes things happen every time he touches the ice. His speed and playmaking abilities can burn any defensemen in their tracks. He scored 56 points in 50 games last season in Montreal, and is on another scoring rampage. Even though he lacks size, he will not be intimidated. He is a key offensive player, and will be looked upon with Selanne to lead his team with scoring. Jari Kurri. This veteran player is one of the best defensive forwards in the league. Even though he is no longer a scoring sniper, do not underestimate his playmaking abilities. He is able to play center or wing, is used on both special teams, and his intelligence within the game makes him a great asset to any team. Being that Kurri will retire after this season, there is no doubt that he will want to go out with a medal, as well as another Stanley Cup. There is no better agitator than Esa Tikkanen. He's best known for his grit, enthusiasm and scoring the big goals in big games which is what the Olympics is all about. He will go up against any player and get under anyone's skin no matter what size or height. Any coach would love to have a player like this on their team. He has the capabilities of taking any top player off his game. He always plays a tough style, is used on both special teams, and has one of the most powerful slap shots from the point that could stun any goalie. A major problem, however, is that he has been struggling with injuries and is still doubtful to play. If this is the case, Finland will lose a key player, not to mention depth which they already lack. Winning the Bronze medal with Team Finland in the 1994 Olympics, Sami Kapanen knows what it takes to win. Leading The Hurricanes in scoring this year, Kapanen provides Finland with speed, strength, and intelligence. He is a small forward, but what he lacks in size he makes up in spirit. Jere Lehtinen has improved within each of his three seasons in the NHL. He is a dependable forward and is becoming more and more of a complete player. A candidate for the Selke trophy last year, Lehtinen is a good all-around player who plays hard, is strong with the puck, is a good playmaker, and never gives up on the play. His offensive abilities are improving, partly due to playing with Mike Modano. He is a reliable player, and can be called upon for any situation. Defense Janne Niinimaa brings Finland what they need desperately - size. Niinimaa (6'2", 190) is a strong skater and excellent puckhandler. He is an offensive defenseman, who can jump into the play when it presents itself, and can make plays happen. Using his size to his advantage, Niinimaa will take the body, and will make a player pay the price if they try to become a threat. He plays with enthusiasm, grit, and intelligence. He is an elite player who will do what it takes to win. He is a key player if Finland has any chance of winning. Jyrki Lumme provides Finland with an intelligent defense which leads to smart offensive plays. He quarterbacks a power play, having the ability to set the tone, and he is excellent on the penalty kill with excellent hand skills. He challenges the player at the blue line, in which he usually comes out the winner due to his range. Lumme is a finesse player. He doesn't throw body checks, but will take a hit and plays hard one-on-one. Bringing added size and power to Finland is Teppo Numminen. He is a smart defensive all-around player who adds solidity to any hockey club. Numminen plays a physical game but not a mean one. He will do what it takes to win the battles of the puck, forechecks hard, is a strong asset on the penalty kill, and plays a smart passing game. Janne Laukkanen will also be a key player for Finland. He played in the '94 games, and proved that he possesses great skating, physical, shooting and stickhandling skills. He is a smart player that can excel in all situations. Goaltending a Problem? This is where Finland lacks its talent and confidence. There are three goaltenders who are not of NHL caliber, but could prove to do very well. Jukka Tammi is a German netminder who has played for Finland in the 1988, 1992, and 1994 Olympics. Jarmo Myllys played for a short time in the NHL with Minnesota and San Jose, now plays for Sweden, and probably has the best experience. Ari Sulander, a Finnish goaltender recorded a league record of 10 shutouts. We will see if these goaltenders can handle the overload of NHL superstars. The team will have to have the utmost confidence in these goaltenders in order for them to play to their full potential. Team Finland can put up a great challenge to any team on a good day. Every player must step up and play to a higher level - especially the defense. Finland's defense has size and grit but will have to protect their smaller players from being pushed around, and they have the ability and players to do so in Aki Berg (LA), Niinimaa, and Tuomas Gronman (PIT). Their offense lacks depth and will be put to the test in keeping up with the scoring of the other top teams. With inexperienced goaltending and lack of size on offense, these players will be put to the test against the tournament's elite. Do not underestimate this team however, they have a realistic shot at bringing home a medal and have the capability to cause an upset - especially against rival team Sweden. Because Sweden and Finland are in two separate Olympic groups, their first chance to meet would be in the semifinals. There's even a chance that they won't meet at all. But if they do, it'll be a war. And as history as proven, there's no war like a Finnish-Swedish war. ----------------------------------------------------------------- VANCOUVER GETS GOOD, CLEAN HOCKEY FUN DURING ALL-STAR WEEKEND ----------------------------------------------------------------- by Carol Schram - Vancouver Correspondent The Gary Bettman era of the National Hockey League has hit upon a clever formula for its All Star Games: award the event to cities with lousy hockey teams, so the community can't help but be swept away by the excitement and star power. Since the weekend was cancelled in 1995 due to the lockout, it has been held in Boston, San Jose, now Vancouver, and next year it heads off to Tampa Bay. I suppose that when the game was awarded to Vancouver last season, it wasn't with the idea that the Canucks were going to be cellar-dwellers in January of 1998. Truth is, though, the team's dismal, controversy-plagued season certainly helped to shine a positive light on the wholesome, non-threatening All-Star festivities. Of course, the weekend wasn't quite as meaningless as it has been in years gone by. The new "North America vs. the World" format added a certain degree of intensity, and with the start of the Olympics just three weeks away, both players and coaches used the time away from the daily NHL grind to start turning their thoughts to the upcoming events in Nagano. While the roster of Team North America obviously didn't include all members of the Olympic Team Canada and Team USA, both management squads used the opportunity to gather their players, take team photos, and start planning strategy. Friday night, a crowd of over 14,000 gathered to watch Team Canada take on Team USA - in women's hockey. The rivalry between these two squads has grown steadily over the past four years, and is building towards the first-ever Olympics featuring the women's game as a full medal sport. In fact, the turnout for the game in Vancouver was the largest crowd ever for a women's hockey match - and the game was one of the better contests that local hockey fans have seen this year. No shrinking violets in this bunch, Team Canada was out to avenge its loss to the Americans in the Three Nations Cup just before Christmas, and a fierce game resulted in a one-goal victory for the home side. Canada's Men's Team also got together for the first time on Friday, holding its official media kickoff that evening with a party at Planet Hollywood. The only member missing was Rod Brind'Amour, home with his wife who was about to give birth to their first child. Due to Olympic deadlines, Rod's spot was taken by a stand-in for the official team photo, and his head will be added in later through the magic of some program like PhotoShop. The players also got to check out a mockup of their Olympic village dorm-rooms, including cots that are not even long enough to hold many of the NHL's "biggest" stars. Nevertheless, unlike the NBA Dream Teamers, Team Canada is adamant that it wants to absorb the full Olympic experience. Celebrity sightings abounded all over Vancouver on Friday night.particularly at the swankier hotels and busier nightspots. The official event was a "Cigar Party" on Granville Island, but the players seemed to spread out pretty effectively where the good times could be had. While countrymen often hung with countrymen - players like Teemu Selanne and fellow Finn Jari Kurri were virtually inseparable all weekend - NHL teammates also stuck together, and "Teddy Flash" was also happy to spend some quality time with fellow Mighty Duckling Paul Kariya - here only to visit family and perform his Olympic duties. For the most part, let's just say Friday wasn't a night when many players were concerned about getting their rest and making curfew in preparation for Saturday's taxing Skills Competition. Normally, when you attend a hockey game, you feel like the true spectator at the event, while the television audience has a chance to peek into your world. The game's the thing, the crowd keeps it honest, and that was essentially true during the Heroes of Hockey portion of Saturday's events. The NHL Heroes squeaked past the Vancouver Canucks Heroes by a 3-2 score in a suspenseful contest with some good play, some good laughs, and a sense of wonder about whether or not Garth Butcher or Thomas Gradin might still be able to help today's Canucks. The two fifteen- minute periods flew by, and the Heroes truly left the people wanting more. Certainly, they got more glitz and flash during the Skills Competition - from the player introductions to the pure number of TV personalities and technical crew members scattered all over the ice. But it was clear from the get-go that the Skills Competition was a made-for-TV event: the live audience was present to provide little more than ambient crowd reaction to enhance the effect for the television viewer. Event M.C. Dave Randorf, now of Canada's TSN, kept the crowd well-informed, but he and long-time Canucks arena announcer John Ashbridge were noticeably lacking in the high-energy leadership that ESPN probably would have liked, in terms of keeping the crowd pumped up. Of course, the crowd would have probably been happier if their view of the events wasn't blocked by various camera crews on the ice, and if the scoring for the competition made even the slightest sense. Goals were omitted, non-goals were counted, the fastest-skater competition was a joke, and it never even occurred to the technicians to check the cable between the radar gun and the display device as poor Dimitri Mironov took shot after shot after shot after shot. When you see the lack of attention that the show's producers pay to the actual "skills" involved in this event, it's easy to understand why the players have no particular interest in bringing themselves to the arena in tip-top form. When results are recorded willy- nilly, instead of according to actual performance, what exactly would be the point of giving your all?? In truth, the haphazard running of the competition is the one part of the weekend that really looks like it could be improved in future years. The most heart-warming smiles of the whole event came from the representatives of (company name omitted due to LCS Hockey policy against The Man) and the promotions firm that put together that $5 Million Shot contest - when hapless Wayne King went in the tank and their dream came true - it cost them a lowly $10,000 for all that publicity! After the hockey events, it was off to Ballantyne Pier, on the waterfront, for the big schmooze- fest of the weekend - a huge party with a Hollywood theme called Ice, Camera, Action. The guest list numbered between 3,000 and 4,000 - with probably 2/3 of attendees being hockey- related VIPs from out of town. The giant hall was arranged as a number of different movie sets, with different themes, different food and beverages, and different activities. Since the powers that be at the National Hockey League once again cheaped out on a media pass for your faithful reporter, all I can tell you is that, from players to league elite to local media to crew people, everyone said the event was quite a spectacle and a great time was had by all. Oh - I can also tell you that not every All-Star stayed at the event till closing at 2:00 am. A few members of Team USA, in particular, seemed determined to make the rounds around town until the wee small hours. At least one certain member of Team Canada who has been hamming it up with his great comic timing in a series of pre-Olympic commericals decided that he would go in for the jazz-and-cigar vibe, and Canuck rookie and Team Sweden member Matthias Ohlund seemed determined to take advantage of the weekend by spending every moment he could spare with countryman Daniel Alfredsson. But where, oh where, was Mats Sundin???? Here in Vancouver, bars close at 2:00 every day but Sunday, but All Stars obviously are truly superhuman. With clothing and equipment companies, food and drink makers, and everyone else under the sun wooing players for sponsorship and endorsement, let's just say that the boys' options are still pretty wide open when the rest of ours start to close. I won't name names, but if you get your hands on a videotape of the All Star Game from Sunday afternoon, I'm guessing you can pick out the culprits when they do those close-ups on the faces during the player introductions. I'll confess right here, too - I was supposed to go check out the Pinnacle FANtasy interactive event on Sunday morning at 9:00 am. I didn't make it, but my Mom got Bobby Hull's autograph and got her picture taken with the Stanley Cup. Again, by all reports, the event was a raging success and a lot of fun for even the casual fan. If it ever comes to your town, don't be like me - make sure you take it in. I did get up and running in time for the game itself, though, at 1:00 p.m. The show opened with local "puck rockers" the Hanson Brothers doing their rendition of Stompin' Tom Connors' "The Hockey Song". While they showed tremendous enthusiasm, the sound was so perfect that I suspected them of lip-syncing, a detail that was unfortunately confirmed midway through a verse when the lead singer dropped his wireless microphone: no thud, no feedback.and the vocal part continued perfectly while the mic lay on the ice. Hmmm. Smoke and mirrors, anyone? Unfortunately, show organizers also erred, this time on the side of spontaneity, when they allowed Bryan Adams to go cold with the Canadian Anthem. Apparently our national hero had flubbed the words in rehearsal - what exactly does it mean when he forgets the "glorious and free" part? The tension was obvious when he stepped out onto the red carpet in his swankiest grey t-shirt.and sure enough, he made two small mistakes, drawing partly from the older version of the lyrics that were officially changed a couple of decades ago. One word of advice for your upcoming world tour Bryan - TelePrompTer! After the anthem, the puck was finally dropped by some fancy flying spaceship, and the All Star Game was officially underway. Unlike the distinctly partisan crowd, I got pretty excited by Teemu Selanne's pretty first goal 53 seconds into the contest: after all, I hardly ever see anybody score on Patrick Roy! But GM Place went as quiet as it often does in the first period - as the "home team" falls behind. Anways, you know the basic story of the game. Despite Ken Hitchcock's "so simple it's brilliant" strategy of forming World Team lines based on country of origin "and hoping the Czechs and the Slovaks can get along," the big man maintained his perfect record of being winless as a coach in every All-Star appearance he has made at every level of hockey. The All- Finn line of Selanne, Kurri, and Saku Koivu was probably the most cohesive unit on the ice for either team, although there were also flashes of brilliance between old teammates Gretzky and Messier - and between Pavel Bure and the free-agent center that perhaps the Canucks should have pursued even more diligently this past summer - Igor Larionov. As a Canadian, it was a little tough to cheer for the squad featuring those dreaded Team USA members who caused such a big blow to our national pride during last year's World Cup tournament. Leave it to Theoren Fleury for the defining quote. After playing a great game lined up with Keith Tkachuk and Mike Modano, the gap-toothed one quipped "If I'd had two Canadian forwards on my line, I would have celebrated my goal more." Frankly, despite a good performance from Lindros, Sakic, Scott Stevens, and a number of other Canadians, and despite the fact that the Americans seemed focused on excelling at some of the more social sports during the weekend, the gang of LeClair, Tkachuk, Amonte, Chelios and the rest are a big, strong bunch who appear to be at the top of their games right now. Watch out in Nagano! On a lighter note, some of the best between-play entertainment I have ever seen came courtesy of the Nike Goalies, who are really coming into their own. This season's Montreal Canadiens goalie, forced to become a gardener because of Mats Sundin, is a classic - "Die, Maple Leafs, die!" Throughout the game, they interspersed brief clips on the Jumbotron. First, the goalie dropped a banana peel on the floor outside the Leafs' dressing room - then Sundin is shown walking out the door and absently stepping around the slippery threat. The joke continued throughout the game - with more and more banana peels. Then, in the third period, they switched to the goalie spray-painting graffiti on a white brick wall: first, the tremendous insult "Sundin is a..Swedish person", and my personal favorite "Mats Sundin likes ABBA". They also featured Florida's bank-robbing goalie, and debuted a commercial featuring another former NHL netminder, now working as a babysitter, who erupts into a fit of rage over his inability to stop Theoren Fleury. The centerpiece of his rant: "Five-foot-six - he's only five-foot-six!!!" Those Nike spots are always clever and entertaining, and that 30-second clip drew one of the biggest ovations of the afternoon from a generally happy and enthusiastic crowd. The three live goalies also provided terrific comic relief throughout the two days of festivities - constantly doing pratfalls and getting into scraps on the ice, then, during one intermission, "taking action" by chaining themselves to a GM Place net in an effort to "be recognized" by the National Hockey League for their past efforts. That's just great stuff. The screen was also used to great effect during play stoppages with a number of Saturday Night Live-style commercial parodies produced for last year's NHL Awards. Two favorites of mine: the NHL Campbell's Soup collection featuring flavors like Turkey Lumme, Cam Chowder, and Nikolai Khabiboulliabase.and Keith and Wayne Primeau presenting a new hockey helmet for the nineties - with the hair attached to the outside. Despite the steady presence of entertainment industry celebrities in this city, the "Hollywood Star" designated to play EA Sports' NHL '98 between periods was none other than former Full House star Dave Coulier - a longtime NHL fan who was also pressed into action as co-host of the Skills Competition. Scanning the crowd, the best they could do was James Doohan from Star Trek and some guy who was in Slap Shot. But on Team North America's bench, young television commercial star Ty Gretzky spent the game hangin' out with the trainer, gazing at the many NHL mascots roaming the arena, and occasionally tapping his famous father on the shoulder with a question or a comment - sometimes right in the middle of play. Truthfully, though - and I don't usually go in for this sort of thing - one of the most endearing sights of the whole weekend was during the post-game presentations, when young Ty was curled up, sitting on top of the boards at the home bench, in the lap of the Florida Panthers' team mascot. What could make a kid happier? After the game, the All Star VIPs headed off to the PNE for their wrap-up party, at the Pinnacle FANtasy site. They got unlimited access to all the events and displays, and partook of yet another magnificent feast of food and beverages. Sunday was also Mark Messier's 37th birthday, so he took off to one of the most fashionable Italian restaurants in town for his celebration with friends and family, then many of the boys hooked up again at a local nightclub to wind out the weekend. Only problem, though - due to a crazy B.C. liquor law, bars close at midnight on Sundays, so many of the players were only just showing up as the night was winding to a close. By the time all was said and done, though, it was another who's who of hockey, with everyone from Mess to Chelios to Saku Koivu and Patrick Roy in for the last hurrah before headin' back to their day jobs. It's been a pretty bleak year to be a hockey fan in this town. Absorbing, sure, but not with much to celebrate. The pure "fun-first" attitude behind the All Star festivities was a refreshing blast of fresh air, and the entertainment value of the whole weekend far surpassed my expectations. Even though I didn't get a press pass, congratulations nonetheless to the NHL for putting on a first-class event, and to the City of Vancouver for being such warm and gracious hosts. In a way, All Star weekend is nothing more than a giant trade show, but there's no doubt the NHL knows how to do it with style. Now, just clean up that Skills Competition! ----------------------------------------------------------------- All-Star Weekend Witnesses Three Deals ----------------------------------------------------------------- by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief The All-Star Break witnessed more than just a mediocre pick-up game between a bunch of international millionaires. There were also three significant trades made. The Tampa Bay Lightning used the time off to try and reinvent their modest roster with two separate deals, while the Philadelphia Flyers rolled the bones on a highly-skilled underachiever. The Bolts kicked off the trade bonanza on Thursday, January 15, sending Patrick Poulin, Mick Vukota, and Igor Ulanov to Montreal in exchange for Stephane Richer, Darcy Tucker, and Dave Wilkie. What the Bolts Get This trade boils down to talent for toughness. With franchise leading scorer Brian Bradley still on the shelf with post- concussion syndrome, the Bolts are desperately trying to find anyone who can put the puck in the net. The men with lightning bolts on their pants have scored just 87 goals in their first 49 games. Wow, that blows. The Bolts are hoping that Stephane Richer can help fill the net. The 31-year-old right winger is a two-time 50-goal scorer and a five-time 30-goal man. The only problem is that he hasn't scored 50 since 1989-90 and he hasn't bagged at least 30 since 1993-94. He has, however, scored at least 20 goals in each of the three seasons since then. That automatically makes him a major weapon for the Bolts. Richer was in and out of the Montreal lineup this season with injuries, limiting him to five goals and nine points in just 14 games. The trademark of Richer's game has always been his cannon slap shot. Few players in the league can bring it like Richer. He's also an excellent skater with a powerful stride. And power is probably the part of Richer's game that often gets overlooked. At 6'2, 215 pounds, Richer is a big strong guy that isn't scared to play physical. Because of his rather blase attitude and some of his comments during his younger days in Montreal, a lot of people perceive Richer as a floater and a one-dimensional player. But that's not really true. He's vastly underrated when it comes to his overall game. He knows how to play both ends of the ice. Sure, Richer may not always be motivated to do so, but when he is he can be a force. He's played under Pat Burns and Jacques Lemaire, so he knows what it means to play smart, defensive hockey. Darcy Tucker gives the Bolts something they're in dire need of, namely a center. Having lost Chris Gratton to free agency, Johnny Cullen to illness, and Bradley to numerous injuries, Tampa Bay is extremely shallow down the middle. Tucker was a scoring ace in juniors where he collected 64 goals and 137 points in 64 games in his final year with Kamloops (1994-95). But the 22- year-old hasn't had the opportunity to do much scoring in the big leagues. Last season Tucker got his foot in the door with Montreal, posting seven goals and 20 points in 73 games while playing mostly in a checking role with the likes of Turner Stevenson and Chris Murray. He was seeing similar duty this season, with just one goal and six points in 39 games with the Habs. One reason Tucker was used as a checker in Montreal was his grittiness. Despite being just 5'10, 178 pounds, Tucker plays a physical style of hockey and isn't shy about sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. He had 110 penalty minutes last season with the Canadiens, including 10 fights, and rang up 57 more minutes at the start of this year. Tucker knows how to score, he has toughness, he's young, and he plays center. He'll be a welcomed addition to the Lightning lineup. David Wilkie was Montreal's first-round pick (20th overall) at the 1992 Entry Draft. Like Tucker, Wilkie was also a product of Kamloops. The 6'2", 202-pound defenseman gained a reputation early on as a mobile guy that could move the puck and put points on the board. In his last year of juniors (1993-94), which was split between Kamloops and Regina, Wilkie racked up 38 goals and 77 points in 56 games. The next year he moved up to Fredericton of the AHL and continued to produce, potting 10 goals and 53 points. He split 1995-96 between Fredericton and Montreal before becoming a full-time Canadien last season, when he appeared in 61 games and notched six goals and 15 points. Before being traded to Tampa, Wilkie had dressed for just five games with the Habs this season and earned a single goal. Wilkie definitely has the tools to be a significant contributor along the blue line. He's good with the puck and owns a heavy wrist shot. He could develop into a very competent pointman on the power play. But at 23, Wilkie still needs to earn experience in his own zone. Defense is the toughest position to learn and it often takes youngsters a while before they can contribute. He should be given that time in Tampa. What Montreal Gets Montreal made this trade to add some toughness and tenacity to its small, skilled lineup. Obviously, Mick Vukota was acquired to bust heads. The 31-year-old earned the reputation as one of the game's premier fighters during his 10 years on Long Island. In 510 games with the Isles, Vukota had 16 goals and 45 points to go along with 1,879 penalty minutes. Over the summer Vukota jumped ship and swam to Tampa, where he had one goal and 116 penalty minutes in 42 games with lightning bolts on his pants. The Canadiens want Vukota to protect their talent up front. If anyone starts running Saku Koivu and the boys, Vukota will be around to drop the hammer. When Patrick Poulin first broke into the league with the Hartford Whalers in the early 90s, the left winger was ticketed to be a perennial 30-goal scorer. Hey, remember when Upper Deck called Poulin the next in line to Brett Hull? And Michael Nylander was next in line to Wayne Gretzky? Aw, that was great, that was fun. Needless to say, those lofty expectations never came to fruition. Though this is his sixth full season in the NHL and the Habs are his fourth club, Poulin is still just 24 years old. So there's still plenty of time for him to find his old scoring magic. But don't bet on it. Poulin has never scored more than 20 goals in a season, and he did that in his rookie year of 1992-93 when he hit an even 20. While he has never lit the lamp as expected, Poulin did develop into an excellent checking line winger and penalty killer during his nearly three years in Tampa Bay. He'll add some quality depth to the Montreal forward ranks, bringing a hardworking presence to the club's talented array of scorers. Igor Ulanov has been somewhat of an enigma over his six-year NHL career. The 28-year-old Russian blueliner gained the reputation as a hard-hitting, borderline cheap player during his early days with the Winnipeg Jets. But unfortunately he didn't come to play with the same intensity every night. That same tag stuck with him in two forgettable stints with Chicago and Washington before moving on to Tampa in 1995-96. Ulanov seemed to find some of his old rage with the Bolts, once again making a name as a banger. He waged an absolute war with Eric Lindros in the '95-96 playoffs, matching the Flyer behemoth hit for hit. When he brings the intensity, Ulanov can impact a game with his physical play. That's something the Canadiens have been looking for since they let Lyle Odelein go to the Devils. Dave Manson hasn't really been the answer. Outlook: The edge has to go to the Bolts on this one. Both teams got what they were looking for in this deal. The Bolts get a young scrappy center in Tucker, a youthful blueliner with potential in Wilkie, and a proven scorer in Richer. The Habs get their puncher in Vukota, another physical presence in Ulanov, and a hard-working role player in Poulin. But over the long haul, the youth of Tucker and Wilkie will serve the Lightning well. How much of an impact the inconsistent Ulanov and the oft-injured Vukota can have in Montreal is anyone's guess. But mine is not much. Tampa Bay followed up the six-player deal with Montreal by engineering another trade the very next day. This time they didn't even have to cross state lines, sending Dino Ciccarelli and Jeff Norton to the Florida Panthers for Jody Hull and Mark Fitzpatrick. What the Bolts Get Tampa Bay has had some major goaltending problems ever since Daren Puppa's back gave out at the start of last season. With Puppa expected to be healthy this season, the Bolts traded Rick Tabaracci back to Calgary over the summer. Bad move. Puppa has once again been plagued with injuries, forcing Tampa to play Corey Schwab and Derek Wilkinson between the pipes night after night. Yeah, that'll suck. The Bolts know that if Puppa is healthy they're set in goal. But they needed a proven backup netminder that could step in and do the job when called upon. That's why the phone rang in Florida. Mark Fitzpatrick has served as John Vanbiesbrouck's backup in Florida since the Panthers joined the league in 1993-94. While he knew the Beezer was the man, Fitzpatrick often clamored for more playing time. Well, he'll get his wish in Tampa. Fitzpatrick, 30, is a big (6'2", 198 pounds) standup goaltender that relies on strong angle play. He's not exactly nimble in net. In fact, he can resemble Herman Munster at times with his stiff-legged movement. He can get used side to side. And now that you mention it, while Fitzpatrick does have good size, he doesn't look all that big in net. He's pretty thin in there. He can also get picked apart upstairs by quality shooters. So all in all, Fitzpatrick isn't exactly an elite level netminder. He's been a backup for a reason. But then again, he has been a backup. It's that experience that makes him a valuable commodity to the Lightning. He's definitely better than anything else they have. Jody Hull is another original Panther. The 28-year-old right winger fit in well with that club's disciplined defensive style. Hull's got good size (6'2, 200 pounds) and knows how to use it along the boards. While he isn't exactly the most agile of skaters, Hull has some pep in a straight line. He's the prototypical checking winger that can also chip in between 10 and 15 goals a campaign. Hull also displayed some versatility this season with the Panthers by skating a few games on defense when the regulars were nursing injuries. What the Panthers Get Dino Ciccarelli pretty much forced Tampa GM Phil Esposito's hand a few weeks back when he came out and criticized the injured Brian Bradley, questioning the center's heart. Needless to say, Bradley wasn't too happy about being ranked by Dino and said that he would never play on a team with Ciccarelli again. Whether Esposito took this into consideration when making the deal isn't clear, but what is clear is that Dino was causing some unneeded grief in the room. His departure should help heal team chemistry, especially if Bradley ever returns. The Panthers were glad to take advantage of Dino's personal conflicts in Tampa and add the aging scorer to their veteran roster. Even at 37 years of age, soon to be 38, Ciccarelli is still a dangerous scoring threat up front. He's coming off a 35- goal season last year with the Bolts and had 11 more red lights in his first 34 games this season. While it's doubtful Dino will ever hit 35 goals again, he should be good for at least 20 to 25. This guy has 598 goals in his career. He's not just gonna forget how to put the puck in the net. He does most of his work within five feet of the goal crease. And it's a good thing that he's so good in front, because he's slower than Marlon Brando's metabolism. Dino's not exactly gonna blow wide on the defense and pipe one from the wing. All his goals are ugly. But they don't ask you how you score them, just how many. Dino also has another attribute. He remains a major pest. He can get under anyone's skin... even his teammate's. While Dino brings goals to Florida, Jeff Norton brings speed. He's simply one of the best skaters in the game. Norton's effortless in his stride and seems to float above the ice once he gets it cranked up. He'll just add to the mobility of an already swift Florida blue line corps, which features the likes of Robert Svehla, Rhett Warrener, and Gord Murphy. Norton is also excellent with the puck. He can rush it himself or launch pinpoint passes all over the rink. His shot isn't overpowering, but it's good enough. Put all the skills together and Norton can man the point with the best of them. Outlook: Tampa Bay did well in this deal, too. Sure, on the surface Norton and Ciccarelli are the better players, but there's more to this one than just talent. Getting rid of Ciccarelli could be an excellent example of addition by subtraction. He's not exactly the most likeable guy in the world. His absence should help Tampa's team chemistry and it opens the door for Bradley to return when he's healthy enough to go. Dino and Norton also each pull down hefty paychecks, so the Bolts are saving some scratch. They've also addressed two weaknesses on their roster by acquiring a proven backup netminder and a veteran role player with some character. This deal could pay off for the Panthers if Dino and Norton can provide the Florida offense with some spark. But how much longer will Ciccarelli be able to produce? And with his reputation, it's almost not worth bringing him into the dressing room. Norton's got talent, but he never seems to be involved with a winning team. There's gotta be a reason for that. He was apart of the five-man unit that carried the Sharks to their first ever playoff appearance, but that was when he had free reign to wheel with Sandis Ozolinsh, Sergei Makarov, Igor Larionov, and Johan Garpenlov. Unfortunately, Ozolinsh and the two Russians are nowhere to be found in Florida. The last of the three deals over the All-Star Break occurred on January 17 when the Philadelphia Flyers traded Vaclav Prospal, Pat Falloon, and a 1998 second-round draft choice to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Alexandre Daigle. What Philadelphia Gets Oh, that wacky Alexandre Daigle. When he was drafted first overall at the 1993 Entry Draft, he was supposed to become Ottawa's franchise player and the game's next great French- Canadian superstar. Instead, he became the posterboy for a rookie salary cap and found new ways to disappoint on a nightly basis. Now he calls Philadelphia home. The Flyers have long felt they needed more speed up front to counterbalance their surplus of size. And when it comes to just skating, few are better than the 22-year-old Daigle. Yeah, it seems like he's been around forever, but Daigle won't turn 23 until February 7. Which reminds me, I'll turn 23 on February 17. Send cards. And money. Send cards with money. But I digress... There's no doubt that Daigle can motor. It's the rest of his game that's got worry. He's got problems finishing the plays that his speed creates. But that's a confidence thing. There was so much pressure on him in Ottawa that it was easy to have heavy hands. The Flyers are hoping that Daigle will be able to relax in his new atmosphere, where Eric Lindros and John LeClair shoulder the weight of the team, and finally start to produce the numbers expected of him. He had only seven goals and 16 points in 38 games with Ottawa. One area of his game that Daigle has to improve is his defensive coverage. He's gained the reputation as one of the weakest defensive players in the league, thanks in large part to finishing at a league-worst -33 last season. It'll be pretty hard to finish at a minus in Philly, but if anyone could do it, it's Daigle. What the Senators Get The Senators needed depth up front, that's why they finally relented and parted with Daigle. The bad news is, they got Pat Falloon in return. Yes, good ol' Pat Falloon will now be able to taunt and tease a whole new city of fans with his blazing wrist shot and deft scoring touch. Daigle may have had his woes, but Falloon is Mr. Disappointment. He's about as reliable as a two- bit wristwatch. This guy will look like an All-Star for a few shifts, then go into a brutal prolonged slump where he resembles little more than a life-long minor leaguer. It's frustrating just talking about him... Vaclav Prospal, on the other hand, looks like he could be the real deal. The 22-year-old Czech center has big-time playmaking skills. He doesn't have much of a shot, but he's an incredible passer and knows how to distribute the puck. He's wise beyond his years when it comes to handling the biscuit. Prospal won't score many goals himself, but he could have a field day setting the table for Daniel Alfredsson or Alexei Yashin. Outlook: This deal pretty much hinges on Daigle. He still has a lot of upside potential and could become another Pat LaFontaine. Then again, he might not. He definitely has the speed to stretch the opposing defenses. That's what the Flyers wanted, so they have to be happy. The orange and black won't even miss Falloon and there just wasn't enough ice time for Prospal with Lindros, Gratton, Rod Brind'Amour, and Joel Otto already on board. The Senators gambled when they gave up on Daigle, but they allowed him ample opportunity to make it in Ottawa. A change was needed. They also freed up a major chunk of change since Daigle was scheduled to make $4 million over the next two years of his contract. Ottawa GM Pierre Gauthier has hopes for Falloon, but that tune's been sung before. Prospal is the key to this deal. He could be a swell playmaker for years to come. The main problem at the moment is he's out of the lineup for at least the next six weeks with a broken leg suffered against, of all teams, the Senators. Of course, a wise selection with that second-round pick would go a long way to swinging the deal in Ottawa's favor. SINCE THE TRADES Tampa Bay: Despite bringing in the five new players, the Lightning have gone 0-3-0 in their first three outings since the All-Star Game. Mark Fitzpatrick was in net for all three losses, getting beaten by the Capitals (3-2, 27 saves), Sabres (4-1, 31 saves), and Leafs (5-2, 27 saves). Darcy Tucker has been the best of the new arrivals, collecting an assist in each contest and playing at a +3 while centering Alexander Selivanov and Jason Wiemer. Dave Wilkie has had his problems, failing to register a point and finishing at a -2 in each game. Stephane Richer and Jody Hull are also looking for their first points, although Hull played in only one of the contests. Florida: The Panthers are 0-2-1 since acquiring Dino Ciccarelli and Jeff Norton. Dino's got one goal in three games and is a -2. Norton has a pair of helpers and is a -1. New backup goaltender Kevin Weekes saw his first action in place of Fitzpatrick in Florida's 8-3 spanking in Anaheim, stopping 15 of 19 shots. Montreal: The Habs are 1-1-0 since the break. Patrick Poulin has been a pleasant surprise, scoring a goal in each contest. Mick Vukota only played in the 4-3 loss to Carolina, but dropped the gloves with Stu Grimson and earned seven minutes total for the game. Igor Ulanov hasn't been quite so lucky. The mad Russian tried to take a run at a Bruin in the first period of his first game as a Hab and ended up colliding with teammate Peter Popovic. As a result, Ulanov blew out his left knee and will be lost for the season. Hard to get happy after that one. Ottawa: The Senators are 1-1-1 since bidding Daigle farewell. Falloon has a goal and an assist in the three games. Prospal continues to mend. Philadelphia: The Flyers are 2-1-0 in their last three. Daigle has one assist over that time, registering four shots and playing at a +1. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ALL-STAR SKILLS RECAP ----------------------------------------------------------------- by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief It just wouldn't be an NHL All-Star Weekend without the zany NHL Skills Competition. And it wouldn't be an NHL Skills Competition unless ESPN butchered the coverage. The total sports network outdid themselves this year, taking their annual ritual of ineptness to new lows thanks to repeated blunders by announcer Gary Thorne, the usual annoyance of Bill Clement, and the always hurried pace of the events. Why can't they just take their time and let the fans enjoy things. It would be nice if they talked to more players and actually showed a replay now and again. This thing happens once a year and ESPN acts like they have a plane to catch. At least Barry Melrose was around to laugh maniacally every time someone made an attempt at a joke. That's always good wholesome fun. While the broadcast of the event was filled with grief, the night itself was actually pretty cool... at times. HEROES OF HOCKEY GAME As per usual, the old-timers kicked things off, as a team of NHL Heroes battled a squad of former Vancouver alumni. Usually this portion of the program is always a good time to take a nap or catch up on some light reading, but this year's game was actually pretty damn good. It was wide open, featured some swell passing, a couple nice goals, and actually contained some true comedy. The NHL Heroes eventually prevailed, 3-2, behind a pair of Darryl Sittler goals scored less than a minute apart in the second half of the game. Yeah, the game is divided into two 15-minute halves with running clocks because, well, these guys are old. Anyway, good ol' Reggie Lemelin was also a standout for the victorious NHL squad, stopping all 14 shots he faced over the second half of the contest. Sittler was impressive. His first goal of the night was a beauty. He had the defense backing in and piped a wrister from the high slot. It was, like, a real goal. Then late in the game, with the NHL holding onto its 3-2 lead, Vancouver elected to pull its goaltender and go with the extra attacker. That's when Sittler corralled the puck at center ice and was in home free on the left wing. But instead of ending the game and completing his hat trick with an empty-netter, Sittler carried the puck to the crease and stopped. Aw, that's just cool. Because as we all know, in the immortal words of Al Iafrate, "Empty nets are for sissies." As a result of Sittler's generosity, the home fans almost got to see their Canuck Heroes tie the game the very next trip up ice, but a chest-high deflection bounced off a surprised Lemelin and found its way wide of the net. Two other standouts were Vancouver's Dave "Tiger" Williams and the NHL's Dennis Hull. These two had a couple of memorable meetings. The first occurred early in the game when Tiger, the NHL's all-time leader in penalty minutes with 3,966, appeared to trip Hull along the boards. But appearances can be deceiving. It was a dive all the way. So much so that Hull was given a penalty for lousy acting and Williams was awarded a penalty shot. Not exactly known for his breakaway prowess, Tiger roared through center ice and picked up the puck on a mission. As he crossed the blue line some NHL Heroes tossed a couple sticks from the bench to try and distract him. But Tiger was a mission man. He coolly sidestepped the launched lumber and then proceeded to swoop in on goaltender Murray Bannerman, pulling the NHL netminder to the ice with a nifty forehand move before flipping a shot upstairs for the goal. Then came the best part. Much to the delight of the Vancouver faithful, Williams busted out his old goal celebration, sitting on his stick and riding it like a Harley back through center. He was like all "Chugga chugga woo woo" as he pumped his arm and sped over the ice. Aw, that was great, that was fun. Williams and Hull would met up again in the second half. This time the two men squared off in front of the benches and dropped their gloves. But then Hull wisely offered to shake Tiger's hand instead. Good decision. As Hull was trying desperately to kiss up to Williams, putting his arm around him like they were old buddies, Tiger actually looked disappointed that they weren't gonna throw. Maybe that's why the ref gave him a penalty. Hull wasn't quite so lucky on his penalty shot. As he picked the puck up he told everyone, "I'm gonna slap it high." Seconds later, when his shot dribbled along the ice five feet wide of the right post, Hull simply responded, "I missed it low." That's classic. In fact, Hull was easily the game's MVP. He was a walking punchline. The jokes just kept on comin'. I don't know if he was auditioning for Letterman or what, but Hull broke out the A material. The best line of the night came in the moments following Hull's precarious escape from his near fatal decision to drop the gloves with Williams. Upon considering how close he came to getting pummeled, Hull said, "I'm glad Tiger didn't have a flashback." Aw, that's funny stuff. ALL-STAR INTRODUCTIONS After the ice was cleared from the Heroes game, it was time for the introduction of the World and North American All-Star squads. Since the World team is naturally the visitor, they were introduced first. Yet all the players were wearing their home whites. That's odd. But not quite as odd as the introductions themselves. Suddenly a rave broke out. The lights went down, all sorts of lasers were shooting to and fro', and some whack-ass techno music filled the air. There were even two guys down in the right wing corner hawking ecstasy. It was some wild, wild stuff. What's up with the techno music? I know these guys are European and everything, but c'mon... I think a better choice might have been the Neil Diamond classic "Coming to America." But, hey, that's just me... Once the World team was introduced, the North American club made its way to the runway. Thankfully, the techno music was scrapped. But not so thankfully, it was replaced some ridiculous sounding cross between Sha Na Na and Earth Wind and Fire. My ears are still ringing. PUCK CONTROL RELAY The first event of the night is always the puck control relay. Three members from each team carry a puck through a maze of stolen traffic cones. Once again the NHL refused my suggestions on how to spice up this rather lame event. Sadly, there were no fire hazards or oil slicks added this year, it was just the usual stuff. And, like usual, Wayne Gretzky lost it for his team. Why do they even let Gretzky do it anymore? Every year he gets beaten like a drum. Remember the time he fell down? Maybe it's time to just have Wayne sit on the side and keep score... The coolest part of this year's race was a head-to-head matchup between Colorado teammates Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg on the first leg. Both superstars darted through the course like nobody's business, finishing in almost a dead heat. Next out of the blocks was Gretzky and Saku Koivu. Game over. Koivu practically lapped Gretzky. He was already back at the hotel having a sandwich by the time Gretzky picked up the puck. Sandis Ozolinsh skated the anchor leg for the World squad and coasted to victory, while Brian Leetch had no hope of pulling out a win for North America. The World team was given a point in the overall scoring for winning the event. Another point is up for grabs in an individual head-to-hate race through the course. The World team elected to go with Teemu Selanne, while North America countered with li'l Theo Fleury. The li'l fella appeared to school Selanne rather easily, but upon further review, um, well, Fleury went the wrong way around one of the cones and was disqualified. Theo's tricky like that. So after one event, the World team had a 2-0 lead. FASTEST SKATER This used to be a marquee event. Two players doing laps around the ice at speeds mere mortals could never hope to achieve. But thanks to a lame rule that let's a player's stick be the deciding factor in crossing the finish line, the results are usually messed up. So I really have no idea what the final results were. And ESPN didn't exactly help out by explaining things. The first race had Valeri Kamensky going against Darryl Sydor. Kamensky won easily. He was clocked at 14.1 seconds and Sydor at 14.6. Next up was the dream race between Pavel Bure and Tony Amonte. Watching these guys skate was something special. While the race was incredible, Bure clearly beat Amonte across the finish line. But Amonte was announced as having the faster time, 13.7 to Bure's 13.9, because he stretched out with his stick to hit the finish line. That's jive. The same thing happened in the last heat, where Peter Bondra clearly beat Scott Niedermayer, yet Niedermayer used his stick to get a faster time. I wish I could tell you what his time was, but ESPN never divulged the information. Now here's where things get tricky. The World team was a awarded a point for having the fastest average time, but Niedermayer earned a point for the North Americans because he had the single fastest time. Which is a bunch of garbage since Bondra beat him, but what can you do? All I know is that they're all pretty fast... Score after two events: World 3, North America 1. HARDEST SHOT Everyone knew going in that Al MacInnis was the man to beat. And the Big Daddy Mac didn't disappoint, claiming his fourth career win with a blast of 100.4 miles per hour on his second attempt. Mac Daddy's first try also produced the second fastest shot of 98.6... not only is that a good speed for a slap shot, but it's also a damn fine temperature. Dmitri Mironov added some comic relief when nothing he shot registered on the speed gun. Normally participants are given only two shots, but because of the faulty equipment Dmitri had to fire a total of seven pucks. Including one, his second try, which missed the net completely. Finally on his seventh shot, the gun picked up a reading of 91.8. The shot that registered wasn't his best. He wired a few top shelf that looked mighty quick. Mironov wasn't the only star to miss the cage. Mike Modano found the glass after first busting his stick on his original effort. Here's all the competitors and their best shot: World Pavel Bure 94.4 Dmitri Mironov 91.8 Peter Bondra 93.6 Nicklas Lidstrom 90.0 Team average.......92.28 North America Chris Chelios 98.1 John LeClair 96.0 Al MacInnis 100.4 Mike Modano 96.9 Team average.......98.05 North America claimed two points for the event, one for having the fastest team average and the other for having the individual winner. Score after three events: World 3, North America 3 RAPID FIRE Next up was rapid fire, the first goaltending event of the evening. This is really murder on the netminders. Two shooters stand about 15 feet away at either side of the slot and alternate firing five pucks each. The shooters are supposed to wait for a ref's whistle before shooting, but they seldom do. So the goalie ends up racing back and forth like a chimp getting totally out of position and getting hit from all angles. It would probably be better if they just had one shooter empty all five shots and then have the goalie more over to the next guy, instead of going back and forth. At least that way we'd actually get to see some goaltending technique. Now it's pretty much just jump back and forth as fast as you can and hope it hits you. Scoring for this event is a little different. Along with the team competition, goaltenders are also competing against one another. A goalie gets a point for each save he makes, while the three netminders that make the most saves combined earn a point for their respective team. Eddie Belfour took to the pipes first and went up against Daniel Alfredsson and Jere Lehtinen. Belfour managed to shut out Lehtinen, but Alfredsson beat him three out of five. Alf, standing on the left side, blistered two perfect wrist shots into the top right corner over Belfour's glove and then sealed the deal by slapping a low shot stick-side. Alfredsson is a bad man. Olaf "The Berserker" Kolzig was next and took on Dougie Weight and Theo Fleury. Kolzig matched Belfour's seven saves, allowing two to Weight and one to Fleury. Weight beat him over the blocker and low to the glove, while Theo snuck one low stick- side. Martin Brodeur made his debut and promptly got beaten for six goals by the defensive duo of Sergei Zubov and Igor Kravchuk, with the Russian blueliners bagging three each. Zubov started things by beating Brodeur through the five-hole and then went on to pipe two beautiful shots in a row over Brodeur's catching glove a la Alfredsson. Zubov came close to getting a fourth goal, but his final shot, likewise ticketed for the top right corner, drew iron. Kravchuk showed a little bit more variety in his shot selection, beating Brodeur blocker, glove, and five- hole. Nikolai Khabibulin followed up Brodeur's weak showing by only making five saves himself. But Khabby was all about entertainment. He was flopping around like a mad man. It still wasn't enough to stop Darryl Sydor from potting three and Scott Stevens from bagging a pair. Sydor worked Khabby upstairs, putting one over his catcher and two over his blocker. Stevens put both of his high glove-side, with his first one catching the right post and then the crossbar before finally nestling in the twine on the left side of the cage. Stevens just managed to score on his final shot, as Khabby dove across and waved the glove in desperation. Even tho' he came up empty on the save, it was still somethin' to see. Patrick Roy was the final North American goaltender and had to face the Czech tandem of Jaromir Jagr and Bobby Holik. Jagr scored high short-side over Roy's glove on his very first shot and later added one five-hole. Holik found the net on his fourth shot, sneaking one between Roy's blocker and body. Dominik Hasek, equipped with a camera on his head, closed things out against Eric Lindros and Mark Recchi. Hasek stopped their first six shots before Recchi finally beat him low stick-side to the far post. Lindros immediately followed up with another low stick-side goal. Hasek managed to deny Recchi's final chance, but Lindros buried his last shot over Hasek's blocker. Belfour, Kolzig, Roy, and Hasek all stopped seven shots, but the World team won the overall event with 19 saves compared to 18 for North America. Score after four events: World 4, North America 3. SHOOTING ACCURACY Finally, an event for the masses. Who doesn't hang round the house shooting pucks at paper plates? Everyone knows how this works. A guy stands in the slot and gets eight shots at the four targets. The pucks are passed out to him from the corners by teammates. There's also a time limit. I think it's like 15 seconds. I don't know... Here are some of the highlights: First up was Sergei Zubov. It was kind of odd putting Zubov in a shooting competition. When Igor Larionov passed him the first puck, Zubie surveyed the scene and passed it to another one of his teammates. When the second puck came in from Mats Sundin, Zubie faked a shot and then passed off. This continued until officials finally stepped in and explained to Zubie that he had to actually shoot the puck. Oh the horror. Anyway, Zubov eventually hit three targets on seven shots. After Keith Tkachuk went two-for-eight, Jari Kurri stepped up for the World team. And how can I say this? Watching Kurri in this event was, shall we say, disappointing? Shall we say, depressing as hell? We shall say depressing as hell. Aw, it broke my heart to see the once great sniper struggle to find the big foam bull's eyes. And it wasn't that he was missing the targets, it was how he was missing 'em. It almost seemed like he couldn't lift the puck. Several shots trickled along the ice and bounced wide of the net. One shot floated harmlessly on net only to hit the target and stop dead in its tracks. Even when he hit the top right target on his final shot, it looked like he had to use his leg as a fulcrum to lift the puck. It... it's still hard to talk about it... let's just move on before I start to cry again... Another guy who had his woe was Ziggy Palffy. The man named Ziggy only hit one target. Even Kurri hit two! Palffy just needed some defenseman out there to split before shooting, that's all. Ray Bourque is always the favorite in this event and he did come through, hitting all four targets on six shots. That same total was matched by former winner Brendan Shanahan. Peter Forsberg made a bid at perfection, starting off three-for-three, but scuffled a bit trying to hit the bottom right target and ended four-for-six. Here's everybody's numbers: World Sergei Zubov 3-for-7 Jari Kurri 2-for-8 Ziggy Palffy 1-for-8 Peter Forsberg 4-for-8 Team total.......10-for-31 North America Keith Tkachuk 2-for-8 Brendan Shanahan 4-for-6 Mark Messier 3-for-8 Ray Bourque 4-for-6 Team total.......13-for-28 North America earned one point for hitting the most targets in the fewest shots. Since both teams had players that tied for the individual lead, each team earned an extra point. Score after five events: World 5, North America 5 NORELCO CRUELTY Following the shooting accuracy, it was time for the "Norelco $5- Million Shootout" or something like that. I'm not sure what its official name was, but it should have been called "The You Have No Chance of Winning Anything You Poor Bastard Shootout." The idea was that a fan would be chosen at random to compete in the shooting accuracy contest and be given a chance to win $5 million. The lucky fan would get a cool million for every target he or she hit, plus a bonus million if he or she banged all four foam plates. That sounds like a sweet deal. The only problem is that there were a series of ridiculous rules that made it virtually impossible for anyone to win. The worst rule was the one that stated the chosen fan could not have participated in any form of organized hockey in the past ten years. That's weak. For more info on the jive rules, read this article written a few weeks back by our very own Ace Reporter, Jim Iovino. So this guy, Wayne King from Akron, Ohio, wins the drawing and gets to go out at center in a packed arena, wearing a punk-ass Norelco jersey and hat, surrounded by some of the best hockey players on the planet, and gets to make an ass out of himself. This poor guy never had a chance. Standing 31 feet away from the net and with only eight seconds to take four shots, it was obvious he had no idea how to shoot a puck. They said Mike Modano was coaching him, but I guess Modano forgot to teach him how to take a wrist shot. This guy was holdin' the stick up high on the shaft and took four pathetic hacks. Not a single puck made it off the ice. It was just a joke. Norelco should be ashamed. Wayne did win a $10,000 conciliation prize. Yippee skippee... he could sue Norelco for defamation of character and win five times that much. The All-Stars tried to console Wayne, but if they really wanted to help why didn't they pass the hat around and give the guy a million bucks. What the hell? Joe Sakic could look under his couch cushions and give the guy two or three million. BREAKAWAY RELAY Getting back to the Skills Competition, there was one event left. The Breakaway Relay. This is, by far, the best event of the competition. Each goalie takes a turn at trying to stop six different shooters on breakaways. It's awesome. Except, of course, when guys show no creativity at all and just hit the hash marks and take wrist shots. That's just sad. People don't watch this thing to see wrist shots, they want to see talent. Make a move! The scoring for the event went like this: each goal scored was a point in the team competition, while each save earned the goaltender a point in the goaltending battle. Here are recaps of each round: GROUP ONE Ed Belfour: Four saves. Sandis Ozolinsh: Scored. Took Belfour to Freaksville with a nifty backhand deke. He froze the Eagle by dropping his shoulder and throwing a slight head fake before pulling it to his backhand and slipping it home. Slava Fetisov: Missed. He fired a wrist shot off the left post. After looking at the tape in slow motion, the puck appeared to bounce off the post, hit Belfour in the back, and then barely sneak across the goal line before the Eagle swept it out. But the ref ruled no goal. Igor Larionov: Stopped. Tried to go forehand five-hole but Belfour was all over it. Ziggy Palffy: Missed. Ziggy appeared to have Belfour beaten with a backhand move only to clank his shot high off the right post. Bobby Holik: Stopped. Holik fanned on his shot. Yeah, that'll suck. Jaromir Jagr: Scored. Jagr stunned Belfour by just hitting the hash marks and taking a wrist shot. The puck squeezed through Belfour's pads and crawled over the goal line. GROUP 2 Olaf Kolzig: Four saves. Darryl Sydor: Scored. Wristed a shot that snuck through the five-hole. Scott Stevens: Stopped. Stevens made a move to his backhand but Kolzig read it nicely and snagged the shot with his glove. He made it look easy. Doug Weight: Stopped. I have no idea what Weight was thinking. He has one of the best breakaway moves in show business, where he turns his skates to sell backhand and then stuffs it forehand, but he didn't use it. Instead he just wristed a shot five-hole. Weak. Brendan Shanahan: Scored. Shanny broke out some funk. He drew Kolzig to the ice with a forehand move and then snapped a shot upstairs. Keith Tkachuk: Stopped. Wrist shot blocker. Mike Modano: Stopped. Wrist shot five-hole. GROUP 3 Martin Brodeur: Four saves. Daniel Alfredsson: Stopped. Alfie drifted to his left before trying to pick the top right corner over Brodeur's glove. But Marty managed to flash the leather and knock it wide. It was a sweet save. Nicklas Lidstrom: Stopped. Wrist shot five-hole. Jari Kurri: Stopped. Wrist shot that Brodeur kicked out with his left pad. Valeri Kamensky: Scored. It's show time whenever Kamensky has the puck. The super-skilled Russian winger annihilated Brodeur with a silky smooth backhand move. Pavel Bure: Stopped. Wrist shot into Brodeur's pads. Peter Bondra: Scored. Brodeur attempted to surprise Bondra by diving out and trying to pokecheck, but the Slovakian speedster slammed on the breaks and pulled the puck to his forehand before tapping the biscuit into the yawning net. GROUP 4 Nikolai Khabibulin: Two saves. Ray Bourque: Scored. Piped a wrist shot top right corner. Al MacInnis: Stopped. Forehand move denied by Khabby's glove. Mark Messier: Scored. Messier held the puck for an eternity before sneaking a wrist shot five-hole. Tony Amonte: Stopped. Amonte was another guy who didn't bust out his best move. Instead he just tried to go high blocker without much success. John LeClair: Scored. LeClair barged down the slot and hammered a low drive past Khabby glove side. Eric Lindros: Scored. Trickled a shot through Khabby's five-hole. GROUP 5 Patrick Roy: Four saves. Saku Koivu: Missed. Koivu had Roy beaten with a backhand move but lost the puck. Sergei Zubov: Scored. Zubie did the same move but didn't lose the puck. Roy was kind of irate after giving up the goal and yelled somethin'... Jere Lehtinen: Stopped. Lehtinen continued the string of backhand moves, but he tried to cross up Roy by sending it five- hole. Roy snuffed it. Peter Forsberg: Missed. Petey ripped a slap shot high and wide of the right post. Mats Sundin: Scored. Roy lunged out to pokecheck and stacked the pads the way Brodeur did earlier, but again the ploy failed, as Sundin pulled it to his backhand and scored. Teemu Selanne: Stopped. Selanne drew Roy to the ice with a forehand move and held the puck before trying to fire a shot upstairs. But St. Patrick reached up with his glove and swatted it out of the air. It was probably the save of the night. GROUP 6 Dominik Hasek: Six saves. Brian Leetch: Stopped. Tried to go high glove side with a wrist shot. Scott Niedermayer: Missed. Fired a wrist shot wide of the left post. Joe Sakic: Missed. Sakic held the puck forever, waiting until he was right on top of Hasek before blistering a quick wrister over his glove. While the shot beat Hasek, it didn't beat the crossbar. Mark Recchi: Stopped. Hasek pokechecked the puck away as Recchi was trying a backhand move. Wayne Gretzky: Stopped. Gretzky floated a weak wrist shot up high that Hasek caught with his left arm. Theo Fleury: Stopped. Theo caught Hasek going down too early and tried to go top shelf with a wrist shot. But even though he was practically on his stomach, Hasek reached up with his glove and snagged the puck. Hasek needed to stop all six of his shots to send the competition to an overtime shootout, and he came through like a champ. So with the overall competition tied at 11-11, each team selected one shooter to try and break the deadlock. The World went first and chose Jagr to go up against Roy. This was a titanic matchup. Jagr wasn't going to just take a wrist shot this time around. He held the puck, turned it over a few times, and then darted to his forehand and wristed one high short-side. Roy followed the play beautifully and slid across to the post in exceptional butterfly position. But it wasn't enough to stop Jagr's shot. The puck somehow squeezed through Roy and put the World ahead 12-11. Presented with a do-or-die situation and facing a goaltender that just stoned six breakaways, the North American team turned to the best clutch scorer in the game. That would be none other than Joe Sakic. The $17-million man streaked in on Hasek, pulled the puck to his backhand, and flipped a shot upstairs that hit the Dominator's glove and skipped into the net to tie the contest at 12-12. Aw, that's just Sakic being Sakic. Sakic's goal meant another round of sudden death. The World team sent up Teemu Selanne. The Finnish Flash is tremendous on breakaways. In his vast arsenal of weapons, he has what I think is the best breakaway move. It's a classic where he sells a wrist shot by getting up on one leg and throwing a head fake before pulling the puck backhand. While this would have been a perfect time to use it, Selanne went with a slight variation of the move. He didn't even bother to get up on one leg. He simply cruised in, deked forehand with a head fake, and pulled the puck to his backhand before beating Roy up under the bar. The goal was amazing. North America once again had its back to the wall. But Sakic had already went. So Mike Modano was elected. Modano made his way in on net and didn't really do a whole lot to disguise what he was going to do. He just fired a wrist shot high glove side that Hasek devoured with his catcher. The save gave the World team a 13-12 victory. The winners split a $90,000 purse... that doesn't mean, like, a lady's handbag worth $90,000... but rather a total cash prize of $90,000. Hasek also won the goaltending competition. Here are the final goaltending numbers: Dominik Hasek 13 saves Ed Belfour 11 saves Olaf Kolzig 11 saves Patrick Roy 11 saves Martin Brodeur 8 saves Nikolai Khabibulin 7 saves Wow, this article was huge. I think I mentioned everything of importance that happened. There were a few really cool moments: Sakic and Forsberg going at it in the puck control relay; Bure and Amonte motoring around the rink in the skating competition; MacInnis breaking the century mark; the beautiful breakaway goals by Ozolinsh, Kamensky, Jagr, Selanne, and Sakic; and the big saves from Hasek. That's about it. I'm tired. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ALL-STAR GAME RECAP ----------------------------------------------------------------- by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief Going into the 48th Annual All-Star game this weekend in Vancouver, there was a lot of hype that this All-Star Game would be different than the ones that came before. This year, inspired by the Olympics, the NHL adopted a new North America versus the World format. The idea was that the game would be more intense due to international pride. Well, um, maybe... North America prevailed over the World, 8-7, Sunday afternoon, despite Teemu Selanne scoring a hat trick and earning MVP honors in the losing effort. The game was pretty darn entertaining, just for the simple fact that no one played the trap. But it really wasn't as intense as some would have liked. It was pretty much the standard All-Star outing. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Bodychecks were few and far between. Everyone was over passing. There were three penalties called by referee Paul Stewart, but all were of the accidental variety. So all and all, the United Nations would be proud. Peace ruled the land. It didn't take long for the World team to get on the scoreboard. With the game less than a minute old, Scott Stevens attempted to play the puck up the left wing boards in his own zone and gave it away to Saku Koivu. The little Finn quickly moved it ahead to Selanne who was all alone in front of Patrick Roy at the right post. Selanne wasted little time in turning the puck to his forehand and sliding a shot between Roy's pads for the 1-0 lead just 53 seconds into the contest. Jaromir Jagr stretched the World's advantage to 2-0 at 2:15 of the opening period. Dmitri Mironov hammered a shot on net from the center point that Peter Bondra deflected in front. Roy managed to stop the initial shot but couldn't control the rebound. Jagr pounced on it near the right post and snapped it home. The World onslaught continued just 1:45 later when Selanne busted in on right wing and piped a shot high short-side past Roy. Piped is an accurate description since the puck actually struck the middle bar in the top of the net and caromed out before anyone realized it was in. Selanne knew and raised his arms, but play continued for several minutes without a stoppage. When the play was finally reviewed, Selanne was rightfully awarded his second goal of the game. Falling behind 3-0 in the game's first four minutes wasn't exactly part of the North American gameplan. Luckily, it didn't take long for the North American stars to respond to the challenge. Just 13 seconds after Selanne made it 3-0, John LeClair barged around Sergei Zubov on right wing and buried a shot between Dominik Hasek's pads to give the North American squad life. The unit of LeClair, Wayne Gretzky, and Eric Lindros picked up the tempo and carried the momentum for the rest of their shift. Then the line of Mike Modano, Keith Tkachuk, and Theo Fleury came out and dominated, further establishing the North American presence. Fleury created a glorious scoring chance, taking command of the puck behind the net and centering to a wide open Modano in the slot. Mikey Mo got rid of his shot in a hurry, but Hasek caught it in his stomach. A few moments later Joe Sakic, Mark Recchi, and Shayne Corson also had the World team on its heels, forcing Hasek to make a lunging save on Sakic at the left post to deny a sure goal. It wasn't long before the pressure turned into a power-play chance for the North Americans. Slava Fetisov got called for cross-checking Mark Messier at 10:04. Calling it a cross-check might be a bit strong, but either way it was two minutes for Fetisov. The North Americans made the advantage count when Keith Tkachuk deflected a Chris Chelios point shot between Hasek's pads at 10:50 to make the score 3-2. No one is better in front of the net than Tkachuk. No one. It's a joy to watch him work. The North Americans would draw even at 18:50 of the first period. Sakic chipped the puck out of the zone to Recchi along the right wing boards. The Colorado captain then exploded past Recchi in the neutral zone and took a return pass. Sakic had plenty of room to take the shot himself as he cruised down the right wing of the World zone, but he slowed up and waited for Scott Niedermayer who was coming late on the left side to create a two- on-one. Sakic made a beautiful saucer pass over the stick of Igor Kravchuk right to Niedermayer's blade and the speedy New Jersey defender one-timed a bullet past Hasek to knot the game at 3-3. While the World dominated the game's opening minutes, the North Americans controlled the final half of the frame. They ended up outshooting the World 13-7 in the opening 20 minutes. That dominance carried over into the start of the second period as Fleury gave North America a 4-3 lead at 1:53. The little Calgary sparkplug was working the puck down low with Modano and Tkachuk when the biscuit came free at the left side of the net and two World defenders overskated it. That allowed Theo to step in and sweep it past Olaf Kolzig to the far post. The World team was clearly shaken. With four unanswered goals against them and the Vancouver crowd getting involved, the once promising start was suddenly in danger of becoming a blowout the other way. Somebody had to do something. Enter Selanne. The Finnish Flash hooked up with his fellow countrymen to produce the prettiest goal of the game. Koivu darted into the North American zone on the right wing and peeled into the middle as he dropped the puck to Jere Lehtinen. The Dallas winger took a few strides down the right side and then fired a pinpoint pass cross ice to Selanne busting backdoor on left wing. The pass and Selanne arrived at the left post at exactly the same time and the game was tied 4-4. North America came back and threatened to reclaim the lead when Sakic won a puck in the left wing corner and set the table for Amonte standing alone at the top of the left circle. Amonte cranked up a big slapper and went skillet on Kolzig, ripping a shot off his cage. Kolzig was rattled for a second but recovered in time to watch Niedermayer's ensuing shot form the right point deflect into the seats. The World then got a tremendous scoring chance thanks to some over passing by the North Americans. Modano curled inside the blue line on the right side and sprung Leetch free down the left wing with a nifty cross-ice pass. Leetch was all alone for a shot but tried to center back in front. The pass missed its target and got deflected out of the zone. Kamensky turned on the jets and beat everyone to it, earning himself a clean breakaway on Belfour. The Russian weapon glided in and looked the net over before unsuccessfully trying to split Belfour's pads. The Eagle is the best at showing the five-hole and then taking it away. Selanne may have just bagged a hat trick in an All-Star Game, but Jari Kurri was still his hero. And at 12:36 of the middle frame, Selanne got to watch his hero put the World team back in front, 5-4. Kurri finished a play started by the cycling of Koivu and Lehtinen by walking down the left wing boards and sneaking a wrist shot under Ed Belfour's glove. It only took the North Americans 2:10 to answer back. Messier swung behind the world net from right to left and feathered a sweet pass out in front to Chelios who was cheating in from the right point. Kolzig read the play nicely and denied Chelios with a right pad save, but Lindros was camped in front and swatted home the rebound to once again tie the game at 5-5. Before the World team could collect themselves, Sakic and Tony Amonte teamed up to put North America back in front, 6-5. Sakic carried the puck in on left wing and slowed up a bit to occupy the defenseman and allow Amonte to storm wide. Sakic then floated a real wizard lead pass down low to the Chicago dynamo. With room to operate and in full flight, Amonte rocketed behind the net and attempted to wrap the puck back in front for Sakic. His attempted pass struck the blocker of Kolzig, who was sprawled out on the ice trying to cover the post, and skipped up under the crossbar for the goal. The World team would catch a break when Fleury got whistled for obstruction at 18:48 of the second. But they couldn't make the power play work in the final minute and the period ended with North America in front 6-5. The North Americans once again outshot their World counterparts in the second period, 17-11. The third period opened with the World on a power play for 48 seconds, but they just couldn't make anything happen. Just seconds after the penalty expired, Tkachuk found himself a step behind the defense chasing a bouncing puck in front of Phoenix teammate Nikolai Khabibulin. Tkachuk swung at it and of course hit it... that's who he is, that's what he does... but Khabby blocked it and covered. But Tkachuk would get revenge on Khabby a few moments later when Fleury won a faceoff in the World's left circle. Modano chased the puck down along the left wing boards and sent a magnificent pass through the slot to Tkachuk all alone in the right circle. He didn't make a mistake. 7-5 North America. North America built a seemingly insurmountable lead at 4:00 when Gretzky and Messier combined to give their club an 8-5 advantage. It was a similar play to Amonte's goal, at least at the start. Gretzky carried the puck in over the blue line with Messier on a two-on-two against Kurri and Lidstrom. As Gretzky slowed up and drew Lidstrom's attention, Messier charged to the net with Kurri right on his tail. Gretzky somehow managed to slip a pass down low past Kurri to Messier. The Moose, who was quickly running out of real estate by the time he collected the pass, did what few others could and roofed a backhander short-side over Khabibulin's shoulder. That's not fair. Messier's goal brought the Vancouver crowd to its feet and kicked the World team in the belly. It didn't look good for the guys with greencards. But this wily pack of foreigners had spunk. They weren't about to give up. At 7:03 they drew within two at 8-6 when Kravchuk crashed the net and knocked the rebound of a Kamensky slap shot past Martin Brodeur. Just 2:41 later, Igor Larionov moved in down the right wing and threw a rather harmless looking shot to the net from the outer half of the circle. Brodeur was in position but Igor's shot somehow found its way through his body and made the game 8-7. Oh yes, that World team had spunk. With just over 10 minutes left in regulation, the World's comeback was in full force. But the North Americans didn't panic. One of the reasons they stayed calm was that they had Scott Stevens back on defense. El Diablo's captain was a rock on the blue line, busting up several World scoring chances down the stretch. The best came when Mats Sundin tried to orchestrate a two-on-one in tight only to have Stevens knock his attempted pass down and clear the puck to safety. The World came close to tying it with just under four minutes left in regulation when Ziggy Palffy gained the North American stripe on the left wing, pulled up, and spotted Kurri coming late. Kurri dropped the hammer on a one-timer from the top of the right circle that Brodeur flopped to the ice to stop. The puck slipped behind him and was sitting out in the open when Chelios tried to reach in and tuck the loose biscuit under his netminder. But stuff doesn't always go as planned. Chelios got bumped and he ended up knocking the puck towards the open net, but luckily the pill drew iron and slid behind the cage. Weight would open the door for the World team at 16:32 when he tripped Selanne at center ice. The World club went with its hot hand and sent out its Finns to work the power play. Selanne, Lehtinen, and Koivu were up front with Kurri and Lidstrom, the lone Swede, at the points. North America countered with Gretzky and Messier up front and Leetch and Chelios on the back line. It was a mismatch. Gretzky, Messier, Leetch, and Chelios dominated the opening portions of the penalty. Not only did they not allow Lidstrom and the Finns a scoring chance, they created two of their own with Messier just missing a short-handed goal after a setup from Gretzky. This foursome set the tone and the North Americans killed the penalty without the World team even getting a sniff of the net. The North Americans went on to dominate the final minutes of the game. They kept the World team bottled up in their own zone, cycling the puck deep and prohibiting Khabibulin from getting to the bench. There were only 20 seconds left in the game when Khabby was finally able to get off the ice in favor of Bondra. By then it was too late. North America held on for the 8-7 victory, outshooting the World team 43-29 for the game.

Impressive Performances

WORLD Teemu Selanne (3-0-3): The Finnish Flash was a worthy MVP recipient. He was a dominant force out there. Saku Koivu (0-3-3): It was a huge game for the Finns. They did a whole lot of world shakin'. Koivu was one of the main reasons why, dancing all over the ice and making plays like a champ. Jere Lehtinen (0-3-3): The Dallas winger doesn't get much hype, but he's a tremendous all-around player. He rounded out the Finn trio that controlled the flow whenever they were on the ice. Dominik Hasek (10 saves): Hasek gave up three goals, but he was tested rather mightily over the last half of the first period and made a number of key saves. NORTH AMERICA John LeClair (1-0-1): His goal just 13 seconds after Selanne gave the World a 3-0 lead was the turning point in the game. It gave his club life and made a game of it. LeClair also helped turn the contest in North America's favor in the first period with his relentless work on the forecheck. Wayne Gretzky (0-2-2): The Great One played a pretty strong game, collecting two assists and finishing at a +3. His assist to Messier on the eventual game-winner was, like, nice or somethin'... Joe Sakic (0-2-2): Joe was all over the place. He probably created more chances than anyone else, he just couldn't finish on any of his team-high seven shots. He was especially active in the second period when he fired six pucks on the World cage. Keith Tkachuk (2-1-3): The Coyote captain showed off his mad deflection skills in the first when he waved his magic wand and knocked one out of the air past Hasek. Tkachuk is the man when it comes to deflecting pucks. He could make an instructional video and call it "How to Deflect Pucks"... or maybe "Larry"... Larry's always a good name. Theo Fleury (1-2-3): The li'l fella was his usual scrappy self. Theo's never just along for the ride. He makes an impact. Mike Modano (0-2-2): Modano teamed up with Fleury and Tkachuk to create North America's most dangerous line.

Wacky Game Fact

Ken Hitchcock was behind the World bench and lost yet another All-Star game. The Dallas head coach is 0-11 in All-Star games over the course of his coaching career. That'll suck...

Lines

World: Hitchcock was extremely clever with his lines, creating trios for each country involved. Selanne, Lehtinen, Koivu, and Kurri rotated on a Finnish line; Jagr, Holik, Bondra, and Palffy on a Czech Republic/Slovakia line; Alfredsson, Forsberg, and Sundin manned a Swedish unit; and Kamensky, Larionov, and Bure comprised a Russian triumvirate. The defensive pairings were a bit more flexible, but Kravchuk and Fetisov skated together, as did Lidstrom and Mironov, and Ozolinsh and Zubov. North America: The North American lines weren't quite as steady. Modano, Tkachuk, and Fleury stayed together the whole time. Sakic, Recchi, and Corson started out together, but Corson only played a few shifts because of a sore groin muscle and was often replaced by Messier. Gretzky played the majority of the time with Lindros and LeClair, although he did see time with Messier. That left Weight between Shanahan and Amonte. On defense, Niedermayer and Bourque were together a lot, Leetch skated with Chelios, and Stevens and MacInnis were a pretty regular pair. Darryl Sydor filled in when needed.

Closing Thoughts

The game was pretty good. It could have been better. While there were some exciting moments, overall it seemed like the guys didn't really care who won. It wasn't that they weren't trying, it's just that the things they were trying were stupid. It just wasn't good hockey. Guys were over passing and forcing plays at the blue line. There were a ridiculous amount of turnovers. At times play was as ugly as homemade shoes. And the game lacked that one defining moment, like Owen Nolan last year going head- to-head with Hasek. Rating the game on a scale of 24 to 32, with 32 being the highest, I'd give it a 28. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Fountain a Happy Hurricane ----------------------------------------------------------------- by Tricia McMillan, AHL Correspondent OK, we all know the situation with the Carolina Hurricanes. Poor marketing, no fan support, and a 90-mile drive just to get to the arena every day. It's not a pleasant circumstance for anyone, let alone a player, and the Hurricanes have their work cut out for them to acquire free agents with NHL experience. Heck, with the limited roster spots created by a shared affiliation in the AHL, Carolina has a tough time signing minor league free agents. Except for one, that is. Believe it or not, former Canucks goaltender Mike Fountain thinks being a Hurricane is just peachy. "I wasn't worried about [the situation in Carolina], I just wanted to play anywhere!" he says. After five professional seasons spent primarily at AHL Syracuse, Fountain became a free agent when Vancouver signed Arturs Irbe and felt they were set for the year. Fountain, for his part, had balked at returning to Syracuse last season and was more than happy to go team shopping. "I was very fortunate I had a lot of [team's] interest, I had five or six teams to choose from," Fountain explains. "Carolina presented the best opportunity for me to be in the NHL, that's all I really cared about. And it's a good organization." Uh, Mike? You're playing 30 miles from Hartford. Might want to keep quiet about that. In fact, Fountain wound up right back in the AHL with the Beast of New Haven, a temporary franchise in the midst of wailing Whaler fans. His first trip to the NHL this season wasn't even under remotely amenable circumstances, as Fountain had the honors of backing up Trevor Kidd while Sean Burke was, well, in jail. (Fountain has since and is currently backing up Kidd because of injuries to Kirk McLean.) But Fountain, who recently turned 26, has had another stellar season in the nets for New Haven so far, 13-14-3 with a 3.02 GAA and .895 save percentage while holding the fort behind a very young defense still learning the professional game. And he's loving it. "If I gotta be anywhere, might as well be here in New Haven," he says. "Good people and good teammates down here, so if I can't be in the NHL, I'd rather be no other place than here." Fountain has been something of a late bloomer; he didn't even lace up skates for the first time until he was eight years old, "late by Canadian standards," he notes. And while he eventually joined the crowd and because a follower of Patrick Roy, Fountain started out as a fan of the Maple Leafs' Mike Palmateer. "A very acrobatic goalie, I liked his style." The North York, Ontario native worked his way through the OHL junior system by way of Oshawa and Sault Ste. Marie, winning OHL All-Star honors in 91-92 and earning a place on the 1992 Canadian World Junior squad. "It's a good experience overall, seeing a different part of the world and playing a different type of hockey," thinks Fountain. "Just the experience of actually going out of the country was enjoyable." His performance in the OHL was good enough to get him drafted by the Canucks in the third round in 1992 overall, and he stayed in Vancouver's system for five years. Nearly all of his professional career to date has been in the AHL, with two years with the Hamilton Canucks and almost three full years in Syracuse with the Crunch. Fountain holds nearly every goaltending mark for the Crunch; heck, until this season, he was pretty much the team. "You've got to play a lot when you're young, and the AHL presents a pretty good situation that way," says Fountain. "It's very important to get good, intense hockey. At this level, you get some pretty good coaches, guys like [Portland's] Bryan Trottier and [New Haven's] Kevin McCarthy, guys who have played the game and can help out a lot of young guys." When Fountain finally got the call from Vancouver, he made the opportunity count. On November 14, 1996, he became one of the few goaltenders in NHL history to record a shutout in his NHL debut, stopping 40 shots and closing out the New Jersey Devils 3-0. "Playing in my first game against New Jersey, getting a shutout - it was an incredible feeling and a good way to start off my career," he says in a classic case of understatement. Fountain went on to appear in the NHL six times last season, posting a 2-2-0 record and a solid GAA. While he hasn't actually gotten into a game with Carolina yet, he's ready for the call when it comes. "Good things'll happen to people who work hard," he explains. "That's all hockey is." ----------------------------------------------------------------- AHL NEWS UPDATE ----------------------------------------------------------------- by Tricia McMillan, AHL Correspondent Player of the Week (Jan. 11): Anaheim sent Matt Cullen back to the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks for conditioning after he spent one too many games in the press box. Cullen responded with multi-goal games in three of his first four games back in the AHL and went on to win the POTW. Cullen had seven goals and three assists in four games during the week, including a short-handed goal and a four-point night against Kentucky. Cullen continued his tear into the next week and was named to the PlanetUSA Team before being called back to Anaheim. Player of the Week (Jan. 18): For the second week in a row, an NHL press box denizen stops by the AHL for work and manages to win an award. This time it's Syracuse's Lonny Bohonos utilizing his time well, picking up 12 points in the Crunch's five games last week. Bohonos had four goals and eight assists, to include three straight games with at least three points and four multiple-point games. Bohonos had a hat trick against the Maple Leafs as well as three-assist nights against St. John's and the Amerks; the Crunch didn't lose any of the five games. He was recalled immediately after his award was announced. Goaltender of the Month (Dec.): Better late than never, but the AHL never formally announced this award to the press or public and I wouldn't have known who won it if I hadn't been at the game where the award was actually handed to the player. Hershey's Petr Franek took the honors for his December heroics, going 10-2-2 for the month and almost singlehandedly hauling the Bears out of the basement. Good (overlooked) job, Pete. All-Star Preparations: Getting into full swing, the AHL named the offiicals, the PlanetUSA Coach and both teams last week. Refereeing the matchup will be veteran ref Greg Kimmerly, with assistance from linesmen David Butova and Bill Morrissey. None have appeared in an All-Star Game before, although all have plenty of playoff experience. Kimmerly has been officiating in the AHL for four years and has done spot duty in the NHL. Butova is in his 21st year as an AHL linesman and Morrissey's been at it for 19 years. The Team Canada coach is an automatic selection - the coach of the last Calder Cup winner gets the honors, so Hershey's Bob Hartley gets the job and brings his assistant, Bob McGill. The PlanetUSA job goes to the coach with the best winning percentage as of January 20th. That would be Philadelphia's Bill Barber and his assistant Mike Stothers, whose Phantoms had a winning percentage of .733 on that date. That would also be Hershey vs. Philadelphia. Bring your fight gear. PlanetUSA: Then the teams were named. PlanetUSA is more interesting than Canada simply by virtue of diversity, with five countries being represented on the originally named team: United States (11), Czech Republic (6), Russia (3), Slovakia (2) and Great Britain (1) (The Beast of New Haven's Kevin Brown was born in England). The Hershey Bears and Kentucky Thoroughblades are represented by three players each, to include two starters each. PlanetUSA also includes six rookies and their captain will be reigning Calder MVP Mike McHugh of Hershey. The starters were picked by fan balloting, the others by the AHL coaches. PLANETUSA AHL ALL-STAR ROSTER Goaltenders Petr Franek* Hershey Bears Czech Republic Brian Boucher (R) Philadelphia Phantoms United States Robb Stauber Hartford Wolf Pack United States Defensemen Zdeno Chara* (R) Kentucky Thoroughblades Slovakia Rory Fitzpatrick* Worcester IceCats United States Rich Brennan Kentucky Thoroughblades United States Vlastimil Kroupa Albany River Rats Czech Republic Daniil Markov (R) St. John's Maple Leafs Russia Jan Nemecek Fredericton Canadiens Czech Republic Barry Richter Providence Bruins United States Forwards Craig Darby* Philadelphia Phantoms United States Josef Marha* Hershey Bears Czech Rep. Alexei Yegorov* Kentucky Thoroughblades Russia Bates Battaglia (R) Beast of New Haven United States Kevin Brown Beast of New Haven Great Britain Craig Charron Rochester Americans United States Matt Cullen Cincinnati Mighty Ducks United States Robert Dome (R) Syracuse Crunch Slovakia Michal Handzus (R) Worcester IceCats Czech Rep. Mike McHugh (C) Hershey Bears United States Jay Pandolfo Albany River Rats United States Vaclav Varada Rochester Americans Czech Rep. Vladimir Vorobiev Hartford Wolf Pack Russia * - starter (C) - captain (R) - Rookie Team Canada: Largely built from just five teams, Team Canada features three players each from Saint John, Hamilton, Springfield, Albany and Philadelphia. Their captain will be Dane Jackson, provided the Islanders loan him back to Rochester in time and there's no reason why they wouldn't. If the four goaltenders make you wonder - Jean-Sebastien Giguere is currently out with a knee injury and isn't expected back on skates prior to the game, hence he can be named to the team without logistical problems. CANADA ROSTER Goaltenders Norm Maracle* Adirondack Red Wings Jean-Sebastien Giguere (R) Saint John Flames Jean-Francois Labbe Hamilton Bulldogs Scott Langkow Springfield Falcons Defensemen Pascal Trepanier* Hershey Bears Mark Wotton* Syracuse Crunch Eric Charron Saint John Flames Jamie Heward Philadelphia Phantoms Geordie Kinnear Albany River Rats Stewart Malgunas Portland Pirates Craig Millar Hamilton Bulldogs Brad Tiley Springfield Falcons Forwards Daniel Briere (R)* Springfield Falcons Hnat Domenichelli* Saint John Flames Steve Guolla* Kentucky Thoroughblades Andrew Brunette Portland Pirates Scott Fraser Hamilton Bulldogs Dane Jackson (C) Rochester Americans Shawn McCosh Philadelphia Phantoms Brendan Morrison (R) Albany River Rats Randy Robitaille (R) Providence Bruins Stacy Roest Adirondack Red Wings Marc Savard (R) Hartford Wolf Pack Peter White Philadelphia Phantoms Peter Zezel Albany River Rats * - starter (C) - captain (R) - rookie These rosters are, of course, preliminary. A lot of the players named are presently in the NHL or likely to be recalled at any time, plus the ever-present injury factor. However, the Olympic break seems to make it probable that any player named to the All-Star Game would conveniently be demoted by his NHL team that week. Caught in a Breakdown: As long as we're talking about players in terms of nationality...Yes folks, another chart. This one tallies up the AHL's 405 players according to their country of origin. Some nit-picky things, as most players born in the former Soviet Union are listed as Russian whether they are or not (some players are from Belarus, Kazakhstan, etc.), but generally very informative. COUNTRY No. (%) COUNTRY No. (%) Canada 265 (67.2%) Norway 2 (0.5%) U.S.A. 55 (14.0%) Ukraine 2 (0.5%) Russia 24 (6.1%) Belgium 1 (0.3%) Czech Republic 20 (5.1%) England 1 (0.3%) Sweden 8 (2.0%) Poland 1 (0.3%) Finland 5 (1.2%) Switzerland 1 (0.3%) Slovakia 5 (1.2%) Nigeria 1 (0.3%) Germany 2 (0.5%) South Korea 1 (0.3%) The numbers represent an increase in the number of Canadian players in the league and a significant decline in the number of Americans. Philadelphia and St. John's each include only three nationalities on their teams, while Albany, Cincinnati, Providence, Syracuse and Worcester each have six countries represented. Skates Are Sharp Guys: A couple of teams seemed to forget that and it's cost them dearly. St. John's lost Todd Gillingham for a while when a teammate stepped on his hand during a game against Syracuse, severing tendons in Gillingham's fingers. Portland will be without Patrick Boileau until the playoffs after Boileau and Steve Poapst got tangled up during practice and Poapst stepped on Boileau's leg, severing tendons. Remember your Mom said not to play with sharp things? Remember? They Keep A-Comin': The AHL reached the two million mark on January 14, the earliest the mark has been reached. League attendance is averaging 5,484 per game and on the weekend of Jan. 16-18 it averaged over 7,300. The Phantoms drew over 17,000 for the third straight game and the Worcester IceCats brought in over 23,500 for two games the same weekend. Albany and Syracuse had their biggest games of the year and Cincinnati and Hartford had their best totals since opening night. The Wolfpack followed up by bringing in 14,115 fans on Jan. 24, more than the Whalers drew most nights. The Phantoms continue to lead the league with an average 10,317 fans per game. Whippersnappers: Five rookies are leading their respective teams in scoring: Hartford's Marc Savard, Springfield's Daniel Briere, Syracuse's Peter Schaefer, Worcester's Michal Handzus and Providence's Randy Robitaille. Albany's Brendan Morrison is second in scoring on his team. Only one rookie led his team in scoring last season: Worcester's Bob LaChance. Interestingly, only Savard and Morrison have seen time with their respective NHL clubs this season. Old Dog, New Trick: Providence Bruins assistant coach Rod Langway knew coaching the baby Bruins wasn't going to be easy, but things got pretty weird in Cincinnati Jan. 23 when Providence found itself short of defensemen: Langway activated himself and suited up. Catch was, Langway, who never wore a helmet in his NHL career, had to wear one for this game and needless to say he doesn't own one. Cincinnati coach Moe Mantha loaned him one. Langway had no points and was -1 on a reasonably regular shift. He played again the next night against Kentucky, again with Mantha's helmet, with no numerical record to speak of. Langway had company too, as Saint John Flames coach Bill Stewart was forced to suit up to give the Flames a minimum number of players for their Jan. 24 game and they still had but 15 skaters. Stewart had his own helmet. Coming or Going? (Apparently) Staying: it has been reported by some Maritime publications that the Saint John Flames and Harbour Station finally agreed on a five-year lease to keep the team in town, although nothing has been officially announced. The affiliation with Calgary is safe, since the Flames are part-owners of the franchise. Going? The St. John's Maple Leafs, on the other hand, might find themselves moving closer to their parent team - like Maple Leaf Gardens?!? The parent Leafs plan to move into a new building sometime in the next few years and are studying the feasibility of moving their farm team into the old Gardens after they depart. Toronto is a little leery of the idea given the dismal failure of the Newmarket Leafs a few years back. I Told You So: Last issue I mentioned Syracuse coach Jack McIlhargey thought - and I agreed - there ought to be a canopy over the visitor's gate in New Haven to separate the players from the New Haven rowdies - oh, I mean fans. New Haven didn't take the suggestion. The result was another incident between 'fans' and players, this time involving Fredericton's Terry Ryan and two 'fans'. All three were arrested but no other details have become public. New Haven has added security in the area and stopped selling the seats behind the visitors bench, but more needs to be done. Meanwhile, the publicity-seeking loser who precipitated the first incident with the Crunch's Paul Ferone is suing the player - because, says the whiner, he has a bruise. Poor baby. Meanwhile the Canadiens were already playing that game against the Beast sans captain Brad Brown, who seems to be having his own problems in New Haven. Brown was suspended for the third time this season just prior to the game for making an obscene gesture to the Wolf Pack bench during a Jan. 14 game. It was the second time this season Brown's been suspended for an obscene gesture, the first time occurring earlier in New Haven when the subject gesture was directed to referee Scott Zelkin. Brown has also been suspended this season for leaving the bench to join an altercation. Storming Back: The Rochester Amerks won one game out of thirteen in January and hadn't won on the road in six weeks prior to beating Worcester 3-2 Jan. 24, but it was the seventh time they had come from behind in the third period to win, more than any other team in the league. Worcester had a 2-0 lead going into the third but the Amerks tied it up on setups of Sergei Klimentiev, who was playing hurt, and then won in overtime on a play that was also set up by Klimentiev. Oh yeah, the IceCats also outshot Rochester, 45-23, but we know how much good that does anyone. Small Stuff: Adirondack's Stacey Roest celebrated his nomination to the All-Star team with two goals, including the OT game-winner, against Cincinnati... The Philadelphia Phantoms were called for a penalty in their Jan. 21 game against Portland because a Phantom left the ice for the locker room a few seconds early. Portland scored on the resulting power play... Cincinnati's Bob Wren had a goal and an assist against Hershey while playing on a sprained ankle. That performance was good for a callup... The Phantoms spotted Rochester a 3-1 lead Jan. 11 before scoring six straight goals... Adirondack's Norm Maracle stopped 24 shots in one period en route to ending Albany's 12-game unbeaten streak... Best goal differential in the league belongs to Albany, who are +47 as a whole... Adirondack's Paul Brousseau and Albany's Steve Brule are tied for the league lead with 13 power-play goals each... The St. John's Maple Leafs received a surprise when third-year player Rob Butz unexpectedly announced his retirement from hockey at age 22. He wants to be a Mountie... Adirondack's Paul Brousseau picked up a hat trick Jan. 23 against Rochester... Philadelphia and Hamilton have cumulatively outscored their opponents in all three periods... As a reward for his First Team World Junior performance for Switzerland, goaltender David Aebischer was allowed an AHL start by the Hershey Bears against Cincinnati and in addition to 25 saves, he also scored a point... Goaltender Igor Karpenko never played a game above the United Hockey League level, but Saint John desperately needed someone in net and signed him. Karpenko then shutout the River Rats, 3-0, in his first AHL start and came within nine seconds of his second shutout in three days against Fredericton, settling for a 1-1 tie... The Philadelphia Phantoms are best in division, with 16 wins in their own part of the world... The Hartford Wolf Pack were glad to get Derek Armstrong back from the Ottawa Senators. The Wolf Pack are 8-0 when Armstrong records a point... The new least penalized team in the AHL is New Haven, averaging 19.7 penalty minutes per game... Hershey captain (and PlanetUSA captain) Mike McHugh scored on a penalty shot against the Albany River Rats Jan. 16... Aaron Downey is making an impression with Providence Bruins - at the halfway point of the season, he's better than halfway to beating Dennis Bonvie's record 36 major penalties set last season... The Pittsburgh Penguins, who had claimed the Ferraro twins from waivers earlier this season, put Peter Ferraro on waivers and he was claimed back by the Rangers, who successfully cleared him and sent him to Hartford... Kentucky's Sean Haggerty scored a hat trick against Portland Jan. 17, but naturally it was Steve Guolla who got the game-winner... Guolla followed up by scoring both Kentucky goals the next night for a tie with Hamilton... Mike Pomichter was one of Springfield's best players to start the season, but after he broke his cheekbone and his wrist the Falcons released him... Fredericton is suddenly very King-like, with the additions of Los Angeles prospects Roman Vopat, Donald MacLean and Josh Green and the return of Pavel Rosa. Although a dual affiliation, LA had only a couple players on the team most of the season... Portland Pirates goaltender Martin Brochu became the franchise's winningest goalie, picking up his 31st victory... Saint John Flame Denis Gauthier, a former first round draft pick, didn't score a goal until Jan. 10 and then he scored two of them... The Phantoms and Bears played a home-and-home series Jan. 17-18 in which the first game featured no fights and the second had six fights in the first two periods. Make up your minds already... St. John's has appeared in 14 overtime games this season, tops in the league. Their 11 ties also lead the league... Problematic St. John's blueliner Greg Smyth picked up yet another game misconduct and an accompanying three game suspension from the league... That outshooting stuff remains overrated, as the Falcons outshot Portland 41-22 on Jan. 14 and still lost 4-2... St. John's got Zdenek Nedved back from loan to the Long Beach Ice Dogs and shipped out Greg Bullock to Grand Rapids for the balance of the season... For the first time in franchise history, a River Rat scored four goals in a game. Petr Sykora, on a two-game rehab stint, turned the trick against Fredericton Jan. 17 and also tied a franchise record with five points. Rookie John Madden played on the same line and tied a team record with four assists... The Worcester IceCats outshot the Fredericton Canadiens on Jan. 18 28-6...in one period. Seriously. The 'cats outshot the Habs 49-19 overall in addition to their remarkable second period and went on to win 4-2. Jose Theodore was the man under fire, making some incredible saves but still losing... The AHL saw four hat tricks in one week: Sykora's foursome, plus efforts from Kentucky's Sean Haggerty, Rochester's Scott Metcalfe, and Syracuse's Lonny Bohonos. So far there have been 30 hat tricks in the league, with two four-goal games... Extra time is popular, as eight game went into OT in one week. 92 games have gone extra this year and 38 of those resulted in a win. St. John's has gone extra 14 times, New Haven just four. Philadelphia has won six, Providence has lost five... Albany rookie John Madden leads AHL rookies with a +21 rating... Hamilton leads the league in road victories and shutouts, and have won more games on the road than at home... Vaclav Varada's nine game goal scoring streak was snapped upon his return to Rochester, but he scored again the next night... Cincinnati's Matt Cullen went back to Anaheim with a seven-game goal scoring streak and teammate JF Jomphe has an eight-game assist streak still alive... The Hershey Bears have scored 59 power-play goals and are on pace to top 100, the only team in the AHL likely to do so... Kentucky's Steve Guolla has his point streak up to 17 games, longest active in the league and tied with Christian Dube for longest of the season... The Phantoms' home winning streak is up to nine games... Peter Ferraro has six points in three games since joining the Hartford Wolf Pack... The Beast of New Haven killed off 26 consecutive power plays... When the hapless Providence Bruins defeated Worcester Jan. 17, it was the P-Bruins' first road win since Dec. 6... The Wolfpack and the Bruins played the better part of a game sans PA system. No one knew how to turn it on... Worcester's Erich Goldmann is going to the Olympics as a member of the German team...but the Germans may wish to reconsider. Goldmann hasn't had a point in his last 26 games... ----------------------------------------------------------------- Maul at the Mall Update ----------------------------------------------------------------- by Michael Dell, Editor-in-Chief Now little more than a week away, the preparations for the Maul at the Mall are continuing right on schedule. For those of you not aware of the impending titanic tussle, I have challenged Peter Karmanos, the owner of the Carolina Hurricanes, to a fight. If I win, LCS takes over ownership of the Hurricanes. We would then immediately move the club back to Hartford and the mighty Whale would swim again! In the unlikely event that Karmanos wins, he would gain the entire LCS Hockey empire, which includes such riches as several ALF episodes on Beta cassette and a big barrel of grain alcohol. The fight is going to take place at Greengate Mall on Wednesday, February 4th. It's only fitting, seeing how Karmanos savagely ripped the Whale from their comfy confines of the Mall in Hartford. Now he will be beaten and torn asunder amidst the hustle and bustle of a similar public commerce center. While I don't expect to have much trouble in the fight, I have started to train for the event. Yes, it's quite the strict two- part regiment. First, I've wisely allotted myself three more hours of sleep each day, bringing my average nightly slumber to an even 18 hours. Rest is important. Second, I've begun studying video of classic fights from the past. I usually start with the episode of "Welcome Back, Kotter" when Horschak fought Carvelli and end with the flashback episode of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" when Rob becomes the boxing champ of his army camp under the name "Pitter Patter" Petrie. Aw, that's good stuff. Needless to say, we'll have coverage of the Maul at the Mall in the next issue of LCS, which is due out on Tuesday, February 10. We're trying to get Joe Rossi and Dennis Price, the two guys that covered the Happy Birthday Baby Jesus Tournament for us, to chronicle the fight. Hopefully we can get that worked out. All that leaves is the tale of the tape. Here's how things look heading into the fight. As always, in order to not offend our more sensitive readers, expletives have been replaced with forms of the word sunshine.

THE CHALLENGER

MICHAEL "THE BUTCHER" DELL Born: Greensburg, Pennsylvania Age: 22 Height: 5'10" Weight: 140 pounds Reach: 31"

THE CHUMP

PETER "THE PIG" KARMANOS Born: Under a rock. Age: He's an old sunshine. Height: How high can you stack sunshine? Weight: He's a big, fat sunshine. Reach: He's a stubby-armed mother sunshiner. See Website for Official Fight Poster ----------------------------------------------------------------- BADABOUM FOUND ----------------------------------------------------------------- by LCS Hockey After over a year of searching, it seems we may have finally found Badaboum! Recently a Mr. Steve Potvin wrote and informed us that there will be a gathering on January 29 in honor of Badaboum and the Quebec Nordiques. Here is the official notice: There will be a show about the Quebec Nordiques and their mascot, Badaboum, for Nordiques fans who live in Quebec City. Computer engineering and electric engineering students from Laval University invite everyone who loved or still love Quebec Nordiques on Thursday, Jan. 29 at 7:30 p.m. at "Les Galleries de la Capitale." For more information e-mail François Deschamps at francois.deschamps@residences.ulaval.ca. Could it be true? Has our search finally come to an end? We are feverishly trying to contact our big furry blue buddy and hope to have word from him in the near future. In the meantime, if you live in the Quebec City area, be sure to check out the bash on January 29 and let us know how it goes. Viva la Badaboum! ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- by Michael Dell, Editor-in-Chief Welcome to the rebirth of the LCS Hockey letters page. Back in the day, we used to always answer reader mail at the end of each issue. Over the years that practice went the way of the Whale because of a combination of our schedule and the vast amount of mail we received. We always answer mail, but going through and picking out letters to use in a column got to be a pain. But we're going to give it another shot. And you know why? Because we care about you, our valued readers... that's why! So keep those letters coming. TOP 50 CONTROVERSY Dear LCS, are you guys nuts? Where is Arthur Fonzarelli? How can you possibly have the Top 50 sitcom characters of all-time without the Fonz? He was the definition of the word "cool". Could you please explain to me this glaring oversight? Ed Herd Chicago, Illinois LCS: Ed, I knew it was only a matter of time before the letters started pouring in about the Fonz. Sure enough, yours was just one of many. Granted, Fonzie is a television icon. And he was quite cool... for the first few seasons. But by the time "Happy Days" ended its 10-year run (1974-84), it was one of the lamest shows in television history. Fonzie was, like, a 40-year-old guy still walkin' around in his leather jacket and trying to act like he was cool. It was sad. Sadder still was when he dropped the jacket and grew a beard and tried to be a teacher at Jefferson High. That's weak. The Fonz was the perfect argument for dying young. If "Happy Days" had only run for six years and went off the air when Richie left the show in 1980, the Fonz, and probably Richie for that matter, would have made the countdown. But the last four seasons of the show were so repugnant, that it completely destroyed any fondness I had for it. And truth be told, even in the days of Richie the show wasn't exactly one of the best examples of the genre. It often fell back on formulaic plots and generic endings. It also used a number of hackneyed TV traditions best left off screen; such as the concept of flashback episodes -- where clips from old shows are run in favor of new writing; the fish-out-of-water premise -- taking the core characters out of their normal environment for no reason other than to have wacky adventures; introducing new recurring gimmick characters for cheap jokes; and, the worst sin of all, mixing serious themes into the sitcom format. All things considered, "Happy Days" was a brutal show. The only thing that saved it was the strong performances of Ron Howard and Henry Winkler. But in the end, even their brilliance isn't enough to overcome the weight of the show's mediocrity. Your list has one huge omission. No, it's not Grant Fuhr. You missed Dan Fielding from "Night Court." That character has proven to be a man that all men can base their life around. He is a hero and my inspiration. I often lie awake at night watching old reruns of "Night Court." When the Dan speaks, I listen. His every word is holy and right. Troy McClure Parts Unknown LCS: Dan was an okay guy and all, but too much of his humor was one note. And cheap one note at that. If I had to take someone form Night Court, it would probably be Harry's dad, Buddy. "But I'm feeling much better now." That was always a good line. But overall, "Night Court", while it had its moments, wasn't really one of the great shows. It dealt more in caricatures than characters. What! No Arnold Ziffle? Mr Haney? Eb? His brother had a brooder, ya know. His sister had a blister!. Man, what an oversight. Joe Greco Parts Unknown LCS: The characters of "Green Acres" were given some consideration, but just couldn't quite make the cut. Perhaps the Top 50 was best summed up by LCS associate Todd Teacher. Upon hearing that Juan Epstein was only ranked 43rd, Todd replied, "That's a tough list." Amen to that, brother. CAN'T FIND LOST ISSUE If I ever see that leprechaun, I'll kick his little Irish nads to his gizzard. Me thinks he need be a little less cryptic in regards to clues. C'mon, evil foes surround us and I've tried pig for Karmanos and then for you know who... and a fart is the only evil wind I know etc. etc. Please, Ron LaChapelle Parts Unknown LCS: It's astounding the number of people that can't decipher the Lost Issue limerick. It's not really that tricky. Don't make things more complicated than they are. I'd break it down line-by-line for you, but then that would be too easy. And after all, the issue needs to be lost, not merely misplaced. Just keep in mind the mysterious directory name is made up of three items and a total of 13 letters. And while Karmanos is a pig, he's not the evil foe in question. That distinction belongs to another hockey publication. C'mon, Ron, I know you can do it buddy! Keep hope alive! GARY COLEMAN Where is he at present, I understand he was sick? Thanks for your help, Barry Sutton Ireland LCS: While Gary Coleman is our spiritual advisor, we don't actually keep in touch with him. I haven't heard anything about him being sick, tho'. Last time I saw him was this past summer when he did a baseball commercial for ESPN along with Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa. SHANE DOAN Someone has told me Shane Doan is no longer affiliated with the Coyotes. Can you provide me his status? Thanks for the help and I really enjoy LCS... Chris Malitsky Parts Unknown LCS: Unless something nutty happened that I missed, Shane Doan is still affiliated with the Coyotes. He's just playing for their minor league club, the Springfield Falcons of the AHL. At the time of this writing, Doan had 16 goals and 33 points in 31 games with Springfield. PATRICK LALIME Where is Patrick Lalime these days? Did he ever come to terms with the Penguins? And what about Petr Skudra, is he better than Lalime? Thanks, Jerry Hubbard Fernwood, Ohio LCS: First off, Patrick Lalime still has not come to terms on a new deal with the Penguins and remains their property as a restricted free agent. A few weeks back Lalime signed a minor-league deal with the Grand Rapid Griffins of the IHL. In 13 games with Grand Rapids, Lalime is 3-6-3. That may not sound too impressive, but he is sporting a goals-against average of 2.10 and a .931 save percentage. He's played one fewer game than the minimum requirement to rank among the league leaders, otherwise he would be near the top in both categories. As for who's better, Lalime or Petr Skudra, it's not even close. Lalime is the man. The kid is just a good goaltender. At 23, he still has a chance to be a star in the NHL before his career is over. He just has to stay focused on making it back to the big show. I don't blame him for not signing with the Penguins over the summer. They only offered him a two-way deal, meaning he would make two different salaries depending on whether he was playing in the NHL or the minors. Considering all he did for the team last season, that was a slap in the face. And Lalime knew Tom Barrasso and Ken Wregget were going to be the top two goalies in town, so it was obvious he was going to start the year in the minors. That might have been acceptable with a normal contract, but not a two-way ticket. So Lalime eventually settled for a minor-league deal with Grand Rapids for pretty much what the Penguins were offering on the two-way end of their contract, reportedly around $60,000. Except when Wregget went down with a back injury, Lalime wasn't around to step in and be Barrasso's backup. That right there makes his holdout look like a bad decision. But it was more of a pride thing than money. That backup job fell to rookie Petr Skudra. The 25-year-old Latvian netminder came to training camp as pretty much a walk-on and earned a contract. Skudra is more acrobatic than Lalime, but he's not a better goaltender. In fact, Skudra's flexibility and reflexes are on par with guys like Curtis Joseph and Grant Fuhr. But while he has the tools, he doesn't have the toolbox to put 'em in. Skudra lacks the fundamentals. His angle play is brutal. He plays way too deep in his net and relies solely on his reflexes to stop shots. It's not uncommon to see him with his back against the crossbar when he makes a save. That style can catch a team by surprise the first time through the league, but it wouldn't last. As soon as he faced a club for the second time, or played a team with some truly talented shooter, Skudra would have been ripped up. With Wregget and Barrasso now healthy, Skudra has returned to Kansas City of the IHL for more seasoning. Unlike Skudra, what makes Lalime so great is his technique. He's absolutely perfect in his butterfly positioning. If you like goaltending, it's a joy to watch this kid play. When he goes down in the block it's butterfly perfection... pads spread low, stick blade on the ice, arms in, and torso upright. And he's aggressive in challenging shooters, he doesn't just sit back in his crease and wait for the shot. Lalime got a bad rap at the end of last season because he had a few terrible outings in a row. But by that time he was just exhausted. At one point he started 19 straight games and then had a severe bout with the flu that cost him ten pounds off an already slight frame. Throw in a ridiculous Penguin defense that was giving up nearly 40 shots a night, and even Patrick Roy would have shown signs of fatigue. Butterfly goaltenders, since so much of their game is based on angle play and going down, need a tight defense in front of them that won't allow the extra pass that hangs them out to dry. The Penguins just didn't provide that for Lalime last season. When they did, he was as good as it gets. If Lalime was playing this year with Kevin Constantine's new and improved defense-first Penguins, he would be rolling up big numbers and everyone would be talking about the next future star netminder. As it is, he's trapped in the minors riding a bus every other day with no end in sight. Here's hoping he gets a second chance at stardom. He deserves it. MAD BRICKS Hey LCS, let's just say that there's this stack of bricks with five bricks in the top row and three more bricks in each successive row down to the ground. Like, if there are, oh I don't know, 33 rows in all, how many bricks are there in the whole stack? Thanks, Joanne Boscarino Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania LCS: 1749 bricks. WANNA BE A REF I need information on how to become an NHL referee. Thanks for your time. Sincerely, Nita Samuels Parts Unknown LCS: That's like the best straight line in the world, but some jokes are just too easy. I have no idea how someone would go about becoming an NHL referee. But I suspect you'd have to go about it the same way you do any other gig: start at the bottom and work your way up. This isn't something you can just go and do on the spur of the moment. As difficult as it is to believe, there are actually people out there who dream about being an NHL referee and work at it as hard as the players with similar aspirations. My advice would be to start at a local level doing high school games and pick-up leagues and whatnot, then move up to the collegiate level or semi-pro ranks. After a few years you might catch someone's eye and stockpile enough experience to earn a tryout with one of the more established minor leagues. From there I'd try and get in the AHL, since the majority of NHL officials are culled from the AHL ranks. Then you're just a step away. The NHL monitors the progress of officials in the various levels of hockey and has a program to help them develop. I'm not sure if he still does it, but former NHL linesman Will Norris used to be the coordinator of the development program. Back in 1996, the league had 23 officials in the program. Norris would travel around and chart their progress. He looked to evaluate the subjects in four vital areas: Physical ability, Skating, Mentality, and Concentration. So pay close attention to those aspects of your job. I just can't understand why anyone would want to be an NHL referee. It is, without doubt, the hardest job in sports. You just can't win. Everything you do angers half the people involved. And you're out there all by yourself. It's not like the NFL where there's 10 of you that all huddle after every call. You could be calling a great game, but if you miss one hook you're a bum. It's just the nature of the business. It's hard to explain just how difficult a job it is, at any level of competition, unless you've actually ever done it. My advice to you, my friend, is forget about being a ref. Instead, quit your job and join the circus... carny folk are good people. RINK SIZE Trying to find out the exact measurements of an official NHL rink and I'm having trouble. Can you help? Paul Epstein Phoenix, Arizona LCS: The standard NHL rink is 200 feet long and 85 feet wide. If you need more detailed descriptions of each and every aspect of the ice surface, check out an official NHL rulebook. We used to have one but it was lost when, after watching a Cheech and Chong movie, I accidentally tried to smoke it. However, LCS Hockey does have a rulebook on our web site. http://www.lcshockey.com/archive/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- More Stuff... ----------------------------------------------------------------- by Michael Dell, Editor-in-Chief Um, here's some stuff I didn't feel like writing a whole article about... ALL-STAR GAME THOUGHTS First off, the new All-Star jerseys are pimp smooth. It's nice to see a return to classic styles and classic colors. The flags on the upper right chest were a swell touch. If anyone would like to send us jerseys, please, feel free. It's just too bad the game wasn't quite as nice as the sweaters. While the game was a refreshing change from the constant trapping, hooking, and clutching of a normal NHL contest, that doesn't mean it was good hockey. The new World vs North America format didn't bring any added intensity to the festivities. Instead everybody just skated around half-heartedly looking to make the perfect play. I lost track of turnovers about eight minutes into the second period. What is it about All-Star games that suddenly makes great players so stump dumb? Just because it's an All-Star game doesn't mean you have to make a play on the rush every time. There's nothing wrong with a wise dump-in. There's a fine line between playing wide-open and playing stupid. Unfortunately, not many All-Stars knew the difference. MINNESOTA LAME The new Minnesota expansion franchise has selected a name. If you haven't heard it yet, prepare to be sickened. The team will actually be known as the Minnesota Wild. I'll give you a second to soak that in. The Minnesota Wild. Oh boy... Exactly what the hell is wrong with these people? Could that name be any more gay? It's just pathetic. And, of course, the NHL approved it because, well, the league is a pack of idiots. They think it's hip and cool. Well guess what? It's not. It's gay. And now the future of the sport has to live with it. Nice job! Way to make a mockery of a once proud game! The NHL is so weak it's embarrassing. The league is like the 42- year-old dad who takes his teenager to the mall and tries to fit in by dressing grunge and using popular slang. Yeah, that's great dad. Now go home and listen to your Rolling Stone records and wax your BMW... and how about moving the damn Whale back to Hartford, you lousy piece of... but I digress. SCORING SOLUTIONS When not busy granting expansion teams gay names, the NHL is considering ways to open up the games and increase scoring. There's actually been talk of making the nets bigger. Yes, these are great minds at work. While LCS would give approval to dumping the two-line pass, since it is an evil tool of the Trap, the game doesn't need a drastic overhaul. All it needs is for the league to enforce the rules already on the books. Bobby Clarke recently came out and said the very same thing. That Clarke guy is smart like that. "The trap we're seeing is illegal," Clarke was quoted as saying. "According to the rule book, you can't face a player and impede his progress. You can only check him if you're skating in the same direction." See, that's if the league enforced the rules. But it doesn't. By the letter of the law, there could be an interference call made every trip up ice. And that's why the league refuses to call it, because there will be too many penalties. So instead of trying to correct the problem, the league lets it fester and the fans paying $50 a ticket get to watch games that would cure insomnia. Calling the interference rule by the letter of the law is the only way to clean this mess up. Sure, at first there will be a ton of calls made. But the players will adjust, just as they adjusted to the current state of affairs by learning to grab everyone in sight without fear of punishment. The league is also considering the ever-increasing problem of ties. There's just too many damn ties these days. When the Colorado Avalanche has 16 of 'em, there's a problem. While calling interference would cure most of the grief, the term shootout has once again reared its ugly head. Let's set the record straight once and for all, shootouts are not cool. Hockey's a team game. It shouldn't be decided in a one-on-one confrontation totally removed from its normal framework. If you want fewer ties, how about extending the overtime to a normal 20-minute period? Yeah, it'll mess with travel plans and will take its toll on players, but how many teams are going to be willing to remain patient and play the trap for another full 20 minutes in order to escape with a single point? Not many. Teams would be sending guys in deep to try and get the winner. And even if a club would choose to go the safe route and stay true to a disciplined system, fatigue will likely catch up to 'em and force a few mistakes. Five minutes just isn't long enough. I could piss five minutes right here. I don't even know what that means... ================================================================= TEAM REPORTS ================================================================= EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION ----------------------------------------------------------------- FLORIDA PANTHERS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Bryan Murray Roster: C - Ray Whitney, Kirk Muller, Rob Niedermayer, Dave Gagner, Steve Washburn, Chris Wells. LW - Johan Garpenlov, Viktor Kozlov, Bill Lindsay, Radek Dvorak. RW - Scott Mellanby, Ray Sheppard, Dino Ciccarelli, Tom Fitzgerald. D - Robert Svehla, Gord Murphy, Ed Jovanovski, Paul Laus, Terry Carkner, Rhett Warrener, Jeff Norton, Dallas Eakins. G - John Vanbiesbrouck, Kevin Weekes. Injuries: Rob Niedermayer, c (three weeks, knee surgery); Panthers Fans (out-for-season, injured pride). Transactions: Recalled Kevin Weekes, g, from Fort Wayne Komets IHL. Acquired Dino Ciccarelli, rw, and Jeff Norton, d, from Tampa Bay in exchange for Mark Fitzpatrick, g, and Jody Hull, rw. Standings: Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA New Jersey 50 31 15 4 66 148 102 Philadelphia 48 27 12 9 63 144 104 Washington 50 25 17 8 58 142 127 NY Rangers 50 16 21 13 45 127 137 Florida 51 15 25 11 41 125 149 NY Islanders 50 16 27 7 39 127 145 Tampa Bay 49 9 32 8 26 87 160 Game Results: 01/12 at Colorado L 3-1 01/14 at Phoenix L 2-3 01/21 at Anaheim L 8-3 01/22 at Los Angeles L 3-1 01/24 at San Jose T 1-1 TEAM NEWS by Eric Seiden "It's a hockey night in South Florida, and here come your Panthers," screamed the announcer. Or he would have had the Panthers had any home games. Instead he stayed home and screamed epithets at the television set in the wee hours of the morning during the Panthers' two-part road trip. Clearly the western road trip wore hard on the Panthers, as they posted a perfect record. That is, to be accurate, a perfectly awful record. They didn't win a single game. Nothing showed it worse than the poor shell-shocked goalies in the game against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim where the defense failed to appear and the goalies (both Vanbiesbrouck and Weekes) fell under the onslaught of pucks. The big news, though, was not the Panthers, whose stench clouded the state. The big news was a mammoth trade. The Panthers acquired long-in-the-tooth veteran RW Dino Ciccarelli in a four-player deal with Tampa. Seeking to help the struggling offense, the Florida Panthers acquired Ciccarelli and defenseman Jeff Norton in exchange for Mark Fitzpatrick, who has been a pouting, petulant malcontent (he was tossed from a recent practice), and Jody Hull. The 37-year-old Ciccarelli rejoins Panthers head coach Bryan Murray, having played for him in both Washington and Detroit. He has 11 goals and six assists with 42 penalty minutes in 34 games this season (as of the date of the trade). "He's a gritty, competitive guy," said Murray. "He brings offense and determination. He will be a real good example to the rest of our players." Dino's presence also means John Vanbiesbrouck, at 34, is no longer the oldest player on the team. Beezer has already made several subsequent cracks about this new, obviously welcome, statistic. Ciccarelli ranks fourth among active players and ninth all-time with 597 goals. He has also recorded 580 assists for 1,177 points with 1,370 penalty minutes in 1,190 career games and 18 seasons with Minnesota, Washington, Detroit and Tampa Bay. The four-time All-Star also has collected 118 points in 141 career playoff games. Overall, most people think Ciccarelli will be a good fit for the team. Of course now I have to learn to spell his name. Three c's, two l's. I'll get it eventually. Norton, in his 11th season, was the leading Lightning defensemen with 10 points (four goals, six assists) and had a team-high four power-play goals in 37 games. The 1988 U.S. Olympian has compiled 46 goals and 271 assists with 466 penalty minutes over 572 career games with the New York Islanders, San Jose, St. Louis, Edmonton and Tampa Bay. "He's a skilled defenseman, a very, very good skater who moves the puck well," said Murray of Norton. "He'll help our power play and our mobility on the blue line." Fitzpatrick and Hull were both original Panthers. As part of the trade, Florida also recalled goaltender Kevin Weekes rom Fort Wayne of the International Hockey League. The 22-year-old is 9-2-0 with a 2.64 GAA and .924 save percentage with the Komets, and also went 0-0-1 with a 1.95 GAA in four appearances with Florida earlier in the season. Some number shuffling will happen to accommodate the new players: Ciccarelli will wear #22. Washburn is moving back from #22 to #17. Kozlov will be moving back to #25 from #17. "This is the other part of the trade that's very important," added Murray. "Kevin Weekes has gone to Fort Wayne and has been an outstanding goaltender at that level. He deserves the chance to play in the National Hockey League. We would not have been able to protect Mark Fitzpatrick in the upcoming expansion draft." Murray didn't mention that the contract negotiations with Vanbiesbrouck have not been going well. Word is out that the Panthers are looking for another goalie for next season, most likely the venerable Curtis Joseph who will be an unrestricted free-agent. Local fans are wondering why not keep Beezer, who at any price will still be less than CuJo. Murray put his foot in his mouth when he was quoted in the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel as saying, "Kevin is a quality guy. He's an NFL goaltender. He's not a minor league goaltender and he deserves to play." Yes, that's right the Panthers have acquired a goaltender from the National Football League. Speaking of Murray, the most disturbing news this week comes from Bill Torrey who said, "Murray's job is not on the line." And why the hell not? The Panthers (Murray) fired MacLean for the same thing: losing badly. And frankly, the fans liked MacLean much better. "He's going to coach the rest of the season," said Torrey. "At the end of the year, we'll sit down." This despite the fact Torrey and Murray clearly said Murray was in the job only temporarily. The Herald quotes Murray as saying, "We need some grit. And maybe we had lost that." Hey, Murray that was Skrudland, Smith, and others you traded away needlessly. Hey butt-munch, whose fault was it the Panthers lost their grit? Yours. Lately Murray just pisses everyone off. He's not winning friends in Florida. For the first time in recent memory, team captain Scott Mellanby has done something, at least on the surface, to make himself possibly worthy of the sew-on letter "C" he wears. After the game with the LA Kings, he called a closed-door meeting. This is the first mention since early in the season that he has done anything worthy of his captaincy. Maybe if he continues to act like a captain he will be worthy of the letter. Alright, fans don't expect him to be Skrudland anytime soon, but the biggest objection was that he didn't act like a captain: here's a start. Good show. Maybe it'll work -- we'll see. The rumor mill has been rampant (see the bottom of this column). However what isn't a rumor is a Jovanovski trade possibility: "Montreal Canadiens' pro scout Mario Tremblay was at 10 consecutive Panther games. Penguins' assistant GM Ed Johnston was at eight straight Panthers' games. Both were interested in obtaining Eddie Jovanovski." In reply to this, many Panther fans hope they work out a deal for our consistently erring JovoFlop. Bill Torrey admitted that Ed Jovanovski "has made mistakes" in the Miami Herald but didn't go as far as to say there was a trade in the works. In hockey news, in the game against the Avalanche, fan favorite Billy Lindsay played his 400th NHL game. The game against Phoenix was notable for being Kirk Muller's 1000th NHL game of his career. "Its a nice milestone. It definitely makes me proud," he said afterward. The game that followed in Anaheim was notable only in that Anaheim broke team records on the plus side, and Florida broke team records on the minus side. It was sort of reminiscent of the Boston game earlier this year where the Panthers romped. The LA Kings game was a solid contest, though clearly the Panthers are almost as weary as their beleaguered fans. As for San Jose, it was a hard fought battle. However it was a significant note that the only goal was scored by Dino Ciccarelli, and assisted by two other newcomers: Norton and Kozlov, both former Sharks. LOCAL MEDIA COMMENTS: This week's choice comments courtesy of Greg Cote. "Dino Ciccarelli? Old? Not at all. Although I would point out (and not a lot of people know this) that when Ciccarelli first joined the NHL, hockey players didn't use skates, they used skis. Ice hadn't been invented yet." ".... The newest Panther in temp-coach Bryan Murray's grand-plan: Code Name: desperation -- isn't old. No. Bob Hope is old. Dino Ciccarelli? He's vintage." On Ciccarelli: "The best right wing since Rush Limbaugh." On goaltending: "You have a glorified minor leaguer in Kevin Weekes. This is not a problem unless Vanbiesbrouck is out. Then suddenly Florida has what might be the Weekest goaltending in the league." THE RUMOR THAT WILL NOT DIE: The Sergei Fedorov rumor of the week. (Let the record show I find this hilarious and not likely, however in keeping with tradition, I've managed to come up with a "real" rumor every week and have yet to make one up.) The Florida Panthers are supposedly working on a contract with Fedorov. Reports are six years for $50 million. Fedorov wants a no-trade clause and for it to be guaranteed. There is also a $17 million signing bonus which is being paid up front. The sticking point is how much he'll be paid this year. The Panthers want it to be $2 million this year and $8 million the next six. Fedorov supposedly wants $4 million this year. If the two parties agree to this deal, Detroit will trade Fedorov and Martin LaPointe to Florida for Svehla, Dvorak, Mellanby, Garpenlov and a second-round pick. This rumor makes no sense to anyone. Besides local fans are now grumbling about Fedorov's piss-poor attitude. Frankly, we don't want him. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEW JERSEY DEVILS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Jacques Lemaire Roster: C - Doug Gilmour, Bobby Holik, Bob Carpenter, Denis Pederson, Petr Sykora, Jason Arnott. LW - Dave Andreychuk, Brian Rolston, Patrik Elias, Scott Daniels. RW - Randy McKay, Steve Thomas, Krzysztof Oliwa. D - Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Lyle Odelein, Kevin Dean, Doug Bodger, Sheldon Souray, Brad Bombardir. G - Martin Brodeur, Mike Dunham. Injuries: 1/22 - Bob Carpenter, broken bone in left foot; expected to resume skating next week. Transactions: 1/15 - Assigned C Petr Sykora and LW Jay Pandolfo To Albany (AHL). 1/19 - Recalled C Petr Sykora from Albany (AHL). 1/24 - Recalled C Peter Zezel from Albany (AHL). Standings: Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA New Jersey 50 31 15 4 66 148 102 Philadelphia 48 27 12 9 63 144 104 Washington 50 25 17 8 58 142 127 NY Rangers 50 16 21 13 45 127 137 Florida 51 15 25 11 41 125 149 NY Islanders 50 16 27 7 39 127 145 Tampa Bay 49 9 32 8 26 87 160 Game Results: 1/14 Rangers W 4-1 1/20 Detroit W 3-1 1/22 Pittsburgh L 3-2 1/24 at Rangers T 3-3 1/25 at Montreal W 3-1 TEAM NEWS by Phil Aromando Dr. John McMullen, the owner of the Devils, recently lamented that he was "just tired of always being second-best." Although his comment was made in reference to the importance of the need for a new arena, it could just as easily be applied to the attitude local non-Devil fans have towards his team. Nowhere is that more in evidence than on New York sports radio giant WFAN. If you're a hockey fan, there is nothing quite like tuning into the FAN for the overnight call-in show after a Devils-Rangers game. New York sports fans are notoriously manic-depressive. But Ranger fans are uniquely so - especially when it comes to the Devils. They'll take a win against the Devils as proof of their team's innate superiority. They write off a loss as an anomaly; or qualify it, like regular caller Santo from Queens likes to, as: 'Fine, they won one - but they won't be anything until they beat us in a playoff series'. Somehow, no matter how well the Devils play, they cannot convince these stalwarts that they matter in the scheme of things. Thankfully, the Devils won the Cup in '95. Had they not, "Game 6" may have taken the place of "1940" as the most haunting chant to echo in any NHL arena. Still, Ranger fans are quick to point out that the Cup was won in a shortened season and therefore doesn't count nearly as much as walking away with it after the epic struggle of a full regular season. And last season's elimination by the underdog Rangers only reinforced the notion that the Cup win was a fluke. In effect, the Devils still have something to prove. On the ice it's a different story. Both teams respect each other's capabilities. In fact, the Devils may respect the Rangers too much. They are the only team that the Devils seem to play against with a bit of hesitation. They lose games to other teams and can play undisciplined hockey against anyone, but it seems the Rangers have the ability unnerve them. It wasn't as evident in the 4-1 win on the 14th. That win was largely due to the fact that the Devils got to rookie goaltender Dan Cloutier for three early goals and then managed to trap the game away; (it was the first game in a while where the Devils literally dropped back and willfully clogged the neutral zone from the beginning of the second period on). After Mike Richter replaced Cloutier, the Devils didn't score again. Alexei Kovalev scored the Rangers goal on the power play in the third and nearly brought them within one after a 60-foot blast knocked Brodeur down, bounced off the crumpled goalie and nearly slid into the net. Lyle Odelein alertly got to the puck and prevented it from going in. (Twice in the past week Brodeur has been knocked to the ice. In the Montreal game, Mark Recchi inadvertently kicked him in the head with his skate during a scramble in front. He stayed down a while but didn't leave the game.) The near-miss enlivened the Rangers and they forechecked aggressively throughout the third, but the Devils managed to hold them off. Brodeur only faced 19 shots and the Devils went into the All-Star Break with the best record in the conference. Last Saturday's tie game was entirely different. The Devils jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on Mike Richter at the Garden but surrendered three power-play goals in three penalty-kill situations to the resurgent Ranger power play. Only Bobby Holik's stellar play saved the game for them. He had two goals - both nice one-timers that cleanly beat Richter. His linemate Dave Andreychuk also scored. He needed it. He's been struggling to find his scoring touch. Although he's scored only nine goals so far, he's been an important forward: he's defensively conscious and he complements Holik and McKay working the puck in the offensive zone. Hard to believe but the team's best and most consistent line is composed of 2/3 of the old Crash Line. The biggest disappointment in the game was the utterly terrible penalty kill. The Devils rarely allow more than one power-play goal in a game. Less than a month ago, the team was near the top in the league. They are now eleventh. The letdown in this game could have been attributed to Bob Carpenter's absence. He normally goes out and manages the PK unit against guys like Gretzky and Leetch. Denis Pederson filled in for him. I hate to say it but John MacLean and Valeri Zelepukin were two very effective penalty killers. Their loss may be starting to be felt after all. The new Crash Line is called the Mash Unit. Composed of Scott Daniels, Denis Pederson and Krzysztof Oliwa, it's been a physical and controversial combination. They started the game against the Red Wings and Oliwa, on his first hit, knocked a pane of glass out of the boards. Daniels really got into it with PJ Stock in the Ranger game but drew criticism for head butting him. He was called classless but it doesn't seem to bother him. Look for this line to stay together for a while. They are a physically imposing bunch. Now if only one of them could convincingly win a fight. Scott Niedermayer participated in his first All-Star Weekend, won the fastest skater competition and scored a goal. Being around the league's elite had a noticeable effect. In the first game after the break, against Detroit, he sparked the Devils offense with two assists, one on a nice individual skating effort topped off by an excellent pass. He always plays well against Detroit. The Detroit game was scoreless entering the third. Sheldon Souray scored at 6:22 to break the tie. He has an exceptionally hard and accurate shot from the perimeter. The Red Wings tied it on a power play five minutes later but Jason Arnott, standing in front of the net like Dave Andreychuk, allowed the puck to deflect off his leg for the go-ahead goal. Considering the last game these teams played in December, it seemed like it was going to open up. It didn't. Detroit only managed one shot on net in the second (by Brent Gilchrist; Brodeur had to make a nice glove save), mainly because they were on the penalty kill most of the period. Doug Gilmour quietly contributed three assists. Petr Sykora returned from his most recent injury forcing Patrik Elias to sit out. Jacques Lemaire has been juggling the players that skate on the Carpenter and Gilmour lines. He seems set with the Mash Unit and the Andreychuk-Holik-McKay setup. But he hasn't set up consistent wingers for the other two lines mainly because he has an overabundance of youth in Elias, Sykora and Arnott. With Carpenter out, he played those three guys together. With Carpenter back - one of them will have to sit. He relies on Carpenter too much to scratch. Better candidates for sitting are Steve Thomas or Brian Rolston. Rolston has seen a little more offensive production of late but Thomas is struggling to generate any offense. And neither of those players can hit the net or finish off chances in close. There were at least three plays apiece over the past week where they were in and shot wide or just plain put it right in the goalie's glove. They are having a hard time finishing. The Devils may be the least glamorous "elite" team in the NHL. Look at Colorado, Detroit or Philly - each team has at least one young, dominant, name scorer on their roster. When it was revealed after the Pittsburgh game that Lou Lamoriello was attempting to lure Jaromir Jagr away from the Pens it made sense. Since adding a playmaking center like Gilmour, the next "one-player-away-from-the-Cup" issue will revolve around a finishing winger. Not that it's desperate - the Devils are scoring goals and getting a contribution from a variety of players; although of late it seems to be anyone associated with the Holik line taking the bulk of the credit. Too bad the Bill Guerin situation ended like it did. He'd still be an asset to this team. In any event, Jagr reminded the Devils just what he is capable of when the Pens beat them 3-2. Jagr scored less than three minutes into the game and assisted on Stu Barnes' eventual game-winner. He logged a ton of ice time. His heroics aside, Tom Barrasso kept the game in hand during the third period when the Devils woke up. He made exceptional stops on Bobby Holik and Dave Andreychuk in close, turning away 12 shots in the period en route to the victory. Rolston and Niedermayer scored the Devil goals. It was the second straight loss to the Penguins. You would have expected the Devils to come out as flat as they had against Pittsburgh in the Montreal game considering their rough and tumble match with the Rangers the day before. While it wasn't nearly as exciting it had its share of controversy. Early in the second period, clinging to a 1-0 lead, Bobby Holik launched a one-timer that beat Andy Moog so cleanly that it quickly popped in and out of the net. It was Holik's 22nd of the year. After play resumed, the siren went off and referee Paul Stewart was called to the scorer's box. It seems that the video review judge had a problem with Holik's goal. Stewart hung up on him saying it was clearly a goal. Not 20 seconds later, before play resumed, the siren went off again. Stewart returned to the box and realizing what it was about did not take the call. The siren went off a third time. Stewart grabbed the phone and finally convinced the judge to let it drop. Everyone could see that it was a legal goal. No one was even near the crease. As Jacques Lemaire said after the game, this type of thing could only happen in Montreal. The Devils led 2-0 going into the third and Montreal was generating little pressure. When Mark Recchi scored to bring them within one at 12:41, Montreal turned it up and Brodeur had to make a number of tough saves to keep them from tying. Moog played very well, stopping 38 shots. Only Brian Rolston's empty- netter with 20 seconds left put the game out of reach. It was the Devils' third straight win over the Canadiens this season. The Devils' win over Montreal was their 31st of the season. They are off to their best start ever. One thing is clear about their tendencies. When the Devils lead after two periods, their record is a staggering 27-1-1. When trailing after two: 1-10-2. They have only lost 15 total games to date. The Devils continue their road trip with three games in Western Canada and then one more in Ottawa before heading home for a two- game homestand (Ottawa and New York Islanders) just before Winter Break. The game of the trip will be Wednesday's against Edmonton. Arnott is sure he'll be booed; Guerin is sure it will be tough to line up across from guys he played with for a long time. Useful Banter With Bill Guerin and Valeri Zelepukin gone, the Devils now only have two players, Scott Stevens and Martin Brodeur, going to the Olympics. Since it looks like Patrick Roy will be the starting goalie, the Devils may come through Winter Break with a more rested lineup than initially planned. Martin Brodeur's familiar flaming mask may be left at home for the Olympics. He had a special one made that honors his father's contribution to the Canadian Olympic team's bronze medal winning effort at Cortina in 1956. Brodeur's father, Denis, was the Canadian goaltender. Martin is not sure if he will actually wear the mask. Ken Daneyko may return after Winter Break. He's still skating and working out on his own. There have been no developments in the Gilmour contract situation. Recent Lines Andreychuk-Holik-McKay Rolston-Gilmour-Thomas Elias-Sykora-Arnott Daniels-Pederson-Oliwa Defensive Pairings Stevens-Odelein Niedermayer-Bombardir Bodger-Souray ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEW YORK ISLANDERS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Rick Bowness Roster: C - Robert Reichel, Travis Green, Bryan Smolinski, Claude Lapointe, Sergei Nemchinov. LW - Mike Hough, Paul Kruse, Ken Belanger, Tom Chorske. RW - Zigmund Palffy, Mariusz Czerkawski, Dan Plante, Todd Bertuzzi, Steve Webb, Vladimir Orszagh, Dane Jackson. D - Scott Lachance, Bryan Berard, Dennis Vaske, Richard Pilon, Bryan McCabe, Kenny Jonsson, Doug Houda, Zdeno Chara, Jason Strudwick. G - Eric Fichaud, Tommy Salo, Wade Flaherty. Injuries: Dennis Vaske, d (concussion, indefinite); Ken Belanger, lw (surgery, out 10 weeks). Transactions: Recalled Jason Strudwick, d, from Kentucky (AHL) and Dane Jackson, rw, from Rochester (AHL). Standings: Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA New Jersey 50 31 15 4 66 148 102 Philadelphia 48 27 12 9 63 144 104 Washington 50 25 17 8 58 142 127 NY Rangers 50 16 21 13 45 127 137 Florida 51 15 25 11 41 125 149 NY Islanders 50 16 27 7 39 127 145 Tampa Bay 49 9 32 8 26 87 160 Game Results 1/20 at Chicago L 5-2 1/22 at St. Louis T 3-3 1/24 at Ottawa L 3-2 1/26 at Philadelphia L 3-1 TEAM NEWS by David Strauss So, if 1-13-2 in the last 16 games isn't enough to get you fired, I'm kind of wondering what coach Rick Bowness has on GM Mike Milbury. Sure they're friends. Sure they're buddies. But you gotta wonder if Milbury once made a pass at a hippo while drunk, and Bowness has pictures of it. Because otherwise, it's a question as to why Milbury is standing pat as the Isles season goes down the tubes. The Isles (16-28-7) are a season-worst 12 games below .500 -- an embarrassing 1-13-2 in their last 16, and as a capper, fired a franchise-low 11 shots on Flyers goalie Ron Hextall in Philadelphia Monday night. Hextall was seen sending out for some pizza during the second period, taking advantage of that Toppings! Toppings! promotion. Whether the slide is 100% Bowness' fault is certainly debatable. The team has looked listless and bored during several games of the streak, and were embarrassingly flat for key games against teams like Carolina and Ottawa even before they started the current slump. But Milbury hasn't made any moves to improve the club either, and calling up minor leaguers like Kip Miller and Steve Webb ain't gonna do it. Milbury has perhaps overrated his assets, and has been cautious on the trading front, afraid to make a deal that might come back to hurt him. When other teams have approached Milbury about blockbuster deals, he's been reluctant to trade away Bryan Berard or Kenny Jonsson, whom he hopes will be the backbone of the Isles' blue line well into the next decade. Detroit reportedly offered holdout Sergei Fedorov straight up for Berard, which Milbury nixed. Canadian papers were also reporting that Mike Keenan had offered Trevor Linden and Alex Mogilny to the Isles for packages, but with Linden suffering an injury, those potential deals are off. If the Islanders are talented enough to beat the Stanley Cup champion Red Wings in Detroit and tie them at the Nassau Coliseum, then it's logical to assume that the team's lack of cohesiveness has caused their current streak. Milbury's rebuilding plan appeared to be on track until the slide. The Isles were a .500 team, on course for a playoff berth. "I was happy until Dec. 23," Milbury said. "I can't say I was satisfied, but I was content there was progress being made. What's baffling is we just completely tanked. There a lot of things I've done that's made a positive impact but the net result is we're not much different than we were last year. Somehow it hasn't jelled." Milbury has been reluctant to point specific fingers at specific players, although he's obviously been displeased with the play of such players as Berard, Mariusz Czerkawski, and Bryan Smolinski. And then there's the C word. "Character's an issue," Milbury said. Some interpreted this remark as a shot at the Isles' younger players, who were said to have little respect for their veteran teammates and no respect for the game. "I think that's horse [manure]," Berard said. "I believe everybody in this locker room respects the game. Some players try to do too much, especially since things aren't going well. Guys get away from the system, do things individually. But, they're trying to win." Mike Hough said it all, though, when he added "Losers find excuses. Winners find ways." NOTES: The NHL's board of governors approved the sale of the Islanders to a partnership led by Steven Gluckstern, who has been a part-owner of the Phoenix Coyotes. The board also approved Gluckstern selling his share of the Coyotes to his Coyotes co-owner Richard Burke, freeing Gluckstern to buy the Islanders. Gluckstern's partners in the $195 million purchase of the Islanders are Howard Millstein, Stephen Ross and Dan Doctoross. Until he officially takes over, however, expect John "Ogre" Pickett to squeeze every dime out of the franchise. Why should things change now after all these years? Gluckstern said he expects to close both sales simultaneously in two to four weeks. He plans to have a new arena built on the site of Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the team's home since joining the NHL in 1972. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEW YORK RANGERS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Colin Campbell Rosters: C - Wayne Gretzky, Pat LaFontaine, Brian Skrudland, Mike Eastwood, P.J. Stock. LW - Adam Graves, Kevin Stevens, Bill Berg, Darren Langdon, Tim Sweeney. RW - Niklas Sundstrom, Alexei Kovalev, Mike Keane, Johan Lindbom, Ryan VandenBussche. D - Brian Leetch, Ulf Samuelsson, Jeff Beukeboom, Bruce Driver, Doug Lidster, Alexander Karpovstev, Eric Cairns, Jeff Finley. G - Mike Richter, Dan Cloutier. Injuries: Ryan VandenBususche, rw, (arthroscopic knee surgery, three weeks). Brian Leetch, d, (nerve compression in lower left leg, day-to-day). Transactions: Claimed Peter Ferraro, rw, from Pittsburgh. Standings: Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA New Jersey 50 31 15 4 66 148 102 Philadelphia 48 27 12 9 63 144 104 Washington 50 25 17 8 58 142 127 NY Rangers 50 16 21 13 45 127 137 Florida 51 15 25 11 41 125 149 NY Islanders 50 16 27 7 39 127 145 Tampa Bay 49 9 32 8 26 87 160 Game Results: 1/12 Toronto W 3-2 1/14 at New Jersey L 4-1 1/20 St. Louis W 3-1 1/22 Philadelphia L 4-3 1/24 New Jersey T 3-3 1/26 Washington T 2-2 TEAM NEWS: Alex Frias, NY Rangers Team Correspondent Power in Play: After hovering in the middle of the NHL pack for most of the season, the Rangers have connected on 11 of their past 20 power-play chances, for a remarkable 55 percent conversion rate. Why the sudden surge? Everyone seems to have elevated their game since the break. Alexei Kovalev has been a boon on the point, gaining access into the attacking zone and allowing the Rangers to set up. And Kovalev's hard shot also creates rebounds in front when he lets go from the blue line. Brian Leetch, who has struggled throughout the whole season, also seems to have more jump since the All-Star game as he's been skating more freely. All in all, the Blueshirts are passing more quickly and crisply, and are finally taking shots from the point to create rebound opportunities. Kovalev Out for Two to Three: Alexei Kovalev will have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Wednesday. The same right knee that he had surgically repaired last season. It's been bothering him since a 4-1 loss to New Jersey. He will be sidelined for three weeks and is almost assured of missing the Olympics in Nagano. "It's so frustrating. After knee surgery I thought everything was going to be OK. I used to walk by the (trainer's) room and maybe get a massage, now I have to in there every day," Kovalev said. "You know how I feel being on that top line again. It hurts. The first half of the year I couldn't figure out why I wasn't playing and now I start playing the knee starts hurting me." Kovalev has been flourishing after being moved up to the top line with Gretzky and benefiting from the accompanying ice time. La-La-La-La-La-La-Fontaine: On January 22, the Rangers lost to Philadelphia 4-3. But Patty LaFontaine joined the record books as he scored his 1,000th and 1,001st career points. Joe Mullen and Phil Housley were the only other Americans to have more than 1,000 points. LaFontaine did it in 847 games. Mullen needed 1,063 and it took Housley 1,013. "I was always a player told I was too small and wouldn't make it. There are a lot of players who have that attitude that you can prove people wrong and prove to yourself you can play in this game," LaFontaine said. "I'm thankful I've been blessed with some talent and have been able to get to that level. Anyone who gets to NHL level, no matter their size, has to have a lot of character and courage to get this far. It's something that has followed you along now, because the players are getting bigger and bigger. I always hoped at 32 or 33 I'd find some type of miracle food. I don't know what these guys are eating." Joe Mullen is one my all-time heroes in all of sports, right up there with my man Don Mattingly. Pat is on that same plateau. Here's looking at you, Patty. That's the Sound of the Police: An off-duty policeman who was just trying to get his hockey skates sharpened managed to solve the theft of $11,000 in merchandise belonging to Wayne Gretzky and other Rangers. Four Westchester county teenagers were arrested. The hockey gear -- sticks, jerseys, pads, helmets and gloves, plus a laptop computer and printer -- were stolen Jan. 15 from a van parked at Playland Park in Rye, where the Rangers practice. The gear belonged to Gretzky, Brian Leetch, Mike Richter and other players, according to police. A $44 million payroll and they can't afford security? ----------------------------------------------------------------- PHILADELPHIA FLYERS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Wayne Cashman ROSTER: C - Eric Lindros, Chris Gratton, Dan LaCroix, Joel Otto. LW - Rod Brind'Amour, Colin Forbes, Dan Kordic, John LeClair, Brantt Myhres, Shjon Podein. RW - Alexandre Daigle, Trent Klatt, Dainius Zubrus. D - Paul Coffey, Eric Desjardins, Chris Joseph, Janne Niinimaa, Luke Richardson, Kjell Samuelsson, Petr Svoboda, Chris Therien. G - Ron Hextall, Garth Snow. Injuries: None. Transactions: Traded Vaclav Prospal, c, Pat Falloon, rw, and a second-round pick in 1998 to Ottawa in exchange for Alexandre Daigle, rw. Assigned John Druce, rw, to Philadelphia of the AHL. Standings: Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA New Jersey 50 31 15 4 66 148 102 Philadelphia 48 27 12 9 63 144 104 Washington 50 25 17 8 58 142 127 NY Rangers 50 16 21 13 45 127 137 Florida 51 15 25 11 41 125 149 NY Islanders 50 16 27 7 39 127 145 Tampa Bay 49 9 32 8 26 87 160 Game Results 01/14 Montreal T 3-3 01/20 Buffalo W 3-0 01/22 at NY Rangers W 4-3 01/24 at Detroit L 1-0 01/26 NY Islanders W 3-1 TEAM NEWS by Eric Meyer New Addition Let me reiterate what I already said in the latest edition of LCS Hockey "Web Extra", Philadelphia GM Bobby Clarke has held to his word so far this season. The Flyers have not traded for a goalie and they have not yet parted with either Rod Brind'Amour, Janne Niinimaa or Dainius Zubrus. That being said, the Flyers, still in need of a speedy right wing with scoring potential, made a deal over All-Star weekend, sending young center Vaclav "Vinnie" Prospal, right wing Pat Falloon and a second-round pick in the 1998 NHL entry draft to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for right wing Alexandre Daigle. Prospal, who is still considered a rookie, had five goals and 18 points in 41 games and was last on the Flyers in plus-minus at minus-10 at the time of the trade. He was Philadelphia's second-round choice in 1993. Falloon, on the other hand, has never really lived up to expectations since coming to the Flyers in a trade with San Jose in 1995. Expected to fill the scoring and speed void that young Daigle is going to be asked to fill now, Falloon has often faltered on the ice, often getting goals in streaks, but more often than not, finding his way into the coach's dog house, as was the case last season under Terry Murray. Falloon was designated a healthy scratch on many occasions last year. Injuries have also plagued Falloon. Be they abdominal strains or leg injuries, Falloon has missed his share of action. Daigle arrived in Philadelphia with seven goals and 16 points in 38 games this season. He had 26 goals and 51 points last season to help Ottawa make the playoffs for the first time and has career totals of 74 goals and 172 points in 301 games. The big speculations was where would Daigle fit in? Would he be on a re-vamped first line with Eric Lindros and John LeClair? Well, no, because head coach Wayne Cashman is in no rush to reunite his two big guns back on the first line. That left Daigle to be inserted on the second line with John LeClair on the left side and Chris Gratton in the middle. So How About These New Look Flyers? Well, for Daigle, just one point (an assist) in four games in orange and black, assisting Eric Lindros on the power play in his first game as a Flyer against the Buffalo Sabres. However; since the arrival of the speedy Daigle, the Flyers have lost just one game since the All-Star Break, a 1-0 Stanley Cup rematch with the Detroit Red Wings in the Motor City. But How Have They Looked? Maybe my vision is a bit clouded, having just sat through a very slow game against the New York Islanders at CoreStates, where the Flyers looked tired and uninspired for two periods before picking up their play in the final frame to seal the deal for a 3-1 win. That being said, the Flyers, offensively that is, haven't looked all that impressive recently. Yes, they put up a nice showing against the Rangers in MSG, but the shutout in Detroit and a lackluster performance against the Isles leaves some questions to be answered. What of this third line of Shjon Podein - Dainius Zubrus - Colin Forbes? Podein plays with a lot of grit, Colin Forbes complements a big line, and Dainius Zubrus is a playmaker. So why do the three of them play together? When this third line hits the ice, more often than not, the play appears to be concentrated in the neutral zone. Against the Isles, New York was able to generate some quality scoring chances with the Podein - Zubrus - Forbes line on the ice. What of the second line? LeClair is still as solid as ever. Chris Gratton; however, often looks like he skates with lead in his feet. His physical play is up, but his goal-scoring skills still need some development on the second line. Didn't We Trade Falloon... Finally we have the new addition: Alexandre Daigle. Could it be that he has a case of Pat Falloon Syndrome? The newcomer has had numerous chances to notch his first goal, but has been unable to convert golden opportunities. Against the Rangers at MSG, Daigle was left alone for a wrap-around but an open net was quickly swallowed up as Daigle's shot was turn aside by the extended stick of Ranger goaltender Mike Richter. Against the Islanders, on the power play, Daigle was fed a pass all alone on the right post. After putting a nice move on goalie Tommy Salo, Daigle fed a back-hander wide of the empty net. Let's Not Forget The Milestones Two such events took place in the Flyers 3-1 victory over the New York Islanders at CoreStates. First of all, John LeClair's assist of Eric Lindros' first goal of the game (22nd of the year) was his 300th point as a Flyer. Rod Brind'Amour's assist on Eric Lindros' second goal of the game (23rd of the year) was his 600th career point. ----------------------------------------------------------------- TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Jacques Demers Roster: C - Jason Bonsignore, Steve Kelly, Paul Ysebaert, Daymond Langkow, Brian Bradley, Darcy Tucker. RW - Mikael Renberg, Stephane Richer, Jody Hull, Alexander Selivanov, Mikael Anderson. LW - Rob Zamuner, Troy Mallette, Jason Wiemer, Vladimir Vujtek, Louie Debrusk. D - Cory Cross, Jamie Huscroft, Karl Dykhuis, Yves Racine, Bryan Marchment, David Wilkie, Mike McBain, Jassen Cullimore. G - Daren Puppa, Corey Schwab, Mark Fitzpatrick, Zac Bierk. Injuries: Troy Mallette, lw (herniated disk, out for season); Brian Bradley, c (concussion/wrist injury, indefinite); Daren Puppa, g (back spasms, indefinite); Cory Schwab, g (sprained ankle, indefinite); Yves Racine, d (sprained right ankle, day-to-day). Transactions: Traded Patrick Poulin, lw, Igor Ulanov, d, and Mick Vukota, rw, to the Montreal Canadiens for Stephane richer, rw, Darcy Tucker, c, and David Wilkie, d; traded Dino Cicarrelli, rw, and Jeff Norton, d, to the Florida Panthers for Jody Hull, rw, and Mark Fitzpatrick, g; assigned Derek Wilkenson, g, to the Cleveland Lumberjacks (IHL); assigned Dave Shaw to the Las Vegas Thunder (IHL); claimed Jassen Cullimore off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens; recalled Mike McBain, d, from the Adirondack Red Wings (AHL). Standings: Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA New Jersey 50 31 15 4 66 148 102 Philadelphia 48 27 12 9 63 144 104 Washington 50 25 17 8 58 142 127 NY Rangers 50 16 21 13 45 127 137 Florida 51 15 25 11 41 125 149 NY Islanders 50 16 27 7 39 127 145 Tampa Bay 49 9 32 8 26 87 160 Game Results 01/12 Montreal L 6-3 01/14 Islanders L 7-1 01/21 Washington L 2-3 01/23 at Buffalo L 4-1 01/24 at Toronto L 5-2 Team News by Seth Lerman Change players. Change coaches. It doesn't matter. The Tampa Bay Lightning are still the worst team in the National Hockey League as the season has passed the halfway point. How bad are the Lightning? They have lost nine games in a row, have yet to win a game in 1988 and have been held to three goals or less 27 straight games. In addition, their leading scorer, Alex Selivanov, who by the way is also the general manager's son-in-law, has just ten goals and thirteen assists. Is there any hope for the future? With youngsters Darcy Tucker, Steve Kelly, David Wilkie, and Mike McBain getting regular ice time, the organization is hopeful that this group can lead the Lightning into the next century - or the winning circle, whichever comes first. Of the bunch, Tucker has had the most impact. In three games since joining the Lightning in a six-player trade with the Montreal Canadiens, which also included Wilkie and veteran Stephane Richer coming to the Bolts in exchange for Igor Ulanov, Patrick Poulin, and Mick Vukota, Tucker has netted three assists while playing on a line with Jason Wiemer and Alexander Selivanov. As it appears now, this trio is the Lightning's only ray of hope. A day after making that trade, general manager, Phil Esposito sent Dino Ciccarelli and Jeff Norton to the Florida Panthers for Jody Hull (two goals in 20 games) and Mark Fitzpatrick. Include the Roman Hamrlik trade to Edmonton two weeks before, and the Lightning have traded away five players and received eight in return. With the influx of talent comes a lack of proven production which is why Esposito insisted that Richer be included in the deal. Richer has missed the majority of the season because of various ailments. However, twice in his career he has scored more than fifty goals in a season and the Lightning hope he will regain his scoring touch. His arrival spelled the end of Ciccarelli's days in Tampa. Whereas Ciccarelli never wanted to play here, Richer views the trade as a new beginning. It appears that Esposito's days with the Lightning could also be dwindling, especially if the team does not improve after the shakeup. Following a loss to the Washington Capitals, Esposito was involved in a shouting match with Steve Oto, president of the Lightning. If and when ownership changes hands, Esposito's will probably be the first head rolling down the street, followed by his brother Tony's. The Lightning situation has surely disturbed the Hall of Famer. Upon arriving at the NHL All-Star Game, Esposito said: "I don't give a damn about the All-Star Game," when reminded that no Lightning player would be participating. In all due fairness to the league, but most of all to the fans, Esposito should be reminded that Tampa hosts next year's mid-season classic, which if rumors are true, will feature the best players from North America against players who were once traded by Esposito (including his time spent as GM of the New York Rangers). As each week passes, the Lightning's chances of salvaging this season diminish - much like the fan base. With expansion arriving next season in the NHL, the Lightning can begin a marketing program which will list them as a "new hockey franchise". After all, they're no better now than they were six years ago. Rebuilding has begun. ----------------------------------------------------------------- WASHINGTON CAPITALS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Ron Wilson Roster: C - Adam Oates, Dale Hunter, Andrei Nikolishin, Michal Pivonka, Jan Bulis. LW - Andrew Brunette, Joe Juneau, Steve Konowalchuk, Jeff Toms, Todd Krygier, Mike Eagles. RW - Peter Bondra, Richard Zednik, Craig Berube, Kelly Miller. D - Phil Housley, Calle Johansson, Brendan Witt, Sylvain Cote, Sergei Gonchar, Joe Reekie, Ken Klee. G - Olaf Kolzig, Bill Ranford. Injuries: Pat Peake, rw (torn ankle tendon, indefinite); Yogi Svejkovsky, lw (sprained ankle, indefinite); Chris Simon, lw (shoulder surgery, out for regular season); Calle Johansson, d (sprained knee, day-to-day); Mark Tinordi, d (stomach/groin, 1 week). Transactions: Returned Stephane Beauregard, g, to the Chicago Wolves (IHL). Signed Peter Bondra, rw, to a four-year contract, replacing his old contract. Placed Mark Tinordi, d, on injured reserve. Removed Joe Juneau, lw, from injured reserve. Standings: Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA New Jersey 50 31 15 4 66 148 102 Philadelphia 48 27 12 9 63 144 104 Washington 50 25 17 8 58 142 127 NY Rangers 50 16 21 13 45 127 137 Florida 51 15 25 11 41 125 149 NY Islanders 50 16 27 7 39 127 145 Tampa Bay 49 9 32 8 26 87 160 Game Results: 1/13 Ottawa W 4-0 1/15 Chicago W 3-2 1/21 at Tampa Bay W 3-2 1/25 Boston W 4-1 1/26 at NY Rangers T 2-2 TEAM NEWS by Jason Sheehan, Washington Correspondent Caps Return to October Form A new training regimen meant early success for the Washington Capitals in October, but the newfound freedom to create offensively eventually led to bad habits and a less-than-stellar month in December. Coach Ron Wilson's offensive system also allows defenseman to become more offensive-minded instead of just worrying about their own end of the ice surface. Unlike previous seasons under coach Jim Schoenfeld, who has since moved on to Phoenix, many players felt the noose around their necks loosen upon learning and practicing under Wilson's leadership. As a result, the Capitals, whom in history have been notorious for slumping in October, shot out of the gates faster than a speeding bullet on the bad streets of Harlem. They began the month with a record of 7-1-0. And as an added bonus, the Capitals were the highest scoring team in the league. But that is all in the past. Until now. Fast forward to November and the Capitals were once again crippled by injuries. A season ago, they lost 361-man games to injury and missed the playoffs for the first time in 15-years. This season, the injuries have only caused a minor collapse. And that's really saying something about the quality of coaching from Wilson, since the Capitals have lost 271-man games to injury and are on pace to shatter last season's team record. Fast forward to 1998 and the Capitals are once again the hottest team in the NHL. Washington is currently unbeaten in its last five games and is 9-2-1 in its last 11. As of Jan. 26, the Capitals rank fourth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 25-17-9 (58 points) and are third in the Atlantic Division behind New Jersey and Philadelphia. Not bad for a team with an injury jinx. However, the recipe for Washington's success this season is not as complicated to dissect as it may appear. One reason for the Capitals' success has to do with the return of Joe Juneau, Jeff Toms and Andrei Nikolishin. Besides returning at about the same time, Wilson has placed these three players on his second line. Boston coach Pat Burns discovered firsthand the difficulty of defeating a club with three strong lines. The Capitals pounced the Bruins Jan. 25 at MCI Center, 4-1. "They have three really good lines," said Burns. "That's a pretty good team, but I thought we played them well. We just didn't finish our chances in front of the net." Toms has yet to register a goal since returning to the lineup three weeks ago. Juneau, meanwhile, returned Jan. 25 from a knee injury suffered in a knee-on-knee collision with Los Angeles Kings forward Sandy Moger Dec. 13. Nikolishin has given the team great chemistry since returning early this month from a knee injury suffered last April in the World Championships. He has tallied two points (one goal, one assist) in eight games. Yet another reason for Washington's improved record is its superior penalty killing unit. The Capitals have a success rate of 88.4%, which ranks them fourth in the league. They also have scored eight short-handed goals, which ties them for fifth. In comparison, the New York Rangers, still limping from Mark Messier's departure to Vancouver, is the only team without a short-handed goal. Perhaps the biggest reason for Washington's improved record is the play of goaltender Olaf Kolzig. Previously a backup goaltender, Kolzig has taken the No. 1 spot in goal away from Bill Ranford and has become one of the best netminders in the game. He seems to make big stops at key times in most games, which is supported by his statistics. As of Jan. 25 Kolzig, who has played 40 games, has posted a record of 22-10-7 to go along with his impressive 2.29 goals-against-average and an equally astonishing save-percentage of .919. But to do well in the playoffs, the Capitals realize they cannot overwork their goaltender. To ease his workload, Wilson gave Ranford the starting assignment against Boston, his former club, Jan. 25th. Ranford was up to the task in his first start since going down with a pulled hamstring last month. Not only did the Capitals down the Bruins in convincing fashion, but Ranford played perhaps his best game of the season, stopping 34 shots while posting only his third win of the 1997-98 campaign. Ranford credited his hard work in practice with assistant coach Tim Army for his improved play and psyche as a backup goaltender. "I felt good," said Ranford. "Any time you go a month without playing, there's a little bit of butterflies going into the game. But I've been working hard in practice, and there's a lot of support from teammates all year with these crazy injuries I've had. I was a lot more relaxed tonight than I was early on in the first game that I played against these guys." The first game Ranford played against his old mates was a highly forgettable night Nov. 6 at Boston. The Capitals were stonewalled that night by Bruins' goaltender Byron Dafoe, 2-0. Bondra Signs New Contract For Capitals sniper Peter Bondra, All-Star Weekend will likely not be remembered for the thrill of sharing the ice surface with the league's greatest players. Instead, it will be remembered for the day Bondra's greatest financial wish finally came true. Capitals general manager George McPhee, who suspended Bondra in the preseason for wanting his current contract to be renegotiated, had previously said he wouldn't rework the contract of any signed player in the organization. McPhee, though, realized Bondra's situation had existed long before he took over as general manager last summer, so he budged on his beliefs and gave Bondra his day of dollars. Some experts may say McPhee got the best of this deal. He signed Bondra to a four-year contract worth approximately $13 million to $14 million. The deal voided Bondra's previous contract, which had three years left, and caused the star winger to lose one of his years as an unrestricted free agent. "It was imperative that the club received an additional free-agent year if the deal was going to be restructured," stated McPhee. "The club has now secured two of Peter Bondra's unrestricted years. We expect that he will be completely focused on this team and assist on taking this team farther than ever before." Bondra has proven his weight in gold since signing the contract. Skating alongside Adam Oates and Andrew Brunette, Bondra has caught fire, scoring four goals in his last three games. Bondra now will take his new friend, the dollar sign, to Nagano if Slovakia advances past the qualifying rounds. Alternate Jerseys Unveiled For the second time in three years, Washington has a new look. Following the lead given from the marketing geniuses in many other cities, the Capitals unveiled their new alternate jersey Jan. 25. The jersey, which is predominately black, features the club's secondary logo, the Capitol Building with crossed-hockey sticks, on the crest and a bronze stripe around the waste and arms. The most revealing feature, however, is the detail that went into the numbers and letters. The stitch-work is coated in bronze and outlined in white. The creation, which was designed by equipment manager Doug Shearer, has already received rave reviews from fans and players. "It's one of the best third jerseys I've seen around the league," said defenseman Joe Reekie, who has worn all five jerseys, home and away, in his four-year stint with the Capitals. "I like the color scheme, and I think it's a nice change for the fans." ================================================================ ================================================================ TEAM REPORTS ================================================================ EASTERN CONFERENCE NORTHEASTERN DIVISION ----------------------------------------------------------------- BOSTON BRUINS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Pat Burns Roster: C - Anson Carter, Dimitri Khristich, Joe Thornton, Ted Donato, Tim Taylor. LW - Ken Baumgartner, Rob Dimaio, Sergei Samsonov, Jason Allison, Mike Sullivan. RW - Steve Heinze, Landon Wilson, Per Johan Axelsson, Jean Yves Roy. D - Ray Bourque, Don Sweeney, Dave Ellett, Kyle McLaren, Dean Chynoweth, Mattias Timander, Dean Malkoc, Hal Gill, Darren Van Impe. G - Byron Dafoe, Rob Tallas, John Grahame. Injuries: Rob Tallas, g (hamstring, two weeks). Transactions: John Grahame, g, called up from Providence (AHL). Standings: Eastern Conference - Northeast Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA Pittsburgh 50 26 15 9 61 138 114 Montreal 51 26 18 7 59 153 124 Boston 49 21 19 9 51 122 121 Ottawa 50 20 22 8 48 116 121 Buffalo 48 19 21 8 46 117 122 Carolina 51 19 26 6 44 127 144 Game Results 1/14 Pittsburgh W 5-2 1/21 at Montreal L 4-2 1/24 at Pittsburgh L 4-2 1/25 at Washington L 4-1 TEAM NEWS by Matt Brown After putting together a string of seven games without a loss, suddenly the Bruins can't buy a win. They have lost three straight games, mostly attributable to a lack of offense, at least at first glance. But the truth is that the team is young, inexperienced, and overmatched by the likes of Montreal, Pittsburgh, and Washington. When the Bruins open up their play even a little to try to put more goals on the board, other teams are able to take advantage. In the three losses, Ray Bourque was a combined -6, and most of that imbalance occurred either because Ray was pinching in to try to generate offense, or Bruins forwards were over committed to the attack, creating odd-man rushes. Against the Penguins in Pittsburgh, for example, Bourque was caught up ice, leaving rookie defenseman Hal Gill alone to defend a two-on-one break with Jaromir Jagr and Stu Barnes. Needless to say, Jagr froze big Hal and dished to Barnes for the score. Oh, by the way, that turned out to be the winning goal. Now the point is not to bash the Captain, or to disparage young Hal. The fact of life is that the Bruins defensive posture is not a strangulation tactic, it is a survival mechanism. When the team plays the game within its capabilities, they are in every game. When they forget the basics, or try to do to much, especially on an individual basis, the opposition takes them to school. On the positive side of the ledger, if you want a one line summary to define the difference between last year's Bruins and the current edition, try this on: the 97-98 Bruins conceded their first short-handed goal of the season against the Montreal Canadiens on January 21, in their 47th game of the season. That is a far cry from last year, and pretty remarkable even without the comparison to last year's Team Debacle. This year's defensive scheme uses primarily one forechecker, and you rarely see three Bruins behind the opposition net at once. We all saw what happened last year when the forwards were more free-wheeling and less inclined to get back and help on defense. Unfortunately, not much else of that caliber came out of the Montreal game. The Canadiens used their speed to come at the Bruins in waves, outshooting the Bs by 33-19. Against the Penguins, goaltender Robbie Tallas not only suffered his first loss after starting out 2-0-2, but he also suffered a hamstring injury that will keep him out for at least two weeks. His injury happened when he dropped wrong, and heard his hamstring pop when he got back up. He had to leave the game, and could not dress the next night. So the call went out for John Grahame. What, no Jim Carey, you ask? Well, it turns out that Carey has what is described as a slight shoulder dislocation that may require surgery and some serious rehab. Grahame played for Providence against Kentucky (what is the AHL coming to?), was called up for the Washington game, and ended up wearing a Jim Carey number 30 sweater with "GRAHAME" velcroed to its back because his own sweater didn't arrive in time. Against Washington, Joe Thornton registered his first assist and power-play point as he dished a beauty to Anson Carter for the Bruins' first goal. Goes to show the difference that ice time, and power-play chances, and linemates with soft hands can make. Then again, if Thornton had started out on the first line instead of under the very obvious protection of Ken Baumgartner, he might have had several fewer teeth (remember that Joe Juneau three broken jaws in one year). So maybe it all balances out. On a contrasting note, Sergei Samsonov had a year in the IHL to get his bearings, and he is humming along to the tune of 20 points and people are starting to gush about his chances for the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year. Despite being considerably smaller than Joe, Samsonov has been able to use his speed to get out of jams, and he hasn't really gotten tagged. If people keep talking about the Calder, rest assured that he will start to become a target. The real surprise of the year might well turn our to Per-Johann Axellson, or PJ for short. Axelsson has used his speed and skating ability to become a regular on the checking line and serve as a first class pest to other team's first line. Axelsson has not earned many points but he is becoming a crowd favorite and he could possibly become Seventh Player Award winner on a team where rookie leader was supposed to mean Samsonov or Thornton. It is tempting for a coach to let his star players off the hook for a tough game. After all, they win more for the team than they lose. But letting it go is ultimately destructive to the team. If the leaders mail in a game here and there, and the coach overlooks it, the malaise is contagious, human nature being what it is. Other players will take a game off here and there, and bad habits will form. There doesn't seem to be much risk of that on this year's Bruins. Jason Allison and Dimitri Khristich didn't produce much in the first two periods against the Capitals (each player's ex-team) and for the third period, they each got an 18-minute parking ticket from ex-cop Pat Burns. Burns gave them less than two minutes of ice time in the third, sending his makeshift line of Joe Thornton, Sergei Samsonov, and Anson Carter out for much of the spare ice time. Burns said afterwards that he wasn't very happy with the accomplishments of his team leading scorers that night, so he parked them. The team did not win that game, but perhaps the lesson was driven home. ----------------------------------------------------------------- BUFFALO SABRES ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Lindy Ruff Roster: C - Mike Peca, Derek Plante, Brian Holzinger, Eric Rasmussen, Wayne Primeau. LW - Randy Burridge, Miroslav Satan, Michal Grosek, Brad May. RW - Donald Audette, Jason Dawe, Matthew Barnaby, Dixon Ward, Rob Ray. D - Alexei Zhitnik, Darryl Shannon, Jay McKee, Mike Wilson, Bob Boughner, Richard Smehlik, Jason Woolley. G - Dominik Hasek, Steve Shields. Injuries: Brad May, lw, (torn mcl, 4wks, on ir 12/30/97) Transactions: assigned Vaclav Varada, rw, to Rochester (AHL) for the All-Star Break and then recalled him. Standings: Eastern Conference - Northeast Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA Pittsburgh 50 26 15 9 61 138 114 Montreal 51 26 18 7 59 153 124 Boston 49 21 19 9 51 122 121 Ottawa 50 20 22 8 48 116 121 Buffalo 48 19 21 8 46 117 122 Carolina 51 19 26 6 44 127 144 Game Results 01/14 at Toronto W 4-1 01/15 Vancouver W 6-2 01/20 at Philadelphia L 3-0 01/21 Carolina W 2-1 01/23 Tampa Bay W 4-1 TEAM REPORT by Joe Brunner Since the news broke that John Rigaq had filed a letter of intent to purchase the team, the Sabres record is 6-2-2. Although the sale has yet to be finalized, there is a school of thought that the prospect of stable ownership has allowed the players to relax and concentrate on hockey. There's also a less well known school that attributes their recent success to the absence of Brad May. May is back skating again and should be back in the lineup next week. It had been anticipated that the Sabres sale would be on the agenda at the NHL board of governors meeting during the All-Star Break, however that was not to be. There has been speculation that Rigas is trying to cut a better deal for himself, but thus far there's been no evidence to support that. My feeling is that Rigas is in no hurry to complete the sale before the trade deadline to avoid unrealistic pressure and expectations from the fans and media. The minute this deal becomes official, people will either be all over Rigas to spend major bucks to acquire a marquee player, or to bring back Ted Nolan. These distractions are best left for the off-season. It's even possible that a major housecleaning is planned, and it will be much easier to accomplish that from a PR standpoint if the team doesn't do so well. As usual, one can't mention the Sabres without talking about Dominik Hasek. The Dominator is now back in the familiar position of leading the NHL in save percentage, .924. Amazingly, Carolina goalie Trevor Kidd had the nerve to suggest in the Greensboro News and Record that the home statisticians inflated the shots on goal to help his save percentage. For the record, the average shots on goal allowed by the Sabres at home and on the road is the same, 31, nice try Trevor. Unlike a certain rival publication, we at LCS freely acknowledge use of other's material. The preceding material on Trevor Kidd was provided courtesy of 3vezina's Dominik Hasek web site. The Sabres also picked up the option on Hasek's contract for 1998-99, ensuring he'll be a Sabre for another season. Although the Sabres are now in playoff position, it's premature to get excited by victories over Toronto, Vancouver, Carolina and Tampa Bay. These are hardly powerhouses and it's likely that none of these teams will make the playoffs. Bill Clinton still scores more than the Sabres, but it's encouraging that the scoring is picking up a bit. The line of Matt Barnaby, Michal Grosek, and center Curtis Brown has been especially effective lately. A key to the Sabre's success will be getting Brian Holzinger back on track. The most entertaining game in this recent stretch had to be the 6-2 victory over the Canucks. It was "Old Time" hockey at it's best with even the goalies getting involved. Sabre's fans took a deep breath when the 'Nucks Gino Odjick took a run at the Dominator. Fortunately for Odjick, Richard Smehlik was the first man on him and saved Gino from a severe pummeling by Dom. All in all it was a fine game and a good time was had by all. The Olympics are rapidly approaching and several Sabres will be in Nagano. Dominik Hasek and Richard Smehlik will represent the Czech Republic, and Alexei Zhitnik is playing for Russia. Miroslav Satan will join the Slovak team if they are fortunate enough to make it past the preliminary rounds. Although the Czech's do not have the talent or depth of the Canadian, US, Swedish, or Finnish teams, they will be a threat to ruin someone's medal hopes with Hasek between the pipes. Last issue, I left you with a series of questions that were to be posed to Sabre's GM Darcy Regier at a booster club meeting. It is with deep regret that I must inform the readers that the person entrusted to ask these hard-hitting questions turned out to be a double agent secretly working for the Sabres. Needless to say, none of the important questions were asked. But, rest assured that the quest for the truth will continue. ----------------------------------------------------------------- CAROLINA HURRICANES ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Paul Maurice Roster: C - Keith Primeau, Jeff O'Neill, Kent Manderville, Bates Battaglia. RW - Sami Kapanen, Nelson Emerson, Kevin Dineen, Steven Rice, Stephen Leach. LW - Robert Kron, Martin Gelinas, Paul Ranheim, Stu Grimson, Gary Roberts. D - Steve Chaisson, Glen Wesley, Curtis Leschyshyn, Kevin Haller, Adam Burt, Sean Hill G - Trevor Kidd, Kirk McLean. Injuries: Gary Roberts, lw (pulled rib muscle, indefinite). Transactions: 1/15 - sent Bates Battaglia, c, and Mike Fountain, g, to New Haven (AHL); 1/19 - recalled Battaglia from New Haven. Standings: Eastern Conference - Northeast Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA Pittsburgh 50 26 15 9 61 138 114 Montreal 51 26 18 7 59 153 124 Boston 49 21 19 9 51 122 121 Ottawa 50 20 22 8 48 116 121 Buffalo 48 19 21 8 46 117 122 Carolina 51 19 26 6 44 127 144 Game Results 1/12 Pittsburgh L 4-1 1/14 Chicago L 4-1 1/21 at Buffalo L 2-1 1/22 at Ottawa W 4-2 1/24 at Montreal W 4-3 TEAM NEWS by Brad Kane THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD 54 days. Two home games. 12 road games. Did someone say "fore"? Due to the three-week Olympic break and a first half of the season loaded with home games, the Carolina Hurricanes recently began a 54-day run where they will see the inside of the Greensboro Coliseum just twice. Beginning with a six-game road trip that started last Wednesday in Buffalo, the 'Canes will play only Montreal and Tampa Bay, February 1st and 4th respectively, at home between now and March 12. That's 54 days of playing mostly road games, where Carolina's record stood at 4-14-1 before starting this madness. Hate to be a pessimist, but get the clubs ready boys, you may need to use them pretty soon...like, say, mid-April. Of course, it needs to be pointed out that since starting this six-game road swing against Eastern Conference opponents, Carolina has actually won their last two games. A win Saturday night at Montreal was most impressive as Paul Ranheim scored with one minute to go to cap a comeback from a three-goal deficit to edge the Canadiens. Longtime followers of the franchise should be most impressed that the 'Canes even won at all in Montreal. In their existence as the Hartford Whalers, the team had only won about 12 times or so at the Forum or Le Centre Molson -- ever. (I don't have the numbers in front of me, but trust me, it was pretty bad.) That followed a victory Thursday over a slumping Ottawa Senator club that's in hot water themselves these days. Interestingly, the two wins brought Carolina's record against Canadian-based clubs this year to a rather gaudy 10-3-1. The Hurricane now head south for the second half of the trip, visiting Florida and Tampa Bay, before heading north to call on the Islanders. There's still 30 or so games left this year, but this week will be extremely important for the 'Canes. All three opponents are below Carolina in the standings, and if the 'Canes are playoff-bound, three wins, or at least two, will be necessary to avoid the golf course until at least May. Stay tuned... WHATNOT Well, to be honest, aside from the exodus from Carolina, there's not too much going on in Greensboro lately. Trade rumors are basically non-existent as the team continues to find a new chemistry from the deals made earlier this month. And, with the team on the road so much, there's not much wacky stuff that can happen, anyway. Or at least that gets reported. Too much time sitting in hotels, watching TV. At the very least, here's the highlights of the last two weeks: -- The All-Star game came and went with nary a notice in Carolina. No Hurricanes were invited to the game. That could be good news, though. Only two Hurricanes (Sami Kapanen and Keith Primeau) are set to play in the Olympics, and none played in Vancouver last Sunday, so the team should be well-rested for the final stretch run. -- Kevin Dineen played in his 900th NHL game Saturday. Now recovered from a series of injuries that has curtailed his playing time this year, here's to hoping that Kevin 11 can stay healthy to play at least 100 more. If all goes well, he'll hit the 1,000 mark sometime in March next year. -- While Dineen has returned from injury, the plight of Gary Roberts continues to get worse. The current injury? A pulled rib muscle that will keep Roberts out until the Olympic break. The injury was caused by the broken left foot Roberts had earlier this season. Roberts played through that injury, but tended to favor his right side while the foot was broken. Roberts believes that the tightened muscles that resulted on his right caused the rib muscles injury. What this means is that the 'Canes will be without one of their top players during the most important stretch of the season -- between now and the Olympic break. -- Head coach Paul Maurice reports that he was mistaken for Devils goalie Martin Brodeur in the 'Canes hotel in Montreal Saturday. To Maurice's credit, at 31, he is the youngest head coach in the NHL. But I'm not totally sure that there's that much of a resemblance there. Just another day in the life of hockey's least respected franchise... ----------------------------------------------------------------- MONTREAL CANADIENS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Alain Vigneault ROSTER: C - Saku Koivu, Marc Bureau, Vincent Damphousse, Scott Thornton. LW - Shayne Corson, Martin Rucinsky, Benoit Brunet, Terry Ryan, Brian Savage, Patrick Poulin. RW - Mark Recchi, Mick Vukota, Turner Stevenson, Valeri Bure. D - Vladimir Malakhov, Stephane Quintal, Patrice Brisebois, Brett Clark, Peter Popovic, Craig Rivet, Igor Ulanov, Eric Houde. G - Jocelyn Thibault, Andy Moog. Injuries: Valeri Bure, lw (concussion, day-to-day); Igor Ulanov, d (knee injury, out for season); Saku Koivu, c (strained rib cartilage, day-to-day); Shayne Corson, lw (strained groin, day-to-day); Sebastien Bordeleau, c (bruised testicles, day-to-day). Transactions: 01/15 : Stephane Richer, rw, David Wilkie, d, and Darcy Tucker, c, were traded to Tampa Bay in exchange for Mick Vukota, lw, Igor Ulanov, d, and forward Patrick Poulin, lw. 01/21 : Jassen Cullimore joined Richer, Wilkie and Tucker in Tampa Bay after being selected by Tampa off waivers. 01/23: Eric Houde and Brett Clark recalled from Fredericton (AHL). 01/24 : Terry Ryan recalled from Fredericton in the absence of Benoit Brunet who suffered back spasms after the loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Standings: Eastern Conference - Northeast Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA Pittsburgh 50 26 15 9 61 138 114 Montreal 51 26 18 7 59 153 124 Boston 49 21 19 9 51 122 121 Ottawa 50 20 22 8 48 116 121 Buffalo 48 19 21 8 46 117 122 Carolina 51 19 26 6 44 127 144 Game Results 01/12 at Tampa W 6-3 01/14 at Philadelphia T 3-3 01/21 Boston W 4-2 01/24 Florida L 4-3 01/25 New Jersey L 3-1 TEAM NEWS by Jacques Robert NEW HABS, POULIN AND VUKOTA, ARE VERY IMPRESSIVE The Montreal Canadiens ought to look into purchasing an.... airline company! Vigneault's boys don't let trades and injuries - which involve a great deal of travels between Montreal, Fredericton and Carolina - get the better of them: they keep winning important games against big shots (Philadelphia, Boston). However, one problem remains: again this season, injuries that affect key offensive Canadiens players (Corson, Koivu) caused two bad defeats. And, add to that a lack of discipline (versus Carolina) and an obvious inability to control the puck in the neutral zone (against New Jersey). However, a great system is definitely being played by Damphousse's teammates. It made it easy for new addition Patrick Poulin, 24, to adjust to the Habs as he scored his first goal in the Canadiens jersey against Boston and the second, the next day, in matinee, when entertaining Carolina. He! Not bad for this Quebec native forward who only had two goals and seven assists in 44 games this season! That success can be attributed to the fact that Les Canadiens show a great deal of team spirit. Thanks to that, Ulanov, Vukota and Poulin have an easy time adjusting to Vigneault's system as the season is in full swing. GM Reggie Houle Made a Great Deal All that said, let's talk about the trades that sent Richer, Tucker and Wilkie in Carolina. Undoubtedly, Les Canadiens got the upper hand in this trade. Even though Ulanov joined the team clinic earlier than expected, Poulin's performances are very encouraging for the future. As for Ulanov and Vukota - who won his first fight against Carolina's Stu Grimson - no doubt they will bring along the toughness that Wilkie and Tucker failed to deliver. As a matter of fact, Poulin's short-handed goal against Boston turned out to be the winner. The down side of this game: Ulanov was severely injured after colliding with teammate Popovic at center ice. To make things look even worse, Boston opened the score on that play... Well, it was written in the sky that Montreal would have to pay the price if it wanted to get away with the victory: Bordeleau, Corson and Bure left the game in the second period. But, what matters most is that Montreal outshot Boston (33-19), a tough Eastern conference squad and, above all, they won at home which is a rare event this season. Too Many Injured, Undisciplined Players Caused Defeats Prior to entertaining the Carolina Hurricanes, Alain Vigneault, whose team was running a four-game unbeaten string at that time, scratched his head wondering if he could find 21 healthy players for the next two games scheduled in matinees (Valeri Bure, Igor Ulanov, Saku Koivu, Shayne Corson, Sebastien Bordeleau were out). As a result, Damphousse's teammates lost at the hands of Carolina after leading by two goals (3-1). Furthermore, key Canadien players (Malakhov, Rucinsky, Damphousse, Manson, Quintal) spent too much time in the penalty box. And three dumb penalties allowed the opponents to score two power-play goals. What a mess! It was the first time this season Montreal lost at home with a two-goal lead going into the third period... Recchi: 100th goal in Montreal For Alain Vigneault, playing New Jersey was a good opportunity to prove that Sunday's defeat was just accidental. But Recchi - still left without Corson and Koivu on the first line - could not turn things around even though he scored his 100th goal for Les Canadiens. Now, New Jersey holds a 3-0-0 edge against Montreal. Needless to say that without Koivu, Corson and Bure, Montreal cannot compete against the favorites like the Devils who took advantage of turnovers. As far as players' performances are concerned, Damphousse is on a good momentum since he has the longest point-scoring streak this season with four goals and eleven assists over seven games. In some ways, along with Rucinsky (4 goals, 5 assists) and Brian Savage (6 goals, 5 assists) Captain Vinnie makes up for the first line inefficiency: before entertaining Carolina, Koivu and Corson produced only two goals in five games. Good news: Koivu, Bure and Corson are set to come back this week... before heading to Nagano for the Olympics... No rest for the Stars, he! ON MY NOTE PAD Habs Are... American Free With David Wilkie gone, the Montreal Canadiens roster no longer includes an American born player. Only European and Canadian players make up the 97-98 roster. Pat Burns: a Man with a Big Heart Pat Burns is definitely a true Montrealer! In a gesture of generosity, he showed his affection for Montrealers - those who are still out of power after the ice storm - by bringing two generators from the Boston area. Nice gesture Pat, after one of the worst natural disaster ever suffered by the province of Quebec! Patrick Poulin...a Nordiques Fan Surprisingly, as a young boy living in Quebec city, Poulin was not a Montreal fan dreaming of being "un Glorieux" someday. Ironically, if Poulin continues to play like he did over his first three games in The Canadiens uniform, he might become the attraction of the "keg" in the near future. ----------------------------------------------------------------- OTTAWA SENATORS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Jacques Martin Roster: C - Alexei Yashin, Radek Bonk, Sergei Zholtok, Shaun Van Allen, Derek Armstrong, Vaclav Prospal. LW - Randy Cunneyworth, Shawn McEachern, Magnus Arvedson, Denny Lambert. RW - Daniel Alfredsson, Pat Falloon, Andreas Dackell, Bruce Gardiner, Chris Murray. D - Lance Pitlick, Chris Phillips, Wade Redden, Stan Neckar, Jason York, Janne Laukkanen, Igor Kravchuk, Radim Bicanek. G - Damian Rhodes, Ron Tugnutt. Injuries: Bruce Gardiner, rw (knee, day-to-day); Magnus Arvedson, lw (shoulder, day-to-day); Stan Neckar, d (knee, day-to-day); Vaclav Prospal, c (fibula, expected to return in March); Jason York, d (returned to action against Washington from concussion suffered Jan 3rd). Transactions: Returned Radim Bicanek, d, to Manitoba (IHL), January 14. Waived Dennis Vial, rw, January 10. Traded Alexandre Daigle, rw, to Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Pat Falloon, rw, Vaclav Prospal, c, and a 2nd-round pick in the 1998 entry draft, January 17. Standings: Eastern Conference - Northeast Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA Pittsburgh 50 26 15 9 61 138 114 Montreal 51 26 18 7 59 153 124 Boston 49 21 19 9 51 122 121 Ottawa 50 20 22 8 48 116 121 Buffalo 48 19 21 8 46 117 122 Carolina 51 19 26 6 44 127 144 Game Results 1/13 at Washington L 4-0 1/20 at Pittsburgh T 0-0 1/22 Carolina L 4-2 1/24 New York Islanders W 3-2 TEAM NEWS by The Nosebleeders By far the biggest news this period was the trade of Alexandre Daigle to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Senators sent Daigle to the Flyers in exchange for Pat Falloon, Vaclav Prospal and a second-round entry draft choice. The trade allows for a fresh start for both Daigle and Falloon, both of whom were not achieving with their current teams. Weight of the Franchise Lifted Daigle, 22, was the first overall pick of the 1993 NHL draft and at 18 entered the NHL for the 93-94 season. The 1992-1993 season was a battle for what was referred to as the "Daigle Cup", a last place race between the Ottawa Senators and the San Jose Sharks for the first overall pick. Daigle was touted as being a franchise player and the second coming of both Guy Lafleur and Jean Beliveau. His junior career highlights included breaking Mario Lemieux's junior points record for a 16 year old. Even before being drafted, trade rumors had both Quebec and Montreal falling all over themselves and begging then Sens GM Randy Sexton for a trade. Rumors included Quebec sending six players to Ottawa (including Joe Sakic and the rights to Peter Forsberg). Sexton didn't move on a trade and the result was Daigle signing a five-year, $12.25 million dollar contract. Daigle netted 20 goals his first season but his play did not impress many. His contract and the way in which he was obtained can be linked to the following significant events: * Quebec Nordiques fail to get funding for new arena and move to Colorado. * Colorado on the strength of Joe Sakic and others win the Stanley Cup. * NBA style lottery introduced for first overall entry draft pick. This meant that the Daigle Cup would be the last of its kind. * The pace of salary escalations was increased significantly. Daigle's salary caused many a jitter amongst many veteran NHLers who were not paid a fraction of what he was to make. * The NHL rookie salary cap was introduced. Falloon was a rookie sensation in the (WHL) Western Hockey League and taken second overall by the San Jose sharks behind Eric Lindros in the 1991 entry draft. After a solid rookie year, Falloon's numbers gradually declined. His defense and work ethic were questioned and during his fifth season with San Jose he was traded to the Flyers, spending the majority of his time on the Flyers third or fourth line. Falloon is more of a sniper than Daigle and may be just the third player that the Yashin-McEachern line is looking for. Prospal, a young prospect, was injured January 3rd against the Sens battling Lance Pitlick for the puck and is not expected to return before March. Before his injury he was expected to make the trip to compete in the Olympic games. Leaving Las Vegas Daigle found out about the deal during his return from an All-Star Break vacation in Las Vegas. Calling from the plane for a ride home from the airport, he was informed he would have to find his own ride - Philly is too far. Remember Me? Speaking of first picks overall...What's the difference between Daigle and Lindros? That question was asked of Daigle just after he was drafted first overall. It was a time when headlines had Lindros involved in an Ontario bar confrontation where he allegedly spit beer on a woman. Daigle's response to the difference question was, "I drink my beer." Daigle may drink his beer but doesn't like the rough stuff. Lucky for him, Lindros has promised that there will be ample protection. On the Flyers, Daigle joins the third overall 1993 pick Chris Gratton. Gratton and second overall 1993 pick Chris Pronger surely recall Daigle's comments after being picked first, "Nobody remembers number 2." After Daigle's first practice with the Flyers, Gratton was asked if he had reminded Daigle of the comments. "Not yet, but I'm sure I'll bring it up once or twice, maybe when I get him in the corner during the practice." Details of the trade, with NHL statistics for each player involved: Age GP PTS G A +/- PM S PCT To Philly: Alexandre Daigle 22 38 16 7 9 -7 8 68 10.3 To Ottawa: Pat Falloon 25 30 12 5 7 +3 8 63 7.9 Vaclav Prospal 22 41 18 5 13 -10 17 60 8.3 1998 2nd-round pick Total 71 30 10 20 -7 25 123 8.1 Good Luck, Alex After four and a half seasons Daigle leaves the Sens spotlight. His 74 goals netted represent a $165,000 per goal value. Daigle's attitude during his years with the team was outstanding and his ability and commitment to conversing with media and fans in both French and English will be missed. Despite his on ice problems he never blamed anyone other than himself, and for this he deserves a lot of credit. Despite widespread expectations of less pressure in Philadelphia, the Nosebleeders feel that Daigle will still put himself under pressure and try to live up to expectations involving a three-for-one player swap. Joining the Flyers may just be the best thing that happens to Daigle as he (re)starts his NHL career. Note: In order to write the last paragraph, Steve deliberately had Dave shackled down to the floor with duct tape over his mouth. Up Again, Down Again Radim Bicanek was returned to the Manitoba Moose this period after joining the team as a healthy scratch from January 5th to January 14th. Bicanek was sent down for the second time this season and sixth in two seasons. Free Bacon-Cheese All Around? The 11,109 fans in attendance at the Sens-Capitals game went home happy when the home team Capitals netted four goals in the game; triggering a free bacon-cheese hamburger giveaway. The three main problems for the Sens on this night were, in no particular order: - they failed to score (obvious we know) - the power play continued to misfire - they were not considered to be in the crowd and were therefore ineligible for the free giveaway. Sens fired a total of 24 shots at Olaf Kolzig, including just one during a two-man, 55-second advantage. The Sens went 0-3 on the power play. Washington got a lucky break to open the scoring 80 seconds in, when Sergei Gonchar's shot from the point went off Igor Kravchuk's stick. Andrew Brunette got credit for the goal. It's Trivia Time!!! Who holds the record for most shots by a Senator in a game? Answer at the end of this column. Third Straight All-Star Game... Daniel Alfredsson, playing in his third straight All-Star Game, didn't know how to answer the question of what would mean more to him - an Olympic Gold Medal or Stanley Cup. "To play for your country and to win a gold medal would mean so much to me, but being part of a team that won the Stanley Cup would also mean a lot. It's tough for me to say. I'm not sure if one is better than the other. I think the best thing would be to have both." Another ZZZZZZ The Sens played the mighty Penguins to a 0-0 draw. This game was not only the second scoreless draw for the Sens this season, but also the second time this season that they have played a very boring game against the Penguins. Hurricane Visits Ottawa No, folks, we are not talking about Ice Storm 98, the famed Eastern Ontario, Quebec Ice Storm that has knocked out power to 100s of thousands of homes for over two weeks. We are talking about the Kirk McLean-led Carolina Hurricanes. McLean, recently dealt from the Vancouver Canucks, blew the Senators away with his play, in particular during the last minutes of play, leading the Hurricanes to a 4-2 victory. McLean stopped Shawn Van Allen with four minutes to go on what would normally be a sure goal. Pat Falloon scored his first for the Sens. His power-play goal was the Sens' first in 11 games and broke an 0-for-36 streak. Early Justification Pat Falloon was charged early in the game with a goaltender interference call as he headed for the net looking for rebounds. That - my fellow Senator friends - is all it took to justify the Daigle trade. In his years here, Daigle drove to the net about as often as Claude Lemieux won the Lady Byng Trophy. Note: Can you tell this was Dave's notes? Bowness on the Brink The Sens' victory against the Islanders was only their third in 13 games. The Sens must have had mixed feelings after their 3-2 victory as Islander coach Rick Bowness, with one win over the last 15 games, was put on "alert" by GM Mike Milbury. Ottawa fired 35 shots at Tommy Salo while the game's first star, Ron Tugnutt, faced 25. The Sens got the first goal of the game but entered the second period down 1-0. Sens defensemen Chris Phillips deflected Mike Hough's pass from the corner past Tugnutt. The Senators overcame both 1-0 and 2-1 Islander leads. Random Notes * 11 months have passed since Rod Bryden's attendance ultimatum. The NHL released the lasted attendance figures this period and the Sens lead the pack up by 4.4% for an average of 16,500 per game...overall league averages have attendance down 4.1%. For the record, the Nosebleeders do not believe Rod's ultimatum has anything to do with the Sens' attendance increase. * Alexei Yashin may be named the Russian Olympic captain. Yashin is having a solid season leading the team by example. * Janne Laukkanen hasn't scored a goal in 31 games. * The usually productive Daniel Alfredsson is due to break out. Since coming back from a broken bone in his ankle six games ago, he has no goals and only two assists. His last goal came December 4th against the Kings and he's fallen off his point-a-game pace. * With 32 games to go, the Senators find themselves in the thick of a playoff race with Buffalo and Carolina two points back and the New York Rangers just one point back. Power Play Wows and Not-So-Wows The Senators end the period having allowed just two power-play goals in 17 attempts over their last five games. Contrast this to having scored one goal in their last 41 power-play attempts. Drumroll Please Alexei Yashin's eight shots against the Colorado Avalanche is the team high. ----------------------------------------------------------------- PITTSBURGH PENGUINS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Kevin Constantine Roster: C - Ron Francis, Martin Straka, Stu Barnes, C. Ferraro, Tyler Wright, Robert Lang. LW - Andreas Johansson, Alex Hicks, Garry Valk. RW - Jaromir Jagr, Alexei Morozov, Ed Olczyk, Robby Brown. D - Darius Kasparaitis, Kevin Hatcher, Chris Tamer, Fredrik Olausson, Neil Wilkinson, Ian Moran, Brad Werenka, Jiri Slegr. G - Tom Barrasso, Ken Wregget. Injuries: None. Transactions: Jan. 14, Peter Ferraro, lw, was claimed off waivers by the New York Rangers. Jan. 15, assigned Peter Skudra, g, to Kansas City of the IHL. Standings: Eastern Conference - Northeast Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA Pittsburgh 50 26 15 9 61 138 114 Montreal 51 26 18 7 59 153 124 Boston 49 21 19 9 51 122 121 Ottawa 50 20 22 8 48 116 121 Buffalo 48 19 21 8 46 117 122 Carolina 51 19 26 6 44 127 144 Game Results 1/24 Boston W 4-2 1/22 at New Jersey W 3-2 1/20 Ottawa T 0-0 1/14 at Boston L 5-2 1/12 at Carolina W 4-1 TEAM NEWS by Brett Taylor Penalty Killing Flying High: The Penguins killed off four Boston power plays Saturday, extending their penalty killing domination to 34 straight kills through the past nine games. Stellar play up front from guys like Ron Francis, Jaromir Jagr, Ed Olczyk, Stu Barnes and Ian Moran has helped make the Pens penalty killing a force. This is not a new development though, the Pens have killed 47 of 48 penalties over the past 13 games, and 87 of 94 in the past 23 games. They are number one on the road at 91.4%, but not so good at home, where they're at 82.6%. They are tied for seventh overall. What do all these numbers mean? Well, two things needed in the playoffs are hot goaltending and good penalty killing. These are not the only ingredients needed to be successful in the playoffs, but they are the most important. Right now the Pens have both. Although the playoffs are still a few months away, it's good to get the penalty killing clicking early. Good penalty killing is not something that can just be turned on, it takes time to work out. The Pens have it now, they just have to keep working hard. Speaking of goaltending, Tom Barrasso is at the top of is game. Most folks didn't expect to ever see Mr. Barrasso back in black in gold again, after missing last year and the whole incident with the team taking his picture down from the wall in the main office, but Tommy is back and he just keeps getting better. Saturday afternoon, the Pens were dominating Boston for most of the game, but got lazy in the third period giving Boston a 14-0 run of shots on goal. Barrasso stopped everything thrown at him on his way to victory and was named the number one star. Penguin fans cringed last week when Barrasso was injured for a game, visions of old-school Barrasso came back quickly. Visions of an indifferent Barrasso who didn't care to play until the playoffs, a Barrasso who would amass large numbers of injuries at one time and miss large portions of the season. But, that isn't Barrasso this year. He missed only one game and came back to pick up where he left off. Speaking of left off, Barrasso is clearly one of the best goaltenders in the league this season. But he was not an All-Star and will not represent team Canada. Maybe a strong playoff run could wake everyone up and get Tommy some due recognition. Gritty Barnes a Throwback to Cup Years: The Penguins are getting some of the best play at forward in years from Stu Barnes. Barnes is having a career goal-scoring year playing on the Pens top unit with Jagr and Francis. He has eight goals and two assists in the past 10 games for the Pens and has 18 goals on the season, in addition, his plus-12 leads the team. Barnes has done more than expected on the power play, where he is tied for sixth in the league with nine power-play goals. This is very good considering he wasn't even on the top unit at the beginning of the season. Numbers aside, Barnes has been the best player on the team, excluding of course, Jagr, Francis and Barrasso, the superstars who are expected to play that way. He and Jagr have began to gel resulting in numerous goals where Jagr wheels out of the corner with two or three players clinging to him and finds Barnes open in the slot for a one-timer. Barnes' play on the penalty-kill has been a major contributor in the 34 penalty streak, and he is one of the toughest players on the team as well as one of the smallest. He's sort of reminiscent of Bob Errey, but better on face-offs. Pens Send Eight Players to the Olympics: As hockey fans world wide gear up for the Olympics, members of the Pens prepare as well, because eight of them will make the trip to Nagano, Japan. Only Colorado, with nine players, will be better represented than the Pens. The teams are as follows: Czech Republic: Jagr, Jiri Slegr and Martin Straka. Team Finland: Tuomas Gronman. Team Russia: Darius Kasparaitis and Alexei Morozov. Team Sweden: Andreas Johansson Team USA: Kevin Hatcher Conspicuously absent from this list is Ron Francis, who was not selected for team Canada. Francis is one of, if not the best two-way center in the NHL, but apparently not as good as Trevor Linden or Rob Zamuner who made the squad over him. Anyway, the NHL will be on hiatus from February 8th to the 25th while the Olympics roll. ================================================================ ================================================================= TEAM REPORTS ================================================================= WESTERN CONFERENCE CENTRAL DIVISION ----------------------------------------------------------------- CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Craig Hartsburg Roster: C - Alexei Zhamnov, Jeff Shantz, Steve Dubinsky, Brent Sutter, Greg Johnson, Todd White, Jarrod Skalde, Dmitri Nabakov. LW - Bob Probert, Ethan Moreau, Eric Daze, James Black, Jean-Yves Leroux, Reid Simpson, Ryan Huska. RW - Tony Amonte, Sergei Krivokrasov, Jim Cummins, Martin Gendron. D - Chris Chelios, Gary Suter, Eric Weinrich, Keith Carney, Trent Yawney, Cam Russell. G - Jeff Hackett, Chris Terreri Kirk Daubenspeck, Andrei Trefilov. Injuries: Sergei Krivokrasov, rw (strained knee Dec. 17, day-to-day); Ethan Moreau, lw (broken right ankle Dec. 12, day-to-day); Chris Tererri, g (fractured left ring finger Nov. 11, 1-2 weeks (placed on injured reserve Nov. 11)); Bob Probert, lw (rotator cuff surgery Dec. 4, April (placed on injured reserve Nov. 19)). Transactions: Signed Bob Probert, lw, to a three-year contract extension. Standings: Western Conference - Central Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA Dallas 51 32 11 8 72 155 103 Detroit 52 29 13 10 68 160 117 St Louis 52 26 19 7 59 151 130 Phoenix 50 22 20 8 52 141 137 Chicago 50 20 21 9 49 121 117 Toronto 48 17 24 7 41 117 138 Game Results: 1/14 at Carolina W 4-1 1/15 at Washington L 3-2 1/20 NY Islanders W 5-2 1/22 Toronto L 3-0 1/24 St. Louis W 5-4 TEAM NEWS by Jim Iovino Probert signs three-year extension Despite playing in only seven games this season, Bob Probert signed a three-year contract extension with the club. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Probert, who has missed most of this season with a knee injury and a torn rotator cuff, has scored two goals and added an assist during his limited time on the ice. Had the Hawks not signed Probert, he would have become an unrestricted free agent after the season. It kind of makes you wonder what the team is thinking sometimes. They won't spend a lot of money to keep players like Jeremy Roenick and Ed Belfour, and they won't go out and sign stars through the free agent route, but they shell out some presumably big bucks for a 32-year-old enforcer who has quite frankly seen better days. Today's Bob Probert has had trouble dropping the gloves and has been injured twice this season. Probert did play extremely well last season, racking up 326 penalty minutes in 82 games. But how much longer can a body take the kind of punishment Probert's is used to? I guess the Hawks are hoping he lasts for three more seasons... Hawks like Wendy's Three Blackhawks were recently spotted in a commerical for the fast-food chain Wendy's - Chris Chelios, Gary Suter and Tony Amonte. The commericals are part of a promotion the restaurant is using for the Winter Olympics. You see, Dave, the owner of Wendy's, is this big goof who embarrasses himself on skates, and pretty much all the hockey players do is stand around and laugh at him. Other news: There's really nothing new to report on the Blackhawks. They've been stuck in a pattern of win one game, lose one game, win one game lately. But the offense has picked up the scoring thanks in part to Alexei Zhamnov, who finally woke up out of hibernation and realized the season started in October, not January. Don't worry, it will only be a matter of time before he loses interest in the game again and takes another nap. What else can we talk about...how `bout that new Blues Brothers movie? Has anyone seen it yet? I don't know about you, but it looks pretty lame. First of all, John Belushi's dead. There's no getting around that. Second of all, Dan Akroyd is fat, so he really can't do much. And don't even get me started on John Goodman. What does he have to do with the Blues Brothers? And what the hell's with that kid? Give me a break. Orange whip? Orange whip? Three orange whips... ----------------------------------------------------------------- DALLAS STARS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head coach: Ken Hitchcock Roster: C-Mike Modano, Guy Carbonneau, Joe Nieuwendyk, Bob Bassen. LW-Dave Reid, Greg Adams, Benoit Hogue, Juha Lind, Bob Errey, Patrick Cote. RW-Todd Harvey, Pat Verbeek, Jamie Langenbrunner, Jere Lehtinen, Grant Marshall. D-Derian Hatcher, Craig Ludwig, Darryl Sydor, Shawn Chambers, Richard Matvichuck, Sergei Zubov, Sergey Gusev, Dan Keczmer, Craig Muni. G-Ed Belfour, Roman Turek. Injuries: Richard Matvichuk, d (knee, 4 weeks); Bob Bassen, c (hand, day-to-day); Todd Harvey, rw (knee, day-to-day); Greg Adams, lw (sprained left knee, 4-6 weeks); Patrick Cote, lw (shoulder, indefinite). Transactions: Assigned Juha Lind, lw, and Jamie Wright, f, to Michigan (IHL); placed Richard Matvichuk, d, on injured reserve due to a torn ACL; activated Todd Harvey, rw, from injured reserve; recalled Juha Lind from Michigan. Standings: Western Conference - Central Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA Dallas 51 32 11 8 72 155 103 Detroit 52 29 13 10 68 160 117 St Louis 52 26 19 7 59 151 130 Phoenix 50 22 20 8 52 141 137 Chicago 50 20 21 9 49 121 117 Toronto 48 17 24 7 41 117 138 Game Results: 1/12 at San Jose W 3-1 1/14 at St. Louis W 2-1 1/21 Colorado W 3-2 1/24 at Colorado W 3-2 Team News by Jim Iovino After going winless in their past three games, the Stars bounced back in a big way with four straight wins, including a sweep of a home-and-home series with the Colorado Avalanche. Coming out of the All Star break, all eyes were on Dallas as two of the top teams in the league went at it. In the far corner, wearing the black and green sweaters, the Dallas Stars. In the near corner, wearing red and blue, the Colorado Avalanche. Let's get ready to rrrrrrrrrruuuuummmmmbble!!! Dallas won Round One on home ice thanks to two goals by Joe Nieuwendyk. Nieuwendyk hit Patrick Roy with a good right jab to give the Stars a 1-0 lead in the first period. Darryl Sydor added to the lead early in the second. But that's when the Avalanche started fighting back. About three minutes after the Sydor goal, Adam Deadmarsh scored a rebound goal on the power play to breathe some life into the Avalanche offense. But Nieuwendyk answered the Deadmarsh tally with his second goal of the game, this time on a Stars power play. After that it was all Dallas, as the Stars switched the motor into defensive mode and shut down the Avalanche for the rest of the game. Sure, Eric Lacroix scored just over the midway point of the third, but it didn't matter. Stars win, 3-2. Ed Belfour only had to face five shots in the third thanks to the Stars stifling defense. Belfour had a relaxing night overall. He made 18 saves in the win. Patrick Roy had to face 31 Dallas shots. Round Two of the heavyweight battle took place just three days later. In that time, the Avalanche had already been knocked out by the Ducks in embarrassing fashion and their egos were really hurting. This was a must-win situation...no doubt about it. The Stars, on the other hand, were well rested. They didn't have to play another game before the rematch. All they had to worry about was getting ready for the Avs once again. Despite needing a big win, Colorado found itself being outshot in the first period, 16-7. The good news was that they had the lead. Claude Lemieux, who would later drop the gloves with Derian Hatcher, scored shorthanded to give the Avs the lead. The play started when Sydor broke his stick while taking a slapshot from the point during a two-man advantage. The puck trickled away and Alexei Gusarov picked it up and fired a pass up to Lemieux, who had just stepped out of the penalty box. Lemieux busted in all alone on Belfour and beat him to give the Avs the 1-0 lead. Lacroix scored 1 minute, 6 seconds into the second to give the Avs a big lead on home ice, but after that it was all Stars for the second straight game, as they scored three unanswered goals. Mike Modano scored on the power play at 6:12 to quiet the crowd and give the Stars some Mo'mentum. Hatcher scored at 7:46 of the third to tie things up. That set the stage for Guy Carbonneau. Yes, Guy Carbonneau. Guy had scored just once going into the game. After the game Guy had two goals. Can you figure out what happened? Carbonneau and Juha Lind broke in on Roy with less than eight minutes to go in the game. Carbonneau looked off the pass and fired a shot high over Roy's right shoulder to give the Stars the win, 3-2. Once again, Belfour faced just 18 shots. The Stars, on the other hand, peppered Roy with 40. The back-to-back wins gave the Stars the season series. They went undefeated (3-0-1) against the Avs this season and might have set up quite an interesting playoff matchup, if the two teams get to play each other. The two wins also extended the team's lead over the rest of the league. Detroit is closest to the Stars, followed by the Avs, who are eight points back. ----------------------------------------------------------------- DETROIT RED WINGS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Scotty Bowman Roster: C - Steve Yzerman, Igor Larionov, Kris Draper. LW - Brendan Shanahan, Vyacheslav Kozlov, Doug Brown, Tomas Holmstrom, Kirk Maltby, Brent Gilchrist. RW - Darren McCarty, Joey Kocur, Martin Lapointe. D - Nicklas Lidstrom, Bob Rouse, Slava Fetisov, Larry Murphy, Jamie Pushor, Aaron Ward, Anders Eriksson, Mathieu Dandenault. G - Chris Osgood, Kevin Hodson. INJURIES: Kris Draper, rw (broken thumb, 2-3 weeks). TRANSACTIONS: None. Standings: Western Conference - Central Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA Dallas 51 32 11 8 72 155 103 Detroit 52 29 13 10 68 160 117 St Louis 52 26 19 7 59 151 130 Phoenix 50 22 20 8 52 141 137 Chicago 50 20 21 9 49 121 117 Toronto 48 17 24 7 41 117 138 GAME RESULTS: 1/12 at NY Islanders T 1-1 1/14 Vancouver W 4-0 1/20 at New Jersey L 3-1 1/21 Toronto L 3-0 1/24 Philadelphia W 1-0 TEAM NEWS by Dino Cacciola DETROIT 1, NY ISLANDERS 1 (OT) The Professor Igor Larionov's goal with about 15 minutes remaining lifted the Red Wings into a 1-1 tie with the New York Islanders. Larionov took a pass from Slava Kozlov at the top of the right faceoff circle and snapped a shot through goaltender Wade Flaherty's pads. It was Larionov's sixth goal of the season, second in as many games and helped the Wings extend their unbeaten streak to four (2-0-2). Timely goals for the master passer, where goals are few and far between. Kevin Hodson, making a rare appearance in goal, turned aside 28 shots and is 4-1-2 in his last seven starts. The game was evenly played with both teams getting some great offensive chances but the defenses prevailed as well as the goaltending. DETROIT 4, VANCOUVER 0 Goalie Chris Osgood made 26 saves and captain Steve Yzerman had three assists as the Red Wings posted their third straight home shutout, 4-0 over the Vancouver Canucks. Kirk Maltby, Larry Murphy, Brendan Shanahan and Brent Gilchrist all scored. The Wings are 3-0-2 in their last five games. They still trail Dallas by two points in the Central Division. Ozzie, who improved to 5-1-1 in his last seven home games, was rarely tested. The shutout was his fourth of the season and 18th of his career. The Red Wings took the lead for good at 10:44 of the first period. Kirk Maltby took a nice pass from Brent Gilchrist and fired a wrist shot from the right circle past Sean Burke for his 10th goal of the season and third against Vancouver. Larry Murphy beat Sean Burke with a wrist shot also from the slot doubling the lead. The Wings had 28 shots to 26 by the struggling Canucks. NEW JERSEY 3, DETROIT 1 The New Jersey Devils scored three times in the third period to defeat the Red Wings, 3-1. Slava Kozlov had the lone tally for the Wings. The Wings had killed off 26 straight shorthanded situations over the last eight games before Jason Arnott's goal. The Wings have allowed just two power-play goals in 50 chances since Dec. 22, including stopping six of seven Devil power plays. The Devils limited the Red Wings to just one shot in the second period. It was not a pretty sight. Trap, trap, trap. Chris Osgood made 33 saves but fell to 22-10-8. The loss snapped Detroit's five-game unbeaten streak and dropped them to just 0-2-2 in their last four road contests. TORONTO 3, DETROIT 0 Felix Potvin made 28 saves as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Red Wings 3-0 at the Joe Louis Arena. Igor Korolev gave Potvin all the support he needed nine minutes into the first period. Former Maple Leaf defenseman Larry Murphy tripped at the blue line and lost control of the puck, allowing Korolev to skate in alone and beat Chris Osgood with a backhander between the pads. Five-hole city. The Red Wings, who had recorded shutouts in their last three home games, had not allowed a goal at Joe Louis Arena since San Jose's Mike Ricci scored with less than a minute to play on Jan. 2. A very impressive streak came to an end. "Goals are hard to come by, the goalies are so big. They have to make the goalies smaller or the nets bigger," Detroit coach Scotty Bowman said. "We had some good chances, we had a good third period." The Red Wings suffered consecutive losses for only the second time this season. The game featured a bout between Tie Domi and Jamie Pushor. Pushor held his own, but for the most part Domi was the winner rather easily. DETROIT 1, PHILADELPHIA 0 Chris Osgood recorded his third shutout in two weeks and winger Brendan Shanahan scored the game's only goal with about three minutes left as the Detroit Red Wings blanked the Philadelphia Flyers, 1-0, in the first rematch of last year's Stanley Cup Finals. Osgood turned aside 20 shots for his fifth shutout of the season and 19th of his career, moving him within one of Roger Crozier for third on the Red Wings' all time list. Shanny deflected SWEDISH defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom's shot from the left point between the pads of Ron Hextall for his 21st goal of the season and just his second in eight games. Detroit avoided its first three-game losing streak of the season and improved to 4-2-2 in its last eight games. The Flyers were shut out for the fourth time this season and fell to 0-7-2 in their last nine trips to Detroit. The game had all of the makings of a playoff type game. However the Flyers seemed tentative for the most part. Nonetheless a very good game. Notes: No news on the Fedorov front. Both teams seem miles apart. The Wings will trade him for the right price but are prepared to lose him for the entire season. Also, Kris Draper has resumed skating and should be returning immediately after the Olympic break. He is recovering from a broken thumb. ----------------------------------------------------------------- PHOENIX COYOTES ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Jim Schoenfeld Roster: C - Jeremy Roenick, Craig Janney, Cliff Ronning, Bob Corkum, Mike Stapleton, Juha Ylonen. LW - Keith Tkachuk, Darrin Shannon, Jim McKenzie. RW - Rick Tocchet, Dallas Drake, Mike Gartner, Brad Isbister, Jocelyn Lemieux. D - Teppo Numminen, Oleg Tverdovsky, John Slaney, Norm Maciver, Jim Johnson, Murray Baron, Deron Quint, Jason Doig, Jay More, Michel Petit, Sean Gagnon. G - Nikolai Khabibulin, Jimmy Waite, Scott Langkow. Injuries: John Slaney, d (fractured thumb, maybe a week); Jimmy Waite, g (thumb, day-to-day); Murray Baron, d (torn triceps muscle Nov. 17, indefinite); Jim Johnson, d (concussion Nov. 11, day-to-day); Darcy Wakaluk, g (knee surgery Sept. 17, 2-3 months -- placed on injured reserve Sept. 30). Transactions: Rick Tocchet, rw, was suspended two games by the NHL. Recalled Sean Gagnon, d, from Springfield (AHL). Standings: Western Conference - Central Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA Dallas 51 32 11 8 72 155 103 Detroit 52 29 13 10 68 160 117 St Louis 52 26 19 7 59 151 130 Phoenix 50 22 20 8 52 141 137 Chicago 50 20 21 9 49 121 117 Toronto 48 17 24 7 41 117 138 Game Results: 1/20 at Edmonton L 6-2 1/21 at Vancouver W 6-1 1/24 Edmonton L 5-2 1/26 Vancouver W 4-2 TEAM NEWS by Michael Dell The Phoenix Coyotes had a wacky schedule right after the All-Star Break. They opened with two games on the road; first in Edmonton and then in Vancouver. Then it was back home for two games against, you guessed it, Edmonton and Vancouver. Whenever you play a team twice in such a short span of time, there's always the chance that things could get ugly. And, oh, did they get ugly...

It all started in Edmonton on January 20. At 12:21 of the first period, Rick Tocchet tried to rub out Ryan Smyth as the Edmonton winger was peeling off the boards with the puck. Smyth side- stepped the initial check, but Tocchet stuck out his knee and sent the Oil youngster crumpling to the ice in pain. That brought Oiler captain Kelly Buchberger over and he started up with Tocchet. When things were calmed down, Buchberger got four minutes for roughing, Tocchet received two for roughing and five for kneeing, and Smyth got a torn ligament in his left knee. He was later evaluated and is expected to miss six to eight weeks. Yeah, that'll suck.

Just 20 seconds after the hit of Smyth, the Coyotes took the lead when Keith Tkachuk potted his 30th of the season. The Oilers bounced back, tho', with goals from Dean McAmmond and Boris Mironov to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. The Oil came out in the second and once again outscored Tkachuk 2-1, getting goals from Roman Hamrlik and Dougie Weight. Edmonton would add two more goals in the third to make the final 6-2. But the hit on Smyth was clearly the major story in this one.

At 14:22 of the third, with the game decided, Edmonton's Greg DeVries and Tocchet squared off. A message had to be sent. That's just hockey.

After the game, Tocchet said that his hit on Smyth was entirely unintentional and he in no way meant to injure the young star. And you gotta believe the guy. Tocchet is as real as it gets. If he wanted to take Smyth out, he would have done it old school with his fists. Tocchet isn't a cheap player. While the hit was definitely questionable, there is no way that there was intent behind it. Sometimes things like that just happen. But that didn't stop the Oil, in particular Bill Huard, from promising some revenge somewhere down the road. Aw, that's just hockey.

Tocchet was suspended indefinitely following the contest, meaning he was unavailable for Phoenix's game the very next night in Vancouver. The boys could have used him. This one was mean.

The Coyotes opened up an early 2-0 lead on goals by Dallas Drake (7) and Mike Gartner (9) before the real festivities began. At 8:19 of the first period, a pier six brawl started with everybody pairing off. Except for Michel Petit, who elected to take some swings at Vancouver's Scott Walker while the scrappy center had his arms held by Norm Maciver. Unable to get free and defend himself, Walker absorbed three Petit punches right in the kisser. Walker eventually shook free and tried to get at Petit, but by that time his Canuck teammates were piling in to get at the Coyote defender themselves. While Petit earned a fighting major, an instigator, and a misconduct, Walker got saddled with five for fighting. Maciver and Vancouver tough guy Donald Brashear were hit with game misconducts. Just about everyone else on the ice got plain misconducts. The fight took its toll on Walker. He had to leave the game to get 24 stitches in his face.

When the rough stuff settled down, Alexander Mogilny and Gartner (10) traded goals to make the score 3-1 Phoenix heading to the second. The middle frame saw the Coyotes increase their lead on goals from Cliff Ronning (6) and Tkachuk (32). It also witnessed two more fights, with Jocelyn Lemieux and Jim McKenzie throwin' with Dave Scatchard and Chris McAllister.

Knowing that they'd already lost the game, the Canucks turned their attention to trying to settle the score with Petit. At 8:42 of the third, Phoenix's John Slaney got a kneeing penalty and opened the door to more fisticuffs. Trevor Linden, Dave Babych, and Petit would all get fighting majors and game misconducts. Less than two minutes later, Gerald Diduck (4) closed out the scoring to make the final 6-1. The penalty minute total for the contest? A rather large 205 minutes.

Afterwards the Canucks were quick to point to the teams' next meeting as the day of judgement for Petit. Brashear was especially vocal in his threats. Oh, the horror...

But before the Coyotes could worry about the Canucks, they still had that vendetta thing goin' with the Oilers because of Tocchet's hit on Smyth. The situation was calmed a bit by the NHL suspending Tocchet for one more game, meaning he'd miss the battle with the Oil.

Tocchet may not have been around, but the kneeing incident was still very much on everyone's minds. Just over three minutes into the game, Mironov took out Drake with a blatant knee. Diduck was quick to answer the call to duty, tackling Mironov to the ice and beating the Russian blueliner senseless. Diduck would receive a fighting major and a game misconduct, while Mironov got off with just two minutes for tripping. Drake would have to be helped off the ice, but did return for the start of the second period.

The Coyotes opened that second period leading 1-0 on the strength of a first-period goal by Jeremy Roenick (14). But the Oil soon took control of the game, rattling off four unanswered goals from Weight, Valeri Zelepukin, Billy Guerin, and Mike Grier. The Coyotes had a chance to cut into the 4-1 deficit, but Tkachuk missed on a penalty shot against Bob Essensa at 16:22. Lemieux would make the score 4-2 before the end of the period, but Guerin salted it away with his second of the game at 14:29 of the third to make the final 5-2.

Having Tocchet sit out the rematch with Edmonton took most of the mean-spirited fun out of it. But the second go with Vancouver on January 26 had all the necessary ingredients in place. Sensing that the game would get chippy, the Coyotes recalled Sean Gagnon from Springfield. The 6'1", 215-pound blueliner led the IHL in penalty minutes last season (457 pim) while playing for Ft. Wayne. It was no coincidence that Gagnon was paired with Petit.

Even with the new muscle on board, the Canucks wasted little time in trying to extract revenge. At 11:33 of the first, on Petit's third shift of the game, Brashear tied up with Petit in front of the Phoenix cage and punched him in the nose. The blow was made worse by the fact that Petit had his stick up in front of his face at the time. So Brashear's punch drove the shaft of Petit's stick into his own face, ripping up his nose something fierce.

While no penalty was going to be called on Brashear, the punch started another all-out brawl between the two clubs. Gagnon did his part, grabbing hold of Steve Staios and swingin' wild and free. While all this was going on, Tocchet, fresh from his suspension, had his hands on Scott Walker in the corner. The two were just standing there all peaceful like and then Petit roamed over and asked Walker, "Remember me?" That caused Walker to flip out, and he drilled Petit with a punch right on the button. Petit was staggered and fell to the ice. As he laid there face down on the frozen water, Walker belted him a couple more times.

The officials eventually got things under control, but not before a linesman had to tackle Petit and restrain him from going after Walker as the Canuck sparkplug was being led of the ice. Amazingly, Brashear, who started the whole mess, never was penalized on the play. Staios, Gagnon, Petit, and Walker were all given fighting majors, but Walker's berserker rage against Petit earned him an extra two-minute unsportsmanlike, an instigator, a 10-minute misconduct, and a double game misconduct. All added up, Walker hit the showers with 39 minutes in penalties.

It's hard to believe, but things were actually somewhat calm after that and a game was actually played. It wasn't decided until Tocchet broke a 2-2 deadlock at 15:08 of the third, wristing a shot past Sean Burke as he was being hooked to the ice. Tocchet then sealed the 4-2 win with an empty-netter, giving him 18 goals on the season.

Tocchet also added another victim to his hit list. The big right winger pounded Trevor Linden in the second period with a heavy check. While it was a clean bang, Linden fell awkwardly to the ice and messed up his knee. Stay away from Tocchet.

Talk after the game was still centered on the Petit-Walker rivalry.

"I'm a little disappointed with those guys," said Petit. "If they wanted to come and get at me, they should have come and got me and fight me. They shouldn't have tag-teamed me like they did."

On the subject of his screwed up nose courtesy of Brashear's punch, Petit offered, "It's only my nose. I still look better them him." That's funny stuff.

The two teams won't play again this season unless they meet in the playoffs. Oh wait... Vancouver sucks. The two teams will not play again this year. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ST. LOUIS BLUES ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Joel Quenneville Roster: C - Pierre Turgeon, Darren Turcotte, Harry York, Craig Conroy, Pascal Rheaume. LW - Geoff Courtnall, Tony Twist, Pavol Demitra. RW - Brett Hull, Jim Campbell, Joe Murphy, Scott Pellerin, Rudy Poeschek, Blair Atcheynum, Kelly Chase, Terry Yake. D - Al MacInnis, Chris Pronger, Steve Duchesne, Marc Bergevin, Chris McAlpine, Jamie Rivers, Rory Fitzpatrick. G - Grant Fuhr, Jamie McLennan. Injuries: Brett Hull, rw (broken left hand Dec. 27, day-to-day); Joe Murphy, rw (surgery to repair torn ligaments in left wrist Nov. 6, indefinite (placed on injured reserve Nov. 6)). Transactions: Recalled Rory Fitzpatrick, d, from Worcester (AHL). Standings: Western Conference - Central Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA Dallas 51 32 11 8 72 155 103 Detroit 52 29 13 10 68 160 117 St Louis 52 26 19 7 59 151 130 Phoenix 50 22 20 8 52 141 137 Chicago 50 20 21 9 49 121 117 Toronto 48 17 24 7 41 117 138 Game Results: 1/12 at Edmonton L 2-1 1/14 Dallas L 2-1 1/20 at NY Rangers L 3-1 1/22 NY Islanders T 3-3 1/24 at Chicago L 5-4 1/26 at Pittsburgh L 4-2 TEAM NEWS by Jim Iovino Mom, can you give me $75? Banking on the big profits of merchandising, the St. Louis Blues are going to sport a third jersey soon. On Saturday, the Blues will play the Dallas Stars in a new uniform...and new socks and new gloves and new pants. I haven't seen `em yet, but supposedly the slanted lines at the bottom of the current jerseys will become straight. The red at the bottom will be gone, as well. The Blues say it is a "classic Blues jersey". Whatever that means... Hull to return, can't be soon enough Brett Hull had two pins taken out of his hand and could be back in the lineup by Thursday when the Blues play the Leafs or maybe by Saturday's game against the Stars. But no matter how you look at it, his return can't come soon enough. The last time we met, the Blues had easily defeated the worst teams in the Pacific Division, giving them a four-game win streak. Since then the Blues have gone 0-5-1. That's not good. The offense is struggling. The defense is under a lot of pressure, as is goaltender Grant Fuhr. St. Louis went three straight games without scoring more than one goal. They lost to Edmonton, 2-1, Dallas, 2-1, and the Rangers, 3-1. They managed to tie the Islanders, who are struggling just as much, but then lost two more to Chicago and Pittsburgh. By the time the Pittsburgh game was over, everything had collapsed. After Grant Fuhr let in two goals on two straight shots in the first period to Darius Kasparaitis and Eddie Olczyk, he was replaced by Jamie McLennan. McLennan proceeded to give up another goal on the first shot that he faced to Alexei Morozov. Ouch. Since Hull has been out of the lineup, the Blues have gone 4-7-1. Brett is desperately needed. Hell, the Blues would be happy to have Hull's younger brother Skippy at this point. ----------------------------------------------------------------- TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Mike Murphy Roster: C - Darby Hendrickson, Steve Sullivan, Alyn McCauley. LW - Fredrik Modin, Wendel Clark, Todd Warriner, Derek King, Kris King, Igor Korolev. RW - Mats Sundin, Sergei Berezin, Tie Domi, Mike Johnson, Martin Prochazka, Daniel Markov. D - Jeff Brown, Jamie Macoun, Dimitri Yushkevich, Mathieu Schneider, Jason Smith, Rob Zettler, Yannick Tremblay. G - Felix Potvin, Glenn Healy. Injuries: Nick Kypreos, lw (post-concussion syndrome Sept. 15, indefinite); Craig Wolanin, d (knee sprain Nov. 1, out for season); Jeff Brown, d (foot infection, indefinite); Wendel Clark, lw (knee, day-to-day). Transactions: 1/23/ - Per Gustafsson, d, sent to St. John's (AHL); 1/21 - Todd Warriner, lw, no longer on IR 1/14 - Daniel Markov, f, called up from minors. Standings: Western Conference - Central Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA Dallas 51 32 11 8 72 155 103 Detroit 52 29 13 10 68 160 117 St Louis 52 26 19 7 59 151 130 Phoenix 50 22 20 8 52 141 137 Chicago 50 20 21 9 49 121 117 Toronto 48 17 24 7 41 117 138 Game Results: 1/14 Buffalo L 4-1 1/21 at Detroit W 3-0 1/22 at Chicago W 3-0 1/24 Tampa Bay W 5-2 TEAM NEWS by Jonah A. Sigel On A Roll Your eyes are not playing tricks on you, the results listed above are true. The beloved blue and white have put together three wins for the first time in a long time -- a real long time. It seems, that for the present anyway, the Leafs have rediscovered that they truly are not a talented team and that in order for them to succeed they must clutch and grab and play as sound a defensive game as possible. Apparently coach Mike Murphy rediscovered this over the all-star break, because going into the break the team was dismal and coming out of it the team is borderline respectable. Once again however, the team is faced with questions as per direction. Management has been content watching this team proceed through the schedule this season and for the first time they appear to be firing on all cylinders. The question then is what should management do? If this winning streak is nothing but an aberration or a fluke then the answer is simple: Stay the course and at the deadline deal whatever you can with the obvious exception of the young talent they have amassed. If the team does, however, put together a respectable second half, then perhaps some tinkering should be done. It is widely known that Trevor Linden is available and the Leafs appear to be one of a few teams that may be willing to deal with crazy Mike Keenan. Keenan is going to want a mobile defenceman in return for Linden. The big guns that he is going to want simply aren't going to be available to him, so he may have to lower his sights on the likes of Mathieu Schneider, who has been rumored to be involved in several deals with the Leafs, including one for GM Bob Gainey. The question is how much more than Schneider would it take. If the answer is a first-round draft pick, ya hang up the phone. You do the same if Mike asks for any of McCauley, Johnson, Smith, Sundin or Markov (all the young talent). However, if the Leafs can put together a package with Schneider that does not mortgage any future then the Leafs have to make the deal. Time will tell. Notes: History buffs may want to check this out. In last night's playoff tilt between the Leafs and the Bolts, it was the first time in league history that two clubs met face-to-face with each team having a Swede as a captain... The Leafs are starting to push Mike Johnson for the Calder Trophy. Keep an eye on him and Yannick Tremblay as the season winds down. ================================================================ ================================================================= TEAM REPORTS ================================================================= WESTERN CONFERENCE PACIFIC DIVISION ----------------------------------------------------------------- ANAHEIM MIGHTY DUCKS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Pierre Page ROSTER: C: Matt Cullen, Mark Janssens, Sean Pronger, Steve Rucchin; LW: Shawn Antoski, Ted Drury, Paul Kariya, Tomas Sandstrom, Brent Severyn, Jeremy Stevenson; RW: Jeff Nielsen, Warren Rychel, Joe Sacco, Teemu Selanne, Scott Young; D: D: Drew Bannister, J.J. Daigneault, David Karpa, Jason Marshall, Dmitri Mironov, Ruslan Salei, Brent Severyn, Dan Trebil, Pavel Trnka; G: Guy Hebert, Mikhail Shtalenkov. INJURIES: Brent Severyn, lw/d, (sore neck, day-to-day); Shawn Antoski, lw (depressed skull fracture, indefinite). TRANSACTIONS: 1/20, recalled Matt Cullen, c, from Cincinnati (AHL); 1/15, assigned Bob Wren, c, to Cincinnati; 1/12, recalled Bob Wren from Cincinnati; assigned Kevin Todd to Long Beach (IHL). Standings: Western Conference - Pacific Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA Colorado 52 24 12 16 64 153 126 Los Angeles 49 21 19 9 51 139 136 Edmonton 50 18 23 9 45 129 143 San Jose 49 18 24 7 43 120 132 Anaheim 51 17 25 9 43 124 151 Calgary 51 13 28 10 36 128 160 Vancouver 50 12 30 8 32 129 180 GAME RESULTS: 1/12 at Los Angeles L 3-2 OT 1/14 Colorado L 2-0 1/21 Florida W 8-3 1/22 at Colorado W 4-3 1/24 Los Angeles T 3-3 TEAM NEWS by Alex Carswell THE WORLD'S BEST Teemu Selanne was definitely the "World's Best" player on January 18. Selanne became the first European player to score a hat trick in All-Star competition by notching three of the first four goals for the World squad in Vancouver. He opened the scoring just 53 seconds into the game, added another some three minutes later and completed the trick in the middle of the second period. And while his efforts were good enough to establish another first -- he became the first European to be named All-Star MVP -- they weren't enough to lead his team to victory. Nonetheless, in snagging the Dodge Durango, Selanne became just the second All-Star MVP to have played on the losing side. Grant Fuhr took home top honors for the Campbell Conference in a 4-3 overtime defeat back in 1986. The game honors were seemingly just more of the same for Selanne, who was named the NHL's Player of the Week for the period leading up to the All-Star break. He also clinched a World victory in the SuperSkills competition with his goal in the second tie-breaking round of the Breakaway event. THE TEAM'S BEST While Selanne was showcasing his talent for the World squad, Vancouver native Paul Kariya -- snubbed by North American coach Jacques Lemaire -- was looking inward. Though he traveled to Vancouver to meet with his soon-to-be Olympic teammates, his immediate focus was on his role as Ducks captain. Kariya felt that he needed to raise his game if the Ducks were going to snap out of their funk. It's not that he hadn't already been the first or second-best player on the ice every night. It's just that he was holding himself to an even higher standard. So after scoring five goals and 10 points in the first three games after the break, Ducks fans should be delighted that Kariya has raised his personal bar. He popped a hat trick and added two assists in the 8-3 victory over Florida, earning an NHL single-game season-high +5 along the way. He then tallied the decisive goals against both Colorado (4-3) and the Kings (3-3). With Kariya and Selanne finally hitting on all cylinders, it's scary to think what might happen if the team could just put together a moderately threatening second unit. TODD MAN OUT Kevin Todd, who came to the Ducks as a waiver claim off the Pittsburgh roster prior to last season, has likely played his last game for the team. He cleared waivers for the second time this season (earlier, he was exposed and left unselected in the Waiver Draft) and was demoted to the IHL Long Beach Ice Dogs. Todd added spark when he was in the lineup, and was -- by this team's standards -- fairly productive, scoring four goals and 10 points in 24 games. But his lack of size hurt him, although more in the eyes of management than on the ice: for most of his 24 games, Todd played bigger than the majority of his teammates. Nonetheless, Todd (who was rumored on his way to Tampa in exchange for a prospect before Lightning ownership quashed the deal) has been exiled in favor of bigger, younger and often less effective legs. OLYMPIC NEWS Since this is the LCS Olympic Special, a run-down of Anaheim's Olympic presence seems in order. The team has seven players heading to Nagano, and while only Tomas Sandstrom will represent LCS- sponsored Team Sweden, the others have not given up hope of defeating the Nordic juggernaut. Also competing for gold: Guy Hebert (USA), Paul Kariya (Canada), Ruslan Salei (Belarus), Teemu Selanne (Finland), Dmitri Mironov and Mikhail Shtalenkov (Russia). Asked about the intensity of competition between former-and-future Anaheim teammates -- not to mention linemates -- during the Olympic tournament, Selanne was firm. "I'll do whatever I have to," he said, to try and win the gold. As for the impact this season-stopping professional Olympics will have around the league, Selanne said it could cut both ways. "I think it'll be important for the guys left here to get rested," he said of his teammates, adding that the rest vs. exhilaration factor is "tricky" to figure out. "Especially for teams with a lot of players going. We really don't know what to expect." Well, if you buy what the pundits at LCS tell you, you can expect a gold medal for Team Sweden. But while that outcome may be far from certain, you probably can expect some great hockey along the way. Not to mention controversy in the wake of injuries, slumps and streaks that will inevitably follow these historic games. ----------------------------------------------------------------- CALGARY FLAMES ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Brian Sutter roster: C - Andrew Cassels, Aaron Gavey, Eric Landry, Michael Nylander, Cory Stillman. RW - Eric Andersson, Theoren Fleury, Jarome Iginla, Sandy McCarthy, Ron Stern. LW - Chris Dingman, Hnat Domenichelli, Todd Hlushko, Jonas Hoglund, Marty McInnis, German Titov, Ed Ward. D - Tommy Albelin, Jamie Allison, Joel Bouchard, Cale Hulse, Derek Morris, James Patrick, Todd Simpson, Zarley Zalapski. G - Dwayne Roloson, Rick Tabaracci. injuries: Joel Bouchard, d (concussion, d, day-to-day); Jarome Iginla, rw (broken hand, indefinite); Jamie Allison, d (broken hand, indefinite); Aaron Gavey, c (abdominal strain, day-to-day); Ron Stern, rw (knee injury, indefinite). transactions: sent Eric Andersson, rw, to Saint John (AHL) January 15; sent Eric Landry, c, to Saint John January 15; sent Todd Hlushko, lw, to Saint John January 15; sent Tyler Moss, g, to Saint John January 15; recalled Eric Andersson, rw, from Saint John January 19; recalled Eric Landry, c, from Saint John January 29; recalled Tyler Moss, g, from Saint John January 19; recalled Hnat Domenichelli, lw, from Saint John January 22; recalled Todd Hlushko, lw, from Saint John January 22; sent Tyler Moss, g, to Saint John January 24. Standings: Western Conference - Pacific Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA Colorado 52 24 12 16 64 153 126 Los Angeles 49 21 19 9 51 139 136 Edmonton 50 18 23 9 45 129 143 San Jose 49 18 24 7 43 120 132 Anaheim 51 17 25 9 43 124 151 Calgary 51 13 28 10 36 128 160 Vancouver 50 12 30 8 32 129 180 game results: 1/14 at Edmonton L 5-2 1/20 at Los Angeles L 4-3 1/21 at San Jose L 7-1 1/24 Vancouver W 5-2 TEAM NEWS by Tony Wong Two Weeks at a Glance: Still within spitting distance of a playoff spot, the Flames headed toward the All Star break with a good chance to make up ground. With all four games wrapped around the break against Pacific Division opponents not named "Colorado", Calgary had a realistic chance at grabbing all eight points and a playoff spot. So, what happened? Let's just say that they didn't get eight points. The last game before the break, the Flames simply played fantastic. Hard forechecking, tough defense and great enthusiasm all around. However, as the story has been too many times this year, the final score didn't do the Flames justice. Outshot 16-6 in the third period and 42-28 overall by the Flames, the Oilers simply leaned on Curtis Joseph. With a mere mortal in net for Calgary, what should have been a close game or a win for Calgary became a blowout for Edmonton. 'Nuff said. With only Fleury making the All Star team, everyone else was off for a five-day holiday. Most of the (ahem) "bachelor based" team took the opportunity to hit Las Vegas before returning to work against the Kings in LA. And for two periods, the boys worked up a 2-0 lead. But in the third, they let up. And in less than two minutes (actually for 118 seconds), the win had been turned into a loss. Held off the score sheet all game, the Kings opened the period with two goals in 37 seconds. Bang, bang - tie game. Undaunted, the Flames forged ahead on Eric Andersson's first goal. With less than two minutes left, the game looked safe. But then "How do you spell, much less pronounce my name" Tsyplakov struck. Bang, bang. Two goals and a minute and twenty-one seconds later, the Flames were behind 4-3 with 16 seconds left. Needless to say, the Flames didn't come back. Ugh. Mr. Sutter, could you pass the Pepto? The next night, the Flames drove up the road to San Jose. The Sharks are always an easy team to play, right? Old guys who can't cut it anymore, right? An easy two points, right? Well will someone tell Mike Vernon please? With Vernon playing like a Stanley Cup goalie (oh, he is isn't he?), the Sharks figured they should start scoring like the Red Wings. Up 3-0 after the first period mainly on the strength of several spectacular saves by Vernon and two goals by Granato, the Sharks went on to paste the Flames, 7-1. While the Sharks weren't really THAT dominant, the Flames truly DID suck that much. And to cap it off? How about a game against Mike Keenan's mega-million Canucks? Bure. Mogilny. Messier. Another beautiful loss? Not on your life. Masters of providing a sliver of hope for the hometown fans, the Flames came out and pasted the Canucks, with a little help from Sean Burke. Marty McInnis: scoreless for 28 games. Against the Canucks? A hat trick. The power play: 25th in a 26-team league, operating at a sterling 10.9%. Against the Canucks? 3-for-5. You name it, it was working. Three periods later and the Flames look like a Stanley Cup contender with a 5-2 win. So what did the four games mean overall? Not a lot in terms of points. But in terms of quality, only one conclusion could be made. In two words: we suck. Okay, the "we" part of that statement is stretching it a little, but to put it bluntly, the Flames DO suck. Other than a freak, astrologically related win against the Canucks, the Flames failed to answer the bell yet again. With a chance to move up in the standings against wholly beatable teams, Calgary choked. Where can we start? How about with the goaltending? Presented with more than ample opportunities as the second goaltender in Calgary for the past year and a half, Dwayne Roloson has blown his chance. When Kidd struggled last year and Tabaracci early this year, a consistent effort from Roloson would have handed him the number one job. However, more often than not, Roloson has wilted under the heat of the spotlight. Right now, Roloson cannot be considered anything more than a marginal NHL backup goalie. On many teams, he would be in the minors. As for Tyler Moss, it's too early to pass a long-term judgment. But right now, he simply still needs work. Brilliant at times, Moss seems to fall apart after he lets one in. When he lets one by, another two or three are sure to follow. It's a disturbing habit to say the least. If Moss can start to show the consistency that he has this year in the minors, he will quickly displace Roloson as the number two guy in Calgary. Today though, Moss is little more than an average prospect. To be fair, the best goalie in the world can't do a thing without some help from the rest of the team. But in each of the three losses, the Flames netminders were outplayed. Curtis Joseph stole a game for Edmonton. LA scored at will in the third and Moss couldn't come up with a key save. With a few spectacular stops, Vernon gave San Jose confidence and an undeserved first period lead. And in their only win, Burke was so bad that he made the pop gun offense of the Flames look good. While we all can't have Patrick Roy in net, solid play and a few key stops is all we're asking for. All Star Fleury On a brighter note was the play of Theoren Fleury in the All Star game. The little one truly does belong. While all the noise was about the "Finnish connection" of Selanne-Koivu-Lehtinen racking up nine points, the line of Fleury-Modano-Tkachuk picked up eight itself. With a goal and two assists Fleury tied the three Finns and Tkachuk for the most points in the game. Not too shabby. Lucky for Canada that Theo isn't an American, or Team USA would have one hell of a scary line. Broken Hand for Iginla In addition to getting embarrassed by San Jose 7-1, the Flames lost Jarome Iginla with broken hand in the first period. Checked awkwardly into the boards, Iginla will be lost for at least four weeks. For a team that is already short on firepower, Iginla's will be sorely missed. Luckily, with the NHL shut down for the Olympics in Nagano, Iginla will only miss eight or nine games instead of the usual twenty-odd games that such an injury would bring. Ironically, Iginla's injury finally resulted in the call-up of his junior linemate Hnat Domenichelli. While his junior linemate status and chemistry with Iginla was one of the main reasons that Calgary traded for Hnat, it was an injury to Iginla that finally convinced the Flames to call him up. Leading the AHL in goal scoring, Domenichelli definitely deserves the chance. Let's hope he's ready for the big leagues. Zalapski Part Deux As we had guessed here, Zalapski's moaning and groaning has finally run its course. A negative effect on the young Flames, Coates finally sent Zalapski home, instructing Zalapski to stay away from the team until further notice. With his trade value now at virtually nil, Coates needs to get whatever he can and ship Zalapski off. Obviously, Zalapski's tenure as a Flame is over for good, so Coates needs to trade him or release him. For 1.6 million a year, the Flames can't afford to pay Zarley to stay at home. Where to? How about Montreal? I can't believe that Dave King couldn't convince the braintrust in Montreal to part with a third rounder for one of his favorites. Sure Zalapski is better than that, but it's time to cut our losses and move on. Face it Mr. Coates, life ain't fair. Upcoming Games: 1/28 at Anaheim 1/29 at Los Angeles 1/31 New Jersey 2/3 Los Angeles 2/5 San Jose 2/7 Edmonton ** Olympic Break ** Last Chance - Part 23. Okay, we've said that it was the "last chance" for the Flames to get back in it about a million times here. And they've batted 1.000 and disappointed us each time. But this time, we believe it. While you're actually never really out of it in the pathetic Western Conference, a bunch of losses here would make it extremely difficult to make it. So, with five of the six games against Pacific Division rivals who are not named Colorado, this is at least a REALLY GOOD CHANCE to make it up. While we'll no longer say it's the last chance, it is a definite missed opportunity at the very least. So ignoring the reality of the Devils, we're gonna believe one more time. Like Charlie Brown, Lucy and her football, we're gonna kick that ball to the moon and say that the Flames win four of their six games. While eight points won't get them into the playoffs, it will get them a heck of a lot closer. From there, it's onto the Olympic break. Playing the way that they are right now, eight points is definitely optimistic and we really can't see that glass being any fuller. If it is, we're ecstatic. Here's hoping that glass ain't half empty. ----------------------------------------------------------------- COLORADO AVALANCHE ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Marc Crawford Roster: C - Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Stephane Yelle, Jari Kurri. LW - Valeri Kamensky, Rene Corbet, Eric Lacroix. RW - Claude Lemieux, Adam Deadmarsh, Keith Jones, Jeff Odgers, Shean Donovan. D - Sandis Ozolinsh, Sylvain Lefebvre, Uwe Krupp, Adam Foote, Alexei Gusarov, Jon Klemm, Aaron Miller, Eric Messier, Francois Leroux. G - Patrick Roy, Craig Billington. Injuries: Keith Jones, rw (knee, February); Wade Belak, d (shoulder, early February). Transactions: Recalled Christian Matte, rw, from Hershey (AHL). Assigned Matte to Hershey. Standings: Western Conference - Pacific Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA Colorado 52 24 12 16 64 153 126 Los Angeles 49 21 19 9 51 139 136 Edmonton 50 18 23 9 45 129 143 San Jose 49 18 24 7 43 120 132 Anaheim 51 17 25 9 43 124 151 Calgary 51 13 28 10 36 128 160 Vancouver 50 12 30 8 32 129 180 GAME RESULTS: 1/12 Florida W 3-1 1/14 at Anaheim W 2-0 1/15 San Jose T 2-2 1/21 at Dallas L 3-2 1/22 Anaheim L 4-3 1/24 Dallas L 3-2 TEAM NEWS by Greg D'Avis Luckily for the Avalanche, there's other things in Denver taking the spotlight away right now - with the Broncos winning the Super Bowl and the Denver Nuggets tying a NBA record with a 23-game losing streak, the Avs' recent performance is a distant third on the sports pages. Good thing. If the results of late are any indication, the Avalanche aren't remotely ready for the playoffs. Since the All Star break, they've looked sad in their first three-game losing streak in over two years, and haven't been able to compete against the Stars, who are looking more and more as if they're as dangerous as Detroit in the West. The excuses are hollow - yes, the Avalanche are suffering from a compressed schedule, but so is everybody else; and yes, there's lots of hooking and holding, but why does that shut down Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg but not, say, Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne? Though the Avalanche are long on talent, of late it's looked like the formula is simple: keep Sakic, Forsberg, and Valeri Kamensky off the score sheet and the wins will follow. Last year, when those players were out with injuries, the Avalanche could turn to Adam Deadmarsh or Eric Lacroix or whoever to step it up and win games; this year, the second tier players are still scoring, just not enough. Against Florida, the Avalanche looked like a team that had lost just once in the past 13 games: they did everything right, even getting a rare shorthanded goal from Sakic, and beat the Panthers in an exciting, tough game. The foot soldiers sparkled; the red-hot Rene Corbet got a goal, Jari Kurri popped one in, and Deadmarsh - playing despite a 100-degree temperature and a bad case of the flu - got an assist. Then came the Mighty Ducks for the first match between the two this season. With Sakic and Forsberg against Kariya and Selanne, it looked to be an open, all-out offensive battle; instead, fights were plentiful and the score stayed 0-0 until Corbet (again!) scored with six minutes to go in the game. Afterwards, the Avalanche had to hurry back to Denver for the next night's game, the last before the All Star break. In a listless, tired performance, the team had to count on a third-period goal from Sakic to tie it up in a game most notable for the return of former Avalanche sex symbol Mike Ricci, who was warmly welcomed back by the fans. Then came the All Star Game, and while there were plenty of Avs there, they didn't make much of a contribution. Patrick Roy played like, well, an otherwise top-notch goalie usually does in the All-Star Game; the rest of the reps didn't have much to write home about either. If the Avalanche had their druthers, they'd likely ask that the season ended with the All Star break; with two games in a week against the Stars, they faced their biggest test of the year, and failed. The first game, in Dallas, looked close on paper but the Avalanche were dominated; Dallas caught defenders out of position and then held Colorado off on power plays. The game bolstered an already-chippy rivalry; even-strength play was rare, with extracurricular activity aplenty. The dreaded Ducks provided the filling in the Star sandwich, winning a game that Colorado should have taken if they'd bothered to show up for the first 30 minutes. The only highlight was defenseman Aaron Miller picking up his first goal of the year. Then came Dallas again, and all we heard about was how angry the Avalanche was; how they had something to prove; etc. Well, they were angry - it was another feisty game - and they did prove something; unfortunately, what they proved was that they can blow a lead as well as anybody. The Stars scored twice in the third period, getting goals from noted scorers Derian Hatcher and Guy Carbonneau, to send the Avalanche to their second 3-2 defeat in four days, and ending the regular season series with a 3-0-1 advantage over Colorado. After the game, Roy ripped the team for their efforts, but a lackadaisical attempt wasn't really to blame; the Avalanche were simply outplayed in all areas. It's not a good sign. Finally, Some Good News After months of questions and delays, gritty winger Keith Jones will be back soon; he's been skating regularly, and should begin playing again after the Olympics. He'll provide a much-needed spark; Corbet and Claude Lemieux can't do that themselves, and Jones was a very valuable player last year when the stars went down, and will come in handy in the games against the Red Wings and Stars. Kamensky: Maybe, Maybe Not The Russian Ice Hockey Federation offered Avalanche winger Valeri Kamensky the captaincy of the Olympic team. Kamensky, who's previously captained national teams but never an Olympic team, initially turned it down; however, he says that if no other suitable candidate accepts, he will take it. The decision will be made when the team gathers for the Olympics. Avalanche defenseman Alexei Gusarov may be the next one asked. ----------------------------------------------------------------- EDMONTON OILERS ---------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Ron Low Roster: C - Doug Weight, Todd Marchant, Boyd Devereaux, Tony Hrkac. LW - Dean McAmmond, Rem Murray, Valeri Zelepukin, Ryan Smyth, Mats Lindgren, Bill Huard, Mike Watt. RW - Bill Guerin, Mike Grier, Andrei Kovalenko, Kelly Buchberger, Georges Laraque. D - Bobby Dollas, Sean Brown, Greg deVries, Kevin Lowe, Roman Hamrlik, Boris Mironov, Craig Millar, Drake Berehowsky. G - Curtis Joseph, Bob Essensa. Injuries: Ryan Smyth, lw (knee, six-eight weeks); Kevin Lowe, d (inner ear infection, placed on IR Oct 23, indefinite). Transactions: Terran Sandwith, d, from Hamilton (AHL). Standings: Western Conference - Pacific Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA Colorado 52 24 12 16 64 153 126 Los Angeles 49 21 19 9 51 139 136 Edmonton 50 18 23 9 45 129 143 San Jose 49 18 24 7 43 120 132 Anaheim 51 17 25 9 43 124 151 Calgary 51 13 28 10 36 128 160 Vancouver 50 12 30 8 32 129 180 Game Results: 1/20 Phoenix W 6-2 1/23 at San Jose L 3-2 1/24 at Phoenix W 5-2 1/26 at Colorado L 2-1 OT TEAM NEWS by Michael Dell The Edmonton Oilers have looked like a different team since the big trade with New Jersey that sent Jason Arnott and Bryan Muir to El Diablo for Billy Guerin and Valeri Zelepukin. More specifically, they've looked like a winning team.

When the Oilers beat the Coyotes 6-2 at home on January 20, it gave them a season-high six-game winning streak. Boris Mironov was the star of the night, collecting a goal and three assists. Dean McAmmond, Roman Hamrlik, Doug Weight, Todd Marchant, and Boyd Devereaux added the other goals, with Devereaux's being his first in the NHL.

But the win was not without its price. At 12:21 of the first period, Ryan Smyth was kneed by Rick Tocchet in a somewhat questionable manor. Tocchet was given a major for kneeing. Smyth had to leave the game and was later diagnosed with a torn ligament in his left knee. He'll be out of action for the next six to eight weeks. Yeah, that'll suck.

While Tocchet is in no way a cheap player, the hit was pretty weak. He definitely stuck his knee out as Smyth was side- stepping his attempted check. Captain Kelly Buchberger was the first on the scene and roughed up Tocchet a bit, drawing the Phoenix winger an extra two for roughing and earning four minutes of his own. Late in the third period, when the game was already decided, Greg DeVries dropped the gloves with Tocchet. Hey, a message had to be sent.

Tocchet was suspended by the league immediately after the game. However, after reviewing the incident, Brian Burke only saw fit to suspend Tocchet for a total of two games. Meanwhile, Smyth is done for two months. Who says life ain't fair?

Next the Oil hit the road and traveled to the Shark Tank. It looked like it would be another win for the Oilers, as McAmmond scored 2:31 into the game and Guerin followed up with one of his own at the 10:41 mark. But Edmonton just couldn't hold the lead. Patrick Marleau drew the fish within one with a second-period goal, setting the stage for Stephane Matteau and Murray Craven to rally the Sharks to win in the final stanza. Craven's goal at 12:44 proved to be the winner in the 3-2 Shark victory.

The Oil was in Phoenix the very next night for a rematch with the Coyotes. Tocchet's suspension kept him out of action, and spoiled any acts of vengeance as a result of his hit on Smyth. Bill Huard in particular was ready to rumble had Tocchet played. Hardly discouraged, Huard has promised to make his mark somewhere down the line with the Phoenix right winger.

The game started off on the wrong foot when Mironov kneed Dallas Drake just over three minutes into the contest. Gerald Diduck was quick to stand up for his fallen teammate, tackling Mironov to the ice and throwin' blows. Mironov would receive just a two- minute minor for tripping, while Diduck got five for fighting and a game misconduct. Drake had to be helped off the ice, but later returned for the start of the second period.

The game calmed down after that, and the Oil went about once again pounding the Dessert Dogs, this time by a 5-2 score. The difference was the middle frame, where Edmonton rang up four unanswered goals by Weight, Zelepukin, Guerin, and Grier to take charge. Guerin would later add his second of the game in the third period to seal the deal. Bob Essensa, who got a rare start in net, stopped 27 shots including a Keith Tkachuk penalty shot near the end of the second.

The road trip continued two nights later in Colorado. The Avalanche just always seem to find a way to beat the Oil. Whatever they need, they somehow get. This game was no different, as the Avalanche won their fifth straight game over Edmonton with a 2-1 OT decision. Tony Hrkac gave the Oilers an early 1-0 lead at 8:52 of the first period with his eighth of the season. Colorado drew even on the power play in the second when Claude Lemieux swatted home the rebound of a Sandis Ozolinsh point shot. The game remained deadlocked until referee Kerry Fraser whistled Drake Berehowsky for hooking Valeri Kamensky at 1:44 of overtime, opening the door once again for Colorado's potent power play. It didn't take long. Joe Sakic controlled the faceoff to Rene Corbet and the puck got worked to Ozolinsh at the point. The Latvian's blast deflected off Eric Lacroix, who was camped directly in front of Curtis Joseph at the edge of the crease, and skipped into the net for the game-winner at 1:49. Sakic didn't receive an assist on either of Colorado's goals, but he set them both up with faceoff wins. He was 20-8 on faceoffs for the night. That's trouble.

While the losses to San Jose and Colorado have stifled the enthusiasm a bit, the Oilers are playing their best hockey of the season. One of the main reasons why is the improved play of Boris Mironov. Coach Ron Low deserves a lot of the credit. When Arnott was traded, Low gave his assistant's A to Mironov. That's kind of a bold move, considering the Russian blueliner's rather inconsistent past. But Boris has responded to the challenge with some of his best hockey, piling up a goal and six assists over the recent four games. It's always nice to see a guy come through when the team is looking for leadership.

Another factor in the Mironov renaissance as been the arrival of Roman Hamrlik. Much like Mironov, Hamrlik always had the talent to be a major force but too often failed to show up on a nightly basis. The last thing expected was that Hamrlik would actually be paired with Mironov at even-strength, but that's exactly what Low did. And Mironov and Hamrlik are making the coach look like a genius. They just seem to share a unique rapport on the ice, with both preferring to play what they call a "European" style. Mironov's recent success has been mirrored by his Czech partner. In his first 10 games as an Oiler, Hamrlik had a goal and six assists and was a +10. That's good stuff.

Um, that's about all I got. Simon Lewis will be back next issue to handle the reportin' chores. So that's it. Show's over. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here... ----------------------------------------------------------------- LOS ANGELES KINGS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Larry Robinson C - Ray Ferraro, Ian Laperriere, Yanic Perreault, Jozef Stumpel, Nathan Lafayette. LW - Craig Johnson, Matt Johnson, Luc Robitaille, Vladimir Tsyplakov, Steve McKenna, Dan Bylsma. RW - Sandy Moger, Glenn Murray, Russ Courtnall. D - Aki Berg, Rob Blake, Phillipe Boucher, Garry Galley, Mattias Norstrom, Sean O'Donnell, Doug Zmolek, Jan Vopat. G - Jamie Storr, Stephane Fiset. Injuries: Ray Ferraro, c (back, any day now). Phillipe Boucher, d (thyroid, when he gets bulked up again). Transactions: Recalled Jan Vopat, d, from minors. Standings: Western Conference - Pacific Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA Colorado 52 24 12 16 64 153 126 Los Angeles 49 21 19 9 51 139 136 Edmonton 50 18 23 9 45 129 143 San Jose 49 18 24 7 43 120 132 Anaheim 51 17 25 9 43 124 151 Calgary 51 13 28 10 36 128 160 Vancouver 50 12 30 8 32 129 180 Game Results: 1/14 at San Jose W 4-2 1/20 Calgary W 4-3 1/22 Florida W 3-1 1/24 at Anaheim T 3-3 TEAM NEWS by Matt Moore Woo-hoo...a winning streak, or at least a non-losing streak. The Kings have gone back to the style that allowed them to win a few games at the start of the season. Led by strong goaltending by both Fiset and Storr and backed by some timely goals and spunk, the Kings have been able to go undefeated in five games and put together a nice little four- game winning streak. This has allowed them to put a little bit of breathing room between them and their Pacific division chasers, led by the surging Edmonton Oilers, and placed them in a position to possibly get as high as the fourth or fifth seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The new line featuring Glenn Murray, Jozef Stumpel, and Vladimir Tsyplakov has led this streak -- offensively at least. Yanic Perreault was moved off that line following an extended slump, and was actually playing more of a defensive role until Ray Ferraro tweaked his back and was sidelined for two games. Tsyplakov has continued to show that he is a pretty darn good player. He has a six-game point-scoring streak and has also shown the ability to score the big goal. His two goals in the last minute and a half against Calgary highlighted the week and pulled out a game that looked like a bad loss. Jan Vopat, who was sent down to the minors at the start of the season, was called up to replace Phillipe Boucher. Boucher was sidelined first by the flu, which caused him to lose a whole hell of a lot of weight, and is now benched by a thyroid condition which has kept him from regaining that weight. Since being a pretty skinny guy has been one of Boucher's problems in past seasons, the Kings are holding him out until he bulks back up and is able to play with a bit more strength. When he comes back, there will be a good type of problem. Vopat has been playing very well, more along the style that he showed last season, and has been taking regular shifts with Garry Galley. That pairing might not be the most physical line around, but they play well together and provide a bit of a spark offensively. The other main defensive pairing has been Rob Blake and Mattias Norstrom. Blake is showing the punishing defensive and pretty good offensive style that made him one of the better defensemen before all of the injuries dragged him into the hellish pit of inconsistency. Norstrom is probably the best defensive blueliner on the Kings, a guy who can totally shut down other teams offensive stars by his great combo of size and superior skating ability. He has shown sparks of being a pretty good puck rusher, what with his awesome skating, but has been pretty much a stay at home defenseman. In the upcoming Olympics, Blake will be representing Canada and Norstrom Sweden, and just in comparing the two, I would have to say that Sweden has the better of the two for the Olympic style of play. Sure, Blake can throw around people and smash them into little pieces along the boards, but Norstrom can do the same plus skate with the best of them. So Sweden will at least have one pretty good defenseman. Now for the part I have been dreading. I bet LCS editor-in-chief Michael Dell (no relation to the computer billionare, or so I've heard) and computer god Zippy that the Kings would end up with more points at the end of the season than the Pittsburgh Penguins. An additional bet with Delly of the Kings finishing with more points that the Sharks was also placed, much to my delight. So far the Pens have pulled away from the Kings in the point totals, although my hopes were raised when I saw Jaromir Jagr bleeding like a stuck pig after getting whacked by a stick, but I doubt that the Kings will be able to pull this one out. But the Sharks are another story. Just as sure as Al Iafrate's knees pop like bubble wrap, the resurgence of the punks of Northern California has started to dim. Thank God, I was afraid for a little while. Following are the most recent standings: W L T PTS Pens 27 15 9 63 Kings 21 19 9 51 Sharks 18 24 7 43 Just hope Zippy likes Pez... ----------------------------------------------------------------- SAN JOSE SHARKS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Darryl Sutter roster: C - Bernie Nicholls, Ron Sutter, Patrick Marleau, Marco Sturm, Mike Ricci, Jeff Friesen, Alex Korolyuk. LW - Shawn Burr, Murray Craven, Stephane Matteau, Steve Goulla, Dave Lowry. RW - Tony Granato, Owen Nolan, Todd Ewen, John MacLean, Andrei Nazarov, Barry Potomski. D - Ken Sutton, Todd Gill, Bill Houlder, Al Iafrate, Marty McSorley, Marcus Ragnarsson, Mike Rathje, Andrei Zyuzin. G - Mike Vernon, Kelly Hrudey. injuries: Todd Ewen, rw (knee, out for season), Al Iafrate, d (knee surgery on 12/29, out at least six weeks). transactions: None. Standings: Western Conference - Pacific Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA Colorado 52 24 12 16 64 153 126 Los Angeles 49 21 19 9 51 139 136 Edmonton 50 18 23 9 45 129 143 San Jose 49 18 24 7 43 120 132 Anaheim 51 17 25 9 43 124 151 Calgary 51 13 28 10 36 128 160 Vancouver 50 12 30 8 32 129 180 game results: 1/14 Los Angeles L 4 - 2 1/15 at Colorado T 2 - 2 1/21 Calgary W 7 - 2 1/23 Edmonton W 3 - 2 1/24 Florida T 1 - 1 team news: Al Swanson, San Jose Correspondent After a pre-All Star slump and another loss at the hands of the Kings, the Sharks rallied to a four- game unbeaten streak (2-0-2). Ironic as it seems, the Sharks show up against the best teams in the league (two wins over Detroit, blanking the Flyers, tying the Avs and shutting out the Stars), but choke when it comes to the basement teams (losses to Calgary, Vancouver and Tampa Bay). It may be that the best teams don't show up against the Sharks, or it may be that San Jose is better than the record suggests. Are the Sharks a better team than the record suggests? If one watches the games against Detroit this year, the answer is a resounding "YES"! Against Detroit, Darryl Sutter's system of D first, goals when you can, was played to the hilt. The trap at center ice was quick and brutal, the hits were frequent and the dumb penalties (read Nazarov and McSorley) were few. That Shark team is a playoff contender and even something to be feared. (Against the Wings this season, the Sharks are 2-1, outscoring Detroit 12-5.) If one watches inter-conference games though, the Sharks are bottom-basement dwellers. Witness the losses to Vancouver and Calgary earlier this year if you need a reminder of what the Sharks can do when they don't show up. Still, San Jose is certainly in the hunt this year. Not because the record is better than years past -- it isn't. In fact, it's darn close to being the same record. But the whole division - with the Avs exception - is worse this year. San Jose still needs a sniper. They have a couple in Jeff Friesen and Owen Nolan, but Owen still hasn't shown up in the scoring contest this year. Keep in mind that last year Keith Tkachuk had only four goals by early December and finished up the year with 50. If Nolan can pull something like that off, whew...watch out Western Conference. Jeff Friesen meanwhile, continues to hone his game and is fixating on that million dollar payday for 80 points. For those of you who don't know, Friesen's contract gives him a one million dollar bonus at 80 points and 50k for each point thereafter. Sweet! Jeff certainly has his eyes on that prize. Even so, the team is short that one guy who can put the biscuit in the basket regularly. Look for Deano to pull a rabbit out of the hat if the Sharks make it to the playoffs. San Jose can also use a big time D man. Iafrate looks to return following the Olympic break, but folks, don't count on him. Not to fault The Planet. No indeed. But he's only played less than half a season in the last two years and was out for two years prior to that. With him on the ice, the Sharks are a playoff team. No doubt. Without him, it's less than a sure thing. Sutter's system of D first nearly makes up for his absence at times, but his presence is missed. Houlder, McSorley, Gill and most definitely Marcus Ragnarsson are stepping up to the plate and Zyuzin is becoming the man to watch. But, SJ could have used the likes of Roman Hamrlik when he was dealt last month. Again, look to Lombardi and Co. to knock down all barriers to get a big defenseman when the playoffs loom. Today, the Sharks are tied for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. But there are three more months of grinding games against conference and division rivals - teams that SJ has had trouble with this year and must beat - before the playoffs begin. So nothing is certain except this: The Sharks are putting on the ice the best team to have a chance for post-season play that they've had in three years. Now if they could just score for Hrudey... In The News... Patrick Marleau recorded his ninth goal in the come-from-behind win against the Oilers this week, keeping him in contention for Rookie of the Year. Marleau's game has steadily improved and he appears to have more confidence. Owen Nolan calls him "scary talented". Sharks management hope he's one of the 'new breed' that will be taking the team into the next century. Marcus Ragnarsson is one of two Sharks headed to the Olympics, the other is Marco Sturm. Rags' game has been picking up all year. He has two goals in the past month and has used his size and speed to let opponents know he's there. Look for him to be a force on the ice in Nagano. Speaking of Sturm, since he won the Rookie of the Week honors, he's been a bit quiet. He doesn't have a goal in January and his ice time shows it. Was December a fluke? Don't think so! Sturm is young and with the playoffs a-comin', it's a safe bet his game will pick up. Jarrod Skalde was claimed off waivers by Chicago this month and after a goal and four assists for the Blackhawks, looks to be headed back to SJ on the 27th if no lower place team claims him. That's right, he's back on waivers and Deano looks to take him back into the fold. Game Recaps: King me! - LA in SJ In the month of January, the Sharks play 11 home games -- games that are supposed to be for the hometown fans. They haven't produced much for the Tank, though. And the game against LA was no different. Rob Blake improved his stats against the Sharks, recording his first two-goal game in four years. The one bright spot was Friesen, who scored both Fish goals. A disappointing SJ loss, 4-2. Avalanche! No wait, just some snow - Sharks in Av territory What is it about backup goalies and the Sharks? Storr was in for the loss to LA and Billington made 40 saves against the Sharks in Colorado. While the Sharks absolutely dominated the game, shooting 42 times, Billington dominated the net, saving all but two. McSorley scored his first since opening night and Ragnarsson scored his second, bringing SJ's defensemen into the scoring role again. Too bad they only managed a tie, 2-2. If you play with fire... Flames in the Tank The Flames came to town with their backup goalie in place, too. Maybe that was a mistake. The Sharks came alive in this one, scoring seven times. Granato had two goals in the first, and two assists in the second. Friesen, MacLean, Ricci, and Rags all scored also. Marco Sturm had an assist. It was Sharks the whole game through. Unfortunately, Calgary managed one in the third, spoiling Vernon's shutout bid against his former team. A stomping out of the Flames, 7-1. Oiled up and ready to rock - Oilers visit the Sharks >From the outset, it looked like another Shark home game, another loss in the Tank. The Oilers were winning 2-1 as the third period opened. The Sharks had only one win when trailing after two periods so far this season. Had. Cujo stopped 25 shots but let in enough - three - to insure a Sharks come from behind win. Friesen tallied and Andrei Zyuzin recorded his first multi-point game in the NHL. Patrick Marleau also scored and chalked up an assist in the first defeat against Edmonton this year, 3-2. Cats in the Tank - Florida in San Jose In a situation reminiscent of so many Sharks games, Ed Jovanovski took a late penalty in the third, setting up a six-on-four with Hrudey outta the net and allowing John MacLean's goal with less than 16 seconds left. The Sharks did not follow through in the OT, though. Hrudey has only received 1.54 goals per game support from the Sharks and this game was no different. Hrudey made some spectacular saves to keep SJ in the game and the Sharks manage a tie, 1-1. ----------------------------------------------------------------- VANCOUVER CANUCKS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Head Coach: Mike Keenan Roster: C - Mark Messier, Trevor Linden, Mike Sillinger, Dave Scatchard; LW - Geoff Sanderson, Markus Naslund, Gino Odjick, Donald Brashear, Larry Courville; RW - Alex Mogilny, Pavel Bure, Brian Noonan, Scott Walker, Lonny Bohonos D - Jyrki Lumme, Dana Murzyn, Matthias Ohlund, Grant Ledyard, Bret Hedican, Dave Babych, Steve Staios, Chris McAllister, Enrico Ciccone, Bert Robertsson; G - Sean Burke, Arturs Irbe. Injuries: Gino Odjick, lw (knee January 24, day-to-day); Geoff Sanderson, lw (shoulder January 21, indefinite); Bret Hedican, d (missed one game with back spasms, returned January 24); Larry Courville, lw (wrist January 14, indefinite); Enrico Ciccone, d (fractured tibia January 8, day-to-day); Dana Murzyn, d (knee December 27, out for season. Transactions: Larry Courville, lw, recalled from Syracuse (AHL) January 12; Lonny Bohonos, rw, recalled from Syracuse (AHL) January 20; Bert Robertsson, d, recalled from Syracuse (AHL) January 20. Standings: Western Conference - Pacific Division Team GP W L T PTS GF GA Colorado 52 24 12 16 64 153 126 Los Angeles 49 21 19 9 51 139 136 Edmonton 50 18 23 9 45 129 143 San Jose 49 18 24 7 43 120 132 Anaheim 51 17 25 9 43 124 151 Calgary 51 13 28 10 36 128 160 Vancouver 50 12 30 8 32 129 180 GAME RESULTS 1/12 at Chicago L 3-2 1/14 at Detroit L 4-0 1/15 at Buffalo L 6-2 1/21 Phoenix L 6-1 1/24 at Calgary L 5-2 TEAM NEWS by Carol Schram Q: What do the Vancouver Canucks and the Titanic have in common? A: Thirty minutes after they hit the ice, they sunk. Two more weeks, 10 more possible points squandered, and another new bunch of controversy and confusion. Those who remember the sometimes hellish 28-year history of this franchise are beginning to believe that this is the worst it has ever been. They may not be wrong. Let's not even talk about hockey: let's talk about the unadulterated confusion that seems to be surrounding the Orca Bay organization.where no one even seems to know who's in charge. The team that has been without a general manager since Pat Quinn was fired in November has turned into a hodge-podge of contradictions. Orca Bay upper management has continually said that the search for a new GM is "ongoing", although it's clear that Mike Keenan has a very vested interest in any hiring that might be made. Any new GM who doesn't see eye to eye with the coach will likely make very short work of him. So that could explain the shroud of secrecy that surrounded John Muckler's visit to Vancouver over All Star weekend. Despite the fact that he is older than Pat Quinn and possibly in poorer health, Muckler could be coveted by Orca Bay since he cut his teeth in the vaunted Edmonton Oilers organization, won a Stanley Cup, and is most like an AOM (Ally Of Messier's). Muckler, of course, was unceremoniously dumped after his confrontation with Ted Nolan last season in Buffalo. But what's the deal? What really happened last weekend? Muckler's people admitted that a meeting took place, and there was a rumor that a decision had to be made within five days - which would have taken us to about last Friday. Mike Keenan said he knew nothing of any talks - as far as he knew, everything was status quo. And the Orca Bay brass, of course, was mute on the whole subject. Nevertheless, Friday comes and goes.no announcement.then on Saturday, Hockey Night in Canada breaks the story that Keenan has been granted new powers and is now the official "Go-to" guy in trading matters. They begin by implying that he has assumed all General Manager duties, but in a live interview, Keenan himself corrects this perception and says that he is not G.M., but rather will have control over any deals that need to be made, and that the Orcans have asked him to use his expertise from his previous player personnel roles, in a similar role to the one Scotty Bowman plays in Detroit. Keenan managed to squeeze in a bit of horn-tooting, about the success he had in Chicago and the nice little team he left behind in St. Louis. He also admitted that he wasn't looking to make a deal purely for the sake of making a deal, but rather was just being called upon to add his expertise and "see what's out there." The strange part is that Keenan's proclamation hasn't been accompanied by any sort of formal announcement. Canucks' Director of Media Relations Devin Smith, with the team in Calgary, told the Associated Press that Keenan had been asked to use his contacts to "work the phones", that Steve Tambellini was still in the loop, and that any deal struck by Keenan would still require the approval of his superiors at Orca Bay. Back in Vancouver, CEO Steven Bellringer and Steve Tambellini were both out of town, so Vice President Steve Gass was left to answer queries as best he could, and essentially said that nothing has changed and the story is a non-issue. So what does this all mean? My guess is that the Muckler talks have stalled, but the prospect of having to answer to somebody with some knowledge of hockey scared Keenan enough that, when asked to perform a couple of simple extra tasks, like making some calls, Keenan took the request at something a little greater than face value, and may have put his foot in his mouth in the process. The bottom line, though - as if we didn't know this already. Systems are not in place. The Canucks can't seem to maintain their web page; they can't seem to maintain their arena's ice surface; their injury reports are consistently vague and even incomplete; now, they're not issuing press releases or making statements about personnel moves. Orca Bay is a large corporation which employs a significant staff - from arena security and food service workers to front office and sales types to their actual product - the players, on both the Canucks and the Vancouver Grizzlies. While the "coach-killers" have shown that they're going to play with the exact same lack of brains or effort no matter who is behind their bench, perhaps it is time to start thinking about the fact that internal problems at the top of corporations often tend to filter down to front-line workers. It's possible that these players feel a lack of loyalty to this organization, and so are just collecting their paycheques, in the same way that Orca Bay ushers feel that they are, say, somehow mistreated or underappreciated, but they still appreciate the perks of seeing the games and events while they're at work. That's this week's theory on how one of the highest-payroll teams in the league has become a true cellar-dweller: a team that other losers like Florida and Calgary can look upon and think "Well, at least we've got two sure points coming there." Even the Vancouver Grizzlies recently snapped their long losing streak when they took on the even-worse-than-them Denver Nuggets last week, and managed to parlay their added confidence into the team's first-ever three-game winning streak. For the Canucks, that leaves just one way of thinking: bring on the Tampa Bay Lightning!!! In addition to the fact that Vancouver's defense is just hideous, in the last two weeks their offense has also dried up. The only statistic they seem to be able to put on the board with any consistency, lately, is penalty minutes. Things didn't start off so badly on the three-game road trip before the All Star Break. With games against Chicago, Detroit, and Buffalo, it looked like at least one or two of the contests were winnable. And even though they got down 2-0 in the first two periods against the Hawks, they battled back to tie the game, outshooting the Hawks 11-4 in the third period, only to have Tony Amonte put a fork in `em with just over two minutes to go. See ya. Next up - Detroit, and while the Stanley Cup Champs are no pushovers, the Canucks have played them well a couple of times this year and have better luck at the Joe than, perhaps, they deserve. Nonetheless, the Red Wings haven't lost a game this year after building a two-goal lead, and Mike Keenan seemed to be well aware of this statistic. After Detroit made it 2-0 with just less than four minutes to go in the second period, Mike Keenan pulled out Sean Burke in favor of Arturs Irbe, and pretty much sat his core players for the third period. His explanation? The game was already lost, so he figured he had better rest the guys that he would need the following night in Buffalo. Keenan's point is backed up by Detroit's statistics, but is it really right to throw in the towel, or should the team have kept on battling, based on the philosophy that they need every point they can get, and to even salvage a tie would be a great moral victory. Is it really right for a coach to send a message that he has given up - for the day, or for the season? In this case, Keenan didn't do himself any favors by `saving' his best players. Another incredibly mediocre team, Buffalo, beat the Canucks 6-2 in a cheap-shot-filled brawl-fest. I don't know what Gino was thinking when he took on Dominik Hasek in the corner - he claimed it was retaliation for an earlier cheap hit from Jay McKee on Pavel Bure. But that led to Matthew Barnaby - who doesn't even particularly like Hasek - taking a shot at Sean Burke. Then, a big melee, which led to coach Lindy Ruff pulling Hasek in order to protect him, which led to a center-ice battle-of-the-goalies between Sean Burke and Steve Shield - neither of whom would shy away from a little physical contact. My only question there - how exactly do two goalies brawl at center ice, when neither of them gets a penalty for leaving the crease? The other significant fight of note during that skirmish was Trevor Linden's "incident" with Rob Ray. While Linden has often been criticized over the years for his lack of physical play, Ray is one of the baddest men in the league. Not many punches were thrown during the tilt, but Linden stood in there and showed the physical strength and the emotional intensity not to get treated as Ray's latest punching bag. He may even have landed a shot or two. For better or for worse, we got to see more of this side of Linden a week later, after the All-Star break, when the Canucks got hammered again - this time 6-1, by Phoenix, and a whole bunch more fights ensued. The ugly incident in that game occurred in the first period. The Canucks were down 2-0 when yet another skirmish ensued. Somehow, with Norm Maciver holding Scott Walker's arms, Michel Petit got four good shots on the pit bull's face, turning him into a bloody punching bag. Walker eventually got free and got his revenge on Petit, but for the second time this year, his face was beaten to such a pulp that it was tough to tell if you were looking at Scott Walker or at Frankenstein's monster. The rest of the first period and all of the second continued fairly uneventfully, but the Canucks' mood appeared to change when they came out for the third. First off, Keenan was in the medical room as the period was about to start. When informed that it was time to go back behind the bench, he once again brushed off the importance of the rest of the game. I'm not sure how long it was before he went back to rejoin his team. But it also appeared that the Canuck players had been apprised, in the second intermission, of exactly what had happened to Walker, because it became open season on Michel Petit. Cheap shots were popping up from even the most unlikely sources, and it was finally Dave Babych, of all people, who squared off against Petit midway through the third, earning them both game misconducts. Interestingly, that incident erupted after small defenseman John Slaney made contact with Mark Messier. Trevor Linden saw it as a knee-to-knee hit and, in a pretty uncharacteristic move for him, dove on Slaney, threw off the gloves, and started to pound on him as Slaney turtled. The officials gave Slaney a minor for kneeing and tossed Linden for fighting, but the act was interesting, again, in terms of Linden's newfound physicality and also the fact that it was Messier, of all people, that he was sticking up for. The Canucks play Phoenix again this Monday down in the desert, and much revenge has been planned. The Coyotes aren't buying it, however, as Petit himself points out that tough-man Donald Brashear was suspended last year for sucker-punching LA's Ian Laperriere, so he isn't really one to talk about fair play. The only good news from that night was that, while the Canucks were getting pummeled by Phoenix, their next opponent, the Calgary Flames, were also getting thrashed, losing 7-1 to San Jose. Both teams were riding four game losing streaks when they faced off on Saturday night, so something had to give. In a rare glimmer-of-hope moment, the Canucks actually seemed to come out pretty well, taking an early 1-0 lead on Pavel Bure's 29th of the year, then getting ahead 2-1 when Bert Robertsson scored his first-ever NHL goal on a tap-in while perfectly positioned in front of the net. But Marty McInnis, who hadn't scored in 29 games before this contest, was David to the Canucks' Goliath. He got the Flames' first goal early in the second, then banged a harmless-looking slap shot through Sean Burke's pads on the power play just before the end of the second period. That was the backbreaker for Vancouver: once they lost the lead, they lost it for good. Burke was pulled after James Patrick scored what would be the winning goal five minutes into the third and German Titov added a power play marker before McInnis finished off his hat trick with an empty-netter to finish the game at 5-2. That put the second-to-last place Flames four points up on the Canucks for the bottom of the Western Conference, and leaves the Canucks 18 games below .500 and 13 points out of the last playoff spot. Na na na na.hey hey hey.goodbye. Looking forward to two weeks without the Canucks when the Olympic Break comes, and hoping to get this over with as quickly and painlessly as possible. Keep those front-office soap operas coming in order to hold our interest, but please don't do anything to destroy the team even more. It's time to stop the bleeding and start looking towards a real, sane rebuilding of the entire organization. OTHER NEWS: Sean Burke spent the All Star Break back in Carolina, pleading guilty to the charge of assaulting his wife - pulling her hair and pushing her down. Burke was fined just $200 and ordered to take aggression-management training -- ask Steve Shields about that. Somewhat strangely, it wasn't until after he entered his plea that Burke learned that there were options available to him where he wouldn't have been slapped with a criminal record, and he says that he is now looking towards re-opening the case with one of these possible solutions in mind. Poor Larry Courville got called up before the Chicago game, and given the not-so-pleasant task of getting in Chris Chelios' face all night. While not the stockiest player in the NHL, Courville has a bit of a mean streak and acquitted himself well, so he was granted the same type of duties the following night in Detroit. That was all fine until the third period. The game may have already been over, according to Keenan, but Courville slammed awkwardly into the boards, injuring his wrist severely and likely leaving him on the disabled list for the rest of the season. The only bright side is that, since he was hurt during his Canuck tour-of-duty and he's on a two-way contract, he will continue to draw his big-league salary until he is ready to play again. Courville's misfortune was Lonny Bohonos' gain. After spending many a night in the press box and eventually getting shipped back down to Syracuse, ostensibly for a two-week conditioning stint, Bohonos was named AHL Player of the Week after amassing four goals and eight assists over five games in his first week back with the Crunch. Despite his lack of impact on the scoresheet so far, Bohonos' added jump was palpable when he returned for the Phoenix game, and goes to show that, all other things aside, hockey can still be very much a mental game. ================================================================ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- NHL STANDINGS Thru January 25, 1997 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eastern Conference Northeast Division GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD OT Pittsburgh 50 26 15 9 61 138 114 11-7-5 15-8-4 3-1-9 Montreal 51 26 18 7 59 153 124 11-10-5 15-8-2 2-3-7 Boston 49 21 19 9 51 122 121 9-8-5 12-11-4 2-0-9 Ottawa 50 20 22 8 48 116 121 11-12-1 9-10-7 1-0-8 Buffalo 48 19 21 8 46 117 122 12-8-3 7-13-5 3-0-8 Carolina 51 19 26 6 44 127 144 13-11-5 6-15-1 1-2-6 Atlantic Division GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD OT New Jersey 50 31 15 4 66 148 102 20-7-0 11-8-4 1-3-4 Philadelphia 48 27 12 9 63 144 104 14-6-4 13-6-5 1-0-9 Washington 50 25 17 8 58 142 127 13-7-4 12-10-4 3-0-8 NY Rangers 50 16 21 13 45 127 137 10-11-7 6-10-6 0-2-13 Florida 51 15 25 11 41 125 149 5-13-5 10-12-6 2-2-11 NY Islanders 50 16 27 7 39 127 145 8-13-2 8-14-5 0-1-7 Tampa Bay 49 9 32 8 26 87 160 7-12-6 2-20-2 0-1-8 Western Conference Central Division GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD OT Dallas 51 32 11 8 72 155 103 14-5-5 18-6-3 4-1-8 Detroit 52 29 13 10 68 160 117 17-7-4 12-6-6 0-0-10 St Louis 52 26 19 7 59 151 130 15-8-5 11-11-2 2-2-7 Phoenix 50 22 20 8 52 141 137 12-7-5 10-13-3 0-1-8 Chicago 50 20 21 9 49 121 117 10-12-6 10-9-3 1-1-9 Toronto 48 17 24 7 41 117 138 8-12-4 9-12-3 0-0-7 Pacific Division GP W L T PTS GF GA HOME ROAD OT Colorado 52 24 12 16 64 153 126 12-5-10 12-7-6 1-2-16 Los Angeles 49 21 19 9 51 139 136 13-8-2 8-11-7 2-2-9 Edmonton 50 18 23 9 45 129 143 9-11-4 9-12-5 1-1-9 San Jose 49 18 24 7 43 120 132 8-13-4 10-11-3 0-2-7 Anaheim 51 17 25 9 43 124 151 8-14-4 9-11-5 2-3-9 Calgary 51 13 28 10 36 128 160 9-13-3 4-15-7 4-3-10 Vancouver 50 12 30 8 32 129 180 6-14-4 6-16-4 0-3-8 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- NHL LEAGUE LEADERS Thru January 26, 1997 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- (+) - ROOKIE --- INDIVIDUAL SCORING LEADERS --- PLAYER TEAM GP G A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW GT S PCTG ------------------ -------------- -- --- --- --- --- --- -- -- -- -- --- ---- JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 47 22 38 60 9 32 4 0 7 1 154 14.3 PETER FORSBERG COLORADO 50 18 41 59 5 64 5 1 3 1 153 11.8 ERIC LINDROS PHILADELPHIA 48 23 35 58 11 86 7 0 3 0 159 14.5 JOHN LECLAIR PHILADELPHIA 49 34 23 57 23 20 10 0 6 1 185 18.4 TEEMU SELANNE ANAHEIM 51 36 20 56 10 22 7 0 6 3 189 19.0 PAVEL BURE VANCOUVER 51 30 25 55 1- 28 8 3 4 0 201 14.9 JOE SAKIC COLORADO 53 23 31 54 6 36 11 1 2 1 201 11.4 KEITH TKACHUK PHOENIX 50 32 21 53 13 119 8 0 7 1 165 19.4 PAT LAFONTAINE NY RANGERS 51 20 32 52 12- 26 10 0 2 3 131 15.3 RON FRANCIS PITTSBURGH 51 16 36 52 6 8 4 0 5 1 113 14.2 WAYNE GRETZKY NY RANGERS 51 13 38 51 3- 12 1 0 3 1 141 9.2 PETER BONDRA WASHINGTON 47 32 18 50 4 32 7 1 7 2 161 19.9 MARK RECCHI MONTREAL 51 24 26 50 17 23 6 0 4 0 133 18.0 JOZEF STUMPEL LOS ANGELES 49 14 36 50 12 36 3 0 2 1 107 13.1 ADAM OATES WASHINGTON 51 11 39 50 8 14 1 1 3 0 79 13.9 MATS SUNDIN TORONTO 49 23 25 48 2- 26 6 0 4 0 145 15.9 ROBERT REICHEL NY ISLANDERS 51 19 28 47 2- 20 4 0 0 1 143 13.3 THEOREN FLEURY CALGARY 51 16 31 47 8 109 1 2 2 1 166 9.6 DOUG WEIGHT EDMONTON 51 18 28 46 2 42 7 0 3 0 128 14.1 MIKE MODANO DALLAS 39 17 29 46 20 20 7 3 2 0 149 11.4 JASON ALLISON BOSTON 49 17 29 46 17 29 2 0 6 1 81 21.0 TONY AMONTE CHICAGO 50 17 29 46 13 38 3 2 4 0 174 9.8 SHAYNE CORSON MONTREAL 48 16 30 46 6 70 12 0 1 0 99 16.2 DOUG GILMOUR NEW JERSEY 50 12 34 46 11 48 3 0 4 0 77 15.6 --- DEFENSEMEN SCORING LEADERS --- PLAYER TEAM GP G A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW OT S PCTG ------------------ -------------- -- --- --- --- --- --- -- -- -- -- -- ---- SCOTT NIEDERMAYER NEW JERSEY 50 8 31 39 12 16 6 0 1 0 110 7.3 SERGEI ZUBOV DALLAS 52 7 32 39 18 4 3 1 2 1 104 6.7 NICKLAS LIDSTROM DETROIT 51 14 24 38 12 16 5 1 1 1 129 10.9 STEVE DUCHESNE ST LOUIS 53 8 27 35 7 22 2 0 0 0 104 7.7 LARRY MURPHY DETROIT 52 6 29 35 24 23 1 0 2 0 72 8.3 DARRYL SYDOR DALLAS 49 10 24 34 23 30 4 1 1 0 106 9.4 BRIAN LEETCH NY RANGERS 50 12 20 32 23- 18 7 0 2 1 156 7.7 DMITRI MIRONOV ANAHEIM 48 6 24 30 7- 56 2 0 1 0 110 5.5 KEVIN HATCHER PITTSBURGH 45 10 19 29 8- 46 7 1 2 1 92 10.9 AL MACINNIS ST LOUIS 44 13 15 28 3 40 5 1 2 0 144 9.0 TEPPO NUMMINEN PHOENIX 51 5 23 28 26 18 0 0 2 0 65 7.7 ROBERT SVEHLA FLORIDA 51 5 23 28 3 71 2 0 0 0 80 6.3 CHRIS CHELIOS CHICAGO 50 2 26 28 5 62 1 0 0 0 117 1.7 --- INDIVIDUAL LEADERS --- -- GOAL SCORING -- -- ASSISTS -- NAME TEAM GP G NAME TEAM GP A ------------------ ------------ -- --- ------------------ ------------ -- --- TEEMU SELANNE ANAHEIM 51 36 PETER FORSBERG COLORADO 50 41 JOHN LECLAIR PHILADELPHIA 49 34 ADAM OATES WASHINGTON 51 39 PETER BONDRA WASHINGTON 47 32 JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 47 38 KEITH TKACHUK PHOENIX 50 32 WAYNE GRETZKY NY RANGERS 51 38 PAVEL BURE VANCOUVER 51 30 JOZEF STUMPEL LOS ANGELES 49 36 MARK RECCHI MONTREAL 51 24 RON FRANCIS PITTSBURGH 51 36 ERIC LINDROS PHILADELPHIA 48 23 ERIC LINDROS PHILADELPHIA 48 35 ROD BRIND'AMOUR PHILADELPHIA 49 23 DOUG GILMOUR NEW JERSEY 50 34 MATS SUNDIN TORONTO 49 23 CRAIG JANNEY PHOENIX 51 34 ZIGMUND PALFFY NY ISLANDERS 51 23 SAKU KOIVU MONTREAL 47 32 JOE SAKIC COLORADO 53 23 PAT LAFONTAINE NY RANGERS 51 32 JOE NIEUWENDYK DALLAS 43 22 SERGEI ZUBOV DALLAS 52 32 JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 47 22 SCOTT NIEDERMAYER NEW JERSEY 50 31 BOBBY HOLIK NEW JERSEY 50 22 THEOREN FLEURY CALGARY 51 31 ALEXEI YASHIN OTTAWA 51 22 JOE SAKIC COLORADO 53 31 BRENDAN SHANAHAN DETROIT 47 21 SHAYNE CORSON MONTREAL 48 30 -- POWER PLAY GOALS -- -- SHORT HAND GOALS -- NAME TEAM GP PP NAME TEAM GP SH ----------------- ------------ -- -- ----------------- ------------ -- -- SHAYNE CORSON MONTREAL 48 12 MICHAEL PECA BUFFALO 34 3 BRENDAN SHANAHAN DETROIT 47 11 RADEK DVORAK FLORIDA 34 3 JOE SAKIC COLORADO 53 11 MIKE MODANO DALLAS 39 3 JOHN LECLAIR PHILADELPHIA 49 10 PAVOL DEMITRA ST LOUIS 43 3 PAT LAFONTAINE NY RANGERS 51 10 MARTIN STRAKA PITTSBURGH 44 3 STU BARNES PITTSBURGH 48 9 BOB CORKUM PHOENIX 50 3 BRETT HULL ST LOUIS 38 8 ROB ZAMUNER TAMPA BAY 50 3 BRYAN BERARD NY ISLANDERS 45 8 PAVEL BURE VANCOUVER 51 3 DMITRI KHRISTICH BOSTON 49 8 KEITH TKACHUK PHOENIX 50 8 PAVEL BURE VANCOUVER 51 8 -- POWER PLAY ASSISTS -- -- SHORT HAND ASSISTS -- NAME TEAM GP PPA NAME TEAM GP SHA ------------------ ------------ -- --- ------------------ ------------ -- --- JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 47 19 BRET HEDICAN VANCOUVER 46 5 DOUG GILMOUR NEW JERSEY 50 18 ANDREW CASSELS CALGARY 50 3 PETER FORSBERG COLORADO 50 17 CHRIS WELLS FLORIDA 50 3 ROBERT REICHEL NY ISLANDERS 51 17 THEOREN FLEURY CALGARY 51 3 SERGEI ZUBOV DALLAS 52 17 ADAM OATES WASHINGTON 51 3 -- POWER PLAY POINTS -- -- SHORT HAND POINTS -- NAME TEAM GP PPP NAME TEAM GP SHP ------------ ------------ -- --- ----------------- ------------ -- --- JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 47 23 MICHAEL PECA BUFFALO 34 5 PAT LAFONTAINE NY RANGERS 51 23 MIKE MODANO DALLAS 39 5 JOE SAKIC COLORADO 53 23 MARTIN STRAKA PITTSBURGH 44 5 PETER FORSBERG COLORADO 50 22 BRET HEDICAN VANCOUVER 46 5 SHAYNE CORSON MONTREAL 48 21 ROB ZAMUNER TAMPA BAY 50 5 DOUG GILMOUR NEW JERSEY 50 21 THEOREN FLEURY CALGARY 51 5 ROBERT REICHEL NY ISLANDERS 51 21 PAVEL BURE VANCOUVER 51 5 DOUG WEIGHT EDMONTON 51 21 RADEK DVORAK FLORIDA 34 4 DARRYL SYDOR DALLAS 49 20 JERE LEHTINEN DALLAS 42 4 BRIAN LEETCH NY RANGERS 50 20 TONY AMONTE CHICAGO 50 4 SERGEI ZUBOV DALLAS 52 20 CHRIS WELLS FLORIDA 50 4 ADAM OATES WASHINGTON 51 4 -- GAME WINNING GOALS -- -- GAME TYING GOALS -- NAME TEAM GP GW NAME TEAM GP GT ------------------ ------------ -- -- ------------------ ------------ -- -- PETER BONDRA WASHINGTON 47 7 PAT LAFONTAINE NY RANGERS 51 3 JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 47 7 TEEMU SELANNE ANAHEIM 51 3 LUC ROBITAILLE LOS ANGELES 49 7 ADAM DEADMARSH COLORADO 51 3 BOBBY HOLIK NEW JERSEY 50 7 RENE CORBET COLORADO 46 2 KEITH TKACHUK PHOENIX 50 7 PETER BONDRA WASHINGTON 47 2 JOE NIEUWENDYK DALLAS 43 6 CALLE JOHANSSON WASHINGTON 47 2 BRENDAN SHANAHAN DETROIT 47 6 RYAN SMYTH EDMONTON 48 2 ROD BRIND'AMOUR PHILADELPHIA 49 6 BRIAN NOONAN VANCOUVER 51 2 JOHN LECLAIR PHILADELPHIA 49 6 JASON ALLISON BOSTON 49 6 TEEMU SELANNE ANAHEIM 51 6 -- SHOTS -- NAME TEAM GP S ------------------ ------------ -- --- PAVEL BURE VANCOUVER 51 201 JOE SAKIC COLORADO 53 201 TEEMU SELANNE ANAHEIM 51 189 JOHN LECLAIR PHILADELPHIA 49 185 ALEXEI YASHIN OTTAWA 51 177 CLAUDE LEMIEUX COLORADO 52 177 TONY AMONTE CHICAGO 50 174 -- PLUS/MINUS -- NAME TEAM GP +/- ------------------ ------------ -- --- CHRIS PRONGER ST LOUIS 53 27 TEPPO NUMMINEN PHOENIX 51 26 LARRY MURPHY DETROIT 52 24 DAINIUS ZUBRUS PHILADELPHIA 38 23 JOHN LECLAIR PHILADELPHIA 49 23 DARRYL SYDOR DALLAS 49 23 RANDY MCKAY NEW JERSEY 50 23 --- GOALTENDING LEADERS --- (MIN. 13 GPI) -- GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE -- GOALTENDER TEAM GPI MINS GA AVG ------------------ -------------------- --- ---- --- ----- ED BELFOUR DALLAS 42 2486 76 1.83 MARTIN BRODEUR NEW JERSEY 42 2495 77 1.85 RON HEXTALL PHILADELPHIA 25 1492 46 1.85 CHRIS OSGOOD DETROIT 42 2541 86 2.03 TOM BARRASSO PITTSBURGH 40 2227 76 2.05 JEFF HACKETT CHICAGO 31 1861 66 2.13 RON TUGNUTT OTTAWA 27 1461 52 2.14 -- WINS -- GOALTENDER TEAM GPI MINS W L T ------------------ -------------------- --- ---- -- -- -- MARTIN BRODEUR NEW JERSEY 42 2495 29 10 3 ED BELFOUR DALLAS 42 2486 26 7 8 CHRIS OSGOOD DETROIT 42 2541 23 11 8 OLAF KOLZIG WASHINGTON 41 2454 22 10 7 TOM BARRASSO PITTSBURGH 40 2227 21 9 7 GRANT FUHR ST LOUIS 43 2485 20 16 6 PATRICK ROY COLORADO 42 2530 20 9 12 N. KHABIBULIN PHOENIX 46 2641 20 18 7 DOMINIK HASEK BUFFALO 43 2489 18 17 6 -- SAVE PERCENTAGE -- GOALTENDER TEAM GPI MINS GA SA SPCTG W L T ------------------ -------------------- --- ---- --- ---- ----- -- -- -- DOMINIK HASEK BUFFALO 43 2489 99 1296 .924 18 17 6 PATRICK ROY COLORADO 42 2530 96 1244 .923 20 9 12 RON HEXTALL PHILADELPHIA 25 1492 46 597 .923 15 5 5 MARTIN BRODEUR NEW JERSEY 42 2495 77 989 .922 29 10 3 CHRIS OSGOOD DETROIT 42 2541 86 1082 .921 23 11 8 TOM BARRASSO PITTSBURGH 40 2227 76 961 .921 21 9 7 JEFF HACKETT CHICAGO 31 1861 66 821 .920 12 10 9 -- SHUTOUTS -- GOALTENDER TEAM GPI MINS SO W L T ------------------ -------------------- --- ---- -- -- -- -- ED BELFOUR DALLAS 42 2486 7 26 7 8 DOMINIK HASEK BUFFALO 43 2489 7 18 17 6 TOM BARRASSO PITTSBURGH 40 2227 6 21 9 7 BYRON DAFOE BOSTON 39 2177 5 16 16 6 CHRIS OSGOOD DETROIT 42 2541 5 23 11 8 RON HEXTALL PHILADELPHIA 25 1492 4 15 5 5 DAMIAN RHODES OTTAWA 29 1630 4 9 13 4 JEFF HACKETT CHICAGO 31 1861 4 12 10 9 MARTIN BRODEUR NEW JERSEY 42 2495 4 29 10 3 N. KHABIBULIN PHOENIX 46 2641 4 20 18 7 --- INDIVIDUAL ROOKIE SCORING LEADERS --- PLAYER TEAM GP G A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW GT S PCTG ------------------ ------------- -- --- --- --- --- --- -- -- -- -- --- ---- MIKE JOHNSON TORONTO 49 11 22 33 0 12 5 0 0 1 86 12.8 PATRIK ELIAS NEW JERSEY 45 14 10 24 14 16 3 0 5 1 74 18.9 MARCO STURM SAN JOSE 48 7 16 23 1 22 1 0 3 0 79 8.9 SERGEI SAMSONOV BOSTON 48 9 13 22 2- 6 3 0 0 0 89 10.1 RICHARD ZEDNIK WASHINGTON 49 13 7 20 1- 26 2 0 2 0 115 11.3 MATTIAS OHLUND VANCOUVER 50 3 16 19 3- 46 0 0 0 0 115 2.6 PATRICK MARLEAU SAN JOSE 46 9 9 18 3- 12 1 0 0 0 58 15.5 VACLAV PROSPAL PHILADELPHIA 41 5 13 18 10- 17 4 0 0 0 60 8.3 DEREK MORRIS CALGARY 51 5 13 18 3- 41 3 1 0 1 76 6.6 STEVE WASHBURN FLORIDA 38 9 7 16 1- 22 3 0 2 0 44 20.5 --- INDIVIDUAL ROOKIE LEADERS --- -- GOAL SCORING -- -- ASSISTS -- NAME TEAM GP G NAME TEAM GP A ------------------ ------------ -- --- ------------------ ------------ -- -- PATRIK ELIAS NEW JERSEY 45 14 MIKE JOHNSON TORONTO 49 22 RICHARD ZEDNIK WASHINGTON 49 13 MARCO STURM SAN JOSE 48 16 MIKE JOHNSON TORONTO 49 11 MATTIAS OHLUND VANCOUVER 50 16 STEVE WASHBURN FLORIDA 38 9 VACLAV PROSPAL PHILADELPHIA 41 13 PATRICK MARLEAU SAN JOSE 46 9 SERGEI SAMSONOV BOSTON 48 13 SERGEI SAMSONOV BOSTON 48 9 DEREK MORRIS CALGARY 51 13 ALEXEI MOROZOV PITTSBURGH 47 8 MAGNUS ARVEDSON OTTAWA 33 10 DIMITRI NABOKOV CHICAGO 14 7 PATRIK ELIAS NEW JERSEY 45 10 DAVE SCATCHARD VANCOUVER 45 7 PER AXELSSON BOSTON 49 10 MARCO STURM SAN JOSE 48 7 -- POWER PLAY GOALS -- -- SHORT HAND GOALS -- NAME TEAM GP PP NAME TEAM GP SH ----------------- ------------ -- -- ------------------ ------------ -- -- MIKE JOHNSON TORONTO 49 5 DEREK MORRIS CALGARY 51 1 VACLAV PROSPAL PHILADELPHIA 41 4 DIMITRI NABOKOV CHICAGO 14 3 STEVE WASHBURN FLORIDA 38 3 PATRIK ELIAS NEW JERSEY 45 3 SERGEI SAMSONOV BOSTON 48 3 DEREK MORRIS CALGARY 51 3 DONALD MACLEAN LOS ANGELES 22 2 RICHARD ZEDNIK WASHINGTON 49 2 -- POWER PLAY ASSISTS -- -- SHORT HAND ASSISTS -- NAME TEAM GP PPA NAME TEAM GP SHA ------------------ ------------ -- --- ------------------ ---------- -- --- VACLAV PROSPAL PHILADELPHIA 41 5 JAMIE ALLISON CALGARY 28 2 MIKE JOHNSON TORONTO 49 5 MATTIAS OHLUND VANCOUVER 50 2 MATTIAS OHLUND VANCOUVER 50 5 DEREK MORRIS CALGARY 51 2 CHRIS PHILLIPS OTTAWA 46 4 STEVE WASHBURN FLORIDA 38 1 ERIC MESSIER COLORADO 48 4 JUHA YLONEN PHOENIX 43 1 MARCO STURM SAN JOSE 48 4 SERGEI SAMSONOV BOSTON 48 4 -- POWER PLAY POINTS -- -- SHORT HAND POINTS -- NAME TEAM GP PPP NAME TEAM GP SHP ------------------ ------------ -- --- ------------------ ----------- -- --- MIKE JOHNSON TORONTO 49 10 DEREK MORRIS CALGARY 51 3 VACLAV PROSPAL PHILADELPHIA 41 9 JAMIE ALLISON CALGARY 28 2 SERGEI SAMSONOV BOSTON 48 7 MATTIAS OHLUND VANCOUVER 50 2 DEREK MORRIS CALGARY 51 6 STEVE WASHBURN FLORIDA 38 1 DIMITRI NABOKOV CHICAGO 14 5 JUHA YLONEN PHOENIX 43 1 STEVE WASHBURN FLORIDA 38 5 PATRIK ELIAS NEW JERSEY 45 5 MARCO STURM SAN JOSE 48 5 MATTIAS OHLUND VANCOUVER 50 5 -- GAME WINNING GOALS -- -- GAME TYING GOALS -- NAME TEAM GP GW NAME TEAM GP GT ------------------ ------------ -- -- ------------------ ----------- -- -- PATRIK ELIAS NEW JERSEY 45 5 ESPEN KNUTSEN ANAHEIM 19 1 MARCO STURM SAN JOSE 48 3 STEVE MCKENNA LOS ANGELES 34 1 DIMITRI NABOKOV CHICAGO 14 2 JAN BULIS WASHINGTON 43 1 ANDERS ERIKSSON DETROIT 37 2 PATRIK ELIAS NEW JERSEY 45 1 STEVE WASHBURN FLORIDA 38 2 MIKE JOHNSON TORONTO 49 1 RICHARD ZEDNIK WASHINGTON 49 2 DEREK MORRIS CALGARY 51 1 -- SHOTS -- NAME TEAM GP S ------------------ ------------ -- --- RICHARD ZEDNIK WASHINGTON 49 115 MATTIAS OHLUND VANCOUVER 50 115 PER AXELSSON BOSTON 49 99 SERGEI SAMSONOV BOSTON 48 89 MIKE JOHNSON TORONTO 49 86 -- PLUS/MINUS -- NAME TEAM GP +/- ------------------ ------------ -- --- PATRIK ELIAS NEW JERSEY 45 14 ANDERS ERIKSSON DETROIT 37 13 BRAD BOMBARDIR NEW JERSEY 29 10 SHELDON SOURAY NEW JERSEY 31 10 CHRISTIAN LAFLAMME CHICAGO 43 8 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- RANDOM NHL STATS Thru January 26, 1998 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hat Tricks 1. Dave Gagner, FLA at PIT, Oct 4th, 1st season, 1st career. 2. Mark Recchi, MON at BOS, Oct 4th, 1st season, 3rd career. 3. Adam Oates, WAS at NYI, Oct 8th, 1st season, 7th career. 4. Brett Hull, STL vs LOS, Oct 9th, 1st season, 28th career. 5. Mike Modano, DAL vs CHI, Oct 10th, 1st season, 4th career. 6. John Leclair, PHI at MON, Oct 11th, 1st season, 7th career. 7. Wayne Gretzky, NYR at VAN, Oct 11th, 1st season, 50th career. 8. Cory Stillman, CGY at DET, Oct 12th, 1st season, 1st career. 9. Zigmund Palffy, NYI at SAN, Oct 16th, 1st season, 4th career. 10. Pavel Bure, VAN at DAL, Oct 21st, 1st season, 7th career. 11. Shawn Mceachern, OTT at TOR, Oct 22nd, 1st season, 2nd career. 12. Teemu Selanne, ANA at NYR, Oct 26th, 1st season, 12th career. 13. Yanic Perreault, LOS at DET, Oct 31st, 1st season, 1st career. 14. Joe Nieuwendyk, DAL at PIT, Nov 5th, 1st season, 11th career. 15. Vincent Damphousse, MON at LOS, Nov 8th, 1st season, 10th career. 16. Jason Dawe, BUF vs EDM, Nov 10th, 1st season, 2nd career. 17. Teemu Selanne, ANA vs SAN, Nov 10th, 2nd season, 13th career. 18. Yanic Perreault, LOS vs VAN, Nov 11th, 2nd season, 2nd career. 19. Sami Kapanen, CAR at EDM, Nov 12th, 1st season, 1st career. 20. Claude Lemieux, COL at WAS, Nov 18th, 1st season, 7th career. 21. Rob Zamuner, TAM vs NYR, Nov 19th, 1st season, 1st career. 22. Ray Sheppard, FLA vs BOS, Nov 26th, 1st season, 12th career. 23. Robert Reichel, NYI vs NYR, Nov 26th, 1st season, 1st career. 24. Keith Tkachuk, PHO at FLA, Dec 1st, 1st season, 5th career. 25. Derek King, TOR at STL, Dec 4th, 1st season, 7th career. 26. Pavel Bure, VAN at COL, Dec 6th, 2nd season, 8th career. 27. Steve Heinze, BOS vs CAR, Dec 6th, 1st season, 3rd career. 28. Eric Lindros, PHI vs NYI, Dec 11th, 1st season, 10th career. 29. Pavel Bure, VAN vs LOS, Dec 15th, 3rd season, 9th career. 30. Doug Brown, DET vs NJD, Dec 19th, 1st season, 1st career. 31. Keith Tkachuk, PHO at SAN, Dec 26th, 2nd season, 6th career. 32. Kirk Maltby, DET at TOR, Dec 27th, 1st season, 1st career. 33. Ron Francis, PIT vs NYI, Dec 29th, 1st season, 11th career. 34. Darryl Sydor, DAL at CAR, Jan 3rd, 1st season, 1st career. 35. Valeri Kamensky, COL at PIT, Jan 3rd, 1st season, 4th career. 36. x-Brian Savage, MON at NYI, Jan 8th, 1st season, 3rd career. 37. Jason Allison, BOS vs PHO, Jan 8th, 1st season, 1st career. 38. Peter Bondra, WAS at NYR, Jan 8th, 1st season, 10th career. 39. Alexei Yashin, OTT at COL, Jan 10th, 1st season, 2nd career. 40. Stu Barnes, PIT vs NJD, Jan 10th, 1st season, 1st career. 41. Paul Kariya, ANA vs FLA, Jan 21st, 1st season, 3rd career. 42. Marty Mcinnis, CGY vs VAN, Jan 24th, 1st season, 1st career. Shutouts 1. Tommy Salo, NYI vs TOR, 3-0, Oct 4th, 28 saves, 1st season, 6th career. 2. Patrick Roy, COL at EDM, 3-0, Oct 5th, 34 saves, 1st season, 38th career. 3. Damian Rhodes, OTT at SAN, 1-0, Oct 7th, 23 saves, 1st season, 4th career. 4. Andy Moog, MON at PIT, 3-0, Oct 8th, 26 saves, 1st season, 26th career. 5. Chris Osgood, DET vs TAM, 3-0, Oct 10th, 29 saves, 1st season, 15th career. 6. Ed Belfour, DAL vs CHI, 7-0, Oct 10th, 14 saves, 1st season, 31st career. 7. Jim Carey, BOS at ANA, 3-0, Oct 13th, 27 saves, 1st season, 15th career. 8. Kirk Mclean, VAN vs EDM, 3-0, Oct 13th, 33 saves, 1st season, 20th career. 9. Tom Barrasso, PIT at NYR, 1-0, Oct 14th, 36 saves, 1st season, 25th career. 10. Olaf Kolzig, WAS at CHI, 2-0, Oct 15th, 30 saves, 1st season, 3rd career. 11. Ed Belfour, DAL vs FLA, 4-0, Oct 16th, 12 saves, 2nd season, 32nd career. 12. Grant Fuhr, STL at CHI, 2-0, Oct 17th, 28 saves, 1st season, 21st career. 13. Jim Carey, BOS at VAN, 2-0, Oct 17th, 32 saves, 2nd season, 16th career. 14. Byron Dafoe, BOS at CGY, 3-0, Oct 18th, 30 saves, 1st season, 2nd career. 15. Mike Dunham, NJD vs TAM, 5-0, Oct 18th, 27 saves, 1st season, 3rd career. 16. Chris Terreri, CHI at NYR, 1-0, Oct 22nd, 31 saves, 1st season, 8th career. 17. Jocelyn Thibault, MON vs FLA, 3-0, Oct 22nd, 26 saves, 1st season, 6th career. 18. Ed Belfour, DAL at CHI, 2-0, Oct 24th, 22 saves, 3rd season, 34th career. 19. Martin Brodeur, NJD at PHI, 5-0, Oct 27th, 20 saves, 1st season, 23rd career. 20. Chris Terreri, CHI vs VAN, 3-0, Oct 29th, 19 saves, 2nd season, 9th career. 21. Guy Hebert, ANA at BOS, 3-0, Oct 30th, 25 saves, 1st season, 14th career. 22. Grant Fuhr, STL vs SAN, 2-0, Nov 1st, 24 saves, 2nd season, 22nd career. 23. Mike Vernon, SAN vs TOR, 0-0, Nov 4th, 19 saves, 1st season, 14th career. 24. Stephane Fiset, LOS at NJD, 3-0, Nov 4th, 36 saves, 1st season, 11th career. 25. Byron Dafoe, BOS vs WAS, 2-0, Nov 6th, 21 saves, 2nd season, 3rd career. 26. Martin Brodeur, NJD vs BOS, 2-0, Nov 8th, 17 saves, 2nd season, 24th career. 27. Nikolai Khabibulin, PHO at TOR, 3-0, Nov 8th, 25 saves, 1st season, 10th career. 28. Craig Billington, COL at DET, 2-0, Nov 11th, 32 saves, 1st season, 7th career. 29. Ron Hextall, PHI vs OTT, 1-0, Nov 11th, 16 saves, 1st season, 20th career. 30. Mark Fitzpatrick, FLA at NYI, 1-0, Nov 15th, 23 saves, 1st season, 7th career. 31. Tom Barrasso, PIT at TOR, 5-0, Nov 15th, 20 saves, 2nd season, 26th career. 32. Ed Belfour, DAL at ANA, 4-0, Nov 16th, 31 saves, 4th season, 35th career. 33. Jeff Hackett, CHI at ANA, 4-0, Nov 19th, 27 saves, 1st season, 7th career. 34. Curtis Joseph, EDM at STL, 3-0, Nov 20th, 22 saves, 1st season, 12th career. 35. Dominik Hasek, BUF at BOS, 5-0, Nov 20th, 29 saves, 1st season, 21st career. 36. Mike Vernon, SAN at PHI, 3-0, Nov 20th, 28 saves, 2nd season, 15th career. 37. Tom Barrasso, PIT at OTT, 2-0, Nov 20th, 27 saves, 3rd season, 27th career. 38. Curtis Joseph, EDM at OTT, 1-0, Nov 22nd, 26 saves, 2nd season, 13th career. 39. Ed Belfour, DAL at BOS, 2-0, Nov 22nd, 22 saves, 5th season, 36th career. 40. Guy Hebert, ANA at STL, 2-0, Nov 22nd, 23 saves, 2nd season, 15th career. 41. Nikolai Khabibulin, PHO vs TOR, 2-0, Nov 22nd, 28 saves, 2nd season, 11th career. 42. Ed Belfour, DAL vs ANA, 5-0, Nov 24th, 13 saves, 6th season, 37th career. 43. Guy Hebert, ANA vs NJD, 2-0, Nov 26th, 29 saves, 3rd season, 16th career. 44. Chris Osgood, DET vs MON, 2-0, Nov 28th, 21 saves, 2nd season, 16th career. 45. Tom Barrasso, PIT at MON, 1-0, Dec 1st, 25 saves, 4th season, 28th career. 46. Byron Dafoe, BOS at PHI, 3-0, Dec 3rd, 20 saves, 3rd season, 8th career. 47. Dominik Hasek, BUF vs ANA, 4-0, Dec 3rd, 29 saves, 2nd season, 22nd career. 48. Jocelyn Thibault, MON vs LOS, 2-0, Dec 3rd, 36 saves, 2nd season, 7th career. 49. Martin Brodeur, NJD at PIT, 4-0, Dec 4th, 28 saves, 3rd season, 25th career. 50. Dominik Hasek, BUF vs TAM, 4-0, Dec 5th, 38 saves, 3rd season, 23rd career. 51. Ron Tugnutt, OTT vs BUF, 3-0, Dec 6th, 25 saves, 1st season, 6th career. 52. Tommy Salo, NYI vs PHO, 4-0, Dec 6th, 22 saves, 2nd season, 7th career. 53. Felix Potvin, TOR vs DAL, 3-0, Dec 8th, 19 saves, 1st season, 9th career. 54. Ed Belfour, DAL vs TAM, 3-0, Dec 10th, 12 saves, 7th season, 38th career. 55. Tom Barrasso, PIT at ANA, 3-0, Dec 10th, 28 saves, 5th season, 29th career. 56. Kelly Hrudey, SAN at DAL, 1-0, Dec 12th, 24 saves, 1st season, 17th career. 57. Martin Brodeur, NJD at TOR, 3-0, Dec 13th, 25 saves, 4th season, 26th career. 58. Ron Hextall, PHI vs TAM, 3-0, Dec 14th, 20 saves, 2nd season, 21st career. 59. Arturs Irbe, VAN vs LOS, 7-0, Dec 15th, 23 saves, 1st season, 12th career. 60. Corey Schwab, TAM vs BOS, 2-0, Dec 17th, 31 saves, 1st season, 4th career. 61. Curtis Joseph, EDM vs CHI, 0-0, Dec 17th, 28 saves, 3rd season, 14th career. 62. Jeff Hackett, CHI at EDM, 0-0, Dec 17th, 30 saves, 2nd season, 8th career. 63. Tommy Salo, NYI vs BUF, 4-0, Dec 17th, 28 saves, 3rd season, 8th career. 64. Arturs Irbe, VAN at SAN, 0-0, Dec 18th, 38 saves, 2nd season, 13th career. 65. John Vanbiesbrouck, FLA at WAS, 4-0, Dec 18th, 26 saves, 1st season, 26th career. 66. Mike Vernon, SAN vs VAN, 0-0, Dec 18th, 21 saves, 3rd season, 16th career. 67. Dominik Hasek, BUF vs MON, 1-0, Dec 19th, 42 saves, 4th season, 24th career. 68. Garth Snow, PHI vs FLA, 2-0, Dec 20th, 14 saves, 1st season, 3rd career. 69. Jeff Hackett, CHI at VAN, 5-0, Dec 20th, 20 saves, 3rd season, 9th career. 70. Dominik Hasek, BUF at NYR, 2-0, Dec 21st, 33 saves, 5th season, 25th career. 71. Jamie Storr, LOS at CHI, 1-0, Dec 22nd, 32 saves, 1st season, 1st career. 72. Dominik Hasek, BUF vs NYR, 3-0, Dec 26th, 28 saves, 6th season, 26th career. 73. Nikolai Khabibulin, PHO at SAN, 4-0, Dec 26th, 30 saves, 3rd season, 12th career. 74. Andy Moog, MON at PIT, 1-0, Dec 27th, 19 saves, 2nd season, 27th career. 75. Ron Tugnutt, OTT at WAS, 3-0, Dec 27th, 31 saves, 2nd season, 7th career. 76. Jeff Hackett, CHI vs ANA, 2-0, Dec 28th, 27 saves, 4th season, 10th career. 77. Dominik Hasek, BUF vs OTT, 3-0, Dec 31st, 36 saves, 7th season, 27th career. 78. Ron Hextall, PHI at VAN, 8-0, Dec 31st, 27 saves, 3rd season, 22nd career. 79. Byron Dafoe, BOS vs OTT, 0-0, Jan 1st, 27 saves, 4th season, 9th career. 80. Damian Rhodes, OTT at BOS, 0-0, Jan 1st, 24 saves, 2nd season, 5th career. 81. Nikolai Khabibulin, PHO vs LOS, 4-0, Jan 1st, 23 saves, 4th season, 13th career. 82. Byron Dafoe, BOS vs SAN, 3-0, Jan 3rd, 23 saves, 5th season, 10th career. 83. Kevin Hodson, DET vs PHO, 2-0, Jan 6th, 28 saves, 1st season, 3rd career. 84. Damian Rhodes, OTT at DAL, 2-0, Jan 7th, 34 saves, 3rd season, 6th career. 85. Chris Osgood, DET vs WAS, 2-0, Jan 11th, 15 saves, 3rd season, 17th career. 86. Olaf Kolzig, WAS vs OTT, 4-0, Jan 13th, 24 saves, 2nd season, 4th career. 87. Chris Osgood, DET vs VAN, 4-0, Jan 14th, 26 saves, 4th season, 18th career. 88. Patrick Roy, COL at ANA, 2-0, Jan 14th, 33 saves, 2nd season, 39th career. 89. Damian Rhodes, OTT at PIT, 0-0, Jan 20th, 23 saves, 4th season, 7th career. 90. Ron Hextall, PHI vs BUF, 3-0, Jan 20th, 29 saves, 4th season, 23rd career. 91. Tom Barrasso, PIT vs OTT, 0-0, Jan 20th, 35 saves, 6th season, 29th career. 92. Felix Potvin, TOR at DET, 3-0, Jan 21st, 28 saves, 2nd season, 10th career. 93. Felix Potvin, TOR at CHI, 3-0, Jan 22nd, 23 saves, 3rd season, 11th career. 94. Chris Osgood, DET vs PHI, 1-0, Jan 24th, 20 saves, 5th season, 19th career. Penalty Shots --- PENALTY SHOT SUMMARY --- 1. TRENT KLATT (PHI) UNSUCCESSFUL AGAINST J. VANBIESBROUCK (FLA) GAME NO. 3, Oct 1. FINAL SCORE: FLA 1 AT PHI 3 2. ROB DIMAIO (BOS) UNSUCCESSFUL AGAINST ANDY MOOG (MTL) GAME NO. 21, Oct 4. FINAL SCORE: MTL 4 AT BOS 1 3. JERE LEHTINEN (DAL) SCORED AGAINST DOMINIK HASEK (BUF) GAME NO. 34, Oct 7. FINAL SCORE: DAL 4 AT BUF 2 4. DOUG WEIGHT (EDM) SCORED AGAINST MIKE RICHTER (NYR) GAME NO. 43, Oct 8. FINAL SCORE: NYR 3 AT EDM 3 5. ROB ZAMUNER (T.B) UNSUCCESSFUL AGAINST CHRIS TERRERI (CHI) GAME NO. 46, Oct 9. FINAL SCORE: T.B 4 AT CHI 1 6. MIKE KEANE (NYR) SCORED AGAINST COREY SCHWAB (T.B) GAME NO. 129, Oct 24. FINAL SCORE: T.B 3 AT NYR 4 7. JOE SAKIC (COL) SCORED AGAINST TYLER MOSS (CGY) GAME NO. 178, Nov 1. FINAL SCORE: CGY 3 AT COL 3 8. BRENDAN SHANAHAN (DET) UNSUCCESSFUL AGAINST TREVOR KIDD (CAR) GAME NO. 191, Nov 5. FINAL SCORE: DET 1 AT CAR 3 9. PAVEL BURE (VAN) SCORED AGAINST MIKE VERNON (S.J) GAME NO. 238, Nov 12. FINAL SCORE: VAN 5 AT S.J 2 10. JOE SACCO (ANA) SCORED AGAINST JOCELYN THIBAULT (MTL) GAME NO. 239, Nov 12. FINAL SCORE: MTL 4 AT ANA 3 11. ALEXANDER MOGILNY (VAN) SCORED AGAINST CHRIS OSGOOD (DET) GAME NO. 352, Dec 1. FINAL SCORE: DET 3 AT VAN 3 12. DINO CICCARELLI (T.B) UNSUCCESSFUL AGAINST N. KHABIBULIN (PHO) GAME NO. 362, Dec 3. FINAL SCORE: PHO 1 AT T.B 2 13. STEVE HEINZE (BOS) UNSUCCESSFUL AGAINST COREY SCHWAB (T.B) GAME NO. 438, Dec 17. FINAL SCORE: BOS 0 AT T.B 2 14. MATS SUNDIN (TOR) UNSUCCESSFUL AGAINST ANDREI TREFILOV (CHI) GAME NO. 579, Jan 10. FINAL SCORE: CHI 4 AT TOR 3 15. ROBERT REICHEL (NYI) SCORED AGAINST ZAC BIERK (T.B) GAME NO. 604, Jan 14. FINAL SCORE: NYI 7 AT T.B 1 16. PAUL KARIYA (ANA) SCORED AGAINST KEVIN WEEKES (FLA) GAME NO. 629, Jan 21. FINAL SCORE: FLA 3 AT ANA 8 17. KEITH TKACHUK (PHO) UNSUCCESSFUL AGAINST BOB ESSENSA (EDM) GAME NO. 647, Jan 24. FINAL SCORE: EDM 5 AT PHO 2 18. PAVEL BURE (VAN) SCORED AGAINST N. KHABIBULIN (PHO) GAME NO. 659, Jan 26. FINAL SCORE: VAN 2 AT PHO 4 TOTAL SHOTS: 18 TOTAL GOALS: 10 (#) - CURRENT STREAK --- CONSECUTIVE SCORING STREAKS --- -- GOALS SCORED IN 5 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE GAMES -- GM PLAYER TEAM FROM TO G -- ------------------ --------------- ------- ------- --- 11 TEEMU SELANNE ANAHEIM Oct 21 Nov 10 17 7 JOE SAKIC COLORADO Oct 07 Oct 22 7 6 JOHN LECLAIR PHILADELPHIA Oct 11 Oct 23 8 6 JOHN LECLAIR PHILADELPHIA Oct 29 Nov 08 7 6 PETER FORSBERG COLORADO Dec 13 Dec 27 7 6 ED OLCZYK PITTSBURGH Oct 19 Nov 01 6 6 KEITH PRIMEAU CAROLINA Dec 30 Jan 08 6 6 ANDREW BRUNETTE WASHINGTON Dec 29 Jan 09 6 5 PETER BONDRA WASHINGTON Nov 09 Nov 18 7 5 JOHN LECLAIR PHILADELPHIA Dec 27 Jan 08 7 5 PAVEL BURE VANCOUVER Nov 22 Dec 01 7 5 RANDY MCKAY NEW JERSEY Dec 18 Dec 29 6 5 KEITH TKACHUK PHOENIX Jan 09 Jan 21 6 5 DEREK KING TORONTO Jan 01 Jan 10 5 5 ALEXEI ZHAMNOV CHICAGO Dec 28 Jan 05 5 -- ASSISTS AWARDED IN 5 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE GAMES -- GM PLAYER TEAM FROM TO A -- ------------------ --------------- ------- ------- --- 8 ADAM OATES WASHINGTON Nov 08 Nov 23 10 7 SHAYNE CORSON MONTREAL Oct 25 Nov 07 9 7 ROBERT REICHEL NY ISLANDERS Oct 03 Oct 19 8 7 JOE SAKIC COLORADO Oct 09 Oct 24 8 7 MIKE MODANO DALLAS Oct 25 Nov 07 7 6 ANSON CARTER BOSTON Oct 13 Oct 23 8 6 CLAUDE LEMIEUX COLORADO Dec 15 Dec 29 6 6 DALLAS DRAKE PHOENIX Jan 09 Jan 24 6 5 VINCENT DAMPHOUSSE MONTREAL Jan 07 Jan 21 11 5 ADAM OATES WASHINGTON Dec 29 Jan 08 8 5 RON FRANCIS PITTSBURGH Oct 17 Oct 25 7 5 WAYNE GRETZKY NY RANGERS Oct 26 Nov 05 7 5 PIERRE TURGEON ST LOUIS Dec 04 Dec 11 7 5 PAT VERBEEK DALLAS Oct 28 Nov 05 7 5 PAVEL BURE VANCOUVER Nov 11 Nov 20 7 5 BRET HEDICAN VANCOUVER Nov 20 Nov 29 7 5 SERGEI NEMCHINOV NY ISLANDERS Nov 05 Nov 12 7 5 CRAIG JANNEY PHOENIX Dec 23 Jan 01 6 5 BRYAN SMOLINSKI NY ISLANDERS Dec 02 Dec 11 6 5 DEAN MCAMMOND EDMONTON Nov 05 Nov 12 6 5 RAY WHITNEY EDM-FLA Dec 01 Dec 12 6 5 JOZEF STUMPEL LOS ANGELES Nov 11 Nov 23 6 5 CRAIG JANNEY PHOENIX Oct 01 Oct 11 5 5 DOUG WEIGHT EDMONTON Jan 02 Jan 10 5 5 CHRIS GRATTON PHILADELPHIA Dec 05 Dec 15 5 5 NIKLAS SUNDSTROM NY RANGERS Oct 24 Nov 03 5 5 JASON ALLISON BOSTON Nov 12 Nov 19 5 -- POINTS GAINED IN 5 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE GAMES -- GM PLAYER TEAM FROM TO G A PTS -- ------------------ --------------- ------- ------- --- --- --- 11 TEEMU SELANNE ANAHEIM Oct 21 Nov 10 17 2 19 11 PETER BONDRA WASHINGTON Nov 08 Nov 29 12 6 18 10 PAVEL BURE VANCOUVER Nov 11 Dec 01 8 8 16 10 MARK MESSIER VANCOUVER Oct 30 Nov 20 5 9 14 9 ZIGMUND PALFFY NY ISLANDERS Oct 29 Nov 14 6 7 13 9 CLAUDE LEMIEUX COLORADO Dec 15 Jan 03 4 7 11 9 GERMAN TITOV CALGARY Dec 01 Dec 18 6 3 9 8 JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH Dec 06 Dec 26 7 8 15 8 JOE SAKIC COLORADO Oct 07 Oct 24 7 8 15 8 SHAYNE CORSON MONTREAL Oct 23 Nov 07 5 9 14 8 ADAM OATES WASHINGTON Nov 08 Nov 23 3 10 13 8 JOZEF STUMPEL LOS ANGELES Oct 01 Oct 17 5 8 13 8 WAYNE GRETZKY NY RANGERS Oct 24 Nov 12 3 8 11 7 PETER FORSBERG COLORADO Nov 18 Dec 02 5 11 16 7 VINCENT DAMPHOUSSE MONTREAL Jan 02 Jan 21 4 11 15 7 DOUG GILMOUR NEW JERSEY Oct 11 Oct 30 2 10 12 7 ROBERT REICHEL NY ISLANDERS Oct 03 Oct 19 4 8 12 7 BRIAN LEETCH NY RANGERS Jan 06 Jan 24 5 6 11 7 PETER FORSBERG COLORADO Dec 12 Dec 27 7 4 11 7 BOBBY HOLIK NEW JERSEY Dec 06 Dec 19 4 6 10 7 JOE NIEUWENDYK DALLAS Oct 24 Nov 05 7 3 10 7 JOE SAKIC COLORADO Nov 26 Dec 08 4 6 10 7 PAT VERBEEK DALLAS Oct 24 Nov 05 3 7 10 7 GEOFF COURTNALL ST LOUIS Dec 15 Dec 27 3 6 9 7 KEITH PRIMEAU CAROLINA Dec 27 Jan 08 6 3 9 7 BRYAN SMOLINSKI NY ISLANDERS Dec 02 Dec 16 2 7 9 7 ANSON CARTER BOSTON Oct 13 Oct 25 1 8 9 7 MIKE MODANO DALLAS Oct 25 Nov 07 1 7 8 7 PAT VERBEEK DALLAS Dec 15 Dec 31 2 6 8 7 JOZEF STUMPEL LOS ANGELES Nov 06 Nov 23 1 7 8 7 RAY WHITNEY EDM-FLA Nov 06 Nov 20 4 3 7 --- CURRENT SCORING STREAKS --- -- POINTS GAINED IN 5 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE GAMES -- GM PLAYER TEAM FROM TO G A PTS -- ------------------ --------------- ------- ------- --- --- --- 6 JOZEF STUMPEL LOS ANGELES Jan 10 Jan 24 2 7 9 6 +SERGEI SAMSONOV BOSTON Jan 08 Jan 25 4 4 8 6 VLADIMIR TSYPLAKOV LOS ANGELES Jan 10 Jan 24 3 4 7 5 PETER BONDRA WASHINGTON Jan 13 Jan 26 5 3 8 5 ANDREW BRUNETTE WASHINGTON Jan 13 Jan 26 4 4 8 -- ASSISTS AWARDED IN 5 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE GAMES -- GM PLAYER TEAM FROM TO A -- ------------------ --------------- ------- ------- --- NONE --- TEAM STREAKS --- CONSECUTIVE WINS - MINIMUM 3 GAMES GM TEAM FROM TO -- -------------------- ------- ------- 8 NEW JERSEY NOV. 5 NOV. 20 7 ST LOUIS OCT. 3 OCT. 18 7 MONTREAL NOV. 1 NOV. 13 7 DALLAS NOV. 22 DEC. 5 6 PITTSBURGH NOV. 20 DEC. 1 6 NEW JERSEY DEC. 4 DEC. 16 6 EDMONTON JAN. 7 JAN. 20 5 BOSTON OCT. 13 OCT. 21 5 CHICAGO OCT. 29 NOV. 8 5 COLORADO NOV. 28 DEC. 6 5 BOSTON DEC. 3 DEC. 15 5 DETROIT DEC. 19 DEC. 27 5 PHOENIX DEC. 26 JAN. 3 5 DALLAS JAN. 12 JAN. 26 # CONSECUTIVE UNDEFEATED - MINIMUM 5 GAMES GM TEAM W T FROM TO -- -------------------- -- -- ------- ------- 10 COLORADO 6 4 DEC. 13 JAN. 3 10 DALLAS 7 3 DEC. 15 JAN. 5 8 ST LOUIS 7 1 OCT. 3 OCT. 20 8 NEW JERSEY 8 0 NOV. 5 NOV. 20 8 PITTSBURGH 7 1 NOV. 15 DEC. 1 8 PHILADELPHIA 6 2 DEC. 5 DEC. 23 8 DETROIT 6 2 DEC. 17 DEC. 31 7 COLORADO 5 2 OCT. 1 OCT. 15 7 MONTREAL 7 0 NOV. 1 NOV. 13 7 DALLAS 7 0 NOV. 22 DEC. 5 7 NEW JERSEY 6 1 DEC. 4 DEC. 18 7 SAN JOSE 5 2 DEC. 4 DEC. 21 7 BOSTON 4 3 DEC. 31 JAN. 14 6 DETROIT 5 1 OCT. 1 OCT. 14 6 PITTSBURGH 5 1 OCT. 11 OCT. 22 6 BOSTON 5 1 OCT. 13 OCT. 23 6 DETROIT 5 1 OCT. 18 OCT. 29 6 CHICAGO 5 1 OCT. 29 NOV. 10 6 PHILADELPHIA 4 2 OCT. 31 NOV. 11 6 DETROIT 5 1 NOV. 21 DEC. 3 6 COLORADO 5 1 NOV. 26 DEC. 6 6 PITTSBURGH 3 3 DEC. 6 DEC. 19 6 PHOENIX 5 1 DEC. 23 JAN. 3 6 CHICAGO 4 2 DEC. 26 JAN. 5 6 FLORIDA 3 3 DEC. 26 JAN. 4 6 EDMONTON 6 0 JAN. 7 JAN. 20 5 NY RANGERS 1 4 OCT. 3 OCT. 11 5 OTTAWA 4 1 OCT. 15 OCT. 23 5 ST LOUIS 4 1 OCT. 23 NOV. 1 5 DALLAS 4 1 OCT. 24 NOV. 2 5 NY ISLANDERS 4 1 OCT. 29 NOV. 7 5 BOSTON 5 0 DEC. 3 DEC. 15 5 MONTREAL 4 1 DEC. 27 JAN. 3 5 DETROIT 3 2 JAN. 6 JAN. 14 5 COLORADO 2 3 JAN. 8 JAN. 15 5 DALLAS 5 0 JAN. 12 JAN. 26 # 5 LOS ANGELES 4 1 JAN. 12 JAN. 24 # 5 WASHINGTON 4 1 JAN. 13 JAN. 26 # CONSECUTIVE HOME WINS - MINIMUM 3 GAMES GM TEAM FROM TO -- -------------------- ------- ------- 7 ST LOUIS OCT. 3 OCT. 25 7 DALLAS NOV. 19 DEC. 10 5 NEW JERSEY DEC. 6 DEC. 26 5 WASHINGTON JAN. 6 JAN. 25 # 4 OTTAWA OCT. 4 OCT. 19 4 NEW JERSEY OCT. 8 OCT. 23 4 CHICAGO OCT. 29 NOV. 6 4 NEW JERSEY NOV. 8 NOV. 20 4 DETROIT NOV. 21 DEC. 9 4 PITTSBURGH NOV. 22 NOV. 29 4 BUFFALO DEC. 3 DEC. 19 4 EDMONTON JAN. 7 JAN. 20 # 4 NEW JERSEY JAN. 7 JAN. 20 3 WASHINGTON OCT. 3 OCT. 11 3 PHILADELPHIA OCT. 9 OCT. 23 3 DALLAS OCT. 10 OCT. 16 3 PHOENIX OCT. 26 NOV. 11 3 MONTREAL NOV. 1 NOV. 5 3 PHOENIX NOV. 17 NOV. 25 3 COLORADO DEC. 2 DEC. 15 3 ST LOUIS DEC. 4 DEC. 8 3 BOSTON DEC. 6 DEC. 13 3 NY RANGERS DEC. 23 JAN. 6 3 DETROIT JAN. 6 JAN. 14 3 LOS ANGELES JAN. 12 JAN. 22 # 3 BUFFALO JAN. 15 JAN. 23 # CONSECUTIVE HOME TIES - MINIMUM 3 GAMES GM TEAM FROM TO -- -------------------- ------- ------- NONE CONSECUTIVE HOME UNDEFEATED - MINIMUM 5 GAMES GM TEAM W T FROM TO -- -------------------- -- -- ------- ------- 9 ST LOUIS 8 1 OCT. 3 NOV. 1 8 COLORADO 4 4 OCT. 1 NOV. 1 8 DALLAS 7 1 NOV. 12 DEC. 10 8 TAMPA BAY 4 4 NOV. 19 DEC. 22 8 COLORADO 5 3 DEC. 2 DEC. 31 8 PHILADELPHIA 6 2 DEC. 11 JAN. 26 # 5 OTTAWA 4 1 OCT. 4 OCT. 23 5 CHICAGO 4 1 OCT. 29 NOV. 10 5 PITTSBURGH 4 1 NOV. 19 NOV. 29 5 BUFFALO 4 1 NOV. 28 DEC. 19 5 NEW JERSEY 5 0 DEC. 6 DEC. 26 5 PHOENIX 3 2 DEC. 23 JAN. 14 5 BUFFALO 4 1 DEC. 31 JAN. 23 # 5 BOSTON 3 2 JAN. 1 JAN. 14 # 5 WASHINGTON 5 0 JAN. 6 JAN. 25 # CONSECUTIVE ROAD WINS - MINIMUM 3 GAMES GM TEAM FROM TO -- -------------------- ------- ------- 6 DETROIT OCT. 1 OCT. 26 6 BOSTON OCT. 13 NOV. 2 5 MONTREAL OCT. 25 NOV. 13 5 NEW JERSEY OCT. 27 NOV. 15 5 PITTSBURGH NOV. 15 DEC. 10 5 CHICAGO DEC. 20 JAN. 14 5 MONTREAL DEC. 31 JAN. 12 4 FLORIDA OCT. 25 NOV. 22 4 WASHINGTON NOV. 12 NOV. 23 4 SAN JOSE DEC. 4 DEC. 21 4 PHOENIX DEC. 19 DEC. 29 3 COLORADO OCT. 3 OCT. 15 3 MONTREAL OCT. 4 OCT. 17 3 PITTSBURGH OCT. 17 OCT. 22 3 OTTAWA OCT. 22 OCT. 30 3 DALLAS OCT. 24 OCT. 29 3 CAROLINA OCT. 26 NOV. 13 3 PHILADELPHIA NOV. 3 NOV. 14 3 DALLAS NOV. 5 NOV. 16 3 VANCOUVER NOV. 25 NOV. 29 3 COLORADO NOV. 28 DEC. 4 3 DALLAS DEC. 18 DEC. 23 3 DETROIT DEC. 22 DEC. 27 3 PHILADELPHIA DEC. 30 JAN. 3 3 ST LOUIS JAN. 6 JAN. 10 3 DALLAS JAN. 12 JAN. 24 # CONSECUTIVE ROAD UNDEFEATED - MINIMUM 5 GAMES GM TEAM W T FROM TO -- -------------------- -- -- ------- ------- 8 MONTREAL 6 2 DEC. 27 JAN. 14 # 7 PITTSBURGH 5 2 NOV. 15 DEC. 19 6 DETROIT 6 0 OCT. 1 OCT. 26 6 BOSTON 6 0 OCT. 13 NOV. 2 6 FLORIDA 4 2 OCT. 23 NOV. 30 6 CHICAGO 5 1 DEC. 17 JAN. 14 6 DALLAS 5 1 DEC. 18 JAN. 5 5 PITTSBURGH 4 1 OCT. 14 OCT. 22 5 ANAHEIM 3 2 OCT. 21 OCT. 30 5 MONTREAL 5 0 OCT. 25 NOV. 13 5 NEW JERSEY 5 0 OCT. 27 NOV. 15 5 NY ISLANDERS 4 1 OCT. 29 NOV. 19 5 VANCOUVER 4 1 NOV. 12 NOV. 29 5 COLORADO 3 2 NOV. 18 DEC. 4 5 PHILADELPHIA 3 2 NOV. 26 DEC. 15 5 PHOENIX 4 1 DEC. 10 DEC. 29 5 COLORADO 4 1 DEC. 13 JAN. 14 --- CURRENT TEAM STREAKS --- CONSECUTIVE WINS - MINIMUM 3 GAMES GM TEAM FROM TO -- -------------------- ------- ------- 5 DALLAS JAN. 12 JAN. 26 3 PITTSBURGH JAN. 22 JAN. 26 CONSECUTIVE UNDEFEATED - MINIMUM 5 GAMES GM TEAM W T FROM TO -- -------------------- -- -- ------- ------- 5 DALLAS 5 0 JAN. 12 JAN. 26 5 LOS ANGELES 4 1 JAN. 12 JAN. 24 5 WASHINGTON 4 1 JAN. 13 JAN. 26 CONSECUTIVE HOME WINS - MINIMUM 3 GAMES GM TEAM FROM TO -- -------------------- ------- ------- 5 WASHINGTON JAN. 6 JAN. 25 4 EDMONTON JAN. 7 JAN. 20 3 LOS ANGELES JAN. 12 JAN. 22 3 BUFFALO JAN. 15 JAN. 23 CONSECUTIVE HOME UNDEFEATED - MINIMUM 5 GAMES GM TEAM W T FROM TO -- -------------------- -- -- ------- ------- 8 PHILADELPHIA 6 2 DEC. 11 JAN. 26 5 BUFFALO 4 1 DEC. 31 JAN. 23 5 BOSTON 3 2 JAN. 1 JAN. 14 5 WASHINGTON 5 0 JAN. 6 JAN. 25 CONSECUTIVE ROAD WINS - MINIMUM 3 GAMES GM TEAM FROM TO -- -------------------- ------- ------- 3 DALLAS JAN. 12 JAN. 24 CONSECUTIVE ROAD UNDEFEATED - MINIMUM 5 GAMES GM TEAM W T FROM TO -- -------------------- -- -- ------- ------- 8 MONTREAL 6 2 DEC. 27 JAN. 14 --- DURACELL POWER PLAY REPORT --- (ADV) TOTAL ADVANTAGES (PPGF) POWER-PLAY GOALS FOR (PCTG) ARRIVED BY DIVIDING NUMBER OF POWER-PLAY GOALS BY TOTAL ADVANTAGES -------- HOME --------- -------- ROAD --------- ------- OVER ALL ------- TEAM GP ADV PPGF PCTG TEAM GP ADV PPGF PCTG TEAM GP ADV PPGF PCTG 1 N.J 27 102 24 23.5 MTL 25 113 26 23.0 DAL 52 237 49 20.7 2 DAL 25 112 23 20.5 DAL 27 125 26 20.8 N.J 50 196 38 19.4 3 PIT 24 116 23 19.8 PHI 24 105 21 20.0 MTL 51 220 42 19.1 4 NYR 29 127 25 19.7 COL 25 115 23 20.0 NYR 51 218 40 18.3 5 BUF 23 104 18 17.3 DET 24 98 18 18.4 PHI 49 232 41 17.7 6 STL 28 133 23 17.3 CHI 22 89 16 18.0 COL 53 248 44 17.7 7 WSH 24 89 15 16.9 CAR 22 96 17 17.7 PIT 51 236 39 16.5 8 NYI 23 110 18 16.4 S.J 24 94 16 17.0 WSH 51 196 32 16.3 9 COL 28 133 21 15.8 BOS 27 102 17 16.7 DET 52 217 35 16.1 10 PHI 25 127 20 15.7 NYR 22 91 15 16.5 CAR 51 223 35 15.7 11 TOR 24 98 15 15.3 VAN 27 111 18 16.2 BOS 49 197 30 15.2 12 MTL 26 107 16 15.0 L.A 26 87 14 16.1 NYI 51 227 34 15.0 13 OTT 25 108 16 14.8 EDM 27 137 22 16.1 EDM 51 271 39 14.4 14 FLA 23 112 16 14.3 WSH 27 107 17 15.9 STL 53 217 31 14.3 15 DET 28 119 17 14.3 PHO 26 110 17 15.5 BUF 48 218 31 14.2 16 CAR 29 127 18 14.2 N.J 23 94 14 14.9 L.A 49 199 28 14.1 17 BOS 22 95 13 13.7 NYI 28 117 16 13.7 FLA 51 241 33 13.7 18 EDM 24 134 17 12.7 PIT 27 120 16 13.3 PHO 51 225 29 12.9 19 L.A 23 112 14 12.5 FLA 28 129 17 13.2 OTT 51 212 27 12.7 20 CGY 25 106 13 12.3 ANA 25 110 14 12.7 S.J 49 223 28 12.6 21 T.B 25 114 13 11.4 CGY 26 101 12 11.9 CHI 50 212 26 12.3 22 PHO 25 115 12 10.4 BUF 25 114 13 11.4 VAN 51 220 27 12.3 23 ANA 26 119 12 10.1 OTT 26 104 11 10.6 CGY 51 207 25 12.1 24 S.J 25 129 12 9.3 STL 25 84 8 9.5 TOR 49 208 25 12.0 25 VAN 24 109 9 8.3 TOR 25 110 10 9.1 ANA 51 229 26 11.4 26 CHI 28 123 10 8.1 T.B 25 102 8 7.8 T.B 50 216 21 9.7 658 2980 433 14.5 658 2765 422 15.3 658 5745 855 14.9 --- TEAMS' PENALTY KILLING RECORD --- (TSH) TOTAL TIMES SHORT-HANDED (PPGA) POWER-PLAY GOALS AGAINST (PCTG) ARRIVED BY DIVIDING -TIMES SHORT MINUS POWER-PLAY GOALS AGAINST- BY TIMES SHORT -------- HOME --------- -------- ROAD --------- ------- OVER ALL ------ TEAM GP TSH PPGA PCTG TEAM GP TSH PPGA PCTG TEAM GP TSH PPGA PCTG 1 PHI 25 102 7 93.1 PIT 27 105 9 91.4 DET 52 226 23 89.8 2 BUF 23 104 9 91.3 CHI 22 92 8 91.3 WSH 51 211 24 88.6 3 DET 28 122 11 91.0 DAL 27 109 10 90.8 DAL 52 210 24 88.6 4 WSH 24 87 10 88.5 TOR 25 109 12 89.0 PHI 49 217 26 88.0 5 NYR 29 115 15 87.0 ANA 25 117 13 88.9 TOR 49 205 25 87.8 6 PHO 25 120 16 86.7 WSH 27 124 14 88.7 CHI 50 206 26 87.4 7 TOR 24 96 13 86.5 BOS 27 88 10 88.6 COL 53 239 30 87.4 8 COL 28 117 16 86.3 DET 24 104 12 88.5 BOS 49 157 20 87.3 9 N.J 27 87 12 86.2 COL 25 122 14 88.5 PIT 51 200 26 87.0 10 DAL 25 101 14 86.1 S.J 24 121 14 88.4 STL 53 221 30 86.4 11 NYI 23 100 14 86.0 STL 25 94 11 88.3 NYI 51 231 33 85.7 12 MTL 26 107 15 86.0 OTT 26 97 14 85.6 PHO 51 246 36 85.4 13 BOS 22 69 10 85.5 NYI 28 131 19 85.5 NYR 51 226 33 85.4 14 CAR 29 129 19 85.3 L.A 26 118 18 84.7 N.J 50 180 27 85.0 15 STL 28 127 19 85.0 CGY 26 131 20 84.7 OTT 51 176 27 84.7 16 CGY 25 109 17 84.4 FLA 28 137 21 84.7 CGY 51 240 37 84.6 17 CHI 28 114 18 84.2 T.B 25 115 18 84.3 ANA 51 227 35 84.6 18 OTT 25 79 13 83.5 PHO 26 126 20 84.1 CAR 51 243 39 84.0 19 PIT 24 95 17 82.1 N.J 23 93 15 83.9 S.J 49 240 39 83.8 20 L.A 23 116 21 81.9 NYR 22 111 18 83.8 MTL 51 230 38 83.5 21 EDM 24 109 20 81.7 PHI 24 115 19 83.5 L.A 49 234 39 83.3 22 VAN 24 116 22 81.0 EDM 27 126 21 83.3 EDM 51 235 41 82.6 23 ANA 26 110 22 80.0 CAR 22 114 20 82.5 T.B 50 235 43 81.7 24 T.B 25 120 25 79.2 MTL 25 123 23 81.3 BUF 48 234 43 81.6 25 S.J 25 119 25 79.0 VAN 27 128 26 79.7 FLA 51 232 43 81.5 26 FLA 23 95 22 76.8 BUF 25 130 34 73.8 VAN 51 244 48 80.3 658 2765 422 84.7 658 2980 433 85.5 658 5745 855 85.1 --- SHORT HAND GOALS FOR --- --- HOME --- --- ROAD --- - OVER ALL - TEAM GP SHGF TEAM GP SHGF TEAM GP SHGF 1 CGY 25 8 FLA 28 8 CGY 51 11 2 MTL 26 6 CHI 22 6 CHI 50 9 3 T.B 25 5 DAL 27 6 FLA 51 9 4 STL 28 5 VAN 27 5 VAN 51 9 5 BUF 23 4 ANA 25 4 STL 53 9 6 PIT 24 4 STL 25 4 PIT 51 8 7 WSH 24 4 WSH 27 4 WSH 51 8 8 VAN 24 4 PIT 27 4 DAL 52 8 9 COL 28 4 OTT 26 3 MTL 51 7 10 NYI 23 3 CGY 26 3 BUF 48 6 11 PHO 25 3 CAR 22 2 T.B 50 6 12 CHI 28 3 DET 24 2 ANA 51 6 13 CAR 29 3 S.J 24 2 CAR 51 5 14 EDM 24 2 BUF 25 2 PHO 51 5 15 PHI 25 2 PHO 26 2 NYI 51 5 16 S.J 25 2 NYI 28 2 S.J 49 4 17 DAL 25 2 N.J 23 1 OTT 51 4 18 ANA 26 2 PHI 24 1 DET 52 4 19 DET 28 2 MTL 25 1 COL 53 4 20 BOS 22 1 TOR 25 1 PHI 49 3 21 L.A 23 1 T.B 25 1 TOR 49 2 22 FLA 23 1 NYR 22 0 N.J 50 2 23 TOR 24 1 COL 25 0 EDM 51 2 24 OTT 25 1 L.A 26 0 L.A 49 1 25 N.J 27 1 EDM 27 0 BOS 49 1 26 NYR 29 0 BOS 27 0 NYR 51 0 658 74 658 64 658 138 --- SHORT HAND GOALS AGAINST --- --- HOME --- --- ROAD --- - OVER ALL - TEAM GP SHGA TEAM GP SHGA TEAM GP SHGA 1 CHI 28 0 L.A 26 0 PHO 51 1 2 PHI 25 0 S.J 24 0 S.J 49 1 3 PHO 25 0 WSH 27 1 BOS 49 1 4 BOS 22 0 BOS 27 1 STL 53 2 5 STL 28 1 PHO 26 1 WSH 51 2 6 COL 28 1 STL 25 1 PHI 49 2 7 S.J 25 1 EDM 27 2 EDM 51 3 8 WSH 24 1 PIT 27 2 CHI 50 3 9 EDM 24 1 CGY 26 2 MTL 51 4 10 DET 28 2 MTL 25 2 COL 53 5 11 MTL 26 2 PHI 24 2 DET 52 5 12 OTT 25 2 N.J 23 2 CAR 51 5 13 DAL 25 2 CAR 22 2 DAL 52 6 14 FLA 23 2 ANA 25 3 CGY 51 6 15 CAR 29 3 DET 24 3 N.J 50 6 16 T.B 25 3 CHI 22 3 L.A 49 6 17 TOR 24 3 NYI 28 4 OTT 51 7 18 VAN 24 3 DAL 27 4 ANA 51 7 19 BUF 23 3 COL 25 4 T.B 50 7 20 NYR 29 4 T.B 25 4 PIT 51 8 21 N.J 27 4 VAN 27 5 FLA 51 8 22 ANA 26 4 OTT 26 5 VAN 51 8 23 CGY 25 4 BUF 25 5 TOR 49 8 24 PIT 24 6 TOR 25 5 BUF 48 8 25 NYI 23 6 NYR 22 5 NYR 51 9 26 L.A 23 6 FLA 28 6 NYI 51 10 658 64 658 74 658 138 --- TEAMS' OVERTIME RECORDS --- -------- HOME --------- -------- ROAD --------- ------- OVERALL ------- GP W L T PTS PCTG GP W L T PTS PCTG GP W L T PTS PCTG --- -- -- --- --- ----- --- -- -- --- --- ----- --- -- -- --- --- ----- BUF 4 1 0 3 5 .625 7 2 0 5 9 .643 11 3 0 8 14 .636 WSH 5 1 0 4 6 .600 7 2 0 5 9 .643 12 3 0 9 15 .625 DAL 6 1 0 5 7 .583 7 3 1 3 9 .643 13 4 1 8 16 .615 BOS 5 0 0 5 5 .500 6 2 0 4 8 .667 11 2 0 9 13 .591 PIT 8 2 1 5 9 .563 5 1 0 4 6 .600 13 3 1 9 15 .577 OTT 2 1 0 1 3 .750 7 0 0 7 7 .500 9 1 0 8 10 .556 PHI 4 0 0 4 4 .500 6 1 0 5 7 .583 10 1 0 9 11 .550 CGY 8 4 1 3 11 .688 9 0 2 7 7 .389 17 4 3 10 18 .529 COL 12 1 1 10 12 .500 8 1 1 6 8 .500 20 2 2 16 20 .500 FLA 7 1 1 5 7 .500 8 1 1 6 8 .500 15 2 2 11 15 .500 L.A 4 1 1 2 4 .500 9 1 1 7 9 .500 13 2 2 9 13 .500 STL 8 2 1 5 9 .563 3 0 1 2 2 .333 11 2 2 7 11 .500 CHI 6 0 0 6 6 .500 5 1 1 3 5 .500 11 1 1 9 11 .500 DET 4 0 0 4 4 .500 6 0 0 6 6 .500 10 0 0 10 10 .500 TOR 4 0 0 4 4 .500 3 0 0 3 3 .500 7 0 0 7 7 .500 ANA 6 1 1 4 6 .500 8 1 2 5 7 .438 14 2 3 9 13 .464 MTL 7 1 1 5 7 .500 5 1 2 2 4 .400 12 2 3 7 11 .458 EDM 5 0 1 4 4 .400 7 1 1 5 7 .500 12 1 2 9 11 .458 CAR 6 0 1 5 5 .417 3 1 1 1 3 .500 9 1 2 6 8 .444 T.B 7 0 1 6 6 .429 2 0 0 2 2 .500 9 0 1 8 8 .444 PHO 6 0 1 5 5 .417 3 0 0 3 3 .500 9 0 1 8 8 .444 NYR 9 0 1 8 8 .444 7 0 1 6 6 .429 16 0 2 14 14 .438 NYI 3 0 1 2 2 .333 5 0 0 5 5 .500 8 0 1 7 7 .438 S.J 5 0 1 4 4 .400 4 0 1 3 3 .375 9 0 2 7 7 .389 N.J 3 1 2 0 2 .333 5 0 1 4 4 .400 8 1 3 4 6 .375 VAN 6 0 2 4 4 .333 5 0 1 4 4 .400 11 0 3 8 8 .364 TOT 150 18 19 113 149 .497 150 19 18 113 151 .503 150 37 37 113 300 1.000 LGM DATE SCORED BY TEAM TIME FINAL SCORE ---- ------- -------------------- -------------------- ---- ---------------- 42 Oct 8 TED DONATO BOSTON 2:09 BOS 3 AT PHO 2 47 Oct 9 BRETT HULL ST LOUIS 3:16 L.A 2 AT STL 3 70 Oct 13 ERIC LINDROS PHILADELPHIA 1:49 PHI 3 AT S.J 2 74 Oct 14 DAVE REID DALLAS 1:17 CGY 4 AT DAL 5 90 Oct 17 MICHAEL NYLANDER CALGARY 4:40 COL 5 AT CGY 6 105 Oct 19 TODD MARCHANT EDMONTON 3:05 EDM 3 AT L.A 2 124 Oct 23 PETR SYKORA NEW JERSEY 4:43 MTL 1 AT N.J 2 140 Oct 25 KEVIN HATCHER PITTSBURGH 0:41 PIT 3 AT VAN 2 167 Oct 31 JASON DAWE BUFFALO 3:21 BUF 3 AT CAR 2 172 Nov 1 ROB BROWN PITTSBURGH 3:52 VAN 6 AT PIT 7 176 Nov 1 DIXON WARD BUFFALO 1:14 BUF 4 AT FLA 3 208 Nov 7 SCOTT YOUNG ANAHEIM 3:34 ANA 4 AT CGY 3 239 Nov 12 VALERI BURE MONTREAL 4:07 MTL 4 AT ANA 3 294 Nov 22 JAROMIR JAGR PITTSBURGH 0:25 NYR 3 AT PIT 4 298 Nov 22 ED JOVANOVSKI FLORIDA 4:08 FLA 2 AT N.J 1 303 Nov 22 GREG JOHNSON CHICAGO 1:22 CHI 5 AT VAN 4 309 Nov 23 LUC ROBITAILLE LOS ANGELES 2:43 L.A 2 AT COL 1 343 Nov 29 SANDY MCCARTHY CALGARY 1:36 ANA 2 AT CGY 3 351 Dec 1 GERMAN TITOV CALGARY 1:22 S.J 2 AT CGY 3 354 Dec 2 JOE JUNEAU WASHINGTON 3:45 WSH 3 AT NYR 2 373 Dec 5 JEFF TOMS WASHINGTON 3:32 FLA 2 AT WSH 3 383 Dec 6 GEOFF COURTNALL ST LOUIS 4:38 CGY 3 AT STL 4 395 Dec 10 VINCENT DAMPHOUSSE MONTREAL 0:55 STL 3 AT MTL 4 406 Dec 12 MATTHEW BARNABY BUFFALO 4:45 CAR 2 AT BUF 3 435 Dec 16 MICHAEL NYLANDER CALGARY 3:42 CHI 3 AT CGY 4 463 Dec 20 SERGEI ZUBOV DALLAS 1:07 DAL 2 AT EDM 1 474 Dec 23 +CHRIS PHILLIPS OTTAWA 3:51 MTL 3 AT OTT 4 526 Jan 1 ROB NIEDERMAYER FLORIDA 1:53 N.J 1 AT FLA 2 536 Jan 3 VALERI KAMENSKY COLORADO 3:04 COL 5 AT PIT 4 548 Jan 5 JERE LEHTINEN DALLAS 0:34 DAL 4 AT N.J 3 557 Jan 7 STEVE HEINZE BOSTON 3:13 BOS 2 AT MTL 1 578 Jan 10 +JON BATTAGLIA CAROLINA 1:59 CAR 2 AT NYI 1 588 Jan 11 JOE SACCO ANAHEIM 3:38 DAL 1 AT ANA 2 598 Jan 12 RAY FERRARO LOS ANGELES 2:04 ANA 2 AT L.A 3 607 Jan 14 GRANT MARSHALL DALLAS 0:57 DAL 2 AT STL 1 624 Jan 21 KELLY MILLER WASHINGTON 3:32 WSH 3 AT T.B 2 658 Jan 26 ERIC LACROIX COLORADO 1:49 EDM 1 AT COL 2 SUSPENSIONS: Date Player/Team/Length Opponent Reason Oct 15 Kevin Lowe Vancouver High-sticking Edmonton Gino Odjick 3 games Nov 4 Doug MacLean Buffalo Verbally abusing Florida coach officials 2 games Nov 9 Chris Simon Edmonton Uttering racial Washington slur at 3 games Mike Grier Nov 25 Craig Berube Florida Uttering racial Washington slur at 1 game Peter Worrell Dec 1 Kirk Muller NY Rangers High-sticking Florida Niklas Sundstrom 2 games Dec 5 Bryan Marchment Dallas Kneeing Edmonton Mike Modano 3 games Dec 22 Ted Donato NY Islanders High-sticking Boston Rich Pilon 3 games Jan 11 Mattias Norstrom Edmonton Boarding Los Kings Tony Hrkac 1 game Jan 21 Rick Toccet Edmonton Kneeing Phoenix Ryan Smyth 2 games Jan 24 Tony Granato Edmonton High Sticking/tripping San Jose Drew Bannister 2 games ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1997-98 NHL Statistics Through January 25, 1998 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TEAM P NO PLAYER GP G A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW GT S PCTG ANA R 8 TEEMU SELANNE 51 36 20 56 10 22 7 0 6 3 189 19.0 ANA D 15 DMITRI MIRONOV 48 6 24 30 -7 56 2 0 1 0 110 5.5 ANA L 9 PAUL KARIYA 19 14 14 28 12 6 3 0 2 1 92 15.2 ANA C 20 STEVE RUCCHIN 43 8 20 28 11 6 2 1 0 0 67 11.9 ANA R 48 SCOTT YOUNG 44 6 12 18 -15 18 2 1 1 0 102 5.9 ANA R 14 JOE SACCO 51 8 9 17 -2 22 0 2 2 0 81 9.9 ANA D 36 J.J. DAIGNEAULT 49 2 14 16 -7 26 1 0 1 0 67 3.0 ANA R 17 TOMAS SANDSTROM 51 6 7 13 -19 42 2 1 0 1 96 6.3 ANA C 10 SEAN PRONGER 45 2 9 11 -8 20 1 0 1 0 46 4.3 ANA L 16 WARREN RYCHEL 46 5 5 10 -5 150 1 0 0 0 45 11.1 ANA C 13 TED DRURY 47 5 5 10 -8 46 0 1 0 0 77 6.5 ANA C 12 KEVIN TODD 24 4 6 10 -2 10 3 0 1 0 26 15.4 ANA C 45 *MATT CULLEN 30 1 9 10 3 6 0 0 0 0 20 5.0 ANA D 24 RUSLAN SALEI 38 4 5 9 7 38 1 0 0 1 59 6.8 ANA C 18 MARK JANSSENS 51 4 5 9 -21 105 0 0 1 0 41 9.8 ANA R 19 *JEFF NIELSEN 22 3 3 6 -3 10 0 0 0 0 24 12.5 ANA D 5 DREW BANNISTER 41 0 6 6 -3 65 0 0 0 0 35 .0 ANA D 33 DAVE KARPA 49 0 6 6 -1 118 0 0 0 0 39 .0 ANA L 40 *JEREMY STEVENSON 19 3 1 4 -3 44 0 0 1 0 14 21.4 ANA D 7 *PAVEL TRNKA 22 1 3 4 0 10 0 0 0 0 16 6.3 ANA C 21 *ESPEN KNUTSEN 19 3 0 3 -10 6 1 0 0 1 21 14.3 ANA D 23 JASON MARSHALL 41 1 2 3 -11 109 0 0 0 0 36 2.8 ANA C 32 RICHARD PARK 11 0 2 2 1 4 0 0 0 0 8 .0 ANA L 11 SHAWN ANTOSKI 9 1 0 1 1 18 0 0 0 0 6 16.7 ANA L 22 BRENT SEVERYN 14 0 1 1 -3 57 0 0 0 0 8 .0 ANA D 34 DANIEL TREBIL 17 0 1 1 -4 2 0 0 0 0 10 .0 ANA G 31 GUY HEBERT 38 0 1 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 .0 ANA R 46 JEAN-FRANCOIS JOMPHE 1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .0 ANA L 50 *BOB WREN 1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 2 .0 ANA D 38 *MIKE CROWLEY 4 0 0 0 2 6 0 0 0 0 5 .0 ANA G 35 M. SHTALENKOV 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 BOS R 41 JASON ALLISON 49 17 29 46 17 29 2 0 6 1 81 21.0 BOS C 12 DMITRI KHRISTICH 49 16 17 33 12 18 8 0 0 0 82 19.5 BOS L 21 TED DONATO 46 15 16 31 14 28 3 0 5 1 90 16.7 BOS D 77 RAY BOURQUE 49 8 18 26 -3 26 5 0 1 1 157 5.1 BOS C 33 ANSON CARTER 45 7 17 24 3 4 2 0 1 0 97 7.2 BOS L 14 *SERGEI SAMSONOV 48 9 13 22 -2 6 3 0 0 0 89 10.1 BOS R 19 ROB DIMAIO 48 7 13 20 -9 53 0 0 3 1 70 10.0 BOS C 26 TIM TAYLOR 49 12 7 19 -16 33 0 1 0 1 76 15.8 BOS R 23 STEVE HEINZE 28 11 6 17 5 14 3 0 3 0 76 14.5 BOS D 18 KYLE MCLAREN 43 4 12 16 6 35 1 0 0 0 68 5.9 BOS D 44 DAVE ELLETT 49 3 12 15 -5 38 2 0 1 0 87 3.4 BOS D 32 DON SWEENEY 49 1 14 15 12 20 0 0 0 0 46 2.2 BOS R 11 *PER AXELSSON 49 4 10 14 -15 10 1 0 0 0 99 4.0 BOS L 42 MIKE SULLIVAN 46 2 5 7 -6 10 0 0 1 0 52 3.8 BOS D 20 DARREN VAN IMPE 41 1 6 7 -13 13 0 0 0 0 39 2.6 BOS D 25 *HAL GILL 35 1 2 3 -3 23 0 0 0 0 22 4.5 BOS D 37 MATTIAS TIMANDER 23 1 1 2 -9 6 0 0 0 0 17 5.9 BOS C 6 *JOE THORNTON 32 1 1 2 -10 15 0 0 0 0 19 5.3 BOS D 29 DEAN MALKOC 31 1 0 1 -10 62 0 0 0 0 14 7.1 BOS R 10 *CAMERON MANN 8 0 1 1 1 4 0 0 0 0 6 .0 BOS G 34 BYRON DAFOE 39 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 BOS G 35 ROBBIE TALLAS 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 BOS R 27 LANDON WILSON 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 .0 BOS L 22 KEN BAUMGARTNER 49 0 0 0 -14 119 0 0 0 0 22 .0 BUF R 17 JASON DAWE 48 17 12 29 8 28 3 1 3 1 84 20.2 BUF L 81 MIROSLAV SATAN 47 16 12 28 -6 18 7 0 2 0 84 19.0 BUF C 26 DEREK PLANTE 45 9 15 24 3 14 3 0 1 0 94 9.6 BUF R 28 DONALD AUDETTE 41 10 12 22 3 37 4 0 2 1 118 8.5 BUF L 18 MICHAL GROSEK 41 7 14 21 4 35 2 0 0 0 66 10.6 BUF C 27 MICHAEL PECA 34 10 9 19 5 34 5 3 0 0 77 13.0 BUF D 5 JASON WOOLLEY 37 3 16 19 5 14 0 0 1 0 57 5.3 BUF C 19 BRIAN HOLZINGER 42 7 11 18 -11 14 4 0 0 1 69 10.1 BUF D 44 ALEXEI ZHITNIK 44 5 12 17 -1 48 1 0 2 1 108 4.6 BUF R 36 MATTHEW BARNABY 41 3 11 14 4 192 0 0 2 0 48 6.3 BUF D 8 DARRYL SHANNON 44 2 12 14 13 34 1 0 1 0 59 3.4 BUF L 37 CURTIS BROWN 33 6 7 13 2 20 0 0 1 0 48 12.5 BUF D 42 RICHARD SMEHLIK 48 1 11 12 -1 34 0 0 0 0 67 1.5 BUF L 12 RANDY BURRIDGE 29 4 6 10 0 0 1 0 1 0 39 10.3 BUF D 74 JAY MCKEE 31 1 9 10 -4 22 0 0 0 0 38 2.6 BUF R 15 DIXON WARD 41 6 3 9 2 32 0 2 1 1 51 11.8 BUF L 10 BRAD MAY 32 2 7 9 1 109 0 0 0 0 32 6.3 BUF D 4 MIKE WILSON 39 2 4 6 4 34 0 0 1 0 35 5.7 BUF C 22 WAYNE PRIMEAU 39 2 1 3 -1 58 0 0 0 0 22 9.1 BUF D 6 BOB BOUGHNER 42 1 2 3 5 107 0 0 0 0 17 5.9 BUF R 32 ROB RAY 29 1 0 1 -2 158 0 0 1 0 4 25.0 BUF R 25 *VACLAV VARADA 12 0 1 1 -1 6 0 0 0 0 9 .0 BUF D 21 MIKE HURLBUT 3 0 0 0 -1 2 0 0 0 0 3 .0 BUF G 31 *STEVE SHIELDS 10 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 .0 BUF G 39 DOMINIK HASEK 43 0 0 0 0 12 0 0 0 0 0 .0 CGY R 14 THEOREN FLEURY 51 16 31 47 8 109 1 2 2 1 166 9.6 CGY C 16 CORY STILLMAN 43 17 15 32 -4 22 5 2 0 1 113 15.0 CGY L 13 GERMAN TITOV 47 14 13 27 3 16 5 1 2 0 91 15.4 CGY L 18 MARTY MCINNIS 44 10 15 25 -11 20 4 2 0 0 76 13.2 CGY R 12 JAROME IGINLA 50 12 12 24 -7 18 0 2 1 0 116 10.3 CGY C 21 ANDREW CASSELS 50 8 15 23 -10 18 3 0 1 1 75 10.7 CGY C 92 MICHAEL NYLANDER 45 10 11 21 0 12 0 0 2 0 87 11.5 CGY D 32 CALE HULSE 48 5 15 20 -2 85 1 1 0 0 89 5.6 CGY D 53 *DEREK MORRIS 51 5 13 18 -3 41 3 1 0 1 76 6.6 CGY L 44 JONAS HOGLUND 47 5 8 13 -10 14 0 0 0 0 113 4.4 CGY D 5 TOMMY ALBELIN 41 1 10 11 7 10 0 0 1 0 49 2.0 CGY D 33 ZARLEY ZALAPSKI 35 2 7 9 -12 41 2 0 1 0 46 4.3 CGY R 15 SANDY MCCARTHY 39 5 3 8 -15 109 0 0 1 0 49 10.2 CGY C 34 JIM DOWD 30 3 4 7 1 4 0 0 0 0 36 8.3 CGY D 2 *JAMIE ALLISON 28 2 5 7 1 40 0 0 0 0 22 9.1 CGY L 7 *CHRIS DINGMAN 48 3 3 6 -10 57 1 0 0 0 37 8.1 CGY D 3 JAMES PATRICK 29 2 4 6 -1 8 0 0 1 0 27 7.4 CGY D 6 JOEL BOUCHARD 28 3 1 4 -12 31 0 0 0 0 30 10.0 CGY L 42 ED WARD 33 2 2 4 -7 43 0 0 0 1 23 8.7 CGY D 27 TODD SIMPSON 37 0 4 4 -8 80 0 0 0 0 38 .0 CGY C 23 AARON GAVEY 10 1 2 3 -1 2 0 0 1 0 14 7.1 CGY G 30 DWAYNE ROLOSON 16 0 3 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0 CGY R 29 ERIK ANDERSSON 6 1 1 2 -3 2 0 0 0 0 7 14.3 CGY C 11 *ERIC LANDRY 11 1 0 1 -2 4 0 0 0 0 7 14.3 CGY R 26 *LADISLAV KOHN 4 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 .0 CGY G 31 RICK TABARACCI 31 0 1 1 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 .0 CGY L 17 *HNAT DOMENICHELLI 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 .0 CGY C 57 *STEVE BEGIN 5 0 0 0 0 23 0 0 0 0 2 .0 CGY G 1 *TYLER MOSS 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 CGY L 20 TODD HLUSHKO 7 0 0 0 1 6 0 0 0 0 1 .0 CGY D 24 *DENIS GAUTHIER 8 0 0 0 -5 16 0 0 0 0 3 .0 CAR R 24 SAMI KAPANEN 51 18 24 42 2 4 2 0 5 0 109 16.5 CAR C 55 KEITH PRIMEAU 50 15 20 35 10 57 5 2 1 0 113 13.3 CAR R 19 NELSON EMERSON 51 15 16 31 -12 34 4 0 3 1 120 12.5 CAR L 12 GARY ROBERTS 40 9 21 30 -3 69 4 0 0 1 64 14.1 CAR R 18 ROBERT KRON 50 12 13 25 -3 4 3 0 2 0 89 13.5 CAR D 3 STEVE CHIASSON 47 7 16 23 -4 45 6 0 0 0 131 5.3 CAR C 92 JEFF O'NEILL 46 10 12 22 -9 36 4 1 2 0 66 15.2 CAR D 2 GLEN WESLEY 51 4 14 18 4 24 0 0 1 0 73 5.5 CAR R 11 KEVIN DINEEN 29 5 11 16 -1 53 0 0 0 0 54 9.3 CAR L 23 MARTIN GELINAS 33 6 8 14 -9 14 1 1 1 0 70 8.6 CAR R 27 STEPHEN LEACH 45 4 5 9 -19 42 1 1 2 0 60 6.7 CAR L 28 PAUL RANHEIM 42 4 4 8 -3 4 0 1 1 0 40 10.0 CAR D 7 CURTIS LESCHYSHYN 43 2 6 8 -7 29 1 0 1 0 28 7.1 CAR C 44 KENT MANDERVILLE 50 3 4 7 -2 16 0 0 0 0 53 5.7 CAR D 5 KEVIN HALLER 46 2 5 7 -2 73 0 0 0 0 47 4.3 CAR D 6 ADAM BURT 45 0 7 7 -6 79 0 0 0 0 23 .0 CAR R 12 STEVEN RICE 35 2 4 6 -9 36 0 0 0 0 31 6.5 CAR L 32 STU GRIMSON 51 2 3 5 3 139 0 0 0 0 10 20.0 CAR D 22 SEAN HILL 37 1 2 3 -7 38 0 0 0 0 34 2.9 CAR R 33 *JON BATTAGLIA 9 1 0 1 -1 0 0 0 1 0 5 20.0 CAR D 32 *STEVEN HALKO 6 0 1 1 -4 0 0 0 0 0 2 .0 CAR R 33 KEVIN BROWN 1 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 CAR L 3 JEFF DANIELS 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .0 CAR D 92 *NOLAN PRATT 2 0 0 0 -1 4 0 0 0 0 2 .0 CAR G 22 PAT JABLONSKI 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 CAR G 37 TREVOR KIDD 21 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0 CAR G 1 KIRK MCLEAN 33 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 CHI R 10 TONY AMONTE 50 17 29 46 13 38 3 2 4 0 174 9.8 CHI C 36 ALEXEI ZHAMNOV 45 13 16 29 9 43 3 1 2 1 135 9.6 CHI D 7 CHRIS CHELIOS 50 2 26 28 5 62 1 0 0 0 117 1.7 CHI L 55 ERIC DAZE 50 19 8 27 9 14 4 0 4 1 131 14.5 CHI D 20 GARY SUTER 45 9 17 26 5 36 1 2 0 0 122 7.4 CHI C 22 GREG JOHNSON 43 9 10 19 -3 26 3 0 2 0 53 17.0 CHI C 11 JEFF SHANTZ 43 7 12 19 -2 26 1 0 1 0 44 15.9 CHI R 22 SERGEI KRIVOKRASOV 34 8 9 17 -2 12 1 0 2 0 83 9.6 CHI C 14 STEVE DUBINSKY 50 4 11 15 2 22 0 1 0 0 73 5.5 CHI D 4 KEITH CARNEY 50 2 12 14 -1 48 0 1 0 0 43 4.7 CHI L 38 JAMES BLACK 36 8 5 13 -7 2 2 1 3 1 74 10.8 CHI D 2 ERIC WEINRICH 50 1 11 12 1 54 0 0 0 0 43 2.3 CHI C 16 JARROD SKALDE 26 4 7 11 -2 16 0 0 0 0 34 11.8 CHI L 39 ETHAN MOREAU 24 4 6 10 -2 37 2 0 0 0 37 10.8 CHI C 46 *DIMITRI NABOKOV 14 7 2 9 0 4 3 0 2 0 18 38.9 CHI R 17 KEVIN MILLER 22 2 6 8 1 4 0 0 0 0 19 10.5 CHI C 12 BRENT SUTTER 30 2 6 8 -2 18 0 1 0 0 30 6.7 CHI D 3 *CHRISTIAN LAFLAMME 43 0 7 7 8 25 0 0 0 0 41 .0 CHI L 23 *JEAN-YVES LEROUX 45 4 2 6 -3 51 0 0 0 0 43 9.3 CHI L 14 *BRIAN FELSNER 12 1 3 4 0 12 0 0 0 0 14 7.1 CHI L 46 BOB PROBERT 7 2 1 3 -4 27 2 0 0 0 11 18.2 CHI R 39 *CRAIG MILLS 20 0 3 3 1 34 0 0 0 0 5 .0 CHI D 6 MICHAL SYKORA 21 0 3 3 -8 12 0 0 0 0 25 .0 CHI C 2 *TODD WHITE 6 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 50.0 CHI D 8 CAM RUSSELL 24 0 1 1 -2 37 0 0 0 0 10 .0 CHI R 15 JIM CUMMINS 45 0 1 1 -8 150 0 0 0 0 27 .0 CHI L 31 *RYAN HUSKA 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 CHI L 29 *PERI VARIS 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 CHI R 14 MARTIN GENDRON 2 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 3 .0 CHI G 29 ANDREI TREFILOV 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 CHI L 7 *DANIEL CLEARY 6 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 0 0 4 .0 CHI L 33 REID SIMPSON 14 0 0 0 -3 40 0 0 0 0 7 .0 CHI G 6 CHRIS TERRERI 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 CHI D 5 TRENT YAWNEY 24 0 0 0 -2 37 0 0 0 0 8 .0 CHI G 31 JEFF HACKETT 31 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 .0 COL C 21 PETER FORSBERG 49 18 41 59 6 64 5 1 3 1 150 12.0 COL C 19 JOE SAKIC 52 23 31 54 6 36 11 1 2 1 197 11.7 COL L 13 VALERI KAMENSKY 47 16 21 37 4 38 5 0 2 0 104 15.4 COL R 22 CLAUDE LEMIEUX 51 15 21 36 -2 89 4 1 1 1 169 8.9 COL R 18 ADAM DEADMARSH 50 15 14 29 4 100 5 0 5 3 130 11.5 COL L 28 ERIC LACROIX 52 10 14 24 6 46 0 0 3 0 68 14.7 COL D 8 SANDIS OZOLINSH 36 6 17 23 -2 45 4 0 1 1 81 7.4 COL D 4 UWE KRUPP 52 5 17 22 22 22 3 0 1 0 95 5.3 COL L 20 RENE CORBET 45 12 9 21 5 73 3 0 4 2 84 14.3 COL C 17 JARI KURRI 50 5 13 18 8 8 2 0 0 0 46 10.9 COL C 26 STEPHANE YELLE 52 6 9 15 -4 26 0 0 0 0 59 10.2 COL D 24 JON KLEMM 39 5 7 12 0 14 0 0 0 1 40 12.5 COL D 29 *ERIC MESSIER 47 4 8 12 5 14 0 0 0 0 54 7.4 COL D 5 ALEXEI GUSAROV 48 3 9 12 9 26 0 1 1 0 34 8.8 COL R 12 SHEAN DONOVAN 44 4 7 11 2 50 0 0 0 0 53 7.5 COL R 16 JEFF ODGERS 41 3 7 10 8 104 0 0 0 0 26 11.5 COL D 52 ADAM FOOTE 48 1 9 10 -5 84 0 0 0 0 42 2.4 COL D 2 SYLVAIN LEFEBVRE 51 0 6 6 7 18 0 0 0 0 36 .0 COL D 27 FRANCOIS LEROUX 39 1 2 3 -3 120 0 0 0 0 11 9.1 COL G 33 PATRICK ROY 41 0 2 2 0 4 0 0 0 0 1 .0 COL D 3 AARON MILLER 29 1 0 1 -4 16 0 0 0 0 10 10.0 COL D 7 *PASCAL TREPANIER 15 0 1 1 -2 18 0 0 0 0 9 .0 COL R 14 *CHRISTIAN MATTE 3 0 0 0 -1 6 0 0 0 0 3 .0 COL G 1 CRAIG BILLINGTON 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 DAL C 9 MIKE MODANO 38 17 28 45 18 20 7 3 2 0 144 11.8 DAL C 25 JOE NIEUWENDYK 42 22 16 38 9 18 7 0 6 0 108 20.4 DAL L 15 JAMIE LANGENBRUNNER 50 17 21 38 8 33 6 0 4 1 97 17.5 DAL D 56 SERGEI ZUBOV 51 6 31 37 16 4 2 1 2 1 99 6.1 DAL R 16 PAT VERBEEK 51 15 21 36 11 113 3 0 4 0 119 12.6 DAL R 26 JERE LEHTINEN 41 17 13 30 18 8 5 2 4 1 119 14.3 DAL D 5 DARRYL SYDOR 48 9 21 30 21 30 4 1 1 0 102 8.8 DAL D 2 DERIAN HATCHER 46 6 17 23 1 86 3 0 2 0 54 11.1 DAL L 23 GREG ADAMS 26 7 11 18 10 8 2 0 0 0 40 17.5 DAL L 14 DAVE REID 51 6 11 17 -11 6 3 0 1 0 81 7.4 DAL L 33 BENOIT HOGUE 36 4 12 16 10 24 2 0 1 0 45 8.9 DAL D 27 SHAWN CHAMBERS 34 1 13 14 8 22 0 1 0 0 44 2.3 DAL R 10 TODD HARVEY 44 7 5 12 1 61 0 0 1 0 68 10.3 DAL D 24 RICHARD MATVICHUK 49 3 8 11 -1 51 0 0 0 0 51 5.9 DAL C 21 GUY CARBONNEAU 46 2 9 11 -1 32 0 0 1 0 43 4.7 DAL L 12 BOB ERREY 42 2 5 7 4 36 0 0 0 0 23 8.7 DAL R 29 GRANT MARSHALL 43 4 2 6 -6 66 0 0 1 0 41 9.8 DAL C 28 BOB BASSEN 45 3 3 6 -1 39 0 0 1 0 35 8.6 DAL D 3 CRAIG LUDWIG 51 0 3 3 14 64 0 0 0 0 26 .0 DAL D 22 CRAIG MUNI 25 1 1 2 3 12 0 0 1 0 8 12.5 DAL L 46 *JAMIE WRIGHT 4 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 100.0 DAL L 17 *PATRICK COTE 3 0 0 0 -1 15 0 0 0 0 3 .0 DAL C 36 *JEFFREY MITCHELL 6 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 3 .0 DAL G 1 *ROMAN TUREK 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 DAL L 11 *JUHA LIND 19 0 0 0 2 4 0 0 0 0 8 .0 DAL G 20 ED BELFOUR 41 0 0 0 0 16 0 0 0 0 0 .0 DET L 14 BRENDAN SHANAHAN 47 21 19 40 7 103 11 1 6 1 169 12.4 DET C 19 STEVE YZERMAN 52 12 28 40 -1 32 1 1 0 1 115 10.4 DET D 5 NICKLAS LIDSTROM 51 14 24 38 12 16 5 1 1 1 129 10.9 DET D 55 LARRY MURPHY 52 6 29 35 24 23 1 0 2 0 72 8.3 DET L 13 VYACHESLAV KOZLOV 51 15 18 33 12 22 3 0 1 0 142 10.6 DET C 8 IGOR LARIONOV 48 6 25 31 14 28 2 0 1 1 65 9.2 DET R 25 DARREN MCCARTY 47 10 17 27 0 85 5 1 1 0 115 8.7 DET R 17 DOUG BROWN 51 12 11 23 8 8 3 0 3 0 84 14.3 DET C 41 BRENT GILCHRIST 51 9 14 23 6 30 3 0 2 0 99 9.1 DET R 20 MARTIN LAPOINTE 52 8 10 18 0 46 0 0 2 1 100 8.0 DET L 18 KIRK MALTBY 36 10 5 15 15 25 1 0 3 0 58 17.2 DET C 33 KRIS DRAPER 35 7 8 15 5 27 0 0 1 0 44 15.9 DET R 11 MATHIEU DANDENAULT 46 5 10 15 8 37 0 0 0 0 56 8.9 DET D 44 *ANDERS ERIKSSON 37 5 8 13 14 20 0 0 2 0 46 10.9 DET L 15 TOMAS HOLMSTROM 37 4 7 11 4 28 0 0 1 0 23 17.4 DET D 3 BOB ROUSE 49 1 10 11 -2 24 0 0 0 0 36 2.8 DET D 2 VIACHESLAV FETISOV 39 2 8 10 13 38 0 0 1 0 42 4.8 DET R 26 JOEY KOCUR 41 6 3 9 7 44 0 0 2 0 37 16.2 DET R 22 *MICHAEL KNUBLE 32 4 4 8 1 14 0 0 0 0 25 16.0 DET D 27 AARON WARD 29 2 5 7 1 18 0 0 0 0 29 6.9 DET D 4 JAMIE PUSHOR 40 1 5 6 0 52 0 0 0 0 31 3.2 DET D 28 *YAN GOLUBOVSKY 12 0 2 2 1 6 0 0 0 0 9 .0 DET C 21 *DARRYL LAPLANTE 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .0 DET G 31 *KEVIN HODSON 12 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0 DET G 30 CHRIS OSGOOD 42 0 0 0 0 12 0 0 0 0 0 .0 EDM C 39 DOUG WEIGHT 50 18 28 46 2 32 7 0 3 0 128 14.1 EDM D 2 BORIS MIRONOV 50 10 16 26 3 62 5 0 0 1 120 8.3 EDM L 94 RYAN SMYTH 48 14 10 24 -21 36 7 0 0 2 160 8.8 EDM L 37 DEAN MCAMMOND 45 7 16 23 11 12 2 0 0 0 48 14.6 EDM C 26 TODD MARCHANT 46 7 15 22 5 34 0 0 2 0 126 5.6 EDM D 22 ROMAN HAMRLIK 47 5 17 22 -8 28 2 0 1 0 104 4.8 EDM C 14 MATS LINDGREN 50 11 10 21 3 30 1 2 2 0 87 12.6 EDM R 9 BILL GUERIN 27 10 9 19 8 21 2 0 3 0 72 13.9 EDM D 33 DANIEL MCGILLIS 47 8 10 18 -12 48 4 0 3 1 93 8.6 EDM R 16 KELLY BUCHBERGER 50 4 14 18 -3 55 1 0 1 0 57 7.0 EDM L 51 ANDREI KOVALENKO 43 3 14 17 -12 20 1 0 1 1 71 4.2 EDM L 21 VALERI ZELEPUKIN 43 4 12 16 3 36 0 0 0 0 72 5.6 EDM R 25 MIKE GRIER 35 8 6 14 1 35 1 0 1 0 49 16.3 EDM L 17 REM MURRAY 37 6 8 14 -10 10 2 0 0 0 42 14.3 EDM C 20 TONY HRKAC 17 7 6 13 5 0 4 0 0 0 19 36.8 EDM D 5 GREG DE VRIES 47 5 1 6 -13 59 1 0 0 0 40 12.5 EDM C 19 *BOYD DEVEREAUX 33 1 4 5 -3 4 0 0 0 0 24 4.2 EDM L 12 *JOE HULBIG 17 2 2 4 -1 2 0 0 1 0 8 25.0 EDM D 15 DRAKE BEREHOWSKY 36 1 3 4 -2 94 1 0 1 0 37 2.7 EDM C 9 *MIKE WATT 14 1 2 3 -4 4 0 0 1 0 14 7.1 EDM C 18 *SCOTT FRASER 4 2 0 2 -2 0 1 0 0 0 8 25.0 EDM D 6 BOBBY DOLLAS 29 0 2 2 -10 31 0 0 0 0 19 .0 EDM D 23 *SEAN BROWN 18 0 1 1 -1 43 0 0 0 0 9 .0 EDM G 31 CURTIS JOSEPH 43 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 EDM D 4 KEVIN LOWE 5 0 0 0 -5 20 0 0 0 0 2 .0 EDM R 27 *GEORGES LARAQUE 8 0 0 0 -3 45 0 0 0 0 4 .0 EDM G 30 BOB ESSENSA 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 EDM L 28 BILL HUARD 15 0 0 0 -2 23 0 0 0 0 5 .0 EDM L 8 DOUG FRIEDMAN 16 0 0 0 0 20 0 0 0 0 8 .0 FLA L 14 RAY WHITNEY 46 19 21 40 9 10 6 0 2 0 101 18.8 FLA C 15 DAVE GAGNER 47 14 15 29 -11 39 2 1 1 0 97 14.4 FLA D 24 ROBERT SVEHLA 51 5 23 28 3 71 2 0 0 0 80 6.3 FLA R 27 SCOTT MELLANBY 48 8 19 27 -6 73 4 0 1 0 120 6.7 FLA R 26 RAY SHEPPARD 48 11 13 24 -12 2 4 0 0 0 110 10.0 FLA R 22 DINO CICCARELLI 37 12 6 18 -16 44 3 0 3 1 109 11.0 FLA R 19 RADEK DVORAK 34 7 10 17 -3 6 1 3 0 1 44 15.9 FLA C 9 KIRK MULLER 41 4 13 17 -13 24 0 0 0 1 61 6.6 FLA C 17 *STEVE WASHBURN 38 9 7 16 -1 22 3 0 2 0 44 20.5 FLA L 11 BILL LINDSAY 51 7 9 16 1 47 0 2 2 0 96 7.3 FLA C 44 ROB NIEDERMAYER 23 8 5 13 -1 33 5 0 2 0 45 17.8 FLA R 51 DAVID NEMIROVSKY 32 7 6 13 -4 6 2 0 1 0 48 14.6 FLA R 21 TOM FITZGERALD 51 7 5 12 2 41 0 0 1 0 75 9.3 FLA D 55 ED JOVANOVSKI 51 6 6 12 -14 73 1 1 2 0 78 7.7 FLA D 6 JEFF NORTON 40 4 8 12 -26 26 4 0 0 1 44 9.1 FLA C 23 CHRIS WELLS 50 4 8 12 8 32 0 1 0 0 49 8.2 FLA L 25 VIKTOR KOZLOV 36 6 5 11 -9 2 3 0 0 0 86 7.0 FLA D 3 PAUL LAUS 51 0 11 11 -3 189 0 0 0 0 39 .0 FLA D 5 GORD MURPHY 51 3 6 9 -2 26 2 0 0 0 73 4.1 FLA L 10 ESA TIKKANEN 20 1 6 7 -8 12 0 0 0 0 27 3.7 FLA D 2 TERRY CARKNER 47 1 4 5 3 40 0 0 1 0 22 4.5 FLA D 7 RHETT WARRENER 50 0 4 4 -8 61 0 0 0 0 47 .0 FLA L 29 JOHAN GARPENLOV 26 1 2 3 -3 4 0 0 0 0 33 3.0 FLA C 16 *RYAN JOHNSON 6 0 2 2 -2 0 0 0 0 0 3 .0 FLA D 8 DALLAS EAKINS 10 0 1 1 -1 23 0 0 0 0 7 .0 FLA G 34 J. VANBIESBROUCK 39 0 1 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 .0 FLA L 28 *PETER WORRELL 3 0 0 0 -1 6 0 0 0 0 3 .0 FLA G 1 *KEVIN WEEKES 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 LAK C 15 JOZEF STUMPEL 49 14 36 50 12 36 3 0 2 1 107 13.1 LAK L 20 LUC ROBITAILLE 49 16 20 36 5 57 5 0 7 0 122 13.1 LAK R 27 GLEN MURRAY 48 14 20 34 6 32 3 0 4 0 106 13.2 LAK C 44 YANIC PERREAULT 49 20 12 32 7 20 1 0 1 0 138 14.5 LAK L 9 VLADIMIR TSYPLAKOV 41 13 19 32 16 10 1 0 1 0 66 19.7 LAK L 23 CRAIG JOHNSON 44 11 15 26 8 14 3 0 0 0 70 15.7 LAK D 4 ROB BLAKE 49 11 15 26 3 53 5 0 1 0 148 7.4 LAK D 3 GARRY GALLEY 48 5 20 25 -5 43 4 0 0 0 76 6.6 LAK R 45 SANDY MOGER 43 6 9 15 1 56 1 0 1 0 63 9.5 LAK C 22 IAN LAPERRIERE 45 4 10 14 -4 65 0 1 0 0 41 9.8 LAK D 28 PHILIPPE BOUCHER 29 4 6 10 4 37 0 0 0 0 55 7.3 LAK D 14 MATTIAS NORSTROM 42 1 8 9 15 49 0 0 0 0 34 2.9 LAK D 6 SEAN O'DONNELL 48 0 9 9 7 90 0 0 0 0 44 .0 LAK C 26 RAY FERRARO 17 4 4 8 -2 24 0 0 2 0 24 16.7 LAK L 42 DAN BYLSMA 34 2 6 8 8 7 0 0 0 1 34 5.9 LAK C 10 *DONALD MACLEAN 22 5 2 7 -1 4 2 0 0 0 25 20.0 LAK D 5 AKI BERG 44 0 7 7 6 43 0 0 0 0 39 .0 LAK D 2 DOUG ZMOLEK 28 0 6 6 -2 69 0 0 0 0 15 .0 LAK R 19 RUSS COURTNALL 28 3 1 4 2 10 0 0 2 0 42 7.1 LAK C 24 NATHAN LAFAYETTE 19 2 2 4 1 6 0 0 0 0 27 7.4 LAK L 7 *STEVE MCKENNA 34 2 2 4 -5 65 0 0 0 1 20 10.0 LAK R 11 BRAD SMYTH 9 1 3 4 -1 4 0 0 0 0 12 8.3 LAK L 17 MATT JOHNSON 36 1 1 2 -6 126 0 0 0 0 12 8.3 LAK D 33 JAN VOPAT 5 0 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 .0 LAK G 1 *JAMIE STORR 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 LAK G 31 FREDERIC CHABOT 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 LAK G 35 STEPHANE FISET 39 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 .0 MTL R 8 MARK RECCHI 51 24 26 50 17 23 6 0 4 0 133 18.0 MTL L 27 SHAYNE CORSON 48 16 30 46 6 70 12 0 1 0 99 16.2 MTL C 11 SAKU KOIVU 47 10 32 42 14 30 2 0 3 0 104 9.6 MTL C 25 VINCENT DAMPHOUSSE 51 14 26 40 13 34 2 1 4 0 125 11.2 MTL L 26 MARTIN RUCINSKY 50 16 22 38 8 72 4 2 3 0 134 11.9 MTL R 20 VALERI BURE 48 7 22 29 -3 33 2 0 1 0 131 5.3 MTL L 49 BRIAN SAVAGE 43 16 12 28 12 22 4 0 5 1 91 17.6 MTL D 38 VLADIMIR MALAKHOV 46 7 18 25 18 38 4 0 1 0 112 6.3 MTL D 43 PATRICE BRISEBOIS 51 3 19 22 13 37 1 0 0 0 79 3.8 MTL D 22 DAVE MANSON 51 3 19 22 15 62 2 0 0 0 98 3.1 MTL L 17 BENOIT BRUNET 39 5 8 13 6 31 0 2 1 0 41 12.2 MTL L 37 PATRICK POULIN 47 4 8 12 -1 21 0 1 1 0 56 7.1 MTL D 5 STEPHANE QUINTAL 50 5 6 11 12 81 0 0 0 0 63 7.9 MTL C 71 SEBASTIEN BORDELEAU 31 3 6 9 4 20 0 1 0 0 21 14.3 MTL D 55 IGOR ULANOV 46 2 7 9 -6 85 1 0 0 0 32 6.3 MTL C 28 MARC BUREAU 44 7 1 8 -3 6 0 0 0 0 37 18.9 MTL C 24 SCOTT THORNTON 48 3 5 8 0 110 0 0 1 1 39 7.7 MTL R 23 TURNER STEVENSON 35 3 2 5 -2 72 1 0 0 0 17 17.6 MTL D 34 PETER POPOVIC 39 1 3 4 -3 18 0 0 0 0 25 4.0 MTL D 52 CRAIG RIVET 35 0 2 2 3 79 0 0 0 0 11 .0 MTL D 29 *BRETT CLARK 37 1 0 1 -3 20 0 0 0 0 25 4.0 MTL R 21 MICK VUKOTA 44 1 0 1 0 128 0 0 0 0 16 6.3 MTL R 51 *DAVID LING 1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .0 MTL C 46 *MATT HIGGINS 1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .0 MTL C 15 *ERIC HOUDE 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 MTL G 35 ANDY MOOG 27 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 .0 MTL G 41 JOCELYN THIBAULT 29 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 NJD C 93 DOUG GILMOUR 50 12 34 46 11 48 3 0 4 0 77 15.6 NJD C 16 BOBBY HOLIK 50 22 22 44 21 60 6 0 7 1 134 16.4 NJD D 27 SCOTT NIEDERMAYER 50 8 31 39 12 16 6 0 1 0 110 7.3 NJD R 21 RANDY MCKAY 50 17 19 36 23 73 4 0 4 0 96 17.7 NJD L 23 DAVE ANDREYCHUK 44 9 19 28 19 12 3 0 1 0 100 9.0 NJD R 26 *PATRIK ELIAS 45 14 10 24 14 16 3 0 5 1 74 18.9 NJD C 25 JASON ARNOTT 44 7 16 23 -15 85 2 0 1 0 124 5.6 NJD C 17 PETR SYKORA 28 10 10 20 2 14 2 0 2 0 67 14.9 NJD L 14 BRIAN ROLSTON 46 10 9 19 5 10 0 1 0 0 115 8.7 NJD D 24 LYLE ODELEIN 49 2 16 18 11 122 1 0 0 0 44 4.5 NJD D 4 SCOTT STEVENS 50 2 15 17 16 42 0 0 0 0 68 2.9 NJD C 10 DENIS PEDERSON 49 10 5 15 -2 51 4 0 0 1 77 13.0 NJD C 19 BOB CARPENTER 43 7 6 13 4 14 0 1 1 0 60 11.7 NJD D 5 DOUG BODGER 48 5 8 13 1 47 0 0 1 0 60 8.3 NJD R 32 STEVE THOMAS 26 7 4 11 4 22 2 0 1 0 54 13.0 NJD D 28 KEVIN DEAN 45 1 7 8 11 12 1 0 0 0 24 4.2 NJD D 2 *SHELDON SOURAY 31 2 4 6 10 53 0 0 1 0 42 4.8 NJD D 6 *BRAD BOMBARDIR 29 0 4 4 10 6 0 0 0 0 10 .0 NJD L 20 JAY PANDOLFO 12 1 2 3 -2 2 0 0 0 0 8 12.5 NJD C 9 *BRENDAN MORRISON 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 33.3 NJD C 18 PETER ZEZEL 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 NJD D 5 VLASTIMIL KROUPA 2 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .0 NJD G 1 MIKE DUNHAM 9 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 NJD D 3 KEN DANEYKO 11 0 1 1 2 24 0 0 0 0 5 .0 NJD L 22 SCOTT DANIELS 13 0 1 1 1 67 0 0 0 0 8 .0 NJD L 29 *KRZYSZTOF OLIWA 41 0 1 1 1 206 0 0 0 0 28 .0 NJD G 31 PETER SIDORKIEWICZ 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 NJD G 35 RICH SHULMISTRA 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 NJD C 18 SERGEI BRYLIN 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 NJD L 8 SASHA LAKOVIC 2 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 2 .0 NJD G 30 MARTIN BRODEUR 42 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 .0 NYI C 21 ROBERT REICHEL 50 19 28 47 -2 20 4 0 0 1 141 13.5 NYI R 16 ZIGMUND PALFFY 50 23 22 45 -7 18 6 2 1 1 152 15.1 NYI C 15 BRYAN SMOLINSKI 50 9 21 30 -12 26 2 0 2 0 123 7.3 NYI D 34 BRYAN BERARD 44 12 14 26 -24 41 8 0 1 1 110 10.9 NYI D 29 KENNY JONSSON 50 9 15 24 -4 40 4 0 2 0 59 15.3 NYI C 17 SERGEI NEMCHINOV 47 7 17 24 8 14 0 1 1 0 60 11.7 NYI C 39 TRAVIS GREEN 48 12 11 23 -19 60 7 0 2 1 88 13.6 NYI L 14 TOM CHORSKE 50 7 13 20 7 18 1 2 2 0 76 9.2 NYI R 44 TODD BERTUZZI 48 7 10 17 -18 48 1 0 1 0 59 11.9 NYI C 13 CLAUDE LAPOINTE 49 7 4 11 -15 23 0 0 2 0 54 13.0 NYI R 25 MARIUSZ CZERKAWSKI 41 3 8 11 5 2 0 0 0 0 78 3.8 NYI D 7 SCOTT LACHANCE 47 2 7 9 -12 35 1 0 0 0 44 4.5 NYI L 18 MIKE HOUGH 49 2 6 8 -5 16 0 0 0 0 23 8.7 NYI D 4 BRYAN MCCABE 50 2 3 5 4 136 0 0 0 0 72 2.8 NYI D 2 RICHARD PILON 45 0 4 4 4 181 0 0 0 0 25 .0 NYI L 33 KEN BELANGER 32 2 1 3 -1 97 0 0 1 0 6 33.3 NYI L 24 PAUL KRUSE 47 2 1 3 -11 98 0 0 0 0 29 6.9 NYI D 6 DOUG HOUDA 30 1 2 3 -6 47 0 0 0 0 15 6.7 NYI C 54 KIP MILLER 7 0 3 3 -3 0 0 0 0 0 8 .0 NYI D 28 DENNIS VASKE 19 0 3 3 2 12 0 0 0 0 16 .0 NYI R 36 DANE JACKSON 8 1 1 2 1 4 0 0 1 0 5 20.0 NYI D 43 *JASON STRUDWICK 5 0 1 1 -1 12 0 0 0 0 1 .0 NYI R 49 *VLADIMIR ORSAGH 10 0 1 1 -1 2 0 0 0 0 9 .0 NYI G 35 TOMMY SALO 37 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0 NYI L 11 *SEAN HAGGERTY 3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 NYI G 30 WADE FLAHERTY 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 NYI D 46 *JASON HOLLAND 4 0 0 0 -5 0 0 0 0 0 2 .0 NYI D 53 *ZDENO CHARA 6 0 0 0 2 17 0 0 0 0 1 .0 NYI G 1 ERIC FICHAUD 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 NYR C 16 PAT LAFONTAINE 50 20 32 52 -12 26 10 0 2 3 130 15.4 NYR C 99 WAYNE GRETZKY 50 13 37 50 -5 12 1 0 3 1 138 9.4 NYR D 2 BRIAN LEETCH 50 12 20 32 -23 18 7 0 2 1 156 7.7 NYR L 17 KEVIN STEVENS 49 10 19 29 1 90 4 0 2 1 77 13.0 NYR R 24 NIKLAS SUNDSTROM 38 11 15 26 3 14 2 0 0 0 63 17.5 NYR R 27 ALEXEI KOVALEV 48 9 16 25 -19 24 4 0 3 1 111 8.1 NYR L 9 ADAM GRAVES 40 13 9 22 -19 27 7 0 1 1 135 9.6 NYR L 37 TIM SWEENEY 35 10 12 22 5 14 1 0 1 1 54 18.5 NYR R 12 MIKE KEANE 50 8 7 15 -4 33 2 0 0 0 90 8.9 NYR D 33 BRUCE DRIVER 45 5 7 12 5 30 1 0 0 0 55 9.1 NYR C 20 BRIAN SKRUDLAND 39 5 5 10 0 35 0 0 1 0 34 14.7 NYR D 25 ALEXANDER KARPOVTSEV43 3 7 10 0 36 1 0 1 0 44 6.8 NYR L 18 BILL BERG 37 1 6 7 -5 32 0 0 0 0 41 2.4 NYR D 5 ULF SAMUELSSON 44 1 6 7 4 73 0 0 0 0 44 2.3 NYR C 32 MIKE EASTWOOD 35 2 3 5 -2 10 0 0 0 0 19 10.5 NYR D 26 JEFF FINLEY 34 1 4 5 5 23 0 0 0 0 19 5.3 NYR L 21 JOHAN LINDBOM 25 1 3 4 6 16 0 0 0 0 27 3.7 NYR L 39 *VLADIMIR VOROBIEV 8 1 2 3 -6 0 0 0 0 0 16 6.3 NYR D 6 DOUG LIDSTER 15 0 3 3 2 14 0 0 0 0 12 .0 NYR D 23 JEFF BEUKEBOOM 38 0 3 3 -18 107 0 0 0 0 15 .0 NYR L 15 DARREN LANGDON 44 0 3 3 -1 133 0 0 0 0 9 .0 NYR C 10 *MARC SAVARD 14 0 2 2 -2 2 0 0 0 0 11 .0 NYR R 8 *RYAN VANDENBUSSCHE 16 1 0 1 -2 38 0 0 0 0 2 50.0 NYR C 28 *P.J. STOCK 17 0 1 1 2 66 0 0 0 0 3 .0 NYR D 29 ERIC CAIRNS 31 0 1 1 -2 72 0 0 0 0 11 .0 NYR G 35 MIKE RICHTER 44 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0 NYR D 30 *SYLVAIN BLOUIN 1 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 .0 NYR D 38 RONNIE SUNDIN 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 NYR G 34 *DAN CLOUTIER 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 NYR G 31 JASON MUZZATTI 6 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 .0 OTW C 19 ALEXEI YASHIN 50 22 20 42 1 12 2 0 3 0 175 12.6 OTW L 15 SHAWN MCEACHERN 50 13 18 31 0 24 3 1 3 1 139 9.4 OTW D 29 IGOR KRAVCHUK 50 5 15 20 -5 4 2 1 0 1 114 4.4 OTW R 11 DANIEL ALFREDSSON 23 10 9 19 7 4 4 0 4 0 57 17.5 OTW R 10 ANDREAS DACKELL 50 7 11 18 -7 12 2 2 0 0 87 8.0 OTW C 16 SERGEI ZHOLTOK 49 5 12 17 -4 10 3 0 1 0 75 6.7 OTW D 27 JANNE LAUKKANEN 43 3 14 17 -10 42 2 0 1 0 44 6.8 OTW C 14 RADEK BONK 49 7 8 15 -9 12 1 0 0 0 72 9.7 OTW R 12 PAT FALLOON 33 6 8 14 2 10 2 0 0 0 70 8.6 OTW L 20 *MAGNUS ARVEDSON 32 4 9 13 0 16 0 0 0 0 35 11.4 OTW C 22 SHAUN VAN ALLEN 50 4 8 12 4 28 0 0 0 0 66 6.1 OTW L 28 DENNY LAMBERT 43 6 5 11 1 143 0 0 0 1 58 10.3 OTW D 6 WADE REDDEN 49 2 9 11 4 17 1 0 2 0 58 3.4 OTW C 25 BRUCE GARDINER 28 3 7 10 0 28 0 0 0 0 31 9.7 OTW L 7 RANDY CUNNEYWORTH 48 2 8 10 -7 51 1 0 0 0 47 4.3 OTW D 4 *CHRIS PHILLIPS 45 3 6 9 8 26 0 0 1 0 72 4.2 OTW D 33 JASON YORK 46 1 7 8 3 34 0 0 0 0 65 1.5 OTW R 17 CHRIS MURRAY 21 2 2 4 1 41 0 0 1 0 12 16.7 OTW D 2 LANCE PITLICK 40 2 2 4 6 39 0 0 0 0 38 5.3 OTW C 42 DEREK ARMSTRONG 9 2 0 2 1 9 0 0 1 0 8 25.0 OTW D 24 STANISLAV NECKAR 38 1 1 2 -10 25 0 0 0 0 22 4.5 OTW L 18 *MARIAN HOSSA 7 0 1 1 -1 0 0 0 0 0 10 .0 OTW G 1 DAMIAN RHODES 29 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 OTW L 21 DENNIS VIAL 19 0 0 0 0 45 0 0 0 0 9 .0 OTW G 31 RON TUGNUTT 26 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 PHI L 10 JOHN LECLAIR 48 34 22 56 24 20 10 0 6 1 183 18.6 PHI C 88 ERIC LINDROS 47 21 34 55 9 84 6 0 3 0 157 13.4 PHI L 17 ROD BRIND'AMOUR 48 22 20 42 -2 38 5 2 5 0 118 18.6 PHI C 55 CHRIS GRATTON 48 12 27 39 17 62 2 0 1 0 105 11.4 PHI R 9 DAINIUS ZUBRUS 37 6 19 25 24 14 1 0 4 0 59 10.2 PHI R 20 TRENT KLATT 48 9 14 23 4 6 3 0 3 0 80 11.3 PHI D 44 JANNE NIINIMAA 47 3 18 21 2 40 2 0 1 0 82 3.7 PHI D 77 PAUL COFFEY 42 2 19 21 4 22 1 0 1 0 85 2.4 PHI C 45 *VACLAV PROSPAL 41 5 13 18 -10 17 4 0 0 0 60 8.3 PHI D 37 ERIC DESJARDINS 43 5 13 18 15 20 2 1 0 0 73 6.8 PHI R 19 ALEXANDRE DAIGLE 41 7 10 17 -6 8 4 0 2 0 73 9.6 PHI D 6 CHRIS THERIEN 47 1 11 12 11 35 0 0 0 0 53 1.9 PHI L 25 SHJON PODEIN 48 6 5 11 4 41 0 0 1 0 75 8.0 PHI L 12 *COLIN FORBES 29 5 4 9 3 25 1 0 1 0 47 10.6 PHI D 23 PETR SVOBODA 33 2 7 9 6 35 1 0 0 0 28 7.1 PHI C 32 DANIEL LACROIX 37 1 3 4 2 65 0 0 0 0 18 5.6 PHI C 29 JOEL OTTO 38 1 3 4 -2 30 0 0 0 1 32 3.1 PHI D 22 LUKE RICHARDSON 47 1 2 3 3 81 1 0 0 0 32 3.1 PHI L 21 DAN KORDIC 35 1 1 2 1 100 0 0 0 0 9 11.1 PHI D 28 KJELL SAMUELSSON 28 0 2 2 9 16 0 0 0 0 16 .0 PHI D 2 CHRIS JOSEPH 6 1 0 1 2 6 0 0 1 0 4 25.0 PHI R 26 JOHN DRUCE 13 1 0 1 -1 0 0 0 0 0 4 25.0 PHI R 38 *PAUL HEALEY 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 PHI R 18 BRANTT MYHRES 19 0 0 0 -1 121 0 0 0 0 0 .0 PHI G 27 RON HEXTALL 24 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 .0 PHI G 30 GARTH SNOW 26 0 0 0 0 16 0 0 0 0 0 .0 PHO L 7 KEITH TKACHUK 49 32 20 52 11 113 8 0 7 1 161 19.9 PHO C 15 CRAIG JANNEY 50 7 33 40 11 8 2 0 0 0 56 12.5 PHO C 97 JEREMY ROENICK 49 14 24 38 7 62 4 0 1 1 117 12.0 PHO R 11 DALLAS DRAKE 37 7 23 30 21 52 0 0 2 0 70 10.0 PHO D 27 TEPPO NUMMINEN 50 5 23 28 24 18 0 0 2 0 63 7.9 PHO R 92 RICK TOCCHET 44 16 11 27 -3 94 6 0 2 0 105 15.2 PHO C 77 CLIFF RONNING 49 6 21 27 2 18 0 0 0 1 100 6.0 PHO R 22 MIKE GARTNER 35 10 13 23 -3 10 3 0 2 1 86 11.6 PHO D 26 JOHN SLANEY 40 2 13 15 0 18 1 0 1 0 56 3.6 PHO C 21 BOB CORKUM 49 8 5 13 -3 8 0 3 0 0 62 12.9 PHO D 4 GERALD DIDUCK 48 4 8 12 17 81 1 0 1 0 70 5.7 PHO R 16 *BRAD ISBISTER 41 6 3 9 3 63 1 0 1 0 72 8.3 PHO D 5 DERON QUINT 23 3 6 9 -3 8 1 0 1 0 42 7.1 PHO C 36 *JUHA YLONEN 43 0 9 9 -3 8 0 0 0 0 44 .0 PHO D 6 JAY MORE 33 4 3 7 -2 43 0 1 0 0 31 12.9 PHO L 34 DARRIN SHANNON 28 1 6 7 2 22 0 0 0 0 33 3.0 PHO D 24 MICHEL PETIT 25 4 2 6 0 65 1 0 0 0 31 12.9 PHO R 32 JOCELYN LEMIEUX 22 2 3 5 0 27 1 0 0 0 25 8.0 PHO L 33 JIM MCKENZIE 39 2 3 5 -9 105 0 0 0 0 27 7.4 PHO D 44 NORM MACIVER 24 1 4 5 -6 26 0 0 0 0 26 3.8 PHO C 14 MIKE STAPLETON 42 2 2 4 -5 16 0 1 0 0 39 5.1 PHO D 8 JIM JOHNSON 16 2 1 3 0 18 0 0 0 0 17 11.8 PHO D 10 OLEG TVERDOVSKY 14 1 1 2 -3 2 0 0 1 0 29 3.4 PHO D 2 MURRAY BARON 20 0 2 2 -3 43 0 0 0 0 13 .0 PHO G 35 N. KHABIBULIN 45 0 2 2 0 18 0 0 0 0 0 .0 PHO D 48 *SEAN GAGNON 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .0 PHO C 18 CHAD KILGER 6 0 1 1 -1 2 0 0 0 0 5 .0 PHO L 72 JEFF CHRISTIAN 1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 PHO G 31 *SCOTT LANGKOW 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 PHO D 55 *JASON DOIG 3 0 0 0 -4 8 0 0 0 0 1 .0 PHO G 28 JIM WAITE 9 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0 PIT R 68 JAROMIR JAGR 46 22 38 60 10 32 4 0 7 1 153 14.4 PIT C 10 RON FRANCIS 50 16 36 52 7 8 4 0 5 1 111 14.4 PIT C 14 STU BARNES 47 18 18 36 12 18 9 0 4 0 117 15.4 PIT D 4 KEVIN HATCHER 44 10 19 29 -7 44 7 1 2 1 92 10.9 PIT R 44 ROB BROWN 50 6 19 25 -1 39 1 0 2 0 106 5.7 PIT C 82 MARTIN STRAKA 43 8 13 21 -7 8 2 3 1 0 76 10.5 PIT D 23 FREDRIK OLAUSSON 45 3 14 17 7 32 0 0 0 0 56 5.4 PIT R 95 *ALEXEI MOROZOV 46 7 7 14 -2 4 1 0 0 0 48 14.6 PIT C 38 ANDREAS JOHANSSON 38 4 10 14 4 16 0 1 0 0 43 9.3 PIT L 16 ED OLCZYK 26 9 4 13 -3 17 4 1 1 0 67 13.4 PIT L 33 ALEX HICKS 36 4 9 13 2 44 0 0 1 0 42 9.5 PIT C 20 ROBERT LANG 31 7 4 11 2 8 1 1 2 0 32 21.9 PIT D 71 JIRI SLEGR 43 4 7 11 10 70 1 0 0 0 76 5.3 PIT D 11 DARIUS KASPARAITIS 50 2 8 10 0 69 0 1 0 0 47 4.3 PIT D 5 BRAD WERENKA 39 2 6 8 11 24 1 0 0 0 36 5.6 PIT C 17 *PETER FERRARO 29 3 4 7 -2 12 0 0 0 0 34 8.8 PIT C 29 TYLER WRIGHT 50 3 3 6 -3 61 1 0 0 0 30 10.0 PIT R 57 *CHRIS FERRARO 35 2 4 6 -1 37 0 0 0 0 34 5.9 PIT D 6 NEIL WILKINSON 26 2 3 5 -1 17 1 0 0 0 15 13.3 PIT D 24 IAN MORP 16 0 4 4 -1 8 0 0 0 0 12 .0 PIT C 15 *ROBERT DOME 15 2 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 22.2 PIT L 18 GARRY VALK 30 2 1 3 -4 29 0 0 0 1 27 7.4 PIT D 2 CHRIS TAMER 47 0 3 3 -2 123 0 0 0 0 31 .0 PIT G 1 *PETER SKUDRA 12 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0 PIT G 35 TOM BARRASSO 39 0 1 1 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 .0 PIT G 31 KEN WREGGET 7 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0 SJS C 39 JEFF FRIESEN 46 19 14 33 4 28 2 1 5 0 108 17.6 SJS R 11 OWEN NOLAN 48 6 21 27 -4 126 1 1 1 0 129 4.7 SJS R 15 JOHN MACLEAN 45 10 13 23 -5 26 4 0 3 1 138 7.2 SJS C 19 *MARCO STURM 48 7 16 23 1 22 1 0 3 0 79 8.9 SJS C 22 MURRAY CRAVEN 41 9 11 20 1 10 2 2 3 0 60 15.0 SJS D 2 BILL HOULDER 49 4 16 20 2 32 2 0 0 0 64 6.3 SJS C 14 *PATRICK MARLEAU 46 9 9 18 -3 12 1 0 0 0 58 15.5 SJS D 23 TODD GILL 48 7 10 17 -5 27 4 0 0 0 80 8.8 SJS C 18 MIKE RICCI 32 4 11 15 1 14 2 0 0 0 39 10.3 SJS D 10 MARCUS RAGNARSSON 46 3 12 15 -3 31 2 0 1 0 46 6.5 SJS C 9 BERNIE NICHOLLS 29 2 13 15 1 18 1 0 0 0 40 5.0 SJS L 21 TONY GRANATO 29 7 6 13 6 22 1 0 0 0 62 11.3 SJS L 37 STEPHANE MATTEAU 44 5 8 13 2 39 0 0 1 1 45 11.1 SJS D 40 MIKE RATHJE 49 2 7 9 -3 36 1 0 0 0 45 4.4 SJS D 33 MARTY MCSORLEY 35 2 6 8 9 104 0 0 0 0 34 5.9 SJS C 27 *ALEXANDER KOROLYUK 19 2 3 5 -5 6 1 0 0 0 23 8.7 SJS D 20 *ANDREI ZYUZIN 26 2 3 5 1 26 0 0 1 0 37 5.4 SJS L 26 DAVE LOWRY 32 1 3 4 0 26 0 0 0 0 22 4.5 SJS L 28 SHAWN BURR 9 2 1 3 3 10 0 0 0 0 13 15.4 SJS D 43 AL IAFRATE 8 1 2 3 3 10 1 0 0 0 18 5.6 SJS C 12 RON SUTTER 32 0 3 3 -2 12 0 0 0 0 36 .0 SJS R 62 ANDREI NAZAROV 32 1 1 2 -4 95 0 0 0 0 22 4.5 SJS L 24 BARRY POTOMSKI 9 0 1 1 1 30 0 0 0 0 4 .0 SJS G 29 MIKE VERNON 36 0 1 1 0 14 0 0 0 0 0 .0 SJS D 5 KEN SUTTON 14 0 0 0 1 6 0 0 0 0 5 .0 SJS G 32 KELLY HRUDEY 18 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0 STL L 14 GEOFF COURTNALL 50 20 18 38 12 60 1 0 2 0 120 16.7 STL R 16 BRETT HULL 38 19 17 36 -5 20 8 0 5 0 126 15.1 STL D 28 STEVE DUCHESNE 52 7 27 34 8 22 1 0 0 0 101 6.9 STL R 38 PAVOL DEMITRA 42 14 18 32 5 16 1 2 4 1 95 14.7 STL C 77 PIERRE TURGEON 30 8 24 32 3 6 2 0 0 0 72 11.1 STL D 2 AL MACINNIS 43 13 15 28 5 36 5 1 2 0 139 9.4 STL R 10 JIM CAMPBELL 50 14 12 26 0 28 3 0 2 1 96 14.6 STL C 22 CRAIG CONROY 52 5 19 24 8 12 0 2 1 0 83 6.0 STL R 23 BLAIR ATCHEYNUM 48 10 10 20 -1 8 0 1 3 0 82 12.2 STL R 33 SCOTT PELLERIN 52 6 14 20 6 24 0 1 0 0 63 9.5 STL D 44 CHRIS PRONGER 52 6 14 20 27 108 1 0 2 0 99 6.1 STL R 27 TERRY YAKE 42 7 9 16 1 26 3 1 3 0 45 15.6 STL C 9 DARREN TURCOTTE 35 6 4 10 2 20 2 0 0 0 28 21.4 STL C 37 HARRY YORK 42 4 6 10 3 19 0 0 0 0 32 12.5 STL D 20 RUDY POESCHEK 46 1 7 8 -3 47 0 0 0 0 27 3.7 STL R 17 JOE MURPHY 17 3 4 7 5 12 2 0 0 0 38 7.9 STL C 25 *PASCAL RHEAUME 31 2 5 7 3 19 0 0 0 0 30 6.7 STL D 4 MARC BERGEVIN 51 2 4 6 -5 60 0 0 0 0 26 7.7 STL D 6 *JAMIE RIVERS 37 2 2 4 4 22 1 0 1 0 35 5.7 STL R 39 KELLY CHASE 43 2 2 4 7 138 0 0 1 0 18 11.1 STL L 34 MICHEL PICARD 8 0 4 4 2 6 0 0 0 0 10 .0 STL D 19 CHRIS MCALPINE 26 0 3 3 5 14 0 0 0 0 18 .0 STL R 12 *CHRISTOPHER KENADY 4 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 .0 STL G 31 GRANT FUHR 42 0 2 2 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 .0 STL D 43 LIBOR ZABRANSKY 6 0 1 1 -3 6 0 0 0 0 2 .0 STL L 18 TONY TWIST 39 0 1 1 -1 84 0 0 0 0 11 .0 STL G 30 *RICH PARENT 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 STL G 29 JAMIE MCLENNAN 12 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0 TBL R 29 ALEXANDER SELIVANOV 47 10 13 23 -28 75 3 0 0 1 138 7.2 TBL L 15 PAUL YSEBAERT 49 6 16 22 -33 14 0 1 0 0 88 6.8 TBL R 20 MIKAEL RENBERG 35 7 13 20 -25 22 2 0 0 0 94 7.4 TBL L 7 ROB ZAMUNER 49 13 5 18 -17 29 0 3 4 1 85 15.3 TBL C 18 DAYMOND LANGKOW 45 6 12 18 -6 31 2 0 1 0 108 5.6 TBL L 24 JASON WIEMER 48 7 4 11 -6 91 2 0 0 0 83 8.4 TBL D 14 KARL DYKHUIS 46 4 6 10 -8 72 0 1 0 0 55 7.3 TBL R 44 STEPHANE RICHER 17 5 4 9 0 5 2 0 0 0 30 16.7 TBL C 16 DARCY TUCKER 42 1 8 9 -3 57 0 0 0 0 21 4.8 TBL R 34 MIKAEL ANDERSSON 45 3 5 8 -2 12 0 1 0 0 60 5.0 TBL C 19 BRIAN BRADLEY 14 2 5 7 -9 6 2 0 0 0 24 8.3 TBL C 79 VLADIMIR VUJTEK 30 2 4 6 -2 16 0 0 1 0 44 4.5 TBL D 23 BRYAN MARCHMENT 38 1 5 6 -5 72 0 0 0 0 38 2.6 TBL C 11 *STEVE KELLY 28 1 3 4 -7 12 1 0 0 0 12 8.3 TBL L 36 LOUIE DEBRUSK 29 1 2 3 -2 97 0 0 0 0 9 11.1 TBL D 8 JAMIE HUSCROFT 36 0 3 3 -3 97 0 0 0 0 18 .0 TBL R 21 JODY HULL 22 2 0 2 1 4 0 1 0 0 24 8.3 TBL R 10 PAUL BROUSSEAU 10 0 2 2 0 27 0 0 0 0 6 .0 TBL C 64 *JASON BONSIGNORE 10 0 2 2 -6 8 0 0 0 0 13 .0 TBL D 27 DAVID SHAW 14 0 2 2 -2 12 0 0 0 0 12 .0 TBL D 33 YVES RACINE 31 0 2 2 -11 19 0 0 0 0 37 .0 TBL D 4 CORY CROSS 42 0 2 2 -17 31 0 0 0 0 31 .0 TBL D 6 DAVID WILKIE 8 1 0 1 -7 4 0 0 1 0 9 11.1 TBL D 5 JASSEN CULLIMORE 5 0 1 1 -2 4 0 0 0 0 6 .0 TBL L 16 TROY MALLETTE 3 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 .0 TBL D 2 *MIKE MCBAIN 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .0 TBL G 1 *ZAC BIERK 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 TBL G 35 *DEREK WILKINSON 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 TBL C 25 ALAN EGELAND 8 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 4 .0 TBL G 30 MARK FITZPATRICK 15 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0 TBL G 32 COREY SCHWAB 16 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0 TBL G 93 DAREN PUPPA 26 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 .0 TOR C 13 MATS SUNDIN 48 23 25 48 -2 24 6 0 4 0 141 16.3 TOR R 20 *MIKE JOHNSON 48 11 22 33 1 12 5 0 0 1 85 12.9 TOR R 22 IGOR KOROLEV 46 14 14 28 -10 16 5 2 4 0 62 22.6 TOR L 7 DEREK KING 43 10 17 27 -2 20 2 0 1 0 91 11.0 TOR D 72 MATHIEU SCHNEIDER 44 5 20 25 -4 22 1 0 0 0 119 4.2 TOR R 94 SERGEI BEREZIN 38 11 10 21 -6 10 2 0 2 1 98 11.2 TOR C 11 STEVE SULLIVAN 41 7 13 20 -6 12 0 0 0 0 70 10.0 TOR L 17 WENDEL CLARK 42 9 7 16 -18 78 2 0 3 0 123 7.3 TOR D 33 JEFF BROWN 35 4 11 15 1 16 4 0 0 0 63 6.3 TOR L 19 FREDRIK MODIN 40 5 6 11 -6 12 0 0 0 0 63 7.9 TOR C 18 *ALYN MCCAULEY 38 3 8 11 -8 4 0 0 1 0 43 7.0 TOR D 25 JASON SMITH 48 3 7 10 -8 73 0 0 0 0 63 4.8 TOR C 14 DARBY HENDRICKSON 46 5 2 7 -7 39 0 0 0 0 55 9.1 TOR D 34 JAMIE MACOUN 48 0 7 7 -10 41 0 0 0 0 48 .0 TOR L 8 TODD WARRINER 18 2 4 6 2 4 0 0 1 0 29 6.9 TOR L 21 *MARTIN PROCHAZKA 21 2 4 6 1 4 0 0 0 0 33 6.1 TOR D 38 *YANNICK TREMBLAY 33 2 4 6 -3 4 1 0 0 0 40 5.0 TOR D 24 PER GUSTAFSSON 22 1 4 5 -5 10 0 0 0 0 24 4.2 TOR D 36 DIMITRI YUSHKEVICH 40 0 5 5 2 40 0 0 0 0 56 .0 TOR R 28 TIE DOMI 46 2 2 4 -4 208 0 0 0 1 48 4.2 TOR C 16 JAMIE BAKER 9 0 4 4 1 10 0 0 0 0 11 .0 TOR D 2 ROB ZETTLER 34 0 4 4 -7 38 0 0 0 0 15 .0 TOR L 12 KRIS KING 48 1 1 2 -10 120 0 0 1 0 31 3.2 TOR G 31 *MARCEL COUSINEAU 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 TOR D 26 CRAIG WOLANIN 10 0 0 0 -9 6 0 0 0 0 5 .0 TOR G 30 GLENN HEALY 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 TOR G 29 FELIX POTVIN 39 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 .0 VAN R 10 PAVEL BURE 50 29 25 54 -1 28 8 3 4 0 195 14.9 VAN C 11 MARK MESSIER 50 15 25 40 -7 24 5 1 1 0 91 16.5 VAN L 19 MARKUS NASLUND 47 9 12 21 0 30 1 1 0 0 70 12.9 VAN C 16 TREVOR LINDEN 41 7 14 21 -13 49 2 0 1 0 72 9.7 VAN L 18 GEOFF SANDERSON 49 7 13 20 -5 18 2 0 0 1 125 5.6 VAN D 3 BRET HEDICAN 45 1 19 20 8 61 0 0 0 0 54 1.9 VAN R 89 ALEXANDER MOGILNY 23 8 11 19 -8 20 3 1 0 0 53 15.1 VAN D 21 JYRKI LUMME 43 5 14 19 -30 24 3 0 0 0 70 7.1 VAN D 2 *MATTIAS OHLUND 49 3 16 19 -1 46 0 0 0 0 114 2.6 VAN R 26 MIKE SILLINGER 44 9 8 17 -14 34 1 1 1 0 53 17.0 VAN R 28 BRIAN NOONAN 50 7 9 16 -18 48 1 0 0 2 56 12.5 VAN D 4 GRANT LEDYARD 45 2 11 13 -4 14 1 0 0 0 56 3.6 VAN C 20 *DAVE SCATCHARD 44 7 4 11 -3 92 0 0 0 0 46 15.2 VAN L 8 DONALD BRASHEAR 49 3 7 10 -9 236 0 0 0 1 39 7.7 VAN R 24 SCOTT WALKER 39 2 7 9 -5 60 0 1 0 0 30 6.7 VAN D 5 DANA MURZYN 31 5 2 7 -3 42 0 0 2 0 29 17.2 VAN D 44 DAVE BABYCH 26 0 6 6 -15 23 0 0 0 0 22 .0 VAN L 29 GINO ODJICK 31 3 2 5 -2 176 0 0 1 0 33 9.1 VAN D 39 ENRICO CICCONE 18 0 4 4 2 95 0 0 0 0 12 .0 VAN D 25 STEVE STAIOS 45 3 0 3 -3 94 0 0 1 0 28 10.7 VAN R 17 LONNY BOHONOS 31 2 1 3 -9 4 0 0 0 0 37 5.4 VAN D 36 *CHRIS MCALLISTER 27 1 2 3 -9 97 0 0 0 0 11 9.1 VAN C 9 *LUBOMIR VAIC 5 1 1 2 -2 2 0 0 0 0 8 12.5 VAN D 6 ADRIAN AUCOIN 10 1 1 2 -2 0 0 0 0 0 9 11.1 VAN L 7 DAVID ROBERTS 13 1 1 2 -1 4 0 0 0 0 14 7.1 VAN D 48 *BERT ROBERTSSON 6 1 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 3 33.3 VAN G 1 SEAN BURKE 35 0 1 1 0 18 0 0 0 0 0 .0 VAN G 31 COREY HIRSCH 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 VAN D 27 MARK WOTTON 5 0 0 0 -2 6 0 0 0 0 3 .0 VAN L 22 *LARRY COURVILLE 11 0 0 0 -7 5 0 0 0 0 3 .0 VAN G 32 ARTURS IRBE 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 WSH C 77 ADAM OATES 50 11 39 50 7 14 1 1 3 0 78 14.1 WSH R 12 PETER BONDRA 46 31 18 49 3 32 7 1 7 2 155 20.0 WSH D 6 CALLE JOHANSSON 47 12 13 25 0 14 7 1 0 2 110 10.9 WSH D 96 PHIL HOUSLEY 44 4 20 24 -7 14 3 1 0 0 80 5.0 WSH L 44 *RICHARD ZEDNIK 48 13 7 20 -1 26 2 0 2 0 113 11.5 WSH C 32 DALE HUNTER 50 5 14 19 2 65 0 0 1 0 50 10.0 WSH C 90 JOE JUNEAU 26 6 12 18 0 12 1 1 1 0 50 12.0 WSH L 22 STEVE KONOWALCHUK 50 4 14 18 5 32 0 0 1 0 84 4.8 WSH D 24 MARK TINORDI 45 8 9 17 10 37 0 1 0 0 55 14.5 WSH L 17 CHRIS SIMON 28 7 10 17 -1 38 4 0 1 0 71 9.9 WSH L 18 ANDREW BRUNETTE 14 9 4 13 2 6 3 0 2 0 22 40.9 WSH C 8 *JAN BULIS 43 4 9 13 -2 16 0 0 0 1 31 12.9 WSH L 27 CRAIG BERUBE 42 5 7 12 2 96 0 0 0 0 37 13.5 WSH D 55 SERGEI GONCHAR 41 3 9 12 8 22 2 0 0 0 68 4.4 WSH D 3 SYLVAIN COTE 43 1 10 11 0 20 0 0 0 0 62 1.6 WSH L 10 KELLY MILLER 44 5 5 10 1 15 0 2 2 1 36 13.9 WSH L 21 JEFF TOMS 29 4 6 10 -8 11 0 0 1 0 47 8.5 WSH L 9 TODD KRYGIER 24 1 8 9 -2 10 0 0 1 0 41 2.4 WSH C 20 MICHAL PIVONKA 25 1 6 7 6 14 0 0 0 0 32 3.1 WSH D 19 BRENDAN WITT 39 1 6 7 -12 69 0 0 0 0 39 2.6 WSH D 29 JOE REEKIE 41 2 3 5 14 36 0 0 1 0 33 6.1 WSH L 34 *JAROSLAV SVEJKOVSKY 11 3 1 4 -1 8 1 0 1 0 21 14.3 WSH C 13 ANDREI NIKOLISHIN 8 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 11.1 WSH L 36 MIKE EAGLES 19 1 1 2 -2 10 0 0 0 0 13 7.7 WSH D 2 KEN KLEE 33 1 0 1 -4 26 0 0 1 0 28 3.6 WSH C 48 *BENOIT GRATTON 6 0 1 1 1 6 0 0 0 0 5 .0 WSH G 30 BILL RANFORD 12 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 WSH G 37 OLAF KOLZIG 40 0 1 1 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 .0 WSH C 14 PAT PEAKE 1 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 .0 WSH L 25 *BRAD CHURCH 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 .0 WSH L 42 *DWAYNE HAY 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 .0 WSH C 26 *RYAN MULHERN 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .0 Goaltender Stats Thru Sunday, January 25, 19988 TM NO GOALTENDER GPI MINS AVG W L T EN SO GA SA SPCT G A PIM ANA 31 GUY HEBERT 38 2239 2.81 11 19 6 3 3 105 1104 .905 0 1 4 ANA 35 M. SHTALENKOV 18 869 2.97 6 6 3 0 0 43 430 .900 0 0 0 BOS 35 ROBBIE TALLAS 5 306 1.76 2 1 2 0 0 9 126 .929 0 0 0 BOS 34 BYRON DAFOE 39 2177 2.26 16 16 6 6 5 82 917 .911 0 1 0 BOS 30 JIM CAREY 10 496 2.90 3 2 1 0 2 24 225 .893 0 0 0 BUF 39 DOMINIK HASEK 43 2489 2.39 18 17 6 2 7 99 1296 .924 0 0 12 BUF 31 *STEVE SHIELDS 10 431 2.92 1 4 2 0 0 21 208 .899 0 0 7 CGY 31 RICK TABARACCI 31 1842 2.90 8 17 6 1 0 89 814 .891 0 1 10 CGY 30 DWAYNE ROLOSON 16 903 3.06 3 8 3 4 0 46 383 .880 0 3 2 CGY 1 *TYLER MOSS 6 367 3.27 2 3 1 0 0 20 186 .892 0 0 0 CAR 37 TREVOR KIDD 21 1208 2.43 8 11 1 4 0 49 559 .912 0 0 2 CAR 1 KIRK MCLEAN 4 238 2.52 3 1 0 0 0 10 97 .897 0 0 0 CAR 1 SEAN BURKE 25 1415 2.80 7 11 5 3 1 66 655 .899 0 1 6 CAR 22 PAT JABLONSKI 4 219 3.29 1 3 0 0 0 12 89 .865 0 0 0 CHI 31 JEFF HACKETT 31 1861 2.13 12 10 9 1 4 66 821 .920 0 0 6 CHI 6 CHRIS TERRERI 17 972 2.22 7 9 0 4 2 36 386 .907 0 0 0 CHI 29 ANDREI TREFILOV 4 193 3.11 1 2 0 0 0 10 94 .894 0 0 0 COL 1 CRAIG BILLINGTON 12 732 2.21 5 3 4 1 1 27 373 .928 0 0 0 COL 33 PATRICK ROY 41 2469 2.31 19 9 12 3 2 95 1224 .922 0 2 4 DAL 30 *EMMANUEL FERNANDE 2 69 1.74 1 0 0 0 0 2 35 .943 0 0 0 DAL 20 ED BELFOUR 41 2426 1.85 25 7 8 1 7 75 846 .911 0 0 16 DAL 1 *ROMAN TUREK 11 607 2.27 6 4 0 2 0 23 213 .892 0 0 0 DET 30 CHRIS OSGOOD 42 2541 2.03 23 11 8 4 5 86 1082 .921 0 0 12 DET 31 *KEVIN HODSON 12 615 2.54 6 2 2 1 1 26 278 .906 0 0 2 EDM 30 BOB ESSENSA 9 491 2.69 3 3 1 0 0 22 230 .904 0 0 0 EDM 31 CURTIS JOSEPH 43 2543 2.76 15 20 8 4 3 117 1193 .902 0 1 0 FLA 34 J. VANBIESBROUCK 39 2308 2.81 13 18 8 1 1 108 1069 .899 0 1 4 FLA 1 *KEVIN WEEKES 5 163 2.94 0 0 1 0 0 8 78 .897 0 0 0 FLA 30 MARK FITZPATRICK 12 640 3.00 2 7 2 0 1 32 265 .879 0 0 2 LAK 1 *JAMIE STORR 5 300 2.20 3 2 0 0 1 11 156 .929 0 0 0 LAK 35 STEPHANE FISET 39 2254 2.69 17 14 7 2 1 101 1131 .911 0 0 4 LAK 31 FREDERIC CHABOT 9 430 3.07 1 3 2 0 0 22 219 .900 0 0 0 MTL 35 ANDY MOOG 27 1495 2.33 14 10 2 1 2 58 674 .914 0 0 4 MTL 41 JOCELYN THIBAULT 29 1608 2.43 12 8 5 0 2 65 714 .909 0 0 0 NJD 30 MARTIN BRODEUR 42 2495 1.85 29 10 3 2 4 77 989 .922 0 0 6 NJD 35 RICH SHULMISTRA 1 62 1.94 0 1 0 0 0 2 30 .933 0 0 0 NJD 1 MIKE DUNHAM 9 448 2.68 2 4 1 0 1 20 207 .903 0 1 0 NJD 31 PETER SIDORKIEWIC 1 20 3.00 0 0 0 0 0 1 8 .875 0 0 0 NYI 30 WADE FLAHERTY 4 200 2.10 1 2 1 0 0 7 81 .914 0 0 0 NYI 35 TOMMY SALO 37 2016 2.68 12 17 3 7 3 90 928 .903 0 1 2 NYI 1 ERIC FICHAUD 17 807 2.97 3 8 3 1 0 40 422 .905 0 0 0 NYR 34 *DAN CLOUTIER 4 195 2.15 3 1 0 0 0 7 83 .916 0 0 0 NYR 35 MIKE RICHTER 44 2547 2.54 13 17 11 4 0 108 1142 .905 0 1 2 NYR 31 JASON MUZZATTI 6 313 3.26 0 3 2 1 0 17 156 .891 0 0 10 OTW 31 RON TUGNUTT 26 1401 2.18 11 9 4 3 2 51 547 .907 0 0 0 OTW 1 DAMIAN RHODES 29 1630 2.36 9 13 4 3 4 64 687 .907 0 1 0 PHI 27 RON HEXTALL 24 1432 1.89 14 5 5 1 4 45 586 .923 0 0 6 PHI 30 GARTH SNOW 26 1491 2.33 13 7 4 0 1 58 623 .907 0 0 16 PHO 28 JIM WAITE 9 433 2.49 3 2 1 1 0 18 181 .901 0 0 2 PHO 35 N. KHABIBULIN 45 2581 2.67 19 18 7 2 4 115 1143 .899 0 2 18 PHO 31 *SCOTT LANGKOW 1 12 5.00 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 .857 0 0 0 PIT 1 *PETER SKUDRA 12 603 1.79 5 3 1 2 0 18 237 .924 0 1 2 PIT 35 TOM BARRASSO 39 2167 2.05 20 9 7 6 6 74 932 .921 0 1 6 PIT 31 KEN WREGGET 7 274 2.85 1 3 1 1 0 13 127 .898 0 0 2 SJS 32 KELLY HRUDEY 18 894 2.35 3 10 2 4 1 35 399 .912 0 0 2 SJS 29 MIKE VERNON 36 2070 2.67 15 14 5 1 3 92 826 .889 0 1 14 STL 30 *RICH PARENT 1 12 .00 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1.000 0 0 0 STL 29 JAMIE MCLENNAN 12 660 2.36 6 3 1 1 0 26 257 .899 0 0 2 STL 31 GRANT FUHR 42 2479 2.42 20 16 6 3 2 100 1016 .902 0 2 4 TBL 93 DAREN PUPPA 26 1456 2.72 5 14 6 6 0 66 660 .900 0 0 6 TBL 32 COREY SCHWAB 16 821 2.92 2 9 1 2 1 40 370 .892 0 0 2 TBL 35 *DEREK WILKINSON 8 311 3.28 2 4 1 1 0 17 148 .885 0 0 0 TBL 30 MARK FITZPATRICK 3 183 3.61 0 3 0 1 0 11 97 .887 0 0 0 TBL 1 *ZAC BIERK 5 200 4.80 0 2 0 0 0 16 107 .850 0 0 0 TOR 31 *MARCEL COUSINEAU 2 17 .00 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 1.000 0 0 0 TOR 29 FELIX POTVIN 39 2214 2.76 16 17 5 1 3 102 1052 .903 0 0 8 TOR 30 GLENN HEALY 13 674 2.94 1 7 2 2 0 33 288 .885 0 0 0 VAN 32 ARTURS IRBE 18 827 2.83 5 6 2 2 2 39 409 .905 0 0 0 VAN 1 KIRK MCLEAN 29 1583 3.68 6 17 4 1 1 97 801 .879 0 0 0 VAN 1 SEAN BURKE 10 569 3.69 1 7 2 1 0 35 260 .865 0 0 12 VAN 31 COREY HIRSCH 1 50 6.00 0 0 0 0 0 5 34 .853 0 0 0 WSH 37 OLAF KOLZIG 40 2389 2.29 22 10 6 4 2 91 1118 .919 0 1 10 WSH 30 BILL RANFORD 12 648 2.96 3 7 2 0 0 32 302 .894 0 1 0 ============================================================================== LCS HOCKEY LCS HOCKEY LCS HOCKEY LCS HOCKEY LCS HOCKEY LCS HOCKEY LCS HOCKEY ==============================================================================