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GUIDE TO HOCKEY GUIDE TO HOCKEY  GUIDE TO HOCKEY GUIDE TO HOCKEY  
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Five Star            - ELECTRONIC EDITION -            * * * * * 
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Issue 89             Mar. 10 - Mar. 24 1998        450,000 bytes
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----------------------------------------------------------------
The NHL is Back!
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief

Free at last!  Free at last!  Thank the Lord almighty, free at
last!

After months of suffering through embarrassingly pathetic
displays of hockey, the likes of which were even more mind-
numbingly boring than the episode of "Welcome Back, Kotter" that
focused on Horshack's home life, the NHL is finally back!  And
it's back in a big way.  

Thanks to the league's post-Olympic crackdown on obstruction,
watching a hockey game is no longer a senses-robbing form of
torture.  The sport has regained its past glory, with most
contests resembling ones from the golden age of the classic 1992-
93 campaign. 

While the obstruction rules have always been in the books, the
league brain trust, led by Boston's Harry Sinden, instructed the
referees to ignore "marginal calls" before the 1996-97 season. 
The result was that hooking and holding away from the play was
allowed to run rampant and talent became an endangered species. 
Even though Mario Lemieux offered up the deterioration of law
enforcement as one of the reasons for his retirement and other
superstars voiced their displeasure, the wise men that have
guided the NHL to such world renowned mediocrity merely scoffed. 
They insisted that, whether scrap or star, there must be a level
playing field for all NHL players.  Yeah, that's good thinking. 
Why would anyone want to see Pavel Bure score goals when you can
see minor-leaguers masquerading as NHLers commit repeated
muggings and other worthless acts?  

As bad as things were in '96-97, they paled in comparison to the
debauchery that marred the first half of this season.  Goal-
scoring was at an all-time low.  Star players, following the lead
of the great Brett Hull, continued to voice their frustration to
the league.  It wasn't long before the fans began to join in the
criticism.  If they were expected to shell out an average of $40
a ticket, the people in the seats wanted entertainment.  With fan
attendance being the very life blood of the sport, the league
could no longer ignore the pleas for a change.  We here at LCS
Hockey like to think that our constant ridicule of the league's
ignorance had a little something to do with stirring the
revolutionary pot.  But don't look for the league to acknowledge
us, because they hate us... well, that's not true.  Despise is
probably a better word.
 
Finally realizing that something had to be done, the league
decided to order its officials to once again enforce obstruction
to the letter of the law.  The main area of concerns were no
longer allowing defenseman to run picks for their partners,
eliminating interference on faceoffs, and keeping a close eye on
lazy backcheckers who use their sticks instead of their feet to
play defense.

The difference has been like night and day.  Sitting down to
watch a hockey game is once again an enjoyable experience. 
Penalty calls are up dramatically, but it's hardly slowing down
the game.  It's now routine to see several minutes of
uninterrupted play at any given stretch, with clubs going back
and forth across the rink with speed and purpose.  It's simply
been remarkable.  
   
The initial statistics of the renaissance don't really back up
the high praise.  While power plays and obstruction calls have
increased considerably, scoring has only been slightly elevated. 
But it's only been two weeks.  It's still way too early to put
any weight behind numbers.  

The important thing is the product on the ice, not the results on
the scoreboard.  Even a scoreless tie can be an action-packed
evening if played properly.  And it's the level of play that has
increased the most since the Olympics.  Teams actually seem to be
competing to win games and not merely survive them.  The tempo of
play is much faster, scoring chances are up, and the skilled
players are finally allowed to play their style without being
punished for it.  

Since the Olympics, I have yet to see a single boring game. 
Compare that to before the break when the number of entertaining
contests could be counted on one hand.  The true test of the new
and improved NHL came shortly after play resumed when the Florida
Panthers met the Detroit Red Wings.  Normally a matchup between
these two teams would be a sure cure for insomnia.  The Wings are
a great team and all, but exciting they aren't.  And Florida,
well, is Florida.  It was the trap versus the left wing lock. 
Yet it seemed more like a game between teams that liked to run
and gun.  With the stripes keying in on obstruction, the Wings
and Cats were on their best behavior.  When Florida dumped the
puck, they were actually allowed to forecheck without having to
run the gauntlet of Detroit players at the blue line.  And when
Detroit tried to create offense at center, players away from the
puck were actually allowed to skate unfettered.  In summary, it
was hockey the way it was meant to be played.

Not everyone is so happy about the change.  Los Angeles coach
Larry Robinson was one of the first to speak ill of it.  Robinson
was angered that the league made the switch in philosophy just
because, in his eyes, some finesse guys weren't scoring 60 goals. 
Think Larry would feel differently if he had the 60-goal scorers
on his team?

What Robinson and other critics have to realize is that no matter
how the changes affect their respective clubs of choice, the new
direction had to be explored for the better of the game.  Fans
want to see entertaining, past-paced hockey.  It's time the
owners and GMs put the welfare of the sport ahead of their own
individual concerns.  Before the attitude adjustment, the NHL was
on a one-way trip to Dullsville with fans literally throwing
themselves from the train.  Something had to be done, otherwise
the league would have been choked to death by its own noose of
complacency within the next few years.  This improvised
alteration is a saving grace.  It's the right thing to do, and
it's the right way to do it.  So it's sort of like oatmeal in
that regard...

The league deserves a great deal of credit for admitting it was
wrong and then changing its ways.  Now the true test is to see
whether or not the NHL will continue to stay the course.  It has
folded on similar stands in the past.  A lack of character this
time around could be the final straw for many fans.  And a death
knell for professional hockey.    

----------------------------------------------------------------
Burke adds to Flyers concerns
----------------------------------------------------------------
By Jim Iovino

It took much longer than expected, but the Philadelphia Flyers
finally made a trade for another starting goalie.  But now fans are
asking if the acquisition of Sean Burke from the Vancouver Canucks
for Garth Snow was the right one.  

Burke was acquired two days after Ron Hextall gave up three soft
goals against New Jersey and a day after Snow lost to the
Islanders.  The trade came in the midst of a pathetic stretch of
games for the Flyers.  They were losing games and looking bad in
doing it.  Whether he wanted to do it or not, it was definitely
time for Flyer general manager Bobby Clarke to make a move.  

Clarke has been criticized for two years for not getting a top-notch
goaltender to win the big games that Snow and Hextall couldn't.
Clarke insisted that he was satisfied with his goaltending tandem,
but there was no way he could have been serious about it.  But then
again, he just might have been.  It took two years and a string of
pathetic games to get Clarke to pull the trigger.  As unbelievable as
it sounds, Clarke might have convinced himself that there really was
nothing wrong with his goaltenders.  Clarke just might have made the
move to shake up his lineup.  

Some might ask why the Flyers would need to make a trade for a
goaltender.  It looks like the goaltending duo of Hextall and Snow
had good numbers.  They did.  But if they didn't have a good
defense playing in front of them they would get eaten alive.  

Hextall and Snow aren't big money goalies.  Hextall's got a five
hole that's bigger than Snow's ego.  And unless Snow has two
illegal alien orphan children on his shoulders, he folds when he
has to face more than 25 shots a game.  

With that said, it was crucial for Clarke to come through for his
team and pick up a money goalie that could be counted on to win the
big games.  It was also crucial for the goalie to not make his team
look stupid by giving up at least one bad goal every game.  

Sean Burke can be a money goalie.  Or at least he could have been. 
After spending the first part of his successful career in New
Jersey, Burke was traded to Hartford.  Well, we all know about the
coolness factor of the Whale, but if you recall, they weren't
exactly a powerhouse in the league.  Without Burke, the Whale would
have been harpooned a long time ago.  Burke kept the Whale in games
they shouldn't have been.  He practically stood on his butt end to
make saves...and we all know how painful that can be.  

But those years of acting as a shooter tutor have really hurt Burke
physically.  He's not the same goaltender he was two years ago.  He
has a bad back that can flare up without warning.  Two years ago,
Clarke and the Flyers could have saved Burke from the torture in
Hartford, but they were afraid to pull the trigger.  Heck, even one
year ago the Flyers could have had Burke to help them win the Cup. 
Instead the Flyers played rotating goalies throughout the playoffs,
which became a distraction and a nuisance.  

The acquisition of Burke is two years too late.  Burke is now 31
years old.  He has a bad back.  His confidence is at an extreme low
after a disappointing season that has seen him split time in
Carolina with Trevor Kidd and quickly fall out of favor with Mike
Keenan in Vancouver.  Furthermore, Burke becomes an unrestricted
free agent after this season.  That means the Flyers will still be
without a top-notch goalie after this season and the bickering will
start all over again.  

But enough about the Flyers - what's going on in Vancouver?  Mike
Keenan is what's going on.  Keenan continues his trademark of
wheeling and dealing with this trade.  Burke was acquired by Keenan
just a month before he was dealt to Philly.  But after several lame
starts Burke was pulled in favor of Arturs Irbe.  

Keenan must have figured that Irbe was on the same level at Burke at
this stage in the season, and since Irbe is a lot cheaper, Burke was
nothing but trade bait.  

Snow is going to see a lot of shots in Vancouver.  If you were
paying attention earlier in the article, you know that's bad.  If
Snow faces over 25 shots, he's toast.  It seems like he forgets his
angles or he just can't keep his concentration for a long time, but
whatever problems he has, they will certainly be exposed behind the
porous defense in Vancouver.  

Snow was 14-9-4 with a 2.43 GAA and a .902 save percentage in
Philadelphia.  But he's already been abused several times in
Vancouver and it looks like Irbe is back in the lead role.  It
won't be long before Snow's consistently disappointing performances
land him in the same doghouse that Burke and Kirk McLean were in
earlier this season.  

Like Burke, Snow is a free agent after this season.  But the Canucks
can keep him if they offer him 110 percent of his salary this season.
Snow is also two years younger than Burke is - whatever that means.
 

But this trade isn't about the Vancouver Canucks.  It is about the
Philadelphia Flyers.  They are the team that should be a serious
Stanley Cup contender this season.  But by the way their general
manager acts, it sounds like the Flyers are still building for the
future.  They won't trade a young prospect like Danius Zubrus for a
top-notch goaltender even though the best chance for the Flyers to
win the Stanley Cup seems to be right now.  

It is a very confusing situation in Philadelphia.  It makes one
wonder what the Flyers want to be.  Do they want to win a Cup now? 
The firing of head coach Wayne Cashman would make a case for that. 
Or will they just keep worrying about the future?  The
unwillingness to trade someone like Zubrus or Janne Niinimaa causes
concern.  Flyer fans would hope that the team is focused on a
Stanley Cup this season, but the trades made by their general
manager are suggesting otherwise. 

It's time for the Flyers to choose their mission: either focus on
winning the Stanley Cup now or continue to bide time for the
future.  It's your choice, Mr. Clarke.  Make it wisely. 


----------------------------------------------------------------
Livin' it up with Team USA
----------------------------------------------------------------
By Dan Hurwitz

(Editor's note:  The following is an excerpt from a column by LCS 
writer Dan Hurwitz that was originally published in our Web Extra 
section after the trashing of the Olympic dormitories.  Since it was so 
informative, we decided to run it again in case you missed it. 
Enjoy!)

Normally, I don't invite guest spots in my column, but as it turns out, 
my younger brother, Carl, attended the games with George Washington 
University to study the marketing of professional players on the 
international stage. 

A media darling, Carl, who might be a distant cousin of the LCS Hockey 
mascot, did interviews with USA Today and Good Morning America, who 
were impressed with his teaching the otherwise too-quiet-for-words 
Japanese the wave, the kid's best moments came in spending time with 
the NHL's best and brightest.  So here is Carl's account of life in the 
Olympic village: 

On the first day that all the NHLers were there, I went to a Canada-
Sweden women's hockey game.  During the second period, a large majority 
of Team Canada came in.  I sat front row, and they came right in front 
of me (down in a special section at ice level).  The group included 
head coach Mark Crawford, Steve Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan, Patrick Roy, 
Joe Sakic, Eric Lindros, Rod Brind'amour, Eric Desjardins, Ray Bourque, 
Trevor Linden, Chris Pronger, Rob Zamuner, Curtis Joseph, and Keith 
Primeau.  There might have been more, but no Devils or Rangers a.k.a., 
Brodeur, Stevens and Gretzky. 

That was my first true encounter with the players.  Canada was strictly 
business, not playing around and having fun, but carefully watching the 
girls.  When confronted by fans, myself included, they completely 
ignored us.  It wasn't until after the final bell that they got up, and 
only Lindros and Crawford signed anything, maybe two or three people's 
things each (I got Eric). 
  
Actually, the day before that, we had guest passes to the Olympic 
Village, which is huge, considering the players' parents don't even get 
them.  Our professor hooked us up with that.  While walking around, I 
bumped into Brett Hull, Ulf Samuelsson, Nicklas Lidstrom, Ziggy Palffy 
and Mats Sundin. I actually watched the entire team of Sweden walk into 
a room for a press conference with the Swedish press.  When I asked a 
reporter who was waiting out the door with me where Forsberg was, he 
told me that Peter is always late to everything.  That day was cool.  I 
also saw Hoglund with Sundin and Lidstrom. 

Anyway, after the women's Canada game, we had tickets to the U.S. 
women's game later that night.  Anticipating that I might see some of 
the U.S. boys, I brought a sharpie for signatures and my JR (Jeremy 
Roenick) jersey.  I saw the guys at the game, and they were completely 
opposite from Canada.  They were laughing, joking, and having fun.  
When Bill Guerin was on the big screen, Keith Tkachuk, who was sitting 
next to him, pulled his hat below his eyes.  They were enjoying 
themselves. 

Before the game even started, Patty Lafontaine was hanging out in the 
stands talking to people, and was really nice when I talked to him.  
After the first period, I went over with an American flag to get 
autographs.  Although a lot of the players went into the hallway, and
later left, a few guys stayed at their seats. 

Roenick, Tony Amonte, Guy Hebert, Ron Wilson, Richter, Paul Holmgren 
and John Cuniff all stayed.  Wilson, Amonte, and Roenick signed my flag 
and I talked with Roenick for a while, telling him I play for George 
Washington and wear No. 27 because of him, and showed him the jersey.  
I asked him if he was going out that night and he asked me which bars 
to see in Nagano.  I told him the main three bars in Nagano -- the 
one's I frequented the most.  I offered to buy him the first round and 
he thanked me. When I told him that I saw Team Canada there earlier and 
called them a bunch of stiffs, he gave me the (censored) gesture.  The 
two of us laughed. 

After the U.S. players left, the Finnish players walked in (Team USA 
was playing Finland's girls).  I talked to Teemu Selanne, Saku Koivu, 
Jari Kurri and Esa Tikkanen.  Esa was a real funny guy.  I asked him 
how he liked Florida and he gave me the thumbs down and told me New 
York was where he wanted to be.  That could have been because my friend 
gave him a Rangers jersey to sign. I asked Teemu how Paul Kariya was 
and he said not very well. 

Two days later as I told you, we had tickets to the US/Canada women's 
game, the "gold medal preview,"  but the game didn't really mean much. 
We sold our tickets and decided to go to the bar to watch the men's 
Canada-Sweden game on TV.  With a minute and a half to go, I went 
closer to the TV, and noticed Roenick, Amonte, and Doug Weight walking 
into the bar.  The bar was too crowded so they were leaving, but I 
shook their hands and told them they played a good game today, 
referring to the win against Belarus.  I then showed JR his jersey 
along with my friend's matching one and Amonte grabbed JR to get his 
attention.  He nodded and referred to us as his "two boys." I ran out 
side to ask where they were going and to offer to buy them a beer, and 
they said they were off to the Pink Elephant, a bar I recommended. 
Quickly I paid the check at the first bar, and we started out for the 
Pink Elephant.  On the way out the door, we bumped into Richter, and 
took some pictures with him.  I told him we had seats right behind the 
goal for US-Sweden, and he said we should have helped him find where 
the puck was! When my friend Greg tripped down the stairs, he said 
"this guy has had a few too many kirins under his belt" he was overall 
very nice. 

We went to the Pink Elephant, walked down the stairs and saw the 
Hatcher brothers, Chris Chelios, John LeClair, Roenick, Weight, Amonte, 
Tkachuk and Hebert.  I offered to buy the team a beer, and Amonte said 
"that's too much yen, just buy your man JR one."  Fighting to get to 
the bar, my friend Seth boxed out LeClair to get a few extra beers. We 
each gave a beer to one player, I gave mine to JR. I talked to him for 
a while, he was very nice. He told me the only teams he would ever play 
for were NY, Detroit, or Chicago. He told me he loved Phoenix, it was a 
great place for the kids to grow up, also that he was on his way to
the Rangers but they signed Gretzky instead. If ever in Washington, he 
said to come to the game and he would hook us up. 

Not trying to act like fanatics, we gave them their beers, hung out for 
10 minutes, and then left. Out the door, coming down from our high, I 
saw a lost Bill Guerin and showed him where to go. I asked him where he 
was, he missed us buying the team a round, and he grabbed my beer and 
said he'd take that one, I told him it would be my honor, but he didn't 
take it. I talked to him about a few things and told him we missed him 
in NJ and that (general manager Lou Lamoriello) is a piece of sh-t, and 
he laughed. 

After that we directed Hull to the bar as well, but he didn't seem very 
grateful or nice. That was the best night of the trip. In both games 
that I saw Team USA play, during warm-ups when I yelled to JR, he gave 
me a nod acknowledging he heard us. It seemed he was really there for 
the fans and a good time. 

----------------------------------------------------------------
A Recurring Nightmare
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Alex Carswell

In response to my prediction of doom for Team Canada at the Nagano
Olympics, one of our more erudite readers recently e-mailed me with
the question, "What do you do for a living?"  

The answer, apparently, is that I fan the emotional flames of
nationalism. Oh, and I also correctly predict the future. 

The same reader also asked if I actually believed what I wrote in my
"attack" on hapless GM Bobby Clarke. Obviously I do, or I wouldn't
have written it. Who do you take me for, anyway, Stan Fischler? 

Actually, my analysis of Canada's chances in Nagano generated a good
deal of mail from LCS readers, and was split 50-50 between those who
thought I was a paranoid, Canadian-hating, Flyer-detesting moron and
those who thought I was an insightful prognosticator. 

But the truth, as they say, will out. And can anyone rooting for
Team Canada honestly say that a fourth-place finish qualifies as
anything less than a full-fledged nightmare?  

Several of you inferred that I thought Team USA was going to bring
home the gold. Check the archives and you'll find that not to be
the case. I made no predictions as to who would win. My point was
that faster, more skilled players would prosper on the
international ice while most of Clarke's chosen ones would not.
 

One reader, obviously suffering from premature articulation,
e-mailed after Team USA and Team Sweden were eliminated to ask if I
was going to apologize for selling Canada ("the best hockey nation
in the world") short. In a word, no. Although I will apologize to
Keith Primeau who, along with Rob Blake and Patrick Roy, was one of
the team's top players.  

Hey, maybe when his contract is up Primeau can sign with Malmo or
Turku and play in a league where skill counts more than toughness,
and management won't mind that he doesn't play as "big" as he
stands.  

But again, it wasn't Canada -- either as a nation or a producer of
hockey players -- that I was criticizing: It was Bobby Clarke, and
those at Hockey Canada who chose to put him in charge of the
national team.  

And I wasn't alone. One reader chimed in with the following. 

"You are right on with your views about Clarke and the Team Canada
situation. The question is, why are all the people in Canada,
including the Canadian press, still listening to what he has to
say?"  

Another, a Flyers fan who calls himself a "recovering
Clarke-aholic," feels that as a GM, the Philly favorite is
"absolutely the worst." He cites "one bad deal after another" by
Clarke, and must be crying in his beer today.  

Chew on this Clarke bar, Flyers fans: In the span of one week last
summer, the GM could have hired Ted Nolan and signed unrestricted
free agent goaltender Ed Belfour. Had he done those two things, I
would have been the first to anoint Philadelphia the future Stanley
Cup champion.  

But Clarke never considered Nolan, exactly the kind of emotional
coach the Flyers need, instead opting for sleepy Wayne Cashman. And
he claimed -- after the fact, of course -- that he was "outbid" for
Belfour by the Stars. But does anyone remember hearing any interest
in Belfour on the part of the Flyers before he signed in Dallas?
And if $15 million isn't too much for Chris Gratton, how could $3
million be too much to pay Eddie the Eagle?  

Personally, all I seem to recall are those quotes about how
goaltending wasn't "the problem." And now, with Canada failing to
medal, Roger Neilson behind the bench, Sean Burke behind the mask
and the Flyers waiting to underachieve yet again, "the problem"
should be clear to anyone with an objective view.  

The problem is Bobby Clarke. But, hey, that's just one writer's
opinion.  

I also stand by my belief that Mark Messier, by his mere presence if
not his fading game, could have made a difference for Team Canada.
Maybe not by delivering an ultimate shootout victory against The
Dominator. But Canada was emotionless, and outplayed for much of the
game against the Czechs.  

Messier, a fierce and proud competitor, would have done something
about that -- rather than just hang his head at the bench, as did
captain Lindros. And at the very least, Mess would have gotten the
team to show up against a Selanne-less Finnish squad, which the Big
Train apparently could not.  

We all learn from our experiences, right? 

Canada learned that Bobby Clarke isn't all he's cracked up to be. I
learned that Keith Primeau could be the MVP of the Swedish Elite
League. And LCS readers learned that, at least in this case, my
"Nightmare" was your reality. 

(Editor's note:  If you'd like to re-read the original article by
Alex, please go to http://www.lcshockey.com/issues/87/87clarke.asp.) 


----------------------------------------------------------------
Who Trashed the Rooms?
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief

It's been a couple weeks since the Olympic torch was snuffed, yet
the mystery of which Team USA members trashed the hotel rooms
still rages.  The US Olympic committee, with the aid of the NHL,
has been conducting an investigation into the matter.  They
interviewed all 23 patriotic players with nothing to show for it
except a whole lot of silence.  The committee even sent letters
to each and every man on the club pleading for the guilty parties
to step forward.  It didn't work.

The players know who did it, but they're not gonna drop a dime on
one of their own.  But now the committee is saying that they know
who the culprits are and will give them one more week to come
forward before releasing their names.  Hmm, is that mere bluffing
or just a pointless threat?  Tough call.

Whether the committee is just blowing smoke or if they truly know
who did it is of little concern to us here at LCS Hockey.  All we
know is that for all the evidence unearthed and the supposed
intense investigation into the incident, not once has anyone
named names.  Well, it's about time someone did.  If we can't
spread unsubstantiated rumors and twist facts, than what the hell
good are we?

Keep in mind, I'm not saying I have any proof or inside
information into who actually did the damage.  All I'm saying is
that I've seen every episode of "Columbo" four or five times and
I've picked up some serious crime-solvin' skills.  And the way I
see it, one doesn't have to be the great trench-coat clad, cigar-
chomping sleuth to figure this one out.  It's all really quite
simple.  Let's examine the roster, starting with the goaltenders. 

Mike Richter was actually a victim of the shenanigans.  He was
sleeping soundly when the scofflaws barged into his room and
sprayed him with a fire extinguisher.  While it was meant as a
joke, Richter actually got quite sick for a few moments because
of the accidental inhalation of the foam and fumes.  So much so
that roommate John Vanbiesbrouck was concerned for the welfare of
his former Ranger teammate.  While Richter laughed it off the
next day, at least it gave him an alibi.  So scratch Richter and
the Beezer off the list.  And Guy Hebert?  He never even saw the
light of day, so it's unlikely he'd get involved in any drunken
horseplay to let off steam.  He didn't have any steam to let off.

Chris Chelios and Gary Suter have already been exonerated by the
committee.  They're too old to be associated with such juvenile
vandalism in the first place.  And if Chelios wanted to bust up a
hotel room, he'd first threaten the hotel owner's family, proceed
to beat the hell out of the hotel room in question, and then
admit to it gladly.  He's not gonna hide like some two-bit punk.

Other guys too old to get involved are Brett Hull, Pat
LaFontaine, Brian Leetch, Kevin Hatcher, and Joel Otto.  Veterans
don't have time for such monkey shine.  The flip side of that
coin is that there are a few guys who are too young.  Jamie
Langenbrunner and Bryan Berard were just happy to be there. 
They're not gonna rock the boat.  And while he's been around a
bit longer, Adam Deadmarsh sort of fits the same youthful bill. 
These three guys still have to prove themselves in the NHL before
they can go around bustin' up hotel rooms.  And speaking of "just
happy to be there", Keith Carney's innocent.

Doug Weight and Mathieu Schneider were two of the first guys to
speak to the media.  They both tried to down play the incident,
blaming it on weak chairs and whatnot.  The fact that they were
so eager to talk about it probably means they were trying to
stick up for their teammates.  So they're in the clear.

Derian Hatcher couldn't have been involved.  He seemed to be one
of the few Americans to take the Olympics seriously.  And if he
was guilty he'd face a serious beating from his big brother. 
Mike Modano should also be clean.  Mikey Mo was probably Team
USA's best player.  He had no reason to take his frustration out
on inanimate objects.    

While John LeClair, failed to score a goal in the tournament, it
wasn't for a lack of effort.  He expended all his energy on the
ice and didn't save anything for wacky high jinks.  It's possible
his hulking frame may have accidentally crushed a few chairs, but
had he thrown a fire extinguisher out a window it would still be
in orbit somewhere over Tokyo.

There's some question as to whether or not Billy Guerin could be
involved.  But he had to soak up at least a little discipline
after all those years in New Jersey.  So for the time being,
we'll forget about Guerin.

That leaves us with three suspects: Tony Amonte, Jeremy Roenick,
and Keith Tkachuk.  Once again, I'm only speaking for myself, and
am in no way saying that these three guys are guilty, but if
pressed, these are the three I'd say are responsible.  Just
consider the facts:

*  All three had disappointing tournaments, failing to record
even a single goal.  

*  All three are from Massachusetts.  

*  Roenick and Amonte were childhood friends.  Hey, remember that
time they went trick-or-treating as Batman and Robin?  Aw, that
was great, that was fun.
     
*  Amonte and Tkachuk played on the same line at Boston
University.

*  Roenick and Tkachuk are currently teammates in Phoenix. 

These three guys are clearly good pals.  And if you're gonna get
liquored up and commit some vandalism, you want to do it with
your best buds.  It's like that time I downed a whole quart of
Night Train and then spray painted "Corporate Hockey Rags Suck"
all over the offices of The Hockey News.  I didn't take some guys
I hardly knew with me, I went with my boys.  And those poor
bastards at THN still don't know who did it.  Aw, that was a good
time.  I wonder if I have any paint left?  Because I'd like to go
back and finish that mural of Steve Dryden and that goat... but I
digress.

The point is that Roenick, Amonte, and Tkachuk are probably the
three closest friends on Team USA.  And hell, Tkachuk was even
named after the sound a chair makes when it breaks.  He broke 52
chairs last season.  It could have been more but he spent over
200 minutes in the penalty box.

Of the three, there's no question in my mind that Roenick was the
mastermind and the brains behind the attempted coverup.  The
minute I heard there was trouble, I immediately thought of
Roenick.  JR Superstar has never been accused of being mature. 
And if going from a 50-goal, 100-point scorer to an average
player isn't enough reason for pointless violence, nothing is. 
Hey, maybe Roenick threw all his talent out a window, too?  It
would explain a lot.  

So there you have it.  If asked, those are the three guys I'd
pick as being responsible for the zany antics in Nagano.  And I
have nothing against any of them.  Because, once again, who among
us hasn't gotten ripped and trashed a Japanese hotel room at
least once in our lives?  I'm sure they're all great guys.  I
could care less whether or not they actually did the crime, I'd
still be proud to wear their jerseys.  Well, except for
Roenick... but that's neither here nor there.  I'm just voicing
an opinion and trying to shed some light on a matter of great
interest.  If it turns out they're innocent, that's swell.  I'll
owe them all an apology.  And if they're guilty, well, the filthy punks 
had it comin'...  

----------------------------------------------------------------
Love of the Game?
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Mike Olenik,  Correspondent

Like many hockey fans, I am relieved to see the Sergei Fedorov
Fiasco finally come to an end.  The rumors started late last
season the he was looking for $6 million per on his new deal,
which would see him surpassing Steve Yzerman as the highest paid
player on the Detroit Red Wings. The rumors were right.  His
first proposal was for $6 million per, with the Wings countering 
at $4.5 million per season, for whatever length Sergei preferred. 
Over time, the Wings upped their offer to $5 million, yet Fedorov
refused to budge, stating that it wasn't about the money, but
still demanding to be the NHL's next $6-million man.

The two sides were reportedly close to a deal until the Paul
Kariya and Eric Lindros signings caused Fedorov to reassess his
situation, his rational being that the bar had just been raised. 
Meanwhile the Wings were going through the motions of fielding
trade offers, although they weren't serious about trading him
unless they got an offer that blew their mind.  That didn't
happen.  

Fedorov maintained his line that it wasn't about the money, but
declined to comment as to the reasons behind his holdout.  He was
open about his desire to leave Detroit, but secretive as to why.  
After turning down the best offer the New York Islanders could
make, he eventually signed the offer sheet with the Carolina
Hurricanes.  The deal called for a $14-million signing bonus, a
$2-million salary, and a $12-million bonus payable over four
years, with a clause that would pay the entire $12 million this
year if Fedorov's team reaches the conference finals.    

As if the idea of possibly paying a player $28 million for less
than half a season wasn't shocking enough, Detroit waited less
than an hour to match, despite Fedorov's previous claims that he
wouldn't play for them.  Strangely enough, Fedorov's agent
announced that he would indeed report, and Fedorov finally
divulged his motivation through this whole ordeal.  His answer:
his love of the game.

Among the Detroit players, the most outspoken was Slava Kozlov,
Fedorov's left winger for most of the last four seasons.  He too
was a no show when camp opened; holding out for the raise he felt
he deserved.  A week into camp, he was in uniform, having told
his agent to get what he could, and get him in camp.  When
questioned, his reply was that he just wanted to play hockey. 
Missing just a few days left him raring to go, anxious to play,
unable to hide his love of the game.  Igor Larionov was also
among the players who openly criticized Fedorov, questioning his
commitment to the team.  Both players no doubt realized that
Fedorov is the perfect example of what is wrong with professional
sports today.  He loves himself, and he loves his money, but he's
lost his love of the game.  

Sergei Fedorov joined the Wings in the 1991-92 season and quickly
became a fixture anchoring the second line and matching up
against the other team's top scorers.  In the old Russian system,
the center had strong defensive responsibilities in both the
offensive and defensive zones, giving Fedorov the schooling he
needed to be a top defensive forward.  GMs around the league
coveted this dynamic two-way player, but scoring 70-80 points a
season and playing behind Detroit legend Steve Yzerman kept
Fedorov's publicity minimal outside of serious hockey circles.  

It wasn't until the '93-94 season that Fedorov made his mark.  
The arrival of Scotty Bowman as coach was the first turning
point.  Bowman was intrigued by Fedorov's ability and considered
putting him on Yzerman's right wing to get him more ice time. 
When Yzerman went down with a neck injury that forced him to miss
30 games, the Wings cut Fedorov loose.  Fedorov thrived on the
added ice time and responsibility that came with Yzerman's
absence, and finished the season with career highs in goals (56)
and points (120).  He not only captured the Hart and Selke
trophies, but also won the player's choice as league MVP.  Rumor
has it that during negotiations for a contract extension that
Fedorov's agent, Michael Barnett, brought up the possibility of
including a clause that would give Fedorov a salary increase
should the Wings trade Yzerman.  Surprisingly enough, Fedorov
himself shot the clause down, claiming that Yzerman was his
friend and he would not want to benefit from his departure.

Things began to change the following season.  In '93-94, the
Wings played wide open.  Their philosophy was to try to score on
every shift, confident that there collective talent was enough to
win games regardless of what kind of defense they played.  A
first round exit at the hands of the expansion San Jose Sharks
was all Scotty Bowman needed to convince the players that defense
had to be the first priority.  His coaching staff implemented the
now famous left wing lock, devised by assistant coach Barry Smith
who claims that he borrowed the idea from some of the European
teams he had watched in the off-season.  

In addition, Bowman changed gears with his lines.  Instead of
going with two scoring lines (Yzerman, Primeau, Sheppard, and
Fedorov, Kozlov, Ciccarelli) and two checking lines, Bowman
decided to spread out his talent and roll over four lines.  
This new approach reduced the ice time of the top forwards, which
coupled with the new defensive emphasis, cut everyone's points
from the previous season.  Fedorov finished with 20 goals and 50
points in 48 games, taking much abuse from the media over his
drop-off in production.  His answer that the defensive
orientation of the game the Wings played did not allow him to
score as many highlight film goals as he had the year before fell
upon deaf ears.  The "less points, less of a player" mentality of
the media began to weigh on Fedorov, and his relationship with
Bowman was strained by his inability to adjust to Bowman's style
of juggling lines.  Finding himself centering the likes of Tim
Taylor and Mathieu Dandenault left him uneasy, and instead of
realizing that the reason he was centering those players was
because he was being double shifted, he took it as some sort of
message or change in his role.  

Wings management began to realize that Fedorov was having trouble
staying focused on the game.  The acquisitions of Russian legends
Igor Larionov and Slava Fetisov were as much about getting
Fedorov on track as they were about improving the Wings roster. 
Even these two icons that Fedorov no doubt idolized as a child
had trouble getting through to him.  When he was on, he was as
dynamic as all but a few that have ever laced up a pair of
skates, but when he wasn't, he tended to lose his intensity much
like his former junior linemate, Alexander Mogilny.  

In his defense, Fedorov has been the target of some unfair media
criticism.  For example, despite leading the Wings in playoff
scoring for the last three seasons, it wasn't until the Wings
drank from Lord Stanley that he shook the label of being a
playoff disappointment.  Much of the criticism was due to the
fact that he was a high profile Russian playing in the hockey
capital of the US.  It is a sad fact, and it has nothing to do
with hockey, but a lot of people in the United States are having
trouble realizing that the cold war is over.  There are a lot of
ignorant people in the United Stated that are yet to get past
years of being told that the Russians are the bad guys and we are
the good guys.  Trust me, if I had a dollar for every brainwashed
moron that can't get past what country a player is from, I'd own
my own franchise. I think that Brendan Shanahan summed it up when
he said (talking about Vladimir Konstantinov), "If the guy was
from Moose Jaw, he'd have won the Norris by now."

Like many professional athletes today, Fedorov has gotten too
wrapped up in himself and his contracts and endorsements to
realize the importance of team, and to cherish the beauty and
purity of the game.  I doubt there will ever be another true
dynasty in any professional sport unless something changes,
because money and fame has become more important than winning.  

To borrow a situation from basketball, look at the Minnesota
Timberwolves.  With three young All-Star caliber players to build
around (Garnett, Marbury, Gugliotta), they should be a contender
for years to come, but I guarantee that the combined greed of
those three players will rip that franchise apart.  Last summer
Garnett took the Timberwolves for all they are worth in the form
of a six-year, $126-million contract.  Marbury will no doubt want
to better that contract, and if Gugliotta wants even half that
much, the team is looking at trading away one, if not two of the
three players. (For the sake of justice, I hope that Marbury is
the player traded because he and Garnett are best friends, and I
would love to see Garnett have to live with knowing that his
greed was the reason his best friend was sent elsewhere.)  

One of the primary reasons that the Wings won the Cup last season
was their depth. They rolled over four lines, and their depth at
center ice made them almost impossible to match up against.  No
other team in the league has three world class centers (Yzerman,
Larionov, Fedorov)  and a top notch checking center (Draper). 
Having their three best forwards (Fedorov, Yzerman, Shanahan) on
separate lines only added to the headache of trying to shut them
down.  As much as Fedorov longs for the days when he got 30
minutes of ice time a night, he should count his blessings
playing on a team like the Wings.  

As for his salary, he should take notice of what players like
Yzerman, Ray Bourque, and Chris Chelios have learned:  There are
far more important things in your career than how much money you
make.  Not only does he get paid millions of dollars to play a
game, but he works for a first class organization.  There are
hundreds of players in the NHL who would trade places with
Fedorov in a second.  To come up with a number from the civilian
population would be impossible.  A lot of the greed comes from
the agents (even other lawyers think those guys are scum!), but
the bottom line is that players need to appreciate what they
have.  Because if they don't, they're going to ruin the game they
all claim to love. 
 

----------------------------------------------------------------
CHIMP BYTES: General NHL News and Notes
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Zippy, Wonder Chimp

LINDROS TO MISS 10-14 DAYS

Philadelphia Flyers center Eric Lindros could be out 10 days to 
two weeks after suffering a concussion Saturday night.
Lindros was hurt when he was checked by Pittsburgh defenseman
Darius Kasparaitis during Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Penguins. 
Lindros spent the night at a Pittsburgh hospital and flew home 
Sunday. "I feel tired, have a headache," Lindros said Sunday. "My 
eyes aren't as sharp as they could be. Gotta go home, get some sleep." 

CAPS TRADE FOR TIKKANEN

As if Dale Hunter wasn't enough, the Washington Capitals acquired veteran 
left wing Esa Tikkanen from the Florida Panthers on Sunday in exchange 
for a minor league player and a conditional draft pick. 

Tikkanen has played on five Stanley Cup champion teams, most recently the 
1993-94 New York Rangers. He also played for the bronze medal-winning 
Finland team at last month's Nagano Olympics. 

The Panthers received 21-year-old left wing Dwayne Hay of the Portland 
Pirates.  
 
OILERS ACQUIRE MUSIL

The Edmonton Oilers on Monday acquired defenseman 
Frank Musil from the Ottawa Senators for defenseman Scott Ferguson.
Musil, 33, who came into the NHL in 1986 after the Minnesota North
Stars helped him defect from Czechoslovakia, has spent this season in
the minor leagues. He was scheduled to join the Oilers after Monday's
game against the Chicago Blackhawks. 

USOC MAY SANCTION MEN'S HOCKEY TEAM

The NHL hasn't been successful in its investigation of the
trashing of Olympic Village rooms, so the U.S. Olympic Committee is
expected to sanction the entire team next week. Olympic officials will
confer in the next few days to decide on sanctions, which could include
barring all 23 players on the team from further participation in Olympic
and international play. Thursday, the NHL said it has interviewed every
player, coach and official on the team but ''no one . . . could or was
willing to identify those responsible for the damage'' to three apartments
Feb. 19, hours after the USA was eliminated by the Czech Republic. 

NHL SET TO TEST NEW RULES IN AHL

Five possible rule changes for the NHL will be tested
in 10 American Hockey League games between March 20 and April 5.
The possible rules include: Players serving an entire two-minute penalty
instead of coming out of the penalty box when a goal is scored;
goaltenders being forbidden from handling the puck behind the net;
players not being allowed to stop behind their own nets; hurry-up
face-offs and no line changes during neutral zone face-offs; and moving
the goal line out to 13 feet from the end boards, two feet more than
now. The NHL is considering the changes in an attempt to increase scoring.				 

CASHMAN OUT, NEILSON IN 

With 21 games left in the regular season, the Philadelphia Flyers have 
relieved head coach Wayne Cashman of his duties and have turned to veteran
coach Roger Neilson to run the team. 
 
The Flyers today officially demoted Cashman, who will remain with the
team as an assistant, and named Neilson as their head coach. 

Nicknamed "Captain Video," Neilson was the NHL's innovator in using
video tapes as a teaching mechanism. He led the 1981-82 Canucks to the
Stanley Cup Finals and was the runnerup for the Adams Award as the
NHL's best coach following the 1991-92 season when the Rangers
captured the President's Trophy. 

HASEK SET TO SIGN LONG-TERM CONTRACT

Dominik Hasek and the Buffalo Sabres are nearing an agreement on a 
long-term contract that would make him the highest-paid goaltender in 
NHL history. 
 
Hasek confirmed Monday that the Sabres offered him a contract. A team
source told The Associated Press that Hasek would average between $7
million and $8 million per season, including a large signing bonus. 
 
"It was a pretty good offer," Hasek said. "I was pretty pleased, but there
are still some things we have to discuss. There's a good possibility I will sign
a new contract within two weeks." 
 
The biggest concern in negotiations is whether to keep a no-trade clause that
currently exists from a deal he signed in 1995. Hasek demanded the clause
then to ensure he would stay in Buffalo. 
 
Under his current contract, Hasek will earn $4 million this season and next. 
In 1999 he would become an unrestricted free agent.
 
JOHANSSON TO MISS FOUR TO SIX WEEKS

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andreas Johansson will miss
four to six weeks with a ligament sprain in his left knee.
Johansson sprained the knee in Sunday's 4-3 overtime loss to the
Philadelphia Flyers. He was placed on the injured list. Forward
Alex Hicks was also classified as injured, dating back to March
3, because of a separated shoulder. The Penguins recalled forward
Robert Dome, the team's first-round pick last year, and
defenseman Tuomas Gronman from Syracuse of the American Hockey
League. 

KIDD WINS NHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Carolina goaltender Trevor Kidd captured the NHL's Player
of the Week honor Monday after winning three games last week.
Kidd posted a 3-0-0 record with a 1.00 goals-against average last
week as the Hurricanes won four straight road games to boost
their record to 25-30-7. Kidd beat out Colorado's Peter Forsberg,
Pittsburgh's Jaromir Jagr and St. Louis' Jamie McLennan.
 

TRANSACTIONS:



TUESDAY, MARCH 10

Florida Panthers: Sent left wing Dwayne Hay to New Haven of the
American Hockey League. 

New Jersey Devils: Recalled left wing Jay Pandolfo from Albany of
the American Hockey League. 

Philadelphia Flyers: Sent right wing John Druce and center Craig
Darby to Philadelphia of the American Hockey League. 



MONDAY, MARCH 9

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim: Recalled goaltender Tom Askey from
Cincinnati of the American Hockey League. Sent left wing Mike
Leclerc and center Richard Park to Cincinnati. 

Edmonton Oilers: Acquired defenseman Frank Musil from the
Ottawa Senators for defenseman Scott Ferguson.

Los Angeles Kings: Recalled right wing Vitali Yachmenev from
Long Beach of the International Hockey League. 

New York Islanders: Recalled defenseman Zdeno Chara from
Kentucky of the American Hockey League. 

New York Rangers: Recalled left wing Johan Lindbom and right
wing Vladimir Vorobiev from Hartford of the American Hockey
League. 

Philadelphia Flyers: Reassigned head coach Wayne Cashman and
announced he will remain with the team as an assistant coach. Named
St. Louis Blues assistant Roger Neilson head coach. Named
associate coach Keith Acton as an assistant coach. Fired assistant
coach Dave Brown. Recalled goaltender Neil Little and center Craig
Darby from Philadelphia of the American Hockey League. Sent right
wing Brantt Myhres to Philadelphia. 

Phoenix Coyotes: Sent goaltender Scott Langkow to Springfield of
the American Hockey League. 

Pittsburgh Penguins: Recalled right wing Robert Dome and
defenseman Tuomas Gronman from Syracuse of the American
Hockey League. 



SUNDAY, MARCH 8

Dallas Stars: Placed left wing Benoit Hogue on the injured list.
Recalled left wing Jamie Wright from Michigan of the Internatinal
Hockey League. 

Florida Panthers: Acquired left wing Dwayne Hay and a conditional
1999 draft pick from the Washington Capitals for left wing Esa
Tikkanen. 

St. Louis Blues: Recalled forward Michel Picard from Grand
Rapids of the International Hockey League. 



SATURDAY, MARCH 7

Vancouver Canucks: Traded right wing Lonny Bohonos to the
Toronto Maple Leafs for center Brandon Convery.



FRIDAY, MARCH 6

Colorado Avalanche: Sent center Josef Marha to Hersey of the
American Hockey League. 

Los Angeles Kings: Recalled left wing Jason Morgan from
Springfield of the American Hockey League. 

Montreal Canadiens: Sent defenseman Brad Brown to Fredericton
of the American Hockey League. Signed goaltender Mathieu Garon
to a three-year contract.

New Jersey Devils: Recalled center Sergei Brylin from Albany of
the American Hockey League. 

Pittsburgh Penguins: Recalled goaltender Peter Skudra from
Kansas City of the International Hockey League. 

Washington Capitals: Returned center Jan Bulis to his junior club
(Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League). 



THURSDAY, MARCH 5

National Hockey League: Suspended Philadelphia Flyers center
Daniel Lacroix for three games and fined him $1,000 for a
crosschecking incident on New York Islanders defenseman Rich Pilon
on March 3.

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim: Recalled right wing Frank Banham and
left wing Mike Leclerc from Cincinnati of the American Hockey
League. Sent center/left wing Kevin Todd to Long Beach of the
International Hockey League. 

Colorado Avalanche: Sent right wing Christian Matte to Hershey of
the American Hockey League. 

Edmonton Oilers: Sent defensemen Scott Ferguson and Craig
Millar to Hamilton of the American Hockey League. 

New York Islanders: Recalled defenseman Yevgeny Namestnikov
and right wing Dan Plante from Utah of the International Hockey
League.

Philadelphia Flyers: Recalled right wing John Druce from
Philadelphia of the American Hockey League. 



WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim: Sent center/left wing Kevin Todd to
Long Beach of the International Hockey League. 

Calgary Flames: Recalled left wing Todd Hlushko from Saint John
of the American Hockey League. 

Chicago Blackhawks: Recalled centers Todd White and Dmitri
Nabokov from Indianapolis of the International Hockey League.

Phoenix Coyotes: Acquired defenseman Keith Carney and right
wing Jim Cummins from the Chicago Blackhawks for defenseman
Jay More and center Chad Kilger. 

Vancouver Canucks: Acquired goaltender Garth Snow from the
Philadelphia Flyers for goaltender Sean Burke. 



TUESDAY, MARCH 3

Colorado Avalanche: Recalled defenseman Wade Belak from
Hershey of the American Hockey League. 

Dallas Stars: Placed center Bob Bassen, defensemen Derian
Hatcher and Sergei Zubov and left wing Dave Reid on the injured
reserve list. Recalled defensemen Petr Buzek and Brad Lukowich
from Michigan of the International Hockey League. 

Edmonton Oilers: Recalled defensemen Scott Ferguson and Craig
Millar from Hamilton of the American Hockey League. 

New York Rangers: Recalled center P.J. Stock from Hartford of the
American Hockey League. Sent left wing Johan Lindbom to Hartford
and defenseman Eric Cairns to Hartford for conditioning. 

Vancouver Canucks: Traded defenseman Grant Ledyard to the
Boston Bruins for a 1998 eighth-round draft pick. 

MONDAY, MARCH 2

Carolina Hurricanes: Signed defenseman Mark McMahon.

SUNDAY, MARCH 1

Calgary Flames: Recalled defenseman Joel Bouchard from Saint
John of the American Hockey League. 

Los Angeles Kings: Recalled goaltender Frederic Chabot from
Houston of the International Hockey League. 

SATURDAY, FEB. 28

New Jersey Devils: Recalled left wing Patrik Elias from Albany of the
American Hockey League. 

FRIDAY, FEB. 27

Calgary Flames: Sent defenseman Rocky Thompson to Saint John of
the American Hockey League. 

Carolina Hurricanes: Recalled defenseman Nolan Pratt and left wing
Bates Battaglia from New Haven of the American Hockey League. 

Los Angeles Kings: Loaned goaltender Frederic Chabot to Houston
of the International Hockey League. 

Ottawa Senators: Recalled defenseman Radim Bicanek from
Manitoba of the International Hockey League. 

St. Louis Blues: Recalled goaltender Rich Parent from Manitoba of
the International Hockey League. 

THURSDAY, FEB. 26

NHL: Arbitrator John Sands ruled that the six-year, $38 million offer
sheet tendered by the Carolina Hurricanes to Group II free agent center
Sergei Fedorov is valid. 

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim: Recalled center Richard Park from
Cincinnati of the American Hockey League. Sent left wing Barry
Nieckar to Cincinnati. 

Buffalo Sabres: Recalled defenseman Rumun Ndur from Rochester of
the American Hockey League.

Colorado Avalanche: Recalled goaltender Petr Franek from Hershey
of the American Hockey League. 

Detroit Red Wings: Matched the six-year, $38 million offer sheet
tendered by the Carolina Hurricanes to Group II free agent center
Sergei Fedorov. 

Vancouver Canucks: Recalled left wing Bert Robertsson from
Syracuse of the American Hockey League. 



WEDNESDAY, FEB. 25

National Hockey League: Suspended Tampa Bay Lightning
defenseman Bryan Marchment seven games and fined him $1,000 for a
kneeing incident in a game against Carolina on Feb. 4. 

Dallas Stars: Recalled defenseman Dan Keczmer from Michigan of
the International Hockey League.

Florida Panthers: Sent center Steve Washburn to New Haven of the
American Hockey League. 

New York Islanders: Recalled right wing Steve Webb from
Kentucky of the American Hockey League. 

New Jersey Devils: Sent left wing Patrik Elias from Albany of the
American Hockey League. 

Phoenix Coyotes: Loaned right wing Jocelyn Lemieux to Long Beach
of the International Hockey League. 



TUESDAY, FEB. 24

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim: Recalled left wing Barry Nieckar from
Cincinnati of the American Hockey League and center/left wing Kevin
Todd from Long Beach of the International Hockey League. Sent
defenseman Dan Trebil to Cincinnati. 

Dallas Stars: Activated left wing Greg Adams and defenseman
Richard Matvichuk from injured reserve. 

Edmonton Oilers: Recalled center Boyd Devereaux, defenseman
Terran Sandwith and right wing Scott Fraser from Hamilton of the
American Hockey League. 

New York Islanders: Sent defenseman Jason Holland to Kentucky of
the American Hockey League. 

St. Louis Blues: Recalled defenseman Ricard Persson from
Worcester of the American Hockey League. 

Toronto Maple Leafs: Signed center Mats Sundin to a multi-year
contract. 

    _____________________________________________________

                        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 89, March 10, 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 X
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Zippy, Wonder Chimp

World Domination ain't easy, it takes time.  

One way you can aid the world domination effort is by becoming 
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coaching/drills/skill development, collectibles, history, 
or hockey pools for some new projects.  Write to us at 
staff@lcshockey.com for more information.


NHL Archive
The archive, http://www.lcshockey.com/archive/, now contains a 
selection of complete player statistics from the 1960's.  Each 
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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.  Our AOL coverag will return in 
full force next season.  


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 ended and the winners were announced. We would 
like to apologize for the sparce updates during the third epoch.  
Updates every Wednesday.  


Coming Soon!
In the next issue of LCS Hockey we shoot down an NHL superstar. 
Be sure to visit us in two weeks for the shocking revelations, 
but please, no lawsuits.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Kasparaitis KOs Lindros
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief

If you listen closely you can still hear the echoing remnants of
the collision.  It was one of those rare hockey moments that will
forever be ingrained in the memories of those who witnessed it. 
Future generations will ponder the ramifications of its
aftermath.  On Saturday, March 7, at the Civic Arena in
Pittsburgh, Darius Kasparaitis destroyed Eric Lindros with a
devastating open-ice check, recording a knockout of the
Philadelphia Flyer captain.  Goliath was dead. 

The hit occurred at 8:48 of the second period.  The Flyers were
leading 4-3, but had just yielded a short-handed goal to
Pittsburgh's Jiri Slegr and were looking to salvage something
from the power play.  Lindros was barreling his way through
center along the right wing boards when he lost control of the
puck.  He then made the cardinal mistake of putting his head down
in attempt to find the elusive biscuit.  Bad decision.  While
having your head down is always a dangerous proposition in the
NHL, when Kasparaitis is on the ice it's a death sentence.  The
wacky Lithuanian looped to the boards and belted Lindros with a
picture perfect shoulder check just inside the blue line.  The
impact of the collision sent Lindros' helmet soaring and
shattered windows for miles.  Both men were knocked backwards. 
One was knocked out.  

As Kaspar quickly gathered himself and made his way back into the
play, Lindros remained on his hands and knees in an obvious state
of confusion.  Not knowing exactly what happened, Rod Brind'Amour
and the rest of the Flyers immediately went after Kasparaitis and
a huge dog pile ensued.  

Meanwhile, Lindros was still down.  He barely moved at all for
the first few moments.  When he finally attempted to make it to
his skates, he immediately crumpled back to the ice.  He was in
some trouble.  With Philly's trainer now by his side, Lindros
again tried to stand up.  He remained vertical for one or two
meager strides and then collapsed along the boards.  

By this time the two teams had separated and gone to their
respective benches.  All eyes were on Lindros and his desperate
plight.  While the Flyers looked on in stunned silence, the
Pittsburgh bench featured an entirely different tone.  Most were
congratulating Kasparaitis on the hit.  Rookie Alexei Morozov did
little to hide his enthusiasm, patting Darius on the helmet and
wearing a grin from ear to ear as he watched a dazed Lindros
slowly led off the ice, hanging limply from the shoulders of two
teammates.  The diagnosis was a second-degree concussion.  He's
expected to be out of action for 10 to 14 days.

Some people were criticizing Morozov for laughing, but guess
what?  I was laughing too.  It wasn't a laugh of malice, but of
amazement.  Even though I had just witnessed the check with my
own eyes, I still didn't believe it.  It was truly beyond belief. 
Lindros has almost taken on a mythical stature over the years due
to his physical dominance.  He is, without doubt, the most
intimidating presence in hockey.  Watching him get knocked loopy
on a clean check and then stagger off the ice seemed like a tale
of battle from modern day mythology.  Except instead of hurling a
rock, Kasparaitis slew the giant by hurling himself.  

And make no mistake about it, the hit was clean.  Kasparaitis
didn't leave his skates.  He just planted his shoulder right into
Lindros' mug.  It's not Kaspar's fault that the Flyer behemoth
had his head down.  Lindros was also the victim of some bad
timing on the play.  Teammate John LeClair was straddling the
blue line in an attempt to stay onside as Lindros entered the
zone and ended up setting an inadvertent screen for Kasparaitis. 
LeClair's presence blocked Kaspar from Lindros' peripheral
vision, enabling the defender to virtually come out of nowhere to
deliver the blow.  Yeah, that'll suck.    

The hit was simply incredible.  It was classic Kasparaitis.  Even
though he was giving up five inches and nearly 30 pounds, he
didn't let up.  He totally sacrificed any sense of his own well
being in an attempt to score the big hit.  But that's nothing
new.  The guy's just nuts.  While the opportunity for a colossal check 
doesn't always present itself, Darius is willing to lay himself on the 
line for his club on a nightly basis.  If the chance is there to belt 
someone, no matter who it is or how big they are, Darius will take it.  
And he'll make it count.  

Kasparaitis' unbridled enthusiasm and physical style is a
constant inspiration to his teammates.  He is one of the few
players in today's game, with Lindros being another, that can
change the outcome of a contest with his physical play.  Such was
the case on this Saturday afternoon.  Not only did the hit on
Lindros inspire the Penguins, the sight of their lifeless leader
being helped from the ice totally demoralized the Flyers.  The
combination allowed Pittsburgh to rattle off three third-period
goals and skate away with a 6-4 win.    

There was also more than a little irony involved with the whole
incident.  It was just last season that Lindros and the Flyers
were complaining about opponents, in particular Kasparaitis,
trying to hit him low all the time.  When the Penguins and Flyers
met in the first round of the playoffs, all the Flyer griping
translated into Kaspar getting called for two clipping penalties. 
Yes, that's right, clipping penalties.  The refs dug pretty dig
to come up with that one.  Never mind that Lindros nearly killed
Kasparaitis in Game One by charging him into the backboards, the
stripes did their best to protect number 88.  Well, this time
Darius proved he could hit high.  He didn't go low.  Lindros
probably wishes he did.
  
After the game, the only subject of conversation was the hit.  To
his credit, Flyer GM Bobby Clarke admitted that it was clean. 
Some of Clarke's players weren't so sure.  For his part,
Kasparaitis simply wished Lindros a "good recovery."  Darius also
said that Morozov's obvious delight at the time was due to the
fact that the young Russian had never seen such a huge hit and
thought that it was unbelievable.  He wasn't the only one.  

If the Flyers were looking for revenge, they didn't have to wait
long.  The two teams met again the very next day, this time in
Philadelphia.  The Philly faithful were out in full force calling
for Kasparaitis' head.  Yet Darius wasn't about to back down.  He
was the first Penguin on the ice for the pregame skate, giving
the raucous crowd an easy target.  He was in danger every
minute... and loving it.

The Flyers were clearly fired up for the game.  They came out
hitting everything that moved, whether it had long stringy hair
and an 11 on its back or not.  Kaspar survived his first shift,
but then all hell broke loose on his second.  The Flyers were
buzzing around the Pittsburgh net when Darius got called for
holding.  The accompanying whistle then triggered a massive scrum
in front with everyone trying to get a piece of Kasparaitis. 
Chris Gratton was especially aggressive, causing Jiri Slegr to
step in and drop the gloves.  When things got cooled down and
Gratton was being ushered to the penalty box, he skated past
Kaspar who was already in the bin, pointed to him, and seemed to
say, "You're next."  Aw, it's nice to see Gratton could take time
out from his busy schedule of counting his undeserved riches and
failing to score goals long enough to spew a meaningless threat. 
Because a lot of guys just wouldn't have made the effort. 
Keeping track of misbegotten funds can be tiresome.  Yet Gratton
went the extra mile.  That's swell.

Kaspar wasn't out of the box long before he once again in the
middle of things.  Colin Forbes had pressured Darius behind the
Pittsburgh net and held him along the boards long after the play
was heading the other way.  Kasparaitis wrestled free and
exchanged a few shoves before drilling Forbes in the jaw with his
right glove.  Forbes immediately dropped his mits and started
throwing.  Kaspar just grabbed a hold of Forbes and held on while
the Philly winger leveled punch after punch into his shoulder
pads.  Not much, if anything, connected.  Both men got two-minute
minors for roughing to go along with fighting majors.  

After that minor disturbance, the rest of the game was pretty
peaceful.  Gratton never did make good on his threat.  Wow, what
a shock.  He even had a golden opportunity late in the second
period.  Darius skated up to Gratton after a whistle and pushed
him in the chest, but good ol' Chris kept silent.  Maybe he was
thinking about the upcoming tax season and whether or not the
Flyers could claim his salary as a charitable contribution?  Aw,
I just tease in fun.  

Anyway, lost in all the hype about getting even with Kasparaitis 
was a damn good game.  The two clubs were tied 2-2 late in the
third when Shjon Podein crashed the Pittsburgh net and pushed a
shot over the goal line as he was sliding on his stomach.  The
goal came with just 45 seconds remaining on the clock and gave
the Flyers what seemed like a sure win.  At least that is until
the Penguins pulled Wregget for an extra attacker and Ron Francis
worked some magic.  As the puck was sent around the boards behind
the Flyer net,  Francis made a remarkable touch pass, between his
own legs no less, to Jaromir Jagr alone in front.  Jagr snapped
the pass behind a startled Ron Hextall to knot the score at 3-3
with just 15 seconds left.  That's some wild, wild stuff.

But the Flyers would have the last laugh on the Penguins.  And
wherever there's laughter, Alexandre Daigle is usually around
somewhere.  Except this time Daigle wasn't the punch line.  The
supposed superstar-in-waiting made a marvelous individual play to
split the Pittsburgh defense with his speed and then chipped a
forehand shot over Wregget's glove for the game-winner just as he
was being hauled to the ice.  It was Daigle's first goal as a
Flyer and his first tally in 22 games.  At least he timed it
well.  The Flyers also got a bit of revenge on Kasparaitis after
all, since Darius was one of the defenders Daigle split.  Of
course, it was Darius' partner Brad Werenka that actually screwed
up, but Kaspar gets the minus nonetheless.     

Both of the games were tremendous exhibitions of hockey.  In
fact, they could have been the two best games of the season to
this point.  But even a Game Seven would take a back seat to the
Kasparaitis-Lindros confrontation.  Considering the players
involved, and the outcome, it could very well be the greatest hit
in the history of the sport.  Had Lindros knocked Kasparaitis all
woozy, it really wouldn't have been that big a deal.  That's
what's supposed to happen.  But this was like an O'Henry novel. 
The twist was that the little guy came out on top.  That's not
usually the case when Lindros is involved.

Watching the NHL's premier open-ice hitter do what he does best
was a memorable experience.  One that no one will soon forget. 
And rest assured, next time Lindros will have his head up.  But
the cool thing is... Kasparaitis won't care.  


----------------------------------------------------------------
One Stu-pendous Penguin
----------------------------------------------------------------
By Jim Iovino

With the Pittsburgh Penguins on the power play, Jaromir Jagr
controls the puck along the side boards in the right side of the
offensive zone.  He passes it down low to Ron Francis, who is set
up beside the net. Francis quickly looks over the situation and
fires a cross-crease pass to another Penguin forward standing all
alone just outside the crease on the left side.  He one-times the
puck past the goalie with little effort. 

Another power-play opportunity for the Pittsburgh Penguins - another
power-play goal.  

That situation has been a regular event for the Penguins for a long
time.  Francis and Jagr have been key members of the Pittsburgh
power play.  But throughout the years the finisher of the play has
changed. There was Kevin Stevens, Rick Tocchet, Petr Nedved, Tomas
Sandstrom and many more on the receiving end of a cross-crease pass
from Francis.  

This season's finisher on the Pens' top power-play unit, and top
even-strength line as well, is Stu Barnes. Yes, the same Stu Barnes
who was once the "S" in Winnipeg's "LSD Line" with Luciano Borsato
and Darrin Shannon.  The same Stu Barnes who was practically given
away to the Penguins by the Florida Panthers for nothing.  

That same Stu Barnes has been lighting the lamp regularly as the
left wing on the Northeast Division leading Penguins' top line.  In
61 games this season, Barnes has scored 26 times, including 13
times on the power play.  Barnes has fit in quite well on the first
line with Francis and Jagr.  He has enough speed to keep up with
Jagr and reads plays well enough to get into good positions so
Francis can set him up with a great pass.  

It might be a surprise to see Barnes on a first line for any team,
but it really shouldn't.  The 27-year-old center has some offensive
skills.  Few remember that Barnes was drafted fourth overall by the
Winnipeg Jets in the 1989 draft after piling up some decent
offensive statistics in juniors.  He put together back-to- back
50-goal seasons with Tri-City in the Western Hockey League before
being drafted by the Jets.  In his final junior season, Barnes
scored 52 goals and added 92 assists.  

But once he arrived in Winnipeg, Barnes had to battle for ice time
with Alexei Zhamnov and Thomas Steen.  Since he wasn't getting much
playing time, Barnes was eventually sent to Florida for Randy
Gilhen. While with the Panthers Barnes became a fan favorite due to
his gritty play and lots of hustle.  Barnes was such a favorite in
Florida, when he was dealt to Pittsburgh last year with Jason
Woolley for Chris Wells both fans and teammates were stunned.  Some
say that deal led to the demise of the once-promising Florida
franchise.  

Fans in Pittsburgh were more than happy to get Barnes.  When he
first arrived, every time he touched the puck he received a chorus
of "Stuuuuuu"'s from the Civic Arena crowd.  When the trade was
made, the Penguins expected Barnes to be a solid checking line
center, which he was.  But no one could have expected Barnes to
explode this season into the player he has become.  

Barnes has done more for the Pens than just score goals.  He is a
solid two-way player.  Playing defense on the same line with
Francis has allowed Francis to conserve a lot of his energy for the
offensive zone.  With Barnes backchecking, Francis hasn't had to do
everything for the top line.  

Barnes has also taken some of the faceoff pressures off of
Francis.  As the season wears on, the Pens have been using Barnes
more and more to take key draws.  And he's done quite well
considering he's not a big physical force.  The reason he's been
winning draws could be because of the incredibly short stick Barnes
uses.  If you've never noticed his twig, take a look the next time
Barnes is on the ice.  It has got to be one of the shortest sticks
in the league.  The small stick allows Barnes to get down low on
faceoffs and either tie up his opponent or just win the puck back
quickly with a short swipe at the puck.  

His best asset for the Pens, however, has been his skill on the
power play.  It's an unlikely scenario, but Barnes has killed
opposing teams with the man advantage.  His method is very simple. 
He stands at the side of the net while Jagr, Francis, Olausson and
Hatcher play with the puck on the other side of the ice.  

After a while, everyone seems to forget about Barnes.  He waits and
waits until Francis or Jagr get a pass down low at the other side of
the net.  When the defense moves with the puck, Barnes sticks his
stick out and waits for a pass so he can one-time it past the goalie.
 

When the play works, it is a beautiful thing to watch.  And more
often than not, it does work.  Sure, there is the occasional whiff
by Barnes, but he's only human.  He's usually on target with the
hand-eye coordination, though.  

Barnes has become a key ingredient for the Penguins this year. The
speedy little center has done just about everything for the
Penguins this season.  He plays on the first line.  He plays on the
power play.  He kills penalties.  And he takes key faceoffs.  

While other teams went out and flashed big bucks in front of
big-name free agents like Chris Gratton and Sergei Fedorov, the
Penguins struck gold with a little man named Stu.  And Stu has been
more than happy to give his team everything he's got.  

----------------------------------------------------------------
AHL NEWS
----------------------------------------------------------------

by Tricia McMillan

Player of the Week (Feb. 8): The AHL handed the award out
nearly a week later than usual and failed to add it to the
headlines on their website, but there was in fact a winner. The
Beast of New Haven's Ryan Johnson took the award for his seven
points in two games the weekend before the All-Star Game. He had
a five-point night against Syracuse and also had a pair of points
later against Hartford.

Player of the Week (Feb. 22): St. John's Maple Leaf
Brandon Convery has not had the kind of season he wanted, on or
off the ice. Not only did he think he should be in Toronto, he's
played all season like he belongs there and last week was no
exception, as Convery scored nine points in four games to take
the award. Convery had two goals, one short-handed against the
Wolfpack and then had another three points against Hartford the
next night. He then picked up four assists in a two-game set
against Providence amid many reports and rumors he would be
traded shortly. Indeed, he was traded - to the Vancouver Canucks
on March 7 for Lonny Bohonos.

Player of the Week (Mar. 1): Big surprise, NOT.
Springfield's Daniel Briere tallied up nine points in four games
(not counting the five points he had in a game the week before)
to cement the award. Briere had three goals and six assists,
getting multiple points in three of the four games. Briere
started off with a four-point game against Hartford, then added
two assists against the Rats plus a game-winner and two more
assists against Providence. Briere is now second in league
scoring and naturally first in rookie scoring. Just three points
behind Kentucky's Steve Guolla, Briere could become the first
rookie to win the scoring title in eight years. Who says size
counts? 

Rookie of the Month: If you're good enough to do it once,
might as well do it twice. The December winner was Albany's
Brendan Morrison and he duplicated the feat in February.
Morrison had 18 points, including six goals, during the Rats' 13
February games. Morrison had three games in which he registered
three or more points, and had a four-point output against
Hamilton Feb. 20.  He had points in nine games overall and
finished +8 for the month; he ranks second only to Briere in
rookie scoring and is fifth in the league overall.

Goaltender of the Month: The former Player of the Week is
now the Goaltender of the Month. Albany's Rich Shulmistra was
named February's preeminent stopper after going 6-0-0 for
the month - although, Shulmistra appeared in fewer than half of
Albany's 13 games for the month.  Shulmistra had a 2.05 GAA and
.934 save percentage, shutting out Hershey and defeating rival
Hamilton.  He currently leads all AHL regulars in GAA and save
percentage and has only lost four games all season.  
 
Insurance Player of the Month: Big surprise, YES. You
thought this one was going to a River Rat, right?  Wrong. The
best plus/minus for the month belonged to a Pirate, not a Rat, as
Portland's Benoit Gratton was +14 for the month in 11 games.
Gratton topped linemate Ryan Mulhern for the honors as Portland
had an over .500 month for the first time this year. The overall
lead is comfortably maintained by a Rat, that being John Madden
with +31. Fellow Rat Sergei Brylin and Saint John's Ryan Bast are
both +25.

Guinea Pigs!: Which is what the NHL is making the AHL into
to satisfy their inexplicable need to tinker with the game of
hockey. (Hint to Bettman: enforce the existing rules and select
players based on playing ability rather than size and things will
work themselves out just fine, thanks.) The NHL will meddle - I
mean, try out - with AHLers in ten games between March 20 and
April 5, with five plans getting two shots each and only one in
any given game. The experiments start March 20 with Worcester and
Providence serving full two-minute minors regardless of scoring
and Hartford and Springfield goaltenders being unable to handle
the puck behind the net. (What happened to not tinkering with
games that have playoff implications? Last time I checked those
two teams were still duking it out to win the division.)
Worcester serves full minors again Mar. 22 at St. John's, while
Hartford goalies can't handle the puck again April 4 in
Albany. The other three rules will involve skaters not being
allowed to stop behind the net (Syracuse v. Providence, March
28), moving the nets further from the boards (bet the building
staffs are tickled about that one) and the only one of the five
rule changes that actually makes any vague degree of sense,
"hurry-up" neutral zone faceoffs. Except that the IHL has been
using that one all season, so why 'experiment' when they already
know it works?

Rats!: Not just the ones falling from the rafters either.
The Albany River Rats put together a winning streak of ten games,
the league's high for the season but falling short of the AHL
record of 16 consecutive wins set by the '84-'85 Baltimore
Skipjacks. The streak was good enough to pull the Rats even with
Philadelphia for the best record in the AHL. The rodents
outscored their opponents 42-20 and saw rookie Brendan Morrison
leap into the top five in scoring; Steve Brule was right behind
him setting a franchise record for career goals scored and Bryan
Helmer set a franchise record for career points from a
defenseman. Meanwhile Rich Shulmistra leads the league in goals
against and save percentage (although catching the team bus still
eludes him) and Peter Sidorkiewicz resides in the top ten
goaltenders as well. 

Talking Shop: One item mentioned by AHL President David
Andrews in his recent State of the League speech was the
furthering of the relationship between the AHL and the ECHL. That
took a huge step on February 25 when the two leagues announced a
'joint marketing initiative' to start next season. The upshot is
that corporate sponsors can sign up with one marketing plan and
have it appear in all of the 47 markets definite for the two
leagues next year. With some 50 million people in those markets,
the leagues hope the unified approach will attract a lot of
advertising and sponsorship. The leagues are continuing to
discuss streamlining the player development aspects of
their relationship as well.

Pirate Leafs: St. John's and Portland, in the same
division for the first time this season, have hooked up eight
times already.  The Pirates, who had lost to St. John's once in
18 tries in the history of the two teams, needed seven games to
get a win against the Leafs this season. They did, however, set a
new franchise record against the Leafs Feb. 25 when Portland
unleashed 51 shots on goal, four of which went in. Pirate Rick
Kowalsky figured in all four goals, scoring one and setting up
the rest. Kowalsky has feasted on the Rock this season, better
than two points a game, while Pirates blueliner Stu Malgunas has
ten points in eight games against St. John's. It works both ways
- Aaron Brand has nine goals this season, six of them against
Portland.  Leaf David Cooper has gotten eight of his 16 goals
against the Pirates and 12 points overall. The teams also matched
up Feb. 24, with Portland blowing a 3-0 lead but making it up
with three goals in the last six minutes of the game to beat St.
John's 7-5. Which is not to say St. John's didn't have chances in
that game - the Leaf hit the post five times. Plus, three of
Portland's seven goals went in off Leaf skates.

Elvis Is In the Building: ...Along with everyone else. The
AHL passed the three-million mark in attendance Feb. 27, not only
the earliest it's happened but beating the old mark by two weeks.
The current pace will easily take the league past the four-
million mark for the first time. The league saw three teams other
than Philadelphia top 9,000, those being Kentucky, Hartford
and Worcester.  The Phantoms (you were expecting someone else?)
are now averaging 11,452 fans a game, on pace for the all-time
record in that category. 

A Good Cause: The last thing Yanick Dupre did before his
death last August was to organize a charity celebrity golf
tournament to raise money for the Maison Neuve Rosemont
Center in Montreal, the leukemia research facility that had
treated him during his battle with the disease. The Hershey Bears
have made charitable donations in Dupre's name to the Center all
season (tied to power-play goals, something they've had quite a
few of) and have now organized a charity celebrity hockey game to
raise more funds for the Center. The game will be on April 5 at
Hersheypark Arena and feature a matchup of Bears alumni (likely
including Mitch Lamoreaux, Tim Tookey and Dave Parro) against a
celebrity All-Star team including former Flyers Joe Watson and
Tim Kerr, as well as various actors, musicians and other
celebrities including Dave Coulier of 'Full House' and the Red
Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith.  

Panther Roar: There were a few growls coming from Miami
regarding the AHL of late, but last week the Panthers outright
roared and changed the face of two different minor leagues at
once. While the Panthers had been discussing purchasing the
inactive West Palm Beach franchise and placing it in the
soon-to-be-vacated Miami Arena, they instead bought out the
Louisville Riverfrogs of the ECHL (so much for the
Thoroughblades' affiliate) and will move that team to
Miami Arena, moving their ECHL affiliation there from
Tallahassee. Not done yet. The Panthers did buy a dormant AHL
franchise - apparently the West Palm Beach franchise - and put it
in Louisville. The deal is contingent on the AHL approving the
lease in Louisville, which would happen provided the team would
play in Freedom Hall with the basketball team, rather than the
adjacent Broadbent Arena where the Riverfrogs played. Get ready
for the Midwest Division, as Knoxville is now making sounds about
joining the AHL as well as Dayton and Lansing.

Little Things:  The only current AHL player to turn up an
Olympic medal was Syracuse's Tuomas Gronman, who earned a bronze
with Team Finland...

Springfield's Daniel Briere had two goals and two assists,
figuring in all of the Falcons' goals against Hartford Feb. 25.
He had ten points in three games...

Manny Legace was loaned back to the Springfield Falcons after
spending most of the season with the IHL's Las Vegas Thunder. He
has games remaining on his ten-game playoff suspension from
last year, but apparently won't be required to serve them...

Ryan Savoia has returned to Syracuse after spending nine weeks
with HFK Finland doing...nothing. He was sent there to rehab but
couldn't get his ankle into good enough condition to play
there...

The Hartford Wolfpack went 32 days between home games...

Hamilton's JF Labbe hasn't exactly bounced back after the
All-Star Game. He allowed at least five goals in six of seven
games after the break...

Kentucky's Peter Roed had one goal in his first 38 games. He then
had four in five games...

Kentucky allowed the Phantoms four power-play goals in a 5-4 loss
Feb. 26, offsetting Steve Guolla's three assists...

Syracuse's Corey Hirsch started 22 consecutive games before
finally missing one with a minor injury...

Saint John's Paxton Schulte scored a goal Feb. 24 against
Providence, his first goal in three and a half months...

The St. John's Maple Leafs play in a small arena - only
Fredericton's Aitken Centre is smaller. Didn't stop the Leafs
from greeting their one millionth fan on Feb. 17th, though...
 
The Philadelphia Phantoms had a seven-game streak of sell-outs...

The Adirondack Red Wings started poorly after the All-Star Break,
losing their first six games...

The Hamilton Bulldogs were great in the playoffs last year, but
this season they can do the job in the regular season - they've
already topped last season's win and point totals...

Syracuse's Lonny Bohonos had 21 points in his first 11 games with
the Crunch, failing to register a point only once...

The Bears still lead the AHL in power-play goals, with 80. They
led the league in that category last season and the season
before, too...

The Philadelphia Phantoms' Peter White is catching up to
Kentucky's Steve Guolla and Springfield's Daniel Briere in the
AHL scoring race. White could become the second player to win
the scoring title three times...

The AHL's current point streak belongs to New Haven's Ryan
Johnson, with 22 points in 11 games...

The Providence Bruins can't win a game, but they sure have tried
different combinations of players. Only Joel Prpic has appeared
in every game for the P-Bruins this year...

Fredericton and Saint John really don't care for each other. So
they played each other in a home-and-home - oh boy. AHL Prez
Andrews and director of officials Charlie Banfield attended
all three games to make the kids play nice and in fact the series
concluded without any incidents...

Saint John coach Bill Stewart missed both games with pneumonia.
Assistant Jeff Perry steered the Flames to a pair of 4-2 wins...

The Portland Pirates only won five of their first 27 road games,
then won five of their next six...

The Providence Bruins outshot the Worcester IceCats 20-6 in the
third period of their Feb. 27 game. The Bruins didn't score a
goal; Worcester scored three...

Albany's streak was ended, naturally, by rivals Adirondack on the
strength of four power-play goals from the Wings. BJ Young was
involved with all four PP goals, getting four points on the
evening...

The Hartford Wolfpack notched the franchise's first shutout Feb.
27 in Syracuse, as Robb Stauber stopped 34 shots to pick up the
zero...

Kentucky trailed Philadelphia entering the third period of their
Feb. 29 matchup, but the T-Blades scored four goals, including
two short-handed empty-netters, to trounce the Phantoms 6-3...

New Haven's Peter Worrell has been called for at least one
penalty in 18 consecutive games...

Syracuse managed only two shots on goal during the first period
of a Feb. 28 game with Hartford, but one of them went in...

The Pirates scored three goals in the third period to win over
St. John's Mar. 1, getting the game-winner from Rick Kowalsky
after St. John's Mark Deyell shot a puck off the glass near the
referee to protest a penalty call. The ref gave Portland a 5-on-3
for that behavior...

Alexander Volchkov returned to Portland's lineup for the first
time since December and lasted one shift before leaving without
notice and changing to street clothes. The Capitals let Portland
handle the situation; the Pirates fined him $200 and hope the
wayward son will straighten himself out...

Worcester's Frederic Cassivi faced his old Syracuse teammates
Mar. 1 and shut them out, 6-0. It was the first shutout for the
IceCats this season...

The Providence Bruins (!) posted their first shutout of the
season as well, blanking Springfield 2-0 Mar. 6 behind John
Grahame's 35 saves. The Falcons outshot the Bruins 18-1 in the
third period...

With the IceCats' and Bruins' shutouts, only Syracuse and
Philadelphia have yet to post one...
  
Saint John's Ladislav Kohn became the Flames' all-time points
leader Feb. 28 when his three points brought him to 175 for his
career. His assist March 3 gave him the franchise lead in that
category too...

Adirondack's Sylvain Cloutier picked up his 100th career assist
last week...

Albany has had two ten-game winning streaks this season.
Adirondack ended both of them...

Rochester's Mike Bales, now out for over a month with a knee
injury, moved into the top 20 for career wins in the AHL...

Hershey's Mike Gaul is now third in defense scoring, eighth in
rookie scoring and first in rookie defense scoring without
playing the first six weeks of the season. More tellingly, he is
the only Bears regular with a plus rating...

The current active point streak belongs to the Philadelphia
Phantoms' John Druce with a ten-game point streak, and he also a
seven game assist streak alive...

The Hartford Wolf Pack are one game under .500 without Marc
Savard, 24 games over .500 with him...

Three AHL rookies have more than one short-handed goal and
believe it or not, they all play for the Providence Bruins - Joel
Prpic, Shawn Bates and Randy Robitaille...

Worcester IceCats rookie Michal Handzus set the franchise record
for rookie goals last weekend, notching his 25th...

Saint John's Martin St. Louis is doing the same thing in the AHL
that he did in the IHL - 15 points in his first seven games with
Flames. Again, who said size counts?...

The Kentucky T-Blades joined the trade with the IHL brigade,
sending Niklas Andersson to Utah for Fred Knipscheer...

Didn't help the 'blades fortunes in Philadelphia though, as Craig
Darby figured into all three goals and the Phantoms dropped
Kentucky 3-2 Mar. 3...

Rochester's Martin Biron came back from an aborted stint in the
ECHL and pitched a 28-save shutout against Fredericton, stopping
Eric Houde on a penalty shot...

St. John's blueliner Per Gustafsson missed a few games with the
flu, but had a five-point night against Saint John on his return
Mar. 3. Mark Deyell also had four points in that game...

But the Flames won it 6-5, largely because Martin St. Louis
racked up another three points. Eric Charron had two goals in
three minutes and Clarke Wilm had four points...

Then the Flames tackled Rochester Mar. 4, as Charron won the game
for the Flames with a goal just four seconds shy of game's end.
St. Louis had another four points...

Mar. 4 also saw the battle of division leaders, as Albany and
Philadelphia duked it out for the top spot in the conference.
Albany blew three different leads but scored twice in the third
period to win it...

Hartford's Daniel Goneau had a hat trick against Worcester Mar.
4, his first as a pro...

Syracuse came back from a 2-0 deficit to tie their game against
Adirondack Mar. 4, and then won the game when Red Wings goalie
David Arseneault had to leave the game with stomach cramps.
Norm Maracle came in cold and gave up the game-winner to Domenic
Pittis on the Crunch's first shot...

After scoring just four goals in three games, Hershey exploded
against Cincinnati Mar. 4 for seven goals, including a hat trick
from defenseman Patrick Traverse. Cincinnati blew a 2-0 lead,
while Rob Shearer had three points and Mitch Lamoreaux scored his
first goal in two years. Shearer and Mike McHugh scored short-
handed goals 19 seconds apart...

Just two nights later the Bears had another hat trick from their
blue line, this time from Pascal Trepanier as they defeated
Kentucky 4-1. Trepanier's third goal came on a penalty shot with
1:18 remaining in the game...

Cincinnati's Craig Reichert had a natural hat trick against
Albany Mar. 6, but unfortunately those were the only goals the
Ducks had and they gave up two short-handed goals on their way to
losing 6-3...

Kevin Kaminski is now Portland's penalty-minute leader after
bringing his career total to 701 with nine minutes against
Fredericton. Brian Curran held the previous mark, and also holds
the single season record of 328 PiMs, presently threatened by
Mark Major (295 so far)...

The Pirates and Canadiens played two games to determine who would
be the second place team Mar. 6 and 7. Portland won both games
2-1, and Martin Brochu shut down his old team despite a
21-1 shot deficit in one period...

Don't look now but the Bruins have actually won three games in a
row. Wow. They won their third Mar. 8 in Syracuse when the Crunch
took a 4-0 lead and then permitted the Bruins six unanswered
goals, including a hat trick for Joel Prpic...

The suddenly mortal Phantoms fell to Springfield, their third
loss in four games...

The only Beast to score against Worcester Mar. 7 was Jeff
Daniels, but Mike Fountain stopped all 37 shots he saw to make
the 1-0 score final...

Jarrod Skalde is a T-Blade again, after the waiver wire antics
which saw him play for San Jose, Dallas, Chicago and
Indianapolis. He still has to clear the current waivers, but
scored a game-winning goal for Kentucky Mar. 7 anyway...

Rochester and St. John's combined Mar. 7 for 150 penalty minutes,
to include six different fights, a game misconduct and a match
penalty for head-butting to Dean Melanson, before finishing in a
2-2 tie...

Kentucky hasn't won two games in a row since December 14...

The Adirondack Red Wings have received 82 more power-plays
chances than their opponents have...


----------------------------------------------------------------
COLLEGE HOCKEY REPORT: The End is Near
----------------------------------------------------------------
by James Clippinger

In the rough-and-tumble world of NCAA Division I hockey, there
has to be some people left behind.  After months of regular
season play, scores of injuries, and some pretty damn cool goals,
the field of 45 NCAA-tournament-eligible teams has been whittled
down to...36.  As we bid goodbye to UMass-Amherst, Union,
Dartmouth, Bowling Green, Alaska-Fairbanks, Western Michigan,
Nebraska-Omaha, Air Force and Army, we wish them luck on their
midterms (except the Dartmouth players, who have finals...stupid
quarter system!) and best of luck for next year.

Of course, among this pain and loss, there is some joy.  Boston
University, Yale, Michigan State and North Dakota all won their
conferences' regular-season championships, thus picking up an
automatic invitation to the NCAA tournament.  This invite gets
sweetened with a first-round bye if one such champion also wins
their conference tournament.

Anyway, let's get to each conference tournament.  Each tourney
winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAAs, so this is the last
hope for most teams to make it to the big dance.  Here's the
lowdown on each conference, going east-to-west:

HOCKEY EAST

#8 Merrimack at #1 Boston University 
#7 Providence at #2 Boston College 
#6 Maine at #3 New Hampshire 
#5 UMass-Lowell at #4 Northeastern 

Format
The Hockey East tournament begins with best-of-three
quarterfinals, after which the teams are reseeded before one-game
semifinals and finals at Boston's FleetCenter, "Your Source for
$21 Parking!(tm)" and home of the NCAA Frozen Four this year.

The Teams
BU is undoubtedly the hottest team in college hockey, with a
9-1-0 record over their last ten games and a terrific two-way
game led by Hobey Baker candidate Chris Drury.  The UNH Wildcats
looked like national championship contenders a few weeks back,
but a characteristic late-season slide has dimmed the hopes of
Granite Staters, especially with a quarterfinal series against
always-tough Maine.  Boston College is finally starting to regain
their 1980's form, with super frosh Brian Gionta leading the deep 
offensive attack against the Providence Friars.  The
Lowell/Northeastern matchup is intriguing, as Huskies coach Bruce
Crowder faces off against the RiverHawks he left for greener
pastures before last season.

Picks
BU should roll in this one, but there isn't a bad team in the
draw.  As for dark horses, I hate to bet against Bruce Crowder,
so I'm prognosticating that Northeastern will make the finals,
but the team is still a bit green to bet on to win it all.

ECAC

#10 St. Lawrence at #1 Yale 
#9 Vermont at #2 Clarkson 
#8 Cornell at #3 RPI 
#7 Princeton at #4 Brown 
#6 Colgate at #5 Harvard

Format
The ECAC has dispensed with the awkward Tuesday-night preliminary
round and moved to a "Final Five" format, first popularized in
the WCHA.  After the first-to-three-points first round (a win and
a tie wins the series), the teams are reseeded, #4 plays one
game against #5, and the winner enters a standard four-team
one-game semifinal round as the low seed.  All but the first
rounds take place over a long weekend at the Olympic Center in
Lake Placid, the most hallowed ground of American hockey.

The Teams
Yale, after running almost outta sight with the ECAC title,
managed to slow down enough over the late stages to allow
Clarkson to pull within a point, but the Eli finally did wrap up
their first ever ECAC regular season title.  Clarkson was hot
down the stretch, as was Brown, who came out of nowhere to notch
a home-ice berth for first-year coach Roger Grillo.  All of the
other teams have been too inconsistent to judge.  The RPI
Engineers were the clear preseason favorite in the league, but
after a rough start they have played respectable, but not stellar
hockey.  Harvard rode freshman scoring whizzes Chris Bala and
Steve Moore to a home-ice slot, but can't seem to find any other
offense.  Colgate...geez.  My beloved Red Raiders were an
unstoppable offensive machine in 1997, finding more holes in
defenses than are in a pan flute and then playin' them like
Zamfir.  But alas, 1998 brought a sudden halt to the scoring, and
now the lack of experience defensemen is starting to show,
although chaos in the rest of the league kept Colgate in the
sixth slot.  Princeton and Cornell are both capable of upsets,
but both are suffering from injury woes.  Vermont is suddenly
looking stronger, but a win over Clarkson at Cheel Arena would
require an act of God.  As for St. Lawrence...well, some really
nice kids with a great coach.  I hope they enjoy watching Yale's
Alex Westlund at work.

Picks
Clarkson is the pick of the litter in a weak year for the ECAC. 
They've beaten Yale recently, they are fully capable of beating
most other ECAC teams with little effort, and they are playing
really well right now.  Yale has a lot to play for in this
tournament, and their defense and goaltending will give other
teams fits in the NCAAs, but ECAC shooters are starting to figure
out Westlund and the Bulldogs have trouble when they lose the
lead.  I'm going to have to be partisan and pick Colgate as a
dark horse, as they have nothing to lose and an awful lot of
built-up offense waiting to break out.

CCHA

#8 Ferris State at #1 Michigan State 
#7 Notre Dame at #2 Michigan 
#6 Lake Superior State at #3 Ohio State 
#5 Miami at #4 Northern Michigan

Format
Best-of-three quarterfinals, reseeds, then one-game semifinals
and finals at the Joe Louis Arena in scenic downtown Detroit.

The Teams
Michigan State and Michigan are both strong contenders for the
national title, with great goaltending, strong offense, and
underrated defense.  Ferris State and Notre Dame are, in my
opinion, cannon fodder for these two.  Ohio State comes off of a
surprisingly strong season to face perennial powerhouse Lake
State in what will likely be the best quarterfinal series.  A
resurgent Miami squad will try to spoil Northern Michigan's
return to CCHA tourney play after a foray into WCHAville.

Picks
If Ohio State clears the first round, they can win the whole
shebang.  MSU and UM already have respect and high NCAA
seeds...both things that the Buckeyes lack, and want desperately. 
LSSU is the darkhorse, since the postseason always seems to bring
out the best in the Lakers.

WCHA

#10 Mankato State at #1 North Dakota 
#9 Alaska-Anchorage at #2 Wisconsin 
#8 Denver at #3 Colorado College 
#7 Michigan Tech at #4 St. Cloud State 
#6 Minnesota at #5 Minnesota-Duluth

Format
Just like the ECAC, who stole the "Final Five" idea, except first
round is best-of-three.  The Final Five itself is held in
Milwaukee's Bradley Center.

The Teams
North Dakota is the strongest, deepest team in the country, but
could have its hands full with Division I newcomer (and WCHA
affiliate) Mankato State.  Wisconsin should have no such problems
with UAA, as the Badgers have the best postseason coach in the W
CHA in Jeff Sauer.  St. Cloud, a perennial weak sister in the
league, can send a message against MTU.  Then comes...the wars. 
It will be a battle to the death in Colorado, as a lackluster
Denver squad looks to catch Colorado College in an off year,
while disappointing Minnesota takes on hated rival UMD.

Picks
St. Cloud State has something to prove, and will do it by
knocking off NoDak and winning the tourney.  Minnesota had an
awful season by their high standards, and could also look for
redemption as a dark horse.

NOTES FROM ALL AROUND
* ESPN has been featuring more and more college hockey highlights
on the "Plays of the Week" segment of SportsCenter, showing such
feats as Michigan State netminder Chad Alban's recent empty-net
goal.  Of course, they still spend 20 minutes on pro golf, but
hey, it's a start...

* Harvard goalie Mike Ginal, who plays with a prosthetic leg,
recently got his first varsity time in relief of Oliver Jonas
during a 6-1 rout of Colgate.  Ginal, who was profiled a few
months back by The Hockey News, did not face a shot in 3:17 of
playing time.

* Word out of Edmonton is that BU defenseman Tom Poti will be
signed by the Oilers after this season.  Poti has been
exceptional for the Terriers this year, and losing him to the
pros would further hurt a program about to graduate
all-Everything forward Chris Drury.  Of course, BU has always had
a fair share of players leave early, but Minnesota's hellish
season after losing Mike Crowley and Erik Rassmussen to the pros
might strike a little fear in coach Jack Parker's heart.


=================================================================
TEAM REPORTS
=================================================================
EASTERN CONFERENCE
ATLANTIC DIVISION
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FLORIDA PANTHERS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach:  Bryan Murray
   
Roster: C - Ray Whitney, Kirk Muller, Rob Niedermayer, Dave
Gagner, 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:  Robert Svehla, d (day-to-day, back spasms); 
Dino Ciccarelli, rw (day-to-day, mild concussion); John
Vanbiesbrouck, g (day-to-day, knee bruise).

Transactions: The Panthers returned Steve Washburn to the Beast
of New Haven (AHL).  Traded Esa Tikkanen, lw, to Washington for
Dwayne Hay, lw, and a conditional 1999 draft pick.

Standings: 
Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA
New Jersey   62  39  16   7    85  180  123
Philadelphia 61  32  20   9    73  178  142
Washington   62  27  24  11    65  169  164
NY Rangers   62  19  27  16    54  153  169
NY Islanders 62  22  32   8    52  162  174
Florida      61  18  31  12    48  147  176
Tampa Bay    62  12  41   9    33  119  205

Game Results: 
02/25 New Jersey      L 3-2 
02/27 at Detroit      L 3-1 
03/04 NY Rangers      L 4-3 
03/07 at Washington   L 6-3 
03/09 at Montreal     L 6-1

TEAM NEWS by Eric Seiden

"It's a hockey night in South Florida, and here come your
Panthers," screamed the announcer and for once he might have had
a little hope in his voice now that the much maligned Olympic
break was over. The faint hope that the Panthers might win 16 of
their remaining 25 games lingered in the air like the teasing
perfume of a long departed lover. But the fans and the announcer
alike were jilted out of the false promise when the Panthers
dumped the first two games after the return from Nagano.

Fans in attendance against New Jersey were bored into submission
in a game that used the cliche clutch-and-grab to its very
utmost. All life vanished from the game in the second period, and
the snores often overpowered the overly-loud arena music. Early
in the game, a young child sitting in the center of the lower
bowl just behind the goal was beaned in the head with a puck on a
deflected slap shot by Viktor Kozlov. The child was taken to
Jackson Memorial Hospital and remains in serious condition. I
happened to see this take place as it was right below my seat.
The child who looked to be three or four years old was knocked
unconscious. The crowd frantically waved to the ushers for help
to no avail. Finally, the desperate father ran up the stairs with
the child cradled in his arms. I assume the child made out OK.
Further efforts to get more information came up empty.

Apparently the Panthers never woke up, for their attendance was
clearly missed at the Red Wings game which followed. Ray Sheppard
was benched for the night. According to the Miami Herald he
wasn't happy about this, saying, "I'm disappointed in the
decision." Many fans are disappointed in his play so far this
year as well as the play of many other Panther players. Players
are losing their confidence in droves no thanks to Acting Head
Coach/Twit Bryan Murray who benches players just as they start to
improve. Talk is beginning to circulate that not only won't he be
coach next season, he may be out as GM as well. (Hallelujah,
sayeth this reporter.)

Congratulations are in order for Paul Laus who returned home
before the Detroit game because his wife Jeannie gave birth to
their second daughter, Kylie. The Miami Herald quipped, "No word
on weather Kylie dropped the gloves when the doctor slapped her
behind."

Speaking of the Red Wings, the Panthers aren't getting Sergei
Fedorov. This will be the last installment of the weekly rumor
mill regarding Fedorov. As I said in the past, I'm glad the
Panthers are not getting Fedorov. I was always opposed to it. 

Murray was quoted on the Florida Panthers Mailing List and in the
Miami Herald, as well as several other places, stating that the
Panthers did NOT make an offer for Fedorov. However, just before
the Olympic break, Murray confirmed he made an offer to Detroit.
The Herald says, just as in November when Murray made an initial
offer (despite Murray's claim otherwise), that the Panthers
didn't have anything Detroit wanted. Detroit would love Robert
Svehla but supposedly he's on the short "won't trade" list. Yet,
in the same breath, Murray says no Panther is untouchable.

In yet another blow to the Panthers' fragile psyche, Dino
Ciccarelli got a mild concussion during the Rangers game which,
as it turns out, wasn't as minor as originally thought.
Ciccarelli's absence returned recent bench-warmer Chris Wells to
the lineup the next night against the Capitals. Ciccarelli said
he "went to bed with headaches" on Friday.

Svehla did not travel to Washington due to his back spasms. It
was his first missed game since October 1996. While John
Vanbiesbrouck did travel with the team, it was announced that
should Weekes be injured or unable to play, Beezer would be
unable to play and the Panthers would dress one of their players
in goal (the NHL's rules have a provision for this). This was all
because a Gord Murphy shot in practice hit Beezer's knee just
above the pad and it's badly swollen. Expect him to be out Monday
at least. Already at the NHL roster limit, acting coach Bryan
Murray didn't want to put Beezer on waivers nor risk juggling the
lineup to recall Todd MacDonald, the emergency back-up goalie.

The Washington game proved that while Weekes will one day be
good, the present is elusive to his skills. He had a fine first
period, and then disintegrated towards the end allowing three
goals in just a few minutes. His weakness is not stopping the
hard shot, but the rebound. Weekes has been sunk by the rebound
time and again. Had Beezer been able to play, he would have been
pulled. But after the Panthers were so far down, there was no
longer any point. 

To make the whole goaltending situation more disturbing, Beezer's
contract talks are at an impasse. At the end of the season,
Beezer becomes an unrestricted free agent. Beezer's agent
reports, "There is no need for us to have any further discussion
with the Panthers management." This means come next year, the
team will have no outstanding goaltender for the first time in
club history.

THE PROBLEM WITH OUR CAPTAIN
In past reports, readers have seen numerous criticisms of current
Panthers captain Scott Mellanby. One of the latest criticisms
surfaced in the Red Wings game, though this wasn't the first
instance it was very noticeable.  Whenever there was a matter to
be discussed and/or questioned with the referee, Rob Niedermayer
was the one dealing with the officials. Though he is an
alternate, it is still odd that as the team captain Mellanby was
not the player dealing with it. While it may be that Mellanby has
a tendency to lose his temper and get minor, major, or even 10-
minute misconducts, it still isn't an excuse. The captain has a
job, and if he can't do it, he should be replaced. Lindsay,
Murphy, Fitzgerald would all be good candidates.

EX-PANTHER WATCH
The former coach of the Panthers, Doug MacLean, was hired just
before the Olympic break (2-12-98) as the new General Manager for
the Columbus Blue Jackets. Panther fans were glad to see one of
their favorite ex-Panther people get a prime job such as this.
Columbus will find many fans in this southern outpost when they
enter the league. Columbus is one of the four new cities joining
the NHL between 1998 and 2000. They also have the distinction
of having the worst name in the NHL.
 
PANTHERS AFFILIATE CHANGES UPCOMING
This report was composed from information obtained from sources
at the teams as well as from the pages of the Miami Herald plus
some rumors that have been floating around. Add typical
reporting, take all the sludge, compare it to known facts, and
draw conclusions.

The ECHL's current Lexington, KY, team is moving to Miami, FL,
for next season and will play in the Miami Arena which the
Panthers are vacating for their new arena. Yeah, of course I'm
getting tickets!

The as yet unformed new AHL franchise owned by the Florida
Panthers (which was acquired from former Panthers prospective
buyer and media-mogul Bud Paxson) will be formed and play in
Lexington, KY, starting with next season.

The Panthers will continue to use the AHL as their primary
affiliate. This means the Best of New Haven is out of luck and
will be dumped as the team's current AHL affiliate. The Panthers
will also assign their ECHL affiliation contract to the new, as
yet unnamed, Miami team. This means the current ECHL affiliate,
the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks are out at the end of the season.
(Unrelated interesting note: the ECHL is also adding a team in
either Fort Myers or Naples, FL, next season, too, meaning even
more hockey in the Sunshine State.)

This is all written in stone except the affiliation with the new
ECHL team, though common sense dictates it will happen. Why am I
so sure about this sequence of moves and re-affiliations? All
sources contacted all agreed except for the Tallahassee Tiger
Sharks who didn't have anything to say one way or the other; I'm
betting that's a done deal too -- everywhere except on paper.

So why should you care? This will drastically change the Panthers
prospecting situations because the Panthers will fully control
their affiliate in the AHL and there will be no excuses as "well
(TEAM) didn't use (PLAYER) enough and/or in the fashion in which
we intended." This excuse has been often flung about by the
Panthers to explain away poor prospect performance. Full
culpability and responsibility will reside with the Panthers for
the future. This is going to be really good for the Panthers in
the long term and it's a significant happening for the team.

TIKKANEN TRADED
The Florida Panthers have traded Esa Tikkanen to the Washington
Capitals for Dwayne Hay, lw, and a conditional 1999 draft pick.

Hay, the Capitals third choice (43 overall) in the 1995 entry
draft is currently playing for the Portland Pirates (AHL) and has
six goals and seven assists in 53 games. He is scoreless in two
games with Washington this season.

Tikkanen was signed by the Panthers as a free agent before the
season and played in only 28 games with Florida, recording one
goal and eight assists. 



-----------------------------------------------------------------
NEW JERSEY DEVILS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach:  Jacques Lemaire
   
Roster: C - Doug Gilmour, Bobby Holik, Bob Carpenter, Denis
Pederson, Petr Sykora, Jason Arnott, Sergei Brylin.  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: 2/25 - D Doug Bodger, broken right index finger,
day-to-day; 2/26 - D Scott Stevens, hip pointer, day-to-day; LW
Scott Daniels, charley horse, day-to-day.  3/5 - C Doug Gilmour,
right knee injury, out 10 days to two weeks.  

Transactions: 2/25 - Assigned LW Patrik Elias to Albany (AHL).
2/28 - Recalled LW Patrik Elias from Albany (AHL).  3/6 Recalled
C Sergei Brylin from Albany (AHL).

Standings: 
Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA
New Jersey   62  39  16   7    85  180  123
Philadelphia 61  32  20   9    73  178  142
Washington   62  27  24  11    65  169  164
NY Rangers   62  19  27  16    54  153  169
NY Islanders 62  22  32   8    52  162  174
Florida      61  18  31  12    48  147  176
Tampa Bay    62  12  41   9    33  119  205

Game Results:
2/25 at Florida     W 3-2
2/26 at Tampa Bay   W 4-1
2/28 Carolina       W 4-3
3/02 Philadelphia   W 4-3
3/05 Boston         T 1-1
3/07 Rangers        W 6-3
3/09 at Rangers     T 2-2

TEAM NEWS by Phil Aromando

With 12 seconds left in Monday's game against the Rangers, the
Garden crowd couldn't contain itself any longer.  For the first
time since '94, the year the Devils began to matter, the chant
"Devils suck" rocked the building.  Maybe it was out of
frustration (the tie gave Jersey their first-ever sweep (4-0-2)
of a season series with New York) or maybe it was the cathartic
roar of a populace realizing that, once again, the Devil has no
clothes.

For all the wins, points and streaks the Devils manage to string
together, this is a fundamentally flawed team.  I know that
statement seems extreme, but the Rangers again exposed a weakness
that come playoff time could do the Devils in quick.  Granted,
the Rangers seem to have an inherent psychological edge over this
team but they also provide the closest thing to a playoff-like
atmosphere during the regular season.

In Monday's game, the Devils dominated for 50 minutes.  They
didn't even allow a shot to the Rangers until the first period's
closing seconds.  It was one of the most dominating displays of
Jersey defense this season.  They played with precision and
patience and executed their style flawlessly.  Only thing was,
after one period, they were only up by one goal and were tied up
less than a minute into the second period when Pat LaFontaine
beat Brodeur on a breakaway.  Unlike Saturday's game, which was
in question until three unanswered goals broke a 3-3 tie, the
Devils were in the curious position of completely outplaying
their opponent through close to a full game and still not having
anything to show for it but a one-goal lead deep into the game.

The ineffectiveness of the power play without Gilmour could be
blamed, going one for seven.  But even he didn't play on
Saturday, a game where the Devils converted on their first three
man-advantages.  I think the problem lies with the team's ability
to play from behind.  As I said, they dominated Monday's game
from nearly beginning to end.  But Mike Richter's ability to keep
them from scoring made them seem fortunate to even have two
goals.  Their inability to convert took its toll.  With ten
minutes left in the third, they just went into a shell and seemed
to think the Rangers would lie down too and they would sneak out
with the win.  Only thing is, they didn't and the Rangers pressed
and Gretzky scored the tying goal on a fluke shot off Bobby
Carpenter from behind the net with little more than a minute to
play.  It was a demoralizing way to tie and, in some ways, could
be read as a metaphor for the season.  Play great, textbook
hockey and still come up short.

I don't mean to be alarmist or needlessly project too far into
the future (the Rangers may tank the rest of the season) but I
bring this up because none other than Martin Brodeur stated this
past week that the Devils would rather not face the Rangers in
the playoffs.  Why?  Because the Devils system, as great and
effective as it is, cannot account for teams that simply refuse
to be intimidated or worn down by it.  It's not just the Rangers
they don't want to face, but any team (Pittsburgh, Philly,
Detroit, Dallas) that has the will to see beyond the neutral zone
and into the next, more prestigious round.  

There is no doubt that the Devils are a stellar team.  There is
no doubt they want to win more than the next team.  It's just
that they seem to be missing a crucial element necessary for the
war of attrition that is the playoffs:  they do not have a killer
instinct.  They have difficulty with adversity.  So many times
this season they have won games leading after two periods
(34-1-3).  Impressive.  But a more indicative stat of a team's
character is how well it plays when coming from behind.  When
trailing or tied after two they are 5-15-5.  They have only lost
16 games all season.  Hopefully, this isn't prophecy and the
Devils will remember the hollow thud an early playoff exit makes
after such an expectant season.  There may be time to work on
this, but it's getting late.  

GILMOUR HURT
Although Scott Stevens suffered a hip pointer his second game
back from Nagano and Martin Brodeur dealt with the less
physically demanding effects of jet lag and general athletic
inactivity, the Devils came through Winter Break relatively
unscathed.  Even Ken Daneyko made his return after missing most
of the season from a stint in rehab.  (His return to home ice
against Carolina was acknowledged with an ovation during his
first shift.  It was an emotional moment.  He looks great and
despite being short shifted initially, is beginning to reach the
form that makes him such a valuable part of this team).

So how ironic is it that Doug Gilmour, the man who is relied upon
to guide the team offensively, nearly busted up his knee on a
seemingly innocuous center-ice hit to Grant Ledyard in the Boston
game?  At first it wasn't clear how serious the injury may be,
since an MRI was inconclusive.  As it turns out, arthroscopic
surgery performed Saturday morning revealed no ligament damage,
just some loose cartilage.  It was easily removed.  Since there
was no structural damage, Gilmour will have range of motion
almost immediately.  That means he could be skating within a week
to ten days.  If the power play, which began to come to life
after the Olympics, goes south again, Lamoriello will have him
playing on crutches.



-----------------------------------------------------------------
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach:  Rick Bowness  
   
Roster: C - Robert Reichel, Trevor Linden, Bryan Smolinski, Mark
Janssens, Claude Lapointe, Sergei Nemchinov. LW - Mike Hough,
Paul Kruse, Ken Belanger, Tom Chorske. RW - Zigmund Palffy, Joe
Sacco, Mariusz Czerkawski, Dan Plante, Steve Webb, Vladimir
Orszagh. D - Scott Lachance, Bryan Berard, Richard Pilon, Kenny
Jonsson, Jason Holland, J.J. Daigneault, Zdeno Chara, Jason
Strudwick, Dennis Vaske. G - Eric Fichaud, Tommy Salo, Wade
Flaherty. 

Injuries: Rich Pilon, d (elbow, day-to-day); Dennis Vaske, d 
(concussion, indefinite); Ken Belanger, lw (surgery, indefinite).

Transactions: None. 

Standings: 
Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA
New Jersey   62  39  16   7    85  180  123
Philadelphia 61  32  20   9    73  178  142
Washington   62  27  24  11    65  169  164
NY Rangers   62  19  27  16    54  153  169
NY Islanders 62  22  32   8    52  162  174
Florida      61  18  31  12    48  147  176
Tampa Bay    62  12  41   9    33  119  205

Game Results
02/25 Dallas        L 4-1
03/01 Boston        L 5-4
03/03 Philadelphia  W 3-1
03/06 at Buffalo    W 4-2
03/07 Colorado      L 4-2

TEAM NEWS by David Strauss

Okay, so you just spent, say around $195 million to buy a hockey
team.  What's your first move?  Why, do everything you can to
reverse 15 years of owner neglect, incompetence, and marketing in
one symbolic night, that's what!

(Don't worry if you got it wrong, I answered "More nachos"
myself.)

The Islanders' new owners did more than add new concession stands
upon taking over the team last week.  Following in the footsteps
of the John Spano fiasco, and over a decade's worth of do-nothing
ownership by John Pickett, they instantly showed they had plans
to turn the team around.

The first step in that procedure, of course, was to annoy Ranger
fans.  So, in the spirit of rivalry, the new owners placed the
following full-page ad in the New York papers:

Islanders fan n. (fanatic) loyal, passionate, optimistic,
heroic, travels to games in freezing rain and snow, loses sleep
over missed shots, goes hoarse yelling advise to coaching staff
(even when watching on TV), never ever gives up hope in the club
despite foiled attempts to get into the playoffs, management
confusion, silly logo changes, an empty place in the heart where
the fifth Stanley Cup belongs, long lines to the bathroom, and
very rude comments from ignorant Ranger fans in the kind of
language that should not be used in front of children.

A million thanks for your undying loyalty.  As the new owners, we
pledge to make it all worthwhile.

Howard P. Milstein 
Steven M. Gluckstern


Next thing was some quick marketing touch-ups.  Billboards across
the street from the Coliseum and around the Island included a
picture of the four Cup banners, with a space for the fifth,
"Coming soon."  Fans were invited to turn in their fisherman
merchandise (donated to the American Red Cross in Massachusetts,
the home of Gorton's Foods) and receive a free shirt with the
newspaper ad on the front.  Gluckstern even dressed up as the
infamous fisherman at a game to symbolically pound the hated logo
into dust.

Oh yeah, and they invited back a few old friends to say hi.

Tuesday night's game against the Flyers was quickly rechristened
as "True Islander Fan Night." The new owners brought in most of
the key members of the club's 1980-83 Stanley Cup dynasty,
including Bryan Trottier, for a nostalgic pregame ceremony. 
Since the new owners are trying to reconnect with alienated
Islander fans, honoring the past is a good way to start.

Former captain Denis Potvin, who appeared at the ceremony, said a
member of the new ownership group told him: "They're not just
buying the Islanders.  They're buying the history, everything we
did, for that $195 million. I think they're doing the right
thing, obviously."

Mike Bossy acted as master of ceremonies, introducing former
coach Al Arbour and 18 former players, including Bill Smith,
Clark Gillies and Bobby Nystrom.  But the big return was
Trottier, the fan favorite who had thus far refused to
have his jersey number retired, due to a feud with the previous
owners and management team.  Trottier and Bossy both appeared on
skates, and as the ceremony ended, they skated the length of the
ice, passing a puck.  It was very fitting that Trottier fed Bossy
for an open-net goal, for old time's sake.

"I haven't skated in about four years," Bossy said, "so that was
my toughest journey in a long time."

Trottier said: "We chuckled about that. I said, `I haven't passed
to that big stick of yours in a long time.' . . . It was kind of
neat."

After Bossy scored, the sound system played Bruce Springsteen's
"Glory Days."  Then the current team went out and tried to make
the fans forget it's been 15 years that has passed since the
Islanders' last Cup.  The 1998 Islanders, playing in the classic
original jerseys, seemed energized by the ceremony and
went on to a convincing 3-1 win over the Flyers.

No announcement was made about the retirement of Trottier's
No.19, but club officials said they expect it to happen next
season.

"The new ownership is enthusiastic about doing something,"
Trottier said.  "If things can be worked out, it'll be great." He
said of his reception by the crowd: "It's always very enjoyable.
The fans make it even more special . . . The emotions run the
gamut. To share that spotlight with all your teammates was very
special . . . That roar brought back a lot of memories."

Bossy said: "I look at tonight, honestly, as a beginning.
Obviously, just the fact that [the new owners] were able to bring
Bryan in is definitely a step in the right direction . . . They
seem like great hockey fans. They seem like people who want to
make an impact on Long Island, that want to keep the team here,
that are looking to the future. If the future means bringing a
little bit of the past with them, I'm all for that."

Bossy is a stockbroker and lives in a Montreal suburb. He attends
Canadiens games and said many former Canadiens attend games at
Molson Centre and have been hired by the organization.

"If you don't have them," Bossy said, "people are always asking
why they aren't there. And that has been the case for the last 10
years here. People asked, `Where is Bossy, where is Potvin, where
is Billy Smith?' If the new organization wants to change that,
that's for the better." (Potvin is a Panthers' television color
commentator; Smith is their goalie coach.)

"It's not like the Islanders have anything to hide," Bossy said.
"We won four Stanley Cups . . . This [ceremony] doesn't mean you
live in the past. It means you embrace what the team did back in
those days. So if our presence does any good for the players here
or inspires them, makes them feel part of a great tradition, then
all the better."

But the most symbolic and traditional act of the ceremony was
reserved for Hall of Famer and former captain Denis Potvin, who,
in a surprise moment, passed the torch to the newest Islander
captain, Trevor Linden.  When it was announced, Linden skated
across the ice, past Bossy, Trottier, Gillies and Nystrom, to be
handed the jersey - and his new letter - by Potvin, all to a
huge roar of applause from the crowd.

The 27-year-old Linden became the seventh captain in the 26-year
history of the Islanders. "Obviously," Linden said later, "you
look at a number of those guys out there, at this tremendous
hockey dynasty, and it's a big honor. It was a  proud moment in
my life, a huge thrill."

"We all know when we acquired him that he would eventually take
over as captain," Islanders coach Rick Bowness said, adding:
"When you're a new guy, sometimes it's tough to be given the `C.'
But when it comes right down to it, that's why we went out and
got him - to eventually name him captain.  But he has handled
[the transition from Vancouver] very, very well.  Obviously, he's
fit right in. He's a wonderful human being, he's a good team guy
and he's a great player."

As Linden said of his leadership style: "I think that more is
accomplished by leading by example than by talking a lot of
times. But there are times to talk, too. Certain guys are less
vocal. Some guys are more. I think that within a team, there are
a lot of leaders who don't have any letters on their sweaters -
and that you rely on the people around you. Everyone leads
in their own way. You want to be a liaison and work with the
guys. If there are any problems, you sort them out. You organize
team parties."

Bowness said the decision to name Linden captain was made just a
few minutes before 6 p.m. Tuesday, following a conversation with
Islanders general manager Mike Milbury. The two decided, Bowness
said, "the time was now."

Linden follows in a lineage of captains that includes Eddie
Westfall, Gillies, Potvin, Brent Sutter, Patrick Flatley and
Bryan McCabe.

"I think that the thing they felt was important was that this was
done sooner than later," Linden said. "That was the real push. If
they were going to do it next year, why not do it now, settle
things out, and work on making the playoffs."



-----------------------------------------------------------------
NEW YORK RANGERS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach:  John Muckler

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, Shane
Churla.  D - Brian Leetch, Ulf Samuelsson, Jeff Beukeboom, Bruce
Driver, Doug Lidster, Alexander Karpovstev, Eric Cairns, Jeff
Finley.  G - Mike Richter, Dan Cloutier.

Injuries: Shane Churla, rw (knee surgery, out 'till March);  Ryan
VandenBususche, rw (arthroscopic knee surgery, three weeks); 
Alexander Karpovtsev, d (torn wrist ligament, out for the
season).  

Transactions:  Recalled P.J. Stock, c, from Hartford (AHL).

Standings: 
Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA
New Jersey   62  39  16   7    85  180  123
Philadelphia 61  32  20   9    73  178  142
Washington   62  27  24  11    65  169  164
NY Rangers   62  19  27  16    54  153  169
NY Islanders 62  22  32   8    52  162  174
Florida      61  18  31  12    48  147  176
Tampa Bay    62  12  41   9    33  119  205

Game Results:
2/26 at Toronto     W 5-2
2/28 Philadelphia   L 3-1
3/02 Buffalo        L 1-0
3/04 at Florida     W 4-2
3/07 at New Jersey  L 6-3
3/09 New Jersey     T 2-2

TEAM NEWS by Alex Frias

Six games have passed since the change in coaches and the jury is
still undecided.  Nineteen games remain and the Rangers are five
points behind the Ottawa Senators out of a playoff spot.  

"We have to do it," said Wayne Gretzky.  

"We got ourselves in this mess and are the only ones who are
going to get ourselves out of it," said Mike Richter.

New coach John Muckler, with his go-for-it attitude, has given
this veteran team a license to steer themselves into the playoffs
or off the cliff.  He has Gretzky killing penalties, prompting
the Great One to praise the coach for giving him "more
responsibility" even though Gretzky's ice time hovers in the same
20-minute area Campbell afforded him.  

Muckler's "shallow forecheck" attack and emphasis on transition
has the whole team's spirits up.  During a recent four-on-four
situation, Muckler sent out such offense-oriented crews as Brian
Leetch-Pat LaFontaine-Adam Graves-Bruce Driver and Gretzky-Alexei
Kovalev-Doug Lidster-Ulf Samuelsson.  

Their is a much improved attitude in the dressing room and it's
evident in their on-ice play.  Yet it is too early too tell
whether this time is different from back in January or December
when they were saying the same thing.  

Their two victories in six games under Muckler were against
Toronto and Florida, two teams that are third-tier clubs.  The
Blueshirts didn't come close to frightening Philadelphia, were
stoned by the Dominator, and New Jersey opened two cans of
whoop-ass in their home-and-home series over the weekend.

The Rangers have two weeks to show management that they can make
a run for the playoffs.  Two weeks cried the raven, or
nevermore...


-----------------------------------------------------------------
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach:  Roger Neilson

ROSTER: C - Eric Lindros, Chris Gratton, Dan LaCroix, Joel Otto,
Mike Sillinger. LW - John LeClair, Rod Brind'Amour, Colin Forbes,
Dan Kordic, Shjon Podein. RW - Alexandre Daigle, Trent Klatt,
Dainius Zubrus, Brantt Myhres. D - Paul Coffey, Eric Desjardins,
Chris Joseph, Janne Niinimaa, Luke Richardson, Kjell Samuelsson,
Petr Svoboda, Chris Therien. G - Ron Hextall, Sean Burke, Neil Little.  

Injuries: Eric Lindros, c (concussion, 1-2 weeks); Sean Burke, g (back spasms, 
day-to-day); Petr Svoboda, d (elbow, indefinite).

Transactions: Traded Garth Snow, g, to Vancouver in exchange for Sean Burke, g. 
Recalled Neil Little, g, from Philadelphia (AHL).  Assigned John Druce, rw, and 
Craig Darby, c, to Philadelphia (AHL).

Standings: 
Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA
New Jersey   62  39  16   7    85  180  123
Philadelphia 61  32  20   9    73  178  142
Washington   62  27  24  11    65  169  164
NY Rangers   62  19  27  16    54  153  169
NY Islanders 62  22  32   8    52  162  174
Florida      61  18  31  12    48  147  176
Tampa Bay    62  12  41   9    33  119  205

Game Results
2/28 at NY Rangers    W 3-1
3/02 at New Jersey    L 4-3
3/03 at NY Islanders  L 3-1
3/05 Washington       W 3-2
3/07 at Pittsburgh    L 6-4
3/08 Pittsburgh       W 4-3 OT 

TEAM NEWS by Michael Dell

LINDROS KNOCKED LOOPY
There's been plenty of big stories in Philly recently, but none
bigger than Eric Lindros suffering a concussion at the hands of
Pittsburgh's Darius Kasparaitis.  

The injury occurred in the second period of Philly's 6-4 loss to
the Penguins on Saturday, March 7, in Pittsburgh.  The Flyers had
just surrendered a short-handed goal to Jiri Slegr that cut their
lead to 4-3 when Lindros was looking to carry the puck into the
Pittsburgh zone along the right wing boards.  As he approached
the stripe, Lindros lost the puck and lowered his head in an
attempt to find it.  He never saw Kasparaitis looping around an
accidental screen from John LeClair and the wacky Lithuanian
lowered the boom.  Kasparaitis lit into Lindros with a clean,
devastating shoulder check, the impact of which sent both men to
the ice.  Only Kasparaitis got up.    

The hit was absolutely enormous.  It was gigantic.  It was
humongous... hey, I'm just sayin' it was big, that's all.  For a
complete recap of the hit and the events surrounding it, please
visit your local library or check out the <a
href="http://www.lcshockey.com/issues/89/89kaspar.asp">feature</a
> elsewhere in this issue.  

Lindros will be lost for the Flyers between 10 and 14 days.  But
it's always tough to tell with concussions.  If the Flyers are
going to make a mistake, they'll err on the side of caution.  

SNOW SWAPPED FOR BURKE
GM Bobby Clarke finally made a move to improve the Flyers'
goaltending situation.  Unfortunately, the move he made was to
send Garth Snow to Vancouver for Sean Burke.

Make no mistake about it, Burke is better than either Snow or Ron
Hextall, but he's not going to bring a Cup to Philly.  He might
have been able to four years ago, but his best days are behind
him.  The main problem is his ailing back which makes him pretty
much day-to-day even when he's healthy.  

Sure enough, Burke left his first game as a Flyer with back
spasms.  The Flyers were forced to recall Neil Little from the
AHL to act as Hextall's backup until Burke is good to go.

CASHMAN CHANGED
Clarke followed up his acquisition of Burke with another
questionable move, demoting Wayne Cashman to assistant coach and
bringing in Roger Neilson as the new main man behind the bench. 
The 63-year-old Neilson will be coaching his seventh NHL team. 
He is most well known for making the Florida Panthers a playoff
contender in their first two seasons, while also making the
neutral zone trap a nifty trend for the talent impaired. 
Although there are a lot of fans out there that will always
remember him as the coach of the New York Rangers when Adam
Graves busted Mario Lemieux's hand with a slash in the playoffs. 
Which led Penguin color man Paul Steigerwald to utter his now
immortal quote, "He said take out Lemieux!  I read his lips!"

The announcement on the coaching change came on Monday, March 9,
immediately following Cashman and the Flyers pulling off a
thrilling 4-3 overtime win against the visiting Pittsburgh
Penguins.  At least he went out in style.  
  
Neilson is a quality veteran coach who knows how to get the most
out of his players.  And that was a complaint often aimed at
Cashman, that he couldn't get the Flyers to play their best
hockey on a consistent basis.  The Flyers would often physically
dominate games for short periods of time and then seem to
disappear completely.  That just doesn't cut it when your goal is
a Stanley Cup. 

Cashman, who was in his first year as coach, led the Flyers to a
32-20-9 record.  That doesn't seem bad until you realize that
they're 12 points behind the New Jersey Devils for the top spot
in the Atlantic Division.  The Flyers have also had trouble
against the league's elite, going 0-7-1 against Colorado, Dallas,
Detroit, and New Jersey.  

While no one will argue with naming Neilson the new coach, the
concern is why wasn't he named the coach to begin with?  Changing
coaches midstream like this just makes the Flyers, and especially
Clarke, seem foolish.  He's basically admitting that he made a
mistake.  A mistake so grievous, that he couldn't even wait until
the off-season to correct the problem.  

Now the Flyers, without Lindros, will have to try and get used to
a new coach and a new system in the remaining 21 games of the
regular season in preparation for a Cup run.  That's not going to
be easy.

DAIGLE SCORED!
Cashman was able to leave on a high note, thanks to Alexandre
Daigle scoring the OT game-winner against the Penguins.  Yes,
that's right, Daigle actually scored a goal!  There's no word yet
on whether or not hell has frozen over, but several citizens of
Cleveland have been seen wearing mittens.  

Daigle made a real swell play to split the Pittsburgh defense
with speed and then flip a shot over Kenny Wregget's glove before
getting hauled to the ice and crashing into the cage.  It was
Daigle's first goal as a Flyer and his first red light in 22
games.  That deserves a wow...
   
SHORT GAME RECAPS
Feb. 28, won at NY Rangers, 3-1:  The Flyers erupted for
three goals in the second period to erase a 1-0 deficit and skate
away with the 3-1 win.  Trent Klatt (10), Lindros (26), and Colin
Forbes (7) provided the goals, while Hextall stopped 26 shots to
post the win.

Mar. 2, lost at New Jersey, 4-3:  The Devils opened up a
3-0 lead before Chris Gratton (15) got the Flyers on the board in
the second period.  Forbes (8) and newcomer Mike Sillinger (11)
knotted the game with third-period goals before Steve "Stumpy"
Thomas potted the game-winner for El Diablo at 13:54.  Hextall
took the loss, yielding four goals on 27 shots.

Mar. 3, lost at NY Islanders, 3-1:  Philly dropped its
second straight game thanks in large part to the goaltending of
Tommy Salo.  The Swedish netminder turned aside 34 Flyer shots in
leading the fishermen to the 3-1 upset.  Rod Brind'Amour (26) had
the lone Flyer goal.  This game proved to be Garth Snow's last as
a Flyer, as he stopped 21 of 24 in defeat.

Mar. 5, beat Washington, 3-2:  The Flyers once again used
the strength of a three-goal second period to power to victory. 
The Caps had scored one in the first and one in the third, but
the goals by Brind'Amour (27), Lindros (27), and Gratton (16)
were enough to earn the win.  Hextall was in net and stopped 24.

Mar. 7, lost at Pittsburgh, 6-4:  This game will always be
remembered for Kasparaitis' epic collision with Lindros.  The
Flyers had a 4-3 lead at the time of the hit, but folded in the
third, allowing goals to Alexei Morozov, Martin Straka, and
Jaromir Jagr, who bagged an empty-netter.  Lindros (28) had
scored Philly's fourth goal before getting knocked out.  He was
joined on the scoresheet by Brind'Amour (28) and Sillinger (12,
13).  Sean Burke got the start in net but was forced to leave
with back spasms at 12:35 of the second period.  He had stopped
15 of 18 shots before departing.  

Mar. 8, beat Pittsburgh, 4-3 in OT:  As mentioned earlier,
Alexandre Daigle (8) scored at 4:03 of overtime to give Wayne
Cashman a win in his final game as head coach.  It seemed like
the Flyers had things wrapped up when Shjon Podein (8) broke a 2-
2 tie at 19:14 of the third.  But the Pens rallied to score the
tying goal with just 15 seconds left in regulation when Jaromir
Jagr snapped a sweet Ron Francis pass behind a startled Hextall. 
It was some wild, wild stuff.  Sillinger (14) scored Philly's
first goal, giving him four in five games.  John LeClair (39) got
the second one.  It was his first goal since the Olympics, ending
a five-game drought. 
            
    
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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
Andersson. 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).

Transactions: Assigned Brent Peterson, lw, to Milwaukee (IHL).

Standings: 
Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA
New Jersey   62  39  16   7    85  180  123
Philadelphia 61  32  20   9    73  178  142
Washington   62  27  24  11    65  169  164
NY Rangers   62  19  27  16    54  153  169
NY Islanders 62  22  32   8    52  162  174
Florida      61  18  31  12    48  147  176
Tampa Bay    62  12  41   9    33  119  205

Game Results
02/25  Washington  W  4-3                                  
02/26  New Jesrey  L  4-1                                        
02/28  Washington  W  5-2
03/03  Calgary     L  2-1                                     
03/04  Edmonton    L  4-2                                        
03/07  Vancouver   L  5-2 

TEAM NEWS by Seth Lerman
                                           
When one thinks of great hockey history and great hockey
tradition, Tampa Bay is not the first city to come to mind.  It
is conceivable that Boston, Montreal, New York, Detroit, and
Philadelphia would be first on most fans' lists.
  
However, hockey is alive and doing quite well in the sunshine
state and the world's greatest game is now played in front of
millions of new fans.

One would expect to think that with new fans comes new
expectations, and above all winning is what all fans expect -
even in Tampa Bay, where the Lightning, who are now in their
sixth season, currently reside at the bottom of the NHL
standings.  In fact, they have been there since October, and are
now in their sixth straight month of making excuses and conjuring
up images which constantly yield the phrase, "we are turning the
corner."

"I do not know what the remedy is but the bottom line is we've
been very fortunate through all this," said forward Rob Zamuner
to the Tampa Tribune. "Jacques has been very patient, and when
you think about it he could be really making life horrible for
us."
  
Perhaps that is the problem.  The Lightning have it too easy. 
You would think that a team with 12 wins in 52 games would be
doing sprints all through practice until the players realize this
is a professional hockey team, not a Sunday beer league gathering
of overweight, out of shape, adult men.
  
"Down in Tampa, with the way the fans and media treat us, it's
incredible," added Zamuner.  "They could really make it hell for
us and they haven't.  But that is going to stop if we do not do
something about this real quick."

In all fairness to the organization and its loyal fans, the
Lightning have made some roster moves which might in fact help
the club in the long run, but at present, the team continues to
struggle, and the excuses mount.

"The last three games (all losses), we've been all over the
opposition at the start, but we don't score.  Why?  Because we
don't want to pay the price in front of the net," said coach
Jacques Demers following his club's 5-2 loss to the Vancouver
Canucks.  

"We work our butts off; we outplay them, but we don't pay the
price because we are not committed to it and we don't score the
goals.  That's why we are losing right now."

Commitment is the latest excuse on the Lightning register.  It
follows injury, coaching, goaltending, coaching (again),
officiating, lack of scoring, power play, and youth.  At this
rate, we can probably look forward to adding sunstroke, the
cancellation of the Jenny McCarthy show, and a Kenneth Starr
investigation to the list.       

Although commitment is a big part of winning; it needs to
coincide with talent, and this is where the Lightning come up
short.  
  
The Paul Ysebaerts, Darcy Tuckers, Steve Kelleys, and Jassen
Cullimores of the world are not good enough to match up against
world class players like Joe Sakic, Pavel Bure, and Jaromir Jagr. 
Will time prove me wrong?  Perhaps, but I would not hold my
breath.

With 30 games remaining on the schedule, the Lightning should
abandon the excuses and ready themselves for a busy off-season. 
If there is a bright spot, this year's entry draft should be a
good one, and with proper study, the Lightning should add a
player or two in order to compete with the league's best.



-----------------------------------------------------------------
WASHINGTON CAPITALS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Ron Wilson 

Roster: C - Adam Oates, Dale Hunter, Andrei Nikolishin. LW -
Andrew Brunette, Joe Juneau, Yogi Svejkovsky, Steve Konowalchuk,
Jeff Toms, Todd Krygier. RW - Peter Bondra, Esa Tikkanen, Richard
Zednik, Craig Berube, Kelly Miller. D - Calle Johansson, Brendan
Witt, Sylvain Cote, Sergei Gonchar, Joe Reekie, Ken Klee. G -
Olaf Kolzig, Bill Ranford.

Injuries: Pat Peake, rw (torn ankle tendon, out for season);
Chris Simon, lw (shoulder surgery, out for regular season); Mark
Tinordi, d (stomach/groin, indefinite); Michal Pivonka, c (groin
strain, day-to-day); Mike Eagles, lw (strained right foot, 4-6
weeks); Phil Housley, d (hairline fracture in finger, 7-to-10
days.

Transactions: Sent Jan Bulis, c, to Kingston (OHL). Traded Dwayne
Hay, lw, and a conditional 1998 draft pick to Florida for Esa
Tikkanen, f. Recalled Yogi Svejkovsky, lw, from Portland (AHL).

Standings: 
Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA
New Jersey   62  39  16   7    85  180  123
Philadelphia 61  32  20   9    73  178  142
Washington   62  27  24  11    65  169  164
NY Rangers   62  19  27  16    54  153  169
NY Islanders 62  22  32   8    52  162  174
Florida      61  18  31  12    48  147  176
Tampa Bay    62  12  41   9    33  119  205

Game Results:
2/25 Tampa Bay       L 4-3
2/28 at Tampa Bay    L 5-2
3/01 Buffalo         L 3-0
3/03 Boston          L 3-0
3/05 at Philadelphia L 3-2
3/07 Florida         W 6-3
3/09 Calgary         W 5-2

TEAM NEWS by Jason Sheehan

Caps End Long Winless Streak In One Period

Life on the ice for the Washington Capitals after the Olympic
break has been miserable.

Three consecutive losses to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the worst
team in the league at 12-41-9, a goal-less streak that reached
160-minutes and an eight-game winless streak left a sour taste in
coach Ron Wilson's mouth.

The Capitals were even shut-out in consecutive games - posted
by Buffalo's Dominik Hasek and Boston's Rob Tallas - for the
first time since 1989.

There seemed to be no end to the losing ways. Ron Wilson's
buzz-cut, which he received at the Olympics before losing to the
eventual Gold Medal winning Czech Republic, was possibly the
worst omen in the sport. After the buzz-cut, Wilson lost six
consecutive games - one with Team U.S.A. and five with the
Capitals.

Washington Sports, the organization that owns both the
Capitals and the NBA Wizards, even mocked Wilson's haircut by
holding Buzz-Cut Night during a game against the Lightning Feb.
25. The first 50 fans who received a buzz-cut were given free
tickets to A Capital Affair, a charity event put together by the
Capitals Wives' Club at Velocity Grill inside MCI Center
following the March 6 game against Florida.

But against the Lightning, it was the Capitals who got buzzed.
And they were held inside a bottle by the same Lightning March
28, 5-2, as well as Buffalo, Boston and Philadelphia in later
games. The Capitals were playing like a car without a steering
wheel, gas, oil and brakes. The speedometer read "999,999."

A wise man once said, "All good things must come to an end."
Likewise, the Capitals discovered the opposite holds true. All
bad things must also come to an end.

The terrible, spiritless play of the Capitals came to a
screeching halt in one period March 7 as they scored five - count
'em five - goals in the third period to blitz the Florida
Panthers, 6-3, at MCI Center.

"We had to win badly," said Richard Zednik, who scored two
goals, including the game-winner, to give the Capitals their
first victory since January. "I hope this game can turn
everything around and we can start winning games, feel better and
get confidence on the ice."

Washington was lifeless prior to its five-goal third period
blitz. It was so lifeless, in fact, that Wilson held a team
meeting during the first intermission.

"Right at the end of the period, I went in [to the dressing
room], just shut the doors and singled out a few people," said
Wilson, whose team trailed 2-1 heading into the third period.
"Maybe that's what I needed to do. I don't really believe in
singling anybody out in front of their teammates, but it's gotten
to the point where some guys had been asleep for six or
seven games and feeling sorry for themselves, and you have to get
mad and not take this anymore.

"We weren't shooting the puck and we were playing on the
perimeter," added Wilson. "Once we got committed to the inside of
things, finishing our checks and playing angry, things started
going our way."

That wasn't the first time Wilson threw darts at his club. It
was just the first time it worked. Immediately following the loss
to Boston, Wilson publicly stated his players weren't giving the
effort needed to be successful in the National Hockey League.

"I'm not going to continue to play guys who throw snow out
there or don't want to get hit or don't want to be involved in
the play," he said. "You want to play soft, you don't have a spot
on this team, it's as simple as that. You have to pay a price,
you have to be a responsible teammate, and we don't have enough
of that right now."

They do now.

Caps Acquire Tikkanen; Learn Tikkanese

Capitals general manager George McPhee, who had yet to make a
trade this season, said he was going to improve his hockey team
by swinging a deal while in the midst of an eight-game winless
streak. He wasn't lying.

McPhee did just that March 8 when he acquired gritty,
well-traveled forward Esa Tikkanen from Florida for minor leaguer
Dwayne Hay and a 1998 conditional draft pick.

Tikkanen has earned the reputation for being a clutch player
in big games in his career, which includes seven teams. That
reputation, however, also works against him. The limited effort
he gives to regular season contests has been scrutinized by
experts around the league. But this is the stretch drive, and
Tikkanen feels he is ready to contribute.

"I don't know why I can't play in the regular season," said
Tikkanen, who has five Stanley Cup rings - four with Edmonton and
one with the Rangers. "I don't have an answer for that one, but
every time the playoffs come, you have to step one [step] higher
than anyone else. When you've won that Stanley Cup, you know
you've done your job."

Tikkanen knows one thing for sure; blossoms are budding,
meaning the playoffs are near. "This is my time of year," he
said. "It's a great thing right now. Spring is coming. It's a
nice and sunny day and you want to go out and win games."

Wilson, meanwhile, thinks the addition of Tikkanen will fill
the void left by injured left winger Chris Simon, who is expected
to miss the rest of the regular season after having shoulder
surgery in December.

"He's the type of player we could really use, that's been
especially lacking in the last couple of weeks," said Wilson.
"Esa provides a lot of energy, especially in the locker room.
We've been very quiet, which happens sometimes when you are
losing and things aren't going very well, but he's going to come
in, provide a spark and talk it up a little bit."

If Tikkanen's first game as a Capital is any indication, he
will be a mainstay in the lineup. He collected two assists - both
of which came on the power-play. His most brilliant point came
5:58 into the first period when he batted Adam Oates' pass out of
midair across the crease to a vacant Peter Bondra for the easy
slam-dunk. Bondra scored two goals to end his five-game goal-less
streak.

"I was excited today, like a little boy again," said Tikkanen.
"I look at this team; we have great combinations. I can't see why
we won't have a good run in the playoffs.

". . . He (Wilson) saw how well I was skating in Nagano and he
gave me lots of ice time," Tikkanen said. "You've got Oates, a
great passer, and a speedy Bondra. Those guys are easy to play
with. This is my time of year every time. Hopefully I'll boost
the team."

Said Wilson: "He made his presence felt right off the bat. You
can see his calmness in traffic with the puck. He really opened
up the ice for Peter Bondra."

Bulis Sent To Kingston; Will Not Return This Season

Center Jan Bulis' rookie season in the NHL came to an end
March 6 when he was assigned to the Kingston Frontenacs of the
Ontario Hockey League.

Because of his young age, Bulis, 19, is still eligible to
return to a Canadian "junior" team.  Under American Hockey League
regulations, Bulis is considered too young for full-time AHL
play, thus he could not be assigned to the Portland Pirates.

He is eligible to return to the Capitals after his junior team
finishes its season. Bulis recorded five goals and 11 assists in
48 games with Washington.

"Jan did a very good job for this hockey club the early part
of the season and helped us reach our current standing," said
McPhee. "Now it is time for the veterans to take over. At Jan's
age, he needs to play a lot in order to develop into the
excellent player we expect to see in the future."

Broken Promises

The last team report in LCS: Guide To Hockey promised a look
into the problems and praise MCI Center has received. Well, to
put it bluntly, that's not going to happen this week.

Due to the hectic life of an LCS writer, money had to be spent
elsewhere.  The eggs unexpectedly became rotten, so new ones had
to be purchased. The same thing also happened to the milk and
cheese. You cannot plan these things. They destroy your life, and
burn a hole through your pocketbook.

That's why phone calls weren't made to Susan O' Mally, the
Queen of Washington Sports, and more attention wasn't given to
the fans of this "great" franchise. Add to the fact that O' Mally
called the shootout between the Czech Republic and Canada in the
Olympics a "slapshot" on HTS, the Capitals TV Network. That alone
forced this writer to reformat his questions from the complex to
the basic.

In the next two weeks, the dairy products should be fine.
After all, they do have a life-span of, like, five months until
they become something besides food. Feel free to e-mail your
comments about MCI Center to Caps12@hotmail.com.

News and Notes:

Pat Peake's career is in jeopardy. Peake, who initially
shattered his heel two-years-ago in the playoffs, underwent
another surgery on his right foot March 8. Peake has had several
surgeries. "Basically, I'm going to find out if my career is
over," Peake said last week as he contemplated the surgery. "I
haven't been sleeping very much lately." Peake is in the last
year of his contract, which currently pays him $550,000. . . . 

Left wing Todd Krygier scored his 100th career goal March 7
versus Florida.


================================================================
   
=================================================================
TEAM REPORTS
=================================================================
EASTERN CONFERENCE
NORTHEAST 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, Grant Ledyard.
G - Byron Dafoe, Rob Tallas.

Injuries:  Don Sweeney, d (broken shoulder blade, out for
season).
  
Transactions:  Grant Ledyard, d, acquired from Vancouver for an
8th-round 1998 draft pick.

Standings: 
Eastern Conference - Northeast Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA
Pittsburgh   64  32  18  14    78  182  151
Montreal     61  29  25   7    65  174  158
Boston       62  26  23  13    65  157  148
Buffalo      61  25  22  14    64  154  146
Ottawa       63  25  28  10    60  143  156
Carolina     62  25  30   7    57  155  172

Game Results
2/26 Buffalo        T 1-1
2/28 at Pittsburgh  W 6-2
3/01 at Islanders   W 5-4
3/03 at Washington  W 3-0
3/05 at New Jersey  T 1-1
3/07 Chicago        L 2-1

TEAM NEWS by Matt Brown

The Boston Bruins looked desperately in need of a rest as they
slid their way to an 0-2-2 run going into the break for the
Nagano Olympics.  Since the season has resumed they have looked
like a different team, going 3-1-2, going unbeaten in three road
games, and they climbed briefly to fourth place in the Eastern
conference, before Montreal and Washington caught up.

Against the Sabres, the Bruins caught Dominik Hasek on an
off-night, literally.  Dominik took a jet-lag break and the
Bruins played against Steve Shields, while Hasek dozed on the
bench and in the dressing room.  Shields was very solid, and the
Bs could only dent his armor once.

It was a different story against Tom Barrasso and the Penguins,
as the Bruins scored early and often.  PJ Axelsson took advantage
of a Pittsburgh miscue in the first minute, broke in alone, and
actually put the puck in the net!  The Bruins bottled up Jaromir
Jagr very effectively, holding him to zero shots, and won
convincingly.

Next up were the Islanders, who put up a heck of a fight before
bowing 5-4.  The Isles started out well, with Kenny Jonsson's
shot being deflected in off a Bruin's stick for a power-play
goal, but they left the always questionable Tommy Salo in goal
too long, and the Bruins took advantage.  Tim Taylor scored two
goals, and the Bruins got some luck of their own in the third
when Steve Heinze batted the puck in our of mid-air... off his
glove claimed the Isles.

Against Washington, Pat Burns decided to give Byron Dafoe a rest
and play Rob Tallas, who had returned to the lineup after missing
several weeks due to a pulled hamstring muscle.  Tallas turned in
a brilliant effort, shutting out the hard luck Caps 3-0 to earn
his second career shutout and his first this season.

To reward Tallas, Burns kept him in net for the next game against
New Jersey, and Rob come through again,  this time battling
Martin Brodeur to a 1-1 standstill.  Tallas again was almost
unbeatable, and the Bruins held their ground against the best
team in the Eastern Conference.

Unfortunately, when facing a different type of opponent, the
Chicago Blackhawks, the Bruins did not fair so well.  They fell
behind early in the first, after weathering a ridiculous penalty
called when Mike Sullivan was locked together with the Hawks
Jayson More, who crashed into goalie Jeff Hackett's head with his
knee. The call?  Goaltender interference against Sullivan, at
least on referee Lance Robert's planet.  Boston got a pretty
power-play goal from Sergei Samsonov, who scooped a Bourque
rebound into the net, but nothing more.  Chris Chelios, in the
role of an American Snidely Whiplash, assisted on a Chicago goal,
cuffed Allison around in front and then ran for cover when a
tussle broke out, and generally infuriated the Boston fans, while
generally frustrating the Boston players.

In spite of all this good news, there was one piece of very bad
luck.  Don Sweeney, the veteran defenseman who was having a very
solid year as one of the cornerstones of Pat Burns' defensive
corp, was slammed into the boards by a forechecking Steve Webb
during the game against the Islanders.  Sweeney suffered a broken
shoulder blade, had surgery on Wednesday, and is likely to be
lost for the season.

So Don Sweeney became the first defenseman to fall victim to one
of the feared negative results of the enforcement of obstruction
rules.  The problem is that the very rules intended to allow more
offensive play from skilled players also allows more reckless
forechecking and could cause more injuries.

As usual, when it comes to enforcing the rules of the game, this
league just can't get it right.  Fresh off the debacle over the
"in the crease" rule, which has gone from being called on every
third goal to never-never-land, the NHL feels compelled to take
an all or nothing stance on obstruction, punishing the positional
tactics along with the clutch and grab physical obstruction.

Hockey watchers in the know were well aware of the risk of
injuries that could result from calling obstruction this way, but
no one made an attempt to distinguish between obstruction holding
and the right of a defensive player to establish a position to
make an opponent take the long way around.  As it stands, if the
forechecker collides with the blocking player, guess who gets the
call?

This defensive play has nothing to do with opening up the game. 
In fact, allowing some blocking actually encourages a team to
send a second forechecker, who would not be blocked, thus
creating more attacking possibilities for both sides.

In reality, all this method of officiating does is increase the
chance of a defensive error, or a defensive injury, rather than
increasing the likelihood of allowing skilled play.  After all,
it isn't Jaromir Jagr or Paul Kariya crashing into defensemen, it
is bruise brothers like Steve Webb and Rob Ray.  You don't hear
Mario Lemieux saying "Woowee!  I think I'll come out of
retirement so I can run Don Sweeney into the boards."

Ironically, the entire problem with boring, overly defensive
games can be itself traced back to a rules change made supposedly
to protect defensemen from forecheckers, and to cut down on dump
and chase tactics that tried to force defensemen into errors.

The whole problem started when the league unbalanced the game by
making the tag-up offside illegal.  This rule essentially negated
the dump-and-chase in one circumstance, where the puck has
cleared the offensive zone but the attacking players have not. 
This change forced attacking defensemen to handle the puck rather
than dump it back, and required all forwards to drop back onside. 
It increased turnovers in the center ice zone, and encouraged
teams to further develop their center ice checking game (i.e.,
their trap).

Because the trap defenses usually use a single forechecker, this
encouraged the defending team to use the defenseman who was not
chasing the puck to set a pick that prevented the single
forechecker from crashing the back wall.  And presto - boring
defensive hockey.

Now the league, instead of totally abandoning the prohibition
against tag up offside, has failed to draw a distinction between
defensive positioning and down-and-out clutch-and grab hockey,
and the game will further deteriorate instead of being restored. 
If they must have the obstruction rules as presently called, then
they must begin calling charging, roughing, and boarding just as
stringently on forecheckers who crash into puck-carrying
defensemen with reckless abandon.

Obstruction holding and true interference should be called more
tightly. That will open up the game and lead to more
opportunities for skilled players to show their skills.  But
defensive self-preservation, especially when it does not involve
aggressive contact or holding, should not be called.  Setting a
pick may be obstruction, but the skilled players who
can't skate away from a held stick can skate around a pick.

Well, down off the rules-tirade soapbox. The end result is that
the Bruins have lost one of their most experienced and reliable
defensemen for the remainder of the season.

To try to fill this gaping hole in their lineup, the Bruins
traded a 1998 eighth-round draft pick to Vancouver for Grant
Ledyard, a 16-year veteran who had assumed the role of spare part
and balcony boy for the Canucks soon after the arrival of coach
Mike Keenan.  Ledyard was as glad to join the Bruins as they were
to get an experienced, stay at home, physical defenseman with a
bit of quickness still in his legs.  And Ledyard is a Bruins
kinda guy.  The story goes that when he was left home on a recent
Canucks road trip, the guy went out and rented ice time with his
own money to stay in shape.  That says a lot about his commitment
(and a lot about why the Canucks look more like bottom feeders
than killer whales).  In his first two games with the Bruins,
Ledyard skated with Dave Ellett, was run into by Doug Gilmour (no
creme puff) and Gilmour went out for the knee surgery, and ended
up +1 for his work in a two-game stretch where the Bruins scored
only two goals.  A decent start.

Jason Allison has been immense after the Nagano break.  In six
games, he has scored five goals and dished out six assists.  He
leads the Bruins in scoring and stands eighth in the NHL in
points this season with 25 goals, 39 assists and 64 points, tied
with some guy named Wayne Gretzky. He seems all but certain to
score over 30 goals this season, with an outside shot at
40.  Not bad for a guy many Bruins fans affectionately refer to a
"Bag o Pucks" (an allusion to the disparaging comments some NHL
commentators made when Allison was acquired from Washington in a
trade where the centerpiece player for the Bruins was Jim Carey).

Another player who is turning heads is Allison's linemate Sergei
Samsonov. Sergei was rookie of the month in January. He led all
rookies in goals (five), assists (six), points (11) and
plus-minus (+8) in 12 games.  Samsonov is now second in rookie
scoring with 14 goals, 18 assists, and 32 points, a scant three
points behind Toronto's Mike Johnson.  Sergei has blossomed with
Allison at center, and with the comparatively unsung Dimitri
Khristich as his wingmate and mentor.  Khristich, with 20 goals,
ten of them on the power play to lead all Bruins, doesn't get as
much ink and attention as Sergei or Jason, but he is the glue
that turns these two promising youngsters (remember, Allison is
just 22 and Samsonov is only 20) into a legitimate number  one
NHL line.

On the downside since the Olympic break, the Bruins power play
has been, well, crappy.  The Bs have been getting plenty of
chances, but it seems as though starting a game with an
unsuccessful power play sets the tone for three periods of
frustration.  Since the hiatus, the Bruins have gone 5-for-35, or
around 14 percent... not very impressive.  Pat Burns, while
stressing sound defense, has also been mentioning the dangers of
being a one-line team come the playoffs.  It will be interesting
to see if Harry Sinden, whom some Bruins fans seem to think has
miraculously recovered from senile dementia in less than one full
season, based on the Allison-Carter-Carey trade, hiring Pat
Burns, and bringing in Khristich and Dafoe, can pull off the deal
that has eluded him for years: getting the Bruins a quality
scorer in time for the playoffs.

Lastly, in light of the injury to Eric Lindros, who was hammered
face-on by Darius Kasparaitis and suffered a serious concussion,
it bears mentioning that Darius looks like a fugitive from
"Interview with the Vampire," and plays like one, too.


-----------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFALO SABRES
----------------------------------------------------------------- 
Head Coach: Lindy Ruff

Roster: C - Mike Peca, Derek Plante, Brian Holzinger, Eric
Rasmussen, Wayne Primeau. LW - Geoff Sanderson, Randy Burridge,
Miroslav Satan, Michal Grosek. RW - Donald Audette, Jason Dawe,
Matthew Barnaby, Dixon Ward, Rob Ray. D - Alexei Zhitnik, Darryl
Shannon, Jay McKee, Mike Wilson, Bob Boughner, Richard Smehlik. G
- Dominik Hasek, Steve Shields. 

INJURIES: Brian Holzinger, c (ankle, day-to-day); Derek Plante, c
(back spasms, day-to-day); Richard Smehlik, d (eye, day-to-day).

TRANSACTIONS: Recalled Eric Rasmussen, c, from Rochester (AHL).

Standings: 
Eastern Conference - Northeast Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA
Pittsburgh   64  32  18  14    78  182  151
Montreal     61  29  25   7    65  174  158
Boston       62  26  23  13    65  157  148
Buffalo      61  25  22  14    64  154  146
Ottawa       63  25  28  10    60  143  156
Carolina     62  25  30   7    57  155  172

GAME RESULTS:
02/25 Toronto          T 2-2
02/26 at Boston        T 1-1
03/01 Washington       W 3-0
03/02 at Rangers       W 1-0
03/06 Islanders        L 4-2
03/07 Montreal         W 2-1          

TEAM REPORT by Joe Brunner

The Olympic victors, Dominik Hasek and Richard Smehlik, arrived
at the airport to a warm reception and the team picked up right
where they left off, increasing the Sabres' unbeaten streak to a
league high 13 games. Only an untimely loss to the Islanders
prevented the Sabres from equaling the club record of 14 games
set in 1980. 

Hasek continued to show why he's considered the hottest goalie in
the business by recording back-to-back shutouts over the Capitals
and Rangers, the third time he has accomplished that feat this
season. Even more amazing is that Hasek has shut out the Rangers
the last three times he has faced them. The last time the Rangers
have been shut out three consecutive times by a team was in 1927.

The Sabres are now firmly entrenched in a playoff position, and
could finish as high as fourth overall in the Eastern Conference.
The only concerns at this point are injuries and the team's lack
of scoring punch. 

As indicated by the game results, the Sabres do not score a lot
of goals. Things are looking a bit better in that department 
due to the arrival of Geoff Sanderson. Sanderson scored in his
first game in a Sabres' uniform versus Toronto, and notched the
game-winner against Montreal.  Sabres' fans haven't seen a guy
that can skate and shoot like Sanderson since the days of
Alexander Mogilny. Alexei Zhitnik continued to impress by scoring
the game-tying goal against Boston, even though the Sabres were
badly outplayed, as well as the only goal the Sabres needed to
win against the Rangers. A couple Sabres that appear to be
turning the corner in the scoring department are Matt Barnaby and
Michal Grosek. Although he hasn't been turning on the red light,
Barnaby has been getting numerous scoring chances and has three
assists in the last two games. Grosek has two goals and an assist
in his last four games.

On the injury front, Richard Smehlik went down in his first game
back after being struck in the face by a puck. It resulted in
bleeding behind his eye. There are concerns that the injury is
more serious than the Sabres are letting on. Derek Plante has
missed the last five games with back spasms, an affliction that
has plagued him in the past. And the sprained ankle suffered by
Brian Holzinger will likely affect him for the remainder of the
season. 

Off the ice the topic of conversation revolves around ownership
of the team and Dominik Hasek's new contract. Though still not
official, the Knox's have finally made a firm deal to sell the
team to John Rigas. Rigas made his first move by authorizing
General Manager Darcy Regier to make a contract offer to 
Hasek. The Dominator has indicated that he is happy with the
money being offered which is believed to be in the six to seven
million dollar per year range, but there are still outstanding
issues such as a marketing deal and a no trade clause. The no
trade clause could prove to be a fly in the ointment as Regier is
on record as being opposed to such arrangements. However, Sabres' 
fans should be encouraged that the ownership, general manager and
coach are all on the same page. That's something we haven't seen
in quite some time.


-----------------------------------------------------------------
CAROLINA HURRICANES
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach:  Paul Maurice

Roster: C - Keith Primeau, Jeff O'Neill, Kent Manderville, Bates
Battaglia. RW - Sami Kapanen, Nelson Emerson, Kevin Dineen, Paul
Ranheim, Steven Rice. LW - Gary Roberts, Martin Gelinas, Robert
Kron, Stu Grimson, Stephen Leach. D - Steve Chiasson, Glen
Wesley, Kevin Haller, Adam Burt, Curtis Leschyshyn, Sean Hill,
Nolan Pratt. G - Trevor Kidd, Kirk McLean.

INJURIES: Stephen Leach, lw (herniated disk in neck, indefinite);
Steve Chiasson, d (bruised shoulder, day-to-day).

TRANSACTIONS: 2/8 -- sent Bates Battaglia, c, and Kevin Brown,
rw, to New Haven (AHL); 2/28 -- recalled Battaglia from New
Haven; 3/1 -- recalled Nolan Pratt, d, from New Haven.

Standings: 
Eastern Conference - Northeast Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA
Pittsburgh   64  32  18  14    78  182  151
Montreal     61  29  25   7    65  174  158
Boston       62  26  23  13    65  157  148
Buffalo      61  25  22  14    64  154  146
Ottawa       63  25  28  10    60  143  156
Carolina     62  25  30   7    57  155  172

GAME RESULTS
2/28 at New Jersey  L 4-1
3/02 at San Jose    W 3-2
3/05 at Los Angeles W 2-1
3/06 at Phoenix     W 5-4 OT
3/08 at Anaheim     W 3-1

TEAM NEWS by Brad Kane

Sergei who?

Ah, who needs over-priced high-profile Russian free agents to
guide their team to victory?  Not the Carolina Hurricanes!  Since
the Detroit Red Wings matched Carolina's 5-year 38-million-dollar
offer to Sergei Fedorov, the 'Canes played the New Jersey Devils
tough in a last-minute loss, and then won four consecutive road
games, putting them just three points out of a playoff spot. 
Most impressive about the four wins is that they all came on a
west coast road trip -- the kind of trip that many east coast
teams sleepwalk through.  Here's a look at the highlights from
Carolina's best stretch of the year thus far:

-- Goaltender Trevor Kidd was named the NHL's Player of the Week
for March 2-9.  Kidd allowed just one goal in each of Carolina's
wins over San Jose, Los Angeles, and Anaheim.  (Kirk McLean
played against Phoenix, giving up four).  Kidd's achievement was
the first of its kind in Carolina history.

-- Fedorov's near-arrival in Carolina seems to have served as a
wake-up call for Jeff O'Neill. The team's second line center,
O'Neill would have been the player most adversely affected if
Fedorov would have ended up in a 'Canes uniform.  Most likely,
O'Neill would have been playing on the third line instead,
meaning a drop in playing time.  With the Fedorov situation
resolved, O'Neill turned it on during the trip, climaxing with a
two-goal, four-point performance versus Phoenix, including the
game-winner in overtime.  The four points were a personal best. 
O'Neill's fine play also carried over to linemates Martin Gelinas
and Nelson Emerson, who also put up decent numbers.

-- Gary Roberts also re-emerged on the trip.  Finally healthy --
probably for the first time all year -- Roberts went on a tear,
racking up goals left and right.  Reunited on the top line with
Keith Primeau and Sami Kapanen, Roberts is hitting his stride at
the right time.  Rumors persist that he may be dealt to Dallas
for Todd Harvey, but due to the Hurricanes' recent play that is
now less likely to happen.  Robert Kron had been on the top line,
but has now been moved down to the third line.  That has more to
do with the play of Roberts and Gelinas than any poor play on his
part.

-- Speaking of rumors, did you hear the one about Wayne Gretzky? 
Yes, the grapevine has it that Carolina management, after losing
out on Fedorov, inquired about the Great One's status in New
York.  Just an inquiry, nothing more.  If true, then one would
have to believe that Carolina may be just a bit too interested in
putting bodies in seats, and not winning hockey games.  Gretzky's
still a potent offensive weapon, but he's like, what, 53? 
Without a doubt, Hurricanes' management remembers the sell-out
crowd that was on hand the night the Rangers visited Greensboro
earlier this year.  New York visits again March 26.

-- The road trip was Carolina's best since they won five in a row
as the Hartford Whalers in 95-96.  Ironically, those wins also
came later in the season on a west coast swing.  However, not
many folks knew what was going on out west this time around. 
Radio station WPTF-680 AM, the flagship station of the 'Canes,
broadcasted the games on a delay due to the glut of college
basketball post-season conference tournaments going on -- namely
the ACC's.  Television coverage is still not an option for many
Carolina games.

-- Carolina's home game against New Jersey Thursday will be their
first in over a month.  It kicks off a three-game homestand that
also includes San Jose and Edmonton.

-- And, it's old news by now, but a tip of the hat to Sami
Kapanen, who helped Finland win a bronze medal at the Olympics. 
Asked to play the role of a checking winger, Sami put any
personal glories aside and played well.  Some in the media
attempted to play up the Sweden-Finland rivalry by publicly
trashing the Finns (I won't say who), but Sami rose above and
turned in his usual sterling performance.


-----------------------------------------------------------------
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, Jonas Hoglund. D - Vladimir Malakhov,
Stephane Quintal, Patrice Brisebois, Brett Clark, Peter Popovic,
Craig Rivet, Igor Ulanov, Zarley Zalapski. G - Jocelyn Thibault,
Andy Moog.

INJURIES: Shayne Corson, lw (abdominal injury, one week).
                                        
TRANSACTIONS: 03/06 Brad Brown, d, sent to Fredericton (AHL).
03/05: Junior goalie Mathieu Garon signed to a three-year
contract. He was the Canadiens second-round choice in the 1996
NHL entry draft.

Standings: 
Eastern Conference - Northeast Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA
Pittsburgh   64  32  18  14    78  182  151
Montreal     61  29  25   7    65  174  158
Boston       62  26  23  13    65  157  148
Buffalo      61  25  22  14    64  154  146
Ottawa       63  25  28  10    60  143  156
Carolina     62  25  30   7    57  155  172

GAME RESULTS: 
02/25 Pittsburgh   L 6-2
02/28 at Toronto   L 4-0
03/04 at Dallas    W 3-1
03/05 at St Louis  L 4-0
03/07 Buffalo      L 2-1

TEAM NEWS by Jacques Robert
                                                            
Current Habs Slump: a Reminder of Tremblay's Era!
                                                         
Before the winter Olympics, Montreal's fans thought that the
disappointing '96-'97 season was just a thing of the past... But,
in the wake of the Nagano Games that left top players on the
injury list (Corson), fans can barely recognize their team: No
team spirit, no discipline, the top offensive line is mute
(Recchi and Koivu), goaltending is not as reliable as it once
was. As a result, Alain Vigneault is nothing but harsh when
assessing his troopers' performances: "It was an embarrassment,"
he said after the Habs were routed by Pittsburgh (6-2), a defeat
that was a sign of hard times to come. And those feelings were
confirmed when the Habs registered their sixth straight loss at
home - courtesy of Buffalo - their longest losing streak at
home.... in close to 60 years.

As a matter of fact, the Olympic games have had bad effects on
Les Canadiens lineup.  Olympians like Koivu, Recchi and Rucinsky
struggled to recover from jet lag.  It is quite unusual to have
Recchi and Koivu finish a game at minus-4! The Habs were merely
unable to contain the Penguins' #1 line, particularly the
European players that stood out as they did in Nagano. And to add
insult to injury, this loss against Jagr's teammates marked the
second time this season Montreal lost by a four-goal margin at
home. Yes, the Molson Centre has yet to be considered as a good
place to win like the Forum was in not such a remote time...  "We
are better on the road because we're more patient," explained
Benoit Brunet. Was Brunet proven right against Toronto?

Numerous Trades Affect Team Chemistry

Not at all! As the Canadiens entered the game with three losses
in their last four games, no one on this team showed any sign of
recovery that would prove that Les Canadiens are back on track.
Actually, it was quite the contrary. With the exception of
Vincent Damphousse (1 assist vs Pittsburgh), Montreal's big
players didn't get involved in the game. All in all, the team
might have lost its chemistry with the numerous trades Houle
has made lately. Richer, Tucker, Bure, Wilkie were definitely no
big names, but they might have left a big hole as far as the
atmosphere is concerned.  Go figure! 

Moreover, against Toronto, The Canadiens came up empty on their
five power-play opportunities... including a 5-on-3 situation for
a full two minutes in the first period. In such a situation,
Corson's absence is being felt big time! (He has scored 13 of his
17 goals on power-play situations). 

Needless to say that entertaining the remarkable Dallas Stars was
no piece of cake. Thankfully, Andy Moog came out strong, stopping
24 shots and ended the Stars six-game winning streak. Credit must
be given to Rucinsky and to Damphousse, who got the winner (3-1).
Actually, those two players teamed up on the second line along
with Recchi, whereas Savage and Hoglund (still pointless since he
was acquired by Montreal) joined Koivu on the first line. It
turned out to be a good initiative. But, would that kind of move
be enough to get the Habs back on track?

A Simple Little Slump?

Well, that new lease on life didn't materialize in St. Louis,
where Montreal was shut out for the second time in five days. The
lack of efficiency on power plays is a good explanation of what
can be called the little (?) slump that any given NHL team is
bound to experience at one point in the course of a season. No
reason to press the panic button, though: Montreal still has 11
more points than it had at the same time last season, Malakhov is
back on the defensive line, and Koivu scored his first goal since
returning from Nagano. Therefore, it's no surprise the Habs
tightened their defense against Buffalo and lost by the smallest
margin (2-1). 

Finally, Montreal fans are just looking forward to having Savage,
Recchi and new additions, Hoglund and Poulin, prove that Reggie
Houle made a good move when he let Bure and Richer go.

The calendar is also beneficial to the Habs: of the 25 remaining
games, 17 are against teams with losing records.

It's up to Vigneault's boys to grab the opportunity.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Turner Stevenson: "It sounds simple, but we've got to play a
boring game!" (at home if Les Canadiens expect to win).




-----------------------------------------------------------------
OTTAWA SENATORS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach:  Jacques Martin

Roster: C - Alexei Yashin, Radek Bonk, Sergei Zholtok, Shaun Van
Allen. 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. G - Damian Rhodes, Ron Tugnutt, Fred Cassivi.

Injuries: Radek Bonk, c (knee injury, day-to-day); Chris
Phillips, d (eye injury, day-to-day); Janne Laukkanen, d (bruised
foot, day-to-day).

Transactions: Feb 25 - Ron Tugnutt, g, returned from hip flexor.
Feb 26 - Recalled Radim Bicanek, d, from Manitoba (IHL).

Standings: 
Eastern Conference - Northeast Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA
Pittsburgh   64  32  18  14    78  182  151
Montreal     61  29  25   7    65  174  158
Boston       62  26  23  13    65  157  148
Buffalo      61  25  22  14    64  154  146
Ottawa       63  25  28  10    60  143  156
Carolina     62  25  30   7    57  155  172

Game Results 
2/25 at Edmonton  L 5-2
2/28 at Vancouver L 6-4
3/01 at Calgary   L 2-1
3/05 Colorado     W 4-2
3/07 Calgary      W 2-1

TEAM NEWS by The Nosebleeders

Olympic Tales...

While Alexei Yashin, Igor Kravchuk and Janne Laukkanen were out
busily securing neck armor for their respective nations in
Olympic hockey, many other Senators took advantage of their time
off to do....well...anything BUT hockey. Fancy a look:

- RW Chris Murray - a native of British Columbia and ever the
true Canadian patriot - reported back to camp sporting a new
Canadian flag tattoo on his arm. "I've always wanted to have a
tattoo and I thought the Canadian flag would be a good way to
go," he explained. "Nobody can give me any trouble for having a
tattoo because it's the flag."

- While Murray was showing his true colors, we certainly hope
defenseman Stan Neckar, on the other hand, wasn't. Neckar
returned from his Caribbean vacation... with braids in his hair.
Perhaps Stan will be changing his jersey number to '10'? Whaddya
think, 'Bo'?

- Defensemen Wade Redden and Chris Phillips decided to rough it
and head to the military boot camps in Cancun. While there, they
ran into former teammate Sean Hill, who was also there with
Carolina mates Jeff O'Neill and Steven Rice.

- And saving the best for last...assistant coach Perry Pearn
decided to end the waiting game and tied the knot with longtime
girlfriend Cindy while on a cruise ship February 8 in Miami.
Congratulations, Perry!

Back to the Grind

So as Nagano begins to recuperate from its colossal hangover,
NHLers headed back to class for the final stretch run of the
season.

For the Senators, head coach Jacques Martin gathered his troops
to focus on their final 24 games. And while most teams prefer to
concentrate on who's ahead of them in the standings, Ottawa
prefers to keep an eye on who's behind. As of press time, the
Senators are in a major battle for the eighth and final playoff
spot with the likes of the Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers,
New York Islanders and Florida Panthers - who trail Ottawa by
three, six, eight and 12 points, respectively.

The key to securing a playoff spot, according to Martin? Goals.
And plenty of them. Ottawa is currently the third-lowest scoring
team in the league, and their power play has been anything but
powerful. "We want to spend a lot of time working on scoring
goals and on our attack," said Martin. "That's an area we'd
definitely like to improve."

A Little Bitter?

While all of Canada is still reeling from the numbing pain of
witnessing their men's hockey team come home empty-handed, one
fellow in particular seems to be taking it even harder. Sens GM
Pierre Gauthier - who was assistant GM for Team Canada - issued a
warning to Senators media relations man Morgan Quarry that he
would not entertain any questions whatsoever from the media about
the Olympics. Period. Case closed. Touchy, touchy...

Wagons West

The Sens faced the unenviable task of kickstarting the final leg
of the season on a Western roadswing through the Canadian
Rockies.

First up were the young and improving Edmonton Oilers in the
Northlands. And while le topique du jour prior to the game was
the league's crackdown on obstruction fouls, barroom banter after
the game focused on Ottawa's lackluster and listless performance,
dropping a 5-2 decision.

How bad was it? Well, for one, they faced Bob Essensa rather than
Curtis Joseph, who was still trying to readjust his body clock
after his trip to Nagano. And they still lost.

But far more depressing for Sens fans was the team's awful
penalty killing. Three of Edmonton's goals came while the Oilers
held a two-man advantage. Meanwhile, the Sens power play went
0-for-9, including two five-on-threes in the first period.

Nuff said. Pack your bags and get out of Edmonton before the
lynch mob arrives.

A Happy Homecoming...Sort Of

It was supposed to be a big day for Chris Phillips and his loyal
fans. Born and raised in Fort McMurray, Alberta, just north of
Edmonton, Phillips practically had the whole town come down to
watch his Sens take on the Oilers. 

Rather than return home with joyous memories of seeing their
hometown hero make it big in the Bigs, friends and family were
forced to witness Phillips go down with a serious eye injury
after getting hit with the puck off a Ryan McGillis flip-in.

Phillips suffered bleeding behind his eye and only recently has
regained full vision. He is listed as day-to-day and one thing is
for sure - when he returns, he will be sporting a visor.

Although the entire town must have breathed a collective sigh of
relief, somehow we suspect it will be quite a while before any of
them can shake the sight of Phillips slumped at the blue line in
a pool of blood.

Spreading the Wealth

Alexei Yashin has always been a little different compared to
other 24-year-olds. Sure, he drives a black Mercedes while others
still have to struggle with their rusting Hyundais, but it's more
than that. While other 24-year-old men spend their leisure time
slinging a few pints back at the local watering hole while
bobbing their craniums to the sounds of rock and grunge, Yashin
prefers to spend quality time at the theater, or enjoying a good
ballet, or just listening to his favorite tunes from The Phantom
of the Opera.

The true extent of Yashin's love of the arts came out recently
when he donated a whopping $1 million to the National Arts Centre
- by far the most generous gift ever received in the Centre's
29-year history.

Although Yashin's donation will be used to fund all arts, as well
as a program to get young people interested in arts and culture,
Yashin admitted he would like to see some of the money go to
bringing more Russian acts to the local stage as well as promote
cultural exchanges between Canada and his homeland. "I try to do
the best I can to bring some Russian groups and dancers over to
Canada, and I hope that Canadian people can enjoy some of these
shows," he said.

After presenting his check before a crowd of over 200, Yashin got
a quick lesson in conducting an orchestra, leading his troops in
a snappy rendition of 'Hockey Night in Canada'.

Doesn't it seem like centuries ago that we were all blasting
Yashin for his "selfish" stance during the hostile contract
disputes in 1995-96?

For Every Action, There Is An Equal and Opposite Reaction

Before the Sens PR department could break out the bubbly in honor
of Yashin's generous contribution, news broke that completely
shattered the festive mood in the front office: Radek Bonk busted
for drunk driving.

In the wee hours of March 3 - the same day Alexei Yashin
presented his donation to the NAC - police were called to
investigate a vehicle that was parked, engine idling, in a quiet
Kanata neighborhood. Upon approaching the vehicle, police
encountered Bonk sitting in the driver's seat, a little dazed and
disoriented. Bonk was asked to provide a breath sample, and was
taken into custody shortly after 6:30 a.m.

It doesn't take a brain surgeon to realize that this could be the
final nail in Bonk's coffin. Not only has Bonk been a disaster on
the ice, potting only seven goals and nine assists in 58 games
this season, he has now proven to be an embarrassment off it. 

Bonk will appear in Ottawa court on March 31.

Oh, Puhlease...

Responding to the Bonk affair, the Sens front office announced
that it would fully reimburse cabfare to its players if they
choose to cab it home after any hellbenders.

Although noble in gesture, what does that say to the average Joe?
Here are guys raking in millions of bucks, and they need added
incentives to fork over a couple of bucks to ensure their safe
arrival home? Yashin, take us away...

Trivia Time

Peter Sidorkiewicz was the Senators first starting goaltender in
their modern incarnation. Who was originally drafted to back Sids
up that year? Answer at the end of this column.

This, That and the Other Thing

Random notes from the Senators camp in the weeks that were:

* The Vancouver Canucks 6-4 come-from-behind win over Ottawa
snapped the Sens' 51-game unbeaten streak when they led after 40
minutes (43-0-8).

* Denny Lambert's goal in the Canucks loss was his first in 21
games.

* Already without Chris Phillips, the Sens suffered another loss
when defenseman Janne Laukkanen went down with a bruised foot
after deflecting a Mark Messier shot off his skate. He is
day-to-day.

* Here we thought going 0-for-9 on the power play against
Edmonton was as bad as it could get. Boy, were we wrong. The Sens
outdid themselves in their 2-1 loss to Calgary March 1, going
0-for-10 on the man-advantage.

* The tradition continues. With their 2-1 loss to Calgary, Ottawa
has yet to win at the Saddledome in five attempts (0-4-1). 

* The Sens' big 4-2 win over Colorado marked the first time
Ottawa beat the Avs in nine games dating back to March 30,
1994...when the team was known as the Quebec Nordiques.

* The win over the Avalanche was especially sweet for Jacques
Martin, who was a coach with the organization prior to taking the
Sens' helm two years ago. In fact, Martin even pitched in $100
into the club's game-winning goal pool - ANYTHING to spur on a
victory.

* For the first time in his career with Ottawa, Sens' captain
Randy Cunneyworth was a healthy scratch in the Avalanche game.
Cunneyworth has been struggling this year, posting a Radek
Bonk-esque two goals in 59 games. Despite the scratch, head coach
Jacques Martin defended his team captain, insisting that
Cunneyworth is still the team's chief. Alexei Yashin, the heir
apparent to Cunneyworth, donned the "C" in Cunneyworth's absence.

* Although the Sens rematch against Calgary proved to be quite
the yawner to most of us, it was quite the wake-up call for Sens
star Daniel Alfredsson. Alfredsson snapped an 11-game scoring
slump by scoring the game-winner before a near sellout crowd and
a national Saturday night audience to power Ottawa to a 2-1 win
over Calgary.

* The most intriguing showdown of the game happened before the
opening faceoff. With warmups over and the Zamboni waiting to
make its grand entry, Flames' tough guy Sandy McCarthy and
Ottawa's Stan Neckar and Vinny Prospal staged a subtle "who will
be the last guy to leave the ice" showdown. McCarthy won and,
thankfully, it didn't come to blows like the famous Claude
Lemieux-Ed Hospodar farce back in the 1987 playoffs.

Drumroll Please

Mark Laforest was plucked off the New York Rangers roster in the
1992 expansion draft. "Trees" spent most of his time with the
Sens farm team in New Haven before being released in 1994.


-----------------------------------------------------------------
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach: Kevin Constantine
     
Roster:  C - Ron Francis, Martin Straka, C. Ferraro, Tyler
Wright, Robert Lang. LW - Stu Barnes, Andreas Johansson, Alex
Hicks, Garry Valk. RW - Jaromir Jagr, Alexei Morozov, Ed Olczyk,
Robby Brown, Robert Dome. D - Darius Kasparaitis, Kevin Hatcher,
Chris Tamer, Fredrik Olausson, Neil Wilkinson, Ian Moran, Brad
Werenka, Jiri Slegr, Tuomas Gronman. G - Tom Barrasso, Ken
Wregget, Peter Skudra. 
 
Injuries: Tom Barrasso, g (hyperextended elbow, day-to-day); Alex
Hicks, lw (separated shoulder, two weeks); Andreas Johansson, lw
(strained MCL, 4-6 weeks); Garry Valk, lw (abdominal strain, day-
to-day); Eddie Olczyk, rw (neck strain, day-to-day). 
 
Transactions: Recalled Peter Skudra, g, from Kansas City (IHL).
Recalled Robert Dome, rw, and Tuomas Gronman, d, from Syracuse
(AHL).
 
Standings: 
Eastern Conference - Northeast Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA
Pittsburgh   64  32  18  14    78  182  151
Montreal     61  29  25   7    65  174  158
Boston       62  26  23  13    65  157  148
Buffalo      61  25  22  14    64  154  146
Ottawa       63  25  28  10    60  143  156
Carolina     62  25  30   7    57  155  172

Game Results: 
2/25 at Montreal     W 6-2
2/28 at Boston       L 6-2
3/02 Toronto         W 3-1
3/07 Philadelphia    W 6-4
3/08 at Philadelphia L 4-3 OT
  
TEAM NEWS by Brett Taylor
 
Pens Honor Medalists:  The Pens honored their Olympic
medalists before their 3-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs
Monday night.  The Pens led the NHL with nine Olympians,
including four from the gold-medal winning Czechs which featured
Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka, Jiri Slegr and Robert Lang. Darius
Kasparaitis and Alexei Morozov each earned silver medals for
their work with the Russian team. And part-time Pen Tuomas
Gronman earned a bronze medal with Team Finland.

The Pens' seven medalists were the most of any NHL club. They
also had the most players in the gold medal game with six. 

Francis 10th in NHL History:  Ron Francis had a goal and
three assists last Wednesday against the Montreal Canadiens to
move him into tenth place on the NHL's all-time scoring list with
1,410 career points.     

Francis joins former Penguins Mario Lemieux (6th), Paul Coffey
(8th) and Bryan Trottier (9th) on the list.  Francis is in range
to surpass even Lemieux, who is only 84 points ahead, and take
over the sixth slot.

After the Montreal game, Jaromir Jagr took the opportunity to
speak out about Francis' contract situation. In case you've been
hibernating, Francis will become an unrestricted free-agent after
this year, and he says he will seek his market value. Jagr said
in the papers that the Pens need to sign Francis, and he's right.
Francis has shown his brilliance over his career. He put up
incredible numbers while playing in Hartford with essentially no
teammates. He came to Pittsburgh, earned two Stanley Cups and
just kept on rolling. Let's face it, he's the best two-way
forward in the league. If and when Francis gets his final long-
term contract of his Hall of Fame career, he will have the
opportunity to even surpass Marcel Dionne's 1,771 points. If
Francis averages 72 points over the next five years he'll do it.
And if he plays with Jagr the rest of his career it'll be a milk
run.
  
The Pens have three options: sign him and all live happily ever
after, sign him for the playoff run and then trade him, or trade
him before the deadline.  Craig Patrick said after the Pens
signed Jagr and they cut ticket prices for next year that they
would next go after Francis. They should give him his money, it's
not too much for what could end up the fourth leading scorer in
NHL history (that's assuming Mark Messier keeps playing a few
years, if not Francis could end up third).
 
He's still at the top of his game and he has five years left in
him, the Pens gave Jagr the money he wants to keep him happy, now
they need to sign his superstar center iceman to keep the magic
alive.
 
Pens split home-and-home with Philadelphia:  Martin Straka
was left unchecked in the slot and buried a Jaromir Jagr pass
behind Ron Hextall Saturday to cap a furious third-period Penguin
comeback and take game one of the home-and-home series with
Philadelphia. Sound like playoff hockey? It looked like it too.
  
The Pens showed their resiliency mounting comebacks in both
games. On Saturday it paid off with a big 6-4 win in Pittsburgh,
and Sunday night they tied the game with less than a minute to
play in the third period with the goaltender pulled.  But the
comeback was short lived because Alexander Daigle scored the
game-winner in overtime. 
  
The key to the weekend series was the hit Darius Kasparaitis put
on the Flyers' Eric Lindros in the second period of Saturday's
game.  Lindros apparently forgot every thing he has learned about
hockey thus far and opted to carry the puck through the neutral
zone with his head down.  The result, a second degree case of
Kasparaitis, er, uh, a concussion. 
  
Needless to say the Flyers were out for blood on Sunday. The game 
was marred by penalties until the third period when the teams
found themselves tied at two.  The score remained 2-2 until the
last minute of regulation. Things looked bleak for the Pens when
Shjon Podien scored with 46 seconds to play in the third.  But
Jagr fired a wrist shot under the pads of Ron Hextall with only
15 seconds left to play to send the game to overtime.

The celebration was short lived, though, as Daigle took a lead
pass and used a burst of speed to get past Pens defenseman Brad
Werenka and chip a shot over the glove of Kenny Wregget at 4:03
of the overtime to give the Flyers the split in the weekend
series.

This was a big series because the Pens still have to prove
themselves against the best teams in the league.  They've done
better since the All-Star break against the league's elite, but
they need to beat good teams on a regular basis if they are going
to go far in the playoffs.  The Pens have another game against
Philadelphia later this month and also still have a meeting with
the mighty Dallas Stars remaining on the schedule.  

Despite the split with Philly, the Pens have pretty much secured
the top spot in the Northeast Division.  The Birds have 78 points
and are 13 ahead of second place Montreal.
 

================================================================
  
  
=================================================================
TEAM REPORTS
=================================================================
WESTERN CONFERENCE
CENTRAL DIVISION
-----------------------------------------------------------------
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach:  Craig Hartsburg
   
roster:  C - Steve Dubinsky, Greg Johnson, Chad Kilger, Jeff
Shantz, Jarrod Skalde, Brent Sutter, Alexei Zhamnov.  LW - James
Black, Eric Daze, Jean-Yves Leroux, Ethan Moreau, Bob Probert, Reid
Simpson.  RW - Tony Amonte, Sergei Krivokrasov.  D - Chris Chelios,
Christian LaFlamme, Jayson More, Cam Russell, Gary Suter, Michal
Sykora, Eric Weinrich, Trent Yawney.  G - Jeff Hackett, Chris
Terreri, Andrei Trefilov. 

injuries: Bob Probert, lw (torn rotator cuff, indefinite); Chris
Terreri, g (broken finger, indefinite); Alexei Zhamnov, c
(concussion, day-to-day). 

transactions: Assigned Dmitri Nabokov, c, to Indianapolis (IHL);
traded Keith Carney, d, and Jim Cummins, rw, to Phoenix in exchange
for Chad Kilger, c, and Jayson More, d.

Standings: 
Western Conference - Central Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA
Dallas       63  38  15  10    86  187  124
Detroit      64  34  17  13    81  191  146
St Louis     65  35  22   8    78  196  156
Phoenix      63  24  27  12    60  170  179
Chicago      62  24  27  11    59  151  150
Toronto      61  21  32   8    50  145  178

game results: 

2/26 Los Angeles    L 7-4
2/28 at Colorado    W 4-0
3/01 Dallas         T 2-2
3/03 at St. Louis   L 5-3
3/05 at Pittsburgh  T 2-2
3/07 at Boston      W 2-1

TEAM NEWS by Thomas Crawford

Hawks Make Bold Move; Fans Still in Shock

Blackhawks GM Bob Murray pulled the trigger on a four-player deal
with the Phoenix Coyotes last Wednesday, and emergency crews are
still working to revive stunned Chicago fans. 

Throughout the gradual shift of power from Murray's near-catatonic
predecessor Bob Pulford, the ex-Hawk defenseman has  been promising
to pursue an aggressive course in improving his team.  However, 
Murray had managed only to tease Hawk fans with the prospects of
Keith Tkachuk (whom the Hawks signed to an offer sheet two years
ago, only to have Phoenix match it) and Chris Gratton (who ended up
in Philadelphia after a hotly contested bidding war between Murray
and Philly GM Bobby Clarke).  In fact, the only significant
acquisition in Murray's tenure had been Alexei Zhamnov, whom
Chicagoans are just now beginning to forgive for the sin of not
being Jeremy Roenick.  

All may be forgiven, though, if young center Chad Kilger  develops
into the kind of player the Anaheim Mighty Ducks envisioned when 
they selected him fourth overall in the 1995 entry draft, or that
the Coyotes franchise (then in Winnepeg) thought they were getting
when they sent Teemu Selanne to Anaheim for Kilger and defenseman
Oleg Tverdovsky.  The Blackhawks acquired Kilger and defenseman Jay
More in exchange for defenseman Keith Carney and right winger Jim
Cummins.  

Hackneyed as this sounds, this may be that rare deal that helps both
teams. The Coyotes are exceptionally deep at center, often playing
Roenick and Cliff Ronning on the same line, but were in need of a
top-four defenseman. Meanwhile, the Hawks' search for a big, young
centerman was entering its third or fourth year.  Rookie Dmitri
Nabokov has shown some scoring touch and good offensive instincts in
brief NHL stints, but the Hawks feel he needs to work on defense and
physical play.  

Kilger, on the other hand, seems to have found an appetite for the
physical game in Springfield of the AHL where he  racked up 234
penalty minutes to go along with his 45 points in 52 games last 
year.  Much like recent Flyers acquisition Alexandre Daigle, Kilger
was rushed into NHL action as an 18 year-old and expected to turn
around a bad team.  At least one scouting report still likes Kilger
as a high-level number two center, possibly a number one if he
develops a quicker shot release.  His passing skills, ice vision,
intelligence, and -- of course -- size come highly recommended.
Kilger had an immediate impact in his first game as a Blackhawk,
assisting on both Chicago scores and wiping out a third with a foot
in the crease.  

>From the Phoenix point of view, this deal gives them two legitimate
defense pairings, adding Carney to a group that includes Teppo
Numminen, Tverdovsky, and another former Blackhawk, Gerald Diduck.
While Carney's skating and puckhandling skills won't make anyone
forget Bobby Orr (or even Bobby Nystrom), he can be counted on to
make the right decision 90 percent of the time, an increasingly
hard-to-find quality in NHL blueliners.  As a bonus (and this was
actually reported to have been a sticking point in the deal), Jim
Schoenfeld gets cheap-shot artist Jim Cummins in exchange for
cheap-shot artist Jay More. The two players most unhappy about this
deal have to be Roenick (whose knees have bad memories of More from
his San Jose days) and Cam Russell who with the departure of Cummins
will once again assume the ill-fitting role of Blackhawk enforcer.  I
anticipate seeing a lot of Reid Simpson in the coming weeks. 

Dr. Chelios and Mr. Hyde

Chicago fans were treated to an unpleasant feeling of deja vu on
March 2nd, watching Craig Hartsburg and Chris Chelios play the 1991
roles of Mike Keenan and, well, Chris Chelios.  Chelios was ejected
from the game versus St. Louis and received a one-game suspension
for heaping abuse on referee Bill McCreary, and Hartsburg merited a
bench minor for an obscenity-laced tirade late in the game. 

While McCreary had called an inexplicable game, the four-goal second
period for the Blues had very little to do with Officer Bill. Rather,
the Hawks as a group and Chelios in particular were guilty of
defensive lapses that would drive a bantam coach crazy.  The
"incident" that sparked Chelios' outburst was a St. Louis goal
scored on an odd-man rush which occurred while the Hawks captain
was lying on his back in the offensive zone.  Chelios seemed to
think he had been taken down by Blues defenseman Chris Pronger, but
the question remained why he had been mucking in the corner while
no one covered his point position.  

But what must have really galled Chris is that this was not the
first, not the second, but the third goal that period resulting 
directly from his defensive miscues.  Though Hawks announcer Pat
Foley correctly pointed out that one of Chelios' teammates should
have stepped in before he got himself tossed, Cheli simply has to
keep his cool.  Hawks fans have to hope that this is an isolated
incident, not a sign that the old, bad Chris Chelios has returned.
 

Zhamnov Hurt

Another unpleasant byproduct of the St. Louis game was the loss of
top center Alex Zhamnov to a concussion.  Similar to the
Kasparitis/Lindros incident, Zhamnov was caught with his head down
and flattened with a clean shoulder to the face by Scott Pellerin. 
As we've seen this season (with current LCS whipping boy Paul
Kariya) and in the past (with Eric's brother Brent and Pat
LaFontaine), some people bounce right back from a concussion,
others take months, years, or simply don't come back.  Here's
hoping that Alex has a good, sturdy noggin.  

U.S. Hawks Duck and Cover

As soon as the, um, stuff started hitting the fan concerning the
U.S. team's behavior in Nagano, Chelios and teammate Gary Suter
weighed in with rock-hard alibis, leaving teammates Carney and Tony
Amonte to deny involvement without similar evidentiary support.  No
U.S. player has publicly admitted to any wrongdoing, nor have any
names been named.  However, a source has told LCS that two
ringleaders were St. Louis' Brett Hull and Edmonton's Doug Weight,
commenting that "maybe if there was a beer bottle on top of the
net, Dougie might score sometimes".  Another name dragged through
the mud by unsubstantiated rumor and innuendo has been that of
Phoenix' Keith Tkachuk, labeled an "immature frat boy" by one
report.  

News and Notes

The Carney deal might make some observers think that dealing Gary
Suter is no longer an option.  However, Bob Murray told the
Sun-Times Brian Hanley that he still feels his defense is not
physical enough, a comment that doesn't reflect well on the
offensive-minded Suter.  Murray promises at least one more deal
before the March 25 trading deadline . . . As expected, the
crackdown on obstruction fouls has led to a sharp increase in power
plays.  You'd think that would be decent news for the Hawks whose
penalty killing has been near the top of the league throughout the
year, often more than making up for their woeful power play.  But
Chicago's penalty killing has been spotty at best since the
Olympics, allowing three PPG each to L.A. and St. Louis . . . Once
again the league has promised to get tough on diving.  We'll
believe it when we see it . . . Jeff Hackett had two of his
less impressive outings last week, getting yanked against the Kings
at home and giving up five to the Blues in St. Louis.  But he
sparkled in Pittsburgh, stealing the Hawks a point in a game
without Chelios or Zhamnov, and played well again in
the win in Boston . . . More goalie news:  Chris Terreri
skated in Indy last week and might see IHL game action soon. 


-----------------------------------------------------------------
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 Matvichuk, Sergei Zubov, Craig Muni. 
G-Ed Belfour, Roman Turek. 

injuries: Benoit Hogue, lw (fractured cheekbone, 3-4 weeks). Sergei
Zubov, d (neck sprain, 7-14 days); Derian Hatcher, d (knee, 2-3
weeks); Dave Reid, lw (back, 7-14 days). Bob Bassen, c (knee 2
weeks). Shawn Chambers, d (undetermined hand injury, unknown).
Patrick Cote, d (shoulder separation, indefinite). 

transactions: Placed Bob Bassen, c, Derian Hatcher, d, Dave Reid,
lw, and Sergei Zubov, d, on injured reserve as of March 3. Recalled
Jamie Wright, lw, from the Michigan K-Wings (IHL); recalled Brad
Lukowich, d, from the Michigan K-Wings; recalled Petr Buzek, d,
from the Michigan K-Wings; reassigned Dan Keczmer, d, to the
Michigan K-Wings. 

Standings: 
Western Conference - Central Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA
Dallas       63  38  15  10    86  187  124
Detroit      64  34  17  13    81  191  146
St Louis     65  35  22   8    78  196  156
Phoenix      63  24  27  12    60  170  179
Chicago      62  24  27  11    59  151  150
Toronto      61  21  32   8    50  145  178

game results: 
2/25 at NY Islanders  W 4-1
2/28 Phoenix          W 4-0
3/01 at Chicago       T 2-2
3/04 Montreal         L 3-1
3/07 at St. Louis     L 2-1
3/08 Phoenix          T 1-1

Team News by Jim Panenka

The Sky is Falling!

Or at least it may seem like it. Injuries have been the main theme
for the Stars all year long. And, the team has responded well to
the test up to the winter break. But now, with Derian Hatcher and
Sergei Zubov both out of action, Dallas is facing their biggest
challenge yet. The team's best defensive-defenseman and
offensive-defenseman are now on the shelf.  

Hatcher is not only the team captain, he usually logs more ice time
per game than any other d-man. Considering Hatch is also (more or
less) the enforcer on the team, his absence is a huge gap for the
defense to overcome.  

Everyone now is relatively familiar with Sergei Zubov's
contributions to the team. He is the power-play quarterback, and is
pretty much the main reason the Stars' power-play unit was ranked
first in the league. Zubov's ability to maintain puck possession
and dish it out to the forwards is now genuinely missed by Dallas.
 

Since both of them went on the shelf, the team went 0-2-1. The power
play has been a joke without Zubov's bombs from the point and
Hatcher's big shadow in front of the goalie. The offense has been
struggling to find the back of the net. In the last three
non-victories, Dallas has been outscored 6-3. Their power play
record since the injuries is now something like 0-fer-23. Not good
at all.  

Yes, things are looking pretty bleak indeed. Add the fact that
Benoit Hogue is now also missing about four weeks due to a
fractured face, and Shawn Chambers may have re-injured his
previously fractured hand, you have a sure recipe for disaster. The
team was already missing two of their grittier forwards with both
Bob Bassen and Dave Reid out.  

The only good thing about this is it looks as if almost all the
injured bodies will be back with plenty of time to gear up for the
playoffs. The Stars certainly won't tank it badly enough to miss
the show, but now the President's Trophy looks much less likely
than it did in February.  

Speaking of February, the Stars went undefeated during this period.
That isn't necessarily all that exciting, considering that the record
for the month was 5-0-0. Yes they won five straight games. What is
exciting is that Dallas outscored their opponents 17-3 during the
five games. Strong netminding was one of the key reasons for the
streak.  

Along the same lines, Roman Turek was named the NHL player of the
month for February. Turek won all three games he started last
month, posting a 0.67 GAA with a .972 save percentage. In 16 games
he has started, the 27-year-old Czech is 9-5-1 with a .909 save
percentage. Turek, along with Belfour now look as if they can be
one of the better goaltending tandems for the playoffs. That is,
after all, the reason why Dallas gambled so heavily by releasing
Andy Moog and acquiring Belfour.  

Moog looked fantastic in the nets for Les Habitantes during the
Stars' 3-1 loss to Montreal on March 4. It was definitely a
bittersweet moment for the franchise. Everyone is happy Moog is
doing well, and they know he will probably have a shoo-in job in
the Stars' front office after he retires. But, being virtually shut
out by your former goalie has got to hurt. At least the Mooger got
his sweet revenge on the Stars for now.  

Since the Stars use their defense as a starting point for their
offense, the key injuries to Zubov and Hatcher have meant that the
team's goal production has fallen off drastically. The offense
hasn't been getting much help by their key injuries either. As a
result, most of the scoring burden has been placed on the core
group of prominent forwards: Modano, Lehtinen, Verbeek and
Nieuwendyk.  

None of the four have been burning up the score sheets lately. But,
you have to give the guys a few games to adjust to the different
team look.  

Modano knocked the monkey off his back just recently by scoring a
beautiful game-tying goal against Phoenix on March 8. Mighty Mo
streaked into the zone, pulled a hook turn away from a defender,
and crossed quickly from left to right of the goal, and waited in
front of the net just long enough to uncork a sizzling backhand
that sailed cleanly over Khabibulin's shoulder.  

After the game Modano commented:  "I've been having some real doubts
about my game," Modano said. "It's been really frustrating.  Our line
hasn't been getting anything going at all. And when you don't have
anything going on your power play, you start pressing.  So we're glad
to get a point out of this one."  

Hopefully the other top forwards can find their touch again in time
to keep the President's trophy in clear sight. Until then, its time
to let the injured guys heal, and continue to play conservative,
defensive-minded games. By the end of the run, the Stars should
have enough healthy bodies back to "uncork the power" (pun
intended) that put the Stars at number-one overall to begin with.
 

Olympic Recap

Ah, who the hell cares, anyway!? 

Peace, out.


-----------------------------------------------------------------
DETROIT RED WINGS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach:  Scotty Bowman
   
Roster: C - Steve Yzerman, Igor Larionov, Kris Draper, Sergei
Fedorov. 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:  None.    
          
TRANSACTIONS: None.

Standings: 
Western Conference - Central Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA
Dallas       63  38  15  10    86  187  124
Detroit      64  34  17  13    81  191  146
St Louis     65  35  22   8    78  196  156
Phoenix      63  24  27  12    60  170  179
Chicago      62  24  27  11    59  151  150
Toronto      61  21  32   8    50  145  178

GAME RESULTS: 

2/25 Los Angeles     T 1-1
2/27 Florida         W 3-1
3/02 at Phoenix      W 3-1   
3/04 at Anaheim      W 2-0
3/05 at San Jose     L 5-4
3/07 at Los Angeles  L 2-1

TEAM NEWS by Dino Cacciola

LOS ANGELES

Winger Brent Gilchrist scored early into the third period lifting
the Detroit Red Wings into a 1-1 tie with the Los Angeles Kings. It
was his 12th goal of the season.  The Kings had the only two shots
in overtime but goalie Chris Osgood stopped both. Osgood has not
allowed an overtime goal in his last 29 OT games going 6-0-23 in
that span.  

Osgood made 16 saves for the Red Wings, who are 4-1-2 in their last
seven home games and 6-1-4 in their last 11 meetings with the L.A. 
The Wings were without their captain Steve Yzerman and left wing
Brendan Shanahan, who both played for Team Canada at the Winter
Olympics.  They were recovering from possible jet lag.  

"I thought we were pretty strong as the game went on, a lot of them
had a lot more speed, we just didn't get the bounces," Detroit
coach Scotty Bowman said. "The goal hit Rouse's stick, not much you
can do about that. Then we shut them out for 64 minutes."  

Well I was at this game and let me tell you it was a snoozer.  A tie
at home was nothing to be impressed about. Seemingly the Olympic
break had an effect on all of the players.  

FLORIDA 

Left Winger Brendan Shanahan set up all three goals and goalie Chris
Osgood came within two minutes of earning a shutout as the Red Wings
welcomed center Sergei Fedorov back to the lineup with a 3-1 victory
over the sputtering Florida Panthers. Igor Larionov had a goal and an
assist as well.  

Fedorov, the former Hart and Selke Trophy winner, made his season
debut, one day after the Red Wings decided to match the six-year,
$38 million offer sheet he signed with the Carolina Hurricanes. 
Fedorov did not figure in the scoring. He received a mixed reaction
when he took his first shift in the opening minute and saw action
on a line with Shanahan and Doug Brown and on the point during the
power play.  Many boos were heard from the sold out crowd at the
Joe Louis Arena.  A mixed reaction to say the least.  

"Every person is entitled to his own opinion. I'm going to try to
win all of them back so they'll look at Sergei Fedorov from a
different angle," Fedorov said. "I was nervous, yes. I haven't
played in six months in this situation. But after a couple, three
shifts, I got used to it. I was anxious to get on the ice, I was
ready. I feel like I had some extra jump. The adrenaline was coming
all day. I could barely sleep this afternoon when I tried to nap
before the game."  

Asked how Fedorov appeared to him, Florida coach Bryan Murray said,
"Rich, really, really rich," adding, "I thought he looked fine. He
worked hard, but obviously, his timing isn't there yet."  

Defensemen Nicklas Lidstrom opened the scoring midway through the
first period with his 15th goal of the season and first in 23
games.  Centerman Igor Larionov doubled the lead with a power-play
goal in the second period, while Darren McCarty insured the game
for the Wings scoring with three minutes to go in the second
period.  It was McCarty's first goal since Dec. 23.  

PHOENIX

Sergei Fedorov waited eight months for this moment.  In his second
game after a long holdout, Fedorov scored his first goal of the
season as the Red Wings beat the Phoenix Coyotes 3-1.  

Fedorov got his first point when he took a pass from Steve Yzerman
in the low slot and one timed a cannon shot past goalie Nikolai
Khabibulin.  Darren McCarty and Larry Murphy also scored for the
Red Wings, and Chris Osgood made 36 saves.  
 
Each team had an apparent goal disallowed in the first period. The
first period was very wide open and entertaining with both teams
getting great quality scoring chances.  Another Red Wing goal was
disallowed with 4:10 remaining when Khabibulin was knocked over and
the net was dislodged just before Brendan Shanahan fired a shot. 
It was a very entertaining game to watch.  

ANAHEIM

Kevin Hodson earned his third career shutout with 35 saves in a 2-0
victory over the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.   The victory put the Red
Wings within four points of the Stars in the race for the NHL's
best record and extended Detroit's unbeaten streak to four games. 
Brent Gilchrist scored a power-play goal in the first period and
Steve Yzerman added his 14th goal of the season.  

The shutout was the first by the Red Wings on the road since
December of last season, when Kevin Hodson beat Washington 2-0. His
other one was eight weeks ago against Phoenix.  

The Ducks have lost all three games to Detroit this season.  Both
teams started backup goaltenders and the Ducks again were missing
marquee players Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya.  

SAN JOSE 

The Sharks came from two goals down to beat the Red Wings 5-4
Thursday night.  It was San Jose's third win in four games against
Detroit this season, exceeding the number of victories the Sharks
had in the all-time regular season series prior to this year. The
Red Wings entered the season with a 20-2-1 record against San
Jose.  It was also the first time in 27 games this season that
Detroit lost after taking a 2-0 lead.  

The scoring flurry capped a furious second period that included
three fights between the teams. Larry Murphy scored twice and
Brendan Shanahan and Kris Draper also scored for Detroit.  

Stephane Matteau tallied twice for the Sharks.  It was a very sloppy
game for the Wings.  It might just be the relaxed mode of the western
trip, but the Wings looked very sloppy.  

LOS ANGELES

Rob Blake scored two goals and that was all that was needed as the
Los Angeles beat the Red Wings 2-1.  The Kings' Jason Morgan was
sent off for boarding Jamie Pushor. Brendan Shanahan retaliated and
got a roughing penalty, resulting in a four-on-four situation and a
goal from Steve Yzerman. It was his 554th career goal, putting him
two behind Johnny Bucyk for 13th place on the all-time list.  It
was the only highlight the Wings could muster in the loss.  

Fiset of the Kings finished with 30 saves against the high powered
Wings who have been nothing but flat in the scoring department as
of late.  The Kings also spoiled Detroit coach Scotty Bowman's
1,800th career regular season game, handing the Red Wings
consecutive losses for only the third time this season.  

Approaching the trading deadline it is doubtful the Red Wings will
do much to change anything.  The chemistry is very good and the
needs are minimal.  With the return of Fedorov to the lineup,
scoring should increase even though it has not so far.  Look for
the Wings to possibly pick up a veteran grinder or a bonafide
second tier defensemen that can be offensive and solid
defensively.  Rumors have the Wings possibly going after Florida's
Gord Murphy or Rich Pilon of the Islanders.  Last season the Wings
picked up Tomas Sandstrom, and this season they hope to pick up a
player that will be a free agent at the end of the season for a
draft pick possibly.   


-----------------------------------------------------------------
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, Jim Cummins. D - Teppo Numminen, Oleg Tverdovsky, Keith Carney, John Slaney, Norm Maciver, Jim Johnson, Murray Baron, Deron Quint, Jason
Doig, Michel Petit. G - Nikolai Khabibulin, Jimmy Waite. 

Injuries: Gerald Diduck, D, returned Feb. 28 after missing two games
with a hand injury; Dallas Drake, RW, returned March 3 after 
missing one game with a bruised knee; Michel Petit, D, suffered 
a MCL tear Feb. 28, sidelined 4-6 weeks; Keith Tkachuk, LW, suffered 
a groin injury March 2, sidelined day-to-day; Norm Maciver, D, 
suffered a hand injury Feb. 7, 
sidelined day-to-day; Jimmy Waite, G, suffered a sprained thumb Jan. 9,
sidelined 1-2 weeks; Jim Johnson, D, suffering from post-concussion 
syndrome Nov. 11, sidelined indefinitely; Darcy Wakaluk, G, underwent 
knee surgery Sept. 17, sidelined indefinitely.
 
Transactions: Traded Chad Kilger, c, and Jay More, d, to Chicago in 
exchange for Keith Carney, d, and Jim Cummins, rw.  March 9 - Returned 
goaltender Scott Langkow to Springfield of the American Hockey League; 
March 10 - Oleg Tverdovsky, D, withdraws $40 from an ATM.  

Standings: 
Western Conference - Central Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA
Dallas       63  38  15  10    86  187  124
Detroit      64  34  17  13    81  191  146
St Louis     65  35  22   8    78  196  156
Phoenix      63  24  27  12    60  170  179
Chicago      62  24  27  11    59  151  150
Toronto      61  21  32   8    50  145  178

Game Results:
2/25 Colorado         L 4-2
2/26 at Colorado      L 3-0
2/28 at Dallas        L 4-0
3/02 Detroit          L 3-1
3/06 Carolina         L 5-4
3/08 at Dallas        T 1-1

TEAM NEWS by Matthew Secosky

Trading Disappointments 

On March 4th, the Phoenix Coyotes traded center Chad Kilger
and defenseman Jay More to the Chicago Blackhawks for 
defenseman Keith Carney and right winger Jim Cummins. The
whole point of this trade remains a mystery. Phoenix gets 
toughness and some solid defense, while Chicago gets a 
young struggling center in Kilger. If Kilger develops into 
a playa, Chicago gets the best of this deal, if not nobody 
will care either way. At least not me...
    

Should I Stay or Should I Go Now?

After being a healthy scratch for five games, Mike Gartner returned to
action on March 8th in place of slightly injured Keith 
Tkachuk. Gartner played on the third line in what was his
first action in four weeks.

There has been talk that Anaheim and Los Angeles would
have interest in the 38-year-old Gartner if he
waives his no-trade clause, but Gartner has said that 
his first preference is to remain in Phoenix as long as he 
gets to play. Of course chances are he will be out of the lineup
once Tkachuk returns. Depending on Gartner's expectations, 
he holds the ticket to the bus out of town.

Tkachuk Suspected?

In a bizarre twist of events involving the wild, wacky, murder-mystery game Clue, 
little Katie McDougal of Wet Falls, IA exclaimed that she believed 
Keith Tkachuk did it in the study with the candlestick.

When asked about these accusations, Tkachuk replied, "There is
no way I could have done it...I was busy trashing my room 
in Nagano. Just ask J.R."

Nobodys Fault But Mine

After an overtime loss to Carolina that extended the Coyotes
winless streak to eight games, coach Jim Scoenfeld
declared that all the team's problems are his fault. "If I've got 
five guys making mistakes in March that they were making in
October, then I'm not getting the job done, then I have to 
find a better way to eliminate the mistakes we're making. They're 
the same mistakes that have been costing us. But if we can 
come into a game like this and not have everybody going, I
can't even get angry with my players. There's only one guy 
that didn't do the job tonight and you're talking to him 
now."

Other Stuff


When millions of vital computer systems crash right after 
midnight on December 31, 1999 and the world as we know it
comes to an abrupt and violent end, won't everything you
lived for just seem silly?

Extremely Brief Game Recaps

02/25/98 vs Colorado, Lost 4-2 - Khabibulin made 28 
saves and Tkachuk netted his 36th goal of the season for the 
Coyotes. Forsberg had a goal and an assist for the Avs. 
Phoenix is winless in their last five games against 
Colorado (0-4-1). 

02/26/98 at Colorado, Lost 3-0 - Make that winless in
their last six against Colorado. Patrick Roy stopped 27 shots
to earn the 40th shutout of his career and Phoenix was 
0-for-9 on the power play. Coyotes haven't won against anyone
in five games (0-4-1).

02/28/98 at Dallas, Lost 4-0 - Getting shutout in back-to-back
games is never a good sign...but hey, they were some damn good teams
they lost to. Coyotes winless in last six games (0-5-1).

03/02/98 vs Detroit, Lost 3-1 - Phoenix scores a goal! 
Of course they still managed to lose and have now gone seven 
games (0-6-1) without tasting the sweet thrill of victory. 
Sergei Fedorov scores his 1st goal of the season.  

03/06/98 vs Carolina, Lost 5-4 - Jeff O'Neill got his funk
on with two goals and two assists and Carolina goaltender 
Kirk McLean stopped 46 shots to send the Coyotes running for
the woods. Drake, Isbister, Tocchet and Ylonen scored for Phoenix.
Phoenix winless streak extends to eight (0-7-1).

03/08/98 at Dallas, Tie 1-1 - Coyotes may not have won in nine 
games, but at least they got a point. Numminen and Modano exchange
goals while Khabibulin makes 22 saves. Mike Gartner fills
in for Keith Tkachuk who was scratched due to a groin 
injury. Phoenix has scored just one goal in their last
40 chances on the power play.


-----------------------------------------------------------------
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, Michel Picard. 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, Ricard Persson. G -
Grant Fuhr, Jamie McLennan, Rich Parent.

Injuries: Pavol Demitra, lw (broken jaw March 7, mid-to-late April);
Scott Pellerin, lw (sprained right ankle March 7, day-to-day); Blair
Atcheynum, rw (broken finger March 1, mid-April (placed on injured
reserve March 1)); Grant Fuhr, g (strained ligament and torn
cartilage in right knee Feb. 26, early-to-mid April); Rudy
Poeschek, d (back injury Jan. 22, indefinite).
 
Transactions: Recalled Michel Picard, f, from Grand Rapids (IHL);
recalled Rich Parent, g, from Detroit (IHL); recalled Ricard
Persson, d, from Worcester (AHL). 

Standings: 
Western Conference - Central Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA
Dallas       63  38  15  10    86  187  124
Detroit      64  34  17  13    81  191  146
St Louis     65  35  22   8    78  196  156
Phoenix      63  24  27  12    60  170  179
Chicago      62  24  27  11    59  151  150
Toronto      61  21  32   8    50  145  178

Game Results:

2/26 at San Jose     L 3-1
2/28 at Los Angeles  W 5-2
3/01 at Anaheim      W 6-2
3/03 Chicago         W 5-3
3/05 Montreal        W 4-0
3/07 Dallas          W 2-1
3/09 at Vancouver    W 4-0

TEAM NEWS by Jim Iovino

Two steps forward...

Even when things go right for the St. Louis Blues, something else
always seems to go wrong. 

The Blues are currently riding a six-game winning streak, but the
joy associated with the streak has had to be tempered due to
another rash of injuries that has plagued the team. 

The injuries started the first game after Winter Break when Grant
Fuhr went down with a bad knee.  The knee had to be scoped, so he
would have to be out of the lineup for a month.  But as it turned
out, the very next game saw the start of the team's current win
streak.  And it's no coincidence that backup goalie Jamie McLennan
got hot at the same time.  

Since Fuhr went down, all of the goaltending duties fell on the
shoulders of McLennan.  Many expected him to pull a Jon Casey and
lead the team down to the depths of hell, but McLennan proved that
he's a capable NHL goalie by winning his next six starts.  Those
six wins have extended his overall unbeaten streak to 12 games. 
Hmmmha...not bad, eh?  

McLennan has been solid all season spelling Fuhr.  He has a record
of 13-4-2 with a 1.96 GAA and a .913 save percentage.  McLennan
picked up his first career shutout against Montreal and his second
four days later against the Canucks.  

McLennan has had the luxury of having good defense played in front
of him.  The new starter hasn't seen a tremendous amount of shots
in any game since he took over.  That's been a big help in his
transition to the No. 1 spot.  

Daddy Mac's Thug Life

While the entire St. Louis defense has been sharp the past couple
weeks, the team's defensive leader, Al MacInnis, has had a strange
version of the Midas Touch.  Everything Daddy Mac touches seems to
lead to injury.  

It all started in the team's 6-2 over Anaheim.  During the first
period of the game, MacInnis became frustrated during a shift, and
as he came back to the bench he slammed his stick down on the top
of the boards to let off some steam. Unfortunately, his blade came
straight down on the bare had of Darren Turcotte, who was resting
his hand on the boards has he looked down at his skates.  

Obviously MacInnis didn't see Turcotte's hand there or he wouldn't
have swung his stick.  As soon as MacInnis realized what happened,
he went straight to Turcotte to see if he was alright. Turcotte
immediately went to the locker room to get X-rays, which luckily
turned out to be negative.  MacInnis went to the locker room as
well.  Apparently MacInnis felt so sick after he realized what he
did that he couldn't come back to the game.  

Pavol's out

MacInnis was involved with an injury to another teammate a few games
later. Pavol Demitra was injured in the team's win over Dallas thanks
to a MacInnis slap shot.  With Demitra setting up a screen in front
of the Dallas net, MacInnis wound up and let a slapper fly from the
point.  The puck was on edge, however, and it fluttered and took off 
high, hitting Demitra right in the jaw.  

Demitra's jaw was busted and he had to have surgery on it.  The
recovery time will keep the second-line winger and penalty killer
out of the lineup for the rest of the regular season.  There is
hope that he will be back in time for the playoffs. 

Demitra gave the Blues a big boost offensively this season.  With
Joe Murphy out for most of the year due to injury, Demitra stepped
up and provided a spark.  In 55 games, the speedy winger scored 19
goals and added 26 assists for 45 points. His scoring touch will
definitely be missed.  

He will also be missed by yours truly.  Demitra was my second-best
left winger on my fantasy team.  That's gonna hurt... 

Neilson moves on

Roger Neilson, who was a key assistant coach for head coach Joel
Quenneville, recently took the head coaching position in
Philadelphia, replacing Wayne Cashman. 

Neilson, who is known for his methodical, tactical approach to the
game, will be hard to replace in St. Louis.  Quenneville actually
sounded concerned when he talked about the loss of Neilson.  It
will be interesting to see exactly how much of an impact his loss
will have on the team.  

Since Neilson was under contract with the Blues, the Flyers will owe
them compensation.  It will be a conditional draft pick, sixth round
or better, depending on how far the Flyers go in the playoffs.


-----------------------------------------------------------------
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. D - Jeff Brown, Jamie Macoun, Dimitri
Yushkevich, Mathieu Schneider, Jason Smith, Rob Zettler, Yannick
Tremblay. G - Felix Potvin, Glenn Healy. 

Injuries: Wendel Clark, lw (groin, day-to-day); Nick Kypreos, 
lw (post-concussion syndrome, out for season); Craig Wolanin, d 
(knee, out for season).

Transactions: None.

Standings: 
Western Conference - Central Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA
Dallas       63  38  15  10    86  187  124
Detroit      64  34  17  13    81  191  146
St Louis     65  35  22   8    78  196  156
Phoenix      63  24  27  12    60  170  179
Chicago      62  24  27  11    59  151  150
Toronto      61  21  32   8    50  145  178

Game Results: 

2/28 Montreal      W 4-0
3/02 at Pittsburgh L 3-1
3/04 Colorado      L 5-3
3/07 Edmonton      W 4-1
3/09 at San Jose   L 3-2

TEAM NEWS by Michael Dell

Due to circumstances beyond his control, Jonah Sigel was 
unable to write a team report for this issue.  So until we raise 
the bail money, I will try to fill in and honor the Leafs as 
only I can.  Yes, that's right... through Haiku.

Toronto is nice. 
The town is very pretty. 
Have you seen my pants?

Thank you very much.  My first book of Haikus, entitled 
"Haikus? I Got Your Haikus Right Here", can be found at better 
bookstores everywhere.

================================================================



=================================================================
TEAM REPORTS
=================================================================
WESTERN CONFERENCE
PACIFIC DIVISION
-----------------------------------------------------------------
ANAHEIM MIGHTY DUCKS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach:  Pierre Page
   
ROSTER: C: Matt Cullen, Travis Green, Richard Park, Sean Pronger,
Steve Rucchin; LW: Shawn Antoski, Ted Drury, Paul Kariya, Mike
Leclerc, Tomas Sandstrom, Brent Severyn, Jeremy Stevenson; RW:
Frank Banham, Jeff Nielsen, Warren Rychel, Teemu Selanne, Scott
Young; D: Drew Bannister, Doug Houda, David Karpa, Jason Marshall,
Dmitri Mironov, Ruslan Salei, Pavel Trnka; G: Guy Hebert, Mikhail
Shtalenkov. 

INJURIES: Paul Kariya, lw (post-concussion syndrome, indefinite);
Teemu Selanne, rw (pulled abdominal muscle) and Travis Green, c
(groin strain) returned 3/8 after missing five games each; Jeremy
Stevenson, lw (concussion, day-to-day); Jeff Nielsen, rw (broken
left fibula, has resumed skating but is expected to be out another
two to three weeks); Shawn Antoski, lw (depressed skull fracture,
has resumed skating but is out indefinitely). 
 
TRANSACTIONS: 3/5, recalled Frank Banham, rw, and Mike Leclerc, lw,
from Cincinnati (AHL); assigned Kevin Todd, c/lw, to Long Beach
(IHL); 3/1, assigned Tony Tuzzolino, rw, to Cicinnati; 2/26,
recalled Richard Park, c, from Cincinnati; assigned Barry Nieckar,
lw, to Cincinnati; 2/24, recalled Kevin Todd, c/lw, from Long Beach
and Barry Nieckar, lw, from Cincinnati; assigned Dan Trebil, d, to
Cincinnati; 2/23, recalled Matt Cullen, c, Pavel Trnka, d, Peter
Leboutillier, rw, and Tony Tuzzolino, rw, from Cincinnati; placed
Paul Kariya, lw, on Injured Reserve (retroactive to 02/01). 

GAME RESULTS:

2/25 at Vancouver  L 5-2
2/27 at Edmonton   W 4-0
3/01 St. Louis     L 6-2
3/04 Detroit       L 4-0
3/06 San Jose      L 3-0
3/08 Carolina      L 3-1

TEAM NEWS by Alex Carswell

FOUR AND OUT?

Prior to the four-game home stand starting March 1, coach Pierre
Page announced that because of Anaheim's tenuous position in the
race for the postseason, the team's playoffs had already begun.
That the Ducks then went out and lost four straight can hardly be a
harbinger of success in their quest for one of the eight available
Stanley Cup slots.  

Heading into this week, Anaheim was closer to last in the conference
(just one point ahead of Vancouver) than to the final playoff
position (seven points back of Edmonton). And the immediate horizon
isn't looking all that rosy, either. Their next five games pit them
against arch rival Los Angeles, Toronto and then three serious
challenges in Dallas, Colorado and New Jersey -- merely the three
best team's in the NHL. But then it gets easier, right?  

Not exactly. The team's final 15 games feature a seven-game roadie
that begins with the New Jersey game and includes visits to
Philadelphia, Ottawa, Montreal, Chicago, Detroit and Colorado. If
the team slips against the relatively hapless Senators (who just
happen to have 11 more points than Anaheim), that trip could be a
whitewash -- with the Ducks getting cleaned.  

The only positive element in the schedule -- and even that is a
stretch -- is that Anaheim's final 12 games are all against Western
Conference opponents. But the Ducks have yet to prove that they can
beat the teams they need to in order to qualify for the playoffs.
As they all are at this point, the March 6 game against San Jose (a
team in front of the Ducks yet still out of the top eight) was a
"must win." But Anaheim came out flat and was shut out, 3-0. That
left Anaheim 0-5 against their Bay Area rivals this season, with
just one more chance remaining against the Sharks (April 9).  

How important were those blown opportunities -- especially early in
the year when San Jose was truly horrific? Add 10 points to
Anaheim's total and it would be Edmonton, not the Ducks, currently
fighting for a spot in the postseason.  

BUDDY, CAN YOU SPARE A GOAL?

Though Teemu Selanne has returned from the strained abdominal muscle
that kept him out of Team Finland's bronze-medal game against Canada
as well as the first five of Anaheim's post-Olympic contests, one has
to wonder if he alone can lead the Ducks to the playoffs. At this
point, it is highly unlikely that Paul Kariya, still suffering from
post-concussion syndrome, will be back during this regular season.
And that means Teemu will have to go it alone.  

If a playoff spot seems something of a reach, then it might be
enough to ask Selanne just to get Anaheim on the score sheet
occasionally. The shutout at the hands of San Jose was the team's
10th such defeat of the season, breaking a record of offensive
futility set in the expansion team's inaugural season. If that
doesn't speak volumes about Anaheim's season-long scoring problem,
nothing does.  

The power play, awful all year long, has plunged to 10.8%
efficiency, "good" for 25th in the league, ahead of just Tampa Bay
(9%). And at home it's even worse, with the Ducks bringing up the
NHL rear at just 9.4% efficiency.  

That the power play has been wanting of late is no surprise.  Without
Kariya and Selanne in the lineup, the team recently iced Tomas
Sandstrom, Sean Pronger and Warren Rychel as their top power play
trio. That's a group that has 14 goals combined over the entire
season, and not exactly the "power" you want with a man advantage.
But even with their top guns in the lineup, the power play has been
weak. SO much so that Selanne described it earlier in the year as
"the worst power play I've ever been part of, and that includes when
I was six years old playing (peewee)."  

GUARDING AN ASSET

The reason it's likely Kariya will not suit up again this year is
that team doctors are being extremely cautious with their franchise
player. They have stated that before clearing Kariya for a return,
they would like to see him symptom free for as many days as he has
suffered from the Gary Suter-induced post-concussion syndrome. And
since he has been suffering from that brutal hit for over five
weeks, if he recovered 100% today, he would still be out until
mid-April. And he is not 100% today.  

With the playoff picture being bleak at the very least, and likely
unsalvagable, you can't blame Anaheim for their careful approach
with Kariya. An early return from this, his fourth concussion,
could very well put Kariya's career at risk. As we've all seen with
the Brett Lindros and Pat Lafontaine situations, while it doesn't
pay to try and come back early from such a serious condition, one
can recover given the right amount of recuperative time.  

And Kariya's recovery is critical -- not just for this Ducks team,
but for the entire franchise. Because even though they are arguably
in a position to get a high draft pick, players like Kariya don't
come along that often -- much less every July. Plus, with expansion
coming up, top draft picks will be divvied up among the new
franchises, at the expense of existing bad teams.  

BRIGHT SPOTS?

If there are any bright spots in the team's current skid, they are
in goal -- where Mikhail Shtalenkov has returned hot from his
silver-medal performance in Nagano -- and in the person of Steve
Rucchin. Rucchin has suffered all year long from a tweaked groin
that hampered his skating and strength in front of the net. Being
depended on by Anaheim to center the top line -- healthy or not --
the Olympic break gave Rucchin his first real chance to rest.  

Playing well before the hiatus (3-7-10 in the eight games prior to
the Olympics), Rucchin has played solidly since the resumption of
NHL play. With Selanne and Kariya both out, coach Page conferred an
"A" to Rucchin, who has since led the team in scoring (2-2-4).
Scott Young (1-3-4 since the Olympics) got the other "A" and has
also played well.  

As for Misha, he has been hot even in defeat. After stopping all 26
shots in a 4-0 shutout against Edmonton, Shtalenkov was sharp in a
2-0 loss to Detroit, facing 33 shots. Good thing, too, since number
one guy Guy Hebert came home from Nagano not with gold, silver or
bronze, but with rust from three weeks of inactivity.  

COMING UP

More misery and possibly a trade made in desperation in order to
salvage some measure fan respect. All of which will be quickly
followed by a managerial shake-up. Hey, that's what happens when
you finish last in the conference. 


-----------------------------------------------------------------
CALGARY FLAMES
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach:  Brian Sutter
   
roster:  C - Andrew Cassels, Eric Landry, Michael Nylander, Cory
Stillman.  RW - Eric Andersson, Valeri Bure, Theoren Fleury, Jarome
Iginla, Sandy McCarthy, Ron Stern.  LW - Chris Dingman, Hnat
Domenichelli, Todd Hlushko, Marty McInnis, German Titov, Ed Ward. 
D - Tommy Albelin, Jamie Allison, Joel Bouchard, Kevin Dahl, Denis
Gauthier, Cale Hulse, Derek Morris, James Patrick, Todd Simpson,
Rocky Thompson.  G - Tyler Moss, Dwayne Roloson, Rick Tabaracci. 

injuries: Valeri Bure, rw (concussion, day-to-day); Ron Stern, rw 
(knee, indefinite).

transactions:  None.

standings:
Western Conference - Pacific Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA   
Colorado     65  33  16  16    82  194  158
Los Angeles  61  28  22  11    67  176  161
Edmonton     63  23  30  10    56  160  181
San Jose     61  24  30   7    55  152  164
Calgary      62  19  31  12    50  164  189
Anaheim      62  20  33   9    49  146  189
Vancouver    63  19  34  10    48  177  223

game results:

2/27 Vancouver     T 4-4
3/01 Ottawa        W 2-1
3/03 Tampa Bay     W 2-1
3/05 at Vancouver  W 6-2
3/07 at Ottawa     L 2-1
3/09 at Washington L 5-2

TEAM NEWS by Michael Dell

Um, Tony Wong's report never quite made it.  So in its place 
I will try to honor the Flames as only I can.  Yes, that's right... 
through Haiku.

Calgary is cold. 
A flame should be really hot. 
Have you seen my pants? 

Thank you very much.  My first book of Haikus, entitled 
"Haikus? I Got Your Haikus Right Here", can be found at better 
bookstores everywhere.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
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,
Wade Belak.  G - Patrick Roy, Craig Billington. 

Injuries: Joe Sakic, c (knee, late March); Francois Leroux, lw
(shoulder, indefinite).

Transactions: Recalled Josef Marha, c, and Christian Matte, rw,
from Hershey (AHL); recalled Petr Franek, g, from Hershey; assigned
Franek to Hershey; assigned Matte to Hershey; recalled Wade Belak,
d, from Hershey; assigned Marha to Hershey.

GAME RESULTS:

2/25 at Phoenix      W 4-2
2/26 Phoenix         W 3-0
2/28 Chicago         L 4-0
3/02 Edmonton        L 5-4
3/04 at Toronto      W 5-2
3/05 at Ottawa       L 4-2
3/07 at NY Islanders W 4-2

TEAM NEWS by Greg D'Avis

The Avalanche didn't exactly roar out of the Olympic break, but all
things considered they didn't do too bad. They'd sent more players
than any other team to the Olympics, all of whom returned without
gold - and their leader, Joe Sakic, brought back a knee injury. 

So .500 hockey wasn't the worst thing in the world. They got off to
a great start with a convenient home-and-home against Phoenix, who
apparently wasn't too keen about returning to action. Peter
Forsberg starred in the first game, picking up two points, while
the second game had two stars from each end of the spectrum -
Patrick Roy picked up a shutout to celebrate his son's birthday,
while rookie center Josef Marha, a call-up to replace Sakic, picked
up two assists and was named the number one star.  

Unfortunately, the Avalanche couldn't build on the two easy games,
and mailed in a pathetic performance against the Blackhawks. Jeff
Hackett got the shutout - Buddy Hackett coulda done it. With half
the team taking breaks to recover from the Olympics, the Avalanche
looked like they were playing a preseason game - and taking it
about that seriously.  

Then, the unthinkable happened. Since moving to Colorado, the
Avalanche had owned the Edmonton Oilers. Some people had grown up
believing that it was illegal for the Oilers to win against
Colorado. But on March 2, 1998, the Oilers - for the first time
since the 1993-94 season - won a regular season game against the
Colorado/Quebec franchise. It was actually a pretty entertaining
game, with lead changes galore, lots of skating, lots of hitting
and lots of bad tempers, but Edmonton scored almost immediately in
the overtime period, which sort of put a damper on things.  

The Avs rebounded with, well, a pretty lackluster performance
against the Maple Leafs. Sloppy, but sloppy is good enough to beat
the Leafs. Sloppy drunk could probably beat them. There were some
nice signs: Keith Jones scored his first goal since coming back
from a season-long injury, and Olympians like Forsberg and Valeri
Kamensky looked sharp.  

They didn't the next game, as Ottawa stomped `em, 4-2. And it didn't
look that close. Again, the Avs sleepwalked, while the Senators
expressed all of Canada's displeasure with Marc Crawford.  Ugly. 

But it was back to solid against the Islanders, as the power play
went crazy - particularly Sandis Ozolinsh, who scored four points.
Kamensky and Forsberg weren't bad either. 

Medals? Who needs `em?

Despite being the most-represented team at the Olympics, the
Avalanche got no gold medals, and only three players - Valeri
Kamensky and Alexei Gusarov (silver, with Russia) and Jari Kurri
(bronze, Finland) got anything.  

Jones returns, everyone else leaves

Keith Jones finally returned to limited action after a season-long
knee injury. Playing about every other game, he picked up two goals
in his first few games back. Good thing - Joe Sakic, of course,
will miss about another week or two with the knee injury he
suffered in the Olympics. Francois Leroux separated his shoulder
against Phoenix, and may be out for the season - Wade Belak came up
from Hershey as a replacement. Claude Lemieux and Rene Corbet also
missed time with injuries.  

Marha shines - briefly

Josef Marha came up as a replacement for Joe Sakic, and as he has in
the few games he's played with the Avalanche this year, he looked
great. He picked up three assists in the two games against Phoenix,
games coach Crawford called his best of the year, then was arguably
the Avalanche's best player against Edmonton. All for naught, though;
he's back down in Hershey, as the Avalanche forwards start getting
healthy. 


-----------------------------------------------------------------
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, Dennis Bonvie.
D - Bobby Dollas, Sean Brown, Greg deVries, Kevin Lowe, Roman
Hamrlik, Boris Mironov, Drake Berehowsky.  G - Curtis Joseph, Bob
Essensa. 

Injuries: Kevin Lowe, d (inner ear infection, placed on IR Oct 23,
indefinite); Ryan Smyth, lw (suffered 3rd degree tear of left MCL
Jan 20, indefinite); Bill Huard, lw (returned March 4 after missing
seven games with a fractured right wrist); Bobby Dollas, d
(suffered a sublex shoulder March 2, sidelined 7-10 days); Boris
Mironov, d (suffered a bruised shoulder March 2, sidelined
day-to-day);  Drake Berehowsky, d (suffered a thigh contusion March
2, sidelined day-to-day);  Boyd Devereaux, c (suffered a MCL sprain
Feb. 22 (while with Hamilton, AHL), indefinite (placed on IR Feb.
22)). 

Transactions: March 7 - sent Scott Ferguson, d, and Craig Millar, d,
to Hamilton (AHL). 
 
Game Results:

2/25 Ottawa       W 5-2 
2/27 Anaheim      L 4-0 
2/28 San Jose     W 4-1 
3/2  at Colorado  W 5-4 OT 
3/4  Tampa Bay    W 4-2
3/7  at Toronto   L 4-1

TEAM NEWS by Simon D. Lewis

For Sale

Everyone knows the Oilers are for sale.  (Hey, you over there!  If
you hadn't heard this, what are you doing this deep into a hockey
web site?  Huh?)  

Here's the Cole's Notes version:  Houston wheeler-dealer, Les
Alexander, put in his second bid for the team and its AHL franchise
in Hamilton, Ontario for $82.5 million US.  His first attempt to
buy the team ran into some snags with the City of Edmonton late in
1997.  Alexander has indicated that he will move the team out of
Edmonton at the end of this season.  

Under conditions of a 1994 location agreement, Edmonton investors
wanting to keep the team in northern Alberta have 30 days to raise
$70 million US -- about $102 million Cdn -- to buy the team.  This
they must do by March 13 or Alexander's deal goes through on the
14th.  

Are you with me so far?  Okay. 

The NHL stipulates that any local owners must ante up at least half
the equity (that's the $102 million Cdn). They can borrow up to 50
percent of the sum, but no more.  As of March 5, a local group of
prospective buyers had put up $48 million Cdn, but hoped to raise a
further $12 million by the deadline.  All parties in the consortium
of buyers are agreed that this will be a closely run affair.  It'll
go down to the wire.  

Let's face it, even if they make it, it's a short term solution. 
With maniacs like the owners of the Hurricanes and the Red Wings
ready to pay Sergei Fedorov a king's ransom for his services, 
little towns like Edmonton are done like dinner.  The bar has been
raised too high.  Metropolitan Edmonton can be generously estimated
to have 1.2 million citizens.  All of Alberta is less than 3
million.  There just isn't enough money here to compete.  

Where Edmonton goes Calgary can't be far behind.  While the Flames
are better managed, in a business sense, and there is more money
around Cowtown, fans of the Flaming "C" can expect to see their
team function very much like the Montreal Expos do in baseball. 
That is, they'll be a low salaried development team for the
Phillys, Detroits and NY Rangers of the NHL.  They'll grow that
young talent until it's time for it to earn the real money in the
big markets.  If Jarome Iginla turns into the star it looks like he
will, how long do you think he's going to stay in Calgary?  
                
"And if you believe that, I've got some swamp land..." 

In the frenzied search for funding for the Oilers, it looked like a
guy with a white hat was about to come to the rescue.  His name -
Michael Largue.  He said he had a bankroll of $100 million from a
Swiss millionaire named Lester Mittendorf who owned the Bern
Bears.  He said he was a former hockey player who had actually
played for the Bears.  Wrong!!  

After Largue swept into Edmonton on a wave of media hype he was
proven to be an absolute and total liar. 

Turns out that Mr. Largue, among other accomplishments, has been
convicted of defrauding his apartment co-op of $39,000.  He arrived
in Edmonton after clearing the trip with his parole officer.   On
May 21, 1993 his name appeared on a list of people and companies
who were fined and suspended from the National Association of
Security Dealers.  His estranged wife says, "I'll tell you
something... He's a loser.  He's a loser and he doesn't have any
money."  The phrase "pathological liar" was thrown around.  

Nice job, Mike.  Now get back in your hole and stop wasting
everyone's time.  Snake oil anyone?  

Back On the Ice

Meanwhile, the Blue and Gold have played some good hockey after Gary
Bettman's waking nightmare, otherwise known as the Olympic break.  A
big OT win in Colorado points the way to a strong run for the
playoffs.  Whether the Oilers make the post-season or not will be
decided by their performance on a twelve day, seven-game road trip
which started badly with a 4-1 loss in Toronto.  Now they head to
Chicago, Tampa Bay, Florida, Carolina, Detroit and Pittsburgh. 
Whew!  

Return of the Warhorse

If he's going to make a return to the lineup, he couldn't have
picked a better time.  The Oiler blue line corps is banged up (see
injury report) and they need a guy like Kevin Lowe.  He's gone on
the road trip and the plan is to get him into some games.  

"If I keep improving like I have in the last four or five days, I
think I'll play on the road trip.  My recovery is a lot better in
terms of the spinning around and stops and starts.  I've got to get
back in the lineup so I can get some rest (from fitness guy Daryl
Duke). This working out every day is killing me," said Lowe.  

Lowe hasn't played since October due to a tenacious inner ear
infection.  He's been skating for a while, but hasn't felt fit to
play.  There were times when he thought his career might have
ended.  He'll be a valuable addition in the stretch run. 


-----------------------------------------------------------------
LOS ANGELES KINGS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach:  Larry Robinson

Roster:  C - Jason Morgan, 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, Vitali
Yachemenev.  D - Aki Berg, Rob Blake, Phillipe Boucher, Garry
Galley, Mattias Norstrom, Sean O'Donnell, Doug Zmolek, Jan Vopat. 
G - Jamie Storr, Stephane Fiset, Frederic Chabot. 

Injuries:  Jozef Stumpel, c (bruised kidney, week-to-week); Luc
Robitaille, lw (groin/abdominal surgery, end of regular season);
Doug Zmolek, d (groin, week or so). 

Transactions:  Recalled Jason Morgan, c, Frederic Chabot, g, and
Vitali Yachmenev, rw, from the minor leagues. 

Game Results:

2/25 at Detroit  T 1-1
2/26 at Chicago  W 7-4
2/28 St. Louis   L 5-2
3/02 Vancouver   T 2-2
3/05 Carolina    L 2-1
3/07 Detroit     W 2-1
3/09 Anaheim     W 4-3

TEAM NEWS by Matt Moore

Groins, groins, groins.  That is the word that was heard after
seemingly every game.  

The Kings lost three players to groin pulls these past few weeks. 
Goaltender Stephane Fiset went down with his and missed two games,
but is already back and seems to be sharp.  Doug Zmolek is
currently out for three or four games with his.  And most
importantly, Luc Robitaille is out for 6-8 weeks, which will
probably mean the rest of the regular season, following surgery to
repair an abdominal/groin injury.  

Add in the loss of Garry Galley to a family matter, Russ Courtnall
to a hip flexor for a few games, and Nathan Lafayette to a knee
injury; and the roster started to look pretty thin.  Things got
even worse when Jozef Stumpel, the Kings' leading scorer, got
checked heavily by Carolina's Keith Primeau and wound up in the
hospital with a bruised kidney.  
  
So maybe the Olympic break had a bit of a negative impact to the
Kings, at least injury wise.  Maybe this will be a good thing for
the team, allowing them the chance to see how much depth they
really have added in the past year.  For instance, Jason Morgan was
called up from the minors and thrown directly into the fire, with
his first assignment being to match up with Sergei Fedorov, Steve
Yzerman, and Brendan Shanahan.  Not an easy task.  But Morgan
showed that he at least has spunk and is pretty darn tough, mixing
it up physically with several Wings and somehow getting his helmet
knocked off an awful lot.  

Vitali Yachmenev has been called up to join the team for the
upcoming game with Phoenix.  Yachmenev was serving time in the
purgatory called Long Beach, where he was forced to serve after his
extended contract holdout at the start of the season.  There he was
about a point-per-game man and will help fill the scoring gap
caused by Robitaille and Stumpel going down.  But that is only if
he plays like the Yachmenev of the first half of his rookie
season.  Back then we all thought he would somehow turn into a
30-40 goal scorer.  But then he disappeared.  Maybe he relearned
how to shoot the puck in Long Beach.  One can only hope.  

Rob Blake has become a contender for the Norris Trophy.  And he does
deserve it.  He is the leading defenseman goal scorer in the league.
His defense is also as tough as it has ever been, with him being a
physically dominating player. Blake was named "Outstanding
Defenseman" for the Olympics and finally appears to be becoming the
great defensemen that was predicted of him before all of his
injuries.  

He throws people around left and right and, when combined with
Mattias Norstrom, is part of what has to be one of the best, if not
the best, defensive pairings in the league.  They are all you could
ask for in a duo: big, excellent defensively, physical, and both
have the ability to carry the puck.  Makes one very happy that the
Rangers were willing to trade away Norstrom and that Blake was not
traded away in the preseason, in spite of all of those rumors.  
  
Yanic Perreault continues to struggle, in spite of his game-winning
goal against the Ducks.  He has disappeared from the picture
following the streak where he scored 15 goals in 20 games.  Outside
of then, he has only scored nine goals in forty games.  Thus he has
been put in Larry Robinson's doghouse, and was exiled to more of a
checking role until Stumpel's injury.  

The much anticipated update of the bet between myself, Zippy, and
Michael Dell:  

The Kings are still in the picture, and I haven't written the check
to Delly yet.  Zip is already planning on spending the money and I
really hope to break his heart.  The standings so far...  


Team            W       L       T       PTS
Pens            32      18      14      78
Kings           29      22      11      69
Sharks          25      30      7       57


Woohoo!  Nine points.  I can only hope that someone gets even for
all those hits that Kasparaitis is putting on people.


-----------------------------------------------------------------
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, Dave Lowry. RW - Tony Granato,
Owen Nolan,  Todd Ewen, John MacLean, Andrei Nazarov 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,
God alone knows if he'll be back). 

transactions: Sent Rich Brennan, d, back to Kentucky (AHL).

game results: 
2/26 St Louis     W 3-1
2/28 at Edmonton  L 4-1
3/02 Carolina     L 3-1
3/05 Detroit      W 5-4
3/06 Anaheim      W 3-0
3/09 Toronto      W 3-2

team news: Al Swanson, San Jose Correspondent
 
Well, the Olympics are over and everyone's rested. Right? Right.
Coach Darryl took the team up to Bannf for a couple of days of R&R
during the break and the Sharks came back against the Blues lookin'
relaxed and in charge. Too bad it couldn't carry over to the Oilers
game. This is the home stretch and the team is in the fight of
their lives to get back/hold on to that eighth playoff spot.  

Right after the Blues win, there was talk of the next rung, getting
to seventh position. And that grand dream could have been realized
had they beat the Oilers, too. And it still could be. Here's how
the race shapes up:  

The teams in contention are: Edmonton, Vancouver (well, sort of),
Toronto and Anaheim. And of course, the Sharks. 

Edmonton is almost neck and neck with San Jose and is the real
contender. They just need to win one more than us. Again,
simplicity. As long as they pace the Sharks, the Sharks will pass
them. The Sharks plus is that the Oilers have played 60 games,
whereas the SJ has only played 58. They looked pretty convincing
this week, though.  

Anaheim is only one win behind. But with the Finnish Flash and the
Head Duck out for a bit, they don't look to be in that shape for
long. They have a couple good goalies in Mikhail Shtalenkov and Guy
Herbert, but that won't be enough for the playoff race or the
playoffs themselves.  

Toronto is only one point behind Anaheim and just two games behind
the Fish. Potvin and recent sensation Fredrik Modin are the
powerhouses behind the Leafs resurgence. They're a contender for
the playoffs and they've put in 58 games also. They do have 2 fewer
wins than the Sharks, though. So a tie would go to the Sharks.  

Vancouver is a long shot, but watch for Keenan to pull out all stops
to get his favorite players back on his team. They do have the Wall
and he still is a competitor. They also have five wins in their last
six games. Vancouver has also played 60 games and this gives SJ a
decided advantage.  

This leaves the Sharks. The power play is miserable. In the losses
since December, San Jose has only cashed in once on the man
advantage. (Including 10 scoreless PP's against the Oilers in the
4-1 loss) This places them around 21st in a league of 26 on the
power play. On the other hand, penalties have declined so they are
10th in the league in penalty minutes. Er, well, until the league's
decision to start enforcing the obstruction calls (again). During
the Blues game, SJ was on the short side nine times, though Friesen
did convert in the first period for his 21st. In the Oiler game
they allowed nine more. (Jeffy did put in a shorty in that game.)
Doesn't matter who is in goal then. Add to that the fact that
Iafrate, the team's only blue line threat, is history.  

San Jose does have a chance. Mostly because the rest of the teams
are worse. But without the two things the team has needed all year
- a big man on the blue line and someone who can score - their
chances if they make it are slim and none. And slim just left the
building.  

An Olympic Moment...

Everyone's heard that the only shining spot for America's hockey
teams in the Olympics, the women, was headed by Cammie Granato,
Tony's sister. At least, that's how folks may have referred to her
prior to the Olympics. Now it's Tony who's the unknown. His locker
had the tag "Cammie's Brother" on it when he returned to play
against the Blues this week. Whew, that's gotta hurt.  

Bonus Report:

So how is Jeff Friesen doing on the Million Dollar Bonus Round?
Let's see: 21 goals and 20 assists. He needs 80 points to get that
nice little paycheck. 41 is halfway. He'll need 1.625 points per
game (if the Sharks don't make the playoffs) to see all those
zeros. Your humble reporter thinks he can do it.  

Mein Capatain: 

After being sat out for two stays this year by coach Sutter, Todd
Gill decided to relinquish his captaincy. There is no replacement
as yet, but there is a lot of talk. Jeff Friesen seems the natural
choice, but what about Owen Nolan? There are a few folks saying
Stephane Matteau or Murray Craven. Only time will tell, but there
is a good deal of leadership to be found in the SJ locker room
these days.  

game recaps:

Sharks make St Louis sing the Blues - Blues in the Tank

Mike Vernon put on a demonstration of what goaltending is all about
while Mike Ricci, Jeff Friesen and Stephane Matteau put the biscuit
in the basket for the Sharks rare win over the Blues. Ricci and
Matteau both scored within a minute to deflate Brett Hull and
company. San Jose looked large and in charge on the ice and played
a fairly disciplined game despite the new rule enforcements. A
solid win, 3-1.  

Oiled up and slicked down - Sharks in Edmonton

As much as they were in charge in the Tank two days before against
the Blues, the Sharks looked like Minnows against the Oilers. Ten -
count `em - 10 failed power plays. One lone goal, albeit a
short-hander by Jeffy Friesen, against Cujo. Mike Vernon pulled
after two goals to get the team fired up? What's up with that? How
many goals have they scored for Kelly Hrudey this year? Well, they
didn't disappoint this time, either. No goals for Kelly. A
sorry-assed 4-1 loss against the team they HAVE to beat.  

Hurricanes whip up a mess in the Tank - Carolina in San Jose

After the loss to the Oilers, the Hurricanes were a team that the
men in teal thought would give them an easy two points. Yours truly
thought the same. But it was not to be. Ten power plays, folks, 10!
And not a goal on any of them. A shorty was had by Mr. Friesen,
however. But the man advantage is the key. In every loss since
December, a glaring fact stands out: in none of the losses did the
power play result in a goal. Carolina whipped the Sharks around
like a bunch of mobile homes in a... need I say it? A(nother) sorry
loss, 3-1.  

Red Wings are in season in San Jose - Detroit in the Tank

What is it about these two clubs? Ever since the incredible win over
the Wings in the playoffs, a rivalry has been building between these
two teams. The Wings are the defending Cup champs and should be able
to come in and whoop some Shark butt given the way the team played
against Carolina and Edmonton. But the Sharks seem to settle down and
get busy whenever Osgood and Company take the ice in San Jose. 

It was 2-0 early in the first and it looked like the Wings might
overpower the Finned Ones. In fact, it looked so bad that your
humble correspondent almost changed channels. But just when things
are their darkest, Stephane Matteau comes in. Matteau shot in his
11th of the year and made it a hockey game again. Just into the
second, Larry Murphy put in his second of the night, giving Detroit
the two-goal lead once again. But the Great Whites now smelled
blood. Wing blood. Matteau, MacLean and Marleau all combined on the
power play to give Matteau his second of the night seven minutes
later.  

I put down the remote again. Just a minute and a half later,
Lidstrom made it a two-goal game again! From that point, though, it
was all San Jose. Zyuzin put in one at 17:43 of the second and less
than half a minute later Murray Craven put in a shorty from a
streaking Jeff Friesen. About then the chants of "OzzzzzGooodd"
began. Five minutes into the third, Friesen figured in the winning
goal with Marleau putting in his 11th of the year and sealing the
series against Detroit with a 5-4 win.  

Ducks are in season, too - Anaheim at Sharks

There's a rivalry building between these two young teams, too.  While
nothing as dramatic as the upset over Detroit has happened between
the Sharks and the Ducks, their proximity and their relationship in
the division is bound to spark some competitive play. The first year
of Duck existence, it was all Sharks. The Ducks helped propel the
Sharks into the playoffs that year with those 12 points. The next
year, San Jose again dominated in the shortened season and again, the
points boosted them in the standings. Since then, however, it's been
the Sharks who have helped the Ducks stats. Until this year. Ouch.
San Jose has not simply won, they have pulverized the Ducks into
little Duck meatballs. The Ducks haven't been ahead in anything but
the first period. And the Sharks are unbeaten this year if they go
into the third with a lead. Once again, San Jose smashed a Kariya and
Selanne-less Duck team. It wasn't as fun a game with those two
gone, but it was two points that Sharks players, coaches and fans
will take happily. A Shark win, second in a row, 3-0 (and Mikey's
fifth shutout - a career high - of the year).  

Sharks Leaf nothing to chance - Toronto visits San Jose

Edmonton had won earlier in the night, meaning this was another
must-win game for the Sharks. The other meetings this year had been
less than exciting, but the Sharks had not dropped a decision to
Toronto this year. They did, however, have one of their two 0-0
ties against them in a brutal duel of the goalies. And this night
would be no different. Through the first 44 minutes of the game, it
was a like the last 130 minutes of Mike Vernon's life: without
goals. Vernon's shutout streak ended when Tie Domi fed a nice pass
to Todd Warriner, who put it pass Mikey. Shawn Burr then put in his
fourth of the year and first since February after fanning on his
first try. The 3M line (Marleau, Matteau and MacLean) then put in
the rookie Patrick's 12th of the year and the game winner with 6:11
left. The Leafs pulled Potvin allowing Todd Gill to score his
eighth of the year from behind his own net!! A 195-foot shot. For a
guy who didn't score a goal for two years, he has hit it all this
year. Toronto did manage one more with .8 seconds to go, but it was
a SJ win, 3-2 and three in a row. 
 

-----------------------------------------------------------------
VANCOUVER CANUCKS 
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Head Coach:  Mike Keenan

Roster:  C - Mark Messier, Peter Zezel, Dave Scatchard;  LW - Markus
Naslund, Brad May, Gino Odjick, Donald Brashear, Larry Courville;  RW
- Alex Mogilny, Pavel Bure, Brian Noonan, Scott Walker, Todd Bertuzzi
D - Jyrki Lumme, Dana Murzyn, Matthias Ohlund, Bret Hedican, Dave
Babych, Bryan McCabe, Adrian Aucoin, Steve Staios, Enrico Ciccone,
Chris McAllister, Bert Robertsson;  G - Garth Snow, Arturs Irbe.

Injuries: Alex Mogilny, rw (returned from back strain March 5,
missed four games);  Bret Hedican, d (strained abdominal muscle
during Olympic break, indefinite);  Larry Courville, lw (wrist
January 14, out for season); Dana Murzyn, d  (knee December 27, out
for season). 

Transactions: Grant Ledyard, d, traded to Boston for a 1998
eighth-round draft choice, March 3;  Sean Burke, g, traded to
Philadelphia for Garth Snow, g, March 4;  Lonny Bohonos, c/rw,
traded to Toronto for Brandon Convery, c, March 7;  Bert
Robertsson, d/lw, recalled from Syracuse (AHL) February 25;  Chris
McAllister, d, recalled from Syrcacuse (AHL) February 26. 

GAME RESULTS

2/25 Anaheim         W 5-2
2/26 at Calgary      T 4-4
2/28 Ottawa          W 6-2
3/02 at Los Angeles  T 2-2
3/05 Calgary         L 6-2
3/07 Tampa Bay       W 5-2

TEAM NEWS by Carol Schram

The chimes of doom are sounding over the Vancouver Canucks' playoff
chances, but when the odds get toughest, the team fights hardest. 
Since the end of the Olympic break, the Canucks are playing .667
hockey, picking up eight of a possible 12 points in six games. 
But, they have gained just a single point in the race for the
eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference...moving
from nine points back in the hunt to a no-less-daunting eight. 
Still in the cellar with just 19 games to go, it looks like nothing
short of a miracle is going to pull the Canucks into the
post-season.  

Three significant factors are working against the team at this
point.  First, time is simply running out. Second, there is a
seven-game eastern road swing looming on the horizon.  And third,
the seven or so teams we're fightin' it out with also realize their
positions are precarious, and many have stepped up their own play
accordingly.  

As of Sunday, March 8, 11 points separate sixth place from 13th in
the conference.  Phoenix is currently sixth, but they have the
worst record of the bunch in their past 10 games: 1-7-2.  If any
team is losing steam, the Coyotes are a real possibility to drop
from the playoff picture.  The odds are also stacked against the
Mighty Ducks:  faced with the loss of Paul Kariya for the rest of
the year, the team has dropped to 12th place, just one point ahead
of Vancouver, and their record in the last 10 is 3-7.  Chicago has
also been putting along fairly aimlessly at 3-5-2 in their last
10.  That's good enough to keep them tied for sixth, but it's also
enough to close the gap between the three teams currently in the
playoff running and the six who are chasing them.  If Phoenix,
Chicago, Edmonton and San Jose can do us the courtesy of continuing
to perform well below .500, that will drastically increase
Vancouver's chances of sneaking in the back door.  

The other good news for the Canucks is that they still have some
control of their destiny.  Of their 19 remaining games, they play
Toronto twice, Edmonton twice, Calgary twice, and San Jose once -
all critical four-pointers with teams they will likely have to
overtake.  Unfortunately, they didn't exactly hang the Flames out
to dry when they had two separate chances to catch them after the
Olympic break.  First, they fought back to salvage a 4-4 tie at the
Saddledome.  Then, they chalked up their first stinker in more than
a month, losing 6-2 at home on March 5.  

On the other hand, the Canucks will be happy to know that, while the
eastern road trip looks foreboding, they play the three worst teams
in the Eastern Conference - the Islanders (home and away), Florida,
and Tampa Bay.  Along with the Leafs, their other stops are Ottawa
(eighth place), Montreal (3-7-0 in their last 10, and winless in six
games at home) and Philadelphia (also 3-7-0 and likely to slump worse
now that Eric Lindros is out of the lineup).  Once they return from
the trip, the Canucks play eight of their last 11 games at home, with
only one more quick trip to Alberta and one to Northern California to
take on the Sharks.  If the team can keep winning like it has been,
they may still have an outside chance. 

The flash of enthusiasm shown by the team just before the Olympic
Break has sustained itself over the past couple of weeks.  The
energy level on the ice is much-improved.  There seems to be a much
better sense of camaraderie and teamwork among the players.  This
is particularly impressive given that it looks like Iron Mike is
far from finished tinkering with his lineup.  

A doubter might have thought that Keenan has started re-tooling for
next year when he traded Sean Burke to the Philadelphia Flyers, but
it looks more likely that Keenan had simply decided that Burke
wasn't the number one goalie he wanted on his roster in Vancouver. 
Arturs Irbe had been getting every start during the unbeaten
streak, but Burke did step in and relieve him a couple of times, to
salvage a come-from-behind tie in Calgary and a win against
Ottawa.  Those two performances earned Burke his first starting
assignment in more than a month against the LA Kings, and the big
goalie kept the team in it through the third period...squeaking out
a tie, and earning first-star honors in his last game as a Canuck.
 

Word of the trade came on Wednesday, and Garth Snow got the start
Thursday against Calgary.  That decision came back to bite Keenan
hard, however; Snow started off all right, but let in two soft
goals in quick succession toward the end of the second period to
dig Vancouver into a 4-1 hole and put Irbe back between the pipes
for the third period.  Chances are, fatigue and a lack of
familiarity with Vancouver's lineup both played a role in Snow's
less-than-stellar debut, but it's looking more and more like Irbe
will continue to be the go-to guy through this stretch run.  

With both Burke and Irbe ready to join the ranks of free agency this
summer, at least now the Canucks will have one
NHL-caliber-goaltender under contract, but all this talk of
protecting ourselves for the expansion draft is simply hogwash: 
There is only one team coming into the league, and there are plenty
of other squads with two pretty-good goaltenders who should be
worried about David Poile's drafting strategy for the Nashville
Predators.  At this point, the Canucks haven't even identified the
one goalie that they'll be allowed to protect in the draft!  

During the past week, Mike Keenan also dumped a couple of other
players he didn't particularly care for. Aging defenseman Grant
Ledyard was shipped to Boston for an eighth-round draft choice, and
Syracuse Crunch scoring sensation Lonny Bohonos was swapped for
disgruntled center Brandon Convery of the Maple Leafs'
organization.  Ledyard's defensive skills are solid enough, but he
isn't too speedy, and he isn't too big, so he's not on Keenan's
short list of blueliners.              

As for Bohonos, he has a great shot, but he seems to be lacking in
both intensity and self-confidence:  when the going get tough,
Lonny hides in his shell.  He is smallish and soft and, at nearly
25, he is rapidly reaching the age where, if he can't make the jump
to the NHL now, he probably won't.  Convery has also spent the year
in the minors after a falling out with Leafs' management, and both
players are pencilled-in to stay with their teams' respective AHL
affiliates for the moment.  

So now, the Canucks are left with Garth Snow, Brad May, Enrico
Ciccone and a third-round draft choice for Kirk McLean and Martin
Gelinas.  They should be happy enough that someone else is eating
the rest of the term of McLean's salary, but it's funny that
Ciccone is the only one of the three Carolina players to last more
than two months here.  On the one hand, it shows that Keenan is as
willing to part with players he acquired as he is with the ones
from the Pat Quinn regime;  on the other hand, that deal came down
before Iron Mike had been 'given permission to work the phones'. 
Perhaps Burke and Geoff Sanderson were Steve Tambellini's personnel
choices and didn't fit Keenan's plans right from the start.  It's
only speculation, but Tambellini has kept a noticeably low profile
since Keenan started with all this trading.  

It's interesting that, even though Trevor Linden had a pretty good
Olympics and has been named captain of the New York Islanders, that
trade is still looking all right for the Canucks.  Bryan McCabe is
a steady addition to the blue line and seems to have accomplished
the near-impossible by turning around his partner Jyrki Lumme's
disastrous season.  Just before McCabe was traded here, Lumme was
5-16-21 and a -32 in 48 games.  After his 56th game, against Tampa
Bay, Lumme had raised his offensive totals to 9-18-27 and pared his
plus-minus down to -24:  still pretty atrocious, but a 25%
improvement in just eight games - and maybe even enough on its own,
considering the ice-time Lumme logs, to explain why the Canucks are
getting better results these days.  

Plus, the much-maligned Todd Bertuzzi has been so consistently
impressive that he picked up Molson Cup Player of the Month honors
for February.  Granted, it was a month in which there weren't very
many games, but it was also the first time all year that Pavel Bure
hasn't won the award and, ironically, the first time that the
thousand-dollar cheque hasn't been donated to the Trevor Linden
Foundation.  

Bertuzzi has been doing everything a power forward should do since
arriving in Vancouver.  He has been scoring gritty goals, making
plays, and, probably to Mike Milbury's horror, using his body to
make hits and get into fights.  He even took an instigator penalty
for jumping into the fray against Aaron Gavey in Thursday night's
game against Calgary.  Saturday, a missed bodycheck on Tampa's Cory
Cross landed him head- over-heels in the Lightning bench, but the
so-called 'soft' Bertuzzi was unfazed.  He made a crack about
dropping in, grabbing a drink of water, and heading on his way -
treating the whole incident with a smile. Bertuzzi injured his hip
later in the game - on another missed check - but Todd says it's no
big deal and he'll be back in the lineup Monday against St. Louis. 
At the time of the trade, Mike Milbury admitted that if he thought
Bertuzzi could realize his potential, then the trade would be a bad
one for his club.  All I can say is I hope they're really happy
with Trevor Linden on the Island these days, cuz this boy looks
like a keeper.  

OTHER NEWS:

Canuck fans couldn't help but be pleased with Trevor Linden's
Olympic performance.  After all, with his big goal to send Canada's
game against the Czech Republic to overtime, Linden once again
stepped it up where his teammates couldn't.  But Vancouver's real
gravy from the Olympics came in the form of Pavel Bure's silver
medal.  Named captain of a Russian team widely perceived to be in
disarray at the beginning of the tournament, Bure proved beyond a
doubt that he was up for the challenge, bringing the team together
and leading by example with play fine enough to have him named top
forward in the tournament.  

His five-goal performance against Team Finland in the semi-final has
to be considered one of the great hockey moments of the year, no
matter where you live.  The resurgent Jyrki Lumme also had a good
tournament, picking up a bronze medal with the underdog Finnish team.
Meanwhile, Matthias Ohlund was less than impressed by the whole
undertaking after the favored Swedes were dumped unceremoniously from
the medal round, but he gained some valuable experience paired with
Robo-Swede Ulf Samuelsson behind the blue line.  If nothing else, the
Olympics brought Ohlund back to Vancouver with renewed enthusiasm,
chanting "there's no place like home".

While three Canucks took off halfway 'round the world for Nagano
during the Olympic break, another trio headed to the U.S. East
Coast to take care of business.  Mark Messier had his day in court
regarding child support for his 10-year-old son Lyon.  After two
days of legal arguments, Messier and the boy's mother, X- ray
technician Leslie Young, reached an agreement that is likely to
include support payments in the range of $10,000 a month, plus
Lyon's medical and tuition expenses.  The boy has learning problems
and is attending a private school in Virginia, but is apparently
excelling in sports.  Messier has never contested paternity of the
boy and has provided support ever since he was born.  

Meanwhile, Donald Brashear returned to New Jersey to face assault
charges resulting from a dustup at a bar in North Wildwood, N.J.,
this past summer.  And Peter Zezel had an equally-pressing, but
slightly more pleasant, reason to travel back east.  After toiling
most of the year with the Albany River Rats of the AHL, he was
selected to play for Team Canada in that league's All Star Game. 
Although Zezel had already joined the Canucks by the time the game
was played, it was a first-ever hockey all-star appearance for him,
and Zezel said he considered it an honor.  He took full advantage
of the game, too - recording an assist and two goals, including the
winner midway through the third period, in an 11-10 shootout.  

Now that Jyrki Lumme no longer leads the league in worst plus/minus,
the Canucks are starting to escape some of the more dubious
distinctions that have befallen them this year.  Yeah, they're still
last in the league in goaltending, by a long shot, and they have
still surrendered nearly 20 more goals than the next-worst team.  But
ya know what's cool?  The Canucks now have nine, count 'em, nine
players wearing the Killer Whale who have tallied well over 100
minutes in penalties.  For anyone who's counting, Donald Brashear led
the league on March 1, with 272 minutes in 59 games.  Here is a list
of his bone-crunchin' teammates: 


Gino Odjick             33 GP           176 PIM
Bryan McCabe            60 GP           153 PIM
Brad May                41 GP           121 PIM
Scott Walker            49 GP           113 PIM
Steve Staios            55 GP           113 PIM
Chris McAllister        33 GP           106 PIM
Dave Scatchard          54 GP           106 PIM
Enrico Ciccone          24 GP           100 PIM


To give you an idea of the magnitude of this achievement, the
1975-76 "Broad Street Bullies" finished the year with just eight
players over 100 minutes, and a grand total of 1975 minutes for the
year, or 24.7 minutes per game.  To some point last week, the
players currently playing for the Canucks are at 1574 minutes, or
25.8 minutes a game.  The NHL average is 18.2 minutes a game.  

Somebody in the Orca Bay P.R. department should get on the horn with
an ad campaign about how the Canucks really are "the baddest dudes
ever on ice".  As for Mike Keenan, he should probably practice his
penalty-kill. 
    
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NHL STANDINGS                                              Thru March 8, 1998
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             Eastern Conference
Northeast Division  GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA   HOME     ROAD     OT
  Pittsburgh        64  32  18  14    78  182  151  15-8-7   17-10-7   3-2-14
  Montreal          61  29  25   7    65  174  158  11-14-5  18-11-2   2-3-7
  Boston            62  26  23  13    65  157  148  12-12-6  14-11-7   2-0-13
  Buffalo           61  25  22  14    64  154  146  12-9-8   13-13-6   3-0-14
  Ottawa            63  25  28  10    60  143  156  15-13-3  10-15-7   1-0-10
  Carolina          62  25  30   7    57  155  172  13-12-6  12-18-1   2-2-7
Atlantic Division   GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA   HOME     ROAD     OT
  New Jersey        62  39  16   7    85  180  123  24-7-1   15-9-6    1-3-7
  Philadelphia      61  32  20   9    73  178  142  17-8-4   15-12-5   2-1-9
  Washington        62  27  24  11    65  169  164  14-12-5  13-12-6   4-0-11
  NY Rangers        62  19  27  16    54  153  169  10-13-8   9-14-8   0-2-16
  NY Islanders      62  22  32   8    52  162  174  12-17-3  10-15-5   0-1-8
  Florida           61  18  31  12    48  147  176   8-16-6  10-15-6   2-2-12
  Tampa Bay         62  12  41   9    33  119  205   8-16-6   4-25-3   0-1-9

                             Western Conference
Central Division    GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA   HOME     ROAD     OT
  Dallas            63  38  15  10    86  187  124  18-6-6   20-9-4    4-1-10
  Detroit           64  34  17  13    81  191  146  18-7-6   16-10-7   0-0-13
  St Louis          65  35  22   8    78  196  156  21-8-5   14-14-3   2-2-8
  Phoenix           63  24  27  12    60  170  179  13-12-6  11-15-6   0-2-12
  Chicago           62  24  27  11    59  151  150  10-13-7  14-14-4   1-2-11
  Toronto           61  21  32   8    50  145  178  12-16-4   9-16-4   0-0-8
Pacific Division    GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA   HOME     ROAD     OT
  Colorado          65  33  16  16    82  194  158  17-7-10  16-9-6    2-3-16
  Los Angeles       61  28  22  11    67  176  161  17-10-3  11-12-8   2-2-11
  Edmonton          63  23  30  10    56  160  181  13-14-5  10-16-5   2-2-10
  San Jose          61  24  30   7    55  152  164  12-16-4  12-14-3   0-2-7
  Calgary           62  19  31  12    50  164  189  13-14-5   6-17-7   4-3-12
  Anaheim           62  20  33   9    49  146  189  10-20-4  10-13-5   3-3-9
  Vancouver         63  19  34  10    48  177  223  12-16-4   7-18-6   0-3-10

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NHL LEAGUE LEADERS                                         Thru March 9, 1998
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(+) - ROOKIE

                      --- INDIVIDUAL SCORING LEADERS ---

PLAYER             TEAM           GP   G   A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW GT   S PCTG
------------------ -------------- -- --- --- --- --- --- -- -- -- -- --- ----
JAROMIR JAGR       PITTSBURGH     60  29  51  80 19   44  5  0  8  2 204 14.2
PETER FORSBERG     COLORADO       63  22  56  78  4   86  7  2  5  1 180 12.2
RON FRANCIS        PITTSBURGH     64  20  51  71 18   12  5  0  5  2 151 13.2
TEEMU SELANNE      ANAHEIM        58  42  27  69 12   24  7  0  8  3 212 19.8
PAVEL BURE         VANCOUVER      64  39  30  69  5   38  9  4  4  0 256 15.2
ERIC LINDROS       PHILADELPHIA   59  28  39  67 14  111  8  1  4  0 186 15.1
JOHN LECLAIR       PHILADELPHIA   61  39  27  66 24   24 11  0  6  1 222 17.6
JASON ALLISON      BOSTON         62  25  39  64 21   37  4  0  7  2 113 22.1
WAYNE GRETZKY      NY RANGERS     63  17  47  64  8-  14  4  0  4  2 167 10.2
ZIGMUND PALFFY     NY ISLANDERS   62  34  29  63  5-  22 14  2  3  1 202 16.8
JOZEF STUMPEL      LOS ANGELES    59  19  44  63 15   36  4  0  2  1 129 14.7
THEOREN FLEURY     CALGARY        63  20  42  62 12  133  2  2  4  1 211  9.5
ADAM OATES         WASHINGTON     63  13  48  61  6   28  2  1  3  0  96 13.5
PETER BONDRA       WASHINGTON     59  39  21  60  3   34 10  2  8  2 215 18.1
PAT LAFONTAINE     NY RANGERS     63  23  36  59 13-  34 11  0  2  3 153 15.0
TONY AMONTE        CHICAGO        63  23  36  59 13   48  4  3  5  0 229 10.0
KEITH TKACHUK      PHOENIX        61  36  22  58  7  143 10  0  7  1 203 17.7
MARK RECCHI        MONTREAL       62  25  33  58 13   41  6  0  4  0 160 15.6
JOE SAKIC          COLORADO       58  24  33  57  4   42 11  1  2  1 225 10.7
DOUG WEIGHT        EDMONTON       64  22  35  57  2-  57  9  0  3  0 163 13.5
MIKE MODANO        DALLAS         50  21  36  57 26   30  7  5  2  1 187 11.2
ROD BRIND'AMOUR    PHILADELPHIA   61  28  28  56  0   42  7  2  7  0 159 17.6
ROBERT REICHEL     NY ISLANDERS   62  23  33  56  3-  26  7  0  1  1 164 14.0
MATS SUNDIN        TORONTO        62  25  30  55  4-  30  7  0  4  1 179 14.0
BOBBY HOLIK        NEW JERSEY     63  27  27  54 27   82  8  0  8  1 177 15.3


                       ---  DEFENSEMEN SCORING LEADERS ---

PLAYER             TEAM           GP   G   A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW OT   S  PCTG
------------------ -------------- -- --- --- --- --- --- -- -- -- --  --  ----
STEVE DUCHESNE     ST LOUIS       66  13  34  47 10   30  4  1  1  0 131   9.9
SERGEI ZUBOV       DALLAS         60   8  39  47 21   10  4  1  2  1 115   7.0
NICKLAS LIDSTROM   DETROIT        63  15  31  46 11   16  5  1  1  1 168   8.9
SCOTT NIEDERMAYER  NEW JERSEY     62  10  36  46  7   23  8  0  1  0 136   7.4
LARRY MURPHY       DETROIT        64  10  34  44 25   29  2  1  2  0  97  10.3
BRIAN LEETCH       NY RANGERS     61  15  25  40 28-  26  9  0  2  2 196   7.7
KEVIN HATCHER      PITTSBURGH     58  13  26  39  2   58  9  1  3  1 128  10.2
SANDIS OZOLINSH    COLORADO       50  12  27  39  4-  47  8  0  2  1 112  10.7
DARRYL SYDOR       DALLAS         60  11  28  39 23   38  4  1  1  0 125   8.8
ROB BLAKE          LOS ANGELES    62  17  21  38  3   75  8  0  4  0 189   9.0
BORIS MIRONOV      EDMONTON       63  12  25  37  4-  72  7  0  0  1 154   7.8
CHRIS CHELIOS      CHICAGO        62   3  34  37  2- 118  1  0  0  0 154   1.9


                           --- INDIVIDUAL LEADERS ---

        -- GOAL SCORING --                        -- ASSISTS --

NAME               TEAM         GP   G  NAME               TEAM         GP   A
------------------ ------------ -- ---  ------------------ ------------ -- ---
TEEMU SELANNE      ANAHEIM      58  42  PETER FORSBERG     COLORADO     63  56
PETER BONDRA       WASHINGTON   59  39  JAROMIR JAGR       PITTSBURGH   60  51
JOHN LECLAIR       PHILADELPHIA 61  39  RON FRANCIS        PITTSBURGH   64  51
PAVEL BURE         VANCOUVER    64  39  ADAM OATES         WASHINGTON   63  48
KEITH TKACHUK      PHOENIX      61  36  WAYNE GRETZKY      NY RANGERS   63  47
ZIGMUND PALFFY     NY ISLANDERS 62  34  JOZEF STUMPEL      LOS ANGELES  59  44
JAROMIR JAGR       PITTSBURGH   60  29  THEOREN FLEURY     CALGARY      63  42
ERIC LINDROS       PHILADELPHIA 59  28  CRAIG JANNEY       PHOENIX      63  41
ROD BRIND'AMOUR    PHILADELPHIA 61  28  ERIC LINDROS       PHILADELPHIA 59  39
BOBBY HOLIK        NEW JERSEY   63  27  SERGEI ZUBOV       DALLAS       60  39
JOE NIEUWENDYK     DALLAS       54  26  JASON ALLISON      BOSTON       62  39
STU BARNES         PITTSBURGH   61  26  DOUG GILMOUR       NEW JERSEY   61  38
MARK RECCHI        MONTREAL     62  25  MIKE MODANO        DALLAS       50  36
MATS SUNDIN        TORONTO      62  25  SAKU KOIVU         MONTREAL     55  36
JASON ALLISON      BOSTON       62  25  SCOTT NIEDERMAYER  NEW JERSEY   62  36
ALEXEI YASHIN      OTTAWA       63  25  PAT LAFONTAINE     NY RANGERS   63  36
                                        TONY AMONTE        CHICAGO      63  36


      -- POWER PLAY GOALS --                  -- SHORT HAND GOALS --

NAME               TEAM         GP  PP  NAME               TEAM         GP SH
-----------------  ------------ --  --  -----------------  ------------ -- --
ZIGMUND PALFFY     NY ISLANDERS 62  14  MIKE MODANO        DALLAS       50  5
SHAYNE CORSON      MONTREAL     50  13  TOM CHORSKE        NY ISLANDERS 62  4
BRENDAN SHANAHAN   DETROIT      58  13  PAVEL BURE         VANCOUVER    64  4
STU BARNES         PITTSBURGH   61  13  RADEK DVORAK       FLORIDA      44  3
JOE SAKIC          COLORADO     58  11  MICHAEL PECA       BUFFALO      47  3
JOHN LECLAIR       PHILADELPHIA 61  11  MURRAY CRAVEN      SAN JOSE     54  3
PAT LAFONTAINE     NY RANGERS   63  11  MIKE SILLINGER     VAN-PHI      54  3
BRETT HULL         ST LOUIS     50  10  PAVOL DEMITRA      ST LOUIS     55  3
PETER BONDRA       WASHINGTON   59  10  MARTY MCINNIS      CALGARY      56  3
KEITH TKACHUK      PHOENIX      61  10  KELLY MILLER       WASHINGTON   57  3
DMITRI KHRISTICH   BOSTON       62  10  MARTIN STRAKA      PITTSBURGH   57  3
CALLE JOHANSSON    WASHINGTON   54   9  IGOR KOROLEV       TORONTO      59  3
KEVIN HATCHER      PITTSBURGH   58   9  JEFF FRIESEN       SAN JOSE     59  3
BRIAN LEETCH       NY RANGERS   61   9  KEITH PRIMEAU      CAROLINA     61  3
PAVEL BURE         VANCOUVER    64   9  MARTIN RUCINSKY    MONTREAL     61  3
DOUG WEIGHT        EDMONTON     64   9  BOB CORKUM         PHOENIX      62  3
                                        TONY AMONTE        CHICAGO      63  3
                                        ROB ZAMUNER        TAMPA BAY    63  3


        -- POWER PLAY ASSISTS --                -- SHORT HAND ASSISTS --

NAME               TEAM         GP PPA  NAME               TEAM         GP SHA
------------------ ------------ -- --- ------------------  ------------ -- ---
PETER FORSBERG     COLORADO     63  26  BRET HEDICAN       VANCOUVER    53   5
JAROMIR JAGR       PITTSBURGH   60  22  THEOREN FLEURY     CALGARY      63   4
SERGEI ZUBOV       DALLAS       60  22  JERE LEHTINEN      DALLAS       53   3
SANDIS OZOLINSH    COLORADO     50  20  BOB ERREY          DALLAS       54   3
CHRIS CHELIOS      CHICAGO      62  20  STEVE RUCCHIN      ANAHEIM      55   3
ROBERT REICHEL     NY ISLANDERS 62  20  CHRIS WELLS        FLORIDA      55   3
WAYNE GRETZKY      NY RANGERS   63  20  MARTIN STRAKA      PITTSBURGH   57   3
ADAM OATES         WASHINGTON   63  20  OWEN NOLAN         SAN JOSE     61   3
RON FRANCIS        PITTSBURGH   64  20  ANDREW CASSELS     CALGARY      62   3
STEVE DUCHESNE     ST LOUIS     66  20  DALE HUNTER        WASHINGTON   63   3
DARRYL SYDOR       DALLAS       60  19  ADAM OATES         WASHINGTON   63   3
ROBERT SVEHLA      FLORIDA      60  19  STEVE DUBINSKY     CHICAGO      63   3
DOUG GILMOUR       NEW JERSEY   61  19
ROMAN HAMRLIK      T.B-EDM      61  19


        -- POWER PLAY POINTS --                  -- SHORT HAND POINTS --

NAME               TEAM         GP PPP  NAME               TEAM         GP SHP
------------       ------------ -- ---  -----------------  ------------ -- ---
PETER FORSBERG     COLORADO     63  33  MIKE MODANO        DALLAS       50   7
SANDIS OZOLINSH    COLORADO     50  28  MARTIN STRAKA      PITTSBURGH   57   6
JAROMIR JAGR       PITTSBURGH   60  27  THEOREN FLEURY     CALGARY      63   6
ROBERT REICHEL     NY ISLANDERS 62  27  PAVEL BURE         VANCOUVER    64   6
ZIGMUND PALFFY     NY ISLANDERS 62  27  MICHAEL PECA       BUFFALO      47   5
DOUG WEIGHT        EDMONTON     64  27  BRET HEDICAN       VANCOUVER    53   5
SERGEI ZUBOV       DALLAS       60  26  JERE LEHTINEN      DALLAS       53   5
BRIAN LEETCH       NY RANGERS   61  26  TONY AMONTE        CHICAGO      63   5
PAT LAFONTAINE     NY RANGERS   63  26  ROB ZAMUNER        TAMPA BAY    63   5


     -- GAME WINNING GOALS --                   -- GAME TYING GOALS --

NAME               TEAM         GP  GW  NAME               TEAM         GP GT
------------------ ------------ --  --  ------------------ ------------ -- --
TEEMU SELANNE      ANAHEIM      58   8  TEEMU SELANNE      ANAHEIM      58  3
PETER BONDRA       WASHINGTON   59   8  PAT LAFONTAINE     NY RANGERS   63  3
JAROMIR JAGR       PITTSBURGH   60   8  ADAM DEADMARSH     COLORADO     64  3
BOBBY HOLIK        NEW JERSEY   63   8  ANDREW BRUNETTE    WASHINGTON   25  2
JOE NIEUWENDYK     DALLAS       54   7  DINO CICCARELLI    T.B-FLA      46  2
LUC ROBITAILLE     LOS ANGELES  55   7  RYAN SMYTH         EDMONTON     49  2
BRENDAN SHANAHAN   DETROIT      58   7  CALLE JOHANSSON    WASHINGTON   54  2
ROD BRIND'AMOUR    PHILADELPHIA 61   7  RENE CORBET        COLORADO     56  2
KEITH TKACHUK      PHOENIX      61   7  ALEXEI ZHITNIK     BUFFALO      57  2
JASON ALLISON      BOSTON       62   7  PETER BONDRA       WASHINGTON   59  2
JERE LEHTINEN      DALLAS       53   6  JAROMIR JAGR       PITTSBURGH   60  2
BRIAN SAVAGE       MONTREAL     54   6  BRIAN LEETCH       NY RANGERS   61  2
JOHN LECLAIR       PHILADELPHIA 61   6  SHAWN MCEACHERN    OTTAWA       62  2
PAT VERBEEK        DALLAS       63   6  JASON ALLISON      BOSTON       62  2
ERIC DAZE          CHICAGO      63   6  WAYNE GRETZKY      NY RANGERS   63  2
                                        MARTIN LAPOINTE    DETROIT      63  2
                                        RON FRANCIS        PITTSBURGH   64  2
                                        BRIAN NOONAN       VANCOUVER    64  2


           -- SHOTS --

NAME               TEAM         GP   S
------------------ ------------ -- ---
PAVEL BURE         VANCOUVER    64 256
TONY AMONTE        CHICAGO      63 229
JOE SAKIC          COLORADO     58 225
ALEXEI YASHIN      OTTAWA       63 225
JOHN LECLAIR       PHILADELPHIA 61 222
PETER BONDRA       WASHINGTON   59 215
TEEMU SELANNE      ANAHEIM      58 212
THEOREN FLEURY     CALGARY      63 211
CLAUDE LEMIEUX     COLORADO     63 211


            -- PLUS/MINUS --

NAME               TEAM         GP +/-
------------------ ------------ -- ---
CHRIS PRONGER      ST LOUIS     66  38
DAINIUS ZUBRUS     PHILADELPHIA 50  28
BOBBY HOLIK        NEW JERSEY   63  27
RANDY MCKAY        NEW JERSEY   63  27
MIKE MODANO        DALLAS       50  26
LARRY MURPHY       DETROIT      64  25
JOHN LECLAIR       PHILADELPHIA 61  24
JERE LEHTINEN      DALLAS       53  23
DAVE ANDREYCHUK    NEW JERSEY   57  23
DARRYL SYDOR       DALLAS       60  23


            --- GOALTENDING LEADERS ---
                   (MIN. 13 GPI)

            -- GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE --

GOALTENDER         TEAM                 GPI MINS   GA    AVG
------------------ -------------------- --- ----  ---  -----
MARTIN BRODEUR     NEW JERSEY            53 3170   95   1.80
ED BELFOUR         DALLAS                48 2848   89   1.88
JAMIE MCLENNAN     ST LOUIS              22 1223   40   1.96
RON HEXTALL        PHILADELPHIA          35 2023   70   2.08
TOM BARRASSO       PITTSBURGH            51 2855  101   2.12
CHRIS OSGOOD       DETROIT               52 3152  112   2.13
BYRON DAFOE        BOSTON                50 2848  106   2.23


                -- WINS --

GOALTENDER         TEAM                 GPI MINS   W    L  T
------------------ -------------------- --- ----  --   -- --
MARTIN BRODEUR     NEW JERSEY            53 3170  36   11  6
ED BELFOUR         DALLAS                48 2848  28   10  9
PATRICK ROY        COLORADO              52 3107  26   13 12
CHRIS OSGOOD       DETROIT               52 3152  26   15 11
TOM BARRASSO       PITTSBURGH            51 2855  25   11 11
GRANT FUHR         ST LOUIS              48 2757  23   18  6
DOMINIK HASEK      BUFFALO               54 3173  23   18 11


            -- SAVE PERCENTAGE --

 GOALTENDER         TEAM                 GPI MINS   GA   SA  SPCTG   W  L  T
 ------------------ -------------------- --- ----  --- ----  -----  -- -- --
 DOMINIK HASEK      BUFFALO               54 3173  119 1637   .927  23 18 11
 MARTIN BRODEUR     NEW JERSEY            53 3170   95 1222   .922  36 11  6
 TOM BARRASSO       PITTSBURGH            51 2855  101 1259   .920  25 11 11
 PATRICK ROY        COLORADO              52 3107  122 1515   .919  26 13 12
 JEFF HACKETT       CHICAGO               43 2549   95 1157   .918  16 15 11
 TREVOR KIDD        CAROLINA              30 1732   66  802   .918  13 14  2
 CHRIS OSGOOD       DETROIT               52 3152  112 1336   .916  26 15 11
 STEPHANE FISET     LOS ANGELES           47 2742  115 1365   .916  22 16  8


               -- SHUTOUTS --

 GOALTENDER         TEAM                 GPI MINS   SO    W  L  T
 ------------------ -------------------- --- ----   --   -- -- --
 DOMINIK HASEK      BUFFALO               54 3173    9   23 18 11
 ED BELFOUR         DALLAS                48 2848    8   28 10  9
 JEFF HACKETT       CHICAGO               43 2549    6   16 15 11
 TOM BARRASSO       PITTSBURGH            51 2855    6   25 11 11
 MARTIN BRODEUR     NEW JERSEY            53 3170    6   36 11  6
 MIKE VERNON        SAN JOSE              47 2691    5   22 18  5
 BYRON DAFOE        BOSTON                50 2848    5   20 20  9
 CHRIS OSGOOD       DETROIT               52 3152    5   26 15 11



                --- INDIVIDUAL ROOKIE SCORING LEADERS ---

PLAYER             TEAM           GP   G   A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW GT   S  PCTG
------------------ -------------  -- --- --- --- --- --- -- -- -- -- ---  ----
MIKE JOHNSON       TORONTO        62  11  24  35  4-  18  5  0  0  1 104  10.6
SERGEI SAMSONOV    BOSTON         61  14  18  32  4    6  4  0  2  0 115  12.2
MARCO STURM        SAN JOSE       61  10  18  28  1   36  2  0  3  0 100  10.0
PATRIK ELIAS       NEW JERSEY     55  16  11  27 15   20  4  0  5  1  96  16.7
RICHARD ZEDNIK     WASHINGTON     60  17   9  26  1-  28  2  0  2  0 134  12.7
PATRICK MARLEAU    SAN JOSE       57  12  12  24  4   12  1  0  2  0  78  15.4
MATTIAS OHLUND     VANCOUVER      63   5  19  24  3   62  1  0  0  0 148   3.4
DEREK MORRIS       CALGARY        63   6  15  21  2-  55  4  1  0  1  87   6.9
ANDERS ERIKSSON    DETROIT        48   7  13  20 18   28  1  0  2  0  60  11.7
ALEXEI MOROZOV     PITTSBURGH     60  10   9  19  3-   4  1  0  2  0  61  16.4
VACLAV PROSPAL     PHI-OTT        43   5  14  19 10-  17  4  0  0  0  65   7.7


                        --- INDIVIDUAL ROOKIE LEADERS ---

         -- GOAL SCORING --                        -- ASSISTS --

 NAME               TEAM         GP   G  NAME               TEAM         GP  A
 ------------------ ------------ -- ---  ------------------ ------------ -- --
 RICHARD ZEDNIK     WASHINGTON   60  17  MIKE JOHNSON       TORONTO      62 24
 PATRIK ELIAS       NEW JERSEY   55  16  MATTIAS OHLUND     VANCOUVER    63 19
 SERGEI SAMSONOV    BOSTON       61  14  MARCO STURM        SAN JOSE     61 18
 PATRICK MARLEAU    SAN JOSE     57  12  SERGEI SAMSONOV    BOSTON       61 18
 DAVE SCATCHARD     VANCOUVER    58  11  DEREK MORRIS       CALGARY      63 15
 MIKE JOHNSON       TORONTO      62  11  VACLAV PROSPAL     PHI-OTT      43 14
 ALEXEI MOROZOV     PITTSBURGH   60  10  MATT CULLEN        ANAHEIM      42 13
 MARCO STURM        SAN JOSE     61  10  ANDERS ERIKSSON    DETROIT      48 13
 STEVE WASHBURN     FLORIDA      43   9  MAGNUS ARVEDSON    OTTAWA       45 12
 COLIN FORBES       PHILADELPHIA 42   8  PATRICK MARLEAU    SAN JOSE     57 12
 DIMITRI NABOKOV    CHICAGO      18   7  PER AXELSSON       BOSTON       62 12
 BRAD ISBISTER      PHOENIX      47   7
 ANDERS ERIKSSON    DETROIT      48   7


       -- POWER PLAY GOALS --                  -- SHORT HAND GOALS --

 NAME               TEAM         GP PP  NAME               TEAM         GP SH
 -----------------  ------------ -- --  ------------------ ------------ -- --
 MIKE JOHNSON       TORONTO      62  5  JUHA YLONEN        PHOENIX      52  1
 VACLAV PROSPAL     PHI-OTT      43  4  DEREK MORRIS       CALGARY      63  1
 PATRIK ELIAS       NEW JERSEY   55  4
 SERGEI SAMSONOV    BOSTON       61  4
 DEREK MORRIS       CALGARY      63  4
 DIMITRI NABOKOV    CHICAGO      18  3
 STEVE WASHBURN     FLORIDA      43  3


        -- POWER PLAY ASSISTS --                -- SHORT HAND ASSISTS --

 NAME               TEAM         GP PPA  NAME               TEAM        GP SHA
 ------------------ ------------ -- ---  ------------------ ----------  -- ---
 MATTIAS OHLUND     VANCOUVER    63   7  JAMIE ALLISON      CALGARY     34   2
 VACLAV PROSPAL     PHI-OTT      43   6  MATTIAS OHLUND     VANCOUVER   63   2
 SERGEI SAMSONOV    BOSTON       61   6  DEREK MORRIS       CALGARY     63   2
 ERIC MESSIER       COLORADO     58   5  COLIN FORBES       PHILADELPHIA42   1
 MIKE JOHNSON       TORONTO      62   5  STEVE WASHBURN     FLORIDA     43   1
 CHRIS PHILLIPS     OTTAWA       54   4  JUHA YLONEN        PHOENIX     52   1
 PATRICK MARLEAU    SAN JOSE     57   4
 MARCO STURM        SAN JOSE     61   4
 DEREK MORRIS       CALGARY      63   4


        -- POWER PLAY POINTS --                  -- SHORT HAND POINTS --

 NAME               TEAM         GP PPP  NAME               TEAM        GP SHP
 ------------------ ------------ -- ---  ------------------ ----------- -- ---
 VACLAV PROSPAL     PHI-OTT      43  10  DEREK MORRIS       CALGARY     63   3
 SERGEI SAMSONOV    BOSTON       61  10  JAMIE ALLISON      CALGARY     34   2
 MIKE JOHNSON       TORONTO      62  10  JUHA YLONEN        PHOENIX     52   2
 MATTIAS OHLUND     VANCOUVER    63   8  MATTIAS OHLUND     VANCOUVER   63   2
 DEREK MORRIS       CALGARY      63   8  COLIN FORBES       PHILADELPHIA42   1
 PATRIK ELIAS       NEW JERSEY   55   6  STEVE WASHBURN     FLORIDA     43   1
 MARCO STURM        SAN JOSE     61   6


      -- GAME WINNING GOALS --                 -- GAME TYING GOALS --

 NAME               TEAM         GP  GW  NAME               TEAM        GP GT
 ------------------ ------------ --  --  ------------------ ----------- -- --
 PATRIK ELIAS       NEW JERSEY   55   5  HNAT DOMENICHELLI  CALGARY     13   1
 MARCO STURM        SAN JOSE     61   3  VACLAV VARADA      BUFFALO     15   1
 DIMITRI NABOKOV    CHICAGO      18   2  ESPEN KNUTSEN      ANAHEIM     19   1
 ANDREI ZYUZIN      SAN JOSE     38   2  STEVE MCKENNA      LOS ANGELES 42   1
 STEVE WASHBURN     FLORIDA      43   2  JAN BULIS          WASHINGTON  48   1
 ANDERS ERIKSSON    DETROIT      48   2  PATRIK ELIAS       NEW JERSEY  55   1
 PATRICK MARLEAU    SAN JOSE     57   2  DAVE SCATCHARD     VANCOUVER   58   1
 RICHARD ZEDNIK     WASHINGTON   60   2  MIKE JOHNSON       TORONTO     62   1
 ALEXEI MOROZOV     PITTSBURGH   60   2  DEREK MORRIS       CALGARY     63   1
 SERGEI SAMSONOV    BOSTON       61   2


            -- SHOTS --

 NAME               TEAM         GP   S
 ------------------ ------------ -- ---
 MATTIAS OHLUND     VANCOUVER    63 148
 RICHARD ZEDNIK     WASHINGTON   60 134
 PER AXELSSON       BOSTON       62 117
 SERGEI SAMSONOV    BOSTON       61 115
 MIKE JOHNSON       TORONTO      62 104


            -- PLUS/MINUS --

 NAME               TEAM         GP +/-
 ------------------ ------------ -- ---
 ANDERS ERIKSSON    DETROIT      48  18
 SHELDON SOURAY     NEW JERSEY   42  15
 PATRIK ELIAS       NEW JERSEY   55  15
 CHRISTIAN LAFLAMME CHICAGO      53  11
 BRAD BOMBARDIR     NEW JERSEY   38  10


        --- CONSECUTIVE ROOKIE SCORING STREAKS ---

     -- GOALS SCORED IN 5 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE GAMES --

GM   ROOKIE             TEAM             FROM     TO        G
--   ------------------ ---------------  -------  ------- ---
     NONE 


     -- ASSISTS AWARDED IN 5 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE GAMES --

GM   ROOKIE             TEAM             FROM     TO        A
--   ------------------ ---------------  -------  ------- ---
     NONE 
 

     -- POINTS GAINED IN 5 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE GAMES --

GM   ROOKIE             TEAM             FROM     TO        G   A PTS
--   ------------------ ---------------  -------  ------- --- --- ---
 7   SERGEI SAMSONOV    BOSTON           Jan  08  Jan  27   4   5   9
 7   HNAT DOMENICHELLI  CALGARY          Jan  29  Mar  01   5   3   8

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
RANDOM NHL STATS                                           Thru March 9, 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.
43. Zigmund Palffy, NYI vs PHI, Jan 28th, 2nd season, 5th career.
44. Vladimir Malakhov, MON at CAR, Feb 1st, 1st season, 1st career.
45. Jozef Stumpel, LOS at CGY, Feb 3rd, 1st season, 3rd career.
46. Valeri Bure, CGY vs EDM, Feb 7th, 1st season, 1st career.
47. Miroslav Satan, BUF at WAS, Mar 1st, 1st season, 2nd career.

x- four goal game

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.
95. John Vanbiesbrouck, FLA vs CAR, 3-0, Jan 27th, 31 saves, 2nd season,
     27th career.
96. Grant Fuhr, STL vs TOR, 2-0, Jan 29th, 23 saves, 3rd season, 23rd career.
97. Jeff Hackett, CHI at SAN, 3-0, Jan 29th, 29 saves, 5th season, 11th career.
98. Tommy Salo, NYI vs CAR, 2-0, Jan 30th, 32 saves, 4th season, 9th career.
99. John Vanbiesbrouck, FLA vs TAM, 2-0, Jan 31st, 27 saves, 3rd season,
     28th career.
100. Stephane Fiset, LOS vs CHI, 3-0, Jan 31st, 21 saves, 2nd season,
     12th career.
101. Curtis Joseph, EDM vs LOS, 1-0, Feb 2nd, 30 saves, 4th season,
     15th career.
102. Martin Brodeur, NJD at OTT, 1-0, Feb 2nd, 21 saves, 5th season,
     27th career.
103. Martin Brodeur, NJD vs OTT, 2-0, Feb 4th, 19 saves, 6th season,
     28th career.
104. Mike Vernon, SAN at EDM, 3-0, Feb 4th, 21 saves, 4th season, 17th career.
105. Roman Turek, DAL vs PHI, 1-0, Feb 4th, 26 saves, 1st season, 1st career.
106. Patrick Roy, COL vs PHO, 3-0, Feb 26th, 27 saves, 3rd season, 40th career.
107. Mikhail Shtalenkov, ANA at EDM, 4-0, Feb 27th, 26 saves, 1st season,
     3rd career.
108. Ed Belfour, DAL vs PHO, 4-0, Feb 28th, 13 saves, 8th season, 39th career.
109. Felix Potvin, TOR vs MON, 4-0, Feb 28th, 26 saves, 4th season,
     12th career.
110. Jeff Hackett, CHI at COL, 4-0, Feb 28th, 33 saves, 6th season,
     12th career.
111. Dominik Hasek, BUF at WAS, 3-0, Mar 1st, 36 saves, 8th season,
     28th career.
112. Dominik Hasek, BUF at NYR, 1-0, Mar 2nd, 33 saves, 9th season,
     29th career.
113. Rob Tallas, BOS at WAS, 3-0, Mar 3rd, 23 saves, 1st season, 2nd career.
114. Kevin Hodson, DET at ANA, 2-0, Mar 4th, 35 saves, 2nd season, 4th career.
115. Jamie Mclennan, STL vs MON, 4-0, Mar 5th, 17 saves, 1st season,
     1st career.
116. Mike Vernon, SAN at ANA, 3-0, Mar 6th, 23 saves, 5th season, 18th career.
117. Jamie Mclennan, STL at VAN, 4-0, Mar 9th, 19 saves, 2nd season,
     2nd 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

19. TOM FITZGERALD (FLA) UNSUCCESSFUL AGAINST MARK FITZPATRICK (T.B)
    GAME NO. 685, Jan 31. FINAL SCORE: T.B  0 AT FLA  2

20. TONY AMONTE (CHI) UNSUCCESSFUL AGAINST GUY HEBERT (ANA)
    GAME NO. 696, Feb  1. FINAL SCORE: CHI  3 AT ANA  4

21. DEREK KING (TOR) SCORED AGAINST J. VANBIESBROUCK (FLA)
    GAME NO. 730, Feb  7. FINAL SCORE: FLA  2 AT TOR  3

22. GLEN MURRAY (L.A) UNSUCCESSFUL AGAINST GUY HEBERT (ANA)
    GAME NO. 737, Feb  7. FINAL SCORE: L.A  5 AT ANA  2

23. HNAT DOMENICHELLI (CGY) SCORED AGAINST ARTURS IRBE (VAN)
    GAME NO. 754, Feb 27. FINAL SCORE: VAN  4 AT CGY  4

24. PAVEL BURE (VAN) SCORED AGAINST DAMIAN RHODES (OTT)
    GAME NO. 764, Feb 28. FINAL SCORE: OTT  4 AT VAN  6

25. TOM CHORSKE (NYI) SCORED AGAINST PATRICK ROY (COL)
    GAME NO. 802, Mar  7. FINAL SCORE: COL  4 AT NYI  2

26. STU BARNES (PIT) UNSUCCESSFUL AGAINST RON HEXTALL (PHI)
    GAME NO. 809, Mar  8. FINAL SCORE: PIT  3 AT PHI  4


TOTAL SHOTS: 26
TOTAL GOALS: 14



(#) - 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   PETER BONDRA       WASHINGTON       Jan  21  Jan  31   6
 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   PAVEL BURE         VANCOUVER        Jan  24  Jan  31   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
 8   WAYNE GRETZKY      NY RANGERS       Jan  20  Feb  04   9
 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
 7   KEITH PRIMEAU      CAROLINA         Feb  01  Mar  06   7
 6   ANDREW BRUNETTE    WASHINGTON       Jan  21  Feb  01   9
 6   ANSON CARTER       BOSTON           Oct  13  Oct  23   8
 6   CRAIG JANNEY       PHOENIX          Jan  30  Feb  25   6
 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   JOZEF STUMPEL      LOS ANGELES      Jan  20  Jan  31   8
 5   RON FRANCIS        PITTSBURGH       Oct  17  Oct  25   7
 5   RON FRANCIS        PITTSBURGH       Jan  29  Feb  06   7
 5   WAYNE GRETZKY      NY RANGERS       Oct  26  Nov  05   7
 5   BRETT HULL         ST LOUIS         Mar  01  Mar  09   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   TEEMU SELANNE      ANAHEIM          Jan  27  Feb  07   7
 5   SERGEI ZUBOV       DALLAS           Jan  31  Feb  25   7
 5   CRAIG JANNEY       PHOENIX          Dec  23  Jan  01   6
 5   STEPHANE RICHER    MTL-T.B          Feb  02  Feb  25   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   TODD BERTUZZI      NYI-VAN          Feb  04  Feb  28   6
 5   CRAIG JANNEY       PHOENIX          Oct  01  Oct  11   5
 5   ADAM OATES         WASHINGTON       Jan  28  Feb  07   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
 5   DANIEL ALFREDSSON  OTTAWA           Feb  05  Mar  01   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   ANDREW BRUNETTE    WASHINGTON       Jan  13  Feb  07   5  10  15
10   MARK MESSIER       VANCOUVER        Oct  30  Nov  20   5   9  14
 9   ZIGMUND PALFFY     NY ISLANDERS     Feb  01  Mar  07   8   6  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   TEEMU SELANNE      ANAHEIM          Jan  21  Feb  07   8  11  19
 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   KEITH PRIMEAU      CAROLINA         Feb  01  Mar  08   5   7  12 #
 8   JOZEF STUMPEL      LOS ANGELES      Jan  10  Jan  31   2  10  12
 8   WAYNE GRETZKY      NY RANGERS       Oct  24  Nov  12   3   8  11
 8   WAYNE GRETZKY      NY RANGERS       Jan  20  Feb  04   1   9  10
 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   PETER BONDRA       WASHINGTON       Jan  13  Jan  31   7   4  11
 7   BRIAN LEETCH       NY RANGERS       Jan  06  Jan  24   5   6  11
 7   TONY AMONTE        CHICAGO          Feb  03  Mar  03   6   5  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   MICHAEL NYLANDER   CALGARY          Feb  03  Mar  05   2   7   9
 7   ANSON CARTER       BOSTON           Oct  13  Oct  25   1   8   9
 7  +SERGEI SAMSONOV    BOSTON           Jan  08  Jan  27   4   5   9
 7   MARK MESSIER       VANCOUVER        Feb  07  Mar  07   4   4   8
 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  +HNAT DOMENICHELLI  CALGARY          Jan  29  Mar  01   5   3   8
 7   PATRICK POULIN     T.B-MTL          Jan  21  Feb  04   3   4   7
 7   RAY WHITNEY        EDM-FLA          Nov  06  Nov  20   4   3   7


                 --- CURRENT SCORING STREAKS ---

     -- GOALS SCORED IN 5 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE GAMES --

GM   PLAYER             TEAM             FROM     TO        G
--   ------------------ ---------------  -------  ------- ---
     NONE


     -- ASSISTS AWARDED IN 5 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE GAMES --

GM   PLAYER             TEAM             FROM     TO        A
--   ------------------ ---------------  -------  ------- ---
 5   BRETT HULL         ST LOUIS         Mar  01  Mar  09   7

 
     -- POINTS GAINED IN 5 OR MORE CONSECUTIVE GAMES --

GM   PLAYER             TEAM             FROM     TO        G   A PTS
--   ------------------ ---------------  -------  ------- --- --- ---
 9   ZIGMUND PALFFY     NY ISLANDERS     Feb  01  Mar  07   8   6  14
 8   KEITH PRIMEAU      CAROLINA         Feb  01  Mar  08   5   7  12
 6   PIERRE TURGEON     ST LOUIS         Feb  28  Mar  09   5   7  12
 5   BRETT HULL         ST LOUIS         Mar  01  Mar  09   4   7  11
 5   JASON ALLISON      BOSTON           Feb  28  Mar  07   5   6  11


       --- 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
 7  NEW JERSEY            FEB.  2  MAR.  2
 6  PITTSBURGH            NOV. 20  DEC.  1
 6  NEW JERSEY            DEC.  4  DEC. 16
 6  EDMONTON              JAN.  7  JAN. 20
 6  ST LOUIS              FEB. 28  MAR.  9 #
 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
 5  COLORADO              FEB.  2  FEB. 26
 5  DALLAS                FEB.  2  FEB. 28
 4  DETROIT               OCT.  1  OCT. 10
 4  WASHINGTON            OCT.  1  OCT.  8
 4  COLORADO              OCT.  3  OCT.  9
 4  DALLAS                OCT. 10  OCT. 18
 4  OTTAWA                OCT. 15  OCT. 22
 4  DETROIT               OCT. 22  OCT. 29
 4  DALLAS                OCT. 24  OCT. 29
 4  PHILADELPHIA          NOV.  3  NOV. 11
 4  ST LOUIS              NOV. 10  NOV. 17
 4  DETROIT               NOV. 21  NOV. 28
 4  ST LOUIS              DEC.  2  DEC.  8
 4  CALGARY               DEC.  9  DEC. 16
 4  PHILADELPHIA          DEC. 11  DEC. 15
 4  DALLAS                DEC. 15  DEC. 23
 4  ST LOUIS              JAN.  3  JAN. 10
 4  LOS ANGELES           JAN. 12  JAN. 22
 4  WASHINGTON            JAN. 13  JAN. 25
 4  CAROLINA              MAR.  2  MAR.  8 #


 CONSECUTIVE UNDEFEATED -     MINIMUM 5 GAMES

GM  TEAM                   W   T  FROM     TO
--  --------------------  --  --  -------  -------
13  BUFFALO                7   6  JAN. 21  MAR.  2
11  NEW JERSEY             8   3  JAN. 31  MAR.  9 #
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
 7  LOS ANGELES            6   1  JAN. 12  JAN. 31
 7  WASHINGTON             5   2  JAN. 13  JAN. 31
 7  PITTSBURGH             5   2  JAN. 20  JAN. 31
 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
 6  DALLAS                 5   1  FEB.  2  MAR.  1
 6  CALGARY                5   1  FEB.  5  MAR.  5
 6  VANCOUVER              4   2  FEB.  6  MAR.  2
 6  ST LOUIS               6   0  FEB. 28  MAR.  9 #


CONSECUTIVE HOME WINS - MINIMUM 3 GAMES

GM  TEAM                  FROM     TO
--  --------------------  -------  -------
 7  ST LOUIS              OCT.  3  OCT. 25
 7  DALLAS                NOV. 19  DEC. 10
 6  LOS ANGELES           JAN. 12  FEB.  5
 6  ST LOUIS              JAN. 29  MAR.  7 #
 5  NEW JERSEY            DEC.  6  DEC. 26
 5  WASHINGTON            JAN.  6  JAN. 25
 5  DALLAS                JAN. 21  FEB. 28
 5  COLORADO              JAN. 26  FEB. 26
 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
 4  VANCOUVER             FEB.  6  FEB. 28
 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  BUFFALO               JAN. 15  JAN. 23
 3  PITTSBURGH            JAN. 24  JAN. 31
 3  FLORIDA               JAN. 27  JAN. 31
 3  NEW JERSEY            FEB.  4  MAR.  2


CONSECUTIVE HOME TIES - MINIMUM 3 GAMES

GM  TEAM                  FROM     TO
--  --------------------  -------  -------
 5  BUFFALO               JAN. 27  FEB. 25 


CONSECUTIVE HOME UNDEFEATED - MINIMUM 5 GAMES

GM  TEAM                   W   T  FROM     TO
--  --------------------  --  --  -------  -------
10  BUFFALO                4   6  DEC. 31  FEB. 25
 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
 7  ST LOUIS               6   1  JAN. 22  MAR.  7 #
 6  FLORIDA                4   2  DEC. 30  JAN. 31
 6  BOSTON                 4   2  JAN.  1  JAN. 27
 6  WASHINGTON             5   1  JAN.  6  JAN. 28
 6  DALLAS                 5   1  JAN.  9  FEB. 28
 6  LOS ANGELES            6   0  JAN. 12  FEB.  5
 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  EDMONTON               4   1  JAN.  7  JAN. 28
 5  PITTSBURGH             4   1  JAN. 10  JAN. 31
 5  NY ISLANDERS           3   2  JAN. 12  FEB.  4
 5  COLORADO               5   0  JAN. 26  FEB. 26
 5  NEW JERSEY             4   1  FEB.  4  MAR.  7 #
 5  CALGARY                4   1  FEB.  5  MAR.  3 #


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
 4  NEW JERSEY            FEB.  2  FEB. 26
 4  CAROLINA              MAR.  2  MAR.  8 #
 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
 3  BUFFALO               FEB.  1  FEB.  7
 3  COLORADO              FEB.  2  MAR.  4
 3  ST LOUIS              FEB. 28  MAR.  9 #
 3  BUFFALO               MAR.  1  MAR.  7 #


CONSECUTIVE ROAD UNDEFEATED - MINIMUM 5 GAMES

GM  TEAM                   W   T  FROM     TO
--  --------------------  --  --  -------  -------
10  MONTREAL               8   2  DEC. 27  FEB.  1
 7  PITTSBURGH             5   2  NOV. 15  DEC. 19
 7  BUFFALO                6   1  FEB.  1  MAR.  7 #
 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
 6  PITTSBURGH             3   3  JAN. 22  FEB. 25
 6  NEW JERSEY             4   2  JAN. 31  MAR.  9 #
 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
 5  BOSTON                 2   3  FEB.  1  MAR.  5 #


   --- CURRENT TEAM STREAKS ---

 CONSECUTIVE WINS -     MINIMUM 3 GAMES

GM  TEAM                  FROM     TO
--  --------------------  -------  -------
 6  ST LOUIS              FEB. 28  MAR.  9
 4  CAROLINA              MAR.  2  MAR.  8
 3  SAN JOSE              MAR.  5  MAR.  9


 CONSECUTIVE UNDEFEATED -     MINIMUM 5 GAMES

GM  TEAM                   W   T  FROM     TO
--  --------------------  --  --  -------  -------
11  NEW JERSEY             8   3  JAN. 31  MAR.  9
 6  ST LOUIS               6   0  FEB. 28  MAR.  9


CONSECUTIVE HOME WINS - MINIMUM 3 GAMES

GM  TEAM                  FROM     TO
--  --------------------  -------  -------
 6  ST LOUIS              JAN. 29  MAR.  7


CONSECUTIVE HOME TIES - MINIMUM 3 GAMES

GM  TEAM                  FROM     TO
--  --------------------  -------  -------
    NONE


CONSECUTIVE HOME UNDEFEATED - MINIMUM 5 GAMES

GM  TEAM                   W   T  FROM     TO
--  --------------------  --  --  -------  -------
 7  ST LOUIS               6   1  JAN. 22  MAR.  7
 5  NEW JERSEY             4   1  FEB.  4  MAR.  7
 5  CALGARY                4   1  FEB.  5  MAR.  3


CONSECUTIVE ROAD WINS - MINIMUM 3 GAMES

GM  TEAM                  FROM     TO
--  --------------------  -------  -------
 4  CAROLINA              MAR.  2  MAR.  8
 3  ST LOUIS              FEB. 28  MAR.  9
 3  BUFFALO               MAR.  1  MAR.  7


CONSECUTIVE ROAD UNDEFEATED - MINIMUM 5 GAMES

GM  TEAM                   W   T  FROM     TO
--  --------------------  --  --  -------  -------
 7  BUFFALO                6   1  FEB.  1  MAR.  7
 6  NEW JERSEY             4   2  JAN. 31  MAR.  9
 5  BOSTON                 2   3  FEB.  1  MAR.  5


                    --- 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 32  120   29  24.2   COL  31  149   33  22.1  DAL  63   291   59  20.3
 2 NYI 32  152   31  20.4   DAL  33  150   31  20.7  N.J  63   249   47  18.9
 3 DAL 30  141   28  19.9   MTL  31  139   28  20.1  COL  66   330   62  18.8
 4 PIT 30  147   29  19.7   DET  33  136   26  19.1  MTL  62   274   50  18.2
 5 STL 34  166   31  18.7   PHI  32  142   26  18.3  NYI  62   276   50  18.1
 6 NYR 32  142   26  18.3   CHI  32  136   24  17.6  NYR  63   274   49  17.9
 7 WSH 32  133   23  17.3   NYR  31  132   23  17.4  PIT  64   304   51  16.8
 8 BUF 29  135   23  17.0   EDM  32  171   29  17.0  DET  64   274   46  16.8
 9 BOS 30  134   22  16.4   PHO  32  145   24  16.6  STL  66   290   47  16.2
10 MTL 31  135   22  16.3   L.A  31  115   19  16.5  PHI  61   293   47  16.0
11 COL 35  181   29  16.0   VAN  31  135   22  16.3  WSH  63   262   42  16.0
12 OTT 31  138   21  15.2   NYI  30  124   19  15.3  EDM  64   360   57  15.8
13 CAR 31  141   21  14.9   WSH  31  129   19  14.7  BOS  62   257   40  15.6
14 EDM 32  189   28  14.8   BOS  32  123   18  14.6  L.A  62   274   41  15.0
15 FLA 30  145   21  14.5   S.J  29  119   17  14.3  CAR  62   271   39  14.4
16 DET 31  138   20  14.5   CGY  31  126   18  14.3  CHI  63   278   39  14.0
17 TOR 32  142   20  14.1   N.J  31  129   18  14.0  BUF  61   281   39  13.9
18 PHI 29  151   21  13.9   PIT  34  157   22  14.0  FLA  62   299   41  13.7
19 L.A 31  159   22  13.8   CAR  31  130   18  13.8  PHO  63   293   39  13.3
20 CGY 32  141   16  11.3   FLA  32  154   20  13.0  CGY  63   267   34  12.7
21 CHI 31  142   15  10.6   ANA  29  132   17  12.9  VAN  64   292   37  12.7
22 PHO 31  148   15  10.1   STL  32  124   16  12.9  OTT  63   278   34  12.2
23 S.J 33  169   17  10.1   BUF  32  146   16  11.0  S.J  62   288   34  11.8
24 T.B 30  135   13   9.6   OTT  32  140   13   9.3  TOR  62   271   31  11.4
25 VAN 33  157   15   9.6   T.B  33  140   13   9.3  ANA  63   288   31  10.8
26 ANA 34  156   14   9.0   TOR  30  129   11   8.5  T.B  63   275   26   9.5

      818 3837  572  14.9       818 3552  540  15.2      818  7389 1112  15.0


                      --- 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  29  121    9  92.6   WSH  31  146   14  90.4   DET  64   285   30  89.5
 2  DET  31  138   12  91.3   CHI  32  150   15  90.0   WSH  63   269   30  88.8
 3  DAL  30  128   15  88.3   DAL  33  137   15  89.1   DAL  63   265   30  88.7
 4  MTL  31  133   16  88.0   STL  32  131   15  88.5   STL  66   286   36  87.4
 5  NYR  32  131   16  87.8   COL  31  152   18  88.2   COL  66   311   41  86.8
 6  BUF  29  130   16  87.7   S.J  29  142   17  88.0   PHI  61   279   38  86.4
 7  N.J  32  111   14  87.4   DET  33  147   18  87.8   NYR  63   289   40  86.2
 8  WSH  32  123   16  87.0   TOR  30  135   17  87.4   CHI  63   287   40  86.1
 9  CGY  32  153   20  86.9   BOS  32  108   14  87.0   N.J  63   231   32  86.1
10  STL  34  155   21  86.5   ANA  29  149   20  86.6   TOR  62   272   38  86.0
11  NYI  32  144   20  86.1   PIT  34  142   19  86.6   NYI  62   288   42  85.4
12  COL  35  159   23  85.5   L.A  31  144   20  86.1   L.A  62   302   45  85.1
13  PHO  31  147   22  85.0   T.B  33  164   24  85.4   PIT  64   260   39  85.0
14  CAR  31  138   21  84.8   N.J  31  120   18  85.0   CGY  63   311   47  84.9
15  TOR  32  137   21  84.7   NYR  31  158   24  84.8   BOS  62   204   31  84.8
16  L.A  31  158   25  84.2   NYI  30  144   22  84.7   PHO  63   310   47  84.8
17  OTT  31  100   16  84.0   PHO  32  163   25  84.7   S.J  62   300   46  84.7
18  EDM  32  157   26  83.4   CAR  31  151   24  84.1   CAR  62   289   45  84.4
19  PIT  30  118   20  83.1   EDM  32  159   27  83.0   MTL  62   295   47  84.1
20  BOS  30   96   17  82.3   CGY  31  158   27  82.9   OTT  63   227   38  83.3
21  CHI  31  137   25  81.8   FLA  32  164   28  82.9   ANA  63   293   49  83.3
22  S.J  33  158   29  81.6   OTT  32  127   22  82.7   EDM  64   316   53  83.2
23  VAN  33  168   33  80.4   PHI  32  158   29  81.6   BUF  61   299   52  82.6
24  ANA  34  144   29  79.9   MTL  31  162   31  80.9   T.B  63   311   55  82.3
25  T.B  30  147   31  78.9   VAN  31  157   33  79.0   FLA  62   285   55  80.7
26  FLA  30  121   27  77.7   BUF  32  169   36  78.7   VAN  64   325   66  79.7

        818 3552  540  84.8       818 3837  572  85.1       818  7389 1112  85.0


           --- SHORT HAND GOALS FOR ---

    --- HOME ---   --- ROAD ---   - OVER ALL -
    TEAM GP SHGF   TEAM GP SHGF   TEAM GP SHGF

 1  CGY  32    8   CHI  32    9   CHI  63   12
 2  T.B  30    6   DAL  33    9   CGY  63   12
 3  MTL  31    6   FLA  32    8   VAN  64   12
 4  PIT  30    5   VAN  31    7   DAL  63   11
 5  WSH  32    5   ANA  29    6   FLA  62   10
 6  VAN  33    5   WSH  31    5   WSH  63   10
 7  STL  34    5   BUF  32    5   PIT  64   10
 8  COL  35    5   STL  32    5   STL  66   10
 9  PHI  29    4   PIT  34    5   BUF  61    9
10  BUF  29    4   CAR  31    4   T.B  63    9
11  PHO  31    4   CGY  31    4   MTL  62    8
12  EDM  32    4   S.J  29    3   ANA  63    8
13  NYI  32    4   NYI  30    3   CAR  62    7
14  S.J  33    4   OTT  32    3   S.J  62    7
15  CAR  31    3   PHO  32    3   NYI  62    7
16  CHI  31    3   DET  33    3   PHO  63    7
17  L.A  31    3   T.B  33    3   PHI  61    6
18  BOS  30    2   N.J  31    2   COL  66    6
19  DAL  30    2   MTL  31    2   OTT  63    5
20  FLA  30    2   PHI  32    2   DET  64    5
21  OTT  31    2   TOR  30    1   N.J  63    4
22  DET  31    2   COL  31    1   EDM  64    4
23  TOR  32    2   L.A  31    0   L.A  62    3
24  N.J  32    2   NYR  31    0   TOR  62    3
25  ANA  34    2   EDM  32    0   BOS  62    2
26  NYR  32    0   BOS  32    0   NYR  63    0

        818   94       818   93       818  187


        --- SHORT HAND GOALS AGAINST ---

    --- HOME ---   --- ROAD ---   - OVER ALL -
    TEAM GP SHGA   TEAM GP SHGA   TEAM GP SHGA

 1  CHI  31    0   L.A  31    0   BOS  62    1
 2  BOS  30    0   PHO  32    1   STL  66    3
 3  PHI  29    0   BOS  32    1   S.J  62    3
 4  STL  34    1   S.J  29    1   WSH  63    4
 5  WSH  32    1   EDM  32    2   CHI  63    4
 6  COL  35    2   STL  32    2   PHO  63    5
 7  S.J  33    2   N.J  31    2   PHI  61    5
 8  OTT  31    2   MTL  31    2   DET  64    6
 9  DET  31    2   CGY  31    2   EDM  64    6
10  DAL  30    2   PIT  34    3   DAL  63    6
11  VAN  33    4   WSH  31    3   CGY  63    6
12  CGY  32    4   ANA  29    3   N.J  63    6
13  NYR  32    4   DAL  33    4   MTL  62    7
14  EDM  32    4   DET  33    4   COL  66    8
15  N.J  32    4   CHI  32    4   OTT  63    8
16  PHO  31    4   CAR  31    4   ANA  63    8
17  CAR  31    4   NYI  30    4   CAR  62    8
18  T.B  30    4   PHI  32    5   VAN  64    9
19  FLA  30    4   VAN  31    5   L.A  62    9
20  ANA  34    5   TOR  30    5   T.B  63   10
21  MTL  31    5   T.B  33    6   FLA  62   10
22  BUF  29    5   OTT  32    6   PIT  64   11
23  TOR  32    6   FLA  32    6   NYR  63   11
24  NYI  32    7   BUF  32    6   TOR  62   11
25  PIT  30    8   COL  31    6   NYI  62   11
26  L.A  31    9   NYR  31    7   BUF  61   11

        818   93       818   94       818  187


                        --- TEAMS' OVERTIME RECORDS ---

    -------- HOME ---------  -------- ROAD ---------  ------- OVERALL -------
     GP  W  L   T PTS  PCTG   GP  W  L   T PTS  PCTG   GP  W  L   T PTS  PCTG
    --- -- -- --- --- -----  --- -- -- --- --- -----  --- -- -- --- --- -----
WSH   6  1  0   5   7  .583    9  3  0   6  12  .667   15  4  0  11  19  .633
DAL   7  1  0   6   8  .571    8  3  1   4  10  .625   15  4  1  10  18  .600
BUF   9  1  0   8  10  .556    8  2  0   6  10  .625   17  3  0  14  20  .588
BOS   6  0  0   6   6  .500    9  2  0   7  11  .611   15  2  0  13  17  .567
OTT   4  1  0   3   5  .625    7  0  0   7   7  .500   11  1  0  10  12  .545
PHI   6  1  1   4   6  .500    6  1  0   5   7  .583   12  2  1   9  13  .542
EDM   6  0  1   5   5  .417    9  3  1   5  11  .611   15  3  2  10  16  .533
L.A   6  2  1   3   7  .583   10  1  1   8  10  .500   16  3  2  11  17  .531
CGY  10  4  1   5  13  .650    9  0  2   7   7  .389   19  4  3  12  20  .526
PIT  10  2  1   7  11  .550    9  1  1   7   9  .500   19  3  2  14  20  .526
FLA   8  1  1   6   8  .500    8  1  1   6   8  .500   16  2  2  12  16  .500
DET   6  0  0   6   6  .500    7  0  0   7   7  .500   13  0  0  13  13  .500
STL   8  2  1   5   9  .563    4  0  1   3   3  .375   12  2  2   8  12  .500
CAR   7  0  1   6   6  .429    4  2  1   1   5  .625   11  2  2   7  11  .500
TOR   4  0  0   4   4  .500    4  0  0   4   4  .500    8  0  0   8   8  .500
COL  13  1  2  10  12  .462    8  1  1   6   8  .500   21  2  3  16  20  .476
ANA   7  2  1   4   8  .571    9  1  3   5   7  .389   16  3  4   9  15  .469
MTL   7  1  1   5   7  .500    5  1  2   2   4  .400   12  2  3   7  11  .458
T.B   7  0  1   6   6  .429    3  0  0   3   3  .500   10  0  1   9   9  .450
NYR  10  0  1   9   9  .450    9  0  1   8   8  .444   19  0  2  17  17  .447
NYI   4  0  1   3   3  .375    5  0  0   5   5  .500    9  0  1   8   8  .444
CHI   8  0  1   7   7  .438    7  1  2   4   6  .429   15  1  3  11  13  .433
PHO   8  0  2   6   6  .375    6  0  0   6   6  .500   14  0  2  12  12  .429
N.J   4  1  2   1   3  .375    8  0  1   7   7  .438   12  1  3   8  10  .417
S.J   5  0  1   4   4  .400    4  0  1   3   3  .375    9  0  2   7   7  .389
VAN   6  0  2   4   4  .333    7  0  1   6   6  .429   13  0  3  10  10  .385

TOT 182 21 23 138 180  .495  182 23 21 138 184  .505  182 44 44 138 364 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
 684  Jan 31  MICHAL PIVONKA       WASHINGTON           2:23  WSH  3 AT PHI  2
 696  Feb  1  TEEMU SELANNE        ANAHEIM              2:51  CHI  3 AT ANA  4
 774  Mar  2 +SCOTT FRASER         EDMONTON             0:11  EDM  5 AT COL  4
 796  Mar  6  JEFF O'NEILL         CAROLINA             2:34  CAR  5 AT PHO  4
 809  Mar  8  ALEXANDRE DAIGLE     PHILADELPHIA         4:03  PIT  3 AT PHI  4
 815  Mar  9  DEAN MCAMMOND        EDMONTON             4:17  EDM  4 AT CHI  3
 819  Mar  9  YANIC PERREAULT      LOS ANGELES          4:19  ANA  3 AT L.A  4
 
 
           TEAMS' RECORD WHEN SCORING 1ST GOAL OF A GAME
           ---------------------------------------------
 
          AT HOME           ON THE ROAD           OVERALL
      ----------------    ----------------    ----------------
      GP  FG   W  L  T    GP  FG   W  L  T    GP  FG   W  L  T
 
 ANA  34  12   6  3  3    29  16   9  6  1    63  28  15  9  4
 BOS  30  14  10  2  2    32  17   9  4  4    62  31  19  6  6
 BUF  29  15   8  3  4    32  15  11  4  0    61  30  19  7  4
 CGY  32  12   7  2  3    31  14   4  7  3    63  26  11  9  6
 CAR  31  19  11  4  4    31  12   5  6  1    62  31  16 10  5
 CHI  31  13   6  4  3    32  19  11  5  3    63  32  17  9  6
 COL  35  18   9  4  5    31  22  15  4  3    66  40  24  8  8
 DAL  30  22  16  2  4    33  24  17  3  4    63  46  33  5  8
 DET  31  17  14  3  0    33  17  12  3  2    64  34  26  6  2
 EDM  32  14   8  4  2    32  17   9  4  4    64  31  17  8  6
 FLA  30  16   4  8  4    32  12   5  2  5    62  28   9 10  9
 L.A  31  16  14  1  1    31  11   9  1  1    62  27  23  2  2
 MTL  31  14   8  2  4    31  21  15  4  2    62  35  23  6  6
 N.J  32  19  15  3  1    31  15   9  3  3    63  34  24  6  4
 NYI  32  19  11  6  2    30  14   6  5  3    62  33  17 11  5
 NYR  32  10   5  3  2    31  15   7  4  4    63  25  12  7  6
 OTT  31  10   7  2  1    32  13   8  2  3    63  23  15  4  4
 PHI  29  16  13  1  2    32  16  10  4  2    61  32  23  5  4
 PHO  31  18   7  5  6    32  18   9  7  2    63  36  16 12  8
 PIT  30  15  10  2  3    34  18  12  4  2    64  33  22  6  5
 S.J  33  11   8  3  0    29  13   9  4  0    62  24  17  7  0
 STL  34  19  14  1  4    32  22  14  5  3    66  41  28  6  7
 T.B  30  14   6  6  2    33  15   3  9  3    63  29   9 15  5
 TOR  32  14  10  2  2    30  10   5  4  1    62  24  15  6  3
 VAN  33  15  10  3  2    31  15   5  8  2    64  30  15 11  4
 WSH  32  12   6  3  3    31  18   9  6  3    63  30  15  9  6
 
 
                     TEAMS' RECORD IN 1, 2 AND 3 OR MORE GOAL GAMES
                     ----------------------------------------------
 
                    1                      2                  3 OR MORE
                GOAL GAMES             GOAL GAMES             GOAL GAMES
            ------------------     ------------------     ------------------
            HOME   ROAD  TOTAL     HOME   ROAD  TOTAL     HOME   ROAD  TOTAL
      GP    W  L   W  L   W  L     W  L   W  L   W  L     W  L   W  L   W  L
 
 ANA  63   5   2   4  7   9  9     2  5   3  3   5  8     3 13   3  4   6 17
 BOS  62   2   3   4  2   6  5     4  5   5  6   9 11     6  4   5  3  11  7
 BUF  61   3   2   5  3   8  5     0  6   2  0   2  6     9  1   6 10  15 11
 CGY  63   6   6   1  9   7 15     4  3   2  2   6  5     3  5   3  7   6 12
 CAR  62   5   6   6  7  11 13     5  0   6  7  11  7     3  6   0  4   3 10
 CHI  63   3   7   5  6   8 13     4  4   2  4   6  8     3  3   7  4  10  7
 COL  66   7   5   6  2  13  7     6  2   5  4  11  6     4  1   5  3   9  4
 DAL  63   5   2   8  3  13  5     2  2   5  4   7  6    11  2   7  2  18  4
 DET  64   4   3   3  2   7  5     8  1   7  5  15  6     6  3   6  3  12  6
 EDM  64   6   3   6  7  12 10     2  4   1  4   3  8     5  7   4  5   9 12
 FLA  62   5   7   4  4   9 11     1  3   2  6   3  9     2  6   4  6   6 12
 L.A  62   6   4   3  5   9  9     3  2   2  2   5  4     9  4   6  5  15  9
 MTL  62   1   7   6  4   7 11     6  2   4  3  10  5     5  5   8  4  13  9
 N.J  63   7   4   6  3  13  7     8  1   5  3  13  4     9  2   4  3  13  5
 NYI  62   0   5   3  6   3 11     6  7   2  4   8 11     6  5   5  5  11 10
 NYR  63   3   8   4  3   7 11     5  4   3  5   8  9     2  1   2  6   4  7
 OTT  63   8   5   2  3  10  8     4  7   3  3   7 10     3  1   5  9   8 10
 PHI  61   6   5   4  4  10  9     6  0   4  3  10  3     5  3   7  5  12  8
 PHO  63   4   4   3  2   7  6     4  3   3  5   7  8     5  5   5  8  10 13
 PIT  64   4   2   6  2  10  4     5  2   3  4   8  6     6  4   8  4  14  8
 S.J  62   4   5   5  4   9  9     4  5   2  5   6 10     5  6   5  5  10 11
 STL  66   5   1   6  7  11  8     7  3   3  5  10  8     9  4   6  2  15  6
 T.B  63   3   4   3  5   6  9     3  2   1  5   4  7     2 10   1 15   3 25
 TOR  62   4   4   5  6   9 10     2  2   0  6   2  8     6 10   4  5  10 15
 VAN  64   3   6   0  4   3 10     3  3   2  4   5  7     6  8   5 10  11 18
 WSH  63   5   5   7  4  12  9     3  1   2  5   5  6     7  6   4  3  11  9
 

 
 
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 


Jan 28   Scott Daniels         NY Rangers   Headbutting
         New Jersey                         P.J. Stock
         2 games
         
Jan 30   Rick Tocchet          Detroit      Kneeing 
         Phoenix                            Steve Yzerman
         5 games

Feb 3    Gary Suter            Anaheim      Cross-checking
         Chicago                            Paul Kariya
         4 games

Feb 4    Ruslan Salei          Chicago      Head-butting
         Anaheim                            Sergei Krivokrasov
         2 games

Feb 25   Bryan Marchment       Carolina     Kneeing
         Tampa Bay                          Kevin Dineen
         8 games

Mar 3    Chris Chelios         St. Louis    Double game misconduct
         Chicago                            (automatic suspension)
         1 game                            

Mar 5    Daniel Lacroix        NY Islanders Crosscheck
         Philadelphia                       Rich Pilon 
         3 games

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1997-98 NHL Statistics                                   Through March 8, 1998
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<U>TEAM P NO  PLAYER              GP   G   A PTS +/-  PIM PP SH GW GT   S  PCTG</U>
ANA  R  8  TEEMU SELANNE       57  41  27  68  11   24  7  0  8  3 207  19.8
ANA  C 20  STEVE RUCCHIN       54  11  25  36  10    6  3  1  1  0  90  12.2
ANA  D 15  DMITRI MIRONOV      59   6  27  33  -4  104  2  0  1  0 131   4.6
ANA  L  9  PAUL KARIYA         22  17  14  31  12   23  3  0  2  1 103  16.5
ANA  C 39  TRAVIS GREEN        56  15  12  27 -23   66  8  0  2  1 104  14.4
ANA  R 48  SCOTT YOUNG         55   8  15  23 -15   20  3  1  1  0 139   5.8
ANA  C 45 *MATT CULLEN         41   3  12  15   2   10  1  0  0  0  45   6.7
ANA  C 10  SEAN PRONGER        55   3  12  15  -7   24  1  0  1  0  59   5.1
ANA  R 17  TOMAS SANDSTROM     62   6   7  13 -25   54  2  1  0  1 113   5.3
ANA  C 13  TED DRURY           58   5   6  11 -12   70  0  1  0  0  86   5.8
ANA  C 12  KEVIN TODD          27   4   7  11  -5   12  3  0  1  0  30  13.3
ANA  D 24  RUSLAN SALEI        46   5   5  10   3   51  1  0  0  1  73   6.8
ANA  L 16  WARREN RYCHEL       56   5   5  10 -11  166  1  0  0  0  55   9.1
ANA  D 33  DAVE KARPA          59   1   8   9  -3  146  0  0  0  0  51   2.0
ANA  R 19 *JEFF NIELSEN        23   3   3   6  -3   10  0  0  0  0  24  12.5
ANA  D  5  DREW BANNISTER      48   0   6   6  -4   77  0  0  0  0  40    .0
ANA  L 40 *JEREMY STEVENSON    25   3   2   5  -2   49  0  0  1  0  27  11.1
ANA  D  6  DOUG HOUDA          38   2   2   4 -11   49  0  1  0  0  19  10.5
ANA  D 23  JASON MARSHALL      52   2   2   4  -9  129  1  0  0  0  45   4.4
ANA  D  7 *PAVEL TRNKA         28   1   3   4  -2   16  0  0  0  0  20   5.0
ANA  C 21 *ESPEN KNUTSEN       19   3   0   3 -10    6  1  0  0  1  21  14.3
ANA  R 52 *PETER LEBOUTILLIER   7   1   1   2   1   13  0  0  0  0   3  33.3
ANA  C 32  RICHARD PARK        15   0   2   2  -3    8  0  0  0  0  14    .0
ANA  L 11  SHAWN ANTOSKI        9   1   0   1   1   18  0  0  0  0   6  16.7
ANA  D 34  DANIEL TREBIL       21   0   1   1  -8    2  0  0  0  0  11    .0
ANA  L 22  BRENT SEVERYN       22   0   1   1  -5   99  0  0  0  0  12    .0
ANA  G 31  GUY HEBERT          46   0   1   1   0    4  0  0  0  0   0    .0
ANA  L 42  BARRY NIECKAR        1   0   0   0   0    2  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  R 36 *TONY TUZZOLINO       1   0   0   0  -2    2  0  0  0  0   0    .0
ANA  L 27 *MIKE LECLERC         1   0   0   0  -1    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
ANA  R 29 *FRANK BANHAM         2   0   0   0   0    2  0  0  0  0   4    .0
ANA  L 50 *BOB WREN             3   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   4    .0
ANA  D 38 *MIKE CROWLEY         4   0   0   0   2    6  0  0  0  0   5    .0
ANA  G 35  M. SHTALENKOV       23   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
BOS  R 41  JASON ALLISON       62  25  39  64  21   37  4  0  7  2 113  22.1
BOS  C 12  DMITRI KHRISTICH    62  20  23  43  14   30 10  1  0  0 100  20.0
BOS  L 21  TED DONATO          59  16  18  34  11   34  3  0  5  1 103  15.5
BOS  D 77  RAY BOURQUE         62  10  24  34   1   51  6  0  2  1 202   5.0
BOS  L 14 *SERGEI SAMSONOV     61  14  18  32   4    6  4  0  2  0 115  12.2
BOS  C 33  ANSON CARTER        58   8  21  29   6    6  2  0  1  0 135   5.9
BOS  R 23  STEVE HEINZE        41  15  11  26   6   42  5  0  3  0 102  14.7
BOS  C 26  TIM TAYLOR          62  15   9  24 -15   48  0  1  0  1  98  15.3
BOS  L 19  ROB DIMAIO          60   8  14  22  -9   62  0  0  3  1  89   9.0
BOS  D 18  KYLE MCLAREN        56   5  15  20   8   41  2  0  0  0  89   5.6
BOS  R 11 *PER AXELSSON        62   5  12  17 -13   20  1  0  0  0 117   4.3
BOS  D 44  DAVE ELLETT         62   3  14  17  -1   44  2  0  1  0 100   3.0
BOS  D 32  DON SWEENEY         59   1  15  16  12   24  0  0  0  0  55   1.8
BOS  D 36  GRANT LEDYARD       51   2  13  15  -1   14  1  0  0  0  58   3.4
BOS  L 42  MIKE SULLIVAN       57   2   9  11  -5   20  0  0  1  0  63   3.2
BOS  D 20  DARREN VAN IMPE     51   2   8  10 -13   17  1  0  0  0  49   4.1
BOS  C  6 *JOE THORNTON        44   3   3   6  -7   15  0  0  1  0  29  10.3
BOS  D 25 *HAL GILL            48   2   2   4   2   32  0  0  0  0  40   5.0
BOS  D 37  MATTIAS TIMANDER    23   1   1   2  -9    6  0  0  0  0  17   5.9
BOS  D 29  DEAN MALKOC         32   1   0   1  -9   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  R 27  LANDON WILSON       12   0   1   1   1    0  0  0  0  0  12    .0
BOS  G 34  BYRON DAFOE         50   0   1   1   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
BOS  R 43  JEAN-YVES ROY        2   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   1    .0
BOS  G 35  ROBBIE TALLAS        7   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
BOS  L 22  KEN BAUMGARTNER     62   0   0   0 -15  142  0  0  0  0  22    .0
BUF  L 81  MIROSLAV SATAN      60  20  18  38   2   22  8  0  3  0 109  18.3
BUF  R 17  JASON DAWE          61  18  17  35  11   34  3  1  3  1 108  16.7
BUF  R 28  DONALD AUDETTE      54  16  17  33   7   43  7  0  2  1 146  11.0
BUF  D 44  ALEXEI ZHITNIK      57   9  20  29   8   70  2  1  3  2 141   6.4
BUF  C 27  MICHAEL PECA        47  12  15  27   8   51  5  3  0  1 103  11.7
BUF  C 26  DEREK PLANTE        54  10  17  27   3   18  4  0  1  0 106   9.4
BUF  C 19  BRIAN HOLZINGER     52  11  15  26  -4   20  4  1  1  1  90  12.2
BUF  L 18  MICHAL GROSEK       54   9  17  26   6   46  2  0  0  0  86  10.5
BUF  D  5  JASON WOOLLEY       50   6  18  24   4   14  1  0  2  0  79   7.6
BUF  L 80  GEOFF SANDERSON     55   9  14  23  -2   18  2  0  1  1 142   6.3
BUF  R 36  MATTHEW BARNABY     53   3  15  18   5  221  0  0  2  0  69   4.3
BUF  D  8  DARRYL SHANNON      56   2  15  17  18   48  1  0  1  0  69   2.9
BUF  L 37  CURTIS BROWN        44   6   9  15   5   30  0  0  1  0  57  10.5
BUF  D 42  RICHARD SMEHLIK     53   2  13  15   5   40  0  1  0  0  71   2.8
BUF  D 74  JAY MCKEE           43   1  12  13  -2   30  0  0  0  0  51   2.0
BUF  R 15  DIXON WARD          52   7   4  11   2   36  0  2  2  1  73   9.6
BUF  L 12  RANDY BURRIDGE      30   4   6  10   0    0  1  0  1  0  40  10.0
BUF  D  4  MIKE WILSON         51   4   4   8  11   42  0  0  1  0  42   9.5
BUF  C  9 *ERIK RASMUSSEN      21   2   3   5   2   14  0  0  0  0  28   7.1
BUF  C 22  WAYNE PRIMEAU       48   2   2   4   5   60  0  0  0  0  26   7.7
BUF  D  6  BOB BOUGHNER        52   1   2   3   6  120  0  0  0  0  19   5.3
BUF  R 32  ROB RAY             42   2   0   2  -2  174  1  0  1  0  12  16.7
BUF  R 25 *VACLAV VARADA       15   1   1   2  -2    6  0  0  0  1  15   6.7
BUF  G 39  DOMINIK HASEK       54   0   1   1   0   12  0  0  0  0   0    .0
BUF  D 40 *RUMUN NDUR           1   0   0   0  -1    2  0  0  0  0   0    .0
BUF  D 21  MIKE HURLBUT         3   0   0   0  -1    2  0  0  0  0   3    .0
BUF  G 31 *STEVE SHIELDS       12   0   0   0   0   17  0  0  0  0   0    .0
CGY  R 14  THEOREN FLEURY      62  20  40  60  11  133  2  2  4  1 208   9.6
CGY  C 16  CORY STILLMAN       54  19  18  37  -9   26  5  2  0  1 139  13.7
CGY  L 13  GERMAN TITOV        58  16  20  36   3   28  6  1  2  0 110  14.5
CGY  L 18  MARTY MCINNIS       55  14  20  34  -2   24  5  3  0  0  97  14.4
CGY  C 92  MICHAEL NYLANDER    56  13  20  33   9   20  0  0  2  0 102  12.7
CGY  R  8  VALERI BURE         56  10  23  33  -2   35  2  0  2  0 150   6.7
CGY  C 21  ANDREW CASSELS      61  10  20  30 -14   20  4  0  1  1  95  10.5
CGY  R 12  JAROME IGINLA       51  12  13  25  -7   18  0  2  1  0 116  10.3
CGY  D 32  CALE HULSE          59   5  17  22   3  112  1  1  0  0 100   5.0
CGY  D 53 *DEREK MORRIS        62   6  15  21  -2   51  4  1  0  1  87   6.9
CGY  D  5  TOMMY ALBELIN       49   2  11  13   8   12  1  0  2  0  59   3.4
CGY  R 15  SANDY MCCARTHY      46   7   5  12 -18  130  1  0  1  0  61  11.5
CGY  D  3  JAMES PATRICK       40   4   7  11  -3   18  1  0  1  0  39  10.3
CGY  L 17 *HNAT DOMENICHELLI   12   5   4   9   1    0  1  0  0  1  38  13.2
CGY  D  2 *JAMIE ALLISON       33   3   6   9   2   61  0  0  1  0  24  12.5
CGY  C 34  JIM DOWD            30   3   4   7   1    4  0  0  0  0  36   8.3
CGY  L 42  ED WARD             44   3   3   6  -5   83  0  0  0  1  32   9.4
CGY  L  7 *CHRIS DINGMAN       57   3   3   6 -10   84  1  0  0  0  41   7.3
CGY  D 27  TODD SIMPSON        48   1   5   6  -6   95  0  0  1  0  49   2.0
CGY  D  6  JOEL BOUCHARD       28   3   1   4 -12   31  0  0  0  0  30  10.0
CGY  G 30  DWAYNE ROLOSON      26   0   4   4   0    4  0  0  0  0   0    .0
CGY  R 29  ERIK ANDERSSON      12   2   1   3  -4    8  0  0  0  0  11  18.2
CGY  C 23  AARON GAVEY         16   1   2   3  -1    9  0  0  1  0  18   5.6
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  D  4  KEVIN DAHL           9   0   1   1  -4    0  0  0  0  0  13    .0
CGY  G 31  RICK TABARACCI      34   0   1   1   0   12  0  0  0  0   0    .0
CGY  D 55 *ROCKY THOMPSON       4   0   0   0   1   30  0  0  0  0   1    .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        10   0   0   0   0   13  0  0  0  0   4    .0
CGY  D 24 *DENIS GAUTHIER      10   0   0   0  -5   16  0  0  0  0   3    .0
CAR  R 24  SAMI KAPANEN        62  21  28  49   2    6  3  0  5  0 141  14.9
CAR  C 55  KEITH PRIMEAU       61  20  28  48  16   82  6  3  2  0 138  14.5
CAR  R 19  NELSON EMERSON      61  17  19  36 -11   40  5  0  3  1 145  11.7
CAR  L 10  GARY ROBERTS        45  14  22  36   3   86  4  0  2  1  82  17.1
CAR  C 92  JEFF O'NEILL        57  14  16  30  -7   49  4  1  3  1  89  15.7
CAR  R 18  ROBERT KRON         61  14  15  29  -5    4  3  0  2  0 120  11.7
CAR  D  3  STEVE CHIASSON      56   7  21  28  -6   63  6  0  0  0 151   4.6
CAR  L 23  MARTIN GELINAS      44   9  13  22  -6   28  2  1  2  0  92   9.8
CAR  R 11  KEVIN DINEEN        39   6  15  21  -3   76  0  0  1  0  74   8.1
CAR  D  2  GLEN WESLEY         62   4  16  20   1   28  0  0  1  0  90   4.4
CAR  L 28  PAUL RANHEIM        53   4   8  12  -5   12  0  1  1  0  58   6.9
CAR  R 27  STEPHEN LEACH       45   4   5   9 -19   42  1  1  2  0  60   6.7
CAR  D  6  ADAM BURT           56   1   8   9  -4   85  0  1  0  0  36   2.8
CAR  C 44  KENT MANDERVILLE    61   4   4   8  -6   18  0  0  0  0  72   5.6
CAR  D  5  KEVIN HALLER        57   3   5   8   0   88  0  0  0  0  59   5.1
CAR  D  7  CURTIS LESCHYSHYN   53   2   6   8  -4   33  1  0  1  0  39   5.1
CAR  R 12  STEVEN RICE         43   2   4   6 -14   38  0  0  0  0  38   5.3
CAR  L 32  STU GRIMSON         62   2   4   6   1  166  0  0  0  0  14  14.3
CAR  D 22  SEAN HILL           48   1   5   6  -4   48  0  0  0  0  45   2.2
CAR  L 33 *JON BATTAGLIA       18   1   0   1  -3    0  0  0  1  0   9  11.1
CAR  D  4 *NOLAN PRATT          5   0   1   1   0    6  0  0  0  0   5    .0
CAR  D 32 *STEVEN HALKO         6   0   1   1  -4    0  0  0  0  0   2    .0
CAR  G  1  KIRK MCLEAN         36   0   1   1   0    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  R 29  KEVIN BROWN          3   0   0   0  -2    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
CAR  G 22  PAT JABLONSKI        4   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
CAR  G 37  TREVOR KIDD         30   0   0   0   0    2  0  0  0  0   0    .0
CHI  R 10  TONY AMONTE         62  23  35  58  13   48  4  3  5  0 225  10.2
CHI  C 36  ALEXEI ZHAMNOV      55  14  22  36   9   53  4  1  2  1 153   9.2
CHI  D  7  CHRIS CHELIOS       61   3  33  36  -1  116  1  0  0  0 151   2.0
CHI  L 55  ERIC DAZE           62  24   9  33   4   20  8  0  6  1 162  14.8
CHI  D 20  GARY SUTER          53  13  20  33   3   52  5  2  0  0 148   8.8
CHI  C 11  JEFF SHANTZ         55  10  17  27  -3   34  1  2  2  0  62  16.1
CHI  C 22  GREG JOHNSON        54  10  13  23  -7   32  4  0  2  0  65  15.4
CHI  R 25  SERGEI KRIVOKRASOV  46   9  12  21   2   25  1  0  2  0 108   8.3
CHI  C 14  STEVE DUBINSKY      62   5  12  17   0   37  0  1  0  0  84   6.0
CHI  D  2  ERIC WEINRICH       62   1  16  17   6   68  0  0  0  0  62   1.6
CHI  L 38  JAMES BLACK         43   9   5  14  -6    4  2  1  3  1  81  11.1
CHI  L 19  ETHAN MOREAU        34   6   7  13  -3   55  2  0  0  0  50  12.0
CHI  C 16  JARROD SKALDE       30   4   7  11  -2   18  0  0  0  0  34  11.8
CHI  C 46 *DIMITRI NABOKOV     18   7   3  10  -2   10  3  0  2  0  23  30.4
CHI  D 45  JAY MORE            42   5   5  10   0   53  0  1  0  0  40  12.5
CHI  L 23 *JEAN-YVES LEROUX    54   5   3   8  -3   53  0  0  0  0  48  10.4
CHI  R 17  KEVIN MILLER        26   2   6   8  -1    4  0  0  0  0  26   7.7
CHI  C 12  BRENT SUTTER        32   2   6   8  -2   22  0  1  0  0  31   6.5
CHI  D  3 *CHRISTIAN LAFLAMME  52   0   8   8  11   31  0  0  0  0  52    .0
CHI  L 14 *BRIAN FELSNER       12   1   3   4   0   12  0  0  0  0  14   7.1
CHI  D  6  MICHAL SYKORA       27   1   3   4 -10   12  0  0  0  0  34   2.9
CHI  L 46  BOB PROBERT          7   2   1   3  -4   27  2  0  0  0  11  18.2
CHI  C 39  CHAD KILGER         12   0   3   3   0    4  0  0  0  0  11    .0
CHI  R 39 *CRAIG MILLS         20   0   3   3   1   34  0  0  0  0   5    .0
CHI  L 33  REID SIMPSON        26   1   1   2  -2   73  0  0  0  0  12   8.3
CHI  C  2 *TODD WHITE           6   1   0   1   0    2  0  0  0  0   2  50.0
CHI  D  5  TRENT YAWNEY        34   1   0   1   0   47  0  0  0  0  12   8.3
CHI  D  8  CAM RUSSELL         29   0   1   1   0   43  0  0  0  0  11    .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      6   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  G  6  CHRIS TERRERI       17   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
CHI  G 31  JEFF HACKETT        42   0   0   0   0    8  0  0  0  0   0    .0
COL  C 21  PETER FORSBERG      62  22  56  78   5   86  7  2  5  1 180  12.2
COL  C 19  JOE SAKIC           58  24  33  57   4   42 11  1  2  1 225  10.7
COL  L 13  VALERI KAMENSKY     58  19  30  49   2   50  6  0  2  0 133  14.3
COL  R 22  CLAUDE LEMIEUX      62  20  23  43  -7  101  8  1  1  1 209   9.6
COL  D  8  SANDIS OZOLINSH     49  12  27  39  -3   47  8  0  2  1 111  10.8
COL  R 18  ADAM DEADMARSH      63  19  18  37   2  109  8  0  5  3 170  11.2
COL  L 28  ERIC LACROIX        65  15  14  29   4   54  4  0  5  0  92  16.3
COL  D  4  UWE KRUPP           63   7  21  28  21   28  4  0  2  0 125   5.6
COL  L 20  RENE CORBET         55  15  11  26  11  104  3  0  4  2 102  14.7
COL  C 26  STEPHANE YELLE      65   7  14  21  -2   34  0  1  0  0  77   9.1
COL  C 17  JARI KURRI          59   5  15  20   8   10  2  0  0  0  55   9.1
COL  R 12  SHEAN DONOVAN       56   7   9  16   7   62  0  0  0  0  70  10.0
COL  D 29 *ERIC MESSIER        57   4  11  15   7   18  0  0  0  0  63   6.3
COL  D 52  ADAM FOOTE          60   2  12  14  -2   96  0  0  1  0  54   3.7
COL  D  5  ALEXEI GUSAROV      57   3  10  13   9   34  0  1  1  0  41   7.3
COL  D 24  JON KLEMM           52   5   7  12   0   24  0  0  0  1  45  11.1
COL  R 16  JEFF ODGERS         52   3   7  10   5  144  0  0  0  0  30  10.0
COL  R 11  KEITH JONES          6   2   4   6   3    4  1  0  2  0  10  20.0
COL  D  2  SYLVAIN LEFEBVRE    64   0   6   6   3   24  0  0  0  0  46    .0
COL  C 10 *JOSEF MARHA          7   1   4   5   0    4  0  0  0  0   8  12.5
COL  D 27  FRANCOIS LEROUX     45   1   2   3  -3  131  0  0  0  0  11   9.1
COL  G 33  PATRICK ROY         51   0   3   3   0    4  0  0  0  0   1    .0
COL  D  3  AARON MILLER        39   2   0   2  -4   29  0  0  0  0  17  11.8
COL  D  6 *WADE BELAK           8   1   1   2  -3   27  0  0  1  0   2  50.0
COL  D  7 *PASCAL TREPANIER    15   0   1   1  -2   18  0  0  0  0   9    .0
COL  R 14 *CHRISTIAN MATTE      5   0   0   0   0    6  0  0  0  0   5    .0
COL  G  1  CRAIG BILLINGTON    16   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
DAL  C  9  MIKE MODANO         50  21  36  57  26   30  7  5  2  1 187  11.2
DAL  C 25  JOE NIEUWENDYK      54  26  21  47   9   24  8  0  7  0 136  19.1
DAL  D 56  SERGEI ZUBOV        60   8  39  47  21   10  4  1  2  1 115   7.0
DAL  L 15  JAMIE LANGENBRUNNER 62  19  27  46  12   45  7  0  5  1 129  14.7
DAL  R 16  PAT VERBEEK         63  20  21  41  10  127  7  0  6  1 142  14.1
DAL  D  5  DARRYL SYDOR        60  11  28  39  23   38  4  1  1  0 125   8.8
DAL  R 26  JERE LEHTINEN       53  20  16  36  23   12  5  2  6  1 149  13.4
DAL  D  2  DERIAN HATCHER      55   6  20  26   4  100  3  0  2  0  60  10.0
DAL  L 23  GREG ADAMS          32   7  13  20  11   10  2  0  0  0  50  14.0
DAL  L 33  BENOIT HOGUE        47   6  14  20  10   31  3  0  1  0  55  10.9
DAL  D 27  SHAWN CHAMBERS      46   2  17  19  12   24  1  1  0  0  57   3.5
DAL  L 14  DAVE REID           53   6  11  17 -12    6  3  0  1  0  82   7.3
DAL  R 10  TODD HARVEY         55   7   8  15   2   96  0  0  1  0  80   8.8
DAL  C 21  GUY CARBONNEAU      58   3  10  13  -3   32  0  1  1  0  57   5.3
DAL  D 24  RICHARD MATVICHUK   55   3   8  11  -1   57  0  0  0  0  57   5.3
DAL  R 29  GRANT MARSHALL      55   8   2  10  -7   75  2  0  1  0  64  12.5
DAL  L 12  BOB ERREY           54   2   7   9   5   44  0  0  0  0  32   6.3
DAL  C 28  BOB BASSEN          50   3   3   6  -4   39  0  0  1  0  37   8.1
DAL  D  3  CRAIG LUDWIG        63   0   5   5  16   98  0  0  0  0  35    .0
DAL  L 11 *JUHA LIND           29   2   1   3   2    4  0  0  0  0  15  13.3
DAL  D 22  CRAIG MUNI          34   1   1   2  -2   18  0  0  1  0  11   9.1
DAL  L 46 *JAMIE WRIGHT         6   1   0   1   1    0  0  0  0  0   2  50.0
DAL  D 37 *BRAD LUKOWICH        3   0   1   1  -1    0  0  0  0  0   2    .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         16   0   0   0   0    2  0  0  0  0   0    .0
DAL  G 20  ED BELFOUR          48   0   0   0   0   16  0  0  0  0   0    .0
DET  L 14  BRENDAN SHANAHAN    58  24  26  50   4  135 13  1  7  1 201  11.9
DET  C 19  STEVE YZERMAN       60  15  32  47  -3   38  1  1  0  1 136  11.0
DET  D  5  NICKLAS LIDSTROM    63  15  31  46  11   16  5  1  1  1 168   8.9
DET  D 55  LARRY MURPHY        64  10  34  44  25   29  2  1  2  0  97  10.3
DET  L 13  VYACHESLAV KOZLOV   63  18  21  39   8   28  5  0  1  0 179  10.1
DET  C  8  IGOR LARIONOV       60   7  32  39  14   32  3  0  2  1  82   8.5
DET  R 25  DARREN MCCARTY      56  12  18  30   2  117  5  1  1  0 134   9.0
DET  C 41  BRENT GILCHRIST     61  13  14  27   4   40  5  0  3  1 124  10.5
DET  R 17  DOUG BROWN          62  12  13  25   9   10  3  0  3  0 107  11.2
DET  R 20  MARTIN LAPOINTE     63  10  11  21  -2   76  1  0  2  2 120   8.3
DET  D 44 *ANDERS ERIKSSON     48   7  13  20  18   28  1  0  2  0  60  11.7
DET  L 18  KIRK MALTBY         47  11   7  18  14   47  1  0  3  0  76  14.5
DET  C 33  KRIS DRAPER         46   8  10  18   3   35  0  0  1  0  62  12.9
DET  R 11  MATHIEU DANDENAULT  54   5  11  16   7   39  0  0  0  0  62   8.1
DET  L 15  TOMAS HOLMSTROM     45   4  10  14   6   34  0  0  1  0  32  12.5
DET  D  2  VIACHESLAV FETISOV  48   2  10  12  11   52  0  0  1  0  51   3.9
DET  R 26  JOEY KOCUR          52   6   5  11   7   81  0  0  2  0  44  13.6
DET  D  3  BOB ROUSE           60   1  10  11  -7   34  0  0  0  0  48   2.1
DET  D 27  AARON WARD          39   5   5  10  -1   22  0  0  1  0  40  12.5
DET  R 22 *MICHAEL KNUBLE      38   4   5   9   5   14  0  0  0  0  34  11.8
DET  D  4  JAMIE PUSHOR        47   1   5   6   0   69  0  0  0  0  38   2.6
DET  D 28 *YAN GOLUBOVSKY      12   0   2   2   1    6  0  0  0  0   9    .0
DET  C 91  SERGEI FEDOROV       5   1   0   1  -1    0  1  0  1  0  12   8.3
DET  C 21 *DARRYL LAPLANTE      1   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   1    .0
DET  G 31 *KEVIN HODSON        15   0   0   0   0    2  0  0  0  0   0    .0
DET  G 30  CHRIS OSGOOD        52   0   0   0   0   12  0  0  0  0   0    .0
EDM  C 39  DOUG WEIGHT         63  22  34  56  -2   57  9  0  3  0 163  13.5
EDM  D  2  BORIS MIRONOV       62  11  23  34  -4   70  6  0  0  1 153   7.2
EDM  L 37  DEAN MCAMMOND       58  13  20  33   7   23  6  0  1  0  81  16.0
EDM  D 22  ROMAN HAMRLIK       60   8  24  32 -14   44  4  1  3  0 142   5.6
EDM  R  9  BILL GUERIN         40  15  16  31   4   56  6  0  3  0 115  13.0
EDM  L 94  RYAN SMYTH          48  14  10  24 -21   36  7  0  0  2 160   8.8
EDM  C 14  MATS LINDGREN       63  11  12  23   1   36  1  2  2  0 103  10.7
EDM  D 33  DANIEL MCGILLIS     60  10  13  23 -15   60  5  0  3  1 114   8.8
EDM  L 26  TODD MARCHANT       57   7  15  22   3   53  0  0  2  0 144   4.9
EDM  L 51  ANDREI KOVALENKO    54   5  16  21 -14   24  1  0  1  1  85   5.9
EDM  L 21  VALERI ZELEPUKIN    56   4  17  21   1   85  0  0  0  0  87   4.6
EDM  R 16  KELLY BUCHBERGER    63   4  15  19  -8   89  1  0  1  0  69   5.8
EDM  C 20  TONY HRKAC          30  10   8  18   1    2  5  0  1  0  34  29.4
EDM  L 17  REM MURRAY          50   7   9  16 -10   33  2  1  0  0  48  14.6
EDM  R 25  MIKE GRIER          48   8   6  14  -3   59  1  0  1  0  66  12.1
EDM  D  5  GREG DE VRIES       55   5   2   7 -19   74  1  0  0  0  44  11.4
EDM  C 18 *SCOTT FRASER        10   6   0   6   0    4  2  0  1  0  21  28.6
EDM  C 19 *BOYD DEVEREAUX      36   1   4   5  -5    4  0  0  0  0  24   4.2
EDM  D 15  DRAKE BEREHOWSKY    48   1   4   5  -4  125  1  0  1  0  48   2.1
EDM  D  6  BOBBY DOLLAS        41   0   5   5  -8   37  0  0  0  0  30    .0
EDM  D 32 *CRAIG MILLAR        11   4   0   4  -3    8  1  0  0  0  10  40.0
EDM  L 12 *JOE HULBIG          17   2   2   4  -1    2  0  0  1  0   8  25.0
EDM  C  9 *MIKE WATT           14   1   2   3  -4    4  0  0  1  0  14   7.1
EDM  D 23 *SEAN BROWN          18   0   1   1  -1   43  0  0  0  0   9    .0
EDM  G 31  CURTIS JOSEPH       54   0   1   1   0    4  0  0  0  0   0    .0
EDM  D 40 *SCOTT FERGUSON       1   0   0   0   1    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  D 38 *TERRAN SANDWITH      7   0   0   0  -2    4  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         13   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
EDM  L  8  DOUG FRIEDMAN       16   0   0   0   0   20  0  0  0  0   8    .0
EDM  L 28  BILL HUARD          20   0   0   0  -3   42  0  0  0  0   6    .0
FLA  L 14  RAY WHITNEY         56  23  24  47  10   20  7  0  2  0 126  18.3
FLA  D 24  ROBERT SVEHLA       60   6  29  35   3   85  2  0  0  0 105   5.7
FLA  C 15  DAVE GAGNER         57  15  18  33 -15   41  3  1  1  0 109  13.8
FLA  R 27  SCOTT MELLANBY      58  11  20  31  -7   92  6  0  1  0 143   7.7
FLA  R 26  RAY SHEPPARD        55  12  15  27 -13    6  4  0  1  0 125   9.6
FLA  R 22  DINO CICCARELLI     46  14   6  20 -20   54  5  0  4  2 129  10.9
FLA  R 19  RADEK DVORAK        43   9  11  20  -3    8  2  3  0  1  61  14.8
FLA  L 11  BILL LINDSAY        61   7  13  20   2   51  0  2  2  0 113   6.2
FLA  C  9  KIRK MULLER         51   5  15  20 -13   36  0  0  1  1  81   6.2
FLA  D  6  JEFF NORTON         49   4  12  16 -28   42  4  0  0  1  50   8.0
FLA  R 21  TOM FITZGERALD      61  10   5  15   3   51  0  1  1  0  94  10.6
FLA  C 44  ROB NIEDERMAYER     28   8   7  15  -5   39  5  0  2  0  58  13.8
FLA  L 25  VIKTOR KOZLOV       46   7   8  15 -10    8  3  0  0  0 108   6.5
FLA  D 55  ED JOVANOVSKI       60   7   7  14 -14   88  1  1  2  0  93   7.5
FLA  R 51  DAVID NEMIROVSKY    32   7   6  13  -4    6  2  0  1  0  48  14.6
FLA  C 23  CHRIS WELLS         54   4   9  13   7   34  0  1  0  0  52   7.7
FLA  D  5  GORD MURPHY         58   5   6  11  -4   26  2  0  0  0  92   5.4
FLA  D  3  PAUL LAUS           60   0  11  11  -4  231  0  0  0  0  48    .0
FLA  L 10  ESA TIKKANEN        28   1   8   9  -7   16  0  0  0  0  34   2.9
FLA  D  2  TERRY CARKNER       56   1   4   5   2   49  0  0  1  0  27   3.7
FLA  L 29  JOHAN GARPENLOV     28   1   3   4  -4    4  0  0  0  0  33   3.0
FLA  D  7  RHETT WARRENER      58   0   4   4  -8   65  0  0  0  0  54    .0
FLA  C 16 *RYAN JOHNSON         6   0   2   2  -2    0  0  0  0  0   3    .0
FLA  G 34  J. VANBIESBROUCK    47   0   2   2   0    4  0  0  0  0   0    .0
FLA  D  8  DALLAS EAKINS       11   0   1   1   0   23  0  0  0  0   8    .0
FLA  L 28 *PETER WORRELL        3   0   0   0  -1    6  0  0  0  0   3    .0
FLA  G  1 *KEVIN WEEKES         7   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
LAK  C 15  JOZEF STUMPEL       59  19  44  63  15   36  4  0  2  1 129  14.7
LAK  R 27  GLEN MURRAY         60  20  24  44   8   34  4  0  4  0 140  14.3
LAK  L 20  LUC ROBITAILLE      55  16  23  39   6   61  5  0  7  0 128  12.5
LAK  L  9  VLADIMIR TSYPLAKOV  53  15  24  39  17   16  2  0  1  0  86  17.4
LAK  C 44  YANIC PERREAULT     59  23  15  38  10   20  2  0  2  0 161  14.3
LAK  D  4  ROB BLAKE           61  17  21  38   5   69  8  0  4  0 187   9.1
LAK  D  3  GARRY GALLEY        56   6  23  29  -3   47  5  0  0  0  91   6.6
LAK  L 23  CRAIG JOHNSON       53  12  15  27   9   20  4  0  0  0  83  14.5
LAK  R 45  SANDY MOGER         54   9  10  19   2   66  1  0  2  0  77  11.7
LAK  C 22  IAN LAPERRIERE      57   4  12  16   0   90  0  1  0  0  50   8.0
LAK  D  6  SEAN O'DONNELL      60   1  13  14   8  123  0  0  0  0  52   1.9
LAK  C 26  RAY FERRARO         26   5   7  12  -4   26  0  0  2  0  29  17.2
LAK  R 19  RUSS COURTNALL      38   9   2  11   5   19  0  2  3  0  69  13.0
LAK  D 28  PHILIPPE BOUCHER    32   4   7  11   6   39  0  0  0  0  57   7.0
LAK  D 14  MATTIAS NORSTROM    54   1   9  10  18   61  0  0  0  0  48   2.1
LAK  L 42  DAN BYLSMA          45   2   7   9  10   17  0  0  0  1  42   4.8
LAK  C 10 *DONALD MACLEAN      22   5   2   7  -1    4  2  0  0  0  25  20.0
LAK  C 24  NATHAN LAFAYETTE    30   4   3   7   1   16  1  0  1  0  52   7.7
LAK  D  2  DOUG ZMOLEK         36   0   7   7   2   78  0  0  0  0  18    .0
LAK  D  5  AKI BERG            56   0   7   7   7   55  0  0  0  0  47    .0
LAK  L  7 *STEVE MCKENNA       41   2   3   5  -5   98  0  0  0  1  22   9.1
LAK  R 11  BRAD SMYTH           9   1   3   4  -1    4  0  0  0  0  12   8.3
LAK  L 17  MATT JOHNSON        48   1   3   4  -7  177  0  0  0  0  12   8.3
LAK  D 33  JAN VOPAT           11   0   2   2   2    2  0  0  0  0   6    .0
LAK  G 35  STEPHANE FISET      46   0   1   1   0    6  0  0  0  0   0    .0
LAK  C 52 *JASON MORGAN         1   0   0   0   0    2  0  0  0  0   2    .0
LAK  G  1 *JAMIE STORR          9   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
LAK  G 31  FREDERIC CHABOT     11   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
MTL  R  8  MARK RECCHI         61  25  33  58  12   39  6  0  4  0 158  15.8
MTL  L 27  SHAYNE CORSON       50  17  30  47   1   72 13  0  1  0 108  15.7
MTL  C 25  VINCENT DAMPHOUSSE  61  15  30  45  13   42  2  1  5  0 145  10.3
MTL  C 11  SAKU KOIVU          54  11  33  44   6   36  2  0  3  0 114   9.6
MTL  L 26  MARTIN RUCINSKY     60  19  23  42   9   80  4  3  3  0 162  11.7
MTL  L 49  BRIAN SAVAGE        53  19  13  32   8   32  5  0  6  1 118  16.1
MTL  D 38  VLADIMIR MALAKHOV   53  10  20  30   8   44  5  0  1  0 131   7.6
MTL  D 22  DAVE MANSON         60   4  23  27  19   74  2  0  0  0 116   3.4
MTL  D 43  PATRICE BRISEBOIS   61   3  21  24  13   49  1  0  0  0  91   3.3
MTL  L 37  PATRICK POULIN      57   5  12  17  -3   23  0  1  1  0  69   7.2
MTL  L 17  BENOIT BRUNET       49   5  11  16   6   45  0  2  1  0  49  10.2
MTL  L 44  JONAS HOGLUND       57   6   8  14 -10   16  0  0  0  0 135   4.4
MTL  D  5  STEPHANE QUINTAL    59   6   7  13   9   95  0  0  0  0  73   8.2
MTL  C 71  SEBASTIEN BORDELEAU 37   4   7  11   4   32  1  1  0  0  31  12.9
MTL  C 28  MARC BUREAU         53   8   2  10  -4    6  0  0  0  0  47  17.0
MTL  C 24  SCOTT THORNTON      57   4   6  10  -2  129  0  0  1  1  42   9.5
MTL  D  3  ZARLEY ZALAPSKI     42   2   8  10 -13   45  2  0  1  0  54   3.7
MTL  D 55  IGOR ULANOV         46   2   7   9  -6   85  1  0  0  0  32   6.3
MTL  R 23  TURNER STEVENSON    45   3   4   7  -4   76  1  0  0  0  24  12.5
MTL  D 34  PETER POPOVIC       48   2   4   6  -4   22  0  0  0  0  28   7.1
MTL  D 52  CRAIG RIVET         44   0   2   2  -1   83  0  0  0  0  15    .0
MTL  C 15 *ERIC HOUDE           4   1   0   1   1    0  0  0  1  0   2  50.0
MTL  D 29 *BRETT CLARK         39   1   0   1  -3   20  0  0  0  0  26   3.8
MTL  R 21  MICK VUKOTA         49   1   0   1   0  145  0  0  0  0  17   5.9
MTL  G 41  JOCELYN THIBAULT    34   0   1   1   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
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  G 35  ANDY MOOG           33   0   0   0   0    4  0  0  0  0   0    .0
NJD  C 16  BOBBY HOLIK         62  27  27  54  27   78  8  0  8  1 171  15.8
NJD  C 93  DOUG GILMOUR        61  13  38  51  12   54  3  0  5  0  92  14.1
NJD  D 27  SCOTT NIEDERMAYER   61  10  35  45   6   23  8  0  1  0 134   7.5
NJD  R 21  RANDY MCKAY         62  18  22  40  27   82  4  0  4  0 115  15.7
NJD  L 23  DAVE ANDREYCHUK     56  11  25  36  23   20  4  0  1  0 128   8.6
NJD  C 17  PETR SYKORA         39  14  15  29   4   18  2  1  3  0  93  15.1
NJD  C 25  JASON ARNOTT        56   9  20  29 -18   89  3  0  1  0 154   5.8
NJD  R 26 *PATRIK ELIAS        54  15  11  26  15   20  3  0  5  1  94  16.0
NJD  L 14  BRIAN ROLSTON       57  14  10  24   8   12  0  2  1  0 139  10.1
NJD  D 24  LYLE ODELEIN        61   2  19  21  19  133  1  0  0  0  60   3.3
NJD  R 32  STEVE THOMAS        38  12   7  19   8   26  3  0  3  1  84  14.3
NJD  C 10  DENIS PEDERSON      61  11   7  18  -3   60  5  0  1  1 103  10.7
NJD  D  4  SCOTT STEVENS       61   2  16  18  22   48  0  0  0  0  77   2.6
NJD  C 19  BOB CARPENTER       49   8   7  15   5   20  0  1  1  0  64  12.5
NJD  D  5  DOUG BODGER         58   6   8  14   5   49  0  0  1  0  65   9.2
NJD  D  2 *SHELDON SOURAY      42   3   6   9  15   62  0  0  1  0  53   5.7
NJD  D 28  KEVIN DEAN          49   1   8   9  11   12  1  0  0  0  27   3.7
NJD  D  6 *BRAD BOMBARDIR      37   0   4   4  10    8  0  0  0  0  12    .0
NJD  L 20  JAY PANDOLFO        12   1   2   3  -2    2  0  0  0  0   8  12.5
NJD  L 29 *KRZYSZTOF OLIWA     53   1   1   2   0  236  0  0  1  0  31   3.2
NJD  G 30  MARTIN BRODEUR      52   0   2   2   0    6  0  0  0  0   0    .0
NJD  C  9 *BRENDAN MORRISON     4   1   0   1   0    0  0  0  0  0   3  33.3
NJD  C 18  SERGEI BRYLIN        2   0   1   1   1    0  0  0  0  0   4    .0
NJD  D  5  VLASTIMIL KROUPA     2   0   1   1   1    0  0  0  0  0   1    .0
NJD  G  1  MIKE DUNHAM         11   0   1   1   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
NJD  D  3  KEN DANEYKO         17   0   1   1   1   37  0  0  0  0   6    .0
NJD  L 22  SCOTT DANIELS       19   0   1   1  -1   95  0  0  0  0  10    .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  L  8  SASHA LAKOVIC        2   0   0   0   0    5  0  0  0  0   2    .0
NYI  R 16  ZIGMUND PALFFY      62  34  29  63  -5   22 14  2  3  1 202  16.8
NYI  C 21  ROBERT REICHEL      62  23  33  56  -3   26  7  0  1  1 164  14.0
NYI  C 20  BRYAN SMOLINSKI     62  11  28  39 -10   32  2  0  3  0 158   7.0
NYI  D 34  BRYAN BERARD        56  12  24  36 -26   45  8  0  1  1 147   8.2
NYI  D 29  KENNY JONSSON       61  11  19  30  -9   48  5  0  2  0  69  15.9
NYI  L 14  TOM CHORSKE         62  10  18  28   7   24  1  3  2  0  95  10.5
NYI  C 17  SERGEI NEMCHINOV    59   8  19  27   5   18  1  1  1  0  72  11.1
NYI  C 32  TREVOR LINDEN       47  10  16  26 -13   53  3  0  1  0  86  11.6
NYI  R 10  JOE SACCO           61   8  11  19  -2   28  0  2  2  0 102   7.8
NYI  D 36  J.J. DAIGNEAULT     58   2  15  17  -9   30  1  0  1  0  78   2.6
NYI  R 25  MARIUSZ CZERKAWSKI  48   3   9  12   6    4  0  0  0  0  89   3.4
NYI  D  7  SCOTT LACHANCE      59   2  10  12 -10   43  1  0  0  0  54   3.7
NYI  C 13  CLAUDE LAPOINTE     58   7   4  11 -16   27  0  0  2  0  58  12.1
NYI  C 12  MARK JANSSENS       61   4   5   9 -24  129  0  0  1  0  45   8.9
NYI  L 18  MIKE HOUGH          59   3   6   9  -7   20  0  0  0  0  30  10.0
NYI  L 24  PAUL KRUSE          57   6   1   7  -9  123  0  0  2  1  39  15.4
NYI  D  2  RICHARD PILON       56   0   5   5   0  221  0  0  0  0  26    .0
NYI  C 54  KIP MILLER           9   1   3   4  -2    2  0  0  0  0  11   9.1
NYI  L 33  KEN BELANGER        32   2   1   3  -1   97  0  0  1  0   6  33.3
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  R 42  DAN PLANTE           7   0   1   1  -1    6  0  0  0  0   7    .0
NYI  R 49 *VLADIMIR ORSAGH     11   0   1   1  -3    2  0  0  0  0   9    .0
NYI  D 43 *JASON STRUDWICK     16   0   1   1   1   36  0  0  0  0   3    .0
NYI  G 35  TOMMY SALO          49   0   1   1   0    2  0  0  0  0   0    .0
NYI  D 58  YEVGENY NAMESTNIKOV  1   0   0   0   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        6   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
NYI  D 53 *ZDENO CHARA          6   0   0   0   2   17  0  0  0  0   1    .0
NYI  R  8  STEVE WEBB          15   0   0   0   0   26  0  0  0  0   4    .0
NYI  G  1  ERIC FICHAUD        17   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
NYR  C 99  WAYNE GRETZKY       62  16  47  63  -9   12  4  0  4  1 162   9.9
NYR  C 16  PAT LAFONTAINE      62  22  36  58 -14   34 11  0  2  3 150  14.7
NYR  D  2  BRIAN LEETCH        60  15  25  40 -29   22  9  0  2  2 192   7.8
NYR  L 17  KEVIN STEVENS       61  13  22  35  -3   92  5  0  2  1 100  13.0
NYR  R 24  NIKLAS SUNDSTROM    50  14  18  32   2   16  3  0  1  0  83  16.9
NYR  L  9  ADAM GRAVES         52  18  11  29 -18   29  7  0  1  1 185   9.7
NYR  R 27  ALEXEI KOVALEV      53  10  19  29 -22   24  5  0  3  1 124   8.1
NYR  L 37  TIM SWEENEY         45  10  14  24   3   22  1  0  1  1  63  15.9
NYR  R 12  MIKE KEANE          62   8  10  18  -8   43  2  0  0  0 101   7.9
NYR  D 33  BRUCE DRIVER        57   5  12  17   4   38  1  0  0  0  87   5.7
NYR  C 20  BRIAN SKRUDLAND     51   5   6  11  -3   35  0  0  1  0  40  12.5
NYR  D 25  ALEXANDER KARPOVTSEV47   3   7  10  -1   38  1  0  1  0  46   6.5
NYR  C 32  MIKE EASTWOOD       44   4   5   9  -2   16  0  0  0  0  27  14.8
NYR  L 18  BILL BERG           49   1   8   9 -10   34  0  0  0  0  58   1.7
NYR  D  5  ULF SAMUELSSON      55   1   7   8   1   97  0  0  0  0  48   2.1
NYR  D 26  JEFF FINLEY         46   1   5   6   2   35  0  0  0  0  24   4.2
NYR  L 15  DARREN LANGDON      54   2   3   5   1  160  0  0  0  0  11  18.2
NYR  L 21  JOHAN LINDBOM       29   1   3   4   6   22  0  0  0  0  32   3.1
NYR  D  6  DOUG LIDSTER        25   0   4   4   4   22  0  0  0  0  18    .0
NYR  C 28 *P.J. STOCK          25   2   1   3   4   78  0  0  1  0   6  33.3
NYR  L 39 *VLADIMIR VOROBIEV    8   1   2   3  -6    0  0  0  0  0  16   6.3
NYR  D 23  JEFF BEUKEBOOM      50   0   3   3 -21  136  0  0  0  0  19    .0
NYR  C 10 *MARC SAVARD         14   0   2   2  -2    2  0  0  0  0  11    .0
NYR  D 29  ERIC CAIRNS         32   0   1   1  -2   72  0  0  0  0  11    .0
NYR  G 35  MIKE RICHTER        55   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         5   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       63  25  28  53   1   14  2  0  4  0 225  11.1
OTW  L 15  SHAWN MCEACHERN     62  17  21  38  -1   34  6  2  3  2 167  10.2
OTW  R 11  DANIEL ALFREDSSON   36  12  17  29   4   18  6  0  5  0  97  12.4
OTW  R 10  ANDREAS DACKELL     63  12  14  26 -10   16  3  2  1  1 109  11.0
OTW  D 29  IGOR KRAVCHUK       63   6  17  23 -12    4  2  1  0  1 144   4.2
OTW  D 27  JANNE LAUKKANEN     54   4  16  20 -12   50  2  0  2  0  62   6.5
OTW  C 13 *VACLAV PROSPAL      43   5  14  19 -10   17  4  0  0  0  65   7.7
OTW  C 16  SERGEI ZHOLTOK      59   6  12  18  -3   14  3  0  1  0  88   6.8
OTW  L 28  DENNY LAMBERT       55   8   9  17   8  191  0  0  0  1  68  11.8
OTW  C 14  RADEK BONK          58   7   9  16 -10   14  1  0  0  0  87   8.0
OTW  D  6  WADE REDDEN         61   6  10  16   9   23  3  0  2  0  73   8.2
OTW  L 20 *MAGNUS ARVEDSON     45   4  12  16   0   24  0  0  0  0  52   7.7
OTW  R 12  PAT FALLOON         46   7   8  15  -4   12  2  0  0  0 111   6.3
OTW  C 25  BRUCE GARDINER      37   5   8  13   2   34  0  0  0  0  43  11.6
OTW  C 22  SHAUN VAN ALLEN     62   4   8  12  -2   38  0  0  0  0  86   4.7
OTW  D  4 *CHRIS PHILLIPS      54   3   9  12   4   30  0  0  1  0  81   3.7
OTW  L  7  RANDY CUNNEYWORTH   59   2   9  11 -14   57  1  0  0  0  65   3.1
OTW  D 33  JASON YORK          57   1  10  11   7   42  0  0  0  0  83   1.2
OTW  R 17  CHRIS MURRAY        34   3   3   6   4   60  0  0  2  0  24  12.5
OTW  D  2  LANCE PITLICK       50   2   4   6   6   41  0  0  0  0  45   4.4
OTW  D 24  STANISLAV NECKAR    50   1   2   3 -16   27  0  0  0  0  28   3.6
OTW  C 42  DEREK ARMSTRONG      9   2   0   2   1    9  0  0  1  0   8  25.0
OTW  L 18 *MARIAN HOSSA         7   0   1   1  -1    0  0  0  0  0  10    .0
OTW  G  1  DAMIAN RHODES       37   0   1   1   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
OTW  D 23  RADIM BICANEK        1   0   0   0   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         32   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
PHI  C 88  ERIC LINDROS        59  28  39  67  14  111  8  1  4  0 186  15.1
PHI  L 10  JOHN LECLAIR        61  39  27  66  24   24 11  0  6  1 222  17.6
PHI  L 17  ROD BRIND'AMOUR     61  28  28  56   0   42  7  2  7  0 159  17.6
PHI  C 55  CHRIS GRATTON       61  16  31  47  14   91  2  0  2  0 125  12.8
PHI  R  9  DAINIUS ZUBRUS      50   6  23  29  28   26  1  0  4  0  76   7.9
PHI  R 20  TRENT KLATT         61  10  18  28   2   10  3  0  3  0 101   9.9
PHI  D 44  JANNE NIINIMAA      59   3  25  28   7   50  2  0  1  0 104   2.9
PHI  R 19  ALEXANDRE DAIGLE    54   8  19  27  -9   14  4  0  3  0  93   8.6
PHI  R 11  MIKE SILLINGER      54  14  11  25 -12   36  2  3  1  0  65  21.5
PHI  D 77  PAUL COFFEY         48   2  22  24   6   24  1  0  1  0  92   2.2
PHI  D 37  ERIC DESJARDINS     56   5  15  20   8   26  2  1  0  0 100   5.0
PHI  L 12 *COLIN FORBES        42   8   6  14   2   53  1  0  1  0  64  12.5
PHI  D  6  CHRIS THERIEN       60   1  13  14   6   58  0  0  0  0  76   1.3
PHI  L 25  SHJON PODEIN        61   8   5  13   6   47  0  1  1  0  91   8.8
PHI  D 23  PETR SVOBODA        43   3   8  11   8   37  2  0  0  0  35   8.6
PHI  C 29  JOEL OTTO           51   1   4   5  -3   32  0  0  0  1  43   2.3
PHI  C 32  DANIEL LACROIX      43   1   3   4   0   75  0  0  0  0  22   4.5
PHI  D 22  LUKE RICHARDSON     60   1   2   3   5   93  1  0  0  0  43   2.3
PHI  D 28  KJELL SAMUELSSON    35   0   3   3  10   20  0  0  0  0  19    .0
PHI  L 21  DAN KORDIC          43   1   1   2  -1  136  0  0  0  0  10  10.0
PHI  G 33  SEAN BURKE          42   0   2   2   0   20  0  0  0  0   0    .0
PHI  D 24  CHRIS JOSEPH        10   1   0   1   4    8  0  0  1  0  13   7.7
PHI  R 26  JOHN DRUCE          15   1   0   1  -3    0  0  0  0  0   7  14.3
PHI  C 14  CRAIG DARBY          1   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   1    .0
PHI  R 38 *PAUL HEALEY          2   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
PHI  R 18  BRANTT MYHRES       23   0   0   0  -1  169  0  0  0  0   0    .0
PHI  G 27  RON HEXTALL         35   0   0   0   0    8  0  0  0  0   0    .0
PHO  L  7  KEITH TKACHUK       61  36  22  58   7  143 10  0  7  1 203  17.7
PHO  C 15  CRAIG JANNEY        63   9  41  50   6   12  3  0  0  0  69  13.0
PHO  C 97  JEREMY ROENICK      62  18  27  45  -1   70  5  1  2  1 151  11.9
PHO  R 11  DALLAS DRAKE        49  10  25  35  19   69  2  0  2  0  87  11.5
PHO  D 27  TEPPO NUMMINEN      63   7  27  34  22   20  2  0  2  0  83   8.4
PHO  C 77  CLIFF RONNING       62   6  28  34   2   24  0  0  0  1 133   4.5
PHO  R 92  RICK TOCCHET        52  19  12  31  -2  114  6  0  3  0 124  15.3
PHO  R 22  MIKE GARTNER        42  10  14  24  -7   12  3  0  2  1 103   9.7
PHO  C 21  BOB CORKUM          62  10   7  17  -5   18  0  3  0  0  87  11.5
PHO  D  3  KEITH CARNEY        62   2  15  17  -3   75  0  1  0  0  56   3.6
PHO  D 26  JOHN SLANEY         45   2  13  15  -5   20  1  0  1  0  64   3.1
PHO  D  4  GERALD DIDUCK       59   4   8  12  10   87  1  0  1  0  78   5.1
PHO  R 16 *BRAD ISBISTER       47   7   4  11   2   65  1  0  1  0  85   8.2
PHO  D  5  DERON QUINT         32   4   7  11  -6   16  1  0  1  0  61   6.6
PHO  L 34  DARRIN SHANNON      40   2   9  11   3   24  0  0  0  0  47   4.3
PHO  C 36 *JUHA YLONEN         52   1  10  11  -3   10  0  1  0  0  60   1.7
PHO  D 10  OLEG TVERDOVSKY     27   4   6  10  -9    4  2  0  1  1  59   6.8
PHO  D 24  MICHEL PETIT        30   4   2   6  -2   70  1  0  0  0  34  11.8
PHO  L 33  JIM MCKENZIE        51   2   4   6  -9  122  0  0  0  0  32   6.3
PHO  R 19  SHANE DOAN          17   2   3   5  -6    9  0  0  1  0  21   9.5
PHO  C 14  MIKE STAPLETON      50   2   3   5  -6   30  0  1  0  0  53   3.8
PHO  D 44  NORM MACIVER        27   1   4   5  -7   32  0  0  0  0  28   3.6
PHO  D  8  JIM JOHNSON         16   2   1   3   0   18  0  0  0  0  17  11.8
PHO  D  2  MURRAY BARON        26   0   3   3  -7   71  0  0  0  0  17    .0
PHO  G 35  N. KHABIBULIN       56   0   2   2   0   20  0  0  0  0   0    .0
PHO  R 20  JIM CUMMINS         57   0   2   2  -9  182  0  0  0  0  35    .0
PHO  D 48 *SEAN GAGNON          5   0   1   1   1   14  0  0  0  0   3    .0
PHO  L 72  JEFF CHRISTIAN       1   0   0   0  -1    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
PHO  G 31 *SCOTT LANGKOW        3   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
PHO  G 28  JIM WAITE            9   0   0   0   0    2  0  0  0  0   0    .0
PIT  R 68  JAROMIR JAGR        60  29  51  80  19   44  5  0  8  2 204  14.2
PIT  C 10  RON FRANCIS         64  20  51  71  18   12  5  0  5  2 151  13.2
PIT  C 14  STU BARNES          61  26  25  51  20   22 13  1  4  0 154  16.9
PIT  D  4  KEVIN HATCHER       58  13  26  39   2   58  9  1  3  1 128  10.2
PIT  C 82  MARTIN STRAKA       57  12  19  31  -5   14  3  3  2  0  88  13.6
PIT  R 44  ROB BROWN           64   9  22  31  -2   45  2  0  2  0 135   6.7
PIT  D 23  FREDRIK OLAUSSON    59   5  22  27  18   36  1  0  1  0  71   7.0
PIT  R 16  ED OLCZYK           39  11   8  19  -7   23  5  1  1  0  98  11.2
PIT  R 95 *ALEXEI MOROZOV      60  10   9  19  -3    4  1  0  2  0  61  16.4
PIT  L 33  ALEX HICKS          47   6  11  17   4   46  0  0  1  1  60  10.0
PIT  C 38  ANDREAS JOHANSSON   45   5  10  15   3   18  0  1  0  0  48  10.4
PIT  C 20  ROBERT LANG         45   8   6  14   1   16  1  1  2  0  52  15.4
PIT  D  5  BRAD WERENKA        53   3  11  14  13   34  2  0  0  0  44   6.8
PIT  D 71  JIRI SLEGR          56   5   7  12   6   91  1  1  0  0 103   4.9
PIT  D 11  DARIUS KASPARAITIS  64   3   8  11  -2  106  0  1  0  0  63   4.8
PIT  R 57 *CHRIS FERRARO       41   3   4   7  -2   41  0  0  0  0  39   7.7
PIT  C 29  TYLER WRIGHT        64   3   4   7  -2   92  1  0  0  0  36   8.3
PIT  D  6  NEIL WILKINSON      31   2   3   5  -1   17  1  0  0  0  18  11.1
PIT  D 24  IAN MORAN           24   0   4   4  -2   12  0  0  0  0  16    .0
PIT  D  2  CHRIS TAMER         61   0   4   4   0  137  0  0  0  0  44    .0
PIT  C 15 *ROBERT DOME         15   2   1   3   1    0  0  0  0  0   9  22.2
PIT  L 18  GARRY VALK          37   2   1   3  -3   31  0  0  0  1  31   6.5
PIT  G 35  TOM BARRASSO        51   0   2   2   0   12  0  0  0  0   0    .0
PIT  G  1 *PETER SKUDRA        12   0   1   1   0    2  0  0  0  0   0    .0
PIT  G 31  KEN WREGGET         11   0   0   0   0    6  0  0  0  0   0    .0
SJS  C 39  JEFF FRIESEN        58  23  22  45   9   36  4  3  5  0 135  17.0
SJS  R 11  OWEN NOLAN          60   8  25  33  -2  134  1  1  1  0 158   5.1
SJS  R 15  JOHN MACLEAN        57   9  21  30  -5   32  4  0  3  1 164   5.5
SJS  C 19 *MARCO STURM         60  10  18  28   2   34  2  0  3  0  97  10.3
SJS  C 14 *PATRICK MARLEAU     56  11  12  23   3   12  1  0  2  0  75  14.7
SJS  C 22  MURRAY CRAVEN       53  10  13  23   1   21  2  3  3  0  86  11.6
SJS  D  2  BILL HOULDER        61   5  18  23   6   40  2  0  0  0  78   6.4
SJS  L 37  STEPHANE MATTEAU    56  12  10  22   6   45  1  0  2  1  65  18.5
SJS  C 18  MIKE RICCI          44   7  14  21  -2   20  3  0  1  0  53  13.2
SJS  C  9  BERNIE NICHOLLS     40   3  16  19  -5   20  1  0  0  0  54   5.6
SJS  L 21  TONY GRANATO        40  10   7  17   6   30  2  0  1  0  82  12.2
SJS  D 23  TODD GILL           56   7  10  17  -9   29  4  0  0  0  85   8.2
SJS  D 10  MARCUS RAGNARSSON   58   4  13  17  -7   37  2  0  1  0  64   6.3
SJS  D 40  MIKE RATHJE         61   3  10  13   0   47  1  0  0  0  53   5.7
SJS  D 33  MARTY MCSORLEY      47   2   9  11  11  131  0  0  0  0  43   4.7
SJS  D 20 *ANDREI ZYUZIN       37   4   5   9   2   48  0  0  2  0  51   7.8
SJS  L 28  SHAWN BURR          21   3   2   5   1   26  0  0  0  0  31   9.7
SJS  C 27 *ALEXANDER KOROLYUK  19   2   3   5  -5    6  1  0  0  0  23   8.7
SJS  L 26  DAVE LOWRY          36   2   3   5   0   35  0  0  0  0  29   6.9
SJS  C 12  RON SUTTER          41   0   5   5  -3   14  0  0  0  0  39    .0
SJS  D 43  AL IAFRATE           8   1   2   3   3   10  1  0  0  0  18   5.6
SJS  R 62  ANDREI NAZAROV      35   1   1   2  -4   95  0  0  0  0  24   4.2
SJS  L 24  BARRY POTOMSKI       9   0   1   1   1   30  0  0  0  0   4    .0
SJS  G 29  MIKE VERNON         46   0   1   1   0   22  0  0  0  0   0    .0
SJS  D  5  KEN SUTTON          18   0   0   0  -3   19  0  0  0  0   9    .0
SJS  G 32  KELLY HRUDEY        21   0   0   0   0    2  0  0  0  0   0    .0
STL  L 14  GEOFF COURTNALL     63  24  27  51  14   75  2  0  3  0 150  16.0
STL  R 16  BRETT HULL          49  23  28  51   1   20  9  0  5  0 168  13.7
STL  C 77  PIERRE TURGEON      43  13  34  47  12   14  4  0  3  0  96  13.5
STL  D 28  STEVE DUCHESNE      65  13  33  46  10   30  4  1  1  0 131   9.9
STL  R 38  PAVOL DEMITRA       55  19  26  45   7   20  4  3  4  1 128  14.8
STL  D  2  AL MACINNIS         56  16  20  36   5   66  6  1  2  0 183   8.7
STL  R 10  JIM CAMPBELL        59  19  15  34   0   28  6  0  5  1 112  17.0
STL  C 22  CRAIG CONROY        65   8  26  34  17   20  0  2  1  0  98   8.2
STL  D 44  CHRIS PRONGER       65   7  19  26  36  132  1  0  2  0 121   5.8
STL  R 23  BLAIR ATCHEYNUM     58  11  13  24   2   10  0  1  3  0  98  11.2
STL  R 33  SCOTT PELLERIN      65   7  17  24   8   30  1  1  0  0  80   8.8
STL  R 27  TERRY YAKE          49   7   9  16   0   28  3  1  3  0  49  14.3
STL  C  9  DARREN TURCOTTE     46   9   5  14   4   24  2  0  1  0  41  22.0
STL  R 17  JOE MURPHY          22   4   6  10   7   20  2  0  0  0  47   8.5
STL  C 37  HARRY YORK          53   4   6  10  -1   25  0  0  0  0  37  10.8
STL  C 25 *PASCAL RHEAUME      33   3   5   8   3   21  0  0  0  0  31   9.7
STL  D  4  MARC BERGEVIN       64   3   5   8   1   72  0  0  0  0  31   9.7
STL  D 20  RUDY POESCHEK       46   1   7   8  -3   47  0  0  0  0  27   3.7
STL  D  6 *JAMIE RIVERS        50   2   4   6   6   28  1  0  1  0  41   4.9
STL  R 39  KELLY CHASE         55   3   2   5   8  177  0  0  1  0  22  13.6
STL  L 34  MICHEL PICARD        9   0   4   4   1    6  0  0  0  0  12    .0
STL  D 19  CHRIS MCALPINE      39   0   4   4   7   22  0  0  0  0  24    .0
STL  R 12 *CHRISTOPHER KENADY   4   0   2   2   1    0  0  0  0  0   3    .0
STL  G 31  GRANT FUHR          48   0   2   2   0    6  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          51   0   1   1  -3  100  0  0  0  0  12    .0
STL  G 30 *RICH PARENT          1   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
STL  G 29  JAMIE MCLENNAN      21   0   0   0   0    4  0  0  0  0   0    .0
TBL  L 15  PAUL YSEBAERT       62  12  22  34 -34   24  2  1  0  0 119  10.1
TBL  R 29  ALEXANDER SELIVANOV 60  12  16  28 -34   79  3  0  1  1 168   7.1
TBL  L  7  ROB ZAMUNER         62  14  11  25 -25   35  0  3  4  1 106  13.2
TBL  R 20  MIKAEL RENBERG      48   9  16  25 -29   28  2  1  0  0 127   7.1
TBL  C 18  DAYMOND LANGKOW     56   7  14  21  -4   56  2  0  1  0 124   5.6
TBL  R 44  STEPHANE RICHER     30   9  11  20  -5   39  4  0  1  0  73  12.3
TBL  L 24  JASON WIEMER        61   8   8  16  -9  114  2  0  0  0 100   8.0
TBL  C 16  DARCY TUCKER        54   6   9  15  -6   74  0  1  0  0  36  16.7
TBL  D 14  KARL DYKHUIS        58   4   7  11  -4   78  0  1  0  0  74   5.4
TBL  R 34  MIKAEL ANDERSSON    52   3   7  10   0   12  0  1  0  0  70   4.3
TBL  D 23  BRYAN MARCHMENT     44   2   6   8  -8   99  0  0  0  0  43   4.7
TBL  C 19  BRIAN BRADLEY       14   2   5   7  -9    6  2  0  0  0  24   8.3
TBL  C 64 *JASON BONSIGNORE    19   1   6   7  -5   14  0  0  0  0  19   5.3
TBL  D  4  CORY CROSS          55   3   3   6 -15   55  0  1  0  0  51   5.9
TBL  C 79  VLADIMIR VUJTEK     30   2   4   6  -2   16  0  0  1  0  44   4.5
TBL  D  6  DAVID WILKIE        20   2   3   5 -16   10  0  0  1  0  31   6.5
TBL  C 11 *STEVE KELLY         37   2   3   5  -8   21  1  0  0  0  19  10.5
TBL  D 33  YVES RACINE         40   0   5   5 -11   29  0  0  0  0  50    .0
TBL  R 21  JODY HULL           33   3   1   4   8    6  0  1  1  0  33   9.1
TBL  L 36  LOUIE DEBRUSK       41   1   2   3  -3  119  0  0  0  0  13   7.7
TBL  D  8  JAMIE HUSCROFT      42   0   3   3  -3  120  0  0  0  0  20    .0
TBL  L 17 *BRENT PETERSON       8   2   0   2  -1    0  0  0  0  0   9  22.2
TBL  R 10  PAUL BROUSSEAU      11   0   2   2   0   27  0  0  0  0   6    .0
TBL  D 27  DAVID SHAW          14   0   2   2  -2   12  0  0  0  0  12    .0
TBL  D  5  JASSEN CULLIMORE    15   0   2   2   0    6  0  0  0  0  12    .0
TBL  L 16  TROY MALLETTE        3   0   0   0   0    7  0  0  0  0   0    .0
TBL  G  1 *ZAC BIERK            6   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  D  2 *MIKE MCBAIN         14   0   0   0  -2    6  0  0  0  0   9    .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
TBL  G 30  MARK FITZPATRICK    28   0   0   0   0    8  0  0  0  0   0    .0
TOR  C 13  MATS SUNDIN         61  25  30  55  -3   30  7  0  4  1 179  14.0
TOR  R 20 *MIKE JOHNSON        61  11  24  35  -3   18  5  0  0  1 102  10.8
TOR  L  7  DEREK KING          56  13  21  34  -6   39  3  0  1  0 111  11.7
TOR  R 22  IGOR KOROLEV        58  15  15  30 -14   22  5  3  4  0  77  19.5
TOR  D 72  MATHIEU SCHNEIDER   56   7  22  29  -8   34  3  0  0  0 139   5.0
TOR  R 94  SERGEI BEREZIN      50  14  10  24  -5   10  2  0  2  1 125  11.2
TOR  L 19  FREDRIK MODIN       53  14  10  24  -2   20  1  0  3  0  92  15.2
TOR  C 11  STEVE SULLIVAN      50   8  16  24  -6   20  1  0  0  0  89   9.0
TOR  D 33  JEFF BROWN          43   4  16  20   2   24  4  0  0  0  74   5.4
TOR  L 17  WENDEL CLARK        42   9   7  16 -18   78  2  0  3  0 123   7.3
TOR  C 18 *ALYN MCCAULEY       41   4   9  13  -6    4  0  0  1  0  54   7.4
TOR  D 25  JASON SMITH         61   3   9  12  -9   77  0  0  0  0  79   3.8
TOR  D 36  DIMITRI YUSHKEVICH  53   0  10  10   1   48  0  0  0  0  73    .0
TOR  C 14  DARBY HENDRICKSON   59   7   2   9 -11   49  0  0  0  0  83   8.4
TOR  L  8  TODD WARRINER       31   4   5   9   4    8  0  0  1  0  52   7.7
TOR  R 28  TIE DOMI            59   3   5   8  -1  249  0  0  0  1  57   5.3
TOR  D 34  JAMIE MACOUN        61   0   7   7 -15   61  0  0  0  0  64    .0
TOR  L 21 *MARTIN PROCHAZKA    25   2   4   6  -1    8  0  0  0  0  37   5.4
TOR  D 38 *YANNICK TREMBLAY    38   2   4   6  -6    6  1  0  0  0  45   4.4
TOR  D 24  PER GUSTAFSSON      22   1   4   5  -5   10  0  0  0  0  24   4.2
TOR  C 16  JAMIE BAKER         13   0   5   5   1   10  0  0  0  0  16    .0
TOR  L 12  KRIS KING           61   2   2   4 -13  154  0  0  2  0  42   4.8
TOR  D  2  ROB ZETTLER         42   0   4   4  -6   56  0  0  0  0  19    .0
TOR  D 55 *DANIL MARKOV         6   0   1   1   4   14  0  0  0  0   4    .0
TOR  R 39  MIKE KENNEDY         7   0   1   1  -1   14  0  0  0  0   8    .0
TOR  G 31 *MARCEL COUSINEAU     2   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
TOR  C 42 *KEVYN ADAMS          5   0   0   0   0    7  0  0  0  0   3    .0
TOR  D 26  CRAIG WOLANIN       10   0   0   0  -9    6  0  0  0  0   5    .0
TOR  G 30  GLENN HEALY         17   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
TOR  G 29  FELIX POTVIN        49   0   0   0   0    8  0  0  0  0   0    .0
VAN  R 10  PAVEL BURE          63  39  30  69   5   36  9  4  4  0 254  15.4
VAN  C 11  MARK MESSIER        63  21  31  52  -4   40  8  2  2  0 116  18.1
VAN  L 19  MARKUS NASLUND      60  13  17  30   3   50  1  1  0  0  90  14.4
VAN  R 89  ALEXANDER MOGILNY   32  10  20  30  -9   24  5  1  0  0  82  12.2
VAN  D 21  JYRKI LUMME         56   9  18  27 -24   28  4  0  1  1  92   9.8
VAN  R 27  TODD BERTUZZI       59  10  16  26 -17   83  1  0  2  0  75  13.3
VAN  D  2 *MATTIAS OHLUND      62   5  19  24   4   62  1  0  0  0 147   3.4
VAN  D  3  BRET HEDICAN        52   1  22  23   6   61  0  0  0  0  62   1.6
VAN  R 28  BRIAN NOONAN        63   9  12  21 -17   48  1  0  1  2  66  13.6
VAN  C 20 *DAVE SCATCHARD      57  11   7  18  -1  114  0  0  1  1  62  17.7
VAN  D 23  BRYAN MCCABE        63   3  13  16  14  164  1  0  0  0  92   3.3
VAN  L  9  BRAD MAY            44   7   7  14   5  123  2  0  0  0  61  11.5
VAN  L  8  DONALD BRASHEAR     62   6   8  14 -10  286  0  0  0  1  54  11.1
VAN  R 24  SCOTT WALKER        51   3  10  13  -5  119  0  1  1  0  35   8.6
VAN  C 22  PETER ZEZEL         13   2   8  10   8    0  1  0  1  0  14  14.3
VAN  D 44  DAVE BABYCH         39   0   9   9 -12   33  0  0  0  0  34    .0
VAN  D  5  DANA MURZYN         31   5   2   7  -3   42  0  0  2  0  29  17.2
VAN  R 25  STEVE STAIOS        58   3   3   6  -2  120  0  0  1  0  32   9.4
VAN  L 29  GINO ODJICK         33   3   2   5  -2  176  0  0  1  0  35   8.6
VAN  D 48 *BERT ROBERTSSON     15   2   2   4   4   18  0  0  0  0   9  22.2
VAN  D 39  ENRICO CICCONE      26   0   4   4   2  130  0  0  0  0  14    .0
VAN  R 17  LONNY BOHONOS       31   2   1   3  -9    4  0  0  0  0  37   5.4
VAN  D 36 *CHRIS MCALLISTER    36   1   2   3 -12  106  0  0  0  0  15   6.7
VAN  C  9 *LUBOMIR VAIC         5   1   1   2  -2    2  0  0  0  0   8  12.5
VAN  L  7  DAVID ROBERTS       13   1   1   2  -1    4  0  0  0  0  14   7.1
VAN  D  6  ADRIAN AUCOIN       19   1   1   2  -2    4  0  0  0  0  17   5.9
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         28   0   0   0   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
VAN  G 30  GARTH SNOW          30   0   0   0   0   18  0  0  0  0   0    .0
WSH  C 77  ADAM OATES          62  13  46  59   6   18  2  1  3  0  94  13.8
WSH  R 12  PETER BONDRA        58  37  21  58   3   34  9  2  8  2 211  17.5
WSH  D  6  CALLE JOHANSSON     53  13  16  29  -8   22  8  1  0  2 131   9.9
WSH  D 96  PHIL HOUSLEY        54   5  23  28 -11   22  4  1  0  0 101   5.0
WSH  L 44 *RICHARD ZEDNIK      59  17   9  26  -3   26  2  0  2  0 131  13.0
WSH  C 90  JOE JUNEAU          36   8  16  24  -7   20  3  1  1  0  63  12.7
WSH  L 18  ANDREW BRUNETTE     25  11  12  23   2    8  4  0  2  2  41  26.8
WSH  C 32  DALE HUNTER         62   5  16  21  -2   91  0  0  1  0  63   7.9
WSH  L 22  STEVE KONOWALCHUK   60   4  15  19   0   41  0  0  1  0  97   4.1
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  D 55  SERGEI GONCHAR      53   4  13  17   4   38  2  0  0  0 100   4.0
WSH  C  8 *JAN BULIS           48   5  11  16  -5   18  0  0  0  1  37  13.5
WSH  L 27  CRAIG BERUBE        54   6   7  13   0  135  0  0  0  0  55  10.9
WSH  L 10  KELLY MILLER        56   6   7  13   0   24  0  3  2  1  49  12.2
WSH  D  3  SYLVAIN COTE        52   1  11  12  -6   26  0  0  0  0  74   1.4
WSH  L 21  JEFF TOMS           38   4   6  10 -16   11  0  0  1  0  61   6.6
WSH  L  9  TODD KRYGIER        28   2   8  10  -4   14  0  0  1  0  47   4.3
WSH  C 20  MICHAL PIVONKA      31   3   6   9   6   14  0  0  1  0  37   8.1
WSH  D 29  JOE REEKIE          53   2   7   9  15   54  0  0  1  0  43   4.7
WSH  D 19  BRENDAN WITT        51   1   6   7 -13   81  0  0  0  0  51   2.0
WSH  L 34 *JAROSLAV SVEJKOVSKY 15   4   1   5  -4   10  2  0  1  0  29  13.8
WSH  C 13  ANDREI NIKOLISHIN   18   2   2   4  -4    8  0  0  0  0  18  11.1
WSH  L 36  MIKE EAGLES         23   1   1   2  -1   12  0  0  0  0  17   5.9
WSH  D  2  KEN KLEE            41   1   0   1  -8   28  0  0  1  0  36   2.8
WSH  C 48 *BENOIT GRATTON       6   0   1   1   1    6  0  0  0  0   5    .0
WSH  G 30  BILL RANFORD        17   0   1   1   0    0  0  0  0  0   0    .0
WSH  G 37  OLAF KOLZIG         49   0   1   1   0   12  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

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1997-98 NHL Goalie Statistics                            Through March 8, 1998
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<U>TM  NO  GOALTENDER       GPI MINS   AVG  W  L  T EN SO  GA   SA  SPCT G  A PIM</U>
ANA 31  GUY HEBERT        46 2660  2.93 13 24  6  4  3 130 1339  .903 0  1   4
ANA 35  M. SHTALENKOV     23 1105  2.99  7  9  3  0  1  55  550  .900 0  0   0
BOS 35  ROBBIE TALLAS      7  431  1.39  3  1  3  0  1  10  170  .941 0  0   0
BOS 34  BYRON DAFOE       50 2848  2.23 20 20  9  8  5 106 1207  .912 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     54 3173  2.25 23 18 11  2  9 119 1637  .927 0  1  12
BUF 31 *STEVE SHIELDS     12  556  2.70  2  4  3  0  0  25  279  .910 0  0  17
CGY 30  DWAYNE ROLOSON    26 1436  2.84  8 10  5  4  0  68  638  .893 0  4   4
CGY 31  RICK TABARACCI    34 1976  2.91  9 18  6  1  0  96  870  .890 0  1  12
CGY  1 *TYLER MOSS         6  367  3.27  2  3  1  0  0  20  186  .892 0  0   0
CAR 37  TREVOR KIDD       30 1732  2.29 13 14  2  4  0  66  802  .918 0  0   2
CAR 33  SEAN BURKE        25 1415  2.80  7 11  5  2  1  66  655  .899 0  1   6
CAR  1  KIRK MCLEAN        7  380  3.16  4  2  0  1  0  20  172  .884 0  1   0
CAR 22  PAT JABLONSKI      4  219  3.29  1  3  0  1  0  12   89  .865 0  0   0
CHI 31  JEFF HACKETT      42 2485  2.20 16 14 11  2  6  91 1138  .920 0  0   8
CHI  6  CHRIS TERRERI     17  972  2.22  7  9  0  4  2  36  386  .907 0  0   0
CHI 29  ANDREI TREFILOV    6  299  3.41  1  4  0  0  0  17  145  .883 0  0   0
COL  1  CRAIG BILLINGTON  16  931  2.19  7  4  4  1  1  34  461  .926 0  0   0
COL 33  PATRICK ROY       51 3049  2.36 26 12 12  3  3 120 1494  .920 0  3   4
DAL 30 *EMMANUEL FERNANDE  2   69  1.74  1  0  0  0  0   2   35  .943 0  0   0
DAL 20  ED BELFOUR        48 2848  1.88 28 10  9  1  8  89 1014  .912 0  0  16
DAL  1  ROMAN TUREK       16  912  1.97  9  5  1  2  1  30  331  .909 0  0   2
DET 30  CHRIS OSGOOD      52 3152  2.13 26 15 11  5  5 112 1336  .916 0  0  12
DET 31 *KEVIN HODSON      15  735  2.29  8  2  2  1  2  28  338  .917 0  0   2
EDM 30  BOB ESSENSA       13  686  2.45  5  5  1  2  0  28  317  .912 0  0   0
EDM 31  CURTIS JOSEPH     54 3134  2.81 18 25  9  4  4 147 1470  .900 0  1   4
FLA 34  J. VANBIESBROUCK  47 2790  2.67 16 22  9  2  3 124 1297  .904 0  2   4
FLA 30  MARK FITZPATRICK  12  640  3.00  2  7  2  0  1  32  265  .879 0  0   2
FLA  1 *KEVIN WEEKES       7  282  3.83  0  2  1  0  0  18  146  .877 0  0   0
LAK  1 *JAMIE STORR        9  505  2.14  5  3  1  0  1  18  259  .931 0  0   0
LAK 35  STEPHANE FISET    46 2678  2.51 21 16  8  2  2 112 1336  .916 0  1   6
LAK 31  FREDERIC CHABOT   11  529  3.29  2  3  2  0  0  29  255  .886 0  0   0
MTL 35  ANDY MOOG         33 1832  2.52 16 14  2  1  2  77  823  .906 0  0   4
MTL 41  JOCELYN THIBAULT  34 1865  2.54 13 11  5  1  2  79  832  .905 0  1   0
NJD 30  MARTIN BRODEUR    52 3105  1.80 36 11  5  3  6  93 1202  .923 0  2   6
NJD 35  RICH SHULMISTRA    1   62  1.94  0  1  0  0  0   2   30  .933 0  0   0
NJD  1  MIKE DUNHAM       11  573  2.51  3  4  2  0  1  24  256  .906 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      6  215  1.95  1  2  1  0  0   7   87  .920 0  0   0
NYI 35  TOMMY SALO        49 2723  2.60 18 22  4  8  4 118 1258  .906 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       5  254  2.36  3  2  0  0  0  10  109  .908 0  0   0
NYR 35  MIKE RICHTER      55 3220  2.53 16 22 14  5  0 136 1474  .908 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       32 1739  2.28 13 11  5  4  2  66  690  .904 0  0   0
OTW  1  DAMIAN RHODES     37 2076  2.40 12 17  5  3  4  83  857  .903 0  1   0
PHI 27  RON HEXTALL       35 2023  2.08 18 11  5  2  4  70  813  .914 0  0   8
PHI 30  GARTH SNOW        29 1651  2.43 14  9  4  0  1  67  682  .902 0  0  18
PHI 33  SEAN BURKE         1   33  5.45  0  0  0  0  0   3   18  .833 0  0   0
PHO 28  JIM WAITE          9  433  2.49  3  2  1  1  0  18  181  .901 0  0   2
PHO 35  N. KHABIBULIN     56 3256  2.71 21 24 10  3  4 147 1479  .901 0  2  20
PHO 31 *SCOTT LANGKOW      3  137  4.38  0  1  1  0  0  10   60  .833 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      51 2855  2.12 25 11 11  6  6 101 1259  .920 0  2  12
PIT 31  KEN WREGGET       11  451  3.06  2  4  2  1  0  23  214  .893 0  0   6
SJS 32  KELLY HRUDEY      21 1050  2.46  3 12  2  4  1  43  462  .907 0  0   2
SJS 29  MIKE VERNON       46 2631  2.65 21 18  5  1  5 116 1048  .889 0  1  22
STL 30 *RICH PARENT        1   12   .00  0  0  0  0  0   0    1 1.000 0  0   0
STL 29  JAMIE MCLENNAN    21 1163  2.06 12  4  2  1  1  40  442  .910 0  0   4
STL 31  GRANT FUHR        48 2757  2.44 23 18  6  3  3 112 1130  .901 0  2   6
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  16  943  3.31  3 12  1  4  0  52  501  .896 0  0   6
TBL  1 *ZAC BIERK          6  221  4.62  0  2  0  0  0  17  117  .855 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      49 2795  2.81 18 24  6  2  4 131 1365  .904 0  0   8
TOR 30  GLENN HEALY       17  874  2.95  3  8  2  2  0  43  376  .886 0  0   0
VAN 32  ARTURS IRBE       28 1307  2.89 11  7  2  3  2  63  650  .903 0  0   0
VAN 33  SEAN BURKE        16  838  3.51  2  9  4  1  0  49  396  .876 0  1  14
VAN  1  KIRK MCLEAN       29 1583  3.68  6 17  4  1  1  97  800  .879 0  0   0
VAN 30  GARTH SNOW         1   40  6.00  0  1  0  0  0   4   23  .826 0  0   0
VAN 31  COREY HIRSCH       1   50  6.00  0  0  0  0  0   5   34  .853 0  0   0
WSH 37  OLAF KOLZIG       49 2883  2.39 22 15  9  5  2 115 1304  .912 0  1  12
WSH 30  BILL RANFORD      17  887  2.91  5  9  2  1  0  43  409  .895 0  1   0

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