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March 29, 2002
The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions about the NHL and leagues across North America and the world.
CENTRAL LEAGUE
It took a record-setting game for the Oklahoma City Blazers to meet the standard they have set for themselves the past decade. In what has been a foregone conclusion many years, the Blazers clinched the Central League’s Northwest Division title with four games left in the regular season March 9. Oklahoma City, behind right winger Joe Burton’s 900th point as a Blazer, disposed of the Indianapolis Ice 3-2. With the victory, the Blazers won their sixth straight division title and league-record 10th straight post-season berth. The Blazers joined the Memphis RiverKings and the Odessa Jackalopes as three of the four division champions with a week left in the season. In the Southeast, Austin (87 points) and San Antonio (84 points) both had three games remaining.…
Slumping Visnovsky trying to break out
Lubomir Visnovsky, the Los Angeles Kings all-rookie defenseman a year ago, has played poorly all season. His legs haven’t been moving, his stick merely a prop. But that could be changing. In a tough 2-1 victory over St. Louis March 14, Visno-vsky scored the game-winner. He also had a moment that could be critical to him and the Kings for the remainder of the regular sea-son. “You could see all that confidence when he scored,” said fellow defenseman Mathieu Schneider. “This has been a tough year for him. Last year, it was all excitement and adrenalin for him. This year, he has had to learn to play through some tough times.” Visnovsky came to camp in terrific physical shape after signing a three-year contract. But he was forced to leave his fiance Nina back…
Gaborik honored after scoring spree
The Wild’s kid of the future has become “The Man” of the present. Marian Gaborik snapped his longest scoring drought of the season with the hottest streak of his career and, in the process, became the first Wild player to ever be named the NHL’s Player of the Week. The 20-year-old went 12 games without a goal, but then responded by scoring seven goals in four games and now has an outside crack at a 30-goal, 70-point season. His latest hot streak included the second hat trick of his career and pushed him to the team lead in goals with 25. And, just a few days before that, Gaborik was squeezing his stick through one of the worst slumps of his life. “To go 12 games (without a goal) was tough,” Gaborik said. “You start…
Johnson takes over as unofficial No. 1
When the St. Louis Blues finally ended their winless streak, becoming the last team in the league to win a game after the Olympics, it was exactly the way they said it would be: Brent Johnson backstopping a tight victory. Not officially the Blues No. 1 goaltender at the time, Johnson certainly was treated like No. 1. He made his sixth consecutive start in Los Angeles March 14. That’s unremarkable considering he made 10 consecutive starts earlier this season, but never had a Blues goalie started so many games without winning one. Johnson was winless in four, even putting a goal in his own net during a loss to Colorado, but the Blues coaches shifted their rotation. Stuck in the most difficult stretch of his coaching career, Joel QuenneviUe stayed with Johnson. “He…
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