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.

April 4, 2003

The Hockey News April 4, 2003

<div class="byline">-BRIAN MURPHY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-09164/8263172-1-eng-US/f0022-092.jpg" title="f0022-09" width="282" height="580"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-08183/8263179-1-eng-US/f0022-082.jpg" title="f0022-08" width="223" height="258"></div>Sensing their rookie was tiring and reverting to amateur habits, Minnesota Wild coaches called in Pierre-Marc Bouchard for a lecture.After playing in 21 straight games following the World Junior Championship, Bouchard twice was a healthy scratch. The move was made to recharge him for the stretch drive and get him skating with the vigor that made him one of the Wild&rsquo;s most dangerous players earlier in the second half.&ldquo;He was waiting for the puck all the time instead of skating and not much was happening,&rdquo; said assistant coach Mario Tremblay.In his first game back, March 14, Bouchard responded with a pretty breakaway goal against Nashville.Bouchard has played a lot of hockey in a season that started for him in August. His biggest challenge has been to condition his 18-year-old body for the rigors of the NHL.&ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t used to playing every other night,&rdquo; Bouchard said. &ldquo;Your mind gets used to it, but you have to take care of your body, like the veterans.&rdquo;ON THE HOT SEAT Marian Gaborik, the team&rsquo;s leading scorer, cooled considerably after a blistering start that included three early hat tricks. He only scored five goals in a span of 33 games through mid-March, and that included an empty-netter. Gaborik has been getting plenty of chances, and the four-line deep Wild have not suffered in the standings because of his prolonged droughts, but they need him to get hot again if they stand any chance in the playoffs.NOTEBOOK Goalie Dwayne Roloson&rsquo;s contract extension leaves center Cliff Ronning as the Wild&rsquo;s lone unrestricted free agent, but the organization does not plan to negotiate with the 17-year veteran, if at all, until after the season. &#9632;

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NHL TEAM REPORTS

Rookie Bouchard scores after sitting

<div class="byline">BY MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-011041/8264550-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="283" height="289"></div>Niagara junior forward Joe Tallari has a knack for beating goalies.He did again March 13 when he was named College Hockey America player of the year.Tallari, who set a program and conference record for points (54) and tied the mark for goals (26), became the first non-oalie to win the fourth-year conference&rsquo;s top individual prize.Tallari eclipsed the previous points record of former Niagara forward Mikko Sivonen (50) and tied the goals mark of former Purple Eagle Kyle Martin.Tallari, the nation&rsquo;s ninth-leading scorer, had two hat tricks during the season and tied for the CHA lead in game-winning goals with four.&ldquo;He has been a great story for our conference,&rdquo; said Niagara coach Dave Burkholder, &ldquo;and nationally got us recognition as a league.&rdquo; &#9632;

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IN THIS ISSUE

Niagara’s Tallari snags top prize

<h2>KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS</h2>Players are listed by uniform number, name, games played (GP), minutes played (Min), goals-against average (GAA), wins (W), losses (L), ties (T), empty-net goals (EN), shutouts (SO), goals against (GA), snots against (SA), save percentage (SP). For goalies&rsquo; individual rankings see page 35.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01669/8264806-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg" title="f0040-01" width="844" height="1918"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-02409/8264799-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg" title="f0040-02" width="842" height="2069"></div>Tied for League lead with eight shutouts<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-03306/8264792-1-eng-US/f0040-032.jpg" title="f0040-03" width="261" height="420"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARTIN BRODEUR</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-04246/8264785-1-eng-US/f0040-042.jpg" title="f0040-04" width="260" height="423"><figcaption class="caption-body">CHRIS OSGOOD</figcaption></div>Won his first two starts with St. Louis<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-05214/8264778-1-eng-US/f0040-052.jpg" title="f0040-05" width="263" height="421"><figcaption class="caption-body">JEFF HACKETT</figcaption></div>3.21 GAA and .894 SP with Boston &#9632;

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GOALTENDER STATISTICS

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DEPARTMENTS

NHL DEPTH CHARTS

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-011940/8261801-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">New Ranger Anson Carter looks ahead as the Blueshirts make a desperate drive for the playoffs.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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ANSON’S APPLE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0004-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-011890/8261832-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">EDITOR&rsquo;S NOTEBOOK&nbsp;Jason Kay Managing EditorNO KOVALCHUKS&nbsp;The team that drafts first overall won&rsquo;t have as easy a decision as Atlanta had with Ilya Kovalchuk in 2001. (JIM LEARY/BBS)</figcaption></div>The turtle race being run for this year&rsquo;s top mutant teenagers is downright ninja-like.In fact, the competition for 30th place and the accompanying stacked deck in the draft lottery may be the fiercest ever.With two weeks to go in the regular season, four teams were tied for last overall, while three others were within five points. The other five teams out of the playoff picture were also in the same rent district as the basement apartment dwellers. The Rangers and Phoenix Coyotes ranked ninth in their respective conferences, four and nine points out of the final playoff berths, but also just 11 and 12 points ahead of the lottery leaders.Usually at this time of the season, two or three or possibly four teams are still in contention for the draft prize that comes with being the worst in the league. Never have we had six or seven or eight clubs.Fittingly, the parity we&rsquo;re witnessing at the bottom of the standings is mirrored in this year&rsquo;s draft class, where six or seven or eight players could go first overall. While the 2003 field is believed to be a strong one, there is no consensus No. 1 pick.Finally, as an interesting aside, the club that does wind up 30th may be the best last-place team of all-time. That honor currently is shared by the 1986-87 New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres, who each posted 64 points.Don&rsquo;t worry, there won&rsquo;t be a test on this morass of information. If you&rsquo;ve digested it all and you&rsquo;re not nauseous, you may proceed onto these smaller morsels:&bull; Not sure if this season&rsquo;s results help the argument for allowing more teams into the playoffs or hurts it. If one more team per conference were granted post-season entry, just five teams would be out of the hunt right now instead of 12. On the other hand, all 16 teams in the playoff picture have winning records; the 14 non-playoff teams are each under. 500.&bull; One rumor that won&rsquo;t go away: Buffalo&rsquo;s Lindy Ruff will be behind the bench of the Columbus Blue Jackets next season.&bull; Holy overreaction, Toronto! That was the almost-40-year-old, 14-minutes-a-night Doug Gilmour who got knocked out of the Maple Leafs&rsquo; lineup and not an in-his-prime Wayne Gretzky, right? Gilmour may still be a contributor, but he&rsquo;s a cog at this point of his career, not an engine.&bull; The Tampa Bay Lighting, division champions. The Tampa Lightning, division champions. The Tampa Bay Lightning, division champions. Say it enough and you may actually believe it.&bull; From the I&rsquo;ll-believe-it-when-I-see-it department: Tom Golisano as white knight for the Sabres. He may indeed be a savior, but the NHL has seen far too many owner-mirages in recent years to accept any new situation on the basis of faith alone.&bull; In exactly 42 pages from here, senior writer Mike Brophy will list 16 things that drive him nuts. Here&rsquo;s one that didn&rsquo;t make his list, but is on mine: fans who sit rinkside and pound the glass when the play is near them. What&rsquo;s up with that?&bull; Some are wondering whether the Dean McAmmond fiasco drove another nail-or perhaps the final one-into the coffin of Calgary GM Craig Button, but it&rsquo;s only fair to note he wasn&rsquo;t the only guilty party. He was dealing with a highly experienced trader in Colorado GM Pierre Lacroix, not to mention the fact the deal got approved at the league level.<h2>LOTTERY ODDS</h2>The NHL draft lottery will be held in mid-April for the 14 teams not in the playoffs. Here are each team&rsquo;s chances of winning.Teams can move up a maximum of four spots, so the benefit of teams placed 25 to 17 winning reverts to the last-place team, thereby giving that dub a 48.2 per-cent chance of retaining the first pick. &#9632;

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FEATURES & COLUMNS

Last place could be best race

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021587/8261870-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="290" height="467"><figcaption class="caption-body">RON TUGNUTT</figcaption></div><h2>MILESTONES</h2>Brett Hull RW, 38Detroit, March 15 vs. ColoradoThe Golden Brett passes Mike Gartner (708) in goals to sit fifth all-time.Dave Andreychuk LW, 39Tampa Bay, March 14 at Buffalo He passes Bobby Hull (610) for 11th place on the all-time goals list.Ron Tugnutt G, 35Dallas, March 11 at Columbus Shutout of former team gives him the NHL Milestone Award of 25.<h2>NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS</h2>Ron Francis C, 40Carolina, March 13 at Philadelphia Ties Gordie Howe&rsquo;s record for most 50-point seasons, with 22.Ottawa SenatorsMarch 5 at CarolinaBecame the first team to reach 100 points this season with a 6-5 win.Lindy Ruff coach, 43Buffalo, March 18 vs Philadelphia Became the Sabres&rsquo; all-time winningest coach with 211 victories.<h2>NHL DEBUTS</h2>Doug Janik D, 22Buffalo, March 14 vs. Tampa Bay Tough defenseman threw body around-some hits, some misses.Jason King RW, 21Vancouver, March 17 at DallasWas plus-1 on line with Sedin twins; had no shots in 9:54 of ice time.Damian Surma LW, 21Carolina, March 18 vs. Ottawa Plymouth grad is the fifth Cane to score in his NHL debut this season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031290/8261863-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="299" height="472"><figcaption class="caption-body">DAMIAN SURMA</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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WORTH NOTING

<div class="byline">BY RICH CHERE</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0006-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012104/8261925-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">ALEX DELVECCHIOTHE DEVILS&rsquo; OWN</figcaption></div>Ken Daneyko&rsquo;s NHL career didn&rsquo;t get off to a very promising start.In only his 11th game with the New Jersey Devils, on the night of Nov. 2, 1983, Daneyko suffered a broken leg at the Hartford Civic Center. The injury ended his season and left some wondering how long the young defenseman could withstand the physical pounding of the NHL.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think anybody could have predicted I&rsquo;d still be here and still be playing for the Devils,&rdquo; Daneyko said. &ldquo;I just wanted to get a few years in. You take it in steps. To still be here after all these years since the franchise started is hard for me to put into perspective.&rdquo;It is, in a way, mind-boggling that only three players in NHL history have played more games all with one team than Daneyko, who was at 1,277 and counting. Alex Delvecchio is the all-time leader with 1,549 games, all as a Detroit Red Wing. He is followed by Stan Mikita (1,394 with the Chicago Blackhawks) and Steve Yzerman (1,371 with Detroit).<h2>PLAYED FOR 11 DEVILS COACHES</h2>Since Daneyko first pulled on a Devils sweater for his debut on Oct. 5, 1983, he has outlasted four NHL cities (Hartford, Quebec, Winnipeg and the Minnesota North Stars), played during the terms of four U.S. presidents (Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush) and had a total of 220 Devils teammates. He has played for all 11 of New Jersey&rsquo;s head coaches.&ldquo;It has been very special to me,&rdquo; Daneyko said. &ldquo;Sometimes I sit at home and think how it has gone by so quickly that I can&rsquo;t believe it. I&rsquo;ve given my heart and soul to this team and I think they appreciate it, which is why I&rsquo;m still here.&rdquo;Daneyko, who turns 39 April 17, admits he almost cut his career short by living hard off the ice. He handled a drinking problem early in his career, but reached the point in November of 1997 where he decided to enter the league&rsquo;s substance-abuse program.&ldquo;I made a helluva lot of mistakes,&rdquo; he said.Some believe it was his close relationship with former Devils owner Dr. John McMullen that prevented him from being traded a number of times; Daneyko would not disagree.&ldquo;I think it probably played a factor, but I&rsquo;m proud of that,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;He liked what I gave when I went onto the ice. I don&rsquo;t think he liked me just because I was a nice guy because, God knows, I was at the other end of the spectrum as far as reasons to be traded.&rdquo;<h2>HIGH PAIN THRESHOLD</h2>He never was traded and his incredible threshold for pain kept him in the lineup through injuries that would have sidelined most players.&ldquo;I work under the old Tom McVie adage: &lsquo;If it ain&rsquo;t broken, you&rsquo;re playing,&rdquo; said Daneyko, referring to the two-time New Jersey coach. &ldquo;A lot of nights I probably shouldn&rsquo;t have played, but I didn&rsquo;t want to come out of the lineup for too long. I knew I might not get back in. I rarely reported injuries.&rdquo; He had no choice on the night of March 8, 1995, when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee at Madison Square Garden.&ldquo;The Ranger doctor told me I was done for sure. He said I should be ready by next September,&rdquo; Daneyko recalled. &ldquo;But our doctors judged the person. They said I had a 30 percent chance of playing in the playoffs without an operation, so I didn&rsquo;t have one. It was the same injury John MacLean had and he needed an operation (and missed an entire season).&ldquo;A month into rehab I didn&rsquo;t think I would make it. About the fifth week I felt I had a shot. I would have missed my first Stanley Cup.&rdquo;Daneyko wound up playing all 20 post-season games and is the only Devil to appear in all 162 of the franchise&rsquo;s playoff games.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think you&rsquo;ll see what he has done very much anymore because of the movement and free agency in today&rsquo;s game,&rdquo; said Devils coach Pat Burns.<h2>THREE DEVIL ERAS</h2>Daneyko has been a fixture with the franchise for so long he has broken down his favorite teammates into three categories. When he was young, his favorites were Chico Resch, Dave Lewis and Mel Bridgman. &ldquo;Those guys believed in me,&rdquo; Daneyko said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll never forget, I was being sent down and Chico said, &lsquo;Tell them you don&rsquo;t want to go.&rsquo; And I did.&rdquo;During the middle of his career there was Kirk Muller, Brendan Shanahan, Dave Maley, Joe Cirella and MacLean. &ldquo;They were all my buddies,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We were brash and this team rose to the point where we were no longer door-mats.&rdquo;And now there are the two Cup-winning editions, with Scott Stevens, Martin Brodeur and Scott Niedermayer.GM Lou Lamoriello hasn&rsquo;t addressed next season, but said the situation will take care of itself.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had my ups and downs and in-betweens,&rdquo; Daneyko said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had battles with coaches. But it has all worked out because all I&rsquo;ve wanted to do is win. My will to win has been my motivation. I know I can play one more year. I think that&rsquo;s realistic. Then, who knows? Certainly, before I leave here, I&rsquo;d like to win one more Cup.&rdquo;Ken Daneyko has failed to score a goal in six of his 20 seasons in New Jersey, but remains a vital part of the team&rsquo;s defense.<h2>ONE CAREER, ONE TEAM</h2>Ken Daneyko is a rare breed - a longtime NHLer who has spent his entire career with the same club. Here are the top five:The Hockey News&nbsp;Scout says:&ldquo;He&rsquo;s at his best and most valuable in front of his own net and killing penalties.&rdquo; &#9632;

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Daneyko: No new jerseys

<div class="byline">-MIKE BROPHY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0005-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-011893/8261956-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">NASHVILLE&nbsp;Blue Jackets rookie left winger Rick Nash gives Columbus hope that the future will be bright.</figcaption></div>If you saw Rick Nash break in alone and beat Vancouver goalie Peter Skudra with the game-winning goal high to the blocker side in overtime in early March, you would have thought you were watching a veteran.It&rsquo;s not until you get a close-up of his face that you realize he&rsquo;s still a wide-eyed 18-year-old, living on his own for the first time and trying to find his way as a first-year pro playing with and against men.And though he plays with authority - much more than you would expect from a kid his age - the player the Columbus Blue Jackets will build their franchise around said he is still feeling his way around, unsure about what will come next or what he is capable of doing.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t really know if I have my confidence yet,&rdquo; said the 6-foot-3, 188-pound left winger, the first overall pick in the 2002 entry draft. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s tough being a young guy in this league. I mean, there is only so much you can try to score goals at this point without screwing up and getting in trouble with the coach or management. But I guess if you&rsquo;re going to be a top player in this league, you have to keep on trying things.&rdquo;Though he toils in relative anonymity in Columbus, when you watch him play, there are rarely nights when he doesn&rsquo;t make you sit up in amazement.Having lived with billets the past two years while playing with London of the Ontario League, Nash elected to five on his own this season. &ldquo;I like the idea of being able to come and go as I please and not worry about making noise or being home on time for dinner,&rdquo; Nash said.The fact is, Nash rarely cooks, but he swears he does his own laundry&hellip;or most of it, anyway. And while he spends most of his waking hours up to his ears in the world of hockey, he also enjoys his down time and has befriended Ohio State defensive lineman Simon Fraser, a 19-year-old highly regarded NFL prospect.&ldquo;We rarely talk about sports,&rdquo; Nash said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what makes our friendship cool. We just talk about things that normal teenagers talk about.&rdquo;With 14 goals and 33 points in 64 games, Nash is no normal teenager. He is a rising star who, when he matures, will be an NHL force. And judging by the way he has played this season, that won&rsquo;t take long. &#9632;

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Nash no regular teen

<h2>The Best of the Hockey World The Worst of the Hockey World</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021343/8262001-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="270" height="426"><figcaption class="caption-body">STEVE THOMAS</figcaption></div>GOOD DEALS Trade deadline acquisitions Tony Amonte, Steve Thomas and Owen Nolan make immediate impacts with their new teams.BEWARE OF THE WINGS The defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings hit their stride at the right time by winning 16 of 18 games.WORK IN PROGRESS The NHL tinkers with the two-ref system, having one ref following the play and the other watch the rest of the ice, in AHL games.HE HAD TO GO Robbie Ftorek alienated himself from his players, just as he did in New Jersey and L.A., before being fired as Bruins coach.POOR PENS Mario Lemieux and his band of (for the most part) AHLers are in a battle for last overall after a miserable losing streak.KOVALEV GOES COLD With the Rangers desperately trying to make the playoffs, Alexei Kovalev fails to register a point in seven games.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-03867/8261994-1-eng-US/f0005-032.jpg" title="f0005-03" width="268" height="421"><figcaption class="caption-body">ALEXEI KOVALEV</figcaption></div><h2>GREAT SCOTT!</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-04543/8261987-1-eng-US/f0005-042.jpg" title="f0005-04" width="919" height="768"><figcaption class="caption-body">Scott Stevens has been on the winning end of more regular season games than anyone in NHL history. Here&rsquo;s the list of the all-time top five.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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PLUS MINUS

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-06209/8262032-1-eng-US/f0005-062.jpg" title="f0005-06" width="300" height="477"><figcaption class="caption-body">CURTIS JOSEPH</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-05340/8262039-1-eng-US/f0005-052.jpg" title="f0005-05" width="171" height="147"></div>From around the NHLBig brother is watching. Among those who have been fingered (and fined $1,000) for diving/faking are Toronto&rsquo;s Bryan McCabe, Rangers Darius Kasparaitis and Matthew Barnaby, Vancouver&rsquo;s Matt Cooke, Ottawa&rsquo;s Shaun Van Allen and Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro.&nbsp;(See pg. 26 for more on McCabe).In separate games in mid-March, Edmonton&rsquo;s Marty Reasoner and Calgary&rsquo;s Oleg Saprykin each believed he was headed to center ice for a penalty shot after being hauled down on a breakaway. Instead, both were directed to the penalty box and called for diving. Who in their right mind dives on a breakaway? Under the heading of crackdown overkill, this is as good as it gets.After a sub-par first two-thirds of the season, Curtis Joseph is playing spectacularly for Detroit. It won&rsquo;t mean anything, though, unless he keeps it up through to the Stanley Cup final.Remember a couple months back when the Art Ross Trophy was a lock for Mario Lemieux?Minnesota&rsquo;s Marian Gaborik appears to be running out of gas. The whiz kid had 23 goals in his first 36 games, but managed just six in his next 35.Columbus&rsquo;s Marc Denis is challenging Grant Fuhr&rsquo;s all-time games played record (79) and Martin Brodeur&rsquo;s all-time minutes played record (4,433). &#9632;

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SNAPSHOTS

The Hockey NewsFROM THE EDITORSThe Ontario League should be applauded for the strong punishment handed down in the John Vanbiesbrouck affair.The OHL has prohibited Vanbiesbrouck from having any association with the league or any member club for at least five years. Vanbiesbrouck resigned as coach and GM of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds after admitting he used racial slurs to describe Greyhounds captain Trevor Daley, who is black, in conversations with Daley&rsquo;s teammates.Vanbiesbrouck has also been ordered by the league to divest himself of his 25 per cent stake in the team, something he had already decided to do himself.All of this is fitting and appropriate. It would be a travesty if Vanbiesbrouck were allowed to continue in any position of authority after dealing such a blow to the image of the Greyhounds and the league.But it is the decision of OHL commissioner Dave Branch to fine the Greyhounds $50,000 that will make other clubs pay attention. The harshness of the penalty sends a blunt message that teams will be held accountable for their employees&rsquo; actions. It also serves as a warning that if other teams are ever confronted with such behavior internally, they will need to handle it far better than the Greyhounds did.Greyhounds president and governor Sam Biasucci accompanied Vanbiesbrouck when the coach paid late-night visits to players&rsquo; homes following a home game loss. It was during these conversations that Vanbiesbrouck uttered the slurs. It&rsquo;s unclear at what point Biasucci knew of the comments, but he says he wasn&rsquo;t in the room when they were made. Two nights later, Vanbiesbrouck was still behind the Soo bench. The story didn&rsquo;t become public until Daley left the team after being told by teammates what Vanbiesbrouck had said.Branch said Biasucci&rsquo;s poor judgment was a factor in the severity of the fine.One member of the Greyhounds&rsquo; ownership group told the Sault Star he believes the $50,000 fine is excessive and that the team plans to file an appeal with the OHL board of governors to reduce the amount. Regardless of how that process turns out, the OHL has done well to recognize this is much larger issue than the hurtful words of one man.Teams are responsible for the climate they foster within their front offices and their dressing rooms. They must also be responsible when their personnel fail to meet standards that any 17-year-old hockey player-and that players&rsquo; parents-should be able to take for granted. The OHL is using the fine money to pay for a racial sensitivity program. If the Greyhounds are being used as an example for others, so be it. This is an opportunity to create an atmosphere in which all OHL and team employees know instinctively slurs of any kind in junior hockey&rsquo;s multi-national, multilingual player pool will not be tolerated. Following his instincts, remember, is what landed Vanbiesbrouck in so much trouble in the first place.It is the decision of the OHL to fine the Greyhounds $50,000 that will make other clubs pay attention. &#9632;

THE HOCKEY NEWS EDITORIAL

OHL did right thing by coming down hard

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0008-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-011992/8262094-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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ELSTON

<h2>TRADES SHOW NHL&rsquo;S INEQUITY</h2>I love trade deadline day as much as the next fan, but I&rsquo;m troubled by this year&rsquo;s events.I don&rsquo;t mind seeing a team pay a large price for the players they want, but when the state of the game so blatantly favors the teams that can afford to pay the players earning the highest salaries, something is wrong.Unless there is a mutual effort by players and owners to clean up the economics of the game, they have lost all of my respect.Jon Hathaway, Ingersoll, Ont.<h2>CONGRATS TO UPSTART WILD</h2>I&rsquo;d like to congratulate the Minnesota Wild on their fine season thus far. It&rsquo;s very refreshing to see a team that wins games the right way: through hard work and a team concept. This is the way hockey is supposed to be.I wish more teams would follow Minnesota&rsquo;s lead. Maybe the Wild will be this year&rsquo;s Carolina Hurricanes. It sure would be better to see them succeed than having to watch a matchup of the teams with the biggest wallets.Thomas Gidlow,&nbsp; Raleigh, N.C.<h2>LETTER OF THE WEEK</h2>I&rsquo;m one of the few, one of the embarrassed-in other words, I&rsquo;m a Blackhawks season-ticket holder.The team&rsquo;s horrible record since New Year&rsquo;s speaks for itself, but I refuse to blame the players. The true problem doesn&rsquo;t lie with them or with coach Brian Sutter, but in the front office. Chicago&rsquo;s payroll is above the league average, but it has been terribly spent.I&rsquo;m a rabid Hawks fan and have been one my whole life, but I&rsquo;m finding it difficult to be patient for something to happen after all these years of waiting, especially now that it appears the team is moving backwards.I hope the organization finally wakes up and realizes there are Hawks fans out there who are interested in a winning product.P.S. I will not renew my season tickets until I see some commitment to winning.Chris Hallen,&nbsp; Chicago<h2>PLAYERS ARE OVERPAID</h2>I enjoyed THN&rsquo;s 1-on-l interview with Sergei Fedorov, but I am always amazed at the small minds of big star players. (THN, March 14)He said, &ldquo;I really don&rsquo;t think hockey players are overpaid.&rdquo; His argument is that hockey is hard on the body and players&rsquo; careers are relatively short.My father was a mechanic. His job destroyed his back and he was virtually crippled when he retired. In his entire working life, he never made one-quarter of what Fedorov makes in one season.Of course you&rsquo;re overpaid, Sergei. Use your brain.Ryan Rear,&nbsp; Edmonton<h2>SATHER GETS LOWE-DOWN</h2>The Rangers&rsquo; Glen Sather continued the tradition of experienced NHL GMs taking their former prodigies to the cleaners.Anson Carter for Radek Dvorak is a bad, bad deal. When Oilers GM Kevin Lowe gets fired, hopefully Sather will give him a job. He owes him that much.Grant Farhall,&nbsp; Calgary<h2>GILMOUR DEAL SHOWS CLASS</h2>I applaud the Canadiens&rsquo; decision to trade Doug Gilmour to Toronto.Gilmour has a chance to leave the game as a Leaf, the team with which he played his best hockey. The Habs treated Gilmour with the class he deserved after such a long and great career. I wish Gilmour and Montreal&rsquo;s management the best. Get better fast, Gilmour!Eric-Gerry Carsieur,&nbsp; Montreal<h2>EARLIER TRADE DEADLINE</h2>The trade deadline needs to be moved up! There are way too many salary dumps and fire sales.It is an embarrassment when teams such as Edmonton give up their best players when they&rsquo;re in a playoff spot.Eric Whitener,&nbsp; East Lansing, Mich.<h2>ZETTERBERG FOR CALDER</h2>How is it that Detroit&rsquo;s Henrik Zetterberg is not mentioned as a candidate for the Calder Trophy?In my mind, he is the total package. If Zetterberg doesn&rsquo;t win rookie of the year, it&rsquo;ll be highway robbery.Carl DiGregorio,&nbsp; Warren, Mich.Got something to say?U.S.A.: Letters, The Hockey News, P.O. Box 904, Buffalo, N.Y., 14240-9947.Canada: Letters, The Hockey News, 25 Sheppard Ave. W., Suite 100, Toronto, Ont., M2N 6S7E-mail: <a href="mailto:aproteau@thehockeynews.com">aproteau@thehockeynews.com</a> or visit <a href="https://www.thehockeynews.com">www.thehockeynews.com</a> Include name, hometown, province/state and phone number.Submissions will be edited. &#9632;

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0009-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-011832/8262149-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Ross McKeon&nbsp;Guest Columnist-ROSS MCKEON COVERS THE SHARKS FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE</figcaption></div>We interrupt the Great Fire Sale of 2003 to remind everyone of a slightly overlooked fact. The San Jose Sharks were never Stanley Cup contenders in the first place. Six consecutive years of improvement followed by a near upset of Colorado in the second round of the playoffs last spring duped many into thinking the Sharks were ready.It duped the new ownership group, management, coaches, players and the hockey world in general. San Jose was the chic pick to reach new heights, picked by some to go all the way.Time to wake up and smell the Zamboni exhaust. Dean Lombardi was the latest casualty, fired March 19 after seven years as GM. (See pgs. 17, 26 for more on Lombardi.)<h2>MORE CHANGES COMING</h2>Think the Sharks went too far by dealing veterans Owen Nolan, Bryan Marchment and Dan McGillis at the deadline? Hold on to your helmet. March 11 was only a reprieve for the likes of Vincent Damphousse, Teemu Selanne, Mike Ricci and Scott Thornton.We&rsquo;re not here to tear down what the Sharks accomplished and those are certainly all quality players many teams would love to have. When the team was in shambles and Darryl Sutter came aboard six years ago, the best avenue for respectability, to compete and ensure a better future, was to surround a core group of high draft picks with the right kind of veterans.The plan worked and the team enjoyed prolonged regular season success, but their postseason failings were annually dismissed.San Jose was never good enough to go farther. They were kidding themselves to think otherwise. They were better than the sum of their parts. Collectively, they had a huge heart and a chip on their shoulder.<h2>TEAM HAD LIMITATIONS</h2>But they had their limits. And once the momentum stopped, there&rsquo;s no getting it back. No tinkering will suffice, no tweaking will right the ship. It&rsquo;s time to move on.Here&rsquo;s what the Sharks have going for them. Goalie Evgeni Nabokov is 27 years old. He learned the lesson that holding out might result in a monetary gain, but the time missed gets &lsquo;em every time. He should bounce back and again head the list of the game&rsquo;s next era of goalie stars.The mid-season trade for Kyle McLaren gives the Sharks a blueline potentially built for the millennium: Mike Rathje, 28; McLaren, 25; Scott Hannan, 24, Brad Stuart, 23, Jim Fahey, 23; and top German prospect Christian Ehrhoff, 20. A prototype No. 1, a player who commands the respect of a Rob Blake, Nicklas Lidstrom or Brian Leetch, must emerge from the group.The Sharks weren&rsquo;t going to win the Cup this year-and they aren&rsquo;t going to win it next year, either. The likelihood of a new salary structure that imposes certain spending restraint is on the horizon, so it&rsquo;s only smart to start preparing now.In that case, the Sharks have to get their forwards in sync with their back end. Otherwise, the team could be caught spending to retain aging veterans.<h2>FANS TOO GOOD</h2>Don&rsquo;t like it? Well, San Jose fans have to take their share of the blame on this one. Loyal and patient throughout the building process, fans allowed management to take the long view of things. In 1999, less than three years after playing in the Cup final, Florida was feeling the heat. Then-Panthers GM Bryan Murray knew it wasn&rsquo;t a smart move, but he acquired Pavel Bure from Vancouver-by trading away Ed Jovanovski-to put fannies back in the seats.The Sharks have never had to make a deal like that. And they don&rsquo;t now.But they will need to keep dealing before it&rsquo;s a done deal in San Jose.<h2>D&rsquo; FUTURE</h2>Defenseman Brad Stuart leads a strong group of young blueliners around whom San Jose must rebuild.HOW IT WENT BAD&nbsp;Here are the not-so-golden moments from the San Jose Sharks&rsquo; season.Key defenseman Brad Stuart misses first 16 games due to contract impasse and injury.Darryl Sutter fired Dec. 1, along with assistants Lome Molleken and Rich Preston.Desperate for points while sitting in 11th in West, Sharks go 1-6-0-0 during road trip.Evgeni Nabokov doesn&rsquo;t re-sign until late October; Sharks get off to 1-4-0-0 start.Scott Thornton misses first 14 games due to shoulder surgery.With 11 of 14 games at home in January, Sharks go 4-6-2-2 in crucial stretch.Traded: Owen Nolan, Bryan Marchment, Dan McGillis and Matt Bradley &#9632;

f0009-01

Sharks were overrated

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021422/8262187-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="289" height="386"><figcaption class="caption-body">Darren Pang&nbsp;Guest Columnist</figcaption></div>There are many factors involved in winning championships. I still remember as if it were yesterday when Brian Kilrea coached our 1984 Ottawa 67&rsquo;s to the Memorial Cup. We were certainly led by our best players-defensemen Bruce Cassidy, Mark Patterson and Brad Shaw, along with forwards Gary Roberts, Darcy Roy and tourney MVP Adam Creighton. But our role players, the guys who never got to play in the NHL, were just as valuable to our team as the aforementioned stars. That&rsquo;s the way it needs to be.Here&rsquo;s a look at four key factors to a successful post-season run:STRONG SYSTEMS You can&rsquo;t be faking it at this time of the year. Every player has to know his positioning on the ice in every situation. The left wing lock, 1-2-2 and 2-1-2 forechecking systems are the predominant choices of top teams.Detroit got away from the left wing lock at the start of this season, but they have been using it for the past few months to much success. Detroit&rsquo;s left winger will pull out of the offensive zone when the opponent has puck control on the breakout and &ldquo;fill&rdquo; the left side of the ice through the neutral zone. The left defenseman has to position himself more towards the middle of the ice. This is the adjustment that Mathieu Schneider has to make with the Wings. If it&rsquo;s not perfected, it can be costly in any seven-game series.Teams such as St. Louis, Dallas and Philadelphia take great pride in backside pressure-a fancy phrase for hardworking backcheckers-so that the defensemen can stand up at the red line and the blueline. These teams&rsquo; systems rely on a work ethic that you can&rsquo;t just teach in the final weeks leading up to the playoffs; you have to have it instilled in each and every player.TEAM TOUGHNESS AND DISCIPLINEThis has to do with every player sticking together on and off the ice. When you are in a scrum in front of the other team&rsquo;s net and their defenseman has a hold of your center, giving him the stinky leather mitt to the face, you can&rsquo;t just skate away and get on your own little island.Last year in their series against Toronto, Ottawa thought that &ldquo;discipline&rdquo; meant &ldquo;skate away from post-whistle shenanigans.&rdquo; There are times when you can stay disciplined in scrums, but still let the other team know that you won&rsquo;t back off. Every player knows that when you keep your arms and hands down and to the side in scrums, the ref likely won&rsquo;t call anything. When you retaliate, that&rsquo;s when you get the penalty.The Leafs may go over the top on the emotional side, but by sticking together, they build a certain bond that can get them through a long series.ROLE CALL The Flyers are a good example of everything coming together at the right time. Coach Ken Hitchcock would be the first person to tell you it has as much to do with players being put in their proper roles as with energy, enthusiasm and offensive confidence. You can&rsquo;t ask a third-liner at this time of year to play second fine minutes, nor can you expect 30 minutes on the blueline from a defenseman that can&rsquo;t defensively handle a top player from the other team.A common recipe for success means you need three accountable centers who can: a) create offensive plays; b) go up against the other team&rsquo;s best players; and, c) win key faceoffs. On defense, you need three solid pairings with at least one that can go against a power forward for maybe 28 minutes. If there is something missing for Philadelphia, it&rsquo;s the fact they don&rsquo;t have a natural quarterback such as Nicklas Lidstrom or Al MacInnis to start up the power play.GUNG-HO GOALIES The team that wins the Stanley Cup generally has a goalie in the top-three voting for the Conn Smythe Trophy. An exception was in 1998 when the Wings won and Chris Osgood was in the net. Many have suggested Detroit won in spite of him, not because of him. The truth is, you can&rsquo;t win the Cup and not have a goalie make some key saves that changed the momentum of a pivotal game. Osgood&rsquo;s confidence and experience bodes well for the Blues.You also need momentum going into the first round. Goalies such as Curtis Joseph, Nikolai Khabibulin, Martin Brodeur and J-S Giguere are finding the groove at the right time. I have always been amazed at Patrick Roy&rsquo;s ability to turn it up a notch. He has that uncanny leadership ability in the dressing room and the aura on the ice that makes everyone around him more aware of the consequences. Ed Belfour is much the same way. Even if he&rsquo;s not red-hot going in, he puts on the gear and tells everyone on the team to jump on board, he&rsquo;s leading the ship.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-011963/8262180-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="988" height="1748"><figcaption class="caption-body">-DARREN PANG IS AN ESPN ANALYST AND FORMER NHL GOALIE</figcaption></div><h2>CLUTCH TIME</h2>Goalies, such as Tampa Bay&rsquo;s Nikolai Khabibulin, are under intense pressure to perform in the playoffs, says Darren Pang. &#9632;

f0010-02

Keys to playoff payoffs

<div class="byline">BY MARK BRENDER</div>Attention all NHL GMs: it&rsquo;s one more for the tie, two for the record. But you&rsquo;d better hurry up. Season&rsquo;s end is coming fast. And if you don&rsquo;t act now, you might find your own butt on the sidewalk. (Sorry, Dean.) The addition of Robbie Ftorek to the coaching scrap heap brings to eight the number of bench bosses canned this season. Boston GM Mike O&rsquo;Connell took over as interim coach after handing Ftorek his walking papers March 19. San Jose&rsquo;s Dean Lombardi, fired March 18, is the only GM to suffer a similar fate this season. (See pg. 17 for more on Lombardi.)<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-03885/8262246-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="300" height="481"><figcaption class="caption-body">ROBBIE FTOREK</figcaption></div>The all-time single-season high of nine in-season coaching changes has happened twice, in 1981-82 and 2000-01. But surely eight is enough for this year. Surely the GMs will realize their quick trigger fingers aren&rsquo;t doing anything to improve matters.Four of the eight teams to have fired coaches-Atlanta, Calgary, Columbus and San Jose&mdash;were well out of playoff positions at the times of dismissal. Nothing has changed. Montreal was in 10th place in the Eastern Conference in midJanuary when the Habs fired Michel Therrien. Twenty-eight games postTherrien they were in exactly the same place.The Rangers were four points out of a playoff spot when they fired Bryan Trottier. With seven games left in their season, that four-point gap was&hellip;a four-point gap.In fairness, Colorado did turn around under Tony Granato.And the Lakers turned around under Phil Jackson.Is anyone surprised?<h2>COACHES CRUMBLE IN N.Y.</h2>At least fired coaches have plenty of company. Here are the number of coaches for each team since 1992-93, with names listed (from oldest to most recent) for the Islanders and Rangers, who lead with nine each.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-04601/8262239-1-eng-US/f0010-042.jpg" title="f0010-04" width="83" height="79"></div>Al Arbour, Lome Henning (twice), Mike Milbury (twice), Rick Bowness, Bill Stewart, Butch Goring, Peter Laviolette Roger Neilson, Ron Smith, Mike Keenan, Colin Campbell, John Muckier, John Tortorella, Ron Low, Bryan Trottier, Glen Sather</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-05435/8262232-1-eng-US/f0010-052.jpg" title="f0010-05" width="91" height="86"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-06331/8262225-1-eng-US/f0010-062.jpg" title="f0010-06" width="507" height="716"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-07237/8262218-1-eng-US/f0010-072.jpg" title="f0010-07" width="516" height="711"></div> &#9632;

f0010-03

Ftorek dismissal makes it eight

<div class="byline">BY MIKE BROPHY Senior Writer</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-011914/8262277-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">BILL GUERIN DALLAS (SPORTS ACTION/GLENN JAMES)</figcaption></div>Here&rsquo;s a little hint to those of you wondering if you should select Bill Guerin in your playoff fantasy pool: Guerin said if he were in a pool, he would pick himself.&ldquo;There are a couple of guys I&rsquo;d pick ahead of me, but yeah, I&rsquo;d pick myself,&rdquo; Guerin said.For those of you wondering if Guerin would be ready to rejoin the Dallas Stars for the post-season, you have your answer. Guerin is convinced he&rsquo;ll be healthy enough to go when the playoffs roll around. That comes as good news to the Stars, who signed him last summer to a five-year, $45-million deal as one of the NHL&rsquo;s most sought-after unrestricted free agents.Guerin has proven to be an excellent addition, a veteran with a Stanley Cup to his credit (1995 with the New Jersey Devils) who was second in team scoring with 25 goals and 50 points in 64 games when he got hurt. He also led the Stars in penalty minutes with 113.The temptation when you are picking your playoff pool teams is to load up on all of the league&rsquo;s top scorers. Do that and it could cost you first prize. For example, Joe Thornton ranked second in league scoring with 90 points through 73 games, but how far will the Bruins go in the playoffs? If he&rsquo;s out after the first round, then he&rsquo;s not a good early pick. Detroit&rsquo;s Pavel Datsyuk, on the other hand, had 48 fewer points than Thornton, but the Red Wings should, at the very least, make the conference final. Considering Datsyuk skates with Brett Hull and Henrik Zetterberg, he could pile up the points. It is better to load up on players from teams you think will go the farthest in the playoffs.For Guerin, playoff time equals fun time.&ldquo;It could be because the intensity rises or it could be because it&rsquo;s the time of year when most guys raise the level of their play,&rdquo; Guerin said.&ldquo;Also teams raise the level of their play. I have played on some good teams with great individuals, especially in New Jersey when we went far and everybody would do whatever it took to win. That is a great experience and if you go through it, it stays with you forever.&rdquo;Guerin&rsquo;s regular season came to an abrupt halt Feb. 27 when he suffered a charley horse on a hit by Ottawa defenseman Chris Phillips. It was an innocent looking play, but Guerin was operated on March 1 when doctors became concerned about his worsening condition. His injury was compared to the type that ended the career of Boston power forward Cam Neely.&ldquo;It was a clean hit,&rdquo; Guerin said. &ldquo;It definitely wasn&rsquo;t a dirty play. It was pretty scary for a while, though.&rdquo;Guerin is working hard daily to get back into the lineup for his favorite time of year.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the best,&rdquo; said Guerin of the playoffs. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re playing for keeps. You&rsquo;re playing for one thing-the Stanley Cup. The intensity and focus is so great. The feeling you have when you actually win it is unbelievable.&rdquo;There are a couple of guys I&rsquo;d pick ahead of me, but yeah, I&rsquo;d pick myself&nbsp;-BILL GUERIN &#9632;

f0012-01

COVER STORY

Guerin rarin’ for playoffs playoffs

Most of the players picked early in your draft will be obvious choices-high-scoring players on teams expected to go the furthest in the playoffs. However, a pool can be won or lost with your late picks, players you have a hunch may do well when the chips are down. Here are 10 sleeper picks, listed alphabetically, to consider:Eric Boguniecki, St. LouisFive game-winners tied for most on teamDan Boyle, Tampa BayFourth among NHL defensemen in pointsPavel Datsyuk, Detroit25 points in recent 16-game spanMike Fisher, OttawaDon&rsquo;t mistake him for defensive specialistNiko Kapanen, DallasLeads all rookies with 26 assistsKip Miller, WashingtonProductive for Isles last year; now has JagrBrian Rafalski, New JerseyHad 18 points in 2000-01 playoffsSergei Samsonov, BostonNine points in seven games before injuryHenrik Sedin, VancouverProduction rises in post-seasonDarcy Tucker, TorontoGood playoff will make up for sub-par year &#9632;

SLEEPER PLAYOFF POOL PICKS

<div class="byline">BY MURRAY TOWNSEND</div>It&rsquo;s a fairly simple equation really: if you want to win your playoff pool, pick the teams that you think will go deepest.In last year&rsquo;s playoffs, Detroit, Colorado, Carolina and Toronto, the four teams that went furthest, all played at least 20 games. No other team played more than 12. And 23 of last year&rsquo;s top 25 post-season producers played on those four teams.Before you decide which player to draft, go through the first round matchups and pick the winners. Then, go through the second round matchups and do the same thing. That gives you your four conference finalists.But it doesn&rsquo;t mean your work is done; it&rsquo;s just a starting point. As we saw last year with Carolina, just about any team is capable of making a run.When choosing the teams you&rsquo;ll concentrate on at your draft, don&rsquo;t necessarily choose the favorites. In a draft, other participants are gobbling up those teams&rsquo; best players. If you pick secondary teams you&rsquo;re going to get more of their better scorers, while players from the favorites are spread out among different drafters.The direction of your draft can make this decision for you. If you draft eighth, for example, and five of the first seven picks are Red Wings, you had better focus on another team-even if Detroit was your choice.The makeup of a team can affect your decision, as well. Vancouver, for example, gets most of its scoring from one line. If you can&rsquo;t get all three players on that line, or at least two, then forget about them.A couple of things we&rsquo;ve determined over the years can help with your team selection. Pay absolutely no attention to how a team finishes off the season; pay little attention to who won the season series; and home-ice advantage is greatly overrated.<h2>HOW TO USE THE TEAM TABLES</h2>The accompanying team tables list each player&rsquo;s points per game. If you multiply the games you expect them to play (average of six games per series), then your list is made for you.We&rsquo;ve put the players in the order we believe they&rsquo;ll finish in the playoffs, taking into account post-season history, performance this season, power play time, depth chart position and recent scoring trends.A brief description of each player and a star rating is included. Please note the number of stars a player gets is not indicative of how far we think his team will advance. (See star rating table at left.) Defensemen on the power play often perform better than they do during the season and are generally moved up. And the checking is tighter at even strength so the power play becomes a greater source for goals.Stats are through March 16. Be sure to follow upcoming issues of The Hockey News for the latest line combinations and playoff handicapping.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-021223/8262350-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="756" height="2103"><figcaption class="caption-body">PETER FORSBERG COLORADO</figcaption></div><h2>STAR RATING</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011744/8262343-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="403" height="204"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-03895/8262336-1-eng-US/f0013-032.jpg" title="f0013-03" width="3103" height="979"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-011891/8262329-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="3105" height="2925"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-07297/8262322-1-eng-US/f0015-072.jpg" title="f0015-07" width="1538" height="972"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-08261/8262315-1-eng-US/f0015-082.jpg" title="f0015-08" width="1555" height="2897"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011688/8262308-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg" title="f0016-01" width="3130" height="2930"></div> &#9632;

f0013-02

All the pool tools

<div class="byline">BY DARRYL DOBBS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-05443/8262412-1-eng-US/f0015-052.jpg" title="f0015-05" width="671" height="727"></div>Besides the usual method of picking the top offensive guns on each playoff team, smart poolies try a little educated guesswork.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-011726/8262440-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg" title="f0015-01" width="199" height="322"><figcaption class="caption-body">GARY ROBERTS</figcaption></div>Which players will step it up and become one of the steals of the draft? Which players have a history of disappearing come playoff time?Most people try to accumulate players from the the two teams they believe will meet in the Stanley Cup final. But experienced poolies know the post-season rarely unfolds as planned.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-021237/8262433-1-eng-US/f0015-022.jpg" title="f0015-02" width="200" height="321"><figcaption class="caption-body">SCOTT YOUNG</figcaption></div>So how do you find the Alyn McCauleys of 2003?If you look at players&rsquo; average points per game over the past three seasons and compare them to their average points per game in the ensuing playoffs, there are some interesting results.In the top chart is a list of players who have been able to consistently maintain, or improve upon, their regular season performance. These are players that should be bumped up a few slots on your fist on draft day.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-03868/8262426-1-eng-US/f0015-032.jpg" title="f0015-03" width="198" height="320"><figcaption class="caption-body">MAGNUS ARVEDSON</figcaption></div>The bottom chart features players who tear it up during the regular season, but slow down in April and May. These are players you should think twice about before selecting.Regular season points-per-game averages are determined by including stats only from the seasons in which the player participated in the playoffs. A player must have played in a minimum of 14 playoff games during the past three seasons.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-04637/8262419-1-eng-US/f0015-042.jpg" title="f0015-04" width="198" height="320"><figcaption class="caption-body">SAMI KAPANEN</figcaption></div><h2>Stepping it up</h2>The Players listed below have shown the ability, over the past three years, to pick up their production in the post-season.<h2>Disappearing Act</h2>Listed here are players who have a penchant-at least during the past three years-of going missing when spring rolls around.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-06354/8262405-1-eng-US/f0015-062.jpg" title="f0015-06" width="667" height="727"></div> &#9632;

f0015-05

Trend Spotting

<h2>VANBIESBROUCK BANNED, TEAM FINED</h2>TORONTO The Ontario League slapped the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds with a $50,000 fine-the largest in league history-and former coach-GM John Vanbiesbrouck was given an indefinite ban in the wake of his racial slurs directed at captain Trevor Daley. Vanbiesbrouck said he will sell his 25 per-cent share in the team. He will not be allowed to have &ldquo;any further connection, employment or ownership with the league or any of its teams,&rdquo; the OHL said in a statement. The league will allow him to apply for reinstatement after five years. &ldquo;We wish to demonstrate that it is not a value we share and will not support in any way,&rdquo; said OHL commissioner David Branch.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011507/8262471-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="273" height="427"><figcaption class="caption-body">JOHN VANBIESBROUCK</figcaption></div><h2>BUSINESS AS USUAL</h2>NEW YORK The war against Iraq is not expected to alter the NHL season in any way, the league said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s business as usual,&rdquo; said NHL spokesman Frank Brown. There are no plans to stop games or tell teams and players to alter travel arrangements. The U.S.-led attack on Iraq began March 20. &ldquo;As it is now, the airports have gone to an orange security alert (elevated). We&rsquo;d have to assess it if it gets to red (high),&rdquo; Brown said. Security in NHL arenas was heightened after Sept. 11, 2001. Major League Baseball cancelled April&rsquo;s opening series in Japan between Seattle and Oakland because of the war in Iraq.<h2>KAZMAIER FINALISTS DOWN TO THREE</h2>COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. USA Hockey announced the finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given to the most outstanding player in women&rsquo;s collegiate hockey. Senior forward Jennifer Botterill and junior defenseman Angela Ruggiero, both from Harvard, and junior forward Jenny Potter, from Minnesota-Duluth, are the finalists.<h2>ALBERTA WINS WOMEN&rsquo;S TITLE</h2>SASKATOON, Sask. Alberta beat Ontario 6-3 in the final of the Esso Women&rsquo;s national championship, winning the Abby Hoffman Cup. Samantha Holmes scored twice in the final and Alberta finished with a 6-0-0 record, outscoring their opponents 46-10. It has 20 medals in 22 years. Quebec beat B.C. 3-0 in the bronze-medal game.<h2>JUST IN CASE THERE&rsquo;S A TIE</h2>NEW YORK In the event of teams being tied in the standings at the end of the NHL season, here&rsquo;s the tie-breaking procedure. It&rsquo;s used to rank teams for playoff seedings and order of selection for the entry draft. One, the greater number of games won. Two, the greater number of points earned in games between the tied teams. Three, the greater differential between goals for and goals against for the entire season. &#9632;

f0017-01

HOCKEY WORLD IN BRIEF

<div class="byline">BY ROSS MCKEON</div>SAN JOSEDean Lombardi didn&rsquo;t have much to say publicly following his abrupt and surprising firing after serving the last seven years as GM of the San Jose Sharks.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if another GM will get that chance to improve a team six straight years and build it the right way,&rdquo; said Lombardi to the San Jose Mercury News. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s because of our fans. They filled that building every night and stuck by this team and allowed us to get younger and better. If a community deserves a winner, it&rsquo;s this one.&rdquo;Despite joining Bill Torrey as the only two GMs to improve their team&rsquo;s point total six straight years, Lombardi found himself unemployed in the final days of a regular season that went awry for a team that had high expectations.&ldquo;I am looking forward to next season and getting back to the playoffs,&rdquo; said team president Greg Jamison, who promoted assistant GM Wayne Thomas as interim GM while the search for a permanent replacement begins. &ldquo;The fact of where we are at this time dictates that we needed a fresh start.&rdquo;Jamison handed the GM reins to Lombardi in March of 1996. After rectifying the one-year failure of rookie coach Al Sims, Lombardi hired Darryl Sutter to guide a team he was building through the draft and supplementing with gritty, free agent veterans.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-021177/8262502-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="271" height="424"><figcaption class="caption-body">DEAN LOMBARDI</figcaption></div>Mike Vernon, Bernie Nichols, Marty McSorley, Tony Granato, Gary Suter, Vincent Damphousse, Adam Graves, Ron Sutter, Ron Stern, Stephane Matteau and Bryan Marchment were all acquired as the franchise sought respect and seasoned pros to surround a stable of draft picks, including Evgeni Nabokov, Patrick Marleau, Brad Stuart, Marco Sturm, Scott Hannan and Jonathan Cheechoo.In addition, Lombardi assembled a diverse and experienced front office staff, including John Ferguson, Tim Burke, Doug Wilson, Cap Raeder, Barry Long and Thomas, to help give the young GM resources to draw upon.The Sharks enjoyed their first three winning seasons during Lombardi&rsquo;s tenure, capped by winning the Pacific Division last season when San Jose set franchise marks for wins (44) and points (99). The Sharks came within a win of advancing to the conference semifinal last year, but let a 3-2 series lead against Colorado slip away with a pair of one-goal losses in Games 6 and 7.Lombardi was criticized for failing to get Nabokov and Stuart signed before the season and for his controversial firing of Sutter just two months into the current campaign. Lombardi traded eight players, including captain Owen Nolan, before getting relieved one week after the trade deadline. (See pgs. 9, 26 for more.) &ldquo;We have a president, a coach, players and a great support staff,&rdquo; Jamison said. &ldquo;The thing we are missing is a GM. When we find that, we will continue to move forward in a positive manner.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0017-02

Lombardi takes hit in San Jose

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-03856/8262540-1-eng-US/f0017-032.jpg" title="f0017-03" width="706" height="666"><figcaption class="caption-body">30 NHL PLAYERS ROLLED, ONE PER TEAM</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-04628/8262533-1-eng-US/f0017-042.jpg" title="f0017-04" width="106" height="112"></div>Who do you think has been the best player in the NHL this season (not from own team)?Markus Naslund might want to make some room on his mantle for the Lester B. Pearson Award.That&rsquo;s because 12 of 30 players (one from each team) queried by The Hockey News said he has been the NHL&rsquo;s best player this season. The Pearson goes annually to the NHL&rsquo;s outstanding player, as voted on by his peers. &ldquo;He has great players around him, but he&rsquo;s the one guy who has been go, go, go since the beginning,&rdquo; said Buffalo&rsquo;s Curtis Brown.Added an Edmonton Oiler: &ldquo;Naslund&rsquo;s line has been the only line that hasn&rsquo;t let down this year.&rdquo; Colorado&rsquo;s Peter Forsberg was second with seven votes, followed by New Jersey&rsquo;s Martin Brodeur (three votes) and Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Mario Lemieux, Dallas&rsquo;s Mike Modano and Boston&rsquo;s Joe Thornton (two votes each).-FOR COMPLETE PLAYER POLL RESULTS, VISIT <a href="https://thehockeynews.com">THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM</a> &#9632;</div>

f0017-03

PLAYER POLL

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0018-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011567/8262571-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARIAN HOSSA OTTAWA SENATORS</figcaption></div><h2>5-YR. PLAYOFF GLANCE</h2>Here&rsquo;s each NHL team&rsquo;s record in playoff games and playoff series for the past five seasons (1998 to 2002):Like the team he scores for, Marian Hossa has gotten better virtually every season he has been in the NHL-but he still has something to prove in the playoffs.Hossa, the Ottawa Senators shooting star, had put up seasons of 15, 29,32 and 31 goals before hitting another gear this year, which has seen him register 42 goals through 74 games, tied for the league lead. And he has demonstrated an ability to come through in the clutch, with nine game-winners to his credit. (Each club&rsquo;s leaders in game-winning goals can be found in the &lsquo;Spotlight&rsquo; box accompanying NHL team reports.)But until Hossa, 24, and the Senators achieve springtime success, there&rsquo;ll always be doubters. For the fifth consecutive season, the Sens have amassed between 94 and 109 points (there were at 100 as of March 19, with a 46-20-7-1 record). But they&rsquo;ve only advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs once in that span-last year, when they fell to nemesis Toronto in Round 2. Hossa scored four goals and 10 points in 12 playoff games in 2001-02, indicating he&rsquo;s ready to hit his post-season stride. Just in time, too, as Ottawa, solidly in first place in the East, appears headed for a first round showdown with the New York Islanders, who will be looking to ex-Senator Alexei Yashin to break out of his season-long funk against is old club.ON THE HOT SEAT This week&rsquo;s NHL team reports highlight a player who is &ldquo;on the hot seat.&rdquo; That&rsquo;s a player who, for one reason or another, needs to deliver a stellar performance during the stretch drive and, if applicable, in the playoffs. The player may be under pressure to perform due to a disappointing season thus far, or because elevating his play is critical to the team&rsquo;s success, or because he has something to prove&hellip;or because he&rsquo;s playing for his job.<h2>WINNING GOALS IN SPOTLIGHT</h2>The five players that lead their NHL team in game-winning goals are featured in the &lsquo;Spotlight&rsquo; box this week. (If two or more players are tied, they&rsquo;re listed in descending order of games played.) The player with the most game-winning goals is pictured.The NHL leaders in game-winning goals, as of March 19, are: Markus Naslund, Vancouver, 11; Sergei Fedorov, Detroit, 10; Alexander Mogilny, Toronto, nine; Jaromir Jagr, Washington, nine; and Marian Hossa, Ottawa, nine. &#9632;

f0018-01

<div class="byline">-DAN WOOD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-03876/8262602-1-eng-US/f0018-032.jpg" title="f0018-03" width="280" height="586"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-021205/8262609-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="218" height="289"></div>A lot of things have gone right for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim this season, but perhaps none is more important than the return to health of oft-injured center Steve Rucchin.Rucchin, who ranked second among Ducks scorers with 56 points and third in goals with 20 through 75 games, has been instrumental in Anaheim&rsquo;s rebound from three consecutive seasons out of the playoffs to the brink of postseason qualification.Rucchin, 31, received a nomination from the local Professional Hockey Writers Association for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.&ldquo;Any time someone goes through the injuries he has had over the past couple years, to stick with it and come back and have an unbelievable year shows a lot about his character and his drive,&rdquo; said Ducks captain Paul Kariya.Rucchin missed 110 games the past two seasons, because of hand, leg and severe head injuries. He also endured the loss of his older brother, Larry, to cancer last summer.ON THE HOT SEAT After three years out of the playoffs and little talent around him, Kariya finally has another post-season opportunity. While Kariya has enjoyed a solid season, his goal total of 25 is low for him and he went 10 games without scoring before snapping the drought March 19 in a 4-3 victory at Chicago.NOTEBOOK Newly acquired right winger Steve Thomas made an immediate impact, scoring two goals March 12 in a 5-2 victory over visiting Chicago, his former team, and then bagging his second consecutive winner March 13 in a 3-2 overtime triumph in San Jose. &#9632;

f0018-03

NHL TEAM REPORT SPOTLIGHT

Rucchin nominated for Masterton Award

<div class="byline">-JEFF SCHULTZ</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-05396/8262640-1-eng-US/f0018-052.jpg" title="f0018-05" width="282" height="590"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-04588/8262647-1-eng-US/f0018-042.jpg" title="f0018-04" width="222" height="291"></div>Injury prone in his first three seasons, Patrik Stefan had evolved into something of an ironman for the Atlanta Thrashers in Year 4.Then his luck caught up to him.The lone Thrasher to play in all 71 games saw his year come to an end when he broke his right ankle blocking a shot late in a game against Columbus March 17. Stefan, who had career highs of 13 goals and 34 points this season, had actually played 104 straight games, dating back to last season (six short of Dany Heatley&rsquo;s franchise record).&ldquo;He got hurt paying the price,&rdquo; said coach Bob Hartley. &ldquo;I feel very sad for Patrik. He was playing some real big hockey for us.&rdquo;ON THE HOT SEAT Goalie Byron Dafoe has been told surgery may not be required for his &ldquo;sports hernia&rdquo; injury and he hopes to get in a couple of games before the season ends.After starting 5-11-1 with a 4.36 goals-against and. 862 save percentage, Dafoe needs a solid outing to boost not only his own confidence, but the team&rsquo;s and fans&rsquo; going into the off-season. He is certain to exercise a player option for next season.NOTEBOOK The Thrashers have broken the club record of 23 wins, set in their second season (2000-01). Consecutive home wins over Buffalo and Columbus gave the club 25. Potential win No. 26 fizzled when the Thrashers blew a 3-1 third period lead to Dallas and lost 5-4 in overtime&hellip; Atlanta&rsquo;s 61 points through 72 games also was a franchise record&hellip; Left winger Ilya Kovalchuk scored in consecutive games after managing only two goals in a 14-game span&hellip; Defenseman Uwe Krupp was scratched 10 straight games with hamstring and back injuries, although the team wasn&rsquo;t concerned about getting him back in the lineup, preferring to test younger players. &#9632;

f0018-05

Hard-luck Stefan lost to broken ankle

<div class="byline">-NANCY MARRAPESE-BURRELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-021088/8262678-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="290" height="580"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011437/8262685-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="214" height="285"></div>While he was working for the Bruins, Robbie Ftorek couldn&rsquo;t find room for defenseman Bryan Berard on the blueline.So the now-former Bruins coach moved Berard up to left wing.Berard, who had been a healthy scratch for the two previous games, made his debut on a line with center Jozef Stumpel and right winger Mike Knuble March 18 against the Phoenix Coyotes. The move was preceded by the Bruins acquiring veteran defensemen Ian Moran and Dan McGillis at the trade deadline.Ftorek-fired one day after the Phoenix game by GM and interim coach Mike O&rsquo;Connell-had said he didn&rsquo;t want Berard, who had nine goals and 32 points in 70 games as a blueliner, to feel any pressure as a result of the new challenge.It appears he didn&rsquo;t.In his first game as a winger, Berard played 17 minutes and 46 seconds and had four shots on net. &ldquo;The first period it kind of took me a little bit to get my legs,&rdquo; Berard said. &ldquo;And your wind is a little bit different.&rdquo;ON THE HOT SEAT The goaltending. Few, if any, teams head into the post-season without a handle on who their No. 1 goalie is. The Bruins are in that exact pickle. With Jeff Hackett sidelined by a bruised finger, the club opted to go with 22-year-old Andrew Raycroft over veteran Steve Shields.NOTEBOOK Defenseman Dan McGillis made his Boston debut March 18 against Phoenix, the same team he faced March 8 in his last game with San Jose. McGillis played 25 shifts and had two shots on net, paired with veteran Don Sweeney&hellip; Goalie Andrew Raycroft was recalled from Providence after Jeff Hackett bruised his finger March 15 during warmup against Florida. Raycroft last played with the Bruins in January. &#9632;

f0019-02

Berard tries left wing after press box stint

<div class="byline">-BUCKY GLEASON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-04579/8262716-1-eng-US/f0019-042.jpg" title="f0019-04" width="280" height="577"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-03754/8262723-1-eng-US/f0019-032.jpg" title="f0019-03" width="220" height="290"></div>Buffalo Sabres fans have been breathing easier since billionaire Tom Golisano was introduced as the team&rsquo;s new owner with only a few minor details separating him from officially taking over.Golisano outlined ways to make the Sabres more friendly for the fans during a news conference announcing he purchased the franchise for about $70 million. The Sabres will remain in Buffalo for the foreseeable future, ending doubts that have hovered for nearly a year. &ldquo;People should stop worrying about the Sabres (remaining) in Buffalo,&rdquo; said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. &ldquo;Our knight on the white horse came riding in.&rdquo;Adelphia Communications, the club&rsquo;s largest debtor, and the NHL already have approved the deal. Other potential bidders technically have until April 4 to make an offer, according to papers filed in U.S. bankruptcy court in Buffalo.It&rsquo;s unlikely another owner would step forward because any new proposal must be worth $3 million more than Golisano was offering.&ldquo;We want people to have a good time (at the games), and we&rsquo;re going to do everything we can to make sure that&rsquo;s true,&rdquo; Golisano said.ON THE HOT SEAT The Sabres were hoping right winger J-P Dumont would score at least 25 goals after consecutive 23-goals seasons. Instead, the year has been a disaster. Dumont had 13 goals and 28 points. There was talk he would be shipped out before the trade deadline.NOTEBOOK Right winger Miroslav Satan got 40 assists for the first time in his career&hellip;Daniel Briere scored two goals in his first four games with Buffalo. &ldquo;I had more chances in a few games in Buffalo than I had all year in Phoenix,&rdquo; the center said&hellip;Left winger Taylor Pyatt had seven goals and 17 points in 65 games before recording three goals and six points in a seven-game span. &#9632;

f0019-04

Golisano rides in on white horse

<div class="byline">-RANDY SPORTAK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-06316/8262754-1-eng-US/f0019-062.jpg" title="f0019-06" width="284" height="585"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-05426/8262761-1-eng-US/f0019-052.jpg" title="f0019-05" width="216" height="292"></div>Dean McAmmond&rsquo;s elation over returning to Calgary has become disappointment.McAmmond was re-acquired by the Flames from Colorado on trade deadline day and expected to be reunited with Jarome Iginla and Craig Conroy. That plan was derailed by the collective bargaining agreement.As a result, the left winger, who set career numbers with Calgary last season, is ineligible for the remainder of the year. He&rsquo;ll receive the balance of his $1.4 million (U.S.) salary.&ldquo;1 don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s justice at all. That I&rsquo;m in Calgary is the only thing I&rsquo;m happy about,&rdquo; he said.Players dealt within four weeks prior to the pre-season waiver draft can&rsquo;t be traded back to their original team in the ensuing season.McAmmond was traded to Colorado with Derek Morris and Jeff Shantz for Chris Drury and Stephane Yelle three days before the waiver draft. McAmmond is undoubtedly the victim. Had he collected 10 more points before the end of the season, his contract calls for a six-figure bonus. He could have skated in a dozen games with Iginla and Conroy.ON THE HOT SEAT Goalie Roman Turek&rsquo;s spotty play is a big reason why Calgary will miss the playoffs and he has the remainder of the season to give coach Darryl Sutter reason to believe in him.Turek, in the first of a four-year, $19 million (U.S.) deal, has been panned for his lack of fitness and competitiveness.NOTEBOOK Right winger Jarome Iginla struggled in the season&rsquo;s first half, in big part due to a series of injuries, but has found his form in the second half. After missing five games in mid-December, he collected 28 goals and 43 points in 41 games, including 19 goals in the final 20 games of that span. &#9632;

f0019-06

Flames trade debacle forces McAmmond out

<div class="byline">-LUKE DECOCK</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-02964/8262792-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="283" height="589"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011334/8262799-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg" title="f0020-01" width="219" height="244"></div>The Hurricanes finally found the solution to their offensive woes: Rookies, the less experienced the better.Damian Surma became the fifth Hurrricane to score in his NHL debut this season when he whacked a Jeff O&rsquo;Neill rebound out of mid-air in a wild 6-5 loss to Ottawa March 18-setting an expansion-era record for debut goals in the process. No records were kept prior to 1967-68.With the Canes playing so many rookies this season-12 in all-eight have scored their first NHL goal this season, tied for second in franchise history behind the 1979-80 season when 13 ex-WHA players scored their first NHL goals.ON THE HOT SEAT One of the franchise&rsquo;s most talented youngsters, David Tanabe&rsquo;s star is starting to fade in Carolina.Tanabe, 22, is an excellent skater, but his hockey sense hasn&rsquo;t improved in four NHL seasons. The defenseman hasn&rsquo;t matched his offensive totals of two seasons ago and he was minus-13 in 17 games after returning from a shoulder injury.NOTEBOOK Right winger Radim Vrbata, acquired at the trade deadline for left winger Bates Battaglia, scored four goals in four games with Carolina. Battaglia had five goals in 70 games with the Hurricanes this season after 21 last season&hellip; The Hurricanes are running out of goalies. Kevin Weekes was scheduled for season-ending hand surgery and Patrick DesRochers suffered a suspected broken arm. That leaves only three goalies for five spots in the Carolina system. Arturs Irbe was recalled from American League Lowell while Randy Petruk serves as backup. &#9632;

f0020-02

Canes’ fabulous freshmen a bright light in dismal year

<div class="byline">-TIM SASSONE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-04477/8262830-1-eng-US/f0020-042.jpg" title="f0020-04" width="283" height="584"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03693/8262837-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="216" height="287"></div>Forget those Dean Lombardi to Chicago rumors.The day after Lombardi was fired as GM of the Sharks, an angry Hawks Senior vice-president Bob Pulford-Lombardi&rsquo;s father-in-law-said GM Mike Smith and coach Brian Sutter would return next season.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s completely wrong for that to have been written,&rdquo; Pulford said of the speculation. &ldquo;I think reporters have made that up and there&rsquo;s no truth to it whatsoever. It&rsquo;s embarrassing to our organization and I&rsquo;ve apologized to Mike for it.&rdquo;Pulford refused to blame Smith and Sutter for the team&rsquo;s downward slide since January that cost them a playoff spot. He instead referred to the Jan. 19 strip-club incident in Columbus involving Theo Fleury for starting the Hawks on their dramatic freefall.&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve had circumstances this year that were just brutal,&rdquo; Pulford said. &ldquo;Until our team had those problems we were a very good hockey team and we never recovered from it. I have no idea why we just completely fell apart. I don&rsquo;t understand it.&rdquo;ON THE HOT SEAT It&rsquo;s pretty much a foregone conclusion wingers Theo Fleury, Igor Korolev, Chris Simon and center Mike Eastwood won&rsquo;t be back no matter how the season ends for them.Fleury and Korolev each have one year left on their contracts at $4.5 million and $1.7 million, respectively, and buyouts are expected for both.NOTEBOOK Goaltender Jocelyn Thibault was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome after suffering a head injury during a game against Boston March 9. &#9632;

f0020-04

Pulford denies reports that Lombardi is next GM

<div class="byline">-ADRIAN DATER</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-06223/8262868-1-eng-US/f0020-062.jpg" title="f0020-06" width="272" height="583"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-05279/8262875-1-eng-US/f0020-052.jpg" title="f0020-05" width="214" height="279"></div>The Avalanche&rsquo;s opening lines are as good as the smoothest of pickup artists in a crowded bar.Peter Forsberg, Milan Hejduk, Joe Sakic and Alex Tanguay help form quite an imposing top two trios, but when it comes to getting offense from the third and fourth lines, the Avs are severely lacking.Entering the final three weeks of the season, the Avs featured a third line of Serge Aubin, Riku Hahl and Dan Hinote. In a combined 136 games, those three players had combined for only 18 points-by far the worst points-per-game average of any third line in the NHL to that point.The third line&rsquo;s makeup has changed over the season, but even if you add the numbers of depth forwards Eric Messier, Scott Parker, Mike Keane, Jeff Shantz and Brian Willsie, you still had only a combined 54 points. That remained below the combined points of most NHL teams&rsquo; third-line rotations.ON THE HOT SEAT Left winger Bates Battaglia will feel a lot of pressure in the playoffs.He was the Avs&rsquo; one big trade deadline pickup, the player supposed to create room for Sakic and Steve Reinprecht on the second line and chip in offensively. But Battaglia was mired in a 34-game scoring drought, which had Avs fans criticizing the trade that brought him from Carolina for young winger Radim Vrbata-who scored four goals in four games with the Hurricanes.NOTEBOOK Center Peter Forsberg gave Avs fans a major scare when he limped off the ice during a 5-3 loss at Detroit March 15, but Forsberg missed only one other game with a charley horse in his left thigh. &#9632;

f0020-06

Avs’ top lines are fine; third line needs tweaking

<div class="byline">-AARON PORTZLINE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-08133/8262906-1-eng-US/f0020-082.jpg" title="f0020-08" width="274" height="584"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-07188/8262913-1-eng-US/f0020-072.jpg" title="f0020-07" width="219" height="287"></div>Rookie left winger Rick Nash is ahead of schedule on his way to becoming a power forward.When training camp opened, Nash carried 188 pounds on his 6-foot-4 frame. Now, six months and 64 games later, he weighs 202 pounds.Most NHL veterans will tell you it is virtually impossible to gain weight during the season.&ldquo;Obviously, his metabolism is a little different than mine,&rdquo; said veteran Tyler Wright, &ldquo;but to gain 14 pounds is incredible.&rdquo;The Blue Jackets do not have him on a specific diet, but Nash loads up on starches, red meat and other high-protein foods. The added muscle is especially noticeable in his shoulders.Oh, and in the checks he has been doling out. &ldquo;I feel more and more comfortable almost every game,&rdquo; Nash said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if it&rsquo;s the extra pounds or just getting used to the NHL, but it&rsquo;s probably a little of both.&rdquo;ON THE HOT SEAT Center Andrew Cassels has been a huge addition to the Blue Jackets this season.Now, per the contract he signed last summer, Cassels must decide if he&rsquo;ll stick around or become an unrestricted free agent.He plans to watch the Blue Jackets&rsquo; doings-especially whom they hire as coach-before making a move. If he stays, it&rsquo;s good news for Columbus. If he takes off, the Blue Jackets offense, power play and penalty killing takes a big hit.NOTEBOOK The Blue Jackets scored five first-period goals in a 5-0 win over Minnesota March 15, setting a franchise record for goals in a period. Center Andrew Cassels started the barrage with a goal just 16 seconds in the game, the fastest goal in team history. &#9632;

f0020-08

Nash powering forward after dramatic weight gain

<div class="byline">-CHUCK CARLTON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02687/8262944-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="282" height="602"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-011077/8262951-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="224" height="260"></div>Deep down inside, Mike Modano wanted his first 100-point season. He wanted to be considered a Hart Trophy candidate. Most of all, Modano wanted to lead the Dallas Stars to the NHL&rsquo;s top record.A slump that saw Modano score one goal in 11 games probably deprived him of the first two achievements. The third is still obtainable, but that depends on a rebound by Modano.&ldquo;Average&rdquo; was the way Modano graded his recent play, even though he had seven assists in those 11 games. He has been giveaway-prone and unable to capitalize on his chances. Injuries to Bill Guerin and Pierre Turgeon have limited the Stars&rsquo; offensive options and made it easier for opponents to match up, Modano suggested.But &ldquo;average&rdquo; is a subjective term for someone of Modano&rsquo;s talent. He broke out of his skid with a game-winning goal in a 5-4 overtime win over Atlanta March 19.&ldquo;His standard of himself is very high and his standard in the league is very high,&rdquo; said coach Dave Tippett.ON THE HOT SEAT Marty Turco has done everything the Stars have asked. Now he has a new challenge-heal quickly.Turco has been out with a high-ankle sprain since Feb. 11. Since then, the Stars are 7-6-3-1 with Ron Tugnutt and Corey Hirsch in net.After more than three weeks off skates, Turco skated on consecutive days in mid-March, but didn&rsquo;t attempt the butterfly maneuver. The team is hopeful he can return for the first round of the playoffs.&ldquo;What the team does and what my ankle does has pretty much zero correlation,&rdquo; Turco said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s such a tricky injury. As much as I&rsquo;d like to get out there and play, I&rsquo;d like to separate those issues.&rdquo;NOTEBOOK Goalie Corey Hirsch made his first NHL start since Feb. 20,1999, in a 4-3 loss to Edmonton March 15&hellip; Right winger Scott Young received a two-game suspension, the first of his 15-year NHL career, for high-sticking Columbus&rsquo;s Jaroslav Spacek&hellip;Newly acquired blueliner Lyle Odelein has been sidelined until at least early April with a bruised foot suffered playing for Chicago. The teams are discussing possible compensation. &#9632;

f0021-02

Modano struggles to score with Guerin, Turgeon out

<div class="byline">-NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-04325/8262982-1-eng-US/f0021-042.jpg" title="f0021-04" width="280" height="614"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-03437/8262989-1-eng-US/f0021-032.jpg" title="f0021-03" width="224" height="284"></div>Why should Henrik Zetterberg win the Calder Trophy?&ldquo;Why shouldn&rsquo;t he?&rdquo; said Red Wings coach Dave Lewis.Zetterberg led NHL rookies in scoring with 38 points-19 goals, 19 assists-through March 18, and he has been impressive defensively.&ldquo;If you can put up a case for someone who&rsquo;s better, you go right ahead. I don&rsquo;t think you can,&rdquo; said linemate Brett Hull. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to take away from anyone else because I think there&rsquo;s some really good young players. But I&rsquo;d like to see anyone better than him.&rdquo;Zetterberg said he tried &ldquo;not to think about it so much.&rdquo;&ldquo;Of course it&rsquo;s fun to be mentioned,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But I&rsquo;m not going to be a better player if I win.&rdquo;ON THE HOT SEAT In Dave Lewis&rsquo; words, the Wings&rsquo; goaltender has been &ldquo;very Curtis Joseph-like&rdquo; the past few weeks.Joseph was 11-2-0 with a 2.20 goals-against average and. 928 save percentage in 13 games and his play helped the Wings vault to the top of the Western Conference.But Joseph, who struggled his first few months after leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs for Detroit, will have to keep it up down the stretch and into the playoffs for the fans to be satisfied.NOTEBOOK Right winger Brett Hull, left winger Henrik Zetterberg and center Pavel Datsyuk have been the Red Wings&rsquo; best line as of late. Zetterberg, 22, said he loved playing with Hull: &ldquo;You always learn something. He always has something to say to you.&rdquo;&hellip; The Red Wings&rsquo; trade deadline acquisition, defenseman Mathieu Schneider, is adjusting to the Wings&rsquo; puck-possession style-and enjoying it. &ldquo;Hully put some pressure on me not to dump it in so much,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a fun way to play hockey. Nothing&rsquo;s rushed. Guys make the right plays all the time.&rdquo;&hellip; The Red Wings were 9-0-0-0 with center Steve Yzerman in the lineup. Yzerman, who returned from knee alignment surgery, had five assists and was a plus-7 since his return. &#9632;

f0021-04

Wings believe Zetterberg has strong Calder case

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0021-05" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-05222/8263020-1-eng-US/f0021-052.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0021-05

NHL TELEVISION DIRECTORY FOR UPCOMING GAMES

<div class="byline">-ROB TYCHKOWSKI</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0022-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011216/8263065-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Edmonton center Todd Marchant was diagnosed with viral pericarditis, an infection resulting in inflammation of the heart lining after leaving a game in March.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-02893/8263058-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="216" height="285"></div>For six straight years, expending every ounce of energy in a desperate struggle to make the playoffs was an annual rite of spring in Edmonton-one that always came down to the final week of the season.Not this year.With an emotionally-charged win over Dallas and a back-breaking win over ninth-place Nashville, the Oilers built themselves a 10-point lead with 10 games to go for their biggest March cushion in a decade.&ldquo;This gives us that none-too-familiar breathing room that we&rsquo;ve been looking for the last several years,&rdquo; said coach Craig MacTavish, adding previous Oiler clubs had been worn out in frantic, 11th-hour scrambles for a playoff spot. &ldquo;Overnight we find ourselves more comfortable than we&rsquo;ve been in the last three or four years. This is the best feeling we&rsquo;ve had in a long time here.&rdquo;The insurance points come on the heels of a tumultuous week for the Oilers, who lost popular veterans Anson Carter and Janne Niinimaa in deadline deals.ON THE HOTSEAT Radek Dvorak, who scored six goals for the Rangers this season before coming to Edmonton in exchange for 25-goal man Anson Carter, will have to produce in a hurry. Not just for his own well being, but because the club needs his production.NOTEBOOK Oilers center Todd Marchant, a leading candidate for team MVP this season, left a March 13 game with the Islanders complaining of shortness of breath. He was later diagnosed with viral pericarditis, an infection that results in inflammation of the heart lining. &ldquo;I look at it and I&rsquo;m a fit, 29-year-old athlete,&rdquo; said Marchant. &ldquo;All of a sudden I&rsquo;ve got this. When they tell you it&rsquo;s a viral thing, they don&rsquo;t know why you got it, how you got it.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-03674/8263051-1-eng-US/f0022-032.jpg" title="f0022-03" width="279" height="578"></div> &#9632;

f0022-01

Oilers in position to relax down stretch

<div class="byline">-DAVID J. NEAL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-05358/8263096-1-eng-US/f0022-052.jpg" title="f0022-05" width="274" height="575"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-04486/8263103-1-eng-US/f0022-042.jpg" title="f0022-04" width="217" height="289"></div>How do the Florida Panthers push rookie defenseman Jay Bouwmeester for the Calder Trophy if they choose to do so?&ldquo;Obviously, it&rsquo;s a little bit more difficult with a defenseman,&rdquo; said director of media relations Randy Sieminski. &ldquo;But that&rsquo;s no secret to anybody. But also no secret to anybody is how well he&rsquo;s played, if they&rsquo;ve seen our games. Not only how well he&rsquo;s played, but the responsibility he&rsquo;s shouldered.&rdquo;Since the trading of Sandis Ozolinsh Jan. 30, Bouwmeester has played over 20 minutes in all but three games. He often plays against an opponent&rsquo;s top offensive unit and has been partnered with Mathieu Biron, who spent most of this season in the minors.Many of the things Bouwmeester does well don&rsquo;t show up on the highlight reels. Sieminski said if the Panthers do anything, it would probably be along the lines of a mailing to voters.ON THE HOT SEAT The Panthers have planned to buy out defenseman Igor Ulanov this summer since, well, last summer, just after they got him in the Pavel Bure trade. The NHL&rsquo;s Bank of New York can afford the $2 million per season for which they signed Ulanov in 2001, but the Panthers can&rsquo;t spend that for the No. 7-8 defenseman Ulanov has become. Each Ulanov appearance is an audition for his next team.NOTEBOOK In left winger Peter Worrell&rsquo;s first game back from a concussion, he took a slash from Boston defenseman Nick Boynton that caused swelling in his knee. Worrell had to use a cane for a few days&hellip; In coach Mike Keenan&rsquo;s first full season with Florida, goalie Roberto Luongo had already tied a franchise record of 60 games played in a season with eight games left on the schedule. &#9632;

f0022-05

Panthers wondering how to sell rookie

<div class="byline">-MATT MCHALE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-07229/8263134-1-eng-US/f0022-072.jpg" title="f0022-07" width="276" height="577"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-06279/8263141-1-eng-US/f0022-062.jpg" title="f0022-06" width="211" height="289"></div>Out of the playoffs for the first time in four years, the Kings are taking a hard look at first-year goaltender Cristobal Huet as the regular season winds down.Huet, a 27-year Frenchman who played in Switzerland last season, has been impressive in several starts since taking over for Jamie Storr, who became the No. 1 goaltender after Felix Potvin went out with a sprained left knee in late January.In his first six appearances, Huet went 2-0-1 with a 1.13 goals-against average and. 953 save percentage. He was on the losing end of a 4-1 defeat to Calgary March 18, but he has the organization wondering just where he fits into the future.&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s see if he can be the No. 2 goaltender before we make him the No. 1,&rdquo; said a cautious GM Dave Taylor. &ldquo;So far, we like what we see.&rdquo;Potvin is an unrestricted free agent July 1. Storr is restricted. If Huet continues to impress, Storr could be traded during the off-season. Potvin could either be re-signed or the club could find another starter. On back-to-back nights, Huet defeated playoff-bound Washington and played to a scoreless tie against Carolina.ON THE HOT SEAT The Kings opened the season with high hopes that Eric Belanger could be productive as their No. 2 center. He scored three goals in his first four games and then went 18 games without scoring. He had a hat trick Dec. 17 against St. Louis, but had scored just three goals since.NOTEBOOK Although nothing ever was made official, center Jason Allison and winger Adam Deadmarsh will not play again this year due to concussions. Allison played just 26 games this year due to knee, hip, neck and head injuries. Deadmarsh never played after getting kicked in the head Dec. 15. He had 13 goals in 20 games. &#9632;

f0022-07

Kings wonder where goalie Huet tits in

<div class="byline">-HERB ZURKDWSKY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-02765/8263210-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="283" height="573"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-011098/8263217-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="216" height="258"></div>Canadiens defenseman Patrice Brisebois could have become a member of the New Jersey Devils at the NHL trade deadline, but refused to accept a pay cut.&ldquo;I only wanted them to respect the contract I signed and that&rsquo;s why the trade didn&rsquo;t go through,&rdquo; Brisebois told Montreal radio station CKAC, the Canadiens&rsquo; French-language rights holder.The Canadiens were prepared to trade Brisebois to the Devils for Oleg Tverdovsky, but Brisebois, whose contract includes a notrade clause, balked when asked to restructure the pact. He&rsquo;s in the first year of a four-year deal that pays $4-million U.S. annually.Don Meehan, Brisebois&rsquo; agent, denied his client blocked the potential trade.&ldquo;He was prepared to give up money. The question was, to what degree?&rdquo; Meehan said.Brisebois was told by the team to rest in February after suffering an irregular heartbeat doctors said was caused by stress. The 32-year-old decided to recuperate in Paris, but went to Europe without management&rsquo;s knowledge.ON THE HOT SEAT Veteran right winger Randy McKay, a free agent signing last summer, has failed to provide Montreal with a significant return on their $2.125-million U.S. investment.With six goals and 18 points in 68 games, McKay&rsquo;s offensive skills have diminished and, at minus-14, he&rsquo;s a defensive liability. Also, at age 36, he no longer provides a physical presence.The future of veteran wingers Mariusz Czerkawski and Donald Audette, both of whom have spent time in the American League this season, also appears tenuous.NOTEBOOK The Canadiens have reached a settlement with injured left winger Gino Odjick, who likely has played his final game for Montreal. Odjick, suffering from a concussion that occurred during an informal workout last summer, has yet to play this season. He was assigned to American League Utah in February, but failed to report, complaining he was suffering from headaches. GM Andre Savard announced he no longer was part of the team. &ldquo;It was too soon. I still had symptoms,&rdquo; Odjick said. &ldquo;They ran out of patience, I guess.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0023-02

Deal with Devils crumbles as Brisebois balks at terms

<div class="byline">-DAVID BOCLAIR</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-04406/8263248-1-eng-US/f0023-042.jpg" title="f0023-04" width="284" height="571"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-03562/8263255-1-eng-US/f0023-032.jpg" title="f0023-03" width="220" height="256"></div>Defenseman Andy Delmore remains a one-trick pony.Early on, he was entertaining enough as he set franchise records and led all NHL defensemen in power play goals. Lately, however, his act has begun to wear thin.Delmore&rsquo;s defensive deficiencies cost the Predators dearly in a 5-3 loss March 17 to Edmonton, a game that all but ended their playoff hopes. With five minutes to play his mistake in the neutral zone led to a 2-on-l and the game-winning goal for the Oilers. His minus-2 in that contest dropped him to minus-14 for the season&mdash;tied for worst on the team.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s got a special skill,&rdquo; said coach Barry Trotz. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s good in that area, but in other areas he has to improve. It shows in the plusminus.&rdquo;Delmore&rsquo;s 18 goals were second highest on the team behind Andreas Johansson&rsquo;s 20, and the most among defensemen in the NHL.ON THE HOT SEAT With 10 games to go, center Denis Arkhipov he had scored just nine goals&mdash;two on the power play. He had that many in the final 28 games last season, when he finished as Nashville&rsquo;s leading goal-scorer. In the final year of his rookie contract, he probably already has cost himself a significant raise, but needs to try to convince management to keep him in the plans for an offensive role. In 70 games, Arkhipov had nine goals and 33 points.NOTEBOOK In the first seven games after center David Legwand was injured, the Predators scored just nine goals, with no more than two in a single contest&hellip; Defeseman Mark Eaton set a career-high with six shots in a game (five in the first period) March 15 against St. Louis. His previous best was four&hellip;Kimmo Timonen is the first defenseman in franchise history-the fourth Predator overall-to record 30 assists in a season&hellip;Tomas Vokoun broke Mike Dunham&rsquo;s team record for games played by a goalie with his 59th appearance March 17 against Edmonton&hellip; Beginning with a 3-2 victory over Edmonton Jan. 18, Nashville was undefeated in 12 straight games in which it scored at least three goals (11-0-1-0) before suffering a 5-3 loss to the Oilers March 17. &#9632;

f0023-04

Delmore’s goals are great, defensive play another story

<div class="byline">-RICH CHERE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-02833/8263293-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="284" height="582"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-011173/8263300-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="198" height="283"></div>When Scott Gomez and Oleg Tverdovsky were healthy scratches the night before the trade deadline, speculation was GM Lou Lamoriello was preparing to move them.In fact, neither were traded and, in the case of Gomez, it may simply have been another case of coach Pat Burns trying to make a point with the playmaking center. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve told you, he&rsquo;s got to get better,&rdquo; Burns said. &ldquo;Mayhe he learns from that lesson. I don&rsquo;t dislike Scott Gomez. I wish everybody would stop saying that. My job is to get the most out of a hockey player. If he responds, good. I hope he sticks it (to me.).&rdquo;Did it work? Well, Gomez scored a goal with an assist in his first game back and tallied the Devils&rsquo; only goal in 1-0 victory at Montreal while extending his scoring streak to four games.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t act like it sometimes, but there is no bigger critic than me,&rdquo; Gomez said. &ldquo;You never want to be out of the lineup, but I put a lot of pressure on myself to play (well) every night.&rdquo; ON THE HOT SEAT The off-season acquisition of Tverdovsky in the trade which brought was supposed to give the Devils one of deepest defense corps in the league. Instead, it gave the team a season-long headache that nearly resulted in Tverdovsky being dealt at the trade deadline. He became a frequent scratch when the team acquired Richard Smehlik.NOTEBOOK Newly-acquired right winger Grant Marshall shaved the goatee he had worn for almost nine years after his first game with the Devils and a meeting with GM Lou Lamoriello. Marshall suffered a bruised knee in a Mar. 18 collision with Montreal&rsquo;s Andrei Markov&hellip; The team honored center Joe Nieuwendyk for scoring his 500th goal and 1,000th point with a pregame ceremony Mar. 15.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-03587/8263286-1-eng-US/f0024-032.jpg" title="f0024-03" width="1210" height="1374"><figcaption class="caption-body">Newly acquired defenseman Janne Niinimaa is key to the Islanders&rsquo; playoff hopes.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0024-02

Gomez itching to play after being scratched

<div class="byline">-PETER BUTTE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-05273/8263331-1-eng-US/f0024-052.jpg" title="f0024-05" width="283" height="589"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-04403/8263338-1-eng-US/f0024-042.jpg" title="f0024-04" width="212" height="292"></div>Alexei Yashin registered at least one point in four consecutive games in the middle of March, which ordinarily wouldn&rsquo;t be cause for celebration.But it&rsquo;s been that kind of season for the Islanders&rsquo; supposed star. And team brass believes an overdue run from the slumping Yashin could make the balanced Isles a dangerous out when the post-season begins.&ldquo;The team for the most part has been carried all year by the (Dave) Scatchard line and the (Michael) Peca line,&rdquo; said coach Peter Laviolette. &ldquo;(Yashin&rsquo;s) line has had some power play points, but 5-on-5 it hasn&rsquo;t been as productive as we&rsquo;d like.&rdquo;Before his mini-run, Yashin hadn&rsquo;t done much to justify his $7.4 million salary. He&rsquo;d totaled six goals over a 42-game span, even spending several games on the fourth line.His modest spurt coincided with separate 1-on-l meetings with owner Charles Wang and GM Mike Milbury, although Yashin wouldn&rsquo;t categorize the sitdowns as pep talks or a tongue-lashings from his bosses.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not something I&rsquo;ll talk about,&rdquo; Yashin said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just trying to do whatever I can for the team.&rdquo;ON THE HOT SEAT Yashin has resided there all season, so we&rsquo;ll switch up and point to goalies Garth Snow and Rick DiPietro.Chris Osgood was salary-dumped at the trade deadline partly because the Snow-DiPietro combo excelled during the previous six weeks, while Osgood nursed an ankle injury. Snow should get the bulk of the work, but DiPietro, the No.l overall pick in 2000, has shown enough flashes of talent and moxie to gain the team&rsquo;s confidence.NOTEBOOK Defenseman Janne Niinimaa had three assists in his first four games after his deadline trade from Edmonton, including setting up the game-tying goal against Toronto March 18. &#9632;

f0024-05

Management pep talk seems to help Yashin

<div class="byline">-LARRY BROOKS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-07174/8263369-1-eng-US/f0024-072.jpg" title="f0024-07" width="279" height="579"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-06213/8263376-1-eng-US/f0024-062.jpg" title="f0024-06" width="228" height="285"></div>It didn&rsquo;t take long for Anson Carter to make an impact on Broadway following his trade deadline acquisition from the Oilers. For not only was the winger contributing on the ice skating on boyhood idol Mark Messier&rsquo;s right side, Carter was taking leadership role in the locker room, as well.&ldquo;Coming over here, there are things I&rsquo;ve observed,&rdquo; Carter said. &ldquo;The main thing we have to do here is develop the attitude where we&rsquo;re playing for each other. We have to raise the bar of expectations within the room.&ldquo;In Edmonton, we had a young team that played with a lot of emotion, energy and enthusiasm. Just because we&rsquo;re older here doesn&rsquo;t mean we can&rsquo;t play with those same ingredients.&rdquo;Carter, who came to New York as the centerpiece of the deal that sent Radek Dvorak and Cory Cross west, scored his first goal as a Ranger in the Mar. 19,3-0 victory over Buffalo by redirecting Messier&rsquo;s goalmouth feed past Martin Biron.&ldquo;Playing with Mess is a dream come true for me,&rdquo; Carter said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a guy-with Mike Bossy-I grew up idolizing.&rdquo;ON THE HOT SEAT Eric Lindros, healthy all season, has suffered through the worst year of his career, unable to find his scoring touch or his offensive game.Lindros has moved from his lifelong position at center to right wing, back to the middle and finally back to the right side for the stretch run. He has mutual options-player and team-on his contract for next year.NOTEBOOK Defenseman Brian Leetch&rsquo;s 30-year-old brother Eric, a Green Beret in the U.S. Army, will begin serving his second tour of duty in Afghanistan by the end of March. &ldquo;Nobody wants to see death and destruction, but that&rsquo;s the reality right now,&rdquo; Brian said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very proud of him and all the (soldiers).&rdquo; &#9632;

f0024-07

Carter new leader in Ranger clubhouse

<div class="byline">-BRUCE GARRIOCH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-09121/8263407-1-eng-US/f0024-092.jpg" title="f0024-09" width="280" height="576"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-08138/8263414-1-eng-US/f0024-082.jpg" title="f0024-08" width="213" height="292"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JIM MCISAAC/BBS)</figcaption></div>All Patrick Lalime wants is to help the Ottawa Senators get to the next level.He doesn&rsquo;t care how he gets there or what it takes, but Lalime is preparing for what he hopes will be a long spring as the regular season winds down and the battle for the Stanley Cup officially begins.While he helped lead the Senators to first round victory over Philadelphia with three shutouts in the club&rsquo;s five-game series, Lalime understands what has happened in the past is going to stay there and this year is different challenge.&ldquo;You&rsquo;ve got to challenge yourself and you&rsquo;ve got to look forward to the challenge. We know we&rsquo;ve got a good team here and we want to play well as a team in the playoffs,&rdquo; Lalime said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re excited about going into the playoffs.&rdquo;The 28-year-old Lalime has always stated his goal is to be considered amongst the likes of New Jersey&rsquo;s Martin Brodeur and Colorado&rsquo;s Patrick Roy. Lalime understands the way they&rsquo;ve gotten respect is by winning a Cup and said he&rsquo;d like to do the same with the Senators.ON THE HOT SEAT Center Radek Bonk has been a disappointment because of his inconsistency. All GM John Muckier can hope is Bonk decides to lift his play for the postseason or the Senators are in bigtime trouble. That&rsquo;s part of the reason Bryan Smolinski was brought in at the trade deadline.NOTEBOOK Center Jason Spezza, who suited up for his 26th game March 18 against Carolina officially lost his status as rookie. Though it&rsquo;s going to cost him a shot at more than $4 million in bonuses, Spezza didn&rsquo;t complain. &ldquo;I just want to be here and I want to play,&rdquo; Spezza said&hellip;Veteran center Shaun Van Allen was selected the club&rsquo;s nominee for the Masterton Trophy. &#9632;

f0024-09

Credibility for Lalime comes with success

<div class="byline">-WAYNE FISH</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-02718/8263445-1-eng-US/f0025-022.jpg" title="f0025-02" width="286" height="611"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-011053/8263452-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="229" height="277"></div>Sami Kapanen&rsquo;s biggest game as a Flyer came in perhaps the team&rsquo;s biggest game of the season.Kapanen, stuck in a 16-game goal drought, finally connected for a goal and two assists-his first multiple-point effort since joining Philadelphia Feb. 7-in a 4-2 win over the New Jersey Devils March 17.The victory was the Flyers&rsquo; first of the season over New Jersey and moved them into a tie for the Atlantic Division lead.Kapanen played a major role. In addition to the three points, he forced two penalties, one leading to a goal.If you want to apply the old &ldquo;he&rsquo;s contributed in other ways&rdquo; cliche to Kapanen during his slump, it wouldn&rsquo;t be wrong, according to Jeremy Roenick. &ldquo;Kapanen has been one of our most energetic guys,&rdquo; Roenick said. &ldquo;He brings emotion, speed, tenacity. A lot of guys get a lift off watching him play. His excitement is a big plus for us.&rdquo;ON THE HOT SEAT Now that the post-season is on the horizon, speculation begins anew about which Roman Cechmanek will show up.Will it be the goalie who imploded against Buffalo in 2001 and had some vocal exchanges with teammates in the 2002 Ottawa series?Or will it be the Cechmanek who has dazzled opponents over the past three years during the regular season?Coming into 2002-03, Cechmanek was one of only four goalies over the past two combined seasons to appear among the league&rsquo;s top 10 in wins, goals-against average and save percentage (Dominik Hasek, Patrick Roy and Evgeni Nabokov were the others).NOTEBOOK In a 5-3 win over Carolina March 13, left winger John LeClair made his return from Dec. 3 shoulder surgery a successful one by scoring a goal. Right winger Tony Amonte, making his debut with the Flyers, also scored that night&hellip; Defenseman Eric Weinrich was scheduled to play in his 1,000th NHL game at home against Columbus April 1. Two other Flyers, center Jeremy Roenick and defenseman Eric Desjardins, reached the milestone earlier this season&hellip; Right winger Justin Williams, who underwent ACL surgery on his left knee Jan. 24, skated for the first time March 17, but team officials indicate a second playoff round return would be optimistic. &#9632;

f0025-02

Kapanen’s breakout performance comes at perfect time for Flyers

<div class="byline">-BOB MCMANAMAN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-04320/8263483-1-eng-US/f0025-042.jpg" title="f0025-04" width="277" height="609"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-03490/8263490-1-eng-US/f0025-032.jpg" title="f0025-03" width="195" height="309"></div>What appeared to be the Coyotes&rsquo; best deal at the trade deadline quickly began to look like their worst.Center Jan Hrdina&rsquo;s arrival from Pittsburgh was shrouded in mystery, with the team worried it got damaged goods in return for rookie forwards Ramzi Abid and Guillaume Lefebvre and defenseman Dan Focht. Hrdina has a hip flexor that is aggravated by tendinitis and there were concerns he might not skate for the Coyotes this season.&ldquo;Of course we&rsquo;re disappointed,&rdquo; said GM Mike Barnett. &ldquo;We saw him skate when we were in Pittsburgh (March 4) and he looked like he was ready to go. That&rsquo;s what their doctor said, even though we knew it had been a lingering thing.&rdquo; Pittsburgh will continue to pay Hrdina&rsquo;s $1.2-million salary until he is healthy and although the Coyotes could ask to have the trade dissolved, they won&rsquo;t. They just want Hrdina in the lineup.&ldquo;Obviously, you&rsquo;d like to have a healthy body coming back when you make a trade like that,&rdquo; said coach Bobby Francis.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know where the miscommunication was, but when you get a new toy, you want to be able to play with it. I know (Penguins GM Craig Patrick) isn&rsquo;t a guy that&rsquo;s going to mislead you. I just think it was something that slipped through the cracks.&rdquo;Barnett said Hrdina could probably play with the aid of pain killers or injections, but Coyotes physicians recommended against it.ON THE HOT SEAT Now that he appears to be healthy for the first time since being acquired before last year&rsquo;s trade deadline, left winger Brian Savage must show more results to justify the four-year, $14-million contract extension he received late last season.In 70 career games in Phoenix, Savage has produced just 12 goals and 28 points, including three power play markers and three game-winners. It made him unmovable at the trade deadline, but there are signs of a turnaround.NOTEBOOK The Coyotes plan to go it alone next season with the Springfield Falcons upon news Tampa Bay plans to sever their dual affiliation ties with the American League franchise&hellip;Goalie Zac Bierk, who was in the ECHL a year ago and overcame hip surgery and the death of his father to post a 1.80 goals-against average and. 934 save percentage during a 13-game stint with the Coyotes, was nominated for the Masterton Trophy by the Phoenix chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers&rsquo; Association. &#9632;

f0025-04

Coyotes howl at hurt Hrdina, but won’t have trade rescinded

<div class="byline">-JOE STARKEY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-06183/8263521-1-eng-US/f0025-062.jpg" title="f0025-06" width="284" height="603"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-05228/8263528-1-eng-US/f0025-052.jpg" title="f0025-05" width="216" height="308"></div>Mario Lemieux sent a loud and clear message to the entire Pittsburgh Penguins organization March 18 when he fired one team president, Tom Rooney, and increased the duties of another team president, Ken Sawyer.&ldquo;I have to evaluate the franchise every year and see where we&rsquo;re going and I have to make some tough decisions,&rdquo; Lemieux said. &ldquo;That was a tough one. We all like Tom&hellip;At the end of the year, we&rsquo;re going to sit down and really evaluate the whole organization, top to bottom.&rdquo;Lemieux announced the move as the Penguins were mired in the second-longest winless streak in franchise history (13 games; the longest was 18 in 1982-83). Rooney, nephew of Pittsburgh Steelers president Dan Rooney, was in charge of pumping up revenues, which were down. The Penguins are expected to lose at least a few million dollars this season. Lemieux put Sawyer and GM Craig Patrick, whose job is secure, in charge of the organization-wide evaluation process. Patrick has three years left on his contract, at well more than $1 million per season.Sawyer, a Montreal native, is the point man for the team&rsquo;s new arena. He spent 14 years as the NHL&rsquo;s chief financial officer and joined the Pens in 1999, when Lemieux&rsquo;s ownership group bought the team out of bankruptcy.ON THE HOT SEAT Not a single player-is guaranteed to return next season, so everybody is on the hot seat.No one more so than Lemieux, whose decisions following the season will dictate the fate of the franchise. One of the biggest will be whether to play next season. Most inside the organization expect that he will.NOTEBOOK Center Martin Straka scored his 500th career NHL point with a goal against Detroit March 18&hellip;The Penguins still were paying left winger Jan Hrdina&rsquo;s salary because he had not suited up in Phoenix after a deadline-day trade. (See story at left.) Meanwhile, left winger Ramzi Abid, one of three players obtained in the deal for Hrdina, suffered a tom ACL in a March 16 game against Florida and is out for the rest of the season&hellip;Tom Rooney had a lot to do with the team&rsquo;s financial turnaround out of bankruptcy. After losing $13 million in 1998-99, the Pens broke even and made money the next two years. Last season, they broke even again, largely because of Rooney&rsquo;s idea to raise prices for weekend games. &#9632;

f0025-06

Lemieux sends strong message with firing of Penguins president

<div class="byline">-DERRICK GOOLD</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-02839/8263566-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="270" height="569"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-011185/8263573-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="214" height="278"></div>When Vancouver&rsquo;s Brad May collided with Keith Tkachuk&rsquo;s right wrist and knocked the Blues left winger out of the regular season, it was nearly assured the Blues won&rsquo;t see their full lineup in the regular season.Tkachuk sustained a sprained wrist March 13 and isn&rsquo;t expected to return until the playoffs.That means he won&rsquo;t be in the lineup when Valeri Bure (sprained knee) returns, nor if and when Chris Pronger (wrist and knee surgeries) returns. Jamal Mayers (tom knee ligaments) isn&rsquo;t expected to play again this season-but the Blues hoped that at least once in April they&rsquo;d ice a complete lineup. &ldquo;We wanted to be able to get a sense of our lines,&rdquo; said coach Joel Quenneville.It&rsquo;s not just the man-games lost this season for the Blues-it&rsquo;s the men. Pronger has been out the whole season. Doug Weight has missed 12 games, while Tkachuk will miss 29 with a combination of injuries, a family emergency and a suspension.ON THE HOT SEAT With his 35-save, 1-0 victory in Nashville March 15, Chris Osgood became the first Blues goaltender to debut with a shutout. He pushed his career record against Vancouver to 12-1-4 in his second start with the team, but the Blues need consistency from him.Osgood, a restricted free agent this summer, is only 30 and could win a longer stay in St. Louis-or heighten interest elsewhere-with a solid post-season.NOTEBOOK Goalie Fred Brathwaite and the Blues agreed to a mutual release that cleared practice time for Brent Johnson and Chris Osgood. Brathwaite was a team favorite and many of the Blues were torn by the decision&hellip; Osgood&rsquo;s goose egg March 15 gave the Blues five different goalies with shutouts this season, a new NHL record.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-03680/8263559-1-eng-US/f0026-032.jpg" title="f0026-03" width="1198" height="1366"><figcaption class="caption-body">Sharks right winger Niko Dimitrakos is averaging over 15 minutes of ice time.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0026-02

Full-strength lineup impossible for Blues

<div class="byline">-ROSS MCKEON</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-05363/8263604-1-eng-US/f0026-052.jpg" title="f0026-05" width="273" height="577"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-04492/8263611-1-eng-US/f0026-042.jpg" title="f0026-04" width="213" height="287"></div>Doug Wilson, San Jose&rsquo;s director of pro development, has emerged as a leading candidate to become the Sharks&rsquo; new GM.Shortly after firing Dean Lombardi March 18, team president Greg Jamison said he had assembled a short list of internal and external candidates, and that he hopes to have a new GM in place for the NHL draft June 21-22.Jamison said he&rsquo;s looking for &ldquo;somebody with the vision to build a Stanley Cup champion. We have built through the draft and added quality veterans to a club and we will continue to do that. We want an atmosphere where people want to win and where they think this is a great place to play.&rdquo;Wilson, 45, capped a 16-year playing career by serving as San Jose&rsquo;s captain during its first two years in the league. Lombardi lured Wilson back to the organization by hiring him for his current front office position five years ago. Within the last two months, Wilson has relocated the family residence from suburban Chicago to Scottsdale, Ariz.External candidates the Sharks might consider include Bob Gainey, Don Maloney, Bobby Smith, Neil Smith, Dave Nonis, John Paddock and Jim Nil.ON THE HOT SEAT With the departures of Bryan Marchment and Dan McGillis, 28-year-old Mike Rathje suddenly becomes the senior member of a young defense corps.Considering how far he has progressed since being selected third overall by the Sharks in 1992, Rathje seems to have been mentally affected by San Jose&rsquo;s downturn this season. A solid performer who rarely got beaten 1-on-l the past two years, Rathje has made mistakes on nearly a nightly basis, especially in the second half of the campaign.NOTEBOOK Center Wayne Primeau scored his first goal as a Shark March 17, in his third game with San Jose. &#9632;

f0026-05

Former captain Wilson in running for GM post

<div class="byline">-DAMIAN CRISTODERO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-07254/8263642-1-eng-US/f0026-072.jpg" title="f0026-07" width="270" height="570"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-06295/8263649-1-eng-US/f0026-062.jpg" title="f0026-06" width="218" height="286"></div>Forget for a moment goals scored, goals-against averages and faceoff winning percentages. The Lightning&rsquo;s most impressive stat during its 11-2-4-0 stretch drive streak was its 91.4 per cent efficiency killing penalties.Tampa Bay had killed off 43 of 47 shorthanded situations in that span. That success helped the Lightning to the brink of its first playoff berth since 1996.Reasons for the surge run the gamut. Defenseman Cory Sarich cited &ldquo;a little more desperation when we&rsquo;re out there.&rdquo; Associate coach Craig Ramsay, who runs the special teams, said the players are changing quicker, which keeps fresher legs on the ice. He said the team&rsquo;s stickwork has improved and goalie Nikolai Khabibulin has found his form.&ldquo;Your No. 1 penalty killer is always your goalie,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But our level of commitment to the penalty kill also has risen as the battle has proceeded down the stretch.&rdquo;ON THE HOT SEAT Look no further than Nikolai Khabibulin. An argument can be made he has carried the team during its streak with a teamrecord and personal best 11-game unbeaten streak (9-0-2), but an argument can be made he was the team&rsquo;s biggest disappointment before that. Whichever goalie shows up for the playoffs could make the difference between success and failure.NOTEBOOK Time Warner, the Tampa Bay area&rsquo;s largest cable TV provider, came to a deal March 13 with Sunshine Network, which holds the Lightning&rsquo;s TV rights. The dispute over fees paid for Sunshine&rsquo;s programming kept Sunshine off Time Warner and the Lightning out of 1.7 million homes since Jan. 1&hellip; Left winger Fredrik Modin has struggled. Entering the March 20 game against Los Angeles, the former 32-goal scorer had one goal in 14 games and just 16 for the season. &#9632;

f0026-07

Penalty-killing crew key to Bolts’ surge

<div class="byline">-KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-09181/8263680-1-eng-US/f0026-092.jpg" title="f0026-09" width="277" height="582"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-08208/8263687-1-eng-US/f0026-082.jpg" title="f0026-08" width="202" height="294"></div>Only half the players the Maple Leafs acquired in the week leading up to the trade deadline were actually in the lineup, but Owen Nolan was doing more than enough to make up for the losses.Nolan, the crown jewel of the Leafs&rsquo; acquisitions at the deadline, was finding a new lease on his hockey life in Toronto. In five games after coming over from San Jose, Nolan had five goals and seven points and gave the team a viable offensive option on both the second line and second power play unit.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a different attitude here than it was in San Jose,&rdquo; Nolan said. &ldquo;Guys are upbeat and they&rsquo;ve got that cocky attitude that they&rsquo;re going to win every game and it makes it a lot easier to play.&rdquo;The developments weren&rsquo;t as good for center Doug Gilmour. Eight shifts into his return debut as a Leaf, Gilmour collided with Calgary&rsquo;s Dave Lowry March 13 and crawled on all fours to get off the ice. After fears Gilmour&rsquo;s season, and perhaps his career, might be done, it was revealed he strained ligaments and was expected back early in the playoffs.ON THE HOT SEAT After a slight slippage in his level of play, goalie Ed Belfour rebounded nicely in midMarch and continued the level of play that has made him the Maple Leafs&rsquo; MVP this season.But all eyes will be on Belfour as the playoffs near. Belfour must prove he can do in the pressure-packed post-season what he has accomplished from October to April.NOTEBOOK Defenseman Bryan McCabe was irate when he learned he was on the NHL&rsquo;s latest list of flagrant divers after an incident with Vancouver&rsquo;s Todd Bertuzzi March 15. &ldquo;They don&rsquo;t call half the (crap) that goes on,&rdquo; he told the Toronto Star. &ldquo;I get speared in the (groin) the play before, then I get punched in the head and I go down and it&rsquo;s a dive?&rdquo; &#9632;

f0026-09

White-hot Nolan proving value to Leats

<div class="byline">-ELLIOTT PAP</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02763/8263718-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="289" height="604"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-011132/8263725-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="204" height="302"></div>Brad May&rsquo;s return to the Canucks brought headlines, then a headache.In his first period back with Vancouver, the rambunctious left winger took out St. Louis Blues left winger Keith Tkachuk with a crushing open-ice hit and then fought twice as both Bryce Salvador and Reed Low attempted to exact revenge.Then in May&rsquo;s second game, he was taken out by a Mats Sundin shoulder check that knocked him unconscious and sent him to hospital. A few days after that mishap, the concussed May, who&rsquo;ll be out until late March or longer, was still able to crack a one-liner. &ldquo;1 can&rsquo;t imagine what Don Cherry is going to say, me getting knocked out by a Swede,&rdquo; May said.May could not recall being removed from the GM Place ice surface on a stretcher, nor the fact that Toronto&rsquo;s Sundin patted him on the arm as he was being wheeled out. The hit was clean and there was no penalty on the play.&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t be running around looking for hits without expecting to get hit,&rdquo; May concluded.ON THE HOT SEAT Goalie Dan Cloutier has bounced back nicely from last spring&rsquo;s playoff meltdown and has again surpassed the 30-win mark.However, everyone is waiting to see how the 26-year-old performs in this year&rsquo;s Stanley Cup tournament, a situation compounded by a sprained knee that cost him three weeks and 10 games during the stretch run. Cloutier has had problems in the past regaining his form immediately following an injury.NOTEBOOK Right winger Todd Bertuzzi surpassed his career high in points when he reached 86 against Dallas March 17&hellip; The Canucks established a team record for road victories when they won their 22nd against the Stars&hellip;Rookie goalie Alex Auld posted his second career victory March 17. Both wins were by the same score (4-2) and in the same building-the American Airlines Center in Dallas-that share his initials&hellip;Defenseman Mattias Ohlund&rsquo;s injured left knee was coming around slowly after he dislocated it against San Jose Feb. 27 and needed arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips. He&rsquo;s expected to be ready for the playoffs. &#9632;

f0027-02

May doesn’t blame Sundin for concussion-inducing hit

<div class="byline">-DAVE FAY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-04377/8263756-1-eng-US/f0027-042.jpg" title="f0027-04" width="280" height="601"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-03542/8263763-1-eng-US/f0027-032.jpg" title="f0027-03" width="217" height="302"></div>The Washington Capitals were considering converting three spare parts known as the fourth line into a second checking unit, potentially giving the team two lines to stop the opposition&rsquo;s best forwards and two lines that can score.To make it work, however, the Caps have to get right winger Jaromir Jagr and left winger Kip Miller healthy, though that shouldn&rsquo;t be a long-term issue. (Both were out day-to-day with hand injuries.) Washington already has one of the top checking units in the game, with center Jeff Halpern between wingers Steve Konowalchuk and Mike Grier.What may be in the offing is a second unit with two credible defensive players, Brian Sutherby and Dainius Zubrus, plus a third player in a rotating slot.The result: the Capitals would have a No. 1 scoring line of Miller, Robert Lang and Jagr, and a second unit consisting of Peter Bondra, Michael Nylander and Sergei Berezin.&ldquo;We need two lines that can shut people down,&rdquo; said one Capitals official.ON THE HOT SEAT If the Caps fail to advance deep into the post-season, or if Bondra isn&rsquo;t one of the team&rsquo;s standouts, Washington may opt not to exercise its option on the left winger, who is being paid $4.75 million this year and is scheduled for $4.5 million in 2003-04.Bondra is closing in on 30 goals this season, but his scoring lanes are not as wide as they once were and his legendary slumps are growing longer. He may only be the first person off the bus.NOTEBOOK Left winger Sergei Berezin, obtained from Chicago at the March 11 trade deadline, made an immediate splash. He had two goals and three points, including a game-winner, in his first two games&hellip;When defenseman Sergei Gonchar scored his 15 th goal of the season against Colorado March 16, it gave the Capitals seven players with at least that many. The point was Gonchar&rsquo;s 58th of the season, tying his career high&hellip;It was a long time between games for defenseman J-F Fortin. He finally played against the Los Angeles Kings March 14; his previous NHL action was back on Dec. 30. &#9632;

f0027-04

Gaps may load up top units if fourth line gets defensive

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div>After winning the American League scoring championship last year, Donald MacLean couldn&rsquo;t wait for the 2002-03 season to begin.Except he had to wait. It was five long months before he was able to take to the ice with the Syracuse Crunch. A herniated disk in MacLean&rsquo;s neck required surgery in November and the sixth-year center didn&rsquo;t play until Feb. 28.Now he&rsquo;s hoping his performance over the final month will be enough to prompt the Columbus Blue Jackets to pick up the option on his contract so he can show next season what he was hoping to prove this year. Namely, that his 33 goals and 87 points a year ago with the St. John&rsquo;s Maple Leafs were a true indication of what he can do, that he can be a productive depth player for the Jackets.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-011041/8263825-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="235" height="373"><figcaption class="caption-body">DONALD MACLEAN</figcaption></div>&ldquo;After the year I had last year, I was thinking things were just starting to go my way,&rdquo; said MacLean, who played 22 NHL games with Los Angeles in 1997-98, but has played only six NHL games since (including three for Toronto in 2000-01.)A freak off-season training injury curtailed his hopes this year. The herniated disk, which occurred when he was doing pull-ups, put pressure on his spinal cord. He lost feeling in his arm. When treatment didn&rsquo;t cure it, surgery was necessary.&ldquo;When I first met with the doctor, he said it could be career-ending,&rdquo; said MacLean, 26. &ldquo;When you talk about surgery on your neck, there&rsquo;s a chance of something going wrong.&rdquo;Surgery was a success and after rehab, MacLean had an immediate impact, scoring five goals and nine points in his first eight games.&ldquo;He seems to be worth a goal a game,&rdquo; said Crunch coach Gary Agnew. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no panic to his game. People are coming at him and he never panics, he can wait to the last instant before he moves the puck. He has quick hands.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0029-01

Maclean making up for lost time

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><h2>AHL EAST NOTEBOOK</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02698/8263863-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="242" height="244"></div>The NHL is again using the American League to try to improve its own product, this time by tinkering with the two-referee system.While the AHL usually only uses one ref-it&rsquo;s cost-prohibitive to use two-the NHL began experimenting in select AHL games with a new wrinkle to the two-man system.One referee is responsible for following the puck-meaning it&rsquo;s like the old days, where he skates end to end&mdash;while the second referee will concentrate on the action away from the puck and behind the play.The belief is there could be much more consistency to how games are officiated. The ref following the puck will, in theory, be able to enforce the same infractions and give the same leeway to defenders at both ends of the ice. The trailing referee will always use the same thought process when making obstruction calls or ignoring borderline infractions.&ldquo;The consistency of those calls could then get a lot better,&rdquo; said Andy VanHellemond, the NHL&rsquo;s director of officiating. &ldquo;Many officials have told me they&rsquo;ve seen something they thought they were going to call, but they thought better of it because their partner was standing right in front of it and made no call.&rdquo; The concept could be tested in an NHL game involving non-playoff teams late in the season.WHITE KNIGHT The Norfolk Admirals reacquired center Peter White, whom they had loaned to the Philadelphia Phantoms in November as a favor to his family.White&rsquo;s wife and kids stayed at their home in the suburban Philadelphia area while he was playing in Norfolk. The loan was conditional on White returning to the Admirals if they appeared capable of making a run at the Calder Cup. As of mid-March, Norfolk had the third-best record in the Western Conference.However, AHL bylaws prohibit a player being loaned back to a team in the same season. Thus, the parent Chicago Blackhawks had to trade his rights to Philadelphia, who then were allowed to loan him to Norfolk.While some charged that the teams skirted the rules, it was a legal maneuver according to the letter of the law in the AHL constitution.FINALLY It took Utah defenseman Dan Jancevski 142 games, but he finally scored a goal. An ugly one, at that.Jancevski, a second round pick by Dallas in 1999, scored from center in a 3-2 overtime win at Milwaukee March 16. He had nine assists and 160 penalty minutes in 65 games this year after picking up 13 assists and 147 PIMs in 77 games as a rookie last season.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-03482/8263856-1-eng-US/f0029-032.jpg" title="f0029-03" width="1003" height="1494"><figcaption class="caption-body">Winger Rob Collins, a rookie pro out of Ferris State, is seventh on Grand Rapids in scoring with 11 goals and 30 points through 67 games.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0029-02

Two-man ref system gets tweak

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-04344/8263908-1-eng-US/f0029-042.jpg" title="f0029-04" width="265" height="434"><figcaption class="caption-body">TOMAS KOPECKY</figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-05283/8263901-1-eng-US/f0029-052.jpg" title="f0029-05" width="142" height="137"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>POSITION</h2>Right wingerAGE21SIZE6-3, 187<h2>HOMETOWN</h2>Hava, Slovakia<h2>LAST AMATEUR CLUB</h2>Lethbridge (WHL)2002-03 Grand Rapids Griffins<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-06228/8263894-1-eng-US/f0029-062.jpg" title="f0029-06" width="375" height="81"></div><h2>NHL AFFILIATION</h2>Detroit Red Wings<h2>NOTEWORTHY</h2>Drafted 38th overall in 2000&hellip; Played three years in Slovakia&rsquo;s Dukla Trencin program before spending two years in the Western League, scoring 56 goals and 126 points in 109 games.<h2>BOTTOM LINE</h2>Kopecky is a creative forward with excellent sense and will play in traffic. He has gotten better as the season progressed, but needs work on his skating. &#9632;

f0029-04

SCOUTING REPORT

<div class="byline">BY ROB MUELLER</div><h2>NOTEBOOK</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-07184/8263939-1-eng-US/f0029-072.jpg" title="f0029-07" width="216" height="216"></div>With the $2.75 million Damian Rhodes earns this season, he could buy the Greenville Grrrowl and still have enough left over to pick up a Ferrari or two.The third-highest paid player on the Atlanta Thrashers&rsquo; payroll, Rhodes is rehabbing in the East Coast League, trying to help the defending Kelly Cup-champion Grrrowl make the playoffs.Rhodes, 33, has battled an assortment of injuries in recent years and was assigned to Greenville in late February. In nine games, he&rsquo;s 2-6-1 with an. 883 save percentage.In 309 NHL games with Atlanta, Ottawa and Toronto, Rhodes was 92-12141 with a 2.83 goals-against average. He was 1-4-0 in seven games for Lowell in the American League this season.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s healthy again and down here to get some games,&rdquo; said Greenville coach John Marks. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not sure how long we&rsquo;ll have him.&rdquo;SLITHERING AWAY? Owners of the Columbus Cottonmouths said they&rsquo;ve lost more than $500,000 this season and might pull the plug on the team.Co-owner Shelby Amos said the team could be sold to a local buyer, but wouldn&rsquo;t rule out relocating the club or asking the ECHL to suspend operations next season. The Cottonmouths are 20th in attendance, averaging 2,864 in 33 home dates.&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t keep throwing good money after bad,&rdquo; said Amos to the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.LEGAL MATTERS A federal appeals court in Richmond, Va., ruled that two disputes between the ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players&rsquo; Association must go to arbitration.One case involves former Peoria Rivermen brawler Brandon Sugden, who was banned for life after his thrown stick hit a female fan during a 2001 game in Dayton. The other involves former Tallahassee Tiger Sharks players, who lost playoff income in 2000-01 as a result of team&rsquo;s salary-cap violations. The league docked the Tiger Sharks points in the standings, which kept them out of the post-season. &#9632;

f0029-07

Rhodes staying healthy, but struggling

<div class="byline">BY TIM CAMPBELL</div>Portland center Trent Whitfield has bounced up and down from the NHL to the American League in each of the last four seasons.One thing he knows for sure, though: his 95 games worth of NHL experience has him more determined than ever to make the big league.&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to say &lsquo;To heck with it, I&rsquo;m not going to bother trying,&rsquo;&rdquo; said the fifth-year pro. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m working at it in every game. Hopefully, I&rsquo;ll be able to find my mark in the NHL and stay there one day.&rdquo;Whitfield, 25, was a coveted commodity last season when the New York Rangers plucked him off waivers from Washington. He played one game with them, however, and was reclaimed by the Capitals and sent to finish the year with the Pirates.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011171/8263970-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="235" height="369"><figcaption class="caption-body">TRENT WHITFIELD</figcaption></div>This season, Whitfield played nine games in three weeks with the Caps in December, scoring no points. He returned to Portland again.A gold-medal winner for Team Canada at the 1997 World Junior Championship, the Estevan, Sask., native isn&rsquo;t resentful about being back in Portland.After returning to the Pirates, he had an 11-game point streak. He was also the team&rsquo;s leading scorer, with 26 goals and 59 points in 61 games. Included in that total were seven power play goals, four game-winners and a franchise-record five shorthanded markers.Whitfield&rsquo;s nightly high-energy level rarely flags.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s wanting to get back,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You know what it&rsquo;s like up there, you know how you get treated. It&rsquo;s the NHL.&ldquo;Any time you come back and start pouting, they can just say, &lsquo;Well, if that&rsquo;s the way you are, we&rsquo;ll just leave you there.&rsquo; I don&rsquo;t want that to be a mark on me.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0030-01

Pirates’ Whitfield keeps pouring it on

<div class="byline">BY TIM CAMPBELL</div><h2>AHL EAST NOTEBOOK</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-02791/8264008-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="244" height="239"></div>Players are usually beset by familiar injuries: strains, breaks and separations. But what plagued Worcester goalie Reinhard Divis, no one would have guessed.In his third game back from a severe groin injury, the Austrian-born St. Louis prospect began to feel a nick or pinch high on the inside of his left leg. Thinking it was just an equipment problem, he put it out of his mind. When he awoke the next day, he found his leg swollen and sore, leaving him barely able to walk.Doctors diagnosed the trouble as a spider bite, the same thing that happened to Divis&rsquo;s wife in February. The goalie&rsquo;s condition became more serious after diagnosis. It took intravenous antibiotics and two days in hospital to bring the reaction under control.Exterminators have taken care of the Divis house, as well.BAD TO WORSE Portland defenseman Nolan Yonkman may want to forget 2002-03.The 21-year-old has played only 23 American League games and will miss the rest of the regular season after suffering a broken orbital bone from a fight in a game against Springfield March 2.Surgery was required to repair the injury, including two plates and a titanium screw.Yonkman missed major time earlier in the season with both an abdominal muscle injury and a broken wrist. Pirates coach Tim Army said Yonkman may be ready to come back for the playoffs in mid-April.NOT SO SZOPER A trade-deadline deal that brought goalie J-F Damphousse to Saint John forced the Flames to leave the struggling Levente Szuper off the team&rsquo;s 22-man playoff roster and thus ineligible for the rest of the regular season.Szuper, 22, had split time in goal this season with Dany Sabourin. He could return to action if either of the Flames goalies is injured down the stretch or in the playoffs, if the Flames qualify.Szuper missed considerable time and wasn&rsquo;t himself in the season&rsquo;s first half, when his grandmother died in his native Hungary.He was 12-18-2 with a. 903 save percentage was considering playing for Hungary in the World Championship in April.NOTEBOOK Center Justin Papineau, who was traded from St. Louis to the New York Islanders, was a huge pick-up for Isles&rsquo; affiliate Bridgeport. Papineau scored a pair of goals, including one on the first-ever penalty shot in the team&rsquo;s two-year history, March 15 against Springfield.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-03567/8264001-1-eng-US/f0030-032.jpg" title="f0030-03" width="998" height="1468"><figcaption class="caption-body">Winger Matt Pettinger had a trying year in Portland after making Washington as a rookie pro last season. He&rsquo;s a team low minus-4.</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0030-02

Freak injury sidelines goalie Divis

<div class="byline">-PAVEL BARTA</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-04403/8264039-1-eng-US/f0030-042.jpg" title="f0030-04" width="93" height="100"><figcaption class="caption-body" style="width: 93px">(STEVE BABINEAU/SA)</figcaption></div>Future and former NHLers are performing in Europe this season. Here are four such players with NHL rights in parentheses.&bull; Roman Simicek, C, 32 (free agent). Simicek played 63 NHL games with Pittsburgh and Minnesota. He led all playoff scorers in the Czech league with two goals and eight points in four games with Sparta Prague.&bull; Chris Joseph, D, 33 (free agent). Veteran of 14 NHL seasons, Joseph was the top-scoring defenseman for German league Mannheim Eagles, with seven goals and 30 points through 47 games.&bull; Maxim Spiridonov, RW, 25 (Edmonton). Chosen 241st overall in 1998, Spiridonov is the top Russian league goal scorer, with 21, and the leading point producer with Amur Khabarovsk with 35 points in 45 games.&bull; Peter Nordstrom, C, 28 (Boston). Nordstrom played two games with the Bruins in 199899. He is Swedish league Farjestad&rsquo;s leading playoff scorer with four points in five games. &#9632;</div>

f0030-04

EYE ON EUROPE

<div class="byline">-BRENDAN SAVAGE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-05296/8264070-1-eng-US/f0030-052.jpg" title="f0030-05" width="196" height="100"></div>You won&rsquo;t find the United League&rsquo;s top ironman on the ice. Terry Ficorelli, Muskegon&rsquo;s radio play-by-play man, has never missed a game in his 29year broadcasting career. With 11 games left this season, Ficorelli&rsquo;s streak was at 2,647 games. That includes 671 during eight years in Muskegon. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve really been blessed and fortunate with my health,&rdquo; Ficorelli told the Muskegon Chronicle. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been doing this since I was a teenager and after all these years, I still enjoy it as much as I did the first day I did it.&rdquo; Ficorelli has also covered Kalamazoo and Adirondack. &#9632;

f0030-05

NOTEBOOK

<div class="byline">-CHADD CRIPE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-06235/8264101-1-eng-US/f0030-062.jpg" title="f0030-06" width="211" height="65"></div>Idaho&rsquo;s Scott Swanson is closing in on West Coast League history. Swanson could become the first defenseman to lead his team in scoring in the league&rsquo;s eight-year history. Swanson had 65 points-including a league-best 57 assists-with 12 games remaining. Right winger Marty Flichel, out with a broken hand, was second in scoring (63) and center Joe Rybar was third (60). &ldquo;I learned when I was young, as a defenseman, you pass the puck to the people who are better than you and they score,&rdquo; Swanson said. &lsquo;You get an assist for doing that. It&rsquo;s pretty easy.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0030-06

<div class="byline">-DAVID HENRY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-07192/8264132-1-eng-US/f0030-072.jpg" title="f0030-07" width="193" height="109"></div>Oklahoma City Blazers right winger Joe Burton is arguably the Central League&rsquo;s greatest player. Burton now has the hardware to prove it. In honor of Burton, the league&rsquo;s all-time scoring leader, the CHL&rsquo;s top-point producer each season will receive the Burton Trophy. Burton has played 11 consecutive seasons with Oklahoma City, the longest stint with one team for any player in the past 22 years of North American minor pro hockey. A native of Garden City, Mich., Burton will hang up his skates following this season with 19 CHL single-game scoring records. &#9632;

f0030-07

<div class="byline">-NICK GATES</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-08162/8264163-1-eng-US/f0030-082.jpg" title="f0030-08" width="211" height="73"></div>The Winston-Salem Parrots will stay put next season, if owner Bill Coffey can find local investors. Buyers aren&rsquo;t knocking down Coffey&rsquo;s door, though. The Parrots, who averaged about 600 per game when they began the season in St. Petersburg, are drawing roughly 800 per game in North Carolina&hellip; Savannah, Ga., which hosted a pair of &ldquo;test-market&rdquo; games, is out of the running for a 2003-04 expansion team&hellip; Orlando Seals right winger Zac Boyer was named coach-GM of the Miami Manatees, an expansion team that will began play next season. &#9632;

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April 4, 2003

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