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.

January 20, 2004

The Hockey News January 20, 2004

<div class="byline">- RICH CHERE</div>The loss of right winger Jamie Langenbrunner with a knee injury in late November hurt the New Jersey Devils more than they had imagined.Over the next 17 games they strug-gled to stay above .500 and were rele-gated to chasing the Flyers and Maple Leafs.When they also lost Turner Stevenson, the Devils came back to the rest of the pack.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-05300/8571658-1-eng-US/f0024-052.jpg" title="f0024-05" width="190" height="225"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A+ Martin Brodeur, G. Started 35 of first 37 with eight shutouts.A Patrik Elias, RW. Team&rsquo;s only dan-gerous goal-scorer.A Scott Niedermayer, D. Making a push for the Norris Trophy.A Jamie Langenbrunner, RW. Knee injury interrupted a great start.A Brian Rafalski, D. Keeping pace offensively with Niedermayer.A Jay Pandolfo, LW. On way to best two-way season of his career.A Scott Stevens, D. An offensive con-tributor again logging heavy ice time.B+ Scott Gomez, C. Team&rsquo;s best passer needs some finishers.B+ Brian Gionta, RW. Four game-winners.B+ John Madden, C. A top penalty-killer looking for another Selke.B+ Paul Martin, D. Rookie has demonstrated offensive skills.B Sergei Bylin, C. Versatility is his biggest asset.B Jeff Friesen, LW. A knack for scoring big goals.B Colin White, D. Tough when he needs to be.B Igor Larionov, C. Breathed life into Devils power play.B Mike Rupp, C. Clutch scorer learning to play physical.B David Hale, D. Physical blueliner still learning the game.B Tommy Albelin, D. Can&rsquo;t ask for more from veteran fill-in.B Erik Rasmussen, C. Role player has given team depth.C+ Christian Berglund, RW. Needs to play with an edge.C Grant Marshall, RW. Tough veteran started slowly.C Turner Stevenson, RW. Plagued by physical problems.C Jiri Bicek, RW. Reliable minor league call-up.C Corey Schwab, G. Battling groin injury all season. &#9632;

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NHL TEAM REPORTS

Injuries taking toll after fabulous start

<div class="byline">ROSS MCKEON</div>Talk about a turnaround from one quarter of the season to the next. The Sharks were the dregs of the Western Conference after winning four of their first 20 games. But in an out-of-nowhere resurgence, San Jose earned points in all but three of its second 20 contests (12-4-3-1) to claim the Pacific Division lead.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-011221/8571906-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg" title="f0028-01" width="229" height="235"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A-&nbsp;Patrick Marleau, C. Big improvement in consistency.A-Scott Hannan, D. Minute-muncher doesn&rsquo;t make many mistakes.A-&nbsp;Vesa Toskala, G. Best Sharks backup in years.B+&nbsp;Evgeni Nabokov, G. Improved game after injury.B+&nbsp;Alyn McCauley, C. Supplied leadership and scoring in bigger role.B+&nbsp;Rob Davison, D. No Shark has come further in past year.B+&nbsp;Nils Ekman, RW. Feisty and consistent.B+&nbsp;Jonathan Cheechoo, RW. Second-year NHLer a steady contributor mature beyondhis years.B&nbsp;Marco Sturm, LW. Speed literally separates him from the pack.B&nbsp;Vincent Damphousse, LW. Made smooth, productive transition from center to wing.B&nbsp;Wayne Primeau, C. Played strong role when not bothered by nagging injuries.B&nbsp;Scott Parker, RW. Enforcer doesn&rsquo;t hurt team when he&rsquo;s on the ice.B-&nbsp;Brad Stuart, D. Must pay attention to details.B-&nbsp;Mike Rathje, D. Has rallied after slow start.C+&nbsp;Kyle McLaren, D. Physical element has been missing some nights.C+&nbsp;Niko Dimitrakos, RW. Must add strength.C&nbsp;Scott Thornton, LW. Injuries cut into production.CAlexander Korolyuk, LW. Excels on fourth line.C&nbsp;Mark Smith, C. Glut at center, injuries limit pivot&rsquo;s ice time.C&nbsp;Christian Ehrhoff, D. Needs work in own end.C&nbsp;Tom Preissing D. See Ehrhoff analysis.C-&nbsp;Mike Ricci, C. Slip in production results in less ice, demotion to fourth line.C-&nbsp;Todd Harvey, RW. Added energy and spirit since recall from American League. &#9632;

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Sharks become contenders despite Jekyll & Hyde start

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0040-03" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-03318/8572887-1-eng-US/f0040-032.jpg"></div> &#9632;

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IN THIS ISSUE

TRANSACTIONS

<h2>THE GREAT CAR CAPER</h2>The Great One's 2002 Lincoln Navigator isn't so great anymore. Wayne Gretzky was the victim of a robbery at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz. According to police, a thief walked into Gretzky&rsquo;s unlocked home Jan. 3, grabbed car keys and drove off in a black Lincoln. A digital camera and a cell phone were also taken.<h2>NEWPORT&rsquo;S GORUVEN DIES</h2>The hockey community lost a pioneer of sorts with the passing Jan. 1 of Anna Goruven, who worked for Don Meehan&rsquo;s player agency, Newport Sports. Born in Ukraine, Goruven worked as the agent and translator for Russian goalie Vladislav Tretiak. Goruven joined Newport in the early 1990s and worked with players such as Oleg Tverdovsky, Evgeni Nabokov and 2004 top draft prospect Alexander Ovechkin. She had been battling stomach cancer when she passed away in Helsinki while attending the WJC. She was 49.<h2>TALLAS SUFFERS HEART ATTACK</h2>Former NHL goalie Rob Tallas is recovering after suffering a heart attack. Tallas, 30, was in stable condition a few days after collapsing in Hameenlinna, Finland, where he plays. He was treated for a viral heart infection earlier this season, but was cleared to practise.<h2>THIS &rsquo;ROENICK&rsquo; OFF TO JAIL</h2>A Louisiana man pretending to be a hockey player pleaded guilty in court to bank fraud and identity theft. Mark Lachney, 35, admitted he used the social security number of Philadelphia&rsquo;s Jeremy Roenick to get a $24,500 loan from Hibernia National Bank. The plea agreement recommends Lachney&rsquo;s prison sentence be capped at 10 years. He also masqueraded as Keith Tkachuk and Brian Leetch on ID cards. &#9632;

HOCKEY WORLD IN BRIEF

<div class="byline">Jason Kay Editor</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-011956/8570219-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="318" height="357"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021645/8570226-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="88" height="90"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div>Joe Fan has spoken. As has Jim Fan, Jeoff Fan, Laurent Fan, Gregg Fan and Eric Fan, among others. In black and white, and apparently read all over, we slotted Joe Fan in the century spot in our annual People of Power & Influence special issue (THN, Dec. 30). It&rsquo;s a good thing we didn&rsquo;t rank Joe &ldquo;100 with a bullet&rdquo; because the ammo would have been turned against us.Many letter-writers couldn&rsquo;t fathom how the fans rated a &ldquo;lowly 100th.&rdquo; Here&rsquo;s a sampling of what you had to say: From Jeoff Lennox of Brockville, Ont.: &ldquo;I am Joe Fan. As Joe Fan, my importance to this great game is so far above that of Gary Bettman, Bob Goodenow (and everyone else on your list) that we shouldn&rsquo;t even be discussed in the same week.&rdquo; From Jim Kolson of Winnipeg. &ldquo;Last year not ranked, this year No. 100, even though the previous 99 selections all depend upon Joe. I&rsquo;m thinking that Joe & Jolene Fan should be No. 1.&rdquo;From Eric Seamans of Milton, Mass.: &ldquo;Shouldn&rsquo;t the fans get a better rating than (100th), considering they&rsquo;re consuming all the tickets, merchandise, concessions and keeping what&rsquo;s left of a national and local TV rating?&rdquo;From Laurent Therrien of Smooth Rock Falls, Ont.: &ldquo;I found it funny that those who determined the 100 People of Power & Influence chose to rank Joe Fan a lowly No. 100. It just shows you what those in the hockey world (NHL and NHL Players&rsquo; Association included) really think of the fans.&rdquo; From Gregg Bodin of Staten Island, N.Y.: &ldquo;I seriously think your selection of Joe Fan as No. 100 was a major underestimation..Remember if it wasn&rsquo;t for Joe Fan there wouldn&rsquo;t be any need for the other 99 people on the list.&rdquo; Point taken. And between you and me and the tens of thousands of other eyes that read this, we agree&hellip;to a point. We believe the fans are paramount. Without their support, there would be no fuel to fire the machinery.That said, there are a few reasons we slotted Joe Fan at 100. For starters, we instituted a policy a couple years back that each position on the People of Power list should be represented by an individual. No more ties or shared spots. We make an exception for No. 100-it&rsquo;s intended to be the list kicker. Because no one individual represents &ldquo;Joe Fan", and because of our desire to represent the paying public in this crucial CBA year, we felt 100 was the only applicable spot.In addition, the power of Joe Fan hasn&rsquo;t been completely harnessed. If the fans were able to galvanize and unite-if they started boycotting games, for example-their strength would multiply exponentially. The NHL Fans Association does have more than 20,000 members, but that&rsquo;s not enough to wield significant clout. The fandom remains a little like Marc-Andre Fleury: vast potential yet to be fully realized.But don&rsquo;t despair. We&rsquo;re about to provide a vehicle for your voice. We have a wide-ranging fan survey in the works; it&rsquo;s scheduled to appear in our Feb. 10 issue and will be available online. We&rsquo;ll ask your opinion on everything from the state of the game to the CBA negotiations, as well as solicit your thoughts on the things you like best. We also invite you to send us suggested questions. If common themes emerge that we haven&rsquo;t considered, we&rsquo;U include them in the poll.If you&rsquo;ve got a question for the survey, please send it to: <a href="mailto:aproteau@thehockeynews.com">aproteau@thehockeynews.com</a>; or write, The Hockey News, 100 Sheppard Ave. West, Suite 100, Toronto, Ont., M2N 6S7. We look forward to your participation.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-031339/8570212-1-eng-US/f0004-032.jpg" title="f0004-03" width="443" height="235"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-041089/8570205-1-eng-US/f0004-042.jpg" title="f0004-04" width="2711" height="766"><figcaption class="caption-body">STEADY STORY&nbsp;NHL average attendance has remained relatively consistent over the past 10 years. This season&rsquo;s average attendance is based on games played through Jan 7 (LISA MEYER/BS)</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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FEATURES & COLUMNS

Joe Fan deserves his due

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-05879/8570264-1-eng-US/f0004-052.jpg" title="f0004-05" width="311" height="493"><figcaption class="caption-body">JEREMY YABLONSKI</figcaption></div><h2>MILESTONES</h2>Stephane Quintal &bull; D, 35Montreal, Jan. 6 vs. BuffaloAchieves NHL Milestone Award for playing in 1,000th game.Curtis Leschyshyn &bull; D, 34Ottawa, Jan. 1 vs. Islanders Achieves NHL Milestone Award for playing in 1,000th game.<h2>NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS</h2>Brian Boucher &bull; G, 27Phoenix, Jan. 7 at Washington First goalie in 55 years to recordfour straight shutouts.NHL DEBUTSTim Jackman &bull; RW, 22Columbus, Dec. 20 at Minnesota Former Minnesota State Maverick makes debut on home turf vs. Wild.Jason Pominville &bull; RW, 21Buffalo, Dec. 27 at WashingtonHas three shots in 15 minutes replacing the injured J-P Dumont.Jeremy Yablonski &bull; LW, 23St. Louis, Dec. 30 vs. PhiladelphiaFormer Golden Gloves champ handles job well as Blues enforcer.Mikko Luoma &bull; D, 27Edmonton, Dec. 30 vs. Minnesota Slick passer allows a goal on second shift, but later adds an assist.Tomas Plekanec &bull; C, 21Montreal, Dec. 31 at DallasPlays sparingly on fourth line, but is bumped up to checking line.Tuomas Pihlman &bull; RW, 21New Jersey, Jan. 1 at Washington Plays six minutes against Caps on line with fellow call-up Craig Darby.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-06531/8570257-1-eng-US/f0004-062.jpg" title="f0004-06" width="305" height="492"><figcaption class="caption-body">TUOMAS PIHLMAN</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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WORTH NOTING

<div class="byline">-BOB MCNIANAMAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0005-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-011965/8570326-1-eng-US/f0005-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">MR. ZERO&nbsp;Brian Boucher&rsquo;s shutout run restored his standing in Phoenix.</figcaption></div>The netminding principles offered up by Phoenix goalie guru Benoit Allaire rejuvenated veteran Sean Burke&rsquo;s career, but they haven&rsquo;t always made perfect sense to Brian Boucher.Last year, Boucher rejected Allaire&rsquo;s side-to-side, make-your-body-big-approach in favor of his own more attacking, challenging form.After a sub-par season, Boucher has learned to mix the styles in 2003-04, and as a result the 27-year-old from Woonsocket, R.I., has taken his game to new and historic heights.Boucher tied a modern-day NHL record Jan. 7 at Washington by becoming only the second goaltender since the introduction of the center red line to record four consecutive shutouts. In blanking the Capitals 3-0, he tied Bill Durnan&rsquo;s 55-year-old record, set in 1949 withMontreal, and ran his shutout sequence to 265:45, the second-longest since Durnan&rsquo;s 309:21.Not bad for a backup goalie who was exposed to the waiver draft earlier this year, went unclaimed, and who temporarily lost his job to Zac Bierk after not dressing for eight straight games.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s come full circle,&rdquo; said Boucher, who stopped 119 straight shots and hadn&rsquo;t allowed a goal since the second period of a tie with Nashville Dec. 22. &ldquo;It just goes to show you that this game is a funny game and I&rsquo;ve said it before, you can&rsquo;t expect things. You can&rsquo;t expect things from people.&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t explain what&rsquo;s going on right now, but it&rsquo;s pretty unbelievable and hopefully we can just ride it&hellip;I&rsquo;ve tried to keep an even keel during this time and realize it&rsquo;s going to come to an end at some point, but I&rsquo;m just trying to enjoy it while it lasts.&rdquo;During his streak, Boucher stopped 21 shots against Los Angeles, 35 at Dallas, 26 more at Carolina, and 27 at Washington. Coach Bobby Francis planned to give him the chance to go for an unprecedented five in a row Dec. 9 at Minnesota.Asked if Boucher would clear waivers now, Francis replied: &ldquo;Most definitely not.&rdquo;<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-04586/8570319-1-eng-US/f0005-042.jpg" title="f0005-04" width="968" height="860"></div> &#9632;

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Boucher makes history

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-06246/8570357-1-eng-US/f0005-062.jpg" title="f0005-06" width="302" height="492"><figcaption class="caption-body">PETER FORSBERG</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-05381/8570364-1-eng-US/f0005-052.jpg" title="f0005-05" width="181" height="155"></div>&bull; Number-crunching sign of the times. Part I: If Mario Lemieux either scored or assisted on every single goal the Penguins are likely to score this season-they&rsquo;re on pace for 160-he&rsquo;d still be 39 points shy of his personal point total from 1988-89.&bull; It&rsquo;s official-the Florida Panthers read The Hockey News. In a recent column, editor Jason Kay listed Rick Dudley&rsquo;s headband under the heading of &ldquo;things we&rsquo;d love to see brought back.&rdquo; The Panthers followed suit and replaced their helmets for Dudley-style headbands late in their practice Jan. 5, much to coach Dudley&rsquo;s amusement we can only assume.&bull; PETER FORSBERG&rsquo;s 69 assists led all players in the calendar year of 2003 - and he did it playing 20 fewer games (58) than Boston&rsquo;s Joe Thornton, who was next with 64 assists.&bull; Detroit&rsquo;s ideal goalie: Curtis Joseph&rsquo;s groin, Dominik Hasek&rsquo;s Cup winning pedigree, Manny Legace&rsquo;s contract.&bull; Number crunching sign of the times, Part II: At the end of last season eight goalies had save percentages of .920 or better. The number at the halfway mark this year is 20 - and scoring is traditionally higher in the first half of the season than the second. So the goalie equipment crackdown has made them&hellip;better? &#9632;

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SNAPSHOTS

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-021408/8570402-1-eng-US/f0005-022.jpg" title="f0005-02" width="273" height="441"><figcaption class="caption-body">BRIAN BOUCHER</figcaption></div><h2>Best of the Hockey World</h2>WORLD AT THEIR FEET Team USA records a stunning come-from-behind 4-3 victory over Canada in the gold medal game at the W3C in Helsinki.BRIAN&rsquo;S SONG Phoenix stopper Brian Boucher becomes the first goalie in 55 years to post shutouts in four straight games.THAT&rsquo;S MORE LIKE IT After a slow start to their season, the Ottawa Senators put together a 10-game undefeated streak.<h2>Worst of the Hockey World</h2>TWO WRONGS Toronto's Mats Sundin tossing his broken stick into the crowd is bad, but no penalty call on the play is worse.SAW THIS ONE COMING Despite efforts to increase scoring in the NHL, the average number of goals per game dips below five (4.95).SEN GETS THE BOOT Ottawa&rsquo;s Martin Havlat is suspended two games for kicking New York Islanders defenseman Eric Cairns.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0005-03914/8570395-1-eng-US/f0005-032.jpg" title="f0005-03" width="271" height="437"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARTIN HAVLAT</figcaption></div> &#9632;

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PLUS MINUS

<h2>THE HOCKEY NEWS</h2>FROM THE EDITORSSeven years after its inception, USA Hockey&rsquo;s National Team Development Program (NTDP) has paid big-time dividends with the country&rsquo;s first-ever World Junior Championship gold medal. Nice going, fellas.The celebrations that surely took place in the USA Hockey offices in Colorado Springs, Colo., and the NTDP headquarters in Ann Arbour, Mich., were well-earned and well-deserved. The final goal in the U.S.&rsquo;s 4-3 win over Canada may have been a fluke, but the American victory most definitely was not.Coach Mike Eaves&rsquo;s club showed plenty of heart fighting back from a 3-1 third period deficit against arguably the best - and biggest &mdash; of Canada&rsquo;s three consecutive silver medal-winning teams. Zach Parise gets full marks for his selection as tournament MVP and the same goes for U.S. goalie Al Montoya, named the top netminder.Fifteen of Team USA&rsquo;s players, including gold medal game star Patrick O&rsquo;Sullivan, have participated in the NTDP and 13 of them also tasted glory on the U.S. team that won gold at the 2002 under-18 championship.&ldquo;For USA Hockey and for the guys here it is unbelievable,&rdquo; said Montoya, who saw his stock soar heading into the 2004 entry draft. &ldquo;It is the start of good things to happen. It just shows that USA Hockey is getting better.&rdquo;Of that there is little doubt. Whether the juniors&rsquo; success will bring another generation of success on the senior international stage to rival the 1990s, however, is another matter.<blockquote class="pullQuote">The final goal may have been a fluke, but the U.S. victory most definitely was not.</blockquote>Parise could be starring with New Jersey in a few short years. Defensemen Mark Stuart, Ryan Suter and Dan Richmond all have bright futures. But the fact remains, the U.S. is soft in the middle. With no slight intended to the likes of Brian Rafalski, Scott Gomez, Jamie Langenbrunner and a handful of other 20-something American NHLers, there is a gaping hole in the 21-to-30 crowd where the in-their-prime U.S. stars should be.The scoring charts aren&rsquo;t always the best indicator of value, but in this case the stats tell the tale. In early January, the highest-scoring U.S.-born NHLer under the age of 30 was Edmonton&rsquo;s Mike York, whose 30 points put him in 34th place in the league. After York, Islanders forward Jason Blake was next with 25 points. That put him 66th in the league. This hasn&rsquo;t gone unnoticed by USA Hockey.But it is also needs to be said, as USA Hockey has recognized, that the 30-to-40 crowd instrumental in the 1996 World Cup win-including Chris Chelios, John LeClair, Brian Leetch, Brett Hull, Tony Amonte, retired players Mike Richter and Pat LaFontaine and others-is an exceptional, Hall of Fame group. The 1980 Miracle on Ice was a one-shot deal, but these are the players that will go down as the first golden era of U.S. hockey. Not every generation can be expected to produce this kind of crop.But if the NHL is to succeed long-term in the U.S., the U.S. public will need American stars. USA Hockey needs to continue its work of exposing the game to as many top American athletes as possible. Being able to point to the international triumph of the 2004 world junior team can only help the cause. &#9632;

THE HOCKEY NEWS EDITORIAL

U.S. development program finds reward in WJC gold

<h2>MEDIA SUFFER POWER OUTAGE</h2>That there is so much as one media person-be they from TV, radio or print-included in your latest list of the &ldquo;Top 100 People of Power and Influence&rdquo; indicates to me the media vastly overrates its own influence.(THN, Dec. 30)What a collective ego you all seem to have! Whatever happened to simply reporting on the game and interviewing the people involved with it?Joe Heinisch, Waterloo, Ont.<h2>GREAT LIST</h2>Many thanks to editor Jason Kay for his list of ways to revive the NHL game. (THN, Dec. 30)A serious effort by the league to improve the quality of its game is long overdue! I'd support the following items on Kay's list: calling the rules by the book at all times; enlarging the red and bluelines to create bigger offensive and neutral zones; and, keeping goalies in their nets-or, alternatively, making them fair game for bodychecks if they do leave their nets.Peter Berg, Kanata, Ont.<h2>LETTER OF THE WEEK</h2>Although Rob Ramage's name has taken a beating due to the car accident which resulted in the tragic death of Keith Magnuson, I wanted to let people know Rob is one of the classiest men I have ever met.I worked for three years in the visitors' dressing room at the Forum in Los Angeles. As such, I had friends on every visiting team; every night of the week, I was either out to dinner with a player or up in the Forum Club having a drink with them after the game.One night when the Flames were in town, Rob and Joey Mullen pulled me aside and set me straight, as I seemed to be on course for a lifetime of alcoholism. Rob could seeI didn't look right and went out of his way to let me know of his concern for me.With their assistance, I saw the error of my ways and now live a very healthy lifestyle.In my mind, Rob Ramage is a class act all the way.Eric Simpson, Los Angeles<h2>MOURNING MAGNUSON</h2>I was saddened to hear of the passing of legendary Blackhawks defenseman Keith Magnuson. I met Keith on several occasions; the last time was at the Illinois Special Olympics Sports Carnival in October.Keith represented the spirit and pride of the Hawks and of Chicago itself. Also, he was a dedicated family man, respected teammate, and a good friend to many people as well as to many charitable organizations.I'd like to see the Blackhawks honor his life, both on and off the ice, by raising his No. 3 to the rafters of the United Center.Butch Brzeski, Chicago<h2>LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD</h2>I've been a Penguins fan since well before Mario Lemieux started his NHL career. Back then, the team was awful, drawing maybe 5,000 fans per game. Still, fans knew there was a chance the team would improve over time. But under the NHL's current salary structure, there is no hope.Drastic changes must happen so that every team has a chance to win and acquire star players. If the NHL continues as is, they might as well go back to a six-team league, as that is the number of teams who have bottomless amounts of money to spend.Troy Gaona, Ambridge, Pa.<h2>CHERRY ON TOP</h2>Why is Don Cherry only ranked No. 45 in your latest list of people of power and influence? (THN, Dec. 30)At the very least, Cherry deserves to be in the top 10. For decades, he has been the sport's most important and recognizable ambassador.Cherry is not only an icon, but continues to promote the game at all levels. He should be rated higher.Chris Kuryla, Syracuse, N.Y.<h2>WRITERS FEAR SHARKS?</h2>The Sharks have been one of the NHL's hottest teams lately, but they get no respect from the media. I have to search all over to get any Sharks news, yet the Rangers make headlines when they beat Pittsburgh.I guess the Sharks will have to win a Stanley Cup to get a mention.Bob Connolly, Foresthill, Calif.<h2>Got something to say?</h2>U.S.A.: Letters, The Hockey News, P.O. Box 904, Buffalo, N.Y., 14240-9947.Canada: Letters, The Hockey News, 5 Sheppard Ave.W., uite 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;

DEPARTMENTS

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-011977/8570488-1-eng-US/f0007-012.jpg" title="f0007-01" width="322" height="422"><figcaption class="caption-body">Jay Greenberg Columnist (FREESTYLE PHOTO)</figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-03824/8570495-1-eng-US/f0007-032.jpg" title="f0007-03" width="199" height="103"></div>The regular season is even longer than some of the goals Jeff Hackett lets in. Or Bill Wirtz&rsquo;s search for the secret to success.Hey, ask Eddie Olczyk how long 82 games really are. They go on like a Kings injury list, an Alexei Yashin slump, or Gary Bettman&rsquo;s refusal to negotiate.Inevitably, January grows cold and so does Mike Knuble. You turn the new calendar and the Sabres start turning the puck over at a rate that suggests the real season has started, not the version of the first 30 games in which the NHL&rsquo;s best player is Mariusz Czerkawski and it looks like a Stanley Cup for Tampa Bay.In the end, October and November prove as relevant as Corey Schwab. Not until December do teams actually report to training camp. By then, Mike Keenan usually has a new job and the real season can start with the usual New Year&rsquo;s Mike Milbury resolution to get rid of everybody he has.<h2>FLAME-OUT COMING</h2>We saw the Flames the other night. They looked pretty good, way too good to be true. Based on their history, we don&rsquo;t trust them as far as we could throw Krzysztof Oliwa, at 245 pounds almost as heavy as the statistical evidence you can&rsquo;t believe what you see as the leaves turn. Or, when it appeared the Leafs were turning on Pat Quinn.We looked it all up. Well, actually, Bob Waterman of the Elias Sports Bureau looked it all up for us, because, much like Alexei Kovalev, we didn&rsquo;t lift a finger before the New Year, either.But here&rsquo;s the story: in the past 12 seasons, exactly three teams won the Stanley Cup after having been in first place overall on Dec. 31. Those were the 1993-94 Rangers, the 1998-99 Stars and 2001-02 Red Wings. Only two more eventual winners were second.Now, it is true that the Penguins of 1990-91 and &rsquo;91-92 were the last Cup winners not to at least be in the top five on Jan. 1. We&rsquo;re not trying to tell you good teams can&rsquo;t win games in their sleep. But the last six Stanley Cup runners-up came from 18th (Anaheim), 12th (Carolina), fifth (New Jersey), 10th (Dallas), fourth (Buffalo) and ninth (Washington) at the beginning of the New Year, which means it really is one.Obviously, with 14 clubs missing the playoffs these days, you can&rsquo;t start like Washington did. We know every game is worth two points, apparently better than Kristian Huselius does. Not every team is just messin&rsquo; with you. At least credit Pittsburgh for creating no false pretenses.Such honest incompetence would almost be admired in Boston, where for the second straight season the Bruins, led by New Year&rsquo;s Baby Joe Thornton, have stopped on a dime, the first Jeremy Jacobs ever made.It&rsquo;s not so much that teams get worse as others with more good players get better. Generally, the guys who get paid the most earn their money knowing how to turn it on, as perverse as that may sound. Smart coaches hold their leashes loose to avoid burnout.<h2>SENS PICK UP STEAM</h2>Ottawa, which suffered a crushing playoff disappointment one win from the 2003 final, has no shot at redemption until May and had a hard time finding good reason to play. But the closer it gets to the end, the more interested the Senators are becoming, the more capable they are of exposing frauds on given nights.Little players wear down. With so little scoring depth in the league, some of it inevitably gets injured. On Dec. 31, the ball drops and a young team such as Florida, on the fringes of the playoff race a year ago, too, drops the ball as better teams play with more urgency.So we guarantee somebody is laying out there in the weeds right now. A talented Dallas team is a logical candidate, if for no better reason than Mike Modano is obviously a better player than this.One of these years the broadcasters will realize the real coach of the year is not the one whose improved team leaps to competence, but who guided an injured or bored one back from a bad start. In the end voters don&rsquo;t even remember it happened, exactly our point.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0007-021320/8570481-1-eng-US/f0007-022.jpg" title="f0007-02" width="2628" height="2389"><figcaption class="caption-body">DANIEL ALFREDSSON</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0007-01

New Year is new season

<div class="byline">BY MARK BRENDER &#x2022; Senior Writer</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021544/8570540-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="542" height="810"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012068/8570547-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="101" height="96"></div>It was a power play/penalty kill practice sometime in mid-December, shortly after Glen Hanlon had taken over from BruceCassidy as coach of the Caps. Washington's crack PP unit was on the ice while the PK boys took a breather on the bench.As the checkers looked out and saw Robert Lang weaving the kind of magic that had him near the top of the NHL scoring race, one of them commented to Hanlon: yep, this guy sure is a whole lot better for us than he was for Pittsburgh when we played against him.Must be a lonely man in Washington, that Robert Lang.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>On the bright side, at least there's a way to tell them apart outside of the hair.&ldquo;There's been so much publicity in this day and age,&rdquo; Hanlon says, &ldquo;about people signing big contracts and not fulfilling them. Here's one that's worked out for sure.&rdquo;(Editor's note: Any perceived juxtaposition between Lang and the other Czech star in Washington with the four-letter last name is our doing, not Hanlons.)In the summer of 2002, when bigger bucks went to the likes of Bill Guerin and Bobby Holik andTony Amonte, Lang signed a five-year, $25-million free agent contract with Washington. Given his 20 goals and 46 points had him tied with Ilya Kovalchuk and Markus Naslund in the Art Ross race, a deal thought by many to be outrageous at the time now looks to be the biggest bargain of the lot.So earning his money is one area in which Lang is proving he can excel. Here are two other things he is good at-the power play and honesty.Sad but true: if it weren't for their boffo power play and Lang's prominent role in it, these Capitals, with all their paper (and apparently paper-thin) talent, might not be far off from the Caps of the mid-1970s, one of the most woebegone outfits in NHL history. At 21.1 per cent, Washington, in the NHL basement with Columbus, nevertheless has the league's fifth-best man-advantage unit. Twenty-four of Lang's 46 points have come on the power play, where his passing skill and right-hand shot to feed lefties Sergei Gonchar and Peter Bondra on the points is a combination the Caps can't get with anyone else.<h2>WASHINGTON'S LETHAL WEAPON</h2>It's also fair to say Pittsburgh didn't need all of his talents in the same way that Washington does. In Lang's day, Pittsburgh had players like AlexeiKovalev and Martin Straka to lug the puck up the ice. Lang was the one who would find the holes and unload.&ldquo;He basically shot pucks,&rdquo; said teammate Kip Miller, who was also in Pittsburgh with Lang, &ldquo;and never really had to do a lot of that other | stuff.&rdquo;With Michael Nylander missing since the start of the season with a broken leg and Dainius Zubrus out with a broken foot, the stuff Lang has to do is virtually everything.He is proving to be a heckuva consistent playmaker and a stronger presence along the boards and in the 1-on-1 battles than many believed. And that NHL-high 16-game point streak should put the consistency rap to bed for keeps.As for honesty, Lang freely admits to checking the scoring race on a regular basis. He doesn't come right out and say it, but somebody has to: better the stats than the league standings.&ldquo;I won't lie and say no, I don't care,&rdquo; said the 33-year-old native of Litvinov, Czech Republic, who now makes his off-season home in Hilton Head, S.C. &ldquo;I think in a way it's a good motivator, even when the times are a little bit shaky, it sort of gives you a little extra incentive&#2026; (Not winning) kind of takes a little bit out of it, but what can you do?&rdquo; It's a glass-half-full kind of outlook that has served Lang well through what had been, until recent years, a roller coaster of a career. Drafted by Los Angeles in 1990, he played parts of four seasons for the Kings before finding out nobody in the league wanted him anymore. He returned to play in the Czech Republic for a season, kept his spirits up and returned even stronger, signing with Pittsburgh in 1997.&ldquo;When I was in L.A., I barely played,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;It's the same thing, everybody says how come you didn't play like this in L.A. like you did in Pittsburgh?&rdquo;(To say nothing of his current environs.) |&ldquo;If you ever played hockey,&rdquo; Lang says, &ldquo;you know if they let&rdquo; you play and you do have the potential and the talent and all that, then eventually you're going to do something.&rdquo;<h2>NEW LINES FOR LANG, IAGR</h2>What to do now is the crucial half-season question in Washington, where the only thing more far-fetched than the playoffs was the idea that this green a defense corps had much of a chance in the first place.One thing Hanlon is likely to do is break up the Lang-Jaromir Jagr tandem that has had so much success over the past few months. As long as Nylander and Zubrus are out, it's probably better to have other teams forced to break up their top checking forward unit and their top defense pair than have Lang and Jagr face a five-man onslaught every night.Facing onslaughts, after all, is something these Caps know far too much about.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-04566/8570533-1-eng-US/f0008-042.jpg" title="f0008-04" width="2220" height="2823"><figcaption class="caption-body">(BRUCE BENNETT/BBS)</figcaption></div><h2>DOING IT ALL</h2>Robert Lang is one Capital who's surpassing expectations in an otherwise disappointing season in Washington.<h2>THE HOCKEY NEWS&nbsp;scout says:</h2><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;Lang is the one controlling Washington's power play. He brings his 'A' game every night&rdquo;</blockquote><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-031080/8570526-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg" title="f0008-03" width="207" height="333"></div> &#9632;

f0008-02

It's all Lang's shine

<div class="byline">By Mike Brophy &#x2022; Senior Writer</div>Everybody knew when the Atlanta Thrashers finally took off it would be the dynamic duo leading the way. Nobody in a million years, though, would have guessed it would be coach Bob Hartley playing Robin to rising superstar Ilya Kovalchuk&rsquo;s Batman.It was supposed to be Kovalchuk and Dany Heatley, but we all know that wasn&rsquo;t possible.When Heatley was seriously injured in a car accident that took the life of fellow Thrasher Dan Snyder, any hope Atlanta had of enjoying a breakout year was dashed. Or so it seemed.Sometimes a tragedy has a way of bringing people together, making them focus on what is important and what is trivial in life. It can make the weak cower and retreat and it can make the strong move forward with conviction.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012037/8570599-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="873" height="1172"><figcaption class="caption-body">PAVEL DATSYUI</figcaption></div>&ldquo;You have to remember, even before the accident many of the socalled experts picked us to finish 11th&hellip; 12th&hellip; 13th (in the East),&rdquo; Hartley said. &ldquo;Even before the accident we felt we had some-thing to prove. I told the guys, &rsquo;They have us playing in the American League now.&rsquo; I told them it is easy for people to make excuses, but good people find solutions.&rdquo;With 20-year-old Kovalchuk leading the way, the Thrashers did not sink to the bottom of the league, but rather climbed to the top of A the Southeast Division standings and appear well on the way to making the playoffs for the first time in their five-year history. And instead of withering and fading away without the support of his phenomenally talented teammate Heatley, Kovalchuk accelerated his development and has been an unstoppable force in the first half of the schedule.The NHL&rsquo;s ice time leader among forwards at 23:34 per game, Kovalchuk&rsquo;s youthfill exuberance, his go-gangbusters-every-shift approach and the success he has enjoyed under trying cir-cumstances make him The Hockey News&rsquo; choice for most valuable player in the first half. Hartley&rsquo;s ability to lead his charges through difficult times is why he is our pick for top coach.Neither was an easy choice. There have been many superb performers this season, New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur and Detroit center Pavel Datsyuk among them. Both received serious consideration.Behind the bench, a strong case could be made for Andy Murray of the Kings and Dave Lewis of the Red Wings, both of whom have kept their teams in the hunt despite numerous key injuries. There&rsquo;s also Ken Hitchcock, whose Flyers were in the race for the Presidents&rsquo; Trophy, and Darryl Sutter, who has his hard-working Flames on track for the playoffs.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011797/8570592-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="3566" height="3566"><figcaption class="caption-body">ILYA KOVALCHUK (JIMMICK BBC)</figcaption></div>When told he was our choice as first half MVP, Kovalchuk was quite humble.&ldquo;Nice,&rdquo; he said.Nice indeed.Through 41 games the powerful 6-foot-l, 220-pound left winger was battling Datsyuk, Washington&rsquo;s Robert Lang and Vancouver&rsquo;s Markus Naslund for the scoring lead, with 22 goals and 46 points. He was on pace for 44 goals and 92 points. (His single-season highs, set last season, are 38 and 67, respectively.)Kovalchuk knew that with Heatley out, it would be important for him to be on his game every night. On top of that, Hartley challenged Kovalchuk to be more responsible defensively and he has responded. He often skates the entire two-minute power play and was tied for first in power play goals with 11.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t feel any additional pressure,&rdquo; Kovalchuk said. &ldquo;Dany is an important player for us and we miss him, but I try to play my best every night&hellip;be sharp every night. I know I will be up against the other team&rsquo;s top defensemen and checking line, but that&rsquo;s OK, I&rsquo;m ready to play against their big guys.&rdquo;Kovalchuk scored in six of his first eight games of the year, including hat tricks in the fifth and seventh games. His longest goal drought was an eight-game stretch in December which he broke out of with a two-goal, five-point effort against Pittsburgh Dec. 20.&ldquo;The biggest difference in Ilya is his maturity,&rdquo; said Thrashers GM Don Waddell. &ldquo;In his first two years he would get frustrated easily, but even when he went eight games without a goal, he kept his cool and did the things he needed to do to get scoring chances.&rdquo;Hartley, who led Colorado to the Stanley Cup in 2000-01, has been a godsend for the Thrashers since replacing Curt Fraser last season. He said getting over the accident is a collective effort.&ldquo;In the first few days after the accident, I don&rsquo;t think there is a person in the world that could have handled such a delicate situation on their own and come up with an instant solution so they could say, &rsquo;There, I fixed it,&rsquo;&rdquo; Hartley said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be honest; I put the torch in the middle of the room so everyone could put their hands on it and carry it as far as we could as a group.&rdquo;Hartley, who likes good ol&rsquo; fashioned offensive hockey, said his instructions to his team are sim-ple: &ldquo;At the end of the game, be sure there&rsquo;s nothing left in the tank that you could have given.&rdquo;Considering the Thrashers came back from two-goal deficits nine times to record at least a point (eight of those were victories), he seems to have gotten through to his motivated charges.<h2>2002-03 vs. 2003-04</h2>If you&rsquo;ve heard the &lsquo;goals down&rsquo;storytoo many times before, remember to shoot the puck, not the messenger. Here&rsquo;s a comparison of NHL averages at the mid-points of 2002-03 and 2003-04.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-05437/8570585-1-eng-US/f0012-052.jpg" title="f0012-05" width="2517" height="895"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-06356/8570578-1-eng-US/f0012-062.jpg" title="f0012-06" width="816" height="1605"></div> &#9632;

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HALFTIME HEROES AND ZEROES

<h2>MOST VALUABLE PLAYER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021468/8570679-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="789" height="595"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JIM MCISAC/BS)</figcaption></div>1. ILYA KOVALCHUK, ATLANTARose to challenge of leading the Thrashers after the loss of Dany Heatley and Dan Snyder.2. MARTIN BRODEUR, NEW JERSEYLeague&rsquo;s most complete stopper had eight shutouts in his first 37 games.3. PAVEL DATSYUK, DETROITChallenging for NHL scoring title in his first starring role with the Wings.<h2>BEST DEFENSEMAN</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-03915/8570672-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="787" height="593"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JOHNRUSEL/BS)</figcaption></div>1. CHRIS PRONGER, ST. LOUISHas reclaimed his place among league&rsquo;s top defenders after missing most of last season.2. ROB BLAKE, COLORADONot to be forgotten when talking about Avalanche&rsquo;s wealth of scoring talent.3. SCOTT NIEDERMAYER, NEW JERSEYBest defenseman on league&rsquo;s best defensive team is on pace for 17 goals.<h2>BEST GOALIE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-04624/8570665-1-eng-US/f0010-042.jpg" title="f0010-04" width="792" height="594"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JIM MCISAC/BS)</figcaption></div>1. MARTIN BRODEUR, NEW JERSEYOn pace to lead NHL in victories for the sixth time in his celebrated career.2. MIIKKA KIPRUSOFF, CALGARYMiles ahead of the rest of the pack with a sparkling 1.44 goals-against average.3. TOMAS VOKOUN, NASHVILLEUnderrated stopper gives low-scoring Predators chance to win every time he plays.<h2>BEST ROOKIE</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-05453/8570658-1-eng-US/f0010-052.jpg" title="f0010-05" width="788" height="591"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JIM LEARY)</figcaption></div>1. JONI PITKANEN, PHILADELPHIAPlays with the poise of a veteran, particularly on the league&rsquo;s best power play unit.2. TRENT HUNTER, ISLANDERSWas tied for second in the league with five game-winning goals.3. MICHAEL RYDER, MONTREALLeads all freshmen in scoring and has been a boon to offense-starved Canadiens.<h2>BEST COACH</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-011980/8570651-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="793" height="590"><figcaption class="caption-body">(JIM MCISAC/BS)</figcaption></div>1. BOB HARTLEY, ATLANTAPushes his players to give it everything on every shift and gets the desired results.2. DARRYL SUTTER, CALGARYFlames appear playoff-bound and have bought into Sutter&rsquo;s defense-first philosophy.3. KEN HITCHCOCK, PHILADELPHIAHas his team playing hard-nosed, consistent hockey at home and on the road.<h2>MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021553/8570644-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="787" height="590"><figcaption class="caption-body">(NEVIN REID/BS)</figcaption></div>1. MIKE M0DAN0, DALLASOne of NHL&rsquo;s most complete players is not scoring and has been a defensive disaster.2. JEFF O&rsquo;NEILL, CAROLINAShould be vying for World Cup role with Team Canada rather than his fifth goal of the year.3. ALEXEI KOVALEV, RANGERSHis hands have turned to stone since rejoining the Rangers last season.<h2>MOST DISAPPOINTING TEAM</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-031013/8570637-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg" title="f0012-03" width="787" height="590"><figcaption class="caption-body">(DAVE KAYE/BS)</figcaption></div>1. ANAHEIM MIGHTY DUCKSThis team was supposed to be better than the one that almost won the Cup last season.WASHINGTON CAPITALSThere&rsquo;s far too much talent on hand to be part of the Alexander Ovechkin sweepstakes.3. CAROLINA HURRICANESPieces of the puzzle are there for this team to be a contender, not an also-ran.<h2>PLAYER TO WATCH IN 2ND HALF</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-04608/8570630-1-eng-US/f0012-042.jpg" title="f0012-04" width="788" height="593"><figcaption class="caption-body">(FRESTYLE/BS)</figcaption></div>1. MATS SUNDIN, TORONTOAiming to become the first Maple Leaf to win a scoring title since Gordie Drillon in 1938.2. KRIS DRAPER, DETROITAce checker has already established single-season high with 18 goals.3. PAUL KARIYA, COLORADOWith a healthy wrist, Kariya should rocket up scoring charts on offensive juggernaut. &#9632;

f0010-02

FEATURES COLUMNS

MID-SEASON REPORT

<div class="byline">HELSINKI</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-011799/8570738-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="281" height="67"></div>Patrick O&rsquo;Sullivan could have gloated, but he didn&rsquo;t. The weight of the World Junior Championship gold medal around his neck was nothing compared to the weight he has been carrying on his shoulders the cast few years. O&rsquo;Sullivan was arijoying the moment.&ldquo;You try to imag-k ine what it would be B like to win some-F thing like this, but this is a far better feeling than I imagined,&rdquo; E O&rsquo;Sullivan said after Team USA I rallied for a 4-3 win over rival * Canada in the WJC final.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had some tough times, but Hopefully that&rsquo;s in the past. Winning is part of the healing.&rdquo;Hockey has been a constant in O&rsquo;Sullivan&rsquo;s life and hockey has brought good times and bad. It has taught O&rsquo;Sullivan some tough life les-sons and the gold medal was the reward for overcoming adversity.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-021263/8570731-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="1636" height="2893"><figcaption class="caption-body">(CANAPRESS)</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-03925/8570724-1-eng-US/f0013-032.jpg" title="f0013-03" width="334" height="426"></div><h2>FATHER OUT OF PICTURE</h2>O&rsquo;Sullivan&rsquo;s father, John, abused his son verbally and physically, to the poiut where a restraining order was placed on him last year.It&rsquo;s difficult to measure the impact &rsquo;such a burden can place on a teenager, but O&rsquo;Sullivan did struggle on the ice. The restraining order, however, allowed O&rsquo;Sullivan to focus on hockey and he&rsquo;s finally living up to expectations raised by his selection as the No. 1 OHL draft pick in 2001. He had 28 goals and 51 points in 29 games for Mississauga before he left for the WJC.He had just one goal in Team USA&rsquo;s first five games, but was a major factor in the gold medal final.After an even first period, the Canadians dominated the second.Entering the third, they had the near-perfec scenario: a 3-1 lead and their ringer, Marc-Andre Fleury, in net.But the Americans dipped into their emotiona well and woun, up making hockey history with their first gold medal in 28 years.O&rsquo;Sullivan made it 3-2 at 4:39 of the thir with a wrist shot that breezed over Fleury&rsquo;s shoul-der. A bad bounce tied the game less than two minutes later and the Americans kept coming, with O&rsquo;Sullivan scoring the TKO at 14:48.His second goal wasn&rsquo;t a beauty, but it was the biggest so far for the Minne-sota Wild prospect. O&rsquo;Sullivan was racing a Canadian defenseman to a loose pick and Fleury inadvertently cleared it off teammate Braydon Coburn into his own net.O&rsquo;Sullivan&rsquo;s life story wasn&rsquo;t kept secret from his teammates and there was a quiet respect for him and what he has been through to travel the road from abused son to a world title.&ldquo;We all know his story,&rdquo; said team-mate Zach Parise. &ldquo;He has had to put up with a lot and as friends and team-mates we&rsquo;ve tried to be there for him.&rdquo;When the final buzzer sounded, the Americans mobbed goalie Al Montoya, who was named to the tour-nament all-star team along with Parise, who was named WJC MVP.<h2>MORE FAMILY ISSUES</h2>Like O&rsquo;Sullivan, Montoya had some issues on the home front. His parents separated, leaving his mother to raise four boys. Montoya&rsquo;s dad has recently contacted the family by way of a suit for support.A first generation Cuban-American, Montoya&rsquo;s grandfather was a wealthy lawyer in Havana when Fidel Castro came to power. Montoya recently found out about his Cuban roots and his grandfather&rsquo;s friendship with Ernest Hemingway when a photo album was presented to his mom, Irene Silva. His ancestors left Cuba when Irene was nine. The family set-tled in Chicago where Irene earned a degree in medicine from Loyola University and completed a residency in internal medicine at Northwestern while juggling jobs to pay the bills. Montoya says his mom has had a huge impact on his life.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-04764/8570717-1-eng-US/f0013-042.jpg" title="f0013-04" width="334" height="680"></div><h2>MOTHER IS INSPIRATION</h2>&ldquo;It starts with my mom. Every day you go out there and you think you are working hard and you just look at your mom,&rdquo; said Montoya, who like O&rsquo;Sullivan left home in his early teens to chase his NHL dream. &ldquo;The lady works long hours just to give us every-thing we have.&rdquo;He was penciled in to be the back-up goalie at the WJC, but inherited the top job when incumbent Jimmy Howard got hurt in mid-December.&ldquo;I was ready for anytJiing that hap-pened,&rdquo; Montoya said.His mom missed the gold medal game. She was home, saying bye to his older brother who graduated from the Naval Academy last year and is soon headed to Japan with Naval Intelligence.&ldquo;She wanted to see him before he goes,&rdquo; said Montoya after he received his gold medal. &ldquo;She is here in spirit and I knew she was watching. This gold is for her.&rdquo; I<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-05600/8570710-1-eng-US/f0013-052.jpg" title="f0013-05" width="647" height="720"></div> &#9632;

f0013-01

COVER STORY

Red, White & Gold

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-011955/8570769-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="757" height="605"></div> &#9632;

f0014-01

Team of Destiny

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0015-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-011781/8570800-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0015-01

KNOW YOUR GAME

<div class="byline">BY TAL PINCHEVSKY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0016-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-011737/8570831-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">VINCENT LECAVALIER, SIMON GAGNE</figcaption></div>There&rsquo;s a long-running rivalry between Vincent Lecavalier and Simon Gagne and it goes back farther than you might think. Rivalries are one of the features that make hockey&rsquo;s history so great-whether they&rsquo;re regional (Flames-Oilers) or just born out of bad blood (Avalanche-Red Wings). But unlike baseball (Ted Williams-Joe DiMaggio) or basketball (Larry Bird-Magic Johnson), hockey isn&rsquo;t famous for player vs. player rivalries. But just because you don&rsquo;t know about them doesn&rsquo;t mean they don&rsquo;t exist.<h2>LONG-RUNNING RIVALS</h2>The first time Lecavalier and Gagne played against one another, they were a pair of 10-year-old Quebec hockey phenoms. It was the Quebec provincial atom AA final and the two players were going 4 head-to-head for pre-teen hockey immortality. Lecavalier, the top &rsquo; young player in the province, had &ldquo;been a featured star throughout the tournament. With his team up late in the game, it appeared as if Lecavalier would add to his young legacy. But Gagne, the less touted of the two, took control, scoring a cou-i pie of quick goals and singlehand-edly pulling off a huge comeback.&ldquo;I still think about that game sometimes,&rdquo; Lecavalier says. &ldquo;We had that game.&rdquo;It&rsquo;s no surprise that Gagne remembers it more pleasantly. &ldquo;We were only 10 years old and everyone was talking,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t remember the score, but we won.&rdquo;It wasn&rsquo;t long before the two meet again, this time in the 1998 Quebec League semifinal. Lecavalier&rsquo;s team, the Rimouski Oceanic, who had selected him first overall in the QMJHL entry draft, took a three-games-to-one lead over Gagne&rsquo;s Quebec Remparts. All eyes were on Lecavalier. &ldquo;We knew he was going to be drafted first overall (in the 1998 NHL entry draft),&rdquo; Gagne says. &ldquo;It was a big chance for me to show how I could play against him.&rdquo;Just like their last meeting, Gagne sparked an amazing come-back, rallying the Remparts from the 3-&ldquo;1 deficit and taking the series in seven. The late-game heroics by Gagne against Lecavalier would become a metaphor for their diverging careers.<h2>JOUSTING JUNIORS</h2>Vincent Lecavalier and Simon Gagne, in their Quebec League uniforms, faced off in a 1998 QMJHL semifinal series.Lecavalier, who was indeed select-ed first overall that June by Tampa Bay, was heralded by then-owner Art Williams as the NHL&rsquo;s next phenom, the Michael Jordan of hockey. Instead, Lecavalier was saddled with the burden of being the lone star on a losing Lightning team. Meanwhile, Gagne was getting solid ice time in the playoffs with the perpetually competitive Philadelphia Flyers, even winning a gold medal as part of Team Canada at the 2002 Olympics.<h2>DESTINED TO CLASH AGAIN</h2>In 2004, 15 years after their atom AA showdown, Lecavalier&rsquo;s Lightning and Gagne&rsquo;s Flyers could bump heads in an Eastern Conference post-season battle, but first Lecavalier will have to get back in Tampa coach John Tortorella&rsquo;s good books and help the Bolts pull out of a mid-season tailspin.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just really special when we play,&rdquo; Gagne says. &ldquo;We could meet (the Lightning) in the playoffs, they have a good team. It will remind me of that game in Rimouski a lot. It will remind me of when we played in junior.&rdquo;In a province known more for its assembly line production of NHL goalies, you wouldn&rsquo;t expect the sto-ries of two snipers to be inextricably linked. But Gagne is certainly aware of the duo&rsquo;s history.&ldquo;When I play him it&rsquo;s differ-Skent, it&rsquo;s a rivalry,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;We know we want to have a good game and add just a litis tie challenge.&rdquo;BY THE NUMBERSVINCENT LECAVALIERJUNIOR 122GP-86G-132A-218Pts (1.8 ppg)DRAFTED 1998, 1st overall, T.B.NHL 424gp-127g-156a-283pts (0.7 ppg)SIMON GAGNEJUNIOR 165gp-89g-131a-220pis (1.3 ppg)DRAFTED 1998, 22nd overall, Phi.NHL 313GP-97G-125A-222Pts (0.7ppg) &#9632;

f0016-01

French Connection

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-021210/8570862-1-eng-US/f0017-022.jpg" title="f0017-02" width="321" height="419"><figcaption class="caption-body">Paul Romanuk&nbsp;Guest Columnist</figcaption></div>Canada won its second straight Spengler Cup title Dec. 31 and 10th all-time with a 7-4 victory over the host team from Davos, Switzerland. The Canadian side was made up of European-based players and AHLers and coached by TV analyst and former NHL coach Gary Green. Paul Romanuk called the play-by-play for SportsNet and witnessed a most unusual sequence of events leading up to the final.DAVOS, SWITZERLAND.<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-011554/8570869-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="95" height="128"></div>It was a grim sight. A couple of hours before game time, I wandered into the Team Canada coach&rsquo;s office to check on a couple of things.It&rsquo;s not polite to stare, but I couldn&rsquo;t take my eyes off what I saw. There were four players, either hunched over or sit-ting, hooked up to IV units. All four of the players - and several others on this team-were suffering from dehydration because of a vicious flu bug that had been ravaging the team since Day 1 of the Spengler Cup. It was two hours before the championship game and they were going to try to play.&ldquo;Why bother,&rdquo; thought I, the reporter. Silly question. Silly, because this is about Canad-ians playing hockey. The Spengler Cup is an international tournament in which Canada sends a team made up of Canadians who earn their living playing for teams in Europe.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>Canada toughed it out to the champi-onship game. It&rsquo;s a rough road as teams are forced to play five games in six days. There were the usual variety of sprains and strains that any team contends with. But that flu bug was merciless.The bug showed up on the first day, settled in and made itself a home. It went on to infect more than half the team at one point or another. At its worst - and there were about eight play-ers who fell into that category-guys couldn&rsquo;t keep food or liquid in their sys-tem. Players became dehydrated. Throw in the rigors of a high intensity game and the toll was taken. Some players could barely sit straight, never mind play. But there they were, all hands on deck, IV tubes in arm and ready to suf-fer through the last game.They fell behind early and looked, well, like a sick team. But through force of will, they turned an easy excuse into a victory. A few players didn&rsquo;t have the strength to celebrate. It was back to bed.In the context of sports, there was something heroic and selfless about what those sick players accomplished. When I asked &ldquo;why?", there was no great answer. They ranged from &ldquo;because I didn&rsquo;t want to let the other guys down&rdquo; to a shrug and something about &ldquo;just doing my job.&rdquo;I&rsquo;ve covered international hockey for 15 years and seen some great players and teams. But I&rsquo;ll never forget the dedi-cation shown by a bunch of guys who most hockey fans wouldn&rsquo;t even recog-nize. Guys who played through pain and hardship, not for glory or cash, but for fun and because they didn&rsquo;t want to let their teammates down. &#9632;

f0017-02

Flu bug can’t fell Canada

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-03883/8570900-1-eng-US/f0017-032.jpg" title="f0017-03" width="712" height="677"></div>Ask NHL players about first-half MVP and there are three camps: Martin Brodeur, Pavel Datsyuk and Ilya Kovalchuk.In a poll of 30 NHLers, one from each team, seven (23 per cent) said Brodeur and Datsyuk have been the game&rsquo;s best player, while six others chose Kovalchuk. Queried players couldn&rsquo;t vote for teammates.&ldquo;They only score a couple goals a night,&rdquo; said Philadelphia&rsquo;s Mark Recchi, referring to New Jersey. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s the MVP.&rdquo;&ldquo;(Brodeur&rsquo;s) numbers say it all,&rdquo; said Ottawa&rsquo;s Todd White.&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen some of (Datsyuk&rsquo;s) highlights and wow, he&rsquo;s putting up some huge num-bers,&rdquo; said Chris Gratton of Phoenix.&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know where Detroit would be without him,&rdquo; said Dallas&rsquo;s Marty Turco&ldquo;(Kovalchuk) is the most exciting player,&rdquo; said Calgary&rsquo;s Shean Donovan. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s awesome. He&rsquo;s sick, that guy.&rdquo;-FOR COMPLETE PLAYER POLL RESULTS,VISIT <a href="https://thehockeynews.com">THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM</a> &#9632;

f0017-03

PLAYER POLL

The news that Mario Lemieux is out for the season with hip surgery, but is hopeful to return next season, prompted the obvious question What if, due to a work stop-page, there is no next season?If 2004-05 is wiped out, Lemieux would be 40 by the start of the following season. Retirement might be a more realistic option than returning after a year off. The same goes for many other players in the 40-something range such as Mark Messier, Ron Francis and Scott Stevens, to name a few.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-05459/8570931-1-eng-US/f0017-052.jpg" title="f0017-05" width="418" height="370"></div> &#9632;

f0017-05

Work stoppage may snuff career

<div class="byline">- JOE STARKEY</div>Pittsburgh Penguins GM Craig Patrick fully expects Mario Lemieux to play again. Many others are not so optimistic. Lemieux, 38, announced Jan. 6 that he would have season-ending surgery to repair chronic tendinitis in his left hip. Lemieux, who hasn&rsquo;t spoken to the media since early November, said in a news release issued by the team that he is expecting to play again.&ldquo;I was optimistic that the injury would heal, and I was hoping to get back in the line-up and play with some of our very promising young players,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It is disappointing that I won&rsquo;t have a chance to return to the ice this season, but I look forward to coming back next year.&rdquo;Lemieux had not played since Nov. 1, when he left after the first period of a 3-2 overtime victory over Boston at Mellon Arena.As of Jan. 8, he had missed 42.6 per cent of the Penguins&rsquo; games (107 of 251) since he came out of retirement midway through 2000-OL That was a large increase from his pre-retirement days, when he missed 23.4 per cent of the games (227 of 972), not including the 1994-95 season, which he sat out on medical leave.Lemieux had a goal and nine points in 10 games this season. The Penguins were hoping to recoup a portion of his $5.25-million salary through insurance.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011617/8570986-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg" title="f0018-01" width="814" height="859"><figcaption class="caption-body">Mario Lemieux expects to play again next season.(ANDY MARUN/BS; BILL WIPERT/BS; JIM MCISAC/BS)</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0018-01

Season officially over for Lemieux

<div class="byline">BY THN CORRESPONDENTS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-021246/8571017-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="200" height="229"></div>As if tMaclnnis wasn&rsquo;t enough, St. Louis&rsquo;s defense corps took another blow when team learned Barret Jackman will require season-ending surgery on his dislocated left shoulder. Jackman re-injured the shoulder one game and two shifts into his return from a previous injury. The Blues didn&rsquo;t announce any date for the 2002-03 Calder winner to go under the knife.<h2>MACLEAN STEPS DOWN</h2>Tired and frustrated, Doug MacLean celebrated New Year&rsquo;s Day by stepping down as coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. MacLean remains the club&rsquo;s president and GM. Assistant Gerard Gallant was promoted to interim coach. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s disappointing, because I love coaching,&rdquo; MacLean said. &ldquo;But I&rsquo;ve said it all along; I&rsquo;ll do what&rsquo;s best for the organization.&rdquo; Five days later, the Blue Jackets announced that associate coach Newell Brown had been reassigned to the hockey operations department&hellip;Anaheim expects to be without defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh until at least mid-March after he underwent Jan. 2 surgery to repair a torn muscle in his left shoulder&hellip;Injurywise, the Calgary Hames cannot catch a break.Goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff, who keyed a December surge which saw " them go 10-2-3, sprained the-A medial collateral ligament in his left knee in a 2-2 tie against Minnesota and is out of action until mid-February. The news was-Wq n&rsquo;t any better for center Blair Betts, W who reinjured his separated right " shoulder and may be out for the rest of the season.<h2>WONDER OF WORRELL</h2>Colorado left winger Peter Worrell scored two goals in a four-game span, I &rsquo; including what appeared to be two I on the same shift. In a Jan. 6 game, Worrell scored a goal that wasn&rsquo;t immediately credited by the referees. While arguing with the refs, the puck came back on his stick and he scored again&hellip;Avs right winger Milan Hejduk and his wife welcomed twin boys, Marek and David, into the world Jan. 3&hellip;Now that Chicago center Alexei Zhamnov has returned from back surgery, the Hawks must decide whether to offer the pending unrestricted free agent a contract extension or trade him before the March deadline.<h2>TUGNUTTS TROUBLES</h2>The Stars placed goalie Ron Tugnutt on waivers Jan. 5. He was sent to the minors and expected to get plenty of games with the Utah Grizzlies&hellip;Though he has been racking up assists, Detroit winger Brett Hull was in the midst of a career-worst 15-game scoring drought as of Jan. 8&hellip;Free agent defenseman Igor Ulanov was plus-2 with an assist in his first game after singing an NHL contract with Edmonton&hellip;Minnesota left winger Antti Laaksonen was a healthy scratch Dec. 30 in Edmonton, ending his consecutive-games streak at 288-third-most among active players.<h2>FEEDING FRENZY</h2>Phoenix left winger Ladislav Nagy (20 goals, 41 points) and right winger Shane Doan (17 goals, 43 points) became the first players in team history to record 40 or more points in 40 games&hellip;Phoenix acquired right winger Ivan Novoseltsev from Rorida for future considerations, which basically amounts to the Coyotes picking up the remainder of his $800,000 salary&hellip;Vancouver right winger Todd Bertuzzi, a first team all-star last season, was on pace for just 22 goals. &#9632;

f0018-02

Shoulder woes jilt Jackman

<div class="byline">BY THN CORRESPONDENTS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0018-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-04618/8571048-1-eng-US/f0018-042.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-03910/8571055-1-eng-US/f0018-032.jpg" title="f0018-03" width="203" height="231"></div>Veteran winger Donald Audette, having cleared waivers without being claimed, has been bought out of the remainder of his con-tract by the Montreal Canadiens.The Canadiens are on the hook for the $1.4-mil-lion remaining on Audette&rsquo;s $3-million contract this season and two-thirds of his $3-million salary next season. Audette receives nothing if there&rsquo;s a strike or lockout in 2004-05. The 34-year-old had three goals and eight points in 23 games this season&hellip;Injuries have plagued the Atlanta Thrashers recently. The most serious losses to the lineup have been defenseman Andy Sutton (broken foot) who will be out until mid-to-late February, and center Marc Savard (con-cussion), though the seriousness of his injury was uncertain as of Jan. 8.<h2>END FOR ZAMUNER?</h2>After clearing waivers for the second time in a month, Boston winger Rob Zamuner was assigned to Providence (AHL) on New Year&rsquo;s Day. &ldquo;Zam&rsquo;s a quality individual,&rdquo; said Bruins coach Mike Sullivan. &ldquo;It was a very, very tough decision."&hellip;A 3-2 Boston victory over Toronto Jan. 1 stopped an 0-5-4-0 home winless streak&hellip;If defenseman AndyDelmore has a future in the NHL, it is not with the Sabres. Delmore is earning his $1 million salary with Rochester in the American League after clearing waivers. He scored all of one-point with the Sabres in 19 games and regularly incurred the wrath of coach Lindy Ruff at both ends of the ice&hellip;Buffalo right winger Tim Connolly, out of the lineup since the pre-season with concussion problems, has been cleared to resume light exercise.<h2>FIRST DEGREE BURNS</h2>After a Jan. 7 loss to Pittsburgh, giving the Devils two wins in eight games, New Jersey coach Pat Burns questioned his players&rsquo; heart and said he would have to &ldquo;check their heads to see where we&rsquo;re going."&hellip; New Jersey GM Lou Lamoriello said rookie defenseman Paul Martin did not suffer a concus-sion on a Jan. 1 hit from Jeff Halpern. Nevertheless, Martin missed the next three games&hellip;Already without center Alexei Yashin until late March, the Islanders took another hit when they learned streaky scorer Mark Parrish will be sidelined until late February with a left ankle sprain&hellip;With Islanders veteran goalie Garth Snow appearing in 15 straight games, Rick DiPietro played two games for Bridgeport (AHL) to regain sharpness before being recalled Jan. 2.<h2>PLUS FOR DE VRIES</h2>When Ranger defenseman Greg de Vries went minus-1 against Calgary Jan. 5, it snapped a streak of 21 consecutive plus-or even-matches for the 31-vear-old. olus-19 throughout that stretch&hellip;Ottawa left winger Vaclav Varada will miss the remainder of the regular season because of knee surgery to repair a torn ACL&hellip;An errant shot by Mark Recchi in practice caused a cut on Jeremy Roenick&rsquo;s cheekbone that required about 25 stitches to close. Roenick played the next night | in Buffalo, without a shield. &ldquo;The only shield I&rsquo;m using is the wind-&rsquo; shield on my car,&rdquo; he said&hellip;The injuries kept coming for Toronto, the most serious of which occurred Jan. when right winger Owen Nolan sustained a torn retina after being l hit in the eye by a stick. Nolan | had two laser surgeries and was * out indefinitely. Defenseman Tomas Kaberle was expected to miss several weeks with a shoulder injury. &#9632;

f0018-04

Audette finished with Montreal

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0020-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-011380/8571093-1-eng-US/f0020-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Montreal&rsquo;s Mike Ribeiro is one of five Habs players to rate an&nbsp;&lsquo;A&rsquo;&nbsp;in the first half.</figcaption></div><h2>How Grades Are Determined</h2>Mid-season grades in NHL team reports on pgs. 20-29 are assigned by team correspondents using the following criteria:GRADE A+ to A-1. Stars delivering on perform-ance/salary expectations.2. Very good players delivering beyond expectations.3. Good/role players delivering well beyond expectations.GRADE B+ to B-1. Stars performing below per-form ance/salary expectations.2. Very good players delivering on expectations.3. Good/role players delivering beyond expectations.GRADE C+ to C-1. Stars performing far below per formance/salary expectations.2. Very good players deliverin below expectations.3. Good/role players delivering on expectations.GRADE D+ to D-1. Stars performing outrageously below perform-ance/salary expec-tations.2. Very good play-ers delivering far below expectations.3. Good/role play-ers delivering below expectations.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-021001/8571086-1-eng-US/f0020-022.jpg" title="f0020-02" width="1310" height="789"></div> &#9632;

f0020-01

<div class="byline">- DAN WOOD</div>On the heels of reaching the Stanley Cup final, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim entered this sea-son determined not to go down as one-vear wonders. Half-a-season later, they appear destined to do just that. Languishing closer to the bottom of the NHL&rsquo;s Western Conference than a playoff position, the Ducks faced the prospect of needing a huge second half just to qualify for post-season play.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-03728/8571124-1-eng-US/f0020-032.jpg" title="f0020-03" width="234" height="232"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A Martin Gerber, G. Ducks would be lost without him.B Dan Bylsma, RW. Provided spark after return from knee surgery.B Andy McDonald, LW. Recovery from concussion a huge boost.B Samuel Pahlsson, C. Tireless worker gets most out of ability.B Petr Sykora, RW. Below last season&rsquo;s 34-goal pace.B Vitaly Vishnevski, D. Has taken on increased defensive role.B- Sergei Fedorov, C. Offensive pro-duction just hasn&rsquo;t been there.B- Kurt Sauer, D. Figures to man Anaheim blueline for a long time.C+ Keith Carney, D. Injuries have hurt, but play just hasn&rsquo;t been the same.C+ Jean-Sebastien Giguere, G. Overcame slow start, but still can&rsquo;t win.C+ Michael Holmqvist, LW. Rookie shows promise as grinder type.C+ Jason Krog, C. Role player, faceoff specialist is an asset.C+ Rob Niedermayer, RW. Boy, did Ducks miss him when he was injured.C+ San&aacute;is Ozolinsh, D. Shoulder injury cut short average season.C+ Steve Rucchin, C. Nagging knee injury has hampered new captain.C+ Ruslan Salei, D. Veteran still makes too many poor decisions.C Craig Johnson, LW. Just a flash of offense from grinder would be nice.C Vinny Prospal, LW. Last season&rsquo;s output with Tampa a distant memory.C Todd Simpson, D. Waiver-draft pick-up has been only average.C Lance Ward, D/LW. Swing man has seen limited ice time.C- Garrett Burnett, LW. First-year enforcer hasn&rsquo;t won many battles.D+ Stanislav Chistov, LW. Sophomore jinx strikes big-time.D+ Nielas Havelid, D. Has been nowhere near as effective as last season. &#9632;

f0020-03

Stanley Cup hangover has lasting effects

<div class="byline">- JOHN MANASSO</div>Few knew how the Thrashers would react following the car accident that resulted in the death of center Dan Snyder and the injury to Dany Heatley.What has followed has been one of the NHL&rsquo;s surprise stories. Sitting atop the Southeast Division at the midway point, Atlanta will look to make its first playoff run. Defensive problems have plagued the Thrashers, who compensate with one of the league&rsquo;s top offenses.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-04512/8571155-1-eng-US/f0020-042.jpg" title="f0020-04" width="238" height="229"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A+ Ilya Kovalchuk, LW. NHL scoring title within 20-year-old&rsquo;s grasp.A+ Marc Savard, C. Only injuries have slowed him.A Slava Kozlov, LW. On pace for 34 goals, most since career-high 36 in &rsquo;95-96.A- Ronald Petrovicky, RW. Thirteen goals already smashes career best.A- Shawn McEachern. RW. Leads by example; plus-8, 23 assists.A- Andy Sutton, D. Big, physical defenseman tops team at plus-14.B+ Jeff Cowan, LW. His 20 points are career-high; slowed recently by injuries.B+ Pasi Nurminen, G. Carried team at start, but save percentage has slipped.B+ Frantisek Kaberle, D. Looking to set personal bests in points, plus/minus.B Serge Aubin, C. Solid, versatile and can play on top three lines.B Garnet Exelby, D. Rookie has been reliable against top competition.B Daniel Tjamqvist, D. Healthy scratch early, has improved play.B- Randy Robitaille, C. Sometimes a checker; also centers Kovalchuk.B- Patrik Stefan, C. On a career-best points pace; could improve minus-2.B- J-P Vigier, RW. Has shot at 20-goal season, but must improve minus-13.C+ Byron Dafoe, G. Having tough time challenging for No. 1 spot.C+ Ivan Majesky, D. Started strong, but has been slowed by injuries.C+ Yannick Tremblay, D. Must be more consistent defensively.C Chris Tamer, D. Reliable, but also a healthy scratch at times.C Ben Simon, C. Energy player with limited offensive skills.C- Tomas Kloucek, D. Physical, but must avoid mistakes, injuries.C- Bill Lindsay, LW. Limited skills, ice time. Suffered season-ending injury.D+ Francis Lessard, RW. Minus-8 in limited ice time. &#9632;

f0020-04

Cinderella Thrashers bucking all adds

<div class="byline">- MIKE LOFTUS</div>Deja vu all over again? The Boston Bruins say it ain&rsquo;t so, but it was becoming hard to believe as they followed an 11-2-3-3 start with a 3-9-6-1 slump that reminded many of last year&rsquo;s limp to a 36-31-11-4 finish (minus coach Rob Ftorek) after a 19-4-3-1 rush from the gate.Second-half hopes rest in goal, where Andrew Raycroft and Felix Potvin are an upgrade from John Grahame, Steve Shields and Jeff Hackett, and for more production from front-line forwards.That said, the Bruins need their scoring stars to start living up to expectations or they could slide out of the playoff picture.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0020-05311/8571186-1-eng-US/f0020-052.jpg" title="f0020-05" width="193" height="225"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A Patrice Bergeron, RW. League&rsquo;s youngest player team&rsquo;s most consistentB+ Ted Donato, LW. Veteran revivedpenalty kill after early December recall.B+ Andrew Raycroft, G. Slumped in December, but proved No. 1 capabilities.B P-J Axelsson, LW. Was missed during 12-game absence with injury.B Nick Boynton, D. Up and down, but still gets most ice time.B Hal Gill, D. Plus-minus leader on defense despite early ice time reduction.B Mike Knuble, LW. Won&rsquo;t repeat 30 goals, but low 20s not bad for $800,000.B Sean O&rsquo;Donnell, D. Least errorprone on defense corps.B Felix Potvin, G. Was ready with big games when Raycroft faltered.B Brian Ralston, C. Streaky, but still good for 25 goals as No. 2 or 3 center.B- Ian Moran, D. Sidelined by ankle sprain, his steadiness is missed.C+ Glen Murray, RW. Needs a streak to reach 30 goals, never mind 40.C+ Sergei Samsonov, LW. Even before knee injury, goals were scarce.C+ Joe Thornton, C. Below a point per game after 100-point season.C Travis Green, C. Gritty, great on draws, but most stats disappointing.C Dan McGillis, D. Best-paid blue-iner has worst plus-minus.C Jeff Jillson, D. Offense hasn&rsquo;t been there, defense still needs work.C Sandy McCarthy, RW. Not fighting much, but effective on fourth line.C- Michal Grosek, RW. Concentration lapses lead to occasional DNPs.C- Martin Lapointe, RW. No grade influenced more by salary ($5.5 million), &#9632;

f0020-05

Taking similar path has Bruins concerned

<div class="byline">- JIM KELLEY</div>At the midpoint of 2003-04, the Buffalo Sabres were exactly what they&rsquo;ve been for each of the previous two seasons -a team that underachieves and is in danger of once again missing the playoffs. Through all the trades and selloffs, the players that remain in Buffalo simply don&rsquo;t win on a consistent basis.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-011120/8571217-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="233" height="227"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>B+ Daniel Briere, C. Bright spot in play and enthusiasm.B +J-P Dumont, RW. Vying for team scoring lead, new contract.B Curtis Brown, C. Soft start offset by strong two-way play in second quarter.B Chris Drury, C. Game effort, but offensive production has been less than expected.B Mika Noronen, G. Emerging No. 1 still learning how to shrug off bad goals and make the timely save.B- Maxim Afinogenov, RW. Improving, but the progress is still slow.B- Dimitri Kalinin, D. Showing most improvement of young defensemen, especially on power play.C+ Adam Mair, RW. Fourth line momentum player shows good intensity most every night.C+ Jay McKee, D. Normally a B+ or better, injuries and a slow start have held him back.C+ James Patrick, D. Perhaps overplayed at times, but steady and a good teacher and role model.C+ Derek Roy, C. High energy, great skating ability; rookie starting to make an impact.C+ Alexei Zhitnik, D. Durable, but not enough offense, especially on power play.C Ales Kotalik, RW. Calder candidate last season having much trouble finding the net.C Miroslav Satan, RW. Coming around from a horrid offensive start, but overall game is soft.C Andrew Peters, LW. Big, tough and knows his role; willing to drop gloves with anyone.C- Martin Biron, G. Frustrating inconsistency continues to jeopardize claim for No. 1 status.C- Eric Boulton, RW. Plays the enforcer role, but has tough time earning playing time.C-Brian Campbell, D. Shows flashes of speed, but prone to mistakes in own end.C-Rory Fitzpatrick, D. Decent stay-at-home type, but no offense to speak of.C-Jochen Hecht, LW. Meagre offensive output since returning from a broken arm.C-Taylor Pyatt, LW. Strong October scoring surge a distant memory; doesn&rsquo;t use size to be a factor in front of the net.C-Hendrik Tallinder, D. Has size, doesn&rsquo;t use it, makes poor decisions. Should be further along.C-Chris Taylor, C. Smart, safe in his own end, but doesn&rsquo;t provide any offense.D-Andy Delmore, D. Power play specialist banished to minors after no goals in 19 games. &#9632;

f0021-01

Familiar Sabre stumbles paint unflattering picture

<div class="byline">- ERIC DUHATSCHEK</div>Even after an injury sidelined goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff for up to six weeks, the Calgary Flames&rsquo; outlook is mostly positive, thanks to a second quarter surge that saw them lose only twice within a 20-game segment.For the first time in seven years, a playoff spot is within their grasp.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-02723/8571248-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="233" height="227"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>AShean Donovan, RW. Defensive specialist scoring at a record rate.AMiikka Kiprusoff, G. San Jose castoff leads the league in GAA, has been Flames&rsquo; life saver.AJordan Leopold, D. Talented sophomore maturing into a high-minutes No. 1 &rsquo;D.&rsquo;B+Martin Gelinas, LW. Speedy winger is a steady, reliable, important two-way fixture.B+Jarome Iginla, RW. Producing regularly again after a slow start on the goal front.B+Dean McAmmond, C/LW. His versatility paid off during Calgary&rsquo;s rash of injuries.B+Robyn Regehr, D. Playing tough and physical; much better from mid-November on.B Toni Lydman, D. Poor man&rsquo;s Nick Lidstr&ouml;m is strong passer and skater.B Jamie McLennan, G. Solid, winning response when Roman Turek was injured.B Steve Reinprecht, C/LW. Averaging almost a point-a-game when healthy.B Stephane Yelle, C. The key to the team&rsquo;s penalty-killing improvement.B- Andrew Ference, D. Useful and reasonably con-sistent minute muncher plays safe game.B- Denis Gauthier, D. Pound-for-pound, still the best banger on the team.B- Oleg Saprykyn, LW. Finally catching on after a stutter-step career start.B- Rhett Warrener, D. Has provided a nasty physi-cal element often missing in Flames&rsquo; past.C Chris Clark, RW. OK defensively, but not scoring in any meaningful way.C Craig Conroy, C. Popular ex-captain mired in perplexing goal-scoring slump.C Matthew Lombardi, C. Unexpected production from player thought to be a year away.C Krzysztof Oliwa, LW. Still willing to drop the mitts regularly.C- Blair Betts, C. Injuries short-circuiting development again.C- Chuck Kobasew, RW. Still not scoring the way team think he can or should.C- Dave Lowry, LW. Diminishing on-ice role limits veteran&rsquo;s effectiveness, usefulness.C- Steve Mantador, D. Spare part has done every-thing expected of a seventh defenseman.Inc.Roman Turek, G. Mediocre prior to injury. &#9632;

f0021-02

Surprising Flames gear up for post-season push

<div class="byline">- LUKE DECOCK</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0022-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-02932/8571279-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">ERIC STAAL</figcaption></div>A last-place finish last season did-n&rsquo;t cost Paul Maurice his job. ADecember that wasn't any better did.The Canes fired Maurice, the NHL&rsquo;s longest-tenured coach, and replaced him with former Islanders coach Peter Laviolette Dec. 15 after the team&rsquo;s scoring woes became beyond endemic.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-011263/8571286-1-eng-US/f0022-012.jpg" title="f0022-01" width="235" height="182"></div>And those woes were impressive: Jeff O&rsquo;Neill, a 30- goal scorer the previous season, had only four in 39 games; Erik Cole went 23 games without a goal; Josef Vasicek went 17 games without a goal.Among this dismal crowd, two performances stand out: goalie Kevin Weekes and rookie Eric Staal. Weekes started 18 straight games at one point and deserved All-Star Game consideration.Staal entered the season a Calder Trophy candidate and has done nothing to deflect those hopes. His 29 minutes of ice time Jan.2 were the most by a rookie forward since the NHL started tracking ice times in 1999-2000.<h2>MID-SEASON 6RADES</h2>AEric Staal, C. Spectacular rookie has been team&rsquo;s most consistent player.AKevin Weekes, G. Without Weekes, would this team ever win?B-Bret Hedican, D. Effort, commitment never in question.B-Marty Murray, C. Plus-minus leader&rsquo;s role has gradually expanded.C+Kevyn Adams, C. Scored first two career shorthanded goals.C+Danny Markov, D. Slipped after great October and November.CCraig Adams, RW. Hits and hustles despite limited skill level.CBob Boughner, D. Struggled with injuries through first third of season.CJesse Boulerice, RW. Enforcer has bounced back from serious concussion.CNiclas Wallin, D. Effective and somewhat consistent in limited role.CGlen Wesley, D. Still a reliable warrior at 35.C-Rod Brind&rsquo;Amour, C. Still a faceoff ace; no longer an offensive threat.C-Ryan Bayda, LW. A nonfactor since early call-up.C-Ron Francis, C. Pursuit of Howe has stalled this season.C-Sean Hill, D. Cut back on bad penalties, started scoring.C-Jeff O&rsquo;Neill, RW. Leads team in scoring, but just four goals.C-Jamie Storr, G. Hasn&rsquo;t won a game yet.C-Josef Vasicek, C. Once again, tantalized with potential before slumping.C-Aaron Ward, D. Getting more work under new coach D+ Erik Cole, LW. Went O-for-December on goal-scoring front.D+Radim Vrbata, RW. Snake-bitten scorer still shying away from traffic. D Jaroslav Svoboda, RW. Solid playoff performance two years ago a distant memory. &#9632;

f0022-02

Maurice pays price tor lack of scoring

<div class="byline">- TIM SASSONE</div>It was a painful first half for the Blackhawks in a lot of ways. The Hawks won only 10 of their first 41 games, struggling to over-come serious injuries to their three best players, Jocelyn Thibault, Eric Daze and Alex Zhamnov. GM Mike Smith was fired and replaced by Bob Pulford and the organization dealt with the tragic death of former defenseman and coach Keith Magnuson.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-03709/8571317-1-eng-US/f0022-032.jpg" title="f0022-03" width="225" height="232"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>B Mark Bell, LW. One of the team&rsquo;s leading scorers.B Michael Leighton, G. Play has been solid behind a bad defense.B Brett McLean, C. Has been Hawks&rsquo; most consistent forward.B Scott Nichol, C. Earned big ice time with strong defensive play.C+ Nathan Dempsey, D. He has become the leader of the defense.C+ Tuomo Ruutu, LW. Rookie picking it up after a slow start.C Tyler Amason, C. All-around game still not there.C Bryan Berard, D. Injuries have kept him down.C Kyle Calder, LW. Tailed off after decent start.C Steve McCarthy, D. Played well before suffering groin injury.C Travis Moen, LW. Rookie OK as third- and fourth-liner.C Ville Nieminen, RW. Invisible on too many nights.C Steve Passmore, G. Played OK when given the chance.C Steve Poapst, D. Slipped a notch from last season.C Stephane Robidas, D. Steady as fifth or sixth defenseman.C Jason Strudwick, D. Adds some muscle and grit when healthy.C Steve Sullivan, RW. Plays hard, but offense has been lacking.C Ryan VandenBussche, RW. Does his job as undersized tough guy.C-Igor Korolev, LW. Little happening at either end.C-Deron Quint, D. Disappointing as off-season offensive addition.Inc. Johnathan Aitken, D. Helped plug holes due to injuries.Inc. Eric Daze, LW. Third back surgery has future in question.Inc. Jocelyn Thibault, G. Off to strong start before hip surgery.Inc. Alex Zhamnov, C. Missed 35 games because of back surgery. &#9632;

f0022-03

Injury-riddled Hawks fail to make grade

<div class="byline">- ADRIAN DATER</div>The team that thought it could win with filet mignon-style hockey this season quickly realized today&rsquo;s NHL is still more about hamburg and macaroni.The Avalanche changed diets early on and had a good first half because of it. Injuries helped force the Avs into a more conservative playing style from the run- and-gun hockey they played the first few games, with their super-star top-six group of forwards intact.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-04518/8571348-1-eng-US/f0022-042.jpg" title="f0022-04" width="233" height="221"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A Rob Blake, D. Enjoyed a Norris Trophy kind of first half.A Alex Tanguay, LW. The league&rsquo;s leading scorer early on.A Milan Hejduk, RW. On pace for another 40-goal season.A Joe Sakic, C. Climbed into top 10 in scoring as usual.A-Adam Foote, D. Another solid sea-son for the team&rsquo;s backbone.A-Peter Forsberg C. Injured much of first half, but produced when healthy.A-Steve Konowalchuk, LW. Scored eight goals first 14 games.A-David Aebischer, G. Excellent most of the time in first year as starter.B+ Andrei Nikolishin, C. Excellent faceoff man and PK guy.B+ John-Michael Liles, D. A pleasant rookie surprise on the bluelineB-Derek Morris, D. Some good games, some average games.B-Phil Sauve, G. Backup started poorly, but got better.B+ Karlis Skrastins, D. How could Nashville have let this guy go?C+ Teemu Selanne, RW. Inconsistent much of time. Missed Kariya.C+ Dan Hinote, RW. Started slow, but getting edge to game again.C+ Cody McCormick, C. Showing promise as gritty forward.C+ Peter Worrell, LW. Has started to be effective in nasty role.C+ Jim Cummins, RW. Enforcer has mosdy exceeded expectations.C+ Steve Moore, C. Not a speed mer-chant, but works hard.C+ Travis Brigley, C. Did some good things before back injury hit.C Chris McAllister, D. Didn&rsquo;t play much.C Martin Skoula, D. Still inconsistent and could be on the way out.Inc. Paul Kariya, LW. Missed 31 of first 38 games. &#9632;

f0022-04

Change of formula helps Avs succeed

<div class="byline">- AARON PORTZLINE</div>The Blue Jackets hoped to make a playoff push this season. Instead, they&rsquo;ll need to make a push to avoid being the NHL&rsquo;s worst team.It got so bad GM-president Doug MacLean resigned as head coach Jan.1, citing frustration and a number of players who were &ldquo;performing well below expectations.&rdquo; The sole glimmer of hope was Rick Nash, but a 19-year-old shouldn&rsquo;t be carrying the team.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-05388/8571379-1-eng-US/f0022-052.jpg" title="f0022-05" width="227" height="226"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A Rick Nash, LW. The team&rsquo;s top goal-scorer and one of few bright spots.A-David Vybomy, RW. Has settled in as a pretty good NHL player.B Nikolai Zherdev, LW. Wicked stick-handling will lead to more goals.C+ Manny Malhotra, C. Finally get-ting a chance to play, produce.C Anders Eriksson, D. His best stint yet as an NHL player.C Andrew Cassels, C. Offense far behind previous season&rsquo;s pace.C Scott Lachance, D. Has become more of a physical forceC Rostislav Klesla, D. May be turning the corner as a two-way type player.C-Luke Richardson, D. Was sorely missed when an injury sidelined him.C-Darryl Sydor, D. Losses have made him press too hard.C-Todd Rohloff, D. Thrust into action after a slew of injuries.C-Trevor Letowski, RW. Aside from his speed, he hasn&rsquo;t been special.C-Jody Shelley, LW. Always goes hard.C-David Ling RW. Brings lots of energy, but little else.C-Kent McDonell, RW. Plays too many non-descript games.C-Lasse Pirjeta, C. Wasn&rsquo;t brought over for fourth-line duty.C-Derrick Walser, D. Skates well, but needs to improve defensively.D Marc Denis, G. Gets no support, but soft goals have been a killer.D Tyler Wright, RW. Injuries a factor, but offensive numbers just not there.D Fred Brathwaite, G. Hasn&rsquo;t yet deliv-ered one of his hot streaks.D Todd Marchant, C. Gritty is good, but where are the goals?D Geoff Sanderson, LW. Has never been through a drought like this.D Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre, RW. Defense or forward? How about neither?D-Espen Knutsen, RW. Good NHL run, while it lasted. &#9632;

f0022-05

From darkhorse team to broken-down nag

<div class="byline">- MIKE HEIKA</div>For other teams, a .500 record might not be so bad. For the Stars, it is disastrous. Even owner Tom Hicks said a season at .500 would result in serious changes. But the Stars&rsquo; first half of the season left one ray of light -they went 6-2-5-0 through late December and played solid team defense. If they do that the remainder of the season, they&rsquo;ll likely win the Pacific Division and set themselves up for a decent playoff run.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-011136/8571410-1-eng-US/f0023-012.jpg" title="f0023-01" width="232" height="184"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A Brenden Morrow, LW. Has not taken a shift off this season.A-Marty Turco, G. Slow start, but quick make-up.sB Philippe Boucher, D. Consistently the team&rsquo;s best defenseman.B Richard Matvichuk, D. Bounced back from mediocre 2002-03 season.B Rob DiMaio, RW. Consistently hustles.B Jon Klemm, D. Has fulfilled role admirably.B Don Sweeney, D. Better than they expected. Playing 16:43 minutes per game.B Bill Guerin, RW. Has scored, but floats too much.B Trevor Daley, D. Good skills, but inexperienced.B-Jason Arnott, C. Scoring points, but inconsistentB-Stu Bames, C. Goal-scoring slump hurts grade.C Jere Lehtinen, RW. Not converting chances.C Aaron Downey, RW. Not given trust he wants.C Ron Tugnutt, G. Lack of opportunity results in his dispatch to American League.C-John Erskine, D. Injuries, lack of playing time hurt progress.C-Sergei Zubov, D. Still trying to find game.C-Steve Ott, LW. Has to offer more offensively, especially when playing on top lines.C-Teppo Numminen, D. Doesn&rsquo;t look comfortable.C-Pierre Turgeon, C. Working hard, but no results.C-Blake Sloan, RW. Hasn&rsquo;t made an impact.D Niko Kapanen, C. Suffering a serious case of sophomore slump.D Mike Modano, RW. Normally reliable, he&rsquo;s the biggest reason for team&rsquo;s early demise.D Scott Young, RW. Just three goals and minus-18 with a $3.5 million salary. Yikes! &#9632;

f0023-01

Mediocre performances tempered by recent rebound

<div class="byline">- NICHOLAS J COTSONIKA</div>The Red Wings had a dynamite first half, overcoming Sergei Fedorov&rsquo;s departure, a goaltending soap opera and an injury epidemic, thanks to some breakout performances and outstanding organizational depth. Pavel Datsyuk has led the way.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-02798/8571441-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="237" height="213"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A Pavel Datsyuk, C. Shot up to become one of NHL&rsquo;s top scorers.A Kris Draper, C. Now oppo-nents must check this checker.A Mathieu Schneider, D. Team&rsquo;s best defenseman.A Steve Thomas, RW. Stepped right in and scored before suffering knee injury.A Jason Woolley, D. Took opportunity, ran with it.A Steve Yzerman, C. Has exceeded all expectations.A-Brett Hull, RW. Datsyuk makes him look young.A-Brendan Shanahan, LW. Fedorov&rsquo;s departure hasn&rsquo;t hurt him.B+ Niklas Kronwall, D. Rookie has impressed.B+ Nicklas Lidstr&ouml;m, D. Merely good, but not Norris-caliber.B Mathieu Dandenault, D. Good in swingman role.B Curtis Joseph, G. Might not be traded, after all.B Manny Legace, G. Goaltending statistics similar to Hasek and Joseph.B Kirk Maltby, LW. Great defense, penalty-killing.B Ray Whitney, LW. Hasn&rsquo;t found niche.B Henrik Zetterberg, C. He was played well before breaking leg in first quarter.B-Chris Chelios, D. Still battling at 42.B-Dominik Hasek, G. Groin injury a problem.C+ Tomas Holmstrom, LW. Off last year&rsquo;s pace.C Mark Mowers, RW. Call-up from minors steadily earning an NHL job.C Jamie Rivers, D. Has filled in fine.C-Boyd Devereaux, LW. Works hard, but doesn&rsquo;t produce results.C-Jiri Fischer, D. He&rsquo;s very much out of sync after missing most of last season.D Jason Williams, C. Hasn&rsquo;t seized opportunities.Inc. Darren McCarty, RW. Out with bulging discs in back.Inc. Derian Hatcher, D. Should be back from knee injury in March. &#9632;

f0023-02

Dynamic Datsyuk dominates; Red Wings follow his lead

<div class="byline">- ROB TYCHK0WSKl</div>The Oilers, picked by many to miss the playoffs, surprised everyone by putting togeth-er a 7-2-2 stretch in November, climbing to sixth in the Western Conference. But it was all downhill from there, as they fell to 13th place.It was as bad a drought as the club has seen in years, one they&rsquo;ll have to spend the rest of the season digging out of.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-03592/8571472-1-eng-US/f0023-032.jpg" title="f0023-03" width="200" height="237"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>B+ Mike York, C. Edmonton&rsquo;s best player by a mile.B Ty Conklin, G. Rookie backup has given all the organization has asked of him.B Ryan Smyth, LW. Nobody works harder or is willing to get their nose dirtier.B Jason Smith, D. Having one of his best and meanest seasons in years.B-Marty Reasoner. C. Team didn&rsquo;t know how much they missed him until he was injured.C+ Steve Staios, D. No one is quicker to take one for the team.C+ Jarret Stoll, C. Thinks the game well and is responsible defensively.C Scott Ferguson, D. Solid work from unheralded blue-coUar veteran.C Fernando Pisani, RW. Quietly reliable, never makes the big mistake.C Ethan Moreau, LW. Hard-working, tough.C-Cory Cross, D. Nothing flashy, just reliable.C-Radek Dvorak, RW. Isn&rsquo;t putting up numbers to reflect quality ice time.C-Ales Hemsky, RW. Skilled, but turnover-prone.C-Tommy Salo, G. Had bad start, then got hurtC-Eric Brewer, D. Development is behind schedule.C-Alex Semenov, D. Hasn&rsquo;t stood out, but hasn&rsquo;t been all that bad, either.C-Shawn Horcoff, C. Does everything well; does nothing great.C-Raffi Torres, LW. Got off to fast start, then tapered off big time.C-Brad Isbister, RW. Must make more impact.C-Jason Chimera, LW. Errors put him in press box.D+ Georges Laraque, RW. Only gets involved with other heavyweights.D+ Adam Oates, C. People expected more. &#9632;

f0023-03

Oilers impressive early on, then suffer drought of wins

<div class="byline">- DAVID J. NEAL</div>Panthers owner Alan Cohen liked coach Mike Keenan better than GM Rick Dudley, but gave Dudley permission to fire Keenan. The team has fewer points than a year ago, allows more shots and scores less, yet the team somehow seems better. -Life with the Panthers is one incongruity after another.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-04433/8571503-1-eng-US/f0023-042.jpg" title="f0023-04" width="221" height="235"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A Roberto Luongo, G. Sees, stops more shots than any NHL No. 1.B+ Stephen Weiss, C. Smart, slick, two-way player.B+ Mike Van Ryn, D. Finds shooting lanes well.B+ Juraj Kolnik, RW. Hitter, minor league scorer lifts play of any line he&rsquo;s on.B Byron Ritchie, C. Team feeds off energetic pestB Valeri Bure, RW. Eight goals that tied opponents or gave Panthers the lead a team high.B Nathan Horton, RW. Rookie can help team more ways than any other Panther.B Craig MacDonald, C. Takes draws, kills penalties.B-Marcus Nilson, LW. Lost scoring confidence, found home on checking line.C+ Olli Jokinen, C. Points in only 10 of 26 games since Keenan fired.C+ Viktor Kozlov, RW. Asset when shooting often, liability otherwise.C+ Matt Cullen, C. Only now fully recovering from sports hernia surgery.C+ Pavel Tmka, D. Fine as a No. 5 or 6 blueliner.C Mathieu Biron, D. Using size, skating ability bet-ter as season progresses.C Jay Bouwmeester, D. The more he tries to do, the less he does well.C Niklas Hagman, LW. Totals don&rsquo;t match talentC Branislav Mezei, D. Fluke injury abbreviates his season again.C Lyle Odelein, D. Slowing, but still nasty enough.C Steve Shields, G. Played only four games since Nov. 1, but wasn&rsquo;t being disruptive.C-Darcy Hordichuk, LW. He&rsquo;s a willing pitcher and catcher (of punches).D+ Andreas Lilja, D. Play falling apart in all zones.D Kristian Huselius, LW. Has played even more timid, cowed in post-Keenan era. &#9632;

f0023-04

Change behind bench helps Panthers turn corner

<div class="byline">- MATT MCHALE</div>Los Angeles, for the second season in a row, has been hard hit by in-juries. The Kings played the first half of 2003-04 without Jason Allison and Adam Deadmarsh. Injuries to defenseman Aaron Miller and center Derek Armstrong also hurt, but the team persevered admirably before an eight-game winless streak to close 2003.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-011221/8571534-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="202" height="219"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A Ziggy Palffy, RW. Still dazzling on a team with little support.B+ Lubomir Visnovsky, D. Emerging power play threat jumpstarts defense.B Mattias Norstrom, D. Still a big hit-ter, also a mentor to young defensemen.B Martin Straka, LW. Has shown great skill, needs to bring it every night.B Trent Klatt, RW. Brought grit and leadership, just as advertised.B Derek Armstrong, C. Looked like a breakout year until broken finger.B Alexander Frolov, LW. Solid second season with more goals and jump.B Eric Belanger, C. New year, new fine, succeeds wherever he playsC+ Mike Cammalleri, C. Needs con-sistency to have larger impact.C+ Cristobal Huet, G. Sensational when defense limits shots against.C Joe Corvo, D. Huge shot, but defen-sive lapses have hurt.C Luc Robitaille, L. Power play regular; 5-on-5 play raises concerns.C Ian Laperriere, RW. Still heart and soul, but sixth concussion worrisome.C Dustin Brown, RW. Showed skill, poise, but bad ankle sprain hurt.C Sean Avery, LW. Agitator can even get under his own team&rsquo;s skin.C Tim Gleason, D. Rookie impressed early, still has much to learn.C Jon Sim, RW. Team usually wins with steady fourth liner in lineup.C-Brad Chartrand, C. Not supplying same energy he did two years ago.C-Jason Holland, D. Journeyman&rsquo;s play dropped off with more ice time.C-Esa Pirnes, C. Older rookie has finesse but gets pushed around.C-Jozef StumpeL C. Plays well with Palffy; health, desire still issues.C-Jaroslav Modry, D. More expected of Kings&rsquo; top power play guy.C-Roman Cechmanek, G. Way too many soft goals to go with four shutouts.C-Aaron Miller, D. Not around enough to make a difference.Inc. Maxim Kuznetsov, D. Visa flap cost two months &mdash; and it shows. &#9632;

f0024-01

Kings find success despite nagging hurts

<div class="byline">- BRIAN MURPHY</div>The enigmatic Minnesota Wild ended the first half with a 14-16-11-0 record for 39 points -with-in sight of a playoff spot. But the team is just a shadow of the one that roared into the Stanley Cup semifi-nal a year ago.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-02867/8571565-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="251" height="199"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A Dwayne Roloson, G. Gaudy stats amid paltry goal support.A-Manny Fernandez, G. Continues to elevate his athleticism while competing for starts.A-Willie Mitchell, D. Top D-man through harrowing first half.B+ Jason Wiemer, C. Found niche crashing net to score big goals.B+ Matt Johnson, LW. Career high in goals, continues to protect mates.B Wes Walz, C. Tireless competitor draws tough assignments.B Jim Dowd, C. Reigning graybeard turns in productive first half.B Richard Park, RW. Underrated worker with knack for timely goals.B-Nick Schultz, D. 21-year-old has played 170-plus games. Poise shows it.B-Alexandre Daigle, RW. Reclamation project cooled after hot start.B-Andrew Brunette, LW. Leading points producer, durable playmaker.B-Andrei Zyuzin, D. Liabilities over-shadowed by skills; soaks up ice time.C+ Brent Bums, RW. Smiling rookie can expect more ice time, scrutiny.C+ Pascal Dupuis, LW. Mixed results after contract squabble.C+ Alex Henry, D. Provides muscle in front of net; still work in progress.C+ Antti Laaksonen, LW. Hard-working, reliable, durable.C Sergei Zholtok, C. Health concerns lead to early slump.C Pierre-Marc Bouchard, C. Teen flashes potential, but more is expected.C Brad Brown, D. Battles hard for 10 minutes of ice time nightly.C-Filip Kuba, D. Leads D-men in ice time, but needs to develop more attitude to complement size.C-Christoph Brandner, LW. Amiable Austrian has scoring tools, needs to dial down the self-doubt.C-Brad Bombardir, D. Recovering from confidence-shaking start.D+ Marian Gaborik, RW. Contentious contract battle sets even higher standard for underachieving winger.Inc. Marc Chouinard, C. Broken jaw, viral infection limit checker to 17 games.Inc. Eric Chouinard, C. Acquired in Dec. 17 trade; audition continues. &#9632;

f0024-02

Minnesota struggling to find ’02-03 form

<div class="byline">- HERB ZURKOWSKY</div>Despite the frigid weather, Montreal is a wonderful place in the winter - when the Canadiens are winning. The Habs, who have missed the playoffs four of the last five seasons, reached the midway point in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, four &ldquo; points over .500.The team has become bigger, stronger, tougher and younger and have bought into coach Claude Julien&rsquo;s defense-oriented system.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-03618/8571596-1-eng-US/f0024-032.jpg" title="f0024-03" width="233" height="197"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A Sheldon Souray, D. Playing like a Norris candidate after year off.A Jose Theodore, G. Gives team chance to win every game.A Mike Ribeiro, C. Finally living up to his potential.A Michael Ryder, RW. Legitimate Calder candidate with a quick shot.A Saku Koivu, C. Team&rsquo;s hardest-working player every game.B Richard Zednik, RW. Second on team in shots, with 110.B Patrice Brisebois, D. Leads team in plus-minus, at plus-12.B Pierre Dagenais, RW. Pleasant surprise since November recall.B Joe Juneau, C. Key defensive special-ist and penalty killer.B Yanic Perreault, C. Strong at faceoffs and can still score.B Francis Bouillon, D. Small in size, but compensates with big heart.B Stephane Quintal, D. Provides muchneeded experience along blueline.B Steve Begin, C. Became solid defensive player before injury.B Niklas Sundstrom, LW. Decent offense given his checking role.C+ Jan Bulis, LW. Can still score, but playmaking skills have dipped.C Andrei Markov, D. Inconsistent defensively, not scoring like last season.C Craig Rivet, D. Team-worst minus-9 is becoming target of boo-birds.C Andreas Dackell, RW. Solid defen-sively, but won&rsquo;t provide much offense.C Darren Langdon, LW. Provides much-needed muscle and size up front.C Jason Ward, RW. Fourth-line winger with limited natural talent.C Mike Komisarek, D. Seventh defenseman who&rsquo;s being groomed slowly.C Mathieu Garon, G. In difficult position given lack of playing time.D Chad Kilger, LW. Square peg trying to fit into round hole. &#9632;

f0024-03

Younger, grittier Habs finding key to wins

<div class="byline">- DAVID BOCLAIR</div>The Nashville Predators have never finished over 500 or made the playoffs, but they are making their best case ever in 2003-04.Rather than lament their small-market, expansion fate following seven defeats in nine games in mid-November, the Preds, who were last in the Western Conference, decided do something about it.The Preds won 10 of their next 12, surged into the Western Confer-ence&rsquo;s top eight and were a respect-able 18-15-4-2 through early January.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-04433/8571627-1-eng-US/f0024-042.jpg" title="f0024-04" width="238" height="189"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A Mark Eaton, D. Plays against top lines, leads in plus-minus.A Kimmo Timonen, D. Small player logs huge minutes.A Tomas Vokoun, G. Spectacular behind an inexperienced defense.A-Martin Erat, LW. Finally has learned to play with consistent effort.A-Rem Murray, LW. Versatility makes him exceedingly valuable.A-Scott Walker, RW. Contributes in all areas, including the dressing room.B+ Scott Hartnell, LW. Has added a scoring touch.B+ Vladimir Orszagh, RW. Scoring more, working just as hard.B Adam Hall, RW. A tireless worker without a specific role.B Dan Hamhuis, D. A top penalty-killer; the next Barrett Jackman?B Greg Johnson, C. Easily the team&rsquo;s best faceoff artist.B Marek Zidlicky, D. Pumped life into the power play early.B-Jamie Allison, D. Plays an exceedingly safe game.C+ David Legwand, C. A leading scor-er, but can do a lot more.C Jim McKenzie, LW. Sees only mini-mal ice time.C Jeremy Stevenson, LW. Cheek injury hindered his robust playing style.C Jordin Tootoo, RW. Role reduced fol-lowing early hype.C-Chris Mason, G. Works hard but must deliver wins.C-Jason York, D. Production dropped since separation from Timonen.D Denis Arkhipov, C. Sizable and skilled, but unproductive.D Robert Schnabel, D. Wrist injury cost him most of first half.Inc Andreas Johansson, LW. After a good start another significant injury. &#9632;

f0024-04

First playoff berth in Predators’ sights

<div class="byline">- PETER BOTTE</div>Can the Islanders reach the playoffs for the third consecutive season? To do so, they must display the cohesiveness that was questioned often when their season nearly unraveled before baseball season even had ended.The fractured Isles came together in time to vault into the top-8 in the Eastern Conference before Christmas, but serious injuries to top scorers Alexei Yashin and Mark Parrish will test the team&rsquo;s depth and mettle down the stretch.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-011094/8571689-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="213" height="234"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A Trent Hunter, RW. Early candidate for Calder Trophy on 30-goal pace.A Adrian Aucoin, D. Workhorse blueliner led league in plus-minus; averaging more than 26 minutes of ice time per game.A-Mariusz Czerkawski, RW. Team scoring leader has already doubled his points output from a year and is a bargain at $800,000.A-Shawn Bates, LW. Arguably the team&rsquo;s most valuable two-way for-ward, key player on both special teams.B+ Kenny Jonsson, D. Quietly one of steadiest blueliners in the league.B+ Dave Scatchard, C. Islanders put together 10-3-1-1 run after he returned from injured list.B Garth Snow, G. Grade would be higher if not for slow start.B Alexei Yashin, C. He was just beginning to heat up when a wrist injury sidelined him until late March.B Mark Parrish, RW. Same as Yashin, but is expected back in late February.B Oleg Kvasha, LW. A 50-point season is within reach.B Jason Blake, LW. Should reach 20-plus goals for second straight sea-son; leads team forward at plus-12.B-Arron Asham, RW. Useful team player can fill many roles.B-Eric Godard, RW. Earning reputation as up- and-coming heavy-weight with 65 PIM in 23 games.B-Michael Peca, C. Team captain appears to have weathered trade-rumor storm after tough start.C+ Janne Niinimaa, D. Was invisible first two months of season.C Radek Martinek, D. Fills out extra minutes on blueline.C Eric Cairns, D. Ever-willing to stick up for mates, but that&rsquo;s about it.C Rick DiPietro, G. Isles still need his consistency to take next step.C Justin Mapletoft, C. Gritty center hasn&rsquo;t earned regular role.C-Justin Papineau, C. Zero production, but not much chance for it from fourth line.C-Mattias Weinhandl, RW. No offensive impact (two goals in 14 games) coming off ankle surgery.D Roman Hamrlik, D. The 2003 All-Star Game participant had no goals through New Year&rsquo;s day. &#9632;

f0025-01

Isles must overcome major injuries to make post-season appearance

<div class="byline">- LARRY BROOKS</div>The first half of the Rangers season concluded with serious concerns about struggling No. 1 goalie Mike Dunham and a team-wide inability to stay out of the penalty box, but for the most part the team has performed adequately.With continued improvement in defensive awareness and consistent application of a work ethic, they should compete for one of the three playoff spots that appear open in the Eastern Conference.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-02751/8571720-1-eng-US/f0025-022.jpg" title="f0025-02" width="193" height="221"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A Greg de Vries, D. Most reliable defenseman-if not player-on team.A Jussi Markkanen, G. Backup making spirited chal-lenge for No. 1 netminding job.A-Mark Messier, C. Veteran leader has been remarkably productive when used properly.B+ Darius Kasparaitis, D. Mean, effective and disciplined.B+ Matthew Barnaby, RW. Straps on hard hat every night.B Bobby Holik, C. Dominant when given defined role.B Eric Lindros, C. Locker room leader re-emerging as physical force.B Martin Rucinsky, LW. Team&rsquo;s plus-minus leader has been an offensive threat with 27 points in 39 games.B Chris Simon, LW. Has an excellent work ethic.B Jed Ortmeyer, RW. Freshman displayed character, hunger.B-Brian Leetch, D. Doing his best playing through pain.B-Boris Mironov, D. Hasn&rsquo;t been consistent, but comes to play every night.C+ Tom Poti, D. Shows flashes of brilliance, but is too much of a paci-fist for a 6-foot-3 bluelinerC+ Mike Dunham, G. Started the season well, but has been a liability since mid-November.C+ Dan LaCouture, LW. A high-energy player.C Petr Nedved, C. Always a better player in the second half of the season.C Pascal Rheaume, C. Role player seeking to fit in.C Jamie Landmark, C. In and out of Glen Sather&rsquo;s lineup prior to knee injury in early December.C Joel Bouchard, D. Faltered when given chance to make impact.C-Anson Carter, RW. Yet to find comfort level on Broadway.C-Jan Hlavac, LW. Unable to establish himself.C-Alexei Kovalev, RW. High risk, modest reward.D Vladimir Malakhov, D. Bungling through an uninspired and mis-take-filled season.D Dale Purinton, D. Refused conditioning assignment in minors, ineffective as spare part. &#9632;

f0025-02

Goaltending concerns at forefront as Rangers make push for playoffs

<div class="byline">- BRUCE GARRIOCH</div>The Senators went from being picked to win the Stanley Cup to being picked apart. But as the mid-season approached, the Sens were rounding into the form that made them virtually everybody&rsquo;s choice to win the Stanley Cup in the pre-season.After posting a 4-6-2-2 record in November, everybody was feeling the heat in Ottawa. Fans were calling for coach Jacques Martin to get fired and goalie Patrick Lalime to get traded, but GM John Muckier stood by the team.A 10-game unbeaten streak that began in mid-December helped the Senators close in on first place in the Eastern Conference.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-03517/8571751-1-eng-US/f0025-032.jpg" title="f0025-03" width="233" height="221"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A Daniel Alfredsson, RW. The Senators&rsquo; captain has been the Senators&rsquo; leader.A Marian Hossa, RW. Team leader in first-half scoring (41 points in 38 games) works hard every shift.A-Zdeno Chara, D. Back to being a physical force.A-Peter Schaefer, LW. Playing a valuable role on both offense and defense.B+ Wade Redden, D. Nothing fancy, but gets the job done.B+ Chris Phillips, D. Game improved as season went on.B Karel Rachunek, D. Early-season benching sent a strong message.B Martin Havlat, RW. Late arrival has contributed offense.B Bryan Smolinski, LW. A solid whether or not his team has the puck.B Jason Spezza, C. The kid is alright - and he&rsquo;ll improve, too.B-Radek Bonk, C. Must be more consistent 5-on-5.B-Todd White, C. Working harder, smarter.B-Patrick Lalime, G. Struggled to find consistency early, but has started coming around.B-Martin Prusek, G. Also had a tough start to the season, but has turned it up since then.C+ Antoine Vermette, LW. The grade for this youngster is bound to improve as he gains more experience.C+ Curtis Leschyshyn, D. Veteran blueliner has seen only limited playing time.C+ Chris Neil, RW. Knows his role and gets the job done.C Shaun Van Allen, C. Still doing a good job as a key penalty-killer.C Shane Hnidy, D. Has to be a physical presence to be effective.C Brian Pothier, D. Blueliner Needs to demonstrate more consistency at the NHL level.D Petr Schastlivy, LW. Low-scoring winger could use a change of scenery.Inc. Mike Fisher, C. Nagging elbow injury has kept him from playing.Inc. Vaclav Varada, RW. Elite pest out for season with knee injury. &#9632;

f0025-03

Martin, Lalime feel heat early on, but Sens rebound with big win streak

<div class="byline">- WAYNE FISH</div>While the Philadelphia Flyers got off to one of the fastest starts in team history, few of their players are among the league&rsquo;s sta-tistical leaders.It&rsquo;s safe to say coach Ken Hitchcock doesn&rsquo;t mind.When Hitchcock empha-sizes a &ldquo;strong team game,&rdquo; individuals have to make sacri-fices for the good of the whole.That said, Philadelphia&rsquo;s chain had few weak links - and a number of strong ones-in the first half of the season.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-011233/8571782-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="238" height="200"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A Robert Esche, G. Making case for No. 1 job; just two victories shy of career high.A Keith Primeau, C. Flyers&rsquo; best two-way player is a Selke Trophy candidate.A Mark Recchi, LW. Team&rsquo;s goal leader hasn&rsquo;t lost a step.A-Jeremy Roenick, C. Still offensive leader, but not as consistent as last year.B+ Kim Johnsson, D. Hitchcock calls him biggest surprise on defense.B+ Sami Kapanen, RW. Gritty? Gets four teeth knocked out, returns to score last-minute tying goal.B+ Joni Pitkanen, D. Could be Flyers&rsquo; first NHL rookie of year in team history.B+ Tony Amonte, RW. Adjusting effectively to coach&rsquo;s system.B+ Mike Comrie, C. Newcomer adds needed speed, playmaking elements to lineup.B Marcus Ragnarsson, D. Playing big part in Pit-kanen&rsquo;s freshman success.B Eric Desjardins, D. On his way to record eighth Flyers&rsquo; best &rsquo;D&rsquo; trophy.B-Justin Williams, RW. Six-week goal drought, but still team&rsquo;s best plus-minus forward.B-Simon Gagne, LW. Playing alongside Comrie could help get his offense going.B-Eric Weinrich, D. Workmanlike effort on a nightly basis.C+ Michal Handzus, C. Offense should pick up if he gets healthy.C+ Jeff Hackett, G. Still adjusting to environment.C+ Jim Vandermeer, D. Needs to improve defen-sively. Otherwise, it&rsquo;s back and forth to AHL.C John LeClair, LW. Eight goals not enough for the $9-million price tag.C Radovan Somik, RW. Must get better at finishing plays around the net.C Donald Brashear, LW. Five goals a bonus from team&rsquo;s enforcer.C Todd Fedoruk, RW. Most improved forward had season slowed by severe facial injury.C Chris Therien, D. Playing with a bad back, effec-tive when healthy. &#9632;

f0026-01

Team concept key for Flyers, but individual stars emerge

<div class="byline">- BOS MCMANAMAN</div>The Phoenix Coyotes have embraced their role as underdogs this season and are barking about a playoff appearance after a bet-ter-than-expected first half.Led by rising forwards Shane Doan and Ladislav Nagy; an improving young defense; useful role players; and a dynamic duo of Sean Burke and Brian Boucher in net, the Coyotes have proven they can skate with anyone when they stick to coach Bobby Francis&rsquo;s system.<h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-02877/8571813-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="196" height="229"></div>A Shane Doan, RW. Rock-solid two-way forward is having MVP-type season.A Ladislav Nagy, LW. Developing into a sniper with 19 goals after 38 games.B+ Branko Radivojevic, RW. Exciting young power forward delivering in big games.B+ Brian Boucher, G. Rejuvenated his career in Phoenix after falling to third string.B+ Tyson Nash, LW. One of NHL&rsquo;s best agitators brings energy on every shift.B Paul Mara, D. Tied career-high with 17 assists at halfway mark, still getting better.B Cale Hulse, D. Enjoying best year since 1998-99.B Daymond Langkow, C. One of the most under-rated pivots in the NHL.B Radoslav Suchy, D. Two of career-high five goals have been game-winners.B Sean Burke, G. Still as dependable and durable as ever, but struggled early.B-David Tanabe, D. Lightning-fast speed gives Phoenix options on blueline it has never had.B-Freddie Sjostrom, LW. Enthusiasm and effort won him spot on top line with Doan.C+ Daniel Cleary, RW. Unwanted in Edmonton, found a home as defensive forward here.C+ Ossi Vaananen, D. Loads of responsibility for top-two D-man at age 23.C Jan Hrdina, C. Provides slick playmaking.C Brian Savage, LW. Just starting to provide his best efforts in three seasons.C JeffTaffe, C. Skilled scorer finding it hard to put up numbers on fourth line.C Andrei Nazarov, LW. Hasn&rsquo;t played much, but hasn&rsquo;t been a liability, either.C Mike Sillinger, C. Winning faceoffs, battling hard, but could be better.C Matthew Spiller, D. Twenty-year-old played with confidence in 26 games straight out of junior.C-Chris Gratton, C. Runs hot and cold, but offen-sive production has been frigid, at best.C-Landon Wilson, RW. Made amazing comeback from eye injury, but has come along slowly.C-Brad Ference, D. Back in the lineup after being a regular healthy scratch and nearly forgotten. &#9632;

f0026-02

Tenacious Coyotes showing they won’t be NHL lapdogs

<div class="byline">- JOE STARKEY</div>Cynics will see the report card below and say, &ldquo;How could the worst team in the league not have more D&rsquo;s and F&rsquo;s?&rdquo;Easy: The grades were based on expectations, and nobody expected anything out of these guys. The Penguins were last in the league in points, goals against and talented players - and that was before Mario Lemieux packed it in for the season. Which can only mean one thing: from here on in it&rsquo;s all eyes on Ovechkin.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-011177/8571844-1-eng-US/f0027-012.jpg" title="f0027-01" width="224" height="237"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A-Marc-Andre Fleury, G. At 18, surpassed highest hopes with acrobatic play.B+ Martin Strbak, D. Twetny-eight-year-old Czech rookie arguably team&rsquo;s best rearguard.B+ Dick Tamstrom, D. Only NHL blueliner to lead his team in scoring.B Rico Fata, C. Surprising production and poten-tial makes Kovalev deal somewhat palatable.B Ryan Malone, LW. Huge surprise cooled down after sizzling start.B Tomas Surovy, LW. Pens rarity: a natural scorer.B B-Konstantin Koltsov, LW. Demon forechecker learning to harness speed.C+ Brian Holzinger, C. Stint on waivers woke him up; has responded with more jump.C Marc Bergevin, D. Another Pens rarity: a respectable plus-minus rating.C Kelly Buchberger, C. No points, lots of heart.C Sebastien Caron, G. Spectacular at times, but pulled from games too often.C Mike Eastwood, C. Solid veteran presence is Pens&rsquo; key faceoff man.C Tom Kostopoulos, LW. Part-time NHLer is one of many on this team playing as expected.C Steve McKenna, LW. Tall drink of water leads club in PIM, stands up for teammates.C Josef Melichar, D. On the bright side, his trick shoulder has yet to flare up.C Brooks Orpik, D. Up and down consistency-wise, but hitting game starting to come.C-Drake Berehowsky, D. Struggles everywhere but on the power play.C-Patrick Boileau, D. Former Wing farmhand bolstered power play upon arrival.C-Dan Focht, D. High draft pick in 1996 needs more of a mean streak.C-Matt Bradley, RW. Decent checker brings next to no offense.C-Milan Kraft, C. Sometimes looks like an NHL player, but has ability to do much more.D Aleksey Morozov, RW. Highest-paid healthy player fails to deliver.Inc. Mario Lemieux, C. Will &rsquo;The Franchise&rsquo; ever play again? &#9632;

f0027-01

Pens fulfill expectations… and that’s the problem

<div class="byline">- ROSS MCKEON</div>Talk about a turnaround from one quarter of the season to the next. The Sharks were the dregs of the Western Conference after winning four of their first 20 games. But in an out-of-nowhere resurgence,San Jose earned points in all but three of its second 20 con-tests (12-4-3-1) to claim the Pacific Division lead.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0027-02805/8571875-1-eng-US/f0027-022.jpg" title="f0027-02" width="227" height="222"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A-Patrick Marleau, C. Big improvement in consistency.A-Scott Hannan, D. Minute-muncher doesn&rsquo;t make many mistakes.A-Vesa Toskala, G. Best Sharks backup in years.B+ Evgeni Nabokov, G. Improved game after injury.B+ Alyn McCauley, C. Supplied leadership and scoring in bigger role.B+ Rob Davison, D. No Shark has come further in past year.B+ Nils Ekman, RW. Feisty and consistent.B+ Jonathan Cheechoo, RW. Second-year NHLer a steady contributor mature beyond his years.B Marco Sturm, LW. Speed literally separates him from the pack.B Vincent Damphousse, LW. Made smooth, pro-ductive transition from center to wing.B Wayne Primeau, C. Played strong role when not bothered by nagging injuries.B Scott Parker, RW. Enforcer doesn&rsquo;t hurt team when he&rsquo;s on the ice.B-Brad Stuart, D. Must pay attention to details.B-Mike Rathje, D. Has rallied after slow start.C+ Kyle McLaren, D. Physical element has been missing some nights.C+ Niko Dimitrakos, RW. Must add strength.C Scott Thornton, LW. Injuries cut into production.C Alexander Korolyuk, LW. Excels on fourth line.C Mark Smith, C. Glut at center, injuries limit pivot&rsquo;s ice time.C Christian Ehrhoff, D. Needs work in own end.C Tom Preissing, D. See Ehrhoff analysis.C-Mike Ricci, C. Slip in production results in less ice, demotion to fourth line.C-Todd Harvey, RW. Added energy and spirit since recall from American League. &#9632;

f0027-02

<div class="byline">- DAMIAN CRISTODERO</div>It&rsquo;s difficult to get a grasp of what kind of team the Lightning is supposed to be. Are they the team that began 11-2-2-1 or the one that was 5-12-4-0 and scored 38 goals in 21 names ending Jan. 3? Either way, Tampa Bay is still in striking distance of the front-running Thrashers in the Southeast Division.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-02846/8571937-1-eng-US/f0028-022.jpg" title="f0028-02" width="230" height="229"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A-Nikolai Khabibulin, G. Kept goal-starved team in games.A-John Grahame, G. Mirrored Khabibulin&rsquo;s first half.B Martin St-Louis, RW. Leads team in scoring, including shorthanded and game-winning goals.B-Dave Andreychuk, LW. Still a monster on faceoffs.B-Pavel Kubina, D. Ice time leader much more consistent defensively.B-Brad Lukowich, D. Always involved physically.B-Cory Stillman, LW. Top scorer on power play hurt by long drought.C+ Chris Dingman, LW. Can&rsquo;t knock him off puck.C+ Tim Taylor, C. Tough defensively and on face-offs.C+ Fredrik Modin, LW. Must score more often.C+ Jassen Cullimore, D. Willing shot-blocker.C Vincent Lecavalier, C. Bolts&rsquo; best player simply wasn&rsquo;t.C Brad Richards, C. Mired in season-long goal-scoring drought.C Nolan Pratt, D. Intense competitor.C Cory Sarich, D. Progress slowed after huge 2002-03 season.C-Dmitry Afanasenkov, LW. Creates chances, but doesn&rsquo;t finish.C-Dan Boyle, D. Big offensive dropoff from &rsquo;02-03.C-Ben Clymer, RW. Hard worker must add more offense to his game.C-Martin Cibak, C. Stout defensively; more offense needed.C-Andre Roy, LW. More offense expected of enforcer.C-Darren Rumble, D. Limited playing time for veteran blueliner.C-Shane Willis, RW. Hasn&rsquo;t regained scoring touch.D+ Ruslan Fedotenko, LW. Struggling at both ends. &#9632;

f0028-02

Stellar play out of gate offset by equally big slump

<div class="byline">- KEN CAMPBELL</div>The Maple Leafs endured endless controversy, a conga line of injuries and a start as disastrous as a Britney Spears marriage to become the NHL&rsquo;s best team in the season&rsquo;s first half.Much was made of a team meeting following a 3-2 loss to Edmonton Nov. 20. It&rsquo;s almost certainly a coincidence Toronto went on a tear after that meeting, but with just two regulation losses in 22 games after that, its importance has grown to mythic proportions.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-03624/8571968-1-eng-US/f0028-032.jpg" title="f0028-03" width="189" height="238"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A Bryan McCabe, D. Enormous rebound after ter-rible 2002-03 season.A Darcy Tucker, LW. Kept quiet, improved offense.A Mats Sundin, C. Delivered clutch performances.A Gary Roberts, LW. Drives to net like no other.A-Ed Belfour, G. Starting to regain &rsquo;02-03 form.A-Ken Klee, D. Has been the stabilizing, two-way force Leafs desperately need.A-Joe Nieuwendyk, C. Very effective when healthy.A-Owen Nolan, RW. Serious eye injury could be devastating for Leafs.B+ Alexei Ponikarovsky, LW. Came to life after four years of mediocrity.B Tom Fitzgerald, RW. Terrific penalty-killer.B Trevor Kidd, G. Has spelled Belfour admirably.B Wade Belak, LW. Tough guy showed versatility.B Matt Stajan, C. Must improve faceoff draws.B Alexander Mogilny, RW. Still team&rsquo;s most purely talented player-when he&rsquo;s not injured.B-Bryan Marchment, D. Filled No. 5 hole on &rsquo;D&rsquo;.B-Karel Pilar, D. Still finding his way after illness.B-Robert Reichel, C. Exceeding expectations only because they were so low in the first place.C Nik Antropov, C. Big man hurt too often.C Tie Domi, RW. Way off scoring pace from &rsquo;02-03.C Mikael Renberg, RW. Offensive stats don&rsquo;t match his scoring opportunities.C Tomas Kaberle, D. Development is regressing.C-Nathan Perrott, RW. Loses a lot of fights, but shows up for them all the same.C-Rte Jackman, D. Started off great; now a regu-lar healthy scratch. &#9632;

f0028-03

Leafs league’s top team despite injuries, controversy

<div class="byline">- ELLIOTT PAP</div>The Canucks were the poster boys for con-sistency during the first half of the season.In their first 40 games, Vancouver won 22 games and collected 52 points. The Canucks were victorious at home 11 times&hellip;and on the &mdash; road 11 times. They earned 26 points at home&hellip;and 26 points on the road.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-04435/8571999-1-eng-US/f0028-042.jpg" title="f0028-04" width="202" height="230"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A Markus Naslund, LW. On target for another 90-100 point year.A Mattias Ohlund, D. A rock on the blueline.A-Dan Cloutier, G. Silencing critics after playoff meltdown against Minnesota.B+ Todd Bertuzzi, RW. Playing better without puck, not shooting enough with it.B+ Brent Sopel, D. Leading the defense in offense.B+ Sami Salo, D. Top penalty-killer steady on &rsquo;D&rsquo;.B+ Brendan Morrison, C. Defensive conscience of Naslund-Bertuzzi line.B+ Trevor Linden, C. Plays in all situations.B Ed Jovanovski, D. Hasn&rsquo;t been in peak swash-buckling form.B Marek Malik, D. Solid partner for Jovanovski.B Jason King, RW. Rookie fizzled in December after tremendous start.B Jarkko Ruutu, LW. Former press box mainstay contributing a little bit of everything.B Matt Cooke, RW. Key forechecker and elite pest.B-Bryan Allen, D. Capable replacement for Murray Baron.B-Mike Keane, RW. Fit nicely into fourth line role.C+ Brad May, LW. Answers every bell, but must do more with puck.C Artem Chubarov, C. Solid defensively, but needs more offense.C Daniel Sedin, LW. Still awaiting breakthrough.C Johan Hedberg, G. Injuries hurt ability to con-tribute as backup.C-Henrik Sedin, C. More of a disappointment than twin brother Daniel.C-Magnus Arvedson, LW. Good without puck, no threat with it.D+ Jiri Slegr, D. Frequent healthy scratch can&rsquo;t crack top six. &#9632;

f0028-04

Consistent play the key to Canucks’ great first half

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0028-05" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-05331/8572030-1-eng-US/f0028-052.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0028-05

NHL TELEVISION DIRECTORY FOR UPCOMING GAMES

<div class="byline">- JASON LA CANFORA</div>The Washington Capitals rank among the biggest disappointments in the NHL this season.They have inhabited the bottom rungs of the standings all year, possess an awful goals-against average, have endured lengthy scoring slumps and are on their second coach of the season.Establishing some sort of home-ice advantage and playing a more entertaining brand of hockey would go a long way to making the second half bear-able for the Washington faithful.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-011082/8572061-1-eng-US/f0029-012.jpg" title="f0029-01" width="214" height="231"></div><h2>MID-SEASON GRADES</h2>A Robert Lang, C. Lang has led the NHL in scoring for much of the season.A-Dainius Zubrus, C. Becoming a shutdown center and offensive force.B+ Steve Eminger, D. His poise belies his tender age of 20.B Jaromir Jagr, RW. October was ugly, but has been strong since.B Peter Bondra, RW. Slow start, then settled into usual scoring pace.B Matt Pettinger, LW. Worked his way out of minors; brings aggressiveness.B-Rick Berry, D. Puck skills lag, but a strong physical presence since recall.B-Sergei Gonchar, D. Great offense, but loss of Ken Klee hurt overall game.B-Boyd Gordon, C. Made smooth jump from junior to NHL.B-Trent Whitfield, LW. High-energy player good fit in new system.C+ Brian Willsie, RW. Flashes of bril-liance before sustaining concussion.C+ Joel Kwiatkowski, D. Slowly devel-oping overall game.C Alexander Semin, LW. Teen needs to work harder; has game-breaking skills.C Jason Doig, D. Not as effective as last season when thrust into bigger role.C Brendan Witt, D. Not the same player without Calle Johansson.C-Bates Battaglia, LW. Horrible until Hanlon took over.C-Jeff Halpern, C. Regaining confi-dence and scoring touch under Hanlon.C-Mike Grier, RW. Top-notch work ethic, but scant production.C-Kip Miller, LW. Well off last sea-son&rsquo;s pace; ineffective without Jagr.C-Stephen Peat, RW. Can&rsquo;t crack line-up under Hanlon.D+ Olaf Kolzig, G. Veteran having worst season behind weak defense.Inc. Maxime Ouellet, G. Has tools to be star in future, but has played just four times this season. &#9632;

f0029-01

Dismal Caps season has few silver linings

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-02726/8572155-1-eng-US/f0029-022.jpg" title="f0029-02" width="219" height="353"></div>Sergei GonchaWashingtonDefenseman 25PP points<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-03506/8572148-1-eng-US/f0029-032.jpg" title="f0029-03" width="215" height="352"></div>Robert LangWashingtonCenter24 PP points<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-04363/8572141-1-eng-US/f0029-042.jpg" title="f0029-04" width="217" height="351"></div>Daniel AlfredssonOttawaRight winger22 PP points<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-05300/8572134-1-eng-US/f0029-052.jpg" title="f0029-05" width="216" height="350"></div>Marian HossaOttawaRight winger20 PP Points<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-06244/8572127-1-eng-US/f0029-062.jpg" title="f0029-06" width="214" height="348"></div>Doug WeightSt. LouisCenter20 PP Points<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-07196/8572120-1-eng-US/f0029-072.jpg" title="f0029-07" width="215" height="352"></div>Keith TkachukSt. LouisLeft winger19 PP points<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-08165/8572113-1-eng-US/f0029-082.jpg" title="f0029-08" width="218" height="348"></div>Mats SundinTorontoCenter19 PP points<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-09147/8572106-1-eng-US/f0029-092.jpg" title="f0029-09" width="214" height="349"></div>Chris ProngerSt. LouisDefenseman19 PP points<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-10130/8572099-1-eng-US/f0029-102.jpg" title="f0029-10" width="218" height="352"></div>Joe SakicColorado Center18 PP points<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0029-11116/8572092-1-eng-US/f0029-112.jpg" title="f0029-11" width="216" height="350"></div>Radek BonkOttawaCenter18 PP points &#9632;

f0029-02

POWER PLAYERS

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0030-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-011222/8572186-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg"></div> &#9632;

f0030-01

Depth Charts

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-02743/8572224-1-eng-US/f0031-022.jpg" title="f0031-02" width="110" height="111"></div>Not only did Fedor Fedorov end up in Stan Smyl&rsquo;s doghouse, but the coach apparently forgot all about the underachieving center.Due to indifferent play and an unspecified off-ice incident, Fedorov was a healthy scratch for seven Manitoba games, and counting, heading into the second weekend of January.Smyl was so angry with Fedorov that he refused to let the 22-year-old Russian back on the ice even when the Moose were short players. Smyl opted to use 16 skaters, one under the roster limit, and kept Fedorov in the stands for a Jan. 2 game.The problems began in games Dec. 19 and 21, when Fedorov returned from a recall to Vancouver and played poorly. Smyl said Fedorov wasn&rsquo;t ready.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-011126/8572217-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="239" height="387"><figcaption class="caption-body">FEDOR FEDOROV</figcaption></div>Canucks GM Brian Burke was on hand in Winnipeg scouting his prospects and agreed wholeheartedly with Smyl&rsquo;s decision to bench Fedorov, the younger brother of Anaheim star Sergei Fedorov.&ldquo;In the second game you couldn&rsquo;t have found him with a pair of binocu-lars and a bloodhound,&rdquo; Burke said. &ldquo;If Stan wants to bench him, that&rsquo;s fine.&rdquo;While trade rumors swirled, Smyl was relenting. He allowed Fedorov to accompany the team on an eight-game, 14-day trip and said his skilled forward would likely play on the trip.&ldquo;He has so much talent and is so gifted,&rdquo; Smyl said. &ldquo;The thing is, he has to take some steps and be committed to what we want from him. Until I feel he&rsquo;s doing that, he won&rsquo;t play.&rdquo;Fedorov was leading Manitoba in goals (11) and was third in points (20) in his 28 games. Still, his play had tailed off after scoring four goals and nine points in the season&rsquo;s first four games. He scored 10 goals and 23 points in 50 games last season. &#9632;

f0031-01

Fedorov spreading roots in doghouse

<div class="byline">BY KEVIN OKLOBZIJA</div>The tools are all there for Milan Bartovic.The Slovakian winger has blazing speed, an explosive initial burst and strength on his 6-foot, 194-pound frame to make him a dangerous forechecker.Yet all too often the past two seasons, Bartovic was just another player on the American League ice, which left scouts scratching their heads in bewilderment.Now, halfway through his third pro season with Rochester, Bartovic is finally showing signs of consistency and, perhaps more importantly, a desire to make an impact.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-03580/8572262-1-eng-US/f0032-032.jpg" title="f0032-03" width="318" height="426"></div>He had nine goals and 11 points through 35 games, but five of those goals were winners, including recent back-to-back games in which he broke ties late in the third period by dashing past the defense for breakaway goals.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s strong, he&rsquo;s able to hold off defense-men and with that speed he should be doing that at will,&rdquo; said Amerks coach Randy Cunn-eyworth. &ldquo;He should be doing it every night.&rdquo;BACK ON TRACK Joffrey Lupul went nearly a month without a goal for Anaheim, but he proved with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks that he hasn&rsquo;t lost his scoring touch.The rookie center scored three goals in just 4:01 of the third period as Cincinnati defeated San Antonio 5-2. Linemate Chris Kunitz tied a Cincinnati franchise record with five assists.Lupul, Anaheim&rsquo;s first round pick (seventh overall) in 2002, scored six goals and 14 points in 34 NHL games before a Jan. 2 demotion.HOT HARTIGAN Syracuse center Mark Hartigan spent one-third of his rookie season with the Atlanta Thrashers last year. The second-year pro is now showing signs of deserving a look from Columbus. Hartigan scored four goals in a 7-4 blasting of Albany Jan. 3, part of a seven-goal, eight-point stretch over four games that earned him player-of-the-week honors.&ldquo;You get the puck on the guy&rsquo;s stick and it has a chance of going in,&rdquo; said winger Joe Motzko to the Post-Standard.Hartigan, with 14 goals and 26 points in 32 AHL games, signed as a free agent with Columbus last summer.NOTEBOOK Ira Bailey, vice-president of sales and marketing for the Toronto Roadrunners, resigned. Team president Ernie Coetzee said the club is not in financial trouble. The first-year franchise has an announced attendance average of 5,144 and is having difficulty making inroads into the Toronto marketplace&hellip;Goalie Jason Bacashihua stopped 37 shots as Utah blanked Grand Rapids 1-0 on New Year&rsquo;s Eve. Three nights later, the Griffins lost 7-0 in Milwaukee, tying the team&rsquo;s most lopsided loss.<div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-04424/8572255-1-eng-US/f0031-042.jpg" title="f0031-04" width="1071" height="1586"><figcaption class="caption-body">Now with his ninth minor pro team, Chris Armstrong leads the Cincinnati defense with five goals and 20 points in 34 games</figcaption></div> &#9632;

f0032-03

Speed devil Bartovic on hot streak

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-05333/8572293-1-eng-US/f0031-052.jpg" title="f0031-05" width="601" height="1678"></div>The International Ice Hockey Federation is the world&rsquo;s governing body for hockey. In each issue this season, we profile one of 63 national association members.<h2>NETHERLANDS</h2>Member of UHF since 1935Pop. of country 16,067,754Registered players 2,622No. of ice facilities 19Major league (six teams) Super League2003 champ Tigers Amsterdam2003 top scorers David Hoogsteen, Amsterdam Joshua Oort, Amsterdam Kevin Hoogsteen, AmsterdamAssociation website/e-mail <a href="http://www.nijb.nl">www.nijb.nl</a> <a href="mailto:info@nijb.nl">info@nijb.nl</a>Head office Amsterdam2003 world ranking No. 25 &#9632;

f0031-05

HOCKEY NATION AT A GLANCE

<div class="byline">BY ROB MUELLER</div>You&rsquo;d think a guy with two NHL All-Star Games on his resume would shudder at an assignment to the minors and laugh at being named an ECHL all-star.But from the moment he arrived in training camp with the Johnstown Chiefs, Arturs Irbe has been the consummate pro on the ice and a joy to behold for the community off the ice.Irbe, 36, was named starting goalie for the Eastern Conference in the ECHL All-Star Game Jan. 21 in Peoria, but likely won&rsquo;t make the trip. He sustained a wrist injury and had surgery Dec. 11. Reports indicated Irbe would be out until mid-February.&ldquo;I had a decent run, but I don&rsquo;t think I have been in this league long enough to earn my stripes,&rdquo; said Irbe to the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-06273/8572324-1-eng-US/f0031-062.jpg" title="f0031-06" width="318" height="310"><figcaption class="caption-body">(ROSS DETMAN)</figcaption></div>Irbe is 8-3-1 with a .933 save percentage. Due in large part to their star goalie and a team that&rsquo;s a playoff contender, attendance is up in Johnstown for the first time in years. The Chiefs have three all-stars for the first time. Second-year goalie Cory Campbell and rookie forward Jason Notermann are also headed to Peoria.RISING STARS The All-Star Game will feature 36 first-timers. East starters are goalie Arturs Irbe; defensemen Jon Zion (Reading) and Ryan Brindley (Cincinnati); and forwards Jason Jaffray (Wheeling), Brian McCullough (Flor-ida) and Dan Carlson (Roanoke). The West starters are goalie Frederic Cloutier (Louisiana); defensemen Corey Neilson (Pensacola) and Ben Storey (Louisiana); and forwards Brent Gauvreau (Mississippi), Steffon Walby (Mississippi) and Charles Linglet (Alaska).NOTEBOOK Texas Wildcatters goalie Davis Parley made 63 saves in a 3-2 shootout loss to Pensacola Jan. 2, one shy of the ECHL save record&hellip;The Las Vegas Wranglers and Bakersfield Condors played a &ldquo;Midnight Madness&rdquo; game in Las Vegas Dec. 23 to help a local Christmas toy drive and give late-shift casino workers a chance to attend. &#9632;

f0031-06

Humble all-starter Irbe to miss classic

<div class="byline">BY DAVE SOTTILE</div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-011197/8572362-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="106" height="107"></div>Ron Smith never saw right winger Pavel Brendl play for the American League&rsquo;s Hartford Wolf Pack or Philadelphia Phantoms, so he&rsquo;s not into comparing the 2004 model to previous incarnations.But the Lowell Lock Monsters coach does possess first-hand knowledge of how Brendl is playing this season. Through three months of 2003-04, Smith likes where the 22-year-old is heading.&ldquo;No. 1, his practice habits have changed for the better and they had a ways to go to become NHL caliber,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;And No. 2, the goals have come because he&rsquo;s working much hard-er at the defensive end, leading to more scoring chances.&rdquo;Brendl, drafted fourth overall by the New York Rangers in 1999, has put up solid numbers for Lowell in his third pro season. Through 26 games, Brendl had 14 goals and 28 points.</div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-02796/8572355-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="239" height="383"><figcaption class="caption-body">PAVEL BRENDL</figcaption></div>&ldquo;The light has to come on for a play-er,&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;Defense leads to offense. When you&rsquo;ve scored all those goals in junior like Pavel did, sometimes it&rsquo;s hard to translate that production from junior to the NHL.&rdquo;Brendl, whom the Rangers traded to the Phila-delphia Flyers in 2001, scored 172 goals in 178 Western League games for the Calgary Hitmen.Brendl never got on track as a pro, scoring just 15 goals in 64 games for the Phantoms and six goals in 50 games for the Flyers before moving to the Carolina Hurricanes last March.For whatever reason, he hasn&rsquo;t been able to break through in any of his previous stops.&ldquo;There comes a time when a player looks in the mirror and says, &rsquo;It must be me. It&rsquo;s not just one organization,&rsquo;&rdquo; Smith said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure if that&rsquo;s happening now with Pavel, but he&rsquo;s starting to find his way.&rdquo; &#9632;

f0032-02

Brendl finding goals with good defense

<div class="byline">BY DAVE SOTTILE</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0032-04" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-04417/8572421-1-eng-US/f0032-042.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">Finn Ilkka Pikkarainen is having a slow adjustment to his first pro season. The Albany left winger has just three assists in 19 games. (JIM MCISAC/BS)</figcaption></div>A blown circuit board and a blown call by on-and office officials in Philadelphia led to one of the strangest American League goals in recent memory.With the Wachovia Spectrum score-board inoperable for nearly all of the first two periods, both game and penal-ty time were kept at ice level for a Phan-toms game against Hershey Dec. 26.Referee Harry Dumas whistled Philadelphia&rsquo;s Boyd Kane for roughing at 18:38 of the second period, a penalty he should have served until 0:38 of the third. When the score-board was repaired, off-ice officials put up the incorrect remaining time on Kane&rsquo;s penalty. As a result, he was let out of the box early and wound up scoring on Hershey goalie Tom Lawson 31 seconds into the third period.The Bears pleaded their case to Dumas, who insisted the off-ice officials were correct and allowed play to resume. A few minutes later, the clock operator was notified of his mistake. He brought it to Dumas&rsquo;s attention after another Phantoms goal was scored at 5:55 and the game was delayed 15 minutes while the referee called NHL officials in Toronto.Though AHL Rule 72 (q) clearly states the goal should have been disallowed, Dumas let it stand and the Bears eventually lost 6-2. Hershey protested the game, but AHL officials said the Bears had no grounds, since the league did-n&rsquo;t have an appeal process for protests based on game officials&rsquo; judgment errors.BRAWLING ON BROAD STREET Less than 48 hours after the Hershey-Philadelphia penalty clock fiasco, the Phantoms and Binghamton Senators turned back the clock to 1974.In the final four minutes of a Dec. 28 game the Sens won 5-1, mayhem erupted with four 5-on-5 line brawls that also included goalies.Referee Gord Dwyer assessed 383 combined penalty minutes, which included 11 fighting majors and 16 game mis-conducts. The Phantoms accumulated 210 penalty minutes, the Sens had 173.As a result, the AHL suspended three Phantoms for a total of 12 games and fined both teams an undisclosed sum.NOTEBOOK Portiand Pirates goalie Rastislav Stana was practically perfect during an eight-game unbeaten stretch in December. Stana stopped 243 of 251 shots during that span, posting four shutouts in six starts&hellip;Bridgeport right winger Jeff Hamilton, the AHL&rsquo;s leading goal-scorer, was expected to be out until mid-February after sustaining an eye injury Jan. 3. Hamilton took a high stick in the final minute of a loss to Norfolk.<h2>NOTEBOOK</h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-05321/8572414-1-eng-US/f0032-052.jpg" title="f0032-05" width="201" height="107"></div>No United League team has had to deal with more adversity this year than Missouri. The River Otters set a UHL record for the worst start in his-tory at 0-11-2. Then rookie coach Lonnie Loach had to undergo emergency brain surgery, which put him out for a week. To top it off, the league took control of the Otters in December. Missouri is financially strapped and drawing poorly. Loach, who chose not to elaborate on the problem that led to his surgery, admitted that &ldquo;this team has been through a lot this year.&rdquo; The UHL is looking for a buyer for the last-place (7-19-4) Otters.- BRENDAN SAVAGE<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-06269/8572407-1-eng-US/f0032-062.jpg" title="f0032-06" width="200" height="112"></div><h2>NOTEBOOK</h2>A December radio ad intended to hype a Central League game between the Oklahoma City Blazers and the visiting New Mexico Scorpions stung the Navajo Nation. The ad, created by an Oklahoma City ad group, described the New Mexico team as being &ldquo;comprised of Navajo Indians from Santa Fe who can&rsquo;t shoot, can&rsquo;t check, can&rsquo;t pass, but in between periods will be selling jewelry.&rdquo; The company Later said it regretted the ad and planned to air an ad for an American Indian charity at no cost. A spokesperson for the Navajo Nation called the ad &ldquo;just appalling.&rdquo;- DAVID HENRY<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-07222/8572400-1-eng-US/f0032-072.jpg" title="f0032-07" width="145" height="128"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2>NOTEBOOK</h2>Huntsville backup Scott Graham had played only 41:32 of pro hockey before making 42 saves in his first start-a 3-2 win at Knoxville. Two days later, the 5-foot-9 rookie rejected 27 shots in a 5-2 win, again at Knoxville. &ldquo;He played like (Vladislav) Tretiak,&rdquo; quipped Knoxville coach Jim Ber-mingham after Graham hiked his save percentage to .934. &ldquo;(Channel Cats coach John Gibson) said basically this was going to be my shot,&rdquo; Graham said. &ldquo;I either had to take advantage and get more time or fall on my face and-who knows? -not be with the team much longer.&rdquo;- NICK GATES<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-08191/8572393-1-eng-US/f0032-082.jpg" title="f0032-08" width="162" height="123"></div><h2>NOTEBOOK</h2>Playing in a foreign land is nothing new, but Junji Sakata&rsquo;s story has a different twist. The Lakeland Loggerheads signed the forward in December to become the WHA2&rsquo;s first Japanese player. Sakata has played in Japan, Sweden and England, but said adjusting to the smaller rinks and emphasis on physical play in North America has been tough-not to mention trying to ad-just to a different culture and language. Sakata hopes to stay in the U.S. after he retires. &ldquo;I want to help as many young Japanese and Asian players learn how to play as I can,&rdquo; he said.- SCOTT ANDERA &#9632;

f0032-04

Clock caper: Phantom goal dispute

<div class="byline">- PAVEL BARTA</div>Future and former NHLers are performing in Europe this season. Here are four such players with NHL rights in parentheses:Petr Prucha, 21, RW (NY Rangers). The 240th overall pick of 2002 is a rising star with Pardubice of the Czech league. Playing for the Czech national team, he was voted best forward at the Baltika Cup in Moscow.Yves Sarault, 31, LW (free agent). Sarault totaled 106 games with six NHL teams over eight years. In his second sea-son with Bern in the Swiss league, Sarault has 12 goals and 36 points in 29 games.Frans Nielsen, 19, C (NY Islanders). Talented Danish for-ward is flashing his great potential in the Swedish league. He has five goals and 10 points in 31 games with Malmo.Rich Parent, 31, G (free agent). Parent played 32 NHL games with St. Louis, Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh. He has a .923 save percentage-tops in the German league-in 17 games with the Berlin Ice Bears. &#9632;

EYE ON EUROPE

<div class="byline">BY WILLY PALOV</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-03572/8572476-1-eng-US/f0033-032.jpg" title="f0033-03" width="278" height="729"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-011082/8572490-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="224" height="124"></div>The Baie-Comeau Drakkar was up to its old tricks against the Lewiston Maineiacs and the Quebec League isn&rsquo;t impressed.The Drakkar instigated a series of brawls that escalated to the point where there were only six Lewiston players and eight Baie-Comeau players left to finish the Dec. 27 game. There were 24 majors handed out and 32 players were ejected. Drakkar left winger Alexandre Lamarche also had to be handcuffed briefly after an off-ice scuffle with some bystanders.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-02732/8572483-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="222" height="205"></div>Six Baie-Comeau players and coach Martin Laperriere (10 games) received sus-pensions and the team was fined $1,000. No Lewiston players were disciplined, but the team was fined $500.&ldquo;I hate this stuff because it&rsquo;s dangerous for the players,&rdquo; said league disciplinarian Maurice Filion. &ldquo;All we can do is try to clean up the mess and hope we don&rsquo;t have to keep dealing with these things.&rdquo;It is the third time in a year the Drakkar have been involved in this type of incident. They had a brawl with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens earlier this season and an infa-mous series of fights with the Halifax Mooseheads last season. The brawls with the Mooseheads drew international media attention because of how ugly they were.Richard Martel was the coach-GM then, but he has since moved on to a similar position with Chicoutimi. But Filion said Martel&rsquo;s departure only slightly softens his stance on the matter. &ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t the same coach, but it was the same organization,&rdquo; Filion said. &ldquo;We met with them and we put our cards on the table and made it clear how we feel about stuff like that.&rdquo;WE MISS YOU How important is Sidney Crosby to the Rimouski Oceanic? During his three-week stint with the Canadian national junior team, the Oceanic won just one game. They went 1-4-2-2 while the 16-year-old center was away.Crosby remained eight points ahead of teammate Dany Roussin in the league scoring race when he returned. Crosby has 76 points in 33 games.ANGER MANAGEMENT Acadie-Bathurst Titan right winger Jonathan Tremblay received a four-game suspension for his actions against the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.The 6-foot-3,245-pound enforcer was excessively aggressive during a fight with Cape Breton defenseman Charles Fontaine. &#9632;

f0033-03

Drakkar’s reputation taking real beating

<div class="byline">BY JIM CRESSMAN</div>DavidBolland has landed a leading role in the Ontario League&rsquo;s version of Top Gun.The London Knights second-year right winger was only two goals off the league-leading pace being set by Mississauga IceDog Patrick O&rsquo;Sullivan, who had 28 before going to the World Junior Championship.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-04453/8572528-1-eng-US/f0033-042.jpg" title="f0033-04" width="301" height="114"></div>Bolland, 17, has helped the Knights climb to the top of the OHL and has rocketed in the eyes of scouts. He&rsquo;ll be playing in the Canadian Hockey League&rsquo;s Top Prospects Game Jan. 21 in London.&ldquo;He&rsquo;s certainly now on the NHL radar screen,&rdquo; said one scout of Bolland, who tallied just seven goals in his rookie year. &ldquo;He has sure come a long way.&rdquo; Bolland has 12 power play goals this season, tying him with Ottawa&rsquo;s Corey Locke for the lead.The scout wondered what Bolland&rsquo;s totals might be if he was on the Knights&rsquo; No. 1 power play unit.&ldquo;He hardly played last year and when he came in this year he wasn&rsquo;t a guy I was thinking I&rsquo;d have to look at, but he&rsquo;s definitely there,&rdquo; said the scout of Bolland, who&rsquo;s ranked 49th overall for the 2004 NHL draft by International Scouting Services.<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-05376/8572521-1-eng-US/f0033-052.jpg" title="f0033-05" width="279" height="726"></div>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s not a great skater and he&rsquo;s not very big (6-foot, 175 pounds), but he works his butt off and he can score.&rdquo;London GM Mark Hunter said there&rsquo;s nobody on the team with a better attitude.&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t play him as much as he want-ed last year, but he didn&rsquo;t complain and kept working,&rdquo; Hunter said. &ldquo;He got his chance and he has blossomed this year.&rdquo;LOSING SPIRIT Interim coach Moe Mantha is also the new interim GM of the Saginaw (Mich) Spirit.Saginaw owner Dick Garber fired GM-president Costa Papista Jan. 2 with the Spirit last overall in the OHL.Garber bought the North Bay Centennials and moved the team to Saginaw last season. The Spirit was 11-45-5-7 under Papista and deposed coach Dennis Desrosiers last year.&ldquo;Costa&rsquo;s legacy will be that of changing the reputation of hockey in Saginaw for the better,&rdquo; Garber said. &ldquo;However, I&rsquo;ve set high expectations for this organization and I felt this is the best move for our future.&rdquo;ON THE SHELF Kitchener Rangers fourth-year defenseman Marcus Smith will miss the rest of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. &#9632;

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January 20, 2004

Injuries taking toll after fabulous start

Sharks become contenders despite Jekyll & Hyde start

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HOCKEY WORLD IN BRIEF