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March 27, 2007
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.
Stretch Drive
The end is near, so get in gear STRETCH DRIVE With the ‘second season’ on the horizon, some teams are taking stock of what could be while others are lamenting what could have been. In this issue’s team stories, we look at the status of all 30 teams going into the final games of the regular season. For squads such as Phoenix and Philadelphia, the only meaningful goals are not finishing dead-last and giving prospects some NHL ice time to preview their worth for next year. Ottawa and Buffalo, two teams firmly in the playoffs, must deal with troubling issues regarding blowing leads (the Sens) and getting healthy (Sabres). In Atlanta, question marks at the trade deadline have become exclamation points thanks to Keith Tkachuk’s fire and Alexei Zhitnik’s quarterbacking on the power play, while…
Playoff push drives Devils
Though they reside in a new city, the New Jersey Devils farmhands have an old legacy they’re eager to erase. New Jersey’s top affiliate hasn’t made the Calder Cup playoffs in an AHL-record six straight seasons. Its last appearance came in 1999-2000, when the Albany River Rats lost to Rochester in the first round. After 13 seasons, the Devils shifted their minor-pro base to Lowell, Mass., and made some changes behind the bench, bringing in Kurt Kleinendorst as coach and former defenseman Kevin Dean as his assistant. “It has been a focus of ours the whole year,” Kleinendorst said. “We basically stood up and said ‘What’s in the past is in the past, but enough is enough.’ Being a team that competes and develops players for the Devils, that’s our priority, but why…
LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
Shock and awe dominated hockey’s headlines as we entered the stretch drive, with Chris Simon and Ted Saskin playing lead roles and Cam Janssen and Chris Neil appearing in supporting parts. They were dark clouds, to be sure, thunder-makers that can’t be ignored. But dark clouds pass and behind them the sun eternally shines. And in our world, despite the feeling the sky is threatening to fall at times, the bright lights remain pervasive. Paul Stastny, son of a hockey legend, sets a rookie scoring record; scorching-hot Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St-Louis lead the resurgent Lightning; Andy Murray engineers an impressive turnaround in St. Louis; the young, high-octane Penguins remind us of the 1980s Oilers; Martin Brodeur cobbles together another all-star season and continues his ascent to greatest-ever status; Buffalo,…
Brodeur eyes marks
THE MARTIN BRODEUR WATCH IS ON. With the regular season winding down, the 34-year-old goaltender had a legitimate shot at establishing new NHL single-season records for wins and shutouts. Brodeur already had recorded a personal-best 13 shutouts through 70 games, leaving him two shy of tying the modern-day mark of 15 set by Tony Esposito with Chicago in 1969-70. Brodeur’s 41 wins were six shy of Bernie Parent’s record of 47 set with Philadelphia in 1973-74. Brodeur also has his sights set on Terry Sawchuk’s mark of 103 career shutouts, sitting at 93, and has already extended his league record of 40-or-more wins in a season to six. And, he holds the record with 11 consecutive 30-or-more win seasons. Other things to keep an eye on down the stretch include: • Can ‘Sid…
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