Datsyuk is top choice for Player of the Year

By Dan Rosen - NHL.com Staff Writer

He was our pick for Player of the Year in the midseason, and Datsyuk has done nothing to sway our thinking. He has been simply remarkable this season for the Wings and is a likely finalist for the Hart Trophy.

The Wings' superlative center leads everyone on the team in scoring by 25 points entering the final weekend. He has 32 goals and 65 assists for 97 points, which is fourth in the NHL. He had 47 points at the 41-game mark.

Also a defensive wizard, Datsyuk has 89 takeaways and a plus-37 rating, making him a likely finalist for the Selke Trophy as well. And since he has only 22 penalty minutes, he is once again in line for the Lady Byng Trophy, which he's won three straight years.

Osgood knows repeat pressure rests on his shoulders

By Dan Rosen - NHL.com Staff Writer

Ask Ken Holland about the Detroit Red Wings' goaltending, and you'll get a 287-word answer. At least, that's what he gave to NHL.com when we approached the Wings' long-time general manager and asked him if he's concerned about Chris Osgood.Holland took us all the way back to Tim Cheveldae, Detroit's goalie from 1988 until 1994. He mentioned Bob Essensa and then Mike Vernon, Osgood, Dominik Hasek, Curtis Joseph and Manny Legace before going back to Hasek and then Osgood.

Here is what Detroit GM Ken Holland had to say to NHL.com when asked if he's worried about the Red Wings' goaltending situation entering the playoffs:"That has been an age-old question for us. People were wondering about our goaltending when Tim Cheveldae was in net. Then we went to Bob Essensa and it wasn't good enough, so we made a trade for Mike Vernon and they thought he was the answer. But, we lost to New Jersey (in the 1995 Stanley Cup Final) so they weren't sure if Mike Vernon was the answer. Two years later we won the Stanley Cup, so they felt that Mike Vernon is the answer. Then I traded Mike Vernon away and turned it over to Chris Osgood and they weren't sure if Chris Osgood was the answer. Then we won in '98 and they all thought, 'OK, your goaltending was good enough.' Then we lost early in the playoffs a couple of years in a row and they thought Osgood wasn't the answer. So, I made a trade and brought in Dominik Hasek and he was the answer. He retired after the year and I brought in Curtis Joseph, so people thought we were OK; but, after a few disappointing years, they thought our goaltending wasn't good enough. So, we went into the work stoppage and I let Curtis Joseph go and I brought back Chris Osgood and people thought our goaltending wasn't good enough. We lost to Edmonton and I traded away Manny Legace and brought in Dominik Hasek and people weren't sure of our goaltending again, but we went to the final four in 2007; so they thought our goaltending was adequate. And, then we won the Stanley Cup last year so they thought our goaltending was good enough. Five months later our goaltending isn't good enough? I've lived with it for 15 years."

The gist of it:There's only one Martin Brodeur, one Patrick Roy, one Roberto Luongo. The Wings haven't had anyone like that on a long-term basis since Terry Sawchuk, but they've still won the Stanley Cup four times in 11 years with guys like Vernon, Hasek and Osgood. Yet, every single season Holland gets asked if his team's goaltending is good enough?

This season, though, the question has some real validity to it as the Wings enter the playoffs with Osgood slated to be the starter in Game 1.Statistically speaking, Osgood has put together his worst regular season in his 15-year career with a 3.10 goals-against average and .887 save percentage entering Thursday. Osgood struggled so mightily at times that Detroit gave him a 12-day break between starts in February to find his game.In his second game back from the sabbatical, he gave up four goals on 14 shots to Nashville. He shut out the Blues on March 3 with 22 saves, but, four days later, Columbus scored seven goals on him."This year has really tested me more than any other because I always felt I have been on the verge of turning things around and then something else would happen and something else would happen," Osgood told NHL.com. "I would get on a big roll again, and then something else would happen."Through it all, Osgood said he's learned how to be tougher, how to compete harder. The competition from backup Ty Conklin brought about a lot of his motivation."If he wouldn't have played like he was, it would have been real tough on me this year," Osgood said of Conklin.Fortunately, the Wings were still winning at a decent clip, even when Osgood was stumbling this season. But all of that's old news now.The Stanley Cup Playoffs are almost here, and it's time for Osgood -- a three-time Cup champion, including twice as the starter -- to prove himself again. First, Osgood needs to get through a home-and-home series against Chicago, including Sunday's NHL on NBC curtian closer.

Bring on the playoffs, says Osgood."I'm not kidding myself, I haven't played well this year," Osgood said. "This is one of those years where things haven't gone right; but the one thing that it has taught me is to keep working, dig down deep and keep believing in the same thing you do everyday. If anything, it has made me work harder and it's going to make me better in the long run."To be totally sincere, I really feel I'm going in the right direction heading into the playoffs. I feel that is going to be my time."Osgood can believe that because he thinks he knows where he went wrong this season."One of the biggest mistakes I made is I started the year thinking I had to play exactly the same way as I did in the playoffs last year and I really didn't have to," he said. "I just had to play when I was told to play and practice hard when I didn't play. That's what I did when I came back after the lockout and that worked out for the best." He said that same philosophy is why he was so good in the playoffs last season. Babcock went to Osgood during the second period of Game 4 against Nashville in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Hasek was struggling, and the Predators were on the verge of evening the series at two games apiece, which they eventually did.However, Osgood got the start in Game 5 and never gave the net back to Hasek. He won his first nine starts of the playoffs and finished with a 14-4 record and a 1.55 GAA, backstopping the Wings to the Cup for the second time in his career."When I went in in Nashville, people would ask me, 'What were you thinking?'" Osgood said. "Well, I really wasn't thinking anything because I was confident that I had done what I needed to do to get ready and I didn't put any extra pressure on myself. "I did (put on extra pressure) this year," he continued. "I was thinking, 'Oh my God, I have to play exactly the same way I did in the playoffs last year and if I don't do it people are going to think I'm not as good as that or maybe it was fluky.'" Osgood compared the feeling to a guy that signs his first lucrative long-term contract.

"A guy that never made a ton of money before is now on a huge contract and he's trying to play up to that contract," he said. "It's impossible. I put too much pressure on myself. I don't have to do that. I just have to be solid, make the saves I need to and control myself back there."That's all the Red Wings have ever asked for from Osgood -- or really any of the 20-something goalies that have inhabited the Detroit crease since 1990-91, when the aforementioned Cheveldae became the No. 1."We won the Stanley Cup last year and our goaltending was solid, just solid," Holland said. "We didn't give up a lot of chances and when we needed the key save we got the key saves. That's the way we're built. That's why we have $20 million or so on defense. It depends on how your team is built."The Red Wings are still built around their defense, and the questions about their goaltending won't go away. It bothers Osgood because he says he has fought so hard to change the perception; but, at this point, it may be a lost cause. It's not something he's too worried about, either.Osgood knows he has to bounce back from a sub-par regular season. To do so, he regularly thinks about Games 5 and 6 of last year's Stanley Cup Final against Pittsburgh.

With the Stanley Cup polished and ready to be brought out to the Joe Louis Arena ice, Osgood gave up a game-tying goal to Max Talbot with 34.3 seconds to go in regulation of Game 5. The Penguins won the game on Petr Sykora's goal in the third overtime.Two days later in Pittsburgh, with questions swirling around him, Osgood rebounded by stopping 20 of 22 shots as the Wings won the Cup with a 3-2 victory in Game 6."People ask me, 'How are you going to bounce back?'" Osgood said. "Well, I don't believe there is a harder game to bounce back from (than Game 5). I don't feed off of what happens in the regular season. I feed off of that."You have to be honest with yourself," he later added. "I know I have to play like I did last year in the playoffs. If I don't, the chances of us winning aren't very good."

Playoff openings are down to two

By John Kreiser - NHL.com Columnist

With three days remaining in the regular season, there are still two playoff berths to be decided. Montreal and the New York Rangers completed the Eastern Conference postseason octet Thursday. The Canadiens needed one point -- and got it in a 5-4 overtime loss at Boston. The Rangers held off Philadelphia 2-1, ending the playoff hopes of Florida and Buffalo. Boston, Washington and New Jersey will finish 1-2-3; the rest of the placements are still to be determined.Four teams are still jockeying for the final two spots in the West. All four play Friday night. Here's a look at how the races shape up:

Eastern Conference:

Boston (Northeast) has long since wrapped up its division title and first place in the East. The Bruins have 114 points after beating Montreal 5-4 in overtime; they visit Buffalo on Saturday and the Islanders on Sunday and can win the Presidents' Trophy by winning both games if San Jose doesn't win its season finale.

Washington (Southeast) has clinched its division and wrapped up second in the conference with a 4-2 win at Tampa Bay.

New Jersey won the Atlantic Division title and third in the East with a 3-2 shootout win at Ottawa. The Capitals finish Saturday at Florida. The Devils host Carolina on Saturday afternoon.

Philadelphia (97 points after a 2-1 loss to the New York Rangers) holds fourth ahead of Carolina and Pittsburgh because it has played one fewer game. The Flyers visit the Islanders on Saturday before finishing against the Rangers at home Sunday. They need three points to assure themselves of fourth place and the home-ice edge in the opening round.

Carolina (97 points after a 5-1 home loss to Buffalo) saw its nine-game overall winning streak and 12-game home streak end when the Sabres won at RBC Center. The 'Canes end their season Saturday at New Jersey; a win means they can finish no lower than fifth.

Pittsburgh (97 points after a 6-1 win against the Islanders) is 17-3-4 since Dan Bylsma replaced Michel Therrien behind the bench. The Penguins end their season Saturday at Montreal and need a win and some help to finish fourth or fifth. They can end up no lower than sixth.

The New York Rangers (93 points after a 2-1 home win against Philadelphia) did what they had to do -- win both of their home games this week. The Rangers have the tie-breaker with Montreal because they've won one more game. New York ends its season Sunday at Philadelphia.

Montreal (93 points after a 5-4 overtime loss at Boston) got a big boost when defenseman Mathieu Schneider was able to play Thursday after being ruled out for the season with injuries earlier this week. The Canadiens close Saturday at home against Pittsburgh -- capping a season-ending stretch of four games in six nights. They need a victory and a non-win by the Rangers to finish seventh.

Florida (91 points after a 3-2 win at Atlanta) did what it had to do by beating the Thrashers, only to see the Rangers win and the Canadiens get a single point in their OT loss at Boston. The Panthers have now missed the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons.

Buffalo (89 points after Thursday's 5-1 win at Carolina) won its game but was closed out when the Rangers beat the Flyers.


Western Conference:Already in:

San Jose (Pacific) and Detroit (Central) have long since wrapped up their divisions. The Sharks will finish first in the West and can clinch the Presidents' Trophy with a win Saturday at Los Angeles or a non-victory by Boston in one of its two remaining games.

Detroit, a 4-3 shootout loser at home to Nashville, will finish second in the West.

Vancouver (98 points after a 1-0 win against Los Angeles) is two points ahead of Calgary (96 points) for first in the Northwest Division. But the Flames have two games left -- Friday at Edmonton and Saturday at home against the Oilers. If the Flames win both, they'll capture the division because they'll have more wins. The Canucks close Saturday at Colorado.

Chicago (100 points) will face the Northwest runner-up. The Hawks have a four-point lead in the race for fourth place and need one more point to wrap up the last home-ice berth in the opening round. They visit Detroit on Saturday and host the Wings on Sunday.

Columbus (92 points) is going to the playoffs for the first time since entering the NHL in 2000. The Jackets visit St. Louis on Friday before returning home Saturday to face Minnesota; one point in those games will assure Columbus of a sixth-place finish and a series against the Northwest Division winner.

Still to be decided:Anaheim (88 points) last played Sunday and has spent four days watching other teams get points. The Ducks finally hit the ice again Friday night, when Dallas comes to the Honda Center, then finish Saturday at Phoenix. Anaheim is seventh, ahead of St. Louis and Nashville, because it has won two more games than the Blues and played fewer games than the Predators.

St. Louis (88 points) has been off since Tuesday's 5-1 win at Phoenix, which put them into eighth place -- they've played one fewer game than Nashville. The Blues host Columbus on Friday and finish the season Sunday at Colorado, the last-place team in the West.

Nashville (88 points after a 4-3 shootout win at Detroit) stayed alive with a gritty, come-from-behind win in one of the NHL's toughest buildings. The Predators are the first team in the League to finish their season, and must win Friday at Minnesota -- then hope St. Louis and/or Anaheim cooperate.

Minnesota (85 points) is alive -- but barely. The Wild have to win both of their remaining games -- at home Friday against Nashville and Saturday at Columbus -- and hope for losses by the teams in front of them.

Is New Jersey Suddenly THE Team To Beat?

I saw this post on the forums from NHL.com and thought that the debate held some merit.
So, is this guy onto something, or is he off his rocker?
You decide.

'Boston has had a great year, though they have been playing below the level they set all year. Detroit and San Jose have had their usual dominant seasons. Calgary loaded up at the deadline and Philadelphia is sitting in a nice spot. Yet something tells me that the Devils are all of a sudden the favorites for a cup win. As good as the Wings and Sharks have been, the west I think is wide open. Vancouver, Calgary and Chicago all have the capabilities of knocking off the top two seeds. I just don’t see anyone stepping up in the East and handling the Devils. Although we know anything can, and usually will happen in the playoffs.
The main reason I see the Devils as number one is the same reason of old. Martin Brodeur. He is going into the post season rested and was instantly back on top of his game. The best late season transaction in the league was him coming off the IR. And you know someone as proffesional as Brodeur would have stayed in top shape while away from the game.The best goalie in the game is also going to be the most rested. Throw in a mixture of young studs and seasoned veterans and you have yourself a top tier Cup contender. I can come up with 10 reasons why the other top contenders should be the favorite but none are as good as the reason I think the Devils are number one right now. Detroit's goaltending seems to get worse by the hour. And we all know San Jose likes to leave the party early. Boston just doesnt seem to be the team that will come through in crunch time, at least not this year. Washington seems to be in the same boat. I would at this moment be more afraid of Pittsburgh and Philly then those two teams. Although not everyone will agree, but that'.s just my take.'

What do you think?

L8r

Looking Ahead: Possible Playoff Matchups

If the NHL regular season were to end today, the possible matchups would probably look alot different than they actually would-- but maybe not. There just might not be a whole lot of teams changing spots depending on whether the hot stay hot and the cold stay frostbitten.

So here are the matchups if the season were to finish today.

EAST

SEMIFINALS

Bruins vs Panthers
I'm picking the Bruins in 5
The 'Bears' are just too good to lose to the Panthers, especially with Gumby in net.

Devils vs 'Canes
I'm picking Devils in 6
I see this as somewhat of a goaltender's duel...with Parise helping to tip the scale.

Caps vs Pens
I'm picking Caps in 4
I'd like to say that this would be THE series to follow, but I think it will be a big disappointment in the competition department: AO will lead the Caps to victory, Sid will be hurt and not able to play and the Pens' hot streak will have come about a month too early...only fumes in the tank...

Flyers vs Habs
I'm picking Flyers in 5
I see the Flyers being hot in front of a hot Biron...the pressure will be too much on Price and everyone's minds will be everywhere except where they should be: this summer's losses to free agency.

WEST

Sharks vs Preds
I'm picking Sharks in 6
Let me just say that I would be happy if the Sharks had to play the Preds instead of the Wings...
Pekka Rinne will stand on his head, but the Sharks offense will be too much for Nashville.

Wings vs Oilers
I'm picking Wings in 6
I'm thinking that it will be somewhat similar to last year, except that it will be Ozzie that gets yanked in favor of Conklin. The Wings defensive deficiencies will finally take a backseat to their puck control system, and they will have a strong final 2 games to close out the series. Roloson will face 35 shots average per night, and will be the biggest reason the Oilers made it to 6 games.

Flames vs Jackets
I'm picking Jackets in 7
Being a Wings fan, I'm also hoping that Detroit doesn't meet up with Columbus in the playoffs.
Steve Mason is going to be scary-good, and Rick Nash will lead his team in the upset of the Flames. Kiprusoff will hold his team in it, facing 30+ shots per game, but in a losing cause.

Hawks vs Canucks
I'm picking Canucks in 7
This series will be one of Luongo's defining moments, reminding people why he is one of the top goalies in the world. Chicago will respond late in the series, but too little too late.

EXTRA

QUARTERFINALS

EAST
Bruins vs Flyers
Bruins in 6
All Tim Thomas...loses 1-0 and a 2-1 to record a league-high playoffs GAA and save percentage.

Devils vs Caps
Caps in 5
Brodeur stands on his head, but Parise and Co. are shut down and AO takes center stage, scoring 7 goals and 10 points in 5 games.

WEST

Sharks vs Canucks
Sharks in 7
This series will end up fairly even with Nabby winning the goalie duel by a hair [kudos to his d-men] and Marleau being the the MVP of the series.

Wings vs Jackets
Wings in 7
The series will be a tennis match on ice, with the each team battling hard to lead the series. Mason will be the MVP for his team resulting in their 3 wins, but Datsyuk will put his Selke-winning skills to good use, limiting Nash to 2 goals and two assists through 7 games. Hossa will get injured, and Franzen will once again step up and take the reins and win MVP honors for the series, resulting in Holland signing Franzen to a 7 year contract and letting Hossa go.

CONFERENCE FINALS

EAST

Bruins vs Caps
Caps in 6
AO and Mike Green will be too much for even Brodeur, and Theodore [the X factor] will be on his game to lead the Caps to the Stanley Cup Finals for only the second time in franchise history.

WEST

Red Wings vs Sharks
Sharks in 6
Ty Conklin will put in a valiant effort, but with superb goaltending from Nabokov and too-frequent defensive lapses from the Wings, the Sharks will advance to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in the franchise's history, proving that this team in fact DOES have what it takes to be champions...

...just not this year...

STANLEY CUP FINALS

Sharks vs Caps
Caps in 6
AO is simply scary-good, producing more highlight reel goals and carrying the team on his back to it's first Stanley Cup. He would also win the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP.

That's my story...

One more thing:

Hart: Ovechkin
He isn't having last year's season, nor are the Capitals going from worst-to-first this year so I don't think this is a shoe in. If the Penguins make the playoffs, they may give it to Malkin.

Lady Byng: Datsyuk
Historically, the Lady Byng goes to a high scorer with a low PIM total. It also historically goes to Datsyuk, who they might as well rename the trophy after. A dark horse would be Zach Parise, who is "almost" statistically matched to Datsyuk.

Selke: Datsyuk
Another one Datsyuk should repeat with...great stats, great plus/minus. Datsyuk plays great in his own end and it shows. A close secong for me would be Boston's Krejci, also great in his own end, not the same offensively as Datsyuk, but he is a point per game player, playing great all around hockey.

Vezina: Thomas
Best SV%, GAA on the best team in the league. Nicklas Backstrom has probably been just as good this season, though. If Kipper manages to snag 50 wins, I think that it would be a crime not to give it to him. I just don't think he will.

Calder: S.Mason
In a field of rookies that isnt exactly terrible, but not exactly stellar, I give the Calder to Mason for his great performance on Columbus. Runner up would be Bobby Ryan of Anaheim, whos playing almost a point per game on what is now a mediocre Ducks squad, and playing all around good hockey.

Art Ross: Malkin
Has 97 points with a little more than 3 weeks to go.

Norris: Green
Although still a dominant defensive force in the league, and he will probably hit 1000 career points this year, Lidstrom should get beat out by Green who is statistically better in almost every category, with fewer games played on an arguably worse team, defensively.

Pearson: Datsuyk - Take nothing away from Ovechkin, but Datsuyk is the best all around player in the league today. He does not have a weakness.

Adams: Julien
Almost without question. They passed over him last season to recognize the Cinderella story in Washington. This team has now gone from 8th to 1st in one year, and there is no way he won't get recognized.

Jennings: Thomas/Fernandez

Rocket Richard: Ovechkin
On pace for another sixty goal season.

Plus/minus: Krejci

Leave your thoughts...

L8r

Trade Deadline: Some Winners and Losers

By Jeff Mackie

As the clock struck 3 p.m., the hockey world let out a collective groan. Trade deadline day 2009 was a dud. Only one big-name player changed teams – that was Olli Jokinen who moved from Phoenix to Calgary. Jay Bouwmeester is still a Panther; Chris Pronger remains a Duck; Ryan Smyth still calls Colorado home; Tomas Kaberle is a Leaf; Scott Niedermayer remains a Duck.

What a letdown.

GMs, it turns out, really are spooked by the fragile economy and are reluctant to take on salary beyond this season, especially if it means giving up valuable draft picks and prospects.
One GM who couldn't be spooked is Calgary's Darryl Sutter. In a bold move, Sutter acquired Jokinen and a third-round pick from Phoenix in exchange for roster players Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust and a first-round pick.

He also brought in ex-Flame Jordan Leopold from Colorado for defenceman Lawrence Nycholat, prospect Ryan Wilson, and a third-round pick.

Congratulations Calgary – you're the big winner at the 2009 trade deadline. But be warned, it could be the kiss of death. Big deals at the deadline rarely work out as planned. It's the smaller acquisitions that often yield the biggest returns.

Here's a look at a few teams that improved their fortunes today – and a few who didn't.

Winner: Boston Bruins
The Bruins didn't hit a homerun today, but they didn't have to. They brought in Mark Recchi - and he's a perfect fit for the club. He's a true professional who has won Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh and Carolina. He'll add depth at forward and help the B's on the power play.

Loser: Montreal Canadiens
Bob Gainey deserves credit for bringing in Mathieu Schneider in advance of the deadline. However, Montreal is extremely vulnerable at centre. They desperately needed a pivot to replace the injured Robert Lang and it didn't get it. Heading down the stretch, the Habs cannot be considered contenders for the Stanley Cup.

Winner: Ottawa Senators
GM Bryan Murray has significantly improved Ottawa Senators' goaltending situation. In acquiring Pascal Leclaire from Columbus, the Sens get a proven No. 1 who is just entering his prime. The only drawback with Leclaire is his inability to stay healthy. He has only one good season to his credit, but so does Antoine Vermette, the player who went the other way.

Loser: Florida Panthers
Star defenceman Jay Bouwmeester will leave the organization in the summer and the Panthers will receive nothing in return. In a perfect world, GM Jacques Martin would have dealt Bouwmeester to a contender in exchange for a player under contract beyond this year. It didn't happen, and now the Panthers are in a vulnerable position going forward, with several of their defencemen set to become UFAs.

Winner: Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers turned a liability (Erik Cole) into an asset (Patrick O'Sullivan). Cole, who wasn't coming back to Oil Country next season, was jettisoned to Carolina for O'Sullivan – a player with upside who has scored just two fewer goals than Cole this season.

Winner: Buffalo Sabres
At the beginning of the day, the Buffalo Sabres were exposed in goal, with Patrick Lalime minding the net until Ryan Miller is healthy enough to return from injury. GM Darcy Regier wisely picked up Mikael Tellqvist from Phoenix. In addition, Regier brought in centre Dominic Moore from Toronto. The Sabres could have been sellers today, but instead stepped up and demonstrated to their fan base that they're serious about making the playoffs.

Deadline 2009 Update

According to several media reports, Bill Guerin is finally no longer a member of the New York Islanders.The captain reportedly has been traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, four nights after being pulled after pre-game warmups at Nassau Coliseum. Guerin, 38, has 16 goals and 20 assists in 61 games for the Isles.
According to TSN, Pittsburgh returns a fifth-round pick, a pick that would move up to fourth round if the Penguins make the playoffs. If the Pens win the Cup, the pick would become a third-round pick.
-- Brian Compton

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NHL.com's Dan Rosen posted a story on some waiver pickups made Wednesday afternoon at noon. Among those moves was Toronto picking up exiled goalie Martin Gerber, who wore out his welcome with rival Ottawa.On the surface, the move raised a few eyebrows. Now, however, there is clear reason why Brian Burke would swoop down and pick up the Senator castoff -- mainly, his No. 1 goalie Vesa Toskala is being shut down for the season.Toskala has been battling groin and hip problems for months and now, with Toronto on the periphery of the playoff picture, he will get the problem addressed surgically. The surgery is scheduled for next week, the goalie said.Toskala said he knew Tuesday that he would be going on Injured Reserve, but the team was waiting until they got a goalie Wednesday before announcing the move. According to Toskala, the rehab from the surgery is four months, which means he should be healthy by the time training camp rolls around in September.
--Shawn P. Roarke

************************************************************

With the first true blockbuster Wednesday, the Calgary Flames delivered a knockout blow by getting top-line center Olli Jokinen from the Phoenix Coyotes for very little from their current roster.Calgary, which obtained defenseman Jordan Leopold from Colorado earlier in the day, sent promising young forward Matthew Lombardi, prospect Brandon Prust and a first-round pick in either 2009 or 2010. Calgary will determine which pick by June 1, 2009.Jokinen has one more year left on his deal, at $5.5 million. This year, he has 42 points -- 21 goals and 21 assists -- in 57 games. He is a pivot that can both score and set up linemates. It'll be interesting to see what he does if he is paired with Jarome Iginla. Mike Keenan, the Calgary coach, coached Jokinen when both players were in Florida a few years back. Lombardi, a 28-year-old center, has 30 points this year. Prust, 24, has played 35 NHL games in the past two seasons. In 25 games this season, he has 1 goal and 1 assist in spot duty.Phoenix also gets a first-round pick, which will likely fall late in the round and give the Coyotes two first-round picks.
--Shawn P. Roarke

************************************************************

Eastern Conference-leading Boston Bruins, who have won just three of the their last 11 games, made a minor deal early Wednesday afternoon when general manager Peter Chiarelli shipped center Petteri Nokelainen to Anaheim for rugged defenseman Steve Montador. It's possible that Montador was made expendable after Anaheim GM Bob Murray had announced earlier in the day that defenseman Chris Pronger would not be traded. Montador topped the Ducks with a plus-14 rating and 125 penalty minutes, in addition to dishing out 84 hits and blocking 51 shots. Montador, 29, signed as a free agent with Anaheim last July after spending three seasons in Florida. He registered 4 goals, 20 points and career-high 100 shots from the point this season for the Ducks.
--Mike G. Morreale

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These aren't trades, but TSN is reporting that a few players that went on waivers Tuesday were claimed at noon Wednesday.The Toronto Maple Leafs claimed goalie Martin Gerber from the Ottawa Senators and defenseman Eric Reitz from the New York Rangers. The Dallas Stars claimed center Brendan Morrison from the Anaheim Ducks and the Pittsburgh Penguins claimed forward Craig Adams from the Chicago Blackhawks.TSN also reports that Gary Roberts, Aaron Voros and Miroslav Satan all cleared waivers.
--Shawn P. Roarke

Deadline 2009 Update

Pascal Leclaire, traded this morning from Columbus to Ottawa, was just on TSN"I knew that might happen," Leclaire said of the trade. "In the last few days the rumors with me and Antoine were running everywhere around here (Columbus) and have been all over the place. I don't think you ever expect it, but I said around here this week if it happens I won't be surprised. I'm going to Ottawa and that's pretty cool for me and my family."
He likes the team he is joining."I do think they have a great team there," Leclaire said. "They have world-class players. I know (Jason) Spezza and (Dany) Heatley from the World Championships. These guys are really special players. Danny Alfredsson. I could go on and on. I'm looking forward to meeting everybody up there. I don't see myself coming in as a savior. They have a good team and I'm just going to do my part."
Leclaire also seemed genuinely excited to return to Canada to play."You can't really compare the Canada vibe and the Columbus vibe and that's not saying anything against what is going on in Columbus. The fans there are great," he said. "The Canadian fans are a notch higher that's why I'm excited to play in the country. People live for hockey and for a hockey player that's all you can ask for."
--Dan Rosen

Alex Ovechkin dismisses Don Cherry's on-air rant

Just in case you missed it this past Saturday night on HNIC, I'm going to post what happened on Coaches Corner.

Prompted by some recent back-and-forth trash talk between Ovechkin and Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby, Cherry came down on the Russian on Saturday during his "Coach's Corner" segment of "Hockey Night in Canada" on the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

Cherry was critical of the way Ovechkin reacts when he scores, which can include fist pumps, leg kicks and face-first jumps into the glass.
Cherry called that "goofy stuff."
"I'm going to tell you about this guy: He's got a free ride. He runs at guys, does this stuff," Cherry said. "I am predicting somebody's going to get him. And somebody's going to get him good. There's somebody out there -- some big defenseman is going to be sitting in the weeds. As he cuts across center ice, somebody's going to cut him in half."
Video of soccer players celebrating goals was shown, followed by video of Ovechkin.
"Now watch Ovechkin. ... Does he not remind you of a soccer player? And that's what Crosby was talking about. Look at him," Cherry said.

Known for his staunchly pro-Canada stance, Cherry gave a long list of hockey players from that country who should be viewed as role models.
"What I try to do is teach the kids the Canadian way," he said.

Asked if he was angry about what Cherry said, Ovechkin replied: "No. I just laughed about it. He's funny. In hockey, we need something like that."
Then, noting Cherry's soccer references, Ovechkin added with a mischievous grin: "Maybe Canadians don't have a soccer team. Maybe he's jealous of Russia."
"He's a funny guy and old guy. He likes old-fashioned hockey," Ovechkin said Sunday after scoring his NHL-high 46th goal in Washington's 6-2 loss to Florida.

"He's not interesting to me, so he can say whatever he wants. I don't care about him," Ovechkin said.
The league's reigning MVP generally sounded far less upset about the whole thing than Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau, who fired back at Cherry when asked before the game about the bombastic personality's comments.
"He's a friend of mine. And he's an idol of mine. I mean, I love what Don Cherry has stood for, for 30 years. I just think that even the smartest people in the world are wrong sometimes, and I just thought he was wrong," Boudreau said. "Because he doesn't know Alex like we know Alex."

Boudreau knows Cherry and his take on things well: Cherry is writing the foreword for Boudreau's autobiography due out later this year.
"As much as I really like the guy, I thought he was wrong," Boudreau said. "He's pro-Canadian, and there's 33 million Canadians that love that, as anybody would. And if I was sitting at home, I'd be going, 'Yeah, yeah, Canada!' But I just happen to be in the same business as him, so I see it a little differently."


Some things never change...

Top 10 List of players who could be traded before the trade deadline

This includes possible player to be traded, and possible destinations.

1.Jay Bouwmeester
Florida Panthers
Toronto, Flyers, Bruins, Canucks, Flames
2.
Ilya Kovalchuk
Thrashers
Penguins, Oilers, Canadiens, Kings, Coyotes
3.
Nikolai Khabibulin
Black Hawks
Kings, Senators
4.
Maxim Afinogenov
Buffalo Sabres
Colorado, Canucks, Anaheim
5.
Mathieu Schneider
Thrashers
Washington, Flyers, Rangers
UPDATE: moved to Montreal
6.
Marian Gaborik
Wild
Although injured many teams would like to first dibs to negotiate with Gaborik.
7.
Manny Legace
Blues
Kings, Devils
8.
Mike Comrie
Islanders
Rangers, Sharks, Flames
UPDATE: moved to Ottawa
9.
Steve Sullivan
Predators
Carolina, Oilers, Montreal
10.
Bill Guerin
Islanders
Sharks, Capitals

Deadline 2009 Update

NHL.com

Both Nik Antropov and Dominic Moore will not be in the lineup Tuesday night for Toronto when it hosts the New Jersey Devils, according to several sources.
Toronto GM Brian Burke has been negotiating with the agent for Moore, a versatile centerman. But, clearly, the sides are not very close to a deal if Moore is being pulled out of the lineup.Antropov, meanwhile, has been actively shopped by Burke for a few weeks now, so it makes sense that he would not appear in Tuesday night's game as Burke turns his attention to trying to get the most for each player in a trade.
--Shawn P. Roarke
*********************************************************

The Blues are three points out of a playoff spot heading into tonight's game against the Detroit Red Wings. A win and St. Louis inches closer to a potential playoff berth. A loss and the Blues have more work to do in a very tough Western Conference environment.So it's very possible that the Blues' fate this season does, despite what hockey people always tell me, hang on this one game against the defending Stanley Cup champs.If the Blues want to be sellers, they've got a very good piece to offer in Keith Tkachuk. If they want to be buyers, rumors are that they could be in the market to re-acquire Chris Pronger, who won the Norris Trophy as a Blue in 2000.

However, JD also said he likes the way the Blues are playing. They've won three in a row and the city appears to be behind its team again. There is not only hope for the future, but for the present as well. Even if the Blues look the exact same at 3:01 p.m. ET tomorrow, JD and Co. still think they'll have a puncher's chance of making the playoffs.Of course, adding Pronger makes them even more dangerous. Subtracting Tkachuk sends a bad message to the loyal fans.
-- Dan Rosen

**********************************************************

In what has become an annual attempt to shed some salary, a number of high-profile players have been put on Waivers Tuesday afternoon.

Reportedly, the Penguins have waived Miroslav Satan, a player they signed to a one-year deal to be a first-line winger and ride shotgun for Sidney Crosby. Now, he is being waived to make salary-cap space, about $900,000.The Ducks, who are looking to bring some injured players back into the fold, put center Brendan Morrison on waivers. It is the same type of situation that saw the Flyers lose both Ossi Vaananen and Glen Metropolit to waivers when they welcomed Danny Briere back into the lineup.Tampa Bay put Gary Roberts on waivers, which is a little surprising because there are reportedly several teams interested in obtaining his services. It seems that the Lightning should be able to get some sort of asset for the veteran forward.The Islanders put John Sim on waivers, less than 24 hours after a three-assist, plus-4 game against the Colorado Avalanche.Ottawa goalie Martin Gerber, placed on waivers for the second time this season, Aaron Voros of the Rangers and Atlanta's Eric Perrin are some of the other notable names in the reports.Lawrence Nycholat, put on waivers by Vancouver on Monday, was claimed by Calgary Tuesday afternoon.
--Shawn P. Roarke

**********************************************************

Ottawa's Filip Kuba may quickly become a fall-back option for a team looking for help on the blue line.According to various reports, Kuba said publicly on Monday that he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause by Wednesday's deadline if he and the Senators can not come to terms on a new deal in the next 24 hours or so."If we can't get anything done here and something or a trade comes up, I would waive my no-trade clause," Kuba was quoted.
--Shawn P. Roarke

*********************************************************

Well, the biggest -- if perhaps unlikely -- goalie chip is officially off the market as the Minnesota Wild have come to terms with Niklas Backstrom on a new four-year deal.There had been some rumblings that the Wild would entertain offers for their All-star goalie if terms on a new contract could not be reached this week as Backstrom was scheduled to reach unrestricted free agency on July 1. Backstrom, 31, is 28-18-4 with a 2.24 goals-against average, a .925 save percentage and a team record six shutouts in 51 games this season and represented the Wild at the 2009 NHL All-Star Game.
-- Shawn P. Roarke

*********************************************************

Scott Clemmensen is not the only goalie that might be able to help playoff-contending teams concerned about their depth at goalie. According to several different reports, the Ottawa Senators have put former No. 1 goalie Martin Gerber on re-entry waivers.That means any team that was interested in claiming the 34-year-old goalie would only be on the hook for a little less than a million dollars, half of the $1.7 million left on his deal, which runs out this season.
--Shawn P. Roarke

********************************************************

There's been speculation that backup goalie and pending UFA Manny Fernandez (14-4-3, 2.24 GAA, .921 save percentage) could be dealt in exchange for some additional depth along the forward line.After all, Finnish goalie prospect Tuukka Rask might soon be making a case to backup Tim Thomas.
--Mike G. Morreale

Stay tuned...

More Rumors And Transactions

Doug MacLean stated the Leafs and Columbus may be talking of a bigger deal including Nik Antropov+ (names Dominic Moore, Anton Strahlman & a draft pick as options) for Pascal LeClaire. LeClaire has now been linked to both Ontario teams as they each try and find a long term solution in goal.

TheStar.com is reporting that “Marty St. Louis, rather than Vinny Lecavalier, may be the Tampa Bay Lightning star that could be on the move.”

Tsn.ca reports that the "Atlanta Thrashers traded defenceman Niclas Havelid to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for blueliner Annsi Salmela."

For weeks now, Detroit GM Ken Holland has been publicly saying that his goaltending is good enough. Even if the public is telling him he's wrong. Holland feels that the Wings do not need an upgrade on Chris Osgood & Ty Conklin. So the question is - Is he right? Are the Wings tenders okay?

personally, I think he should consider a deal that sends Franzen to the Wild for goalie Niklas Backstrom.

Update:todays biggest rumors

By Larry Wigge - NHL.com Columnist

More than any other trade deadline in memory, the most pertinent question 25 of the 30 NHL teams seem to be asking one another leading into the final weekend before the 3 p.m. (ET) Wednesday, March 4 deadline is: Are you going to be a buyer or a seller?

So where to start?

The biggest rumors:

Tampa Bay center Vinny Lecavalier -- Said Lightning GM Brian Lawton, "You should never say never. But we never shopped Vinny. We're not going to trade Vinny. Did people ask about him? Of course. Who wouldn't?"

Analysis -- Forget Vinny, he's going nowhere.

Anaheim defenseman Chris Pronger -- No no-trade clause for Chris. A situation with the Ducks where there is not much cap room and the team has nine potential unrestricted free agents of note -- Scott and Rob Niedermayer, Francois Beauchemin, Samuel Pahlsson, Travis Moen, Brendan Morrison, Kent Huskins, Steve Montador, Bret Hedican. Said one GM, "I've seen the rumors. Some reliable sources. I don't know. But, where there's smoke, there might be fire with Chris Pronger."

Analysis -- It will cost a lot for Pronger. But it's worth it to make a phone call.

Florida defenseman Jay Bouwmeester -- Young, big-minute defender who is in his sixth season with the Panthers, with no trips to the playoffs. Those close to Jay say he will not re-sign with Florida. The questions here: Do the Panthers gamble that they can re-sign him or make a deal after the playoffs and before the July 1 free agency? Or do they take the best offer for JBo?
Said Panthers GM. Jacques Martin, "It's clear our priority is to make the playoffs this year. We're evaluating what's available for Jay Bouwmeester and come March 4 we'll see if we move forward with Jay or if we can get something that makes us a better club. It's also a possibility that we retain Jay and see where we are after the season."

Analysis -- I don't think Jay will re-sign with the Panthers. But it wouldn't hurt to get his best in the stretch run, not disturb the chemistry of the team and try to get top dollar for an in-his-prime All-Star defenseman before July 1 like Nashville did with UFA's Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell two summers ago.

Atlanta winger Ilya Kovalchuk -- The rumors over his being dealt now rather than waiting until next year when he could become an unrestricted free agent got out of hand earlier this season. In some circles those rumors are still out there.

Analysis -- He's the face of the franchise. He's scoring again now that coach John Anderson has found him some linemates and he's the captain of the team. Wait till next year and see how Ilya feels about staying in Atlanta.

St. Louis center/left wing Keith Tkachuk -- Unless the Blues lose at Dallas and Phoenix and against Detroit at home March 3, he's not going anywhere.

Analysis -- Tkachuk won't waive no-trade clause this time and Blues won't ask.

Toronto defenseman Tomas Kaberle -- Said Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke, ‘'The minimum would be this: a minimum of a first-round pick, a guy that can play on our team right now and a top prospect. It would be a package just like I paid when I got Chris Pronger from Edmonton. I'm not putting a price on it that I haven't paid myself in the past.''

Analysis -- Kaberle is that good to a team looking for a puck-moving defenseman whose best days could still be ahead of him in the right situation.

Colorado winger Ryan Smyth -- Loves Denver. Has no-trade clause. But the Avalanche front office has a mandate to cut payroll. Said Smyth, "I've got three years left on my contract ... and I like it here."

Analysis -- Call GM Francois Giguere. But you're going to have to make a great offer for the best front-of-the-crease player in the game not named Tomas Holmstrom.

Minnesota winger Marian Gaborik -- He would have been the top player on this potential UFA trade list if he had stayed healthy.

Analysis -- The price would be too high for a too-often injured player like this, even with the speed and skills Gaborik would bring with him.

Edmonton winger Erik Cole -- A Stanley Cup winner with Carolina in 2006 who had a sluggish start this season.

Analysis -- Edmonton management also has a mandate to make the playoffs -- and because Cole is a potential UFA he'd only bring a prospect or draft choice now. Cole is too valuable to the Oilers now to trade him.

Other names

Strength up the middle -- Scoring centers like Phoenix's Olli Jokinen, Atlanta's Todd White or Toronto's Nik Antropov or defensive centers like Anaheim's Sammy Pahlsson or Todd Marchant or Nashville's Radek Bonk.

Winging it -- Bill Guerin of the Islanders, Tampa Bay's Mark Recchi, Philadelphia's Scottie Upshall and Ottawa's Chris Neil.

D-men -- Atlanta's Nick Havelid or Phoenix's Derek Morris would be in the category of puck-moving defensemen, while the Islanders' Brent Witt is that defensive defensemen with grit that teams might be looking for.

Team thoughts -- Boston loves its depth but would still like to add a top-six forward for insurance. ... Look for San Jose to try to add a defenseman, one with Stanley Cup playoff experience. ... Detroit is just looking to tighten up internally. Thus the 10 days off for goalie Chris Osgood. ... Washington won't agree that goaltending is still its biggest question mark. But it is. ... New Jersey would not hesitate to add to its top four on defense. ... Can the Flyers find a goalie who can be counted on to stop the puck in the playoffs? ... Calgary would be buyers for the right puck-moving defenseman. ... Chicago would love to add a second-line center so that either Patrick Sharp or Kris Versteeg won't have to play out of position. ... For Vancouver, it's depth up front -- third line guy who can contribute offensively. ... Montreal has gotten push on defense offensively from the trade for Mathieu Schneider. If Thomas Plekanec or Saku Koivu can't be the power-play QB up front, then that's a need for the Habs, especially if Alex Kovalev needs an energy boost again. ... Rangers desperately need scoring. No secret there. ... Florida just needs a sniff at the playoffs. Roster has all rookie coach Peter DeBoer needs. ... Buffalo needs Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek back. ... Columbus needs to keep Steve Mason fresh. ... Dallas needs to survive until Brad Richards and Brenden Morrow can return. ... Minnesota needs an extra goal per game up front. ... Carolina needs to be able to count on Cam Ward to win games by himself down the stretch. ... Pittsburgh is looking for the same thing as last year -- a winger to play along with Sidney Crosby. ... Edmonton needs a solid faceoff guy and continued consistency from Dwayne Roloson. ... Anaheim needs a J-S Giguere revival. ... Nashville needs a more productive and unpredictable power play. ... Los Angeles needs to keep the kids focused on game-by-game defensive responsibilities. ... St. Louis needs no more injuries. ... Phoenix is like Carolina. Ilya Bryzgalov can't lose games for the Coyotes.

It's time to recognize the offensive-minded defencemen

I just finished skimming through my latest issue of The Hockey News, and I am intrigued by one of the statements I read. I'll paraphrase: 'Mike Green of the Washington Capitals is having a stellar year offensively, but he probably won't win the Norris trophy. It is time that the NHL introduced an award to recognize the offensive-minded defencemen.'
And you know what? I couldn't agree more. They need to be recognized. Otherwise they most likely [ not in all cases] will not win a major award, since there aren't many defencemen who win the Art Ross or Hart trophy anymore.

Is it time to introduce the 'Robert G. Orr' trophy?

Winning a record eight Norris Trophies as the league's best defenceman, Orr is often credited for revolutionizing his position. He remains the only defenceman to have won the league scoring title with two Art Ross Trophies and holds the record for most points and assists in a single-season by a defenceman.

Let's start rewarding our scoring defencemen.

[While we're on the subject, what about a trophy for assists?]

Future free agents could be players most likely to move at deadline

By Dan Rosen - NHL.com Staff Writer

Some are big-ticket items, while others are just role players. Some even are healthy scratches. However, it's rare to find a pending UFA who is shielded from trade talk.
Let the debates begin…

CHICAGO -- Martin Havlat, Nikolai Khabibulin, Craig Adams, Matt Walker, Aaron JohnsonThe big names in this mix are Havlat and Khabibulin, so let's start there.Khabibulin, currently on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, has been rumored to be heading out of the Windy City since Cristobal Huet signed a four-year contract with the Blackhawks over the summer. However, 60 games into the season, Khabibulin isn't just still in Chicago, he's been splitting time with Huet for most of the season and could very well turn into the Blackhawks' No. 1 option heading into the playoffs. So with that in mind, it's probably unlikely you see Khabibulin playing for another team next week, but one never knows. Huet has been good as well this season, and the Hawks have a pair of young goalies -- Antti Niemi and Corey Crawford -- waiting in the wings. Niemi is with the club now, serving as Huet's backup.Havlat is another interesting case. Hawks General Manager Dale Tallon reportedly has started work on contract negotiations with the Czech winger, who has managed to stay healthy and productive all season.Upsetting the apple cart at this point in the season for a team that envisions itself a Stanley Cup contender probably is not the best course of action, so Havlat, too, likely will still be with the Hawks after the trade deadline passes. He could fetch a decent return, though.

COLUMBUS -- Michael Peca, Manny Malhotra, Jason Williams, Christian Backman, Wade DubielewiczIf anything, the Jackets likely would be buyers at the deadline, so don't expect much movement from their UFAs. Than again, GM Scott Howson has stated that he definitely would like to find a No. 1 center to play with Rick Nash, so perhaps nothing is out of the realm of possibility.Columbus traded for Williams earlier in the season, so he's probably safe. Dubielewicz is the only backup goalie they have with NHL experience, and considering the starter is a rookie (Steve Mason), you have to figure Howson, who plucked Dubielewicz off waivers earlier this season, would not be inclined to move him.Peca, Malhotra and Backman are keys to the Jackets' depth, but if any of them could be moved in a deal for a better center to play with Nash, you have to think Howson would listen. That, though, probably is unlikely.

DETROIT -- Marian Hossa, Johan Franzen, Mikael Samuelsson, Tomas Kopecky, Darren McCarty, Aaron Downey, Chris Chelios, Ty ConklinIf they get there, Hossa and Franzen will be two of the biggest names on the market July 1. Detroit GM Ken Holland is doing all he can to not let that happen, though, so you know they are not on the market at this season's trade deadline.
Conklin isn't going anywhere, either. He signed a one-year deal this summer and with Chris Osgood struggling, Conklin could wind up as the Wings' No. 1 option heading into the playoffs.That leaves Samuelsson, Kopecky, McCarty, Downey and Chelios. It would be a surprise if any of them got moved, though -- I mean, do the Red Wings think they need to get better?Sure, if a deal presents itself -- like Brad Stuart for draft picks at last season's deadline -- the Wings would jump on it. However, if anything they're looking to add again at the deadline, not subtract from their NHL depth.

NASHVILLE -- Steve Sullivan, Radek Bonk, Vern Fiddler, Scott Nichol, Joel Ward, Jed Ortmeyer, Greg DeVries, Greg Zanon, Ville KoistenenThe Predators are in a predicament. They're not in a playoff spot yet like Columbus, but they aren't too far out, either. They have two more games before the deadline to figure out if they're going to be buyers or sellers, or just stand pat with the team they have.Of the names listed here, Koistenen probably is the most likely to move. Since he's a young, puck-moving defenseman he also may be able to fetch a decent return, be it in draft picks, prospects or perhaps even an NHL-ready player. Koistenen, in fact, has even played some forward lately. He earned 5:16 of ice time at wing Tuesday in Chicago.Koistinen, 26, reportedly has asked management to consider trading him, and GM David Poile admitted that he is looking for a match. Koistinen has been a healthy scratch for half of Nashville's games this season.Zanon is another player some teams might be interested in. He's a reliable, stay-at-home defenseman who is a plus player this season. He's not flashy, but could add something to a contending team. De Vries has won a Stanley Cup before, and since he's 36 years old any team that acquires him wouldn't feel obligated to sign him long-term.Sullivan is working his way back into the lineup after a nearly two-year layoff, and based on the patience Nashville already has shown in him, why would they move him now?
Bonk, who will be out at least another week with an upper-body injury, has the potential to help a contending team as a depth forward who can win faceoffs.Although Ward is 28 years old, he's been impressive in what is really his rookie season. The Predators probably would consider signing him in the offseason considering it won't cost too much and he wouldn't fetch much in return at the deadline.

ST. LOUIS -- Keith Tkachuk, Dan Hinote, Brad Winchester, Mike Weaver, Manny LegaceSt. Louis comes last on our list because, if you haven't figured it out by now, we've gone in alphabetical order. However, the Blues arguably are the most interesting Central Division team at the deadline because of whom they have and where they stand.Are they a legitimate threat to make the playoffs this season? If so, Tkachuk isn't going anywhere. If not, expect him to be shipped out sometime before 3 p.m. ET on March 4 to a contending team that likely will offer the Blues a package of draft picks and/or prospects in return.The Blues, who moved within three points of a playoff spot Thursday night, have two more games to figure out their plans at the deadline. Win both and they are right in the thick of the playoff race. Lose both, and it's likely good-bye Tkachuk. Split and, "Oh baby," Blues President John Davidson will be saying, "what now?"He said it -- Blues President John Davidson on his team's predicament: "It's a tough spot, but I like the tough spot. It's better than being so many points out that it's an easy decision. We've had so many injuries this year that most people in their right minds, including me, thought it would be very difficult for this team to get anywhere near the .500 mark. We get up (Wednesday) morning, looked at the standings, we're .500. I credit what our coaches and players have done. We've got a good thing going on in St. Louis. Remember, we have to sell hockey in the city of St. Louis and surrounding areas. Right now they're on board with us with the way we've gone about our business, the way we're playing hard, the way we've been entertaining, the way we don't die in games, the way our young kids are improving. We're going in the right direction."

Things that make you go hmm...

By Larry Wigge

Columbus' 4-3 victory against St. Louis put the Blue Jackets six games over .500 for the first time in team history. ... The Anaheim Ducks are now 14-18-2 overall since Dec. 1 and out of a playoff spot. ... Pity all of those fantasy-league types who dropped the Kings' Anze Kopitar earlier this season when his statistics dropped off while new coach Terry Murray was making him into a better all-round player. Now look at him: Six points in two games, 7 goals and 11 points in seven games and 8 goals and 15 points in his last 12 games. ... That famous elbow that Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom rested during the All-Star weekend that cost him a one-game suspension seems to be feeling better now. How else can you explain a pair of two-goal games for Nick -- the first time he's had two two-goal games in a span of 30 days ever? ... Why does it not come as a surprise that Mike Babcock's 200th win in 304 games behind the Detroit bench is the fastest 200 wins for one team by any coach in history (Scotty Bowman previously won 200 games in Montreal in his first 328 games)? ... Rangers winger Nigel Dawes really, really hates his closest rivals -- the Devils and Islanders. Ten of his 24 regular-season goals have come against the Devils and Islanders (five against each opponent), while he's had only 14 goals in 93 games against the rest of the NHL. ... After playing in 619 of his first 629 regular-season NHL games, Dallas center Brad Richards now has to watch for 6-8 weeks while his broken right wrist heals. He says watching captain Brenden Morrow rehab his knee like a madman for a return sometime in the playoffs is ample reason to follow the team's leader and make the most of lost time. ... You can tell Marty Brodeur will be ready for what appears to be his first start (Feb. 26 against Colorado) when he says this about his surgically repaired biceps, "Maybe with that new arm, I'll be able to shoot it harder." ... Isn't it interesting how a good coach like Joel Quenneville can switch a player like Troy Brouwer from center to left wing on a line with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane and the threesome can seamlessly look as good if not better than it did before Patrick Sharp injured his knee (an injury that is expected to keep him out three weeks)? ... Now that Calgary center Matthew Lombardi is gaining confidence offensively, look out. With his speed and the speed of other second-tier scorers Rene Bourque and Curtis Glencross, the Calgary Flames figure to be an even greater offensive threat down the stretch. ... Is it me or doesn't it seem strange that the Minnesota Wild have yet to get free-agent-to-be goaltender Nicklas Backstrom re-signed? Every save has shown Nick is clearly the Wild's MVP -- and each save rings like a cash register to me. ... With 10 home games in February, wouldn't you think the Nashville Predators would be jumping with enthusiasm for the chance to get back into the top eight in the Western Conference? They went 2-2-0 in their first four home games this month and needed shootouts to win those two. ... Chris Mason says he will only look at being No. 1 goaltender for the St. Louis Blues from game to game, not a permanent title, because replacing Tomas Vokoun in Nashville last season didn't go exactly the way he wanted. Regardless of his superstition, Mason had a 7-2-3 record, 1.56 goals-against average and .942 save percentage in his first 12 games after wrestling the share of the goaltending load away from Manny Legace. ... You do the math: Colorado is 2-0 in overtime and 8-1 in shootouts, an astonishing accomplishment for a team that is 27-30-1. ... It must be like working on a Masters degree for Florida forwards Stephen Weiss and Gregory Campbell. Both learned their trade in junior hockey player for Peter DeBoer. Now that DeBoer is behind the Panthers bench both are playing even better. ... Seeing Travis Zajac's breakout year for the Devils this season might make some wonder about another former North Dakota University first-round pick -- Buffalo's Drew Stafford. Don't worry about Drew, he's had 9 goals and 9 assists in 21 games since the turn of the new year. His 17 goals are a career-high that will someday approach 30. ... You've got to feel for Carolina winger Justin Williams, who scored 31 and 33 goals in 2005-06 and '06-07 but injuries limited him to 37 games last season and he won't get in that many games this season because of another injury. ... It's nice to see Ryan Shannon getting another chance at the NHL. Isn't it interesting how minor-league coaches elevated to the bigs sometimes know players better than the NHL team? Shannon netted two goals playing the point on the Senators' power play for his former Binghamton coach Cory Clouston against Colorado on Feb. 17. ... You don't have to look further than the Josh Bailey-Kyle Okposo-Blake Comeau line to see some brightness in the future of the New York Islanders. ... With the trade of Mathieu Schneider to Montreal, Zach Bogosian and Nathan Oystrick are the young defensemen who figure to get the first opportunity to show off their offensive abilities on the Atlanta Thrashers power play.

Things that make you go hmm...

By Larry Wigge

Columbus' 4-3 victory against St. Louis put the Blue Jackets six games over .500 for the first time in team history. ... The Anaheim Ducks are now 14-18-2 overall since Dec. 1 and out of a playoff spot. ... Pity all of those fantasy-league types who dropped the Kings' Anze Kopitar earlier this season when his statistics dropped off while new coach Terry Murray was making him into a better all-round player. Now look at him: Six points in two games, 7 goals and 11 points in seven games and 8 goals and 15 points in his last 12 games. ... That famous elbow that Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom rested during the All-Star weekend that cost him a one-game suspension seems to be feeling better now. How else can you explain a pair two-goal games for Nick -- the first time he's had two two-goal games in a span of 30 days ever? ... Why does it not come as a surprise that Mike Babcock's 200th win in 304 games behind the Detroit bench is the fastest 200 wins for one team by any coach in history (Scotty Bowman previously won 200 games in Montreal in his first 328 games)? ... Rangers winger Nigel Dawes really, really hates his closest rivals -- the Devils and Islanders. Ten of his 24 regular-season goals have come against the Devils and Islanders (five against each opponent), while he's had only 14 goals in 93 games against the rest of the NHL. ... After playing in 619 of his first 629 regular-season NHL games, Dallas center Brad Richards now has to watch for 6-8 weeks while his broken right wrist heals. He says watching captain Brenden Morrow rehab his knee like a madman for a return sometime in the playoffs is ample reason to follow the team's leader and make the most of lost time. ... You can tell Marty Brodeur will be ready for what appears to be his first start (Feb. 26 against Colorado) when he says this about his surgically repaired biceps, "Maybe with that new arm, I'll be able to shoot it harder." ... Isn't it interesting how a good coach like Joel Quenneville can switch a player like Troy Brouwer from center to left wing on a line with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane and the threesome can seamlessly look as good if not better than it did before Patrick Sharp injured his knee (an injury that is expected to keep him out three weeks)? ... Now that Calgary center Matthew Lombardi is gaining confidence offensively, look out. With his speed and the speed of other second-tier scorers Rene Bourque and Curtis Glencross, the Calgary Flames figure to be an even greater offensive threat down the stretch. ... Is it me or doesn't it seem strange that the Minnesota Wild have yet to get free-agent-to-be goaltender Nicklas Backstrom re-signed? Every save has shown Nick is clearly the Wild's MVP -- and each save rings like a cash register to me. ... With 10 home games in February, wouldn't you think the Nashville Predators would be jumping with enthusiasm for the chance to get back into the top eight in the Western Conference? They went 2-2-0 in their first four home games this month and needed shootouts to win those two. ... Chris Mason says he will only look at being No. 1 goaltender for the St. Louis Blues from game to game, not a permanent title, because replacing Tomas Vokoun in Nashville last season didn't go exactly the way he wanted. Regardless of his superstition, Mason had a 7-2-3 record, 1.56 goals-against average and .942 save percentage in his first 12 games after wrestling the share of the goaltending load away from Manny Legace. ... You do the math: Colorado is 2-0 in overtime and 8-1 in shootouts, an astonishing accomplishment for a team that is 27-30-1. ... It must be like working on a Masters degree for Florida forwards Stephen Weiss and Gregory Campbell. Both learned their trade in junior hockey player for Peter DeBoer. Now that DeBoer is behind the Panthers bench both are playing even better. ... Seeing Travis Zajac's breakout year for the Devils this season might make some wonder about another former North Dakota University first-round pick -- Buffalo's Drew Stafford. Don't worry about Drew, he's had 9 goals and 9 assists in 21 games since the turn of the new year. His 17 goals are a career-high that will someday approach 30. ... You've got to feel for Carolina winger Justin Williams, who scored 31 and 33 goals in 2005-06 and '06-07 but injuries limited him to 37 games last season and he won't get in that many games this season because of another injury. ... It's nice to see Ryan Shannon getting another chance at the NHL. Isn't it interesting how minor-league coaches elevated to the bigs sometimes know players better than the NHL team? Shannon netted two goals playing the point on the Senators' power play for his former Binghamton coach Cory Clouston against Colorado on Feb. 17. ... You don't have to look further than the Josh Bailey-Kyle Okposo-Blake Comeau line to see some brightness in the future of the New York Islanders. ... With the trade of Mathieu Schneider to Montreal, Zach Bogosian and Nathan Oystrick are the young defensemen who figure to get the first opportunity to show off their offensive abilities on the Atlanta Thrashers power play.

AO's performance makes others pale in comparison

By Larry Wigge - NHL.com Columnist

OK. You could argue that Ovechkin could have saved his backhand pass off the boards to himself to beat one defender, while winning another race to the puck and beating another defender and, while sliding on his back, still had the ability to score at a more dramatic time. Like the third period, with time running out, instead of the first period with his Washington Capitals trailing the Montreal Canadiens, 1-0.But this effort, this performance, this epic, it came in the middle of a competition.
It was as amazing a goal as I've ever seen," Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau gushed afterward."He's going to score no matter how it goes in -- if it's on his stomach, back, whatever, he’s going to try to score," said Capitals defenseman Mike Green. "I think I was more impressed with the backhand around the defenseman." This one was all Ovie. Did you see that?" said an awestruck Carey Price. "I covered the bottom of the net the way I was supposed to ... but somehow he managed to lift the puck when he was on his butt."Amazing? It left the usually chatty Boudreau, well, beside himself, when asked to describe a better performance by The Great 8 -- like perhaps the one in which he wound up with the stick behind his head and scored against Phoenix on Jan. 16, 2006."I've seen that one about 1,000 times on TV," Boudreau said. "But this one ... it was ... as amazing a goal as I've EVER seen."

[If you haven't seen this goal yet, check out youtube]

Which rivalry is the game's best?

By Phil Coffey - NHL.com Sr. Editorial Director

Maple Leafs vs. Canadiens -- Packed with history and years of Hall of Famers going head-to-head, this rivalry screams hockey and all that makes it a passion for so many.How intense has this been? Consider that between 1944 and 1978, the clubs met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs a dozen times. That will raise a burr under the saddle of any self-respecting player or fan.There are those who will argue that political and societal rivalries are encompassed here, but what it boils down to is two teams that don't like each other a whole lot.The rivalry never was more intense than in the 1960s, as the Leafs and Habs won eight of the 10 Cups awarded during the decade, with the 1967 Final between the two white-hot, as the Leafs upset the Canadiens.In recent years, the Leafs' struggles have cooled the rivalry to a degree, but it continues to smolder and can ignite at any time.

Bruins vs. Canadiens -- This is another blood feud forged in the crucible of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The two went at it again in the first round of last spring's postseason, with the favored Canadiens being pushed to seven games before advancing. The Bruins credit their strong play in the series with helping them get off to a fast start in 2008-09. The two have played 159 postseason games, more than any other NHL rivalry. During the 1950s, the Habs took the Cup from the Bruins three times. The intensity of the rivalry was forever captured in 1952, when Bruins goalie Jim Henry, sporting a black eye, was photographed shaking hands with Maurice "Rocket" Richard, who has a bandage above his eye.The rivalry glowed red-hot again in the 1970s as both clubs ranked among the top Cup contenders, icing Hall of Famers like Phil Esposito, Bobby Orr, Gerry Cheevers, Guy Lafleur, Ken Dryden and Jacques Lemaire. In 1971, the defending-champion Bruins were ousted by the Habs thanks in large part to the unbeatable play of Dryden. Boston won the Cup the following season, but the Habs' win broke up a potential dynasty.The Bruins were star-crossed in the mid-1970s as teams coached by Don Cherry fell to the Canadiens in the 1977 and 1978 Finals. But the most unforgettable moment was in the 1979 semifinals, when the Bruins were called for too many men on the ice in the waning moments of Game 7. The Canadiens tied the game and then won in overtime, a wound that still aches in Boston.The rivalry was more even in the 1980s and 1990s as the teams gave as good as they got. Boston triumphed in the playoffs in 1988, and the Habs returned the favor in 1989. The Bruins won again in 1990, '91 and '92.In 1994, the Canadiens were the defending champions but were eliminated in the first round by the Bruins. Montreal also won series in 2002 and '04.

Flyers vs. Rangers -- These two teams have hated one another since the Flyers joined the NHL in 1967, largely because these two cities have a rivalry in every sport, so hockey was a natural extension. A rough-and-tumble rivalry that has seen the buckets dropped countless times, a Rangers-Flyers game rarely is dull or without incident.There have been 10 playoff meetings that has set the bitter tone for the rivalry, with the Flyers winning six times, including the 1974 series that saw a favored Rangers team ousted as the Flyers went on to win the Stanley Cup. The Rangers returned the favor in 1979 with an upset of the Flyers, advancing to the Cup Final where they fell to the Canadiens.
In the 1980s, the two played in the Patrick Division semifinals five times. The Rangers won in 1982, '83 and '86, while the Flyers were victorious in 1985 and '87. Philadelphia also won postseason series in 1995, a four-game sweep of the defending champs, and 1997, which sent the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Final.

Battle of Alberta -- Provincial pride is on the line every time the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames meet. Forget the teams' records; there is no more intense or bitter rivalry than this one.How bitter? The Oilers ousted the Flames in the playoffs in 1983, 1984, 1988 and 1991 on their way to two of their five Stanley Cups. Calgary’s revenge came in 1986 when the Flames triumphed. In 1988, Edmonton returned the favor. The 1991 postseason marked the last meeting between the Oilers and Flames, but that hasn't impacted the nasty, exciting games that have taken place in the regular season.

Colorado vs. Detroit -- This grudge match is one for the ages, although there has been something of a cooling in recent years. But no rivalry produced as much passion and fisticuffs as Wings vs. Avalanche.From 1996 to 2002, the Avs and Wings met in five playoff series, three times in the Western Conference Finals. In those seven seasons, the teams combined to win five Stanley Cups, so the road to success in the West led out of the Motor City or Mile High City.Game 6 of the 1996 Western Conference Finals more than set the rivalry afire. Colorado's Claude Lemieux crushed Kris Draper into the boards at the Detroit bench, leaving Draper with a broken jaw and broken nose among other injuries.The 1997 playoffs was payback time for the Wings. In a fight-filled game, the Wings' Darren McCarty grabbed Lemieux during a line brawl and fired away as Lemieux covered up. Goalies Mike Vernon and Patrick Roy also battled in a memorable center-ice brawl.

These 15 trades were difference makers

By Phil Coffey - NHL.com Sr. Editorial Director

Over the course of its history, there have been thousands of trades in the NHL. Many have been insignificant, others have been blockbusters that dominated headlines. As the March 4, 2009 trade deadline approaches (3 p.m. ET), NHL.com looks at 15 trades from 1980 to the present that made a difference for one or both of the clubs involved in the swap.

Goring to the Islanders (1980) – Coming off consecutive first-round failures with a star-studded team, New York Islanders GM Bill Torrey made the first of his many savvy deals by acquiring veteran center Butch Goring from the Los Angeles Kings for forward Billy Harris and defenseman Dave Lewis.Goring not only went on to win a Conn Smythe Trophy during the Islanders' four-straight Stanley Cup triumphs, but he provided the immediate impact of convincing a young Islanders team that it was ready to win immediately. In many respects this is the prototypical trade at the deadline as it put a very good team over the top in its quest for the Cup.

Langway helps save the Caps (1982) – The Washington Capitals had missed the playoffs for eight-straight seasons and something had to be done. With new GM David Poile on the job for less than two weeks, he made a huge trade with the Montreal Canadiens that brought back four players who stabilized the franchise.Defenseman Rod Langway became the "Secretary of Defense" for the Caps and forwards Doug Jarvis and Craig Laughlin were solid performers, as was defenseman Brian Engblom, who was traded to Los Angeles the next season for veteran defenseman Larry Murphy. Combined with former first-round pick Scott Stevens, the Capitals had a defense to build a successful team around.
Because the new Capitals had such a dramatic impact in Washington, it's often overlooked that the Canadiens got two very good players in the deal in forward Ryan Walter and defenseman Rick Green. But this deal is remembered primarily for putting Washington on the hockey map and establishing Poile's reputation as a smart GM.

Neely comes to Boston (1986) – The trade is remembered in infamy in Vancouver and the name Cam Neely remains venerated in Boston. But in the context of the time, it certainly didn't appear as lopsided as it became.Neely, a former first-round pick of the Canucks, was slow in developing and the Canucks opted to move him to the East Coast. They swapped Neely and a 1987 first-round pick to the Bruins for center Barry Pederson.That's when it gets ugly for the Canucks. The draft pick turned into defenseman Glen Wesley and Neely became, well, Neely, one of the most productive loved/feared power forwards in NHL history.Pederson, a strong player in Boston, did score 60 goals and 137 assists in 233 games with the Canucks, but that production paled in comparison to the rampage Neely went on in becoming the textbook definition of the power forward and one of the most popular Bruins ever. Neely scored 344 goals and 246 assists in 525 regular-season games and another 55 goals and 32 assists in 86 playoff games. Wesley appeared in over 500 regular-season games and 100 more playoff games for Boston before he was swapped to Hartford in 1994 for first-round picks in the 1995, '96 and '97 drafts.

Coffey joins Lemieux (1987) – The Pittsburgh Penguins already had Mario Lemieux, but the big fella needed a little help and the Penguins acquired it in a big trade with the Edmonton Oilers that saw star defenseman Paul Coffey join the Pens and join the core that would produce back-to-back Stanley Cup championship teams a couple years down the road.This was an old-fashioned blockbuster that saw eight players change teams. Coffey was joined by forwards Dave Hunter and Wayne Van Dorp from Edmonton, while forwards Craig Simpson and Dave Hannan became Oilers along with defensemen Moe Mantha and Chris Joseph.Coffey scored 15 goals and 52 assists in just 46 games that season and went on to be a member of both Pittsburgh Stanley Cup teams.

Hull moves into the spotlight (1988) – Back in 1987-88, NHL observers were getting the inkling that Brett Hull was going to follow in his father's footsteps as he scored 26 goals and 24 assists in just 53 games for the Flames. Calgary, building toward a Stanley Cup, needed some veteran help on defense and in goal, so the Flames parted with Hull and forward Steve Bozek, sending them to the St. Louis Blues for defenseman Rob Ramage and goaltender Rick Wamsley on March 7, 1988.
Hull, of course, went on to become a superstar with the Blues and won Stanley Cups with the Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings. The deal may look terribly lopsided for the Blues, but keep in mind both Ramage and Wamsley went on to play with the Flames' lone Stanley Cup championship team the following season, providing the veteran know-how the club sought in the deal.But there is no doubt this was a Hull of a deal for the Blues.

The Great One in the Big One (1988) – As chronicled extensively in NHL.com's trade section, Wayne Gretzky proved that anybody can be traded. Hockey's greatest star was on the move after helping the Oilers win the Stanley Cup in a mega-deal with the Los Angeles Kings that had a far-reaching impact on all of hockey.Gretzky, center Mike Krushelnyski and defenseman Marty McSorley went to the Kings in exchange for center Jimmy Carson, left wing Martin Gelinas, three first round draft picks and cash.The Oilers rebounded without "The Great One" and won another Stanley Cup in 1990, but Gretzky's presence in Los Angeles re-energized the Kings and put the NHL on the map in the American Sun Belt, paving the way for the League to move into markets like Dallas, Phoenix, Anaheim and San Jose.

Francis adds finishing touch (1991) – GM Craig Patrick was a busy man in 1990-91, naming Bob Johnson as head coach and then supplementing Mario Lemieux and Paul Coffey with Joe Mullen and Larry Murphy in earlier deals before pulling off the trade that put the Penguins over the top.Patrick acquired center Ron Francis and defensemen Ulf Samuelsson and Grant Jennings from the Hartford Whalers for forwards John Cullen and Jeff Parker and defenseman Zarley Zalapski.The classy Francis was a huge success for the Pens, scoring 164 goals and 449 assists in 533 regular-season games, while adding 32 goals and 68 assists in 97 playoff games.

Messier in New York (1991) – In the four seasons leading up to this blockbuster, the New York Rangers were a decent club, finishing over .500, but never able to get over the hump.With their Stanley Cup drought having stretched from 1940 and with the rival Islanders having owned the 1980s, the Rangers needed a bold statement that things were going to be different.GM Neil Smith made sure of that after acquiring "The Captain" from the Edmonton Oilers for center Bernie Nicholls and prospects Steven Rice and Louie DeBrusk. It was a huge move for the Rangers' fortunes. Messier and Manhattan were an instant fit and the Rangers became a team worth watching as Messier raised the bar for his teammates in terms of what was going to be considered acceptable from them on.With Messier as captain, the Rangers raced to a 50-win season and after a disappointing playoff-less season in 1992-93. The Rangers, fueled by Messier, won the Stanley Cup in 1994, creating the moment many Rangers fans never expected to see in their lifetimes.

Lindros comes to Philadelphia (1992) – Eric Lindros warned the Nordiques he wasn't going to sign with them prior to the 1991 Entry Draft, but Quebec selected him anyway, setting up one of the most bizarre situations in NHL history as it took an arbitrator to settle Lindros' eventual destination.At the 1992 Entry Draft, word spread that Nordiques owner Marcel Abut had traded Lindros to the New York Rangers for a hefty package of players, prospects, draft picks and future considerations. But Philadelphia Flyers owner Ed Snider insisted he also had a similar deal in place for the big center.An arbitrator finally ruled that the deal with the Flyers stood and an impressive package was headed to Quebec: forwards Peter Forsberg, Mike Ricci and Chris Simon, defensemen Steve Duchesne and Kerry Huffman, goalie Ron Hextall, as well as two first-round picks and future considerations.The Lindros-Flyers marriage ended badly and he, somewhat ironically, ended up with the Rangers. But the initial trade helped the Flyers emerge from a down period and propel them back into the NHL's elite ranks as Lindros scored 290 goals and 369 assists in 486 regular-season games. In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Lindros scored an additional 24 goals and 33 assists in 50 games.

Sundin takes root in Toronto (1994) – Mats Sundin was originally the lynchpin of the Quebec Nordiques after being selected No. 1 in the 1989 Entry Draft.So imagine the shock waves on June 28, 1994 when the Maple Leafs and Nordiques announced a huge trade. Sundin was headed to Toronto with defenseman Garth Butcher, prospect Todd Warriner and a 1994 first round draft pick for the hugely popular Wendel Clark, defenseman Sylvain Lefebvre, winger Landon Wilson and a 1994 first rounder.

Adding another tower of power (1995) – When Eric Lindros first joined the Flyers, he formed the "Crazy Eights" line with Mark Recchi and Brent Fedyk. Following the trade of Recchi to the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 9, 1995, the "Legion of Doom" was born as John LeClair joined with Lindros and Mikael Renberg to form another monstrous offensive line in Philadelphia.In addition to LeClair, the Flyers also received solid defenseman Eric Desjardins and forward Gilbert Dionne from the Habs in exchange for Recchi and a 1995 third-round pick. LeClair really found his stride with the Flyers and, with Lindros, gave the Flyers two of the biggest, most talented forwards in the game.

Cup follows Claude around (1995) – Claude Lemieux won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 1995 Stanley Cup Playoffs after he scored 13 goals and three assists to help the New Jersey Devils win their first championship. He was on the move to Colorado months later after a contract dispute soured things in New Jersey.Lemieux was first traded to the Islanders for winger Steve Thomas and then on to Colorado for Wendel Clark in a three-way deal. Success followed Lemieux to Colorado, where he scored 39 regular-season goals and five more in the playoffs as the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 1996.Ironically, Lemieux was back in New Jersey in 2000, having been dealt for forward Brian Rolston and an exchange of draft picks. Lemieux was once again productive for the Devils and played a mentoring role with a number of the team's young players as the Devils captured the 2000 Stanley Cup.

Roy rumbles in the Rockies (1995) – Colorado GM Pierre Lacroix made a habit of picking up disgruntled players in 1995-96 and it paid huge dividends.After acquiring Claude Lemieux, Lacroix also traded for goaltender Patrick Roy after the goaltender's celebrated blowup in Montreal ended his distinguished career with the Canadiens.Left in goal during a lopsided loss to the Red Wings by coach Mario Tremblay, Roy vowed never to play for the Canadiens again. He didn't, having been traded to the Avalanche along with veteran forward Mike Keane for goalie Jocelyn Thibault and forwards Andrei Kovalenko and Martin Rucinsky.Roy went 22-15-1 for Colorado in the regular season and then 16-6 with three shutouts as the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup.

Fitting finale for Bourque (2000) – Chomping at the bit to win a Stanley Cup in what many believed to be his final season, Ray Bourque reluctantly leaves Boston to join the Colorado Avalanche. Heading to Boston are forward Brian Rolston, prospects Martin Grenier and Sami Pahlsson, plus a first-round pick in 2000. Joining Bourque in Colorado is veteran forward Dave Andreychuk.The Avs lose in the Western Conference Finals to Dallas in seven games, but Bourque opts for one more season and is rewarded in 2001 when Colorado dethrones New Jersey in a seven-game Final series. Bourque skates into retirement with the Cup held high.

Blake bolsters blue line (2001) – Notice the trend here as Pierre Lacroix shows no hesitation to make bold moves for his team. With Patrick Roy and Ray Bourque added to an already talented roster, the Colorado GM doesn't sit back and hope.Faced with the loss of All-Star defenseman Rob Blake to unrestricted free agency, the Los Angeles Kings opt to trade the talented Blake and Lacroix is there to get the deal done.On March 22, 2001, Blake and forward Steven Reinprecht were sent to the Avalanche for forwards Adam Deadmarsh and Jared Aulin, defenseman Adam Miller, a 2001 first-round pick and futures.This trade benefited both clubs and came sooooo close to being in the Kings' favor. In both the 2001 and 2002 playoffs, Los Angeles has taken the Avalanche to seven-game marathons before succumbing.