With the 11th overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, the Dallas Stars select…

Jeff Skinner

Picking up a center who continues to improve like Skinner has, this choice is a no-brainer. The need for defense in Big ‘D’(how ironic) is clear, but so is picking the best player available, which the native of Markham, Ontario certainly is.

Known for his well-rounded game, Skinner continues to improve offensively, notching 50 goals in only 64 games for the Kitchener Rangers.

An utter steal at this juncture in the draft. Jeff Skinner indeed is a Dallas star in the making!

Brandon Augienello
NHLHS Dallas Stars Correspondent
brandon@nhlhotstove.com
@HockeyGuy_B

Now Playing: Mother Love Bone – Apple

On the heels of ripping off four straight victories, the Chicago Blackhawks have resumed their winning ways before the doomsayers could say “dog-leg right”.  While being outscored 16-7 over a three-game slide is hardly ideal at any time in the year, it seems to have awakened the squad on both ends of the ice, and some of the heroes have been of the more “unlikely” variety.

With their overall consistent and tough play, it’s becoming more and more difficult to call the Blackhawks fourth line’s contributions on the score sheet surprising.  The combination of Ben Eager, Colin Fraser, and Tomas Kopecky has definitely sparked the Blackhawks over their current four-game win streak, accounting for 6 goals and 5 assists over that span, and that’s not including the 2 helpers that Adam Burish dished out Tuesday night against the Dallas Stars.

It’s pretty easy to see that with playoff roster cuts coming (and contract time in the offseason), these players have dug down and are doing the best to justify their existence with this franchise.  Russell Hammond from the fictional band Stillwater put it best: “This is the circus, everybody’s trying not to go home, no one’s saying goodbye.”

After so many years, Hossa continues to amaze.

When it comes to more high profile guys making their presence felt, no one has been hotter lately than Marian Hossa.  Hossa has dented the score sheet in five straight contests, notching 2 goals and 4 assists, and frankly just looking like he’s on another plane of existence.  It almost seems unfair that he doesn’t even need the puck to be on the ice to do something pretty with it.  Joining Hossa with 2 goals and 4 assists in his last five contests is captain Jonathan Toews.  Toews seems very determined to lead by example, and that’s exactly what this team needs.

As of “WordPress time”, the Hawks have three games remaining in the regular season, consisting of a road trip to visit the Colorado Avalanche sandwiched between dates hosting the St. Louis Blues and the season finale with the Detroit Red Wings at the Madhouse on Madison.  Yes, they’ve clinched the second spot at the very least in the Western Conference, but this is no time to coast.

The Blackhawks have a game in hand on the conference-leading San Jose Sharks, but trail them by two points in the standings.  Since locking up the playoff birth, there has been much chatter regarding who presents the best and worst challenges for the Hawks in the postseason.  A lot of people are saying they should be scared of the Red Wings, as well as a smaller (but arguably more vocal) group deriding such a notion.  When faced with this problem, the solution is easy: Just Win.

The Blackhawks have secured a place among the playoff teams, and have an opportunity to possibly win the conference title by taking care of business through the end of the regular season.  It’s obvious that when the Hawks lose focus, they struggle, so it’s important not to get caught scoreboard watching when there are much more important tasks to attend to at home.

Ryan Hackett
NHLHS Blackhawks Correspondant
rhackett@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @hawknut

Following a touching, pre-game ceremony given to honor the Finnish Flash becoming only the 18^th player to score 600 goals in his career, recently signed, Bonino notched his first goal in an Anaheim Ducks’ uniform and his first goal as a National Hockey League player. The goal came at 8:11 of the second period with a little help from line-mates Selanne and Corey Perry. It was the opening goal of the night for the Ducks and helped to carry the team to a 3 -1 win over the Dallas Stars.

Pre-game Ceremony Honoring Teemu Selanne’s 600th Career Goal – Video – 03/29/2010

Retrieving the puck from the net for the rookie was Selanne himself, who had this to say about the moment, “The first NHL goal is always so memorable. I’m very happy he got it. You can already see what kind of skills he has. He is so calm. What amazes me these days about rookies, they are so ready right away.”

After a scoreless first period, in which the Ducks led the shots by a margin of 13 to 5, Dallas’ Steve Ott was sent off on a high-sticking infraction at 6:48 of the second. This opened the door for the Ducks’ special teams and led to the netting of Bonino’s first career goal. Matt Beleskey and Steve Eminger assisted on Anaheim’s second goal of the game put in by Perry at 12:41. Just 49 seconds later Kyle Chipchura on a Lubomir Visnovsky rebound, put one past Stars’ goalkeeper,  Kari Lehtonen, to make it 3 -0. A little over a minute and a half later, Dallas’ only goal was collected by Loui Eriksson with assists to Brad Richards and James Neal. This goal would prove to be the end of the scoring for the game.

One of the better outings for the Ducks in quite some time, the team played an entire 60 minutes and chocked up a very respectable 46 shots on goal, which should be an everyday occurrence for a team with this much talent.  Curtis McElhinney and Bonino are giving us hope for the future and the defense seems to have finally found a replacement for Chris Pronger in the form of Visnovksy.

Nick Bonino Talks About His First NHL Goal – Video – 03/29/2010

My Ducks Three Stars:

3 – Curtis McElhinney – Another excellent performance between the pipes for him, 30 saves on 31 shots

2 – Teemu Selanne – 8 shots on goal and one assist definitely rates a star

1 – Nick Bonino – 4 shots on goal and his first ever NHL goal – Congratulations Nick!

Honorable Mention:

Corey Perry – Scored his 3^rd goal in 2 games (the game winner) and assisted on Bonino’s first

Kyle Chipchura – Scored his 5^th goal of the season and set a new personal record

Lubomir Visnovksy – Continues to prove he was very well worth the trade

Notes:

Jonas Hiller, who was scheduled to start in goal against the Stars, sat out with back spasms.

Ryan Getzlaf is still out nursing his injured ankle.

Teemu Selanne had 8 shots in last night’s game vs. Dallas and has 4 assists in the last 3 games.

James Wisniewski has 4 games remaining on his 8 game suspension.

The Ducks have won 6 of their last 8 home games.

With his goal and assist against Dallas, Corey Perry has equaled his highest, single-season point mark.

Next Game:

Wednesday, March 31^st vs. the Colorado Avalanche in Anaheim.

The Dallas Stars old age certainly hindered their success this year. After losing coach Dave Tippett over the off-season, the Stars will not make the playoffs this year. Their average age of 27.86 years, though not too old, ranks eleventh in the NHL.

Unlike many of the older teams, the Stars’ age appears fairly spread out. They have nearly every age represented on their 24-man roster.

Jamie Benn comes in as the youngest at age 20. Meanwhile, alternate-captain Mike Modano sits at the top of the old age ladder at 39 years old.

Starting with Benn’s analysis, he played in every Dallas game to date and registered 19 goals and 16 assists in his rookie campaign. Not bad for a 20 year old on a struggling team. He came straight from the Kelowna Rockets (Junior hockey) and succeeded rather well in the NHL.

Benn definitely had veteran leadership to lean on throughout the year. However, probably the best thing in Benn’s case: he did not have to score forty goals and take this team from the bottom to the top (as is the case with many young rookies these days).

Only two years older than Benn, James Neal ranks third on the team in points with 49. Neal, however, beat his rookie season totals and showed that he might (down the road) have the skill to take over as the leader for offense.

Yet, Brad Richards (29 years) remains the leader for the Stars as of right now. His 82 points nearly ties his career high, but he appears as the only huge offensive threat on the Stars.

Louis Eriksson (24 years) does sit in second for points, and he already set a career high with his 65 points.

Mike Ribeirio, who comes in fourth in points, suffered a dangerous throat contusion early in January. Not only did he miss games, but the Stars lost a successful 30-year old centerman, who scores big points. Suddenly his 78 points from last year because just 48 this year — and that became a huge blow for the Stars.

The captain, Brenden Morrow, thankfully did not miss too many games to injury. Unfortunately, Morrow’s offensive prowess disappeared this season.

Contrary to Morrow, Stephane Robidas managed to set career high in goals, assists, and overall points. Although, his statistics do not quite provide that punch from the defense that so many (successful) teams seem to have.

Overall, the Stars’ offense fell apart. They needed more from their forwards this season. As they simply did not score enough, their demise came earlier than many expected.

Their goaltending also struggled this season. At age 34, Marty Turco remarkable goaltending seems invisible. He settled (currently) for a 20-20-11 record. Now, yes this record can appear decent. However, a goaltender of Turco’s caliber—he went 40-19-5 not long ago—needs to perform better throughout the season.

Essentially his clock expired, and now his team with Dallas is likely over.

Yet probably the biggest mistake the front office made, the Stars did not have a goaltender to pick up Turco’s slack. Kari Lehtonen (26 years) could provide as a great back-up to Turco, or even take over for Turco, but the Stars did not even grab Lehtonen until February.

By then, the Stars were already heading down a path that they could not survive.

Offensive and goaltending issues are one thing, but the Stars experienced too many long-term injuries to key members. From Steve Ott (27 years),  Modano (39 years), to Tom Wandell (23 years) injuries to big players led their destruction.

Every age group possible seemed to suffer a serious injury for the Stars. Veteran leadership remained out of the lineup; meanwhile the youth got hurt as well.

Now Modano may already be past his prime, but he remains a veteran leader than can offer help to his younger teammates (many of whom idolized Modano growing up).

Many teams in the NHL today, especially the older teams, have seasoned veterans that raise the team average age. With the Stars, their age looks very spread out.

Their youngest player is a 20 year old while their oldest is a 39 year old; meanwhile, nearly every age in between has at least one player holding onto that birth year. That becomes a problem for a team like Dallas, who may benefit more from young players.

In the past, Dallas seemed a threat to make the playoffs. Now, the Stars seem too old and weak to make a push for a playoff spot. At this point, it is nearly impossible for the Stars to gain a post-season berth. Yet, these issues do need to go under a microscope in the off-season.

This season’s devastating fall occurred because of injuries to vital players and a lack of serious offense from more than two players. The Stars’ age definitely hurt and even kept them from playing after the regular season ends in a few weeks.

Katlyn Gambill
NHLHS Feature Writer
kgambill@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @freezethepuck

The 1994 entry draft was a solid one for goaltenders.  Jose Theodore was chosen in the 2nd round by Montreal.  In the 5th round, the Dallas Stars chose Marty Turco, and four goaltenders were chosen in the 9th round, three of those eventual starters: Tim Thomas by the Nordiques, Evgeny Nabokov by the Sharks, and Tomas Vokoun by the Habs.

None of them are having a season like Johan Hedberg.

Johan “Moose” Hedberg was drafted in the 9th round, 218th overall, by the Philadelphia Flyers.  While his compatriots are suffering through either average seasons (Thomas, Theodore), off play (Turco, some can argue Nabokov), or suffering behind sub-par teams (Vokoun), Hedberg is literally having the best year of his career.  In this, his 9th year in the NHL, Hedberg has only once had a goals against average lower as this season’s 2.67, and he has never had a save percentage as high as his .914.  He’s putting up solid numbers behind an Atlanta Thrashers defense who allows 33.4 shots a game, which is 29th in the league.  While wrangling with all of this pressure, the 36 year old goaltender has grabbed the reigns as Atlanta’s current #1 goaltender in the midst of a playoff run.

Familiar territory indeed for the consummate professional.

He was called up at the end of the season in 2001 for the Pittsburgh Penguins from the Manitoba Moose.  It was a bit of a late call-up, so Hedberg did not have time to adjust his goaltender’s mask, which had a giant moose noticeably painted on it.  The fans in Pittsburgh took to cheering “Moooooooooose!” after every solid save, and it stuck – Hedberg’s prefered nickname of “Jo Jo” was no more.

As a welcome to the NHL, Hedberg was treated to playing 18 Stanley Cup playoff games, where the young, new starter flourished under pressure.  Despite the fact that the Penguins were defeated by the eventual champion New Jersey Devils, the improbable run of the young goalie sincerely captured the hearts of Penguins fans, who are still known to sport the occasional Hedberg jersey.

His second year with the Pittsburgh Penguins saw him take the starting role over Jean-Sebastien Aubin, who was suffering from a very poor outing his 3rd NHL season.  Hedberg’s Penguins did not make the playoffs that season, however in his 66 GP he finished with a 2.75 GAA and .904 SV% – a standout on a team who went 28-41-8-5.

In 2003-2004, Hedberg was traded to the Vancouver Canucks for a 2nd round selection in the 2004 draft.  He only played one season with the Canucks, having a solid 2.52 GAA, but only in 21 games played.  He only got the chance to play 2 games in the playoffs that season, with a .922 SV% and 2.45 GAA  The next season he left for the Dallas Stars, only playing in 19 games and missing the chance to play goal in the playoffs for the 2nd year in a row.

He was signed to a free agent contract in Atlanta in 2006 by Don Waddell, who was looking for a solid mentor to their new starter, the 2001 #2 overall pick Kari Lehtonen.   This first season saw Hedberg step in as a solid backup and immediate fan favorite, and it also allowed Hedberg to return to the playoffs.  The Thrashers were swept by the New York Rangers in the first round, but Hedberg’s experience still shone through.  Lehtonen was young and shaky, as his 5.59 GAA and .849 SV% showed.  Hedberg, though, still had a .928 SV% and a 2.45 GAA

That season was the last Hedberg had of around 20 games.  Lehtonen’s wonky groin caused him to miss many games the following season, and in 2008 Hedberg was called on to start 36 games.  The following year, he was required to play 33 due to a groin issue, a herniated disc, and a concussion all to the young Lehtonen.  2008-2009 saw Hedberg play mentor to the young Ondrej Pavelec, and that role has been continuing this season.

Pavelec is still young (only 22) and has a lot more experience waiting for him to really solidify that ability that is so apparent in flashes.  It’s ill-advised to lead a team that has been flirting with the playoffs all season with a young goalie like Pavelec, especially when his strong start sputtered.  Hedberg was called upon to step in, and like the consummate professional he is. has helped the Thrashers nip at the top 8 nearly all season long – both with and without Ilya Kovalchuk.

Hedberg is appreciated by the fans, winning the February Atlanta Thrashers Fan Club player of the month this season.  Prior to the conclusion of last season, Hedberg won the players’ player award two years running for his quiet and dignified clubhouse leadership, and in 2008 he was the Thrashers’ Masterton Award nominee – which there are rumblings that he’ll be nominated for again.  It would not be surprising for Hedberg to win the team MVP as voted on by the fans – the first time in quite a while that honor has not gone to Kovalchuk.

Hedberg is quiet and always dignified – and when he gets riled up, he always promptly apologizes even when he doesn’t need to.  Quick to share the credit when there’s a win, and probably too quick to shoulder the blame for a loss, he’s often given credit in the locker room for being one of the team’s top leaders.

Rumors have it that Waddell and Hedberg’s agent, Jay Grossman, might work towards a contract extension for Hedberg this offseason.  Moose is set to become a UFA, and this season has warranted a bit of a payraise to the goaltender’s modest salary of just over a million dollars.

Hedberg is a beloved player in Atlanta.  It’s not often that you see a demand for merchandise surrounding a backup goaltender, but Hedberg jerseys and shirts abound in the Team Gear store.  Fans in Atlanta hope that Moose stays on, either in goal as a mentor or as a goaltender coach to Ondrej Pavelec.  He’s shown that he still has a lot to teach.

Laura Astorian
NHLHS Thrashers/Blues Correspondent
lastorian@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @hildymac

Mike Modano leads all USA born hockey players in points and goals but now mans the fourth line in Dallas. After he and Marty Turco blamed the team’s woes on agitator Sean Avery, which amongst other things led to his exodus from Dallas, the Stars have not played any better than their mediocre 10th seed standing.

Turco destroyed all hopes of a playoff seed last year with a 2.81 GAA and .898 SV%.  His 33-41 record accounted for 90 percent of the Stars’ starts.  So what did the Stars do to alleviate their problems? Nothing!

Modano finished with less than 20 goals for just the third time in his career.  His point totals represented his fourth lowest total while he did not eclipse the 30 goal mark for an eighth straight season.  The former first overall pick projects for 44 points on the season, a stark contrast from his high scoring past.

What do these two players have in common?

The need to step aside and allow the franchise to build around youngsters Tom Wandell, Loui Eriksson, James Neal, Jamie Benn and now Kari Lehtonen amongst others.

By GM Joe Nieuwendyk trading for the oft-injured Lehtonen he receives a tall, agile goaltender whose younger than the 34-year-old Turco and 29-year-old Alex Auld.  The Finnish netminder provides a cheap and hopefully reliable option going into next season.  He may not represent the answer, but going younger needed to happen.

With Modano, Turco, Jere Lehtinen and Steve Ott impending free agents, expect plenty of moves to be made in Dallas.  Stars owner Tom Hicks outright said he would cut costs this season as he attempts to sell the team leading to frequent speculation that both Turco and Mike Ribeiro will be traded.  With the emergency tracheotomy on Ribeiro, it appears more likely only Turco and perhaps Ott will move to another team.

The Stars need a transition and this is how they will start.  Although they traded a 21-year-old and former first round pick for a 26-year-old goaltender and added age, they took from a strength and in theory plugged a gaping hope.  Good job, Joe!

Alexander Monaghan
NHLHS Editor
amonaghan@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @NHLHotstove

Legend: Rank – Team – Record – (Last week) – Position change

1. Washington Capitals 33-12-6 (3) +2 Unbelievable how good the Caps have become. It is not just Ovechkin in Washington.

2. San Jose Sharks 35-10-8 (2) N/C Yes, they are the best in the league, but they are not the best this week.

3. Chicago Blackhawks 35-14-4 (1) -2 Goaltending woes are starting to prove why it will be tough to take them as a pure cup contender.

4. Vancouver Canucks 31-18-2 (12) +8 Hottest line in hockey. Henrik Sedin has sure found his game this season.

5.  Colorado Avalanche 29-15-6 (8) +3 Craig Anderson and the kids of Colorado are making quite an impression. Buyers at the deadline? We wouldn’t see why not.

6. Buffalo Sabres 30-13-7 (4) -2 The Buffalo Millers are cruising along within the Eastern Conference. Mr. Vezina this year. What does it mean for Team USA?

7. New Jersey Devils 34-15-1 (6) -1 They may slump at times, but they are still one of the better teams in the Conference. No, not on black and white but you do not vaue that when the team gels so purely on the ice.

8. Nashville Predators 29-19-3 (5) -3 Mr. Buddy Oakes Nashville Predators know how to get the job done.  Kudos to Barry Trotz.

9. Los Angeles Kings 29-19-3 (11) +2 The “cardiac” Kings get it done.  There is no other way to go about it.  Fight to the finish and two points are continuously earned.

10. Ottawa Senators 28-21-4 (10) +1 Firing your goalie coach leading to a six game winning streak says something.  Cory Clousten has done a fantastic job with all the injuries.  Look out for the Senators.

11. Phoenix Coyotes 29-18-5 (7) -4 A mediocre cast has proved a lot this seasons. Dave Tippett will have his name thrown into the hat for coach of the year.

12. Pittsburgh Penguins 32-20-1 (9) -3 A huge win against Philadelphia early this afternoon has the Penguins back on the right track.  MAF returning will be a huge plus.

13. Calgary Flames 26-19-6 (13) N/C The West is so wide open that even a five game losing streak doesn’t create much of a change for the Flames.

14. Anaheim Ducks 24-21-7 (26) +12 One of the three hottest teams in hockey right now helps the Ducks rise in the power rankings.

15. Philadelphia Flyers 26-22-3 (18) +3 see above…

16. New York Islanders 23-21-8 (15) -1 …see above. Scott Gordon’s system continues to work. The future continues to look better and better as well.

17. New York Rangers 24-21-7 (16) -1 (16) -1 No offense to explosive offense back to no offense. There is turmoil within the organization. What to make of this mess?

18. Montreal Canadiens 25-23-5 (19) +1 It is time for the team to realize that Halak is the #1.

19. Detroit Red Wings 25-18-8 (17) -2 It is very surprising, or is it? The question remains, will the Wings bounce back and make the playoffs? Their record would have them as a playoff team in the East.

20. Boston Bruins 23-19-8 (14) -6 Injuries have hurt the offensive production of this team. There is not telling what happens next.

21. Minnesota Wild 25-23-4 (23) +2 Slowly climbing their way up the ranks. Latendresse’ has helped the turn around ten fold.

22. Florida Panthers 22-21-9 (20) -2 With Nathan Horton out for over a month will they make Vokoun available come deadline?

23. Dallas Stars 22-18-11 (21) -2 Is playoff revenue that important to Tom Hicks? We will find out in a few weeks time.

24. St. Louis Blues 22-21-8 (25) +1 Third period collapse happens too often for this team. Plus, they already forgot that home ice is an advantage.

25. Atlanta Thrashers 22-21-8 (22) -3 Everyone is in on the Kovalchuk sweepstakes. One of the hottest debates in hockey is will he stay or where will he go?

26. Tampa Bay Lightning 21-20-10 (24) -2 beating a dead horse here:  same old Bolts.

27. Carolina Hurricanes 15-28-7 (27) N/C Officially in sell mode? Highest bidder takes the vets.

28. Toronto Maples Leafs 17-26-10 (29) +1 Brian Burke has a lot of decisions to make 

29. Columbus Blue Jackets 20-25-9 (28) -1 What has happened to Steve Mason? This is more then just a sophomore slump.

30. Edmonton Oilers 16-28-6 (30) N/C   Taylor Hall.

What does the future hold for Marty Turco and the Dallas Stars? The team continues to fall out of playoff contention, Do they begin rebuilding or do they resign the veteran and try again? At 34-years-old, one would speculate his reign in Dallas would be coming to an end.

The goaltending pipeline provides nothing.  The team drafted two NHL quality goaltenders in Dan Ellis and Mike Smith but let them go with Turco their man between the pipes.  This season, Turco’s numbers turned some heads, creating trade buzz after an admitedly dismal showing last season.

With Turco’s expiring contract and excellent career numbers, some contending team should be willing to part with prospects or picks.  This transaction would relieve the limited budget in which owner Tom Hicks forces the team to operate. In fact, rumors surrounding the team and their financial woes indicate both Turco, star center Mike Ribeiro and most likely and recently agitator Steve Ott should pack their bags.

Rumors earlier in the year indicated interest from the Philadelphia Flyers.  Both teams however shot down these rumors almost immediately.

Also, the recent play of Alex Auld fires up further speculation. Auld got his second start in a row Monday and backstopped the Stars to their second consecutive victory, beating the Minnesota Wild, 4-3, at American Airlines Center.

He wasn’t flawless, but he was consistent and steady. And that’s what the Stars need right now. If his play continues to be steady, there is still hope for a playoff birth as well as a return with shipping Turco out.

Keep in mind that the Stars are not the most gifted club in the league.  They posses future pieces but stare at a second season of playoff absence. With a team mostly filled with veterans the Stars brass need to focus more on the future and less on the now.

Brandon Worley of Defending Big D recently breached the subject of trading Turco, below shows an excerpt from his article.

This past weekend, several online publications and hockey television analysts stated that the Dallas Stars are preparing to move on without Marty Turco. Now this is hardly surprising news; the future of Turco with the Dallas Stars has been in doubt since the start of the season. Yet now it’s being reported as if this is a fact: the Dallas Stars are moving on without him.

The question now asked is: What is the value of a player with a 2.84 GAA and a .900 SV%?

The answer: The Stars need to use Turco’s history as a selling point in order to retain full value.  A second or third round pick seems fair at this point, if you consider Cristobal Huet only fetched the same two years ago.

The domino’s are then able to fall.  GM Joe Nieuwendyk has a situation. It is inevitable that Turco is with a different club come October 2010. Do not go the route of the Florida Panthers Mr. Nieuwendyk.

Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS Senior Writer
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @ACHockeyGuys

Legend: Rank – Team – Record – (Last week) – Position change

1. Chicago Blackhawks 34-11-4 (1) N/C – They can score at will, and are the best in the league. Keeping last weeks position as #1.
2. San Jose Sharks 31-10-8 (2) N/C – A tough loss against Boston is the only negative right now. Another team that belongs at the top.
3. Washington Capitals 29-12-6 (5) +2 – Speaking of scoring, WOW! A healthy Varlamov could do wonders for Washington.
4. Buffalo Sabres 29-11-6 (4) N/C – Ryan Miller is simply amazing. Buffalo is dangerous, even with a shaky roster on black and white.
5. Nashville Predators 29-16-3 (10) +5 Patric Horqvist anyone? This kid is on fire, and the Preds are playing great hockey.
6. New Jersey Devils 32-13-1 (3) -3 The only win was a spectacular one for Marty in a 1-0 shootout over the Rangers. However, slumps upon them in NJ.
7. Phoenix Coyotes 28-16-3 (9) +2 Still playing great hockey, and have a chance at home ice in the playoffs first round.
8. Colorado Avalanche 27-15-6 (11) +3 – Ups and downs but back on track.  The Avs will not go away, and are currently Divisoinal leaders.
9. Pittsburgh Penguins 30-19-1 (13) +4 I do not know what to make of the Penguins, and now MAF is shelfed day to day. Troubles in paradise?
10. Ottawa Senators 24-21-4 (15) +5 Two words: Mike Brodeur. (no relation  to Marty)
11. Los Angeles Kings 27-18-3 (12) +1 A shutout over Anaheim and a thrilling comeback against Boston recently, Quick and the Kings are still
holding ground for the playofs.
12. Vancouver Canucks 28-18-2 (8) -4 Not so much the ranking, but the surrounding teams that cause the ‘Nucks to drop a few spots.
13. Calgary Flames 26-16-6 (6) -7  See above.
14. Boston Bruins 23-16-8 (7) -7  Savard and Bergeron out with injuries kills the offensive production.
15. New York Islanders 21-19-8 (19) +4 Now in the playoffs, and two huge wins this week. Congrats Rick DiPietro on your 1st win this year.
16. New York Rangers 22-19-7 (14) -2 Where is the offense? 1 goal for all this week? Yikes!
17. Detroit Red Wings 24-16-8 (18) +1 Speaking of troubles in paradise.  What is wrong with Detroit (outside of injuries) this year?
18. Philadelphia Flyers 23-20-3 (17) -1 Razor? Leighton? Boosh? None of the above. And the defense is POOR.
19. Montreal Canadiens 23-22-4 (16) -3 Injuries, like Detroit, but the line up is mediocre as it is. How long till the Kostitsyn brothers return?
20. Florida Panthers 20-20-8 (22) +2 Seriously missing a pure talent up front and they could be a very good young team. Future is very bright.
21. Dallas Stars 20-17-11 (20) -1 To trade or not to trade?
22. Atlanta Thrashers 21-19-7 (24) +2 Too much concern around Ilya Kovalchuk. Play the game!
23. Minnesota Wild 24-22-3 (21) -2 We aren’t sure what to make of them, but Latendresse’ was one heck of an acquisition.
24. Tampa Bay Lightning 18-19-10 (23) -1 (repeat) Same ol’ Lightning.
25. St. Louis Blues 21-19-7 (28) +3 Four game winning streak. Chris Mason is back?
26. Anaheim Ducks 21-20-7 (25) -1 Not willing to trade Niedermayer, Selanne hurt again, we are left scratching our heads.
27. Carolina Hurricanes 14-26-7 (29) +2 They have been playing better lately, but they are still a doormat.
28. Columbus Blue Jackets 18-23-9 (26) -2 How much faith will Howson keep in Hitchcock?
29. Toronto Maple Leafs 16-24-9 (27) -2 Kessel or Hall/Seguin/Fowler?  Kessel is  proven, so it was still a smart move. The need is for a
goaltender.
30. Edmonton Oilers 16-26-5 (30) N/C – The more they lose, the better Taylor Hall looks. Khabi? Another team in need of a netminder possibly?

Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS Senior Writer
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @ACHockeyGuys