Hossa injured while Richards sets record

It took about five minutes for Brad Richards to make an impact with the Dallas Stars in his first game. The Pittsburgh Penguins will have to wait a while before seeing one from Marian Hossa.

While Richards was helping the Stars beat the Chicago Blackhawks 7-4, Hossa's debut with his new club was cut short after injuring his knee in Pittsburgh's 5-1 loss to the Boston Bruins.

Hossa, perhaps the biggest name to be moved at Tuesday's trade deadline, didn't play in the third period and finished with one shot on goal in 10:13. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Hossa suffered a sprained right MCL and will miss at least one week.

"It is disappointing," Hossa said, assessing his injury to an accidental knee-to-knee collision with Boston forward Glen Murray in the second period. "Injuries happen. It's just tough luck."

Pascal Dupuis, acquired by the Penguins with Hossa from the Atlanta Thrashers, also made his debut and helped Pittsburgh avoid being blanked.

Richards' first point with Dallas can only described as pretty. A cross-ice pass from Niklas Hagman at the top of the circles looked like it would be one-timed by Antti Miettinen. Instead he let the puck go between his legs to Richards, who fired a pass to back to Hagman for a tip-in just inside the far post.

That was the first of Hagman's three goals - and Richards' career-high five assists, tying the franchise record shared by Murray Oliver (1971) and Larry Murphy (1989).

"I'm so happy to be a part of this," said Richards, acquired Tuesday from the Tampa Bay Lightning, which has the worst record in the East. "They've got a good thing going here. I went from looking like I'd be done the first of April to making a good run at (the Stanley Cup)."

Andrew Ladd had his first goal in his second game with the Blackhawks after being acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes for Tuomo Ruutu at the deadline.

THREE STARS OF THE NIGHT, FEB. 28

1. Hagman, Dallas Stars: No one is happier than this guy to have Richards on his line. Hagman had his first three-goal game in the NHL during the Stars' win over the Blackhawks.

2. Marco Sturm, Boston Bruins: Sturm had two goals - including the 200th of his career - in the Bruins' 5-1 win over the Penguins. Your useless factoid of the night: Sturm is the third German-born player with 200 goals joining Walt Tkaczuk (227) and Dany Heatley of the Ottawa Senators (210).

3. Ilya Bryzgalov, Phoenix Coyotes: Bryzgalov stopped 41 shots - 26 over the final two periods - in a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Blues. It was the Coyotes' fourth straight win over the Blues and sixth in a row at the Scottrade Center.

Tale of two seasons: Sens ax Paddock

It's not much of a shock when a coach is fired these days. It is when his team shows symptoms seen in someone suffering from bipolar disorder.

The Ottawa Senators got off to an incredible start under John Paddock, hand-picked in July by general manager Bryan Murray as his replacement following the franchise's first modern-day Stanley Cup finals appearance.

Two straight shutout losses ended Paddock's tenure after 64 games on Wednesday. The Senators became the third team this season to change coaches after Murray added coach to his general manager title.

“It’s shocking really that it comes to this,” said Murray, who makes his season debut as coach on Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers. “It’s disappointing from everybody’s point of view.”

With a league-leading 210 goals scored and the Sens still atop the Northeast Division and just two points off the top spot in the East, that would be a gross understatement.

On the heels of their finals appearance, the Senators opened the 2007-08 season with a 12-1-0 start. Everything clicked. The top line of Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza thrived, while goaltenders Martin Gerber, Ray Emery - and even rookie Brian Elliot - shined.

Through Nov. 4, Alfredsson had nine goals and and 10 assists. Heatley, a 100-point scorer each of the previous two seasons, had six multipoint games and totaled eight goals and seven assists. Spezza scored only once, but assisted on 12 other goals.

With Emery working his way back from a wrist injury, Gerber shouldered the load in goal, going 9-1-0 with a 1.88 goals-against average. Emery returned after missing five games to win both his starts and Elliott - picked 291st overall in 2003 - made 25 saves in his NHL debut, a 3-1 win over the reigning Southeast Division champion Atlanta Thrashers.

On Jan. 12, Ottawa was 29-10-4 after beating the Detroit Red Wings in a matchup touted as a preview of this season's Cup finals. The following night, Heatley suffered a shoulder injury that would sideline him for 11 games as the Senators lost to the New York Islanders, snapping a four-game winning streak and sending them in a tailspin they now have just 18 games to recover from.

Ottawa has won only seven of 21 games since then, and has gone just 1-12-2 when scoring three goals or fewer in that span. Acquiring Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore in a trade from the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 11 failed to jump-start the offense, which has been non-existent.

After losing 5-0 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday, the Sens were beyond sluggish in a 4-0 defeat to the Boston Bruins on Tueaday in what was Paddock's final game, roughly one month after he coached in the All-Star game.

It’s not known who will start in goal during Murray’s debut, but neither Emery nor Gerber have played well recently. Emery is 2-3-1 with a 3.40 GAA in his last six starts while Gerber is 0-3-1 with a 3.27 GAA in four starts since last winning on Jan. 29.

One thing is clear about Murray: he is a taskmaster - perhaps not in the same vein as the Tampa Bay Lightning's John Tortorella - but he has a certain style and knows what he wants to see from his team.

“Get some discipline in the play but mainly, get some emotion and effort into the game,” he told the team's official Web site. “I think we’ve been a very passive group in the last number of games and I think it’s because of not winning. Players start to grip their sticks a little too much, and that’ll be the first area to address.”

And the upcoming schedule is not easy. Starting Monday, they'll kick off a four-game Western road trip with a finals rematch against the Anaheim Ducks.

“I think we have a real good hockey team, I think a very comparable hockey team to last year,” he said. “Like every team, you’ve got to get a little bit lucky (and) you’ve got to play very, very hard. But yeah, I think we have a real contending team here.”

New faces, new places

Teams who were active at the trading deadline didn't have to wait long to see results.

Steve Bernier of the Buffalo Sabres had the best debut on Wednesday night, recording two goals on his first two shots and an assist in an 8-4 win over the Nashville Predators.

"When your confidence is not where you want it to be and the first shot you make you score, it helps," said Bernier, who is looking for a fresh start after being labeled an underachiever during three seasons with the San Jose Sharks. "I'm glad everything went the way I wanted everything to go. ... Yeah, it's a good start, but nothing is done yet."

All-Star Brian Campbell, who the Sabres dealt to acquire Bernier, drew an assist in the Sharks' 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

"He showed that he's a player, that he wants to be on the ice all the time," San Jose coach Ron Wilson said. "He's generally always in attack mode. You can see he’s a sneaky hitter, too."

In Tampa, Mike Smith made 24 saves and Jeff Halpern had a goal and assist in the Lightning's 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild. Tampa Bay picked up Halpern, Smith and Jussi Jokinen (4 shots on goal, minus-1 in 22:28) from the Dallas Stars for former Conn Smythe Trophy winner Brad Richards and Johan Holmqvist, who will make their debuts on Thursday.

"Probably one of the harder games I've ever played mentally," said Smith, who still wore his Stars mask. "Everything that has gone on the last couple days. Fighting the nerves a little bit. For the most part, it felt pretty good. Disappointed in the outcome."

Andrew Ladd of the Chicago Blackhawks, acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes for Tuomo Ruutu, had a team-high five shots on goal but didn't register a point in a 1-0 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes.

THREE STARS OF THE NIGHT, FEB. 27

1. Mats Sundin, Toronto Maple Leafs: The longtime captain wanted to stay with the Maple Leafs, invoking his no-trade clause to make sure he would remain with the team. Sundin's second third-period goal forced overtime, and the Leafs went on to a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers.

2. Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche: In his third game back after missing 38 following hernia surgery, Sakic scored the tying goal with 14.7 seconds in regulation as Colorado went on to a 3-2 shootout win, ending the Vancouver Canucks' season-high four-game winning streak. It was Sakic first goal since Nov. 28 and the 617th of his career.

3. Patrick Lalime, Chicago Blackhawks: Starting again in place of the injured Nikolai Khabibulin, Lalime made 32 saves in a 1-0 win over Phoenix for his first shutout since Feb. 7, 2007 and 35th of his career.

Three stars, deadline-deal edition

Your deadline-deal edition ...

THREE STARS OF THE NIGHT, FEB. 26

1. Ty Conklin, Pittsburgh Penguins: Marc-Andre who? Conklin made 23 of his career-high 50 saves in the first period of the Penguins' 4-2 win over the New York Islanders. Since 2000-01, Conklin is the 12th goaltender to record at least 50 saves in a game

2. Brooks Laich, Washington Capitals: Laich scored two goals and added two assists for his first four-point game in the NHL as the Capitals defeated the Minnesota Wild 4-1. Laich had recorded five two-point games prior to Tuesday.

3. Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins: Thomas stopped 22 shots for his second shutout of the season and sixth of his career in the Bruins' 4-0 win over the Ottawa Senators, who have been blanked in each of the last two games.

Swap meet

As always, NHL trading deadline day is one of the most fun days of the season, and this year's event proved to be no different.

There were 25 deadline-day deals involving 45 players, and a large part of them can be overlooked. The Chicago Blackhawks shipping Tuomo Ruutu to the Carolina Hurricanes for Andrew Ladd in swap of former top-10 picks who've yet to live up to their potential? That's one.

The Colorado Avalanche getting defenseman Adam Foote from the Columbus Blue Jackets for pair of draft picks? That, coming on the heels of the Avs bringing back Peter Forsberg led Denver Post sports copy chief Angela Clemmons to assure me they're building a championship team ... in 1999.

But here's three deals from Tuesday that I wanted to focus on.

1. Pittsburgh Penguins acquire forwards Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis from the Atlanta Thrashers for forwards Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, 2007 first-round pick Angelo Esposito and a future first-round pick.

DID PITTSBURGH WIN OUT?: Durable. High-scoring. Will continue to play as a complimentary player instead of as the go-to guy. What's not to like?

The question is what's happened to Hossa this season. Tallying 26 goals and 56 points isn't a bad season by any means, but a year ago, he had career highs with 43 goals and 57 assists. And before we all anoint Pittsburgh as the next Stanley Cup champions, remember Hossa had one assist in four playoff games last year following his 100-point season.

Still, if he's re-energized by playing with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins have to be a favorite to get to the Stanley Cup finals.

Pittsburgh will be Dupuis' fourth team since the start of last season. Led Atlanta with three short-handed goals this season.

DID ATLANTA WIN OUT?: In the short term ... meh. There was no way the Thrashers were going to sign Hossa before July 1 when he could hit the free-agent market, but you'd have thought they could have gotten more for him.

Armstrong is big - 6-foot-2 - but hasn't had more than 16 goals or 40 points in a season. Has a nose for the net in big situations, though, with eight career game-winning goals in 181 games.

Christensen's strength is in shootouts, where he has 14 career goals, tying him for second-most all time.

Esposito is a prospect, currently fourth in scoring with 55 points in 48 games with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL, but has seen his production go down each season since 2005-06.

2. Dallas Stars get center Brad Richards and goaltender Johan Holmqvist from the Tampa Bay Lightning for goaltender Mike Smith, forwards Jussi Jokinen and Steve Halpern and a future fourth-round draft pick.

DID DALLAS WIN OUT?: No. They made out like bandits.

He's a Conn Smythe Trophy winner averaging 72 points a season coming into 2007-08. His 51 points this year places him third on the Stars. Is in the second year of a 5-year, $39 million deal - not an issue for owner Tom Hicks.

Richards clearly was one the top offensive players available. With the Stars looking to overtake the Detroit Red Wings and get the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and home ice advantage throughout, this was exactly the kind of deal co-GMs Brett Hull and Les Jackson needed to make.

Richards can be a difference maker, and now that he's no longer playing for Tampa Bay taskmaster John Tortorella, it may allow him to breathe again.

Holmqvist will sit and learn as Marty Turco's backup.

DID TAMPA BAY WIN OUT?: Since Nikolai Khabibulin and John Grahame helped the Lightning win the Stanley Cup in 2004, they've not had a true top-flight netminder - Sean Burke? Brian Eklund? Gerald Coleman? Marc Denis? Karri Ramo? Holmqvist?

Smith is just 25 and has plenty of potential. Since joining Dallas last season as a backup to Turco, Smith has gone 24-14-2 with a 2.34 GAA and five shutouts. With the Lightning just 12 points out the final Eastern Conference playoff spot heading into play on Tuesday, Smith could help them escape with some wins.

Tortorella is getting someone who is almost automatic in shootouts with Jokinen, whose 17 goals are tied with Slava Kozlov for the most. Halpern hasn't scored 20 goals in a season since 2000-01.

3. Washington Capitals acquire goaltender Cristobal Huet from the Montreal Canadiens for a second-round draft pick.

DID WASHINGTON WIN OUT?: The Capitals have Olaf Kolzig's heir apparent - provided they re-sign Huet, who will be an unrestricted free agent in July. Huet, though, may be counted on to help get Washington into the playoffs this season.

The Caps haven't been to the postseason since 2003, and likely will end that skid only by winning the Southeast Division.

A late bloomer, Huet has seen his wins total rise each season since breaking in with the Los Angeles Kings in 2002-03. He head to the Caps with a record of 21-12-6 with a 2.55 GAA and two shutouts.

DID MONTREAL WIN OUT?: With Huet gone, the goaltending chores fall to former first-round pick Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak.

With a playoff berth and conference crown possible, general manager Bob Gainey must be really sure about what he has now.

The 20-year-old Price, selected fifth overall in 2005, has battled some inconsistency recently. Against the New York Rangers on Feb. 19, he gave up three goals in less than 14 minutes before being replaced by Huet. Montreal rallied from a 5-0 deficit to win 6-5 in a shootout, but coach Guy Carbonneau will not have the luxury for now of a veteran to spell Price if needed.

Halak will turn 23 in May, and thrived as backup to Huet last season going 10-6-0 with a 2.89 GAA and two shutouts.

What's that smell?

I live north of Chicago's Loop in the city's Uptown section, so I can usually complete my commute home in the wee hours of the morning in about 30 minutes or so.

Slogging home through the latest winter snowstorm early Tuesday morning, I was listening to David Stein on Sporting News radio. His show is not like a lot of sports-talk blather out there. He makes you think, in fact it's a prerequisite.

The topic: What is your favorite sports smell?

These days, my sense of smell is poor. But for one moment, it seemed like I could pick up that scent in my car.

Madison Square Garden in the 1970s.

Not the MSG of Isiah Thomas, sexual harrassment lawsuits, mediocre hockey and multi-thousand dollar seats. Not the MSG of teal and eggplant seats. Certainly not James Dolan's MSG.

This was "The Most Famous Arena In The World." This was where Clyde, The Pearl and Dollar Bill played. This was where Eddie Giacomin manned the crease, where Emile Francis was behind the bench.

The public address announcer didn't yell at you, didn't draw out the names ... back then, it was John F.X. Condon as the voice of God above - letting you know the foul was on Bob McAdoo (his first, the team's first) or that Steve Vickers received two minutes for hooking at 8:46.

There was no rap music. There was an organ - I think Eddie Layton was on the Hammond. There were sirens, plain and simple, when a goal was scored.

It was the Garden I would walk to with my father after parking on 6th Avenue. A stop at Blimpie's for dinner, and then off to see the game. It was the Garden before ads on the scorer's table. And on the ice. And the dasherboards. A scoreboard hanging over center ice was considered the cutting edge of technology.

It was the Garden with the rainbow of seats. Red all the way downstairs, orange, yellow, green and, finally, Blue Heaven, the home of the rowdiest and most passionate Rangers fans. The place where the smell of marijuana sometimes competed with the cigarettes.

But that's not the smell I remember most. It was the air in there. It smelled like the mimeograph room in my elementary school, a sweet, pungent, chemical scent ... just like the one in the Knicks and Rangers yearbooks I had to have each season.

As I'm sitting here writing about this, though, I find that I'm getting really wistful about this. Not just for the scent.

We had family friends who were Orthodox Jews, and had season tickets for the Knicks, Rangers, Mets and Jets. Due to their beliefs, we often would get their tickets for Friday nights, Saturdays and many Sundays as well.

Maybe I'm just nostalgic for those times with my Dad and Mom ... the tailor who knew nothing of basketball in her native France, but loved watching the Knicks back in the day.

Big Foppa's back in town: Forsberg signs with Avs

So much for not being ready. Foppa's back in town.

In what shouldn't be a shock, Peter Forsberg has decided that his oft-injured foot and ankle are healed enough to allow his to return to the NHL this season. The 2003 MVP signed a deal with the Colorado Avalanche on Monday that will pay him $1 million for the remainder of the season.

With Ryan Smyth and Joe Sakic just rounding into form after injuries, it would seem that the last thing the Avs need is another player on the mend - and it also didn't look like Forsberg would be back until next season at the soonest.

Last week, Forsberg's agent said the two-time Stanley Cup winner didn’t have enough confidence in the strength of his surgically repaired right foot to play. Forsberg, fourth on Colorado's all-time scoring list with 741 points in 580 gamses, was also reportedly being courted by the Philadelphia Flyers, Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators.

"I am looking forward to putting this jersey on again," Forsberg said. "I have so many great memories of my playing days in Denver. I’m excited about helping my new teammates and former teammates in the coming weeks, and hopefully I am able to do that in the very near future."

It's not immediately known when Forsberg will make his season debut. The Avs cap a five-game road trip Tuesday against the Calgary Flames and Wednesday versus the Vancouver Canucks before starting a four-game homestand on March 1 against the Los Angeles Kings. Circle that date.

On Monday night, Colorado is in 10th place in the Western Conference with 68 points - just four behind Vancouver and the Nashville Predators, who are tied for seventh. With

Forsberg has averaged better than a point per game in his career against Northwest Division opponents, totaling 30 goals and 70 assists in 85 games. After hosting the New Jersey Devils on March 15, the Avs will play their final nine games against division foes -- three against Minnesota and two each Vancouver, Calgary and the Edmonton Oilers.

Three stars and then some

A day late, but ...

FIVE STARS OF THE NIGHT, FEB. 21 - BONUS PICKS FOR PUCKHEADS!

1. Alexander Frolov, Patrick O'Sullivan and Michael Cammalleri, Los Angeles Kings: This line combined for 11 points in a 5-1 win over the St. Louis Blues. Frolov scored three goals, O'Sullivan had a career-high five points (one goal, four assists) and Cammalleri - who missed 18 games this season with a rib injury and the flu - had a season-high three assists.

2. Dan Cloutier, Los Angeles Kings: Came within four minutes and change of his first shutout since March 2004 and finished with 32 saves in the win over the Blues. Cloutier missed more than half of last season with a hip injury that required surgery, and started this season in the AHL while Los Angeles went with Jason LaBarbera, Jean-Sebastien Aubin and rookies Jon Quick and Jonathan Bernier.

3. Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks: Registered a season-high 49 saves in a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators. Luongo has allowed two goals per game as Vancouver has won a season high-tying three in a row heading into Saturday's game with the league-leading Detroit Red Wings.

4. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins: Had a goal and two assists in a 5-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The reigning Calder Trophy winner has points in all 10 games this month, totaling eight goals and 16 assists to lead Pittsburgh to a 7-2-1 record.

5. Rick DiPietro, New York Islanders: Extended New York's winning streak to a season-high six in a row by stopping all 32 shots he faced in a 1-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. It was the All-Star's third shutout this season and 14th of his career.

THREE STARS OF THE NIGHT, FEB. 22

1. Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames: The shutout drought is over. The 2005-06 Vezina Trophy winner got his first shutout since March 27 - a 64-game span - by beating the Red Wings 1-0. Kiprusoff made 38 saves en route to his 25th career whitewash.

2. Jere Lehtinen, Dallas Stars: A three-time winner of the Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward, Lehtinen had two goals in a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers. After missing 33 games with a sports hernia, Lehtinen has four goals and six assists as Dallas has gone 9-2-0.

3. Cody McLeod, Colorado Avalanche: The rookie forward saved Colorado from an embarassing loss by scoring in the 12th round of the shootout, giving the Avs a 3-2 win over the Phoenix Coyotes after allowing the tying goal with three seconds to play in regulation

Montreal meltdown

I would be remiss if I didn't mention this.

I love to write about hockey because, above all, I am a fan. I find it funny that some 5,000 people have read pieces of this blog, but if they're informed or entertained - or annoyed - by what I write, then my job is done.

Now, speaking as a fan, I need to ask the New York Rangers one simple question ...HOW DO YOU BLOW A FIVE-GOAL LEAD???

New York had a 5-0 lead over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night at the Bell Centre. With Jaromir Jagr drawing assists on New York's first four tallies, the Rangers had what seemed to be an insurmountable lead with just under 15 minutes to play in the second period.

No Rangers team had ever blown a five-goal lead. No Canadiens team had ever rallied from five goals down.

They found a way. Henrik Lundqvist - armed with his new $41.25 million deal - gave up two second-period goals to Michael Ryder. Former Ranger Alexei Kovalev and Mark Streit then tallied nine seconds apart early in the third before Kovalev scored his second of the game with 4:22 to play.

Saku Koivu completed the comeback with the only goal in the shootout.

It's games like these that make the grey hairs multiply.

CONGRATS TO CUJO: Curtis Joseph reached another milestone in his Hall of Fame career.

"Cujo" stopped 29 shots in his third game with the Calgary Flames in a 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars.

The win was Joseph's 447th of his career, tying him with Hall of Famer Terry Sawchuk for fourth on the all-time list, trailing Ed Belfour, Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy.

"This feels good," Joseph said. "To be next to someone like Terry Sawchuk is a great honor."

THREE STARS OF THE NIGHT, FEB. 20

1. Thomas Vanek, Buffalo Sabres: Vanek's starting to live up to that seven-year, $50 million deal he signed in the offseason. Vanek notched his second three-goal game in eight days _ capping the natural hat trick in overtime _ to lead Buffalo to a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

2. Nikolai Khabibulin, Chicago Blackhawks: The 'Bulin Wall finally played like one. Khabibulin stopped 38 shots for his first shutout in nearly a year, leading Chicago to a 3-0 win over the Minnesota Wild. The win also snapped the Blackhawks' nine-game losing streak against the Northwest Division leaders.

3. Sergei Brylin, New Jersey Devils: With his scoring way down from the 40 points he had last season, Brylin had a goal and assist as the Devils scored twice in a 70-second span of the second period en route to a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. Brylin has just six goals and eight assists in 61 games this season.

Avs-Wings now a one-sided rivalry

One of the fiercest rivalries in recent NHL history has become decidedly one-sided this season.

The Detroit Red Wings on Monday night not only snapped a season-high six-game losing streak, but blanked the Colorado Avalanche for the third straight time. Henrik Zetterberg scored twice and Chris Osgood made 18 saves for his fourth shutout this season in the 4-0 win.

Colorado's last goal against Detroit came when Marek Svatos scored at 5:56 of the second period of a 4-2 loss on Dec. 27. Since then, six-time Vezina Trophy winner Dominik Hasek and Osgood have combined to stymie the Avalanche for 214 minutes, 4 seconds.

While it wasn't quite Claude Lemieux's playoff face plant of Kris Draper into the boards back in 1996, Colorado's Ian Laperriere drove Nicklas Lidstrom back-first into the boards, forcing the five-time Norris Trophy winner out of the game with an injury.

Laperriere and Detroit's Aaron Downey were involved in two fights, the second starting when Laperriere cross-checked Downey in the mouth with his stick. Red Wings coach Mike Babcock and Colorado assistant Tony Granato were seen jawing at each other.

Even though the Red Wings went nearly two weeks between wins, they still have a 10-point lead over their closest pursuers, the Dallas Stars, for the Presidents' Trophy.

In a related story, Colorado will not bringing back Peter Forsberg, nor will any other team this season.

Forsberg's agent, Don Baizley, indicated to The Sports Network of Canada that a lack of confidence with his surgically repaired foot and ankle will keep the two-time Olympic gold medal-winner off the ice for now.

"The prospect of Peter having enough confidence in the foot-skate issue to commit to being able to play in the NHL this season isn't where it needs to be at this moment," Baizley said. "As a result, teams are being told it is unlikely he will be able to commit to return to the NHL this season."

Forsberg recorded 216 of his 248 career goals with the Quebec-Colorado franchise from 1994-2004. He also played with the Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators.

It was reported that the Avs, Flyers, Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks were interested in signing Forsberg, an unrestricted free agent.

THREE STARS OF THE NIGHT, FEB. 18

1. Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings: Zetterberg scored twice in a 4-0 win over Colorado. With his 34th and 35th goals. Zetterberg has already exceeded his total from last season, and needs five more to reach 40 for the first time.

2. Radim Vrbata, Phoenix Coyotes: Perhaps the biggest surprise in the NHL this season, Vrbata had a goal and two assists in a 4-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Phoenix improved to 14-2-0 this season when Vrbata has at least two points.

3. Mikael Tellqvist, Phoenix Coyotes: Tellqvist stopped all 34 shots he faced in the win over the Kings for his second shutout of the season and sixth of his career, giving coach Wayne Gretzky his 100th win.

One more thing from this game - third-period fight between the Coyotes' Daniel Carcillo and Kings enforcer Raitis Ivanans.

Carcillo is 5-foot-10, 202 pounds. Ivanans - looking vaguely like Ivan Drago of "Rocky IV" fame - is 6-foot-3, 263 pounds.

Though he gave away five inches and 61 pounds, Carcillo held his own. Ivanans was opened up and a shot in the penalty box showed Carcillo with an ice bag on his mitt.

Carcillo, who scored his seventh goal, was one assist shy of a "Gordie Howe hat trick."

Good times. Good times.

Another year older

Wow. Five years. Already.

Have you ever had this feeling – all of a sudden you turn around and you realize ‘x’ number of years have passed by and you don’t know where the time went? I had that feeling late last week.

Five years ago today, I had the first of two operations, only one of which was scheduled, that has changed my life immeasurably from a physical standpoint. The true test of roux-en-Y surgery, more commonly known as gastric bypass or the even more-chummy “stomach stapling,” is how the patient is five years down the road.

On Dec. 7, 2002, I weighed 373 pounds when I first went to see the doctor in New York City that would eventually do the surgery. On Feb.17, 2003, I weighed 356 pounds when I went into the hospital for pre-surgical testing, fighting my way through a blizzard that dumped nearly two feet of snow on the New York metropolitan area.

After getting down as low as 202, now on Feb. 18, 2008, I weigh 217, still about 25 pounds more than I would like but most, if not all of that, is a pannus – an apron, call it a roll if you like – concentrated in my lower belly and probably will not be gone without some additional surgery.

That's not a vanity thing. It's more commonplace than most may realize.

The thought of going back under the knife is not an appetizing one. I appeared fine after the initial surgery in 2003, but had to go back in later that night after two liters of blood leaked into my abdomen because something in my new gut was not tied off properly.

So, bottom line, what can I do today that I couldn’t do then? I can walk with no pain. I can easily do 75-90 minutes on a cross-training selection on an elliptical machine, covering about 6 1/4 to 7 1/2 miles. Following that, torso crunches, torso rotation, inner and outer thigh exercises, shoulder and arm work. I don’t get winded, but I also am careful because I don’t want to add bulk.

I eat. Maybe not always as good as I should, but I do eat.

Last week, on my sick-ass drive to Windsor, Ontario for replica hockey sticks from McDonald’s, I did stop at Wendy’s for a fish sandwich and the dreaded “Baconator” – a double cheeseburger with six strips of bacon, I needed to try this.

The fish sandwich was gone fairly quickly. I ate maybe 60 percent of the burger later on while listening to the Roger Clemens flaying on the radio.

Giving up fast food and soda with sugar have been keys to the surgery’s long-term success. I will have McDonald’s or something similar maybe three or four times a year as opposed to four or five times per week in the past. I haven’t had soda with sugar in it since before the operations. Coke Zero works just fine for me.

Perhaps the weirdest thing that came from all this? A love of coffee. Before 2003, I would drink it rarely. Now, I average one good-sized cup per day … and yes, I know, I have an unhealthy crush on Starbucks Gold Coast made in a French press.

And as I have said in the past, I would go through this all over again – the second emergency operation, the year it took before I had my strength back completely, the chills, the vomiting.

There are still things in my life that I need to work on. I could be happier. I could use a job with more stable hours. But I do know this: when I explained to those around me why I would undergo such an invasive procedure, the best reason I could come up with is I didn’t want my parents to bury me. Additionally, I didn’t want to have my first heart attack at 44.

For that, all I need to do is get past Sept. 5, 2009.

And that’s why I celebrate on Feb. 18.

Richard Zednik: Lucky to be alive

Florida Panthers forward Richard Zednik will never be confused with a Hall of Famer. He's managed just 30 goals once, and has never had more than 50 points in a 12-season career with five teams.

He is very fortunate, though, to be alive and perhaps one day continue his career.



Less than a week after nearly having his cartoid artery severed by a teammate's skate, Zednik left a Buffalo, N.Y. hospital and will continue his recovery in Florida.

"One week happened so much. Everything just went so well," Zednik said. "You look at it like that, and I was lucky. They saved my life. After surgery, they were amazing."

Zednik lost five pints of blood, leaving a gruesome trail up ice as he skated toward the bench, eerily similar to what happened to Buffalo Sabres goaltender Clint Malarchuk 20 years ago.

Not for the faint of heart, but that can be seen here.



Amazing that something like this doesn't happen more often, no?

THREE STARS OF THE NIGHT, FEB. 16

1. Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens: The goaltender of the future for the Habs made 34 saves for his first NHL shutout in a 1-0 victory against the slumping Philadelphia Flyers. Price was picked fifth overall by Montreal in the 2005 NHL draft.

2. Rick DiPietro, New York Islanders: Talk about your easy nights. DiPietro needed to make just nine saves and came within 1:17 of a shutout, but settled for a 4-1 win over the Atlanta Thrashers.

3. Sean Avery, New York Rangers: Avery needed just 10 seconds to open the scoring and added a second goal in the Rangers' 5-1 rout of the Sabres. It was the Rangers' quickest goal to start a game at Madison Square Garden, beating Phil Esposito's goal 12 seconds in on March 1, 1978.

Blackhawks' rookie Toews the missing link?

Sure, Patrick Kane has the skills the Chicago Blackhawks expect from a top overall pick, but could teammate Jonathan Toews be the better candidate to win the Calder Trophy?

His play on Thursday night seems to indicate that he is.

Toews recorded his first multigoal game in the NHL, scoring twice in the Blackhawks' 6-1 win over the Nashville Predators. He also notched an assist for the third straight game.

"We are getting some luck goals here and there the last couple of games," Toews said. "I think it is the result of the effort we have been putting out. I don't think it is just a coincidence."

While Kane earned his share of headlines months after being selected first overall in last summer's NHL draft, Toews quietly put together credentials that rival -- if not outright surpass -- his teammate's.

Through Jan. 1, Toews led all rookies with 15 goals and had 32 points, five fewer than Kane. But it was in a 9-2 loss to the woeful Los Angeles Kings on New Year's Day when Toews suffered a knee injury after being checked.

He would miss the next 16 games, and the Blackhawks just looked lost. They started by going on a six-game losing streak and finished 5-9-2 in Toews' absence. Perhaps more glaring, when Chicago was held to two goals or less with Toews out, they failed to win in regulation in 12 games (3-8-1).

Kane has nine goals and 28 assists when the calender flipped to 2008, but with Toews out, managed just three goals and six assists.

The Blackhawks retun home on Sunday to face the Colorado Avalanche, who may have nightmares about what Toews did to them earlier this season.



THREE STARS OF THE NIGHT, FEB. 14

1. Toews, Chicago Blackhawks: Playing his third game back after missing nearly six weeks with a knee injury, Toews tallied two goals in a 6-1 win over Nashville. It was the first multigoal game as a pro for third overall pick in the 2006 NHL draft.

2. Ilya Bryzgalov and Radim Vrbata, Phoenix Coyotes: Bryzgalov made 24 saves and Vrbata notched his 25th goal of the season and 100th of his career as the Coyotes snapped the Dallas Stars' franchise record high-tying seven-game winning streak, 5-2.

3. Manny Legace, St. Louis Blues: Legace improved to 13-2-0 with a 1.88 goals-against average in his career against the Avalanche after making 39 saves in a 4-1 win. Legace also is 6-0-0 with a 1.67 GAA lifetime at the Pepsi Center in Denver.

What's French for "I'm lovin' it"?

There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of McDonald’s in the Chicagoland area. So what could possibly make me drive for nearly six hours one way and into another country to visit one when I eat there maybe once a year.

The picture above should offer a clue.

If you looked at the commercial from my “Sensacionelle!” post earlier this month, McDonald’s restaurants across Canada are selling limited edition miniature goaltender sticks. Co-worker and noted hockey fan Jon Palmieri brought some of these back from a recent trip to Ottawa.

But the two players I really wanted – Roberto Luongo of the Vancouver Canucks and Ray Emery of the Ottawa Senators – were not available until this past Monday.

You guessed it.

I drove 650 miles round-trip. Through lake-effect snows and on black ice across western Michigan that caused numerous spinouts and several accidents.

For toys.

I left right after work Wednesday morning and started the trek east. Getting out of Illinois was no problem, but once in northwest Indiana and crossing the border to Michigan, the snow off the lake was coming down hard as temperatures hung in the single digits.

I noticed through the early morning hours that several vehicles slid off the highway into ditches and medians. As it got lighter, the black ice made it tough. I fishtailed once, but quickly got under control, and just west of Detroit, I looked in my rear-view in time to see a car skid across three lanes of traffic, taking out two vehicles.

Finally, the Ambassador Bridge to Canada – a country I love, but haven’t been to since 2000. Pulling up to the border patrol in Windsor, Ontario, with my driver’s license and birth certificate since I haven’t yet gotten a passport, I was greeted by a young, hard-faced woman asking the typical questions.

“The purpose of your trip?” she finally inquired.

“To go to McDonald’s,”I replied.

It was then that I got what I like to call “the look.” It’s the unspoken response someone gives when they have absolutely no answer. I quickly explained about the commercials I’d seen on Hockey Night in Canada while at work advertising these toys.

“So, you drove all the way from Chicago to …” she started

“Buy hockey sticks,” I finished, handing her a business card.

She told me that about 100 meters past the Welcome to Canada sign was a McDonald’s. I asked the young man behind the counter if there were a limit on what I could buy, and he said no provided I also bought one food item.

I walked out with five each of Luongo, Emery, Cristobal Huet of the Montreal Canadiens and Vesa Toskala of the Toronto Maple Leafs and two awful breakfast burritos, one of which is in a landfill now.

A quick stop for some duty-free chocolate, and then back over the border. As I discovered, getting back into the United States under Bush the Younger is not easy.

Showing my papers to a young black man, he asked the purpose of my trip.

“I was here for about a half-hour,” I explained. “To go to McDonald’s.”

Clearly, to him, that was code for “to blow up U.S. landmarks.”

I explained what I’d done, but he wasn’t quite ready to let me go.

“How did you come across this information?” he asked, as I showed him two plastic bags full of round, sealed cases with the sticks inside and explained that I am a writer.

After telling him that I’d seen commercials on HNIC while at work, he wanted to know I couldn’t just buy them in Chicago. I told him they weren’t available.

“Uh huh,” he said, not sure what to think. “Can you pop the trunk, please, sir?”

I chuckled to myself. All that was back there was four boxes with papers, books, a couple of boxes of fudge truffle mix and a sweater that I need to wash.

He told me that he was going to have me pull over, presumably to have my car checked from stem to stern, saying I would have something to write about. Whatever. I have enough material.

The drive home was quicker. No black ice. No bad weather. I was home by 2 and asleep by 4.

All for the love of hockey.

UPDATE: I traded a Benny the Bull bobblehead to coworker (and sad Jets fan) Anthony Gironalista for the Martin Brodeur stick. The set is now complete.

A head-spinner of a night

Having the NHL package on DirecTV just off my left elbow at work is both good and bad.

Tonight may have been the best night of the season so far. Every game seemed to have something compelling going on, whether it was a future Hall of Famer making his season debut or a rookie continuing a stellar campaign.

With that in mind, it's hard to pick just three stars ... so why stop there?

**FIVE** STARS OF THE NIGHT, FEB. 5
Bonus picks for all you puckheads!

1. Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Ducks: Tell me the defending Stanley Cup champions didn't miss him. After putting off retirement, the 37-year-old Finn made his season debut and drew an assist on Anaheim's first goal as the Ducks snapped a six-game losing streak with a 3-0 victory over the New York Islanders.

2. Brett McLean and Tomas Vokoun, Florida Panthers: In an 8-0 rout of the Toronto Maple Leafs, McLean had a goal and four assists -- he had a total of 11 points (five goals, six assists) this season coming in. Vokoun also made 23 saves for his fourth shutout this season and 25th of his career.

3. Antero Niittymaki, Philadelphia Flyers: He continued his uncanny domination of the Atlanta Thrashers after making 23 saves in a 3-2 victory. Niittymaki is 8-0-0 with 1.63 goals-against average in his career against the reigning Southeast Division champions.

4. Peter Muelller, Phoenix Coyotes: A huge reason why I will soon be paying off my annual preseason steak bet to Gurnee-based blogstatician Christopher "White 3-point sharpshooter" Altruda. Mueller record a hat trick in the Coyotes' 4-3 shootout loss over the Calgary Flames, and leads all rookies with 19 goals.

5. Tomas Plekanec, Montreal Canadiens: Plekanec had two goals and an assist in a 4-3 win over Ottawa, snapping the Canadiens' six-game losing streak to the Senators and moving them within three points of the Northeast Division leaders.

Sensacionelle!

This is a McDonald's commercial that has been airing in Canada. Merveilleux, J.C. Petit!

Patriot perfection denied

Told ya so.

Whither Ray Emery?

Gurnee-based blogstatician Christopher Altruda and I were kicking this around in the newsroom on another anti-social Saturday night shift in the wilds of Northbrook: Whither Ottawa Senators goaltender Ray Emery?

Given Emery's recent behavioral shortcomings, such as fighting teammates in practice -- when he bothers to show up on time that is -- he almost certainly will be leaving Canada's capital soon.

He's cheap, as goaltenders go, having signed a three-year, $9.5 million deal in July. Now the big question: Where does he go? And who will take a chance on him?

Almost immediately, we envisioned him wearing a Tampa Bay Lightning sweater. Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2004 behind Nikolai Khabibulin and John Grahame, the Bolts have used the following players in net -- Grahame, Sean Burke, Gerald Coleman, Brian Eklund, Marc Denis, Johan Holmqvist and Karri Ramo.

Not exactly Murderer's Row.

But if Emery cannot seem to co-exist with general manager Brian Murray and coach John Paddock, how long will it be before he has a meltdown with Lightning bench boss John Tortorella, a man not shy about letting his emotions go?

Cue Altruda -- "I'm tired of the whining ... " (deep draw on cigarette before putting it out in some unsuspecting reporter's eye.)

And, God love the Windy City's most ardent Senators supporter: "If I can't have Martin St. Louis, I want Brad Richards."

I'd like Jessica Simpson and a can of Reddi-Wip, but that's not happening either. What's true about the Lightning is Vincent Lecavalier (team-high 68 points heading into Saturday) is an untouchable, and St. Louis (team-best 43 assists, second with 62 points) should be as well.

Richards? Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 2004? It would take some additional pieces, but it's an intriguing possibility to start.

He set career highs with 68 assists and 91 points in 2005-06, parlaying that into a five-year, $39 million contract. Though he had a personal best 25 goals last season, he slumped with 45 assists. In 52 games this season -- 16 goals and 29 assists, good for fourth behind Vinny, Marty and Vaclav Prospal.

His biggest shortcoming, though, is defense. Since the start of least season, he's minus-45 and that includes a league-low minus-26 in 2007-08. Going from the outhouse to the penthouse in the Eastern Conference would help those stats.

THREE STARS OF THE NIGHT, FEB. 2

1. Mike Knuble, Philadelphia Flyers: After 706 career games, Knuble recorded his first hat trick in the Flyers' 3-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Knuble, who broke into the league in 1996-97 with the Detroit Red Wings, needs one goal to reach 20 for the fifth straight season.

2. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins: With Sidney Crosby still out, Malkin continues to pick up the slack, registering a goal and two assists as Pittsburgh scores four times in the third period to deefat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1. Since Crosby's injury on Jan. 18, Malkin has five goals and four assists in six games.

3. Kari Lehtonen, Atlanta Thrashers: The second overall pick in 2002 stopped 36 shots for his third shutout this season and 10th of his career in the Thrashers' 2-0 win over the Washington Capitals. Lehtonen denied Alexander Ovechkin -- the league's leading goal-scorer -- seven times.

Santana, Mets reach mega-deal

I need to get off topic and address this: I am not a fan of the New York Mets by any means, but growing up near Shea Stadium, I saw more than my fair share of games there while growing up, and covered them some for ESPN SportsTicker some 10 years ago.

They've never -- and I mean never -- had a true ace in his prime. Yes, this includes, Seaver, Koosman and Gooden, as far as I am concerned.

Proof, you say? After turning 30, Seaver had only two 20-win seasons out of 12. Koosman won 20 just once for New York in 1976 -- three seasons later, he would do if again for the Minnesota Twins after they acquired him for Jesse Orosco.

Gooden ... well, if you can overlook the drug issues, he won 24 in 1985, but never eclipsed 20 in 14 seasons after that. A sure-fire Hall of Famer when he broke into the big leagues, he finished with a career record of 194-112 with a 3.51 ERA and fewer than 2,300 strikeouts.

Sure, there was Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez. They had Scott Kazmir -- exiled to the Tampa Bay Rays in a deal that one day will match trading away Nolan Ryan on the 'Duh' scale.

But now there's Johan Santana, apparently on the verge of signing the richest contract ever for a pitcher to join the Amazin's: $137.50 million over six years with an option that can boost it to $150.75 million.

He's left-handed. He turns 29 this year. He's a two-time AL Cy Young Award winner. He's won both his career starts at Shea while posting a ridiculously miniscule 0.60 ERA.

Did I mention he's left-handed?

But besides being the most famous New York baseball player to don No. 57 since Steve Howe, there is a caveat. The Mets have to hope they're not getting the Santana who uncharacteristically faltered in the second half last season when he went 5-7 with a 4.04 ERA in 15 starts.

In the second half of 2006, he was 10-1 with a 2.54 ERA. The year before, 9-2 with a 1.59 ERA. In 2004, he didn't lose after the break: 13-0 with a 1.21 ERA with a .154 opponent batting average.

History has shown mega-deals for pitchers don't always pan out. Ask Mike Hampton. Ask Kevin Brown. The jury is still out on Barry Zito, who was 11-13 with 4.53 ERA last year after signing a seven-year, $126 million deal that will turn out to be more of an albatross around the San Francisco Giants' necks than anything from Barry Bonds.

The Mets gave up four prospects, none of whom were of the "must-keep" variety to acquire Santana. After collapsing down the stretch last season, coughing up a 7 1/2-game lead in the final weeks, this was a deal they needed to make if for nothing else than to forget that sickening feeling.

THREE STARS OF THE NIGHT, FEB. 1

1. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers: Lundqvist stopped 33 shots in the Rangers' 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils, New York's fifth in a row over its cross-river rivals this season. The Rangers have won four of their last five, allowing only five goals.

2. Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, New York Rangers: Gomez and Drury each recorded their 500th career points in the win over the Devils. New York inked these two as free agents from the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey, respectively, for a combined $86.75 million in July.

3. Dominik Hasek, Detroit Red Wings: Three days after turning 43, the six-time Vezina Trophy winner needed to make only 15 saves for his 80th career shutout in in the Red Wings' 2-0 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Hasek needs six wins to move past Mike Vernon into 10th place all-time.