Second round prognostication

I'm late with this, so for now ...

Sabres in six.
Devils in seven.
Canucks in seven.
Sharks in seven.

More to follow.

Second round prognostication coming up soon

When Vancouver and Dallas wrap up their Western Conference quarterfinal series on Monday night, I will reveal my long-awaited semifinal predictions.

So far, we know Buffalo and the New York Rangers are one East semifinal with New Jersey and Ottawa in the other.

Should Vancouver win, it gets Anaheim in the second round and Detroit meets San Jose. If Dallas wins, it gets Detroit and Anaheim meets San Jose.

Sedin! Sedin! Henrik Sedin!!

Overtime pools during the NHL playoffs are a tradition dating back to the Ticker days in Jersey City.

It's simple: You put in $2 to start, and you pick one player from each team. The more people who get in, the pot grows. For each overtime, everyone has to "buck up" -- add $1 to the pile.

Over some 11-plus years in this business -- give or take -- I have never (Altruda chimes in "ev-ev-ev-AH") won one of these until 2:34 CST this morning.

I can say this now: For $42, I love Henrik Sedin unabashedly. A 10-goal scorer in the regular season, he scored with 1:54 to play in the fourth -- yes, fourth overtime to beat Dallas 5-4 early Wednesday morning.

From Gurnee-based blogstatician -- bitter over the fact that Markus Naslund failed to show up in 78-plaus extra minutes -- Chris Altruda was bitter, along with fellow betters Ethan Cooperson, Chris Antonacci, Civil War apologist Mike Votta and non-hockey fan Matt Becker.

Because you'll want to know ...

Stanley Cup playoff games that have gone past two overtimes, with date, score, round, time of overtime and game-winning goal:
--March 24, 1936 - Detroit 1, Montreal Maroons 0, semifinal, 116 minutes, 30 seconds, Mud Bruneteau.
--April 3, 1933 - Toronto 1, Boston 0, semifinal, 104:46, Ken Doraty.
--May 4, 2000 - Philadelphia 2, Pittsburgh 1, conference semifinal, 92:01, Keith Primeau.
--April 24, 2003 - Anaheim 4, Dallas 3, conference semifinal, 80:48, Petr Sykora.
--April 24, 1996 - Pittsburgh 3, Washington 2, conference quarterfinal, 79:15, Petr Nedved.
--April 11, 2007 - Vancouver 5, Dallas 4, conference quarterfinal, 78:06, Henrik Sedin.
--March 23, 1943 - Toronto 3, Detroit 2, semifinal, 70:18, Jack McLean.
--March 28, 1930 - Montreal Canadiens 2, N.Y. Rangers 1, semifinal, 68:52, Gus Rivers.
--April 18, 1987 - N.Y. Islanders 3, Washington 2, division semifinal, 68:47, Pat LaFontaine.
--April 27, 1994 - Buffalo 1, New Jersey 0, conference quarterfinal, 65:43, Dave Hannan.
--March 27, 1951 - Montreal Canadiens 3, Detroit 2, semifinal, 61:09, Maurice Richard.
--March 27, 1938 - N.Y. Americans 3, N.Y. Rangers 2, quarterfinal, 60:40, Lorne Carr.
--March 26, 1932 - N.Y. Rangers 4, Montreal Canadiens 3, semifinal, 59:32, Fred Cook.
--March 21, 1939 - Boston 2, N.Y. Rangers 1, semifinal, 59:25, Mel Hill.
--April 27, 1999 - Dallas 3, Edmonton 2, conference quarterfinal, 57:34, Joe Nieuwendyk.
--May 15, 1990 - Edmonton 3, Boston 2, final, 55:13, Petr Klima.
--x-June 19, 1999 - Dallas 2, Buffalo 1, final, 54:51, Brett Hull.
--June 8, 2002 - Detroit 3, Carolina 2, final, 54:47, Igor Larionov.
--April 16, 2003 - Philadelphia 3, Toronto 2, quarterfinal, 53:54, Mark Recchi.
--April 9, 1931 - Chicago 3, Montreal Canadiens 2, final, 53:50, Cy Wentworth.
--March 26, 1961 - Chicago 2, Montreal Canadiens 1, semifinal, 52:12, Murray Balfour.
--April 1, 1937 - Detroit 2, Montreal Canadiens 1, semifinal, 51:49, Hec Kilrea.
--March 26, 1930 - Montreal Canadiens 3, Chicago 2, quarterfinal, 51:43, Howie Morenz.
--May 2, 2003 - New Jersey 2, Tampa Bay 1, conference semifinal, 51:12, Grant Marshall.
--April 23, 1996 - Chicago 2, Calgary 1, conference quarterfinal, 50:02, Joe Murphy.
--April 2, 1939 - Boston 2, N.Y. Rangers 1, semifinal, 48:00, Mel Hill.
--April 24, 1997 - Montreal Canadiens 4, New Jersey 3, conference quarterfinal, 47:37, Patrice Brisebois.
--June 8, 2000 - Dallas 1, New Jersey 0, final, 46:21, Mike Modano.
--March 20, 1930 - Boston 2, Montreal Maroons 1, 45:35, semifinal, Harry Oliver.
--March 22, 1949 - Detroit 2, Montreal Canadiens 1, semifinal, 44:52, Max McNab.
--x-June 10, 1996 - Colorado 1, Florida 0, Stanley Cup winner, 44:31, Uwe Krupp.
--May 4, 2002 - Toronto 3, Ottawa, 2, conference semifinal, 44:30, Gary Roberts.
--April 20, 2003 - Tampa Bay 2, Washington 1, conference quarterfinal, 44:03, Martin St. Louis.
--April 10, 2003 - Anaheim 2, Detroit 1, conference quarterfinal, 43:18, Paul Kariya.
--March 27, 1960 - Toronto 5, Detroit 4, semifinal, 43:00, Frank Mahovlich.
--April 17, 2004 - Vancouver 5, Calgary 4, conference quarterfinal, 42:28, Brendan Morrison.
--May 10, 2006 - Edmonton 3, San Jose 2, conference semifinal, 42:24, Shawn Horcoff.
--March 29, 1951 - Montreal Canadiens 1, Detroit 0, semifinal, 42:20, Maurice Richard.
--May 4, 1997 - Detroit 3, Anaheim 2, conference semifinal, 41:31, Slava Kozlov.
--April 29, 1971 - N.Y. Rangers 3, Chicago 2, semifinal, 41:29, Pete Stemkowski.

x-goal won Stanley Cup.

Postseason punditry

Now the fun really begins ...

EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

(1) BUFFALO (53-22-7) VS. (8) N.Y. ISLANDERS (40-30-12)

How the N.Y. Islanders could win -- If Rick DiPietro -- 32-19-9 with a 2.58 goals-against average this season -- can somehow, someway comeback from a concussion that limited him to four games down the stretch ... if new goaltender Wade Dubielewicz can channel Terry Sawchuk, Ken Dryden and Grant Fuhr ... if first-time 40-goal scorer Jason Blake heats up again -- he had only five goals in his last 14 games.

Why Buffalo will win -- Too many weapons on offense and defense ... Sabres were 26-6-2 when Thomas Vanek scored at least one of his team-high 43 goals ... they had an Eastern Conference-leading 28 wins and HSBC Arena and have home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. SABRES IN FIVE.


(2) NEW JERSEY (49-24-9) VS. (7) TAMPA BAY (44-33-5)

How Tampa Bay could win -- Brad Richards gets more involved. He had only 45 assists in '06-'07 compared with career-high 68 last season ... league goal-scoring leader Vincent Lecavalier rebounds last postseason in which he a goal and three assists in a first-round loss ... Coach John Tortorella lets his goaltenders play, though neither Johan Holmqvist or Marc Denis is an answer here.

Why New Jersey will win -- Martin Brodeur. Coming off the best season of his career -- 48-23-7 with 12 shutouts -- he gets my vote for the Hart and Vezina trophies He's also 4-1-0 with a 1.36 GAA in the playoffs versus the Bolts ... Interim bossman Lou Lamoriello will have these guys ready to play, but three trained monkeys could do the same ... When Zach Parise (31 goals in 82 game) scored at least two points this season, New Jersey was 8-3-0. DEVILS IN FOUR.


(3) ATLANTA (43-28-11) VS. (6) N.Y. RANGERS (42-30-10)

How Atlanta could win -- No playoff jitters from goaltender Kari Lehtonen (2-3-1, 2.63 GAA in final six games) or sniper Ilya Kovalchuk, on a four-game goal scoring streak heading into postseason ... Trading-deadline pickups Keith Tkachuk and Alexei Zhitnik and coach Bob Hartley all have extensive playoff experience ... 100-point scorer Marian Hossa had three goals in three wins over New York this season.

Why the N.Y. Rangers will win -- Last season's first-round sweep by New Jersey still fresh in the minds of the Blueshirts ... Henrik Lundqvist was 16-4-5 with a 1.72 GAA and four shutouts since Feb. 9 -- he allowed 13 goals in three playoff losses last season ... a healthy Jaromir Jagr should have more than the one assist he posted last season. RANGERS IN SIX.


(4) OTTAWA (48-25-9) VS. (5) PITTSBURGH (47-24-11)

How Ottawa could win -- Dany Heatley, Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza continue to carry this team ... one of every five goals scored by Heatley was a game-winner ... Ray Emery (33-16-6, 2.47 GAA, five shutouts) could set up a run as this postseason's version of Jean-Sebastien Giguere or Cam Ward if he can get past this series.

Why Pittsburgh will win -- Yes, this is Sidney Crosby's first go-round in the postseason, but does anyone out there think he cannot handle the pressure? He's got Gretzky-ish skills and can pick owner Mario Lemieux's brain ... nuts-and-bolts experience from veterans Gary Roberts and Mark Recchi will be invaluable ... Evgeni Malkin scored 33 goals as a rookie, 16 on the power play, six game-winners. Tough to stop that filthiness. PENGUINS IN SEVEN.


WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

(1) DETROIT (50-19-13) VS. (8) CALGARY (43-29-10)

How Detroit could win -- Forget their recent postseason history. In two of their last three playoff appearances, the Red Wings were first-round losers ... six-time Vezina Trophy winner Dominik Hasek doesn't remember he turns 42 later this month ... Henrik Zetterberg (33 goals) and his balky back are friends once again.

Why Calgary will win -- Win or lose, does reigning Vezina winner Miikka Kiprusoff (40-24-9, 2.46 GAA, seven shutouts) ever get rattled? This is just another series of games for him ... Key on offense won't be Jarome Iginla or Alex Tanguay -- watch for Kristian Huselius (career-high 34 goals) ... Jim Playfair outcoaches Mike Babcock -- yes, it can happen. FLAMES IN SIX.


(2) ANAHEIM (48-20-14) VS. (7) MINNESOTA (48-26-8)

How Anaheim could win -- Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer score early and often from the blue line. Teemu Selanne scores early and often from anywhere ... Jean-Sebastien Giguere (36-10-8, 2.26 GAA, four shutouts) keeps his mind on the game instead of family issues surrounding the birth of his son ... Dustin Penner (29 goals) builds off the three he had last postseason.

Why Minnesota will win -- Meet Nicklas Backstrom. Was 10-0-1 with a 1.24 GAA and three shutouts over the final month of the season, and has gone from backup to a league-low 1.97 GAA heading into postseason ... Marian Gaborik stays healthy. Had a point in 13 of his final 14 games of '06-'07 ... Five players with at least 50 points mean balance in Jacques Lemaire's system. WILD IN SEVEN.


(3) VANCOUVER (49-26-7) VS. (6) DALLAS (49-25-7)

How Dallas could win --Marty Turco improves overnight on his 8-14 record and 3.35 GAA in the playoffs. If he struggles again, coach Dave Tippett could put rookie Mike Smith (12-5-2, 2.23 GAA, three shutouts) in net... Scoring comes primarily from the forwards Mike Modano, Mike Ribeiro and others despite having two of the higher scoring defensemen in Sergei Zubov (54 points) and Philippe Boucher (51 points) ... trying to avoid third straight opening-round elimination for the first time.

Why Vancouver will win -- Roberto Luongo (47-22-6, 2.29 GAA, five shutouts) won't fall flat on his face ... After emerging this season as the faces of the franchise, the Sedin twins (36 goals for Daniel, 71 assists for Henrik) show the world their playmaking skills ... another team that has to forget their history. The Canucks have gone past the first round just twice since 1994. CANUCKS IN SIX.


(4) NASHVILLE (51-23-8) VS. (5) SAN JOSE (51-26-5)


How Nashville could win -- Peter Forsberg starts playing like he did, say, five years ago ... Tomas Vokoun bounces back after missing al of last season with a blood clotting condition ... try not to let losing four straight to the Sharks in last season's playoff get to them ... get past a late season stumble that saw Predators lose seven of 10.

Why San Jose will win -- Joe Thornton. Evegni Nabokov. Jonathan Cheechoo. Bill Guerin. Patrick Marleau. Sharks can match veteran for veteran with Preds' Kariya, Sullivan, Forsberg and so on ... young defensemen Matt Carle, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Christian Ehrhoff will be keys. SHARKS IN SIX.

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Playoff predictions coming soon ...

Staying in Steel City

I didn't think it would get done but when push comes to shove, an agreement for almost anything can be hammered out.

Recently, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced they would be staying in Steel City after it was revealed an agreement on a new $290 million arena to replace Mellon Arena was reached.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pens will pay $3.8 million per year toward construction and will add another $400,000 per year for capital improvements. The team will remain in town under a 30-year lease.

Admittedly, I would have liked to have seen the Penguins move, and if you have been reading my blog or know me, I lobbied for Winnipeg, Kansas City and Quebec in that order. Does that mean this is a bad deal? Of course not.

What Gary Bettman should do is let teams explore relocation. In some cases, it's probably needed -- Florida and Phoenix are two teams that need to have the moving vans hit the loading docks. E.J. Hradek of ESPN.com recently wrote that he believes the NHL will expand by two teams to 32 in the next five years.

He believes Las Vegas will get one franchise and a "major Western city" -- Seattle, most likely -- will get the other. I cannot see that work in either place. Las Vegas is currently home to the ECHL's Wranglers, but the idea that the city can support a pro team is like baseball saying that Scranton/Wilkes-Barre or Omaha can do the same.

As for Seattle, I would think that a team would play initially in KeyArena -- the same building the NBA's SuperSonics are likely vacating for Oklahoma City. Again, not a good fit at this time.

Bettman should look north again instead of making more inroads to the Sun Belt. Somehow, I don't think New Mexico-Mississippi has the same cachet as Montreal-Toronto.

STAYING CLOSE TO HOME: When the Chicago Blackhawks want to raid their farm system next season, all they need do is get on the Tollway.

The inactive Cincinnati franchise -- which was to be known as, of all things, the RailRaiders -- has been sold and will be relocated to the Rockford, Ill.

The Rockford IceHogs also will be the Blackhawks' top farm team for the next 10 seasons.

Rockford will be one of two new teams in the AHL next season, joining the Lake Erie Monsters. That team, which will play in Cleveland, will the top affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche.

With the Blackhawks leaving their top farm team in Norfolk, Va. behind, that could end up being the new home for Tampa Bay's top minor leaguers. The Lightning announced Monday that they were ending their affiliation with Springfield, Mass. after this season.

AND THE PAYOFF ...: Future Tank Johnson apologist Chris Altruda has been paid off. A week ago Sunday, dinner was served at the Chicago Chophouse. Dinner, with tip, $120. Thanks, Lasse Kukkonen. Hope you choke on a funnel cake.

Slam the hammer down

On Saturday, Chris Simon explained to NHL officials why he went all First Nations on Ryan Hollweg.

On Sunday, the NHL answered by handing the Islanders forward the longest suspension in league history -- 25 games -- for his two-handed chop on Hollweg during a home loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday night.

Simon will sit for the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs, should the Islanders advance. If the Isles play fewer than 10 playoff games, the suspension will carry over next season.

Simon has been suspended six times in his career -- three for stick-swinging incidents.

Justified? Absolutely. Fighting was, and always will be, part of the game but what Simon did would earn him a criminal record. While what Simon did was horrific, I may in the minority when I say it wasn't nearly as bad as Marty McSorley's chop to Donald Brashear's head in 2000.

Simon's slash also came on the three-year anniversary of Todd Bertuzzi's on-ice mugging of Steve Moore that broke his neck and ended his career.

Anyone who thinks this kind of play will go away, especially in the post-lockout NHL in which more emphasis is placed on skill, take a look at the boxscore from the Blackhawks' 7-5 win over Phoenix on Saturday night.

David Koci, a 6-foot-6 bruiser from the Czech Republic, played less than three minutes in his NHL debut. Three fights, a charging major and a double game misconduct adds up to 42 penalty minutes.

It's been a while, yes ...

No problems. No issues. Just been busy with work and lazy with this.

So, the trade deadline came and went last ... not so you would have noticed. Just a slew of deals -- 31 of them -- over the final 48 hours and before the final bell at 3 p.m. ET this past Tuesday.

Almost every team did well, all but one.

WHO DID WELL...

N.Y. ISLANDERS -- Getting Edmonton's leading scorer Ryan Smyth for a pair of former middle-of-the-first-round picks and a future No. 1 will almost assuredly land the Isles in the postseason.

Getting a player with recent finals experience is also a bonus. Smyth helped lead the Oilers on an improbable run from eighth seed to Western Conference champion to fall one win short of the Stanley Cup.


ST. LOUIS BLUES -- Yes, they gave up a lot and don't have much immediately to show for it.

Leading scorer Bill Guerin was sent to San Jose after second-leading scorer Keith Tkachuk was shipped to Atlanta. What they got in return was a pair of No. 1 picks this (to go with their own lottery pick) and No. 1 in 2008.

This is where president John Davidson's hockey intelligence comes into play, though. The Blues will not make the postseason for a second straight year, but the rebuilding isn't going to take long either.


PHILADELPHIA FLYERS -- I would've put this down below based at first glance on deal that sent Peter Forsberg to Nashville. Scottie Upshall never has lived up to his billing as a top six draft pick while with the Predators -- 11 goals in 77 games over three-plus seasons.

So far with Philadelphia, he's had three goals including a game-winner to beat the Bruins in overtime. If Braydon Coburn, the eighth overall pick in 2003 by Atlanta and picked up for Alexei Zhitnik, pans out then the Flyers make out real well.

Oh, and getting Martin Biron from Buffalo gives them a reliable starting goaltender for years to come. Just an added bonus.


AND WHO DIDN'T...

EDMONTON OILERS -- Actually, despite their unexpected success last season, that was when the trouble started: they gave up a No. 1 pick to get goaltender Dwayne Roloson from Minnesota.

After he led them within a win of the Stanley Cup, Edmonton signed Roloson for three years and $11.25 million. They should have focused on keeping Smyth, who was in the final year of a two-year deal. The face of the franchise since being picked sixth in 1994, Smyth was the heart and soul of the Oilers in the post-Messier-Gretzky-Kurri glory years era up north.

Reports said both sides were just a couple hundred thousand dollars apart on a deal that would have paid No. 94 more than $5 million a season. I find it hard to think that both sides couldn't have hammered out a deal when they're that close supposedly.

Smyth gave a tearful press conference before leaving Edmonton in which he said he will try to help the Isles win the Stanley Cup so he can bring it back to the city. He's an unrestricted free agent come July 1, but I think the sting of being dealt will still be too fresh.

How messed up would it be if the boy from Banff signed with Calgary?

Report: Forsberg off to Nashville

The Nashville Predators apparently have taken a huge step in its quest for a Stanley Cup.

According to reports, Peter Forsberg has been acquired by the Predators from the Philadelphia Flyers for Scottie Upshall, junior defenseman Ryan Parent, a first-round and third-round pick.

If it's a done deal, the Predators are getting a player that is widely considered the best in the world. Playing on the international stage at the Olympics for his native Sweden bears that out.

Playing on the smaller NHL surfaces, there's little question he's gifted, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind. Forsberg has never scored more than 30 goals. He's reached 100 points only twice in his career -- by comparison, Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby will have done that in each of their first two years in the league.

Forsberg also is 33 years old, but he's an "old 33." Concussions, groin, foot and ankle injuries have taken a lot away from his game. Add that he's an unrestricted free agent come July 1, and this turns into a big gamble in Music City.

Back in the day

Stumbled across this ... have a peek: Chicago Blackhawks footage from 1929, the year Chicago Stadium opened.

Not to drink the Kool-Aid, but ...

How about those Blackhawks!

I am a realist -- the Chicago Blackhawks are not making the playoffs this season -- but given what they've done in their last two games, they could make things interesting and play spoiler over the final couple months of the regular season.

In two nights, Chicago has beaten the top two teams in the Northwest Division. Martin Havlat scored twice in the final 3 minutes of regulation and added a shootout goal in a 3-2 win over Calgary on Tuesday.

They followed that with a 3-0 win over the Canucks on Wednesday, the Blackhawks' first win in Vancouver since October 2001 to snap an eight-game losing streak there. Havlat had a goal and assist, and Patrick Lalime -- out all season following back surgery and coming off a four-win season with St. Louis in 2005-06 -- made 34 saves for his first shutout in nearly three years.

Chicago continues its season-high seven-game road trip Friday at Edmonton before facing Columbus and Pittsburgh. The Blackhawks return to the United Center next Friday versus the Canucks ... and yes, I'll be there.

Maybe it's time to buy that Tony Esposito jersey after all.

Rangers acquire noted pain in the ass Avery

The New York Rangers just got a lot mouthier.

Looking to jumpstart their way back into the postseason mix, the Blueshirts acquired left wing and agitator Sean Avery from Los Angeles for forward Jason Ward. The teams also swapped some prospects.

What the Rangers get -- besides someone banging Elisha Cuthbert -- is the league's most penalized player since the start of last season, and arguably their biggest pain on the ice since Esa Tikkanen and Ulf Samuelsson were skating on 8th Avenue.

How much of a pain can the 5-foot-9 Avery be? Think of the little dog nipping at your heels while thinking its a Doberman.

Last preseason, Avery said a hit by then-Phoenix defenseman Denis Gauthier on then-Kings center Jeremy Roenick "was typical of most French guys in our league with a visor on, running around and playing tough and not back anything up."

In an October game, he was accused by Edmonton tough guy Georges Laraque of using a racial slur. Laraque now is with Phoenix.

Avery also was the first NHL player last season to be fined $1,000 for diving -- and hammered the league for it.

"How can a guy sitting in an office in New York determine if you dived or not by watching a tape?" Avery said. "They don't know if you had a bad ankle or torn bursa sac or something. I can't even tell you what play they are talking about. They don't have to tell you a play, just what game they are looking at.

Last week, New York's Brendan Shanahan was vocal about leading scorer Jaromir Jagr being mugged by opponents. While Avery doesn't fit the mold of goons of yesteryear -- he does have some scoring touch -- he may just be the kind of player Shanahan, a former teammate of Avery's in Detroit, wants on the ice.

Avery is slated to make in his Rangers debut Tuesday against New Jersey.

Hockey Night in suburban Chicago

Now, comes the homestretch.

With February here, teams now can concentrate on jockeying for position to get into the playoffs.

Heading into play Thursday night, here are some storylines to consider over the final two months of the season:

BEST IN THE WEST: Anaheim got off to an incredible start, but has since been taken over by upstart Nashville. The teams play Saturday night in Tennessee, and meet for the final time in the regular season on March 4 in Southern California.

NORTH BY NORTHWEST: Still shaping up as the best race in the NHL with all five teams separated by only eight points. Calgary shored up its offense this week by reacquiring playmaking center Craig Conroy from Los Angeles while All-Star Roberto Luongo continues to show why he's a legitimate Vezina Trophy candidate.

UP FOR GRABS: Just 14 points separate 11 teams -- that's right, 11 -- in the Eastern Conference. Boston is 14th with 48 points, but just 10 points behind Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and Carolina, which are tied for sixth With a few wins, the Penguins, Lightning and Hurricanes can solidify their postseason hopes -- they're only four points behind Montreal and Ottawa, which are tied for fourth.


THE GOOD ...

SUPER ROOKIE, AWFUL TEAM: Flyers rookie defenseman Alexandre Picard sets a record with five assists ... but Philadelphia's franchise-record home losing streak reaches 12 with a 6-5 overtime loss to New Jersey.


ROBYN WHO?: On Friday, Calgary's Robyn Regehr stole the show from Jarome Iginla. Regehr recorded the second three-point game of his seven-year career in the Flames' 6-2 rout of Columbus. Iginla also had three points in his first game after missing 11 with a knee injury.

WELCOME BACK: Atlanta recalled forward Darren Haydar from Chicago of the AHL on Friday. Haydar leads the American League with 89 points and set a record earlier this season by recording a point in 39 consecutive games. It's Haydar's second call-up since he last played an NHL game with Nashville in 2002-03.


THE BAD ...

LAFLEUR IN TROUBLE: The 22-year-old son of Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur was charged Thursday in Canada with the armed sexual assault of a minor. Mark Lafleur, who is afflicted with Tourette's syndrome and a drug addiction according to the family's lawyer, has a bail hearing scheduled for Monday. Guy Lafleur had six straight 50-goal seasons with Montreal from 1974-1980.


SHOOTING BLANKS: Defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina outshoots Tampa Bay by a 31-20 margin Thursday, and loses 4-0.


STRAIT JACKETS: Columbus gives up three first-period goals -- including a first-period empty-netter when goalie Ty Conklin is taken out by his own defenseman -- in a 6-2 loss to Calgary on Friday,



AND THE QUOTABLE ...

"No, probably not, I wouldn't be very good at it." -- Former NHL star Alexander Mogilny on whether he had any aspirations to break into a management position with a team.

Welcome to sick bay

I am so glad I seldom get sick. If I felt this crappy all the time, I'd be more of a bear to deal with.

I'll be taking some time off to try and ditch a bug that's been going around the newsroom and get well again. I suppose going to Milwaukee Thursday night to watch the Admirals' 1-0 loss to Iowa was not the smartest thing to do.

All I know is this ... before long I will be peeing cranberry juice and chicken soup.

All-Star musings

Though I am not in Dallas for the All-Star festivities, that's not going to stop me from weighing in on it ...

The YoungStars game and the Skills competition, frankly, are boring and need some life. Behind six points from New Jersey's Zach Parise, the East defeated the West 9-8 in the Young Stars. Really little more than a mini-All-Star game. If anyone has any ideas how to spice it up some, let's hear them.

Summing up the Skills competition, I remarked to Kenosha-based blogstigator Chris Altruda that Chicago's Martin Havlat scored in the shootout competition and didn't injure himself.

Of course these competitions are little more than window dressing for the game itself, which you can read about here.

Since I am not in Dallas, let's look at some other issues ...

PENGUINS CONSIDERING HOUSTON: A group led by current owner and Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux will meet with Houston officials later this week about a possible move to south Texas, according to the Houston Chronicle's Web site.

Houston does have a hockey history. From 1965-69, the Apollos were the Montreal Canadiens' top minor-league affiliate until the Central Hockey League folded. Gordie Howe led the Aeros of the World Hockey Association to two Avco Cup -- their version of the Stanley Cup -- titles in six seasons before folding one year before the NHL-WHA merger.

Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell, formerly the mayor of Philadelphia, said he may ask the NHL to step in and block the team's possible move if negotiations on a new building to replace outdated Mellon Arena break down.

Should the Penguins play in the Toyota Center, it's not immediately known what will happen to the Aeros -- now the top farm team of the Minnesota Wild in the American Hockey League.

Of course if the Penguins end up in Houston and keep their name, it may go down as the single biggest sports marketing faux pas since the NBA's Jazz kept their name after leaving New Orleans for Utah more than 20 years ago.

MORE OF THE SAME: The NHL will keep their unbalanced schedule intact for at least one more season because -- and I, for one, am shocked at this -- both sides couldn't come to an agreement how to fix the problem.

Under the current system, some teams are limited to visiting some cities once every three years. A two-thirds majority was needed to overturn the system, but the final vote was 19-11.

"I'm not suggesting that this is the schedule for the next 100 years," commissioner Gary Bettman said. "We're going to finish the cycle and have to decide what to do after that. ... We started something. We're going to finish it."

Hopefully next season, I will be able to see the New York Rangers play in the Midwest.

Bettman also said there are no plans to expand now. So much for those Saskatoon-Yellowknife previews I was looking forward to. Wonder if I can ever get those games on HGTV?

NEW THREADS: So, here are the long-awaited new jerseys and gear players will be wearing next season. Jason Blake of the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh phenom Sidney Crosby are modeling the new duds here.

According to The Associated Press, stretch fabric in the collar and stretch mesh in areas of the tighter jersey, including the underarms and back, provide additional range of motion and increased ventilation. There is also new water repellant technology, helping retain 75 percent less moisture than the current jersey.

The pants and socks also have been redesigned with lighter fabrics to keep players drier and cooler while adding durability to the uniforms. The pants also have about 60 percent more hip protection than the current pants.

Some have decried this as taking away the league's identity. This could ultimately turn out to the the NHL's version of new Coke or the NBA's ill-fated microfiber basketball. I'll wait till the off-season when I can see all 30 jerseys before commenting.

At $425 each though, I don't think I'll be expanding my collection anytime soon.

Hockey Night in suburban Chicago

Due to some personal family issues that forced me to return to New York for a few days, I had to put this on hold for a while.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled hockey fix.

It's not yet known if the Pittsburgh Penguins will leave the Steel City for parts unknown once their lease at Mellon Arena expires at season's end. If they bolt, whichever city gets them will inherit a team that could be shaping up soon as the league's next dynasty.

That may be a little strong, but Saturday night's 8-2 rout of Toronto seemed to bear that out. For one night, it was almost like the early 90s Pens featuring Jagr and Lemieux were on the ice.

Soon-to-be first-time All-Star participant Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists and heads into the break with a league-high 72 points. (Ask yourself what you were accomplishing at 19.)

Young Stars game headliner Evgeni Malkin -- fast becoming the Jagr to Crosby's Lemieux -- had five assists. All he's done so far is score 24 goals, add 28 assists to trail only Crosby for the team scoring lead.

Even 428-year-old Mark Recchi recorded his seventh career hat trick, scoring all three goals on the power play. And Jarko Ruutu -- well known as one stick short of a bundle -- looked like Jari Kurri as he scored on, of all things, a penalty shot.

Hold a gun to my head, and I'll say they're as good as gone. I would love to see the NHL return to Winnipeg, but Kansas City's new Sprint Center seems a more likely destination. Still, a team that appears poised to challenge for the Stanley Cup soon -- this season is unlikely, though stranger things have happened -- is perhaps the perfect selling point for Lemieux.

Wonder if Russians and Newfies like barbecue?


THE GOOD ...

LUCKY LUC HONORED: The Kings raised Luc Robitaille's No. 20 to the rafters prior to their game against Phoenix. Robitaille spent 14 of his 20 seasons in Los Angeles, finishing second on the Kings' career points list with 1,154 to trail only Marcel Dionne. Robitaille finished his career with 668 goals and 1,394 points, the most in NHL history by a left wing.



WARMING UP BEFORE HEADING TO DALLAS: With the All-Star game coming up Wednesday, three players showed why they're headed to Dallas. Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff made 32 saves in the Flames' 4-0 win over Edmonton in the ongoing "Battle of Alberta." The Stars' Marty Turco stopped eight shots in the shootout round of a 2-1 win over the Wild to become Dallas' all-time wins leader surpassing Ed Belfour, and Montreal's Cristobal Huet set a new career high with his 19th win in the Canadiens' 4-3 victory over Buffalo.


WHO'S ON TOP NOW: Your new league leader going into the All-Star break is the Nashville Predators after David Legwand recorded his first hat trick a 6-3 win over slumping Chicago. The Predators have 71 points -- one more than Buffalo -- and a six-point lead ahead of Detroit in the Central.



THE BAD ...

SAME OLD BLACKHAWKS: Denis Savard's Windy City magic may be running out. With their loss to Nashville, the Blackhawks have dropped nine in a row and are three points ahead of Los Angeles for last place in the Western Conference. The franchise's longest losing streak is 12 in a row set from Feb. 25-March 25, 1951.


RUBBER BISCUIT: Washington Capitals goaltenders Olaf Kolzig and Brent Johnson have faced a total of 96 shots in their last two games against Florida. On a 7-3 loss to the Panthers on Jan. 13, the pair faced 54 shots, and Kolzig looked at another 42 in a 4-1 loss on Saturday.


SLIP-SLIDIN' AWAY: Carolina squandered a pair of two-goal leads before losing to Tampa Bay 6-5 in a shootout. The Hurricanes enter the break in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 56 points, two ahead of the Lightning, and six in front of the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh and Toronto.



AND THE QUOTABLE ...

"It wasn't about scoring goals, it wasn't about money, it wasn't about fame. I just wanted to play hockey and play in the NHL. I wasn't the fastest player and I had flaws, but I was a student of the game and every day I was grateful to live my dream. I heard your chants every time I touched the puck or took a shot.'' -- Future Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille during a ceremony to retire his No. 20 prior to the Kings game Saturday night against Phoenix.